Dawlish Warren

There was a DBWPS meeting at Dawlish Warren this morning. Just as we set off from the car park the heavens opened so we headed straight for the hide.

At least some brighter weather was on it's way

A coupe of birders with a novel technique!

Of course, as we arrived at the hide the rain stopped! We all sat dripping in the hide, trying to look through foggy optics. The tide was as high as I've ever seen it. There were lots of Oystercatchers on the island in front of the hide, along with a few adult & juvenile Greater Black-backed & Herring Gulls. We wondered if one of the slightly odd juvenile gulls may in fact be something more interesting, but after consulting the Birdguides App, Collins Guide & a printout of a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, we gave up & watched a steam train instead!

A couple of steam trains went by

There were quite a few Sandwich Terns, a couple of Razorbills & a few waders including Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Turnstone & Dunlin. As the tide went out exposing the mud, a couple of Sanderlings & lots of Ringed Plover arrived, & I mean lots. I don't remember the last time I saw so many together.

We did a quick sea-watch but only saw a few Gannets, Sandwich & Common Terns. The sky was getting darker so we didn't hang about. On the way back to the car park we had a good view of a Garden Warbler & a family of Reed Warblers.

A quick stop en route to the car park, racing the rain

There were a couple of interesting plants as well, identified for us by David, a mine of information. One of them was Eyebright, a really small plant which I've never noticed before, but which actually has a really pretty flower. The other was the vastly bigger Evening Primrose, which I've seen before but never looked up.

Eyebright

Evening Primrose

Quote of the day was from David after he answered a call of nature in the bushes near the golf course:

"I heard someone shout 'Four' & didn't know whether to duck or put it away"

Despite being a bit damp around the edges, it had still been a very pleasant morning.