I've started...

I've finally managed to get myself into gear & been out & about with the scope. I spent an hour at Exmouth front on Friday morning, although I didn't see anything of note. Before I left I had a wander around the bushes on The Maer (a small common behind Exmouth sea front), there's always lots of activity there and I'm hoping that if I check it often enough I may actually find something good!

The Maer

Yesterday I went down to the Exmouth docks development. I was hoping to find the Black Redstart that was mentioned on Birdguides a while ago. There were 9 Red-breasted Mergansers on the estuary, so at least I added to my Patch List. I felt I bit suspicious milling the flats with my bins! On my second lap, I was walking along the path beside the estuary when a heard snatches of the PA from the Stuart Line bird cruise which had just set off, to the effect that it's worth checking the docks for Black Redstart. At that exact moment a lovely adult male Black Redstart landed on the wall just ahead of me! I only had my little Lumix camera with me, but I was about to take a record shot when another birder appeared around the corner & frightened it off. It didn't go far, flitting between the roofs of Windward & Leeward Court, but it was now too high for even a record shot. It's exactly the same place that I found my Black Redstart last year, so maybe it's the same individual.

Leeward & Windward Ct. The Black Redstart has expensive taste!

The Stuart Line bird cruise 

Late in the afternoon I walked up to Sandy Bay but there were just 3 Great Crested Grebes for me to focus my bins on.  I don't remember seeing any reports from there - whether this is because it doesn't get checked much or nothing interesting stops, I don't know.  I'll hopefully find out this year!

My Patch List is now on 47, having added Pied Wagtail, Great-black Backed Gull, Starling, Red-breasted Merganser & Black Redstart. That shows how little I've been out!!