David dropped me off at Dawlish Warren before heading to Toby's at Exminster with a plan to meet up later at The Anchor Inn at Cockwood for lunch. It had been cloudy but dry in Plymouth when we left but it was mizzley and misty at The Warren and after wandering around for an hour and getting soaked through there was as expected no sign of the hoopoe, not helped by lots of disturbance from workmen clearing vegetation around the car park area. A pair of hunting sparrowhawks, some nervous looking linnets and a moorhen by the main pond were the only birds seen but I did see a hoopoe - a stuffed bird in a case with a great spotted cuckoo when I looked through the window of the visitors centre!
I began the walk to Cockwood and while walking along the bridleway opposite the Dawlish Sands Holiday Park I found a feeding party of small birds flitting through the hedgerow - blue tits, long tailed tits, 2 firecrest and a yellow browed warbler. Unfortunately my glasses were very rain splashed and I had put my binoculars away in their case under my coat so the views of the yellow browed warbler were brief and difficult amongst the leaves. It appeared quite pale and washed out and later I heard it calling and it sounded a little off but I never got a decent view of it before it fell silent and disappeared. The firecrests were equally frustrating too with brief and obscured views but it was nice to find them all on such a wet and miserable day.
Saturday 2nd November was another day off with an horrendous weather forecast for strong winds and heavy rain and so I decided to kit up in my waterproofs and head out anyway, this time travelling to Berry Head for a look offshore. The journey by train and bus was uneventful and I arrived in Brixham at 08:30hrs for the walk to the quarry at Berry Head.
It was very wet and very windy but down in the quarry it was quite sheltered from the worst of the wind although there was no such let up from the rain. On the walk down to the waters edge I disturbed a pair of peregrines sheltering on the quarry face, the male being noticeably smaller than the female as it flew away calling but the female did return to perch on the rock face.
Peregrine
More gannets appeared and I picked up a distant great skua heading towards shore before it changed tack and headed back out to sea, flying shearwater style into the wind as it moved off west and out of sight.
Guillemots and fulmars were also seen flying around along with a red throated diver flying into Torbay. Later a red throated diver was seen flying west and later again one was seen flying into Torbay again but I have a feeling that the sightings were all of the same bird. The surprise sighting though was a female/immature marsh harrier battling against the wind as it flew low over the sea towards the shore. It made very little progress and occassionally flew up high before returning down to the water as it drifted across the bay towards Hope Nose where I lost sight if it.
Eventually harbour porpoises showed very well close to the rocks and attracted the attentions of gannets which soared over them with occassional dives into the sea, there were at least 3 harbour porpoise present as they moved back and forth offshore giving some very nice if brief views at the surface.
Gannet
Gannet
A red admiral was seen flitting about despite the rain but with my feet beginning to get wet and cold it was time to start the journey home and on the walk back to Brixham I had a brief view of a firecrest in the woods feeding with goldcrests. A pasty for lunch was very welcome as turnstones scuttled around the quayside of Brixham harbour and the journey back to Plymouth was uneventful too although I was glad to get out of my waterproof gear when I got home - and my new waterproof gloves had at least kept my hands warm and dry this time.
Turnstone
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