Curlew Sandpiper and Red-crested Pochards on The Plym

It was grey and claggy on Friday 7th March, a bit of a surprise after all the lovely sunshine we've been enjoying recently, and despite rain being forecasted for later in the day we headed out anyway for a short morning walk around Saltram. It was fairly quiet around the Park, presumably because of the weather forecast and the grey skies, but the rain never did arrive although the air felt mild and moist.

It was coming up to a neap high tide so Blaxton Meadow wasn't too flooded and there was plenty of mud on show. The usual Gulls, Ducks and Waders were roosting out on the Meadow and there was also a spread out flock of around 150 constantly moving Dunlin busily feeding away on the exposed mud amongst the Redshanks. I only had my travel binoculars with me and no telescope but I carefully scanned through them as best I could and eventually found the wintering Curlew Sandpiper hidden in plain sight amongst them. It showed very well from the bird hide before the flock was spooked into the air and I lost sight of it.

Curlew Sandpiper (top) with Dunlin

Curlew Sandpiper 

At the duck pond the pair of Red-crested Pochard were also easily found, both were fast asleep before waking up and taking to the water to feed on grain being thrown out to the ducks by a visiting family.

Mallard and Red-crested Pochard (m)

Mallard and Red-Crested Pochard (f)

The male kept himself close to the female but she didn't appear to be very enamoured by his attentions, she often moved away and seemed to prefer the company of a male Mallard instead.

Red-crested Pochard 

Also of note on our short walk were 3 Mute Swans, 2 male Wigeon, 8 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 3 Greenshank, a Kingfisher and 5 Stock Doves. Sadly there was no sign of the female Wood Duck at the duck pond on this visit although it had been reported there the previous day.

Stock Dove

Spring at Wembury and Topsham

March has finally arrived and it has come in like a lamb and not like a lion this year as the dry and sunny weather continues with warm days and clear and chilly nights. It remains to be seen what it will go out like at the end of the month though!

With a male Red-crested Pochard pitching up on the duck pond at Saltram over the weekend to join the long-staying semi-resident female bird and the female Wood Duck also reappearing I had thought about going to have a look for them on Monday 3rd March but decided to head out to Wembury for a walk instead. I wasn't feeling that great due to yet more dental problems but I dragged myself out of the house to catch the 10:05hrs bus as I really couldn't miss out on such a lovely day.

It's been a few weeks since my last visit to Wembury and quite a lot has changed during that time with repairs and vegetation clearance going on everywhere. The collapsed wall on the main beach has almost been restored to its former glory and the main paths have been trimmed back and made wider for the hordes and their dogs to descend upon them. Clearance of Gorse and Bracken has been undertaken on the hillside above the wheatfield and at The Point too but presumably now that March is here there won't be any further work.

Wembury Beach, October 2024 (L) and March 2025 (R)

Vegetation Clearance along the Footpath

It was quiet on the bird front as expected but I was very pleased to finally catch up with a pair of Dartford Warblers which showed very well as they flitted about the Gorse bushes in the company of a pair of Stonechats.

Dartford Warbler

Dartford Warbler

A showy Firecrest along the coast path was a nice find too, I seem to see more Firecrests than Goldcrests these days which is interesting but also a little worrying. Cirl Buntings were singing away, at least 3 males were heard with 2 seen, and a female Bullfinch and a Coal Tit were seen in a village garden. I also thought I heard a Cetti's Warbler calling in the valley to the beach but despite waiting around for a bit I never heard it call again to confirm. A male Kestrel at The Point was busily devouring some poor unfortunate rodent while 2 Raven called noisily overhead and around 12 Turnstone were seen feeding on the seaweed mass along the beach.

Kestrel with Mouse Sp.

By Midday I was regretting wearing my heavy winter coat but the warm sunshine meant I had sightings of my first Small Tortoiseshell and Comma of the year along with 2 Adders and 3 Common Lizards.

Small Tortoiseshell

Adders

Common Lizard

Wednesday 5th March was again a glorious day of sunny weather as we headed off to Topsham for an overnight stay. My sister had given us a Christmas gift of a Mystery Adventure/Treasure Hunt Game set in Exeter and we had planned to just take a day trip on the train to play it but then decided to stay overnight in nearby Topsham to make it more of a break away.

I checked out the tide tables to pick the best midweek days to visit Bowling Green Marsh before booking up a nights stay at The Globe in Topsham, I couldn't pick the weather but luckily managed to choose the perfect days for our visit.

The train to Topsham arrived on time at just after 11am and I headed off to the hide at Bowling Green Marsh while David wandered off to have a look around the shops. High tide was at around 10:20am and as I settled myself in at the hide there were plenty of roosting birds to be seen out on the Marsh waiting for the tide to drop. I didn't have my telescope with me, the light was harsh and it was very hazy looking into the sun but I managed to get some great sightings.

Wigeon

A Sand Martin was written up on the sightings board and sure enough as I scanned about I picked one up flitting about over the water, a definite sign that Spring is here. I also easily found the reported Spoonbill too as it slept out amongst the roosting birds before waking up and feeding along the waters edge.

Spoonbill

I scanned through the small flocks of roosting Redshank present but there was no sign of the Long-billed Dowitcher amongst them although I did find 2 Spotted Redshanks still in full winter plumage and feeding together in a small pool. A Ruff was seen too, it had been feeding out of sight below the hide but revealed itself as it flew off towards The Clyst as the other waders also began to depart the roost.

The long-staying and wandering immature male Scaup was feeding out on the water of the Marsh today along with a pair of Pochard and 4 Tufted Ducks (3 males, 1 female). The Scaup was looking smart as it continues its moult into adult plumage and the green sheen of its head was very noticeable in the sunshine.

Also of note were 2 tardy Avocets (1 was an immature bird with a white speckled, brown toned head), 3 Snipe, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, a pair of Pintail, an immature male Shoveler, a Curlew, 2 Oystercatcher and a Common Gull along with the usual Teal, Wigeon, Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwit. A Kestrel was patrolling about and occassionally hovering while yet another Firecrest was found in the hedgerows singing away as it moved through the branches.

Shoveler and Pintails

Wigeon

Black-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwit and Wigeon

Kestrel

Grey Heron

I headed over to the viewing platform as the tide continued to drop, viewing into the hazy sunshine and misty air from here was really tricky but I did find the 2 Avocet from the Marsh feeding together along The Clyst along with 6 Grey Plover, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit. I could hear Brent Geese calling and could just make out small skeins flying across the river from Starcross towards Lympstone but a very smart looking male Red-breasted Merganser showed very nicely out on the water right in front of the platform as it had a preen before falling asleep.

From The Goatwalk I found 9 Turnstone feeding below the walkway but the light conditions were even worse here and it was now time to meet up with David for lunch. We walked over to nearby Darts Farm, hearing a Chiffchaff and a Cettis Warbler calling in the hedgerow at Goosemoor along the way before we walked back to Topsham to check in at the hotel.

After an enjoyable stay in Topsham we headed to Exeter the following day to complete our Mystery Adventure which was interesting and quite fun - and the good weather held out until it started to rain just as we stepped off the train back in Plymouth!

Our Exeter Mystery Adventure

Sunny Days Out

With a sunny and calm day forecasted for Saturday 22nd February I decided to head out to look for Goshawks at my usual spot. However I read the bus timetables incorrectly and ended up having to catch a different numbered bus before walking about a mile to get to my usual starting point but never mind, the extra exercise will do me good.

There was very little breeze and it was a little bit misty and hazy but it felt mild and there were birds singing away as I began my walk up to my lookout point. The path wasn't too muddy either and the mist slowly began to dissipate as the breeze gently picked up.

I managed to find 4 Red-legged Partridges in the fields amongst copious Pheasants along with a male Stonechat, a Mistle Thrush and around 20 skittish Redwings. I had a look for Fieldfare too but with no luck and I drew a blank on Marsh Tit in the woodland as well.

I was hot and out of puff on negotiating the hills to get to my lookout spot but after catching my breath and setting my scope up I began to scan the skies only to find nothing was up on the air, not even a Buzzard. I figured that it may have been too early in the day as the breeze hadn't really gotten going and while it felt mild it wasn't that warm and thermals hadn't started to develop so I just had to wait. 

Goshawk Viewpoint

Eventually I picked up a few Buzzards displaying and soon after a distant Goshawk which showed briefly over the trees before disappearing, a large looking bird and with Colgate white underparts in the bright sunshine. I eventually refound it but it had flown further up the valley and then it disappeared from view again.

More Buzzards were taking to the air along with a female Sparrowhawk and a few Raven before I found another Goshawk circling with 2 Buzzards, this bird was darker underneath but it was large again and had a few feints at one of the Buzzards before drifting away.

I then found another Goshawk, large and very white looking underneath but with some secondary feathers missing on its right wing. At one point a male Sparrowhawk appeared and interacted with it before heading away and it looked really tiny compared to the Goshawk.

I then caught sight of possibly the first Goshawk I had seen earlier and I watched it for a while in display flight mode with its white under tail coverts all fluffed out. It was a joy to watch despite being high up in the sky and distant but the stylised wing flapping and swoops and stalls were great to see.

Very suddenly all the Woodpigeons and Corvids in the nearby wood noisely scattered out of the trees and as I watched I picked up an immature Goshawk powering through the branches causing complete panic. It disappeared over a ridge but I continued to see Woodpigeons and Crows taking to the air along its route, a close but all too brief view of a monster of a bird, large, fast and powerful looking and exciting to see.

It was soon time to head back home but not before my tripod snapped on me, I'm not sure what happened but as I turned the scope around to scan the sky it buckled towards me and as I looked down one of the legs had just snapped off! I wonder if there had been some stress damage to the leg when it fell off Langstone Rock and onto the beach below back in 2022 and today it finally gave up the ghost, it's never been the same since this incident anyway but hopefully David can work his magic on it and sort out some kind of a repair.

Velbon Tripod Woes

David very cleverly managed to fix the tripod using a glass fibre rod and epoxy, it seems to be OK but I'll have to see how it fares in the field. I did fish out my old Opticron tripod to use in the meantime, I bought it back in 2012 and I only used it a few times as I didn't get on with it so it was stored away and forgotten about but it's actually not a bad scope and has a Manfrotto head on it. 

With Tuesday 25th February being another fine and sunny day and wanting my repaired tripod to be rested for a bit longer I decided to take my old Opticron tripod out birding with me on a trip to Looe to see how I got on with it in case the Velbon tripod repair didn't hold.

The forecast was for a lovely day but no sooner had I stepped off the train at Looe than I was greeted with rain! I walked out to nearby Hannafore Point, somewhere I haven't visited before, and as I arrived the rain fortunately cleared through and the sun reappeared.

I set up my scope and scanned about, finding a male and an immature male Eider close in offshore along with Gulls, Shags and Cormorants. I also found a distant Great Northern Diver and then an even more distant group of 4 more before finally getting onto a Slavonian Grebe just as it dived underwater. Despite scanning about with my scope it took me a while to refind it but eventually it showed well if distantly in harsh light and swelly seas.

Eiders

Banjo Pier, Looe

Also of note were a Razorbill, 2 Curlew, a Kestrel, a Grey Seal and 9 Rabbits before I headed back to the train station in Looe for the journey home but not before picking up some lemon meringue pie from a cafe for our tea.

"Nelson", Looe

And so to the tripod, it's actually a pretty good one, much better than my Velbon tripod, stronger and sturdier but heavier and bulky and especially the head which seems overly complicated and has an unnecessarily long panning handle. It has twist leg locks too which I'm not keen on but overall it's not bad and better than I remember.

It was another lovely sunny day on Thursday 27th February as I headed down to Cornwall with my friend Sue to hopefully see the juvenile Spoonbill wintering on the Hayle estuary. On arriving at Copperhouse Creek we quickly found the Spoonbill feeding on the low tide before it promptly went to sleep as Spoonbills are prone to doing but it gave some nice views when it occassionally woke up. Other highlights here were a Snipe, a Chiffchaff, a Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Grey Plover and 2 Greenshank.

Spoonbill - a new bird for Sue

We carried onwards to nearby Godrevy but not before paying a brief visit to Sue's Uncle Pete in Carbis Bay and while it had been warm in the sunshine at the sheltered Copperhouse Creek it was cooler in the breeze at the more exposed cliffs of Godrevy. This didn't seem to bother the 100+ Grey Seals hauled out on the beach or swimming in the sea at Mutton Cove, an amazing sight and the most Grey Seals I've ever seen together.

Godrevy Lighthouse

Grey Seals, Mutton Cove

Grey Seals

Other highlights here were 2 Raven, a Kestrel, 2 Fulmars, 2 Guillemots, Gannets and Kittiwakes but the birds of the day were 2 Chough which flew high overhead calling before drifting off towards Hayle.

It was yet again a sunny day on Friday 28th February so we headed out to Hope Cove for a walk along the coast path to Thurlestone and back. The sea was flat calm and birdless but South Huish Marsh was flooded and packed out with birds and the highlights were 2 Water Rails feeding out in the open with a third bird heard, 10+ Snipe, 7 Oystercatcher, 3 Little Egret, 2 pairs of Stonechats, a Greylag Goose and 2 Cattle Egret.

Raven, Hope Cove

And so February comes to an end, a sixth of the year already gone, and the dry and sunny weather is looking set to continue for a few more days yet.

A 4 Grebe Day

It was back to being cold and cloudy again with a biting easterly wind on Thursday 13th February but I headed over to Torpoint for a look about off Marine Drive on the low tide. I didn't arrive until around 1pm just as the low tide was on the turn and there was a lot of mud on view in the dull and grey light.

On arriving I had a quick scan about with my binoculars and immediately picked up a Slavonian Grebe along the shoreline just as it dived underwater. I set my scope up for a better look but couldn't refind it although I did pick up a Little Grebe and then a Black-necked Grebe in the same area. I began to doubt myself before eventually refinding the Slavonian Grebe, I had a few more brief views of it between dives before it just disappeared as Slavonian (and Red-necked) Grebes often do here at St.Johns Lake and I never saw it again.

The Black-necked Grebe continued to give some nice views though but again spent very little time at the surface between dives as it covered quite a large area and was difficult to keep track of. The Little Grebe was eventually joined by another and a Great Northern Diver appeared briefly but I spent some time watching 3 Common Scoter which had been asleep out on the water before waking up to feed on Crabs. One bird was a female but the other two were immature males, one with black and brown plumage and an area of yellow developing on the top of its bill and the other with no yellow on the bill and more female type plumage but with darker feathering appearing on the face and back.

I then walked over to nearby Chapeldown Road where I found another Little Grebe and another Black-necked Grebe along with 5 Great Crested Grebes but there was no sign of the Red-necked Grebe so I had to make do with a 4 Grebe day. I also picked up another small Grebe diving away over on the opposite shore, distant views only even with my scope and in choppy waters but either my 3rd Black-necked Grebe of the day (at least 4 have been present here this winter) or the elusive Slavonian Grebe. Needless to say I soon lost track of it and I never saw it again.

Across the mudflats the usual Dunlin, Redshank, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Teal, Grey Plover, Wigeon and Shelduck were noted along with a Little Egret and Common Gulls while Turnstones and 3 Ringed Plover were feeding on the seaweed covered shore in front of me. To round off my short visit I found another Great Northern Diver feeding by the Torpoint Ferry as I headed home, a nice end to a very cold birding visit.

Great Northern Diver

It was milder and there were occassional sunny spells on Sunday 16th February as I headed out to The Plym for a walk but it was still cold in the strong easterly breeze. I had hoped to be up and out early but after a family meal and drinks the previous day I had trouble getting started and I didn't arrive at Longbridge until around 9:30am where it was already busy with walkers and dogs.

Snowdrops at Saltram

High tide was at around 8:00am and with it being a spring tide Blaxton Meadow was a lake with no mud on show at all and so Curlews and 15 Oystercatchers were roosting on the islands in front of the hide and Redshanks were roosting along the embankment at the back with 8 Greenshank, at least 6 Dunlin and a Snipe. Also present amongst the usuals were 14 Common Gulls (12 adults, 2 1st winters) and 2 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls plus a female Teal was found feeding in amongst the Wigeon. A surprise sighting was of 2 Collared Doves feeding together along the waters edge at the back of the Meadow.

Wigeon

Redshank

Out on the river there were 2 pairs of Goosanders, a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers, a Mute Swan, a Little Grebe and 2 Shags but there was no sign of the recent Great Northern Divers.

The view from above The Amphitheatre

Around The Park the highlights were 2 Skylark, a pair of Stonechat, 2 Meadow Pipit, 3 Bullfinch (2 males), 2 Greenfinch and 4 Roe Deer. The female Red-crested Pochard was still present on the duck pond with the Mandarin Ducks and the 2 Stock Dove were still present eating grain on the pond side.

Red-crested Pochard 

Good to see some repair work being done to the fencing at the Wet Wood to keep the numerous dogs out

Mute Swan - maybe one of 2024's cygnets?

Corky Bark on Field Elm

River Plym x 2, Wembury and The Hoe

The wind had eased down on Saturday 8th February but it was grey and cold as I headed out to The Plym for a short walk from Longbridge to The Amphitheatre and back. With the Curlew Sandpiper being seen on the high tide on Blaxton Meadow earlier in the week I took my scope with me but sadly there was no sign of it amongst the Dunlin on the incoming tide. Indeed there were only 28 Dunlin present, I wonder where all the small waders go at times, presumably over to The Tamar complex

Also on Blaxton Meadow were 2 Greenshank, 29 Curlew, 16 Oystercatcher, Redshank, Wigeon, Shelduck and 2 Little Egret and amongst the roosting Herring Gulls and Black-headed Gulls present were 9 Common Gulls (8 adults and a first-winter) and a Great Black-backed Gull.

Along the river there were 2 Great Northern Divers, 4 pairs of Goosanders, a female Mandarin Duck, 3 Moorhen and a Grey Wagtail while in the park 3 Coal Tit, 3 Nuthatch and a Song Thrush were noted.

Nuthatch

On the walk back to the bus stop near Sainsbury's I had a look on the walls of the underpass to see if any moths had been lured in by the lights, I wasn't expecting anything considering the cold temperatures we've been having and especially at night but I found a very nice Angle Shades Moth, my first moth of the year.

Angle Shades

The Curlew Sandpiper was reported as being present on Blaxton Meadow the following day (Sunday) and so I decided against my better judgement to have another look for it on Monday 10th February. It was a grey and cold day and with high tide due at around 4:30pm I didn't head out until 1pm. Needless to say the Curlew Sandpiper was a no show and I didn't even find a single Dunlin but such is birding.

The usual birds were out on Blaxton Meadow again on the incoming tide and included 12 Common Gulls (9 adults, 3 1st winters), an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull and 7 Greenshank.

I had a quick detour up to the duck pond this time and the female Red-crested Pochard was present there with at least 45 Mandarin Ducks. Families were feeding the Ducks and a Nuthtach was picking out peanuts from amongst the cobbles and 2 Stock Doves were eating the grain thrown onto the ground.

Red-crested Pochard and Mandarin

Red-crested Pochard 

Mandarin

Stock Dove

There was no sign of any Great Northern Divers out on the river and Goosander numbers were down to 1 male and 3 female birds but there were now 2 Little Grebes present. The only other bird of note was a male Kestrel seen briefly flying over before disappearing into a tree.

It was chilly and grey again on Tuesday 11th February as I headed out to Wembury on the 9:05am bus. There was very little breeze and the air felt very cold which may have been the reason it was quiet again with very few walkers and dogs about. The recent dry and cold weather also meant that the footpath was a lot more passable than on my last visit.

It was low tide so I was pleased to get a brief view of a Redshank feeding down amongst the rocks by the waters edge along with flight views of at least 9 Turnstones. The usual Oystercatchers were present too along with 2 Little Egrets, a Canada Goose, 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls and 6 Mallards (4 males, 2 females).

I walked up to the sunflower field at The Point and was pleased to find 2 Reed Buntings in amongst the Cirl Buntings, a female and an immature male so at least 3 birds have been present here. There was a large flock of flighty Woodpigeons present too and amongst them were at least 11 Stock Doves while a Red-legged Partridge was heard calling amongst all the dead vegetation. A flock of around 40 Linnet were still present along with a few Chaffinch and Skylark while overhead a Kestrel flew across the field along with a surprise Great Spotted Woodpecker. 

Wembury Point - A shame that not all dog walkers can read

Offshore I finally managed to find a few adult Gannets flying about, my first at Wembury this year, but even better was a distant Great Northern Diver powering through and heading east. A very foolish Buzzard decided to fly out to The Mewstone where it was given very short shrift by Great Black-backed Gulls and Herring Gulls while the Fulmars ignored all the fuss and just continued to wheel around their nesting cliffs.

Other birds of note on my walk were a chilly looking Chiffchaff feeding along the beach, a flyover Raven at the church and a Great Spotted Woodpecker, House Sparrows and 3 Collared Doves in the village.

It was a little warmer the following day (Wednesday 12th February) and with lovely sunny skies for a change so we took a walk around Plymouth Hoe. It was low tide and not the best time to look for Purple Sandpipers and as expected I didn't find any, in fact there hasn't been any reports of them being seen on The Hoe this winter as far as I'm aware. I did see a nice Great Northern Diver close offshore though but even better was a male Black Redstart near the RNLI building, the same place I saw one this time last year and possibly the same returning bird?

Stover and a Return to The Exe

We headed out to Stover for a visit on Thursday 6th February, it was cool and sunny and the walk was not too muddy underfoot. The highlight was a Marsh Tit at the feeders with Coal, Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits although it took a bit of a wait to finally catch sight of it. Also present around the feeders were 2 Stock Doves, a male Pheasant, a Buzzard, 2 Nuthatch, Chaffinch, Robin and some very plump Grey Squirrels.

Out on the lake amongst the Mallard, Coot and Moorhen were 9 quite tame Tufted Ducks (6 males), 6 quite tame Goosanders (3 pairs), a twitchy pair of Wigeon, 2 Canada Geese, 2 Cormorants and 4 Mute Swans.

Tufted Duck

Goosanders

It was sunny but cold in a biting easterly wind as I headed off to Exminster Marsh on Friday 7th February. I caught the train to Starcross and on arriving I decided to ditch the bus and walk to the Marsh instead so saving me some money and shifting some of my post-Christmas lard in the process.

The walk was heavy going in the cold wind and eventually the clouds rolled in making it feel even colder especially along the seawall from Powderham to Turf. It was surprisingly sheltered though when I finally arrived at the lock gates and I quickly found the Long-billed Dowitcher here happily feeding out on the mud and quite close to the path.

Long-billed Dowitcher 

Long-billed Dowitcher 

Long-billed Dowitcher 

It was busily feeding away on its own along the shoreline and rarely stopped for more than a few seconds and at times it came very close. It seems to have settled here for the moment as it continues to overwinter in various spots around The Exe but the views today were by far the best I've ever had. It was an interesting bird to watch, like a cross between a Snipe and a Bar-tailed Godwit, and appearing to be quite plain too until a close up look revealed beautifully intricate plumage details.

I continued my walk up along the canal to the viewing platform, the wind was evil here so I didn't stay long but I did manage to see the wintering male Scaup out on the lagoon amongst Tufted Ducks and a pair of Pochard. It was now in adult plumage and looking much smarter than when I saw it at Bowling Green Marsh in December, sadly though it was fast asleep and only occassionally and very briefly woke up before returning to its slumbers.

I soon had enough of the cold wind so I returned to the sheltered lock gates for another look at the Long-billed Dowitcher. It was still happily feeding away out on the mud and was a little closer again as the tide headed in and this time it was keeping company with an equally confiding Greenshank.

Greenshank and Long-billed Dowitcher 

Greenshank and Long-billed Dowitcher 

Greenshank and Long-billed Dowitcher

All the usual birds were seen along my walk too including Grey Plover, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Avocet, Pintail, Shoveler, Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall, Curlew, Dunlin, Redshank and Brent Geese. Also of note were a Rock Pipit at the lock gates, a Little Grebe on the lagoon, a Snipe, a Kestrel, a male Red-breasted Merganser and 3 Stonechat (2 males).

Brent Goose

The walk back to Starcross was just as windblown but this time I walked along the sheltered cycle path instead of the exposed footpath which was much more pleasant. Along the way the Fallow Deer were showing well in Powderham Park and the Grey Herons were back on their treetop nests despite the wind. Eventually I arrived back at Starcross and caught the train back to Plymouth, I had considered stopping off at Dawlish Warren for a quick look about but the wind and choppy seas put me off that idea and I headed straight home instead. A good day out though despite the conditions and all for the princely sum of £7.30 on the train (with my Devon and Cornwall Railcard).