Berry Head
This headland once again managed to bring a huge grin to my face. Last year it gave a surprise photo opportunity of a male cirl bunting, singing at the top of a bush. And this year, another one popped out to land near me, when I was busy minding my own business, watching the seabird colony on the cliffs.
But amazingly this wasn't the best part. No, that was gifted to me by a pair of peregrine falcons, which were hunting over the cliffs. On the one day, I located a spot on the cliff edge, where I was lying on my back, with a pair of them riding the thermals, almost motionless no more than 30 feet above me at times. Wonderful sight.
I also managed to spot one perched at the edge of a public path, on the cliff edge, and by crawling along the deck, got close enough for a couple of perched shots.
And when the peregrines had gone off hunting, the fulmars kindly filled in, with their carefree flybys, feet dangling behind them. They look so content.
Dawlish Warren
I managed to miss both the spotted flycatcher and the Kentish plover, but still got great views of sanderlings, dunlins, chiffchaffs, willow warblers, whitethroats, a blackcap, Canada goslings, a little grebe, swallows, swifts and martins and a vocal green woodpecker, well aren't they always?
Yarner Wood
Once more, the heathland was home to a few stonechats, that eventually come close enough for shots, if you're prepared to sit still, and with all the horse manure and wood ants around, that takes some doing!
In the woods themselves, wood warblers called out constantly, though stayed high in the canopy. However, the pied flycatchers were in good numbers, and if you hid well enough amongst the ferns, they gave stunning views.
Exminster Marshes
The RSPB marshland area is fantastic for viewing sedge warblers, chiffchaffs, herons and lapwings. It is also a good spot for watching hobbies hawk over the fields, to catch dragonflies on the wing. Occasionally I spotted other birds of prey, one day a peregrine silenced things, and another, a kestrel hovered over for a short while.
The highlight for me though, was when a burst of song alerted me to a Cetti's Warbler being in the hedge right behind me. Standing back, I saw his head peeking out from the top of the leaves, so started to try to get a shot, and the sound of the shutter must have intrigued him, as he popped right out, and on to a fence, to take a look around. Fantastic.
Teignmouth
I was based here, and while I didn't spend a great deal of time wandering around, on the windier days, gannets ventured pretty close in. Shame the pier closes so early, as they were fishing right off the end of it. Along the sea wall, I spotted a pair of pipits, though determining what they were on that gloomy day was (for me) impossible.
Some pics below, and for more info see my blog and keep an eye on my gallery (both on here and in Fotopic) for more photos from the week.
I do love the south west.
