I got out of bed and prepared for Kevin Heath to pick me up - we'd chatted the evening before and decided to make the journey to Slimbridge - we didn't need to set off too early. I I had a message from Kev to say that the white-spotted bluethroat seen the previous day was now considered erroneous and we should change the plan - the forecast was looking good for today but poor for Sunday and so he suggested we pull forward his plan to go and see the Kentish Plover at Burnham-on-Sea. Our friends Nick and Anne Truby (@old_caley and @Dottydotterel) had been recently and dipped and this morning Anne was under the weather and Nick suggested they would be staying put, wishing us luck. We had a plan.
The journey was uneventful and only interrupted by a road closure in Burnham itself which saw us detour around to the north and eventually onto the Esplanade. We had the pin drop from Birdguides to guide us plus some information from Kev's sister Karen () - as we approached the spot we could see two birders with scopes - we jumped out the car and joined them.
These two birders were on the bird and pointed out where to look - it was only a minute and we were on the bird, through bins and then Kev's scope. Well that was easy - we'd heard tales of people visiting multiple times and still not seen the bird so we'd fallen lucky again. I noticed there was someone on the steps below the Esplanade and dropped down to join him - closing the distance only slightly. There was a stiff breeze and I'd only put on a fleece - the clouds out ahead looked dark and ominous - but hey, the forecast said it was going to be a getting better sort of day.
We watched and took a few photos, eventually posting some to Nick Truby to relate that we'd been fortunate again - must have been the lucky socks. He didn't reply immediately but in around half an hour he got in touch to say that he could see Kev's car and asked where we were - he'd set out shortly after us and was here with Anne (what a trooper). In a couple of minutes they were by our side - they'd had a late start and come up against two road closures so were arriving as the sea was coming in. The flock of ringed plovers and a couple of dunlins were looking more active, soon taking to the wing and making a circuit of the beach, landing again in roughly the same spot. A few minutes later and they were on the wing again and off to the island ahead - Nick and Anne had made it with only 10mins to spare! The plovers wouldn't be seen again until the tides changed.
As we packed up, the heavens suddenly opened and we were lashed by torrential rain! and by the time we all got to the cars we were drenched. Nick suggested they might go home (he actually went to Langford Lakes to see the showy pectoral sandpiper) and as it was still early Kev and I decided to make for Brixham / Broadsands to try for cirl bunting and if time allowed, purple sandpiper.
We stopped enroute for some breakfast and as we approached Brixham we were directed by Kev's sister to the Broadsand Beach car park and given information on the best spots to investigate. We pulled up, paid the parking and made for the closest area, right beside the car park. We were beginning to dry out from our earlier soaking.
Damn me, there were people playing football on the tarmac right in front of the main hedge - we looked further along the hedge and could see and hear tits and finches, but there was no sign of any buntings. We eventually decamped and dropped down to the next parking area and tried along the hedges but still no dice. The hedge along to the sea front held no birds at all, and to cap it all a farmer in a tractor then started to cut along the back side of the hedge - you really had to be joking. Rather despondent we repaired to the cafe on the front for a coffee and a slice of cake.
After our short break we dropped Kev's scope in the car and made for the headland southeast from the beach. We worked along the hedgerows and found very little, in fact very very little. This was turning into a major dip.
We eventually worked our way round, back to the cafe and along the reed margin behind the beach huts. We had almost reached the final hut when we could see an interesting bird on a bush on our left. I took a photo and swapped to my bins seeing the bird looking away - later we were able to confirm it was a cirl bunting (phew) - it took to the air before we could get closer or have better views. As it flew up the slope it was joined by two other birds - predictably they disappeared over the brow of the hill and were lost from view.
Kev and I marched up and down this footpath to see if we could locate the birds - about 20 minutes later Kev spotted three birds in the bushes on the top of the hill to the right but I was unable to isolate any of the birds to get a photo - yellow was clearly visible and we were kicking ourselves not to have a scope with us. Kev went back to the car and returned with the scope but we left without further views. A nice stonechat bid us farewell as we passed the reeds and huts. I phoned home to explain that I was in South Devon and not Somerset as I’d said the previous evening, and despite Kev's best efforts to make up time, the traffic on the M5 ensured we weren't back until darkness had fallen.
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