Great Britain May 12th-16th 2005

This trip wedged a little birding in and around a trip to Britain for my father's 80th birthday. My attempt to find Cirl Bunting and Cetti's Warbler in south Devon on Day 1 was a notable disaster, in part due to high wind (I may have caught a brief glimpse of a Cirl, but it may also have been a Yellowhammer). My traditional trip to the RSPB reserve at Minsmere on Day 3 redeemed things somewhat, picking up Cetti's Warbler right next to West Hide and assorted good birds like Little Egret, Black Tern, Bittern and the obligatory Marsh Harrier. Continued high wind kept much of the passerines under cover, however. Birding in the local area around Lower Holbrook and some luck on the last day (Red Kite flying right over the car) redeemed the list somewhat. I decided to count the 4 Red Kites seen on the western edge of the Chilterns for my GB list, despite them being a reintroduced population. The brief glimpse of a vocal Cetti's Warbler (ID'd by song) at West Hide in Minsmere produced my only world lifer.

Species List