The Bus-Pass Birder Strikes Again!

The priority this morning was getting the television on as quickly as possible to see what progress with the miners in Chile. A miracle, to say the least, they and the backup squad had all been safely transported to the surface. My thoughts today have been very much with all the wonderfulChilean people I met on my last trip, not least Jacqueline and friends at Sotomayor, all at Lauca and the family of Eduardo Rojascruz (Eddie the Baker) who is ever in my thoughts.

Cliff was also 70 today, still looking not a day over 30 (B*s*ard), all all love Roch 'n' Roll or Pop owe Mr Richard a huge CONGRATULATION! I remember hearing his first Top Ten hit and thinking "this is something special" and it was, which I would equate to Page thrashing his Gibson Les Paul with a violin bow or Peter Gabriel projecting himself into the audience as TheSlipperman - a Slubberdegullion on Squeaky Feet!

And so to my day which started with a walk of a mile as, because of the roadworks the X53 Jurassic Coast bus is temporarily suspended from travelling along the end of my road. My destination wasColyford, a small village in the neighbouring county of Devon for yet another rare Wader. On arrival at the Black Hole Nature Reserve

c2 Curlew Sandpipers were viewable as were

a couple of Little Stint which were all in company with small numbers of Dunlin and Ringed Plover and the odd Curlew.

Little Stint

The Black Hole Reserve is a real mind opener, the brainchild of the local council and not one RSPB 'expert' in sight.

In fact there are a few people I could name who would do well just to pop down to Colyford and view just what a 'real' Nature reserve looks like. I think that highly unlikely though as our (so called) Nature Managers know it all and are so tied up in their ownbigotry that there is nothing to learn.

Anyway, I'd rather take a 2 hour ride to visit this excellent place than take the 5 minute walk to a spoiled Radipole!

But I digress. As the Colyton to Seaton tramway passed by, the target of my desire hove into view.

A Solitary Sandpiper found here on Monday by a local birder.

this is the first I have seen in the United Kingdom

and considered a fantastic addition to my Great Britain list.

A visitor from the America's, I have seen several in the US, the first in Central Park, New York City

found by my former lady friend Sue Hallam.

The visit to the resort was all too short, and after a pint and sandwich in the village pub, The Wheelwrights, I headed for the bus stop. Unfortunately, and unbeknown to me, theWeymouth bus had broken down just outside of Exeter. A full hour late, the bus did finally pick me up but only got as far as Bridport before in broke down again. Well, on the plus side I was in time to enjoy a curry and a couple of pints with John Down and Paul Harris and had a great day to boot.

Finally, Jim the Medic gave me a bell this morning to say that Liz his partner and her friend had been to see (hear) Joe Bonamassa at Bridlington. Liz had seen him on the 'Live at the Albert Hall DVD and her friend had no knowledge of him except for his name. They both came away from the gig saying it was singly the 'greatest' concert they had either witnessed. Time is running out as there are few gigs left, if you get the chance, don't turn it up!