After I drove through the night, we arrived at 3.40am, and first saw the bird around 5am. It was very skulky (reminding me of an Orphean!!) and after listening to it for a long while it was decided it was an eastern form. There was a hint that this bird might have been an Orphean, but no idea where that rumour started.
After this great start, we caught up with Cirl Buntings and Dippers, before moving to south Wiltshire for the rare Marsh Fritillary butterfly.
I arrived home at 4.40pm, needing some much needed sleep.
A great day with great company as always, fantastic weather and scenery, but hopefully a rarity will get seen next time!!!
For those that don't understand, the Western Orphean Warbler turned out to be a bloomin Lesser Whitethroat. Grim!!
Cirl Bunting at Labrador Bay
Dipper on the River Dart
Marsh Fritillary at Cotley Hill, Wiltshire
Small Blue at Cotley Hill
