Golden O

Golden Oriole is a bird I have always wanted to jam into along this coast somewhere, and this morning I did. It was not a surprise, yet it was a massive surprise, if you get what I mean. I would imagine that most birders head out with a mental wish-list, based on time of year, what's been about lately and so on. I certainly do. And when you get home with your wish-list pristine and unfulfilled, you sigh at the depressingly inevitable, and tuck it away for another day...

Golden Oriole was very much on my wish-list this morning. Chris Townend had one near Budleigh Salterton yesterday, there was another at the far end of Cornwall, and no doubt others I didn't hear about. It's the right time of year, the weather could hardly be more helpful, and a few have evidently crossed the Channel just lately. So, not a surprise.

But getting something that's on the wish-list so rarely happens. I mean, almost never. So yes, also a massive surprise!

Whenever I visit this bit of coast early in the morning I like to do the return leg along the beach with the sun behind me, which means the outward leg I normally go inland a bit. Today though, I went a lot further inland than normal, my intention being to give myself a nice panoramic view down to the sea (so as to pick up male Pallid Harriers more effectively) and to listen for Cuckoo and Golden Oriole. Yes, my wish-list is odd...

All was going to plan, when I suddenly got distracted by flowers. For some reason I found myself hunting for orchids. It began when I spotted a tiny purple thing while scanning a rough field for birds. More about that later, but suffice to say it held me up. Then I found a permissive path I'd never been along, and took it. Then a singing Yellowhammer along a hedgerow I have only passed once before made me spend a few minutes trying to get a photo...

What I'm trying to say is that I ended up in a spot I never visit, at a time when I would normally have been well into the return leg along the beach. Pure chance.

I had just put my camera away, and stood there surveying the lovely view to the sea. Starting down the slope I was suddenly aware of a thrush-sized bird flying from left to right. Even my naked eye could see it had bright, yellowy-green bits, and instantly I knew what it was. Bins up, rapidly. 'Oh, wow!' out loud as usual. Not a bright yellow male, but ridiculously colourful even so. I briefly contemplated getting the camera out and trying for a record shot, but realised it would be a speck by the time I was ready, and that I would probably lose it too. Better to try and make out if it lands. The oriole flew a long way west, and was eventually so low that it went over a hedge line and out of view. I figured it could well have come down somewhere east of the Cogden Beach car park. Mike and Alan were both able to come and have a look, but we couldn't relocate it.

I don't find rare or scarce birds very often, but whenever I do it frequently strikes me how random the whole thing is. With the exception of Caspian Gulls, which I specifically look for with some care and effort, almost everything else I ever find is totally out of the blue. Brilliant!

So. Flowers...

The tiny purple thing was a nice, fresh Pyramidal Orchid. There were several...

Pyramidal Orchid

Scanning around further I spied a few larger, more flambouyant orchids. I recall Karen Woolley (of Wild Wings and Wanderings fame) introducing this species to me, on Goat Island along the Axmouth to Lyme Regis undercliff reserve...

Greater Butterfly Orchid

To be honest I found myself quite captivated by these lovely plants. Orchids really are very impressive, and to encounter them so unexpectedly was a real treat. In the past I have no doubt walked within a few feet of them without noticing they were there. But now that I am aware of their presence...well...

Glancing left and right I realised just how much flora there is here. I can put a name to almost none of it, but that didn't stop me looking. And by complete fluke my eyes came to rest upon this little stunner...

Bee Orchid

Just look at that!

I have seen Bee Orchid before, so knew what it was. But I am simply amazed that I was fortunate enough to spot it, because it certainly wasn't obvious...

The Yellowhammer that held me up

Troops. Advance party on reconnaissance mission

Reinforcements approaching...

And finally I turned for home. It was the first time for ages that I haven't seen any Wheatears at all, but I am not complaining.

En route I pass through this NT car park at Hive Beach, Burton Bradstock. Already, at around 09:00 on a weekday it was filling steadily. I was very, very glad to be heading in the opposite direction...