Three Days

2023 birding has been great, but in three days it will all be over. Birders love January 1st. A fresh start, new plans, gym membership. But always there is first a little look back...

By sticking mainly to a pair of very local patches this year I did learn a lot of useful, birdy things about the Bridport and West Bay area, and had a few nice surprises, but by early autumn was more than ready for a change of scenery. My first visit to Cogden in August was like a lungful of fresh air. Oh, the easy solitude - despite West Dorset's swarming summer-season masses. The calm pleasure of it all was almost a spiritual thing, and I knew that my 2023 dabble at patch-working was over. In the end, Cogden produced some of my most memorable moments of the year...

One of maybe six Grey Phalaropes, including three in one visit.

After two in 2020, this was my third Cogden Wryneck, and the best performer.

A little influx of Ring Ouzels along the south coast on October 9th included these three at Cogden in the afternoon, following four in the morning.

West Bay did try very hard though, and will still be my seawatching venue of choice. How could it not be? At least four Leach's Petrels, my first Lyme Bay Sooty Shearwater for yonks, two Pom Skuas, 35+ Arctic Skuas, and the ludicrously extravagant gift of a close-in Great Shearwater...

If I were forced to chose a Bird of the Year, this is it. Great Shearwater, West Bay, September 20th.

Along with that singleton, there was also the incredible sight of some 30 large shearwaters - of which three were definitely Great - passing distantly offshore on October 13th. A sign of the times, perhaps?

One of West Bay's other attractions lies just inland of the harbour. The tiny Brit estuary can hardly be described as a bird magnet, and typically might give you little more than a handful of Mallards and Herring Gulls, but ju-u-u-st occasionally does better...

It took a while, but this August Garganey was probably my first decent find of the year.

My first West Bay Caspian Gull. Very, very welcome.

Waders are always at a premium locally, especially on the deck. I've certainly never put so much effort into papping a Redshank!

I already knew that vis-migging at West Bay's West Cliff can be very rewarding, and not just in terms of birds passing overhead, but was still a bit surprised to see a Cirl Bunting there. Nicely picked up by Tom Brereton...

West Dorset Cirl Bunting records are certainly on the up right now. Good news for a change.

I am normally pretty good at passing on bird news, and have rarely needed to keep anything hush-hush, but when word reached me of a Grey Phalarope at a slightly awkward site, I had no qualms about being rather selfish for once. As a consequence I enjoyed one of the best hour's birding ever. I just sat there and soaked it up...

October 8th - Grey Phalarope in late-afternoon sunshine.

2024 will be the same, but different. The same local focus, but no listing, and absolutely no boundaries. My aim will be simply to enjoy whatever comes along. The last few years have shown me just how exciting the birding can be in this joyously underwatched corner of Dorset, so I am quietly confident of a few thrills. But such moments are rare, and I look forward once again to finding ways to glean interest and fascination from the more everyday birds, to getting distracted by plants and insects, and to smiling a lot.

Thanks to all NQS readers, and I wish you too a smiley 2024.