Blown out once more. 131 species in total

I was going to take a day off today, and Julia and I enjoyed a car-based early morning at Hengistbury and in the Avon Valley (Sand Martin, Wheatear, Sandwich Tern, Cetti’s and Dartford Warblers, LRP, Goosander and Goldeneye). But an email from John Faithfull got me going to Curbridge again – the Red-crested Pochard had been seen again! But once more, disaster struck, with another puncture, this time just south of Fair Oak. Cursing, I reached again for my spare inner tube – double disaster! I’d managed to bring the wrong size – the one I had was for my hybrid, not the road bike......grrrrrr. I had no option but to call for ‘back up’ – thanks for the lift home, Julia!

Feeling like a right berk, I decided to make the best of a bad job, and headed up onto the downs on the trusty old hybrid, for the exercise, as much as anything! I had a flyover Peregrine at Cheesefoot Head, and loads of Skylarks, Yellowhammers and Chaffinches, plus a small flock of five or six Corn Buntings, several Buzzards and Lapwings, and a few Bullfinches. Sadly, I could not locate any Bramblings among the finch flocks, and I did not manage any other ‘hoped-for’ raptors. They will come....