Tuesday 06 June – Sand Point

Six people made the ascent to the trig. point at the top of the steps, where any lingering cobwebs were swiftly dispatched eastward at about 40 knots. Trees and shrubs being all in full leaf and the roaring of the wind over ears, it is surprising that we did get to 28 species. Whitethroat and Blackbird were along and over the path. One Swallow, several Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls were patrolling, skilfully using the updraft from the cliffs. We spent ten fruitless minutes at the point, no dark sickle shape of Manx Shearwater, no long winged Gannet, in fact nothing. Before we reached our coffee stop, three then four beautifully coloured Feral Pigeon played chase along the cliff edge. In the lee of some boulders we drank our brews, the sun warmed us, and above Stonechat and Rock Pipit both scolded loudly. We flushed a Skylark from the newly cut meadows, no soaring song flight for this one, just lifting off, no higher than a Dunnock, sliding along the wind and down. A flock of 28 Goldfinches made enough noise to attract our attention; they swarmed from bushes onto some thistles and back again. Four Jackdaws shot into the belfry of the priory church, a favourite spot. Here two of the party departed for home and we few sat, a little further down for our picnic on the edge of the River Banwell. We listened to singing Blackbird, Greenfinch, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and saw several Shelducks and a single Mallard. The far bank of the river fairly teamed with Corvids and at one point they all lifted off, high enough for us to see that there were well over 300. We would normally have walked back via the Severn edge at St Thomas’s Head, across the field system, but the clouds that were racing towards us had an evil look, so we headed back to the cars. Although it was blowing all day and a few spots of rain hit us, it was an exhilarating outing. Nick Hawkridge