A FIRST CIRL FOR STEVE

My very good birding mate Steve Bool has never seen a Cirl Bunting. On one of the birding sites it stated that a very good place to see Cirl Bunting was RSPB Labrador Bay in South Devon. Steve is a courier and had a job down in Newton Abbott and asked me to go with him as he planned to go to the site after he had finished his delivery. So of course another chance to see a Cirl Bunting was to good an opportunity to turn down so off we went.

The Cirl Bunting is really a Mediterranean species with southern Britain being the most northerly part of it's range. It can just about tolerate our Winters but does suffer if the weather does become to extreme.  

Labrador Bay is a cracking little reserve and it's right on the South Devon coastal path. As soon as he had parked his van Cirl Bunting were singing from the trees and bushes right in front of us. Steve was delighted to have bagged his first Cirl Bunting.

labrador bay (steve bools pic)

male cirl bunting

another handsome male

The females showed well to although a little drabber than the males still a pretty bird.

female cirl bunting

Steve also managed to digiscope this Jay with a conker rammed in it's bill.

jay (steve bools pic)

I got a couple of pic's of this female Kestrel that was Sitting in a tree nearby.

female kestrel

But we came to find the Cirl Buntings and what a cracking bird, so glad we made the effort to see them.

cirl bunting calling

A great trip out and so pleased for my mate Steve seeing his first Cirl Bunting. I can't wait for next one.