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Sunday 10 April 2016

Purple Sandpipers, singing Nuthatch and other Woolacombe holiday birds, 2016!

Had a fabulous holiday last week at beautiful Woolacombe in North Devon, UK.
  My family and I love it there and go most years!
 Unfortunately the weather wasn't great for photography, mostly windy and cloudy, but I tried my best anyway!
  As usual we stayed at the Waney Edge chalets at Woolacombe Sands Holiday Park
We love it here, so peaceful and surrounded by nature! The first morning we woke to a singing Nuthatch at the top of a tree right outside our chalet!
   Evenings we sat outside listening to Tawny Owls calling to each other in the wooded valley outside our chalet. It was wonderful!
  There were also Ravens, Sparrowhawks, Jays, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, singing Chiffchaffs and many other woodland birds. Down in the sand dunes and grasslands by the beach were plenty of Stonechats, Dunnocks, Meadow Pipits, Robins, Blackbirds and Linnets, plus a regular Kestrel which happily posed for my camera! They're usually a nightmare to get close to!
   One dull day we visited Ilfracombe and had chips by the harbour, where a thoughtful Carrion Crow helped us eat them! We walked around the headland and was lucky to see a small group of Purple Sandpipers, so well camourflaged against the rocks! The light was terrible, but I got a few photos from the cliffs above. A lone Fulmar flew past, and I saw a pair of Blackcaps in the car park by the beach.
  All in all, despite the weather, we had a great holiday!
 

   Below are some of the birds and pics from the holiday;



^Above^ - This Nuthatch welcomed us to Woolacombe with it's morning song!





^Above^ - Female Kestrel in the sand dunes near the beach!




^Above^ - Ravens over Woolacombe beach!






^Above^ - Robins were in full Spring voice!


^Above^ - Buzzard chased by Gulls over the chalet.


^Above^ - A very light-phased Buzzard over our chalet.



^Above^ - Long Tailed Tit outside our chalet.




^Above^ - Chiffchaffs in the trees outside our chalet. They were singing constantly!


^Above^ - Goldcrest outside our chalet.



^Above^ - Sparrowhawks soaring above the wooded valley by our chalet.













^Above^ - A selection of Stonechats, taken at Woolacombe and nearby Ilfracombe.



^Above^ - Linnets near the Woolacombe sand dunes.



^Above^ - Meadow Pipits near the Woolacombe sand dunes.


^Above^ - Singing Song Thrush in Gorse, by Tesco at Ilfracombe!


^Above^ - Herring Gull above Woolacombe beach.


^Above^ - Collared Dove at Ilfracombe.




^Above^ - Chip thief Carrion Crow at Ilfracombe!



^Above^ - Purple Sandpipers at Ilfracombe.


^Above^ - Fulmar at Ilfracombe (Light was awful!)


^Above^ - Jackdaw at Ilfracombe.


^Above^ - Chaffinch outside our chalet.


^Above^ - Pheasant near our chalet.



^Above^ - Male Blackbird near Woolacombe beach....with juicy slug....yum!


^Above^ - Woodpigeon outside chalet.




^Above^ - The Woolacombe waves were big, and the spray coming off them as the broke showed how windy it was!



^Above^ - Sunset from the chalet.


^Above^ - Sunset from the Woolacombe sand dunes.



^Above^ - Sunset from Woolacombe beach (plus my youngest daughter!)


^Above^ - Woolacombe....a beautiful place!!

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Carl Bovis Nature Photography

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