A brilliant trip on the Dart Princess
We had wonderful boat trip yesterday morning with Nigel Smallbones on the comfortable and expertly skippered "Dart Princess". (with good coffee from the galley too! As Chris Proctor has already given you a list of our sightings, then I won't repeat it but I have to endorse that seeing and photographing two seperate species of Cetaceans in a matter of minutes in Devon waters was a remarkeable experience.
A Red-necked Grebe was showing really well in the inner harbour as well as the Iceland Gull, Long tailed Duck and a Black Guillemot. Of note was a Slavonian Grebe.
I have to say that I find it amazing that these weekly boat trips are not full. Its cheap, comfortable, expertly crewed and very safe. Even in adverse weather conditions it is stable and dry. Most pelagic trips in other countries cost 10 times the price of these Devon trips and the sightings here are just as good.
There were more Divers than Shag, mostly Great Northern but also Black throated. There is more about the trip and many more photos on my own Blog, (I am limited to 3 snaps here).
http://parrotletsuk.typepad.com/wldlife_in_a_suburban_gar/
A known individual who can be identified by the damage to dorsal fin.
Posted January 6th, 2014 at 11:04 am by Charlie Fleming in Bird News