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General Discussion

Even the hurricanes are good news for Dawlish!

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Joey Deacon
Joey Deacon
02 Sep 2008 08:55

Well, they are if you're a twitcher...

The hurricane season has blown a succession of seldom-seen US birds across the Atlantic to the British Isles.

A spate of transatlantic wader discoveries in Britain include a sparrow-sized semipalmated sandpiper at Devon's Dawlish Warren.

With Hurricane Gustav still raging, there is widespread speculation in birding circles that it will add a new species to the list of birds recorded in Britain - just like in early September 2004 when Europe's first-ever purple martin was found on Lewis on the Outer Hebrides just days after Hurricane Frances.

Courtesy of the Daily Telegraph. http://tinyurl.com/5jffw8

Viaduct
Viaduct
02 Sep 2008 09:13

Do you have any evidence of that? Or is it the start of a rumour that you are so good at?

Bardwell
Bardwell
02 Sep 2008 10:34

Does anyone know if it's still there? These poor migrants tend not to last too long out of their familiar habitat.

Viaduct
Viaduct
02 Sep 2008 10:56

Even if it isn't, the twitchers, you can bet your life will be FLOCKING IN, just in case it is true.

Joey Deacon
Joey Deacon
02 Sep 2008 11:04

Viaduct wrote:
Do you have any evidence of that? Or is it the start of a rumour that you are so good at?

Might I kindly point you towards the link that I provided.

Thank you.

Don Pearson
Don Pearson
02 Sep 2008 17:12

For me, the reserve is top of the list of the best of Dawlish.

The wardens are very knowledgeable and helpful.

I do like birds but I am not a twitcher. Most of the sparrow-sized birds I see are unidentifiable at a distance and don't hang about for me to get close.

In the unlikely event of my having good binoculars and seeing a palmeate sandpiper well enough to look it up, I would probably assume that it must be something more common. Still, I love the place.

Viaduct
Viaduct
02 Sep 2008 17:25


Great place to be Don, when you want a bit of peace and quiet.

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