This Weekend's Itinerary

This weekend sees the (almost) annual Glamorgan Bird Club weekend jaunt to Portland Bird Observatory, Dorset. And, observing the tradition of our recent trips to this cracking birding hotspot, there's naff all down there worth looking at. Nevertheless, three members of 'Birders in Boxers' have signed up for the trip. Tim and the Twitchmeister are sensibly staying at home.

But, in order to salvage something from what looks like being a quiet weekend, I've worked out the following itinerary (based on last night's BirdGuides):

1. Saturday. Leave Cardiff at 5.00am.

2. Pick up Fudge Duck at Weston-Super-Mare (by torchlight) before moving on to Burnham-on-Sea to bag the Baird's at first light.

3. Next stop Appledore to pay homage to the King Eider.

4. Quick dash to Cornwall to catch a helicopter to the Scillies where we should easily pick up the Grey-cheeked Thrush before re-finding the Red-flanked Bluetail, Bobolink, Olive-backed Pipit, White-rumped Sand and Little Bunting.

5. Finally arrive in Portland just in time to sink a few pints and get some grub at The Pulpit pub. Sunday morning - up early to do the traditional GBC Seawatch from the Bill. After an hour question our sanity for persisting in seawatching off Portland 'cos we never see anything decent there. (GBC trips to Portland have turned up some good birds over the years, but we NEVER find anything decent on our seawatches. We leave that to other people).

Next stop Radipole Lake so Jeff can tick off the Hooded Merganser.

6. Up to Birmingham to catch a flight (somehow) to North Ron to pick up the White-billed Diver.

Celebrate our successful weekend by chartering a direct flight back to Rhoose. Wayne can then catch a train to Birmingham to pick his car up. We cant't go wrong!