Planning a trip is not without it's issues.

So I make no secret that I would like to see the Bee-eaters on the Isle of Wight and it should be a simple matter of, get time off for good behaviour, drive down the M3 get the ferry over, see the birds and drive back but it's never that simple.

Firstly work gets in the way and when I do finally get the time to go the weather decides to get involved too.

BBC FORECAST FOR SUNDAY 

So on the face of it the weather isn't looking too bad with rain until late morning then plenty of sunshine.
But I read on and find that a met office Amber warning is now in place for the Isle of Wight.

So my planning now has to consider the fact that this warning exists and coupled with the fact that the trip also involves a 40 minute ferry sailing and the rain lasting well into the morning the trip would for sure present a few hurdles.

So then I check the ferry company and find no details of planned shut downs or anything of that nature and in fact crossing costs are very reasonable indeed. (£60 for the three amigos and car).

Ferry costs

The big talk is Hurricane Bertha hitting our shores this evening and what yank birds it may or may not deliver down the western coast of the UK and this coupled with talk of strong on shore winds bringing some large shearwaters close enough to the Cornish coast to be seen will I'm sure give a good few birders cause for planning this weekend but for me it's all about the Bee-eaters and can I take the chance of leaving it another week or do I go tomorrow?

I guess I'll have one eye on the forecast for the rest of the day and then decide which way the scales are tipped.....one thing I do know is that Cornwall is sadly just too far.