Sull's birding diary

Monday 27 February 2012

Short eared owls

There are currently up to four short eared owls in the nearby Gosley Farm near Charney Bassett. Parked the car and within 10 metres, I disturbed an owl that had been roosting in the hedge along a ploughed field. It flew around the field for a couple of minutes, before landing on the ground some distance away. Found a second owl on the far side of the field.

Distant photo of short eared owl

Saturday 25 February 2012

Return to Wales

Spent the weekend at Jenx house in Cardiff so used the opportunity to check out Goldcliff in the Gwent levels. They have 3 new hides one of which gives a new view over the lagoons nearest the sea wall. In a productive couple of hours, the highlights were 2 Greenshanks, 1 Spotted redshank, female Marsh harrier, 3 avocets on the foreshore, and an unusual looking bird that one onlooker stated looked like both a goose and a swan. Turns out that it was a feral swan goose, native to the Mongolia.

Next location was Forest Farm nature reserve where a bittern had been reported. Reached the hide and happy to see that the bittern was showing well, along with a water rail and a pair of bullfinches.

Thursday 23 February 2012

Snow bunting at Farmoor

Male Snow bunting reported at Farmoor along the causeway. He came close enough for me to get some photos although did not stay long. Others birders were searching for it as I left. also had some nice views of a male Goldeneye with a group of eight females.

Friday 19 August 2011

Scilly Pelagics

Combined a trip to the Scilly Isles with M and 2 pelagics. The morning crossing on the ferry from Penzance was pretty choppy but saw several Manx shearwaters, gannets and fulmars. and numerous people vomiting into sick bags. We stayed at the Nunsdeep B&B in Hugh Town from where we explored St Mary's, St Agnus and St Martin's Islands.

Pelagic 1 : Sat 13/08 (8.30am - 5.00pm)

Boarded the Sapphire and pleased to note that they was plenty of room to move around the boat (unlike the Bridlington pelagic a couple of years back). First birds were Sandwich and Common Terns feeding between the islands and numerous Shags sitting on rocks. Gannets and Fulmars increased in numbers and a few Manx Shearwaters and European Storm Petrols were noted. After about an hour, the boat stopped and chum was thrown over the side. A few started fishing whilst the birders waited patiently for the arrival of Wilson's Petrols. A Great Skua flew around the slick for a while followed by brief views of a Pomarine Skua and Sooty Shearwater. No Wilsons arrived after 2-3 hours so we moved on towards a distant trawler whilst continuing to throw chopped up fish in our wake. This attracted a Balearic Shearwater which followed us for a while then a Great Shearwater flew past the boat.

Fulmar

Adult Gannet

Juv Gannet

Balearic Shearwater

Approaching the trawler, we had great views of an adult Sabines Gull although the flock of gulls following the trawler did not contain anything exiting.

When I met up with M back on land, she told me she had watched a couple of basking sharks from Old Town.

Pelagic 2 : Monday 15/08 (5.00 pm - 10.00 pm)

No new species and no sign of any Wilson's Petrols despite meticulous searching amongst the (well over) a hundred Storm Petrols observed. Great views of a Pomarine Skua, single Sooty Shearwater and up to 4 Great Skuas. The crew also managed to catch and tag a 5 foot Blue Shark, before releasing it back into the Atlantic.

Great Skua

From the ferry returning to Penzance saw 1 Great Skua , 20+ Manx Shearwaters and a single Storm Petrol. A school of common dolphins caused a bit of excitement amongst the ferry passengers but I did not get the same response when I shouted Great Skua.

Tuesday 24 May 2011

Camargue and La Crau ; 17th - 21st May

Taken a while to update my blog with the French trip but finally got around to doing it. 5 days in the South of France with the chance to bird the Camargue and La Crau. Stayed at Seb's cousins place in Martigues who showed us wonderful hospitality. Booked cheap flights for Jenx and I from Luton to Nimnes, where Seb would be waiting to drive us down South.

Day 1

We landed in Nimnes at 9.30 am and what a great start to the trip - a male Little Bustard was displaying on the edge of the runway. As we approached the terminal, we also saw a female running alongside the plane.

Met up with Seb and drove the short distance down to The Crau with plenty of Black Kites and Cattle Egrets on view. The Crau is an area of stony, barren semi-desert that holds a number of speciality species. Getting out of the car, I was surprised how hot it was, but my attention was soon taken by a Melodious warbler singing from a tree close by, and several nightingales. We started a circular walk around the reserve and found a Tawny Pipit, Short Toed Larks and several Lesser Kestrels flying around the barn. In a subsequent visit, a total of 9 was counted. Birding was difficult due to severe heat haze and high temperatures so we vowed to return early in the morning.

The Crau

Short Toed Lark at The Crau

Had lunch at the town of Martinez de la Crau, before driving to Entressen Lake. From here, the Crau can be viewed from the other side and we soon spotted a Lesser Grey Shrike. Drove on to Martigues quite early to meet our hosts, where we were fed and watered whilst watching Black Redstarts and hummingbird hawk-moths as the sun went down.

Day 2

Started the day at Mejanes in the Camargue, a typical marshy area. Very quickly we observed Great Egrets, Night Herons, Squacco Heron, Purple Herons and Zitting Cisticola. Next stop was the observation tower where, during a productive hour, we added Roller, Little Bittern, Turtle Dove and Great Reed Warbler. The famed Mas D'agon was sadly bone dry so we quickly moved onto the restaurant at Domaine de Mejanes. Here, numerous beeeaters, at least 2 Gull billed terns, Kentish Plovers and Tree Sparrows were present.

Our next stop was the La Capeliere reserve, where we observed Greater flamingoes and Black Winged Stilt on the adjacent Etang de Vaccares. Inside the reserve we found a male Red Backed Shrike and a White Stork sitting on a nest. We stopped at a nearby restaurant for lunch before heading to the Etang de Fangassier, famous for flamingoes, before arriving at the Eastern end of the Digue. Avocets, Kentish Plovers, Little Terns and Sandwich Terns were noteworthy species seen here,along with close views of Flamingoes.

Typical Camargue landscape with flamingoes in the distance

Day 3

We arrived at the Crau with the intention of finding Pin Tailed Sandgrouse and Calandra Lark, but only managed several Stone Curlew. At the car park we saw a warbler that looked like a melodious Warbler did not sound right. Jenx had his phone so we checked out the Icterine song and had a match. Later found a report that they pass through The Crau in good numbers during May.
As we returned to the car, a blue-faced French birder came over for a chat. He suggested some sites in the Alpilles good for Bonellis eagles and Egyptian Vultures. No luck, although we did find Cirl Buntings and a Black Woodpecker flew by. On hindsight, would have been better to go to Les Baux, as we had originally intended.

Day 4

Explored the Petit Camargue today, where we found Purple Gallinule, Red Crested Pochard, but again, no marsh terns. We had been told that the Saintes Maries dela Mer Gypsy festival was not this weekend so decided to drive through and walk along the Digue. However, the town and beach up to the digue were amass with people. When we did get to the digue, we found it dry and very hot (- 36C), so we turned around and headed back towards Mejanes. Here, we walked through some flooded fields and found 4 Glossy ibis and a Collared Pratincole. Spent some time (unsuccessfully) chasing a reported Red Footed Falcon, before driving back to Martigues for a farewell meal of Ratatouille.

Day 5

We stopped at The Crau en-route to the airport, for a last ditch effort to find Pin Tailed Sandgrouse. Within 30 minutes we could here the characteristic raven-like call and a pair flew over the top of us. Whilst searching the area where they landed, Jenx found a pair of Hoopoe that seemed to be nesting in an old wall. A female Montague's Harrier then also made an appearance. Seb dropped us off at the airport, boarded the plane and again saw a male little bustard next to the runway.

We saw some great birds on this trip, and special thanks go to Seb for driving us around and Rodrigues and Stephanie for putting us up.

Thursday 5 May 2011

Nepal, 24th april - 2nd May

My wife and I booked a weeks trip to Nepal with Nature Trek. The itinerary of the tour included :

(i) an overnight stay in Marshyangdi Hotel in Kathmandu
(ii) a 5 day stay at Koshi Tappu reserve Camp in the eastern lowland river plain. From this base, we explored the woodland and waterways near the camp, searched riverside forest for owls, boated down the river in inflatable rafts, visited the Koshi Barrage to see Ganges River Dolphin, explored extensive grassland areas and trekked in a dense Nepalese jungle.
(ii) return to Kathmandu from where we were dropped of at the summit of Mount Phulchowki (2740 m) before descending on foot, birding as we went.

This was a fantastic experience not only in terms of wildlife but also the Nepalese people and culture, far removed from anything I have ever encountered. The food at Koshi Camp was very tasty, the staff friendly and our guide for the tour, Tikka, highly skilled in identification.

By the end of the trip, we had observed well over 200 species including 181 lifers (See below for list), with a variety of mammals (Indian Flying Fox, assam Macaque, Rhesus Macaque, Common Langur, asiatic Golden Jackel, Bengal Fox, Indian Grey Mongoose, Jungle Cat, Ganges River Dolphin, Hog Deer, Wild Water Buffalo, Orange Bellied Squirrel and Giant Squirrel).