Bowling Green Marsh 28th September 2014

Hi, yet another day at Bowling Green Marsh was well worth it! Maybe all the same birds but really exciting none the less. I didn't manage many photos but is still vivid in my mind so will be thorough...

So I arrived there around 10:00 so an hour after high tide which left me with only 1 hour. I was instantly hooked up with one of the 4 Curlew Sandpiper. It was beautiful and posed directly in between two large flocks of waders. Another scan through revealed two Ruff! Fantastic waders that vary in size hugely. I check again, 6!!! They were beautiful, one rufous another pale grey and twice the size. If you were new to birding and you saw these you would be stunned!

I was the guide again for this morning with many nice, pleasing comments. I picked out a few more Whimbrel and saw around 15+ Greenshank. Black-Tailed Godwits were everywhere again with a couple of Bar-Tails here and there. After a great time in the hide for an hour we moved onto the viewing platform...

We were instantly met by three Common Terns, inc. this interesting juvenile with a black bill, what do you think?

I spent an extra half an hour spotting the Curlew Sand again within a huge flock of Redshanks, 4 Greenshank and a couple of Spotted Redshank. A man spotted a Water Rail in the reeds I was quickly onto it. A kingfisher landed in the exact same place as yesterday as well...

The last bit of action was the best... I spotted a small beige coloured bird in the reed with a long tail, you guessed it. A Bearded Tit, unfortunately I didn't see it again but a brand new bird for me, wow. But hey presto another new bird from Devon, it never ceases to amaze me!

Swindon STW & Salisbury Plain 13th-14th September 2014

Quick highlights of two great days out ringing...

Swindon STW: We had a really early start this morning but was well worth it. The absolute highlight was a 3M (meaning juvenile male) Sparrowhawk that made its way into one of the nets. I was very lucky and was able to ring it under great supervision due to its piercing talons. Its amazing attributes gave us fantastic photographic opportunities

My awful grin tells you a lot! Here is what we ringed through the morning, the amount of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were astonishing! Blackcap 143, Chiffchaff 64, Sedge Warbler 11, Reed Warbler 8, Whitethroat 8, Willow Warbler 2, Dunnock 6, Robin 6, Wren 3, Great Tit 1, Long Tailed Tit 2, Reed Bunting 1, Stock Dove 1, Woodpigeon 3, Sparrowhawk 1, Black Headed Gull 2, Green Sandpiper 0 (1). Thanks to http://www.wiltshirebirds.co.uk/ringing/north-wilts-group.html thanks for the info.  

I ringed around 40 birds and extracted at least 10 (mostly Blackcaps).

Salisbury Plain: After a Wryneck being caught here the week before I knew it was a fantastic site. 190 Blackcaps the week before is also an amazing feat!  I wasn't disappointed with 4 new brilliant birds being ringed through the day.The star bird being a smart Whinchat...

Another 3M Sparrowhawk was another surprise.  We ringed another 200+ birds today so very successful. I also experienced a new ringing technique by chasing in Meadow Pipits  through a tape lure, we caught over 40 birds including a control! Thanks to my trainer Matt Prior for all of this also Paul Aubrey, Paul Wexler and Simon Wicks.

Bowling Green Marsh and Mudbank Ln 27th September 2014

Hi, already had a great weekend at Devon. My first stop was Bowling Green Marsh. Around 6 birders including the famed Keith Birchall were in the hide and kindly listed some birds. After spending 2 and half hours there I managed to find: 4 Curlew Sandpipers; 2 Ruff; 9 Knot; 3 Spotted Redshank; 5+ Bar-Tailed Godwits; 4 Avocets (inc. a colour ringed individual) and 5 Whimbrel were the highlights.

These great birds (mostly Easterly migrants) were within huge flocks of: at least 1000 Black-Tailed Godwits; 400+ Redshanks; 300+ Curlew; 100+ Dunlin and 20+ Greenshank. Earlier on Keith treated me to a rare bird for the site, a Male Stonechat preening in the reeds. 10+ Lapwing added to the Wader wonder!

The Curlew Sandpiper was rather difficult to photograph to say the least...

In the middle!

As soon as Keith left I came into my own, becoming the expert of the hide! From then on I seemed to be more confident with my id's and definitely picked up far more birds. When the birds left

I decided to spend half an hour at the viewing platform, it was great and I found some brilliant birds such as 2 Ruff; 9 Knot; 2 Curlew Sandpipers and 2 Spotted Redshanks. One flew straight towards me calling the other posed wonderfully, with its elegant long legs...

Luckily I managed to get a photo with the comparison between the two...

A kingfisher spent 10 minutes on some scaffolding 

After having a nice time there we went to my grandma's allotment. I was on a mission for some amphibians and reptilians. We found a couple of Slow Worms, 1 Frog and I betted to my Grandma that we'd find some Newts, obviously I was right...

We found Smooth Newts.You'll be glad to hear I put it back in its original position with its 4 other friends. Great day Bowling Green again tomorrow, fingers crossed for a Little Stint!

Barra and Vatersay 20th August 2014

Great night again at the bunkhouse gave us high hopes what was to come...

Our first destination was Castlebay, the "capital" of Barra! We enjoyed some cheese oatcakes, yum. Yet another fill up from one of these hostile petrol stations and we were off to the small Island of Vatersay. Just before crossing the causeway Granny had zoned into some rocks. Now there's only one thing you need to know about my Grandma, don't get her started on rocks! These are "folded rocks" she told me. Yes, it may be interesting to a certain extent but rockwatching just doesn't - doesn't get me going lets say...

Now on Vatersay we enjoyed great views and scenes that people could only dream of, but for me the birds just made it 10x as good. It didn't take us long to reach the other side of the island. We decided to find a beach that was just a short walk past a few recently cut fields. As soon as I got onto the field I found a new tick for me the isles...

CHICKEN! Lapwing were there though and 4 Greylag Geese. We did manage to clamber over the rocks and were welcomed by a beautiful white beach. Gulls lined the shore and were mostly Common Gulls with a few Herring and Great Black-Backed Gulls here and there. While searching the rocks I found a Black-Legged Kittiwake...

Again Granny whipped out the Cheese Oatcakes, quick nibble, banana finished, Diver found! I took around 10 photos of this obliging Diver that slowly made its way around the coastline...

Straight away I said Black-Throated Diver however, through closer inspection a Red-Throated Diver was agreed on. A brand new bird and what a heck of a bird it was just look how pretty it is. Oh boy how much I'd like to ring that! Another interesting Gull had appeared probably 2nd Summer bird that makes it ridiculously confusing! PLEASE COMMENT ON YOUR OPINION!

We spent half an hour relaxing in the bliss of the Outer Hebrides then decided it was time to move on. While walking back I managed a shabby shot of a Lapwing

While leaving this part of the island another Merlin and this one was on a mission... We found shortly after a small bird in its clutches, I expect a finch but didn't have good enough views to confirm my hypothesis. A short break and a hot chocolate refuelled our enthusiasm. We checked a small beach along the way and found a rare breed of beach cattle...

Another pass of the folded rocks "deserved" another look in my Grandma's not so sure for me. But hey ho, just past Castlebay we found a new raptor for the holiday, a Peregrine which is great to see and completes the islands ticks, only with the largest to find... My Grandma told me of a beach that was always filled with Seals on it and that's why I think it's called Seal Bay! On the bird front Ringed Plovers and Turnstones were a nice surprise, especially with the Ringed Plovers posing so nicely...

Bird bottom right.

A few Seals later and we encountered the countless Wheatears of the Outer hebrides enjoying their summer retreat. Strangely this is probably one of the only pictures of Twite I have managed on the islands probably due to the better quality elsewhere...

And that was it a very enjoyable day with a more easy feel, less hassle and less on my mind!

Around Barra... 19th August 2014

Hi, we had a great night in the hostel, it acted like a Hotel! Very kind people, so had a great night.
Today was just finding our way round the place, and exploring a few beaches and areas that look the most promising as it's very underwatched...

While driving round the coast (it being rather rugged and rocky) we found a few Curlews and Redshank with maybe 1 Oystercatcher. The Gulls weren't that interesting with with mainly Herrings and a peppering of Black-Heads in between. Due to the lack of birds adding excitement I decided to play with my new toy, so to speak! With only a few Gulls to "play" with I tried to make one of the shots moody by putting the mode onto manual, here is one of the "concepts"...

After that we decided to check out one of the plantations, foolishly I said that Autumn migration hasn't kicked off fully yet. Which is true, but you still never know! After going past the airport which had a special visitor...

 

We were well on our way to the far south of the island. Due to my Dad being interested in agriculture I decided to take a photo of a nice Beef Shorthorn Bull

I've always loved knowing different species or breeds in this case that may have been the main reason for getting into birding, knowing that there is much more to find than first anticipated. The first beach we came across proved to be one of the biggest roosts on the island

Yeah, not much but still not common where I live! A small wader caught my on the beach quick look

turned into a nice moulting Sanderling. While birdwatching we met some really nice people that were doing the same thing as us! After having a chat we went even further down the road right to the point. Just as we were complaining about the lack of birds, boom! A female Merlin was spotted on the telephone wires...

Soon after turning round we spotted the male...

This was a lovely couple and were obviously in love...

Fantastic birds even managed to watch one of them hunt! After watching all that action we decided to check the beach out again and were met with a nice flock of waders on the rocks...

I'd say they were Bar-Tails. So a nice flock of around 25. Just after the quick stroll I spotted a yellow bird on a rock. As usual I just stared and thought, it flew off... For me it could have easily been a Yellow Wagtail. Now I am in mourning of that big mistake! Following on from that tantrum I managed to spot a Harbour Porpoise out in the bay and a Black-Throated Diver! So another great day, will the streak never end...

Off to Barra, interesting prospect not much to follow... 18th August 2014

Hi, Good nights sleep but sad to leave everyone at the fantastic Gatliff Trust Howmore hostel! We had a great time and hope to catch up with a few.

Before heading down south another visit to Martyn's was a good idea, he was really kind and considerate also made for a good chat! Outside his house/Nature Reserve on Clachan Pools we found 4 Dunlin, 7 Lapwing and a Redshank...

The habitat outside his house looks rather promising with all the mud and machair side by side. I have already told you just what is held outside his front door such as a breeding pair of Spotted Crake, can't get over that! We raced down the refined roads and spotted at the south of South Uist! A beautiful Wheatear and a one-legged Rock Pipit kept us company!

Beauty!

We carried along this road and soon came across another Female Ringtail Hen Harrier! It was hard to get a photo, and the ones aren't worth showing. A few more stubble fields followed with one holding a scarecrow acting as an attraction!

Yes, lapwings again filled the fields with a few Golden plovers here and there. Who could forget the Ruff though? Sure enoguh we soon across a couple of birds...

The other was quite shy!

Not much else happened after that. Oh, can't forget waiting in the car for the Eriskay ferry while my Grandma needed to go to the toilet but couldn't because her door was broken and I wasn't budging! Hehehe, mischevious fiend... You'll be glad to know I did have some heart after 15 minutes ;)

Howmore Sunday 17th August 2014... Windy

Hi, today was very windy, 30 mph winds in fact but did that deter me? Nahhhh...

The racing Skoda was off in haste towards Ardivachar point, South Uist in hope of something worth talking about! It didn't pay off. However, the 30 odd Oystercatchers that were sheltering from the wind on a distant rock was satisfying. My Granny managed to pick out three Redshank, surprisingly camouflaged next to some dark rocks.

Surely the red legs make it obvious!

Good spot Granny! After that we decided that Loch Eynort may hold a beauty. Martyn, the expert told us that a pair of White-Tailed Eagles had been nesting there. My reply was "the Eagles come to you. Not you going to them". INSPIRATIONAL! I was right as usual (that's what my Granny always tells me, "the little fiend"). We found another Wheatear by the same patch, this time a juvenile. Again, the strong pink-buffish colour did carry on down the front, Greenland Race Wheatear?...

Looks snug, ayy! While driving back we encountered a brood of Red-Breasted Mergansers. All 3 of them...

They breed scarcely on both Coll and Tiree so was very nice to come across them. I think an average brood for them is sixteen so one of the predators must have had a rather large feast! We got back at around one with all the "family" still there "hostage"! The weather had prevented them going up North so all of them decided to have a rest. 

My Granny and I had other ideas... Back into the "Aladdin's cave", my Grandma's car, then off to the stubble fields. Fortunately the fields close to us had been cut which acts like a magnet to waders. Golden Plovers, Lapwings and Greylags are the true wonderers of the fields, with countless numbers all around. Our ambition was to pick out something different, we did that! Around 5 Black-Tailed Godwits were in the field showing off their Black-Tails for us...

Great birds, more was to come as another scan from me produced a Ruff! Not one...

not 2 (no picture, awkward!) but three...

Great to see, this photo shows one flying: left, and another two sat down: right. I suspect the one flying and the one sitting down at the back are ads while the closest is a juvenile judging by leg colour. The Rock Doves were having a committee meeting while this was all going on...

So great day even though the weather was a limiting factor. I even managed to swim for 15 minutes without a wetsuit (badman)! Great day!