Another hot day in the field

After breakfast and tearing ourselves away fom the local Great Grey Shrikes, Hoopoes, Larks and Spanish Sparrows we set ourselves the task of sorting out some local warblers. Not easy at this time of the year as they were spending all their time feeding youngsters instead of singing. Arrived on site and we were drowned out by Nightingales but with a little perseverence we found Melodious, Dartford, Sardinian and, to a select group of 4, a pair of Orphean warblers. Flushed with success and heat, it was now 29C, we set off to the Arrocampo Reservoirs. A splendid wetland reserve which holds a huge Purple Heron population. Bird activity was not as great as we had hoped, not really surprising  considering the time and heat but we did manage good views of Egrets, Purple Gallinule, Spoonbills, Marsh harriers and Night |Herons. Savi's, Great Reed and Fan-tailed completed the warbler total for the day .
Back at base we rounded off the day with a plate of cooked thistles, much better than they sound, in fact the food at this rural hostal has been excellent and warmly recommended by the whole party 

relaxing day

30 degree heat, wine at lunchtime and a beer on getting back this could be a little incoherent. Set off this morning in an atempt to find some sandgrouse flying to there drinking holes. Failed but found some more bustards and a pair of Black-winged Stilts in a roadside pond. Headed off to Trujillo as it got hot for some R&R; churches, conquistadors and town birding. Failed in my attempts to explain the finer points of Pallid and Common Swifts ID, as soon as I mentioned bigger hips my chances slumped. After a three hour lunch went to find the colony of Lesser Kestrels in the old bullring.This was more successful as the parents were making continuous feeding trips for the youngsters hidden under the tiles of the roof.

Some Cattle Egrets found some good vantage points only to be renamed as Sheep Egrets

Our garden birds in an intimate moment of grooming.

Spain 2013

Have been here a week and only just got round to putting pen to paper so to speak, the pressures of organising this birdwatching are taking there toll(not really I,m just lazy). The journey down was trouble free; Salamanca was frantastic and well worth stopping off at and comes highly recommended by both of us.
Despite our worries managed to meet the 7 in Madrid airport without any issues and even sqeezed in some birdwatching on the way to the hotel. The best being 4 Montagus Harriers,a pair either side of the road, in the air for twenty mins, even managing a food pass. The next day in Monfrague National Park was brilliant; sunny weather and fantastic birds. The raptors excelled with amazing views of Spanish Imperial, Bonelli's and Booted Eagles and all three vultures almost in view at every turn . Not to be outdone Black-eared Wheatear, Subalpine and Dartford Warblers put on a good show.
Today we were out on the plains with 17 Great Bustards seen before breakfast. Later we managed to sort out the 5 lark species on song and watched Rollers, Beeeaters, and Short-toed Eagles before it got too hot, so came back for a cold beer!
The accommodation is very good and even provides good birdwatching in the garden as the photo shows.

End of the month

Enjoyed a few days in North Norfolk whilst the allotment dried out enough to work on. It was certainly wet in the fields over there but the coastal path was dry enough to walk along. Got out early to look for the Golden Pheasant and it only showed itself after I gave up the watch and drove round to the north side and I had a minute of gaudy joy before a car sent it scurrying into the bushes. The first effort with the eagle failed but I did see the male Rough-legged Buzzard fly over the field in front of me and into the woods. The next day and the eagle failed to show again so we went off to Roydon Common and watched 3 ring tailed Hen Harriers sparring with each other (and some crows) and a rapid fly past by a Merlin.
Day 3 and a walk along the coastal path and beach. The sea has dumped masses of Razor shells and so there were enormous numbers of gulls including one Med Gull in almost full adult plumage. In the dunes there was a delightful group of Snow Buntings but Holkham Marshes held no Pink Feet!! just a few Whitefronts and several groups of Brents again. Titchwell was undergoing 'conservation work' the pool on the left of the track had been drained and the Freshmarsh was awash. The islands were so small there was only a handful of Lapwings and Golden Plovers. They must be employing the 'Brandon' winter trick. Another attempt at the eagle's preferred roosting site proved fruitless.
After a walk around Holkham Park, where there is a pair of Red Kites setting up territory, it was home until the message system directed us to Flitcham where the immature White-tailes Sea Eagle was sat in a field. This time got there in time and was directed to a large lump on the crest of the ridge, even had time to set up the telescope. After 2 minutes it got up and flew along the ridge; what a bird, each wing was the size of a Buzzard!! All in all a great break, hopefully the ground is dry enough to start the clearing up after the floods.

22nd February

A day out with Jim J to see what we could find down on the south coast. The news service helped as did our knowledge from previous years. Called in at Mercer Way in Romsey, not a promising site, and found in the tops of the trees and down on the ground at least 11 Hawfinches and this was before 9! Then down into the New Forest and found a superb male Black Redstart on the fences around Fawley Power station. The woods around Hawksmill enclosure were very quiet but eventually a Woodlark started singing from a tree top. Could not find a Dartie so headed on to Gosport and Portsmouth, found the Ring-billed easily and then Purple Sandpipers on Southsea Castle. On the way round to Langstone saw a flock of Dark-bellied Brents on the cricket pitch(10m from the road) and there in the middle was a stunning adult Black Brant. As usual rarely carried the camera so only the one bird to show you with a pal!!

Yorkshire

This little fellow brightened up our few days in Yorkshire. We stayed in Leyburn, mainly so that we could visit some of Cath's relatives. That is about all we could do as the weather was foul, torrential rain and gale force winds. Whilst Aysgarth Falls were quite spectacular the rivers were so high that the expected Dippers were nowhere to be seen. Where do they go when the rivers are in spate and over their banks?
A drive from Wensleydale to Swaledale on the driest day of the week and we were surrounded by Red Grouse; they obviously took advantage of the dry conditions to do some feeding. Most of them were in the grass rather than the heather banks making viewing easier. I presume there were plenty of grass seeds for them to pick up after the rain had flattened the seed heads.

Garden Birdwatch

Cath up with her mum so I sat down with my breakfast to see how the snow would affect the variety and numbers of birds visiting the garden. I must not be the only one putting out a banquet for the birds at the moment as numbers seem well down. In previous years Goldfinches have numbered 16, this year only 3. The huge flock of Fieldfares drawn into the garden because of the poor weather seem to have dispersed just leaving one in sole charge of the apple. The only birds to have increased in numbers were Woodpigeons and Reed Buntings. I'm not sure whether I can cope with the cost of feeding 12 avian dustbins(the pigeons), I might have to come up with a new feeding strategy.