More on Lesser Black-backed Gull MCAV

April 11, 2014, 11:30 pm

A little while ago I wrote about the Peregrinations of MCAV, well the data logger fitted to this LBB Gull has revealed its movements during the winter period of 2013/14. Kees Camphuysen has kindly forwarded me the information, so I thought I should share it as it is really interesting. I will follow this post with one about another LBB Gull from the Netherlands, which has a satellite tracker fitted and that one migrated south.

Lesser Black-backed Gull MCAV has re-appeared in the breeding colony where its data logger was fitted. Kees reports that MCAV is now established in the colony and is territorial with a partner. The base station is close to the colony, so the data held by the logger was automatically downloaded as soon as MCAV arrived back.

The information confirms my sightings of it at Shawell on March 12th & 13th 2014. The maps below show its wanderings, firstly to Britain and then to the Shawell A5 Lagoons, Cotesbach LF site, Draycote Water and finally Albion LF site (NW Leicestershire).

The Wanderings of LBB Gull MCAV During Winter 2013/14

MCAV at Shawell A5 Lagoons on March 12th & 13th 2014

MCAV at Cotesbach LF March 12th & 13th 2014

MCAV Roosting at Draycote During Winter 2013/14

The red dot nearest the top on the map above was where it roosted on March 12th 2014, the same day as I first recorded it at Shawell.

MCAV at Albert Village Lake and Albion LF Site During the winter of 2013/14

Thank-you to Kees Camphuysen for providing me with the data and allowing me to reproduce it here.

MCAV Showing the Data Logger (photo taken by CJ Camphuysen)

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Lesser Black-backed Gull MAFB

April 12, 2014, 10:00 am

≫ Next: Barn Owl and Raven

≪ Previous: More on Lesser Black-backed Gull MCAV

A Lesser Black-backed Gull (Green MAFB) was colour-ringed in the Netherlands during 2007 and fitted with a satellite tracker. Steve Nicholls and I saw this bird on March 29th 2014.

Kees Camphuysen has kindly passed on its life-history and amongst the information was a map of one of its winter journeys. The satellite tracker no longer works, but it has done its job. We already know that many Lesser Black-backed Gulls migrate south to Iberia and across to NW Africa, but it is great to see the whole journey represented on a map.

It's fascinating how one gull (MCAV) chooses to winter in England, but others like MAFB undertake much longer southward journeys.

MAFB

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Barn Owl and Raven

April 16, 2014, 1:37 pm

≫ Next: Gull Colour-ringing Update

≪ Previous: Lesser Black-backed Gull MAFB

I have been up early the last few mornings and as a reward I've enjoyed a great view of a Barn Owl and been delighted by a family of Ravens. The Raven surely must have a claim to master of the skies. Their skills are incredible, how many birds can you watch doing synchronised barrel rolls with their partner. I am sure I've even seen them flying backwards.

The Barn Owl appeared just after sunrise in a tree near to where they have bred in the past. The sun was only just breaking the horizon - the golden hour. I managed few quick photos before it disappeared into a hole in the tree. A couple of Jackdaws came out very fast after the owl went in, so I guess this is only a roosting hole.

Barn Owl

Five strong young Ravens were visible in a nest high up on the rock face. The distinctive croak of an adult alerted them to the arrival of breakfast. The five chicks are almost ready to fledge and so very soon they will be learning to fly like their parents. However, a few crash landings await them before they earn their 'wings'.

Breakfast is Served

Hungry Raven Chicks

Five Young Ravens

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Gull Colour-ringing Update

April 23, 2014, 12:42 pm

≫ Next: Odin's Informers

≪ Previous: Barn Owl and Raven

I recently read the colour-ring on my 300th gull at Shawell. A first-summer Common Gull was the prize winner. This was a good record because the codes on the smaller gulls are really difficult to read due to the distance involved. Common Gull (J4ET) was ringed near Bergen, Norway during September 2013.

Map Showing the Locations Where the Colour-ringed Gulls Seen at Shawell Have Been Recorded

Someone suggested to me that colour-ring reading is like train spotting. Well I disagree, first of all you don't need such good eye-sight to see a train and they work to time tables. I have learnt a great deal about the journeys that gulls make especially Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Although we already knew that the intermedius sub-species of LBB Gull visits Britain, it's great to actual find one hatched at the very top of Norway and know that because of the colour-ring. Many Lesser Black-backed Gulls pass through Shawell on the way down to Iberia and across to Africa. Others spend their winter around the landfill sites of England, but one thing we have learnt is that they are almost constantly on the move.

Over the last winter period there were fewer Lesser Black-backed Gulls using the site and this is reflected in the species totals for colour ringed birds. It seems strange that fewer LBB Gulls were present, as it was quite a mild winter compared to the previous one. The most dominant species was the Herring Gull. LBB Gulls still accounted for the most colour-rings, but Herring and Greater Black-backed Gulls increased their percentage of the total per 100.

Total of rings read per species for the last 100 rings read by myself:

56 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
27 Herring Gulls
15 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Black-headed Gull
1 Common Gull

Highlights included a Herring Gull ringed in Finland and quite a few gulls ringed near the very top of Norway. The colour-ringed Yellow-legged and Caspian Gull still eluded me, but I did get one bird considered to be a Caspian Gull by the ringers, but I think it might be a hybrid personally.

LBB Gull T:C

Here's to the next 100.

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Odin's Informers

April 24, 2014, 11:48 pm

≫ Next: Shame on Malta - Please Read This.

≪ Previous: Gull Colour-ringing Update

I posted a couple of images of a nest full of Raven chicks just over a week ago and yesterday they were preparing to fledge. The largest of them was making short hops about the rock face, so I wouldn't be surprised if he takes his first real flight today. The Raven was revered by some in ancient times and other cultures feared them. I can understand both as they are clearly quite intelligent, but when they fix you with one of their dark looks who knows what they are planning? For me they conjure up thoughts of wild places. I often hear their distinctive calls when high-up in the Scottish mountains enveloped in cloud. They follow close by seemingly mocking me and maybe hoping to lure me into making a fatal mistake.

Raven Chicks

All Five Raven Chicks

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Shame on Malta - Please Read This.

April 26, 2014, 11:44 am

≫ Next: My Flickr Galleries

≪ Previous: Odin's Informers

Maltese hunters continue to pile shame on their country, as does the Maltese Government for allowing the hunting of migrating birds. Chris Packham is out in Malta highlighting this barbaric hunting practice. This isn't a new problem, but each year it piles more pressure on migrating birds. I visited Malta back in the early 1980's and during that trip I witnessed bird hunting at first hand. I ended up having a very heated conversation with two dodgy characters who were bird liming (bird lime is a sticky substance that traps birds when they step in it). I have since refused to visit the island, but maybe going back there to help support the guys who are trying to stop the hunting is a better idea.

I have previously written to the Maltese Government and signed every petition that I've come across. The Maltese Government replied with a fancy wax sealed envelope, but the letter only acknowledged they had received my letter.

I have written to one of my local MEP's, but that resulted in an email saying she is too busy to read it until June. I wonder how many more birds will be shot by then.

Chris Packham is producing videos during his trip to the islands this spring, which can be found HERE. These videos show just how organised the hunters are and that the hunting is being carried out on an almost industrial scale. If you can afford it, please donate to the appeal for funds to help fight this disgusting practice. The appeal for donations was launched by Birdlife Malta and details of the appeal can be found HERE.

Of course this is but one problem for migrating birds and the leaders of Britain need to do their bit and help to prevent much of Britain turning into a bird less zone. A walk around farmland in Britain can be quite depressing with the highlight often being a few Pheasants and Red-legged Partridges - both introduced species for shooting!

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My Flickr Galleries

April 26, 2014, 12:56 pm

≫ Next: Ring Ouzels

≪ Previous: Shame on Malta - Please Read This.

I have opened a Flickr account so I can show my photos at a larger size compared to what can be done with Blogger.

To browse my better images click HERE.

I intend to build the collection over the next couple of weeks and then add to it as I get new images.

Otter

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Ring Ouzels

May 3, 2014, 11:45 am

≫ Next: Odd Sounding Chiffchaff

≪ Previous: My Flickr Galleries

I had a really good time in the Peak District today - the weather was perfect. Arriving early was a good plan as I saw at least ten Ring Ouzels, but later in the day they had all disappeared. If you are a late riser you might conclude that the species is in steep decline. I only saw two females, but maybe the others are already on eggs . Most of the males were singing their melancholic song, which made them easy to find.

Male Ring Ouzel

Whilst watching one of the male Ring Ouzels, a female Merlin came up out of the heather and chased a Skylark. I lost them as they flew in front of the sun resulting in me temporarily blinding myself, but I had managed to get a really good view before that happened.

Other highlights seen on my very long walk included a male Redstart, a male Whinchat, quite a few summer-plumaged Golden Plover and five Cuckoos.

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Odd Sounding Chiffchaff

May 8, 2014, 1:24 pm

≫ Next: The Republic of Belarus - Part One

≪ Previous: Ring Ouzels

I heard a warbler singing at Shawell A5 Lagoons yesterday, which was obviously a Chiffchaff sp. but the song seemed wrong for what I would expect from an ordinary British breeding Chiffchaff. There are elements of the song that sound ok, but much of the middle section that you can hear in the video below seems very wrong for collybita. When I listen to it with ear phones on I can hear two parts that end with a faint Reed or Sedge Warbler like bit. I saw it briefly and it was obviously a Chiffchaff complete with a pumping tail, but I noted a yellow wash to its breast. The yellow wash to its breast made me think of Iberian Chiffchaff but the common Cetti's and Wood Warbler elements of the song were missing.

Below is a sonogram made from the song on the video. I'm afraid I'm no expert on sonograms, but maybe one of you can help me. It doesn't match anything I've seen so far?

Any thoughts?

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The Republic of Belarus - Part One

May 20, 2014, 11:44 am

≫ Next: The Republic of Belarus - Part Two

≪ Previous: Odd Sounding Chiffchaff

At the 2012 Rutland Water Birdfair, I spoke to a chap promoting a trip to Belarus called 'The Great Belarus Experience'. Both Dawn and I were intrigued and penciled it down as a possible next adventure. For one reason or another we couldn't make the trip in 2013 (it didn't happen anyway), but during late 2013 we contacted Maciej (Mathew) Zimowski at Poland Bird Service and expressed our interest. On May 9th we flew to Warsaw in Poland where we were to meet Maciej. We spotted five of the other members of the party: Alan, Bill, Chris, Dave and Howard whilst we collected our luggage and made our way to the meet up point. We were all a little nervous about whether we would actually be met by someone and our leader gave us a fright by being a few minutes late, but in the end he didn't let us down.

After picking up Susan, the eighth member of the 'Belarus Team', we headed away from Warsaw and made our way by mini-bus to the border between Poland and Belarus. Prior to leaving we had to apply for a visa at the Belarusian Embassy in London. Maciej arranged an invitation to visit Belarus, which was needed to apply for the visa and also we had to fill out an application form and send it to the embassy. The cost of the visa was £70.00.

At the border our visas and passports were inspected by a very pretty Belarusian border gaurd and she wished us a happy time in Belarus - not what I was expecting. We had to fill out paperwork in duplicate and carry one copy with us. This was stamped each night in the hotel we stayed in.

The first night of the trip was spent in a wooden cabin near the Bialoweieza Forest. We were the first 'Westerners' to stay there, but the lady made us feel very welcome. It was like being invited into someone's own house rather than just staying in a hotel. The food was very good and there was more than we could manage. The beer and the birch sap juice weren't bad either. This was just the first night and we had been shown a very warm welcome to Belarus.

Welcome to Belarus Meal

The First Accommodation

A Thrush Nightingale kept most of us awake with its exuberant singing and as it began to get light both a Golden Oriole and a Redstart joined in with the serenade.

The plan for the first real morning's birding was to go to the Bialoweieza Forest. The Bialoweieza Forest spans the border of Poland and Belarus, but gaining access to the Belarusian side requires a permit and a guide, which Maciej had arranged. We picked up our guide, Anton, at the gate to the forest at 06:00 and drove to an area called the Oak Grove Reserve - one of the few things we saw written in English during the trip.

Leaving the minibus we sauntered along a forest track. Imagine if you can, a forested avenue lined either side by singing Wood Warblers. Soon we heard a new song, which belonged to a fine male Collared Flycatcher. Other Collared Flycatchers showed well from low down in the massive oaks and we also heard two singing Red-breasted Flycatchers. These proved difficult to pin down, but eventually one was spotted and it gave excellent views as it sang from an exposed branch. For some of us this was the first summer-plumaged RBF that we had ever seen. We admired this bird for quite a long time as it sang out in the open.

Woodpeckers were top of the list of species wanted in this forest. Anton pointed out a woodpecker nest hole and after a bit of patient waiting we were rewarded with splendid views of a Middle-spotted Woodpecker. Moving on we came to a small pond and here a Firecrest showed well and just before we arrived at the pond some of us saw a male Hawfinch.

A Three-toed Woodpecker was heard drumming in the distance, but we failed to locate it. Anton pick up a stick and began to drum on a tree trunk. Almost immediately a woodpecker arrived and a few of us managed to see it up in the canopy. I managed to get a good view and I could clearly see white on its back and it lacked white shoulder patches. I called White-backed Woodpecker and then panic broke out with everyone trying to get good views. To confuse matters a Great Spotted Woodpecker arrived as well. Some of the late comers struggled to get on to the White-backed, but instead saw the Great Spot. Those that saw the White-backed well agreed with the ID, but sadly a few failed to get good views. There was a plenty of evidence of the presence of Wild Boar and we saw the footprints of a European Bison, but we did fail to see the actual animals.

At the forest headquarters we followed up an unusual call and found two Black Woodpeckers in a dead tree. They gave the best views I've ever had of this species.

After a picnic in the forest we headed to a lake where Anton whistled up a female Grey-headed Woodpecker. We could hear it calling and all of a sudden it appeared at the top of a dead tree right in front of us. We enjoyed excellent and prolonged views of it. The area around the lake was alive with birds, which included three White-tailed Eagles.

The last stop of the day was at a small lake where we heard a couple of Little Crakes, but failed to see them.

To continue...

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The Republic of Belarus - Part Two

May 21, 2014, 10:50 am

≫ Next: The Republic of Belarus - Part Three

≪ Previous: The Republic of Belarus - Part One

Our second night in Belarus was spent in a hotel in a town called Pruzhany. We had noticed that there was some decent habitat near the hotel, so we arranged to meet outside the hotel at 05:30. As it happened not everyone was on parade at 05:30, but eventually most of the team appeared. The dawn chorus was in full swing although the raucous song of an Icterine Warbler was hardly harmonious. A Thrush Nightingale was singing loudly and un-typically it sang from an exposed branch.

Thrush Nightingale

Several Spotted Flycatchers were showing off in the sunshine and one pair was nest building. It was good to see Fieldfares nesting in the trees near the hotel as well.

Spotted Flycatcher

Our first guided birding of the day was at Sporovo Reserve, where we hoped to find Europe's rarest warbler species. We met up with a rather sun tanned chap who was wearing a modern 'Real Tree' camouflaged jacket, but he lacked binoculars. He lead us through a pine wood and out to a marsh. The marsh was quite dry, so we were able to walk out a good way. About a couple of hundred metres in front lay a reed bed. Scanning the reeds we spotted two maybe three superb Citrine Wagtails and a few Whinchats and Meadow Pipits. A Sedge Warblers keep us on our toes, but eventually our leader spotted an Aquatic Warbler in the grass in front of us. Not all of us managed to see it before it disappeared, but luckily I spotted one perched in a small tree and this one stayed in the open posing for quite a while. Another or the same one showed well in the grass to our right. For me this was one of the star birds of the trip.

Aquatic Warbler

Sporovo Village Lake was our next location and here we saw more Citrine Wagtails, but the highlight for me was watching a White-tailed Eagle pluck a large fish from the surface of the lake. Many Black, White-winged Black and Whiskered Terns were feeding over the lake plus five Little Gulls.

Whiskered Tern

We returned to the aquatic warbler site in the evening and I managed to get some video of one singing although the light was poor as the sun had gone down.

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The Republic of Belarus - Part Three

May 26, 2014, 1:28 pm

≫ Next: The Republic of Belarus - Part Four

≪ Previous: The Republic of Belarus - Part Two

On the third day we woke to the un-mistakable sound of rain hammering against our bedroom window. This was not what we wanted, as this day had been awaited with excitement for months. This was to be the day of the Greats - Owl and Snipe.

That morning we were given a very warm welcome by no less than the Director of the National Park that we were visiting. He gave a little speech and introduced us to our guide for the day.

By the time we reached the first forest site the heavens had well and truly opened. We put on a brave face, as well as waterproof clothing, and followed our guide into the forest. We were searching for a nesting pair of Eagle Owls. Woodpeckers grabbed our attention first. Some drumming was apparently coming from a Three-toed and a Grey-headed Woodpecker was defying the weather by calling almost none stop. Sadly we failed to see either of them.

Eventually our guide pointed out three downy Eagle Owl chicks in a nest at the base of a tree. Despite our presence close to the nest, neither of the adult birds were discovered - I'm sure they saw us though.

Eagle Owl Chicks

Back in the mini-bus we travelled to another forest and tried to dry off on the way. The rain had got worse by the time we reached our next destination, but we were not going to be put off. Leaving the shelter of the mini-bus, we walked through an open grassy area where 45 Common Cranes were enjoying the rain and some of them were dancing they were so happy. The shelter of the forest beckoned, but it wasn't any dryer under the canopy, as the trees were mostly pine. Our guide stopped and turned and we all followed his gaze, which fell on an old buzzards nest and staring down at us was one very large wet and bedraggled Great Grey Owl.

Female Great Grey Owl

The Great Grey Owl was having a bad hair day, but even so she was an awesome sight. On a better day we might have spent longer looking for her mate, but we did have a brief unsuccessful search for him.

Our Guide Tells us About the Great Grey Owl Population

Great Grey Owl Pellet

On the way to a celebratory meal we just had time to see one more owl species. This one was much smaller. It was a Long-eared Owl that was nesting in an open topped box. As we returned to the bus some of us spotted a Wild Boar in an Oil Seed Rape field. Sadly it was difficult to see as the crop was quite tall.

We were treated like Royalty when we arrived for lunch with the Director of the National Park.

A Meal Fit for a Group of Happy British Birders

After lunch we said farewell to the Director and headed off to hopefully see a Great Snipe Lek. The weather had improved and patches of clear sky were appearing. We were ferried along a bumpy track to a marsh in the middle of no where. I was with the first group and the guide passed me a GPS very similar to my own and told me to follow the compass for 600 metres and wait there for him. By the time everyone had assembled out on the marsh, which luckily was quite dry, the Great Snipe had begun to arrive. It was dusk but the sky had cleared and the moon was helping to light up the scene. About twenty snipe had gathered at the lek and their display didn't disappoint us. A high pitched farty sound accompanied there jumping display. Corncrakes and Quail added backing vocals. As the Great Snipe land they spread their tails showing off the white edges. The males with the most white and the most exuberant display win the females.

It was almost dark when we left the marsh and by the time we all got back to the mini-bus our driver had almost run out of driving hours. In fact by the time we got to the guides house our driver had run out of time and our leader had to arrange for a local mini-bus to take us to our hotel. The driver had to spend the night with the guide.

Whilst we were waiting for the mini-bus to arrive our guide for the day and his wife sang us a beautiful song in Russian. It was almost midnight and a lady with a fantastic voice had asked to sing for us. We all found the song quite moving.

When the mini-bus arrived it was half full of local people who found us quite amusing. We had to drag our bags and birding gear on board, as the boot was full.

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The Republic of Belarus - Part Four

May 27, 2014, 1:49 pm

≫ Next: The Republic of Belarus - Part Five

≪ Previous: The Republic of Belarus - Part Three

I woke early and left our hotel in the town of Pinsk and went out for a walk. I headed to an area of parkland, which was sure to hold some good birds. I got great views of a Syrian and a Middle Spotted Woodpeckers posing low down on the same tree trunk. I also saw the only Ortolan Bunting of the trip perched on a low branch near to a war memorial. Fieldfares were nesting in the area, which was great to see. A male was in full song and a few small chicks were begging for food.

Fieldfare Chick

After checking out of the hotel we started on the journey towards Turov where we hoped to see Azure Tits, but first we visited a lake near to the Ukrainian border. A sign post in the forest reminded us that we were quite close to Chernobyl!

Radiation Warning

We scored with two really good birds at this site: firstly a singing male Barred Warbler, which sang out in the open giving everyone excellent views and we also saw the first of just two Lesser Spotted Eagles for the trip. A few dragonflies were up and about including some Large White-faced Darters.

Female Large White-faced Darter

We continued our journey towards Turov and on the way we made a planned stop at a spot by a river. Our leader had spotted nesting Oystercatchers there (not so common in Belarus) during his recce in April. Whilst he was proudly trying to show us the Oystercatchers, Chris picked up a Terek Sandpiper. As you can imagine we were all side tracked by this. The pressure was off as far as this species was concerned, as it isn't the easiest one to find. We also saw quite a few Temminck's Stints and many summer-plumaged Ruff. A chap came to check us out and as normal he homed in on me. I had no idea what he was saying, but he was determined to get through to me by repeating himself many times over. He left us with a gift of two cans of beer, so he was happy.

My Friend Makes His Way Towards Us

A late afternoon arrival at the Azure Tit site was a mistake, as they had already gone to roost, but we did see a Savi's Warbler singing from the top of some reeds and we also saw a European Beaver.

There wasn't much to see on arrival at Turov as it was dark, but early the following morning it was clear why this area is so good. Our hotel was close to the banks of the Pripyat River. This river meandered through some stunning wet meadows, which attracts many terns and wading birds.

The Pripyat River at Turov

White-winged Black Tern

We still had some unfinished business with Azure Tit, but we first had a walk to a ringing station to learn about the best sites around Turov. The ringer had just finished ringing some waders, which he showed us.

Male and Female Ruff

While we waited for the mini-bus to pick us up, we spent half an hour scrutinising the birds out on the marsh. Amongst them was a Marsh Sandpiper and also the first Black-necked Grebes of the trip.

Floodplains

Game on, we were on our way back to the Azure Tit site.

Azure Tit Site

We slowly worked our way along the raised bank hoping that we would catch a glimpse of the rare, from a European perspective, Azure Tit. Suddenly Howard spotted a pair on some reeds behind where we expected them to appear. During the next hour these stunning little birds put on a real show for us as they collected food. This completed the full set of European tits for Dawn and I.

Azure Tit

During the afternoon we paid a visit to some fishponds which produced a few new birds including Caspian Gulls, a second-summer Baltic Gull and a showy Marsh Warbler. Most of the others saw a Bluethroat while I messed about with the Caspian Gulls. I couldn't understand why I was the only one excited by the Caspian Gulls?

First-summer Caspian Gull

Our evening was spent at the Laskovichy Marshes. This turned out to be one of the best locations of the trip. The marshes were alive with birds. The highlight was a displaying Marsh Sandpiper, which made a sound like a house alarm as it displayed. Dave did well to notice a Spotted crake at the edge of the reeds, as this was a lifer for some of the group. The site of 150+ white-winged Black Terns together with at least 50 Black terns was also memorable.

Every town had at least one war memorial, and most of them were very different to the war memorials back home. Most had statues of soldiers with machine guns in their hands. The one at Turov was really graphic and made you think. The First and Second Wars were terrible for those involved in the fighting in the areas we visited and many structures left over from the wars were visible.

Part of the large Bronze Plaque Above the War Memorial in Turov

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The Republic of Belarus - Part Five

May 28, 2014, 12:21 pm

≫ Next: North Uist

≪ Previous: The Republic of Belarus - Part Four

Rain returned with a vengeance as we headed away from Turov. The plan for the day was to visit some mature fishponds. Here we hoped to see Smew and we weren't disappointed, as we saw 14 in total and many of them were paired up. The only Black Kite of the trip was seen soaring at tree height near one of the lagoons and three White-tailed Eagles where seen close by.

Those that left the comfort of the mini-bus ended up soaked to the skin. The best lagoon held 32 Caspian Gulls and also three Little Gulls. It was a great shame that it was raining so heavily, as I was afraid to risk my camera and so I missed out on the photographs of Caspian Gulls I so wanted. One of the Caspian Gulls was colour-ringed (yellow HC201). It took a bit of detective work, but in the end, with a bit of help, I've tracked it down to being ringed near Minsk in Belarus during 2013. The gulls shared the lagoons with three Black Storks an Osprey and the only Turnstone of the trip.

We spent the night drying off in a castle would you believe. We had dried off by the morning, so off we set to explore the castle gardens. The highlight was no less than six singing River Warblers and good views of three Penduline Tits.

Roughing it at the Palace Hotel

During the afternoon we headed off in to some very extensive forest, but despite are best efforts we failed again to locate a Three-toed Woodpecker.

Once again we moved to a different hotel, this time close to the Polish border, as we were heading back to Warsaw the following day. One last chance to search a Belarusian forest presented itself the next morning, but the best we did was to get very good views of a Middle-spotted Woodpecker.

The next day, just before leaving Belarus, we had a picnic lunch next to a river. The area was great for butterflies and dragonflies. Several Chequered Skippers were seen plus many Downy Emerald and Clubtail Dragonflies.

Clubtail

We crossed the border back into Poland without any issues apart from a good staring at by the border guard.

I had really enjoyed myself in Belarus. We met many friendly people although a lot, particularly the under fifties, didn't really acknowledge us. They gave us what I think is called the 'cold face'. Much of the country is rural and people live in basic wooden houses. The towns are a mixture of modern apartments and old Russian blocks of flats.

A Typical Belarusian House

The last birding of the trip was carried out in Poland and the best area was some fishponds where we saw a Little Bittern and a male Little Crake. A pair of Red-necked Grebes competed for our attention but the crake stole the show.

Red-necked Grebe

The birding had been excellent, we saw around 170 species and most of them performed really well. Photographic opportunities were less than I hoped, but the tour was specifically for birding rather than photography. It was a full on tour and it may not appeal to those who like a steady pace. However, if you want to see some excellent birds then give a visit to Belarus a thought.

Contact me if you would like more details about the tour.

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North Uist

May 29, 2014, 11:38 am

≫ Next: Back to Shawell A5 Lagoons

≪ Previous: The Republic of Belarus - Part Five

It had been 20 years almost to the day since I last visited North Uist, so a return was well overdue.

Last Friday I joined Dave Gray, Colin Green and John Waters on a weekend away to North Uist. We arrived at Uig on the Isle of Skye in plenty of time to catch the ferry. Unable to get a breakfast, as everywhere was shut, we decided to do a bit of birding, but boy it was cold. The wind was strong and it had a northerly element to it - enough said.

On board the ferry we braved the cold and were rewarded with views of three White-tailed Eagles. They were distant, but we could make out their white tails. Loads of Puffins were loafing about on the sea, as well as both guillemot species and small numbers of Razorbills.

Arriving on Skye we headed straight to Balranald RSPB reserve where we eventually managed to get good views of Corncrake.

Corncrake

Nearby on the beach were a couple of first-summer Glaucous Gulls which posed for photos. A large flock of waders fed along the shore-line and in the sea weed that had been pushed up onto part of the beach by storms. We also saw three White-winged Black Terns close to the RSPB reserve.

First-summer Glaucous Gull

Colour-ringed Sanderling

Sanderling

Close to the beach we saw several Corn Buntings and Twite. The Corn Bunting below landed right by our feet.

Corn Bunting

As well as visiting Balranald we also drove along the Committee Road where we had really good views of a couple Short-eared Owls and a male Hen Harrier, which had made kill. Short-eared owls proved to be fairly common, which was really good.

Short-eared owl

On Saturday we had more of the same plus we visited a site for Hebridean Marsh Orchid. Dave has seen most of the orchid species seen in Britain, but this one was a tick for him.

Hebridean Marsh Orchid

Despite trying we failed to see the breeding Red-necked Phalaropes, but that gives us a reason for trying again in the future.

Sunday's highlight was a couple of Golden Eagles. One flew straight over our heads although quite high up.

Golden Eagle

Traditional Croft

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Back to Shawell A5 Lagoons

June 8, 2014, 11:05 am

≫ Next: Update on Spring Hunting on Malta

≪ Previous: North Uist

You would think that the gull numbers would be really low at an inland landfill site during late May and early June, but I estimate that up to 500 gulls are still visiting Cotesbach landfill site at present.

Smaller numbers are spending the afternoon at the nearby Shawell A5 Lagoons. Yellow-legged Gulls have already started to appear, with up to seven being seen at the lagoons at the same time. The 1st-summer gull in the picture below is most likely a Yellow-legged Gull. The features that support this are, black bill with a pale tip, white head, very dark tertials with neat pale edges and reddish brown coverts that contrast with the mantle and scapulars. 1st-summer gulls are not easy as many of them have really badly worn feathers, especially in June.

First-summer Yellow-legged Gull

A second-summer YLG was present for ages yesterday. Its saddle was slightly darker grey than the Herring Gulls that occasionally stood near it and its legs were already a dull yellow.

Second-summer Yellow-legged Gull (top)

With the help of Steve Nicholls, I've cleared a path at the side of the A5. It is now possible to walk to both viewing points without have to stray on to the road. The road is very busy and it is particularly dangerous there as it is narrow, which means that lorries get very close as you walk to the viewing points.

When I arrived yesterday, I spotted a young Stoat playing around in the entrance to the small industrial area.

Stoat

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Update on Spring Hunting on Malta

June 10, 2014, 10:10 am

≫ Next: Belarus Video

≪ Previous: Back to Shawell A5 Lagoons

I wrote a short piece on the problems of hunting migrant birds in spring on Malta earlier this year. Today I received an email from Birdlife Malta, which gives a glimmer of hope that hunting in spring on Malta may stopped in the future, or at least it could be made illegal. The email is re-produced below.

Please offer your support however you can.

Stop Spring Hunting - Thank you!

THANK YOU
for donating to our Stop Spring Hunting Campaign.

Your support has helped us to raise a total of:
€70,633

Our Stop Spring Hunting campaign was set up to help us raise money to fund a public information campaign here in Malta. With the referendum on spring hunting coming in the next year, we need to do everything we can to convince Maltese people to go out and vote YES to end spring hunting. You have made this possible for us.

The total raised from our Indiegogo campaign will enable us to send leaflets to every voter and mount a powerful campaign in newspapers, on television and on the internet to motivate people to go out and vote.

Thanks to your donations and help sharing our campaign with your friends, we will also be able to fund additional equipment to help us in our yearly hunting monitoring camps. Our volunteers go out every morning and afternoon during the hunting season to monitor illegal hunting, and the money raised will enable us to buy more cameras, binoculars, scopes and even security so we can see more prosecution for illegal hunting.

We are thrilled to have watched the total funds rise over the past two months, and are so pleased to have smashed our target of €50,000. Every donation made, big or small, is hugely significant and we wouldn't be in the position we are now if it weren't for you. We really can't thank you enough!

We greatly appreciate all you have done so far, and we hope you will continue to support us. If you would like to do more to help us, we are currently working on drafting a new letter for the newly elected MEPs, which will be available on our website in the following month.

You can also join BirdLife Malta to help birds and nature in the Maltese Islands. As a member, you will receive our Bird's Eye View members magazine and our monthly e-newsletter to keep you up-to-date with all our work. You can join online here.

Please note, we are aware that some donors are still waiting to receive their perks. We are very sorry for the delay, we are working very hard to get these to you as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience. If you have any queries or problems, please contact: campaigns @birdlifemalta.org

To keep up to date with all our work leading up to the referendum, you can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and even read our blog. Just click the buttons below to find out more about us.

A HUGE thank you to each and every one of you from all the Spring Watch team here in the office. We're so grateful for all your help and support.

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Belarus Video

June 19, 2014, 1:46 pm

≫ Next: Peregrine on the Roof

≪ Previous: Update on Spring Hunting on Malta

I have taken to recording short bits of video of birds that are out of range, or when the light is too poor for good quality photos.

The weather was quite poor somedays whilst I was in Belarus and the birds were often a little distant, so I took a few videos. The only trouble with video is that it takes ages to process, but I hope you like the species in the video.

Singing male Common Rosefinch, White-tailed Eagle, first-summer Caspian Gull, Icterine Warbler, Marsh Warbler and Great Grey Owl.

Best watched in HD on YouTube - click on the YouTube logo...

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Peregrine on the Roof

June 27, 2014, 10:46 pm

≫ Next: Hummingbird Hawk Moth

≪ Previous: Belarus Video

At one of my regular birding sites, a pair of Peregrines have successfully raised four young that fledged last week. The youngsters have took to sitting on the roof of one of the buildings on site.

I didn't have my camera with me the first time I noticed one of them perched on the apex of building and since then the light has been a bit challenging.

Not a Fiddler, but a couple of Juvenile Peregrines on the Roof

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Hummingbird Hawk Moth

June 29, 2014, 12:53 pm

≫ Next: Presumed Hybrid Herring x Caspian Gull

≪ Previous: Peregrine on the Roof

Brascote Pits was my choice of destination this morning and it was the insects that stole the show. Lots of Meadow Browns and Ringlets have emerged recently and also many Small Skippers. Plenty of damselflies scattered as I disturbed the grass and a few Black-tailed Skimmers were basking on the sandy areas. An insect hovering in front of some thistles caught my attention and I soon realised it was a Hummingbird Hawk Moth. I tried to get a photograph of it in flight, but instead it landed making my photos less dynamic, but at least I got some photos.