TENNIS BIRDER IN SPAIN

Birds on the journey

2010-03-08T03:05:00.000-08:00

Heres the exact number of birds seen while on the way to Dover, across the ferry, then through France and Spain (Lifers in Caps).
1.Great crested grebe
2.Comorant
3.Shag
3.Gannet
4.Little egret
5.Grey heron
6.Mute Swan
7.Canada goose
8.Mallard
9.Red kite
10.BLACK KITE
11.GRIFFON VULTURE
12.Sparrowhawk
13.Common Buzzard
14.Common Kestrel
15.Pheasant
16.Moorhen
17.Coot
18.Lapwing
19.Black headed gull
20.Lesser black backed gull
21.Great black backed gull
22.Herring gull
23.Yellow legged gull
24.Rock dove
25.Stock dove
26.Woodpigeon
27.Collared Dove
28.Crag martin
29.Kingfisher
30.Green woodpecker
31.Meadow pipit
32.Grey wagtail
33. Pied wagtail ( and White )
34.Wren
35.Dunnock
36.Robin
37.Black redstart
38.Stonechat
39.Blackbird
40.Song thrush
41.Mistle thrush
42.Sardinian warbler
43.Blackcap
44.Chiffchaff
45.PIED FLYCATCHER
46.Long tailed tit
47.Blue tit
48.Coal tit
49.Great tit
50.Jay
51.Magpie
52.Jackdaw
53.Rook
54.Raven
55.Starling
56.House sparrow
57.Chaffinch
58.Greenfinch
59.Goldfinch
60.Linnet
All in all a pretty crap total! But I was pleased with the lifers I got anyway ;)

The big move ( part 3 )

2010-02-04T15:27:00.000-08:00

When Mum and Dad came back from the supermarket I informed them of the Pied flycatchers I had seen a few minutes previously. They were obviously happy seeing me this excited and I really wanted to show them how cool they were but unfortunately we really didnt have enough time to relocate the flycatchers. It was about time to get on the move...
The next few days whizzed past without many stops and hardly any raptors being seen from the car window - Kessys, Sprawks and Common buzzards. We were nearing the end of France and I was pretty pleased with what lifers I had seen ( Pied fly being a bogey ). Soon we would be crossing the border into Spain and into Unknown territory for me, Northern Spain to be exact: A pretty good birding destination!!

We spent our last day in France, walking around a Beautiful old town ( whose name I cant remember, as usual... ), eating loads of pastries like Chocolate Croissants at the numerous cafes inside it and taking lots of pictures of the truly lovely looking Architecture and surrounding country side scenery. A non birding experience I know but still good fun ( God, I sound obsessive! ). My parents had a great time as well, which they definately deserved after all the long driving Dad did ( while Mum kept him on course with the map ). After the break there, we set off again for the final few hours journey to the border. After a while the scenery changed from fields and sparse woodland to towering mountains with thick woodland and rocky crags perfect for my main target bird: Griffon Vulture. We arrived at the border very fast and quickly ( after sorting out passports and stuff... ) and finally crossed into Northern Spain. Within 30 minutes of driving in Spain a Red kite flew over! only my second one ever ( my first was a flyover bird in Yorkshire ). What a fantastic bird so early I thought, Maybe this was a sign of things to come, a good omen in fact! Several hours in we began to steadly climb some mountains which we had to pass through. The light was beginning to fade so we would soon have to stop for safety purposes ( Sleep, plus Dad was not massively comfortable driving in the dark on the opposite side of the road, let alone doing it the mountains... ). According to our map a local town called ( if I remember correctly ) Lukenberry was coming up where we could stop...

I remember starting to nod off when I heard Mum say "What are those birds up there Taylor?"I opened my eyes and looked at the window "Where abouts?" I said, "Up there, above us, flying around the mountain, theres lots of them" Mum replied. I looked out again and craned my neck so I could see directly above us. I let out a gasp of surprise as my eyes locked onto them. Sillhouetted in the setting sun was the umistakeable shapes of my target birds! SH"T! GRIFFON VULTURES!!! I shouted out ( I couldnt help myself this time, honestly ). There was no where on the way down the road to pull in and all in all it was too brief a view but I was still ecstatic. There and then I knew I would never get bored of seeing Griffon vultures no matter how many times I did, they were just fantastic to me and definately one of the most brilliant birds Id ever seen.

We finally entered Lukenberry about 5 mins later and I noted happily that the mountain directly behind the town was where the vultures were. We quickly found a pub with free acommodation, booked in for a night and decided to take a look around the quaint little town. Lukenberry in itself was a beautiful location, the buildings looked more like they belonged somewhere in a country such as Austria or Switzerland and not typically spanish, Maybe it was due to the fact that we were still kinda high up and it was colder than any bits of Spain I had been to ( It looked as if they got snow quite annualy in fact ). I got yet another surprise when a lovely Black redstart dropped down from a church roof and landed pretty close to us, allowing me to get a good look at this little black and red wonder. I had seen them the previous year in southern Spain while on holiday so this one wasnt a lifer but It was still awesome. Leaving the redstart ( who had been joined by a party Pied wagtails ) we headed back to the bar to have some dinner and to get some sleep.

The following day we all agreed for my last proper birding on the journey that we would all go back up the Griffon mountain and spend a few hours up there watching out for em if we could find a pull in. We set off very early in the morning and unfortunately I noted the conditions were not great for raptor watching, it very was misty.... But we did ( after a long search ) find a pull in. Quite a good viewing point just a tiny bit below the road we had came down when we had seen the vultures. We were positioned In a good place I thought, so now it was just crucial to wait for the mist to clear and to hope the Griffs would show themselves. Half an hour later the mist had cleared but there was no sign yet. Another 10 mins went by and I was beginning to doubt they were going to show... but I was wrong! one after the other they finally appeared over the side of the mountain and began their slow rise on the thermals. I watched in amazement as more and more appeared. At one point I was hurridly getting the scope set up to get a better look when Dad shouted "Taylor, above you!" I couldnt believe my eyes when I looked up! a Griffon vulture had appeared and flown only a few feet above my head giving me the best views imaginable!! I was gobsmaked! Watching the Griffs I also spotted two Red kites, a Kessy and a big group of Ravens. After about two hours more of watching this spectacle Mum gave the go ahead that it was about time to leave. I took one more quick look through my scope at the soaring birds then packed it up and walked back to car.

That was as predicted my last proper birding of the journey, Although in the car we managed to see plenty more Griffon vultures and Red kites on the way down. We had made good time by the time we got to Altea where I was going to be based and would be living in from now on.... Altea is located in southern Spain and is quite a touristy town to be honested (although I have found some good bird related places next to it recently ;) ) Its one of those towns typical of the Costa Blanca with long beaches and numerous Cafes and Restaurants, none the less it is beautiful in my opinion and I am very lucky to be living here. All in all I didnt see loads but it was well worth it for the couple of lifers I got and the fantastic places I visited on the way! :)

Next up: my latest birding exploits around Spain and accounts of what ive found at the beginning of 2010. Plus: a full list of what birds I saw on the journey through France and Spain....

Pied Fly Pics

2010-01-26T07:21:00.000-08:00

The big move ( part 2 )

2010-01-22T04:17:00.000-08:00

After departing the ferry and taking a brief look around the Docks we decided to get on our way. We had alot of ground to cover that was sure but I was really looking forward to the chance to stop and "bird" some of France!

For the first 2 days we didnt really have the time to stop ( the plan was to make decent headway over the first few days and then to slow down a bit ) but I was more than happy to watch from the car at Raptors passing by. The first few hours were a tad uneventful with a small spattering of Common Buzzards by the roadside along with a few Kestrels and then the odd Sprawk. But passing a beautiful old french town deep in a hilly gorge with trees bordering either side, I noticed a large dark bird of prey gliding past. It was unmistakable, no other raptor I had seen (except for Red kite) really bore a resemblance to this fantastic specimen. It was definately a Black kite... and in all its glory!

( I forgot to add I nearly made Dad and Mum have a heart attack by shouting out "F**K!! LOOK BLACK KITE!!!" at the top of my lungs while rapidly adding "PULL OVER! PULL OVER!!!" Which was a tad stupid of me, I sometimes wonder what people at School would think of me being this excited by a bird! lol. )

that was the first lifer of the trip and a pretty cool one at that. To be honest though the amount of birds I had seen wasnt great but I was happy, my aim of the journey was to tick of a few quality and tricky birds, not to get a big number of species. We travelled another day without stops (except for lunch and toilet breaks) and stayed in some ( allright ) cheap hostel for the night while I scanned through my field guide and looked out for Raptors and other birds. I managed to see Grey heron, Coot, Moorhen, Kingfisher, Grey wagtail, Blue tit, Great tit, Greenfinch and Goldfinch around the hostels grounds which wasnt a bad tally I guess...

My Mum agreed that night, now that we had made some decent mileage I would be able to stop and have a look around where I wanted tommorow ( aslong as it was on route). So the next day I kept an eye out for any reserve signs that we could stop at. About lunchtime we passed through a large pine forest claimed as a protected area so I asked my parents if I could have a look around.

We pulled into the first place we could find to stop: a tiny village located deep in the woods with ( conveniantly ) a small supermarket located in the middle where I could get some drinks and food. After a quick lunch of cheese and ham sandwiches we set off on a stony path that winded in and out of the trees and ran along a beautiful riverbank. I took a few photos whilst on the walk but sadly, for some strange reason most of the birds were very shy and I hardly saw anything. The only birds seen were Blue and Great tits, Green woodpecker, Kingfisher, Grey wagtail and Pied wagtail...

Strange I thought as we walked back to the car, It was quite hot and it was midday so that could of contributed to it. But little did i know I was in for a great surprise. Mum and Dad decided to do a bit more shopping at the supermarket while I relunctantly sat in the car but After about 5 mins I noticed a few birds flitting in and out of some trees on the side of the road in front of the carpark so I clambered out of the car to take a look. I walked up quietly to the trees with my bins and Camera and sat down. Tons and tons of Chiffchaffs were flitting in and out ( giving brilliant views ) but suddenly after a few seconds a single black and white bird dropped down onto a branch on of the closest trees to me...

"SUGAR, PIED FLYCATCHER!!" I nearly shouted out to myself. ( Thank god I didnt ) this was the second lifer of the trip and a fantastic bird that was very close up ( a few metres away ), also a bogey bird in fact!! After 10 mins of shooting off shots with my camera to catch the magic moment another one turned up, settled down and started flycatching right in front of me!!

To be continued... ( photos following before next written post )

The big move ( part 1 )

2010-01-18T10:28:00.000-08:00

Its taken me a while to write this due to internet problems, tennis taking up time and generally getting settled in a new country... but I have finally managed to get it started so here we go!!

As you probs already know Me, my Mum and Dad had been planning to move to southern Spain for the past year or so, to try and get my fledgling (excuse the bird pun ) tennis career off to a good start. But aswell as the tennis I was looking forward to the birds I could see on the way. You see, we were not going to take the easy route of JUST flying on a Plane and thus missing on the wonderful wildlife, instead we were going to drive ( and have a few stops on the way!).

After packing up my gear and a few luxury items ( video games, you know..) we set off for Dover. Driving ( not me, my Dad by the way ) I didnt see much except for the occasional Buzzard, kessy and at one point a field full of lapwings. We ended up arriving quite late in Dover so we decided to sleep the night in a Travelodge positioned right next to the port and catch the ferry in the morning.

I remember getting up about 5.00 in the morning, feeling a tad groggy and wondering where I was but the tiredness soon wore off as it all came back and Excitement soon settled in its place. I was hoping for Shearwaters, Skuas and Gannets on the way over the English channel and maybe... if I was really lucky.... some marine life like Whales or dolphins.

We boarded the ferry about 7.00 and walked up to the above deck where you could only just see out of the windows due to the foggyness, I spent about 15 mins looking for someway I could get out on to a open deck where I could get a better look. After finally finding one I admired the white cliffs of Dover in the sunshine as the misty haze receded and took a few photos, even last night in the pitch black from far away you could fainly see them, as if they glowed in the darkness.

But onto the birds, after half an hour looking I hadnt seen much except for a few gulls like Black headed, Herring and Black backed varietys. The ferry was well out to sea now but I still had lots of time so I waited. A few Gannets finally came into view cruising quite near to the boat but not diving, although they were not doing their trademark feeding stunt they were still breathtaking birds and I had only seen them a few times before.

5o minutes had passed and I was absolutely freezing. No other seabirds had turned up but what could I expect, there were no winds and it was sunny, not ideal seawatching weather! It was still very cold after another 10 mins so I decided to walk back down into the interior of the boat to meet my parents and warm up. As we began to pull into dock in Calais, France, a group of Cormorants flew lazily past. I hadnt seen much aboard the boat but it didnt really matter, I could ( and would ) get another chance to seawatch in the coming weeks.

Its been awhile..

2009-11-19T07:58:00.000-08:00

Well to say I have been busy over the past few months is a bit of an understatement: I have travelled all the way through France, Northern and Southern Spain ( taking in a few Decent birds along the way ), started training with a Pro tennis coach and moved into a seaside flat In Altea, Spain ( where I have been staying with my Uncle while my parents worked in the UK ).

But im back now in the UK for a week and a bit ( for my 15th) and can finally give this blog the attention it deserves, such as writing up the report for our travel through Spain and france and giving it a few new features and a fresh lick of paint...

So watch this space! the next post coming up involves Griffon vultures, Pied flys and those always lovely Black redstarts ( just dont expect barrel loads of birds ;).

Other shots from Radipole, Lodmoor and Portland....

2009-09-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

Me at Portland ( excuse the hat please ). Bloody hot day it was aswell.
Some Canada geese flying in to Lodmoor...
Some so - so shots of the ( not so wild anymore ) Hooded merganser at Radipole lake, Displaying to the Tufties with its weird bubbly call.

The Little owl was showing well at the quarry near the Obs at Portland....

Highlights of the days included: Hobbies at Lodmoor, Curlew sandpipers and Cetti warblers at Radipole and meeting a very nice birder I knew off Birdforum...

Waheeeyy, another bogey beaten!!

2009-09-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

Its taken me ages to tick this one off but I finally managed it last wednesday, Its a lovely Whinchat!!

Late update( part 2 )!

2009-09-09T00:55:00.000-07:00

~Saturday~
Weather: Pretty sunny and warm, occasional dark clouds over head but luckily no rain.
Location: Middblebere to see whats around and Durlston to see if we could find the Common Rosefinch which had been see lately.
Outlook: Middlebere was a bit slow. A lovely party of Yellow wagtails seen flying overhead, they landed In a Field and started feeding next to the Cows, lovely birds. Inside the hide, there was not much on the lake. No waders, with only a few Shelducks, Swallows, Little Egrets and no Osprey today.

Durlston: We did not manage to see the Common rosefinch today as it had not been seen anyway. Although we managed to find two lovely Spotted flycatchers hawking from a top of a dead tree ( New yrlist! ). Common and Lesser whitethroats were around along with the more commoner Tits, Finches, Warblers. I tried seawatching but it was not very good with only small passings of Gannets and Scoter Sps ( most lickely Common ).

Birding today:) plus the dentist:( wish me luck on both!

A late update (part 1)!

2009-09-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

I confess... Ive been a lazy sod lately and have left updating this blog to the last min, so this will have to be a quick update...

~Wednesday~
Weather: A combination of down pours, Sunny patches and strong winds.
Locations: Poor Common to look for Pied flycatchers and Blashford lake in Hants for generally anything interesting...
Outlook: Poor Common was the better bit of the day as the Sun was out and the birds were showing. Green woodpeckers were in abundance and were yaffling from every part of the forest, Bluetits, Great tits, Willow warblers and Jays were scattered around along with the occasional Goldcrest and Robin.
Blashford lakes was a bit quiet, with only small counts of Lapwing, BHG, Tufted duck and Great crested grebe on the lake. Inside the woodland hide was better with lots of Bluetit, Great tit, Greenfinch and a single Siskin, Coal tit and juv Goldfinch...

Lifers galore!!

2009-09-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

Last wednesday I got news that a red knecked pharolope had been seen at one of my local non Dorset birding spots: keyhaven, a defo must have for me, as I had never seen a pharolope of any kind before. Not only was there a pharolope around but Cattle Egret, Curlew sandpiper and Ruff had been reported lately!!

Well naturally as a birder I have my twitching genes so I was literally twitching with anticipation and excitement at the prospect of seeing a new lifer ( Apparently this is were the term "Twitcher" derives from! ). When we arrived we followed the steady flow of Twitchers/Birders evidently heading for the pharolope, and were, upon arrival, greeted by a friendly group of birders who quickly pointed out were abouts on the water the red necked phal was...

We stayed for an hour and watched the pharolope doing its curious feeding technique on the lake, I put up my scope so my auntie could get a look at it Such a lovely bird coupled with an amazing view just = priceless. Later on on the day We also managed to see Curlew sandpipers, Ruffs, Yellow wagtails ( 4 lifers!! ) and a Cattle egret ( year tick, we followed a very nice youngish birder to it ).

We also tried Seawatching with that group of birders we met when we arrived, at the chisel beach down the road but the results were not good ( a few Com terns, Gannets ). The leader of the group who suspicously resembles Simon king, gave me a handshake and said "see you around, its nice to know there are young ones out there who appreciate nature" which was very nice :) Yets hope this great birding streak continues...

Catching up with that Bogey bird

2009-08-25T03:25:00.000-07:00

Nearly every birder has his bogey bird, a bird no matter if its common or rare, you just keep dipping it. Its rather frustrating when week after week it is reported, then you go looking for it to no avail. Well this week I managed ( finally!! ) to tick off one of my biggest bogey birds...

The weather was not exactly great for seawatching but I wanted to give it a try at Portland anyway, as we could explore the island for more of the day because Dad was in Lulworth, and I did not have my Tennis training in the afternoon...

Well seawatching went awfully with the only birds seen being Cormorants, which was evidently my fault as I should of checked the weather forcast before attempting it. Birding on land was better with lots of wheatears, Rock pipits, Meadow pipits, Starlings, a Kestrel and a Peregrine were scattered around. On the way to the Obs I had a bit off fun trying to take pics of the passerines around the rocks, Most of the shots I got were awful though ( taking pics of birds is so hard!!).

At the Obs I asked the wardens if anything had been seen "Not much around" was the answer, "It is rather hit and miss on Portland isnt it" I replied. "Yes it is, but the Little owl is showing well at the quarry at the the moment" he said (!). Well of we went to the quarry as fast as the weight of the tripod and scope on my shoulder would let us. We were tailing some birders in front of us because they knew the exact spot of where it perched and they were evidently going to look for it. When we arrived the beckoned us over and showed us the exact crack the Little owl was perched in. So I setted up my scope and focused it on where it was perched: "what a beautiful bird"!! I said and immediately lowered the tripod ( being 6ft 1 has it disadvantages! ) so my Auntie could get a look at its lovely brown plumage, vivid yellow eyes and hooked bill....

Well finally I managed to tick off my biggest bogey bird which had so far eluded me over my six years off birding, im really pleased, so yets see what I can tick off before the big move. :)

not alot of birding as of late...

2009-08-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

Not done a lot of birding lately as it is the summer holidays and friends and family have taken up most of my time. I managed to dodge the hubbub and get a brief birding trip to Arne and middlebere though......

Middlebere produced Whimbrel, Oystercatcher, Yellow legged gull ( NEW lifer! some birders in the hide pointed it out amongst loads of gulls on the flats ), Grey heron and more of the rest you have heard from my trips there before ( shelduck, L.Es etc ). For once this year the osprey was not on his fav perch but was somewhere else and not in view ( possibly fishing downstream ).

Arne common had loads of waders there such as Greenshank ( which I managed to actaully show my auntie because of my new non wobbily Tripod from London! ). Loads and loads of Curlews flying around along with the smaller Whimbrels and Oystercatchers. Non waders included Bluetits, Great tits, Great spotted woodpeckers, Stonechats, Starlings and Buzzards. ( Plus: Sika deer were everywhere!! )

Stanpit and Keyhaven quick report

2009-08-08T13:25:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick report: On Wednesday me and me Aunt visited Stanpit marshes and keyhaven for the day...

Stanpit marshes: Absolutely loads of waders in big numbers, such as Curlew, Whimbrel, Redshank, Dunlin, ( NEW for the YR list ) Lapwing and oystercatcher. Sandwich terns were dotted around, either flying or resting on land and The reeds held a lot of Reed warblers and Sedge warblers.

Keyhaven: Lots of Black tailed Godwits were around, along with Little ringed plovers and Oystercatchers. The Passerines included Greenfinch, Linnet, Wheatear, Stonechat and possibly more that I cant remember ;) The only Terns around were Common terns. Hirundines included Swallow and House martin, There were even more Reed and Sedge warblers than stanpit with literally millions of them everywhere!

Photos to follow if I can find some good ones....

Seawatching - It really works!!

2009-08-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

To tell you the truth I am not a very good seawatcher, I tend to get distracted by land birds around me. Also I am a bit unlucky at SW ( if you believe in luck ), tried it a lot of times around the Purbecks to no avail.....But this time was to be different.

It Started of as always when on the way to the Purbecks with a quick pop into Middlebere. Tide was out again ( I really should look at the tide times!). A few Shelducks and Gulls were pottering around, Hirundines hawked over head and a calling Curlew flew in. Later on I checked the dead trees for the Osprey, yes, there it was on its favourite perch(es) again! ( without the dreadful heat haze so the views were pretty good ) On the way out a couple of Greenshanks flew in.

I wanted to give seawatching a go at Durlston as Balearic shearwaters had been seen of the coast there a few times and it was closer than Portland. Walking along the coast to look for a good spot we did not see much except for some Peregrines ( a juv calling and flying pretty close to us along the cliffs), Stonechats, Kestrels, Buzzards and Corvids.

We decided to seawatch from the dolphin hide as it was nice and sheltered from the elements and I could rest my scope without the tripod on the open ledge. After about 45 mins off countless Gannets passing, I spotted a dark bird flying back and forth close to the surf showing all white underparts. "YES" my first ever Manx shearwater!! later on I got an even bigger surprise when I found another larger Shearwater showing Brownish upperparts and creamy white underparts, a probable Balearic!! ( I am not ticking it though as Manxies can vary quiet a lot ) :)

London and Rainham over the weekend

2009-07-28T04:50:00.000-07:00

Been up to London for the weekend on a mainly none birding trip. but we did get to visit Rainham marshes....

All in all the weather was a little bit crap so there was not a lot around: the odd Reed warbler poked his head out of the reeds, one or two Reed buntings flew over head, the usual Little grebes, Moorhens, Coots, Grey herons and Little egrets were scattered around the reserve.

Best bird of the day was a Green sandpiper ( my second for the year ) which gave some stunning views in my scope before disappearing behind the mud flats. ( I also joined the RSPB and am now a Phoenix member for the first time! )

just a quick update

2009-07-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

Not much to update on...... Trip down to Weymouth to visit Lodmoor and Radipole lake produced the usual Common terns, gulls, warblers and other more common passerines.

Managed to see the local breeding Marsh harriers and juvs ( apparently the first breeding pair in Dorset for 50 years! ). The shots are some poor ( really poor ) photos I took of the Harriers, enjoy ;)

EDIT: forget to say I got a new lifer in the car when we drove past some heath, two Hobbies hawked over head, How could I forget that!!?

Birding around Upton and Middlebere ( part 2 )

2009-07-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

After an enjoyable, relaxed hour and a half birding at Upton park we set off to continue on the way to Middlebere....

I have to say the Purbecks are one of my Fav parts of the country, for some reason it always seems sunnier than where I live ( Bournemouth ). Anyway inside the hide at Middlebere ( Avocet hide ) it was unusually quiet and deviod of birders. I checked the set of dead trees the Osprey always perches on across the river with my scope, no sign yet.

Unfortunately we arrived when the tide was out, so not a lot of waders around, only a few Shelducks ( with some really cute chicks and a few juvs), Oystercatchers, Little egrets and Redshanks. After about half an hour of watching and waiting for some other birds to turn up to no avail, we heard the footsteps of some people walking down the wooden bridge towards the hide, no doubt birders and a nice bit of company.

Never caught the birders names but they were a really nice couple who happily chatted away about birds with us, as we all scanned the main river for waders and others . The Osprey did turn up on the dead tree later on but the views were not great, as there was a dreadful heat haze which made the osprey look like a big black and white blob on the horizen. Also a cracking Common sandpiper flew in on to the small streamish river directly in front of the hide giving us all lovely views, another new bird for the Yearlist :).

Birding around Upton and Middlebere( part 1 )

2009-07-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

Me and my Auntie had been rather neglecting one of our local spots, Upton park, For a while now. I fancied visiting Middlebere to look for Common sandpipers and the local Osprey which had been seen of late and Upton was on the way there so.....

The carpark was ( as always ) almost full up to the brim at Upton, so we had to park in the overflow carpark. The sun was starting to peek through the clouds as we set off, Warblers were singing in the trees and the distant yaffling of a Green woodpecker echoed around the grounds as we walked down the grounds past the Upton House.

I had forgotten how good this place could be! Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Great tit, Blue tit, Greenfinch, Green woodpecker, Buzzard, Willow warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap to name a few. Inside the hide ( which looks out on to the harbour ) not much was around except for some Black tailed godwits, Oystercatchers, Shelduck and BHGs.....

( post the rest Tommorow :))

Titchfield haven ( part 2 )

2009-07-11T12:09:00.000-07:00

We payed a small fee to get in the reserve but it was worth it....

Walking across the sea wall in the to the entrance of Titchfield Haven, a few Sandwich Terns and Common terns flew off the sea and headed towards the reserve. Inside, we took the path told to us by the Chap at the visitor centre. The first hide held a lot of birders when we entered, mostly the kind helpful ones with an interest in young birders, but sometimes you get the one who just sits in the corner and does not say "hi" when you enter the hide ( I hate that!! Although they just might be shy...?). I have had my grumble now, so on with the birding...

Explosion in a gull factory!! thats the basic picture, just throw some in some numbered islands, hides, Terns, Gulls and loads of waders. Avocets, both the Godwits, Lapwings, Common terns, Sandwich Terns and countless BHGs and Herring gulls, all in good numbers and some with chicks ( Avocets ).

We left the hide after goggling at the sheer amount of birds after about half an hour in the hope to get me some more Lifers. In the next Hide it was almost deserted except for one of the elderly wardens and some photographers. I got out my Spotter scope and mounted it on my ( Crap ) broken Tripod and scannned the flats, BHG, BHG, BHG, another Black headed gull..... and..... very dark hooded gull with bright red bill!. First Lifer of the day and my new fav gull the Medditerranean gull. Then a few mins after that the Green sandpiper decided to show its self from behind the bend of the water, allowing me to get some great views in my scope. A second Lifer in several minutes, not bad for me........

( EDIT: turns out I did not see a quail on the way back to the car, so what could it of been? )

Titchfield haven ( part 1 )

2009-07-10T13:55:00.000-07:00

This wednesday me and my Auntie decided to go a lot further afield birding than we usually do, All the way down to Titchfield haven, in Dorsets neighbouring county Hampshire ( been doing a lot of birding around these parts lately ). I hastly scribbled down the ( complicated )
directions from Google maps, climbed in the car and off we went....

Well as you probably guessed we got lost and had to ask numerous people around Titchfield where the reserve was, most of the people didnt have a clue! after finally finding someone who actaully had an inkling where the reserve was, it turned out it was only a few miles down the road!!!

Titchfield looked promising when we entered the visitor centre, the sighting board had, Green sandpiper ( potential Lifer! ), Common sandpiper ( potential Y Lister! ) and Mediterranean gull!!

( this going to be in Two parts because Mum is nagging for the computer at the present time, i will post the second part tomorrow... )

Photos from Blashford Lakes

2009-07-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

Here are a few Photos from last weeks Birding at Blashford lakes, Hope you enjoy em Folks :)

Nightjar success at Ferndown common ( finally!! )

2009-07-04T05:25:00.000-07:00

Again and again I have been trying for Nightjars this summer but so far they proved way to elusive and we failed everytime. I was nearly on the point of giving up and putting my efforts into finding much easier birds for the LF list but me, my Dad and my Auntie decided to try one last time...

We sort of arrived a bit early on the heath at Ferndown common ( around 9.15 ) so we had to wait a little bit for the Nightjars to start their distinctive churring buzz. Around 9.50 the churring started, but further up the heath. Walking at a brisk pace towards the Calls, more started up around us and i was starting to get really excited on the prospect of another Lifer!

Moths flew low over heads as we edged slowly around the gorsh bushes towards some really loud churring coming from above us. perched on a wire in the setting sun was the distinctive shape of a new lifer, Nightjar!. I have said it before and i will say it again "patience is a must have" sadly mine tends to run out after an hour ot two of waiting lol.
Walking back in steadily darkening night, I got an even better view as I accidently flushed a couple of the them, which flew low over heads. A great end to some great night birding.

Blashford lakes Yesterday

2009-07-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick review of yesterdays birding at Blashford lakes ( fab place! ). First port of call was the Tern hide, Little ringed plovers and lapwings with chicks were on the shingle, Common terns rested on the wooden platforms, Greylag geese were floating around with the Tufted ducks, Canada geese, Dabchicks, BHGs and Great crested grebes.

Next up was the Ivy hide which produced nothing ( had Bittern here a few months ago ).
The woodland hide produced more with suberb views of Nuthatch, Jays, a lovely female Great spotted woodpecker and the more common Tits and finches.
The other hides didnt hold a lot, except for some Sand martins breeding and a Weird looking Wagtail ( in the process of id ing ).

Tonight i am going looking for Nightjars at Ferndown, so I will let u know how i get on :)

Terns and Scoters @ keyhaven ( part 2 )

2009-06-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry about not posting this second part for ages but I have been really busy lately ( what with going to Wimbledon and the like) but anyway here it is..... :)

After adding the Scoters to my very, very, slow growing Life list I was on a pretty high note for the day and didn't expect it to get any better, but boy was I wrong! Leaving the young (ish) Birder to continue his scanning, me and my auntie walked the short walk to the inland pools that usaully held a nice variety of Waders, Gulls and Terns. Suprisingly there wasn't a lot about when we got there accept for some Redshanks, Curlews, Shelducks, Oystercatchers and BHGs...

But patience nearly always pays off - so we found a nice piece of comfortable ground, hankered down and snacked on our sandwiches ( tuna & vinegar, cheese & tomato sauce sandwiches for me, don't ask. ) After awhile patience did pay off and some distant Terns flew in off the sea. Plenty of Common terns at first but then I spotted a smaller Tern flying between the larger commons, with it flying closer to the bank we were sat on, we could make out a yellow bill and set of legs confirming it as a Little tern! Number two lifer for the day! AWESOME!! ( also later on we went to the Common terns breeding site down the end of Keyhaven, the terns were flying right over our heads, like a mini slice of the Farnes ) ,

The pics are of the Terns, Black headed gulls, Pied wagtails and Keyhaven...

Terns and scoters @ Keyhaven ( part 1 )

2009-06-24T15:26:00.000-07:00

The day started off quietly arriving at Keyhaven, a few Redshanks and the odd oystercatcher flew along the coast, a solitary Pied wagtail walked along the shingle and Black headed gulls drifted over head...

After about 5 mins of speedy walking we reached our usual vantage point for scanning for waders and seabirds ( we once had a family of seals bobbing around out to sea here ). A massive
group of Curlews were roosting out on one of the mini islands (around 60 of em!). After chatting to a young (ish) birdwatcher ( about what was around today ), he informed us that a pair of Common scoters were drifting along the edge of the sea line... ( a potential lifer for me! ) So he kindly scanned and located them on his expensive looking scope and let me have a look, Two duck shaped splodges well out to sea..... thats a good enough view for for me! another lifer!

Martin down ( bad! ) pics

2009-06-18T14:49:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from Martin down, No 1 is a really crappy pic of a Stonechat, 2, 3, 4 are orchids ( please comment if you know what they are, I am rubbish at plants! ) and the fifth is a yellowhammer.....

you cant win them all

2009-06-18T01:21:00.000-07:00

A trip to Martin down yesterday to look for Turtle doves was rather uneventful......
Upon arrival Swifts were everywhere ( worringly I have not seen many Swallows this year )
and warblers sang from nearly every bush. Sadly none of the "purring" coo which usually gives the Turtle doves location away was heard. Walking up the hill , skylarks hovered up high and a family of stonechats were just asking to have their photo taken ( I didn't manage a good photo though!!). A little higher up we met a helpful birder who told us that he had not seen much around but had heard some T doves singing down on another path. So after saying bye to the old man we headed back to the other path and made are way down - Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs, Yellowhammers and a lonely male Pheasant were the only birds seen. Arriving where the birder had heard them ,we waited for a few minutes but after awhile it started to rain, so we headed back to the car defeated and wet through.........

We did'nt manage the Doves but never mind, I guess you cant win them all,
A few photos to follow later on ( Don't expect em to be great lol ).

Yearlist Update

2009-06-14T03:15:00.000-07:00

I have not had anytime for birding lately so might aswell post an update on my lists for the year.
YR list: 114 (bad I know!!) highlights are as follows, Collared Flycatcher twitched at Portland (Candidate for the best bird of the year?!) Temmincks stint found at Blashford lakes ( i thought it was a Common Sandpiper at first! then some birders identified it for me..) Osprey found at a undisclosed site ( passing through to the Highlands no doubt as its no longer there ) and a Bittern at Blashford lakes ( best view ever! it walked out into the open in front of the hide setting off a million camera shutters!! ). So not that bad I guess......

My lifelist now stands at 141 but I am hoping to get loads of lifers when i move to spain like Griffon vulture, Lesser kestrel, Black winged stilt,Roller and loads more........

Scarlet Tiger Moth

2009-06-11T02:36:00.000-07:00

Oh, I forgot to add this pic I got of a Scarlet tiger moth, A helpful man at the Visitor centre i.d it for me............

A great day around Radipole lake!!

2009-06-11T01:47:00.000-07:00

Well folks here is my first post to this Blog, I will try and make it as interesting as I can....

Yesterday me and my Auntie(she is the one responsible for starting my interest in Birds and wildlife!) Did the usaul 40-45 min drive all the way down to Weymouth to try for the elusive Cettis Warbler. On the way down a few Buzzards, Sprawks(dont you just love that name..) and
Kestrels were seen hovering and gliding over the countryside.

We did stop off at Abbotsbury Swannery to try for Bearded Tits but i would rather not talk about it (guess why..) Radipole lake was a different story within a few minutes i had spotted a Sedge Warbler showing and singing well in a bush next to the reeds, a NEW lifer for me!! (by the way its a wetland habitat) Relucantly i left the Warbler to continue the search for the Cettis...

Down the path as I turned a bend I accidently flushed a Warbler, which flew over the reeds, landed and burst into song. Well the song was a dead giveaway "YES" finally a Cettis warbler!!
and It only took me Four years to see one!!....... lol