tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41336179367516528722024-03-06T02:04:34.982+00:00Durham Birder Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.comBlogger255125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-15805938730623023752013-03-31T20:26:00.003+01:002013-03-31T20:26:22.755+01:00SEASHORE SAFARI<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPSSK4iZjo2HaFwtdi1AB4zxp26EZA1zpbp17ag9QS899pE9HShLhyphenhyphenHjp3Wjrj6apIhCwui_gwmcjgzGhBqZA7ac5NAaYLQyn17-2Qc-mEbTEn7Qsi8aYiMrBXbz2bUWPqHQL1t-wd8U/s1600/IMG_8311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPSSK4iZjo2HaFwtdi1AB4zxp26EZA1zpbp17ag9QS899pE9HShLhyphenhyphenHjp3Wjrj6apIhCwui_gwmcjgzGhBqZA7ac5NAaYLQyn17-2Qc-mEbTEn7Qsi8aYiMrBXbz2bUWPqHQL1t-wd8U/s320/IMG_8311.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Yesterday (Easter saturday) the National Trust were due to have their first Seashore Safari of the year, but due to unforeseen circumstances they were struggling to get enough staff to take it, so on very short notice a couple of members of the CCG stepped in to take their place. Despite the bitterly cold weather it was a really good turn out and everybody had a whole load of fun looking for wildlife in the various rockpools along the beach. The recent cold snap and brisk easterly winds meant there wasnt a great deal of things to find, but we still managed to get things like Butterfish, Edible Crabs, Starfish and Anemones. It was a thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours and something we wouldnt mind doing again.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5zChudlfIkkOc97U_hzTxm-cFU6y3CLFvfa_1fmLA02shMoq-BinZLNnv9r_lnfslTwb7fdBLyVbauKzHrdzEo553YSVz5jyxQSCjQ_Rua942MshmXIw6W18P11cwzHdzXla5CBPqjI/s1600/IMG_8318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5zChudlfIkkOc97U_hzTxm-cFU6y3CLFvfa_1fmLA02shMoq-BinZLNnv9r_lnfslTwb7fdBLyVbauKzHrdzEo553YSVz5jyxQSCjQ_Rua942MshmXIw6W18P11cwzHdzXla5CBPqjI/s320/IMG_8318.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiob_90NsmJcktNTh2uV5tIlaWyZ4FsZotkcQE77F1wANzhaTAJ0XWDcmgGMThDv6UWvX4Z8szhA-XZsgDlHul0zwm99q9l8kLBUWdb_cpT1Prq_RWRhTV0QhN3B_NbzKA3TxSeBUn1rKI/s1600/IMG_8321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiob_90NsmJcktNTh2uV5tIlaWyZ4FsZotkcQE77F1wANzhaTAJ0XWDcmgGMThDv6UWvX4Z8szhA-XZsgDlHul0zwm99q9l8kLBUWdb_cpT1Prq_RWRhTV0QhN3B_NbzKA3TxSeBUn1rKI/s320/IMG_8321.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WaJ74yRe4QDVbejPX7EhVb8aqdk2QB4Y5EvRI-P6LD6zGDa4UPjOUfDDxiEEdOnTCc6Ws_inOAl640ZWkKFB8cyzvdhKQ3Sva8wysFRzVC2AR3F1JXs0Cuc1KI8fmrMj7oGEZrrf8qM/s1600/IMG_8325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WaJ74yRe4QDVbejPX7EhVb8aqdk2QB4Y5EvRI-P6LD6zGDa4UPjOUfDDxiEEdOnTCc6Ws_inOAl640ZWkKFB8cyzvdhKQ3Sva8wysFRzVC2AR3F1JXs0Cuc1KI8fmrMj7oGEZrrf8qM/s320/IMG_8325.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3aFtJ6Bg5b9KMYCnjFCn6m76SlCf5NVf3cUJSJ5B8QUEMKX0cGA6ISK3JtZmVijH4gvFfw8Y0_p4PwnD_bamQMd6DrKjVgeXcXWWIJtfXU6HzK7Iyk_0Y0MBoKbtsUPLuUTaS7L_6Sc/s1600/IMG_8323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3aFtJ6Bg5b9KMYCnjFCn6m76SlCf5NVf3cUJSJ5B8QUEMKX0cGA6ISK3JtZmVijH4gvFfw8Y0_p4PwnD_bamQMd6DrKjVgeXcXWWIJtfXU6HzK7Iyk_0Y0MBoKbtsUPLuUTaS7L_6Sc/s320/IMG_8323.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPvgtZ817jXA839r2UGNC3kLxsSQP2A81BCgJKRXGRTdbg1vi0zCLafi3-ZqWcKYTVO0vAni_fcTVlLxadEueAnasBQsHhdcT1F1tRW83AraDIey_w05o6Tl-nUDQYhgKNZEzndB-_QYc/s1600/IMG_8329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPvgtZ817jXA839r2UGNC3kLxsSQP2A81BCgJKRXGRTdbg1vi0zCLafi3-ZqWcKYTVO0vAni_fcTVlLxadEueAnasBQsHhdcT1F1tRW83AraDIey_w05o6Tl-nUDQYhgKNZEzndB-_QYc/s320/IMG_8329.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zHn1E9rLQCs0-dg05cUqVh58hiDpe2Lf83ra1Rk-4kZRRAErxdw2JiNfiwkeVCZSzAKwxwORqKbDlBw0vvqxkzYTBZtL7Ip53fvG3ZcMStc-93edlOFzF9IYUCEfVbtLs3RwtzBX-oI/s1600/IMG_8333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zHn1E9rLQCs0-dg05cUqVh58hiDpe2Lf83ra1Rk-4kZRRAErxdw2JiNfiwkeVCZSzAKwxwORqKbDlBw0vvqxkzYTBZtL7Ip53fvG3ZcMStc-93edlOFzF9IYUCEfVbtLs3RwtzBX-oI/s320/IMG_8333.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgra8m09DKn_ZfNzwOTTkyvMco_o86dTHkX8oqOhQqlhkMteCcu7m6exVA0WSnM0Hm-bdUaI4Z_YrGuPxHrOZd3AjHdFbBjk6naYdLW1LvadtKAPFuQkTH5qhljsrT60JxHcl7bDWb2wUg/s1600/IMG_8340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgra8m09DKn_ZfNzwOTTkyvMco_o86dTHkX8oqOhQqlhkMteCcu7m6exVA0WSnM0Hm-bdUaI4Z_YrGuPxHrOZd3AjHdFbBjk6naYdLW1LvadtKAPFuQkTH5qhljsrT60JxHcl7bDWb2wUg/s320/IMG_8340.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyt1UhgivhHb63fbBOMEfFTDuN52DX_q6ehPL3XsGLZsbRDb6OwP8Pf3KT015HzKYHa38tg7Us7Dxx5QApyLWhTDD78i84EDwY63fMFdcU_MbFsaSR2vuQKP4k9qL3zIADdpCzqh8SgFw/s1600/IMG_8351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyt1UhgivhHb63fbBOMEfFTDuN52DX_q6ehPL3XsGLZsbRDb6OwP8Pf3KT015HzKYHa38tg7Us7Dxx5QApyLWhTDD78i84EDwY63fMFdcU_MbFsaSR2vuQKP4k9qL3zIADdpCzqh8SgFw/s320/IMG_8351.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90qKFfbtt0q5Z9slyHTJoVa3AOgtrUY7f62TaWLXBEqwwstKTA5l_7bZGzwNMmoXdL-GsaU1r-IFW52eH09VJNvtLeJix3hM4T9vgMIQiLo6xGFj7HKJrRkGj5-IdZAs3euqogBXcACg/s1600/IMG_8352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90qKFfbtt0q5Z9slyHTJoVa3AOgtrUY7f62TaWLXBEqwwstKTA5l_7bZGzwNMmoXdL-GsaU1r-IFW52eH09VJNvtLeJix3hM4T9vgMIQiLo6xGFj7HKJrRkGj5-IdZAs3euqogBXcACg/s320/IMG_8352.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4A-4VI2dHCAtzw4B0fxRr4cQSB-bwTtwU5KBSbrsSircJSR1LxVhgUXwvp7I5GoJQWon93IkXFEjXcYUQddi45YLP0mvBn4Pf7OP8uNvV-N_61qtQbmYHS2jd_1t2RRY-orfS6GC_qg/s1600/IMG_8353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4A-4VI2dHCAtzw4B0fxRr4cQSB-bwTtwU5KBSbrsSircJSR1LxVhgUXwvp7I5GoJQWon93IkXFEjXcYUQddi45YLP0mvBn4Pf7OP8uNvV-N_61qtQbmYHS2jd_1t2RRY-orfS6GC_qg/s320/IMG_8353.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdq6LjrsAYcgJxNovQVVPprrnUiXb502sMgEl8BFvdaPOv7xaPHjcJYujSyYqLDQNRNfvVZsHUw9H2jnaa6zSEEWqNFkb0oPLJ__22l0kTKTRLvKwkBAibKc4cP9NJ8NIXPYpCEx521k/s1600/IMG_8357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdq6LjrsAYcgJxNovQVVPprrnUiXb502sMgEl8BFvdaPOv7xaPHjcJYujSyYqLDQNRNfvVZsHUw9H2jnaa6zSEEWqNFkb0oPLJ__22l0kTKTRLvKwkBAibKc4cP9NJ8NIXPYpCEx521k/s320/IMG_8357.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqjx8eNZkY_3yZNwzLSutS7xhahcQuHhifv44YH7sLFlYsmK79GPjTJ9hYvh14pcQxcfeUVdB-nd6zkJvxSHBTvbzTNi0AyMjYoyUuicA5fQ2TuamhHMR98H8YkE3ZAAjKv5E1QaHHZw/s1600/IMG_8369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqjx8eNZkY_3yZNwzLSutS7xhahcQuHhifv44YH7sLFlYsmK79GPjTJ9hYvh14pcQxcfeUVdB-nd6zkJvxSHBTvbzTNi0AyMjYoyUuicA5fQ2TuamhHMR98H8YkE3ZAAjKv5E1QaHHZw/s320/IMG_8369.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghk1oI-GVBKTskIbHyzex9_zzTzRCP64yjOz6K8g0HSLqEPt1cDVuaGtbdfY2aU2B8-E696cKe5h4vGjJX73T83qR2zUI6HIKEA9q09Aep-CrX5DQfpyic3m8vcuO41wlNCLQU9JvC3O4/s1600/IMG_8331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghk1oI-GVBKTskIbHyzex9_zzTzRCP64yjOz6K8g0HSLqEPt1cDVuaGtbdfY2aU2B8-E696cKe5h4vGjJX73T83qR2zUI6HIKEA9q09Aep-CrX5DQfpyic3m8vcuO41wlNCLQU9JvC3O4/s320/IMG_8331.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-40006566419191450322013-03-31T19:21:00.001+01:002013-03-31T19:21:06.165+01:00Goa - ONE LAST TREAT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitChgSvo5g1WPPCxffS1XUY7f_kZMyh7ts4KMDYixDDcNXw-xsvbvFxJLrLM3xp18jeyQeqPf0yn40sh7dr0gJ1gwlMXMiK6rRtbFC0xK3i5HQSeDzEoxnPWm8sO6PObj-f-tGL9hOkYs/s1600/brahminy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitChgSvo5g1WPPCxffS1XUY7f_kZMyh7ts4KMDYixDDcNXw-xsvbvFxJLrLM3xp18jeyQeqPf0yn40sh7dr0gJ1gwlMXMiK6rRtbFC0xK3i5HQSeDzEoxnPWm8sO6PObj-f-tGL9hOkYs/s320/brahminy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The day before we came home, myself and Maria had an excursion booked via the tourist rep under the rather extravagant name of ''Island Cruise''. It wasnt quite as grandiose as it sounds, but it was definitely a fun way to end our holiday. We were picked up in an old-style fishing boat and headed toward the open sea for the first part of the trip, Dolphin spotting! It took us quite a while but we did eventually come across a group of around ten Dolphins lazily braking the surface and headed off to get closer looks. They were very slow swimmers and we caught up with them easily enough but they would frequently go under for long periods and re-appear miles from where we were! I wasnt sure what species they were so I asked the skipper and he said they were (Indo-Pacific) Humpback Dolphins, a brand new species for me. Once everyone had had their fill of the Dolphins we then headed off to do a spot of fishing. This was proper old-school type of fishing, no rods just a hook on a line! It was incredibly fun, and I caught a couple of lovely little tiddlers, but it soon got even more special. We had anchored just off a lovely little island, and as everyone was enjoying the fish I decided to scan the island for birds. (Its just what I do!!!). I noticed a fairly large looking bird perched a liitle way in the distance, and as I focused my binoculars on it it dawned on me what it was, it was the Sea Eagle! I couldnt believe how lucky I was!!! After missing it on the earlier River Trip I genuinely thought I'd missed my chance, but here was one right in front of me looking splendid in all its glory. I turned to Maria to tell her of my delight when another Eagle flew right over the boat giving incredibly close views. I was ecstatic!!! It truly was a superbly fitting end to a magnificent holiday and something I will cherish for a long long time.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaJkdVcdgcgdz9FPmFeeAWZKP0aj22VlROV8IGxetomioUptRKfku-o7OIyt4aeDJIfxOIw4V5cgM5Ant17lVShG3GoZh7jGCBunc6E0GYAi1lhXBe4LqSaN9uJaKyvVkvn86lwgu258/s1600/3087633414_6cb0173227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaJkdVcdgcgdz9FPmFeeAWZKP0aj22VlROV8IGxetomioUptRKfku-o7OIyt4aeDJIfxOIw4V5cgM5Ant17lVShG3GoZh7jGCBunc6E0GYAi1lhXBe4LqSaN9uJaKyvVkvn86lwgu258/s320/3087633414_6cb0173227.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Pew9__idGN9ouSt57FdJAdL7tfTItkJnZvSzQo4od77ZHSYxjSz_paTBakz6aij5PbsrKM1HB-Q-MHTfQM2fHCU_p5P2x5YZPv-rgUchE_pUzpq3tJvTMXlRrLqsQPpkWDGHc8xRjWs/s1600/7655744762_7781842464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Pew9__idGN9ouSt57FdJAdL7tfTItkJnZvSzQo4od77ZHSYxjSz_paTBakz6aij5PbsrKM1HB-Q-MHTfQM2fHCU_p5P2x5YZPv-rgUchE_pUzpq3tJvTMXlRrLqsQPpkWDGHc8xRjWs/s320/7655744762_7781842464.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
WHITE BELLIED SEA EAGLE<br />
<br />
<br />
(picture at top BRAHMINY KITE)Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-17650300372675198652013-03-30T21:19:00.001+00:002013-03-30T21:19:25.532+00:00Goa Trip 3 - RIVER TRIP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwzsVAZRHcTC_LYNdVgUM2HKptSyxP9Sq-5j43JUpgfKkqDchPAfGAH6vxJ2Z5sPOrvdkbgmNZesCTJPUJsAC2QaQnrDFedLXqL4AiJpJP8XITwp3OnrGgjjsfFBa8RDAAslHxQA1Tpc/s1600/079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwzsVAZRHcTC_LYNdVgUM2HKptSyxP9Sq-5j43JUpgfKkqDchPAfGAH6vxJ2Z5sPOrvdkbgmNZesCTJPUJsAC2QaQnrDFedLXqL4AiJpJP8XITwp3OnrGgjjsfFBa8RDAAslHxQA1Tpc/s320/079.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
For our final trip, Arup booked us on a birding cruise up the river Zuari in the hope of seeing a host of Kingfishers and probably my most sought after bird, the White Bellied Sea Eagle! Another early start saw us on the road for 6.30am, and we had an enjoyably relaxed drive inland stopping on a number of occasions to look at the various water birds en route. One such bird was a fabulous Woolly Necked Stork. I had seen them before in Gambia but those birds were quite distant, so it was nice to get a much better view. We arrived at the jetty nice and early and Arup enjoyed a nice cup of tea while I watched a flock of Red Rumped Swallows showing off their aerial acrobatics. We were joined on the boat by a couple of other birders, but I made sure I had a seat at the front as past experience taught me that you get the best views from up front! As we set off, the first place the boatsman took us was a lovely big railway bridge that towered above the river. His target was a Peregrine Falcon, a bird I'd seen many many times so as the other 'birders' ooh'd and aah'd at the common raptor I focused on a group of Dusky Crag Martins who had made their home under the bridge. First new birds of the day! And the next were mere moments away, as we past a small group of Great Crested Terns perched on wooden posts coming out of the water. These posts were scattered all over the river, and 99.9% seemed to be occupied by Ospreys!!! I've never seen so many, they were absolutely everywhere and they all allowed incredibly close views. We continued on, seeing a number of already seen species, until the boatsman spotted something flying overhead and land in the trees to our left. We searched for what seemed like ages until finally Arup picked up the bird in the foliage, a stunning Orange Breasted Green Pigeon. Our patience was rewarded when the bird came out and perched ontop of a bush in clear view. What an incredibly beautiful bird it was, its colours almost glowing in the bright morning sunshine. It was while we were watching the Pigeon that we saw our first new Kingfisher of the day as a gorgeous Collared Kingfisher flew past and landed up ahead. This was the first of many Collared Kingfishers as they were extremely abundant on this stretch of river. We then turned off the main river and headed up a stretch that was much thinner and more dense along the riverbanks. This was when the real goodies started to show! First up was a pair of possibly one of the ugliest species of bird I've seen, the Lesser Adjutant. Big and extremely unattractive, yet very scarce here so it was still good to see. Next up was a real skulker, a Slaty Breasted Rail. It was really hard to get onto this bird as it hugged the muddy reedbed but it did come out into the open on a couple of occasions. Then came a tremendous double-whammy! We were slowly crawling along when something flew across us from one side to the other. After a little search we came across the bird, a fabulous Stork Billed Kingfisher. This was a huge bird, easily the biggest Kingfisher I've seen. The bird was very flighty and kept flying off whenever we got near it, and it was as we were following it that we saw the best bird of the day. We were creeping up to the Stork Bill when we unexpectedly flushed an amazing Black Capped Kingfisher. This is probably the scarcest of all the Kingfishers in this region, and we were extremely lucky to stumble across this one. Incredibly it was the sixth species of Kingfisher I'd seen on my trip! This rounded off an incredible morning. The only downside was missing the Sea Eagle, but to be honest all the other species more than made up for it. I'd had a magnificent three days with Arup, saw a lot of fantastic wildlife and thoroughly enjoyed his company. He helped to make it a very special holiday and for that he has my highest gratitude.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3fxE_UmoXKjNh5YELcCkAhknfcdO6x4X-MJshovNaf4yaYGvhXxdacju1dgYF_R5TXIamlc6hiYapaljn38svsgZL36xSDSEEU4E3U4mgKl1fazoKFJFm6kmInpJVjJjBMrpRJWYsks/s1600/090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3fxE_UmoXKjNh5YELcCkAhknfcdO6x4X-MJshovNaf4yaYGvhXxdacju1dgYF_R5TXIamlc6hiYapaljn38svsgZL36xSDSEEU4E3U4mgKl1fazoKFJFm6kmInpJVjJjBMrpRJWYsks/s320/090.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
COMMON KINGFISHER<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEg-7imsQls813EnV1I2tQyRDit64Q28FeO2LLf0v5xrw9swACUSnfdL4DiQQTe_rgLs7QuXB07nicQqwbNb443GcTHD7wp0fdhgLAfLYml-jsQv3Jg0emYdH7GSVlFadsrnw0gQnyZ0Q/s1600/088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEg-7imsQls813EnV1I2tQyRDit64Q28FeO2LLf0v5xrw9swACUSnfdL4DiQQTe_rgLs7QuXB07nicQqwbNb443GcTHD7wp0fdhgLAfLYml-jsQv3Jg0emYdH7GSVlFadsrnw0gQnyZ0Q/s320/088.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
COLLARED KINGFISHERS<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jMvjusqmbJS2ietnuhcboUB9hwY_4MXmt_BdPgS-Dvv3FkXP1TgaajRYe3-YYtuOegUqxU7N5lu7XmtJfWz3Mw6Rlkaw-A99tcSwi7e-g2j8gt6kJq71A_L-nWUPgpgx94ki4TL_mrY/s1600/072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jMvjusqmbJS2ietnuhcboUB9hwY_4MXmt_BdPgS-Dvv3FkXP1TgaajRYe3-YYtuOegUqxU7N5lu7XmtJfWz3Mw6Rlkaw-A99tcSwi7e-g2j8gt6kJq71A_L-nWUPgpgx94ki4TL_mrY/s320/072.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
GREAT CRESTED TERN<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWRJxpUAHhT5WHS7J8RMJZef2imW4K_Xvg4qx-NNL6xSOC_zxXOBhE85GI_z9ecnAu8Atc_YrRI8u2SWUwpxejOmzLgzsz0A0MT35lp7pYqd0WXhqrRIXH68mFsqmJni1NOXoT3sKlJw/s1600/IMG_4563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWRJxpUAHhT5WHS7J8RMJZef2imW4K_Xvg4qx-NNL6xSOC_zxXOBhE85GI_z9ecnAu8Atc_YrRI8u2SWUwpxejOmzLgzsz0A0MT35lp7pYqd0WXhqrRIXH68mFsqmJni1NOXoT3sKlJw/s320/IMG_4563.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
ORANGE BREASTED GREEN PIGEON<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjInQevUBmKySBsb8snalteS5dwBNPYDvd6O8GFZvrdRHzcw7wuB4sH9mTPoVG0jslGDgiBVuDGv45IU2PbfEJkaE23iNORz7LaRC11nLRn6OUbnPT7GFkootRN8truI9VuCdSm47490Ho/s1600/storkbill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjInQevUBmKySBsb8snalteS5dwBNPYDvd6O8GFZvrdRHzcw7wuB4sH9mTPoVG0jslGDgiBVuDGv45IU2PbfEJkaE23iNORz7LaRC11nLRn6OUbnPT7GFkootRN8truI9VuCdSm47490Ho/s320/storkbill.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
STORK BILLED KINGFISHER<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhytvgu7RVjIEgrJmyhZ_qpM_k0vr5jV2WmKPUSP22UQzq0mRbNryfG-D6PukP-85cHoXs2KtTf3ziYlNLDLCbG3Rqra9l_oEPDkVr8Ttjb8YmnI7CZXgw3FcGLx7d2NMTPVykhRiXIusM/s1600/white+throated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhytvgu7RVjIEgrJmyhZ_qpM_k0vr5jV2WmKPUSP22UQzq0mRbNryfG-D6PukP-85cHoXs2KtTf3ziYlNLDLCbG3Rqra9l_oEPDkVr8Ttjb8YmnI7CZXgw3FcGLx7d2NMTPVykhRiXIusM/s320/white+throated.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
WHITE THROATED KINGFISHER<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeHz4Sqg0r0DbB50qTzCGpbaf0XT7zvsfFneJIdrDkyJsEg-cp6FNdQQnzad-LcrnwWOkUFmJ_zcyLH5RBsb2bm9UgwEKLVjGN4-cj6Kihe5ySHUy4K5Z3Qjwv38tQ6_82ZOY_2JJN7o/s1600/waterhen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeHz4Sqg0r0DbB50qTzCGpbaf0XT7zvsfFneJIdrDkyJsEg-cp6FNdQQnzad-LcrnwWOkUFmJ_zcyLH5RBsb2bm9UgwEKLVjGN4-cj6Kihe5ySHUy4K5Z3Qjwv38tQ6_82ZOY_2JJN7o/s320/waterhen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
WHITE BREASTED WATERHEN<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RJ5Sk5Cjq2kVUm2WFLiPUynyig5G9eP2acnodGl6drpWLGkkVDKmKAPhEh7FPYm49sZ8cIOnPCEaLZIhwlSjgrJJ-HAQXsN3fv1-gDi_ywiCQqSDjWBDeFC5FQS6ED0tW4BaNQD-_-c/s1600/pied.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RJ5Sk5Cjq2kVUm2WFLiPUynyig5G9eP2acnodGl6drpWLGkkVDKmKAPhEh7FPYm49sZ8cIOnPCEaLZIhwlSjgrJJ-HAQXsN3fv1-gDi_ywiCQqSDjWBDeFC5FQS6ED0tW4BaNQD-_-c/s320/pied.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
PIED KINGFISHER<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3GtkLXIymi7OtOoXvb1XEKqASn5g7baY8ft93qC5Id7cuOLlPB-ORYJTKwx9_h8CfOFUx-NBtpjoNTVoLw94wbJuVxcSn-BHx2wW7aSMLWA-EdlGQUYDsHKwUs3b-PD80N0bLy0DwRA/s1600/woolly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3GtkLXIymi7OtOoXvb1XEKqASn5g7baY8ft93qC5Id7cuOLlPB-ORYJTKwx9_h8CfOFUx-NBtpjoNTVoLw94wbJuVxcSn-BHx2wW7aSMLWA-EdlGQUYDsHKwUs3b-PD80N0bLy0DwRA/s320/woolly.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
WOOLLY NECKED STORK<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
A big thank you to Arup for the fantastic photographs.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-60405192176813327462013-03-24T22:31:00.001+00:002013-03-24T22:31:29.130+00:00Goa Trip 2 - BONDLA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqS4F2V0IqCa-JzV2cxJ1cukFDmzjuIx6zBOZ_e5dK6od98oLkpug9PXnpbBuJkc1rQNVel4E33BYgsAMynAJcctjcxzmimAtTAVV2PsvZmzz998ZzjfoQJEfooOGWcB6pyCRCjhpw40/s1600/indian+roller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqS4F2V0IqCa-JzV2cxJ1cukFDmzjuIx6zBOZ_e5dK6od98oLkpug9PXnpbBuJkc1rQNVel4E33BYgsAMynAJcctjcxzmimAtTAVV2PsvZmzz998ZzjfoQJEfooOGWcB6pyCRCjhpw40/s320/indian+roller.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
For our second trip, Arup wanted to show me a different type of habitat to the many wetland areas we had previously visited so we headed inland to the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary. The goal was to try and see a few woodland species of birds, and maybe even some other wildlife if we were lucky. I have to say the drive to the Sanctuary was very much an eye opener. I was seeing the real Goa, and I dont mean the glossy holiday brochure images the holiday companies like to portray, I'm talking poverty, dirty, litter strewn areas where people had nothing and life was hard. The kind of images that tended to be hidden out the way of the unsuspecting tourist. It was truly a world away from the luscious, exclusive, all-inclusive hotels that people dont stray too far from. The real India! Anyway, Bondla is a protected forest in the foothills of the Western Ghats. Its 8 square kms in size, not huge but big enough to spend a good couple of hours exploring. This mainly involved driving slowly along the road and stopping every once in a while in a ''good looking spot''! There were hardly any nature trails, which I found very strange, but Arup told me there were a number of large predators in the area and walking around wasnt encouraged. I was very disappointed by this but there wasnt really anything I could do about it, so I just accepted the situation and got on with it. We still managed to see a good number of new birds which I was delighted with, these included White Bellied Drongo, Jungle Babbler, Emerald Dove, Grey Junglefowl, Plain Flowerpecker, Scarlet Minivet (a stunning looking bird!), Black Hooded Oriole, Racket Tailed Drongo, Jungle Crow, Pale Billed Flowerpecker, Rufous Treepie, White Eyed Buzzard, and two gorgeous species, the Chestnut Headed BeeEater and the Asian Paradise Flycatcher. That latter bird was particularly beautiful. It wasnt only birds that were catching our eye as we saw a number of other wildlife, most of which were mammals. The most common was the Spotted Deer, we came across a number of herds while driving around. We also saw a few Gaur, or Indian Bison, but whether these were truly wild animals is open to debate. What ARE genuinely wild are the monkeys, and we saw two different types, the Hanuman Langur and the Bonnet Macaque. The cutest by far were the two species of squirrels we saw, the Indian Palm Squirrel and the Indian Giant Squirrel. I was genuinely amazed at how big the Giant Squirrels were, at first I actually mistook them for monkeys, but they were incredibly attractive animals. But the best sighting by far was neither a mammal OR a bird. It happened on the drive to the visitor centre. We were driving quite slowly looking for birds in the forest when I happened to notice a watering hole in a clearing on our left hand side. My natural instincts took over and I began to scan for waterbirds. There was only one bird there, a Little Egret just to the left of a large log. At least I thought it was a log, until I looked a little harder. I suddenly yelled stop, and jumped out of the car. That 'log' had miraculously turned itself into a huge Mugger Crocodile!!! We watched it for a good twenty minutes, until Arup decided to try and get close enough for a few photos. Unfortunately we didnt get very far before it effortlessly glided into the water and disappeared. It was an incredibly lucky find and easily one of the highlights of the whole holiday. Arup had been to this place many, many times and had never seen a single Croc, yet I find one on my first ever visit. Maybe it was my ninja training, who knows?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYPJJ1BTCyjoJwWlZSWbYAv5QuRQAhq5Jygi0PXRZ9uxztitUZ8wG7f9xANMrVWc8K23Jfv2F_4TweYx9TbByfH50h6hKb9OUgK9WnnMZvdRSwKRqIkXAATXBVWkW-O_pvvCvdteEICA/s1600/IMG_4506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYPJJ1BTCyjoJwWlZSWbYAv5QuRQAhq5Jygi0PXRZ9uxztitUZ8wG7f9xANMrVWc8K23Jfv2F_4TweYx9TbByfH50h6hKb9OUgK9WnnMZvdRSwKRqIkXAATXBVWkW-O_pvvCvdteEICA/s320/IMG_4506.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
SPOTTED DEER<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQPfexLWsI5ZF_NxdgL9DU4nxrCTJX6AXc_Xg_UCeGe_ZQqofQbGf4v_mVoEBLZWHdDAeOnDZDwkpNoch50QwWv6JSPQuIEDAsb4Vm-Ns7nxZ81SpkmrLx_tbZll8TQcLmFm9v1JGTY4/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQPfexLWsI5ZF_NxdgL9DU4nxrCTJX6AXc_Xg_UCeGe_ZQqofQbGf4v_mVoEBLZWHdDAeOnDZDwkpNoch50QwWv6JSPQuIEDAsb4Vm-Ns7nxZ81SpkmrLx_tbZll8TQcLmFm9v1JGTY4/s320/018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
BONNET MACAQUE<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijR_dzrSLcBYI4C68RcPNw58Fa__b8fspRzeDO0cJkusWwoHhq4szfIRtxRZiUwVI9whITTUmLTLpXcHUW-gBYU_wxs9tbBEIqyl4UpAKrLh9CHsUkvjzuE3iZqSyQRW8Cw8HzQW1qRwA/s1600/IMG_4512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijR_dzrSLcBYI4C68RcPNw58Fa__b8fspRzeDO0cJkusWwoHhq4szfIRtxRZiUwVI9whITTUmLTLpXcHUW-gBYU_wxs9tbBEIqyl4UpAKrLh9CHsUkvjzuE3iZqSyQRW8Cw8HzQW1qRwA/s320/IMG_4512.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>
INDIAN GIANT SQUIRREL<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6YI96IoucZvZHupRkKjk74osb6qoovo-Jdzu5wh6FHdk6sqvZ-QBdINcgq9t8OoHJi0lCw9kfJW5LnaJohv0uQ7fl54n55-QH3nonsfiyzdJ0aZDQJS3bZNAEbkFv32SBrx_LnDhMU6Y/s1600/paradise+fly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6YI96IoucZvZHupRkKjk74osb6qoovo-Jdzu5wh6FHdk6sqvZ-QBdINcgq9t8OoHJi0lCw9kfJW5LnaJohv0uQ7fl54n55-QH3nonsfiyzdJ0aZDQJS3bZNAEbkFv32SBrx_LnDhMU6Y/s320/paradise+fly.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
ASIAN PARADISE FLYCATCHER<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTebYTYXks7G8G0X3aFq0o6Bx5Z_HhWNnR3ne6KQd3I4noy2cZrtsphs1qb4xKA29jRtV5pUWX2iAr9B8vYhUfeeCo2MGo7uhJ5Mkkq9Lx5kiJz5bbFtgA1vGCH15AM1c5lD8VHCg0xUg/s1600/black+hooded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTebYTYXks7G8G0X3aFq0o6Bx5Z_HhWNnR3ne6KQd3I4noy2cZrtsphs1qb4xKA29jRtV5pUWX2iAr9B8vYhUfeeCo2MGo7uhJ5Mkkq9Lx5kiJz5bbFtgA1vGCH15AM1c5lD8VHCg0xUg/s320/black+hooded.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
BLACK HOODED ORIOLE<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8N9zH3qyvRB8D2M2M6IgbS-O5GBo2CzAckejxleVyGCyPDuuu32iAFceCEYV-VbmdMFZmSIoC18ybMsgpHHjios5HXxz21b8lyKGrRm4kEtQCp6ozkFEgeC5QS1Fv__qMfwFwD20UZQ/s1600/coucal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8N9zH3qyvRB8D2M2M6IgbS-O5GBo2CzAckejxleVyGCyPDuuu32iAFceCEYV-VbmdMFZmSIoC18ybMsgpHHjios5HXxz21b8lyKGrRm4kEtQCp6ozkFEgeC5QS1Fv__qMfwFwD20UZQ/s320/coucal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
GREATER COUCAL<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9nMIRBv_A9A8mGFxvBuaOsMLD9L4bAaNo32D7eWcj08nGsmS-xxSgcpaN0Ovuarsw-q0BOtWVvOZkE8VQPqWEdGpSmQBgniDzq3OB2mpAe8PFB3_7xWHlMMDP2iFfvsMSh8UlakXstxE/s1600/jungle+mynah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9nMIRBv_A9A8mGFxvBuaOsMLD9L4bAaNo32D7eWcj08nGsmS-xxSgcpaN0Ovuarsw-q0BOtWVvOZkE8VQPqWEdGpSmQBgniDzq3OB2mpAe8PFB3_7xWHlMMDP2iFfvsMSh8UlakXstxE/s320/jungle+mynah.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
JUNGLE MYNAH<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNeed7pKXIVw9zHFVs9vIsWPbn0qCmpCHONyMjVqBbq61XVZ1x5AkiCl0FKOl2yxZC7m2kVVhl712P3PrHbpnPwkxh2BdiF0HaDFcR6O3DgBI13YprpLhC5NYnyhDhawh8ypi0ZyLu25c/s1600/pied+bushchat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNeed7pKXIVw9zHFVs9vIsWPbn0qCmpCHONyMjVqBbq61XVZ1x5AkiCl0FKOl2yxZC7m2kVVhl712P3PrHbpnPwkxh2BdiF0HaDFcR6O3DgBI13YprpLhC5NYnyhDhawh8ypi0ZyLu25c/s320/pied+bushchat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
PIED BUSHCHAT<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqkVdM9VLay-t7RN1Oy-7zYPsaaagl912f-Ij6hW_d3iVzyaKfueiyq9j-WmOloFN-fkpBucUeQGrwToBKgMHFO26XYZA3vTLTwvVaRB35pHNyHai0Ey4d7MzpzWXq3xwvr1TsbCAlbw/s1600/Chestnut+headed+Beaeater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqkVdM9VLay-t7RN1Oy-7zYPsaaagl912f-Ij6hW_d3iVzyaKfueiyq9j-WmOloFN-fkpBucUeQGrwToBKgMHFO26XYZA3vTLTwvVaRB35pHNyHai0Ey4d7MzpzWXq3xwvr1TsbCAlbw/s320/Chestnut+headed+Beaeater.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
CHESTNUT HEADED BEE-EATER<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWeKD-VUQFkUSBJ45nfpVsi4iT1sCAcrjiN5LZRF8jznXyQM3zyD-ocuO74eLbwZxiJX_KdLkS0RN2PHFR7IIKKcz1_5lxUIf2fTAeUbr7cCgVvPLbVTEifhZSgrYpPFir358PuFpIiA/s1600/Crocodile+ducking+into+the+water.+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWeKD-VUQFkUSBJ45nfpVsi4iT1sCAcrjiN5LZRF8jznXyQM3zyD-ocuO74eLbwZxiJX_KdLkS0RN2PHFR7IIKKcz1_5lxUIf2fTAeUbr7cCgVvPLbVTEifhZSgrYpPFir358PuFpIiA/s320/Crocodile+ducking+into+the+water.+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The only photo Arup managed to get of the MUGGER CROCODILE before it slipped away.<br />
<br />
<br />
All the photos are by Arup Banerjee and used by kind permission <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-77416180012821489722013-03-24T17:41:00.002+00:002013-03-24T17:41:51.341+00:00Goa Trip 1 - WETLANDS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRY4n_BqMd5VG9GCxUyaEbq70BdvEIqB5BhqQG76AnEJBVS9HUIXDmzb6fs5dzYRpB8gbRBm9Nf_-ZivU2waIJJlQcCiwW85Pj59DZHRs46BUIEDRNjbaHbBuVPgSJQ083dmHW4mhYow/s1600/garganeys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRY4n_BqMd5VG9GCxUyaEbq70BdvEIqB5BhqQG76AnEJBVS9HUIXDmzb6fs5dzYRpB8gbRBm9Nf_-ZivU2waIJJlQcCiwW85Pj59DZHRs46BUIEDRNjbaHbBuVPgSJQ083dmHW4mhYow/s320/garganeys.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Before coming out I had made contact with a local guy whom I found on Facebook. He had a terrific page which was filled with lots of wonderful photos of various birds from Goa. His name was Arup Banerjee, and luck would have it he was based in Southern Goa, not too far from where I was staying. Even better, he had just set up his own business as a bird guide, so we agreed that he would take me out for three mornings during my stay in Goa. (Apparently the sun and heat would be too intense for a full day birding!). We emailed each other quite a lot in the weeks leading up to my visit, and each time Arup was extremely polite, jovial, and very friendly. Even so, you never truly know somebody via a computer so when he arrived to pick me up at 6.30am for our first trip there was a touch of apprehension. I genuinely needn't have worried about anything. Arup was without doubt one of the nicest people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. A great conversationalist, with a cracking sense of humour, he was a pleasure to spend time with and great company all round. And more importantly he knew all the best places in the area to go birding! On that first morning we were concentrating on water birds, and I was genuinely amazed at how much water there was in Goa. There were ponds, rivers and rice fields all over the place, and each one contained a load of birds. The very first one we arrived at was a perfect example of this, there were so many birds it was almost overwhelming and it was really difficult to know where to start! What WAS immediately noticeable was how many Garganeys there were, literally hundreds of them. I've never seen so many before. In county Durham we're lucky to see one or two each year on passage, but here they were everywhere. And then I slowly started to take in the other birds that were around. Comb Ducks and Lesser Whistling Ducks were abundant, as were Greenshanks, and in amongst these birds I started to pick out individuals of other species including Bronze Winged Jacana, Oriental Darter, Purple Heron, Little Cormorant and Purple Swamphen. There was a small flock of River Terns coming and going, and a single Whiskered Tern patrolled the pond looking for food. We also saw the first two species of Kingfishers here, Common Kingfisher and White Throated Kingfisher. It was a tremendous start to the day, and over the next couple of hours we consistently picked up more and more new species with every site we visited. First up was Spot Billed Duck, then there was Black Headed Ibis, and Pheasant Tailed Jacana, Intermediate Egret, Openbill Stork etc etc. It wasnt just water birds we were picking up, there was Black Drongos, Spotted Dove, Tailorbird, Pied Bushchat, Indian Roller, Long Tailed Shrike, Indian Robin, Jungle Mynah, Indian Silverbill, Oriental Skylark, Paddyfield Pipit and many more. We even got a third Kingfisher, the Pied Kingfisher, at the last pond we went to. It was a great morning, filled with birds galore new and familiar. But there was still time for one more beauty on our journey back. We pulled up at a field that had plenty of things like Little Egrets and Glossy Ibis etc, and then after a bit of a search Arup spotted the bird he was looking for, a Painted Stork. What a majestic bird, and a superb way to end our first morning.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtPweOcWKT6Jn16KwGCWWsF1CkeUvID27gcstjmU7aS2OCcT95KwE2HCh-mL4pAfptnTeljKnyyFI_fcuryUyY4HU8KXjPJESQqF04hbxL4POWq3CYThfjw0Dz7OOwMV1dxaP7ClcKSc/s1600/bh+ibis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtPweOcWKT6Jn16KwGCWWsF1CkeUvID27gcstjmU7aS2OCcT95KwE2HCh-mL4pAfptnTeljKnyyFI_fcuryUyY4HU8KXjPJESQqF04hbxL4POWq3CYThfjw0Dz7OOwMV1dxaP7ClcKSc/s320/bh+ibis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
BLACK HEADED IBIS<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDcVbPjwd5YqqGQlpNKZU-jP4146t_XkyL5W_ZRQFOWEdXY0c2N9kKrLgKhOR6PBE592ogXS397gsw0o7niz3-Brc6mwM-B7BgnsBASLPTwsL2fFdmRWEb_OjvsMdCFbpU_Pvx8NDeNk/s1600/bronze.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDcVbPjwd5YqqGQlpNKZU-jP4146t_XkyL5W_ZRQFOWEdXY0c2N9kKrLgKhOR6PBE592ogXS397gsw0o7niz3-Brc6mwM-B7BgnsBASLPTwsL2fFdmRWEb_OjvsMdCFbpU_Pvx8NDeNk/s320/bronze.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
BRONZE WINGED JACANA<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz46vPVKRKBiCyxXoOViM8SXbtPNvfE9vgr1I8fvb0GCchqrvTbUl03QgToSP-feUzbg2Pl8pd8TccnrQyUKbVq49IdkC2czobVji4gsKoeyPupcusFl6XbYyA6FHr7_wxKJI2ba1OQ-k/s1600/comb+duck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz46vPVKRKBiCyxXoOViM8SXbtPNvfE9vgr1I8fvb0GCchqrvTbUl03QgToSP-feUzbg2Pl8pd8TccnrQyUKbVq49IdkC2czobVji4gsKoeyPupcusFl6XbYyA6FHr7_wxKJI2ba1OQ-k/s320/comb+duck.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
COMB DUCK<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHcosIjvm6I78SSTsYrtIrxHe5BK5W4fABG2WalmAxwgHZs3NDHo33xiwBz4Q-ulwZUN19FoiNlClL-QhHYkDCRUckUC5W7qWT93mPUQx3nZHQ4hIaPkKY7qUXLFwfFKq9iTwJM9WUqc/s1600/little+cormorants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHcosIjvm6I78SSTsYrtIrxHe5BK5W4fABG2WalmAxwgHZs3NDHo33xiwBz4Q-ulwZUN19FoiNlClL-QhHYkDCRUckUC5W7qWT93mPUQx3nZHQ4hIaPkKY7qUXLFwfFKq9iTwJM9WUqc/s320/little+cormorants.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
LITTLE CORMORANT<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTf8zQBheMT_vmC3aiC2STeHnjUJWbXQFHMtJ2uwoLXEWDvyv_HhQCiT5etUWVlc-V3XjnmvHa-W1y_mA13Xp2cAP-Kr2wmiRdtpdkPXBF546J6cwDfIOIjRTPBhjkAIu-nrFnU904Z_M/s1600/openbill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTf8zQBheMT_vmC3aiC2STeHnjUJWbXQFHMtJ2uwoLXEWDvyv_HhQCiT5etUWVlc-V3XjnmvHa-W1y_mA13Xp2cAP-Kr2wmiRdtpdkPXBF546J6cwDfIOIjRTPBhjkAIu-nrFnU904Z_M/s320/openbill.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
OPENBILL STORK<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsfBUifDNpByF5rGM3N4NABo-n8zohEU_oZ8YoejppMWcDLuNz5CcYdjYCcozIwf8XeKJASScIX2kkkhuBRHcsX70azkhAvOABqH2ALrE3gML8PpvXrrMsMXoukWMi4xQSTaNfEagQMY8/s1600/pygmy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsfBUifDNpByF5rGM3N4NABo-n8zohEU_oZ8YoejppMWcDLuNz5CcYdjYCcozIwf8XeKJASScIX2kkkhuBRHcsX70azkhAvOABqH2ALrE3gML8PpvXrrMsMXoukWMi4xQSTaNfEagQMY8/s320/pygmy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
PYGMY COTTON GOOSE<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvlPJdeudFJJMhn62Ce5wOnPmp7_ZSEE9HpdChyphenhyphen9uiH05H6ZtXZMaVcwpfNq0Gi3_p33gVkooVIZRQTBy6cJyPVosh62kSZD2vD7bqULEpMXPV_th3y03IR7gKZpdoVZeDaU8YcQ9QN0/s1600/river+terns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvlPJdeudFJJMhn62Ce5wOnPmp7_ZSEE9HpdChyphenhyphen9uiH05H6ZtXZMaVcwpfNq0Gi3_p33gVkooVIZRQTBy6cJyPVosh62kSZD2vD7bqULEpMXPV_th3y03IR7gKZpdoVZeDaU8YcQ9QN0/s320/river+terns.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
RIVER TERNS<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpE2qs5bcJGksRvCK-Y1L4hlaWzTWpsqDE2ZgmXr2fSZM5cGR66V5-_tMYswrIxtOS6SmSHN2-Wg5mKI4PZnVvfWzqbMuZ4Wcg5h5jPZJ_hqSAVL2crz29bAXbKW34dlAhqj2L1vnhA0/s1600/spotty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpE2qs5bcJGksRvCK-Y1L4hlaWzTWpsqDE2ZgmXr2fSZM5cGR66V5-_tMYswrIxtOS6SmSHN2-Wg5mKI4PZnVvfWzqbMuZ4Wcg5h5jPZJ_hqSAVL2crz29bAXbKW34dlAhqj2L1vnhA0/s320/spotty.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
SPOT BILLED DUCK<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8O9XcuRTkjpHlwqe6yfFgCmtDafFKREWR-ZVgDzaQvoQANEsb2IYNftUGsXaNzlqwD2jK9Wn8-Sk3o9HEYOQQBX-bK2N3EQw4f-fiCzNAQHQic9RQQHMbx2Lv5tn0oiX9EdpMsUiILl4/s1600/painted+stork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8O9XcuRTkjpHlwqe6yfFgCmtDafFKREWR-ZVgDzaQvoQANEsb2IYNftUGsXaNzlqwD2jK9Wn8-Sk3o9HEYOQQBX-bK2N3EQw4f-fiCzNAQHQic9RQQHMbx2Lv5tn0oiX9EdpMsUiILl4/s320/painted+stork.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
PAINTED STORK<br />
<br />
<br />
All the photos above were taken by Arup Banerjee and used by very kind permission.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-9389053505066803712013-03-24T00:08:00.002+00:002013-03-24T00:08:48.867+00:00A FEW PICS FROM THE HOTEL AREA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQxHDfwGvmXX4pE78iQWCPOgFp3tudzan6tyFrSD8yTAVs6H4geIRIWUO8A-YVWAmbTXuZx9nIKW1HKZjgNk8IdTwqtatT5f7wzmsRvCss4JssOAreLfCwMZGYhWmoZm6nAtlYEqqhp4/s1600/131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQxHDfwGvmXX4pE78iQWCPOgFp3tudzan6tyFrSD8yTAVs6H4geIRIWUO8A-YVWAmbTXuZx9nIKW1HKZjgNk8IdTwqtatT5f7wzmsRvCss4JssOAreLfCwMZGYhWmoZm6nAtlYEqqhp4/s320/131.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
GULL BILLED TERNS (IN AMONGST BROWN HEADED GULLS)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4HpahlUbeyGC597MXHD6f8QVnHfoEAY0Ta3En6QdbTI37ZtZ0nEGS1F5OU_yuA6itd6EeuvMl35Ynkor5bTHOYUWw65G6m8I46r75zpmuc0AxMRMi9bvH4bScWQOcn6rzXEz6SCPMSI/s1600/140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4HpahlUbeyGC597MXHD6f8QVnHfoEAY0Ta3En6QdbTI37ZtZ0nEGS1F5OU_yuA6itd6EeuvMl35Ynkor5bTHOYUWw65G6m8I46r75zpmuc0AxMRMi9bvH4bScWQOcn6rzXEz6SCPMSI/s320/140.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
WHITE BROWED WAGTAILS<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4icrB36w5mPsFJozxWNiIjmqk5nCtD9mQ_Ax6PB8CK4iqjSwhAeSZeq5fUZWsRe8UgGHGUp1gBUb9Mfu1F_Q2VvZbDMTbhsD6P-sxY0rwvBLgANrWlmRIlND2Of5XaRX1L7sHMrVOFis/s1600/magpie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4icrB36w5mPsFJozxWNiIjmqk5nCtD9mQ_Ax6PB8CK4iqjSwhAeSZeq5fUZWsRe8UgGHGUp1gBUb9Mfu1F_Q2VvZbDMTbhsD6P-sxY0rwvBLgANrWlmRIlND2Of5XaRX1L7sHMrVOFis/s320/magpie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
ORIENTAL MAGPIE ROBIN @Arup Banerjee<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqHhjLCG4Bynd0IK6NMCj4KFyr81UW2XhjwI06shCTdvklOQZTDiFIJIl1SwoLQnO66FQbxhzK99PGU0m4L1aTOLDzYaE9QQRhH0nfM0qtQkAJJQJE_GH3lcoBEHD606QnnsExQhZt14/s1600/purple+rump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqHhjLCG4Bynd0IK6NMCj4KFyr81UW2XhjwI06shCTdvklOQZTDiFIJIl1SwoLQnO66FQbxhzK99PGU0m4L1aTOLDzYaE9QQRhH0nfM0qtQkAJJQJE_GH3lcoBEHD606QnnsExQhZt14/s320/purple+rump.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
PURPLE RUMPED SUNBIRD @Arup Banerjee<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYUzEQqKs9PwA3FTTvwwva9rHFKgVB2gAhCYBEWLXPELIter-nfxEOtF0SGD82ezKXsPlmhKZZbh14SJ2hJScsDNUGKA97455NVw-Srb-JpNMkky9jCxnJfWQHD1SVSQy5oSFc9Qys-Q/s1600/red+whiskered.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYUzEQqKs9PwA3FTTvwwva9rHFKgVB2gAhCYBEWLXPELIter-nfxEOtF0SGD82ezKXsPlmhKZZbh14SJ2hJScsDNUGKA97455NVw-Srb-JpNMkky9jCxnJfWQHD1SVSQy5oSFc9Qys-Q/s320/red+whiskered.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
RED WHISKERED BULBUL @Arup Banerjee<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXoeoawrD06yVflOnDn_88C5j68lgprjs-mASO9cRk78_A1WK-K4-8a-3tW9ft1n_l_g8E7A8hpV3TDMW_yP1PgjzixAjVI3Ylz1T47TokbD8yiro2a4r9yIfCt22cNp8nuQUiaKuu_M/s1600/golden+oriole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXoeoawrD06yVflOnDn_88C5j68lgprjs-mASO9cRk78_A1WK-K4-8a-3tW9ft1n_l_g8E7A8hpV3TDMW_yP1PgjzixAjVI3Ylz1T47TokbD8yiro2a4r9yIfCt22cNp8nuQUiaKuu_M/s320/golden+oriole.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
EURASIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE @Arup Banerjee<br /><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-64423198022669453582013-03-23T20:57:00.001+00:002013-03-23T20:57:38.895+00:00GORGEOUS GOA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzyaCgydQfA23MfDzyfJHBByrxG2n_bjMsWVBQGMRvpIPk6xfWsnglkHQx8t7rUMMIduP-0oeeVCFwkBLmtEZek7q3EsUJDhbIgPGwxV_yw8fcp26A5_qDdMaW7VTIvbCWtL5djLHpl4/s1600/041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzyaCgydQfA23MfDzyfJHBByrxG2n_bjMsWVBQGMRvpIPk6xfWsnglkHQx8t7rUMMIduP-0oeeVCFwkBLmtEZek7q3EsUJDhbIgPGwxV_yw8fcp26A5_qDdMaW7VTIvbCWtL5djLHpl4/s320/041.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Having spent quite a lot of time visiting the Caribbean in recent years, myself and Maria decided we'd try something a bit different for a change and visit an area neither of us had ever been before, Asia. It was decided (by Maria of course!) that Goa in India would be our first taste of this new continent, and to be honest that was fine by me! I bought myself a good bird book and the weeks leading up to the holiday I studied as much as I could so I could be as ready as possible for the new species I would hopefully be seeing. From the moment we left the house to the time we arrived at the hotel, it was by far the easiest journey we've ever had. Literally every single stage went as smoothly as it possibly could which was an absolute treat. We left the house at 4am to drive to Manchester, the roads were practically empty and the drive was extremely comfortable and we arrived just as the check in girl was sitting down! She informed us we were in for a rare treat, as there were only 26 people on the whole of the plane!!! Excellent, almost an entire aeroplane to ourselves! The plane left on time, the flight was smooth and uneventful, and we landed in Goa about 20minutes early. Even getting through arrivals and customs was stupidly easy, as it was well after midnight and the airport was empty. The downside to that of course was it was pitch black, so any new birds would have to wait till the morning. The hotel was lovely, maybe in need of a lick of paint here and there, but it was nice and clean which is the main thing. And the staff were magnificent. To a man they were friendly, cheerful and would do anything to make you feel special. We had definitely hit lucky with this hotel. Wildlife-wise the holiday was a bit of a mixed bag. Before leaving the UK I had hired a guide to take me out a couple of mornings, but I'll write about that later. For now I'll just concentrate on around the hotel. The first bird of the trip (other than the ubiquitous Feral Pigeons!!!) was one of the birds I was really looking forward to seeing, the Red Whiskered Bulbul. Its a beautiful bird to look at, and also I discovered to hear! Its stunning song woke us every morning, but it was always a pleasure to hear. The Bulbul turned out to be a very common bird, but nowhere near as common as the House Crow. They were absolutely everywhere! There were two species of raptors that were also remarkably abundant, the Black Kite and the Brahminy Kite. From mid-morning they would turn up in mass flocks and just soar on the thermals looking for food. It was terrific to see, particularly the Brahminy Kite, its one of the most beautiful birds of prey I've ever seen. Other birds seen around the grounds included Purple Rumped Sunbirds, Oriental Magpie Robins, White Rumped Munias, Greater Coucals, Green BeeEaters, Asian Koels, and a pair of Black Rumped Flamebacks, all of which were totally new to me. Another bird seen easily was the Eurasian Golden Oriole. Although I have seen these in the UK I've never seen them as good as this and it was a delight to see. There were more birds down on the beach, which was a mere five minute stroll away. The beach itself held a nice flock of 50+ Brown Headed Gulls, and on one occasion they were joined by a single Black Headed Gull. It was a great chance to see the difference in size between the two species. On another occasion a handful of Gull Billed Terns joined the flock. Also on the beach were two species of wader I'd not seen before, Greater and Lesser Sand Plovers. Again, it was good to see them side by side to get a better chance of comparisons. A number of other species were seen around the many tidal pools scattered along the beach. The most common was the Indian Pond Heron, there was at least one on every pool. There were also plenty of Little Egrets and Cattle Egrets, and a pair of Red Wattled Lapwings were regular. On a couple of occasions a White Breasted Waterhen was seen but it always scooted off whenever it noticed I was there. A number of more familiar waders were seen around the pools including Common and Wood Sandpipers, Redshanks and Greenshanks. The only other new bird in this area was the White Browed Wagtails, which were a fairly common sight. They were noticeably bigger than our Wagtails, but just as tame. Other wildlife was hugely disappointing. Only one species of lizard was seen, a Gecko that I am unfamiliar with, although it was very common around the hotel. Only one mammal was seen, an Asian House Shrew, and that was on the night we came home. Only a handful of butterflies were around, and I only saw two species of moths the whole time, which was a huge disappointment! The best wildlife was understandably away from the hotel, but I cant really complain with what I did see locally. After all its not like I see them every day in sunderland!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ickfFuxYeRL_DHICCqV2LUAjtzkeKtM7gwnVVdD3J-Jq7pspZ7UPiHA20D6DS-uha-mnkPYjR2Ebfq-TwysUWmzoybpYk07J23P97qMGyPQ_W0AXzDPWYtXifk7FexI54l-wXHUmxPU/s1600/029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ickfFuxYeRL_DHICCqV2LUAjtzkeKtM7gwnVVdD3J-Jq7pspZ7UPiHA20D6DS-uha-mnkPYjR2Ebfq-TwysUWmzoybpYk07J23P97qMGyPQ_W0AXzDPWYtXifk7FexI54l-wXHUmxPU/s320/029.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
BROWN HEADED GULLS<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dEBUjCFsMSB0O8_9VFKfoDSBQgGyBfL6OykkuSGDtjdSikL4Eg5bZO2lATft7kkHA4wDGHbPEXKbkKNw2VSaMEnrkLmv5h_wWwYLkmLcoPldjASws_ExQV13I0LjCHDF2ModNw6zaUY/s1600/143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dEBUjCFsMSB0O8_9VFKfoDSBQgGyBfL6OykkuSGDtjdSikL4Eg5bZO2lATft7kkHA4wDGHbPEXKbkKNw2VSaMEnrkLmv5h_wWwYLkmLcoPldjASws_ExQV13I0LjCHDF2ModNw6zaUY/s320/143.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
HOUSE CROW<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFBmOHswDLPcsithIQV1hfazbteaJpOJoDXbF2oKbAAyYJhka_IJAADl0PIkF0UnnirCUh9Q7DmtZUkzLYc4SObW5t8WqbFxDuKC1YPoy1NPvw_QkL_wvmF6wHTgwk1DCFRTYduDNSr0/s1600/136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFBmOHswDLPcsithIQV1hfazbteaJpOJoDXbF2oKbAAyYJhka_IJAADl0PIkF0UnnirCUh9Q7DmtZUkzLYc4SObW5t8WqbFxDuKC1YPoy1NPvw_QkL_wvmF6wHTgwk1DCFRTYduDNSr0/s320/136.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
BLACK KITE<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xl2ik-JK6BwJ2Cr0YLUwjHFRF-DqdsIm14ckXddMt-e87ThNO_IulEJoB0-HP2ooY_RY7N9nzYIparnJ6SfFhZMSHq7AF4yphjqVX7DiSijSSI3_54V0NtJYx-qTLMViJ-LW5TKQ3q0/s1600/146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xl2ik-JK6BwJ2Cr0YLUwjHFRF-DqdsIm14ckXddMt-e87ThNO_IulEJoB0-HP2ooY_RY7N9nzYIparnJ6SfFhZMSHq7AF4yphjqVX7DiSijSSI3_54V0NtJYx-qTLMViJ-LW5TKQ3q0/s320/146.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
LITTLE EGRET & INDIAN POND HERON<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-43468192707490908192013-03-03T22:18:00.003+00:002013-03-03T22:18:55.429+00:00BITS AND PIECES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzQGdHROszXjpH1ANIegk0K5H_TijliYmjfrlLnTT_n0uhlNpKudPsGinLIUHEXP9RJJ1IDceoXUOWkefrd-bwhwTTPYLqmvicpmweavgW9elT4Z9w_iD-KwiRiwatnxQX8VDPKRwxlU/s1600/short+eared+owl+on+the+hunt.+9-12-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzQGdHROszXjpH1ANIegk0K5H_TijliYmjfrlLnTT_n0uhlNpKudPsGinLIUHEXP9RJJ1IDceoXUOWkefrd-bwhwTTPYLqmvicpmweavgW9elT4Z9w_iD-KwiRiwatnxQX8VDPKRwxlU/s320/short+eared+owl+on+the+hunt.+9-12-11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
So, it would seem I haven't updated my blog for a little while once again! But for once it's not TOTALLY down to my laziness, as I have had one or two technical problems with the laptop. But it seems to be running okay at the moment so we'll see how things go.<br />
Since my last post I've finally had my first ever solo Ringing session! I put two nets up in the Nature Reserve for a couple of hours last weekend, more for the practice than anything else as I knew I wouldnt get a big catch. Things went very smoothly and I ended up with 15 birds Ringed, almost half of them being Reed Buntings. In fact a Reed Bunting took the honour of being the first bird I've ever Ringed on my own!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0hB15sGBMqHZkYPc2_BOiGrUutkNnL8xv67EG0lMJhdElDUwJVW99qdvroXQcgd6o7fhJ-ci048Q-G0wH_-A6XpiEGrt1iqRFLgQCyIybg32dS82ctxgufAQB9QimIDSzYQ1-yg1_Zw/s1600/285743_10200659953051243_259526691_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0hB15sGBMqHZkYPc2_BOiGrUutkNnL8xv67EG0lMJhdElDUwJVW99qdvroXQcgd6o7fhJ-ci048Q-G0wH_-A6XpiEGrt1iqRFLgQCyIybg32dS82ctxgufAQB9QimIDSzYQ1-yg1_Zw/s320/285743_10200659953051243_259526691_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
I've been very busy in the Coastal Park lately, both with the CCG and doing my own things. I've been preparing the southern end of the Park for the coming spring so I can do some Ringing down there, by cutting back on foliage and also creating a few new Ringing lanes. Its a part of the Park that hasnt had much attention Ringing-wise but has lots and lots of potential, and it'll be very interesting what I eventually get in the nets. I'm still regularly seeing to the feeders in the Nature Reserve, although not as often as when it was freezing. On my visits I regularly bump into the local Fox, and lately he's been joined by a beautiful Short Eared Owl hunting the southern end of the Park. Its always a superb sight.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG53zBFm06dvMQ51yMuHbzaq_N5DVQCd-bStMXXP8FMImbljOmZyqAZVPiCQMcxq4i1N4NbR7a-8kRlKH7BBV4usYwUSKnK9zTUrqQ-3TXsc5HRqLV1gD88Yf4MoLdmF931RNc3BDsvzY/s1600/13184_10200691784127000_1434133004_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG53zBFm06dvMQ51yMuHbzaq_N5DVQCd-bStMXXP8FMImbljOmZyqAZVPiCQMcxq4i1N4NbR7a-8kRlKH7BBV4usYwUSKnK9zTUrqQ-3TXsc5HRqLV1gD88Yf4MoLdmF931RNc3BDsvzY/s320/13184_10200691784127000_1434133004_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
On the homefront, I came home this afternoon and saw my first Frog of the year in my garden pond. Hopefully it won't be too long before I see the first frogspawn.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SfL-WU4X_jpn7VgRELRF61_7v00kgrExp52jo_OtSuAJC21WZsTW5gRY4-ZMKqF2J3Q8o1XBBCdw3ZrOs1P532-Ac9y51TRgs6TZve80nPxP_LxuGIrE9getE6Degc38lc5zvL3v-4I/s1600/IMG_8080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SfL-WU4X_jpn7VgRELRF61_7v00kgrExp52jo_OtSuAJC21WZsTW5gRY4-ZMKqF2J3Q8o1XBBCdw3ZrOs1P532-Ac9y51TRgs6TZve80nPxP_LxuGIrE9getE6Degc38lc5zvL3v-4I/s320/IMG_8080.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-12005928005042495302013-02-13T21:58:00.000+00:002013-02-13T21:58:02.322+00:00SHARING THE LOVE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBN2SuQJb8Py-Ai8FKCBKjkpNbqC0SoBDi3mas1MbelRdORDtm1kCZKkgA30hhElw2n_xoBFZgjBTtTEKWHJZu2DZpVfrOfyYPlIRIFJ7-zlOwIsOjaVzAJgxrQecUPkqrEQ2MAk3cTw/s1600/seo+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBN2SuQJb8Py-Ai8FKCBKjkpNbqC0SoBDi3mas1MbelRdORDtm1kCZKkgA30hhElw2n_xoBFZgjBTtTEKWHJZu2DZpVfrOfyYPlIRIFJ7-zlOwIsOjaVzAJgxrQecUPkqrEQ2MAk3cTw/s320/seo+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I love wildlife. I love everything about it, including sharing it with other people. Its one of the greatest feelings in the world when you see the joy and excitement on somebodies face when they see something wonderful for the first time, especially when you have a little hand in making it happen! One such occasion happened yesterday lunchtime. It had begun the day before, when I was chatting with one of the girls from work (Laura). She happened to mention she had never seen any Owls in the wild and that it was a shame because they were beautiful creatures. I told her I knew of a couple of places within 10 minutes of work where they were regularly seen, and asked if she would like to try and see them. She jumped at the chance! So, tuesday lunchtime we headed off to Marsden Old Quarry to try and spot the first species, a Little Owl. I've seen the Owls in here hundreds of times over the years and knew where the favourite perch was, but because I had somebody else with me who was desperate to see a bird I was feeling really apprehensive on the approach, but thankfully I needn't have worried as an Owl was right where it always is! Laura was absolutely delighted to see the Owl, and to get such good views! And seeing the smile on her face gave me such a wonderful feeling as well. After getting her fill of the bird, we then made the short journey to the Leas to see if any of the next species were on show. I parked the car on the coast road and before getting out had a quick scan through my bins, and very quickly picked up a Short Eared Owl quartering the long grass next to the mound. I was so pleased for Laura, and also extremely relieved for myself! We walked over to the mound and had exceptional long views of the bird as it hunted for rodents around us. Laura seemed genuinely excited to watch the show in front of her, and as before this gave me a huge buzz also. She was amazed that we had seen 2 species of Owl within the space of half an hour, and so close to work and home. And I was happy to share whatever knowledge I have to bring a little bit of happiness and brighten up somebodies day!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Om1WcRznygzjSI5Z_R7jN8SZxXDo61zOiLIgHbJkfhMPq1_wJ1KZhtvuINkd3pqiuJVLiFdhR0zPtKRtXk_CsqQT56fpChcU-vCbpZklxF-wzidhwLB1XttJpJk-2NXu35B2Jz_c_KE/s1600/seo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Om1WcRznygzjSI5Z_R7jN8SZxXDo61zOiLIgHbJkfhMPq1_wJ1KZhtvuINkd3pqiuJVLiFdhR0zPtKRtXk_CsqQT56fpChcU-vCbpZklxF-wzidhwLB1XttJpJk-2NXu35B2Jz_c_KE/s320/seo+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tbkRQrnwOBT72XMTdt5DZQtXMF1MuYyztrTmcOVfbloiRzig4G-5v1wtO7UcMHB8KCRVlOnXGVfp_-eNWJPH87fEv5TH4jqBpQo3BJnJsJvAgNdy6j6NiS7dhmgWxX7-O4MYGlRHHsg/s1600/little+owl+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tbkRQrnwOBT72XMTdt5DZQtXMF1MuYyztrTmcOVfbloiRzig4G-5v1wtO7UcMHB8KCRVlOnXGVfp_-eNWJPH87fEv5TH4jqBpQo3BJnJsJvAgNdy6j6NiS7dhmgWxX7-O4MYGlRHHsg/s320/little+owl+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-6753163001840815582013-02-08T22:53:00.001+00:002013-02-08T22:53:37.973+00:00A NICE TRIP TO INDIA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WJGm2PN-rLysugjY6BzvmViSYBFsByZzk6MMJ8rpa5_KwI3Ux408dffQ-KCUsefo3Ha_cfWhpwQhz8Sa5zya3yQNHuESzeLlEbwB7qQtgoD3MXEjR_KXDBGC5LNGMAHiIUAWn4kGNiU/s1600/beach+sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WJGm2PN-rLysugjY6BzvmViSYBFsByZzk6MMJ8rpa5_KwI3Ux408dffQ-KCUsefo3Ha_cfWhpwQhz8Sa5zya3yQNHuESzeLlEbwB7qQtgoD3MXEjR_KXDBGC5LNGMAHiIUAWn4kGNiU/s320/beach+sunset.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
With the weather continuing to frustrate and hinder in equal amounts thoughts inevitably turn to sunnier times in the (hopefully) not too distant future. But until such times arrive, we'll have to just make do with a little holiday instead! And so, in a couple of weeks time myself and Maria will be jetting off to India to spend some time relaxing and soaking up the sun. To say I cant wait is a ridiculous understatement!!! It will be the first time I've ever been to Asia so am really excited. Most of the wildlife will be completely new to me which is always a thrill and to help me out in the birding department I've managed to hire a guide to take me out for a couple of mornings. As usual this is in no way a wildlife holiday but Maria is always kind enough to let me explore as much as is polite! So the next few weeks I'll be hitting the books as much as possible to prepare myself for all the goodies I might see!Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-61614344086236656142013-01-20T19:22:00.003+00:002013-01-20T19:22:42.010+00:00TRAIL-CAM SUCCESS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HQe-x0Gqa9MNwNQaV3zixpWe-fm3ZucrZnwNvCcj_Yv7iRcZ1ik4EWxQGSHhyphenhyphen6La10Ao-U09MDdmsemkOGTqLwSlEpvdRlcMqY8dIk3M3BeZUT9YwiyR0HWw1ohMKVkw10Bxuh-YC1A/s1600/SUNP0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HQe-x0Gqa9MNwNQaV3zixpWe-fm3ZucrZnwNvCcj_Yv7iRcZ1ik4EWxQGSHhyphenhyphen6La10Ao-U09MDdmsemkOGTqLwSlEpvdRlcMqY8dIk3M3BeZUT9YwiyR0HWw1ohMKVkw10Bxuh-YC1A/s320/SUNP0009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The CCG recently acquired a pair of Motion Sensor Cameras (or Trail-Cams) for our ongoing survey work in places like the Big Mound and the Nature Reserve at the Coastal Park. Obviously we cant be there 24hours a day so it will be incredibly useful to see what goes on in our absence, especially after the sun goes down. So last night Dougie set one of the cameras up in his garden just to try it out and make sure everything works etc, and when he got up this morning and checked it out he was absolutely ecstatic to see the results. On at least four occasions this stunning Fox had visited his garden and triggered the Trail-Cam, giving him these superb pictures. We are all delighted with the quality of the pictures and are extremely excited about what we might capture on camera when we start using them in the Coastal Park!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhch7NhEyIYgW1gMERJdpM4xopYK49YJoV76xT5HFI-gRnyw7VUN4P-4IwQ1QiIsmm3fVNaoMj5CvGUFkqV4NVbTwqyeM4IvXqXCiPsBerK3GC05se-S2-9z3-3WCFPHO7fk9YUZU0kUG4/s1600/SUNP0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhch7NhEyIYgW1gMERJdpM4xopYK49YJoV76xT5HFI-gRnyw7VUN4P-4IwQ1QiIsmm3fVNaoMj5CvGUFkqV4NVbTwqyeM4IvXqXCiPsBerK3GC05se-S2-9z3-3WCFPHO7fk9YUZU0kUG4/s320/SUNP0021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4ZaMPmZjY0qZyGkwBOZQHX2IeQAjKnrLpBX3ZkTdPQGRjTKXTU-8lZ4e2akWFu6tkrv4tDI3S8DHFXkPnM8p44wfP4PWRcfE_ZT1JeOErD9dxdd4nCqcp26eoppWC8ql1B1_Xi8lRMI/s1600/SUNP0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4ZaMPmZjY0qZyGkwBOZQHX2IeQAjKnrLpBX3ZkTdPQGRjTKXTU-8lZ4e2akWFu6tkrv4tDI3S8DHFXkPnM8p44wfP4PWRcfE_ZT1JeOErD9dxdd4nCqcp26eoppWC8ql1B1_Xi8lRMI/s320/SUNP0006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd6iHc2xCn357f3ERkKYm1NpV56eOhs6FCtlgOUfH0IsOS_v_0KICLk_3qgY8Z-Qs2gfNOs3SFeN1Up1lApSTCB6HqXlk9ZCuzBDpQhh5M8q7OlsP7gnEXDZyAcFItU-5mErIkF-RCatQ/s1600/SUNP0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd6iHc2xCn357f3ERkKYm1NpV56eOhs6FCtlgOUfH0IsOS_v_0KICLk_3qgY8Z-Qs2gfNOs3SFeN1Up1lApSTCB6HqXlk9ZCuzBDpQhh5M8q7OlsP7gnEXDZyAcFItU-5mErIkF-RCatQ/s320/SUNP0016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-6191499984929916702013-01-20T19:02:00.000+00:002013-01-20T19:02:17.350+00:00THE COLD STUFF ARRIVES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwOcEZbs-PVFBZ568uarLz8zIP7Egs-92KTsFmccFARfzUD98g2SRCn2JO0_z05gZz0PYt-qSrVTTRKA0_nqKXZDimUyj7Vhxqw3UCYpPZKqx_qQ478L8R6o-xpWQoFW2SYe_vcVtWQM/s1600/71524_10200361461789148_1582668584_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwOcEZbs-PVFBZ568uarLz8zIP7Egs-92KTsFmccFARfzUD98g2SRCn2JO0_z05gZz0PYt-qSrVTTRKA0_nqKXZDimUyj7Vhxqw3UCYpPZKqx_qQ478L8R6o-xpWQoFW2SYe_vcVtWQM/s320/71524_10200361461789148_1582668584_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The snow arrived in force this week, finally giving January a real wintery look and feel! I know snow isn't popular with everybody, but I absolutely adore it. It just has a unique knack of making everything and everywhere look pretty, no matter where you are. I also really like the cold! Apparently this makes me weird but as usual I take that as a compliment. The Coastal Park has been particularly beautiful this past week, and its been real pleasure doing the feeders. The new bird table has been an absolute godsend for the local birds and the seed has been taking a hammering. I've observed nearly 20 different species taking advantage of the free meal on offer, including a small flock of gorgeous Fieldfares. Yesterday I put 10 small apples out on and around the table and on checking today every single one of them had been eaten! Its a lovely feeling knowing our hard work is being appreciated.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAwb8Hc4txmYXGZsBl5J_nkax0BoCQ5OqHxP9F2qP0NH8703h0ghJ2hx2Y3_-AQR_92Q-1fKPsxE7aqkam-_yt8qUtJPZQj-pV9bkV-ZGw-U7ckdn48Po41NQuxtUijSOfs6boUs9Xno/s1600/fieldfare+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAwb8Hc4txmYXGZsBl5J_nkax0BoCQ5OqHxP9F2qP0NH8703h0ghJ2hx2Y3_-AQR_92Q-1fKPsxE7aqkam-_yt8qUtJPZQj-pV9bkV-ZGw-U7ckdn48Po41NQuxtUijSOfs6boUs9Xno/s320/fieldfare+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-26550721849959098452013-01-07T22:30:00.001+00:002013-01-07T22:30:53.144+00:00The one Show Storm Petrels<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cKi0Y_F1fno" width="459"></iframe>Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-7273277232289507322013-01-05T20:35:00.000+00:002013-01-05T20:35:02.309+00:00FEEDING STATION GETS BETTER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5WuqwA8twRcRlptbLKXBqN0GM4xFQ1r0bxFGvieV1benSZIfsXIB9fB4NyncIMZOYCw-fY3sN5QytH-YqVRXlcVCQzfyF3EVMMNksbuPjuwtiIoSkXa4WJ8BUewDhsH-4uA1lu_EyDrw/s1600/603299_10200306751621428_2019200001_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5WuqwA8twRcRlptbLKXBqN0GM4xFQ1r0bxFGvieV1benSZIfsXIB9fB4NyncIMZOYCw-fY3sN5QytH-YqVRXlcVCQzfyF3EVMMNksbuPjuwtiIoSkXa4WJ8BUewDhsH-4uA1lu_EyDrw/s320/603299_10200306751621428_2019200001_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
This morning myself and John once again carried out extensive maintenance work in the Coastal Park, but this time we were joined by 10 other members of our Conservation Group! This was truly a massive help to us and we got tonnes of stuff done, both on the main Mound and also in the Nature Reserve. The work in the Reserve involved putting together a superb home-made bird table for the feeding area. It looks fantastic and should be a great addition to an already outstanding area.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Vix2ox6MoQGY6MyVj5t-tKGJn4mzwba9zj4ocbk_DcAL1dbawQUQLa0wlMz9eEsOLLKVjdC_ePdt5Ty95OB5pnyLwG1iN2MBTLBurTEU4hkPUG-Hzs1BZ3qvKFPfDhx-Eb_4c1wFunc/s1600/f5t84p4861n3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Vix2ox6MoQGY6MyVj5t-tKGJn4mzwba9zj4ocbk_DcAL1dbawQUQLa0wlMz9eEsOLLKVjdC_ePdt5Ty95OB5pnyLwG1iN2MBTLBurTEU4hkPUG-Hzs1BZ3qvKFPfDhx-Eb_4c1wFunc/s320/f5t84p4861n3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90qYWnl6GC2VUj9Nx-PHe6ADfZnRfjLXsAHNN-CKH2Gx1dzb71lKruhfOhwEIa-wpyG1shkHhr_KzQns48JElxLNykam9Vtp99P7S11acGd2FLrTNa1T_SxtcMpei31muwwAFPaDMu3o/s1600/f5t84p4861n4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90qYWnl6GC2VUj9Nx-PHe6ADfZnRfjLXsAHNN-CKH2Gx1dzb71lKruhfOhwEIa-wpyG1shkHhr_KzQns48JElxLNykam9Vtp99P7S11acGd2FLrTNa1T_SxtcMpei31muwwAFPaDMu3o/s320/f5t84p4861n4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik63cs5e3S0pr8tziinVYvATjSJCi5zQs4W_4GbRXOx2vV2TSF1lHqct3asP1Ty6iqnmWMGKD977YNmjjCi0Z6KeRmBqril4SsyCI48t6NGAcYWiq3sb1qKrhXPvv9c_Y1_nioZh7EBRU/s1600/553131_10200306749461374_1012863140_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik63cs5e3S0pr8tziinVYvATjSJCi5zQs4W_4GbRXOx2vV2TSF1lHqct3asP1Ty6iqnmWMGKD977YNmjjCi0Z6KeRmBqril4SsyCI48t6NGAcYWiq3sb1qKrhXPvv9c_Y1_nioZh7EBRU/s320/553131_10200306749461374_1012863140_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-31450854831939208032012-12-30T21:25:00.001+00:002012-12-30T21:25:42.903+00:00QUIET TIMES.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzz8BDqaF-UFltv9X77oMXayCHBgY68SP-OP__-2s1uNB6nVLpJcov5tpexcMffML2aMlo-W6tQal1qysnIjq9iQJFF4Kj9zV6SaafQPYMkcz8WGJceRvluLtj23CpMO7fiScQrvy9fs/s1600/IMAG0091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzz8BDqaF-UFltv9X77oMXayCHBgY68SP-OP__-2s1uNB6nVLpJcov5tpexcMffML2aMlo-W6tQal1qysnIjq9iQJFF4Kj9zV6SaafQPYMkcz8WGJceRvluLtj23CpMO7fiScQrvy9fs/s320/IMAG0091.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The last couple of weeks have been extremely quiet bird-wise and Ringing-wise, so myself and John have taken the opportunity to do some extensive land management on the main Ringing mound. This involves doing a lot of cutting back and thinning out of the existing foliage, enabling new growth to come through and also giving us the opportunity to plant a few new willows and other species when we get them. Given the size of the mound, its absolutely impossible to do the whole thing in one go so each year we do different sections in cycles. This winter we are working on the section closest to the entrance, and from the outside it looks like we've totally decimated the place, but come the spring it will all start to thicken out as the new growth emerges and in a couple of months it'll look great.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7pNN1UVH5VLeLK6AK5XRU5-7FQxsLhiE7JevJEAHChAT153AiNm4aMcvC2zluKrXkL9DhaVQuLf7Db9GBAjG8cfOzd6DWSjfGR6Xu80MsROJeA022S-KmDzumaQRvutXWuZFgORh5vY/s1600/IMAG0092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7pNN1UVH5VLeLK6AK5XRU5-7FQxsLhiE7JevJEAHChAT153AiNm4aMcvC2zluKrXkL9DhaVQuLf7Db9GBAjG8cfOzd6DWSjfGR6Xu80MsROJeA022S-KmDzumaQRvutXWuZFgORh5vY/s320/IMAG0092.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKgtszuGeAlODcRpCrRrBSm2nOtNGWts1yVieDmmKbOfBNVsQILAUVYh1Zo5OWbTlzSdYElquK9lPNSFwW2zaa3NKu1Q5h2hW7F057UT2EBLwoPoAHxW4AjLZB0D2bNU6XNjQaYUmfbvg/s1600/IMAG0093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKgtszuGeAlODcRpCrRrBSm2nOtNGWts1yVieDmmKbOfBNVsQILAUVYh1Zo5OWbTlzSdYElquK9lPNSFwW2zaa3NKu1Q5h2hW7F057UT2EBLwoPoAHxW4AjLZB0D2bNU6XNjQaYUmfbvg/s320/IMAG0093.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy0Rd3fuSt5R4kw9fhchTvsHmt5FAYi8ppHBLNug1o8-1HhjQPbX8YrHvqZ0Ix2dR0knVp3UUGlBlg5C0XmAtbVUTEEpEowEI34kG_ymq0A1qhUSmGPGYXvGfY29FZ4erlre9G9HKd2hU/s1600/IMAG0094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy0Rd3fuSt5R4kw9fhchTvsHmt5FAYi8ppHBLNug1o8-1HhjQPbX8YrHvqZ0Ix2dR0knVp3UUGlBlg5C0XmAtbVUTEEpEowEI34kG_ymq0A1qhUSmGPGYXvGfY29FZ4erlre9G9HKd2hU/s320/IMAG0094.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
A couple of weeks ago we did get the chance to do an hour or so Ringing in Hoggy's garden, and although it was extremely quiet we did catch a very unusual Blackbird that had a partially white head!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7pPX5Z_9KF9IYAFT3cs1TLUsYETUkWRfpkqr4LGovtVBd7l2tgy8rcLcs8fpyMCS-hpMhl4RaacsJZfWVlW_22xNMeRjKoyfOtgkxzgC_mbySoIugFf4QOfKSBVfF71DFP_VerUyfIg/s1600/DSCN0622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7pPX5Z_9KF9IYAFT3cs1TLUsYETUkWRfpkqr4LGovtVBd7l2tgy8rcLcs8fpyMCS-hpMhl4RaacsJZfWVlW_22xNMeRjKoyfOtgkxzgC_mbySoIugFf4QOfKSBVfF71DFP_VerUyfIg/s320/DSCN0622.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDldWiyjrYVitUkJpk_XninwRM7PlAQazgmy9fjD9roblL5nUoi_b8NIXcqDgL5p7_WRV-pXmOjFHbInr5rYmQl7Cd7zJaK28pqD_XQuE0UllUKaJJgHVSeZZcSe0oCnQVDEjLPj775II/s1600/DSCN0624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDldWiyjrYVitUkJpk_XninwRM7PlAQazgmy9fjD9roblL5nUoi_b8NIXcqDgL5p7_WRV-pXmOjFHbInr5rYmQl7Cd7zJaK28pqD_XQuE0UllUKaJJgHVSeZZcSe0oCnQVDEjLPj775II/s320/DSCN0624.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
And last weekend I managed to finally catch up with one of my favourite british birds, the Kingfisher, in Roker Park. I can't believe its taken me until december to see one of these birds, but I suppose thats the price of taking up Ringing!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxrycQxEM6GR0hldZfuVjeQ3mEPd5oHAnfNZDPFCVNJuil7nHC1SLAHW3__DqcCQ5HXjk6Z5JFMxcP1qXY4yPAxvY_v1f_d8x_EJM_f-G_ZbNnutm2Pye4PLqtuYcFViiwJtCOLC-6XY/s1600/kingfisher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxrycQxEM6GR0hldZfuVjeQ3mEPd5oHAnfNZDPFCVNJuil7nHC1SLAHW3__DqcCQ5HXjk6Z5JFMxcP1qXY4yPAxvY_v1f_d8x_EJM_f-G_ZbNnutm2Pye4PLqtuYcFViiwJtCOLC-6XY/s320/kingfisher.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-43486400496708669342012-12-02T22:21:00.003+00:002012-12-02T22:21:39.303+00:00RECORDERS CONFERENCE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQv-nijPjGzDXVrFLUpxmRr_uTC1snzyEAD8le1M9tfjQs7PnqixJS6bS5OZTJdHqEXe7QbGWmcWgha_yhqIrPLWkRrgA2fuMez4xnWchtiRP1QhsacaE_yr6qYJ04JcIVaUjOgWfTeYw/s1600/Hancock-Museum-Newcastle.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQv-nijPjGzDXVrFLUpxmRr_uTC1snzyEAD8le1M9tfjQs7PnqixJS6bS5OZTJdHqEXe7QbGWmcWgha_yhqIrPLWkRrgA2fuMez4xnWchtiRP1QhsacaE_yr6qYJ04JcIVaUjOgWfTeYw/s320/Hancock-Museum-Newcastle.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the North East Wildlife Recording Annual Conference at the Hancock Museum in Newcastle with Dougie, Dave and Mick. It's the first time I've attended this event and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the whole day. It was a lot more informal and fun than I was expecting, which was a bit of a relief, as there's nothing worse than a boring stuffy serious bit of tedium to spoil your day!!! Thankfully it was nothing like that. The talks and subject matter were very diverse but very interesting, and included Moth species in industrial Teesside, conserving the regions population of Red Squirrels and the study of Adders in County Durham. But my absolute favourite talk was on Large House Spiders in the North East! It was a genuinely fascinating topic and something I could have listened to for hours. Aside from the talks it was lovely to see some familiar faces, such as Martin Kitching, Tom Tams and Clare Rawcliffe. We even had an hour or so to explore the museum itself after the event had finished. Having never been here before it was a delight to walk around, seeing some of the fabulous exhibitions. The only regret was we didnt have time to stay longer!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrIM9XEcOTxLCpbZtYoiiA2ANDFMQfMw8mMj9nswt3IY4n0MrAA4hotBfiMHfbd0YY4tnc7WpKN2MjJPqA2KdPhHX0brBpZ36aA_Ofhhft7Xf1-bYzReOX4EzoMyJJ0slDrWPdTiIpfkQ/s1600/564731_314668981933057_611337193_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrIM9XEcOTxLCpbZtYoiiA2ANDFMQfMw8mMj9nswt3IY4n0MrAA4hotBfiMHfbd0YY4tnc7WpKN2MjJPqA2KdPhHX0brBpZ36aA_Ofhhft7Xf1-bYzReOX4EzoMyJJ0slDrWPdTiIpfkQ/s320/564731_314668981933057_611337193_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfl4QU46wDUKEC11pjJPcaBQgzEV_m0HdJvcQX4zJoGy4D_rousj8RL6qtjuRMOTJu5JLO6HFXvoRk5o56BcOJYdJ-yCqtcwcNYUU2nehJk6uex19dPfRZuhvmaypYPpJOITOaFKIor78/s1600/Great-North-Museum-Hancock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfl4QU46wDUKEC11pjJPcaBQgzEV_m0HdJvcQX4zJoGy4D_rousj8RL6qtjuRMOTJu5JLO6HFXvoRk5o56BcOJYdJ-yCqtcwcNYUU2nehJk6uex19dPfRZuhvmaypYPpJOITOaFKIor78/s320/Great-North-Museum-Hancock.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-34934142628787115212012-11-26T21:38:00.003+00:002012-11-26T21:38:58.820+00:00MY NEW LICENSE!!!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKH2LEJMh2uSe6vi3CR2sEuyLWQzyA9lBdDkeJmjISTRnrVMIrOUQNOW2mknwuXPeQ_yjb_wP7XCAQF-52v-YH5S1Ez53NMwXBM5cQF4y8MvDDZv2nM5L66K_2TX2bPMknFqf64-E44U/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKH2LEJMh2uSe6vi3CR2sEuyLWQzyA9lBdDkeJmjISTRnrVMIrOUQNOW2mknwuXPeQ_yjb_wP7XCAQF-52v-YH5S1Ez53NMwXBM5cQF4y8MvDDZv2nM5L66K_2TX2bPMknFqf64-E44U/s320/011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Its official!!! After a year and a half of almost non-stop training and studying, I am delighted to have received my brand new Ringing license! I am now free to Ring whenever and wherever I want on my own without anybody having to 'hold my hand' as it were. I am absolutely chuffed to bits to have reached this level, and in a relatively short space of time, but there is absolutely no doubt I've put the hard work and effort in to get to this point. I just want to say a big thank you to John, Andy and Adrian for all of their help, it is much appreciated. Now, as John said the other day, this is where the fun REALLY begins!Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-64606255959035176512012-11-18T21:48:00.001+00:002012-11-18T21:48:23.661+00:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkj56Z3hj7yJj3fAYCkSguSYx6cfiLfrKohadJAO8-hL91I9Fk03lqWyr_dujrK1VPx0HiwfjVGWLOHaT24hVPEhr-sFW4sGQbKSFIWGptjieGz5ayvo7U_Pn_99UVFTiG9gboc_4NkUM/s1600/blue+tit+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkj56Z3hj7yJj3fAYCkSguSYx6cfiLfrKohadJAO8-hL91I9Fk03lqWyr_dujrK1VPx0HiwfjVGWLOHaT24hVPEhr-sFW4sGQbKSFIWGptjieGz5ayvo7U_Pn_99UVFTiG9gboc_4NkUM/s320/blue+tit+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
As the Ringing Hut is closed down for the winter, we begin to look elsewhere for opportunities to Ring until we return in the spring. Some of the best places are at feeder stations, as a regular supply of food ensures a regular supply of birds! So for the last two weekends we've been visiting the garden of one of our good friends, Peter Hogg. He very kindly allows us to put a net up and use his garden as a temporary Ringing Station while he sits and watches from the comfort of his favourite armchair. He gets good numbers of the commoner garden birds, as well as the odd unexpected goodie, and it makes for a pleasant couple of hours. Today seen me Ring my 700th bird, a lovely little Blue Tit taking the honours. I'm pretty sure it won't be the last Blue Tit I Ring!<br /><br />Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-56650327619298983552012-11-03T19:02:00.004+00:002012-11-03T19:02:53.759+00:00A BEE-EATER IN SEABURN!!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1PXAy5Ghum0seSGzjwVZ0aNULtvEluTs-6x-cT0Mk9CdRxgGccHSvLDK-4uPR2OaCyRENdOvn1pc0HXhTi4BQh8XakWqrl8GItFuUO3Ou4rVX388eLS0racd6aidUMPPRuTk6fd9U8Rw/s1600/598989_447188145318717_1873960303_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1PXAy5Ghum0seSGzjwVZ0aNULtvEluTs-6x-cT0Mk9CdRxgGccHSvLDK-4uPR2OaCyRENdOvn1pc0HXhTi4BQh8XakWqrl8GItFuUO3Ou4rVX388eLS0racd6aidUMPPRuTk6fd9U8Rw/s320/598989_447188145318717_1873960303_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
On wednesday morning a Bee-Eater was briefly seen in amongst a flock of Starlings on a housing estate in Sunderland. Not something you hear every day! Despite extensive searches not much of the bird was reported after that day. However, I was at home this afternoon when I got a phone call from John saying 'you better get down here, this bird is showing brilliantly!'. He certainly wasn't wrong! As I pulled up in the car I could see the bird sat right out in the open on a television aerial, seemingly oblivious to the other birders who were already there watching it. I joined Steve who was busy taking some photos and we watched the bird feeding and then moving from house to house as it was being harassed by a local Blackbird. It was a stunning bird, its beautiful colours looking oddly out of place in the middle of a british housing estate! Its the first time I've seen this species in the UK as I wasnt birding at the time of the Bishop Middleham pair, and am delighted I caught up with this bird.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTB5m4I9lklITK3x06Agzsicp9MES__ZG6gr3DqQK7z86BPkhVy_G29IP7JqYCd30AEhXTQ-_RDgLHcc_Jmxfw5XmV739iQl8YFaCdpVsYRI7-l0LYZL2eLgZJ3bFuLNRXGolmjhvYsE/s1600/550110_447188055318726_159614919_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTB5m4I9lklITK3x06Agzsicp9MES__ZG6gr3DqQK7z86BPkhVy_G29IP7JqYCd30AEhXTQ-_RDgLHcc_Jmxfw5XmV739iQl8YFaCdpVsYRI7-l0LYZL2eLgZJ3bFuLNRXGolmjhvYsE/s320/550110_447188055318726_159614919_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfqqEpz1GBkYQiFjr12EoXUBkqkJgw7Ago0AmCKGAOveqTSu_qAMh8mHfFbn5aujbFsD_qCp9fbamRSpLBGSjUNIL2Zl4Y3Jt6ldEztjcgrsvWpHQLt0EpvNNqSDQ6YH5F6bJ368mGEY/s1600/550336_447188078652057_1050173485_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfqqEpz1GBkYQiFjr12EoXUBkqkJgw7Ago0AmCKGAOveqTSu_qAMh8mHfFbn5aujbFsD_qCp9fbamRSpLBGSjUNIL2Zl4Y3Jt6ldEztjcgrsvWpHQLt0EpvNNqSDQ6YH5F6bJ368mGEY/s320/550336_447188078652057_1050173485_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiaNrv6aGKcwPuj7We9AijSEDZtdtNl7ky8YDVJ_6ZgQHQkR7RyZ0Jpy13vmVKa8QsSuRsRSzHBqedoG6kLvPRy2ud-XdqhUi7SR9aKkJPrK4uwA8nh_4cbxuc4C56-KWMMSQR6TrIXfk/s1600/534625_447188211985377_182162406_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiaNrv6aGKcwPuj7We9AijSEDZtdtNl7ky8YDVJ_6ZgQHQkR7RyZ0Jpy13vmVKa8QsSuRsRSzHBqedoG6kLvPRy2ud-XdqhUi7SR9aKkJPrK4uwA8nh_4cbxuc4C56-KWMMSQR6TrIXfk/s320/534625_447188211985377_182162406_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskVsTRTbsPZyKjzXGMr5LT9h-sbVHgDpxmNXYZEEUoLtukr5QbdPBeIv3u4Xaj7mtvMstcfN0Jd1Waum9E4xWpsd2zH3pKiM1cHR1YgXxNAeaL3ZoTwex1p611vudWkbWs3AsaUaQwyk/s1600/249297_447188105318721_2101126301_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskVsTRTbsPZyKjzXGMr5LT9h-sbVHgDpxmNXYZEEUoLtukr5QbdPBeIv3u4Xaj7mtvMstcfN0Jd1Waum9E4xWpsd2zH3pKiM1cHR1YgXxNAeaL3ZoTwex1p611vudWkbWs3AsaUaQwyk/s320/249297_447188105318721_2101126301_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NTWemS17AUZYP8B3WYT7F_idA0R40mk0zhLxPW9_C27QJB0bkLSpH6g-ud8TOdDeLObMRwi3zmF1c_b8exrjU693VEn2h_RQ2fB3KikjpeiBmco9u_jIHdhSYj6hbmvHqA5R2gmVW08/s1600/67167_447188171985381_1451431618_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NTWemS17AUZYP8B3WYT7F_idA0R40mk0zhLxPW9_C27QJB0bkLSpH6g-ud8TOdDeLObMRwi3zmF1c_b8exrjU693VEn2h_RQ2fB3KikjpeiBmco9u_jIHdhSYj6hbmvHqA5R2gmVW08/s320/67167_447188171985381_1451431618_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4z2B8uNTXJOpqINYaSXGDdYCUlP2m_l6sxfjSlzeBS8fU9nYpuIJe-OezFpKv7afXojHY5YVwtcNjv8M_PoMRhrUOStnaA6HpNgkSvs4kfboo7oddlM1MJLVicvzjo1D74d-jtc38q7Q/s1600/658_447188248652040_1620405641_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4z2B8uNTXJOpqINYaSXGDdYCUlP2m_l6sxfjSlzeBS8fU9nYpuIJe-OezFpKv7afXojHY5YVwtcNjv8M_PoMRhrUOStnaA6HpNgkSvs4kfboo7oddlM1MJLVicvzjo1D74d-jtc38q7Q/s320/658_447188248652040_1620405641_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Some of Johns many pics!Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-5105182977919304612012-10-30T21:16:00.000+00:002012-10-30T21:16:00.768+00:00ISLES OF SCILLY - AGAIN!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3A2CACIesqCm1Gv_wohem4Wp4JbatBk2ICf0AmvNYgQtVJ_vvdy753sjNHpkx9l9Pyt5dX5TA_kIceZvlkI8TO8KtpTCr_ZbTBR5ogCOEMF1hHf5AIYXbArj05k7yH_O3ChqGPKKRHk/s1600/DSCN0364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3A2CACIesqCm1Gv_wohem4Wp4JbatBk2ICf0AmvNYgQtVJ_vvdy753sjNHpkx9l9Pyt5dX5TA_kIceZvlkI8TO8KtpTCr_ZbTBR5ogCOEMF1hHf5AIYXbArj05k7yH_O3ChqGPKKRHk/s320/DSCN0364.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Myself and John returned to the Scillies again earlier this month but this time it was for a full week. Unfortunately it rained pretty much every day but there was no way we were going to let that spoil our week! We had planned to Ring in the mornings and go birdwatching on the afternoons but a couple of mornings were a complete washout so we didnt Ring as much as we'd liked. The highlight was my second ever Yellow Browed Warbler (above), and I did get a new Ringing tick in Meadow Pipit but it was otherwise quite disappointing. General birdwatching was a lot better, with 3 lifers (Blackpoll Warbler, Syke's Warbler & Rose Coloured Starling) and 3 UK ticks (Solitary Sandpiper, Red Rumped Swallow & Red Throated Pipit). It was a hugely enjoyable week and I cant wait to go back next year.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFnwwrMBXPHZjH_P9gnZjBf_9VF9lAKaFwRiwVYbk7wSd9_Rr08zk4NBPFKqIXdq-1emN6XWhr8GWOhYGUPvKSA5n4YN6DArKq5rQBCgKsUFCYSc4ScLq0Xa8fWuF-oh5Nq3ndwUeF1E/s1600/DSCN0359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFnwwrMBXPHZjH_P9gnZjBf_9VF9lAKaFwRiwVYbk7wSd9_Rr08zk4NBPFKqIXdq-1emN6XWhr8GWOhYGUPvKSA5n4YN6DArKq5rQBCgKsUFCYSc4ScLq0Xa8fWuF-oh5Nq3ndwUeF1E/s320/DSCN0359.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRAfFHSAVBipMKLfU78pcHynoMnJepRfVYpxzax2SmmvU_3tXAShBmupXO6zNXdxTAfU5-BwoSmQuABNNB6wlA7bZrXiZ5ZkanEmVEx4pTrd2RETj4WESubTZZ9LsmkVYCqsuylDt5qzU/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRAfFHSAVBipMKLfU78pcHynoMnJepRfVYpxzax2SmmvU_3tXAShBmupXO6zNXdxTAfU5-BwoSmQuABNNB6wlA7bZrXiZ5ZkanEmVEx4pTrd2RETj4WESubTZZ9LsmkVYCqsuylDt5qzU/s320/004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjksz47EpaaY4TQHrKBpFKd1asMODGitIDVPvo7F4LT4Q-QlyRfD_hFShj86XRi6ZfLo9Bi1lA4lXe1v7qGM1V8n9dky8wWGvGhXLUC7V_y6pLtPOD3SRnv1joDYkRhyphenhyphenbElVmmhbpd2rNU/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjksz47EpaaY4TQHrKBpFKd1asMODGitIDVPvo7F4LT4Q-QlyRfD_hFShj86XRi6ZfLo9Bi1lA4lXe1v7qGM1V8n9dky8wWGvGhXLUC7V_y6pLtPOD3SRnv1joDYkRhyphenhyphenbElVmmhbpd2rNU/s320/010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
SOLITARY SANDPIPER<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE4IpKYeimwA_AJLw0ib8m6aYQ9b2w6eYSFmc0IcB9wlOJXa8w_8yxVEst8lEQHT6_A_fNd2rShbStU-sTVuAwsahU6sL7ycZIKE4kB4Mwdh7gvF3nbxZh063FKhHG7Mc9Qx3LHSrsT5o/s1600/blackpoll+warbler+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE4IpKYeimwA_AJLw0ib8m6aYQ9b2w6eYSFmc0IcB9wlOJXa8w_8yxVEst8lEQHT6_A_fNd2rShbStU-sTVuAwsahU6sL7ycZIKE4kB4Mwdh7gvF3nbxZh063FKhHG7Mc9Qx3LHSrsT5o/s320/blackpoll+warbler+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Jf4EIhiyJF1P8ykM1q9bWDKKgVbahZGFPAmdKH0J4ym8OgJR9VcIaqvGDJhajSzx98HTJS0a6lk9gsMF4ozLRQFn7ZfUdNHPFKGZ8CpxECx4ujJjhwHmFVnfnomIIvCJ_o04Qr8TIBw/s1600/blackpoll+warbler+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Jf4EIhiyJF1P8ykM1q9bWDKKgVbahZGFPAmdKH0J4ym8OgJR9VcIaqvGDJhajSzx98HTJS0a6lk9gsMF4ozLRQFn7ZfUdNHPFKGZ8CpxECx4ujJjhwHmFVnfnomIIvCJ_o04Qr8TIBw/s320/blackpoll+warbler+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
BLACKPOLL WARBLER<br /><br />Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-12886042735804365672012-10-29T21:34:00.000+00:002012-10-29T21:34:29.082+00:00NOT JEALOUS AT ALL !!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0qWg76E00i1IpQMRtaLiM33qIr_OejfzxhwEFBeQ5PB_hh26oBPbnexHcbIk4ipWrOCUEyxGMmYQCeJY4vpNqNsMFRTt0U-kWTW25GQuEAJJHPcvKBRj8i-CizevSHf6jgI5Q_YnLSg/s1600/Pallas+Warbler+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0qWg76E00i1IpQMRtaLiM33qIr_OejfzxhwEFBeQ5PB_hh26oBPbnexHcbIk4ipWrOCUEyxGMmYQCeJY4vpNqNsMFRTt0U-kWTW25GQuEAJJHPcvKBRj8i-CizevSHf6jgI5Q_YnLSg/s320/Pallas+Warbler+(4).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Adrian had yet another superb week last week Ringing some absolute beauties while I was stuck at work (not that I'm bitter or anything!). This Pallas' Warbler (above) probably wins the award for cutest rarity but the award for actual rarest bird goes to this superb DUSKY WARBLER (below) trapped and Ringed on the Tuesday. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZPbu2PsnNLjrAJ99pDnw8DYLac2wRL2DFbrp531w6CFlaz8M9WMknzqLacayxVgmHcT6C07fn-AIK8VPr61VdkKzyze7IVuBYxAXTPQ3s3MxTfmwVuui23XwnDrK4fo_xnJzj8dPfmA/s1600/Dusky+Warbler+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZPbu2PsnNLjrAJ99pDnw8DYLac2wRL2DFbrp531w6CFlaz8M9WMknzqLacayxVgmHcT6C07fn-AIK8VPr61VdkKzyze7IVuBYxAXTPQ3s3MxTfmwVuui23XwnDrK4fo_xnJzj8dPfmA/s320/Dusky+Warbler+%25284%2529.JPG" width="276" /></a></div>
Other birds to add to the exceptional highlights were a Red Breasted Flycatcher, a Barred Warbler and a Ring Ouzel.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxy27L5V8UgjaSyiV-i2bCKxJ4YACLoV5yjXNaoVjXa-_adLrlOZuZ7EmSVFGAmifvBavn7zWahX9hsnFWoI17sjCAn56FZpWYUxBnWlwSUp7bxXsRGXgqm2Okk5mOjUELIdQTG64jps/s1600/RBFly+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxy27L5V8UgjaSyiV-i2bCKxJ4YACLoV5yjXNaoVjXa-_adLrlOZuZ7EmSVFGAmifvBavn7zWahX9hsnFWoI17sjCAn56FZpWYUxBnWlwSUp7bxXsRGXgqm2Okk5mOjUELIdQTG64jps/s320/RBFly+%25282%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGB8LNIvYEigc8v5qz4Rssk8Qnpyk7uv84ynl6oBAtWMQ-DnSfZgXcjo6RHlu8GQZfRPyL63Y0-YbdqB37GHCvwNysOyHrJPIo7RiH_PmUquNxxx1usZbUgrewhqiBEBJh16s6FcXlQ0k/s1600/barred+warbler+20-10-12+033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGB8LNIvYEigc8v5qz4Rssk8Qnpyk7uv84ynl6oBAtWMQ-DnSfZgXcjo6RHlu8GQZfRPyL63Y0-YbdqB37GHCvwNysOyHrJPIo7RiH_PmUquNxxx1usZbUgrewhqiBEBJh16s6FcXlQ0k/s320/barred+warbler+20-10-12+033.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiChyphenhyphenwWqYtaWHyRVHMwo1dnnzVgY2k5dHuFuFCh_e8xdia12eZT4mGGr102VCUSgUbIm_96pjlO6Qia0U8ym_uEikW9rv2Bc81hTWKpuf_fKp5uw4LJ4iB89hYm5LVNJD6930VT4e8u5bM/s1600/Ring+Ouzel+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiChyphenhyphenwWqYtaWHyRVHMwo1dnnzVgY2k5dHuFuFCh_e8xdia12eZT4mGGr102VCUSgUbIm_96pjlO6Qia0U8ym_uEikW9rv2Bc81hTWKpuf_fKp5uw4LJ4iB89hYm5LVNJD6930VT4e8u5bM/s320/Ring+Ouzel+%25281%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
Despite missing out on all the goodies I got myself two more Ringing ticks, a Fieldfare and a Brambling. Mind you, they feel really boring in comparison!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMSeg27QhZUyeTd9A35YPKcctpNjZEfa4UFr_GoySWQ1aJNLC9kP2ro7D_0NpaZEbOHvrQFNbODPDcFUzT1Z1Xux0Nmok7FG3kUNmO6Q8vysWMXo6v1Q7b5t6wjJe8B0xDoeo-uaovA0/s1600/IMG_2247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMSeg27QhZUyeTd9A35YPKcctpNjZEfa4UFr_GoySWQ1aJNLC9kP2ro7D_0NpaZEbOHvrQFNbODPDcFUzT1Z1Xux0Nmok7FG3kUNmO6Q8vysWMXo6v1Q7b5t6wjJe8B0xDoeo-uaovA0/s320/IMG_2247.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrH-jym-xKtxoGJ6Ige38Gv1pq2wVSIzyp7xOdhyphenhyphen8G2vcQcDQYEUMCHO1pwxmJnlW1v-fMFAYPpGr2VgYN6Ws40I3oPEKCqUAuZgL9y_LFZLbSpxC7-Gx588Set7k2fF4CYlbv5miZXk/s1600/IMG_2313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrH-jym-xKtxoGJ6Ige38Gv1pq2wVSIzyp7xOdhyphenhyphen8G2vcQcDQYEUMCHO1pwxmJnlW1v-fMFAYPpGr2VgYN6Ws40I3oPEKCqUAuZgL9y_LFZLbSpxC7-Gx588Set7k2fF4CYlbv5miZXk/s320/IMG_2313.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-54342353193959759842012-10-01T20:46:00.000+01:002012-10-01T20:46:14.009+01:00RECENT PHOTOS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiethY9SalwWaLNpwwRS7-djR1Pc0rCvPEPpdCbLIilN5o4jqnrnCHvmVOz9MDINDkiFPL0P6aj72QrIPbCxxdV4yk_pGvQ8-x3ltNEcWUWnrOuYEklwPq59hJhTZ58H_CjEyn1s7UEIsQ/s1600/IMG_1329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiethY9SalwWaLNpwwRS7-djR1Pc0rCvPEPpdCbLIilN5o4jqnrnCHvmVOz9MDINDkiFPL0P6aj72QrIPbCxxdV4yk_pGvQ8-x3ltNEcWUWnrOuYEklwPq59hJhTZ58H_CjEyn1s7UEIsQ/s320/IMG_1329.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Here's a few pictures of various birds Ringed recently.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeXqh7OsB2bCZtzv0dpL-Z47cBc5RLxjktbMYR3DmshcF4ElVMzf3qCeI23cbqnvBM2Ba3PxEu6e3GjxaHY8a1gQkV45T8ch6jewuwJwvdFnwISOWeBgSpK1a-i5c4gok9tWQpidAnNo/s1600/IMG_1308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeXqh7OsB2bCZtzv0dpL-Z47cBc5RLxjktbMYR3DmshcF4ElVMzf3qCeI23cbqnvBM2Ba3PxEu6e3GjxaHY8a1gQkV45T8ch6jewuwJwvdFnwISOWeBgSpK1a-i5c4gok9tWQpidAnNo/s320/IMG_1308.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEls9aYnI7GA_IeEoFmu5NGPeq6QGsF7PEwXoddhUxqe0BBB2w0MvHDZKHXehBH-TTTValttG8fSXbASI9JbxPLgC2QUBiGG7Hwv8jZhyp8yWgaqiAFKxo49-_VrHV6GxKL027sWsdF0/s1600/IMG_1277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEls9aYnI7GA_IeEoFmu5NGPeq6QGsF7PEwXoddhUxqe0BBB2w0MvHDZKHXehBH-TTTValttG8fSXbASI9JbxPLgC2QUBiGG7Hwv8jZhyp8yWgaqiAFKxo49-_VrHV6GxKL027sWsdF0/s320/IMG_1277.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9F_clK2o9WC0HteHXZ5607fwTiNSIUoNxuxYAPEWlEGVDxjQiQHnCiRTGratxg7fjcXDfd2App7VMDGbuA2ztFUFYvSllzTwKZSHKAVaFAVUvGeupVH6OUWMRtOK5lA2qOYnMVNIQIy4/s1600/IMG_1237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9F_clK2o9WC0HteHXZ5607fwTiNSIUoNxuxYAPEWlEGVDxjQiQHnCiRTGratxg7fjcXDfd2App7VMDGbuA2ztFUFYvSllzTwKZSHKAVaFAVUvGeupVH6OUWMRtOK5lA2qOYnMVNIQIy4/s320/IMG_1237.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4rM1qNDnK8mMchCYggkNiKSS7juFDfTokNK8DgrJTi66DvEj0ADGnNdMwRnOyvNndL989ceaP87NnSozjS3pONcAH4El7GuB66WUC6qUy98gkkeuFi3pNzvmMCZevP1H5tbZ-zxRkmo/s1600/IMG_1354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4rM1qNDnK8mMchCYggkNiKSS7juFDfTokNK8DgrJTi66DvEj0ADGnNdMwRnOyvNndL989ceaP87NnSozjS3pONcAH4El7GuB66WUC6qUy98gkkeuFi3pNzvmMCZevP1H5tbZ-zxRkmo/s320/IMG_1354.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuPyidKnYjwefs0Uaf_d9Aaxs_xmdON6mojL0F8qJi-XY2HesaGUoIN59h-OncecDl-a6CIfCMP9DNkGj1I8vbFGx3yYZzFLzDvQVX9oiA5hkGG1hdS7RF8hhs-YqeIX9UTYUmm_agGk/s1600/IMG_9338+%2528Medium%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuPyidKnYjwefs0Uaf_d9Aaxs_xmdON6mojL0F8qJi-XY2HesaGUoIN59h-OncecDl-a6CIfCMP9DNkGj1I8vbFGx3yYZzFLzDvQVX9oiA5hkGG1hdS7RF8hhs-YqeIX9UTYUmm_agGk/s320/IMG_9338+%2528Medium%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZDYEgII0LIDLxHfnyo0SPrdrI2YdnazRurTqfsL5mdz8MDep9ei1hiOpJQFZBjA-BNoWOkn-CrWrpJDwEjAln8Jc78wVTMR-cg-sUaodIhSRNW0Jx4OiWPnQPpRUVhBmw_h7PpMi3V0/s1600/IMG_9354+%2528Medium%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZDYEgII0LIDLxHfnyo0SPrdrI2YdnazRurTqfsL5mdz8MDep9ei1hiOpJQFZBjA-BNoWOkn-CrWrpJDwEjAln8Jc78wVTMR-cg-sUaodIhSRNW0Jx4OiWPnQPpRUVhBmw_h7PpMi3V0/s320/IMG_9354+%2528Medium%2529.JPG" width="304" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-33909123038205774852012-10-01T00:38:00.001+01:002012-10-01T00:40:23.781+01:00PG TIPS!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSJ08uSQvR9SV-TlwFmaPUTp98hZF1KGKVLkj5GENfMlFyB7uRsQuzKf_TOPI6tGCDYbynyU9IMyYbQHKCN8moMj7oCUtweabq7zscavpIXmpkjZ-08zuc3A-mjs26UHeTiwV4ncDRBg/s1600/IMG_1448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSJ08uSQvR9SV-TlwFmaPUTp98hZF1KGKVLkj5GENfMlFyB7uRsQuzKf_TOPI6tGCDYbynyU9IMyYbQHKCN8moMj7oCUtweabq7zscavpIXmpkjZ-08zuc3A-mjs26UHeTiwV4ncDRBg/s320/IMG_1448.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Last Wednesday was a day that will live long in the memory of a number of local birders, and even more so for my Trainer Adrian. After a couple of weeks of disappointing westerly winds, there seemed to finally be a change of direction and the winds were starting to come from the east. Add to this a fair bit of rain and it could mean only one thing, the promise of lots of birds. Sure enough the reports started to come in from the north east coasts, with Yellow Browed Warblers, Red Breasted Flycatchers and Common Rosefinch all being seen within striking distance of our Ringing Mound at the Coastal Park. The promise of netting a goodie was too much of a temptation for Adrian to turn down so he decided to take the wednesday off from work to go Ringing. Unfortunately myself, John and Andy were all at work so he would be Ringing on his own but Dougie had also taken the day off so was there to give Adrian a hand. As expected the Mound was full of birds on the morning, including a large influx of various Thrushes, but alas nothing particularly special. But then as lunchtime approached, everything changed. While he was on the phone to his girlfriend Lisa he saw a bird go into one of the only nets visible from the Ringing Hut. He and Dougie started to make their way towards the net, and as they got closer Adrians first impression was that it was a Reed Warbler. They got a little bit closer and he could see it was in fact a Grasshopper Warbler. Nice! But hang on......... They finally got to the net and Adrian had the chance to see the bird fully and thats when it suddenly hit him, this was no ordinary Gropper. ''Bloody Hell Dougie, its a PG Tips!!!''. With that he practically threw his phone on the ground and pounced on the bird in the net. He carefully extracted it, bagged it then rushed back to the Hut and closed the door behind him. He took the bird out the bag and checked it fully. Yep, there was absolutely no doubt about it, he had a stunning PALLAS'S GRASSHOPPER WARBLER. This was incredible. This is an extremely rare species, especially on the mainland, yet here was one in Adrians hand. Dougie immediately rang me and also put the word out to the local birders and by the time I got there (it only took me 10mins!) there was already a huge crowd. I went into the Hut and Adrian showed me the bird and pointed out all the key I.D. features before taking it out for people to see and take a few pictures. He then took it to a different area and released the bird away from the gathering of birders. Everybody, including myself, was delighted to see the bird so close up as it rarely shows well in the field. Those lucky enough to see it went home extremely happy. But nowhere near as happy as Adrian!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-TlEq2u9ctQE-39i2JCRoHSmaI5h3ZHf8SgBis4i_F6PSUSsGwJp9p5zPDfvrYpIF8_RmkNJ9sOKg6Qc4h2vsrxa-1ojNKevz3yeYuSS2OjAz0VZ-VsMNY_Re-SMZtNGlWlmQKvTFlA/s1600/_pg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-TlEq2u9ctQE-39i2JCRoHSmaI5h3ZHf8SgBis4i_F6PSUSsGwJp9p5zPDfvrYpIF8_RmkNJ9sOKg6Qc4h2vsrxa-1ojNKevz3yeYuSS2OjAz0VZ-VsMNY_Re-SMZtNGlWlmQKvTFlA/s320/_pg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxx_BdjV4_Y3tU8XXBOO8lA3NIEfg-7Hk-MvLalZI0ilYD0DpJW7Gp4Pt1PILg0J05xNuA6v-YiLMBZx9412Rf2YHmIFDKs0KJeztf6cBnyp-oJeskD0vSDrSaQjh3ecf01iNxIbU1O88/s1600/IMG_1421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxx_BdjV4_Y3tU8XXBOO8lA3NIEfg-7Hk-MvLalZI0ilYD0DpJW7Gp4Pt1PILg0J05xNuA6v-YiLMBZx9412Rf2YHmIFDKs0KJeztf6cBnyp-oJeskD0vSDrSaQjh3ecf01iNxIbU1O88/s320/IMG_1421.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9vf7o_hLgDpq8owN4CX7VmakAg8KeOf17oBopWYiFOM_vGPEtsE394K5TufO_QmvpsEvBujNPhi5Git0-6AA4f9dAkjT5HOt607ocWld4L-_3Qs0Ayolzl6NOCQR6Z539iACxIKjHqo/s1600/IMG_1442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9vf7o_hLgDpq8owN4CX7VmakAg8KeOf17oBopWYiFOM_vGPEtsE394K5TufO_QmvpsEvBujNPhi5Git0-6AA4f9dAkjT5HOt607ocWld4L-_3Qs0Ayolzl6NOCQR6Z539iACxIKjHqo/s320/IMG_1442.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX06BMuk8QlKe3P3GdbOku7l52IkkiTLtJpzBZ-XvnWZRLn1PtTYSGiJmkscOpnf7tawAWTZigxlQQmdY2AdMpzw6e3UGwVFR2_Uz1H6vu6goQWiUZ2_uNXSLRTYHBLXYe9wCKqPJADPs/s1600/IMG_9482+%2528Medium%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX06BMuk8QlKe3P3GdbOku7l52IkkiTLtJpzBZ-XvnWZRLn1PtTYSGiJmkscOpnf7tawAWTZigxlQQmdY2AdMpzw6e3UGwVFR2_Uz1H6vu6goQWiUZ2_uNXSLRTYHBLXYe9wCKqPJADPs/s320/IMG_9482+%2528Medium%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIo68hbLu9A7P5rS-PrFyd8lvSHkvBKpkqWvHe0BVwqPvdJhEkPW34N-eGP8kxDCzVzpzMzxgjQ1M0BpYpaHgFcKMsKCFuEE1G1VS-F4l9j9VChC9eHpaTNlGi81ouWnS7Y5OyKIyHlQ/s1600/IMG_9485+%2528Medium%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIo68hbLu9A7P5rS-PrFyd8lvSHkvBKpkqWvHe0BVwqPvdJhEkPW34N-eGP8kxDCzVzpzMzxgjQ1M0BpYpaHgFcKMsKCFuEE1G1VS-F4l9j9VChC9eHpaTNlGi81ouWnS7Y5OyKIyHlQ/s320/IMG_9485+%2528Medium%2529.JPG" width="285" /></a></div>
<br />
Thanks to Steve, Keith and Dougie for the various pictures.Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-72124223175205626032012-09-30T22:49:00.000+01:002012-09-30T22:49:00.848+01:00RED UNDERWING MOTH<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3pCfteSsU5w8ywMy_jLIMqZrEwET9vvLfTOXuJo3rFjAcVQDEq8lv-PwTJFdySp4YtwkzM494bvD1tPm-nhkcR5Ko9Y2HL9qhj9PupLrrUaUyi54YWYk6PUecRPNEuck7Ip-1ou_es8/s1600/RED+UWING+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3pCfteSsU5w8ywMy_jLIMqZrEwET9vvLfTOXuJo3rFjAcVQDEq8lv-PwTJFdySp4YtwkzM494bvD1tPm-nhkcR5Ko9Y2HL9qhj9PupLrrUaUyi54YWYk6PUecRPNEuck7Ip-1ou_es8/s320/RED+UWING+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This is easily the best Moth I have seen in the last few weeks, a truly stunning species. A lot bigger and a lot more colourful than I was expecting.Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4133617936751652872.post-31177029640621767792012-09-30T22:23:00.001+01:002012-09-30T22:23:03.677+01:00A RARE DAY OUT <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LCsj950x14WEQ6K0zRTZGHlbU0sPgqbcRy1kv7wnL_POWuAKKsnBRWmEeuJjxdRfbPI1QnPF8Ujl4C5toxY2ReSuMLPncLujrHGK6LKxiXwX8KXnUV96xstmVdJqcnr81AK4-2cbPtE/s1600/IMG_1116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LCsj950x14WEQ6K0zRTZGHlbU0sPgqbcRy1kv7wnL_POWuAKKsnBRWmEeuJjxdRfbPI1QnPF8Ujl4C5toxY2ReSuMLPncLujrHGK6LKxiXwX8KXnUV96xstmVdJqcnr81AK4-2cbPtE/s320/IMG_1116.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
On the 15th of this month (I know, I haven't updated for a while - again!!!) I had one of those rare days where I had nothing on so I went out and actually looked at wildlife! I was joined by Sir Dougie of Trow, who's days out are probably rarer than mine these days, and we enjoyed a relaxing couple of hours just exploring the local hotspots. We started the day at Marsden Old Quarry, which was very quiet but the resident Little Owl was in its usual place. A quick look in the Coastal Park was followed by a look on Jackies Beach. Best we could come up with here were a big flock of Curlew in the field next to the Obs and the huge flock of Golden Plover regularly taking to the air. There was very little in the Doctors Garden so we very quickly headed to the Academy Pools. This was to be the highlight of the day! It started with a very surprising Marsh Tit flying past us on the path approaching the Pools. This is an extremely scarce bird for South Tyneside (according to the locals - I wouldnt have a clue!) and something I was lucky to see. On reaching the Pools we noticed that there were a load of Hirundines flying around overhead which is always a fantastic sight. Then we noticed a load of Dragonflies buzzing around, which probably explained why so many Swallows etc were in the area! As we were approaching the Pools we saw two local lads, Dave Foster and Dave Gilmour standing with their binoculars at the ready. As we got closer we heard what they were there for - the unmistakeable sound of a Cetti's Warbler! These birds are very very rare in County Durham so the opportunity to see one was not to be passed up. The next 30 minutes had us staring into an area of reedbed that we KNEW the bird was in but was agonisingly only giving us the briefest of glimpses as it skulked in the undergrowth. But then finally, FINALLY, the bird came out into the open, hopped along a few reeds, then flew past us and away to another part of the pool. For Cetti's Warblers this was probably as good as can be expected, and needless to say it was a nice little County tick. As if to emphasise how lucky we were, the bird has not been reported since that day!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNYVmwxg_q9SGhANtCdxTjRXXvmGtT_GX5CqNoJn_kij7-6tq-8QGyZwmM-BMQVukICpY3ZxgR-Zjd3BOIg8qL3Hhzm6v_hxlSoSIwUlCYjdLTAzRARmObLCjYQyQduwdncbj5T8GVHfw/s1600/IMG_1062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNYVmwxg_q9SGhANtCdxTjRXXvmGtT_GX5CqNoJn_kij7-6tq-8QGyZwmM-BMQVukICpY3ZxgR-Zjd3BOIg8qL3Hhzm6v_hxlSoSIwUlCYjdLTAzRARmObLCjYQyQduwdncbj5T8GVHfw/s320/IMG_1062.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
REED WARBLER<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-tRW2_vqHbB0hX14EG8fACFaY9dHppFSLdrtUjEbkFXCbqhu-HMJlR0ZLgPNNVUAgK0xgXTB-6jI-gD2sqTDwZHnXIbOCOHk0BmvyAIIpEgQaH36uMybkVZPcu7mFh_JCqK8zo8ifDEs/s1600/IMG_1052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-tRW2_vqHbB0hX14EG8fACFaY9dHppFSLdrtUjEbkFXCbqhu-HMJlR0ZLgPNNVUAgK0xgXTB-6jI-gD2sqTDwZHnXIbOCOHk0BmvyAIIpEgQaH36uMybkVZPcu7mFh_JCqK8zo8ifDEs/s320/IMG_1052.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
RED ADMIRAL<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qpIq6DVi-nawb0aEREVw_5f0AQ2ccf7jlpqjQ8kFFcGquTFLt60EYfaD7ruGVAdymAVb8tZnFXs-2QUc7E9JOgZtW1ZTIbLRH47Y4K7itdfs7dx2NweHCZroXgpFrtOJh0V26H9or7g/s1600/IMG_1055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qpIq6DVi-nawb0aEREVw_5f0AQ2ccf7jlpqjQ8kFFcGquTFLt60EYfaD7ruGVAdymAVb8tZnFXs-2QUc7E9JOgZtW1ZTIbLRH47Y4K7itdfs7dx2NweHCZroXgpFrtOJh0V26H9or7g/s320/IMG_1055.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
ANGLE SHADES<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsOFZ5Sx4MaARdbu9pHYWcAauSJeQMYg9sIdIzlHQKHcA4WF3p3hSMKTzjc9bWTJdCqRkRWSY1WGD4hcDFesOWJmtx6T3QG77ja8YTRKqi2w3KA3BdenUGH0HAzUVfckLufbrTzEGE8E/s1600/IMG_1091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsOFZ5Sx4MaARdbu9pHYWcAauSJeQMYg9sIdIzlHQKHcA4WF3p3hSMKTzjc9bWTJdCqRkRWSY1WGD4hcDFesOWJmtx6T3QG77ja8YTRKqi2w3KA3BdenUGH0HAzUVfckLufbrTzEGE8E/s320/IMG_1091.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
COMMON DARTER<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVkFra7RM71TSVsTJTd59B1hoYQxko0fqoJ4XZo8nQmJidGURCeVEE1hEmEOqwILizFC2xN5Yaxu_xlM-umxLgVhiUpITzG7JrdgoMopTHvmcJ2giHTH2ACZfcNw2WrF6MxZl7qAtbxQ/s1600/IMG_1069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVkFra7RM71TSVsTJTd59B1hoYQxko0fqoJ4XZo8nQmJidGURCeVEE1hEmEOqwILizFC2xN5Yaxu_xlM-umxLgVhiUpITzG7JrdgoMopTHvmcJ2giHTH2ACZfcNw2WrF6MxZl7qAtbxQ/s320/IMG_1069.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3yVI1mLIjPJGaQatXKT2AxjTqz0pKjg7w5tZ6de7cQokc7UNLu899b__0QHK7Xke4g9lOY-xzmDThWa7QBhUFdBJZDDTdzG9Qa6oUKy2QQ-2fgyVQXgxZ75H7Uwps0MaOY4VqesU5CI/s1600/IMG_1073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3yVI1mLIjPJGaQatXKT2AxjTqz0pKjg7w5tZ6de7cQokc7UNLu899b__0QHK7Xke4g9lOY-xzmDThWa7QBhUFdBJZDDTdzG9Qa6oUKy2QQ-2fgyVQXgxZ75H7Uwps0MaOY4VqesU5CI/s320/IMG_1073.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
DOUGIES BEST ATTEMPTS AT SNAPPING THE CETTIS<br /><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jason Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04552209443404227695noreply@blogger.com0