Friday 1 April 2011

Please Pass On the Blog Link to Everyone You Know!

Another month gone, and remembering to change the 'header photograph', it was a quick dash to Lodmoor in the hope of adding Long-billed Dowitcher to the ongoing April List. Daragh had preempted me in this by sending a text, long before I reached Radipole, to say he had already seen it. Under yet another leaden sky with a light drizzle falling there was little in the way of bird life on the way, with the exception of a most unusual Redpoll (presumed Lesser) 'calling' as it flew across Radipole.

Along the sea-front my attentions turned to this tanker, the Torm Kristina, herself taking fuel from the smaller vessel alongside,

as the Sail Training Ship 'Lord Nelson' appeared out of the gloom that was Weymouth Bay. The Dowitcher done, and in the company of Daragh we soon bumped into

Christine Milner and partner Neil Arnold also (at least Neil) looking for the American Wader! Always good to see these people, it was now time to part company with all 3 and resume the birding alone.

First encounter was with c5 male Pochard all neck stretching, bill dipping and whatever else was required to attract the single female.

The Mallards meanwhile seemed content perched on a nearby roof, while just a little further along there was my first

Sedge Warbler of the year chattering away in the reeds. Only a short while earlier Daragh had predicted that one would soon show up, so I called him to report the find. There were said to be c2 Grey Plover close to this spot but I saw neither, but overhead there were c4 Swallows in company with a dozen or so Sand Martins plus Bearded Tits in the reeds, while on the beach there was a well hidden Ringed Plover and a passing Common Gull.

At Portland, this Long-tailed Field Vole appeared to be having a sleep, but no, it was dead but a chance to view this small but common mammal at close quarters. With not a lot happening at the Observatory, and with one or two things having been seen to seaward, I decided to try my hand along the coast.

While many consider 'Sea Watching' the epitome of the hobby, I have spent far to many years rolling around on the stuff to be that interested, but did decide to invest an hour doing just that today. I was rewarded with a distant but lingering

Great Skua, the first seen since my retirement 3 years ago. There were also c4 Gannets and a single Fulmar passing by.


These record shots were taken from the oil rig Buchan Alpha many years ago.

The GB Year List now = 196

Returning to the Obs to report my good fortune, a tardy Redwing had just been released from a mist net and before 'ringing' there was time to get this shot. Otherwise a few more photographs from the Colombia archive of one Woodpecker and 5 Tanagers - ENJOY!

Crimson-mantled Woodpecker

Purplish-mantled Tanager

White-capped Tanager

Lacrimose Mountain Tanager

Gold-ringed Tanager

Flame-faced Tanager

finally an update on Statistics, where it was seen that we got just over 200 readers on average per day during March. In addition 5 new countries joined the readership as


Num Perc. Country Name

drill down800176.20%United KingdomUnited Kingdom UK broke the 8,000 barrier while
drill down5405.14%United StatesUnited States the US dropped about 100 readers.
drill down1911.82%EstoniaEstonia Estonia maintained reader numbers but lost
drill down1821.73%FranceFrance second place to US as Taiwan plummeted
drill down1801.71%GermanyGermany from 300+ reader to almost off the radar at 4
drill down1601.52%SpainSpain Highest increase in readership pro-rata
drill down1121.07%CanadaCanada
drill down1000.95%EcuadorEcuador Ecuador have done well to reach treble
drill down830.79%SwedenSweden figures with Sweden closing fast!
drill down760.72%NetherlandsNetherlands
drill down680.65%ItalyItaly
drill down660.63%AustraliaAustralia
drill down530.50%BelgiumBelgium
drill down460.44%New ZealandNew Zealand
drill down390.37%JapanJapan
drill down350.33%IndiaIndia
drill down330.31%Russian FederationRussian Federation
drill down260.25%ThailandThailand
drill down250.24%PolandPoland
drill down220.21%MexicoMexico
drill down200.19%BrazilBrazil
drill down180.17%HungaryHungary
drill down180.17%Czech RepublicCzech Republic
drill down170.16%GreeceGreece
drill down160.15%SingaporeSingapore
drill down150.14%IrelandIreland
drill down150.14%Hong KongHong Kong
drill down150.14%DenmarkDenmark
drill down140.13%PortugalPortugal
drill down120.11%RomaniaRomania
drill down120.11%Dominican RepublicDominican Republic
drill down120.11%PeruPeru
drill down120.11%South AfricaSouth Africa
drill down110.10%BulgariaBulgaria
drill down110.10%SerbiaSerbia
drill down110.10%FinlandFinland
drill down100.10%ArgentinaArgentina
drill down100.10%PhilippinesPhilippines
drill down100.10%Korea, Republic OfKorea, Republic Of
drill down90.09%IndonesiaIndonesia
drill down90.09%EuropeEurope
drill down90.09%ColombiaColombia
drill down90.09%SwitzerlandSwitzerland
drill down90.09%NorwayNorway
drill down90.09%CroatiaCroatia
drill down80.08%IsraelIsrael
drill down80.08%AustriaAustria
drill down80.08%MaltaMalta
drill down70.07%SlovakiaSlovakia
drill down70.07%UkraineUkraine
drill down60.06%Sri LankaSri Lanka
drill down60.06%VenezuelaVenezuela
drill down60.06%TurkeyTurkey
drill down50.05%JordanJordan
drill down50.05%ChileChile
drill down50.05%United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates
drill down50.05%PakistanPakistan
drill down50.05%GuernseyGuernsey
drill down40.04%BarbadosBarbados
drill down40.04%MalaysiaMalaysia
drill down40.04%TaiwanTaiwan
drill down30.03%MauritiusMauritius
drill down30.03%Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
drill down30.03%VietnamVietnam
drill down30.03%Anonymous ProxyAnonymous Proxy
drill down30.03%IcelandIceland
drill down30.03%BahamasBahamas
drill down30.03%ChinaChina
drill down30.03%BelarusBelarus
drill down20.02%LuxembourgLuxembourg
drill down20.02%ZimbabweZimbabwe New reader in March heading skywards
drill down20.02%JerseyJersey
drill down20.02%YemenYemen
drill down20.02%EgyptEgypt
drill down20.02%MoroccoMorocco
drill down20.02%Moldova, Republic OfMoldova, Republic Of
drill down10.01%GeorgiaGeorgia
drill down10.01%AlbaniaAlbania
drill down10.01%OmanOman
drill down10.01%GabonGabon New reader in March
drill down10.01%LatviaLatvia
drill down10.01%GuadeloupeGuadeloupe
drill down10.01%Bosnia And HerzegovinaBosnia And Herzegovina
drill down10.01%Tanzania, United Republic OfTanzania, United Republic Of
drill down10.01%QatarQatar
drill down10.01%Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
drill down10.01%Costa RicaCosta Rica
drill down10.01%Virgin Island, U.s.Virgin Island, U.s. New reader in March
drill down10.01%SloveniaSlovenia
drill down10.01%LebanonLebanon
drill down10.01%IraqIraq New reader in March
drill down10.01%BangladeshBangladesh
drill down10.01%UruguayUruguay New reader in March
drill down10.01%BermudaBermuda

It is very much hoped that ALL readers will pass on the link to Family & Friends in the hope of a higher daily average readership this month. Thank You!