The Bagsy Blog

Choughed to Bits

2012-01-31T07:14:00.007Z

The weather forecast had predicted rain, and cor blimey were they right. Setting out close to 05:00 it had already been at it for a few hours and at that time it could be described as moderate. The early start was as much about getting a clear road as anything, but it seemed everyone had the same idea and the traffic was heavy for that time of day. By the time I reached Honiton in Devonshire the sleet had replaced the rain

and things were little better when reaching the Tamar Bridge crossing into Cornwall. First place to be visited went under the name of Dozmary Pool, and though I found signposts for direction they were little help as they were not consistent.

Reaching the tiny village of St Neot with it oversize and imposing church I knew at least this was the right track

and stopping to take this supposed rather picturesque photograph I nearly drowned in the process. The weather was not getting any better.

Finally with a little help from passers-by I reached Dozmary Pool

and started my search for a

Lesser Scaup.

With only 10 Ducks on this smallish lake the task wasn't that difficult,

the problem being everything was so far away.

There were however 2 things in favour here, one being all observations could be made from the car, and two at least the bird wasn't on neighbouring Colliford Lake that is a couple of hundred times bigger.

To illustrate this first Year Tick of the day a better image taken in British Columbia, Canada has been taken from the archive.

Passing through the administrative city of Cornwall, this is all that could be seen of Truro Cathedral but at closer quarters it is a magnificent example of what may be described as one of Great Britain's more modern high churches.

Penrose House, just 1.5 miles south of Helston, is built on the side of my next port of call,

and is now in the hands of the National Trust.

Loe Pool is the largest natural lake in the whole of Cornwall, and for some days now it has been supporting another 'rare' Duck from the Americas,

a Bufflehead which today was far too distant to photograph (thank Keith from In Focus, for the Mighty Midget 'scope)

but these pictures give some idea of what the bird looked like, all except for the adult male on the right of the lower image.

is famous for an emblematic bird that only exists in a few places in the UK, and entailing just a 12 miles drive, worth every minute.

The Lizard Lighthouse, I have used this light as a bearing during my sea-going career on many, many occasions,

but The Lizards most noted claim to fame is that it is the Most Southerly Point of Mainland Great Britain.

Looking round the sweep of Lizard Bay. In my search I found one of these enigmatic bird on these rocks below me, but it was soon gone. Never fear, as behind me there was the 'call' of at least another one which were soon located in the next field.

The Chough (pronounced Chuff in English) is name after a miss-spelling of the sound they make,

and is one of the finest examples of the Crow Family.

Endangered for many years, there is now a programme of protection that seemingly is doing very well, but this fragile species needs

a specialist diet found only on the short cropped grass of these sea cliffs.

As far as the county of Cornwall is concerned this is the most important of birds, featuring on many of its Coats of Arms.

A great day, despite the weather which continued until I got home, adding a further 3 species to the Year List.

The Year (January) List now stands at 199
but there should be no talk of final hurdles etc. There is a plan for tomorrow with the prospect of 4 or 5 new additions, but one will be difficult enough!

(Up A) Lazy River - Louis Armstrong

2012-01-30T04:51:00.004Z

A peek through the curtains this morning looked like the weather had conspired to scotch the 200 challenge, but on closer inspection the heavy frost was simply confined to cars and not the roads. Having said that, the 'gritters' were in evidence as I passed through Abbotsbury at 06:00 on my way to Devon again to try and redress yesterday's 'blank'.

There had been no news on the 'bird alert lines' about the Long-eared Owl at Exminster Marshes but that was the first port of call where I found nothing after a 30 minute stay.

is only a 20 minute drive away, and with my determination to get something on the score board I dug in for the long stay. At the small harbour of Cockswood the tide appeared still to be low, but it is so far up the estuary that there was still time for it to fill.

After the walk across the dunes footpath the bird hide was found to be empty, not really what I wanted as a little 'local knowledge' usually proved to be very helpful.

The view from the hide of the rapidly filling River Exe Estuary was mainly of wading birds, not quite what I was after, but with 'thousands' of them to look through it would keep me busy while also searching for the Duck.

As the tide rolled in the birds got nearer but the only wildfowl recorded thus far were a few Red-breasted Merganser, half a dozen Shelduck plus a few flights of Brent Geese.

Oystercatchers where gathering in many hundreds,

while the tens of Redshank were getting closer to the hide by the minute.

Dunlin too were in good numbers,

but as for the other Ducks they were right over there some 2Km away.

The odd Curlew was now getting closer seeming content to feed, but there's always someone wants to spoil the party.

Seemingly without provocation, this Carrion Crow made a number of attacks

on this Curlew which seemed quite capable of holding its own. While this shot does show the Crow with a pebble in its bill, it seemed every bit as if it was deliberately dropping stone on the Wader?

Grey Plover and Knot both held their ground until the water level was above their bellies, so never really got too close to the hide, but that's when the Cavalry arrived. Lee Collins and his mate Dave are 2 local birders who seem to have their finger on the pulse and told me they had seen the target bird but only from the Golf Course. There was much activity on the links, but remembering the words of Banksy - "it is easier to get forgiveness than permission" - it was game on!

Only a couple of hundred metres further on, but out of sight of the hide, I found the American Wigeon

in company with a few Eurasian Wigeon,

all fairly distant and keeping close to the sedges.

Not only was the bird logged but the walk was back towards the car

and the Golf Club entrance right next to the car park, things were starting to work.

This image taken in the USA is for illustration of how they look close up. Beaming with success it was now time to drive the 5 miles or so to Topsham, where my next target had last been seen yesterday.

Dart Farm is a massive complex of shops, fishing lakes, gardens and open fields where it took no time at all to find the Brent Geese

and very soon after the Red-breasted Goose.

An older lady with a pair of broken binoculars approached and asked what I was looking at,

and was delighted when I told her. However, she was having difficulty following my directions (or more likely I was not being too explicit),

but lending her my optics she was soon on it and even more thrilled that previously.

A closer shot of the Lodmoor bird a couple of years ago for illustration. It was now time to bomb (slowly) up the Motorway to Burnham on Sea in the county of Somerset on my next pursuit.

There at the River Brue Estuary it could be seen, looking to seaward, that the tide was well out,

and the river bed almost dried out looking inland. To find no local birders is always a little disheartening, but my search got underway finding quite a few Redshank and a single Little Egret, and then up on the bund a whole host of telescopes. Surely this meant these observers had the bird, but on closing distance I heard one lady utter those immortal words " yes that was it flying away to the east"! This was a group from Warwickshire looking for the same bird, while soon the group leader claimed he had seen it which turned into a false alarm.

It was some time later that the same man did locate the Lesser Yellowlegs

but we all had to make a dash to catch up with him. It remained distant at all times,

and a little flighty but none the less seen fairly well and

another archive photograph for the record. There was a further option of trying for a Yellow-browed Warbler some miles down the road at Ham Wall, but it was now 15:30 and raining. A drive home seemed far more practical, which is what I did but hope to be out on the prowl again tomorrow!

The Year (January) List now stands at 196
4 species and just 2 days.

With A Little Help From My Friends - The Beatles

2012-01-29T05:31:00.008Z

It's always worth remembering that no matter how many analogies you make to playing cards, if Lady Luck isn't in attendance you might just as well stay at home. In the same way as yesterday the dark, rain baring clouds soon rolled away, the sun was blinding and the predicted chill had set in.

It was a rare privilege to be invited to visit the Abbotsbury Sub-Tropical Gardens, as the collection of plants here are in many ways unique, but there was an ulterior motive!

A walk up to the top of the grassy knoll is access to the Jurassic View looking, in the first instance, to the east and the full length of The Fleet and onward (if there was no glare) to Portland.

While to the west little more than an ancient canon, it's much better in real life.

Paul Harris, my guide for the day, looks back to see if I've got my breath back yet!

A beautiful place indeed, but especially having the whole 30 acres to ourselves.

Features include Ornate Garden Sheds,

Moss clad Oak Trees.

a number of ponds, with this one having hosted an Otter in the past.

Both Daffodils and

Snowdrops where nearly in full bloom,

a Japanese Bridge,

plus a magnificent

Sculpture Garden

but then the first object of my desires

one of 3 Firecrest an addition to the Year List

On the way back to pick up the hire car, the ladies of Abbotsbury were in their Sunday Best riding attire, but I really did have to get myself going. A drive to Devon had the potential of adding another 3 species to the list, but trumps and Ace's were being heavily lent on.

At the Exminster Marshes Car Park the news was not good, as what should have been an academic Long-eared Owl but a f... whoops dog owner had flushed it from its roost since when it had not been seen. Disappointment followed disappointment as the Red-breasted Goose had also flown of, heavens knows where, but there was still a chance.

A male American Wigeon has been resident at Dawlish Warren for the past few weeks, but is only visible around 'high tide'. Spring tides are evident at the moment, and when did I arrive? at exactly Low Water.

This Reserve is renowned for its long, deep sand walk across the dunes to the Warren Point which I undertook, ending up at the hide but the local birders suggested it would be a few hours before there would even be a chance.

It was time to abandon and take a long rethink on strategy, so rather than heading further north I took another look for the Owl and Goose before returning home. I am still in the thought process as to direction, but tomorrow, weather allowing, I'll be at it again.

All of this has been made a great deal easier with information received from

John Gifford, Sheila Edwards, Paul Harris, John Down and Ian Lewis,
all of whom

I Thank Very Much.

The Game Ain't Over 'Til the Fat Lady Sings!

The Year (January) List now stands at 193

All Western On The Quiet Front

2012-01-28T07:29:00.002Z

They just keep on coming, as today we are able to welcome our 163rd country/region to the readership, the 3 islands that make up the Cayman Islands part of the Greater Antilles Group.

The nearest I have personally travelled to the islands is Cuba, and in traditional fashion we extend a warm welcome, hope you enjoy the read and please spread the word throughout the Islands. WELCOME!

Weymouth Bay, Beach and Seafront this morning.

Considering it's January the weather in general has been very good with only an occasional frost, some rain and on the whole mild. This continued today with what may turn out to be the best day of the month, bright sunshine, cloudless sky, decent temperature and next to no wind unless you were stood at the tip of the Bill.

However, on the deficit side there was very little to report from around the bazaars. The cemetery remained very quiet, while at Radipole these distant Common Snipe where in company with 8 Black-tailed Godwit even further away.

Even this Little Grebe did a

disappearing act at my approach and so it was the bus to Portland.

There too things were quiet with this impromptu shot from the bus

of a flier who must have just taken off from New Road. I did meet Dave & Ricky Lambert at the Observatory who had seen some Purple Sandpipers but apart from that it was left to the sea to produce any other excitement. Off-shore various seabirds were passing by in their thousands, consisting mainly of Gulls, Auks (Guillemot & Razorbill) plus a good number of Gannets.

The Army, seemingly erecting a temporary wireless station, were of some interest but after a coffee at the Bird Observatory, where redecorating is in full swing, I made for home.

If the 200 species for January are to be achieved, the equation is 8 species in 4 days! With a small trump card up the sleeve and maybe an 'Ace', plus a 'never say die attitude, here's hoping for a little more to report tomorrow!

This early post today will allow me to maximise the time that is left.

Once Bittern........

2012-01-27T17:32:00.001Z

There was heavy rain before dawn this morning, but the stiff south west breeze soon pushed the remaining clouds away, while otherwise there was once again a mild feel to the day. If proof were needed of the latter then reports of Swallows already in Kent and Cornwall would endorse this as Dotterel and Hoopoe have also been seen in Cornwall.

A blank was drawn in the cemetery, so onward to Radipole where I was prepared to invest a couple of hours to see if a Bittern would emerge from the reeds. In the event it was mainly the usual with no more than 5

Pochard feeding in the shallows,

Moorhen as ever,

while the male Marsh Harrier was up and about early quartering the reeds

until finally settling in its favoured tree.

Shelduck were also present along with

good numbers of Gadwall,

Shoveler and

Dunnock were also present but the wait for the elusive Heron was in vain. The old adage is quite clear that 'if the mountain won't go to Mohamed' then catch the

X53 service to Poole and search for it elsewhere! Before boarding it was noted there were a few Merchant Vessels in Weymouth Roads, but with no adverse weather to keep them there than it was probably due to commercial reasons they were anchored there.

A selection of vessels at anchor off of Weymouth. Alighting at the

it was thought there would be a good chance of Common Sandpiper here

but with the fresh breeze blowing directly along the railway embankment, both bank of this along with the rocky foreshores of Holes Bay were turned into a 'splash zone'. The walk around the perimeter takes a little more than an hour, but with little more than

Wigeon and

Oystercatchers to report it was time to move on. A bus from the Poole Station to Broadstone put me within a couple of miles of

Hatch Pond where I might get a second go at Bittern.

Only a small water course, there have been as many as 4 reported here in recent days

so there was an even better chance than at Radipole.

These 2 Cormorants had just completed a bout of fishing and where drying their wings as a Kingfisher flew by and also present were Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Teal, Mallard and Common Snipe. It was something of a wait but sure enough

this Bittern revealed itself, flying half way across the lake.

Only by a stroke of luck did i arrive back at the Poole Bus Station with a full hour to wait for the return X53 to Weymouth, so decided to retrace my steps in the hope of the Sandpiper. This was not to be, and apart from getting caught in a rather severe but short lived hail storm, the journey home was uneventful. One more species to add so

The Year (January) List now stands at 192

Stranger In Paradise - Tony Bennett

2012-01-26T18:03:00.002Z

On the first day back on home soil there were no prizes for guessing where I was heading, so for the fourth time this year it was back to

Lyme Regis

in search of that pesky American Wader. The weather was fair with a moderate breeze from the south west, chilly but comfortable as the full cloud cover released occasional bursts of light drizzle.

A lone Kite Surfer was taking advantage of the wind, while all I was finding was the expected fare such as

Pied Wagtail,

Rock Pipit and then on the eastern sea wall

Purple Sandpiper.

There were a dozen of them in total

and as this lovely little Wader often is

tolerant of human presence,

but it was the 'rarity' I was after and almost to order

there sharing a rock with the 'Purps' was the Spotted Sandpiper. It seemed fairly mobile today allowing shots of

Front,
Back and
both sides and also flighty

aerial views as well.

Eventually, it flew, along with the other Sandpipers, out to the rocks awash where this Oystercatcher and Black-headed Gull were perched.

Black-headed Gull II. A search was then made for the Dippers and Grey Wagtails but neither were found, There seems to be something about the course of the River Lim as, not for the first time, workmen were in the river repairing and surveying buildings.

All that was seen was this fine looking male Mallard

along with his female.

The skeleton at the bottom of the river was thought to be that of a Mute Swan, going by neck length and bill size, but may have been a Goose.

Feral Pigeons are ever present while a

a female Blackbird looked down from her lofty perch.

A final look at Golden Cap

and this Herring Gull before boarding the X53 back to Weymouth and a look for Bittern on the Radipole Reserve.

On the way back a bus stop coincided with this view of a working Thatcher, but at the Reserve there was no sign of the Heron.

Instead, there was another Black-headed Gull this one already in full breeding plumage and

the Hooded Merganser was directly under foot at the main bridge.

how could anyone resist a photo shoot of such a staggering bird?

The Year (January) List now stands at 191

Finally, I should title this item

Be Sure Your Sins Will Find You Out

A couple of years ago my friends Paul & Tess down in Emsworth, Hampshire fell under the spell of 'bird watching' with me always asserting that I am a 'birder; and not a 'twitcher'. How then are they able to believe this when a friend of there's saved a newspaper cutting relating to the Spanish Sparrow at Calshott earlier in the month. The headline was enough to shatter my credibility but to see me at the head of the pack was the final nail in the coffin. I could hardly blame them for appending their own headline to which I have no answer - touché

Will Ye No Come Back Again - Lyrics by Carolina, Lady Nairne

2012-01-25T17:15:00.006Z

The day was set fair for my last look, this trip at least, at Scotland as I had strategically placed myself on the bank of the River Ythan in the Udly Hotel again hoping, yes desperately hoping to see the King Eider. The view form the window told the weather tail, a heavy frost, clear atmosphere, little wind and more than a chance of rain so quickly off to breakfast.

A huge astronomical tide had all but drained the estuary of water but looking to the west, flocks of shore birds were enjoying the exposed mud,

while to the east a few Eiders could be seen in the distance. This would be the place to start the search!

Can you see it yet? No neither could I.

A bunch (or maybe the collective noun is 'string') of Knot flew in

and settled on the far bank with an Oystercatcher

while it wasn't until the River Mouth that the Eiders were found.

They were not alone, the usual colony (harem, herd, pod, rookery or spring) of Atlantic Grey Seals

were relaxing on the sand spit and making a right din.

In Praise of the Humble Eider

This large, bulky and powerful 'sea duck' is a real favourite of mine especially at this range, but something had seemed to spook this 'raft' of Northern Eider.

They were soon back to preening and wing stretching, but there was a little more going on than that.

Early in the year but these lot were already billing and cooing,

with male birds standing erect (if that's the right word) and

showing off to the girls.

First you puff your chest right out,

then throw your head back and let out a mighty Awowooooooooooo!

Once you've shown your dominance and she is quite submissive

the World is Your Scallop,

or in the case of this female your Oyster for breakfast. However gents, don't make the mistake of trying this with the little lady at home as the only cooing will be "coo that hurt"!

Others on the estuary included Cormorant,

Wigeon,

Sanderling and

Red-breasted Merganser.

The King Eider was not seen, so
The Year (January) List still stands at 190

Unfortunately it was rapidly reaching noon and the car had to be returned before catching the early afternoon flight to London Heathrow. As a young lad in the Bramcote Hills School for Boys, one of our party piece songs was this fine Scottish poem put to music by I don't know whom, but great words nonetheless. I have sung this to myself every day I've been here and sincerely hope it won't be too long before I do return.

THERE'S A CLEAN WIND BLOWING

There's a clean wind blowing o'r hill-flower and peat
Where the bell-heather's growing, and the brown burn flowing
and the ghost-shadows going down the glen on stealthy feet
There's a clean wind blowing, and the breath of it is sweet

There's a clean wind blowing, and the world holds but three
The purple peak against the sky, the master wind, and me
The moor birds are tossing like ships upon the sea
There's a clean wind blowing, a clean wind blowing free.

There's a clean wind blowing, untainted of the town,
A fair-hitting foe-man with his glove flung down.
Will ye take his lordly challenge and the gauntlet that he throws,
And come forth among the heather
Where the clean wind blows !

I am not big on giving advice but will say that if you have never had the pleasure of visiting Scotland I would strongly urge a visit to this wonderful country of ever changing scenes. However, I know a lot of 'off-shore workers' who don't quite see it like that.

Finally, as can be seen from the 'Flags Table' there have been some dramatic increases in the readership and 2 new countries entering the 3 Figure Zone. Both Poland and Japan have leapfrogged Switzerland, but it looks likely that they plus Ireland and Taiwan will soon be up there with them.

A HUGE Thank You to All, hoping you will pass the link on to Friends & Family.

Num	Perc.	Country Name
28482	75.57%	United Kingdom
2323	6.16%	United States
511	1.36%	Canada
420	1.11%	Estonia
407	1.08%	Germany
359	0.95%	Australia
351	0.93%	France
262	0.70%	Netherlands
262	0.70%	New Zealand
258	0.68%	Italy
242	0.64%	Spain
234	0.62%	India
212	0.56%	Brazil
177	0.47%	Japan
154	0.41%	Sweden
147	0.39%	Belgium
131	0.35%	Russian Federation
106	0.28%	Poland
98	0.26%	Switzerland
93	0.25%	Ireland
92	0.24%	Taiwan

Will Ye No Come Back Again

2012-01-25T17:15:00.000Z

A huge astronomical tide had all but drained the estuary of water but looking to the west, flocks of shore birds were enjoying the exposed mud,

while to the east a few Eiders could be seen in the distance. This would be the place to start the search!

Can you see it yet? No neither could I.

A bunch (or maybe the collective noun is 'string') of Knot flew in

and settled on the far bank with an Oystercatcher

while it wasn't until the River Mouth that the Eiders were found.

They were not alone, the usual colony (harem, herd, pod, rookery or spring) of Atlantic Grey Seals

were relaxing on the sand spit and making a right din.

In Praise of the Humble Eider

This large, bulky and powerful 'sea duck' is a real favourite of mine especially at this range, but something had seemed to spook this 'raft' of Northern Eider.

They were soon back to preening and wing stretching, but there was a little more going on than that.

Early in the year but these lot were already billing and cooing,

with male birds standing erect (if that's the right word) and

showing off to the girls.

First you puff your chest right out,

then throw your head back and let out a mighty Awowooooooooooo!

Once you've shown your dominance and she is quite submissive

the World is Your Scallop,

or in the case of this female your Oyster for breakfast. However gents, don't make the mistake of trying this with the little lady at home as the only cooing will be "coo that hurt"!

Others on the estuary included Cormorant,

Wigeon,

Sanderling and

Red-breasted Merganser.

The King Eider was not seen, so
The Year (January) List still stands at 190

A HUGE Thank You to All, hoping you will pass the link on to Friends & Family.

Num	Perc.	Country Name
28482	75.57%	United Kingdom
2323	6.16%	United States
511	1.36%	Canada
420	1.11%	Estonia
407	1.08%	Germany
359	0.95%	Australia
351	0.93%	France
262	0.70%	Netherlands
262	0.70%	New Zealand
258	0.68%	Italy
242	0.64%	Spain
234	0.62%	India
212	0.56%	Brazil
177	0.47%	Japan
154	0.41%	Sweden
147	0.39%	Belgium
131	0.35%	Russian Federation
106	0.28%	Poland
98	0.26%	Switzerland
93	0.25%	Ireland
92	0.24%	Taiwan

Four Grouse and a Crossbill

2012-01-24T20:02:00.001Z

There had been some overnight snow, and it seemed like most of it was on my windscreen! However, even though there was still a small 'fall' while eating the last hearty breakfast at Craigellachie House the sky was already brightening.

While it might be something of a national pastime to bemoan our councils, there is no cause for complain about the Road Gritters right across Scotland. This evolution isn't confined to the arterial roads, on the contrary, even the smallest roads including those through the forests are treated. I'm impressed! Lucky as far as I was concerned,as all that was on my mine was seeing the 4 Grouse species and the Parrot Crossbill.

My first 2 hours of daylight were taken up 'curb crawling' the bye-ways of the Abernethy and Rothiemurchus Forests rather than setting of on foot to find these elusive creatures. Capercaillie was considered most difficult as this would simple be a case of stumbling over one, which I didn't, while there were 2 sites that could be tried for the other.

While turning at Nethy Bridge to take another pass along the Loch Garten road, I couldn't resist the temptation to visit this 'feeding station' once again

where a Crested Tit was the only bird there. Who could resist another look at such a bonny, wee bird?

There was however an onlooker in the shape of this Red Squirrel.

Looking at Cairn Gorm from a distance, just momentarily head above the clouds, I was on my way for a final look at the Black-Cock Lek site.

There, to my amazement was a single Black Grouse* perched on a sapling as a further 3 flew past, all were males.

During the breeding season a wicker screen is erected here, but viewers cannot get much closer to the Lek as the whole area between is a bog. Today, better views were had via the Mighty Midget 'scope.

As the noon bell struck it was time to call it a day on the Caper and return to Cairn Gorm where it was hoped things would be a good deal quieter. They were but with lots of people still around maybe too much human activity for Ptarmigan and Red Grouse. A walk part way up the mountain followed by another perch on the parapet produced no signs of life except human, so it was time to move on. The drive back into Aberdeenshire is via another

Ski Resort, atop

The Lecht which is reached via this steep and winding road,

but up there, where you could almost guarantee a Red Grouse, it was a 'white-out'. The search produced nothing so it was decision time, a straight drive back to Aberdeen or take a 35 mile each way detour in the hope of success. NEVER SAY DIE SAY I!

'Blink' at the Bridge of Brown and you miss the village completely, but passing through brought back memories of the bird we found there last April. A fine male Reeves Pheasant not a bird that is on the British List but an absolute stunner to look at don't you agree?

Passing Corgarff Castle you soon reach the A 939 Ballater road catching the first sight of the

Mountains of Deeside & Lochnagar and the accompanying Braemar Grouse Moors.

It was a long search but finally a single Red Grouse* was sighted which soon took to the air

as I left the car. Good job it was a camera and not a 12 bore!

There was just a short stop at the town of Braemar to admire some of the fine buildings and bring just a flavour to you,

it being quite understandable why the Royal Family love this part of the world so much. As a footnote, there was a time when a Capercaillie made the roof of the Post Office here its favourite perch. It was certainly worth a look, but I couldn't even find the building.

Further on down the road, 7 more Red Grouse flew down a valley followed by the sighting of a male

and a female in a roadside lay-by.

Reaching Glen Shee, the final destination, the

Ptarmigan* proved to be far less troublesome than their cousins as 5 flew across the road close to the car to join a further 2 already perched at the bottom of a vavine. Unfortunately, the photograph is borrowed from the internet and is not mine, mores the pity but the bird was 'in the bag' so to speak.

There were also a number of Mountain Hares in their white winter plumage, but again the photograph has had to be lifted from the archive.

75% success rate on the Grouse is no bad result, and during the day quite a number of Crossbills were seen but none of them that I could see with the massive bill structure of Parrot Crossbill.

The Year (January) List now stands at 190
and we begin the countdown of the final 10 or more.

If You Don't Get One Sort of Grouse, Get the Other!

2012-01-23T18:00:00.003Z

I'm rather partial to Matthew Gloag's product, if it's a blended whiskey then my choice would be The Famous Grouse. Over the years the distillery have been inventive and produced, probably more for novelty than profit, a Black Grouse, a Snow Grouse (which it is recommended should be sipped directly from the freezer) while last night I was introduced to The Naked Grouse. A visit to the pub next door for a nightcap, was met with a whole host of convivial people not least the Landlord when I asked for a 'wee half' (Scottish for a Whiskey). The bottle is of a different shape to the others, of clear glass and has a Grouse embossed (naked) on its side. Nifty I thought!

To make things clear we are running one day behind.

This morning the gale had given way to a gentle breeze, the sky remained overcast and whatever precipitation there was arrived in light and infrequent bursts. One might consider these perfect conditions for a bit of Grouse hunting of a different kind, but Oh how WRONG you can be!

One of the many quaint quirks about being a 'fixed income pensioner' is that you rarely know, or care, what day it is. Yes, I know now that it was Sunday because someone told me but unfortunately in retrospect! No Buggers at work, and I'm heading for Cairn Gorm.

First encounter was at Avemore where the International Sled Dog Championships were taking place. Now while I have no liking for dogs at all, it was intriguing to spend a little time watching this event.

There were said to be at least 1,000 'Huskies' on site and probably double that number of people, with vehicles piled bumper to bumper both sides of the verges,

a PA system blaring out and the associate noise of people and pets.

Everybody and their dog were here so you begin to see why my idea was flawed, but there was worse to come.

At the Cairn Gorm Ski Centre and Funicular Railway, there were literally hundreds of people here to celebrate National Snow Day! The noise that was belching from the 8 huge speaker, probably rejected by Led Zeppelin as being to LOUD, was deafening and hardly what you would expect in a National Park - how do they get away with it?

The traffic was of 'convoy proportions

while a continual snake of Sherpa like figures where climbing the very mountain intended for my rendezvous with a Ptarmigan.

I got as far as The Burn and decided to abort, thinking this had been the wort idea I'd ever had!

Ptarmigan or Red Grouse had most certainly been there earlier,

as had quite possibly a Rabbit (Mountain Hare would show a 'snowshoe' hind leg/foot) but the hubbub was frightening me away so what chance them?

Had the visibility allowed the Mountain of Cairn Gorm would stand centre stage in this shot as I drove off to pursue Plan B.

Perching the car on the edge of the precipice I scanned the area for about 30 minutes in hope of seeing a bird in flight, there being no chance of hearing one with PA's in all directions.

From there I revisited The Slochd Summit but failed to locate any Red Grouse, and was thinking, on my way to the Findhorn Headwaters again, that it was about time Lady Luck sprinkled a little of her dust in my direction. About 8 miles down the single lane road she did so as it seemed as though the sun had been Obscure By Clouds (Pink Floyd). Looking up

Flippin' Ek, or words to that effect, a Golden Eagle* directly overhead!

A little editing to bring out some colour,

as it folded its wings for a stoop into the Glen.

I was gifted a full 8 to 10 minutes watching this magnificent creature scouring the cliff face and scree in hope of a meal,

then barely without a wing beat it gained altitude and disappeared over the mountain top - Pheeew!

On the way back to the Rothiemurchus Forest there was time to visit Boat of Garten Central Station and

The Railway Museum.

Passing through Nethy Bridge it has always raised a little mirth when I see this Butcher Shop.

Drawing on a little 'local knowledge', there was a good chance of success at a feeding station I know in the Abernethy Forest not far from Nethy Bridge. The station was constructed, sighted and is maintained by the people of the village

and is the best chance I know for Crested Tit*.

No disappointment today as there were probably as many as 4 present. In addition there were several small groups of Crossbill, but deciding which species is a minefield even for those who live with and study them. It was fortunate that during the 'ringing' programme here in the late 90's I paid 2 visits to the ringing station seeing both Common and Scottish Crossbill* in the hand, total catches amounting to 20% - 80% in favour of the latter. Of the 3 or 4 I could make any sense of today they also appeared to be Scottish.

The Year (January) List now stands at 187

Finally, a few words about Craigellachie House. Probably the best guest house I have ever had the pleasure of staying in, and again an excellent hub for keen bird and general wildlife watchers. As this part of the world is busy all year round it would be advisable to book well in advance. The telephone number is 01479 841641.

Wonderful Land - The Shadows

2012-01-22T17:36:00.004Z

We are delighted to welcome another country, and another Caribbean Island, to the readership by way of Dominica, number 162. Not to be confused with Dominican Republic, where I have yet to visit, some time was spent on this beautiful place during a cruise in 2004. Thanks for joining us, please pass the link on to your friends and families and hope you enjoy the ride.

1	0.00%	Fiji
1	0.00%	Albania
1	0.00%	Guyana
1	0.00%	Zambia
1	0.00%	Nigeria
1	0.00%	Macao
1	0.00%	Botswana
1	0.00%	Saint Lucia
1	0.00%	Aruba
1	0.00%
1	0.00%	Turks And Caicos Islands
1	0.00%	Dominica
1	0.00%	Bolivia

Before getting on to today's report proper, some information for 'birders' particularly but also others who may follow this trail behind me. The last 2 nights stay at the Aultguish Inn have been everything you could expect from a hostelry, with the geographical location probably being key to any bird watching expedition. The narrative of the last 2 posts will identify what may be seen, except the real chance of Otter, the odd Whale etc.

A good job I'd loaded optics, maps etc into the car before breakfast because as I made to leave the mother of all squalls hit and there I stood a little damp to say the least. From thereon it seemed to be a day of deteriorating weather with every element of BAD manifesting itself at one stage or another. There might have been a couple more 'bites of the cherry' as far as Golden Eagle was concerned, but not under these conditions, so by-passing Loch Maree I continued the 60 mile drive to the next location.

It should be said that due to the poor weather all of the wildlife shots are from the archive while all others were taken today.

With very short spells of sunshine en-route, there was chance to investigate some habitats visited in the past such as the bridge just south of Garve where Dipper breeds. There was a single bird on site, and I like to think it may have been one of last years offspring.

Further south, and just before the Torr roundabout, stands the Tollie Red Kite Feeding Station, a great little place Dave Tissington and I discovered on our visit last year.

3 Red Kite were seen today, but it was a much larger and more powerful raptor I wanted to see, however there was other business to attend to before that possibility. Passing the Culloden Battlefield, it was on to

the Slochd Summit, the highest point on the A9, and infamous for bad weather. Some say "if you can see the top it's going to snow", others say "if you can't see the top, it is snowing"! Just past this point on the right is a fine Grouse Moor where I have never failed to see Red Grouse. Today I couldn't even find the turn-off.

If I was going to see any Eagles today this would be the place, a single lane road at the Tomatin turn-off, where both Golden and White-tailed Sea Eagle are sometimes seen (eh Bomber?).

There are the 'headwaters' of the Findhorn River and one of the most scenic and tranquil places in this part of Scotland.

Common Gull have a breeding colony covering much of the area shown in the 2 photographs above.

One of the many tributaries of the River Findhorn.

Looking west down the Findhorn Valley.

I was only prepared to walk part way up this slope to get the photo!

There were Red Deer on the slopes but even they seemed to be cowering against the elements.

This is as far as you can go by car, on another day the 5 mile walk to the collapsed bridge would have been in order. I sat here for a full 3 hours this morning, stretching my legs as weather allowed, but it was never going to be an Eagle day!

A Golden Eagle? No unfortunately not, just a much smaller Common Buzzard. So. giving up, but only for the present, I pushed on to

Carrbridge, a village named after this fine structure. Luck certainly befell me as I tried for B&B, stumbling on Craigellachie House, the most beautifully appointed Guest House I have ever seen. With that accolade perhaps no need to say that I am staying for the next 2 nights. Having decanted my things, the search continued but with the RSPB Reserve at Loch Garten 'closed' I was at a loss as to where to find Capercaille.

The only site I know for Black Grouse, is in this direction but there were none here today. Things were starting to look a little grim, so next best is to slowly drive the forest roads in the hope of seeing either. This didn't work here,

but a stroke of luck did bring a 'chance' sighting of a large flock of Brambling*

without which the Year List would have remained the same.

With still some daylight left and still plenty of sleet, snow and now developing heavy rain, it was thought worth a drive to the Rothiemurchus Forest

to try our luck in this wonderful habitat. We came away empty handed, but there's another day tomorrow and no matter what the weather may bring you can be sure your correspondent will be in the field.

The Year (January) List now stands at 184

O Ye'll Tak' the High Road and I'll Tak' the Low Road

2012-01-21T18:00:00.003Z

Just a quick look (to the left) from the doorway of the hotel this morning was enough to realise the day was going to be very much at the mercy of the weather.

There had been little more snow fall overnight but to the north (right) the clouds were most definitely gathering. News from mine-host suggested that at least one Golden Eagle had been seen with some regularity not far along this road

so stationed myself in a lay-by and scanned all around. For those following progress via a map, the circuit today would run from the Aultguish Hotel just north of Garve on the A 835, NW to the A832 completing the loop via Dundonnell, Laide, Kinlochewe and Achnasheen back to the A 835.

Unfortunately, no joy but the disappointment was mellowed by the stunning scenery which will be difficult to translate via photographs.

Reaching Little Loch Broom the weather changed dramatically, with no sign of snow and while just as cold the sun was even trying to show through. The Loch was a great disappointing as it is usually a formality to see all 3 of the more common British Divers, while on 2 previous visits White-billed Diver has been seen as well. However, when compared with the man working on this floating Salmon Farm, I considered my luck to be IN!

Along the side of the road this Red Deer was having trouble getting back onto the fenced Moor.

Next comes Gruinard Island, probably most noted for experiments with the anthrax bacterium during the Second World War,

while in the far distance lies the village of Laide

with more Deer closer at hand. From these fantastic vantage points much can be seen of the surrounding countryside and seaways, and it was no surprise that 2 juvenile White-tailed Sea Eagles* flew across the bay.

Here too were a group of both Atlantic Grey and Common Seals.

Further along in this clump of trees is the nest site of a pair of Sea Eagle, with close approach being, thankfully, extremely difficult.

With a 'scope, 20 x 20 vision and a little imagination the pale head of an adult bird can be seen in the nest.

On the subject of nests, this islet would make an ideal home for a pair of breeding Red-throated or Black-throated Divers which are common here but thus far not seen. A right turning in Laide leads to a single lane track taking you to the village of

where 'remote' is not the word. A hamlet of no more than half a dozen dwellings,

a fine herd of Highland Cattle,

a wintering flock

of true Rock Doves and much besides.

At Udrigle Beach

this Great Northern Diver

was feeding well inshore and seemingly having plenty of luck with the Crabs and

also preening and flapping.

A short wander back, a stop at Laide Jetty saw this

immature Gannet appear and start

diving for fish right in front of me.

I have never managed to capture

this sequence before

so made the most of it while the going was good.

PS - it didn't appear to catch anything. During this drive I encountered a dog walker and past the time of day, finding that he is a Sea Captain serving with the Scottish Maritime Lights Authority. Interesting to talk to, we found we had a mutual friend in Captain Peter Coul who worked on the Buchan Alpha Standby Vessel during my time and often shared a drink (along with his lady-friend Gladys) when we met up ashore. Small World!

During this time 5 Black Guillemot* were recorded, 4 in 'winter plumage' remained on the sea while an unmistakable all black Auk with white ovate wing patches had to be a 'summer plumage' bird. In addition Red-throated Diver plus Black-throated Diver* were also logged.

Soon after leaving this area the journey back begins as you sight Loch Ewe and the Ministry of Defence Ships Fueling Jetty and Storage Bund under this hill. As a Submariner this area was very familiar back in the 60's.

Next comes Loch Maree which is reputed to have the highest population of Golden Eagles in Scotland, I wonder what the people of the Isle of Skye make of that?

Having said that, I have never seen one here in all the years visited and

unfortunately my 100% record was kept in tact today.

Glen Docharty is undoubtedly one of the best sights along the way, so I was more that happy to perch here for half an hour, but still no Eagle,

and so back to the A835 and home for a hot toddy.

The Year (January) List now stands at 183

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow - Bing Crosby

2012-01-20T17:50:00.010Z

Scottish Joke, to be told in the dialect

What is the difference between Bing Crosby and Walt Disney?
Answer at the END!

The start of the heavy rain coincided with my getting up at 06:00 this morning, and with a fierce wind also rattling the panes things didn't look well set for a day birding. The B&B had been the same as Dave Tissington and I stayed in during our Spring Tour in April last year, with the breakfast remaining just as good despite the weather I was raring to go!

The minor road along the coast was preferred to transit from Fraserburgh to McDuff, while a stop at the first village, Roseharty gave a chance to survey the weather first hand. Not so good at present, which was the same as the road the diversion sending me back to the arterial to reach the destination.

This miniature Glastonbury Tor caught my eye en-route, not noting where it was, but interesting in as much like yesterday's church there was little habitation around.

Not having been this way before, there was a certain something about McDuff and its tiny Harbour, but first things first, there was a bird to consider. It was a full week ago since it was reported with little reason for it to leave, but the whole thing was a 'needle in a haystack' until bumping into a local birder.

He soon had me onto the Grey Phalarope* but advised that it is often absent or maybe just not re-found. That was a welcome surprise to say the least, but what was to follow knocked my socks off, as a Puffin* flew by. Recorded annually during all winter months from the Buchan Alpha so should have been considered, but this didn't even make the cut on a 'wants list'.

A little time was spent looking around the town, particularly this fine monument to whom I know not.

This 7 Arched Bridge over the River Deveron separates Mcduff from its twin town of Banff. It was then a full 70 miles drive to Inverness, passing on the way

more than one Whiskey Distillery and a view of the

'Jack-Up' Rig Mearsk Resilient being towed up the Moray Firth towards Invergordon.

The Kessock Bridge linking Inverness with the Black Isle, crosses at the point where the Moray Firth meets the Beauly Firth, and is the only bridge of its sort I know that doesn't charge a toll.

A few miles north is the Tore Roundabout where the road separates in 4 directions. I have always been successful with Red Kite* taking the A835 towards Dingwall and simply scanning from the large lay-by just 2 miles further on. The final visit today would also involve quite a long drive, but should the bird in prospect be sighted it would be worth walking.

By comparison Loch Fleet is only tiny, but searching a thousand acres of mud flats would take some doing, so help was again needed.

None was forthcoming and the task was further hampered as the heavy rain (turning to sleet) was forced to earth by a gale force wind, the approach seen in this shot Viewing was only possible from the shelter of the car, but that way a fair area was covered and in the process

Little Grebe,

many Hooded Crows,

the first Pied Wagtail,

hundreds upon hundreds of feeding Rooks

and almost alongside a Slavonian Grebe. The news on the much sort after bird, a long staying Greater Yellowlegs (a medium size and rare Wader from the Americas) remained unseen.

On the way back to the main road, this monument was noticed

but again have no idea who it is dedicated to. It was now time to think of a suitable location to begin tomorrows foray but with the weather now turned to continuous heavy snow, most B&B's closed for the season and the remoteness of the Highlands that may not be easy. The Inchbae Lodge Hotel some miles north of Garve would have been idea except with no Internet letting the readership down was not an option. It was now a choice of 26 miles to Ullapool or even more back to Inverness,

when I came across the Aultguish Inn a little further north on the A835.

So here I am safe and warm and sending out the post, question is just how long will I be here? See you in the Spring!

The Year (January) List now stands at 180

Bing Sings and Walt Dis - Ney!
OK, I'm OFF

White Wings & Long Tails

2012-01-19T18:00:00.007Z

After an extremely comfortable nights rest and a hearty breakfast in the Udny Hotel, Newburgh, I set off for the

estuary of the River Ythan (literally round the back of the hotel) under a cloudy sky and fairly cold south west wind. The ever present

Eider were there, and while I could make comparisons with my many spring trips here, safe to say there were nowhere as many.

male birds and females were there along with a few

eclipse plumage individuals, while searching around Mallard, Wigeon, Grey Heron, Black-headed Gull, House Sparrow all entered the log but a great surprise came by way of a 'ring-tail' (female) Hen Harrier* hunting the margins. So light and delicate was her flight it was reminiscent of a Nightjar on the wing.

There were 100's of Oystercatcher, but next in the book was a lone

Long-tailed Duck*, another addition to the Year List as denoted by the asterisk.

The first sign of Pink-footed Geese was the 'honking' of this small gaggle as it cut the still dark sky, but that is not all that was aloft!

The sight of this 'crew change helicopter' heading for an off-shore Oil Rig had me worried that it may try and get me back out there, so I hid under a bush. Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Blue & Great Tit, Herring, Great Black-backed & Common Gull, Cormorant, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Jackdaw, Wood Pigeon, Shelduck, Redshank plus a Rock Pipit soon followed suit along with a few Grey Seals. Unfortunately there was no sign, so far, of the main target a King Eider but it was now time to go off in search of a couple of long lost friends.

All my wildlife records from the North Sea were sent here to Andrew Thorpe (North Sea Bird Club Recorder) and (Archive Compiler) Alma Fraser.

There was no way I could pay a visit to Newburgh and not drop in on them, but unfortunately Andy was away on business. Nevertheless, Alma an I spent some time catching up before I returned to the search.

Back on the beach, good numbers of Dunlin, Ringed Plover and

Sanderling were arriving to take advantage of the falling tide

while close to low water I took one more scan for the 'King', took a last look at the fantastic sand dunes on the other side before taking my leave. There might be time for a re-visit at the end of the trip.

On the way north, not for the first time I marvelled at this huge church that stands almost alone with only 5 other buildings close by,

and called into the remote Meikle Loch where in the past I have seen

American Wigeon and Snow Goose, but today it was given over totally to a variety of Gulls.

Peterhead Lighthouse.

Mr Read from Peterhead died and his widow, to save a few pence, put this short obituary in the paper.

Peter Read fa'Peterheed is deed!
The lady at the newspaper pointed out that for the same price she could have 3 more words.
So she re-jigged the entry to
Peter Read fa'Peterheed is deed! Volvo For Sale.

Another stop on the way was to look at this flock of feeding Curlew in a road side field, and how nice to be able to stop as there is no other traffic?

was today, as it always has been, another port of call if for nothing else

the Tree Sparrows*

The view from the Visitor's Centre, from where both

Bewick's Swan and Whooper Swan* could be seen, it is hoped the latter may be seen at closer quarters on one of the Lochs further north.

Highland Cattle in the sea-side fields, and

hundreds of Golden Plover and Lapwing.

Just around the corner is the Rattery Head Lighthouse and accompanying Sand Dunes. This is a cold place on the best of days, and this was no exception. The beach can be good for Snow Bunting and occasionally Shore Lark and even the King Eider ventures this far on occasion. None of these today unfortunately, but in many ways better were 5 Twite* (always here to my knowledge) and a first ever chance to compare their 'calls' with that of close relative the Linnet of which there were about 30 but not mixing with the others.

No Corn Bunting or Yellowhammer, which are also common here, but a great chance to watch Pink-footed Geese landing at close quarters and a few Meadow Pipit added to the Day List.

The plan had been to make it as far as McDuff some miles to the west, but days are shorter up here with sensible daylight not occurring until 09:00 and darkness showing its hand before 4pm. There was likely to be a long search ahead of me arriving at the Fraserburgh Lighthouse, built on a small headland at the edge of the town, and that was for reported 'White-winged Gulls'.

I had driven around the port a few times before spotting this Iceland Gull* perched on the roof of one of several Fish Processing Factories,

and with so many feeding spots to choose from all of these birds are very flighty. The roof shot was taken as I left the car with the fight shot moments later, that was the last I saw of this Gull.

Atlantic Grey Seals thrive here in the Inner Harbour, but it seems, given the laceration on this ones back he has not been able to avoid a skirmish!

While that one looked big, this one was bigger.

Kings Cross, a fine looking 'palagic trawler'.

After what seemed like 50 times around the harbour, chatting to a couple of trawler Skippers and even taking the ropes of one boat, I was now close to calling it a day. Once more and it would be time to find a B&B. Luckily that was enough as there it was sat on the rocks.

A Glaucous Gull quite unconcerned about my presence,

putting on all kinds of posses and

contortions before it too decided

it had had enough, and flew away. Thanks for these 2 'White Beauties' have to go to Sheila and John for reports and directions.

Finally, with all the chattering going on close to the Lighthouse, a quick investigation found this

fairly large roost (or pre-roost) of Starlings. While I won't attempt to keep count of all the species seen on the trip it would be good at least to note them, so in addition to those already mentioned Mute Swan, Goldfinch, Bar-tailed Godwit, Collared Dove, Blckbird, Turnstone, Knot, Rook, Little Grebe, Common Buzzard, Goldeneye, Pheasant, Kestrel, Barnacle Goose, Common Scoter and Shag were also seen along the way.

The Year (January) List now stands at 177

The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen

2012-01-18T18:19:00.003Z

Mean Home, Sweet Home to Me!

Unfortunately, we remain one day behind with the posts but this having been a transit day it has given a little space at the start of the new adventure. A full programme for the next 7 days is planned, which may well involve 1,000 miles of driving, visits to at least 3 Scottish counties plus a most ambitious target of some 'two dozen' additions to the Year List.

After a hearty breakfast at the William Henry pub in Weymouth, it was the 035 National Express service that got me to Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 in plenty of time. Déjà vu was heavy in the air as in the past I spent a full 20 years plying this same route every month, but the local knowledge gathered during those years would pay dividends on landing.

This plus the best thing that ever happened to air travel, on-line check-in, allowed me a front row window seat where I would be able to survey the scene on our arrival at Dyce. There was also a third element contributing to the good fortune at that was a strong tail wind and a Captain with a 'lead boot'.

Hooded Crow is a resident at Aberdeen Dyce Aiport, with a pair awaiting the BA1312,

which brings up a 'milestone' in the attempt to reach the massive 200 species for the month.

There was something of a wait for the hire car, by which time darkness had fallen not helping with the next transit from airport to the (booked) Udny Arms Hotel at Newburgh, some 10 miles north of Aberdeen. Those following progress via a road atlas or Google Maps will find the village just north of Balmedie, nestling on the banks of the River Ythan, where I will be at first light in the morning. We'll talk again tomorrow - with good news I hope!

The Year (January) List now stands at 170

PS

A thousand apologies are extended for the major Editorial Slip of yesterday. The tiny waterbird depicted on the 7th photograph from top is not of course a Little Egret but a Golden Eagle, the appropriate amendment having been put in place. Well done to those who spotted the 'deliberate mistake'.

Now, where was I?

Come Fly With Me - Frank Sinatra

2012-01-17T06:33:00.005Z

With the dark, thundery clouds of the past few days now cleared through and replaced by bright sunshine, it was considered a good day to re-visit Lyme Regis, for the forth time this year, in search of the elusive Spotted Sandpiper. With a full 90 minutes in hand, there was time to follow my usual daily track through the cemetery, where the ghostly apparition of Sunday's Grey Heron was replaced by those of

2 Mute Swans and

this very high flying Peregrine. Between here and Radipole, all else seen were common fare in the shape of

Tufted Duck,

female Gadwall,

a 1st winter Mute Swan (one of 7 still present on the reserve),

Cormorant and a

Little Grebe.

The squawking of this little chap drew my attention to the parapet beneath the Radipole road bridge, and looking up

found 2 not yet fledged Feral Pigeons or Squabs as they are often known. Despite their recent emergence from the egg, it seemed as if they were already enjoying some 'billing & cooing'?

Time then to think about the bus to Lyme and a walk up to the sea-front, and a swift change of plan. The fresh easterly breeze, screened until now by the conurbation, continued to pipe in as yesterday as the waves pounded Weymouth Beach. Given the wind direction there is a little relief offered by the Purbeck Peninsula, but at Lyme the extended 'fetch' would contribute to waves being half as high again - once bitten twice shy!

Plan B was to return to Portland where the situation remain much as in previous days, with good numbers of Guillemot, Razorbill and Gannet and the ever present Rock Pipit along the coastal fringe. Best birds of the day by far were 3 Redwing that flew across the Common on my way to the Observatory, where things were equally lean. The conversation, in part, was directed at the techniques for uploading video footage to Websites and Blogs which has inspired me to dig a couple of items out of the archive. Published at the foot of the page, each was taken aboard the Floating Oil Production Platform 'Buchan Alpha' stationed some 120 miles north east of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Full of coffee and Christmas cake, I hightailed it across the fields in an unsuccessful search for Short-eared Owl, but did find

this nicely marked Skylark

which took to the wing at my approach.

Long-tailed Ducks

Pink-footed Geese followed by

quiet a novel piece of footage of a Black-headed Gull (of all things) capturing a 'live' Brambling and shaking it to death. You might think that this would be wasted, but as the following 2 stills show

the hapless Finch was swallowed whole!

By the time you read this I hope to be airborne towards the next adventure, a clue as to destination is contained in today's narrative. While it would be foolhardy to make any predictions (promised fish are never caught) it is hoped that the next week or so will bring a few additions to the Year List which at present stands at 169.

The Sea - Morcheeba

2012-01-16T17:16:00.012Z

Link to The Sea - Morcheeba - from the album 'Big Calm'

With the early morning weather an exact match to yesterday, it was decided to take a chance and try, once again, for the Spotted Sandpiper at Lyme Regis, as the day after the visit with Lesley it was back on the Bird Alert sites. The main concern with the wind still in the eastern quarter would be the sea conditions, but as I set out the elements were improving by the minute.

It is no more than a 5 minute walk from my house to the bus stop, and as a 'bus pass' holder the fare is 'free' so not a lot of effort required to see what for Dorset is a classic rarity. I can tell you right away that it wasn't seen, so fortuitous some scenic shots were taken along the way of the

Link to Jurassic Coast

Just a couple of miles from home, looking north to the small hamlet of Shilvinghampton & Coryeates, we soon make the downhill approach to

Portisham, a little spoilt by modern development

but still with most ancient buildings left in tact.

One of the main highlights en-route is the village of

Abbotsbury, complete with its Swannery, Sub-tropical Gardens, St Catherine's Chapel and Tithe Barn, to name but a few of the delights.

The narrow lanes are something of a nightmare to drivers, especially the 90 degree 'hairpin' at the end of this section.

The whole village and much of the surrounding lands fall under the stewardship of the family Strangways, with Lady Charlotte at the helm. The Old School, now a Community Hall, bares the family name.

The road west out of the village.

The Highways and Byways of Dorset continue down into the village of

Burton Bradstock and its

favoured 'local' The Three Horseshoes public house.

The tiny port of West Bay comes next,

followed by the market Town of Bridport.

I would use the words throwback and quaint, in the nicest sense, to describe the town as little seems to change here. As far as shops are concerned there is even a Hatter surviving along with Family Butchers, Fishmongers and Bakers. Long may it continue!

There are good views of Golden Cap as we approach the village of

Chideock which also boasts a fine pub, the George Inn and an equally

fine Church of St Giles.

We are now nearing Lyme Regis and feel sure that regular readers will have seen enough photographs of this lovely place to fill an album of their own?

So, we will restrict ourselves to just 3 to show the sea conditions today.

Appart from smashing against the sea-wall and making much of the promenade impassible,

it was also hitting the Cob sending spume and spindrift flying high above the 2 story buildings on the harbour side. No self respecting small Wader would be out in this. A small set back, but in such things you should always have a 'trump card' up your sleeve, which I have!

Best you watch this space and all will be revealed.

A Day In The Life - The Beatles

2012-01-15T17:30:00.003Z

Plenty more black clouds to start the day, along with a frost, change in wind direction to the east and a definite drop in temperature. In the cemetery the Goldcrest continued to be in full voice, but all else only amounted to the ghostly form of an over-flying

Grey Heron. Not a lot to add to that at Radipole except for the same Bullfinch at the old kissing gate, a male Marsh Harrier at the North Hide, surveying his hunting patch, 17 Black-tailed Godwit today along with a few Common Snipe plus a single Lapwing. Gull numbers had declined to just a handful, so little to delay matters so I headed for

Newton's Cove which overlooks Portland (distant right) and the walls surrounding Portland Harbour. There the full force of the chill wind could be felt so it wasn't surprising the Black Redstart of recent days was absent. There were however 6 Great Crested Grebe but that was not enough to keep me there any longer, especially as there was a plan 'B'. A brief stop at Ferry Bridge added a few Red-breasted Merganser to the day list before catching the bus to the Bill.

The sea-bird feeding frenzy was still underway in the Shambles tidal race, but Auks seemed a lot less than 2 days ago while Gannet numbers had certainly increased.

In fairly quick time a distant Fulmar* was added to the Year List, but further on towards the Observatory once again the Little Owls were out of sight. At he Obs some of the regular 'sea-watchers' were busy spotting Red-throated Divers and a few Common Scoter but for me it was time for coffee. During the stay there was what sounded like a Chiffchaff calling in the garden, but it was now time for a search among the beach huts again for Black Redstart, without success. Being so close, a second visit to the Owl site was thought worth it and paid dividends as this

Little Owl* was sat on the quarry wall. Distant, and not allowing a particularly good photograph

this image has been taken from the archive for illustration.

On the way back, 10 Black-necked Grebe and an Eider where found close to the north edge of Portland Harbour, while the Plan B meant a return to Newton's Cove. It is often the case when the wind is in this quarter that smaller birds seek shelter and food either in the small cove at the root of the Stone Pier below the Napoleonic Nothe Fort or in the Gardens of the same name.

This was certainly true of a calling Chiffchaff* in the garden, a timely back-up for the one in the Obs garden.

Passing the entrance gate of the Fort, now a well visited tourist attraction, the steps drop

to the Weymouth Stone Pier,

where a Black Redstart* was found perched on the stony fortification, moving from perch to feeding station and

back to perch. An area of the town not often visited, I took the opportunity to take these few stills.

Pelican of London is, by and large, stationed in Weymouth, employed training young people.

The Condor Ferry plies a route between the town and Guernsey & Jersey, Channel Islands plus Saint Malo, France.

Weymouth's Historic Water Pump.

The Tudor House

and detail.

The Outer Harbour looking towards The Town Bridge.

The Year (January) List now stands at 169

Dipper in Lyme Regis

2012-01-14T17:32:00.013Z

The first bird of the day was this Magpie as we waited for

the 09:15 bus to take us to Lyme Regis where the only snag was the closure of 2 of the main roads, meaning the bus had to drop us at the top of the village.

An advantage as far as we were concerned as the views from the Municipal Park are stunning and we took full advantage, You'll note my reference to 'we' as today I enjoyed the company of my friend Lesley Brown, who enhanced the bright sunshine, clear blue sky with a slightly colder feel all round!

We first walked along the sea-front,

then the groynes, at the east beach, overlooking the landslips and the bay, but there was no sign of the Spotted Sandpiper.

This was followed by a walk out to the Cob with little more than a single Purple Sandpiper for our trouble.

A lone Guillemot was close inshore,

giving a chance for a couple of close shots,

as was an obliging Rock Pipit. A prolonged search was made for the pair of Black Redstart but they seemed to have vanished too,

while a most vocal Dipper did add to the Year List albeit with little more than a fleeting glimpse.

House Sparrow plus another

Purple Sandpiper were seen along the promenade, but that was about all the birding there was for today.

However, Golden Cap, the highest point on the south coast of England, was now seen in good light, as we noticed

this banner advertising the appearance of Whole Lotta Led the best Zeppelin Tribute band I have ever seen, so guess I'll see you at the Marine Theatre on the 11th February?

A Starling on the roof of the Royal Standard pub welcomed us to dine,

Lesley opting for the Fish & Chips, and me the Ham & Eggs.

On leaving the pub we did see several Brown Rats along the River Lym, plus a single

Grey Squirrel in the park, but it was now time to return to Weymouth. With a decent bottle of 'white' in the fridge at my house we got off the bus there, spending the last couple of hours together watching Pink Floyd, George Harrison, REM and Mariza (you really need to take a listen to this lady Mariza on you-tube ) on the DVD. A new day tomorrow - so bring it on!

The Year (January) List now stands at 165

Caribbean Queen - Billy Ocean

2012-01-13T17:45:00.004Z

A fine start to today's post as the 161st country, and the the first addition of 2012, joins the Country Readership List. The extremely beautiful, jewel of the Caribbean, Saint Lucia where in March 2000 I was fortunate enough to pay a visit and remember it with great affection. We extend a warm welcome to our new readers and hope they might pass on the link to all the friends in the country and elsewhere. Thank You!

A dark and threatening looking sky combined with a fresh westerly breeze gave the feeling that the day was likely to be over very soon after starting, but the clouds rolled through to produce a decent spell of sunny weather.

Looking north from the Concrete Bridge at Radipole.

and looking south from the same position early this morning. With nothing to photograph on the reserve, the only report involved an increase to 18 in the number of Black-tailed Godwits, a reduction in both water level and Common Snipe while very few Gulls had gathered here so far today. The exception to the rule came as a male Marsh Harrier took to the air and began quartering the reed-beds, putting all the Teal to flight and revealing just how many there are. About 100 by my reckoning.

At the bus stop this adult Herring Gull was just posing for a shot, so it got one, before boarding and the first trip to Portland this year.

It was good to be back 'in the fold' and enjoy the sight of the active Lighthouse down at the Bill

and the Old Lower Light which most of you know serves as the Portland Bird Observatory. There was prospect here today of half a dozen additions to the Year List, so first port of call was the Bill to undertake a short sea-watch.

Gulls and gannets were feeding at the edge of the Shambles tidal race, including Kittiwake* which was the first of the 6 to fall to the notebook. The photographs were taken aboard the Buchan Alpha Oil Rig some years ago showing above a juvenile

and here an adult Kittiwake. There were 2 great spectacles here this morning, the first involving many thousands of Auks,

Guillemots and Razorbills, buzzing around backwards and forwards but in no particular direction. The second, was to see a Merlin (our smallest bird of prey) chasing a small song bird out at sea, and then to become the chased itself. From nowhere a Peregrine swooped in and, from what could be seen, made contact with the much smaller Raptor which eventually flew off to seaward.

The scarcest of today's sightings was this high and distant Red-throated Diver which, had it been a little closer

would look a little more like this.

Other birds on the wing included this 1st winter Great Black-backed Gull in company

with an adult Great Black-backed Gull.

The second Year Tick was a single Purple Sandpiper

which barely moved from the rock on which it was perched, while all else included 3 Stock Doves,

this Skylark, one of several very vocal birds,

and this unseasonable Bluebottle. Unfortunately, Fulmar, Chiffchaff, Little & Short-eared Owls didn't show so will have to wait for another day!

The Year (January) List now stands at 164

1	0.00%	Suriname
1	0.00%	Cameroon
1	0.00%	Fiji
1	0.00%	Albania
1	0.00%	Guyana
1	0.00%	Zambia
1	0.00%	Nigeria
1	0.00%	Macao
1	0.00%	Botswana
1	0.00%	Saint Lucia
1	0.00%	Aruba
1	0.00%
1	0.00%	Turks And Caicos Islands
1	0.00%	Ghana

A Matter of 'Lif-er' or Death - Iron Maiden

2012-01-12T17:45:00.012Z

My first encounter with bird-life this morning was a Song Thrush, in the cemetery, singing its little head off but that was not the only sign of the Springlike conditions. The sun was out, the sky was blue, there wasn't a cloud to spoil the view and it wasn't 'raining, raining in my heart; and along with a few early budding Daffodils and Snowdrops it could just as easily have been early April.

Redwings also abound in local gardens, a Goldcrest was also in full song while on Radipole there was evidence of a number of Reed Buntings, 'pinging' Bearded Tits plus vocal Water Rails and Cetti's Warbler.

At the north end of the reserve a small flight of

Canada Geese came noisily into land as common small birds were also well represented, such as

Robin and
Dunnock as usual feeding on the pathways,

as this Blue Tit was happy to pose for a while

before demonstrating some aerobatics.

At the Visitor's Centre Bridge things were completely different with at least 73 Common Snipe counted, while the 15 Black-tailed Godwit remain in place.

However, the most numerous species by a full mile was Mediterranean Gull (most of the above, representing just a small percentage of the whole) were Meds and about the only time I remember having difficulty 'spotting' the Black-headed Gull among them instead of the other way round!

In addition there were also many, many dozens arriving continuously from the directions of the Wey Valley and the Fleet, some overflying while others dropped in.

My own guess-timate of numbers was well over 400 giving great opportunity to study all ages of this brilliant little Gull.

The majority of adult birds were still in 'winter plumage'

but there were a couple already sporting the 'black hood'

of 'summer (breeding) plumage' birds.

Not to be out done, Black-headed Gulls too were showing developing 'black caps',with finally a fine sight of the Hooded Merganser in flight.

Then came the call I had been hoping for, Sheila Edwards announcing that the trip to Calshot, a small village situated close to Southampton in Hampshire, was very much on. Beating a hasty retreat to their house, I scouted around the garden finding more signs of Spring with a

Red Admiral Butterfly on the wing along with

2 separate, but unidentified, species of Hoverfly.

A clear run in perfect conditions though the New Forest and beyond found us in the village just 2 hours later. There was no hurry, or need for such, as what followed was a long, long wait for the object of our desires, so time for a little 'ship spotting' as a number of vessels sailed south through Southampton Water, onward to The Solent and eventually the English Channel.

The first was Nagato Reefer, one of a class of merchant ships known as 'Reefers' or Refrigerator Ships, temperature controlled to transport perishable commodities mostly fruits, meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products.

This was followed by a medium size Tanker, the name of which I failed to note, while all this time

a crowd of some 50 or so birders were gazing into

THIS. A massive tangle of Clematis where probably within was our target, seen briefly by some just before our arrival. There was a little respite as there were a few familiar faces among the crowd such as Julian Thomas and Mike Spicer - good to see them!

But then, after a full 2 and a half hours, the call went out to say the bird had been be re-located,

as was the crowd each of us trying for an advantageous view along the narrow strip between two hedges.

Not at all cooperative it remained mainly in cover, slowly moving towards the top of the bush,

where finally, the Spanish Sparrow* showed it's full glory.

The first record of this species in the UK was from Lundy Island in 1966,

while today's bird, which is said to have been in situ for many days, is only the 8th record for the country and a new addition to my own Great Britain List!

PS
El Spadger made it onto the early morning BBC TV News, with reports of the gathering crowds travelling to see it, its possible origins and how it had already charmed one of our own House Sparrows producing at least one 'hybrid' youngster. As we understand it, this is going to be called Hacienda Sparrow - Viva Espania!

The Year (January) List now stands at 162

Back In The Old Routine - The Strawbs

2012-01-11T18:00:00.002Z

It seemed rather novel to be following what is my usual daily route this morning, through the cemetery and on to Radipole but most of the day promised to be a little mundane. However, at this stage in mild and almost windless conditions with a fully covered sky there were great expectations of 2 Warblers to add to the list. The first might be found in the northern section of the graveyard and the other on the Radipole Reserve.

For the non-birders, a quick explanation of 'pishing' which is making that kind of sound through the mouth, mimicking the alarm call of a small bird in an attempt to entice other small birds to investigate reveal themselves. It was this technique I adopted soon after clearing the Council workmen chopping down a bush. On the very first attempt a number of Blue & Great Tits showed themselves while

a female Blackbird also seemed interested, but the bird I was after was soon to follow as a

male Blackcap* also popped out of the bush along with a couple of

House Sparrows.

First encounter at Radipole was with a small group of Shoveler, this male paying scant regard to my presence and soon

got its broad bill back into the nose-bag. By the time I reached the viewing shelter 3

Cetti's Warbler had made themselves heard issuing that most distinctive and melodic song, and 3 Bullfinch had also shown briefly.

Lots of Gulls were congregated in the northern part of the lake such as this Common Gull, but there were rarer Gulls here today to be sorted out.

Pochard

Among this gathering was one of the rarer Gulls mentioned, can you see it yet?

One of 2 Ring-billed Gulls was very much keeping its distance, but there was no sign of either the Iceland Gull of a few days ago or the Caspian Gull. There were also a good number of Common Snipe here on the exposed mud, along with 15 Black-tailed Godwit and a Water Rail.

Cormorant

Moorhen and before this visit was over the

Hooded Merganser was seen feeding under the pier of the Gurkha Restaurant. Personally I have never seen this bird take anything but natural food, and this morning it continued to do this. It would dive in the shade of the Gurkha and with 100% success rate bring to the surface a small Black Crab. Watching it deftly dealing with these hard to handle creature was worth the walk alone. Each claw and leg was skillfully nipped off before the body too was devoured, great to watch!

But, it was now time for the afore mentioned 'mundane' such as food shopping before returning the hire car, sorting mail and buying a new pair of boots. The later were purchased in Dorchester, our county town, where an opportunist shot was taken of this splendid

Bentley, temporarily stuck in traffic.

Late afternoon I made another bid for the Caspian Gull, seen over the past couple of days at the pre-roost wash and brush up for many Gulls, at Radipole. No luck with the bird, but did get to see long time birding friend Hugo Wood-Homer along with Bristol birder Dan Pointon - good to see you both.

The Year (January) List now stands at 161

A Day In Devon - A Game of Two Halves

2012-01-10T18:07:00.005Z

With a whole bag full of new species for the Year List, I set off for Devon before daylight and with the promise of decent birding weather. First stop was

noted as a catchment for rarer birds, there was the prospect of at least half a dozen additions?

Within one hundred yards of the car park the first of these manifested itself in the shape of a Rock Pipit* so surely this was 'game on'? Next was a job for the Opticron 'Mighty Midget' telescope, for which I have to thank Kieth at In Focus for putting my way, and a thorough scan

across the vast bay. Particular attention was paid to the area of Langstone Rock as it was here the Bird Alerts were reporting 3 species of Scoter. Of these I could see only one at this distance, but closed to find it was the best of the bunch

a Surf Scoter*. It should be pointed out that the whole day was not one of good photography, in fact the camera was hardly used, so most of the images in this post are from the archive. A female (similar to the 2 birds left of picture) seen fairly well through my own optic, but even better via that of a charming couple from North Derbyshire - Thanks to them! In addition between us we picked up on over a dozen Great Crested Grebes, Razorbill, Guillemot and Gannet, plus Red-throated Diver and Slavonian Grebe which already grace the list.

Shortly before leaving my new found friends spotted 3 Eider* cruising across the bay comprising of a single male and 2 females (foreground). There was no sign of the Velvet Scoter or the male American Wigeon which both, annoyingly, put in appearances after my departure. It was a 15 minute drive to the next site, where the only birder to be found reported that the target was a mile away and mostly out of sight. However, luck was with me as the

Glossy Ibis* flew a little nearer giving reasonable views through the 'scope, but again misfortune didn't allow me to see the Long-eared Owl which is believed to have been photographed earlier?

The next path was via Dartmouth, home of the Britannia Royal Navy College the tower of which can just be seen peaking above this hillside.

Certainly one of my favourite towns in the county, this shot shows the Inner Harbour,

this the course of the Ferry and

the Outer Harbour.

One of two crossing the River Dart, this is the Higher Ferry.

Cirl Bunting* was next to be added, and after the short drive to the quaint village of

Aveton (John) Gifford (John Gifford is a mate so couldn't resist the pun) Bewick's Swan* quickly followed. 2 things surprised me about this bird, firstly that it is a juvenile and there were no adults with it, plus its tiny size. Dinky to say the least.

Having missed a couple of things en-route it was good to strike lucky with a bonus by way of 2 Greenshank*. However, time was getting on and there was one more call to make to see a juvenile Spotted Sandpiper on the estuary of the River Ply, Plymouth. This is when I got hopelessly lost in the conurbation of the city, and by the time I pulled myself out of that mess the light would have precluded any sort of view of the Sandpiper. Return to Base!

The Year (January) List now stands at 158

Home Again - Blackmore's Night

2012-01-09T18:00:00.006Z

Well at last I'm heading towards home, but get the feeling that the visit may be short lived. Having done no birding in what might be considered my local area, there was much to catch up on but armed with information provided by John Gifford, Sheila Edwards and Paul Harris how could I fail????

Leaving Parley Court at 08:30 the first destination was the

east side of Poole Harbour here looking towards Sandbanks and the most expensive real estate in the world. There were good numbers of

Red-breasted Merganser* both male

and female on the sea, while 'scoping from Evening Hill

towards Brownsea Island a number of

Spoonbills could be seen distantly in the lagoon.

From there it is just a short drive to the Sandbanks/Studland Chain Ferry where there was a 'point blank' encounter with a

Razorbill. Unfortunately as I raised the camera it dived, for what seemed like ages, a long way off in mid-channel.

Nothing else of note was seen before arriving at the Studland side, but parking close to the Ferry it wasn't long before finding a Red-necked Grebe* in Shell Bay, as reported yesterday.

Onward to the Heath overlooking The Littlesea Lake and further afield to Bournemouth, where 2

Dartford Warbler were first located by their distinctive rasping calls. Knoll Beach produced a couple of small Grebes that were too distant to identify, while further on close to the Studland Car Park

2 Ring-necked Parakeet* looked as though they were awaiting my arrival. The waterbirds in the bay here were a little closer to the shore, where both Black-necked Grebe* and Slavonian Grebe* were seen along with a Great Northern Diver* and quite a few

Mediterranean Gulls*.

Driving past Corfe Castle, buily by William the Conqueror in the 11th Century, a short stop was made at the woodland close to Middlebere in the hope of a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker but that was not to be so I continued on to the Watercress Beds at Tincleton where there were also 2

Green Sandpiper. It was here that I received information relating to 2 Bewick's Swans in that vicinity. This would have been quite a coup as there had been no 'wild swans' in the notebook since the first day in Norfolk, maybe staying further north in the mild conditions? Search as I may, they were never found but perhaps they will be relocated later.

During the search I slowed for this Pony & Trap, which makes for a really nice picture, while at Ilsington Farm there appeared to be dozens of

Yellowhammer.

Close to Dorchester I visited Monkey's Jump, with nothing to report, then just before Martinstown the Bat's Lane turn-off is usually reliable for Corn Bunting* where they seem to favour the 2 lone Ash trees half way along. There was a mixed flock in the trees, with just 3 being positively identified, but there were surely more than this?

Eventually, I arrived in Weymouth and made straight way for Lodmoor where 2 Long-billed Dowitcher have been seen in recent days, but there was no sign or report of them today. Undeterred,

Littlesea Caravan Park was my next port of call where there were some familiar faces from the past. These 3 lads from Shropshire were visiting Scotland the same time as me in 2009, where together we found a Parrot Crossbill much to all our delights. Today the news was not quite so good as they had journeyed south to 'twitch' the Dark-eyed Junco and had now been waiting 3 hours for the Hume's Leaf Warbler* without success. It had been last reported at 08:55 but nothing since, so I decided to cut my losses and have a look for the

Richard's Pipit* which has been in the fields close to the Bridging Camp since before Christmas.

It didn't disappoint today being located soon after arrival, and closing to photograph range. Returning to the Warbler, word was that it had been returning to a small stand of Sallows to roost at 15:00 precisely, which is exactly what it did. A short visit to drop a small token of appreciation into Paul Harris and a cup of tea with my friend Lesley Brown ended a darn good day, and by 17:30 I was tucked up in the old homestead and getting ready for another foray tomorrow. I'll talk again then!

The Year (January) List now stands at 151

A Day Out With the Country Set

2012-01-08T17:49:00.003Z

Another fabulous dinner last night, this time at The Pig, Brockenhurst, such a renowned restaurant it had taken a full 2 months to get a reservation. Tonight we were in company with

Ray & Lydia (top left hand corner) who have recently visited India with Hugh & Janet (sitting either side of me), while others included Daryl (left foreground) Hugh and Janet's eldest son,

and his partner Cath (in white). Again the star of the show was a Pole, this time in the form of the Sommelier, who's knowledge of wine was well worth listening to! The food was also excellent, but if I had to choose between our 2 outings, it would have to be The Three Tuns, so much so that I will be taking them all for a revisit on my next visit.

Today's activities may cause some controversy among the readership, but after all this is the countryside, so feel that as I'm in Rome so will do what the Romans do! The annual Pheasant shoot kicked off with a

Merlin preceding us down the farm track, very much in hunting mode. The photo is from the archive.

The Guns meet to discuss tactics before the hunt begins.

Bare winter branches reveled a redundant Goldfinches nest,

as Redwings were also easy to see resting in the tops.

One Man & His Dog. It was at this point that the only Woodcock* of the day was flushed from cover, but quickly disappeared back into the wood.

There were a few Common Snipe about

and a Cormorant but it was now time for

lunch of cured ham & homemade pickle sandwiches, chocolate brownies with sloe gin - that'll do for me Tommy!

Back to the beat and a few

Roe Deer were seen along with a

Grey Heron,

Moorhen

plus one of several Common Buzzard seen during the day.

The Year (January) List now stands at 137

The Lord of the Rings

2012-01-07T17:30:00.009Z

Last nights dinner at the 17th Century Three Tuns Coaching Inn and Restaurant, a belated birthday treat for Hugh (and for the rest of us I might add), turned out to be an unforgettable experience for all of us,

Hugh, Janet, Gill and Norman (plus myself)

The food was some of the most inventive and palatable I have ever experienced, certainly the best Pub Grub albeit 'Gastro-Pub', and so not to bore you with the whole menu I'll just describe my own choice. The starter comprised crispy duck served with savoury noodles which arrived in a small waxed box, an absolute delight, followed by 10 hours cooked pork and vegetables. The pièce de résistance was indeed the pudding that was advertised as Eggs & Soldiers,

comprising this boiled egg shaped and sized bowl full of delicious white fondant with an orange flavoured yolk, while on the side was a poached egg shaped panna cotta with a small edible 'sack' of apricot cream. The soldiers were made of candied pastry making for the best pub food I have ever eaten. Mention should be made of our Polish waiter who, we all agreed, had that certain charisma that brought an extra dimension to the proceedings - Thank You young man!

Another gruelling 'day at the office' in bright sunlight, barely a breath of wind and a new chill to the air, was mostly spent in the New Forest where there was potential for half a dozen additions to the Year List.

Climbing the hill out of Ringwood, over the top of the forest Redwing and Fieldfare were everywhere

and as I turned onto the Fritham road dozens of Rooks were feeding by the roadside. Of the possibilities Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was always going to be of 'needle in haystack' proportions, while it was hoped an early Goshawk might be on the wing. Neither of these were seen so I drove to a mature stand of Holly trees where last year I found a Long-eared Owl at roost, and a few Woodlark besides. The Owl was not in residence but walking across the heath 3 birds were flushed, a Skylark, a Meadow Pipit and a Woodlark*.

Only a short distance away is Eyeworth Pond already visited this trip, but I was hoping for a few photos on this visit.

At the far side of the pond this male Goosander was cruising up and down, but closer to hand

were a pair of magnificent Mandarins.

male Mandarin,

female Mandarin. This done it was time to travel a little further east and to territory very familiar to me. Gosport was where I joined the Royal Navy in 1961 at HMS St Vincent. Situated on a main road with no chance to stop there was no hope of a photograph of the Main Gate, but further on (at the Ferry Terminal) both the

Spinnaker Tower on Southsea Common and

HMS Warrior, the first power driven warship, could be clearly seen. Driving through the district of Forton also brought memories streaming back, particularly to our weekly moment of light relief from our gruellingly physical training regime. It was Thursday evenings when the local young ladies were invited to the establishment, closely chaperoned, in the name of teaching us equally young matelots the skills of Ballroom Dancing. These young women were collectively and respectfully known as The Forton Follies.

Arriving at the Gosport Boating Lake the prospects looked good as there were plenty of Gulls awaiting the next bag of bread,

with a distant scan already showing Common Gull which can be confused with my target species.

A little closer, and there was no mistaking the

Ring-billed Gull a vagrant from the Americas that has visited this site for a number of winters now.

I was armed with some bait which every other bird in the vicinity was attracted to,

except for Fella' My Lad, but even at a distance the photographs were proving good.

Eventually it too took to the wing and homed in on the sliced bread,

making for some striking posses at the same time. By now the 'spun-yarn radio' was breaking into life with some tentative, but as yet unproven, news of another Yank somewhere in the Meon Valley Foothills, not too far away.

Even if there wasn't a bird, the drive through this part of Hampshire is 'stunning' to say the least.

Unfortunately the camera cannot always capture the full magnificence of these beautiful rolling hills,

where it is always worth looking out for a Red Kite. With thousands of acres of scrub and brush to search the bird was never likely to be found, but 1 I'd had the pleasure of the fantastic views and 2 I was now in close proximity of my old shipmate, if he was at home.

As I have reported in the past Micheal (Huck) Hutley and I joined the RN together, undertook our full year training together, then served aboard HMS Keppel (Arctic Patrol) and HMS Eskimo (Persian Gulf Squadron). A total of 5 years made us firm friends indeed, so we were both equally delighted when we got together, shook hands and departed 30 minutes later. ALWAYS GREAT to see you my friend - have a good year and hope to see you again soon!

Again the journey back was via Blashford Lakes, and on entering the first hide

a Peregrine* was perched on a shingle spit, but

soon took to the wing, harassing the local Lapwing population,
before flying off to the south.

All else was a Yellow-legged Gull, centre with white head, and good numbers of Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

The Year (January) List now stands at 136