The Next Adventure

It's chilly and chuckin' it down with rain, but the flights are booked so probably this is a good time to announce the next trip. Saturday 21st November inst, fly to Bogota, Columbia and Wednesday 24th February 2010 fly home from Buenos Aires. In between, some parts are set in tablets of stone, while most will be a 'suck it and see, backpacking adventure'. The first 3 weeks will be with Birdseekers starting with a couple of days close to the capital and culminating in the Santa Marta Mountains. From there I have an open-jaw booked Bogota / Caracas / Caracas / Quito, and while in Venezuela will spend a week with David Ascanio (a well thought of guide) looking, in the main, for 'endemics' at Coro, Maracay and the Henri Pittier NP before heading for Colonia Tovar and return to Caracas. From here it's solo, though not all in uncharted waters, to Guyana (probably via a stop-over in Port 'o' Spain, Trinidad) then Suriname, French Guiana and onward to Ecuador. Up to now I have been unable to obtain a Suriname visa, (the only county on the whole continent where you have to get one up-front) and some of you have asked for an update on my progress, if indeed there has been any. Well, having downloaded and completed all the forms from the internet, I got stuck with the ambiguous nature of some of the questions. There is no embassy in London, the nearest being Amsterdam where it was suggested by the Honorary Consul to Great Britain, I might send my details and passport. Not flippin' likely! I also drew a blank with the Suriname embassy in Georgetown, Guyana who told me I must obtain the document from my nearest Suriname embassy, so back to square one. Close to a 'last resort' I telephoned TraVisa who advertise being able to source visas for any country. The chap on the other end had never heard of Suriname, so not the best start, but said he would be able to get me one for the princeley sum of £95 + VAT + of course the price of the visa. The upshot was, he couldn't and told me that during his investigations had found that I would have to make an appointment and visit the Honorary Consul in London personally. He in turn would supply the required documents for me to obtain the visa at the countries border. I spoke to Dr Amwed Jethu the SHC who said "just bowl into our embassy in Georgetown, and they'll fix you up". Why didn't they say that in the first place. This missif is from your corespondent banged up in a Paramaribo jail, Suriname.

From here it will be familiar territory as my ex-boss, Mike Hughes and I did most of the following some years ago. Overland from Quito (hopefully coastal) to Guayaquil and fly , return, to Baltra, Galapagos, onward to the Peruvian border, by bus, where last time we were palmed off with US$100 worth of counterfeit Sol. The next town is Tumbes after which a number of bird species are named, so will endeavor to stay longer this time. Next comes Trujillo, arguably the second largest city in Peru. Myquese and I had a whale of a time here being invited, right out of the blue, to be guests of honour and take the salute at the cities annual parade. This we did with great pride and respect and got to meet the President of Peru and his wife at an after parade party. The intent will be to visit the Tourist police armed with the photos of that gig, and see if there's another 'freebee' going. From there, bypass Lima to Paracas and Pisco, springboard for the Balastas Islands, then cross the Andes, adjacent to Santiago, Chile hoping to reach Bahia Blanca, south of Buenos Aries for Olrog's Gull. So, that's the plan, let's hope I make it. I never draw up a wants list but the single species that has captured my imagination is Oilbird, so there will a massive hope for that!

and Representing the Dotterels

The Wader count at Ferry Bridge was little different to yesterday, except Sanderling numbers had increased to 4 and there was a single Curlew (and a Wheatear). Tout to the PBO was, for me, totally devoid of passerine migrants, but there was some good news at the Obs. Shearwaters in the form of Balearic and Sooty were passing through in decent numbers, in fact the best count this season, I was told. There were also a couple of Bonxie adding a little more variety, but my target was Sooty bringing the 'year list' up to 244.

Red-kneed Dotterel - Shady Camp, Mary River, Kakadu, Northern Territory, Australia

Banded Dotterel - Kiakora, South Island, New Zealand

New Zealand Dotterel - Tauranga, South Island, New Zealand

Rufous-chested Dotterel - Gypsy's Cove, East Falkland Island

Roses Are Rosy - and so, sometimes, are Starlings

It was destined to be a dull day, as for a kick-off I had to go to Dorchester on 'domestic duties'. I did squeeze Radipole and Lodmoor in first with 6 over-flying Yellow Wagtail and a singing Chiffchaff at the former, and 9 Black-tailed Godwit, 25 Dunlin, 4 Little Egret, who knows how many vocal Water Rail and a Common Sandpiper at the latter. The 'mundane' completed I arrived home at the same time as a text from 'Bomber' announcing Rose-coloured Starling at Weston Road - not to be missed! It was a bit flighty when I re-located it at Pound Piece and was soon on the Royal Manor School sports field, then the accompanying flock fragmented and I didn't see it again. I'm sure there will be better photographs at other sites before the day is out, but for me this was the first Dorset image of this species, plus a 'year tick'. So it wasn't that dull after all was it?

Rose-coloured Starling - Weston, Portland

Little Grebe - Radipole Lake, Weymouth (couldn't resist this smart looking bird)

Waders Continued - a few more to keep you going, I particularly like the Stint, but did you ever see a Dunlin quite like that. There are suggestions, so I am told by those in the know, that this Alaskan alpina could be split?

Red-necked Stint - Barrow, Alaska

Dunlin - Barrow Alaska

Great Knot - East Point, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

Grey-tailed Tattler - Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

Rare Goby & More Waders

Ferry Bridge took a bit of a tumble as far as numbers were concerned today, all except Turnstone which reached a month maximum of 32. Apart from a few Gulls the only other evidence of life were 77 Ringed Plover, 22 Dunlin and a single Sanderling. Thinking that was bad enough the walk from Barleycrates to the Obelisk and onward to the Portland Bird Observatory (PBO) produced exactly 2 Wheatear and 3 Swallows, maybe I need to wake up? Disappointment struck there also as I had just missed the 3rd Melodious Warbler of the year, so things could only get better! There was a slight (or maybe a major in some people's book) upturn when I introduced Ian Dodd (now more or less 'in house' ringer at the Obs) to Don Moxom at the Fleet Visitor's Center. Not only was I reacquainted with a local stalker, who had provided both Roe and Sika venison for the Moxom's recent party, but Don also informed us that Couch's Goby Gobius couchii had been rediscovered in the Fleet after many years without a sighting. In addition it was good to see both Edwin Welland and Alan Bull again, both paying a week-end visit to Portland.

Small Pratincole - Bundala NP, Hambantota, Sri Lanka

Water Dikkop - Hlane NNR, Swaziland

Bush Thick-knee - Kakadu NP, Northern Territory, Australia

Great Thick-knee - Wilpattu NP, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Another Quiet Day

My arrival at Ferry Bridge at about 06-30 this morning coincided with a cloudburst, but undeterred I continued. Despite the hour, already there were anglers, windsurfers, bait diggers etc but in their own way they help with the count by herding the Waders onto one section of sand. There wasn't really many to count but my highest Turnstone tally entered the log at 24, along with 96 Ringed Plover, 42 Dunlin and 2 Sanderling. At Sweethill I met up with John Down and we continued together to cover the barns area and Helen's Fields noting, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler a few Wheatears which was about it. At the Bill there was quite a group of Gannet feeding, accompanied by a selection of Gull but none that I could discern as an intermedius Lesser Black-back, but I'm still looking. Also on the sea there were a couple of Arctic Skua, while in the Obs Quarry the 'dark' Little Owl was on show despite the 'fresh' west sou' west wind. Bird wise there was little to add at the Observatory except an exquisite Striped Hawk-moth always an excellent insect to behold. Surely it's time for things to hot up on the bird front, so let's hope tomorrow is the day.

Striped Hawk-moth

Little Owl

A Few More Waders

Black-fronted Plover - Tomato Lake, Perth, Australia

Red-capped Plover - Alice Springs Sewerage Works, Australia

Two-banded Plover - Port Stanley, Falkland Islands

Spur-winged Plover - Gambia

"I know it's only Rock 'n' Roll but I like it, like it, yes I do!"

The single best thing I did today, was to resurrect 'New Adventures in Hi-Fi', far too long gathering House Spider droppings in the CD cupboard. It had been a while since I last enjoyed the sheer brilliance of Messrs Mills, Buck, Berry and Stipe and checking MS Strong's the 'Great Rock Discography', found that not only are REM his favourite band, but formed as long ago as 1980. If a man is ever stuck for a word or two to grace a Valentine's card, look no further than the lyric of Be Mine. This in turned generated a little nostalgia about my own, 'limited', Rock & Roll career, singing occasionally in the late sixties with the Londonderry band Blues Etc. Then, as those of you who were at my 60'th birthday party will remember, my blistering renditions of 'Nothing Else Matters' and 'Paranoid', as a consequence of which I still receive threatening letters from Metallica and a certain Mr O Osbourne. However, few of you will know my connection, as founder member and vocalist, with the seminal Metal outfit Iron Workz, except for my daughters who remember well the 'royalties'. Having not performed together for a number of years we were approached to do a 'farewell gig' at the de Montfort Hall, Leicester which was videoed for posterity. While no one deserves to sit through the whole 'set', the finale is memorable for the way we all left the stage with dignity and gently eased into civilian life, so this short excerpt is published for your felicitation. Enjoy!