Wildlife People Day

Today's post is probably a little more about personalities than birds, there were a few people about, but fewer birds. While Meadow Pipits still seemed to be moving in good numbers, alba Wagtails were nowhere near as plentiful as yesterday. Barleycrates only produced single Whinchat and Grey Wagtail and the west cliff just single Wheatear, Merlin and Peregrine, with 2 Ravens putting on quite an aerial performance. Further down the island a few Stonechat were in evidence (with one caught in the Obs garden coinciding with my arrival there) 3 Yellow Wagtail flew over calling, a scattering of Chiffchaff, a Pheasant calling from the privet hedge area and all 6 Grey Partridge being far more confiding. At the Obs I picked up on 10 Common Scoter flying east but apart from a few Mediterranean Gulls and a couple of Auk Sp that was it.

The first person I meet today was Geoffrey Senior, who's beautiful illustrations can be found in Barry Goater's excellent volume British Pyralid Moths. Barry and I have 'birded' together on a couple of occasions, and his Field Guide helped somewhat in my clumsy efforts to identify micro-moths during a 12 year trapping period. It was interesting to meet the other half as it were.

Next I bumped into Max Hug Williams, someone else I had never met before, these days Cameraman for the BBC. Recently returned from Africa where he had been undertaking some 'freelance' mammal shoots, he was today taking various footage for next weeks 'live' showing of Autumn Watch. Coincidentally, I was introduced to 3 of his team last evening, while looking for the Ruddy Shelduck at Radipole.

Earlier, I had put a couple of fellow photographers (in my case I use the term loosely) onto the Grey Partridges, for which they were very grateful. One I seemed to recognise and later it dawned on me that it was Charlie Moores, probably best known locally for his heavy involvement in the production of the Digital Video 'The Natural History of the Isle of Portland.' Responsible for Photography, Editing and Narration this work should be a 'must have' for anyone remotely interested in the magical nature of this special island, especially the novice. Ably advised by Martin Cade, Warden of the Bird Observatory and local artist Joyce Bee, the Text, Research plus some photography was in he main handled by the late, and much missed, Peter Mowday. Accompanying Charlie was Richard Crossley, now resident in my old 'stomping ground' of Cape May, New Jersey and author of 'The Shorebird Guide' published by Houghton and Mifflin just one of his many talents. I should also mention that he is also an acquaintance of one of my US birding friends, Sandra Keller. Before my first trip to Cape May I contacted Sandra, as she had suggested on her regular postings on Surfbirds, and received a wealth of useful information about the area and like minded contacts. This made life very easy as I joined a number of walks, met some of the most hospitable people and increased my States list ten fold. Sandra plus Doug, Mary and Gabe Johnson (to name but a few) remain firm friends and I very much look forward to them visiting Dorset. If any of you over The Pond are reading this the invitation remains very much OPEN!

The Grey Partridge being much more confiding

Richard & Charlie in Top Fields

Max Hug Williams setting up gear and directing where he wanted me to pose

Stonechats - Portland Bill, a bird in the hand

is said to be worth more than one in a bush

Martin Cade, Warden Portland Bird Observatory, processing the captive

'Wave Ruler', the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Fast Fleet Tanker of the Wave Knight Class, passing Portland Bill this morning

Egypt continued

Today and tomorrows posts continue the journey through Sinai, northward up the coast of the Gulf of Aqabah, sharp left into the desert region and back south to Sharm along the banks of the Gulf of Suez, including Ras Mohamed. St Catherine's Monastery, a must stop place, was built in 500 and something, at the foot of Mount Moses (of tablets of stone fame) and is reputed to be built around the Burning Bush. Agreed, there is a bush there but not to worry the fire has been put out. Crammed full of priceless artifacts of all denominations Arab, Greek, Roman and even Western oil paintings, in two visits I've not seen any of them. For me, what's outside is what matters with the following photographs giving some idea.

Saint Catherine's Monastery at the foot of Mount Moses

White-crowned Black Wheatear - this a 'first year' not yet showing the adult crown

Spectacled Bulbul - common in the region, but seemingly confined to irrigated areas

Tristram's Grackle - a small colony exists on and around the monastery

Lists & Listers

A bit better day today for me despite the lack of any huge numbers of migrants except for Alba Wagtail and Meadow Pipit. This was mainly due to a number of 'boxes' being 'ticked' in what is a great necessity for most 'birders' - Lists. Most of us have them in one form or another, (I don't know anybody who doesn't) and while I have probably embraced most at some time or other, I have now reduced them to what I consider essential. In the past, these have included lists compiled 'from British Rail Trains', 'TV ', 'various Countries', 'First Sightings at Airports' and even 'Birds Heard on Films, Radio etc' - sad git! World, UK, Dorset and Home are now the most important of lists, but also my Dorset 'ongoing' Month List holds great store, but unlike some birders who keep a month list, every month of every year, mine simply gets longer annually. Spending so much time away from home has a detrimental effect on this list so today, being the first of a new month, I managed a little redress, picking up a couple of useful additions, also adding to the latest List in a long List of Lists the Photograph List.

First thing this morning I made a concerted effort to add Ruddy Shelduck at Radipole to the October tally, but they were uncooperative and not seen. However, with the water level so low at last there were dozens of Common Snipe in company of 3 Black-tailed Godwit as 2 tussling and calling Kingfisher flew by. Arriving at Weston, Portland the afore mentioned Wagtail / Pipit movement was very evident with a count of over 200 Albas between The Hump and Barleycrates Lane (a quarter mile), where a few Swallow, 5 Wheatear and 6 Stonechat were logged. On the way to the Obs 2 Turtle Doves, and the Little Owl were seen, in addition to a calling Tree Pipit which was an addition to the month list. At Culverwell I flushed a Sparrowhawk while 3 Kestrel were screaming overhead, the start of what turned out to be a minor Raptor day. During the walk to the bus back to Weymouth, I searched out and found the Grey Partridges, another month 'first' and photo tick. Back in town, above the Fire Station, a Peregrine was making life difficult for 3 Feral Pigeons, while at home, enjoying a coffee with my neighbor, a large Raptor floated into view at great height, which turned out to be a Common Buzzard. No sooner had it disappeared to the south, a further 6 appeared, at similar elevation, in company with a distinctly different but similar sized Honey Buzzard. 2 of the 6 were giving the rarer bird a real hard time, with all of them quickly disappearing in the same direction. The later was also a month tick and this number of Commons was a record total for home.

Something of passing interest today, was to see a small vessel trawling in Lyme Bay under a 'mizen sail', a practice even adopted by some of the larger pelagic boats in days gone by. Economical, green and quiet, the mizen, at the stern of the vessel, would be set to the wind conditions maintaining a steady speed of about 4 - 8 knots to propel the vessel, effectively 'fishing for free'. I haven't see this practice for many a year - maybe I need to get out more often?

Grey Partridge - Top Fields, Portland Bill

Ditto - probably not recorded on the Island since the early 90's, it would be nice to think they had bred here and not released?

2 of the 'covey' of 6
Almost all present and correct, but one flew off

Magpie - Culverwell, Portland

Little Owl - usually confined to a favoured crack between the stacked stone face in the Obs Quarry, today this one was out in the open and closer to the quarry rim

PS

At 18-30 this evening, the 3 Ruddy Shelduck were present at the North Hide, Radipole in company with 5 Wigeon and 4 Little Egret. Yours aye - Plastic Paul

More images from the Sewerage Works just north of Sharm el Sheikh

Long-legged Buzzard

Red-throated Pipit

Kentish Plover
White Stork - there were over 300 individuals at this site in February 2009

Headline News

A bit earlier start this morning than usual, I was on the bus to Portland at 06-20. There, I bumped into Richard Cockram and later Peter Coe and Graham Walbridge but between us we saw precious little through Top Fields, West Cliff and the Slopes, but a bull Grey Seal broke the deadlock as we arrived at the Bill. 19 Black-headed Gull accompanied in their feeding by a single Mediterranean Gull were also there, with a few Wheatear dotted across the Common and Bill Quarry with the odd Chiffchaff here and there. Things perked up further at the Obs where a single Spotted Flycatcher was joined by no fewer than 3 Turtle Doves in the garden Sycamores. On the way home, via the Privet Hedge path, 3 Stonechat were seen and again a few Skylark and a couple of noisy Kestrel. The Turtle Dove photographs were the first I have managed in Dorset.

Turtle Dove - Obs Garden

Kestrel - Top Fields

Bull Grey Seal - Portland Bill

As predicted yesterday, I am this morning proud to announce the birth of the future Prime Minister of Australia, the likely first man to set foot on Mars, future winner of 10 Olympic Golds and prospective finder of a cure for the Common Cold, my second Grandson. Frederick David York was born to Lisa (my youngest daughter) and her husband Commander Bernard York at 01-30 Australian time (16-30 GMT) and weighed in at 6lb 7oz. Bearing the first name of my father and my middle name, this is a privilege indeed and so many of their friends and family in UK send best wishes to all 3 of them. It is hoped there will soon be photographs to follow.

Also last evening I ventured back to Radipole and was successful in re-locating the 3 Ruddy Shelducks. Easily viewable just outside of the Visitor's Center, they were a little difficult to photograph as at most times reed height prevented a clear shot. With provenance unknown I will include them on my 'year list' which now stands at 246, just 3 species short (at the same time) of my record year of 2000.

Ruddy Shelduck - one of 3 at Radipole Lake, Dorset

Ditto - bottoms up

Ditto - all 3

Egypt continued - from the Sewerage Works outside of Sharm El Sheikh

Mohamed, Me & Assam my new found mates at the Sharm Sewerage Works, where there was always a cup of tea waiting during my 3 visits

Bluethroat - Red-spotted (Luscinia svecica) adult

Bluethroat - White-spotted (Luscinia cyanecula) adult

Bluethroat - 'first winter'

Back to the Grindstone

What Ille describes as "Bagsy's Hard Working" I was back to the 'birding' today, and not a bad morning at that. To start, there was a singing Coal Tit in the Longcroft cemetery which have been almost totally silent during the breeding season, and it was soon apparent there had been an influx of Blackbirds to the area. Only wishing to transit Radipole, and hopefully see the Ruddy Shelduck, I first clapped eyes on the Hooded Merganser which I haven't seen for over 2 months. At my last sighting, it looked in a sorry state, but as the photograph below shows it's now back in really smart plumage. At Portland there was a sprinkling of Wheatear at Barleycrates in company with 2 each of Tree Pipit and Stonechat, a few Swallows & Chiffchaff plus 4 Siskin. At the Hump 2 Lesser Whitethroat were having a tussle in a Dog Rose bush, while close by a female Blackcap and a single Raven were in evidence. There was little to report between there and the Obs, except to say it was good to hear the song of Skylark again. What was prevalent throughout were good numbers of butterflies, mostly Painted Lady and Red Admiral almost exclusively favouring flowering Ivy.

Hooded Merganser - Radipole Lake

While at the Obs, a message flashed on the 'pager' saying the Sandhill Crane, of the last few days, had left Orkney and had been seen at a couple of sites along the east coast of Scotland, including Wick. This brought back unfortunate memories of Sod's Law, at it's very worst, involving what was probably the last such Crane to land up there. At the time I was on the Drilling Rig, Stena Hunter working some miles off the north east side of the Shetland Islands. We had been contracted to drill 11 holes for Joe Shell in the Osprey Field and were crew changing out of Aberdeen by 'fixed wing' to Sumburgh and onward by 'chopper to the rig. For some reason (probably ineptitude) the job was brought to a sudden halt and we 'stacked' the rig in Cromarty. What would have been my very next crew change, via Shetland, coincided with the arrival of Sandhill Crane not 10 minutes walk from the airport, what a MISS. However, since then the situation has been slightly redressed as I have now seen this magnificent species elsewhere - see accompanying photos!

Sandhill Cranes - Creamer's Farm, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA

Ditto
Ditto
Ditto

So, as it has been such a tough day I'll now get back to my Estonian cherry chocolate bar, courtesy of you know who, and coffee, and hopefully talk again tomorrow when there might be some EARTH SHATTERING NEWS - wait and see!

Over the next few days there will be more photographs from the All Our Yesterdays Series, this set being from the Sinai Peninsular, Egypt early 2009.

The hotel at Sharm El Sheikh, about 10 minutes after meeting Ille

A Little Later
and Later Still with Shisha Hookah Pipe & Bedouin Tea

While out in the garden

Laughing Dove

Sardinian Warbler

Appologies for Delay, This is Yesterday's Post

Ille phoned to say she had arrived back in Tallinn safely just as my National Express coach was approaching Fleet Services on the M3, it had been a magical 10 days. We couldn't decide whether it was Ken or Boris, the Congestion Charge, general attitude of the populous or what, but there had been some drastic changes (all for the good) to the Square Mile. This was not the London I had known in the mid-sixties when I would scour a ramshackled Camden looking for difficult to obtain albums by the likes of Graham Bond Organisation, Piblokto, Captain Beefheart, String Driven Thing etc, etc. During the 70's the mountains of rubbish just seemed to grow and grow, especially in Soho, but fortunately the Chinese community took over this historic area named from an old hunting cry, and smartened the whole area up. In the 80's and 90's traffic became 'public enemy number one', but now with little vehicular presence you can smell fresh air, in addition to which the river is cleaner, streets, parks and thoroughfares are virtually litter free, in short a pleasure to be there. While on the subject of 'The Lock', there too have been massive transformations, no longer are you subject to over zealous stallholders physically dragging you to their stalls, and virtually holding you captive, no a sense3 of symmetry prevails, without loosing any of its buzz of this exciting place. In short, the recommendation would be to get up there and enjoy our transformed capital, go on give it a try!

The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street (sometimes known as Bonuses RUs)

Changing the Guard @ Horse Guard's Parade - Coldstreams I think
The Tower of London - Off with their heads!

Traitor's Gate - Hey was that Gordon Brown in that rowing boat?

Ille with Beefeater - What is it about these Men in Uniforms?

Ille, in what she described as 'Paradise'

We were both so taken with this lady, we asked for a photie

Taking the Sun and a Beer at The Good Mixer, Camden Town

Homeward Bound - Ille on London Underground