More Madagascan Birds

A quick return to yesterday before we 'short change' you for the rest of the Post. Having added Roseate Tern to both Year and October Lists there was now a chance to do the same in November. The bird concerned might be better placed if it were well on its way to the coast of Senegal, but for whatever reason it has chosen the tardy option.

Taking up a slot on Mudeford Quay, which is a perfect mainland site to view The Needles Lighthouse on the Isle of Wight where last week 99 Miles Per Hour of wind speed was recorded, I started to scan the moderately rough sea.

There was an early Tern, but the wrong one

SANDWICH TERN

soon followed by a Gull that appeared to have a completely
'Black Head'.

 Regularly disappearing behind the 'rollers' it wasn't easy to get

a clear view, but was definitely worthy of a photograph or two.

Before studying these images I was erring on the side of caution
but what was seen was certainly a candidate for

 LAUGHING GULL

 Once on the screen there was chance to go firm, and still of the
same mind I sought outside help. Good job as it is an adult
COMMON GULL
This bird really threw me, better luck next time!

We have something of a full day ahead of us today, so no time for frivolities such as Moth Traps and Bird Watching. To keep interest and momentum going here are a few more shots of birds in Madagascar until we can get another topical post out hopefully on Sunday. There's no knowing what time we'll be back this evening, don't think we've ever posted in the morning before.

 BARRED OWL

 BLACK EGRET

 Taking the 'umberella' fishing position.

 BLUE VANGA

 BROAD-BILLED ROLLER

 CRESTED DRONGO

 GIANT COUA

 GREATER VASA PARROT

 GREY-HEADED LOVEBIRD

 HAMMERCOP

 HOOK-BILLED VANGA

 KITLITZ PLOVER

 LITTORAL ROCK THRUSH

 MASCARENE MARTIN

 PIED CROW

 SCALY GROUND-ROLLER

 SHORT-LEGGED GROUND-ROLLER

 SICKLE-BILLED VANGA

 SPECTACLED GREENBUL

 SUBDESERT BRUSH WARBLER

WHITE-FACED WHISTLING DUCK

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Sloe Gin - Joe Bonamassa

There is little annoys me more than these endless, contrite cooking/baking type programmes on the TV, each vying for position of being most ridiculous. Strawberries with Mackerel or Hedgehog Ice Cream just flies in the face of proper cheffing and would suggest if any station would like to take up the offer, Harbins Farm House is where you can find the 'Real McCoy'.

My Friends HUGH and JANET

never seem more content than when they are drumming up some delicious dish or any other culinary delight. Arriving home late afternoon yesterday this is the scene that met my eyes, both busily 'pricking' Sloes for the production of

  SLOE GIN
clear when bottled but by this morning begging the question

"By the Way Which Ones Pink" - Floyd!
If a second example where needed, I had already 'prepared' the
Pheasants for the oven leaving Hugh to produce yet another
delicious dish!

With overnight temperatures hovering around the 12°C mark there was still hope of a good return from the Moth Traps which started with the arrival of

HYDROPHILUS PICEUS
which I had initially identified as
 Dytiscus marginalis
before being corrected by my 'mentor' John Gifford.

100's of CADDISFLIES

 and dozens of HOUSE FLIES
are still being captured daily with the highlight of today's haul being

CYPRESS CARPET

 plus a much better marked
CHESTNUT

With a number of interesting things on the various County Bird Lines worthy of a little effort to see, I set off this morning initially to try for a look at c2 Water Pipits at Lytchett Bay in Poole Harbour but my journey was curtailed firstly by meeting Hugh who had just found this

LITTLE GREBE
on the Parley Pond (the first returning bird)

then by road works diverting me in the opposite direction. Deciding to cut my losses and head for another attempt at LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER at Okers Wood, I was to be disappointed there too. It was only then that it dawned on me there could be a chance of the Pipit at the nearby Watercress Beds at Waddock Cross, amazingly there was! Always nice to see these

'pale' little birds return to their winter quarters.

Onward to LODMOOR to search for other 'goodies'

with first to show being this distant

MARSH HARRIER
quartering the reed-beds.

When was the last time you saw a Marsh Harrier fly past your window?
The 'target' bird here was Long-tailed Duck, but the news was bad,
"it flew off at 08:15" from one fellow birder!

More common fare on the Moor included
not very obliging SHOVELER

distant COMMON SNIPE

and flighty LAPWING

Still no sign of the Duck along the Western Path

but there was an addition to the Year List in the shape of
COMMON GULL

MEDITERRANEAN GULL

MOORHEN

and WIGEON

were also present there, but time to take a look at the sea.

 

From PRESTON BEACH all that could be seen were
The Isle of Portland

KAYAKERS

and this TANKER
During this time I, or the car, were seen by no fewer than 3
of my mates (informed by E-mail this morning) but had disappeared
before they could catch me up.
It took a re-visit to the Moor a little later to catch up with the

LONG-TAILED DUCK

which was now in the distant pools close to Overcoombe Corner. Flighty, as it was also seen from Beachdown Way during the day. The last ditch attempt had paid off. The photographs, taken in Barrow, Alaska, are from the archive just as illustration.

STONECHAT
Feel like a 'little weep' before bed time?
Click this Link to see The Master at work!
Sloe Gin - Joe Bonamassa 
at the Royal Albert Hall, London

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