Passing Strangers - Billy Eckstine and Sarah Vaughn

With Dennis (the Menace) continuing to be relentless, yesterday 
was another when it was decided to be as dogged as he!
Not to be put off by continuous heavy rain, somewhat subdued 
winds and a number of local roads flooded and impassable along with my
vivacious and enthusiastic adult apprentice

CHLOE

we set about a mini rounds of the local area, without success, before heading off again for

EYEWORTH POND

It was felt sure, given the prevailing conditions, that the Goosander

would have stayed put but in the event that also was not to be!

However, a hearty late morning breakfast redressed the ballance after which we went our seperate ways leaving me to knock up yet another

'All Our Yesterdays Post'

More additions to the Recording Area List

included not one but 2

WATER RAIL

during the month of October 2017 the first, having been 'heard only',
along our beat of the River Stour did not qualify for list inclussion, but

just one week later

12/11/2017 
 a second was seen and heard in the proximity of the
Irrigation Pond Feeding Station

On our usual Sunday wander to the far south west corner of the
Recording Area 
in a search for Geese on 
10/12/2017
 what met the eye was far from
 Goose-like with this rather dull looking

HAWFINCH
 standing out like a sour thumb against a clear blue sky.
It remains still the only record from our patch.

What could not even have been envisage in our wildest of dreams

appeared on the Heath on

12/12/2017

As looking through the residue of local Stonechats and Dartford Warblers
this very 'hoary' bird appeared perched directly in front of the
Strange Rover

 2 Strangers then on that early winter's day.

 As experienced on a couple of other occassions the immortal words from 
the flysheet of one of my old bird books flashed before me
 "and then like all rare things, it was gone"!

 Luckily, it did stay but then there was the task of noting all the fieldmarks 
of such a rare bird which was done to my satisfaction.

With a little help in confirming such a beauty

it was, later in the day, considered to be

a pukka

SIBERIAN STONECHAT
We are hopeful that the weather today (Monday) will clear up
as more (younger) appretices should be on their way. 

Storm in a Teacup - The Fortunes

Another abysmal weather forecast and another warning of a ‘named’ gale predicted 

to be with us during the mid-forenoon, so whatever the decision it had to be before storm 

Dennis became a Menace!

Across our usual morning cicuit another male 

TUFTED DUCK

was found on the Gravel Pit 

while a little further on across the flooded

 Northern Horse Paddocks

 were found a host of wind-blown Gulls mostly

Black-headed (centre) Herring Top and

 LESSER BLACK-BACKED

 also among these were c2 winter plumaged

 MEDITERRANEAN GULLS

which simply would not lend themselves to the Canon

but nevertheless an addition to the RA Year List

a decent number of 

PIED WAGTAIL

there too but what wasn't anticipated was this

TREECREEPER

flying directly into the

Viewfinder

Gone mid-morning and still little sign of

Dennis

 the sensible choices were between heading back to barracks or acting on

information recieved from our Broadwey correspondant of a worthwhile

bird just a 30 minute drive away and in the heart of the 

New Forest

is a much favoured location in the Forest but on the day seems the public

had chossen my abandonded option, with no one there at all,

but the object of our desire was, a fine looking

male

 GOOSANDER

 and after a full hour alone with this beauty

 and the cessation of

Flying Stations

 It can be seen by comparisson of the stills and heard via the

sound tracks that

DENNIS 

had struck

If I Could Turn Back Time - Cher

It was a bit of a slog yesterday but well worth it for the 
Silver Lining
that is just about to visit us. The day report shows the addition of a second

 COOT
on the Irrigation Pond, which was the sum total, but sure to send
The Bagsy Blog
VIRAL

 so perhaps no need to send the Link to yer Pals?

Not only a seemingly apt Headline but the video also jiggled the Memory Bank

of our most extensive Twitch ever, all 23,000 miles of it and maybe 

coming to a Blog near you soon!

You need to watch the video first!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsKbwR7WXN4

Which in turn triggers yet another ‘sea story’ as the Royal Navy home fleet was steaming at full speed ahead to rendezvous mid-Atlantic with the United States equivalent. As the flagships passed abeam of each other and in opposite directions the American Admiral took to the radio and requested to speak “Admiral to Admiral”. In a jaunty voice he complimented the British Fleet on looking so spick and span and seaworthy and completed the transmission by asking “and how is the second largest navy in the world today”? The British Admiral then took to the air and thanked him for his kindness, echoed the same sentiment and may I end by  ask “how the second BEST navy is doing this fine day”?

But we digress! 

To turn back time to our next addition to the RA List we revisit 16/03/2017 which was when traffic volume in and out of the Eco Recycling Plant was much reduced by comparison to what it is today. A Sunday, so no workings at all found me face to face with this

 GREAT WHITE EGRET

 as yet not settled and in company with a Grey Heron which departed on my arrival.

 Now looking far more comfortable it went through a few functions such as gapping

 Most welcome but not surprising as c3 had spent 

most of the winter at Longham Lakes, just a couple of miles away,

and maybe this was part of the disperal?

 It is thought from the slow-mo

 that the prey species were most likely

 NEWTS

Island in the Sun - Harry Belafonte

With very little of note in our own locale today it was inspiration from one of my favourite places on the face of planet earth and 2 of my favourite people. On their first visit to Galapagos avid world wanderers Jean Francois and Roong Ozoux sent me these images of a 

Woodpecker Finch 

one of the Darwin Finch complex which played a key part in his proving the Science of Evolution. Lucky to have seen the species myself, my images come nowhere close to portraying one of very few birds to use a ‘tool’ to capture their prey.

 CHARLES DARWIN

To compliment these, a few of my own Island Snaps are posted today to be followed by a brief account of my first meeting with these ‘beautiful people’ at a later date! The first trip was a great success and quite an eye opener but of just one week duration far, far too short. The return in 2010 was twice the number of days and a solo venture having left MyQue's, my former boss, to his own devices. Both trips were as freelance travellers with no complications and at less than half the price of an organised tour which may be of some help to the reader. 

As is usual we landed on an old US Airbase on the island of

Baltra

and obtaining a mandatory 15 dollar permit allowing access to the

 which is the whole of the archipeligo.

 Taking the $1 US bus ride to the ferry, being swarmed by

AUDUBON'S SHEARWATERS

before a second and longer bus ride before reaching the main town  of

Once there it was check-in to the same hotel as last time, The Castro,

dumping the backpack then treading familiar territory.

 GALAPAGOS (LAVA) HERON

 GALAPAGOS DOVE

GALAPAGOS LAND IGUANA

Each day the first port of call (excuse pun) was the tiny pier in the centre of town

at the end of which stood one of the

Pleasure Boat Captains
It was certain there was mutual respect here, despite the language barrier
but seemingly, like myself, a firm handshake seemed to say all!

LAVA GULL

 GREAT FRIGATEBIRD

LARGE GROUND FINCH

MOI

MEDIUM CACTUS FINCH

Back to town where there is but one Main Drag and where stands the

FISH MARKET

 where you can buy 7 Crayfish for less than £2.00..
Always best to buy more than you are likeley to eat as once inside the

TINY CAFE

to the left, where they will cook them for you, you never know who you may bump into to share the feast!
The final bird to join the list here may well have been

 SMALL GROUND FINCH
had not fate lent a hand while observing a magical moment of wildlife.
While watching a Whimbrel (presumed Hudsonian) in pursuit of a

 SALLY LIGHTFOOT CRAB
which had sought shelter under a rock with pure stealth the bird caught it,
first shook off the clump claw, followed by the secondary and legs before swallowing the
hapless creature whole. Comparing windpipe with shell size it seemed impossible
but down it went without a struggle and just as my new found friend arrived.

With broken English and gesticulation he seemed to be inviting me out in his Cruiser for the day, which was confirmed by his paying passengers 2 young Finnish couples who were intent on swimming with the Sealions. Through them, he also said he had very much enjoyed my company and the fact that we were both Seafarers made it that little bit more special. Looking at the chart, we seemed bound for a tiny unnamed island some 20 miles away and with the anchor dropped he caught some fish and served then for breakfast. There were no expectations as to what we might see, in fact anything would be a bonus, but first off in the caves and crags

 SWALLOW-TAILED GULL'S
were nesting!

juvenile

While they do visit the shores of Ecuador this is a rare sight and like the first trip my hopes of such a beauty had already faded - YES!

Additionally during the day, a lone

 GALAPAGOS HAWK
circled the vessel for a full 30 minutes as a 'raft' of

 GALAPAGOS PENGUINS
jumped one after the other onto the nearby headland forming a

WADDLE

There are no prizes for guessing where the Captain and I ended up that evening
but for a little respect and firm handshake there was a new shipmate and 3 new and most unexpected Bird species added to the World List!