SLIMBRIDGE - Part One

A 07:00 start to our 2 hour drive to begin the Away Day to the

an area holding an outstanding Water Fowl Collection that slaps you in the face even before getting

through the turnstile with both

BEWICK'S SWAN
and

WHOOPER SWAN

buzzing around overhead. Ducks, Geese, Swans and many other family groups are represented so we are not going to pretend to remember knowing them all, particularly the foreigners, the grey matter having disappeared years ago but we will do our best!

As an example of this we have no recollection of the

species name of this Goose

and of course, at the time of writing, not even the help of our companion and mentor on the day Dave to lean on.
More familiar were the likes of

LAPWING

hundred of them along with

PINTAIL
and

SHELDUCK
and of equal note were the eye-catching

POLLARDED WILLOW and his DAVESHIP
and at great distance a

COMMON CRANE

COMMON BUZZARD
being robed of its prey by a
MAGPIE

BRENT GEESE
on the floodplain and distantly the
RIVER SEVERN

and finally for

Part One

REDSHANK

Don't Look Back in Anger (I hear you say) - Oasis

A HEARTY, HEALTH and PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO 'ALL' OUR FOLLOWERS!!

As has been the norm for years now, on the first day of the new year we take a look back at the 'goodies' we have been able to record during the last 12 months. As for the Moths, they represent all of those specise that have been added to the overall list during 2022, interwoven with the best of the other Wildlife both On and Off Piste

begining with that which brought us the most joy the

DEATH'S-HEAD HAWK-MOTH

which is surely the target species for any Moth entusiast who has, as yet, not caught one! with this magnificent specemen being trawled around every office and workshop on the property to the delight of all who surveyed it while early year our first 'Off-Pieste' adventure took us in search of the scarce

and fine male

AMERICAN WIGEON

at

SHAPWICK - SOMERSET
Also of great value was our first

GOLDEN TWIN-SPOT

which brought with it some I.D. complications for myself

but certainly 'self-chuffed' when confirmed as such. There is a follow-up to this which will be posted in days to come!
Also of value was the Dorset

GLOSSY IBIS

well worth the relatively short drive.
Not exactly glamorous a

GARDEN DART
was consigned to the list

while it had been a full 10 years wait for one of the ever increasing numbers of

CATTLE EGRET
to be added to the Patch List.

SPRING USHER
was the 4th and final Moth to be added to the definative list as we rushed to follow up the report of a

LONG-EARED OWL
on the Golf Course with our final Twitch of the year being to the

Somerset Levels

to add the rare

BAIKAL TEAL
(from Russia, Korea and there abouts) to our Graet Britain Lists.
(comparison with Eurasian Teal foreground) while the male

MANDARINE DUCK
made sporadic visits across the year as the

BITTERN

was ratified by the
Water Bailiff in the final days of the year.

Angel of the Morning - Juice Newton

 Given the recent weather we have been much confined to barracks but, despite the lowest Hit Count across the whole of our history (just 77) we still endeavour to please hence the following is something of a 'filller'!

Refugio Paz is a private farm in Ecuador inherited by Angel Paz and converted into a nature reserve. The farm was subdivided among the children through inheritance. Angel preserved his land while his brothers largely cleared their tracts. His land remains mostly forested and in quite pristine condition. Angel has gained substantial fame for developing a technique for conditioning extremely rare Ant-pittas and other rare birds to come out onto the trail. There is also an active Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek part way down the trail to the river. The trail is quite steep and often muddy so it can be difficult for people who have ankle or knee problems. Visits must be arranged in advance, as Angel strictly limits the number of visitors allowed on the property each morning so as not to disturb the birds. This is just a small part of my day there!

from left son Vinicio, Moi and Angel

ANDEAN COCK-of-the-ROCK
(male)

female
one of only 2 of the family group the other being

GUIANAN COCK-of-the-ROCK
recorded in Suriname some years later.

BLACK VULTURE
constantly circling overhead.

GOLDEN TANAGER

INCA JAY

GREAT THRUSH

NAZCA BOOBY

WHITE-NECKED JACOBIN

OCHEROUS PIHA

SURFBIRD

BLOOMS

GREY-HOODED GULL

TRICOLOURED HERON

TURKEY VULTURE

RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD

Race With the Devil - Gun

A gloomy start to the day also included the occassional light shower but a wandering

CORMORANT
started the day's Wildlifeing on the right note with it, or another, on the windswept

Main Pond

However, from the Moth Traps, "when we got there the cupboard was bare" save for a brace of

DOR BEETLEs
and unexpectedly a

DEVIL'S COACH HORSE BEETLE
while also within the Compound a couple of

LAPWING

before spending some time along the Sewerage Works Fenceline and for our efforts finding a male

BULLFINCH
a pair of

FIRECREST

(female)
and this

GREY WAGTAIL
with all else being confined to
Home Turf

with a feeding

GREEN WOODPECKER
on the tennis court and what, given the 'rings', we put down to

RACING PIGEON

on the Farm House roof. The Away Day was also a Great Success but only 'touch and go as for being published at all given the low interest of our readers - we shall see??