No news is......................................................................no news.

It’s a sign of a good holiday when you keep reminiscing about the happenings of your vacation, and that is exactly where you find us.

Staying for 2 weeks in the mini-nature reserve of the hotel grounds, was very relaxing. Lying on a sunbed and watching the Flycatcher constantly catching food and going to a perching viewpoint for the next meal. So relaxing, and all without any bins.

Mary had a greater success rate than me with the Hoopoes. Mainly due to her standing on our bedroom balcony in her (nearly-) all together at 6.30, waiting for the kettle to boil and wake me with daily cuppa Tetley’s, she was constantly gobsmacked at how early some Brits (the hotel was all Brits) put down their beach towel for the day. Groups of 4 obviously appointed someone to seek out the best spot to do the reserving, then neighbouring beds were re-positioned further away, so that the reserver had secured an exclusive and isolated area.    Friendly, eh?

But at such a stupid early time, it did afford Mary many chances to see the Hoopoe ferreting in the grass.

One reason for having to think back to Majorca, is that I have had the most bereft bird watching experiences this week, and the only salvation was watching a Dunnock scour the lawn, then fly into one of our 2 bay trees. Then emerge and continue prospecting. Trouble is, I wanted to trim the Bay, but that can wait.

I know that some birders want benchmarks to see if they are online for The 200, or are they doing better or worse than last year.

Here we are at June 30^th and I’m on 170. This time last year it was 172 so I’m more or less on course OK, although on 30^th June 2017, I was on 190.

Another progress monitoring method is to see how far you can get through the year, before the number of species seen is eclipsed by the calendar dates to date. Comprendi??

30^th June 2019  is 181 days through the year.  20^th June is day 171, so 20^th June was the date that my species to date(170) was overtaken by the days to date(171). 2018 was much the same but in 2017 I got to July 13th before I was overhauled.

And the prospect for keeping ahead for the WHOLE year?    365 species?   I think not.

Managed to obtain a Doctor appointment in 72 hours from my telephone call (now THAT is surprising), to discuss a pain at the base of my spine that started 2 days before we came home from Majorca. In the end I attributed it to a bang from jarring my pelvis and coccyx whilst stepping down a  high step too quickly.

It is clearing rapidly, but you know what is coming when the Doctor says, “ you have to consider………..” I know -  that’s only marginally more tactful than “at your age”.  

QI?     114 days ago, yesterday (1905), the AA was formed. (I know, I worked for them… but not then!)

…. And a nice quiz question… What year was 999 introduced for emergency services?  30^th June 1937… blimey, only 2 years before I was borne!

Right campers, as we had such a good holiday, and I’ve got a £100 discount voucher, this week we will be booking our 2020 holiday in Majorca. Something to look forward to, although we do have 2 weeks in Cyprus yet to come.

Happy Birding

A dipping holiday in Majorca!!

I’m hoping that my readers did not think that their computers and e-mail were on the blink last Sunday…. Cos we was far away once again enjoying 14 days in the Picafort Park in Majorca.

I suppose I have waxed lyrical about the PP (as we repeat guests call it) in previous blogs, but all the recent improvements in previous years have culminated this year in a major make-over of the restaurant. It’s spaciousness, brightness and overall ambience (who’s with the adjectives then?!) including an area adaptable for Al fresco eating, made it a vast improvement. And understanding that in the winter of 2019 it will be the turn of the lounge, we just have to return. Non regulars to Majorca may not appreciate that many of the hotels (including the PP) only open from May to October, and whilst some will just get mothballed over the winter, the PP uses the time to make improvements.

That’s the good news.  The bad news was that apart from dipping on some of the foreign bird species, I was personally dipped. I had my pocket dipped in a bus queue in Porte Pollensa. It was the crowded market-day and with the usual hustling to board a busy bus, my Euro notes were lifted. Fortunately, we had enough for the bus fare back plus one non-alcoholic drink en route.   

Lessons learnt – the hard way!

Other bad news?   14 days, 42 cooked meals, 28 of them with wine, 14 preceded with G & T and followed by coffee and brandy  =  plus half a stone!!  ( further =   the shirt worn on day 1 would not fit on day 13!!)

Anyway, to the Majorca birding.

Wednesday 12^th June I did my customary morning visit to Albufeira, the huge reed bed  in the North East of the island, and walking the kilometre from the entrance bus stop to the visitor centre, ticked off Cattle Egrets a-plenty, and then a regular, the large Purple Gallinule, also known in the UK as a Swamp Hen.

Black Winged Stilts abounded, Crested Coots (both with young) were seen from the canal bridge, one Coot with a white collar to help identify it as NOT being a standard coot. The Tui local interests guide Chris, claimed that the bird was all-inclusive, on the basis that hotel guests had to wear an i-d band if staying on all-inclusive basis!   A pair of Glossy Ibis dropping in was exciting and made up for my dipping on the Osprey.

On the middle Saturday I joined 15 other guests for a second walk to Albufeira and the hi-lite that morning was undoubtedly 2 Eleonora’s Falcons, quite obligingly circling quite low overhead.

Despite the hotel being in the middle of a residential area, the large gardens alone give me some enjoyable sightings, and I found I was often explaining birds that were uncommon for many guests.

Hoopoes were regularly seen foraging for food, and calling, and 2 Audouin’s Gulls regularly took up strategic watch points around the pool area. Again calling (different from the Herring Gull), but with very visible black beaks. 

And as always Mediterranean Flycatchers were constant, and several times were seen passing food to their young. (Sorry, no credits for Woodpigeons, Blackbirds and House Sparrows!)…..oh and one evening sighting of an Eleonora passing over.

A couple of other interesting sightings.

A couple of these little fellas were on a rocky outcrop along the prom and were completely unfazed by people approaching for a photo.  The steep forehead pointed to a Shag, and a photo sent to my UK adviser (Amanda!) brought the opinion (which I subsequently agreed) that it was a juvenile Mediterranean Shag, the desmarestii species.

Also, having wondered why I saw a couple of people with binoculars in a somewhat barren field near the hotel, I went looking for myself, and found THREE Woodchat Shrikes. 

They were very identifiable sitting on telegraph wires, and with patience I watched them repeatedly drop to catch food Unfortunately I could not see them storing the catch on any spikes or thorns, but they were catching food so frequently they did not have time to eat their prey.

So, it was an extra 10 species for the year, albeit on my world list – no use for the UK total!!

Any other news?   Not really….. flight back was delayed by 2 hours; you only get compo if it’s 3 hours+ which Would have made up for my previous loss!

Notable dates?    None today but yesterday – 22^nd June 1814 the first cricket match at Lords.

Now…not a lot of…………………..

Chin – Chin.

Perseverance Pays... The Rewards?? Ring Ouzel and Bearded Tits!!

Since I’ve become an octogenarian, I don’t think I quite fire on all cylinders the way I have in previous year.  In the last 4 weeks, I have had 2 occasions when I thought about where to go birding, like Padley, Frampton, Rutland or Attenborough, but after my full English I decided I had not got the necessary tiger in the tank, so I cut the lawn instead. Perhaps it was the fact that I would have been birding solo that curbed the enthusiasm.

I like company when I go out, both for the company, and to increase the number of observation eyes. I have always been a firm believer in the saying that it is not what you know but who you know, and some of those “Who’s” have been a great help in my birding

Anyway, thanks to the info providers, this week has reinvigorated the juices ( Ed; I think you’ve got some mixed metaphors there.) and I’ve found some cracking birds that’s Amanda.    Eh?  Sorry.. …cracking birds thanks Amanda!!!

Tuesday 4^th June, Chris and I met up at Broomhill Flash, and with nothing notable there we headed over to Old Moor. Amanda was on duty and gave us the SP on what was around.  Everywhere seemed very overgrown and there was little at the feeding station, although a Yellow Hammer was reported but not whilst we were there.   

The first goody was a Mediterranean Gull nesting on it’s regular (for years!) island in front of the family hide, and we had a very clear view such that we could contrast the black head with the chocolate coloured heads on the many Black Headed Gulls.

A pair of Shelduck with 9 youngsters was spectacular and one can but hope they will all survive.

The Wader scrape triangle was worthy of our loitering, ticking off a lovely continuous song from a Garden Warbler, and then a silent Sedge Warbler. An observant young lady in the hide called a Bittern, and we all watched it fly left all along the tree line, until it dropped down in the reed bed near the A6195, and in front of the private hide, an area where 3 Bitterns nested last year.

I do comment on catering when I can and give credit when it is due. Sadly, I don’t think the Old Moor catering is what it was. There used to be a choice of ¾ hot meals, and you could look smell and select from the hot table, like casserole, skins, strog etc. Alas a fixed menu now of bacon butties, pasta and jackets are the limit.

After lunch, with a mental route map courtesy again of Amanda we went to the Bittern hide, and very soon picked up Bearded Tits.  2 or 3 bird were very active in the reed beds and were entertaining as they gripped reeds which promptly bent to lower them gracefully deeper down into the reeds. Difficult to describe.. you just had to be there to see it!!

They are in here!!!

With some enjoyable sightings, and 2 on my year list (= 167) we decamped shortly after 4pm, just as it started to rain – hard.

I don’t get a great variety of birds in my garden, but currently a pair of Blackbirds are very regular collecting food from the lawn presumably for a hidden nest and their young, I assume. As I sit now at my desk, looking to the left there is a high fence, and I repeatedly see one Dunnock just sitting there. Another pair are making whoopee (as Dunnocks do), but I suspect that Billy no-mates is keeping tabs on a nest… which is why his inactivity is so out of character.

Thursday 6^th June,  I managed to squeeze what turned out to be 50% successful, another morning at Padley Gorge. With no school holidays (although 2 minibuses full turned up later!), and no weekend walkers I was able to park at the head of the gorge and work my way down the path to the money tree. Being so quiet I had only just gone through the top gate when I had my first of 3 Pied Flycatchers, including 2 cracking males. Add to that I spotted one Pied Flycatcher, and a couple of Tree Creepers, one only just missing me as it slammed against a trunk. 

I made my way up through the gate to the open area, and almost immediately I was watching active Redstarts followed by a second group further along the top. A distant Cuckoo was also nice to hear.

Sadly, no sign of Wood Warbler, so it was back to the car and up to Burbage. No Whinchat, but soon after the crude bench of the right, I picked up a male Ring Ouzel high on the rocks near the single tree. Just time to see the white chest in my scope before he dived away, but that was good enough for me.

You can argue about whether it should be on your list, and it is NOT on the BTO list, but I did see a lovely white plumaged Muscovy Duck at Buxton, on the way home.

With a current count of 170 species (or 85%) now to non-avian matters!

I have been looking for a long time for a walking cane with a leg shaped handle to add to my Microtibialist collection, and I picked this one up at a huge antique fair at Newark.  A lady’s walking cane made in bronze. It just won’t fit in my display box!!

                                  

Good news that the Volunteers at Carsington Water are planning to add manning the wildlife centre on a Thursday to their present duties of Tuesday and Sunday. They do a great job in helping the public, and a Thursday is likely to embrace more school parties, which is hopefully how and where a birding interest is born.

Oh goody!!!! A birding QI item!   On Sunday it will be 85 years since Donald Duck first appeared on screen, in The Wise Little Hen…….. go on google it, and see what animation was like nearly 100 years ago!!

A bit early this week, but all will be revealed.   

Happy Birding

The Jurassic Coast - a birders paradise

I recall from my school days, sometimes there is a proverb for which there is another one which is exactly the opposite. For example,  - “Too many cooks spoil the broth” v “Many hands make light work.”

Mary has created one unique (well, probably) to the Bennett household. 

When Mary says something to me that I do not quite hear, I am told “You are going deaf”.  When I say something to Mary that she does not quite hear, “ You’re mumbling.”

Ergo, Heads I lose - Tales I don’t win .

I wanted to show you this advert in the Derby Telegraph on Thursday.  £450 for a meal?  Clearly they must have a menu for a wealthy clientele. (And no… I can see no decimal point in the advert.)

Turning to our other Telegraph newspaper, the Daily Telegraph, I have often been able to quote a journalist who writes the occasional short column on the back page. Samantha Herbert is clearly well versed on birding and comes up with some interesting snippets that would not make the News at Ten. 

This week she reports on the progress by the RSPB and WWT (that’s Wildfowl and Wetland, not World Wildlife) to increase the UK breeding population of Black-Tailed Godwits.

Unlike the transferring of Osprey chicks, like Scotland to Rutland and known as Translocating, this project is called Head-starting, and is effectively giving Godwits a head start in raising chicks, by collecting and incubating/hatching their eggs.

Her article quotes an instance of finding 2 eggs in a muddy farmland, hand-rearing the chicks at Welney and they have now flown to Portugal and West Africa for the summer.

Great project and thank to Samantha for the soundbite.

I did try and locate the origin of and/or what Godwit meant.   Best I could find was that it had an Anglo-Saxon origin. Viz:  gód = good;   wiht = creature.   

And now something for the weekend. (Careful!!!)  66 years ago today the Queen was crowned, and on 1^st June 1880, the first public telephone box went into service, in the USA.  

139 years later, the model K6 is in use for anything from libraries (they can hold 300 books) to coffee shops (outside seating!) and an ice cream parlour.  Shower units, wine coolers and fish tanks are just some of the other conversions that have been made, and one in Derbyshire has  holiday accoutrements to borrow (Lilo’s; buckets and spades; bathing rings; deckchairs etc.).   What next I wonder?

As I write this blog, here we are 5 months through 2019 at the end of May. My YTD count is 165, (I still think 82½% sounds more impressive!) a little down on the same time last year, but not for want of trying.    Had the weather not curtailed our trip to Padley Gorge, I could have expected to have added a further 3 (Wood Warbler;  Redstart and Ring Ouzel), and the abortive search for Nightjar and Woodcock, 2 more.

HOWEVER, clutching at straws!, I have seen 14 species which I did not see in 2018, and I have one new 2019 lifer – the Savi’is Warbler at Attenborough, taking my UK life list to 339.  

What else have I missed?  The Long Billed Dowitcher and Yellow Wagtail at Frampton Marsh,  as well as a further 22 species that I saw sometime in 2018 -  but not yet.

I was pondering a bit of interesting news**, and it prompted me to remind any readers in the Midlands ad North, of the goodies available on the South coast. As you will no doubt have realised I love visiting anywhere coastal stretch between Bournemouth and Brixham, in particular the Jurassic coast section which stretches for 96 miles from Poole Harbour to the Exe estuary. Forgive me if I reminisce and at the same time point out some of the great birding locations en route.

Poole Harbour is currently basking in the pride of having viewable nesting Ospreys at Middlebere, and whilst my 2019 bird cruise did not see them, there are plenty of spotters tracking the bird movements.   Poole harbour is a good location for Divers in the winter, and RSPB Arne is good for Dartford Warbler. A visit to the wildlife trust lagoon on Brownsea Island is very worthwhile and should see Spoonbills, breeding Little Egrets and a good number of waders…. Oh and of course the charismatic red Squirrels.

I have been visiting Swanage since 1952, the year of the Lynmouth flood disaster and when I grew into bird watching, I discovered the Isle of Purbeck (the name of our house!), the fabulous cliff walks, and Durlston Country park. And therein lies the interesting news. **Last week 7 Bee-eaters were seen near Durlston Castle (=café). 

The Jurassic walk continues westwards right on the cliff edge, and I knew where the Peregrine used to nest. On the path you will find Stonechats, most of the cliff breeders plus heathland birds, and passing Worth Matravers and Dancing Ledge, St Aldhems, Lulworth, Osmington and finally back to tarmac in Weymouth.

Straight away there is Lodmoor nature reserve and then on to Radipole Lake (Hooded Merganser a couple of years ago), an RSPB reserve virtually in the middle of town! From there a diversionary route will take you South across and with views of the Fleet (nesting Little Terns), Portland harbour for Divers, and then on Portland Bill itself. There you have the informative bird observatory and the pulpit rock for good sea watching.

Back into main Dorset and continuing West, Abbotsbury with hundreds of Swans is a spectacle. The coastal path (remember it is 96 miles!!) continues to Lyme Regis, then Seaton, and the chance of a bird watching tram ride through the excellent Seaton Marshes. 6 hides and one with a coffee machine!

Budleigh Salterton is a favourite location, walking up an excellent bush lined path by the River Otter, with a chance of an Otter.

Then comes my well-publicised favourite, Exmouth, for my annual birding pilgrimage on a River Exe bird-watching cruise. RSPB sites and hides at Bowling Green Marsh and Darts Farm (Penduline Tits a couple of years ago) and the Exe marshes on the west side of the river, are all locations where time can be well spent.

This is the end of my Jurassic stretch, but just a little further there is Dawlish Warren, a good captive site especially at high tide in the large river facing hide.  And as a final bonus, drive on to Labrador Bay for the most easterly location of Cirl Buntings.

Enjoy your birding.