randombirder

Up early again.  Maybe this time, but where to look.  I decided to head back up to the El Cotillo plains.  I had stopped at this particular location on the first day but decided against it on my second. Thought I would try my luck again. Leaving the car behind, I took a walk across the arid plateau where yellow flowers were incongruously in bloom against the parched landscape.  I made my way up stopping and scanning. Further on, stopping and scanning. Finally!  A  CREAM-COLOURED COURSER , distantly gliding across the barren surface.  Just a single bird and a bit of a relief having searched across three days for it.  I crept further on over the plain, but no sign of any more - a little disappointed not to have captured it on film.  Would like to have spent more time there.  But I was done.  A few Trumpeter Finch were in the area as I headed back to the car. What did I say about relaxing.  This was now the time to rela...

What a slog.  Whoever said you can just turn up to a place, see everything and leave is fundamentally misguided.  A dawn start, a dusk finish, lots of driving, and lots of walking.  Lots of beautiful scenery too particularly on the west side of the island from El Cotillo south towards La Pared. Not knowing the specifics of finding my target species, I essentially searched suitable habitat and got one reasonably early.  And what a belter.  One of many excursions onto the rocky/sandy tracks, opportunistically sensed that something may be lurking within an area of dunes that were fragmented by clumps of vegetation.  A large bird disappeared behind a tussock.  Concentrating on the spot, a HOUBARA BUSTARD appeared, neck low, ponderously navigating the sandy tracks.  It disappeared again.  There were small trees for which to hide behind.  Out again and better views until it hopped up onto one of the sandy mounds, extending its neck and posi...

A quick turnaround, an easyJet flight back into Gatwick on Sunday evening and re-pack for the first flight out of Heathrow to Madrid on Monday morning.  The connection onto Fuerteventura was seamless - muy facil! The 03:30am start was not going to deter me from birding straight from the airport.  Straight into the hire car and off into the semi-desert in search of my trip targets. I've been to Fuerteventura before, back in the days when lounging around on the beach doing something called relaxing with the odd excursion out of the resort to a local attraction.  No purposeful inclination to explore further than the restaurant or the poolside bar.  Maybe not to these extremes perhaps but the point here is about relativity.  This wasn't going to be relaxing. The first day was a reconnaissance mission, a familiarisation exercise of the roads to navigate and the sites to target - these birds can be extremely elusive. The afternoon was frenetic, trying to see a...

This is the second year running when I have been able to travel up to Scotland to observe the presence of a nationally rare bird.  Last year was American Coot, a moment of self indulgence after a brief spell in hospital monitoring closely the long staying american vagrant.  It made sense.  A quick trip, no fuss or bother at modest expense. This time round, with a full bill of health, and plans to escape the vagaries of East London my dearest suggested Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire as a weekend break destination.  The flights were booked in nanoseconds. So onto Aberdeen, driving around the North of the city adjacent to the River Don where the bird had been loitering for the past five weeks, it was no surprise that I could not find the access road that led down to the river.  This was partly due to a road closure near to the site, but seriously, I could get lost in an empty room. Eventually made it, negotiating a slippery slope that was quite literally that an...

Today was about the kids.  Not my kids, I haven't yet taken ownership of those yet.  These kids were the ones that shrugged off the winter blues and joined us at Rainham Marshes  for the session on 'Bonkers for Birds'.  They were indeed bonkers as were the leaders, because birds are amazing creatures and it is a palpable joy having the privilege of being a part of such events.  From Mute Swan collages to sinking elbow deep in Trex in our valient attempts in forming circular fat balls for bird feeders.  It was a messy business. There were plenty of birds out on the reserve too which we were happy to point out.   Golden Plover and Dunlin were numerous on the Purfleet Scrape where two drake Pintail sat with the Wigeon .  A Marsh Harrier was seen distantly quartering the area around Wennington, two Common Snipe flew past the hide at Purfleet Scrape, and  Gadwall and Shoveler were present. There were  Lapwing in good numbers, a S...

Trips to Amwell are always great.  The skies were clear, but the cold brisk breeze kept you honest. Amazing light, and so many birds with the chance of a new addition to my BOU life list.  So this is what I saw. CASPIAN GULL - 1st winter seen extremely well at dusk loafing about with numerous Great Black Backed Gull .  A really neat bird, fresh white head and neck with a dark black eye, and that bill, thick dark and slightly curved at the tip, a gonys I believe it's called.  Another feature observed was the greyish scapulars suggesting second-generational feathering on what the texts would regard as a transition from 1st calender year to 1st winter.  The bird was slightly smaller than the Greater's and appeared far more elegant, and dare I say, a much more interesting bird than the full adult. During the day, a drake Smew finally appeared toward the London end of Great Hardmead and although distant, was seen well fishing along the edge of the reedbed. ...

Cold, very still with broken cloud and a lovely morning to be out after the grim conditions yesterday. Middlesex Filter Beds: 1 Chiffchaff 1 Kingfisher 1 Goldcrest 17 Tufted Duck 15 Teal 3 Gadwall 2 Pochard 1 Grey Wagtail 1 Green Woodpecker Waterworks: (water mostly frozen) 20+ Meadow Pipit (Pitch 'n' Putt) 2 Fieldfare 1 Cetti's Warbler (singing) 2 Shoveler Walthamstow Marsh (Paddocks): 1 Little Egret 25+ Chaffinch