Garden warbler |
Tuesday 10 May 2011
Garden warbler at Banstead.
I had mistaken a blackcap in my garden for a garden warbler on song alone, so I was happy that David Campbell told me about 1 or 2 at Banstead Woods. I went up to meet him and we went to the spot where he regularly saw it. We heard it a few times but it was quite a while before it eventually showed. A lovely bird. Even though it is rather plain, its song is fabulous.
Tuesday 3 May 2011
Israel trip with Birdfinders - Day 5. Saturday.
Before breakfast I was in Shulemit Park by the hotel. The bottlebrush tree was a lovely backdrop to the local birds. The migrants were in other parts of the Park.
After breakfast we went back to the sewage pools at Km 19 where we had been previously. In the reedbeds we saw Dead Sea sparrows, Sardinian warbler, woodchat shrike, red-throated pipit, isabelline wheatear and a fine male namaqua dove nearby.
Also present were 2 spotted eagles which drifted off towards Jordan.
Next stop was the saltpools of Km20 where there were a couple of hundred slender-billed gulls, 25 ruffs, etc.
It was our last chance to go to the firing range for desert species so we drove north to Ha'Meishar plains. Larks abounded including thick-billed, greater short-toed and bimaculated.
Our main target was crowned sandgrouse and we were lucky to come across a flock of over 100 which allowed us to approach relatively near.
We moved to a different range where we were fortunate to encounter a small flock of bar-tailed larks.
There was little else of note, despite a diligent search till just before sunset. Ah well! Back to the hotel for another splendid buffet dinner.
Blackcap - male |
Blackcap - female |
Isabelline wheatear |
Sardinian warbler |
Namaqua dove - male |
Red-throated pipit |
Spotted eagle |
Next stop was the saltpools of Km20 where there were a couple of hundred slender-billed gulls, 25 ruffs, etc.
It was our last chance to go to the firing range for desert species so we drove north to Ha'Meishar plains. Larks abounded including thick-billed, greater short-toed and bimaculated.
Thick-billed lark |
Crowned sandgrouse. Female on left, male on right. |
Bar-tailed lark |
Monday 2 May 2011
Radipole / Lodmoor dowitcher and more
On my way to Plymouth I called in to Lodmoor to see the long staying long-billed dowitcher. It was a little more colourful in summer plumage:
Also present were some bar-tailed godwits in breeding plumage:
some whitethroats:
some sedge warblers:
a magpie which tried out the post used by kingfishers:
and a kingfisher, shown here leaving the nest:
and here on the usual post:
Makes me want to go back in a couple of weeks when the young are out!
Long-billed dowitcher, an American wader |
Also present were some bar-tailed godwits in breeding plumage:
Bar-tailed godwit. The worm was taken and washed before being eaten |
Bar-tailed godwit. You can see the barring on the tail. |
Common whitethroat. |
Sedge warbler |
Magpie |
Kingfisher leaving the nest |
Kingfisher |
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