Wednesday 26 October 2011

Pied Wheatear. Oldbury-On-Severn. 26 Oct 2011.


Found yesterday by Darryl Spittle, from Gwent, this female Pied Wheatear was still on show at Thornbury Yacht Club today. With a nice young Northern Wheatear for direct comparison.(Not shown here.)



A sedate and gentle "twitch" in between the showers...


Photo-ops were amazing. Unless you were dig'ing through an 80's Kowa!






Strickly-Come-Wheatear!



What do you find at the end of a rainbow?

Yes. That's right! A stunning pleschanka!

We took a little vid. Can be seen here...




Hope this little beauty stays for more peeps to see her. An absolute "Wheatear Princess..."

Tuesday 25 October 2011

Update Imminent, but in the Meantime?

Portugal, Pallid Harrier in Somerset, and other things?
Been a bit lax.
Down in deepest Somerset, at the weekend, caught up with 34 Common Crane in one glorious sedge. The result of 2 years hard work, and releases, by the Great Crane Project.

http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/

34 Cranes in flight.

The Crane sedge, bad digiscope, settled...


2 glorious hours scoping them, produced a male Merlin hunting 100+ Goldfinches. A ringtail Hen Harrier showed at distance. And there was a brief passage of Skylark at Aller Moor.

We'd visited in the Spring and failed to find the Cranes.  It seemed the pattern was to be repeated - viewing from vantage points across the flat expanse. Then 34 Jewels obscured the sky, and gave an aerobatic display before alighting.

In 5 years from the start of this release programme, it is hoped that at least 100 Cranes will provide a stable breeding stock. And a return of this missing jigsaw-piece to our birdscape.

Yesterday, a female Pied Wheatear was found near to us in fluvial weather. As I write the skies are clear and calm. perfect for migration. This day may provide a connection. It would be a bonus. But I wouldn't blame the bird for moving on.

Promise a Portugal trip report, and a September/October retrospect with, perhaps, some artwork...

In the meantime, some free illos I did for this year's Cambridge Bird Report...












Can you guess what they are?

Happy Birding and Drawing to you all!...

phil