Galana's. Third big year.

[Galana]

 

12 hours ago, Zim Girl said:

Interesting there are 'named' colour differences between pheasants

 

Yes, in my other life we had several different types including an all bottle green Melanistic variety.

Here is what   

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_pheasant

has to say.

Yes come Friday they will have lots to crow about although over here there are no large shooting estates but some are shot on Rough Shoots.

Edited January 29, 2019 by Galana
Additonal text.

[Galana]

I must get out more but with St.Valentines' Day looming I thought some bird's may well be preparing despite the cold temperatures.

And I was right and managed another addition to my total.

32. Goldfinch. Quite a common bird here but hard to get one to sit and pose.

Ballakesh. Isle of Man and inside the 8 mile circle.

[Galana]

Another day another bird.

33. Rock Pipit. Port Cornaa. IOM.

 

[Galana]

I actually broke out of the 8 mile circle today. The wind had dropped and the tides were favourable so I drove a massive distance to the south coast where I felt confident of maybe two species and ended up with six.

So here they are:-

34. Grey Heron. Sheltering behind a stone wall.

 

35. The buggers just would not settle so I went for a BIF. Why not?

Red-billed Chough. We have a lot here. It is our National bird.

 

36. Little Egret. Their constant march north gives us some regular sightings. There were about 8 at my site.

 

37. Eurasian Teal. A regular winter visitor that has eluded me closer to home so far.

 

38. Common Sheldduck.

 

And my near certainty for the trip....

39. Brent Goose. Light bellied 'hrota' Ssp. Around 50 or so visit each winter.

 

And to improve on an earlier screen grab...EBC..

(24) Common Eider. Males showing spring is not far behind.

 

More to come I am sure before I leave this small rock I call home.

[Galana]

Well "Erik" has headed east and the sun came out so before the doggies walkers finished their brekkies I thought to get out too.

Just up to my 'personal patch' well within the 8 mile circle of Galana Towers imagined by @Dave Williams (of which a semi circle would be the Irish Sea anyway) but worth a try despite the temperature of 44F.

Modest success despite some remnants of strong winds. .

40. Fieldfare. Ballakesh. Clinging on for grim death. Note the blue sky.

 

41. Coal Tit. Ballakesh.

 

[xelas]

@Galana did you clean the lens on your camera ? The first Teal is a beauty! 

[Galana]

12 hours ago, xelas said:

@Galana did you clean the lens on your camera ?

Amazing what a bit of spit on my hanky will do. Thanks!

[Galana]

So with the new clean lens and hanky at the ready I sallied forth on my first trip for a week.

I also stretched the string out a little bit by road but when I just measured the distance to my first sighting it cam out at 7.8miles as the crow or any bird would fly.

And my target bird obliged , indeed he brought two relatives with him:-

42. Britain's most persecuted bird.

Hen Harrier. Male. Druiddale. IOM.

And his two friends. One definitely female but the last may have been a young male. Ringtail. but I can only count em once whatever the gender but it is so nice to see them hunting in the sunshine.

NB. That IS sunshine and the sky was blue!!

 

And on the way home I saw a nice pair of Tits. My luck was really in today.

 

43. Great Tit. Ballaugh. (pron. Ballaff) It looks quite surprised.

and...

44. Long-tailed Tit. ssp. Rosaceus.  Ballaugh.

 

[Dave Williams]

I love the way you can find a Hen Harrier at will almost!

[Galana]

3 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

I love the way you can find a Hen Harrier at will almost!

Thanks. It is not 100% these days. Maybe down to 80% but I have not taken stats.

There are definitely less that there used to be. Gov.figures. I have counted 60 pairs at one roost some years back.

There is little shooting here, no Grouse shooting at all.

The birds do migrate between here and both Great Britain and Ireland and one view is that the illegal decimation in GB will have an effect on the overall pool of birds.

Another factor maybe upland disturbance. Our uplands are infested with illegal motorcyclists and other than huffing and puffing not a lot gets done to control the menace. As it is now illegal and enforced in GB the weekend boats are full of the beggars coming here to play on our patch which as well as totally destroying our upland footpaths disturbs both wildlife and livestock. This was dramatically measured during your last F&M outbreak when all footpaths were closed as a precaution. Lambing survival ratios increased by 30%.

 

But lets not get too gloomy. I will do my best to show anybody a Hen Harrier should they come over. If we don't find one I will pay for lunch but you buy me a pint for every one we DO find.

[Dave Williams]

8 hours ago, Galana said:

Thanks. It is not 100% these days. Maybe down to 80% but I have not taken stats.

There are definitely less that there used to be. Gov.figures. I have counted 60 pairs at one roost some years back.

There is little shooting here, no Grouse shooting at all.

The birds do migrate between here and both Great Britain and Ireland and one view is that the illegal decimation in GB will have an effect on the overall pool of birds.

Another factor maybe upland disturbance. Our uplands are infested with illegal motorcyclists and other than huffing and puffing not a lot gets done to control the menace. As it is now illegal and enforced in GB the weekend boats are full of the beggars coming here to play on our patch which as well as totally destroying our upland footpaths disturbs both wildlife and livestock. This was dramatically measured during your last F&M outbreak when all footpaths were closed as a precaution. Lambing survival ratios increased by 30%.

 

But lets not get too gloomy. I will do my best to show anybody a Hen Harrier should they come over. If we don't find one I will pay for lunch but you buy me a pint for every one we DO find.

 Sounds a reasonable deal!

[Galana]

Well the fine weather got me out again today. I found some Whooper Swans and lots of Fieldfares getting ready to fly off. A cr*p photo of a Chaffinch was the only new bird but I have binned it. I know I will do better later in 2019.

So in the interests of my policy of 'product improvement' I called round at the site where I found the Long-tailed Tits yesterday. Fighting off doggie walkers, Mountain bikers and even a G4S Security guard doing something in the hedge back I eventually got lucky with these elusive little beggars again and in the self same tree.

Product improvement being a relative term for a self admitted champion of the EBC.

Look at the blue sky too. It really blew the "White balance thingy"

[pedro maia]

@Galana Champion of the EBC, now that’s a tittle I can contest .

[Galana]

It beats working for a living.

So I ventured up to my usual 'hotspot' for an hour or so.

First a repeat (12) as he was singing his little heart out and I could not resist.

 

Then some additions.

45. Chaffinch.  Ballakesh.

46. Skylark.  Smeale Ayres.

 

And we may as well add this one to the mix.

47. House Sparrow. Ballakesh.

The fine weather is due to end tomorrow and I have a lunch engagement.

 

 

[PeterHG]

You're making good progress, @Galana! A shame about the spell of spring weather ending, but perhaps this is a good time to venture south then....;)

 

 

[Galana]

3 hours ago, PeterHG said:

A shame about the spell of spring weather ending, but perhaps this is a good time to venture south then....;)

 

Sounds like a good plan. @Dave Williams had good results in Valencia. The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain.

So I have booked a nice place in the hills and leave on Wednesday. There is a spare bedroom..

[Galana]

Well with Storm Freya forecast to hit I thought I better get out there in a last attempt to reach the half century before leaving on the train for Spain where I hope it won't rain on the plain.

My weather forecast was more accurate than my birding. As I write this the windows are rattling!

So how did I do? Poorly.

But I did have a product improvement moment with #35 and a pair of Choughs.

Then there was this oddity.

Methinks Jemima Puddle-Duck has made another bad decision and met one of those Canadian Air Force types my mum used to talk about when I was nobbut a lad!

 

And at last I scored:-

48. The humble Linnet.

And that looks to be it unless I am allowed out on Monday. Unless I can find a Sofa like @mvecht's

Edited March 2, 2019 by Galana

[PeterHG]

[xelas]

In less then a week time, you will totally forget about mvecht's sofa! And no window to smudge the fine details ... only crisp air and sunny days!

[Kitsafari]

i would invite you to come further down south to my country - but I wouldn't want to wish any discomfort on anyone right now - it's a blistering 34 degrees every day, and no rains. 

 

but the blue winged pitta and the white rumped sharma are calling birdie photographers....

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Kitsafari said:

i would invite you to come further down south to my country

Very kind. One day it will happen I am sure.

[Zim Girl]

On 3/3/2019 at 9:50 AM, Kitsafari said:

 it's a blistering 34 degrees every day, and no rains. 

 

Sounds good to me

[Galana]

On 3/2/2019 at 3:56 PM, Galana said:

I thought I better get out there in a last attempt to reach the half century

 

On 3/2/2019 at 3:56 PM, Galana said:

And that looks to be it unless I am allowed out on Monday.

Overheard at Breakfast in Galana Towers this morning. "Nice sunny start today dear. How would you like a ride to Peel for a change of shops?"

'OK! What's at Peel that you pretend to want to take me shopping there?'

"Well the castle will look very nice in the sunshine dear and I did hear of an Icelandic Gull by the harbour."

 

I thought it best not to mention that the Black Guillimots were returning and there was sometimes a Purple Sandpiper on the rocks and I would so like to hit my 50 before leaving for Spain so I just carried the shopping bag to the car and talked of other things.

 

And so it came to pass.

We arrived in the Island's only City some 8 miles outside my circle but what the heck?

And there were my Black Guillimots to welcome me:_

49. Black Guillimots. Peel Harbour.

Looking in the castle rocks I found some unexpected Ruddy Turnstones sheltering from the rough sea..

50 Ruddy Turnstones. Castle Rocks. and then in among them was something different.

 

51. This has to be an ECB as it flew off!! Beggar!

Purple Sandpiper.

 But looking among the usual Gulls a bird with straight wings flew down to share the offal.

52. Northern Fulmar.

53. A passing Cormorant helped make up the numbers.

Still seeking the rumoured Iceland Gull I wandered back to the rocks and found that my Purple Sandpiper had returned. Scrub the EBC.

A proper little poser when it wishes....

All accounted for and with a couple of bonus birds except that darn gull.

And then...It was there all the time. Hiding in full view.

Slightly smaller than Herring, wrong colour legs and larger than Common Gull.

This has to be it.

54. Except something is not quite right. Faint traces of Black primaries but with the 'angry face' typical of Icelandic and Glaucous family.

Check book. This is Kumlien's Gull which some say is a race of Icelandic and some have as a hybrid.

Larus glaucoides kumleini will do for me. Challenges to be written on the back of a £10 note although the Lady G. will take Coop stamps.

 

That really IS all for now. Ole, or whatever.

 

[Peter Connan]

Well done say I!

[mvecht]

Black Guillemot, Fulmar and Icelandic Gull. I dont think I will ever get those from my sofa

Sounds like a great shopping trip.