Mfuwe's second year.

[Peter Connan]

Thanks @Galana, I was a bit worried there...

[Dave Williams]

I reckon you'll be on 200+ before you know It

[Galana]

On 3/14/2018 at 4:33 PM, Dave Williams said:

I reckon you'll be on 200+ before you know It

Not at this rate! Bright sunshine today but blowing a real houlie and the meedja trying to panic us with a another "Beast". In four days time it's the bloomin Equinox!

To make progress I will add this one I have had in cold storage since February but was sure I would get a better one.

Maybe I can use it as a decoy to lure another??

[Galana]

Never seen such a rough sea for ages. I did see Auks and the first Gannet of the year but no way I could get even a EBC. They have merely been 'postponed' not cancelled.

One quick sighting made the outing worthwhile.

A re-run of #82 but so what?

I always get excited by these.

82. Hen Harrier. ('Northern' in USA). Drughaig Farm. IOM.

A young male.

 

[Galana]

At last. Two more that score.

I was not worried overall but a long barren spell can be disconcerting.

Despite the persistent cold easterly I nailed a couple of regulars.

91. Turnstone. Ramsey Harbour where they sit out high tides on the steps.

 

92. Sanderling. Smeale Beach, IOM.

 

Edited March 19, 2018 by Galana
Removal of surplus photograph.

[Galana]

Out at work again  today. One expected to turn up here eventually and no doubt better shots will follow later (guaranteed) and the other a pleasant surprise and not expected until back in Africa.

But a tick is a tick and I may make that 100 yet.

 

First the expected. We do have a couple of breeding pairs now following their arrival on the island about ten years back:-

93. Common Buzzard. Bride. IOM. Not so common here yet.

 

And the total surprise that nearly caused an accident:-

94. Little Egret. Poyll Dooey, Ramsey. Perched as bold as you like over the river. There are a few seen now and again but as yet no confirmed breeding.

[Galana]

Glacial movement towards three figures but I did nail a bogey bird at last (even though I thought it was something else through the viewfinder!!)

 

but first a poor through the windscreen shot of an unusual colouration.

A White-tailed Blackbird.

and now for my Bogey bird :--

 

95. Wren. Ballakesh. IOM.

And finally.....

Skippy's back!

[Dave Williams]

Where on earth did you find Skippy?!

 

[Galana]

2 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

Where on earth did you find Skippy?!

She was just lying around in the Spring sunshine.

Skippy's Mum. Close Sartfield, Curraghs, Isle of Man. Today!

Official title. Red-necked Wallaby. There are about 250 or more here. ( "Bloomin Aussies coming over here taking over!") Only kidding honest.

[Galana]

OK! I did not hit 100 despite some rum quality now and again and I am done here for now.

Tomorrow I go south to seek more willing subjects.

First two more and a change in presentation.

From now on, out of interest I will also use the Manx Gaelic name in italics for the bird (where it exists!)

So here are two to take me to 97:-

 

96. Meadow Pipit. Fushag Varrey  Point of Ayre. Isle of Man.

and verging on EBC

97. Common Moorhen. Kiark Ushtey. Ballaghennie. Isle of Man.

 

And what you will see of me in the morning:-

 

Early flight to London Gatwick with a nightstop so I will fill the time with a trip to RSPB Pulborough with a friend before another early flight to The Gambia. No rest for the wicked.

Back soon to hopefully inch up the score a bit. Be good.

[TonyQ]

Have a great trip!

[xelas]

Enjoy The Gambia, and do come back, with many photos!

[michael-ibk]

Have a great trip to the Gambia. Everybody seems to be going there this year!

[Galana]

Thanks all. See you all again soon.

[Peter Connan]

Another visitor to The Gambia? I do hope you have a really great time! I am envious. 

[Kitsafari]

Have a good trip!

 

If all the British-ers are going, should the rest of us all go to the Gambia too? 

[PeterHG]

On 3/28/2018 at 11:23 AM, Kitsafari said:

Have a good trip!

 

If all the British-ers are going, should the rest of us all go to the Gambia too? 

 Even some non-Britishers are thinking about going.......

[TonyQ]

@PeterHG

We saw quite a few Dutch visitors in The Gambia!

[Dave Williams]

It will be interesting to see and hear how @Galana Fred has got on. Out of season for some migratory birds but there will still be lots to see and even if you have visited Africa before there's every chance you'll get to see lots of new species. For anyone who hasn't visited the continent before you are in for a treat!

[elefromoz]

On 3/25/2018 at 4:32 AM, Galana said:

"Bloomin Aussies coming over here taking over!") Only kidding honest.

I don't think we are welcome anywhere much at the moment...

[Galana]

On 3/25/2018 at 3:16 PM, Galana said:

I will fill the time with a trip to RSPB Pulborough with a friend before another early flight to The Gambia.

Well I am back but before I embark on a few more ticks I can comfortably say I DID make my 100 before leaving the British Isles due to a kind friend taking me to Pulborough RSPB twixt planes.

So lets do those first.

98. Getting into EBC territory right from the start...

Green Woodpecker. RSPB Pulborough. 30 mins from LGW.

 

99. Long-tailed Tit. Drean Mooar Tricky as ever.

 

I would have liked to have been able to get a better shot for the magic ton but needs must.

100. Northern Shoveller. Thunnag ny Sleryst At about 400 yards.

 

101. Grey Heron. Coayr ny Hastan (Crane of the Eel.) I WILL get a better one this year but it counts...

102. Ouch. That is terrible on the big screen (even for me) but to lose it would mess up the count now.

Northern Lapwing, Green Plover, Peewit. Earkan.

Finally you will be glad to note...

103. Northern Pintail.

That's it. Plane to catch at Silly o'clock tomorrow.

Edited April 4, 2018 by Galana
Correcting text.

[Galana]

Not a trip report but a short note of the trip. A simple package of flight to Banjul from London Gatwick for seven night stay at the commended luxury and much hackneyed eco lodge "Mandina" where I was told I would have my own allocated guide for the duration of the stay. I fondly imagined I would be then able to do short excursions to bird spots of my choice for the cost of a taxi/transport. I was not bothered by the expertise of the guide as I felt I would ID the birds if I knew where to find them. Partly correct. He was good and no complaints.

What went wrong was that I could only do 'excursions' to an expensive tarif by the lodge that cost more than hiring a known guide from Banjul. So my carefully prepared excursions to places kindly supplied by @TonyQ and @Dave Williams was virtually toast. I did manage to 'escape' the camp guards on one morning to an ineffective trip to Abuko Forest and some more productive nearby Paddyfields but the rest of my seven day stay was "confined to barracks!" with route marches through the forest and some canoe trips.

So what follows were birds all seen within the confines of  Madina and Makesuto Forest or the Paddyfields.

All in all quite good but it could have been so much better. This must be the first time I have visited Africa and never seen a bloomin Guineafowl.

My careful plans to enumerate the birds that were seen also went adrift as it seems that Windows 10, on my netbook did not communicate well with my camera software. No wiffy either. The appearance order is in the order of first seen although I have added 'better' photos later where available.

However be warned that some quality fails exist as one of the vagaries of the BY is the downside of just collecting numbers and then moving on to other species. After all how many photos does one need of a Bulbul?

Talking of which:-

104. Common Bulbul. Mandina Lodge.

[PeterHG]

Sad to hear your plans did not go as planned, @Galana. “Escaping the guards” does sound like a school summer camp ;). Still I am looking forward to see what you did manage to grab out there. We have just booked a ticket ourselves for early November ( first time) so I’ll follow your BY Gambia posts with added interest.

[Dave Williams]

I'm really disappointed to hear you didn't get the holiday and birding you were hoping for Fred.It seems most people only go got Mandina for a few days, as did Tony, the rest of the time staying elsewhere.

I doubt it was a cheap holiday either so that makes it even more of a blow.

For the record though I have only seen Helmeted Guineafowl in TG once and I assumed they were domesticated as they were running around a house compound.

[Galana]

@Dave Williams and @PeterHG.

Don't feel too sorry for me. I did OK overall but with hindsight/pre knowledge you are probably correct that all 7 nights at Mandina was not the best idea. I am still working through a few photos of LBJs as it was too late for Breeding plumages but the checklist did not really disappoint for such a short trip to one location..

And the Gin was cheap!

Lifer number one:=

105. Black-necked Weaver. Bill colour in female looks too light for me but...

The water tanks were a good location to while away an hour or so.

Edited April 5, 2018 by Galana
Additional photo and text.