Mfuwe's second year.

[xelas]

14 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

Actually despite it resembling an oil streak on your sensor it looks like a male Pallid Harrier to me and that's without checking your list. If it is, count it! 

 

And this is what makes a difference between serious birders = @Dave Williams and amateurs like me . Where I saw an oily speck they can identify the bird . Long way for me to come only a bit closer, but participating here is a great way to learn , with all the helpful remarks and comments.

 

@Galana The Gambia delivered to you also. Now some lowlands and some highlands bird until summer?!

[Dave Williams]

Not wanting to cut in to Galana's BY posting but I have to comment on @xelas 's post. I have never been called a serious birder before and would be flattered if I had got the ID right on the oil streak! 

 

[xelas]

18 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

I have never been called a serious birder before

 

Not even by Claire ?!

[Galana]

58 minutes ago, xelas said:

Not even by Claire ?!

"Don't tell him Pike!" as Capt. Mainwaring would say!

I prefer not to know any serious birders!  Birding to me is just a fun way of passing time between meals.

 

To round off The Gambian trip here are a few boring statistics in case any serious birders find the page:-

Duration of trip. Seven days.

Species seen. 166.

"Lifers"              18.

BY photos.       114.

 

Finally a question!

Has anybody else had a problem with reconciling the term "Big Year" with repeating it annually?

[xelas]

OK, lesson learned, not "serious birder" but what about "accomplished fun birder"??

 

Not me. Each year is a Big Year for me (us) !

[Galana]

4 hours ago, xelas said:

"accomplished fun birder"??

Sounds about right.

 

Onwards and upwards:-

 

219. Northern Gannet. Morus bassanus.  "Gant" in Manx. A tidbit of useless information. The latin "bassanus" stems from the Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth (Scotland) where presumably these birds were first studied. And for the Sassenachs "Firth" is estuary in Scots.

 

220. Northern Wheatear. Oenanthe oenanthe. There is no Manx name for this migrant but local legend has it the bird was first called "Whitear$e" for obvious reasons but evolved into Wheatear for reasons of proprietry.

 

221. Common Gull. Larus canus. (Manx - Foillan!)

The first photo shows a metal ring and may be of interest to @lmSA84 as showing the Bill tip as quite different to that of his London bird. Also the 2nd shows the much gentler dark eye of the Common Gull!

 

 

[Kitsafari]

Congrats on the 200 and then pushing past it!

 

 

[TonyQ]

That is a lovely Wheatear

[Galana]

I put so much information in the last thread when back on home 'ground' that I forgot to state locations.

The Gannets were off Smeale Beach (Hayrey y smeale) and the second in Ramsey Bay (Rhaamsay. Bay of Wild Garlic).

Wheatears, two birds on two occasions, Smeale Ayres and Ballagennie Ayres.

Common Gulls were on the fence at Wrights Tip West. No Manx translation for that. A colony of Gulls nest there.

 

A further offering:-

222. Dunlin. Calidris alpina, Rue point (Gob na Rue) Smeale beach. IOM

 

223. European Collared Dove. Streptopelia decaocto. Kirk Andreas Post Office. Oik postagh Andreas.

 

 

224. Sandwich Tern. Sterna sandivicensis.  (Gibbyn Gant. lit. Sandeel Gannet). Rue point. They don't breed on the Island but pass through each year to and from a large colony on Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland.

 

225. Blackcap. Sylvia atricapilla. Ballaghennie plantation. IOM.

Edited April 20, 2018 by Galana
Additonal text.

[Soukous]

I see that the brief moment when my tally was higher than yours had faded into history @Galana

[Galana]

6 hours ago, Soukous said:

I see that the brief moment when my tally was higher than yours had faded into history @Galana

Don't worry. I am sure you will find more as I run out of the regulars.

 

Speaking of which:-

Today's token effort.

226. House Sparrow. Passer domesticus.   (Ushag y Choan. Bird of the valley)

 

And as my searches today failed to produce much more, useable, captures here is a view of our lunch spot overlooking Ramsey Bay.

[Dave Williams]

Certainly building up a head of steam here!

[Galana]

17 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

Certainly building up a head of steam here!

Thanks but I fear it may be short lived. I mean a whole sunny day for a 'Spuggy!"

 

[Soukous]

On 21/04/2018 at 0:13 PM, Galana said:

Thanks but I fear it may be short lived. I mean a whole sunny day for a 'Spuggy!"

 

They all count.

I've added them to lists in Africa and India to keep the numbers up. and, they are not as common - or as numerous  - as they used to be.

[Galana]

Out again today but whilst it was no score for BY I did gain an improvement to #69 with a nice Male Kestrel AND witnessed a mating ritual between Hen Harriers. Given their unlawful and disgraceful persecution in UK this was particularly heartening.

 

#82.  Hen Harriers. Female above male. (Manx. Shirragh ny giark. Fowl (hen?) Buzzard.)

 

Face the camera!!!

OK. Hold that pose!

#69. Common Kestrel. Falco tinnulus. (Mx.  Stannair ruy. Red Hawk.)

[Galana]

I have taken on board all the EBS tips from @PeterHG and @lmSA84 such as heat haze (fat chance of that today) and using cover to obscure the bird but sometimes it gets too easy.

This week's offerings follow:-

I could give this bird a number but I WILL get a better one no matter how hard I try for EBC.

 

Then especially for @lmSA84 I can add in pure distance to heat haze.

It's over the sheep and it is a male Hen Harrier sky dancing.

 

Finally if all else fails try a black eye in a black head to kill the shot.

And no, I don't know why two Light bellied Brent are still with us on 26th April  unless they are enjoying the Arctic weather too much to fly home.

How did I do?

[PeterHG]

You are truly the master, @Galana ! . Nice Light-bellied Brent Goose, though. They are pretty rare over here and I've never seen one yet, at least not with some certainty. Here they are considered a full species (Branta, Hrota) , but I think it is more widely seen as a subspecies.

Edited April 26, 2018 by PeterHG

[Galana]

4 hours ago, PeterHG said:

Here they are considered a full species (Branta, Hrota)

Right. If I find a Dark-bellied this year that will be a 2nd tick.

[Galana]

I was out practicing my EBC lack of skill but decided that one at least was worthy of moving my total along although I am confident I will do better/worse later in the year. Even with a BIF too.

227. Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus.    Scraayl

Good to see our eponymous bird back in home waters.

 

Two to 'improve' on 219.

 

I also saw several Pipits and am working out which were Meadow and which were Tree.

Back soon.

[Galana]

I took advantage of the nice weather to try and perfect my EBC technique  with only moderate success:-

 

Heck I almost improved on #86 with this effort:-

~86. Coal Tit. Parus ater. (Drean kione doo ) Must try harder!!

 

On safer ground or is that sounder wood?

The amazing disappearing Creeper.

I reserve theright to re-use the second shot if its down to a tie breaker on 31st December..

[lmSA84]

Really inspirational EBC work here 

[Galana]

Not only intrusive foliage and shy birds play a part in obtaining the perfect EBC. The elements play their part too as this sequence will hopefully demonstrate:-

I was wandering camera to hand seeking Black-necked Grebes said to have been seen nearby and as they were long gone I had time to hone my EBC skills further.

The 'warm up' round was easy:-

Try a BIF shot and fail.

 

So wait 'til they settle behind a clump of earth. Almost too easy!

 

As the subjects are landing into wind, move upwind only to find upwind is now down sun......

Bother.....!

 

Oh, to heck with it. One can make out the species even for @Dave Williams

so time for some flying lessons...

1. Short finals,

 

2. Gear down and locked. Three greens.

 

3. Full flaps and flared!

 

4. Bugger! That felt like a tail strike and not a two point landing.

 

228. Swallow. Hirundo rustica.  (Gollan Geayee.  Fork of the wind!)

 

 

[Galana]

One bird I had a lot of this weekend but never managed a photo was Cold Turkey.

The wires from SLO have been red hot!?

Good to see the site back up. Not sure I care for the new "reaction button"

[Galana]

Pipits! Dontcha luv 'em?

Rock and Meadow I have done some time ago.

This is #96. Meadow Pipit.

 

I have had to wait for the migratory Tree Pipit to return. which it has.

Spot the difference?

229. Tree Pipit. Anthus trivialis. (Mx Ushag y veet.)

Was somebody trying to tell us something when they gave it the name Trivialis?

[xelas]

7 hours ago, Galana said:

The wires from SLO have been red hot!

 

Having huge withdrawal symptoms, and no other medication available ... 

Edited May 8, 2018 by xelas