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Galana's. Third big year.


Galana

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5 hours ago, PeterHG said:

Well, the Red Kite is too, for me at least, but you dismiss that one so easily......

Sorry about that @PeterHG . I too love to see Red Kites and did spend some time watching them. It was just the photographing that I neglected.

For you. The Kites are plentiful from Venlo south down A61. Then west to the Moselle around Zell. 240 miles from Europoorte.

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Last throw of the dice in the European mainland. A reasonable drive north got us into Europort in good time so I took time to visit one or two places near the departure Haven. A few Egyptian Geese, some Cormorant of course plus some very elusive lbjs which I suspect were Twite but they were either flying or hidden n the grass so no long looks at them.

Bu among the Gulls patrolling the Canal was a nice Glaucous Gull which was gratefully received as a top up and last bird of the trip.

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291. Glaucous Gull. Europort near Albatross Cafe. Shame about the name.

And so we got on the Ferry "Pride of Rotterdam" at the appointed time and partook of the first G&T for four weeks before sampling the Brasserie for dinner and retiring to our Suite for a restful night. It was blowing Force 8 they say but all I got was rocked to sleep, waking in The Humber next morning for the final drive to Heysham for the last Ferry "Ben my Chree" (Girl of my dreams) of the trip in smooth sea and 50km viz.

That's it for my BY to date. Failed to reach 300 but mid November should reach that as I go on a literal Wild Goose Chase to Galloway for a week.

Of course I shall be out at home too weather permitting. Which it ain't at the moment.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 9/24/2019 at 7:45 PM, Galana said:

Then we went to bid arrivaderci to the Dippers for another year. ONe displayed well for us and had a wash and brush up for the occasion. Hard to show clearly without getting the camera wet. And for foreign readers who may not know what Dippers do I even took a short video. When I figure out how to post it I will do so.

Well. a promise is a promise. Not my usual standards but they are tricky little beggars to choreograph.

Anyway here it is.

Edited by Galana
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Wonderful footage of the Dipper !

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thoroughly enjoyed the cute little dipper dipping in and out. I remember seeing my first one - in @TonyQ 's BY! i think it was in his 2019 count? such a lovely bird and amazing swimmer too. 

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@Kitsafari

No hijack at all. Mine is not the busiest thread at the moment so it needs a warm up.

Loved the clip. Even the music was acceptable.

Not bad for a £200 camera was it.:P

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've been silent for too darn long.

I missed photoing Redwings seen on Friday cos I did not like the setting and I thought I had nailed them for BY in March already. (BUT, shock horror, I had not.) So with nice bright sunshine this morning I sallied forth to put matters right. Failed! I did get a photo of sorts but as it was not bad enough to be ECB but too poor to post I have kept it in reserve for now.

But it was nice to be out while the sun lasted so I tootled round to see if our Whoopers had arrived. Twelve have so I thought I would post one of them instead.

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I wish I could count those Greylags with white on the forehead and with Orange not Pink bills as Whitefronts

but I can't. No bars on chest and belly.

I might have to go again and take a closer look when the sun comes back.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Off to Galloway for a week and a passing tortoise showed me how to connect to the wiffy so here are a couple of updates.

Whilst a target bird was a Barnacle Goose I only needed one but just over the border on day 1 I got quite busy.

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In flight and

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Feeding. All the way from Svalbaard just for me. 10,000 plus come here to the Solway Firth.

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They don't spook easily if you are careful.

292. Barnacle Goose. Mersehead RSPB. Galloway.

Edited by Galana
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Dave Williams

Happy birthday Fred, let's see today's additions!

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37 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

let's see today's additions!

All in good time. Rome was not built in a day and I have only just got started.

But just for you here is another target bird or birds.

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293. Pintail.Mersehead RSPB. Around 500 present.

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happy birthday ! hope you are having fun with duckies. :D

 

and wanted to say Wow look at those numbers of ducks! wish i am there to see it too. 

Edited by Kitsafari
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Thanks for the good wishes. I did tell the Editor of the Times to omit it but the news leaked just the same.:o

Telegram from HM not anticipated for some years yet.

 

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Continuing with my Wild Goose chase I was able to notch up a special find on Sunday with this.

A  bit far off as the local farmer was feeding his sheep from a Quad bike nearby. Whatever happened to good old Dick the Shepherd?

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294 Greenland Whitefronted Geese. RSPB Ken - Dee Marshes.

All the way from Greenland (as they had heard of Trumps wish to buy the Real Estate and decided to spend the winter in Scotland until the heat died down.)

Sadly when I returned with @Dave Williams

yesterday the bird's had flown. I did not dare go back today.

Edited by Galana
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Happy birthday Sir! Hope it's a great year ahead.

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Thanks @Peter Connan .

Moving on with a flashback to my post of Nov 5th about no Redwings, I have nailed the beast in the cottage garden where we are staying.

Still not the best but it will do for now to move the total along to my target of 300 by the end of this month.1-DSCN2597.JPG.72f7b594f2f2f67bf8dec7071e64d92c.JPG

295. Redwing. Cedar Lodge, Kippford.

Spoiler alert! Next day was a Bummer. Saw lots of birds including a Hen Harrier perched within 10 yards but upwind in the pouring rain so dare not even open the car window. So no additions.

I hear the Turbo Tortoise approaching at high speed, for a tortoise!:DLet's see what we can find for him.

Edited by Galana
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Day 13. The Tortoise and the Leopard go forth.

Well as you have heard we dipped on Greenland Whitefronts but spent the time at a hide on RSPB Ken Dee reserve.

The Tit Willows were more or less guaranteed at this location and so it proved as "on a tree by a river a little bird sat.Singing Willow, Tit Willow, Tit Willow!". For number 296.

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It helps if there is a feeder:-

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296. Willow Tit. Ken-Dee Reserve. Castle Douglas, Dumfries.

And as the Tortoise and I sat getting colder as foraging flocks of birds passed through there was a tell tale ripple in the water at the edge of some reeds. Perseverance and vigilance revealed it was a much sought bird that was heading for the EBC award.

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But holding focus the bird gradually gave up enough of itself to provide field marks that can not be disputed.

 

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297. Water Rail.

But eventually the cold was numbing feet as well as brain so we left under a threatening sky for the car with two more target birds for my trip.

And on the walk back to the car I chanced upon another that was 'nice to have' at last.

 

First as a shadowy EBC...

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Then somewhat better.....

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And finally......

 

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298. Bullfinch. Heavily cropped but unmistakable.

 

And so for a cuppa with two lovely ladies and their homebaked Fruitloaf whilst the 'vultures' gathered in the rain.

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Seen in Spain in March but nice to see in some numbers at Lauriston.

 

And so the Tortoise and I had our cuppa and went home.Sorry about the weather.

Here is a teaser for what I found next day when @Dave Williams was driving back to Wales.

spacer.png  Hawk eyes will note the strange blue skies.

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Edited by Galana
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Teasers apart I noticed a double miscount back wards around 287 so the correct order is now displayed. I think :angry: It's harder keeping track of a few than a lot it seems.

 

So to my teaser above.

Crook of Baldoon Reserve, Galloway and my heart leapt a beat. A White goose with Barnacles. OMG.

Same size as Barnies and this ruled out the bigger and obvious Snow Goose. Rattled a few keepers shots and did a careful stalk of this. Under "Snow Goose" my book suggests confusion with rarer Ross's Goose which "has a rounder head and is often seen in company with Barnacles.". Scores on both counts as you can see.

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So Ross's certainly ticks the boxes except for one important detail.

Can you see what it is?

Went home in high glee. Mega lifer for me for this rare visitor to Great Britain. Extra glass of Red wine. Has to be worth 5 points!!:rolleyes:

Then when processing I wondered about that missing detail. The bill should be red!

Further research showed that Barnacles do have a leucistic gene. Gulp! RSPB state that one or two turn up with the Svaalbard flocks in the Solway each year. Oh "bother"!:( Or worse.

I don't have Photoshop to paint that bill and legs (Would I do that? No !!)

So my lovely Ross's Goose is a leucistic Barnacle and is very pretty to see but no use to add to my score. Unless I can have a point for effort.

Darn those leucistic genes. Bad enough in March with my Andalusian Pied Warbler. They should be shot!

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Tomorrow I will scour the country for Pink-footed Geese. 1,000s I see at sunset wink winking away but never in shot.

A Ross would have made a nice #300 for me. Pours another glass.

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And I was busy after dark too.

A Badger or two included out garden as part of their estate and tins of Pedigree chum seemed to come in useful.

Whilst it was cold at night that is not snow. Just reflected wet moss and rocks.

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Dave Williams

Nice capture of the Badger Fred. FYI the "Chum" after "Pedigree" was dropped over 20 years ago. Funny how a name sticks though, you are not alone in sticking with it!.

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Dave Williams

PS Shame about the Goose, there's always next time though!

 

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40 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

FYI the "Chum" after "Pedigree" was dropped over 20 years ago. 

Is nothing sacred? Marathon became Snickers and now is reverting back to Marathon. Some of these marketing people get paid far too much.;)

 

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