Galana's fourth effort. "Never mind the quality feel the width".

[Galana]

3 hours ago, elefromoz said:

that's a view alright!

Thanks. Yes on a good day there is nowhere else. On a bad day, well we just draw the curtains and dream. The view was one of the main reasons we were sold on the property which we felt would do until we found somewhere better. Still here 25 years on. We would have loved a garden with badgers and Owls like @Dave Williams but at least our gardener, Neptune/Mannanan, is low maintenance.

[Galana]

The countryside was tempting after Francis passed by so I decided I would hone my EBC skills following @pedro maia' gauntlet.

Oh look flying birds, that should test the 'bird setting'.

So far off I thought they were Sparrowhawks and would you believe it?  the camera let me down and got them more or less in focus.

Common Buzzards (Uncommon here) Seen in Uganda

but at least it upped my island score by 1.

375/ 78 for Isle of Man in 2020.

[pedro maia]

You’re loosing skills .

[Galana]

I blame the camera!

[Galana]

6 hours ago, Galana said:

but at least it upped my island score by 1.

375/ 78 for Isle of Man in 2020.

After a recount I found another bird for IOM list seen in Uganda (Barn Swallow)

So that brings my IOM total to 79. I also saw Common Kestrel in Ug so I will go looking for that now.

[Galana]

Out this blustery afternoon seeing most of the usual suspects.

The only sighting of note was a fine Buzzard sitting waiting for a meal.

Whilst relatively common on our adjacent Island Buzzards have always been relatively rare here. However over the last ten years or so sightings have become more common and one or two pairs are known to have successfully bred.

 

Already counted for this year but nice to see I am not asleep on the job.

 

Saw another wild Peacock whilst driving so grabbed a wide angle shot so you can all see it is not caged or in a Stately Home environment. Indeed it is running like a Stag to hide.

 

[Galana]

Still bumping along at the bottom of League Two but I got out today and may have improved on #269 depending on your point of view (which in this case in not of the best.)

However it does move my 2020 IOM list along to a nice round figure of 80 with a few to come.

[Galana]

At last. These guys tidal roost as I walk into town and all the beginning of the year  I waited for better conditions. And all too soon they had gone off to the hills to breed.

But today they are back, with some obvious immatures so that is good.

376/IOM81.  Redshank. One small hop for a bird. A much needed step for my BY.

 

And this guy was cooing to his girls in the harbour too.

So why not snap him too as a duplicate?

336. Common Eider Drake. Known as St.Cuthbert's chicken.

 

 

[Galana]

Today I went to the "North Pole" of the island to take some autumnal sunshine.

And I got double lucky.

I pulled up and noted the usual Golden Plovers had returned to their winter patch of gravel so took some photos for the record. Then when I got home I realised I had not recorded these birds in the Spring.

So it was another 'double tick'. One for BY2020 and one for IOM 2020.

377/IOM82. Golden Plover.

Back in winter plumage but still a bonny bird.

 

And on the way home I spied a Curlew in the field and thought it looked nice too.

So here is a duplicate.

015 looking a lot warmer than it did in January.

 

 

[elefromoz]

@Galana, bummed I missed the Eider on last years trip, such a cool looking bird. Some nice shorebirds visiting your little island, nice photos. 

[Galana]

4 hours ago, elefromoz said:

I missed the Eider on last years trip, such a cool looking bird.

I did not post the Eiders I counted yesterday. There must have been 200+ bobbing around just off from the Golden Plover.

As you can see the sea state was boisterous.

 

The Isle is a good resting and feeding post for migrants and just wandering birds.

[Galana]

The morning sun tempted me out today so I went ahunting any early arrivals.

As expected, when I found some the sun went in. Never fails. A great drought breaker:- my camera bag.

 

But at least the two target birds were there...

378./IOM83.   Fieldfare.

A tad 'soft' as that is grey not blue sky.

 

The further on was the next of the thrushes.

379/84 IOM. Redwing. Slightly better so I indulged my much needed additions. It's been a tough year.

Foreigners coming over here to pinch our berries..

 

And on the way home, all of five miles, a call at my local Dubh produced a third tick for the day.

380/85 IOM. Northern Shoveller. Not the smartest specimen so I will try for a better one later.

I was pleased to hit a mini milestone with another round figure. 20 to go. 15 for IOM.

 

 

 

[Galana]

This lunchtime, after shopping duty, I took advantage of flatter seas to see if any wintering Divers were visible and in photo range. Sadly I am doomed, via Covid, not to get nice summer plumaged birds so winter dress will have to do.

 

I sort of got lucky and whilst there were other species all I could manage outside EBC quality, and only just  at that,

was this Red-throated Diver. "But a tick's a tick for a' that an a' that", as the Ploughman Poet wud ha' put it.

381/ 86 IOM. Red-throated Diver.

Then 'the boss' asked to go and see if the Whoopers had arrived yet. Their usual fields were full of Maize so not visible and they won't like that when and if they return.

But all was not lost as I glimpsed a suspicious few humps in a hedgerow some distance away and they turned out to be a very nice Covey of Partridges. Not our native Grey which are now almost extinct but imported Red-legs (Frenchmen).

But as I had not even seen any of these on the island for a couple of years I was happy enough to take the tick.

Quite a nice family group. Probably a late brood. Nice to see.

Dad of course kept a close eye on me....

382/ 87 IOM)  Red-legged Partridge.

So two 'reds' made it a bit of a red letter day for me.

 

 

 

 

[PeterHG]

Beautiful Red-legged Partridges! The only red about our own grey partridge is the fact that it is on the red list. Becoming quite rare here, too.

[TonyQ]

Good to keep things ticking over - two fine new additions.

Is that sunshine in the partridge photos?

[Galana]

13 minutes ago, TonyQ said:

Is that sunshine in the partridge photos?

Of course. Weak at this time of year but good to share.

Also it washed out the Diver photos a bit but better than fog.

[Galana]

2 hours ago, PeterHG said:

The only red about our own grey partridge is the fact that it is on the red list.

Thanks Peter. We do still have a few.

This year a man with money asked if he could import some Greys if they could come off protected status to permit shooting. Would you believe our Government refused.

To me I am sure some form of compromise could have been arranged. Grant the import licence but no shooting for say five years to let them establish. Strict Bag limit depending on how well they did. He got his shooting and the island got a native bird back. I don't see a problem with that.

Sometimes I worry about so called conservationists. The island would be an ideal haven for Red Squirrels (we have neither Red (nor the  (Tree Rat) Grey)   which are under great pressure 'across' in GB and Government said 'no'.

Yet non native hedgehogs are allowed to rampage through our ground nesting bird stocks.

[Peter Connan]

A sad state of affairs.

 

Beautiful partridges!

[Galana]

19 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

Beautiful partridges!

Thanks. I have never seen a full covey like that before. It was one of those 'If only' moments.

They would have made a lovely family portrait if only there was a bit less cover, if only they had all stuck their heads up together, if only there had been a bit more sunlight. If only!!

[Soukous]

On 10/28/2020 at 4:17 PM, Galana said:

they turned out to be a very nice Covey of Partridges. Not our native Grey which are now almost extinct but imported Red-legs (Frenchmen).

But as I had not even seen any of these on the island for a couple of years I was happy enough to take the tick.

 

Ah, perhaps they have flown across to escape the start of the game shooting season on the big island. In their position I would. 

[Galana]

Could be. Our Wildlife protection runs differently to UK and maybe they know that.

Oddly enough the last partridge I saw was a Grey when escorting a visiting American 'Birding Pal' a couple of years back. (He was on a  visiting Cruise Ship and was bored witless so I rescued him for a day).

Frenchmen are more common following introductions for 'sport' but not many get shot as they run too fast.

[xelas]

On 10/28/2020 at 5:17 PM, Galana said:

Dad of course kept a close eye on me....

 

As every dad should do! Nice photos. I recon haggies are off the table for this year?

[Soukous]

8 hours ago, xelas said:

I recon haggies are off the table for this year?

 

I do hope not. 

England is in lockdown, but in Scotland it is still possible to use self-catering accommodation - for now at least. 

[Galana]

9 hours ago, Soukous said:

England is in lockdown, but in Scotland it is still possible to use self-catering accommodation - for now at least. 

Sadly I cancelled yesterday. The ferry docks in Heysham Lancs so technically I would be breaking UK Law by driving through England to sleep away from home in Self Catering.

A real bummer as we had so looked forward to it.

All is not lost. I do have  a nice recipe for Scotch Pies  (not obtainable here) and Haggis is in the Supermarkets should I feel the need for some.

But I did seem my first Pink-footed Geese this morning so maybe they came over to offer condolences?

One tick down but the magic 400 is now unlikely.

Warning. EBC Red Alert.

[Galana]

Today was not all bad.

Sunshine persuaded us to visit the Neighbourhood recycling centre as our personal Bottle Bank was well in credit.

So whilst out why not go and see what we can find.

 

A couple of miles on and I spotted a small skein of Geese too high and purposeful for our local Greylags.

Found a safe place to pull over, by which time Geese flying at up to 50 mph were at extreme range but the 'wink wink wink' announced they were Pinkfeet.

I got off one shot before they were too far off.

You should see the dark head and necks of the species and lack of the light blue forewings of a Greylag.

BY383/88 IOM list. Pink-footed Goose. ("Pinkfeet" collectively)

The coast was too rough after Storm Aiden so we turned for home and found in its usual winter roost one of our local Little Egrets nicely lit in the November sunshine.

So why not?

A duplicate for both BY (24) and IOM 24. In a Juniper bush?

And as if to reward me a Dabchick swam out from under the bush.

 

BY212 (in Uganda) but a tick for IOM at 89.

Little Grebe. They are resident but come to the river in Winter as the small ponds dry or freeze over.

 

So an Eco trip to help the planet and I have One hard to come by tick to the BY and TWO for my IOM list.

Now there are no trips planned before the year end it is going to get tougher than ever.

So I baked some Sausage Rolls for tea.

Lip licking emoji.