Faulty starter motor, but I'll get it fixed . Soukous BY 2020

[TonyQ]

Good to get out in a different environment.

Some good additions there, even if you didn’t get as many as you hoped. Better Hen Harrier photos than I got

I really liked Mull when we visited.

[PeterHG]

Perhaps not a great number of new ones, but you did get some beautiful photos! And seeing a Golden Eagle must be a special feeling even one that distant. At least the Song Thrush came close ;).

[Soukous]

14 hours ago, TonyQ said:

I really liked Mull when we visited.

Yes, a fabulous island. It seems to contain all aspects of Scotland in a small area

[Soukous]

10 hours ago, PeterHG said:

seeing a Golden Eagle must be a special feeling even one that distant. At least the Song Thrush came close ;).

 

Yes & no. 

It was great to see them, but I am more of a bird photographer than a bird watcher and if I can't get a decent photo then the sighting is a bit unsatisfying.

 

So, a Song Thrush it is.

I'll amend my total. 

[Galana]

Welcome home.

After getting over the shock and horror of somebody spelling "Whisky" with an 'e' I can share @michael-ibk's view on your "Mistle Thrush". Sorry. Spots are clearly arrow shaped and the underlying colour is too yellow brown.

But well done on the Harrier and splitting the two Mergansers.

Surprised no divers or S E Owls.

 

Forget the Autumn. Spring time in Mull is way the best.

But  a decent tally for a nice break.

[Soukous]

42 minutes ago, Galana said:

After getting over the shock and horror of somebody spelling "Whisky" with an 'e'

 

I did gasp when I read it but refrained from comment. I do like Whiskey. But wouldn't dare drink it in Scotland.

[Soukous]

57 minutes ago, Galana said:

Forget the Autumn. Spring time in Mull is way the best.

 

Yup. That is what I originally booked, but politicians had other ideas. 

[Galana]

23 minutes ago, Soukous said:

That is what I originally booked,

Me too.

 

38 minutes ago, Soukous said:

But wouldn't dare drink it in Scotland

And putting ice in it would cause a riot!

[PeterHG]

20 hours ago, Galana said:

After getting over the shock and horror of somebody spelling "Whisky" with an 'e'

That is the trouble when you allow foreigners to join the forum 

[Soukous]

28 minutes ago, PeterHG said:

That is the trouble when you allow foreigners to join the forum 

 

Actually, whiskey with an 'e' is perfectly acceptable if you are referring to Irish Whiskey or the stuff they make in the USA. But not when referring to Scotch whisky.

Just as Scotch is perfectly OK when talking about whisky or scotch eggs but not when referring to a native of Scotland. Then it should be Scots.  

[Galana]

3 hours ago, Soukous said:

Then it should be Scots.  

Sassenach. Scottish is the correct term for all things relating to Scotland or its people although Scots can be used as in Scotsman.  Just think of the length of the Locomotive nameplate you would need for A3 4472.

[Soukous]

The first morning in a while when it has not been raining was too good an opportunity to pass up, and we have a few uncommon visitors to Suffolk at the moment so I thought I'd go and see what I could find.

 

It can be summed up as 3 - 2 - 1

 

3 - birds I had on my target list

2 - I managed to see

1 - I managed to get a photograph

 

My hit list comprised a Steppe Grey Shrike, a Great Grey Shrike and a Radde's Warbler

 

I didn't see or hear the Warbler

I got a glimpse of the Great Grey Shrike

I got a photo (more of an ebc really) of the Steppe Grey Shrike

 

#183 - Steppe Grey Shrike - Lanius excubitor pallidirostris - (FTP #81) this shrike is classified as a subspecies of the Great Grey Shrike)

Benacre, Suffolk. Oct 2020

 

It was about 100 metres away and I could really have used a bit more firepower

 

 

[Galana]

A very worthwhile outing.

Good to see the main field marks too.

[Dave Williams]

Well at least you are plugging away Martin. Some good birds too.

Did you not consider a boat trip for the WT Eagles? Had I been going( tomorrow) pal Mike and I were due to nip over from the mainland for a boat trip on Monday. Sadly all down the tubes as we couldn't share a cottage and being there alone would be no fun either. Our other halves had no interest due to the isolated location of the cottage we had booked!

With lockdown announced here in Wales starting last Thursday at 6.00pm, I managed to get my car problems sorted and we escaped the country with 2 hours to spare. 3 days in Cambridge but didn't even take my camera and the only fliers I saw were the 'planes in Duxford Air Museum which has some very impressive exhibits.

When it comes to Whisky I'm not sure how you should spell the Welsh one but I can assure you the Malt is really good now. They have just announced plans to start producing here in Llandudno too!

[Soukous]

10 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

Did you not consider a boat trip for the WT Eagles?

 

I did. But due to a certain virus that I shall not name, schedules had been thrown to the wind and few, if any, boat trips were on offer. 

 

You should have gone to Scotland anyway Dave, as long as you & your pal were confident of each other's good health. No-one checks who is in the house or whether you are one household. 

[Galana]

1 minute ago, Soukous said:

you are one household. 

Brothers. simples.

Welsh Whiskey? Probably responsible for more Leeks.

Must lie down. I feel a joke or two coming on!

[Dave Williams]

15 minutes ago, Soukous said:

 

I did. But due to a certain virus that I shall not name, schedules had been thrown to the wind and few, if any, boat trips were on offer. 

 

You should have gone to Scotland anyway Dave, as long as you & your pal were confident of each other's good health. No-one checks who is in the house or whether you are one household. 

The owners of the cottage could well pay a price for rule breakers though Martin, and I guess when it comes down to it I wasn't prepared to break the rules at their expense.With much of Wales in lockdown we can't leave our county anyway.

Mull Charters are running trips still and were then too possibly, we'd hired as a private charter with 5 people included on the basis we didn't have to socially distance. That changed and so we cancelled that too...well we didn't have any accommodation. The three hour trips are limited to 8 people in socially distanced pairs of two. The objection to that is the WTE might be on the wrong side of the boat! 

[Soukous]

@Dave Williamswe did stop at their office in Salen, but there was no-one home and it was not easy to see how often they were running trips. There were just 2 of us, so no practical to charter privately. 

It's all on the list for next time. Got to leave some things for next time. 

[Dave Williams]

38 minutes ago, Soukous said:

@Dave Williamswe did stop at their office in Salen, but there was no-one home and it was not easy to see how often they were running trips. There were just 2 of us, so no practical to charter privately. 

It's all on the list for next time. Got to leave some things for next time. 

They were charging £45pp ( total revenue £360) or £450 for a private charter. Once we had to socially distance there was no point in paying £450!

 

[elefromoz]

thanks for the Mull rundown, nice reading along and actually knowing where all those little places are. We were there in June (19), the mull Charters trip is certainly a fantastic way to get really close to the WTE, loved it. How nice is Calgary Bay, we had sunshine, sparkling blue water, wildflower filled meadows running down to the sand, stunning. Im still trying to work out which  Pipit and which Thrush is which. 

[Soukous]

'Jet fighter' godwit breaks world record for non-stop bird flight

 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/13/jet-fighter-godwit-breaks-world-record-for-non-stop-bird-flight

 

[Galana]

Some folks will do anything to escape from USA at the moment.

[ElenaH]

Beautiful pictures, @Soukous!!

[Soukous]

The chance for a change of scene prompted some excitement, although the reason for it is nothing to celebrate.

Madame's father had to go into hospital a while back and is not recovering well, so we have temporarily relocated to northern Germany whilst he is in hospital.

 

After a lot of searching I finally tracked down a decent guide to birding sites and have got a nice list of places to check out on days when the weather forecast is promising.

 

My first away day was to Poel Island (Insel Poel), on the Baltic coast of Mecklenburg. A lucky choice in one respect as the day after my visit tighter Covid restrictions were imposed. (Nothing to do with me, honest. )

 

Something I had not been aware of was that it was half term week for schools in the area and the place was packed with holidaymakers, out enjoying a last day of fine weather. 

 

The birding was not a great success 

But I did get one new species as a lot of squawking made me look overhead.

 

#184 (Common) Crane - Grus grus - (FTP# 82)

Poel Island, Germany. October 2020

 

 

Over the next couple of days several flights of Cranes passed by as it seems I was right on the flight path

 

A couple of days later I found a few stragglers mooching in nearby fields

 

 

 

 

 

[Peter Connan]

Sorry to hear about health issues in the family.

 

Lovely shots of the cranes.