Galana's Fifth - The only way from here is UP!

[Galana]

Bank Holiday today and some lovely weather first thing so having seen the 3 Ms yesterday I thought to go north to my small favourite tree. If nothing else I could practice with my EBC Filter with the aim of some product improvements.

With modest success.

Blackbird.

 

Song Thrush. Note the perch.

 

Robin.

 

Common Whitethroat. All seem to use that 'dead' Elder to wake the world.

 

But that did not move my score any higher.

[Galana]

Well having offered up some reasonable images as improvements on past efforts I hope you are ready for some lesser quality photos where the birds tested both my lens and my patience in equal quantities.

But at least their appearance answered the question posed last week about "Barring misfortune I should get my 100 for this small island. The question is when? "

Today was the day.

99. Greenfinch. Ballakesh Plantation. IOM and at least you can see what it is albeit in installments like a Police Photofit.

 

Much as I would have liked to have marked the occasion with a stunner I could not waste what came along shortly after in the very next tree.

100. Siskin. Ballakesh. IOM. I was quite pleased with this as they are not common here.

 

So Covid cannot be all bad if it encouraged (forced) me to scrape around for 100 local birds on an island of 221 sq. miles in the middle of the Irish Sea. I would never have thought it possible if asked and in five months too.

Michael @mvechtmay have retired his sofa but I think about 75 of my offering were from the right hand seat of my little red car with the window down in all weathers. (Most of them bad.) We shall see how many more I can get as the year progresses but soon I will have to split the totals due to a pending escape for a few weeks when in addition to spotting birds and mammals I am due to meet some other BY competitors on our respective trips to North Britain or Scotland as it more popularly called these days.

 

[xelas]

Congratulations, Fred! Great achievement for such a small (by sq miles only) island. Scotland will give you a few dozen more. 

[Tdgraves]

Congrats on the century

[Soukous]

Well done Fred. 

[PeterHG]

That is quite an achievement, 100 for your island! Congratulations. And who knows what else may still be in store...

[Galana]

Thanks. @xelas@Tdgraves@Soukous@PeterHGIt was a worthwhile exercise which I shall continue although the scope is limited. The island list is only 320 of which I have seen 172 in 30 years.

Eyes peeled for a Baltimore Oriole perhaps?

[michael-ibk]

Super Fred, congratulations on your island century!

[Galana]

Anther day another Dollar.

First a couple of improvements. These will be the last from this site as nesting activity is now being seen. Much the same for the Three Musketeers  who are due to fly in 12 days and whilst I will keep an eye on them I am aware of the restraints of legal obligations.

So this morning I went off to the Point of Ayre to check the Terns.

The Arctics were getting upset with dog walkers and campers and much pairing and bonding in evidence.

This one came and posed nicely for me and I left it at that.

 

The Little Terns were setting out their pitch nicely too so I left them to get on with it and went home for lunch.

 

 

[Galana]

After lunch the weather was so nice I could not resist going up to Ballakesh even if it was to be just a matter of sitting in the sunshine and too hot to induce much movement of birds. I was right and it really was quiet. Not a doggy walker in sight either.

I had got my century so was not too bothered anyway. So I turned from my favourite busy branch after an hour of nothing to see if there was anything on the other side.

There was and it sat for a photo:=

That's very nice and I left it at that as it flew off.

Later on impulse I called back there and saw two others one of which was sat in the late afternoon sun which showed off its colours nicely.

Even that fly looked relaxed.

So..

101. Common Crossbill. Ballakesh, IOM. Only my 3rd sighting of this bird on the island as they are not common at all.

 

 

[shazdwn]

Congratulations on 101 for your island Fred, awesome work 

[Soukous]

16 hours ago, Galana said:

101. Common Crossbill. Ballakesh, IOM. Only my 3rd sighting of this bird on the island as they are not common at all.

 

 

nice capture. I've been chasing Crossbills for a couple of months but no joy yet.

[Zim Girl]

Congratulations getting to 100, and great Crossbills pictures.

[Galana]

Thanks all. @SoukousCrossbills are not the easiest of targets. Often heard but seldom captured clearly.

Talk of a Hobby but as the Emerald Isle puts it , 'one might as well go chasing after moonbeams'.

Anyway today was a mopping up day.

A poor #45 got improved on today when I found nesting activity.

Mistle Thrush. Ballakesh.

 

And the local Blackbird family were having lunch.

My twigs acted as a serving hatch.

 

Even the Siskins came out to keep an eye on me.

[Dave Williams]

Well done on the island ton Fred. No easy feat!

[pedro maia]

Congrats on 100 for IOM Fred.

[PeterHG]

Wonderful Crossbil sighting, Fred and excellent duplicates.

[Kitsafari]

very crisp shots (earlier and the latest) of the handsome blackbird. 

 

Congrats on the 100th on your IOM! it's only june. you can fill up another century over the next seven months hopefully. 

[Galana]

Thanks @Dave Williams@PeterHG@pedro maiaand @KitsafariIt was an eyeopener for me to get the 100 from a rock in the middle of the Irish Sea. I know I won't make much more progress from the few yet to be brought to my lens.

Redwing in autumn is about the only guaranteed addition with several of the missing 'possibles' a matter of luck.

 

No problem with going for BY 200 in total as I am promised an exeat from the Island for a trip to UK later this month but going further afield is very much in doubt.

 

I won't bore with more photos of the Three musketeers but they are growing well. I did get a bad fright yesterday when I was met by a very distressed parent bird and a quick check revealed an empty nest. Had we been robbed? I espied a group of people higher up and with murder in my mind I 'introduced myself' politely as to the nature of their business. An innocent party of local walkers who had noticed the distressed adult bird and were moving away.

Reassured I returned to the nest site and with the walkers 'threat' now removed, Mum was more relaxed and sitting at the nest entrance were three very happy youngsters with lots of feathers now showing. Phew!

But where the heck they had been hiding I never could see.

[Galana]

OK. You have had it too easy. I think an EBC is called for. Probably to be improved on later when they come lower but this will have to do for now.

102. Common Swift. (Over) Ballakesh. IOM. And at least you can see what it is and if it had been an Alpine I would have been knocked to one side by twitchers. Thankfully they are busy with a Rose -coloured Starling in somebody's garden.

 

 I don't think I will make Africa before the year end but I dare not try this one on the Judges.

FOC.

 

[TonyQ]

Well done on reaching 100on IOM. A great achievement 

[Galana]

There are Red Letter Days and there a Four letter days.

Today was one of the latter. Having called to check the Three Musketeers were OK I thought to head up to my usual patch.

I had slowed for the narrow track when I saw a small falcon heading purposefully in my direction and thought "That's a determined Kestrel!" Raised my bins just to take a quick look as it zipped by. Miniature Peregrine!!! It was a Hobby. Only my second sighting on the Island ever and, oddly, within half a mile of the first one. I am a mild mannered sort so I will leave you to choose the four letter word.

But I did get another go for the Greenfinch of a few days back. Actually got to see its head.

 

099 repeated.  In the same tree too.

[PeterHG]

Sorry about your Hobby, but at least you saw one. Still waiting for an appearance this year. Well, it is a frustrating hobby..

[Soukous]

38 minutes ago, PeterHG said:

Sorry about your Hobby, but at least you saw one. Still waiting for an appearance this year. Well, it is a frustrating hobby..

[elefromoz]

Lovely little Arctic Terns. Yes please keep us posted on the progress of the Peregrine chicks, so exciting being able to check up on them