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

[elefromoz]

You've had some really good wildlife and bird action over the last couple of weeks

[Galana]

A rather wet week and two blank days for new birds. Snow Buntings still elude me so what may as well be a blog of my failures.

The treasure lies out there.

 

At the Point I met this youngster showing how Grey Seals got their name.

And played count the Ringed Plovers;

 

And practiced my depth of field with the Goldies,

 

Whilst the seals slept on.

 

[Kitsafari]

oooh just loved all the shots, and my gosh those sneaky ring plovers sure melted into those pebbles!!!

[Galana]

Addendum.

Nobody spotted that my 'grey' Seal was not a Grey Seal but the uncommon (around here) Common Seal.

 

Well I am off to the home of Annie Laurie on a wild Goose chase in the hope of increasing my score.

[Galana]

Straight off the boat and I found this.

And this

 

 

as well as this,

 

 

[PeterHG]

I don’t know where you got off the boat, but this looks like a foreign shoveler. Australian perhaps?

[Galana]

1 hour ago, PeterHG said:

I don’t know where you got off the boat, but this looks like a foreign shoveler. Australian perhaps?

Well we did not dock in Darwin.

[xelas]

11 hours ago, Galana said:

Well we did not dock in Darwin.

Yet the shoveler came from Down Under. How did he evaded the covid restrictions?!

[shazdwn]

15 hours ago, Galana said:

Well we did not dock in Darwin.

😂😂😂😂 we don’t have any shovelers in Darwin anyway 💁🏻‍♀️

[Galana]

Still a bird species that I photographed again today. It may  be a mixture but I will only c0unt it once.

[Galana]

I have still got Wiffy tonight so I can get some postings done.

A couple of Bankers failed but two unexpected ticks made up the bag so far.

I also had the excellent guiding assistance of another STer so a jolly good day out all round, especially as I could show her that so called Ozzy Shoveller albeit in less than ideal conditions.

All at RSPB Leighton Moss. Lancs.

So-starting in order,

Banker number one.

 

133. Eurasian Marsh Harrier.

 

 

[Galana]

Next up,

 

134. Common Pochard.

 

Introducing another bonus.

 

 

[Galana]

So naturally that went in the digital bag.

as...

135. Great White Egret.

 

 

[Galana]

Followed by one species I thought I had already nailed...

 

136. Gadwall.

 

 

[Galana]

And eventually to the Ozzy mix up.

 

Currently  believed to by a Cinnamon Teal x Northern Shoveller hybrid with a hint of Blue-winged Tea;.

Whatever it is I am claiming a tick as part of it at least must be new to  hy Big Year but I will only count it once.

137. Cinnamon Teal x Shoveller posing as Australasian Shoveller.

 

That's it for now from this location but I may have two more but my Field Guide is in the Car.

Tomorrow we head up to Kelso for a family birthday for three nights with only limited birding opportunities so don't worry about the silence.

[Galana]

Well as I had to pass the Eric Morecambe Hide on my route to Kelso I thought to see what was around.

A few Snipe and Lapwing but nothing new or sing about. But who could resist the morning sunshine for our Eric Bartholomew?

And after a couple of hours drive over the Border we had time to spare to a diversion off the A7 brought a couple of birds.

 

First a very confiding Common Buzzard followed by....

 

138. Eurasian Jay.

Much less confiding and led me a merry dance untilI managed to bag it.

But a tick is still a tick.

Off to the East coast tomorrow all being well.

[Zim Girl]

On 11/12/2021 at 9:10 PM, Galana said:

I also had the excellent guiding assistance of another STer so a jolly good day out all round, especially as I could show her that so called Ozzy Shoveller albeit in less than ideal conditions.

All at RSPB Leighton Moss. Lancs.

 

 

It was a pleasure to meet up with Fred and Elizabeth and we had a really lovely few hours at the reserve.  The weather was pretty appalling but we were happy in the many hides LM has to offer and plenty of birds came out to play for us.  The marsh harriers put on a really good show and then there was 'that' duck!!  (A much poorer version will be making it's way to my BY soon).

 

[Galana]

2 hours ago, Zim Girl said:

It was a pleasure to meet up with Fred and Elizabeth and we had a really lovely few hours at the reserve.

From us too.

Got a squirrel today but the wrong colour.

 

Compensated by a selection of Kestrels and French Partridges,

 

 

 

[Galana]

Yesterday we went to the East Coast and Budle Bay and saw lots of waders and wildfowl including a very colourful male Wigeon and a confiding Curlew mixed with multiple Redshank and Dunlin and maybe Little Stint.

 

Also I saw some Godwits and I think i see a Black-tail or two.

 

139. Black-tailed Godwit.

 

Surely

[Galana]

From East  back to West.

The way of the Sun.

To our new home for five days.

Note the view from our Conservatory and my bedroom window (centre).

I even have *140 ready and waiting.

 

[Galana]

More to come but here is

*140 Barnacle Goose.

 

[Galana]

I think I have about done with my Barnacles for BY.

To round up...we paid a visit to RSPB Mersehead.

 

Nice pose. Thanks.

 

Most welcome. Do come again.

[Galana]

On the way around the coast we paid a visit to Whitesands in Dumfries where we had a banker for Goosander.

 

We nearly missed as we only found one.

A clearer shot than the earlier EBC.

 

And then we found a stranger.

Which goes in the bag as Yellow-legged Gull rather than Caspian or LBBback.

#142. (141 to follow...)

After Mersehead we went over to Ken-Dee for Whitefronted Goose but drew a blank.

However I took the Opportunity of improving on my Red Kite presentation at Lauriston.

A nice pose from a female Roe ends this session.

More follows.

Edited November 18, 2021 by Galana

[Galana]

Another Banker for me at Mersehead has always been Yellowhammer but none were seen all our visit..

But luck runs on and as we called at the office to bid thanks I asked if I cold spend 15 minutes at their feeder even though Covid restrictions limited access for lingering indoors.

I promised to leave if anyone else arrived and on approval had hardly taken up position when a nice male YH popped up on cue.

 

141. Yellowhammer.

I left a small donation by way of thanks and by chance as I regained the car I captured a nice Tree Sparrow too.

 

Cute. Even got a ring on his leg.

 

Back home in time for the evening Badger visit.

Time for a glass of wine to end the day.

[PeterHG]

Some nice sightings and additions there again @Galana! And another hybrid with the Barnacles, perhaps Snow Goose? Keep loving those Badgers, never seen one.