tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54569153841916444662024-03-19T04:06:13.330+00:00Of Pies and BirdsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger594125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-88281793609056702922017-08-06T19:28:00.000+01:002017-08-06T19:28:45.547+01:00Cock of the Blue RockWatching a Blue Rock Thrush on 1980s housing estate in the pretty Cotswold town of Stow on the Wold on the 28th December wasn't where I expected to be spending some of my Christmas leave.To be honest had I had something better to do, such as clearing out my belly button fluff (coincidentally also blue) I would have stayed at home. It didn't impress me that much, in fact it didn't impress me at all as it paraded around the rooftops and I scoffed to one "celebrity" twitcher that it was clearly plastic and would never get accepted. To be honest I have no idea what that statement was based on, like the Grinch I just wanted to spoil the Christmas party.<br />
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My feelings about it didn't change as it overstayed its welcome into early spring. Then it disappeared and amazingly was picked up at Belle Tout in East Sussex, presumably en route to the sunny Mediterranean. I guess that doesn't necessarily prove it's origins, but the BBRC have now deemed it acceptable. However just because a group of middle-aged blokes agree that this (and all those dodgy ducks) are tickable it doesn't mean that we should bow to their superiority and accept their decision. No I am better than this, I made my decision to tick this bird back in April (when it appeared at the latter locality) not because I thought it was a relocating lost migrant, oh no this was based on one thing.... I dipped the Scilly bird in 1999 and it hurt!<br />
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Next one to go on the list will be the Dalmatian Pelican - purely on the basis that I waited until October to see it and it was great!<br />
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Whilst on the subject of ticking stuff; I had a quick look at my new I.O.C list this evening - I wish I hadn't. Gained one with the split of the Bean Geese, but lost Thayer's Gull, Hudsonian Whimbrel and a Redpoll.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hudsonian Whimbrel - Boat Cove. Not sure what's worse, the fact that I have to take it off or that I had to pay a fiver to park.</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-14377431718678533322017-07-23T20:46:00.000+01:002017-07-23T20:48:06.290+01:00The Hills are alive....Or maybe not...<br />
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It has to be said that over the last few years that when it comes to local birding I've seldom strayed from the patch. The Peak District is a mere 30 minutes from home, in fact I can see it from my front door! Yet it's been well over a year since I ventured out there, which considering how impressive it is, is appalling. Today we made the effort and after parking at Blackamoor, walked Houndkirk, Burbage, Higger Torr and back via Fox House. The amount of birdlife was astounding. Astounding in that there was barely anything! A juv Stonechat, Curlew a handful of Kestrels and Meadow Pipits, seemingly the only birds up there in numbers. Thirty years ago when my friend and I would come up here in the six week school holidays we would see lots of Wheatears, Whinchat, Ring Ouzels and lots of Curlews! Maybe they were all hiding! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtau3S8W0u2J_W9GXd8sO6MZJWddsVtjK6OTtdel4Zwigb-7LXgm-OHurQBemdPd3wrmaQqfJFj3YZjEvLs7l95ovcv0zinMS3T1lhyphenhyphenLU0A4zsMEpwVs4lNZhZiCCHak8trM6Skdq6eUD/s1600/IMG_20170722_103927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtau3S8W0u2J_W9GXd8sO6MZJWddsVtjK6OTtdel4Zwigb-7LXgm-OHurQBemdPd3wrmaQqfJFj3YZjEvLs7l95ovcv0zinMS3T1lhyphenhyphenLU0A4zsMEpwVs4lNZhZiCCHak8trM6Skdq6eUD/s640/IMG_20170722_103927.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fantastic views from Burbage, but not many birds!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilM2_AtCiH3FkELKZIi0mUOBLQFuR2jAu_x8B72eYXESEJvcHWo6yrK7-nzN78yY2zna4l_h3qIDbpkBT_k4rDjT1kWEcXJImva6TY4T7HPCzoiTlsOnhB4tulUxC9CVaqsUUF2yKdWMx8/s1600/IMG_20170722_132612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilM2_AtCiH3FkELKZIi0mUOBLQFuR2jAu_x8B72eYXESEJvcHWo6yrK7-nzN78yY2zna4l_h3qIDbpkBT_k4rDjT1kWEcXJImva6TY4T7HPCzoiTlsOnhB4tulUxC9CVaqsUUF2yKdWMx8/s400/IMG_20170722_132612.jpg" width="400" /></a>I did however get a surprise first just a 100 metres or so from the car, a Harvest Mouse. I almost stood on it as it sat on the path in the managed verge and it wasn't until I picked it up that I realised what it was. After putting back into the grass I was surprised to find another just 10 metres along the path. Not sure of the status of Harvest Mouse in the Peak District, but I guess they're not that common. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-72834028067899551902017-07-23T20:18:00.002+01:002017-07-23T20:18:18.686+01:00Plover Lover<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGubFDx1xaYgSsYM8YQHqTKmcLwlZcAdwNmbO8dGdlW8aox6zbjPEDFB25FFRn3GTavLMwIk72FBYKKDonVO8-bfRYNB1iNprQ4T8ulc7Urjph4FccLQu60Ml2M5WVllupXZYN7K-8pNl/s1600/Pacific+Golden+Plover2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="800" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGubFDx1xaYgSsYM8YQHqTKmcLwlZcAdwNmbO8dGdlW8aox6zbjPEDFB25FFRn3GTavLMwIk72FBYKKDonVO8-bfRYNB1iNprQ4T8ulc7Urjph4FccLQu60Ml2M5WVllupXZYN7K-8pNl/s320/Pacific+Golden+Plover2.jpg" width="320" /></a>Since finding my first American Golden Plover, some 27 years ago, these spangled beauties and their Eurasian and Pacific cousins have been a favourite of mine. When the latter species turned up at North Cave on Friday and with the patch being absolutely dead I decided to go and have a look.<br />
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If my ageing memory serves me right this was only my third Pacific Goldie, previously in Lancashire (Piling 1990) and on the wrong side of the Humber in 1993, though these birds were stunning summer-plumaged adults, presumably this was a 1st year bird, though nonetheless still very smart.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Czx2vS2es_stZdpc80aEMOPj4mlng_Rid0ZNvMcU1zM9tJUcrM7U3ms52f5KBqyrDrrmltAbnkTw9CVWLRyf5oVBvDkI_MofQTfZbr1FfsKFbw9b55eXeBZW6_LivUtSl0VQhp8cp5zi/s1600/Pacific+Goldie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="800" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Czx2vS2es_stZdpc80aEMOPj4mlng_Rid0ZNvMcU1zM9tJUcrM7U3ms52f5KBqyrDrrmltAbnkTw9CVWLRyf5oVBvDkI_MofQTfZbr1FfsKFbw9b55eXeBZW6_LivUtSl0VQhp8cp5zi/s320/Pacific+Goldie.jpg" width="320" /></a>On the downside, the finder Gary Dayes is my nearest rival in the Patchwork Challenge (Inland North) and with a 12 pointer like this soundly kicks me into 3rd place. Perhaps this will give me the kick up the arse to find something! A dream inland find for sure, these days I struggle to find bog standard Goldies at Orgreave! Apologies for the photos I'm still getting to grips with getting back into digiscoping!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-2256637966424855282017-07-09T19:03:00.000+01:002017-07-09T19:07:40.289+01:00Amur Regretting This.For me new birds are becoming few and far between and when something that I do need turns up it tends to be on some far-flung island that I just don't have the bottle to twitch these days, though to be fair I've never been much of an island twitcher. <br />
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Friday 7th was my day off, though as with every day I was up at 5:30 ready to be on the patch by 6. I'd managed the 3S routine before picking my phone up and catching up with last nights bird news. The downside of getting up early is that I'm generally in bed fairly early and this time there really was a downside. The news of an Amur Falcon at Polgigga, Cornwall had broken at about 21:20 the previous evening and I'd slept through it all. No problem it was still early, quick trip around the patch and leave on positive news. I didn't have to wait long only half way around the lake and the news that it was still came through. Dashed back home, chucked a few bits in the car and headed south.<br />
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The plan was; see the bird, take some photos, have a pasty, stay over with my holidaying parents and drive home the following morning.<br />
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In reality it went like this:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The highlight of the trip!</td></tr>
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Get almost as far as Exeter and hear that it's flown off. Mood changes. Convince myself to carry on, and that it's just having a brief fly around. Update at 11:30 that it's been seen again. Mood improves, it's obviously still in the area. At Hayle by 1pm no further news. Console myself by buying a huge Phelps pasty* - at least I won't go hungry whilst waiting for it. Fill up with fuel and do the last 10 miles to Polgigga, by this point thinking (out loud) that this was a very bad idea. Arrive at Polgigga at 2 ish and note the rather scant number of observers present. I got the impression that nobody (including me) present during the day had the vaguest idea about where the bird had actually roosted the previous evening something that became evident later. Despite unsubstantiated reports from the Sennen area and rumour that the the bird had been present for 3 days it was not seen again. Personally I think that it had arrived the previous evening, dropped into the first bit of cover and roosted in the open waiting for it to get warm, feed up and move on.<br />
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By dusk I was too knackered to drive home and with vague optimism, that it might have sneaked into roost, I decided to stay over in the car. The Peugeot 108 does not make a good bed for the night, kind of like folding yourself into a suitcase! The following morning and with the help of various crowd shots from the previous day I managed to locate the roost spot. Obviously it wasn't there but I tried to imagine how great I would feel had I refound it. Which frankly like the whole trip was a bloody daft idea. With that I threw in the proverbial towel and headed home via my sympathetic parents!<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Quite a different scene from 24 hours earlier. To make it worse there were two horses hiding among the cows. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">I bloody hate horses!</span></div>
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*Not a pie but acceptable when in Cornwall<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-17506965327395368982017-07-09T17:48:00.000+01:002017-07-09T17:48:00.812+01:00Back For GoodWell three years since I did anything on here, so why choose now to start back up? I'm a firm believer of not doing stuff when it stops being enjoyable, and that's pretty much what happened. So why start again? No idea really, I just got the urge to take it up again and I apologise in advance if it turns out like most comebacks to be a complete pile of crap!<br />
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Readers of this blog (I make the assumption that there are some) in the past may have found me (in no particular order) boring, witty, annoying, antagonistic, spiteful, funny, inspiring, wordy, illiterate .... and so on and so on. I purposefully left out words such as intelligent, knowledgeable, ace birder (two words obviously), because I'm not. I'm just an average middle-aged socialist, who lives in the grim northern town of Rotherham and likes birding. I don't claim to be an expert birder, because I am very far from that. However, I have been birding since the age of 12 and I love it - always have, probably always will.<br />
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When this blog started back in 2007 I was in a dark place (read the early posts, they are bloody awful). Filled with venom and Prozac (literally), I spewed out posts filled with bile and sometimes hate. Ten years on and that's all behind me - mostly. So, readers (again I make assumptions) what can you possibly expect to read in the coming months?<br />
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Birds. Of course, birds.<br />
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Pies. Some, though I'm choosey these days and pastry gives me indigestion! Who knew?<br />
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Patching. I dare say that somewhere in the dark corner of the internet "patching" means something sexual, I recently discovered that "dusting" is not just something you do when trying to impress the wife to earn vital birding Brownie points - or maybe it is! I digress. Patching in my case is my near daily obsession birding Orgreave. Since last visiting blogger I've managed to find a few tasty species there, such as: White-winged Black Tern, Caspian Tern, Great White Egret and Temminck's Stint, all top drawer rares from a local perspective. Entering the <a href="http://patchworkchallenge.com/" target="_blank">Patchwork Challenge</a> has increased my obsession, taking on well-established (proper nature reserves) in the Inland North.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caspian Tern as it headed north from Carr Vale 22nd July 16</td></tr>
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Twitching: Less and less of this these days, but there will be some.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Politics: For the record I'm pro EU, anti-austerity, hate the Tories and love Corbyn, given the chance I would take out Trump tomorrow. I'll probably steer clear of politics!</span><br />
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Lee: Who? One for the birders I guess. I think that's run its course.<br />
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Photos: Lots of photos, ranging from awful to record shots. I'm no photographer, I'm a birder with a camera who gets lucky now and again. DSLR, bridge camera and recently back into digiscoping. </div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfyBx8IUHgHzD2MFUH2rZ3z2sTl6806h0x09LZVqWzLck6-S3e1sPltLymm4R3cDP7NQHd-XW7F7lKZjfP9cBnW6g0WdGB4qvtmk0eeVxKpS03TvnZWCr1aaBT8N4q1G0B2RrUZ-b4tjA/s1600/DSCF5217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfyBx8IUHgHzD2MFUH2rZ3z2sTl6806h0x09LZVqWzLck6-S3e1sPltLymm4R3cDP7NQHd-XW7F7lKZjfP9cBnW6g0WdGB4qvtmk0eeVxKpS03TvnZWCr1aaBT8N4q1G0B2RrUZ-b4tjA/s400/DSCF5217.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
Life. Occasional more personal posts, probably about my wonderful wife and amazingly intelligent daughter. Sick bags are optional.<br />
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So that's it. Like watching Love Island it's your choice nobody made you look. Enjoy.<br />
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Oh, and this is me. If you ever have the misfortune to meet me, feel free to chat, mock or just punch me in the face. You can even follow me on Twitter @mn_reeder but I really am very boring!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-41392774758847506242014-08-09T17:23:00.000+01:002017-07-09T19:07:14.791+01:009th August. Birding Frontiers Challenge Series Autumn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eW2oEChsgV8/U-Y-TlGa8mI/AAAAAAAAMUI/Dz62_hrF7Ck/s1600/Capture2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eW2oEChsgV8/U-Y-TlGa8mI/AAAAAAAAMUI/Dz62_hrF7Ck/s1600/Capture2.JPG" width="420" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s not often that I buy books unless it’s something that grabs my eye, something that is a little different from the norm and Martin Garner’s new challenge series of books is exactly that. There is little in the way of identification guides these days, though recently the old birder’s (I think I probably fall into that cate</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">gory) favourite the Macmillan Guide was given a rebirth and just a few years back the unique Advanced Bird ID Guide by Nills Van Duivenduk describing every species within the Western Palearctic, was published. In his first guide Martin covers some of the rarer species or races that we may come across in the Autumn, and also a few that some of us (including me) had no idea actually existed let alone might turn up on our shores. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Martin appears to have taken some of the best bits from the aforementioned guides; the descriptive style of Duivenduk’s book coupled with the Macmillan style miniature sketches detailing key areas to look for along with a good selection of comparison photos. With the aid of a smartphone or tablet pc even more content - additional photos, video and audio - is available via QR codes at the start of each chapter. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Broken down into eighteen chapters this guide deals with some of the trickiest and in some cases the most contentious of bird ID subjects e.g. South Polar Skua. Martin’s mantra is “always discovering” and the first six chapters certainly give you a feel of what’s constantly going around in his head - how many of us have ever considered the possibility of Sharp-shinned Hawk or even Japanese Sparrowhawk after a fleeting glimpse of a small accipiter at an East or West coast birding hotspot? Those early chapters will certainly open your eyes, but for those of us who like the safety of their chosen comfort zone the remainder of the book will further educate and have you wishing you’d booked that Shetland trip. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ray Scally’s artwork should not go unmentioned, it is excellent, educational and has a feel of Lars Johnsson, not at all two dimensional like some of the images that grace many field guides. Whilst some illustrations show the species in full, others break it down into parts. I found this method a better aid to ID, drawing your attention to the salient points rather than lots of arrows pointing in all directions. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Presumably Martin intends this series to cover the four seasons and presumably four books? Though given the huge spectrum of possible Autumn species, the Leaf Warblers and some of those tricky eastern buntings for starters, it could run and run until we’ve had enough. However, judging how Mr Garner’s enthusiasm rubs off onto others that could make for a very long series indeed.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first tantalising glimpse of the Challenge Series had this frugal Yorkshireman reaching to the dark (rarely ventured) depths of his pockets and having now been privileged to have a review copy I can honestly say it was money well spent. This will certainly be part of my baggage allowance on my trip north this autumn.</span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-34809330177113567172014-07-31T21:57:00.000+01:002014-07-31T21:57:57.754+01:0031st July Best of the rest from Spain<div dir="ltr">
In a shameless attempt to boost the blog ratings further I've dug out the remaining photos from our recent trip to Extremadura. Enjoy or just click the little cross in the top right corner. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Rock Thrush Castillo de Monfrague</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZ9IuozEj_NR8Z-jThtuBsl4PysK3IOp5zX2yjbL2ezO9P4K8NRFQ3k7RnfYnCtknZde3Aj1iMHR-UavOYys-kboLsM3DIPyabBNHUc42L99aOO1pbig7oge0ELJAQOJeATwD7ZwPr-4O/s1600/Blue%252520Rock%252520Thrush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxuGTG_t4C9kOSj7nyPK69_a1CXE8QM-Ax7ZnNlpIMvqYqDkmEtze_ItnEpFzVF_6GguWnzDAKWuFkABf-yupDk2Cogi04s8vLOiguuPG1d47AEkPwzMSlB-CkjwueSklfHcWmC1lW1r6p/s640/DSC_0737_w.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woodchat Shrike. One of the very common roadside birds. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxuGTG_t4C9kOSj7nyPK69_a1CXE8QM-Ax7ZnNlpIMvqYqDkmEtze_ItnEpFzVF_6GguWnzDAKWuFkABf-yupDk2Cogi04s8vLOiguuPG1d47AEkPwzMSlB-CkjwueSklfHcWmC1lW1r6p/s1600/DSC_0737_w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJGPlRLgzTFEf5ZBHzkeWs9th6DwvV_bWsaY82bBFqYn0rr1i7WTnUoPIxzjJaOJkYa_8e-Zca0iGW-kzre_5HrIqPaKeAmFu5QJ-Z9WZOy4kQNpiiuEi54vIiZO0HBN3ez33ulSzmPI0/s640/DSC_0831_Great%252520Bustard.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evenings on the Santa Marta Plains were better for Great Bustards with up to 15 on one evening. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJGPlRLgzTFEf5ZBHzkeWs9th6DwvV_bWsaY82bBFqYn0rr1i7WTnUoPIxzjJaOJkYa_8e-Zca0iGW-kzre_5HrIqPaKeAmFu5QJ-Z9WZOy4kQNpiiuEi54vIiZO0HBN3ez33ulSzmPI0/s1600/DSC_0831_Great%252520Bustard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2rEfw-IpjEYp8OTrXyvxgw7EMPMlU0ZVxQJfRBBd7bt2K7bTV9lzHgrJUejKwJ0w-kp7kSWRQS8iuRLqelCdfvKld7YV1l9SDemmpuCeeb265UZFXcGwwPXPW9OSI1cS4n5O5MMDwfNba/s640/DSC_1066_Lesser%252520Kestrel%2525203.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A visit to Trujillo's old bull ring is always a highlight for the Lesser Kestrels</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2rEfw-IpjEYp8OTrXyvxgw7EMPMlU0ZVxQJfRBBd7bt2K7bTV9lzHgrJUejKwJ0w-kp7kSWRQS8iuRLqelCdfvKld7YV1l9SDemmpuCeeb265UZFXcGwwPXPW9OSI1cS4n5O5MMDwfNba/s1600/DSC_1066_Lesser%252520Kestrel%2525203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFTPF3F6YSRBB9OmQ4lR-0dTH6qUbMOmknaN3w6ASoCSvLS-1cqN1oFhyr9VC357aPIA-CSr4IFjJHoT0nOlRVrqr5OT_-VWwrt5ZhEx-SrQR6wlVOS07tSmjB-WbVq9PpAiBbkdJbIfs/s1600/DSC_1091_Lesser-Kestrel2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFTPF3F6YSRBB9OmQ4lR-0dTH6qUbMOmknaN3w6ASoCSvLS-1cqN1oFhyr9VC357aPIA-CSr4IFjJHoT0nOlRVrqr5OT_-VWwrt5ZhEx-SrQR6wlVOS07tSmjB-WbVq9PpAiBbkdJbIfs/s640/DSC_1091_Lesser-Kestrel2.jpg" /> </a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ53FZjSdkpJBuN7_Hffc5NbcYA1T3XJDRzZ1H_DwskudQnf2gEZyQHaAh0xM_SnJtQhzqASAtTk0YuLWjfeePuYU_w6xy5eNcRK6NFowTCvYb4EHxXt7kwavJ_LI_C_gMfx2yS9vxSNnU/s640/Griffon%252520Vulture.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV58qRKz3H3xNHE1qRkjz8kbKWbKUb1MhC6yxsxWYON6U96jI53voVA3auBU4ouUDhBZL2cxNso8QXor2qTuA3U-7eyYwAA-R2GL1InKybh4OT-QrSLaOaVXvTaM-xHBdMsO1uLhnHB8bL/s640/Little%252520Owl.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Owls are very common around farm buildings</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN_VwZgoHgxpR2ESREzZp0D9bqhQbsRVhEoSZvfUrnxsp5_XPLwMGN0J3FgEB04XTgVQZ9XMOT7E35IThe5mJhpH8N1gdwVI9lW3RWzpfli2nfA0vXz0Mgi34b_EAwCArLGCO3dQ2W7EiP/s1600/Black+Stork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN_VwZgoHgxpR2ESREzZp0D9bqhQbsRVhEoSZvfUrnxsp5_XPLwMGN0J3FgEB04XTgVQZ9XMOT7E35IThe5mJhpH8N1gdwVI9lW3RWzpfli2nfA0vXz0Mgi34b_EAwCArLGCO3dQ2W7EiP/s1600/Black+Stork.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two pairs of Black Stork viewable from the Pina Falcon viewpoint</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV58qRKz3H3xNHE1qRkjz8kbKWbKUb1MhC6yxsxWYON6U96jI53voVA3auBU4ouUDhBZL2cxNso8QXor2qTuA3U-7eyYwAA-R2GL1InKybh4OT-QrSLaOaVXvTaM-xHBdMsO1uLhnHB8bL/s1600/Little%252520Owl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8sXlPbtE1oyeIPd3XkiRhZgkCr5dzUvc6Gnsm3bXt26yU_-c7cDvoWe5cq35EtqTsM-z4PGVzTKnt8UIqjO2Be7jE5aSi6fOFTx6qtmX-xVliMsxpU6urRbMlwl8kRNdwSHYTaCi0ruk/s640/Short-toed%252520Eagle.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Short-toed Eagles seemed far more numerous than on previous visits.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-40023326895006415392014-07-27T16:07:00.001+01:002014-07-27T16:27:54.848+01:0025th July. No Oven No PieAfter a week of seemingly endless DIY and very little birding Jo and I decided on a rare afternoon/evening trip into town.<br />
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After a spot of shopping we started on our minor pub crawl. First pub was situated in the Old Water Works in the heart of the City. A pub where you can remarkably purchase a pint for less than two quid!! Though tempted to stay in for the rest of the day, or at least until I'd had enough - which for those that know me isn't very many - we started to make our way towards Kelham Island.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9QX5dTeYOxantGfpqiBG3fT7ySIUgihxFFH49DVeyWaEe0oGPODh67pcw2TBd_uZ4DdRSJK4da8bqwYf2tRWSLD3dSDbNfTRfSQ868v63dKkaTOtu2kP8guhGDiT80bBA6ebgZapzzHin/s1600/2014-07-25+17.59.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9QX5dTeYOxantGfpqiBG3fT7ySIUgihxFFH49DVeyWaEe0oGPODh67pcw2TBd_uZ4DdRSJK4da8bqwYf2tRWSLD3dSDbNfTRfSQ868v63dKkaTOtu2kP8guhGDiT80bBA6ebgZapzzHin/s1600/2014-07-25+17.59.44.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a><br />
The Kelham Island area hosts several small pubs the type of which were traditionally frequented by men (and sometimes women) with beards and a generally low standard of personal hygiene. Whilst the old guard still sit in the corners of these pubs muttering about volume, body and general shit about beer that I couldn't possibly begin to understand and don't want to - these pubs have become a revolution for those that want a good night out with decent locally produced beer from the micro breweries that are popping up in Sheffield - non of that mass produced chemical crap here. Shit. Did I really just say that? Am I turning into a beer bore?<br />
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The Kelham Island Tavern has the added attraction of serving big pork pies and it would have been rude not to. Not just any old pork pie but a fine Wateralls pie and washed down with a pint of Barnsley's Acorn brewery Old Moor Porter. Presumably named after Old Moor (or Wath Ings as we knew it) is this the only birding hotspot to have a beer named after it? Beer bore info <a href="http://acorn-brewery.co.uk/beer/old-moor-porter/" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
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The real purpose of this night out (pronounced nee'tart) was to see the <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everlypregnantbrothers.co.uk%2F&ei=2hPVU_7iMejm7Abu6YDwCA&usg=AFQjCNEon87_puXiUflLi49K3HXywIWr5A&sig2=yKFyVrQdxfBk2yJEQ12nMw&bvm=bv.71778758,d.ZGU" target="_blank">Everly Pregnant Brothers</a>. Anyone outside of South Yorkshire is unlikely to have heard of this curious ukulele sextet whose parodies of modern Indie songs are injected with subtle Sheffield dialect, humour, nostalgia and a general loathing of Leeds. <br />
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Coming on stage at 7.30pm the non paying audience (who says "Tha dunt get owt f nowt?") of several thousand were treated to such classics as Ham In, Common People ("If tha called thi fath-er e cud stop it'all"), Hendos (a homage to Sheffield's beloved sauce), Pork Pie and the classic No Oven No Pie among a non-stop two and a quarter hour set. A set that made this middle-aged man from Rovrum (shhh) glow with nostalgia of his Sheffield roots, proud that I know what neets and afters are, that a snap tin isn't something you trap your hand in, that spice are sweet and what the oyl int ruwad was. Even Jo with her West Yorks upbringing enjoyed it, even laughing when the crowd chanted back F*ck Leeds. Over the last few years i've seen a fair few live bands and for entertainment value alone the Everly Pregnant Brothers are up there with some of the best - no exaggeration they really were that good. All in all a reet good neet.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/UgQZI7J63fU" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-84085860445011539912014-07-27T14:35:00.000+01:002014-07-27T18:39:08.606+01:005th June. Not For The Squeamish We spent the morning/early afternoon walking the trail from the Castillo de Monfrague car park. The trees providing vital shade and plenty of birds, Subalpine Warblers and Short-toed Treecreeper being the highlights. As we headed back towards Trujillo in the mid-afternoon sun I noticed a large cloud of vultures circling over a farm just beyond Torrejon el Rubio. As we stopped to look by the roadside we noticed many birds (a couple of hundred) on the ground and the large body of a freshly dead cow. We spent the next hour watching these prehistoric garbage collectors reducing this large bovine by entering it's body via the soft spots i.e. mouth, backside and presumably as this was a cow..... Quite horrific but fascinating and without doubt the highlight of the trip.<br />
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Video best viewed in HD<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/BWeNe6bnehI" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-14458239167603335202014-07-27T14:08:00.000+01:002014-07-27T14:08:01.927+01:004th June. Sierra de GredosWe spent the remainder of our trip mostly covering old ground but on the 4th decided to head north to the Sierra de Gredos mountains if nothing else we would at least escape the increasing heat the day.<div>
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The optimistic two hours predicted by the stupid woman in the Sat Nav turned into about three and half and with hindsight it would make more sense to do this area for a couple of days either en-route to or from Trujillo. </div>
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Calling at the Parador de Gredos we spent a good couple of hours trying to see Citril Finches with just a few very fleeting glimpses - though a Rock Sparrow singing around the tennis courts was unexpected and the numerous Bonelli's Warblers enjoyed.</div>
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Arriving at the Plataforma car park much later than intended and consequently too late in the day for any kind of serious walking. However we did manage to go up a kilometre or so. </div>
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The change of habitat made for a pleasant change with scenery no unlike the higher parts of Speyside. Walking alongside the mountain stream with patches of snow still in abundance we picked up Rock and Ortolan Buntings, Blue Rock Thrush and a stunning male Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Jo picking it up the second time by proclaiming, "I've got one of those orange and blue things!" A nice Water Pipit by the stream and numerous Dunnocks - who imitated their larger cousins that no doubt we would have seen further up the track. The Wheatears here are a funny looking bunch, much slighter than our wheatears and structurally more like Black-eared Wheatear and lacking any peachy tones. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-88269384099298792462014-07-27T13:35:00.000+01:002014-07-27T13:35:01.068+01:001st-2nd June Monfrague continuedHaving been struck down by blog writers block for the last 12 months, where you have all these great blogging ideas but as soon as you sit at a computer they all vanish or worse still you write complete shit and I am fully aware that has certainly been the case at times - okay most of the time.<br />
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Anyway before I go all Jack Nicholson in the Shining here's my latest offering.<br />
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I love the Spanish but their habit of congregating (quite rightly so it's their country after all) in large groups coincidentally at the best birding spots means you're best avoiding the popular areas at weekends.<br />
With this in mind we made a the decision to tour the plains between Trujillo and Caceres. We set off shortly after breakfast, the temperature already coasting into the high twenties and as a consequence most of today's birding would be done from the car.<br />
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Following the Gosney Guide tip we drove along the road from Santa Marta de Magasca towards Caceres (site 16 page 5) where no less than eight Rollers were found along the telegraph poles.<br />
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Little Bustards in June are particularly difficult, not because of the lack of birds but because of the height of the vegetation, so a female at the side of the track to La Encinilla Farmhouse was an unexpected bonus.<br />
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The site by the bridge over the Rio Almonte on the EX-390 again failed to produce any Black Wheatears but we did have great views of Alpine Swift and a close Black Kite. Despite the abundance of the latter species I never seem to get decent photos, so I was reasonably pleased with this one.<br />
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2nd June</div>
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Today was Jo's birthday and her choice of birthday treat wasn't a nice meal in the square but to see the Eagle Owls in Monfrague. Given that we'd heard that many people had missed the owls the meal option would have perhaps been easier to fulfill. However later afternoon we headed out to Monfrague calling at a couple of sites en-route to Portilla del Tietar. Our visit to the Castillo was brief due to an incredible plague of flying earwigs that even I couldn't stand. </div>
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Picnicking at La Tajadilla we were joined by a mangy looking fox that seemed happy to take the prawn heads that we threw for him depriving the Azure-winged Magpies of their supper. The fox is mentioned on page 8 of the Gosney Guide as being present in January 2013 - so clearly makes a good living from picnickers!</div>
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We arrived at the Portilla del Tietar around 8pm and were immediately greeted by one of the adult Spanish Imperial Eagles overhead and one of the young Eagle Owls. Over the next two hours the two young owls and a single adult performed in full view completely fulfilling Jo's birthday wish.</div>
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I also compiled a bit of shaky video with excited commentary from a German tourist.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-67383872249574307642014-06-15T21:04:00.000+01:002014-06-15T21:04:20.987+01:0031st May. Day 2 MonfragueAfter yesterdays stress today would be a much more relaxed affair. A pre-breakfast jaunt to the Belen Plains produced the first Great Bustards of the trip, but they as always here were too far off for photos. A rather showy Bee-eater along the fence and an obliging Thekla Lark made up for an otherwise quiet visit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKErrwhzff43x-nOZIYhqJ_ftAEDeOrAt8qwBcDCKmNd49ptsBuHvWWmLvZN4OXzcTosThyphenhyphenci1x6lg9tkqySLqtWIYFn3uqh7emMn7v_sHD1hWKjCnZcKxhHgNw39VsDaAwaXzxEeT4zp/s1600/Thekla+Lark+31st+MAy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKErrwhzff43x-nOZIYhqJ_ftAEDeOrAt8qwBcDCKmNd49ptsBuHvWWmLvZN4OXzcTosThyphenhyphenci1x6lg9tkqySLqtWIYFn3uqh7emMn7v_sHD1hWKjCnZcKxhHgNw39VsDaAwaXzxEeT4zp/s1600/Thekla+Lark+31st+MAy.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sZ_lC9RxF-b0G1pTdgR79bVTJLm7URRZRHgwCb2u43cCNJwUXXx9FYn1UblxQgp73po6_QNuP1_ttBxBsSmjoNRPpCPdoKZ2OyNELe6HVcx1-V0LbWw_DpjhX5iMWUOnPmCqRIjTSvAd/s1600/2014-06-05+11.15.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sZ_lC9RxF-b0G1pTdgR79bVTJLm7URRZRHgwCb2u43cCNJwUXXx9FYn1UblxQgp73po6_QNuP1_ttBxBsSmjoNRPpCPdoKZ2OyNELe6HVcx1-V0LbWw_DpjhX5iMWUOnPmCqRIjTSvAd/s1600/2014-06-05+11.15.43.jpg" height="300" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a>A quick - though substantial - breakfast back at the hotel and we were on our way to spend the rest of the day in Monfrague. Here was the first and only disappointment of the holiday. A fair chunk of money has been spent of the Castillo - including a safety barrier on top of the Moorish keep. Personally I found the old barrier, a painted red line coupled with a pretty nasty drop enough to keep me away from the edge. The steps up to the castle have been improved and an additional viewing platform provided all adding to the attractiveness of the location for visitors, making it a bit crowded for birding. That said we still enjoyed the view and the very easy White-rumped Swifts overhead.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mdE6qimFsy2d_QKkFn3ja4gsgPIhHXi0gMyfJcTOEnMRpr0w0fDrWzoeegY9Y50Fsh-ynoqJl8ULuS7NBmokmhYBcMQWB4ulItz-Y7V5RT77mbupLypP9alLggSh5U3A-rZoWAIR0WSG/s1600/DSC_0852_White-rumped+Swift.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mdE6qimFsy2d_QKkFn3ja4gsgPIhHXi0gMyfJcTOEnMRpr0w0fDrWzoeegY9Y50Fsh-ynoqJl8ULuS7NBmokmhYBcMQWB4ulItz-Y7V5RT77mbupLypP9alLggSh5U3A-rZoWAIR0WSG/s1600/DSC_0852_White-rumped+Swift.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a><br />
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The Pena Falcon, below the Castillo, was typically busy with birders and visitors alike and a dog Otter on the opposite bank increased the popularity, though for me it was as ever the Vultures that made the visit. Also some very showy Crag Martins feeding young on the cliff face.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUnQOX8OgWJBMVTk_nrcPUrBHZH-F3KC3YI0ChxYASJQuDpRWRkgxv-PiJpKnGu-jC2fyvtchJQ3N1U05AB_z3yy0GafykmzezUu4nUhSrw-xEcAPXyFgDTbMclAryIwuiRVJdC5_YV9Z/s1600/Griffon+Vulture+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUnQOX8OgWJBMVTk_nrcPUrBHZH-F3KC3YI0ChxYASJQuDpRWRkgxv-PiJpKnGu-jC2fyvtchJQ3N1U05AB_z3yy0GafykmzezUu4nUhSrw-xEcAPXyFgDTbMclAryIwuiRVJdC5_YV9Z/s1600/Griffon+Vulture+2.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0txSghrZQ1jeVnz1MkHXwtOwk5-zm0TMuP1PXrJgdglByluwjehon51MO1EohyphenhyphenJjulC6HthlM_T6YUJJ4MWsbA6Ijp-e0UstBGsEUoSKHN2kWrXez2yCOGJLuB8DNHR4bISQmA5En4lTs/s1600/Crag+Martin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0txSghrZQ1jeVnz1MkHXwtOwk5-zm0TMuP1PXrJgdglByluwjehon51MO1EohyphenhyphenJjulC6HthlM_T6YUJJ4MWsbA6Ijp-e0UstBGsEUoSKHN2kWrXez2yCOGJLuB8DNHR4bISQmA5En4lTs/s1600/Crag+Martin.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a><br />
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After spending several hours in this area we moved further along the river. Pulling in just beyond the viaduct I immediately picked up two Bonellis Eagles over the road. Probably the best views I've had in four visits to the area.<br />
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Calling at the small village of Villa Real de San Carlos for refreshments we studied the bewildering array of Ice Cream on offer only to be met with a resounding 'no' at every selection. It turned out that only two types were available!<br />
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At Portilla del Tietar we were a little too early in the day for the Eagle Owls, but had spectacular views of Spanish Imperial Eagle the photo does it no justice at all.<br />
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Happy with our lot we headed back t<span style="text-align: center;">o Trujillo.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-16079659987204529322014-06-10T21:01:00.000+01:002014-06-10T21:12:26.192+01:0030th May. El Viaje Way back at the end of last year Jo and I started to make plans for a holiday location for her forthcoming 40th (cough) birthday. I left the decision to her, after all it was her birthday. To my delight she chose a week in Extremadura staying in our favourite town of Trujillo.<br />
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So on the 30th May I bid farewell to the patch - to be honest after almost 3 months of consistently early mornings I was glad to see the back of it - and headed for the warmth of Spain.<br />
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An early morning flight would ensure that we'd be in our hotel just after lunch. After a combination of lost boarding passes and Jo's lack of basic physics i.e. what constitutes a liquid in your hand luggage, that saw us become those twats that get their names called out just before the flight leaves. Despite this the flight went okay. The car hire cost us just £58 for eight days (plus £40 insurance) so I wasn't too upset at having to queue for over an hour to collect it. Leaving the airport at midday we were still on course to arrive by 2.30pm, still plenty of time for birding.<br />
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On the drive to Luton Airport Jo started that thing that all women do. The thing where they start going through a list of things that you might have forgotten. First on the list was "did you pack the guide book?" My response "er no!" This then fired up the part of my brain that remembers such things. "We've also forgotten the map and notebook" Note at this point the 'we'. Fortunately we had the sat nav and map of Spain loaded on the tablet pc. Yes the sat nav that got us f**king lost for over an hour and insisted on taking us into the centre of Madrid. After stopping to calm down, answer a work related text from a colleague (bastard!) and convince Jo* that we should look at the map on the tablet rather rely on the stupid cow inside the machine to direct us, we finally started to head in the right direction.<br />
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*<span style="font-size: x-small;">that might not be exactly how it happened</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
Arriving in Trujillo just after 4pm I pulled out at a crossroads straight into the path of an oncoming van. By nothing short of lucky it stopped less than a foot from our car and after a few gesticulations from the occupants and words of encouragement from Jo I pulled myself together and made it safely to the hotel.<br />
Despite Jo's insistence** that we should get straight out birding I suggested that we should call it a day, as far as driving was concerned, and stay within the safety of the hotel.<br />
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**<span style="font-size: x-small;">a complete lie</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
On our previous trips here we've generally stayed in budget (though always pleasant) accommodation. On this trip we opted for the relative luxury of the Palacio de Santa Marta just off the main square. This proved to be an excellent choice a great hotel with stunning views over Trujillo and eye-level views of Lesser Kestrels, Pallid Swifts (probably about 20% of the swifts in the square), Crag Martins, plus Storks, Black Kite, Black Redstart, Serin and Blue Rock Thrush all from the balcony. After a dip in the pool, several cold beers and a great meal we turned in eager to greet the following morning.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-36352940231949854622014-05-26T13:12:00.004+01:002014-05-26T13:12:44.163+01:0026th May. I'm Still Here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: left;">If there's anyone still out there, and after a four month absence why would there be, then hello I'm still here.</span></div>
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Blogging hasn't come easily this year, and eight hours a day sat in front of a computer kinda makes you start to hate the thing by the end of the day. Combined with the early (pre-work) starts on the patch I really am too knackered by the evening and like most zombies of the 21st Century I watch shit TV and look at videos of cats on the Internet.<br />
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Anyhow:<br />
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After a very quiet start to the year with only a couple of noteworthy birds namely <br />
two Iceland Gulls, one of which was probably something rarer, but I have to let that one go..<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjP99ErAjEka0aoCVuVEAKCWHplZGf-6r3I-fBrRzqy-L2KBtVz3KRiq9KUvty_WNx4nB5xKHl3HCaZ9Ezf_gUeoBRSDuXQyCPseExnTVQt4waBWeXqX8TBV6TVFTym-xp170_0XOSGhJr/s1600/Iceland+Gull_2nd+Mar+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjP99ErAjEka0aoCVuVEAKCWHplZGf-6r3I-fBrRzqy-L2KBtVz3KRiq9KUvty_WNx4nB5xKHl3HCaZ9Ezf_gUeoBRSDuXQyCPseExnTVQt4waBWeXqX8TBV6TVFTym-xp170_0XOSGhJr/s1600/Iceland+Gull_2nd+Mar+crop.jpg" height="253" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mantle and upperwing really were this dark!<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmQurQ25xL7pMK6HEZFfkdeJp7gJc33kqjUDrduLigvkC7bxNsrGHWSBPJ4fnFYlSOgOXp_OfKaX6NPzASQtkBRQTYSjh_MYYtByK58N2vJW7dF5f5G8Dmkk03Oz1B7aMio2LgS_cJ4f6/s1600/Sanderling_2nd+Jan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmQurQ25xL7pMK6HEZFfkdeJp7gJc33kqjUDrduLigvkC7bxNsrGHWSBPJ4fnFYlSOgOXp_OfKaX6NPzASQtkBRQTYSjh_MYYtByK58N2vJW7dF5f5G8Dmkk03Oz1B7aMio2LgS_cJ4f6/s1600/Sanderling_2nd+Jan.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
Other than a Sanderling no other winter highlights spring to mind. I managed to miss most of the Whooper Swans, just scraping a couple at the end of March, but wildfowl numbers on the whole were very low and for the first time in five years the patch never froze..<br />
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Despite the promise of an early Spring, with the first Wheatear on the 20th March things soon went belly up with migration almost grinding to a halt until the third week of April.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnAt7D5dyXyIWfbDeHPkIIv0Pm2iVRR-uzkU4Z_uj-QpJrQgrC05Hx8Dh0snCZf-QM2urbTYDstYEXSYZX9Ve5cCOfPQo5r0Ud-vnJiIgwa1Ba_XFBs3G-t0LY66zD5Rb3xIH7Qh6VgAP/s1600/Whimbrel+7th+May.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnAt7D5dyXyIWfbDeHPkIIv0Pm2iVRR-uzkU4Z_uj-QpJrQgrC05Hx8Dh0snCZf-QM2urbTYDstYEXSYZX9Ve5cCOfPQo5r0Ud-vnJiIgwa1Ba_XFBs3G-t0LY66zD5Rb3xIH7Qh6VgAP/s1600/Whimbrel+7th+May.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost daily Whimbrel.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNuu8TWjoVoEroL0texuy-uXuqO_It-i76xWIP8JB9iXq_tXWEG85f3xLrfOBd3rbCXRftZvHLYSCNiJaRwGwWkAMABYe7aeVd4PHKetWFuviUZLZNi867ccWYkzOgP6NKgnVuyRwnotSo/s1600/Arctic+Tern_21st+April.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNuu8TWjoVoEroL0texuy-uXuqO_It-i76xWIP8JB9iXq_tXWEG85f3xLrfOBd3rbCXRftZvHLYSCNiJaRwGwWkAMABYe7aeVd4PHKetWFuviUZLZNi867ccWYkzOgP6NKgnVuyRwnotSo/s1600/Arctic+Tern_21st+April.JPG" height="268" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A better than average Spring for Arctic Terns<br /></td></tr>
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<b>Then came May..</b><br />
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May always arrives with great anticipation, but more often than not it ends with a great deal of frustration.<br />
The 3rd was one of those typically frustrating days, warm sunshine light south-west wind and very little movement. After a lap of the two lakes I decided that a circuit of the site, taking in the hawthorn hedgerows and young trees would prove more fruitful. A couple of Lesser Whitethroats singing in the southwest corner were a good addition - and at the time of writing still the only ones this year - and a Cuckoo (the first since 2012) almost deserved a little dance. Other than the aforementioned it was generally very quiet though.<br />
Trawling through my Twitter notifications I scowled enviously at a report of a Glossy Ibis at Carr Vale and carried on round the perimeter stopping to scan over the seemingly birdless lakes. A quick look at Twitter again revealed that the Ibis had flown north from Carr Vale. Hmm. I stood on the causeway between the two lakes scanning the skyline all around me. I could see distant Swifts and Skylarks and mused to myself that even I could pick up a distant Ibis - though in all likelihood it would be miles up by now. As I turned from looking over the near woods at Treeton I was immediately faced with the site of a Glossy Ibis slowly dropping out of the sky towards the largest lake.<br />
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For a second or two I was stunned, then grabbed the camera and rattled off a few shots before it disappeared briefly. As I picked it up again it headed towards me and to my amazement dropped at the waters edge just in front of where I was stood. Okay Glossy Ibis aren't the best lookers in the world, but this was the first Sheffield area record (though strictly speaking Messrs Beevers and Gould can claim that honour as it headed north from Carr Vale) and one that had avoided our area for too long. Despite the g<span style="text-align: center;">ood weather there wasn't and hadn't been a single dog walker onsite all morning and as the Ibis fed at the edge there was no danger that it would be flushed. After making a couple of panicking phone calls whilst firing off the camera like a three year old with a machine gun (the photos were all shit) the Ibis realised that it wouldn't get a decent meal disturbance or not and promptly left for the Old Moor area where three weeks </span><br />
on it still resides...<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI12ME4g_V4TsP_lioZE0Qmpq7L38aU52fIrMfC2_1biyaqvImsUQzAjx269nMvBw-I8q88Piy8WomLqUsVLjseEVvpN1YK5MlniudLyrBkcARzSOdNwyZhDj3MiWb_NdpQd2KRqiWT8Ab/s1600/Whinchat+18th+May.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI12ME4g_V4TsP_lioZE0Qmpq7L38aU52fIrMfC2_1biyaqvImsUQzAjx269nMvBw-I8q88Piy8WomLqUsVLjseEVvpN1YK5MlniudLyrBkcARzSOdNwyZhDj3MiWb_NdpQd2KRqiWT8Ab/s1600/Whinchat+18th+May.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Disappointingly only two Whinchat so far.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEHwvpqmUe_Ima7RABoOi233YOcrIWvBrT244xApgrquZqlh3fjk4wb6MEEKhG5QwdqFf5FR_Lm9NC_12QTQFjD8lZd_XYuzHX7uG7xn_Jno8rbxihAeo3N_91K_67zhqh6beJClgLEmN/s1600/Hobby+(2)+10th+May.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEHwvpqmUe_Ima7RABoOi233YOcrIWvBrT244xApgrquZqlh3fjk4wb6MEEKhG5QwdqFf5FR_Lm9NC_12QTQFjD8lZd_XYuzHX7uG7xn_Jno8rbxihAeo3N_91K_67zhqh6beJClgLEmN/s1600/Hobby+(2)+10th+May.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hobby can be tricky some years.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPS-aWDUzOuWbYYKP7hEIx7AHLVxBQjYxV4Dt4XtJ28PqxKpq8RVQbDfnTKB5foZopIk1uvFlRRkGIWZhS9p1KljsJ8oXRaQkKpRylDIp61CQmPSrmtg_RGGW0lGP5LHGORvVwT6OYtH3H/s1600/Black+Tern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPS-aWDUzOuWbYYKP7hEIx7AHLVxBQjYxV4Dt4XtJ28PqxKpq8RVQbDfnTKB5foZopIk1uvFlRRkGIWZhS9p1KljsJ8oXRaQkKpRylDIp61CQmPSrmtg_RGGW0lGP5LHGORvVwT6OYtH3H/s1600/Black+Tern.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first Spring record of Black Tern<br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My run of good luck through May continued adding Little Egret, Hobby, Grey Plover, Whimbrel (almost daily in the early part of the month), Little Stint (4 in total including a very tricky grey looking bird that had me completely screwed at the time), Black Tern and a fine drake Garganey on the 24th. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1Z607inqwDbiDBmwVXlXe2Dexp0Nif2Jgaifj1XvEs9iRlLxxL5afm7CLLqhu9w0wuC7dtVlQ_SHkjJtEq4EogWiN_MpxnOcOzdtJ6GXi04GaZrouS0sCOXmW07UCsknuwLzS8MCC0l7/s1600/Little+Stint+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1Z607inqwDbiDBmwVXlXe2Dexp0Nif2Jgaifj1XvEs9iRlLxxL5afm7CLLqhu9w0wuC7dtVlQ_SHkjJtEq4EogWiN_MpxnOcOzdtJ6GXi04GaZrouS0sCOXmW07UCsknuwLzS8MCC0l7/s1600/Little+Stint+2.JPG" height="236" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
The Patchwork Challenge has totally taken all my birding time so far this year and to say that I'm addicted would be an understatement. As I write I've amassed a total of 120 species and 142 points, slightly ahead of last year but on course for a record year. Again August will be the make or break month and there's still lots of waders to aim for....<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVvdLV4NVuvzkXyQhRROy9WgvEa9TAijGLP7gp-onNsdrf7TOcEQ_6GfcNg4T1FHYlJjlcLk_xwBpM4nr4RJc3rlxlmaGTiHGIz8VNGffnqgGWowL_0oiOk9ovwc1XOVL2RFzxVbOlbmQ/s1600/Sansderling+&+L+Stint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVvdLV4NVuvzkXyQhRROy9WgvEa9TAijGLP7gp-onNsdrf7TOcEQ_6GfcNg4T1FHYlJjlcLk_xwBpM4nr4RJc3rlxlmaGTiHGIz8VNGffnqgGWowL_0oiOk9ovwc1XOVL2RFzxVbOlbmQ/s1600/Sansderling+&+L+Stint.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easy when you've got a comparison species.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5idVAfkyf6c3ibd0lEHzNJFGauBwoQ7S2dC8lmJbbxP5UBv992T6xy5z-uorx0WT4gTU2IaCmVb-oFNcQcbLnQgkLQLLQndX4qzAIGT68AqVyoQP8y6I27d3VkfWVoZrNqiT3mU7cjJj3/s1600/Little+Stint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5idVAfkyf6c3ibd0lEHzNJFGauBwoQ7S2dC8lmJbbxP5UBv992T6xy5z-uorx0WT4gTU2IaCmVb-oFNcQcbLnQgkLQLLQndX4qzAIGT68AqVyoQP8y6I27d3VkfWVoZrNqiT3mU7cjJj3/s1600/Little+Stint.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHao_MHQlb6DoQZMyvEUPzSbE2j-QOPMZcXmjtGtzJ25RI600fjXwnrOHU7mQwkSPnXTtGblGnZTMPzC2Tzmvh6HwW6XZCzcUURyaTAdvX8HBs5RvcapHgomzPUfctN3R-rQJrLtgHNP5A/s1600/Garganey+24+may+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHao_MHQlb6DoQZMyvEUPzSbE2j-QOPMZcXmjtGtzJ25RI600fjXwnrOHU7mQwkSPnXTtGblGnZTMPzC2Tzmvh6HwW6XZCzcUURyaTAdvX8HBs5RvcapHgomzPUfctN3R-rQJrLtgHNP5A/s1600/Garganey+24+may+3.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Only the second record of Garganey and the first drake<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8PARkvrwWmZdJU15CrpT7MAOrDvdY7WjneQptFXN8Dt8uKSRrgpz3LvoBqoSBqQmlWpeXPE7EWVUcjpbIsqEW38YSWYbSR4jYw0n6Xj06RBfISqZLkyW1lKShb4TxCz0L74I6tYrpkAB/s1600/%5B000884%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8PARkvrwWmZdJU15CrpT7MAOrDvdY7WjneQptFXN8Dt8uKSRrgpz3LvoBqoSBqQmlWpeXPE7EWVUcjpbIsqEW38YSWYbSR4jYw0n6Xj06RBfISqZLkyW1lKShb4TxCz0L74I6tYrpkAB/s1600/%5B000884%5D.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For once a peaceful year (so far) for the many Hares</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-59390304998970180052014-01-25T13:40:00.003+00:002014-01-25T13:40:40.809+00:0025th January 2014. The Pie To End All PiesAs a child the highlight of my Saturday would be a quarter share of a freshly baked pork pie - bought from the local shop and more often than not still warm. Unfortunately the baker, Coopers of Rotherham, went into liquidation sometime in the mid-1980s, but my love for pork pie was born.<br />
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Sadly good pork pies are a rare thing these days. Supermarkets stock things that are labelled as 'Pork Pie' but they are vile mass produced mechanically recovered grey mush surrounded by an over thick lardy pastry, guaranteed to have you reaching for the Rennies.<br />
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Fortunately South Yorkshire is blessed with several excellent purveyors of pork pie, among them are; Elmhurst of Goldthorpe, Percy Turner of Jump and Waterall Bros in Sheffield Market. There may be others but these are my personal favourites.<br />
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I discovered Waterall Bros' several years back. One of my colleagues would occasionally take pity on me and on return from her weekly market trip present me with a small (ish) pork pie and a piece of black pudding. It was love at first bite - the light crisp golden pastry surrounding the delicious pink (proper) meaty filling with just the right amount of jelly to seperate them. A pie so good that any accompanying condiment would be deemed sacrilegious - even Henderson's! Followed by the most delicious black pudding it was a true northern delicacy, even if it was a little calorific.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRAKa0RfyXmmuxQWcrOa9n60AsHbq3RpuNFDADKgTNNRjB1K4rxMSDAwEWohRnqCG8l0-4f-JXwdvpW5SL7Mpc46DS7Gd_dEwVrtHJB97nB1QLFyAva5vF9OztkTAN88zo7taM-z4dFNf/s1600/DSCN2859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRAKa0RfyXmmuxQWcrOa9n60AsHbq3RpuNFDADKgTNNRjB1K4rxMSDAwEWohRnqCG8l0-4f-JXwdvpW5SL7Mpc46DS7Gd_dEwVrtHJB97nB1QLFyAva5vF9OztkTAN88zo7taM-z4dFNf/s1600/DSCN2859.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a>Shortly before Christmas, via Twitter, I suggested to Steven Waterall (pork products supremo) that he could create a combination of his pork pie and black pudding. This wasn't exactly a eureka moment as I had tasted a similar creation from Elmhurst of Goldthorpe some years back. To my delight a few days ago Steven 'tweeted' that his prototype pork and black pudding pie would be available for sampling this weekend. Steven kindly reserved me a 'review pie' and here it is in all it's delicious glory.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfB14KzJY2WJ0INwCMzNpO20_1FZ6FjKa1-_ifzLt2bNfwPsnXsUep_LaJWp-Ea7CO_iHD1Y9cyi55DQpcAXruUC8sfbQVquRAbr_vZrkecff4Dv3ruyFL0zwQVTM2qlmbFf5pnYVkVV6c/s1600/DSCN2860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfB14KzJY2WJ0INwCMzNpO20_1FZ6FjKa1-_ifzLt2bNfwPsnXsUep_LaJWp-Ea7CO_iHD1Y9cyi55DQpcAXruUC8sfbQVquRAbr_vZrkecff4Dv3ruyFL0zwQVTM2qlmbFf5pnYVkVV6c/s1600/DSCN2860.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
On the outside there's nothing to tell it apart from it's pork only sibling. But, once under the knife it becomes obvious. Rather than mix the two ingredients together (which I had expected) he has opted to lay about a half-inch of black pudding on top of the pork. The real test is of course in the eating. First bite in and I was in pie heaven (and already regretting sharing it between the three of us) this was, to quote once funny comedian Peter Kay "<i>a taste sensation</i>" the pork complementing the pudding and vice versa. It was better than I could have imagined, no pie in my forty odd years of consuming savoury pastries has attacked my sensory organs in quite the same way, pure pie alchemy. Seeing the empty plate, now in front of me, left me feeling just as sad as the last day of the school holiday. Unanimous verdict in our pie loving household was that this simply was the best pie that any of us have ever eaten. One hour on and I'm still drooling - hopefully these will feature regularly on top of the Waterall Bros' counter.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2AzAIKi-xGY/UuO4ZGyA9ZI/AAAAAAAAE2k/J5XpCRwWb60/s1600/DSCN2861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2AzAIKi-xGY/UuO4ZGyA9ZI/AAAAAAAAE2k/J5XpCRwWb60/s1600/DSCN2861.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Waterall's can be found in the new Sheffield Market situated at the bottom of The Moor - just look for the stall with the longest queue.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-2414427323688087852014-01-17T20:54:00.000+00:002014-01-17T20:56:07.166+00:002013 The Patchwork Challenge<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thought that it was about time that I summed up 2013 from the aspect of my Patchwork Challenge attempt - it was pretty good! That was easy. Now, in the style of some of those lazy arsed bloggers who have nothing to say but feel obliged to post any old shit here’s a YouTube clip of a cat licking his balls….</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-2723ee4c-a1e7-974a-6480-f554bc31caec" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Joking of course.. Patch birding in 2013 was made all the more interesting by the Patchwork Challenge. This gave me the impetus to keep going during those dull days - of which for the inland patch birder - there are very many. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">January</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Much of my visits in January were taken in as part of the Foot It challenge (the brain-child of two idiots and a member of the BBRC) though despite this I managed not to miss too much, though missing the Waxwings on the 2nd would prove costly..</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A couple of adult Caspian Gulls eluded me on the 6th but I eventually caught up with one later in the month. Bird of the month was a Jack Snipe, a new Orgreave bird for me and the first of three during the winter. An adult Whooper Swan, Merlin, Short-eared Owl and Red-crested Pochard were all good list padders and species that I’ve failed to get in previous years.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmW78Nz-me0wpMiaWItJL09Ex2FMHGKBEgicsXRtZDRVjmLWdI5EiRmFeCpYcrkvTrt_SMY50CN7H6Vz14a9P2g_TPlBsXyVwItkCovcmR_ttybIB2iUVaFE-GzQYie34h0sCvJAKrFZG/s1600/Merlin+Orgreave+13th+Jan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmW78Nz-me0wpMiaWItJL09Ex2FMHGKBEgicsXRtZDRVjmLWdI5EiRmFeCpYcrkvTrt_SMY50CN7H6Vz14a9P2g_TPlBsXyVwItkCovcmR_ttybIB2iUVaFE-GzQYie34h0sCvJAKrFZG/s1600/Merlin+Orgreave+13th+Jan.jpg" height="395" width="640" /></a></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By the end of January I had notched up a reasonable 70 species though still lacked some, normally, very easy birds..</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">February</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83BxtTHTWORyQgkvIVZRE1GjfCt3cQ8MfBQZPrGyttldZl2quetBwVD8CAkkpOv3ZqRg4bSLulWuUwi2aUylHzyrvSsDkrWfMm-cSC-ZzKHHndgVeeZM9LK8joqN_cgTIr0ZGGGXihVF9/s1600/Golden+Plover+_051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83BxtTHTWORyQgkvIVZRE1GjfCt3cQ8MfBQZPrGyttldZl2quetBwVD8CAkkpOv3ZqRg4bSLulWuUwi2aUylHzyrvSsDkrWfMm-cSC-ZzKHHndgVeeZM9LK8joqN_cgTIr0ZGGGXihVF9/s1600/Golden+Plover+_051.JPG" height="228" width="320" /></a><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Typically one of the years quietest months this February was no exception. The first returning waders trickled in with Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher and Golden Plover. A site record count of 54 Whooper Swans went west at dusk on 17th, but otherwise it was very quiet.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6DVPgYn0f-IipUUbT7piPJCK51Jsu7jEPGCxKSUrZPnU6EuUDGyw0mKieKsgtc25Ews0MqRNpy6EQLiPiyWSishMjURN6ooR8lWtBB88eCqbpzWwvdu6wrc5fqOoQfM6gz68POCSC4skY/s1600/Scan-Rock-Pipit_22.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6DVPgYn0f-IipUUbT7piPJCK51Jsu7jEPGCxKSUrZPnU6EuUDGyw0mKieKsgtc25Ews0MqRNpy6EQLiPiyWSishMjURN6ooR8lWtBB88eCqbpzWwvdu6wrc5fqOoQfM6gz68POCSC4skY/s1600/Scan-Rock-Pipit_22.gif" height="285" width="400" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">March always fills me with anticipation for the coming spring, more so because after a long winter I can finally get down for an hour or so before work. The first of several Rock Pipits (</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">littoralis</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) was feeding around the edges on the 17th. On the 18th an obvious movement of Kittiwakes was occurring throughout the Midlands. Jonathan Holliday had a couple at Pugneys, there must surely be one at Orgreave. Engineering an earlier than normal exit from work I headed straight to the patch where smack in the middle sat an adult Kittiwake, totally expected but self-found nonetheless. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6TKq-ERAUrRA0QH_CejIjlu5H-aImUrt-D_y_5tN2FmWnwDKTcwiO8ewvsUPGWR-DVTrNRCgRG8KtDY7cw7cXk1YUDlUfrC2TdVLq70At4WkFcNpsEANilz379PCGEQEQu-WrYgnngnir/s1600/Iceland+Gull_13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6TKq-ERAUrRA0QH_CejIjlu5H-aImUrt-D_y_5tN2FmWnwDKTcwiO8ewvsUPGWR-DVTrNRCgRG8KtDY7cw7cXk1YUDlUfrC2TdVLq70At4WkFcNpsEANilz379PCGEQEQu-WrYgnngnir/s1600/Iceland+Gull_13.JPG" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">March continued to be a better than average month with more Whooper Swans (a bumper year indeed) an obliging adult winter Little Gull (found by a dog walker) and bird of the month an adult Iceland Gull (2nd record) briefly on 28th.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Potentially</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">one of the best months April really came up with the goods and visits were daily and usually twice. Aside from the expected migrants the accelerating list was boosted with Pintail, Ruff, Sanderling, Arctic Tern, a Blue-headed Wagtail (that was found by Pete Wragg) and Whinchat. Best of all was a partial summer plumaged Spotted Redshank, my first here - though I did record one in 1995 before the site was opencast.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">May </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZLeMej-VQNBfejxu7o6dMK8N2EP2XiEd17ZN597SJhYe1ljja8EPyvkAcm0Uh_-_Wmjn76ygWWt86rOsTXPdqTJryjxmWDUD0bZqRGXhLrLFj92No4GLSOSp_UBiZav2Qr970Ge8A-B8/s1600/Wood+Sandpiper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZLeMej-VQNBfejxu7o6dMK8N2EP2XiEd17ZN597SJhYe1ljja8EPyvkAcm0Uh_-_Wmjn76ygWWt86rOsTXPdqTJryjxmWDUD0bZqRGXhLrLFj92No4GLSOSp_UBiZav2Qr970Ge8A-B8/s1600/Wood+Sandpiper.jpg" height="203" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The 15th May 2013 will stay with me forever and go down as probably the best days (mornings) birding I have ever had locally. No major rares but an amazing fall of waders; Turnstone 3, Sanderling 10, Knot 5, Black-tailed Godwit 3, Ringed Plover 20, Dunlin 30+, Common Sandpiper 4 and Wood Sandpiper. Quite a spectacle and one that wasn’t echoed elsewhere locally. </span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The 18th of May was my first twitch of the year. Whilst watching the Dusky/Naumann’s/intergrade Thrush in Margate Cemetery I was gripped by news of a Sedge Warbler adjacent the River Rother - a species that I have only recorded on one previous occasion (most reports from here involve bush singing Reed Warbler). The feeling of dipping such a relatively common migrant made me realise just how hooked on patch birding I had now become.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The end of the month finished with a flurry with two ticks in the same evening visit; Barn Owl and Red-legged Partridge.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">June</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Generally I take a break in June and this year was mostly spent in the garden. A Red Kite over the house whilst glazing the greenhouse headed straight towards Orgreave where I would normally have been. Despite the migrant lull I still added a couple, namely Common Scoter (7) and Green Sandpiper - the latter a species that my Patchwork nemesis Johnny would fail to see during 2013.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">July</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">July was quiet but Sanderling, Black-tailed Godwit and Little Gull brightened up the quiet days the only new bird was Yellow-legged Gull.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">August</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During July I commented to Jonny that August would be the make or break month and with just a couple of species between us it could potentially be game changing.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I wasn’t wrong. The 1st produced an eclipse Garganey (another patch first) followed by the next new bird, a Great White Egret that came in low from the east being replaced an hour later by two Little Egrets. The 10th produced the only Mediterranean Gull of 2013, a juvenile, with an area record count of 14 Yellow-legged Gulls the following evening. A few more Yellow-legged Gulls, Black-tailed Godwits and Turnstone filled the gaps up towards the month end. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bird of the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: line-through; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">year</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> decade (so far) came on the 24th with a sadly all too brief juvenile Long-tailed Skua which headed south after being flushed by a dog walker, full story </span><a href="http://ofpiesandbirds.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/24th-august-moves-like-jaeger.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">HERE</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. A Grey Plover later the same day whilst not so rare was just as welcome, “they’re all the same size on the list” as one local birder might say!</span></div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0YxXeG98UNuQHYoToknS7bR4EX-3o31GbIToimCtdGY67eVh2O9Bf0GKkqxWKUBvvuHxIJfYtFbanxxr_a9PDv87xQXbdgaRyD05MdlSvCSRJuZAiXud_mIz9E30bPa7WCDL_z7L-ZFdO/s640/LTS.jpg" height="422" width="640" /><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">September</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With such a good spring and late summer the autumn was always going to be difficult. The new birds dried up and apart from Little Egret (4), a few Ruff, Sanderling, Arctic Terns, Little Gull and a Rock Pipit there was little else to sing about. The only list addition being Goldcrest!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">October</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A trip to Spurn, in westerlies and gale force northerlies, took me away from the patch for the first week of October, but as no other birders reported anything I wasn’t too upset. The 12th and 13th would prove to be the last good days of the year. Classic ‘clag’ conditions brought Marsh Harrier another Great White Egret and a Rock Pipit. The following day two Red-breasted Mergansers added themselves to the list (1st record) with a late Arctic Tern and 2 Pintail later in the day.</span><br />
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<img height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4iORkU1L_lj5HyHBJe0H_98eaUfi_3tHDtIzmC9tJxheYC8s3vexXcJRXks_QL3vHQnxkr6QRwykksPphpxEKXbvCAAcgVpt2tbhkOv60XK9l9wzvWBZF44gjrNHeGN92QnlgAba222R6/s640/RB+Merg.jpg" width="640" /><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pre and post-work visits were now at an end and weekends and every other weekend were my saviour. By now I had conceded to the Pugneys stalwart Johnny and my only goals were beating last years self-found patch list (138) and holding on to 2nd place in the Inland North Patch Challenge League. </span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Surprisingly the</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Daily Express’ predicted winter armageddon didn’t materialise and Novemeber was mild and wet. Consequently the hoped for winter bonus birds didn’t happen, though I finally caught up with Water Rail (3). </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">December</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stuck on 136 I still needed two species to equal last years SF list. The lack of cold weather meant there was no hard weather movement and it didn’t look likely. I tried in vain to flush Woodcocks (a patch tart) I even scanned the Greylags and Canada Geese for just about tickable wildfowl, what I wouldn’t have given for a Mandarin, Egyptian Goose or Parakeet (two of which Johnny had ticked) but alas it was not to be…</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Despite ‘failing’ to beat the previous year and visiting on approximately 300 occasions, having had just a dozen or so good days, 2013 was by far the best years birding that I have had. My final Patchwork Challenge total was 137 (136 of which were self-found) netting me 167 points, overall 8th in the national inland section and 2nd in the Inland North League (the Doc’ Martins League of the Patchwork Challenge).</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I missed a few birds, namely; Waxwing, Cuckoo (no records), Little Tern (2 on the May wader day), Black Tern (a very early bird) and a Curlew Sandpiper but you can’t see them all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Already 2014 looks interesting with some excellent inland north sites such as Swillington, Alkborough, Brokholes and Pugneys the competition in 2014 looks tough - all these sites have a good track record and unlike Orgreave have all recorded BB rarities - maybe that will change this year...</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-26117082673558427502013-12-31T14:34:00.000+00:002013-12-31T14:34:09.361+00:0028th December. Long Time ComingI don't recall, in 30 years of birding, that I've ever had a tick during the Christmas period and given that I haven't had a sniff all year (excepting the pending Duskyish Thrush and the Flamborough Baikal Teal) I couldn't see this year being any different. So whilst driving towards the Broomhead Crossbills Jo showed me a picture of an 'interesting' Guillemot that the Portland Bird Obs' had 'Tweeted'... It certainly was interesting - it was a bloody BRUNNICH'S!! Unfortunately a prior Boxing Day arrangement meant I couldn't go and as Jo had foolishly agreed to work the following day it meant sweating until the Saturday. The Bird was still present Friday afternoon and arrangements were made for an early departure south. Despite Roy having an unscheduled lie-in he managed to get us at Portland by 9:30 where the bird was still performing to the crowd of a hundred or so. So on the final weekend of the year I finally got to put a firm indelible tick at the side of this chunky Arctic Auk.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvusf_l7z3NBE_vkyKXWquvBQQX61mznQ70DWKJtD_LbuAWQ2uAAtatpItEIRvty6BJhj5h2GT8UaVy7_0ZAKKVukdsy6_kHxtAxVA2spgAlexA-jVw_4ymVGAS284BSV4xMoBR6dEu-d/s1600/IMG_20131231_120139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvusf_l7z3NBE_vkyKXWquvBQQX61mznQ70DWKJtD_LbuAWQ2uAAtatpItEIRvty6BJhj5h2GT8UaVy7_0ZAKKVukdsy6_kHxtAxVA2spgAlexA-jVw_4ymVGAS284BSV4xMoBR6dEu-d/s640/IMG_20131231_120139.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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This wasn't however my only tick. At the other side of the breakwater was a Black Guillemot my first English record.<br />
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It was also nice to catch up with the Brixham White-billed Diver and indeed another first for me - 4 species of diver at the same site.<br />
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A handful of Purple Sand's just over the wall.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-6375653388369783362013-12-22T20:48:00.004+00:002013-12-22T20:48:59.335+00:0021st December. Pigeon in FlightFinally one of the half dozen or so Ivory Gulls, that turned up following the recent tidal surge, stuck in the same place for more than just a few hours and conveniently just an hour and half away. Jo could hardly contain her excitement at this rare chance of seeing this high Arctic scavenger almost six years after we first met - I really spoil that girl.<br />
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Sat out on the salt marsh, when we arrived, Jo looked through the scope declaring "It looks like a Pigeon" and showed no further interest in it... Obviously not cute enough.<br />
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After meeting up with my Patch Birding nemesis Jonny Holiday and having a mutual moan about how crap our respective patches have been for the last few months the gull had the decency to come closer and investigate the festering fish that had been laid at it's table - clearly affluent southern birders had visited as smoke Salmon was on offer and seemingly favourable to the poor northerners offering of Mackerel..<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjRU_nHHu4NXzCui9cbAR8jjcXr8q28wSlRIqePj_G-_hNg7PBeiBRL_X6P-8xu9kM_irnfYQ2EcBOPC80puJ1ShyesOQWM8WmUx39YwFzezWad2sapDpy-v6D_BazOjLCvmcyom2QZnc/s1600/Ivory-Gull-21st-December.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjRU_nHHu4NXzCui9cbAR8jjcXr8q28wSlRIqePj_G-_hNg7PBeiBRL_X6P-8xu9kM_irnfYQ2EcBOPC80puJ1ShyesOQWM8WmUx39YwFzezWad2sapDpy-v6D_BazOjLCvmcyom2QZnc/s640/Ivory-Gull-21st-December.gif" width="640" /></a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-54623925129974831862013-12-01T17:02:00.001+00:002013-12-01T17:02:40.422+00:001st December. Oh Go On ThenAfter what I can only describe as a spell of the birding blues, pretty much affecting me for the whole of the autumn, it's time to pick myself up and get back into it.<br />
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With exactly one month left of the Patchwork Challenge it's looking highly unlikely that I'll catch Jonathan Holiday, whose now at least 18 points ahead. Jonny and I had a little side competition back in January to see who could get the highest self-found total, currently he's about 6 species in front and again I'm unlikely to catch him, unless there's a sudden drop in temperature coupled with Jonny falling off a ladder. Hmm.....<br />
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Aside from the above I'm just two species off equaling last years self-found patch year list currently standing at 136 and for the next 4 weeks that's where my efforts are going.<br />
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As we rapidly approach the year end I've had a few inquiries as to whether I'll be running the Footit Competition again. Well, I was thinking maybe not - but after several requests from Twitter followers and a telephone conversation with Mr Garner I thought what better way to start the years and shake off the Birding Blues?<br />
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So there it is, Footit 2014 officially launched. However this year they'll be a few changes..... though at the moment I'm not entirely sure what they are.<br />
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Entry details and the rules will be on the <a href="http://www.birdingbyfoot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Footit blog</a> in the next few days..<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-6294744786929204902013-10-13T22:28:00.000+01:002013-10-13T22:28:03.648+01:0013th October. Deadlock BrokenThe only saving grace of coming home from Spurn in easterlies was the apparent flood of inland seabirds, mostly Gannets and Great Skuas. So filled with enthusiasm I hit the patch at first light, I say first light but at 07:30 it was still dark and in fact it didn't get light for another hour.<br />
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The rain was relentless and with the strong north easterly wind keeping the rain off optics and specs was near impossible - I really need to get some contact lenses sorted. In the gloom I picked up a Rock Pipit, a coastal species but by no means a lost seabird!<br />
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The first lap of the lake was fairly uneventful though the second lap was better. High up in the gloom I picked up an egret slowly heading south. Slow wing beats, long projecting black legs, an apparently pale bill and a neck like the Toilet Duck bottle referred to in an earlier post. Unfortunately after my first lap I'd ditched the camera in the car - due to the incessant rain - and now relied solely on my now fogged up bins, subsequently these were the only points that I picked up, but surely this was another Great White?<br />
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I was still in need of that all important patch year tick, having gone a full six weeks since the last one, and I finally got it when I picked up two crows mobbing an immature Marsh Harrier as it headed east. At last deadlock finally broken..<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4iORkU1L_lj5HyHBJe0H_98eaUfi_3tHDtIzmC9tJxheYC8s3vexXcJRXks_QL3vHQnxkr6QRwykksPphpxEKXbvCAAcgVpt2tbhkOv60XK9l9wzvWBZF44gjrNHeGN92QnlgAba222R6/s1600/RB+Merg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4iORkU1L_lj5HyHBJe0H_98eaUfi_3tHDtIzmC9tJxheYC8s3vexXcJRXks_QL3vHQnxkr6QRwykksPphpxEKXbvCAAcgVpt2tbhkOv60XK9l9wzvWBZF44gjrNHeGN92QnlgAba222R6/s400/RB+Merg.jpg" width="400" /></a>Despite getting soaked for 8 hours I was keen to get back the following morning. The rain and wind were even worse this morning and after getting drenched on the first round I sought shelter at least from the wind. This paid off when two Red-breasted Mergansers appeared in front of me, a new bird for the patch.<br />
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A return visit in the evening finally came up with a disorientated seabird - an Arctic Tern and two very wary Pink-footed Geese.<br />
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Having spent a total of 13 rain soaked hours on the patch this weekend I'm slightly miffed not to have a sniff of either a Gannet or a Skua - I'll probably see one from the bus on the way home tomorrow!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-91408108615291649932013-10-13T20:56:00.000+01:002013-10-13T20:56:06.302+01:0012th October. A BreakAs compensation for not going to Shetland again Jo suggested, earlier in the year, that we might take in a short break on the East Coast during October. I settled on a few days at Spurn. Unfortunately we arrived just as one batch of easterlies finished and left the day that another wave arrived.<br />
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I did however manage a few bits and pieces with a couple of Firecrest and a Yellow-browed Warbler and a few amazing high tide wader roosts. On Thursday the wind swung north hitting speeds, at times, in excess of 50mph. As a result I spent the day sea watching and had probably one of my best spells ever of staring at waves on the Yorkshire coast, that included 4 Leach's Petrels, 50+ Sooty Shearwater, Grey Phalarope, 3 species of Skua; Arctic, Great and Pomarine.<br />
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Not suprisingly following a combination of high tide and high winds the road to the point was subsequently closed to vehicles. Having walked up to the point (for the first time ever) on Tuesday I was curious to see just how much damage the storm had caused:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rufous-tailed Robin at the point in the next few days, will require a 6 mile round walk.</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-71013212230319719082013-09-26T20:29:00.001+01:002013-09-26T20:32:31.810+01:0026th September. Wake Me Up When September Ends.....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnJByv82SQxLaAvtj8M1v1f8IpiN711LWyOQZ-vtkprgUK_dhG-L90Nk7g1qOwRUIlfEOx0mClM_gpq2Yu7r9IBxn04Mu9bLeen5aAjUL-wHeiM5ZYxVOw48osp4vmz8w5YnRQRaBCdcn/s1600/Yellow+Wag+21+Sept.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnJByv82SQxLaAvtj8M1v1f8IpiN711LWyOQZ-vtkprgUK_dhG-L90Nk7g1qOwRUIlfEOx0mClM_gpq2Yu7r9IBxn04Mu9bLeen5aAjUL-wHeiM5ZYxVOw48osp4vmz8w5YnRQRaBCdcn/s400/Yellow+Wag+21+Sept.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8KBILHl5Mhjvlnx-3tTXFSsWXvTtJGyJlx_6cpdGvvmz6rjQyA0fUrHzL82EHWq1Xgd6XsWkD8wy20OTEQwhfcC9K4CuVEYyaNOajC9tTMqG0s3fEJZ3Mj_jFyqgLxbe-vVDD8it84wm4/s1600/Ruff+22.jpSept+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8KBILHl5Mhjvlnx-3tTXFSsWXvTtJGyJlx_6cpdGvvmz6rjQyA0fUrHzL82EHWq1Xgd6XsWkD8wy20OTEQwhfcC9K4CuVEYyaNOajC9tTMqG0s3fEJZ3Mj_jFyqgLxbe-vVDD8it84wm4/s320/Ruff+22.jpSept+.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnJByv82SQxLaAvtj8M1v1f8IpiN711LWyOQZ-vtkprgUK_dhG-L90Nk7g1qOwRUIlfEOx0mClM_gpq2Yu7r9IBxn04Mu9bLeen5aAjUL-wHeiM5ZYxVOw48osp4vmz8w5YnRQRaBCdcn/s1600/Yellow+Wag+21+Sept.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5456915384191644466" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
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What a God awful month September is proving to be - at least for me. Those two bastard Ravens that flew over on the 1st seem to have placed some kind of curse on the patch leaving it devoid of anything worthy, certainly a case of 'Nevermore' for the time being. In almost forty visits this month the best that I've managed is 3 Ruff, 4 Little Egrets and today, bird of the month, a Rock Pipit which was my first autumn record here.<br />
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<a href="http://www.captainpugwashexhibition.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/telescope_portrait_copyrighted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>To add to my woes Shetland looks set to be sinking under the weight of rares and scarce in the coming days, with Yellow-broweds almost as numerous as the number of 'crews' up there. Which brings me to another moan. Who the f*ck started calling a carload of birders a 'crew'? When I think of a crew I think of youths wearing tracksuits and bandannas or a ship load of blokes a bit like this:<br />
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So as correctly pointed out by Dr Collinson, of the BOU, the correct terminology is a 'carload' or a 'busload' (if more than 5 and over 65). If you use the term 'crew' then you deserve your cars brakes to fail sending you over Hermaness to a salt watery grave.. So don't!!<br />
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More gripping than any of the Shetland birds so far has been the abundance of rare pies seemingly concentrated in the Voe area despite rumours (on Twitter) to the contrary. Ryan Irvine (one of the Patchwork founders) tweeted these gripping images of a massive fall of the Johnson and Wood variety.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">Having sampled all of the above I wasn't too upset but then he tweeted a picture of a previously undescribed specimen with an Asian influence I was truly gripped:</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing well</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-73042893892933697332013-09-08T20:46:00.001+01:002013-09-08T20:46:27.198+01:006th September. Another Promising DayKeeping an eye on the weather through the week suggested that Saturday could be good and Friday would be wet, very wet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4NnpSkdIoB4FVwHeB0G_I-utsGmwzMR3OMAhm6c2FEzp0J5V1SauEmhsyuzkTj6FpRIvLftPRq3NfMy46mx1w7zslzsoRFk2C9-Qj1_M5N3PNoLpnwK9v7ooVyTlPesAlG4IQNYBODnf/s1600/Arctic+Tern+6th+September.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4NnpSkdIoB4FVwHeB0G_I-utsGmwzMR3OMAhm6c2FEzp0J5V1SauEmhsyuzkTj6FpRIvLftPRq3NfMy46mx1w7zslzsoRFk2C9-Qj1_M5N3PNoLpnwK9v7ooVyTlPesAlG4IQNYBODnf/s320/Arctic+Tern+6th+September.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arctic Tern in the murk</td></tr>
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Setting out at dawn it was disappointingly dry, though there had been some rain during the night, but there was a light northeasterly wind and it certainly felt promising, almost as good as skua day (I really need to move on from that). Arriving at the patch I first checked the small lake, surely there would be some waders around the edge - there wasn't. Plenty of gulls on the larger lake, including an adult Yellow-legged and a group of terns, an adult and 3 juvenile Arctics, surely a good sign. <br />
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I did two laps of the lakes and as the rain by now seemed set in and the birds just weren't happening I threw the towel in and headed for work. This was one of my fortnightly Fridays off and I needed to build some time up so at the time it made sense to work - didn't it?<br />
Well no it didn't. Throughout the morning there were messages of inland skuas in Derbyshire and West Yorkshire and clearly I had made the wrong choice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFd4D74YW5lVOSKZPqHDehAUCQqhb9p9rqlMKG1Wmrr_obGEO5djO9TU38t1RF3oscGI7QsS-JieqrQfZRu-NFC87dGy7GaYsJdFmyY5G45oj3D_gzLreFAvPFiy4I5H6zcANQGGvZGci6/s1600/Little+Gull+6th+Sept.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFd4D74YW5lVOSKZPqHDehAUCQqhb9p9rqlMKG1Wmrr_obGEO5djO9TU38t1RF3oscGI7QsS-JieqrQfZRu-NFC87dGy7GaYsJdFmyY5G45oj3D_gzLreFAvPFiy4I5H6zcANQGGvZGci6/s320/Little+Gull+6th+Sept.jpg" width="320" /></a>I left work at 3 getting to Orgreave just after 3:30 where immediately it was clear that birds had arrived. More ducks, 4 Curlew a couple of Snipe and lots of Meadow Pipits. A juv' Arctic Tern and better still a juv Little Gull on the western edge, clearly birds out of the North Sea. Ten Snipe heading high north, a juv Wheatear, 2 Whinchats and a circling Ruff added to the magic of this 60 miles inland 'fall'. But all this left a bitter taste in my mouth - what had I missed? What if I hadn't gone to work and stuck it out in the rain? I'll never know and as seemingly no other local birders were out I didn't suffer being gripped off.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-84187064004768677362013-09-08T19:19:00.001+01:002013-09-08T19:19:46.739+01:001-5 September. Dog DaysAfter the excitement of the Long-tailed Skua things gradually reverted to normal i.e. not very many birds. The less than great birding conditions became frustratingly difficult with an apparent increase in dog walkers flushing everything. After noting the actions of one individual previously in the week - he basically did two laps with the dog constantly barking and disturbing everything - I decided to ask him (politely) if he wouldn't mind avoiding the west bank. To my surprise he was very pleasant and said he would try to keep the dog away. Unfortunately all the time I was chatting to him, the dog playing in the mud, a Dunlin stood no less than 3 foot away literally watching us seemingly unconcerned. The nice dog walker commented on it and I felt a right tit. In future I'm just going to look the other way and let them get on with it - stupid birds.<br />
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I did however, in the last couple of weeks, manage another two patch firsts, a Tawny Owl, a couple of Ravens and an eclipse drake Garganey next door on Catcliffe Flash. The flash subsequently enjoyed a purple patch with Bittern (which was seen to fly off over Orgreave) and a Marsh Harrier - maybe it's time to stretch the patch boundary.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5456915384191644466.post-78059020982345248112013-08-24T22:48:00.000+01:002013-08-24T22:48:10.245+01:0024th August. Moves Like JaegerLots of talk during the week about how good the East Coast was going to be over the coming weekend, with some predicting classic fall conditions it seemed that even the hardiest patch workers would up sticks and make for the likes of Spurn and Flamborough. I on the other hand, having just returned from a short break on Anglesey and North Wales couldn't wait to get back to the patch.<br />
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Waking at 5am and eventually, after several spells of nodding back off, getting out at 6:30 the conditions looked the stuff of birding dreams - at least they would at one of the East Coast spots; low cloud, rain and a light easterly wind.<br />
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No birders present with just a dog walker for company (more on him later) I picked up 3 Common Scoters (2 drakes and a female type) immediately - things were looking promising. I walked along the eastern edge that still, despite the previous nights torrential rain, had a decent muddy edge. As usual I'd opted to leave the scope in the car, I find without it I look more intensely, and scanned through the ducks and gulls. A small arrival of Teal and 4 Wigeon were another indication that things were moving and as I scanned the southern section of the largest lake I picked up a small dark "gull" sat on the water away from the other gulls. A voice in my head said "shit Skua!" whilst another said "don't be daft." Fortunately I listened to the former and made my way closer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was pretty much what my initial view looked like.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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Obviously a small dark skua I managed to get closer. The bird, a juv, sat there not doing much at all and it was at this point that it dawned on me that this was just as likely to be a Long-tailed as an Arctic. The sudden panic in me brought on a feeling of nausea and turned my brain to mush whereupon any i.d features that I did know vacated the space between my ears.<br />
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Calls to Roy and Andy were greeted by answerphone messages and I settled on getting as many photos, albeit very shakey, as I could. Fortunately Andy called me back and gave me a few pointers. At this point the Skua started preening revealing the lovely black and white barred undertail coverts of a Long-tailed Skua, I was, by now, 95% certain that that was what this was. Unfortunately for Andy and anyone else wanting to see it the aforementioned dog walker appeared at the waters edge with a bloody great stick. As he raised the stick the gulls on the shoreline got up and took the skua with them. As it drifted south out of site the sickening feeling came over me that I might have to let this one go, though thankfully I'd managed a handful of flight shots that fortunately helped clinch the identification. Being the techno geek that I am I managed to transfer the shots to my tablet and post them on Twitter and await the response - and more importantly see if I'd cocked up or not. Thankfully Andy sent me a screenshot from the Collins guide which confirmed my suspicions and the rest just like the bird is history..<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note twat with dog and stick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It probably took me an hour or so to calm down after this and with the conditions still good I set about doing another circuit which sure enough paid off with Turnstone, Grey Plover and Whinchat and later Greenshank and a Little Egret. <br />
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Another truly spectacular patch day and a species that I never imagined seeing locally. Many thanks to Andy for his assistance at the other end of the phone.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWoJpRrcLel-H2DkUW2ei1lpWDlW-ZfbW5BG7X-OXW7b18UqEF1Grs4nJM_h-Ist6yJG6wigTfZLkRJPPPgkttA-WEifZlR1fILQOf7dQ-U43jgqUzCXSnFDPnTAEJ-jwAJmgXwYYFixtM/s1600/DSC_0466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWoJpRrcLel-H2DkUW2ei1lpWDlW-ZfbW5BG7X-OXW7b18UqEF1Grs4nJM_h-Ist6yJG6wigTfZLkRJPPPgkttA-WEifZlR1fILQOf7dQ-U43jgqUzCXSnFDPnTAEJ-jwAJmgXwYYFixtM/s400/DSC_0466.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A couple of Clouded Yellows whilst failing to find any scarce passerines.</td></tr>
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