http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php Free and friendly birdwatching community - with forum, gallery, blogs and reviews. Chat with other birders around the world, post and view photographs of birds in the wild, read and discuss reviews on equipment, blog about your latest sightings. en Wed, 22 May 2013 11:06:42 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.birdforum.net/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4683 Mon, 13 May 2013 09:50:11 GMT Willet Tringa semipalmata. Formerly in a genus of it's own Catoptrophorus and originally described as Scolopax semipalmata by Gmelin in 1789.
Willet has traditionally been considered a single species and indeed still is officially and by most people. The fact that the two subspecies were possibly contenders for splitting came to my notice when Elis and I found the first documented record of the species in the state of Săo Paulo. During research for the article that we wrote about the event I discovered that the winter range of the two forms is little understood and not at all well known.
http://www.waderquest.org/2013/05/we...hats-that.html ]]> Rick and Elis http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4683 http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4682 Fri, 10 May 2013 08:43:10 GMT A short one week trip to Texas and Louisiana was designed to catch up with some of the arctic breeding waders that pass through the USA on their way north form the Neotropics. There are two flyways involved here, the Mississippi Americas and Atlantic Americas. We gave a presentation on the Saturday... A short one week trip to Texas and Louisiana was designed to catch up with some of the arctic breeding waders that pass through the USA on their way north form the Neotropics. There are two flyways involved here, the Mississippi Americas and Atlantic Americas.
We gave a presentation on the Saturday evening to a packed hall of some 70 members of the LOS. The presentation started by talking about the importance of the inter-tidal zones of the world stressing how they are greatly threatened by the activities of mankind but yet their plight is little known or understood by the vast majority of people, even among birders, unlike that of the rainforests around the world, the Amazon in particular.
http://www.waderquest.org/2013/05/te...a-summary.html ]]> Rick and Elis http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4682 http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4681 Wed, 08 May 2013 09:26:22 GMT Dotterels are among the most attractive of Charadrius plover. They are hard to catch up with and live in soe of the remotest places on the planet along with many otgher waders. For these reasons Dotterel hold a special place in most birders' hearts.
They breed in uplands and arctic tundra where the vegetation is sparse and short, in the UK they breed at the top of Cairngorm in the Scottish Highlands in their westernmost outpost. They breed across Scandinavia and Russia as far as the Chukotskiy Peninsula where they may well breed alongside Spoon-billed Sandpipers.
http://www.waderquest.org/2013/05/do...s-at-last.html ]]> Rick and Elis http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4681 http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4680 Sun, 05 May 2013 00:18:23 GMT First thing we went to the East Jetty to check out a report that an American Oystercatcher had been seen loafing in among the many Black Skimmers that spend much time sitting on the beach and sandbank. Unfortunately the covered look-out point didn't afford us much cover as there was a strong wind coming in off the sea so the rain was coming in almost horizontally. Try as we might we couldn't locate this bird and as the weather was so atrocious we decided to head for a back-up site, the one we missed on the way in to Louisiana by the Sabine Bridge. In the car park before leaving we saw a Killdeer with its chicks which were really hard to spot and we had to take care when driving out so as not to run over them.
http://www.waderquest.org/2013/05/re...ton-texas.html ]]> Rick and Elis http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4680 http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4679 Sat, 04 May 2013 00:21:46 GMT The day started misty so we took our time having breakfast at the lodge then headed out for the day stopping for some supplies first.
Today's target was to find Baird's Sandpiper by hook or by crook, it having eluded us the previous day despite the help of Steve and Donna. We had listened to the call several times and studied the books to make sure we were familiar with the summer plumage of this difficult bird and so were well prepared to sift through many sandpipers. The very first bird that I scoped was Baird's Sandpiper! Elis didn't see it though before it took off calling. After a bit of searching we found two more, which Elis did see this time, but they kept their distance. We also had Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers here plus Long-billed Dowitcher.
http://www.waderquest.org/2013/04/ri...ana-day-2.html ]]> Rick and Elis http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4679 http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4678 Wed, 01 May 2013 00:49:20 GMT Spectacular photos (160+) of the two week fallout in Texas this month.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...1&l=6d941f159f ]]> Urban Birder McAllen http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4678 http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4677 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 22:29:49 GMT With three kids and an unnatural fondness for sleep, I miss out on a lot of birding opportunities. Between the need for 'family days' out, gardening, DIY, being a taxi Dad, and the multitude of other demands my wife places on me, birding really is stolen moments.

I decided, though, that rather than sit moaning about it, I actually had the power to take action.

I woke up at some ungodly hour (for me) on Saturday morning and travelled to one of my favourite places, CAthkin Marsh Scottish wildlife Trust reserve. Got there before 0730 hours, giving me an hour on site.

Beautiful sunny morning, very light breeze, almost cloudless sky and still air. Birdsong overhelmed my senses from all directions, yellowhammer, reed bunting anf finches flitted about almost within touching distance, allowing me to take record shots with my camera.

Water rail showed well on the marsh, skylark and meadow pipit too, willow warbler and my first sedge warbler of the year. All too soon, it was time to go home and resume my role as Dad-of-all-trades, but I went with a warm glow inside, knowing not only that I had made the effort and been rewarded. ]]> Green Sandpiper http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4677 http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4676 Thu, 25 Apr 2013 22:01:14 GMT Anyone who has read my posts before will know I'm a good old fashioned birdeer, who loves nothing more than being out in the field, immersing himself in nature, learning fieldcraft, doing all the fun things with limited technology.

Recently, I've discovered the wonders of a digital camera, and discovered how addictive bird photography actually is. Not that I'm any good at it, mind, but its damned good fun.

Anyway, last week I heard of a flock of 20 arctic terns found feeding at one of my reasonably local patches (only a 15 minute drive away- very local!!) Work commitments meant I couldn't get there for a few days, and by the time I did, I was armed only with binos and my trusty camera. I had been told that the terns were feeding on flies from the surface of the loch, swirlign and swooping. Squinting through my binos, I saw, just, distant white shapes, swooping and swirling. But, to be fiar, they could have been anything. More in hope than epectation, I managed to take a dozen or so photographs of the scene.

On one of them, the last shot I took, a lovely arctic tern showed itself, soaring upwards, its tail shown in perfect and unmistakeable detail.

A lifer for me, my celebration was tempered slightly by the fact I relied on a photograph to see it. Glad, though, and I'll take the tick and the guilt. ]]> Green Sandpiper http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4676 http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4675 Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:07:29 GMT From April 5 to April 11, 2103, I stayed in the Vrana Lake in the ornithological camp for bird ringing. In a beautiful surrounding nature park and ornithological reserve can be many things to see and experience, especially If you are a bird watcher and intact nature lover. The boundaries of the... From April 5 to April 11, 2103, I stayed in the Vrana Lake in the ornithological camp for bird ringing. In a beautiful surrounding nature park and ornithological reserve can be many things to see and experience, especially If you are a bird watcher and intact nature lover.

The boundaries of the Vrana Lake Nature Park stretch from the chapel of Sv. Nedjelja in Marini by the road between Pakoštane and Vrana, across the South-East of the existing Ornithological reserve over the Hill 108 (Kosovac), Hill 197 (Zverinac), Hill 3030 (Štandarac), Hill 288 (Bakrac), Hill 121 (Ljubovnik), then turns south-west to the Hill 109 (Tuštica), and then turns North-West following the Adriatic main road for 3,5 km, following a side road between the Adriatic main road till the exit, onto the road connecting Pakoštane and Vrana, and further on this road till the starting point by the chapel.

In the old days Vrana Lake used to be known as „Vedro blato“. Its cultural and historical monuments date from as far back as 2000 years B.C. Vrana Lake Nature Park still hides many secrets and is a constant source of scientific discoveries which the park is trying to explore and present to the world, with the help of experts dealing with different fields of research. There are few areas in the world where you can simultaneously explore three very different environments and landscapes: the sea coast and the rich archipelago behind it, the Mediterranean swamp with its unique landscape and ecosystem, and just behind the hill the rural idyll of the villages of Ravni kotari.


Vrana Lake is the important migratory route for birds. More than 150 species use this corridor for migrations, and you can see almost 250 bird species.





]]> rodjo http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4675 http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4674 Mon, 22 Apr 2013 22:37:23 GMT Bangladesh is one of the most important wintering areas for the Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Sonadia Island is foremost among the national wintering sites for this species there. The good news is that there has been an on-going project at Sonadia since 2009 aimed at stopping the subsistence hunting... Bangladesh is one of the most important wintering areas for the Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Sonadia Island is foremost among the national wintering sites for this species there.
The good news is that there has been an on-going project at Sonadia since 2009 aimed at stopping the subsistence hunting which was considered a major threat to the Spoon-billed Sandpipers. It has been largely successful with most if not all hunters being equipped and trained to earn a living in a more sustainable way. The area has been declared by BirdLife International as Bangladesh's 20th Important Bird Area. This is also good news for Nordmann's Greenshank, Asian Dowitcher, Great Knot, Eurasian Curlew and Black-tailed Godwit, all of which spend the winter there and are globally threatened.
http://www.waderquest.org/2013/04/sp...-news-and.html ]]> Rick and Elis http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4674 http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4673 Sat, 20 Apr 2013 20:23:01 GMT Went to Leighton Moss today in search of a Kingfisher for my youngest daughter. Saw a gorgeous pair of Bullfinchs at the feeding station and then on to the public hide. On the way there we saw a really brave Coal Tit collecting wool caught in a fence about a metre from where we stood on the path.... Went to Leighton Moss today in search of a Kingfisher for my youngest daughter.
Saw a gorgeous pair of Bullfinchs at the feeding station and then on to the public hide. On the way there we saw a really brave Coal Tit collecting wool caught in a fence about a metre from where we stood on the path. We also saw a lovely Wren in a tree.
From the Public hide we saw Great Crested Grebe and a pair of Marsh Harriers. We then walked back and drove to the other site where we saw Avocet, Shoveler, Shelduck, Bar Tailed Godwit and, on the walk back to the car, a Whitethroat.

But no Kingfisher!!!!

Just a good reason to go back another day. ]]> snakybat http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4673 http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4672 Sat, 20 Apr 2013 10:20:55 GMT On the first day of Wader Quest we had expected that the first bird we would see would be Northern Lapwing. After all we were about to drive for a couple of hours through the early winter British countryside passing through the fens on the way to Norfolk. I was amazed and disappointed that we... On the first day of Wader Quest we had expected that the first bird we would see would be Northern Lapwing. After all we were about to drive for a couple of hours through the early winter British countryside passing through the fens on the way to Norfolk.
I was amazed and disappointed that we didn't see one, not least because it was a picture of a lapwing that got me into birding in the first place (Horrible plug now), for full story see Chapter 1 Confessions of a Bird Guide my new book.)

http://www.waderquest.org/2013/04/no...n-decline.html ]]> Rick and Elis http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4672 http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4671 Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:42:54 GMT The second part of "Do Birds Fly In Cloud" is on my blog at

http://topbirdsandeveryfing.typepad....rds-everyfing/

It's about birds, clouds and bird strikes.

o:Do:D ]]> Seashore http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4671 http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4670 Thu, 18 Apr 2013 01:52:23 GMT This year we are currently watching the following nests for CorneLabs Nest watch: Yellow-crested Night Heron (possible 4-5) Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (2) A new addition to our nest watch list is the Western Screech Owl. Follow us on our new blog at http://urbanbirdermcallen.wordpress.com/ This year we are currently watching the following nests for CorneLabs Nest watch:

Yellow-crested Night Heron (possible 4-5)
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (2)

A new addition to our nest watch list is the Western Screech Owl.

Follow us on our new blog at

http://urbanbirdermcallen.wordpress.com/

to see how our babies fare. ]]> Urban Birder McAllen http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4670 http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4669 Sun, 14 Apr 2013 22:35:28 GMT The signs of spring are clear- the rain is warmer than before....

Sorry, well- worn SCottish joke about the weather.

But, the sgns of spring are all around- both in what we're seeing and what we're no longer seeing. Got my first sand martins and swallows today, at my favourite RSPB reserve. Also got a common sandpiper, a good bird, but the swallow and sand martin are more clearly a sign of the changing season. Got wonderful views of a singing chiffchaff as well, which added to the screech of the sand martins, really epitomises spring and summer at this reserve.

The tick count for the day was unimportant (although i got 36...) The rain dripping down my neck was also unimportant. What was important was that we have gotten through the worst of the winter, our migrant friends have come back, and the promise of a long, hot birding summer fills me with hope. ]]> Green Sandpiper http://www.birdforum.net/blog.php?b=4669