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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Lazza's 2014 lists (1 Viewer)

And then it was off to Spain for 2 weeks, to our usual place on the Costa Blanca south of Alicante. As our Easter trip was quite late this year, a lot of the summer visitors had arrived, leaving me with fairly low expectations of adding many new species for the year, but I still managed quite a few, as well as adding some new birds to my Spain list. I've split the list into locations, although some were visited a few times, so the list is not necessarily in chronological order....

On a first cycle ride out along the canals near Urbanizacion La Marina:

82. Green sandpiper

And on several early mornings, on the same ruined barn (and where I've seen them in previous years):

83. Little owl*

On an early evening ride out to the mouth of the Rio Segura, across the river from Guardamar:

84. Spotted flycatcher* - new for Spain
85. Pallid swift*

.... as well as very close views of a woodchat shrike.

Over 3 or 4 visits to El Hondo reserve:

86. Kingfisher
87. Dunlin
88. Sanderling(?)
89. Ruff (?) - new for Spain
90. Little bittern*

And at the tower along the N332 on Santa Pola Salinas:

91. Turnstone
92. Whimbrel - new for Spain

My only lifer of the trip came in the form of a pale-coloured

93. Booted eagle*

drifting lazily over Urbanizacion Oasis one morning. A stunning sighting of a lovely, elegant bird.

As advised, I also had a ride out to the northern side of El Hondo, along the so-called "palm-farm road", and true to expectations, I had good sightings of

94. Roller*

(not one, but 4, in two separate pairs a couple of km apart).

And the final addition was quite a surprise, during a visit to Laguna La Mata (ain't no passing phase...!):

95. Oystercatcher

At the same location, I had yet another spotted flycatcher, and an unidentified dark green/yellow, large-ish warbler (Bonelli's? Wood?), but that may have to remain off the list.

[This all took my 2014 Spain list to a very pleasing 95, 4 more than my previous best last year]

* of which 6 are not on an earlier/higher list
 
In London with work and found myself by Tate Modern at lunchtime, so spent 20 minutes at the RSPB tent watching the

156. Peregrine Falcons
 
Coming back from Newcastle last night, driving out of Stannington Station towards Morpeth, had a fly-over from a

157. Barn owl
 
Off to France for half a week, with work, with a few days around the Lyon area.

Was staying in Pérouges, north of Lyon, which is on the edge of an region called La Dombes, an area of a couple of hundred lakes. Managed a couple of evening visits, each to a different lake, and also added a couple of surprising species in the grounds of the factory I was visiting!

On the way from the airport in Lyon, I drove through a small village called Blyes, adding:

30. Northern wheatear - new for France

and the first afternoon, had good views from my office window of

31. Great tit

and, amazingly...

32. Pied flycatcher* - new for France

My first evening trip was to a lake called étang Chapelier, near Versailleux, where I was quite overwhelmed by the number of herons of various species around. In addition to a couple of dozen grey heron, I added:

33. Night heron* - new for France
34. Great egret* - new for France

plus

35. Red-crested pochard
36. Pochard
37. Kingfisher
38. Cormorant
39. Black-headed gull
40. Jackdaw - new for France...!

And on the way back to Pérouges, I passed through a small village called Joyeux, where I had amazing views of a single

41. Osprey* - new for France

and a nearby

42. Buzzard

plus a field of

43. Lapwing - new for France

A final evening trip to étang Turlet, near Villars-les-Dombes provided the highlight, with three fabulous

44. White stork* - new for France

making a sunset fly-over, supplemented by dozens of little egret and great egret, and a single

45. Cattle egret*

and a

46. Sparrowhawk - new for France

I also added coypu [11] to my mammal list, as several lakes hold naturalised populations in the area.

So, 10 new species added to my France life-list, and 6* new species for the 2014 list not on any previous/higher list.
 
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Nothing much in recent weeks, but several winter species still missing from this year's list, so hopefully will be adding some more soon...

But I did add

158. Blue-winged teal

to my UK list, having finally got out to see the long-staying female at Castle Island.
 
Finally, a bit more progress on my UK list, although not new species for the year.

Had a cycle out into the countryside at the weekend, adding:

159. Marsh tit

in Tritlington village, where there was abundant birdlife flitting about the trees, and making the most of some warm November weather (although was rather surprised to also see a grey squirrel).

And then, after stops at Druridge, it was nice to finally find a

160. Black redstart

on the farm buildings and wall by the entrance to Cresswell pond
 
A few days in Switzerland, with no time for birding, yet I somehow added a Swiss lifer from my hotel room in Montreux... although not a rare one, and probably an oversight on previous sightings!

47. Jackdaw
 
Not much to report for a good few weeks, but finally added a new species to my list on a trip to Ireland...as well as a handful of new Ireland ticks (again, probably through earlier oversight more than anything!)

At Dublin Airport:

1. Woodpigeon
2. Magpie
3. House sparrow
4. Starling
5. Kestrel

Then, 10 minutes scanning the beach at Blackrock, just before a work meeting(!):

6. Pied wagtail
7. Bar-tailed godwit* (dozens of them)
8. Black-headed gull
9. Herring gull
10. Oystercatcher - new for Ireland

Then at Leopardstown:

11. Robin
12. Great tit - new for Ireland
13. Hooded crow
14. Goldfinch
15. Blackbird - new for Ireland!!

And finally, while refuelling my hire car near the airport, at Swords:

16. Rook

* including one species not on any previous list this year
 
Decided on a last effort to get out there and add to my UK year-list, by going out to find the reported local scarcity.... So, an hour at lunch time at West Hartford did indeed turn up the

161. Great Grey Shrike

My first in the UK for a good 3 years, although my two sightings of it were fairly brief!

Also added to my mammal list for the year, as a tiny (female?) weasel [12] dashed a across my path as I approached the first pond.
 
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One final update, to add stoat [13] to the mammal list, seen during a walk along the Ribble near Preston, just after Xmas.
 

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