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

2017 Western Palearctic Big Year (1 Viewer)

Isn't any inshore Madeiran a rarity? In my limited experience (Galapagos, St Helena) they are almost always over very deep water, except when approaching breeding islands. The North Atlantic forms might differ in this of course.

cheers, alan
 
lewis20126 said:
Isn't any inshore Madeiran a rarity? In my limited experience (Galapagos, St Helena) they are almost always over very deep water, except when approaching breeding islands. The North Atlantic forms might differ in this of course.

cheers, alan
Click to expand...

Alan

It is an area with a reputation for being a touch breezy!

All the best
 
lewis20126 said:
Isn't any inshore Madeiran a rarity? In my limited experience (Galapagos, St Helena) they are almost always over very deep water, except when approaching breeding islands. The North Atlantic forms might differ in this of course.

cheers, alan
Click to expand...

In observation there is only 1 sighting of Band-rumped Storm petrel off the Morrocan Coast. (June) There are plenty sightings of Leach Storm Petrel. (Most between half december and end februari) Both species are difficult to identify from eachother. (Flight is somewhat different)
 
dantheman said:
Ok, but now the Aouserd Road -

http://www.bigyearwp.com/
Click to expand...

A rather gripping photo of the canid! Our attempts at spotlighting last year were summed up by me watching a friend walking about Gleib Jidane with the spotlight whilst he didn't notice a stray dog walk up behind him, sniff his bottom and wander off..... I must try and go back and do the Western Sahara less incompetently next time.

All the best
 
Andrew Whitehouse said:
Isn't Crimson-winged Finch split in IOC and Clements?
Click to expand...
African Crimson-winged Finch: a new endemic species. I wrote that blog-post in 2011 when it was already split by IOC, later the split was also accepted by BirdLife checklist and the updated Collins Bird Guide. For the Clements, it’s only a matter of time: each of the two species is already described as a “monotypic group” (i.e. potential future split).

It should be remembered that the split is very solid: it’s the only species along with the Seebohm's Wheatear that passed the Tobias et al. (2010) test (applied to 23 WP subspecies pairs).Of course it passed also the BOU guidelines (Helbig et al. 2002) which is less conservative than the first cited system.

As for the Houbara Bustard, it’s true that birds seen at some well-known areas are difficult to tell. The probability of seeing a released bird is highest at or near the ‘reintroduction centres’, although some birds can move more than 200 km (see some examples of such movements of tracked birds). Nevertheless, wild birds still exist in some regions, but these are less-birded areas and the birds are hard to find during an ordinary birding trip anyway.
 
Paul Chapman said:
I wonder if Thick-billed Lark may prove a bogey bird. It may depend on Israel if they don't get it on this trip?

All the best
Click to expand...

Saw them here (about 60km SW of Ouarzazate) three years ago:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@30.4770631,-7.372154,1397m/data=!3m1!1e3

There have been several records on Observado at this site in previous. years Seemed to favour the dry areas around the obvious outcrop of black rock south of the main road. Also noted several CCC and RR Wheatears.
 
Paul Chapman said:
A rather gripping photo of the canid! Our attempts at spotlighting last year were summed up by me watching a friend walking about Gleib Jidane with the spotlight whilst he didn't notice a stray dog walk up behind him, sniff his bottom and wander off..... I must try and go back and do the Western Sahara less incompetently next time.
Click to expand...

Yes, definitely a return trip needs to be done! Maybe a week or more next time though? (We didn't even do any spotlighting)

---

A few thoughts...

- Yes, awesome one on the 'wolf'
- Haven't they seen enough nature documentaries between them to realise that something growing in the desert that just happens to look like a melon isn't necessarily a melon? ... ;)
- No mention of those huge black lizards you get in the area?

(- Presume breeding Ruppell's Vulture was just a one-off?)
(- African Collared Doves - that was in the past? (Collared Doves everywhere now.)


... but enjoying the event and updates, and great that it is in English too. :t:
 
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jurek said:
Which suggests that African houbara is rarer than thought. Since many years African Houbaras are regularily observed only on Fuerteventura and near Merzouga. Maybe this species should be considered Endangered or Critically Endangered on the red list?
Click to expand...

It guess it should be considered as endangered (at least), but knowledge about the current status of is species is limited. Large parts of the region where it regularly ocurrs are off limits. And it's probably the Saudis who know most.

I had a surprise Houbara five years ago in Southern Tunisia, in a region where not even a single record had been published before (as far as I know). And I learned there that you ought to stay in your car if you want to get decent views of the birds, same as with Great Bustards.
 
Last edited:
flownek said:
It guess it should be considered as endangered (at least), but knowledge about the current status of is species is limited. Large parts of the region where it regularly ocurrs are off limits. And it's probably the Saudis who know most.

I had a surprise Houbara five years ago in Southern Tunisia, in a region where not even a single record had been published before (as far as I know). And I learned there that you ought to stay in your car if you want to get decent views of the birds, same as with Great Bustards.
Click to expand...

During a trip in 1988 we met a Saudis huntinggroup of prox 20 men just south of Erfoud. They hunt with falcons and shoot with guns. In six days they killed 27 Houbara and 3 Arabian Bustards. ( and many sandgrouse)
 
According to myth, though not supported by any scientific studies, the meat of houbara bustards has aphrodisiac qualities.|:d||:d|

They need it probably
 
flownek said:
It guess it should be considered as endangered (at least), but knowledge about the current status of is species is limited. Large parts of the region where it regularly ocurrs are off limits.

I had a surprise Houbara five years ago in Southern Tunisia, in a region where not even a single record had been published before (as far as I know). And I learned there that you ought to stay in your car if you want to get decent views of the birds, same as with Great Bustards.
Click to expand...

I agree, and understand your experience in Tunisia.
 
ronaldnuiver said:
During a trip in 1988 we met a Saudis huntinggroup of prox 20 men just south of Erfoud. They hunt with falcons and shoot with guns. In six days they killed 27 Houbara and 3 Arabian Bustards.
Click to expand...

Which could be last Arabian Bustards of the northern subspecies on the world.
 

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