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kb57's 2024 Year List (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter kb57
- Start date
kb57
Well-known member
It's a small wholesale fish market, pretty much all octopus with the odd fish I believe - it used to have a thriving swift colony until the building was repainted and the entry holes beneath the roof filled
kb57
Well-known member
Apr 11: Blagdon, Northumberland
I've not done any dedicated birding over the last few weeks - been to Paris and saw more short-toed treecreepers and rose-ringed parakeets, and just had a flyover sparrowhawk this morning at my partner's place near Newcastle, but no new year list additions. I was buying a birthday present at Blagdon estate shops, just north of Newcastle just now, and got a great view of a mistle thrush. A very vocal nuthatch in the woods too.
148. Mistle Thrush
I've not done any dedicated birding over the last few weeks - been to Paris and saw more short-toed treecreepers and rose-ringed parakeets, and just had a flyover sparrowhawk this morning at my partner's place near Newcastle, but no new year list additions. I was buying a birthday present at Blagdon estate shops, just north of Newcastle just now, and got a great view of a mistle thrush. A very vocal nuthatch in the woods too.
148. Mistle Thrush
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kb57
Well-known member
12 April: Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Northumberland
My first chance to visit the Northumberland coast on this short trip to UK, and decided on a walk to Beacon Point as there were a few potential year list additions on eBird. Unfortunately I had very little spare space in my bag on the way back to UK, as I had to fit in colder-weather clothing for our layover in Paris, and had left the telescope eyepiece behind. This was a problem when I couldn't scope the rocks or check very far out at sea, and the tide was quite far out on our afternoon visit - so no purple sandpipers or divers. Twite had been seen recently too, but the only finch flock we came across were common linnets. So only one addition, and it was an obvious one...
149. Common Eider
My first chance to visit the Northumberland coast on this short trip to UK, and decided on a walk to Beacon Point as there were a few potential year list additions on eBird. Unfortunately I had very little spare space in my bag on the way back to UK, as I had to fit in colder-weather clothing for our layover in Paris, and had left the telescope eyepiece behind. This was a problem when I couldn't scope the rocks or check very far out at sea, and the tide was quite far out on our afternoon visit - so no purple sandpipers or divers. Twite had been seen recently too, but the only finch flock we came across were common linnets. So only one addition, and it was an obvious one...
149. Common Eider
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kb57
Well-known member
16 April: Porto Carvalhoso, Tavira, Portugal
An unfortunately too brief trip back to Portugal, with a few admin things to sort out as I'm now a Portuguese tax resident, and a report to work on. Decided on a morning visit to pick up some inland species in the hills of Tavira concelho, about 20 minutes away from home. Nice area with water crowfoot-filled river holding a singing wren and a grey wagtail, as well as a late blackcap and crag martin. Taunted by a nightingale, my frustration shortly alleviated by an excellent view of my first woodchat shrike since about 1977 when I was travelling around Greece. Another even closer nightingale continued the frustration, distracted this time by my first Portuguese Dartford warbler, and a brief flight view of a male golden oriole which had been calling from a eucalyptus. Had a great view of a blue rock thrush on my return to the car, then saw a largish relatively long-tailed bird fly catching (or song-flighting?) which landed near the top of a tall olive. Got the binoculars on it to confirm a black hooded Sylviid, but too far away to absolutely confirm it wasn't just a Sardinian. Behaviour totally off for the latter, so I think it was Western Orphean warbler, which is recorded occasionally in this area.
Common Nightingale (heard-only)
150. Woodchat Shrike *
151. Dartford Warbler *
152. European Golden Oriole
153. Blue Rock Thrush
Western Orphean Warbler? (recorded on eBird as Sylvia / Curruca sp.)
I've got a photo of the shrike, once I find my SD card reader...here's my iPhone pic of the water crowfoot beds...
An unfortunately too brief trip back to Portugal, with a few admin things to sort out as I'm now a Portuguese tax resident, and a report to work on. Decided on a morning visit to pick up some inland species in the hills of Tavira concelho, about 20 minutes away from home. Nice area with water crowfoot-filled river holding a singing wren and a grey wagtail, as well as a late blackcap and crag martin. Taunted by a nightingale, my frustration shortly alleviated by an excellent view of my first woodchat shrike since about 1977 when I was travelling around Greece. Another even closer nightingale continued the frustration, distracted this time by my first Portuguese Dartford warbler, and a brief flight view of a male golden oriole which had been calling from a eucalyptus. Had a great view of a blue rock thrush on my return to the car, then saw a largish relatively long-tailed bird fly catching (or song-flighting?) which landed near the top of a tall olive. Got the binoculars on it to confirm a black hooded Sylviid, but too far away to absolutely confirm it wasn't just a Sardinian. Behaviour totally off for the latter, so I think it was Western Orphean warbler, which is recorded occasionally in this area.
Common Nightingale (heard-only)
150. Woodchat Shrike *
151. Dartford Warbler *
152. European Golden Oriole
153. Blue Rock Thrush
Western Orphean Warbler? (recorded on eBird as Sylvia / Curruca sp.)
I've got a photo of the shrike, once I find my SD card reader...here's my iPhone pic of the water crowfoot beds...
Attachments
kb57
Well-known member
Apr 18, Parque Ambiental, Vilamoura
I needed to go to Faro to sort something out with my car, so I thought I might as well travel a little further still and check out the wetlands and fields of the Parque Ambiental - my second visit to this site. Just like last time, I was soon being taunted by Cetti's warblers, with the addition now of nightingales and reed warblers. Some compensation was provided by a group of male black-headed weavers displaying by their nests, then I managed a great view of a nightingale singing from a branch of a low fig tree right by the path - first I've actually seen for decades!
Waterfowl numbers from the east hide were predictably down on my last visit, just a few common pochard and a ferruginous duck - but a close flypast of a little bittern provided ample compensation.
The route to the western hide goes past a really flower-rich meadow with crested larks, butterflies, and at least two calling quail. There was a nice view of a swamp hen from the hide and a little bittern was barking, but best of all for me was a Cetti's warbler in plain sight singing from a bush in the reeds near the hide - finally on my year list! Unfortunately it flew just as I was about to take a photo...
I've still got an appalling failure rate with seeing Cetti's warblers this year, but I managed 40-50% of today's nightingales (4-5 territories...) with an excellent close view of a different bird on the way back from the hide. My first red-rumped swallow of the year completed a satisfying afternoon. A purple heron and a sight of a reed warbler would've been nice, but not complaining!
Common Reed Warbler (heard only)
154. Common Nightingale *
155. Cetti's Warbler
156. Red-rumped Swallow
I needed to go to Faro to sort something out with my car, so I thought I might as well travel a little further still and check out the wetlands and fields of the Parque Ambiental - my second visit to this site. Just like last time, I was soon being taunted by Cetti's warblers, with the addition now of nightingales and reed warblers. Some compensation was provided by a group of male black-headed weavers displaying by their nests, then I managed a great view of a nightingale singing from a branch of a low fig tree right by the path - first I've actually seen for decades!
Waterfowl numbers from the east hide were predictably down on my last visit, just a few common pochard and a ferruginous duck - but a close flypast of a little bittern provided ample compensation.
The route to the western hide goes past a really flower-rich meadow with crested larks, butterflies, and at least two calling quail. There was a nice view of a swamp hen from the hide and a little bittern was barking, but best of all for me was a Cetti's warbler in plain sight singing from a bush in the reeds near the hide - finally on my year list! Unfortunately it flew just as I was about to take a photo...
I've still got an appalling failure rate with seeing Cetti's warblers this year, but I managed 40-50% of today's nightingales (4-5 territories...) with an excellent close view of a different bird on the way back from the hide. My first red-rumped swallow of the year completed a satisfying afternoon. A purple heron and a sight of a reed warbler would've been nice, but not complaining!
Common Reed Warbler (heard only)
154. Common Nightingale *
155. Cetti's Warbler
156. Red-rumped Swallow
