Owen's Wildlife 2024 (1 Viewer)

[Owene]

February 10th

A long day in Cornwall yesterday with Rich, Rob and Amy. Sociable Lapwing was the big draw, I love lapwings and it had been showing very consistently of late after being around (albeit supressed) for months. To cut a long story short yesterday was the first day it hadn't shown at all and despite trying a range of different viewpoints we could only find 30-40 of the 150 strong lapwing flock it had been associating with over the last few days. Lovely site on the tidal upper stream reaches of the fal. Plenty of wildfowl and waders including an unseasonal Whimbrel and at long last my first rabbit of the year.

We gave it a few hours in the morning and another 90 minutes or so at dusk when almost all the other birders had left but no lapwing. Not been seen today either I dont think.

In between we headed down to the Hayle estuary. Well no, in between we crawled through diversions and bumper to bumper traffic because in cornwall on the first day of half term you need to close the A roads for the weekend.

In between showers the Hayle estuary was an absolute delight in gull spotting. Nice obvious adult Yellow Leg, an iceland and Amy refused to go until she'd worked through every common gull and found the head down Ring Billed. First lifer of the year and if it's not a critically endangered lapwing then they all count anyway..

Brilliant day. The Ring Bill photo is by Amy Schwartz not me.

124 Yellow Legged Gull
125 Bar Tailed Godwit
126 Iceland Gull + photo tick
127 Ring Billed Gull
128 Whimbrel
5 Rabbit





Birds 128 mammals 5. Total 133 lifers 1

 

[Owene]

February 14th

Very short break to Fuerteventura. My wife works from home and had had enough of just being cooped up while it rains. I’m hoping to make the most of it wildlife wise but it really is a short sitting by the pool break.

The transfer down to the bottom part of the island brought home just how desolate and arid the place is. Saw two bodies of water. Both just very shallow stagnant concrete based puddles really but saw black winged stilts on both of them. Had laughing dove as well but apart from a few collared dove and yellow legged gulls nothing else identifiable in two hours driving . Did briefly have a small group of hirundines

Once we were at the hotel it was pretty much the same. Collared doves and yellow legs around the pool.

A wander down to the beach at dusk improved matters. Four or five spectacled warblers and fly over egrets spoonbill and sacred ibis. I guess the ibis is just an insurance tick right now. Should get the real thing in Uganda later in the year.

Very happy with the spectacled warblers. Had nice close views of a species that I’ve only seen once before. A skulking one on lanzarote that my guide did on call and only briefly showed itself through a Land Rover window. Always good to upgrade the dodgier ticks.

129 black winged stilt
130 laughing dove +
131 spectacled warbler + photo tick
? Sacred ibis
132 spoonbill.

Birds 132. Mammals 5. Total 137. Lifers 1.

 

[Owene]

February 15th

Pre breakfast walk down to the beach. More spectacled warblers and some nice views of Berthelots pipit. They don’t seem as common as on lanzarote where you would regularly see them on the roadside crossing the island, nice to get a good look at them and another one I’ve never photographed.

Luckily I did photograph houbara and cream coloured courser when I last visited the eastern canaries but generally I didn’t take many shots back then.

Plenty of Spanish sparrows around and two swifts feeding low over the hotel. A Quick Look at Collins did nothing to rule out plain so I’ll go with that.

133 Spanish sparrow +( I think. Don’t remember them in Mallorca)
134 berthelot’s pipit. + photo tick
135 plain swift +

Birds 135. Mammals 5. Total 140. Lifers 1

 

[Owene]

Plain tiger in the hotel. No photos unfortunately but lovely and a lot easier to distinguish from monarch in person than I was expecting.

One of my main targets out here. Hopefully a photo will follow

Edit. Rest of short walk around the perimeter of the hotel brought a great grey shrike and a pair of African grass blue

1 plain tiger
2 African grass blue +
136 great grey shrike +

Birds 136 Mammals 5 butterflies 2. Total 143 Lifers 2.

 

[Owene]

Walk down to the local sea front. Not sure what’s tamer. The monk parakeets or the Barbary ground squirrels. The monks are probably the least wild seeming cat c species I’ve seen. Doing everything short of landing on people’s heads. The squirrels were lovely. Also totally tame
but then I also had a cattle egret at about 3 foot distance so I think tame is normal here

Pretty sure I also heard ring necked which wouldn’t really be a surprise.

Quite a few more African grass blue. Common gull too which is possibly a Spanish tick for me.

On the migration front swallows and house martins in evidence.

137 monk parakeet +
138 house martin
139 barn swallow
6 Barbary ground squirrel.

Birds 139. Mammals 6 butterflies 2. Total 147. Lifers 3

 

[Owene]

Today was my only day on the island with a car. Didn’t get on the road until half 8 which with the temperatures being what they are meant some of the best birding time was gone.

Tried a few local stonechat sites without much luck then headed across the island to embalse de los molinos with a few stops on the way when I saw decent habitat picking up a few species that I’d probably see in the U.K. eventually this year like green sandpiper and sanderling.

The reservoir was at the end of a mile and half rocky track but the hire car seemed to deal with it well and despite the low water levels there were plentiful stilts and ruddy shelduck. A couple of little ringed plover but no sign of any sandgrouse or the other sought after desert birds.

Did quickly pick up some trumpeter finch and a long range male Fuerteventura chat. Made it to the hide where i had a close female and seeing a small lizard dart under a stone turned it over to find a decent sized Atlantic lizard as well as the small one I’d spotted. Quickly got a phone pic of the only European reptile or amphibian I’d seen but never photographed. Nice to complete the set. Until I see something else anyway

A lot of the write ups on Fuerteventura mention the barranco that runs from the dam and I spent a largely fruitless hour wandering around it in baking sun. A few more trumpeter finch and chats but barely any water.

Once I got back in the car and a little further on I realised that the write ups were really talking about the last 50m or so as the barranco met the sea. Sat by a beach bar were a load of, for some reason countable but very tame, Muscovy ducks. Also a really close male stonechat. Made the wandering in the desert seem like a bit of wasted time.

Next stop was a mirador that Jos had suggested as a good site for fuerteventura green striped white. Not a single butterfly for me and the viewpoint was closed. I get the impression that everything is that extra bit drier than when Jos visited a few years ago.

The nearby historic village of betancuria was full of flower displays and with them butterflies. Greenish black tip was a new one for me and it was just nice to be surrounded by insect life. Quite a few dragonflies and a cool mantis as well as the supercharged butterflies. Didn’t manage a photo of the gbt but it was a lovely place to visit. Nice views of a few Sardinian warblers too

Driving home across the island I had a pair of Egyptian vultures and some short toed larks but didn’t fluke any grouse bustards or coursers.

Final stop was Costa calmas for the red vented bulbul colony that ebird seems to count even if it’s not on spains cat c

I have a feeling I just didn’t get to the right bit as I spent ages there before realising it extended across the road. Anyway no bulbuls for me but I did pick out a yellow browed warbler on call and get Merlin to confirm it. Thought for a while it would be the third heard only ybw for me in succession but I stuck at it and eventually it showed. Think there were possibly 2 it was certainly associating with a second small warbler and there was no other call. Have to wait on the photos. Either way a weird but nicely unexpected Spanish tick


After dropping the hire car off had 5 hadada ibis over head. I guess you lose some untickable exotics and win some others.

A really enjoyable day. I’ve always been a bit nervous about hire cars but I think I’d be happy to do it again which means I can bird myself rather than rely on guides

One more full day on the island but that’s probably it for birds. It really was a last minute trip and the chat was the real
priority as I doubt we’ll come here again (although I’d recommend it) so very happy to have got that and also to have got photos of a bunch of species I saw on lanzarote.

140 sanderling
141 ruddy shelduck
142 Green sandpiper
143 trumpeter finch + photo tick
144 Fuerteventura chat
145 Muscovy duck
146 Egyptian vulture +
147 hoopoe
148 Mediterranean short toed lark +
149 yellow browed warbler + Spain tick
150 Sardinian warbler
151 little ringed plover
? Hadada ibis
1 Atlantic lizard
3 small white
4 geranium bronze +
5 painted lady
6 greenish black tip

Birds 151 mammals 6 herp 1 butterflies 6 total 164 Lifers 6

 

[Owene]

February 17th

Nice walk around the perimeter of the golf course next door to the hotel. Good views of trumpeter finch, stonechat and the biggest Atlantic lizard I’ve seen. Made me feel like I hired and fuelled a car yesterday in order to see Muscovy duck 😀

Greenish black tip’s were plentiful but patrolling and only landed on the grass of the golf course. Tried for a few zoom shots and got at least one awful flight shot. Also had painted lady but not the desired plain tiger

A small group of Barbary partridge were feeding on a fairway and when a golfer flushed them flew right up and landed about 20m away from me. Amazing views. Another very welcome photo tick. Will be interested to see what my photographed species percentage is when I get back. This time last year it was mid 60s, hopefully up near 80 now.

152. Barbary partridge +

Birds 152. Mammals 6. Herp 1. Butterflies 6 total 165 lifers 6

 

[Paul Chapman]

February 17th

Nice walk around the perimeter of the golf course next door to the hotel. Good views of trumpeter finch, stonechat and the biggest Atlantic lizard I’ve seen. Made me feel like I hired and fuelled a car yesterday in order to see Muscovy duck 😀

Greenish black tip’s were plentiful but patrolling and only landed on the grass of the golf course. Tried for a few zoom shots and got at least one awful flight shot. Also had painted lady but not the desired plain tiger

A small group of Barbary partridge were feeding on a fairway and when a golfer flushed them flew right up and landed about 20m away from me. Amazing views. Another very welcome photo tick. Will be interested to see what my photographed species percentage is when I get back. This time last year it was mid 60s, hopefully up near 80 now.

152. Barbary partridge +

Birds 152. Mammals 6. Herp 1. Butterflies 6 total 165 lifers 6

View attachment 1559994

Lovely Barbary Partridge pic but obviously not a patch on the Muscovy...

All the best

Paul

 

[Owene]

Lovely Barbary Partridge pic but obviously not a patch on the Muscovy...

All the best

Paul

I think it was such a filthy tick that I looked for the most confused looking Muscovy I could find

 

[Owene]

These two, Berthelot's pipit and Spectacled warbler were the default birds on any Fuerteventura Scrubland. I think Berthelot's is a nicely distinctive one as pipits go, really like the face markings. And Spectacled Warbler was really cute

 

[Owene]

Loved the Trumpeter Finches, gorgeous and inquisitive things, like a lot of the species you could see them in the desert but also around town,






##

 

[Owene]

As well as the birds people go there to see it was just nice to spend some time with some southern european species. Most of them allowing very close views

 

[Owene]

Great to finally see some butterflies this year. A little annoyed that i only saw Plain tiger while in the pool or on a bus and that Greenish Black-tip wouldn't settle. but very happy with the geranium bronzes.

 

[Owene]

Introduced species of varying degrees of tameness. The Monk Parakeets were by far the least wild tickable birds I've ever seen. The Barbary Squirrels did actually seem quite wary away from the town beaches.

 

[Owene]

The stonechat

 

[Owene]

Atlantic Lizard and an unexpected yellow-browed

 

[Owene]

March 3rd

My wife fancied a swim and I wanted to see purple sandpiper so we went to Porthcawl this morning. Very few birds. Didn’t see any waders at all at high tide despite some purple sandpipers being announced on the local WhatsApp a few hours earlier. Quite high waves so probably should have tried one of the other nearby points.

Did see my first British butterfly of the year. A faded red admiral that was bombing around looking for other butterflies that had made similarly bad hibernation choices.

It didn’t settle.

On the way home word got out about two nearby woodlark. Very rare bird locally. But they’d been flushed 20 minutes before I got to the site and had seemingly needed a thermal scope to pinpoint while they were there.

A quick walk around a local park got my first hoverflies and ladybirds of the year but no more early butterflies. Always great to get the first one though and the day was a lot more springlike than we’ve had so far

7 red admiral

Birds 152. Mammals 6. Herp 1. Butterflies 7 total 166 lifers 6

 

[Owene]

March 8th

A fun but not especially succesfull day's yearlisting today. Couldn't get off until after the school run, was half tempted by a few things in the west country but when I got near the severn bridge signs were talking about an M5 closure so instead I stayed on and did a few circuits of the lanes around Marshfield.

Red Legged Partridge was easy enough and everywhere I stopped I could hear skylarks. Could only see them when they were songflighting, would lose them in the stubble as soon as they landed and high winds seemed to be stopping anything perching up in the open. Heard Corn Bunting at two locations but they sounded fairly distant and I couldnt get onto them. Even though they were quite distinctive I've not been counting heard only birds so won't start now.

Back home it was sunny but very very cold with no signs of butterflies, earlier in the week while I was at work there were a few good days for early butterflies with 4 or 5 species seen in penarth but the cold strong winds have got in the way I think

153 Skylark
154 Red Legged Partridge



Birds 154. Mammals 6. Herp 1. Butterflies 7 total 168 lifers 6

 

[Owene]

March 9th

Nothing to show for a walk around my local patch then a WhatsApp about a little gull in the bay. Managed to quickly pop down for some scope views of it in flight on the other side of the water amongst a few hundred black heads coming into breeding plumage

They’re always fun to watch and usually one will stick around for a bit each spring so might try for closer views at some point

155 little gull

Birds 155 Mammals 6. Herp 1. Butterflies 7 total 169 lifers 6

 

[Owene]

March 14th

A couple of visits, punctuated by rain, to Aust Wharf in the hope of short eared owls. The rain probably made it impossible for the owls to hunt and the fact that the road was caked in a few inches of wet mud from yesterday's Severn Bore meant that you couldn't even park up and see out the showers as the road was closed at either end although the flood barriers were quite climbable. The second visit at the southern end did bring a perched up Merlin. Not a year tick but a much desired photo tick and great to see fairly close.

Estonia in 12 days time will hopefully provide some Owls

The Battery Point purple sandpipers were fairly near by and while I'd missed high tide it was a very high one and the rain was likely to put off the fishermen who led to my last dip so I gave it a go. I dont dislike Purple Sandpipers but the effort involved in year ticking them each winter is in no way commensurate with how cool they are. Anyway it was nice to watch one poking around in the seaweed,


156 Purple Sandpiper

Birds 156 Mammals 6. Herp 1. Butterflies 7 total 170 lifers 6