Owen's wildlife for 2023 (2 Viewers)

[Owene]

October 14th

We tend to get away to Pembrokeshire for my birthday which usually means a morning sea watching at strumble head. Where, without organising anything, I always see a bunch of birders from nearer home down with the same idea.

So it wasn’t really a surprise when I walked into the sea watching bunker to see Barry and Rob from Cardiff and John from Newport.

Very enjoyable morning. The wind wasn’t quite in the right direction for anything unusual. Thursday morning would have got me three welsh ticks, but still some good birds and unusual behaviour. My first time seeing a Merlin hunting over deep water

Lots of dolphins too. Prolonged views of a pod of Rissos being the highlight.

328 Merlin +
329 Brent goose
330 great skua+
331 Arctic skua
332 red throated diver
29 rissos dolphin





Birds 332 Mammals 29 Herp 25 Butterflies 94 Total 480 Lifers 141

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

That’s the cream of South Wales birding there Owen. And Rob😂

 

[Owene]

That’s the cream of South Wales birding there Owen. And Rob😂

Barry is so good isn’t he 😎

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Barry is so good isn’t he 😎

A great birder. And good company. Very dry sense of humour. Might nip over to Ham Wall tomorrow if you’re around? Squacco would be a lifer for me.

 

[Owene]

We’re still down here until tomorrow afternoon or I’d jump at that. I need it for Britain too

 

[kb57]

October 14th

We tend to get away to Pembrokeshire for my birthday which usually means a morning sea watching at strumble head. Where, without organising anything, I always see a bunch of birders from nearer home down with the same idea.

So it wasn’t really a surprise when I walked into the sea watching bunker to see Barry and Rob from Cardiff and John from Newport.

Very enjoyable morning. The wind wasn’t quite in the right direction for anything unusual. Thursday morning would have got me three welsh ticks, but still some good birds and unusual behaviour. My first time seeing a Merlin hunting over deep water

Lots of dolphins too. Prolonged views of a pod of Rissos being the highlight.

328 Merlin +
329 Brent goose
330 great skua+
331 Arctic skua +
332 red throated diver
29 rissos dolphin



View attachment 1538087

Birds 332 Mammals 29 Herp 25 Butterflies 94 Total 480 Lifers 141

Saw a merlin hunting inshore over breaking waves on a Northumberland beach a couple of years ago - and looking like it had caught a sanderling - but it was only about 30-40m from shore at the most.

 

[Owene]

This was maybe a few hundred yards We couldn’t quite tell what it was hunting, were quite a few passerines heading in both directions from the headland.

I’ve seen hobby hunting waders over the sea at snettisham and peregrines take petrels at strumble but never a Merlin before.

 

[Owene]

October 28th

Early start today for a trip down to pembrokeshire. There's been a lot of attention to the, presumably ship assisted, Grackle at Nolton's Haven but the nearby Gann had been hosting an American Golden Plover at high tide for at least a few days, and if local birder Rob was right since he saw a weird plover there two weeks ago. High tide was 620am so wasn't really possible but after picking up Rob and swapping cars at Birdforums own Rich's house we got there as early as we could. Already a few birders on site and some lovely close views of the AGP. Rob scoped it from a few meters and it was possible to really take in all the differences between it and a European. Much better views than I got of Pacific at Frampton a few years ago and nice to finish the set.

Then with the genuine tick out of the way we got to enjoy the grackle. A really charismatic and fearless bird but also one that was feeding constantly, picking invertebrates from every surface. Almost certainly habituated to humans but so were all the other grackles I saw in Orlando and it was feeding in much the same way. I probably wouldn't have gone without the AGP being present but so glad I did. It'll probably never make my british list on bubo but i'm fine with it being on my world one.

The trip home brought a lovely county tick snow bunting. Just as tame as the grackle but a little more flighty than some I've seen and I got to really enjoy the black wing pattern in flight better than before.

A really fun days birding

333 American Golden Plover
334 Great Tailed Grackle
335 Snow bunting +









Birds 335 Mammals 29 Herp 25 Butterflies 94 Total 483 Lifers 142? 3? who knows.

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

October 28th

Early start today for a trip down to pembrokeshire. There's been a lot of attention to the, presumably ship assisted, Grackle at Nolton's Haven but the nearby Gann had been hosting an American Golden Plover at high tide for at least a few days, and if local birder Rob was right since he saw a weird plover there two weeks ago. High tide was 620am so wasn't really possible but after picking up Rob and swapping cars at Birdforums own Rich's house we got there as early as we could. Already a few birders on site and some lovely close views of the AGP. Rob scoped it from a few meters and it was possible to really take in all the differences between it and a European. Much better views than I got of Pacific at Frampton a few years ago and nice to finish the set.

Then with the genuine tick out of the way we got to enjoy the grackle. A really charismatic and fearless bird but also one that was feeding constantly, picking invertebrates from every surface. Almost certainly habituated to humans but so were all the other grackles I saw in Orlando and it was feeding in much the same way. I probably wouldn't have gone without the AGP being present but so glad I did. It'll probably never make my british list on bubo but i'm fine with it being on my world one.

The trip home brought a lovely county tick snow bunting. Just as tame as the grackle but a little more flighty than some I've seen and I got to really enjoy the black wing pattern in flight better than before.

A really fun days birding

333 American Golden Plover
334 Great Tailed Grackle
335 Snow bunting +

View attachment 1540451

View attachment 1540453

View attachment 1540454

View attachment 1540456

Birds 335 Mammals 29 Herp 25 Butterflies 94 Total 483 Lifers 142? 3? who knows.

Great day. Cheers Owen. Hope you enjoyed driving up the river which was the road outside my house😂😂

 

[Owene]

Great day. Cheers Owen. Hope you enjoyed driving up the river which was the road outside my house😂😂

Really enjoyed today. The way we went wasn’t anywhere near as bad as the bit you drove

 

[Owene]

Been a while since I added to this. Have seen some nice new waxcaps in November but no birds.

Mixed day yesterday. Set off early from the midlands for Norfolk. Freezing fog the whole way. But a dark sub zero start probably played a part in the first tick. A roadside woodcock. Not a bird I was expecting to add this year.

Norwich provided some lovely waxwings eating berries in the frost. Last saw one in spring 2020 which was a solo inactive bird well after winter had gone. This was a much better experience. Cool birds as always.

Holkham was sub zero with visibility very low. A departing birder said he’d given the shorelarks two hours without luck so I wondered if I might just be year ticking pink footed goose but in fact managed good sustained views of a dozen shore larks and a similar number of snow bunting. Even managed my first photos of the larks although the conditions were pretty awful for photography.

A visit to Blakeney after some reported Twite brought a British year tick of bearded tits before trying warham Green for the harrier roost

Made it up the very icy farm track with the parking area coinciding happily with me loosing heart about driving up it. Got the marsh area to find the fog still present but the best it had been all day

Got onto a perched harrier at the edge of scope range that had an orangey tint and very contrasting pale around its face. The other birder present had seen the pallid a few times and was like me convinced but desiring of flight views. We watched it for 10 minutes but it wasn’t moved by anything including a Chinese water deer walking directly in front of it in the scope view. Eventually the fog thickened over it and there was no hope of improving views.

Did get some longer lovely views of the water deer running around. Despite being an introduction they are one of my favourite British mammals. Lovely looking things. The site also had marsh harrier, snipe, sparrowhawk and hares. But no owls or hen harriers for us.

Then got almost back to my in-laws when someone drove into the back of me at a roundabout. Insurance not being helpful so far so a really good day was a bit spoiled.

Photos when I get home.

336 woodcock
337 waxwing +
338 shore lark +
339 pink footed goose
340 pallid harrier
30 Chinese water deer +

Birds 340 Mammals 30 Herp 25 Butterflies 94 Total 489 Lifers 144

 

[Owene]

Really not the day for photography but you can't really go wrong with waxwings

 

[Owene]

December 27th

At the in-laws in the midlands for xmas but didn’t quite feel like going all out for a day on the east coast. Instead aimed for one of the big omissions on my British list. Long eared owl.

I think in a weeks time eldernell near Peterborough will be full of year tickers but I got there at about 10 to find no cars in the car park, blustery rain and some vague instructions about a hedge from a guy who’d needed a thermal scope to find it a few days ago. I wasn’t that optimistic.

Did manage to eventually spot it deep inside a hedge and after seeing one nightly in France on holiday 7 or so years back I finally got my first British one.

The weather was getting worse so I decided not to go any further but came back via a reservoir in Leicestershire where a young velvet scoter was keeping company with a goldeneye. Nice views pretty close up of a bird I’ve only ever seen at sea before.

There are still a few easyish birds out there i haven’t seen but I have a feeling that might be the end of listing for 2023

Excuse the back of camera shots. I’m not sure the real ones will be much better.

341 long eared owl +. British tick
342 velvet scoter.




Birds 342 Mammals 30 Herp 25 Butterflies 94 Total 491 Lifers 144

 

[Owene]

I'm guessing that's me done for the year. Very happy with how it's gone. Well past the targets I set myself at the beginning of the year mainly due to another really good butterfly year for me. Didn't add too many mammals and only 10 British birds but I think a lot of that is down to butterflies being my main interest this year and not often going for stuff I've seen abroad. Been to some beautiful places and seen some really iconic species and really enjoyed keeping track of them on here. Thanks to everyone who's been reading.