BLACK ADDER IS ON THE CARDS - the line reads.
I would hate anyone to think that my pink halo is shining brightly as I have been reading a newspaper again. According to Graeme Virtue (who) in The Guardian today there is a cunning plan afoot to take the cowardly Edmund and his bum-chum Baldrick into a different time zone. Fascinating it could be as we could get out of that medieval rut (or perhaps, midden) and propel these two creatures back to Roman Times or bring them almost up to date into the flared trouser era of the sixties. Anyway, you can read the article with all its ideas.
It seems to be that another choice could be to take that Oxbridge lot of cabinet and (yes) shadow cabinet boys and girls and see what script they could come up. But who would be in charge? On the other hand you could leave it to the real working classes to come up with a mighty plot. I just hope that it happens.
Tuesday 25 August 2015
Saturday 22 August 2015
Gran Alacant to El Hondon
A TEN ROLLER BIRD AFFAIR.
Who dares to say that shouldn't go out birding in our hot summer days? If you take the gamble then you could have had two excellent days out this month. Last week Yecla and this Friday we stayed local and it became a full one. I met Bryan in Gran Alicant at 8am and we were birding within minutes when we stopped in the lay-by on N332 by the Salt Tower. The Flamingos were so close that no binoculars were needed and posed for Bryan and his camera.
In truth there was not too much else, but we had views of both Greenshank and Redshank with two Turnstones feeding on the rocks at the foot of the tower. One Slender-billed Gull swam by, Yellow Legged both adult and immature were around and two Night Herons flew from out of the reeds. A Yellow Wagtail showed briefly. We moved on.
We decided to give El Pinet a quick visit and on the roundabout, under the N332, Bryan found his bird of the day! A lonely juvenile Pratincole and like all good girls it posed for the camera.
We saw no adult birds and this one was one of only about three or four which were at El Pinet. Here we hoped to see more waders, but it is still too early for many. The usual Avocets, Black-winged Stilts and Kentish Plovers showed well. Terns were their usual busy selves with Little, Sandwich and Common all flying. We quickly moved on as our objective was to check on the water levels around the visitor at San Felipe Neri at El Hondon. We decided to take a more circuitous route through farm land.
We saw ten individual Rollers
with Common Kestrels perched on the wires, five Southern Grey Shrikes, two Woodchat Shrikes and a Spotted Flycatcher. We heard and saw two Iberian Green Woodpeckers and Hoopoes flew in front of us. Collared Doves perched alongside the Kestrels on the wires. Driving alongside a canal we flushed two Green Sandpipers. We carried on and on the Vistabella Road we found a field being flooded that contained young Pomegranate trees
Here there were in excess of 200 Jackdaws, numerous Cattle Egrets
and about 60 or more Glossy Ibis
with a few Wood Pigeons. Swallows flew low over the gushing water. Earlier we had seen Red-rumped, both Pallid and Common Swifts together with the odd House Martin. Squacco Herons called and flew, also Grey were feeding as well and we saw Little Egrets too
At Hondon we found that the water levels were very good and although there was not a Pratincol to be seen, but we did see one Little Stint, all three types of Plover, Purple Swamp-hens, one Common Sandpiper and it would appear the influx of waders has still to happen, but it is early yet. Also a Reed Warbler flew and that added to the list with a Zitting Cisticola seen earlier. A Sardinian Warbler flew in front of us. Bee-eaters were in evidence near the entrance.
On the small enclosed pond at the back of the visitor centre were both Common and Red-crested Pochards. The latter were both adult birds with seven youngsters. Two Red-knobbed Coots fed on the bank with the ubiquitous House Sparrows. Also there was one Teal like duck and a photograph may give us an identification.
We were fortunate to meet two birders from Norfolk who said that they had seen Bearded Tits near the hide in Vistabella Road. They had also seen a Weaver Bird, a Short-toed Eagle and possibly a Booted Eagle, but that was a distant sighting. We remained raptor less for the day. We returned to try and see any of their sightings, but were unsuccessful. Perhaps next time. However we were pleased to see a juvenile Whiskered Tern and hear it clamouring for food and being fed. The exchange was clearly seen with the food being dropped into the youngsters mouth without contact being made. On the water were Black-necked, Little and Great Crested Grebes. We also added a Black-headed Gull to the list, but did not hear or see a Med. Gull. Butterflies were few, but we had close up views of Plain Tigers.
I don't always bother with numbers, but this one stands at 56 (excluding the four sightings of our Norfolk birders) different species and, of course, some are already on their way south only to be seen again next year. I think that shows we had a damn good day.
21st August
Who dares to say that shouldn't go out birding in our hot summer days? If you take the gamble then you could have had two excellent days out this month. Last week Yecla and this Friday we stayed local and it became a full one. I met Bryan in Gran Alicant at 8am and we were birding within minutes when we stopped in the lay-by on N332 by the Salt Tower. The Flamingos were so close that no binoculars were needed and posed for Bryan and his camera.
In truth there was not too much else, but we had views of both Greenshank and Redshank with two Turnstones feeding on the rocks at the foot of the tower. One Slender-billed Gull swam by, Yellow Legged both adult and immature were around and two Night Herons flew from out of the reeds. A Yellow Wagtail showed briefly. We moved on.
We decided to give El Pinet a quick visit and on the roundabout, under the N332, Bryan found his bird of the day! A lonely juvenile Pratincole and like all good girls it posed for the camera.
We saw no adult birds and this one was one of only about three or four which were at El Pinet. Here we hoped to see more waders, but it is still too early for many. The usual Avocets, Black-winged Stilts and Kentish Plovers showed well. Terns were their usual busy selves with Little, Sandwich and Common all flying. We quickly moved on as our objective was to check on the water levels around the visitor at San Felipe Neri at El Hondon. We decided to take a more circuitous route through farm land.
We saw ten individual Rollers
with Common Kestrels perched on the wires, five Southern Grey Shrikes, two Woodchat Shrikes and a Spotted Flycatcher. We heard and saw two Iberian Green Woodpeckers and Hoopoes flew in front of us. Collared Doves perched alongside the Kestrels on the wires. Driving alongside a canal we flushed two Green Sandpipers. We carried on and on the Vistabella Road we found a field being flooded that contained young Pomegranate trees
Here there were in excess of 200 Jackdaws, numerous Cattle Egrets
and about 60 or more Glossy Ibis
with a few Wood Pigeons. Swallows flew low over the gushing water. Earlier we had seen Red-rumped, both Pallid and Common Swifts together with the odd House Martin. Squacco Herons called and flew, also Grey were feeding as well and we saw Little Egrets too
At Hondon we found that the water levels were very good and although there was not a Pratincol to be seen, but we did see one Little Stint, all three types of Plover, Purple Swamp-hens, one Common Sandpiper and it would appear the influx of waders has still to happen, but it is early yet. Also a Reed Warbler flew and that added to the list with a Zitting Cisticola seen earlier. A Sardinian Warbler flew in front of us. Bee-eaters were in evidence near the entrance.
On the small enclosed pond at the back of the visitor centre were both Common and Red-crested Pochards. The latter were both adult birds with seven youngsters. Two Red-knobbed Coots fed on the bank with the ubiquitous House Sparrows. Also there was one Teal like duck and a photograph may give us an identification.
We were fortunate to meet two birders from Norfolk who said that they had seen Bearded Tits near the hide in Vistabella Road. They had also seen a Weaver Bird, a Short-toed Eagle and possibly a Booted Eagle, but that was a distant sighting. We remained raptor less for the day. We returned to try and see any of their sightings, but were unsuccessful. Perhaps next time. However we were pleased to see a juvenile Whiskered Tern and hear it clamouring for food and being fed. The exchange was clearly seen with the food being dropped into the youngsters mouth without contact being made. On the water were Black-necked, Little and Great Crested Grebes. We also added a Black-headed Gull to the list, but did not hear or see a Med. Gull. Butterflies were few, but we had close up views of Plain Tigers.
I don't always bother with numbers, but this one stands at 56 (excluding the four sightings of our Norfolk birders) different species and, of course, some are already on their way south only to be seen again next year. I think that shows we had a damn good day.
21st August
Thursday 20 August 2015
Estepas de Yecla - Friday 14th August
This is one of my favourite places. We have never failed to see some good birds and this morning was no exception. Our last visit was in early July and we have visited each month from late April onwards with the intention to see how the seasons - both birds and vegetation - can change what we observe.
On Friday 14th August, we stopped at the entrance to Estepas de Yecla , with the temperature a cool 23 degrees in a refreshing wind. Immediately we heard a Pin-tailed Sandgrouse call and one flew over us. Further on we saw more Pin-tailed and later two Black-bellied Sandgrouse flew and we watched them feeding.
During the morning we noted Barn Swallows were flying low and all going in one direction. We also saw a few Red-rumped and high in the sky were about 50 Swifts passing through. They appeared to be mainly Pallid, but (we think) with some Common Swift amongst them. We definitely saw a Common Swift flying low close by.
We moved into a freshly cultivated area where there were large numbers of Short-toed Larks, a few Crested, but we only had one sighting of a Calendra.
We were always on the look out for raptors, but only saw one Buzzard. However the abundance of Lesser Kestrels more than made up for it. They were everywhere.
Our intention for this morning was to explore the area closer to Caudette. Within a few minutes we saw more Lesser Kestrels and then the find of the day. Bryan spotted a Greater Spotted Cuckoo on the ground behind a line of conifers. It was a terrific close up sighting, but it flew before he could get his photo. At the same location we found a perched Roller (probably a juvenile) and in a neighbouring tree another one. We didn't expect to see them here and they were our first for this area.
It is always good for Wheatears and again we found some Black-eared which were possibly both juvenile ones and others in moult.
Smaller birds included Goldfinch, Serin, Green Finch, Linnet and we did hear a Sardinian Warbler call. This is not a full list. I do love it up here and we are wondering what the cooler months, after some rain, will do for the bird populations and species.
I record a thank you to Bryan Thomas for his knowledge, a pair of sharp eyes and ears and jolly good company.
On Friday 14th August, we stopped at the entrance to Estepas de Yecla , with the temperature a cool 23 degrees in a refreshing wind. Immediately we heard a Pin-tailed Sandgrouse call and one flew over us. Further on we saw more Pin-tailed and later two Black-bellied Sandgrouse flew and we watched them feeding.
During the morning we noted Barn Swallows were flying low and all going in one direction. We also saw a few Red-rumped and high in the sky were about 50 Swifts passing through. They appeared to be mainly Pallid, but (we think) with some Common Swift amongst them. We definitely saw a Common Swift flying low close by.
We moved into a freshly cultivated area where there were large numbers of Short-toed Larks, a few Crested, but we only had one sighting of a Calendra.
We were always on the look out for raptors, but only saw one Buzzard. However the abundance of Lesser Kestrels more than made up for it. They were everywhere.
Our intention for this morning was to explore the area closer to Caudette. Within a few minutes we saw more Lesser Kestrels and then the find of the day. Bryan spotted a Greater Spotted Cuckoo on the ground behind a line of conifers. It was a terrific close up sighting, but it flew before he could get his photo. At the same location we found a perched Roller (probably a juvenile) and in a neighbouring tree another one. We didn't expect to see them here and they were our first for this area.
It is always good for Wheatears and again we found some Black-eared which were possibly both juvenile ones and others in moult.
Smaller birds included Goldfinch, Serin, Green Finch, Linnet and we did hear a Sardinian Warbler call. This is not a full list. I do love it up here and we are wondering what the cooler months, after some rain, will do for the bird populations and species.
I record a thank you to Bryan Thomas for his knowledge, a pair of sharp eyes and ears and jolly good company.
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