BAN THE HUNTING

 FROM THE LEAGUE AGAINST CRUEL SPORTS WHO SAY OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR A HUNTING BAN IN NORTHER IRELAND

We are one step closer to banning hunting with dogs in Northern Ireland.

A staggering 18,425 people responded to a consultation on the banning of the cruel sport, which is thought to be the largest response to a consultation in the history of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

The League has been supporting Alliance party MLA John Blair in promoting the consultation, which he launched in advance of a proposed Private Members’ Bill to ban hunting.

We are delighted in the response, with a staggering 78 per cent saying all hunting with dogs should be banned.

This sends a clear message to the Northern Ireland Assembly that the animal loving people of Northern Ireland want the horrifically cruel so-called ‘sport’ of fox and stag hunting banned once and for all.

The League will be working behind the scenes to support the bill and lobby for it to be worded in such a way as to avoid the pitfalls of the Westminster and Holyrood legislation. And then we’ll be giving the bill as much support as we can, reminding politicians of the overwhelming support the bill received from those taking part in the consultation.

SPRING MIGRATION

SPRING MIGRATION

it is all going on out there as the over wintering African birds come to us and some will continue on towards Northern Europe and at a coincidental time some of our wintering birds will head north too, to their nesting grounds.

We have known of bird movements from observers reporting from the south of Spain and so it was not unexpected that Hirundines were spotted over Alicante yesterday. (And that’s a reliable report) In the week an Osprey was seen over the Salinas near Santa Pola and the question is, or could be, a traveler from Gambia going to Rutland say. Or one that stayed with us for the winter having nested here. 

It’s all going on and since our cold weather with a storm a few weeks ago we have been hard pushed to see a Kingfisher. In the summer we saw them at Clot de Gaveny and made the conscious leap that they had nested locally. Now where are they and we do know that the Crag Martins were seriously affected by the storm. It is tough out there as we put another log into the stove.

Bryan, Michelle and I have been out every week and it’s been good, but we always want more. I want to get up into the mountains north of Alicante, but this cold weather will remain with us until the second week of March and that is much later for the warm spring to be held back. So, we’ll have to stay local.

 THE LATEST NEWS FROM LEGAL JUSTICE

 

Non-native gamebird measures from DEFRA: After more than a two-week delay DEFRA has issued its consultation on gamebird releases.  We're reading it carefully and so are some friends of ours.  The consultation is a necessary step in the process of regulating gamebird releases which DEFRA has promised to implement this year as a result of a Wild Justice legal challenge (see here for the results of our legal challenge and see here for the consultation paper).  We will send out a newsletter on 8 or 9 March with our views on the consultation to aid any of you who wish to respond (and we hope you will). 

 

General licences in Wales: we've had useful discussions with Natural Resources Wales about the next steps following the court judgment in January which clarified the strict terms under which killing of certain species is lawful - see here.  Those discussions will continue.

 

Testing Sainsbury's game meat: all three of us have a long-standing interest in the issue of lead ammunition. Lead is a poison and yet it is commonly used to kill species which end up in the human food chain.  Around 6000 tonnes of lead are deposited in the countryside in the form of spent ammunition every year. Non-toxic alternative ammunition is readily available and is mandatory in some other countries and certain parts of the USA. Many game dealers, butchers and supermarkets sell lead-shot game meat without any health warnings.  We have collected samples of game meat from Sainsbury's and these have been sent off for analysis at a laboratory. Read more about what we've done - click here.  We'll let you and Sainsbury's know the results when they become available later in the spring.

BOOK REVIEW. JOSEPHINE TEY WITH ‘THE MAN IN THE QUEUE

 Book Review.        The Man in the Queue

Author.                   Josephine Tey

Publisher.               Penguin

                               Random House

                               UK

                               First re-published by Arrow in 2011

Copyright.              (C) The National Trust 1929

There are many books out there that can make it too easy to spend time choosing. Wasting time instead of reading. So much information comes my way that I can indeed waste time. Thomas Hardy came easily to hand and now there is this one. I prefer the randomness of the period both have been written in. One thing that cuts through the centuries and decades is the superior classes in the society of the time and those unfortunates that are subordinates.

The success of her first one, The Man in the Queue, published in 1929, enabled Josephine Tey to write full time, but it was not until 1937 that she returned to crime writing and seven more novels followed.

In this story she introduces Inspector Grant of Scotland Yard and his superior Superintendent Barker. It was the age of surnames only and the minions were addressed that way too. Outside of the organisation people were addressed correctly with Mr or Mrs and with forenames sometimes included. That’s all gone once a Prime Minister had declared ‘call me Tony’.

Set in London’s theatre land it could be obvious that a man in a queue is involved. And so he was.

The activity of the investigation moves around the inner part of south-west London and the chase takes our ‘prim and proper’ sleuth all the way to that other kingdom up north! Not only is there an issue of class but also contempt of Scotland shown not by the aristocracy, but my a common ‘as-you-like’ landlady. It’s all about appearances and Josephine Tey does that well.

Names and characters run all the way through this novel and attention is required even to the very end. That’s all the clues I will give as I will never spoil a plot for the reader. 

I loved being transported to a time when life was so different and the use of language intriguing.  I found that both interesting and enjoyable. The plot moves on at a reasonable pace, but of course this is 1929! Unlike modern day murder investigations there is no technology or anyone with incredible stamina but with Inspector Grant we have a thinker. He’s our man that solves it. I could criticise certain things and that is for you to choose to do, or not, when you read it to the very end.

POST BIRTHDAY BIRDING

Another morning on our usual route from Gran Alacant towards El Pinet and further afield too.

We knew about an area on the furthest side of the salinas away from the N332 which if we could get there would allow us to view a large area and who can say what we could find. Pantanet de Santa Fey has been publicised. So we gave it a look. We traversed three tracks, and found locked gates which does mean that further investigation will have to wait.

Our usual stopping off places gave us only one Lesser-black Backed Gull, several Med Gulls - Gaviota Reidora in summer plumage and it was not until we pulled in by The Salt Tower that we enjoyed a circling Osprey - Águila Pescadora and two Great White Egrets - Garceta Grande. One was close enough for the photographers but the Osprey was too distant. A Marsh Harrier - Aguilucha Luganero flew across our vision.

Great White Egret and Little Egret

We all remarked about the quantity of Flamingoes. The numbers are large.

El Pinet gave close up views of Dunlin - Correlimos Común, one Black-tailed Godwit - Aguja Colipinta and Avocet. The photos tell the story of the approaching summer. Again there was a numerous amount of Avocet in a ‘raft’ and many feeding. It was well worth the stop to see these birds up close.

Dunlin 

Black Tailed Godwit

Avocet

We had a cuppa and a sandwich over looking the Med at El Pinet.  We had some great views of Northern Gannet - Alcatraz Atlántico and flocks of Gulls around the fish farm.

The season is changing and we would love to see our summer visitors arriving. Swallows have been sighted and it seems the numbers are not here yet. I think that a first visit to both Maigmo and Monnegre should be soon and if restrictions become less then Estapas de Yecla and Petrola can happen.

A FOUR STOP MORNING AND WE SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST

We started at Bryan’s, in Gran Alicant, with a house-ridge perched Black Wheatear - Collalba Negra.  One of his garden birds! And a photographed proved it.

We were in two minds whether to have another look at Clot de Galvany and give the ducks a going over, but curiosity prevailed, and we headed for El Pinet. Why? Because it had been declared that a Terek’s Sandpiper - Andarrios del Terek, had been distantly sighted there. Never to be people who only have one target we checked everything possible on way and at the same time intending to establish whether this ‘twitch’ was ever going to be seen.

A weather mention is appropriate because this cold spell will last into March and although species  will head towards us our overwintering species should still stick with us. It was a mere 7 degrees as we crossed the salinas and it didn’t get above 18.

These stops were part of our usual route. Down the hill from Santa Pola we went. These lagoons we always inspect and they yielded on the salt workings side;

Med Gulls Gaviota Reidora and some with full hoods

Audouin’s Gulls in good numbers 

Yellowlegged Gulls - Gaviota Patiamarila

Slender-billed Gulls - Gaviota Picofina

Kentish Plover -Chorlitejo Patinegro

Greenshank - Archibebe Claro

Not a great result but always worth a stop and the lagoon on the opposite side is a different habitat with the common water birds. We have seen it busier but with no small birds except one Yellow Wagtail - Lavandera Cascadena in a puddle. Always good to see. There was nothing exceptional on the other lagoons and we moved on.

The Salt Tower area gave us some excellent views of close up Flamingoes and photos too. The colors on some were vivid.

The Stones is a must too, but today everything was distant.

Now we were inspecting all the lagoons at El Pinet. The checking started and Bryan got busy.

There was a lot to see. 

Both Dunlin and Little Stint - Correlimos Menudo were in a small group and allowed size comparison. We also had frequent flypasts of them. One single Ruff - Combatiente. Also in the very far distance Bryan counted through the scope 200 plus Dunlin - Correlimos Común.

Common Redshank - Archibebe Común too.

Common Redshank

Dunlin 

Avocets were everywhere including a resting phalanx of 120 to 150. I’ve not seen that before. 

Avocet 

We were able to count 13 Black-tailed Godwits - Abuja Colipinta and a nod to the changing season there was evidence of plumage change.

One Little Egret showed some wonderful plumage and that bird drew Michelle’s attention to  where a Water Rail - Rascón Europea emerged and walked slowly around. A first for her and had to be the bird of the day and in plain sight.

 Little Egret

Water Rail

I haven’t listed all as a list is boring.

One aspect that both Bryan and I have spoken off is that we always want to help and work with other like minded people. It is great to be out seeing beautiful birds and we will share what we can.

This morning we met another person and we will share our love of wildlife with him. Let’s get Covid out of the way and get at it.

DUCKS at CLOT DE GALVANY

It was great in the summer and now a morning to see a few ducks before they go north.

We felt it was safe enough to escape outside and see Bryan and to see what Clot de Galvany could do for us. All masked up and we kept our distance and they kept their distance too. There were not many people around and so we felt comfortable.

We went straight to the large comfortable hide overlooking a broad expanse of water. Bryan had been here a few days ago so we expected to see ducks and we did, but not in the same numbers as before. Using his sharp eyes and most of his patience everything was checked out. With perseverance a discreet Ferruginous Duck- Porrón Pardo popped in an out of the reeds in the far distance. It only provided a quick look each time. The good bit was it was a first for Michelle.

The others on the water were:

Red-crested Pochards - Pato Colorado

Common Pochard -  Porrón Europeo

Gadwall - Ánade Friso in good numbers too

Northern Shovelers - en masse - Cuchara Común 

White-headed Ducks- most I've seen on one water - Malvasia Cabeciblanca

Teal - Cerceta Común 

Wigeon - Silbón Europeo - four males and three females

Great-Crested Grebes - Somormujo Lavanco pairing up

Black-necked Grebe - Cuellinegro

Little Grebe -  Zampullin Común 

Michelle saw a male Reed Bunting - Escribano Palustre feeding on the reed heads.

A Grey Wagtail - Lavandera Cascaedña came in and out perched at the end of the hide

Water Rail - Rascón Europea squealed three times within a few yards and remained out of sight

In and over the reeds White Wagtails - Lavandera Blanca  and Northern Starlings Estornino Pinto fed. Outdoing the few Crag Martins - Ávion Roquero by a good number.

Green Woodpecker - Pito Real was loud, but not seen and Cetti’s - Ruiseñor Bastardo

Add into the list Sardinian Warblers - Carruca Cabecinegra , Chiffs - Mosquitero Común, one Robin- Petirrojo , and one Black-winged Stilt - Cigüñuela Común.

We scanned the skies and although Barn Swallows - Golondrina Común have been seen we did not even glimpse one.

The good news is that they are working hard to improve the Clot.  The scrapes that had become overgrown with Reed have been cleared and channels dug down deep enough to remove the roots. There will be the same depth scrapes but with a much deeper outside channel. We have it on reliable information and this area, which has a controlled water supply, could be very good by late spring. 

On the surveying sticks a gorgeous Black Redstart - Colirrojo Tizón posed. They will be gone soon.

A quick stop at The Salt Tower gave us a fishing Slender-billed Gull - Gaviota Picofina, several Yellow Legs - Patiamarilla and a Common Sandpiper - Andarrios Chico

We have had a cold spell and now, some days are colder than others and it appears things are on the move. Normally we could expect to see Great Spotted Cuckoos - Críalo Europeo passing through and, in San Miguel, House Martins -  Ávion Común. Not yet though. 

Opportunities are restricted although things could change at month end.

CHANGING TIMES IT WOULD SEEM

We are lucky we can get out and about and we both need to do that.

With that foremost in our minds and although it was forecast to be windy on Monday 1st (and it was) we headed for Dolores to come around El Hondo from that side. It was bloody quiet. Strangely so, in fact. Several Common Kestrels and a few Marsh Harriers.

The water level by the information centre was low enough for some areas to be above the wet stuff.  Michelle managed to photograph several Little Ringed Plovers and Common Snipe were still there. I think our highlight was calling into the Wood Yard for logs.

Today, Friday 5th was pleasant. A temperature of around 15, a light wind and a cloud filtered sun that made viewing difficult, but never mind we were out there. Again we drew a blank for Common Cranes but we know there are at least eight out there - somewhere. Raptor wise it was very poor again.

At San Felipe nothing worth reporting at all. No Snipe. Have they moved on or started to return?

I walked out to the far lagoon to check on wintering ducks and was disappointed. Shelduck, Shovelers and the usual water birds. I checked all the margins. On an island were three Gulls - Blackheaded, two full size Grey Herons and two half-sized ones! Any ideas? Two midgets perhaps which is most likely as they are probably not hybridized! Tell me if I am way off track.

San Felipe, for the time being, as reverted to its old norm. Not that good for now. The season is changing so I will put it down to that. However, we may get the bikes out and ride into the distance. And we may venture into Clot and see what ducks are still there. It's good to get out.

It seems the good productive days out are in hold.