tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45413947907092306662024-03-13T10:34:18.270+00:00Neil Calbrade PhotographyA photographic diaryNeil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.comBlogger176125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-16091054239008427652023-05-13T12:59:00.011+01:002023-05-14T08:32:35.901+01:00Spring warbler migration in Ontario<p>Ever since I opened 'The art of bird photography' by Arthur
Morris one Christmas morning many years ago and saw a photo of a Black-throated
Green Warbler from Point Pelee, my heart has been set ever since on visiting this
part of Ontario to see the spring warbler migration when they are looking at
their best in their gaudy summer plumage. At this this time of year, birds are
arriving from their South American wintering grounds, where they cross Lake
Eerie and make landfall at points along the Ontario shore. Having mulled over a
visit for the last few years, this year, I decided to take the plunge and make
a short solo trip.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>2<sup>nd</sup> May<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Having had a stressful journey to Heathrow with news of a
Hoopoe seen briefly on my Nunnery Lakes patch just as I was leaving Thetford,
and a slight delay in the flight, I arrived at Toronto Pearson International
Airport at about 4pm. As is apparently customary at this airport, the baggage
took a long time to arrive on the conveyors, and by the time I had collected my
bag and hire car, it was now 6pm, and scuppered any plan of going to a local
well-known birding spot, Colonel Samuel Smith Park, for a leg stretch, and so
instead headed toward Simcoe where I was staying for the first couple of
nights. As it was still light when I got near Simcoe, I checked Google maps and
found a few lakes at Waterford North Conservation Area and was able to get the
list up and running with a Broad-winged Hawk sat low down in a roadside tree,
despite the rain falling quite heavily. With the rain easing as I arrived at
Waterford North Conservation Area, lots of hirundines, mostly Tree Swallows
with some Swallows and a few Purple Martins were buzzing around over the lakes
and a Killdeer was along the shoreline. As I sat in the shelter of the car
watching these, a Muskrat swam close along the near shore, but my camera was
still in its bag in the boot. A short walk along one of the trails alongside a
marsh at dusk produced calling Virginia Rail, along with singing Song Sparrow
and Northern Cardinal, a nice easy taster for days to come.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>3<sup>rd</sup> May<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Waking up at 5am, and with no breakfast on offer at the
Travelodge, I went to my old faithful Canadian eatery – Tim Hortons, where they
tried to poison me with giving me coffee instead of my usual tea, not a good
start to the day! After a quick breakfast and back to the Travelodge for a
shower, I headed to Long Point where I arrived to a brisk, and freezing cold
north-westerly wind, not ideal conditions for migration. As expected, a walk
around the point was very quiet, and although a tour group saw an
Orange-crowned Warbler, I couldn’t locate it between the heavy showers. There
were some birds to enjoy though, Red-winged Blackbirds were everywhere, singing
from any perch, while Common Grackle, American Robin and Brown-headed Cowbirds
were very common, a definite theme for the next few days. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lf3jTV01w6ICPtJpUth9VgjnkS9__9Rcw1ND6sCN9kqQu58gzE-esUV77WBbWrVppUE_yut8K-jLoT3M6NdTVUHS1F5G9j1aymgnqwg7ByJqTo4UEOGkeTGWHb2c1geESraJnMGW97l_0rOCEt8Zdthczcv5ADPbZaN7Sh5skKG8JyAL1w2kNi6D/s750/American%20Robin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lf3jTV01w6ICPtJpUth9VgjnkS9__9Rcw1ND6sCN9kqQu58gzE-esUV77WBbWrVppUE_yut8K-jLoT3M6NdTVUHS1F5G9j1aymgnqwg7ByJqTo4UEOGkeTGWHb2c1geESraJnMGW97l_0rOCEt8Zdthczcv5ADPbZaN7Sh5skKG8JyAL1w2kNi6D/s16000/American%20Robin.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">American Robin</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCPhFqRJW-Owr9b6lZGt1jpWD-JDUKSnJZO5483Du_60eDKjIBME-KBXAUHee2JmK-cP4H-U2UPeAyIFTNdCDtHuHrb98bXQowkLXvfOAmxLpkrvCl1ccVLnlNzdAtg91IewuhY3OZQFtcQ5AZU-AiZlW9tKQFNLVjyHBLQNSJ1R2tkB_4pyUI7PXL/s750/Red-winged%20Blackbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCPhFqRJW-Owr9b6lZGt1jpWD-JDUKSnJZO5483Du_60eDKjIBME-KBXAUHee2JmK-cP4H-U2UPeAyIFTNdCDtHuHrb98bXQowkLXvfOAmxLpkrvCl1ccVLnlNzdAtg91IewuhY3OZQFtcQ5AZU-AiZlW9tKQFNLVjyHBLQNSJ1R2tkB_4pyUI7PXL/s16000/Red-winged%20Blackbird.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Red-winged Blackbird</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">A very confiding Field Sparrow was my first lifer of the
day, which was followed by a skulking Swamp Sparrow on the edge of the marsh. A
couple of Turkey Vultures gave close flybys, while Mourning Dove, a couple of
Lesser Yellowlegs and a very smart-looking Brown Thrasher were also seen. With
the rain persisting, and the birding not looking inspiring, especially for any
warblers, I headed back to the lakes at Waterford for a change of scenery for
the rest of the afternoon.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxLsjTTG3rgzG7nUCYCkAuNt5LLlC09x1QaY4_ZlzK3gF2B8YGC3FfSrS2Y7eilKrI6RBQt2ow5k5YICkBI5kYHCmlKA_p-RuqtuVrr2DOpuyjUZy8O5gNvvzHZRfgYUzgiSuXB5CZkUalLzXnxq9h9cd2L2qWbIOTk60v1A0wc__x7GdhgWVVCflE/s750/Field%20Sparrow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxLsjTTG3rgzG7nUCYCkAuNt5LLlC09x1QaY4_ZlzK3gF2B8YGC3FfSrS2Y7eilKrI6RBQt2ow5k5YICkBI5kYHCmlKA_p-RuqtuVrr2DOpuyjUZy8O5gNvvzHZRfgYUzgiSuXB5CZkUalLzXnxq9h9cd2L2qWbIOTk60v1A0wc__x7GdhgWVVCflE/s16000/Field%20Sparrow.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Field Sparrow</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJiY3V28QLUcdrYFH0NOtqI6qGlfzXT_t6f7yCwkv9zSKSCs7YEaI_qhnQ2YMPw4XPAATvNbI0f6FLsE8EbS1jmA9X5Tbr4wvnvQFfVFk1e_AjfSZTDzDeadvy3r4ZUZyUm3dq2l8Jpsg8Z3W6_BrLMI92AyTOBZ3no8eJSp86XvOr8K5gFNd47y6/s750/Lesser%20Yellowlegs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJiY3V28QLUcdrYFH0NOtqI6qGlfzXT_t6f7yCwkv9zSKSCs7YEaI_qhnQ2YMPw4XPAATvNbI0f6FLsE8EbS1jmA9X5Tbr4wvnvQFfVFk1e_AjfSZTDzDeadvy3r4ZUZyUm3dq2l8Jpsg8Z3W6_BrLMI92AyTOBZ3no8eJSp86XvOr8K5gFNd47y6/s16000/Lesser%20Yellowlegs.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lesser Yellowlegs</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5ojkHOFQKiES5OQfGsDZBMPI65Q7ilXUEUxKqslclsuTxFjYFGrbR5WxkrNK01ert_FdESr7QCk1uGyJhfhdO6j6zlBxxKs0SDDHqWoOfPT21o7fIuRvRxoKmfPAdzOlmwML9DeIqXxfNFWj_c5_VWisUA6Y-uVkZL_MQ5ZpUGsrgyZV8h49EiMn/s750/Mourning%20Dove.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5ojkHOFQKiES5OQfGsDZBMPI65Q7ilXUEUxKqslclsuTxFjYFGrbR5WxkrNK01ert_FdESr7QCk1uGyJhfhdO6j6zlBxxKs0SDDHqWoOfPT21o7fIuRvRxoKmfPAdzOlmwML9DeIqXxfNFWj_c5_VWisUA6Y-uVkZL_MQ5ZpUGsrgyZV8h49EiMn/s16000/Mourning%20Dove.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mourning Dove</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZJmpbhKAuZLQFpBY3E45Nwilcm4kgJCRTo4HVjBWHlgJv3HK8CSAmU7bHefit8Q7T3MN4d85QBCxvwr-SqqgHoXngfuNY2gGuMk8nePW0HADwtkXXTYd2L2-RdZ2ELcF8HrjXOdF34LLHBZGsMVua5thQz8MHu-ZwhV6VEYiuKpuGKTZn2yx35h3/s750/Turkey%20Vulture.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZJmpbhKAuZLQFpBY3E45Nwilcm4kgJCRTo4HVjBWHlgJv3HK8CSAmU7bHefit8Q7T3MN4d85QBCxvwr-SqqgHoXngfuNY2gGuMk8nePW0HADwtkXXTYd2L2-RdZ2ELcF8HrjXOdF34LLHBZGsMVua5thQz8MHu-ZwhV6VEYiuKpuGKTZn2yx35h3/s16000/Turkey%20Vulture.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Turkey Vulture</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">The weather at Waterford wasn’t any more ideal, with
frequent, and frustrating heavy showers causing me to have to keep diving back
into the car for shelter. Between the showers, a few birds did materalise,
including the first warblers of the trip; first a dazzling Yellow Warbler (the
first of many seen in the next few days, I didn’t expect to become blasé about
them so quickly!), soon followed by single Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers
around the car park, but always when the rain was at its heaviest and so I
couldn’t get the camera out. Eventually the rain subsided, but so did the
warblers, but the lakes again held many hirundines, including Rough-winged
Swallow and Purple Martin, which I had fun trying to photograph in flight, and
with some success, along with 6 Caspian Terns that were diving close in and an
Osprey that circled overhead before carrying on.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3RVqRFadIDMHxr71sh59y-7qRD0SgdwRFVJO0CNWnWZhRt2S8NGYbKIr-pvwCQqaxjHTYSVk8YqffQMneF8QdmhGfOZ26DElsveAGWDGsPbtXG3YNmrA6A25wLxBbTeVVpPQ8uvexIrrxuALfeH9D6ozBTQ6I5gIE-ggXKRPzMZgL_qQA9Ckvr0z/s750/Caspian%20Tern.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3RVqRFadIDMHxr71sh59y-7qRD0SgdwRFVJO0CNWnWZhRt2S8NGYbKIr-pvwCQqaxjHTYSVk8YqffQMneF8QdmhGfOZ26DElsveAGWDGsPbtXG3YNmrA6A25wLxBbTeVVpPQ8uvexIrrxuALfeH9D6ozBTQ6I5gIE-ggXKRPzMZgL_qQA9Ckvr0z/s16000/Caspian%20Tern.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Caspian Tern</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlRAoimb_vd9sR5qm7PZAlTULbMd-xt8KPlJ2KegcihlhcCH1duyrmhgYLr3snsVQLlV8YmtZo9iXkGgWr_ogdt9_TEDFG9rUy0yA6pKsuk7hKheybnV6yVwt6_CS_Iy4nxRHunoREXaDI739O2BlRKxCDgTb_40IUSrobJ8RzV1xUM3cV-ljrDzN/s750/Northern%20Rough-winged%20Swallow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlRAoimb_vd9sR5qm7PZAlTULbMd-xt8KPlJ2KegcihlhcCH1duyrmhgYLr3snsVQLlV8YmtZo9iXkGgWr_ogdt9_TEDFG9rUy0yA6pKsuk7hKheybnV6yVwt6_CS_Iy4nxRHunoREXaDI739O2BlRKxCDgTb_40IUSrobJ8RzV1xUM3cV-ljrDzN/s16000/Northern%20Rough-winged%20Swallow.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Northern Rough-winged Swallow</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqGkBgj5rMo5V6xmNRPdflsEFljTc9vRMPQ_kMouYS8rIg7L2aiIxLQXC5MSLrSirjCZ4q6GA3nBVWElD8PHZa-5H1QYdxInzh2aBbDLc1z-Spr_4j8vY1oZqrcH4N112HDestwO48rY872jx2-R8UiSVfTFS3U3xdwwbBv2j5Im_IcUFS4Z3fEak/s750/Purple%20Martin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqGkBgj5rMo5V6xmNRPdflsEFljTc9vRMPQ_kMouYS8rIg7L2aiIxLQXC5MSLrSirjCZ4q6GA3nBVWElD8PHZa-5H1QYdxInzh2aBbDLc1z-Spr_4j8vY1oZqrcH4N112HDestwO48rY872jx2-R8UiSVfTFS3U3xdwwbBv2j5Im_IcUFS4Z3fEak/s16000/Purple%20Martin.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Purple Martin</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxW62ZdbFR4uAic8RT_3D9Y2phNUxNt22OZTAn5bVh-MnsvQQcM8vN0CkcPcEqAxLKL-F4i46QTWJETtleJ6yxhpPEgK0eVcP-yK1P66t3EhxzZcqM_bvY-bVT-FmFM6rXx_27tijKx3iF2tX2vDTQRLH1z1OSJmCb5cz0n7XheYzSwcSv0slUocT/s750/Osprey.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxW62ZdbFR4uAic8RT_3D9Y2phNUxNt22OZTAn5bVh-MnsvQQcM8vN0CkcPcEqAxLKL-F4i46QTWJETtleJ6yxhpPEgK0eVcP-yK1P66t3EhxzZcqM_bvY-bVT-FmFM6rXx_27tijKx3iF2tX2vDTQRLH1z1OSJmCb5cz0n7XheYzSwcSv0slUocT/s16000/Osprey.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Osprey</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br />The same trail as yesterday evening again produced a
Virginia Rail, which twice ran across the path and once showed briefly at very
close range, but I wasn’t quick enough with the camera on either occasion. A
Swamp Sparrow was singing distantly along the back edge of the marsh along with
a Song Sparrow.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAc6ZE35JlqscRPlbzx1jIOiTJxdyyzVZZduVyhipZBQ5iMtded8Z-6-dUw61Ubjm28C4Tt8G-dVHMNJcnLt_EL2M_RJx-S65d7ze8nH7R20tNUDCK-rNg4P6U9_Kwzu0n69otZOs2ZugPhYx2bNgFXo2v1zfX7z5qdoloJZyBBDJVBUYWZO-YjGY9/s750/Song%20Sparrow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAc6ZE35JlqscRPlbzx1jIOiTJxdyyzVZZduVyhipZBQ5iMtded8Z-6-dUw61Ubjm28C4Tt8G-dVHMNJcnLt_EL2M_RJx-S65d7ze8nH7R20tNUDCK-rNg4P6U9_Kwzu0n69otZOs2ZugPhYx2bNgFXo2v1zfX7z5qdoloJZyBBDJVBUYWZO-YjGY9/s16000/Song%20Sparrow.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Song Sparrow</div><br /><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>4<sup>th</sup> May<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another early start, and this time an unsuccessful poisoning
attempt by Tim Hortons as I was ready for them to correct them to make me the
correct beverage! A short visit first thing to the lakes at Waterford in much
brighter weather than yesterday was an excellent start to the day, where both
the Yellow and Yellow-rumped Warblers showed much better.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-lv6fnVtp_HI8Udb5yBX-qNrYOJtARHdWUxmU16yW2PeMVJ-PnPJhRHTjW2pNWG4EfWrMotvzoppgSDfooht8T51idp_JvHI40dBsio3WNgPnXfdBucODd24Oymz5_HOI--PZT0i9ZFDQc7g2TRxwurad22r5huBHsBt9IOxgAISWd27I1Zg1l8x/s750/Yellow%20Warbler.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-lv6fnVtp_HI8Udb5yBX-qNrYOJtARHdWUxmU16yW2PeMVJ-PnPJhRHTjW2pNWG4EfWrMotvzoppgSDfooht8T51idp_JvHI40dBsio3WNgPnXfdBucODd24Oymz5_HOI--PZT0i9ZFDQc7g2TRxwurad22r5huBHsBt9IOxgAISWd27I1Zg1l8x/s16000/Yellow%20Warbler.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yellow Warbler</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqIF7yc5R6jvUCHvTMF9JL6FYqp6BMnNHQltV3AOjjUU-7z3MMNyp4DlcwbNjNb4rCD6xyNMSZ10XgLMlTQxG_7OJMQKYwYbFrf7Vc6ER4ArxpNnIFMTBE57FfHwV03PEcIvuLiaB2MtRTN8JHt5EmpZwdDv4y7wRPT5MvRK31zqlO_D-MsUNcYEr/s750/Yellow-rumped%20Warbler.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqIF7yc5R6jvUCHvTMF9JL6FYqp6BMnNHQltV3AOjjUU-7z3MMNyp4DlcwbNjNb4rCD6xyNMSZ10XgLMlTQxG_7OJMQKYwYbFrf7Vc6ER4ArxpNnIFMTBE57FfHwV03PEcIvuLiaB2MtRTN8JHt5EmpZwdDv4y7wRPT5MvRK31zqlO_D-MsUNcYEr/s16000/Yellow-rumped%20Warbler.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yellow-rumped Warbler</div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Up to 3 Swamp Sparrows were singing along the edge of the
marsh trail, occasionally right next to the path and giving superb views, it’s
easy to forget how musical American sparrows are compared with ours. The nearby
lakes again held up to 8 Caspian Terns and the usual assortment of hirundines,
along with a brief Spotted Sandpiper and flyover Great Northern Diver and a
party of 17 stunning summer plumaged Bonaparte’s Gulls that unfortunately
didn’t linger and went straight through.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcmDbUvEqBZ4hWYnMKV4nlSo-kVgTnnZY1VmlXlG6AMz_b-KqgCcOWeF4e-EC0bxZjEKK1qg5mgIvayGlxmLUlYmWz2PDFj6OfsIgWE-nyotwYlDRXFJMofAGHkDfxkD9bh8s0R3J0t5AhzheaOo16xKDnIvwFk2BTGoykYBWUnCt-wOOJ2wjOQap/s750/Swamp%20Sparrow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcmDbUvEqBZ4hWYnMKV4nlSo-kVgTnnZY1VmlXlG6AMz_b-KqgCcOWeF4e-EC0bxZjEKK1qg5mgIvayGlxmLUlYmWz2PDFj6OfsIgWE-nyotwYlDRXFJMofAGHkDfxkD9bh8s0R3J0t5AhzheaOo16xKDnIvwFk2BTGoykYBWUnCt-wOOJ2wjOQap/s16000/Swamp%20Sparrow.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Swamp Sparrow</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">A drive down to Rondeau Provincial Park enroute to Point
Pelee was interrupted while I got a slow puncture fixed. Rondeau itself, as
with Long Point was also very quiet, a single Yellow-rumped Warbler and a
Golden-crowned Kinglet were the highlights along one of the trails, and
White-breasted Nuthatch and Blue Jay on feeders by the visitor centre, along
with a tame Eastern Chipmunk picking up scraps. Even though it cost $18 to get
into the park, I decided to cut the visit short and press on toward Leamington.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxoolTU9owVSkJCFpHpgu5-eOrRDTb4sHI24wYbemN0uA3Q3z1550dxA1nJ--Q_wnBvFXGzjhGMU3N7bx45KVq1T5-EL3zg937PXyc9iFrqs86iu0riSJITZrPLrWAsL7IJu_pa1EzRpGwpaJqU43dncDyxhMglLiJN4nJDfiF_gskyP12l9WgAfzR/s750/Blue%20Jay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxoolTU9owVSkJCFpHpgu5-eOrRDTb4sHI24wYbemN0uA3Q3z1550dxA1nJ--Q_wnBvFXGzjhGMU3N7bx45KVq1T5-EL3zg937PXyc9iFrqs86iu0riSJITZrPLrWAsL7IJu_pa1EzRpGwpaJqU43dncDyxhMglLiJN4nJDfiF_gskyP12l9WgAfzR/s16000/Blue%20Jay.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Blue Jay</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm82ECH0J2h_yXl7FzixbSD580toZwevgCT3f6lwxc_oamEnFOHtny1_bodJaSlvfyMZc2bkXfrsLz-aGYK0_muD59W0LECG5M7xZo6IUxRvijEg-D2fwzBAo_1PJ4pxp0pTMjT1JPTnCrQO_XivxkS9nwtkltcJscoEtJDWke4FOWb2ppSTF6B3Dk/s750/Eastern%20Chipmunk.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm82ECH0J2h_yXl7FzixbSD580toZwevgCT3f6lwxc_oamEnFOHtny1_bodJaSlvfyMZc2bkXfrsLz-aGYK0_muD59W0LECG5M7xZo6IUxRvijEg-D2fwzBAo_1PJ4pxp0pTMjT1JPTnCrQO_XivxkS9nwtkltcJscoEtJDWke4FOWb2ppSTF6B3Dk/s16000/Eastern%20Chipmunk.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Eastern Chipmunk</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Having checked in to the Duck Pond B&B, just north of
Leamington, I had a few hours of daylight left on a glorious evening, and so
rather than rush down to Point Pelee, I instead had a more leisurely walk
around Hillman Marsh. This site is split into two cells, a wetland cell and a
shorebird cell, and although the wetland cell was devoid of any birdlife, the
shorebird cell held a single Trumpeter Swan, a Night Heron, a few Lesser Scaup
and Green-winged and Blue-winged Teal and a collection of waders, namely Lesser
Yellowlegs, Dunlin, Grey Plover and a couple of Killdeer.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>5<sup>th</sup> May<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was buzzing with excitement as I arrived at Point Pelee at
6.30am, just as the sun was coming up, paid my $8.50 admission and headed down
to the visitor centre, which was slowed down by a huge male Wild Turkey all
puffed up and strutting his stuff in the middle of the road causing a minor
traffic jam. Getting out of the car in an already fairly full car park, the air
was full of sound, mostly Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles, and a I
made my way first of all along the Shuster Trail, which surprisingly had no
other birders or photographers on. It also didn’t have many birds though! A
female Merlin sat on top of a tree above the path which attracted the attention
of some disgruntled blackbirds and grackles, and a Brown Thrasher sat out in
the open briefly too. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJh6cGJS9uNzKEJgxm8BmOKMyOFrZ4BY37SExn30TN5ry53--HuwnuLXsf1IWPSYKXbVsnoWgExhEFMZC1jzLQrfYT6LAka06BeqL8ZcqS5HXLTMKAjfpO3DDriGaLQpBMfjNZTvbqLhF05rxEay5cKpBcEesVabLnirT49LnBjcCf3IQQBzYhhiaR/s750/Brown%20Thrasher.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJh6cGJS9uNzKEJgxm8BmOKMyOFrZ4BY37SExn30TN5ry53--HuwnuLXsf1IWPSYKXbVsnoWgExhEFMZC1jzLQrfYT6LAka06BeqL8ZcqS5HXLTMKAjfpO3DDriGaLQpBMfjNZTvbqLhF05rxEay5cKpBcEesVabLnirT49LnBjcCf3IQQBzYhhiaR/s16000/Brown%20Thrasher.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Brown Thrasher</div><p class="MsoNormal">A walk back along the edge of the car park toward the
visitor centre trails produced the first of many White-throated Sparrows, a single
Dark-eyed Junco and an American Tree Sparrow, the latter of which I hadn’t
realised at the time was an uncommon visitor there (though apparently had been
there a few days) until eBird asked me for more details when I submitted my
records later that evening.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvuSp1NatFzA9TAkp1j7trKLtnt3gffnilUygKV0c5JbwrLWPNHPnrIVhuNPC4NWWbzZJ_9riMu-e4lK3mvDhnoOXiWwIIClHwtZLe0W5rnLAPS7Rq23BSS40Nl8reFtNzXDDTDCDZyCcdvheK8XKUPcpvPHU5o7RUSMTMHMqMnQBnhmMVfgxx29Z/s750/American%20Tree%20Sparrow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvuSp1NatFzA9TAkp1j7trKLtnt3gffnilUygKV0c5JbwrLWPNHPnrIVhuNPC4NWWbzZJ_9riMu-e4lK3mvDhnoOXiWwIIClHwtZLe0W5rnLAPS7Rq23BSS40Nl8reFtNzXDDTDCDZyCcdvheK8XKUPcpvPHU5o7RUSMTMHMqMnQBnhmMVfgxx29Z/s16000/American%20Tree%20Sparrow.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">American Tree Sparrow</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">A walk around the Woodland Trail behind the visitor centre
was fairly productive, though many of the birders and photographers I spoke to
complained how quiet it was, it seems that Canada has also been experiencing
the cold spring we have been having in the UK, which has slowed migration.
Almost immediately on entering the woods, I heard a song not dissimilar to a
Coal Tit, which having done a bit of revising before I went immediately rang
bells in my head as a Black and White Warbler. Instantly I scanned the trees
above my head, and sure enough, there was a Black and White Warbler busily
scampering around a tree, much like a nuthatch, and gave me much satisfaction
that some of my revision had stuck (if only I had been as good at revising for
my exams at school!). A few more Black and White Warblers and Yellow Warblers
were present around the rest of the trail, and single Baltimore and Orchard
Oriole perched side by side briefly, but the Hooded Warbler which had been seen
in recent days couldn’t be found. As I neared the end of the trail, a bit of
movement along a short loop revealed itself as a stunning Blue-headed Vireo,
which was a species I had hoped to see.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeEUka0cwlHZ7M7xf2qO-7JES8REB1hzOtOBV6lIw9hTR_yYlAFGOV4JV92Y0S9kZu0qwZbmTJiGILk0G9ua8CyOwuSPJTioJHIBmWBh5Olx6wOkTsy42Y-NTO4FMnSgPao4_KU_s40k3f1FLOqOZ-B3XvLQU9IIb1Qgn9EaHj8DxFgVg7gfU-gJK/s750/Blue-headed%20Vireo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeEUka0cwlHZ7M7xf2qO-7JES8REB1hzOtOBV6lIw9hTR_yYlAFGOV4JV92Y0S9kZu0qwZbmTJiGILk0G9ua8CyOwuSPJTioJHIBmWBh5Olx6wOkTsy42Y-NTO4FMnSgPao4_KU_s40k3f1FLOqOZ-B3XvLQU9IIb1Qgn9EaHj8DxFgVg7gfU-gJK/s16000/Blue-headed%20Vireo.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Blue-headed Vireo</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">After a short tea break, I walked down toward the tip, following
the West Beach footpath. It really is a surreal experience, doing what feels
like coastal birding, several thousand miles inland, but given the size of Lake
Eerie, it really does feel like you are staring out to sea, especially when you
can look out and see scoter and other traditional “seaducks”, it felt like I
should be keeping an eye out for cetaceans too! Along the footpath, a couple of
brief Hermit Thrushes and 4 Eastern Towhees scuttled around in the undergrowth
and a birder I met had just been watching a Grasshopper Sparrow, which is a
scarce visitor to the point, but I couldn’t find it in a short search. Carrying
on to the tip, I knew from the sightings board in the visitor centre that a
Sedge Wren had been seen, but given their skulking nature and the large area to
search, I had no idea where abouts. By chance, I happened to notice a small
movement in the grass by the path, and after a few moments, the Sedge Wren
appeared on a log at my feet, and sat there for a few seconds, certainly not
what I was expecting!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj560ik_p1yUpHMKyVJCrcIIsGCUmf8SOqmLhnmwW_szaYU37xiiSsFTjMepDpAEsopmrqewVroMXTlAUWoX4yDYzNbztZW8_85elERn8e9iqvlfikEfBi1w7h93xi9sP2GdpD1Ut2_mu4j6bfOhSMKubj2jtt29WLj3r2HtlK8lYtqpKKKHSUunvh-/s750/Sedge%20Wren.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj560ik_p1yUpHMKyVJCrcIIsGCUmf8SOqmLhnmwW_szaYU37xiiSsFTjMepDpAEsopmrqewVroMXTlAUWoX4yDYzNbztZW8_85elERn8e9iqvlfikEfBi1w7h93xi9sP2GdpD1Ut2_mu4j6bfOhSMKubj2jtt29WLj3r2HtlK8lYtqpKKKHSUunvh-/s16000/Sedge%20Wren.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sedge Wren</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">The rest of the tip was fairly quiet, though a Northern
Parula associating with a Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher moved through the trees and a
Red-breasted Nuthatch showed at close quarters. As I walked back up the West
Beach footpath by the area the Sparrow had been seen, a small pale sparrow flew
across the path and dived into some vegetation. A few seconds later, it popped
up and the yellowy face and crown stripe confirmed this was the Grasshopper
Sparrow, another unexpected bird for the trip.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxvfFdnjhCd4wELcOcS2ky5fundZFTqFK8c6H4bTYeAstRgL9I51Zl36mCYLFKElRNSryY60PA3HUg6noMFlzqNoG3WrvWJ5MHEBfFgf2MAInXapQZ8nZOa9BjERUssoHZ7k3Wh1aQhnnGnDouWxc7KZXyTJylamgoUuPYu26EufApMUvX4IKKWSg/s750/Red-breasted%20Nuthatch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxvfFdnjhCd4wELcOcS2ky5fundZFTqFK8c6H4bTYeAstRgL9I51Zl36mCYLFKElRNSryY60PA3HUg6noMFlzqNoG3WrvWJ5MHEBfFgf2MAInXapQZ8nZOa9BjERUssoHZ7k3Wh1aQhnnGnDouWxc7KZXyTJylamgoUuPYu26EufApMUvX4IKKWSg/s16000/Red-breasted%20Nuthatch.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Red-breasted Nuthatch</div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGtVoEgey4OU8bXcWcS3MVkTTa0YfYxIh9p_9byuYBxL0wRsA_YFHf_5pbka0REWeF2MbBkDg4ziQ0B6CV1sOCdXRVtGTkrIldE-Us6QLOd8NA9-DtC5_YSGp8MVI28OlAJiUkglY9Nu0Hs93VkGUIgNyW77VczgQ-0Mfg1wPFJbDww93ZeXjWd7r/s750/Grasshopper%20Sparrow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGtVoEgey4OU8bXcWcS3MVkTTa0YfYxIh9p_9byuYBxL0wRsA_YFHf_5pbka0REWeF2MbBkDg4ziQ0B6CV1sOCdXRVtGTkrIldE-Us6QLOd8NA9-DtC5_YSGp8MVI28OlAJiUkglY9Nu0Hs93VkGUIgNyW77VczgQ-0Mfg1wPFJbDww93ZeXjWd7r/s16000/Grasshopper%20Sparrow.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Grasshopper Sparrow</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On my way back to the car, I had another look for the Hooded
Warbler, again to no avail, the first Common Yellowthroat of the trip was about
the best I saw in this area. Walking along another small loop near the visitor
centre, a stunning male Rose-breasted Grosbeak busily fed by the path and then
shortly after, an Ovenbird scuttled from the side of the path and then sat
motionless under a small bush, hoping I hadn’t noticed it.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagEf-wGn1-lPZS-IAYuLyQBQAyBbwGHuIWFCiNiSEDNbHl60gto-neKYexQAReUoLkT5fAB6cSpLkzI1odn_T1AR5rsAvVTVQhqUoXyRdTbifts3P2HTw8movFp4JMRiqZlOS-Xvj8vvtQ3a9RrFbZlYuP3qBx8z32ookg1cOp8EW-1TOYuBdFkQs/s750/Ovenbird.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagEf-wGn1-lPZS-IAYuLyQBQAyBbwGHuIWFCiNiSEDNbHl60gto-neKYexQAReUoLkT5fAB6cSpLkzI1odn_T1AR5rsAvVTVQhqUoXyRdTbifts3P2HTw8movFp4JMRiqZlOS-Xvj8vvtQ3a9RrFbZlYuP3qBx8z32ookg1cOp8EW-1TOYuBdFkQs/s16000/Ovenbird.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ovenbird</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vjA0ErH5_v1GyElhAt54tjIBdiKRIu0_fTe_6R8IZH4fz0GdDFrjqo0QQDSlLZZguUgTvF6abMaQi3cCGsIeo-cwoyWgLaFC5MIZAVRw5s8ANrP2i9AyYzNHso-JEVGUG2-NtiFQdbYIqYkSzT7Uw2_2CSg0j0S7h9saZdlTuBNjshzMdpiyly6J/s750/Rose-breasted%20Grosbeak.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vjA0ErH5_v1GyElhAt54tjIBdiKRIu0_fTe_6R8IZH4fz0GdDFrjqo0QQDSlLZZguUgTvF6abMaQi3cCGsIeo-cwoyWgLaFC5MIZAVRw5s8ANrP2i9AyYzNHso-JEVGUG2-NtiFQdbYIqYkSzT7Uw2_2CSg0j0S7h9saZdlTuBNjshzMdpiyly6J/s16000/Rose-breasted%20Grosbeak.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rose-breasted Grosbeak</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">I ended the day having a walk along the Marsh Boardwalk,
which other than the usual Red-winged Blackbirds was very quiet, until I saw a
stunning male Northern Harrier quartering over the reeds further along the
boardwalk. Unfortunately, just as I managed to get into position to photograph
it, the harrier dropped into the reeds and after a while reappeared and quickly
departed with some prey before I could manage any shots.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>6<sup>th</sup> May<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After yesterday’s haul of 65 species, I was at the entrance
gate even earlier in eager anticipation of another full day on Point Pelee.
Despite the near full car park, even at this early hour, I was surprised that
for the first half an hour of my walk along the Woodland Trail I didn’t see
another person. Walking the same loop as the previous day, I couldn’t find the
Ovenbird, but an unusual song caught my attention which turned out to be a
Northern Waterthrush, which was creeping around in a boggy area, but the light
was too poor for any photos. Further along the trail are a series of bridges
over flooded areas. The previous day, these pools just held Tree Swallows which
were checking out the nest boxes put out for Prothonotary Warblers, but
speaking to one of the staff, the warblers hadn’t arrived back yet as it had
been such a cold spring. As I stepped on to the first bridge, a flash of yellow
in a bush 20 yards away over the water caught my eye and was immediately
identifiable as a male Prothonotary Warbler, a bird I had really wanted to see!
I took a few quick shots of the bird and then for no reason, the warbler flew
straight toward me and landed on a branch right at my feet, completely
unconcerned by me being stood there, I had to zoom my lens out to fit the whole
bird in!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxdwChm6N7pHooGck2T-Z7K4CsZCGA9sOH96P9RUlDJSWtVnud46aKKRfn_4W0E5yuzqpw2K1N6kVg4jgORzJNq8_U_75UfST8DFKul1Z_KrYBsfQDTZmph4sK71XNem_T0VX4w0LtnNJi9W0rsBECezto5MNob5naIzXlZ6BeDwFvfbz-BUXGdz2/s750/Prothonotary%20Warbler.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxdwChm6N7pHooGck2T-Z7K4CsZCGA9sOH96P9RUlDJSWtVnud46aKKRfn_4W0E5yuzqpw2K1N6kVg4jgORzJNq8_U_75UfST8DFKul1Z_KrYBsfQDTZmph4sK71XNem_T0VX4w0LtnNJi9W0rsBECezto5MNob5naIzXlZ6BeDwFvfbz-BUXGdz2/s16000/Prothonotary%20Warbler.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhBhO5KZDzXzrV8iQE3cdutBqUcXIx3HIDJsQWGyXXUtDwuZeQajAUoSwaTXwsqmLgIsEMltPBoqBqGBPZXPuIe1tP06GsshSggdlmMatLyu_6VssPKOdRSwz-GGnVhWFCzugA5EKcSPPMWpd3KKSJ74iXZTB9k5c_fe4HZl0dbwwzUWEwhfgdNPX/s750/Prothonotary%20Warbler%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhBhO5KZDzXzrV8iQE3cdutBqUcXIx3HIDJsQWGyXXUtDwuZeQajAUoSwaTXwsqmLgIsEMltPBoqBqGBPZXPuIe1tP06GsshSggdlmMatLyu_6VssPKOdRSwz-GGnVhWFCzugA5EKcSPPMWpd3KKSJ74iXZTB9k5c_fe4HZl0dbwwzUWEwhfgdNPX/s16000/Prothonotary%20Warbler%202.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Prothonotary Warbler</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">The rest of the Woodland Trail was much quieter than
yesterday, a second Prothonotary Warbler having a dispute with some Tree
Swallows over ownership of a nest box, a Veery, a singing Orchard Oriole, a
showy Grey Catbird, a pair of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and several White-crowned Sparrows being the highlights,
so I headed back to the West Beach Footpath and back to have a look at the tip.
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLFS-MQttjX1IOw6bHlNvVAKrm8-WIqVkDvj7AqHYcRdgxUz1-1Zl8g3cNBAfZ4kiyvbb0MP084GxQR7OWftc8rGTZcBjb9IUvd4uI76974tGym29cRTlwaBDNiB8Xye7_AwwAQr8zB1L9XoZwUQDhufKI22aoy2RP7wBtQ3HJoUcm1MHfH_j7GzG/s750/Veery.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLFS-MQttjX1IOw6bHlNvVAKrm8-WIqVkDvj7AqHYcRdgxUz1-1Zl8g3cNBAfZ4kiyvbb0MP084GxQR7OWftc8rGTZcBjb9IUvd4uI76974tGym29cRTlwaBDNiB8Xye7_AwwAQr8zB1L9XoZwUQDhufKI22aoy2RP7wBtQ3HJoUcm1MHfH_j7GzG/s16000/Veery.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Veery</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2FeelRPJiW_bwnestCxGP3DYASe_KpH6KRRB22jpU4K2eDPW3BxdQ153ui4kKznRXMN-hxebwK-gU9AOp3BzFR3mPda573SXaAfIJWeGUr8tGu5EPcD0B_cPBINOyL3Pc9sIpZ0VrqpK2dCIkH8rENNZkvuLtJ2oggtEeIE0vsvkDusMjZXv2QE3/s750/Grey%20Catbird.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2FeelRPJiW_bwnestCxGP3DYASe_KpH6KRRB22jpU4K2eDPW3BxdQ153ui4kKznRXMN-hxebwK-gU9AOp3BzFR3mPda573SXaAfIJWeGUr8tGu5EPcD0B_cPBINOyL3Pc9sIpZ0VrqpK2dCIkH8rENNZkvuLtJ2oggtEeIE0vsvkDusMjZXv2QE3/s16000/Grey%20Catbird.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Grey Catbird</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpTkT-PWJSKTWymOnFHR36y8HMwZfEEc3MzWE-8q5M9WSrGMkOmc6ojy2aPpwBrZSnwZUCpdtVilP8swdCm4waX17XlfFLSBSWbbWapW5U94KjaCENpPfdMNzUKT9nbpuGk2ECiT4zqCPdKgDYr9XeFxS1P2xFQ1YJNHB0-Exk10hjAzjP4jqOfK7/s750/Orchard%20Oriole.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpTkT-PWJSKTWymOnFHR36y8HMwZfEEc3MzWE-8q5M9WSrGMkOmc6ojy2aPpwBrZSnwZUCpdtVilP8swdCm4waX17XlfFLSBSWbbWapW5U94KjaCENpPfdMNzUKT9nbpuGk2ECiT4zqCPdKgDYr9XeFxS1P2xFQ1YJNHB0-Exk10hjAzjP4jqOfK7/s16000/Orchard%20Oriole.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Orchard Oriole</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5APraKMauw9zY9z22XS2Dp9GPhfP_IZs_fViRqPOvcJhaQ6F0A98YxGFxnY4rk70hXeIk-Cm17ofM3wpWsD1y_L7iqgGPvvNnS6YHRgsHhW5eC-tTJ2KOMCRG7TDJ77FmgMgqmjUaJR_SVtgumRlyMkfP7YJDjCeZ4wB4p7lrFdy4M7ScdKJEFeAv/s750/White-crowned%20Sparrow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5APraKMauw9zY9z22XS2Dp9GPhfP_IZs_fViRqPOvcJhaQ6F0A98YxGFxnY4rk70hXeIk-Cm17ofM3wpWsD1y_L7iqgGPvvNnS6YHRgsHhW5eC-tTJ2KOMCRG7TDJ77FmgMgqmjUaJR_SVtgumRlyMkfP7YJDjCeZ4wB4p7lrFdy4M7ScdKJEFeAv/s16000/White-crowned%20Sparrow.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">White-crowned Sparrow</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal">The West Beach Footpath was also much quieter than
yesterday, the usual Yellow Warblers were commonplace, and a couple of Hermit Thrushes
and a Swainson’s Thrush showed well and a small group of Surf Scoter and Scaup
were “offshore”. A Least Flycatcher appeared briefly, thankfully just as a
passing group turned up who could identify it for me, as all <i>Empidonax</i>
flycatchers look very similar to the untrained eye and ear!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkx5-Ec0Gd9iIzZ2QHx5_I5HCDnitMTwM0XGkjvbnAn_l9GfF2imZsmUk3Mu_27xuE271xKGe79q8pSmj4lCvkn78brtIMmXIuBsvjladEcAYStxoObuUdBbBHTaZn7NHo6nGwiiPgw3CRU4SAFQ9WzKso-O_i_0OGiQa6o_Hz2csSMu1iwoYqOzT6/s750/Hermit%20Thrush.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkx5-Ec0Gd9iIzZ2QHx5_I5HCDnitMTwM0XGkjvbnAn_l9GfF2imZsmUk3Mu_27xuE271xKGe79q8pSmj4lCvkn78brtIMmXIuBsvjladEcAYStxoObuUdBbBHTaZn7NHo6nGwiiPgw3CRU4SAFQ9WzKso-O_i_0OGiQa6o_Hz2csSMu1iwoYqOzT6/s16000/Hermit%20Thrush.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hermit Thrush</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">As I approach the tip, the sight of a huddle of
photographers pointing their cameras at the grass made it apparent that a wren
was again lurking there. I assumed it was yesterday’s Sedge Wren, but when the
bird eventually showed properly, it turned out to be a Marsh Wren instead. As
it turned out, the Sedge Wren was still present just a few yards away.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQzxPRx4sefZazqAL3oIvlz2txunUu_ZTXsWdd_dC-2WaJu5q259ckIGv3XmMKbRhog_b8tOj_MsCpCiUG4bk095eQ-hSuRpfpfrdFlRN3dzGrxnVWkclV_GPdLaysEJA4OnOzLwPg5DV7eapEyOZmVPxg3bA9vSWvZ_GjZkWNzGxTlUNS02fk7rXn/s750/Marsh%20Wren.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQzxPRx4sefZazqAL3oIvlz2txunUu_ZTXsWdd_dC-2WaJu5q259ckIGv3XmMKbRhog_b8tOj_MsCpCiUG4bk095eQ-hSuRpfpfrdFlRN3dzGrxnVWkclV_GPdLaysEJA4OnOzLwPg5DV7eapEyOZmVPxg3bA9vSWvZ_GjZkWNzGxTlUNS02fk7rXn/s16000/Marsh%20Wren.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Marsh Wren</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Other than a Warbling Vireo in treetops and an Eastern
Bluebird by the path, there wasn’t much activity at the tip and so I walked
back north, this time along the seasonal Sparrow Field footpath. After only a
short walk, a Black and White Warbler was feeding, and for once at eye level
rather than higher up in the trees, and then slightly further up the path I
came across a Nashville Warbler, which I was happy to show to a few passing
birders, including a group from England.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Q7PFQ-C7jem-kqUDhMz9QtOTigOOheYX1ryJOBURLhzQBPGQVri0udXl7gGWIttds4LYMk_pJ6_2e6ketIRGtr76Iwk-lELrIeRBiszCGqtkyXbOGE1AULSzUzcq-DOBstgSg8F3E3SA1B7pZgeczqy_wgiQLOcVproe93sJ_rqQsd-G1BuRt8SB/s750/Black%20and%20White%20Warbler.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Q7PFQ-C7jem-kqUDhMz9QtOTigOOheYX1ryJOBURLhzQBPGQVri0udXl7gGWIttds4LYMk_pJ6_2e6ketIRGtr76Iwk-lELrIeRBiszCGqtkyXbOGE1AULSzUzcq-DOBstgSg8F3E3SA1B7pZgeczqy_wgiQLOcVproe93sJ_rqQsd-G1BuRt8SB/s16000/Black%20and%20White%20Warbler.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Black and White Warbler</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0IUQKRLl7kztUB7SwyHJnVHYrHaC82bcK9CTdAAz-9sc1Rhsuj5LPNlxfcujl5HpPvIaae_rS2nx4Fcx129DnWwb0tNkz08d1t88fJecfX1n0QNVrcc1UrJ_jmKOxpTykCnLR2y-G0sp-M5pqb4EwcWD_4Ao4eDrmTDEsqmWVBSOuYsUrPiGjRHH/s750/Eastern%20Bluebird.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0IUQKRLl7kztUB7SwyHJnVHYrHaC82bcK9CTdAAz-9sc1Rhsuj5LPNlxfcujl5HpPvIaae_rS2nx4Fcx129DnWwb0tNkz08d1t88fJecfX1n0QNVrcc1UrJ_jmKOxpTykCnLR2y-G0sp-M5pqb4EwcWD_4Ao4eDrmTDEsqmWVBSOuYsUrPiGjRHH/s16000/Eastern%20Bluebird.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Eastern Bluebird</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhyefNKVIF2WTO-_582zI_cwHgo7uUARgGl3iaDBIIsxqaEwbGCyOX_BCYIFisnEKj5FcLNhZ3vfbKmGHHFwfEX27Lb8oIx8Um6PKe88_r3dTYD0ZPQBgj-C-rxCHo0_Wk6aMogBoCsB1X3z8HQudEnwAfMK8RTR4unUlwwOthE3cLrO_phUeag00/s750/Nashville%20Warbler.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhyefNKVIF2WTO-_582zI_cwHgo7uUARgGl3iaDBIIsxqaEwbGCyOX_BCYIFisnEKj5FcLNhZ3vfbKmGHHFwfEX27Lb8oIx8Um6PKe88_r3dTYD0ZPQBgj-C-rxCHo0_Wk6aMogBoCsB1X3z8HQudEnwAfMK8RTR4unUlwwOthE3cLrO_phUeag00/s16000/Nashville%20Warbler.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Nashville Warbler</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Cutting back through the Woodland Trail, another gathering
of photographers were watching the species that had started my dream, a
gorgeous male Black-throated Green Warbler. Initially it was quite a way off
the path, but eventually came closer and I was able to get some lovely shots of
it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxX0WaiEfEGVEdHYlLSgEgGWGEtVTqClLXYheT8BckkXQFzLoCGCDgwQZKG3IKJezKM-TU6Ltam9257f0n0U9vvM-0KSehzmZrc7c0-dMGbWB6sM0ws6BXalyeNYTQQe5kO2ubxFRYp-e6L9Go2nbSc4MBPdtIABcm_vNV-Fdqvyll0Dtj1jBsX-j/s750/Black-throated%20Green%20Warbler%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxX0WaiEfEGVEdHYlLSgEgGWGEtVTqClLXYheT8BckkXQFzLoCGCDgwQZKG3IKJezKM-TU6Ltam9257f0n0U9vvM-0KSehzmZrc7c0-dMGbWB6sM0ws6BXalyeNYTQQe5kO2ubxFRYp-e6L9Go2nbSc4MBPdtIABcm_vNV-Fdqvyll0Dtj1jBsX-j/s16000/Black-throated%20Green%20Warbler%201.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN_IA_5gDoSMuxr0phZ8soZ5rX389dF7bZnKCIcsPQ4XYeqexDf-JjfrFYOrAvD3i4mqtOLlFyrRN6H8IpOJ6HUe8D82CAvEGaqYMuMXXqKVNzPmBcSe86tP0CpMQn-b9Qc9zYcWJLKL5ZxbD-zcRkmoeaiX_RW3kCoqfXcbp4ha-ciGNr-BFuSdBp/s750/Black-throated%20Green%20Warbler.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN_IA_5gDoSMuxr0phZ8soZ5rX389dF7bZnKCIcsPQ4XYeqexDf-JjfrFYOrAvD3i4mqtOLlFyrRN6H8IpOJ6HUe8D82CAvEGaqYMuMXXqKVNzPmBcSe86tP0CpMQn-b9Qc9zYcWJLKL5ZxbD-zcRkmoeaiX_RW3kCoqfXcbp4ha-ciGNr-BFuSdBp/s16000/Black-throated%20Green%20Warbler.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Black-throated Green Warbler</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">One of the English group watching the Nashville Warbler told
me they had earlier seen another of my most wanted species - Blackburnian
Warbler, along the Tilden Trail. Ever hopeful, I set off along this trail, and
although I couldn’t find the warbler, a showy Wood Thrush on the edge of a
small pool was ample compensation.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOti7gxfkR-ioHFAhnMHkhmBMHq3JBli71EZ0fAvfhwOqAZgtpdRBvQMW2Da3d5TgkJeu_oxlD8Dmw9rQENm52iLbNoTSDonC3y39hkihV45VlJMfjBO4cSQD91SZ6BCL18pOo8Dm5_t0L4pFTGgDkwtaqgfiu2qYgosF8Ix4_pTliLQbenSS5jwc/s750/Wood%20Thrush.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOti7gxfkR-ioHFAhnMHkhmBMHq3JBli71EZ0fAvfhwOqAZgtpdRBvQMW2Da3d5TgkJeu_oxlD8Dmw9rQENm52iLbNoTSDonC3y39hkihV45VlJMfjBO4cSQD91SZ6BCL18pOo8Dm5_t0L4pFTGgDkwtaqgfiu2qYgosF8Ix4_pTliLQbenSS5jwc/s16000/Wood%20Thrush.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wood Thrush</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Unsure how to spend the rest of the day, I again checked the
sightings board in the visitor centre, and a Blue-winged Warbler at the
Northwest Beach sounded like it was worth a try. This trail is a very short
trail, but within the first few minutes a Hermit Thrush showed well, and as I
was taking that in, I heard a nearby birder shout “Blackburnian”. I swung
around, looked up, and there was the unmistakeable orange throat of a stunning
male Blackburnian Warbler feeding in the trees above the path, and what an absolute
gem of a bird.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCKYatibGqhuxy5v3bPa2bS1n2n0ZXa-r2-4waW0oDew27i6E2Fhx9K2OabgF6EayL0NyGJOaZ9hN2EmdmnYMmDJcay3lqABt-WQYzHbIkSrMWXIZfCXgqFQ9bk-9xlZFtqmMYpm21tdfonxMnqRw7B3bvz9naC1tdBjZM_mtEuv_YjC1VzMSpoAy/s750/Blackburnian%20Warbler%20male.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCKYatibGqhuxy5v3bPa2bS1n2n0ZXa-r2-4waW0oDew27i6E2Fhx9K2OabgF6EayL0NyGJOaZ9hN2EmdmnYMmDJcay3lqABt-WQYzHbIkSrMWXIZfCXgqFQ9bk-9xlZFtqmMYpm21tdfonxMnqRw7B3bvz9naC1tdBjZM_mtEuv_YjC1VzMSpoAy/s16000/Blackburnian%20Warbler%20male.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Blackburnian Warbler</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">It immediately became obvious that a small flurry of
warblers had arrived and the atmosphere among the gathered birders and
photographers was electric as a Cape May Warbler was then found close by,
feeding in a gully by the bridge, quickly followed by a smart male
Black-throated Blue Warbler and a couple of Yellow-rumped Warblers. Shortly
afterwards the Blue-winged Warbler was refound, and showed well by the path,
busily feeding on spiders.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEJFSyEH47P3mqqUyAqyYuOqQENCUEk4F5nlbm1sxqPZol9fb_f73Zn24R3ibc3xq3-igSbySKHHxxFfdZ1J3UTK3SP7Uj1HSppznN8IjCCsltYiIN01jWI37xhEz9ZY2hoQfD4hOKolGFNmFerVAhfyP_lF0qHRvSHhicWQMbBwtJj5gkzm1kWtV/s750/Blue-winged%20Warbler.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEJFSyEH47P3mqqUyAqyYuOqQENCUEk4F5nlbm1sxqPZol9fb_f73Zn24R3ibc3xq3-igSbySKHHxxFfdZ1J3UTK3SP7Uj1HSppznN8IjCCsltYiIN01jWI37xhEz9ZY2hoQfD4hOKolGFNmFerVAhfyP_lF0qHRvSHhicWQMbBwtJj5gkzm1kWtV/s16000/Blue-winged%20Warbler.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmw9Qy-b_bwEASzNKyfWXCeGFDVxya5y7FfUwOraSLcDGEWEgFa28zkle43V3R34MRQw7lIjxBfmFXrboIR2K8Z6qspuZUXRl1SOiylh7LMWgXXbvIyRGI4wz2G1AuTAkayIeyyTrJ7GZI0ooL8mvH9HW96U6TJKaZagZpHTN8dDiigH_HLbZSf1hW/s750/Blue-winged%20Warbler%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmw9Qy-b_bwEASzNKyfWXCeGFDVxya5y7FfUwOraSLcDGEWEgFa28zkle43V3R34MRQw7lIjxBfmFXrboIR2K8Z6qspuZUXRl1SOiylh7LMWgXXbvIyRGI4wz2G1AuTAkayIeyyTrJ7GZI0ooL8mvH9HW96U6TJKaZagZpHTN8dDiigH_HLbZSf1hW/s16000/Blue-winged%20Warbler%202.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Blue-winged Warbler</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfQ5nxELmoOM6geTO9BI4-qc86G8nNRRz64LmvGdQ2YAVJrPuMV0veDJc28nnp5T64-i7FxAsu2rT7-QZMXrv_QOHhnYM80VkS55Qcy26k3aQ-0sYH1h0Io7A8NRLaRpcowMmkh0sVZjZhjPRQ-Ro6HA9kB8a36GnAFBvvOE7Km8L6LWmVzoUIRzL/s750/Cape%20May%20Warbler.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfQ5nxELmoOM6geTO9BI4-qc86G8nNRRz64LmvGdQ2YAVJrPuMV0veDJc28nnp5T64-i7FxAsu2rT7-QZMXrv_QOHhnYM80VkS55Qcy26k3aQ-0sYH1h0Io7A8NRLaRpcowMmkh0sVZjZhjPRQ-Ro6HA9kB8a36GnAFBvvOE7Km8L6LWmVzoUIRzL/s16000/Cape%20May%20Warbler.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cape May Warbler</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzNjO0eGOB7MYLcKnAQ9VphHL1ZuWCuyg030x5K8rNRXMLJJmUUVGw9Mm-AsM0rpTvabSrbFX2Y5pyLJwP1ICZucphl6E_XvmkJNYyHkl78HVcTohjJGzV9FF7Ps3tkfA8TzSIHKt-d9IIH0Tzo4-hviEaj-QX8d3_yn2J9dbcK-RPDGe66tYcc-L/s750/Black-throated%20Blue%20Warbler.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzNjO0eGOB7MYLcKnAQ9VphHL1ZuWCuyg030x5K8rNRXMLJJmUUVGw9Mm-AsM0rpTvabSrbFX2Y5pyLJwP1ICZucphl6E_XvmkJNYyHkl78HVcTohjJGzV9FF7Ps3tkfA8TzSIHKt-d9IIH0Tzo4-hviEaj-QX8d3_yn2J9dbcK-RPDGe66tYcc-L/s16000/Black-throated%20Blue%20Warbler.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Black-throated Blue Warbler</div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tearing myself away I decided to have a quick look at
Sanctuary where a brief male American Redstart appeared along with a few Yellow
Warbler, a House Wren and a pair of Northern Flickers. At this point my feet
were killing me having walked about 15km for the second consecutive day and so
I chose not to continue on any further paths and call it a day, which I found
out was a mistake as a I found out the following morning that Natally, a photographer
I was chatting to at Sanctuary, found a Chestnut-sided Warbler just after I had
left, oh well, you can’t win them all! <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfy8Nat45q7NCZjAIA8eSMjc8U1P8O4apPWll5P3xGexp3C7-39Mw3c1zoVqTL86WfF4kk4W22dnAzqBsiZAjW-ben-5MgJ0-6O-AP_-BvO0bkMl9QkQUzbjg9f58qLYFVwrtqECpF4sML7-Ou8R17YzN4fYVU5q7hnr2_VmZ6_mtRVlgpHolQh5aJ/s750/Northern%20Flicker.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfy8Nat45q7NCZjAIA8eSMjc8U1P8O4apPWll5P3xGexp3C7-39Mw3c1zoVqTL86WfF4kk4W22dnAzqBsiZAjW-ben-5MgJ0-6O-AP_-BvO0bkMl9QkQUzbjg9f58qLYFVwrtqECpF4sML7-Ou8R17YzN4fYVU5q7hnr2_VmZ6_mtRVlgpHolQh5aJ/s16000/Northern%20Flicker.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Northern Flicker</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">These final couple of hours of the day were exactly the
reason I had chosen to visit Point Pelee, and all evening I was buzzing as I
downloaded my photos and couldn’t wait for another, and sadly to be my final,
morning at Point Pelee. I finished the day on 72 species, which I was more than
happy with.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>7<sup>th</sup> May<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With my flight home not until 10pm, I knew I had the morning
to return to Point Pelee, giving myself the deadline of 1pm before I would have
to set off back to Toronto, just in case of any traffic hold ups on the way.
Rather than rush down to the tip, I instead decided to just return to Northwest
Beach where I had spent that exciting evening previously. I was surprised that
given how good it was the previous day that the car park was virtually empty,
and Natally was the first person I met. As we stood chatting about the previous
day’s birding, a lady walked up to us and said, “Look what I’ve just seen” and
showed us the back of her camera and a picture of a Coyote. We immediately
rushed down the path and the Coyote was still there, among the trees and
although it gave us a couple of wary looks as we tried to get a clearer photograph
through the trees, it wasn’t too concerned and eventually picked up its prey
and trotted off into the trees.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqR5KYRmIDjgU4w-nS30bszd5AuuhnZUpvwsdcyq5J3vUlGAU3KAS08gjyDysk11cxip6JASextSmGnnaaHeKl91pFUTs6RenL31d6PtBI6E8z2vDt3iTHl6BjbUbeX88XW4_YBlb2nkHrw2bje8Jsz2QJD_4gFh3-n8nEWc9GnlydpdVawpKkpdtP/s750/Coyote.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqR5KYRmIDjgU4w-nS30bszd5AuuhnZUpvwsdcyq5J3vUlGAU3KAS08gjyDysk11cxip6JASextSmGnnaaHeKl91pFUTs6RenL31d6PtBI6E8z2vDt3iTHl6BjbUbeX88XW4_YBlb2nkHrw2bje8Jsz2QJD_4gFh3-n8nEWc9GnlydpdVawpKkpdtP/s16000/Coyote.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Coyote</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">I spent the rest of the morning here, just walking the short
trail back and forth, and many of the warblers from the previous day were still
in evidence. There had been a further arrival of Yellow-rumped Warblers with at
least half a dozen birds around the trail, while 3 Blackburnian, 2
Black-throated Green, 2 Cape May, 2 Black and White, 2 Palm, a Magnolia and at
least 1 Black-throated Blue were also present.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzi3UH38RqdI3PhKyXCQR-7uNDPu0ewZ9hhVKlxrr0e0jjQiod4jTgY5MDKF9TTfbYbMWxeK_IytMwo8vD38ttAT5UgV9xJvCcNnu0_ZF-lLbMq2eqnViYUHyphn1wliX4I1qFg9awPcCr0rV7c2B2LwvQ8Zw8ogZ3HM4yIF7R0RPlsEWhHsIFN6gI/s750/Black%20and%20White%20Warbler%20singing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzi3UH38RqdI3PhKyXCQR-7uNDPu0ewZ9hhVKlxrr0e0jjQiod4jTgY5MDKF9TTfbYbMWxeK_IytMwo8vD38ttAT5UgV9xJvCcNnu0_ZF-lLbMq2eqnViYUHyphn1wliX4I1qFg9awPcCr0rV7c2B2LwvQ8Zw8ogZ3HM4yIF7R0RPlsEWhHsIFN6gI/s16000/Black%20and%20White%20Warbler%20singing.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Black and White Warbler</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhty9fiu4XkFqe_ROTYx6OgMH7BYCxUawFsKn8yeK7af9VHvJBMCEolDKD5kPy-rGXLPulGbEAxzlYs3FA_sXAhhTFLE_hUZMfXlFM3Nh0hrMCJV2Q1uHOOWag5L7iAzrquWFQJQAfPUFiu6NI74ln1Hkr4alHFfxowd_jxVMlH51brxF-G2bjfmd/s750/Black-throated%20Blue%20Warbler.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhty9fiu4XkFqe_ROTYx6OgMH7BYCxUawFsKn8yeK7af9VHvJBMCEolDKD5kPy-rGXLPulGbEAxzlYs3FA_sXAhhTFLE_hUZMfXlFM3Nh0hrMCJV2Q1uHOOWag5L7iAzrquWFQJQAfPUFiu6NI74ln1Hkr4alHFfxowd_jxVMlH51brxF-G2bjfmd/s16000/Black-throated%20Blue%20Warbler.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Black-throated Blue Warbler</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNZJismPwAcY8niVO_K6UO0CqeSVycQPju1tk728jjXNXmZkDNfSKbB_MoWGYnatPrMDTszo_a4PWNer3hOaM5k1b-x2zsZzjhhV6KfIsOoVzWxhGzUNokCP2u1redaKaepRZjA7B_tt2Yri2cR5jALvFaIupY-CRFJvxN4lvQ2LYlUyjJ_zjAeXX/s750/Blackburnian%20Warbler%20female.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNZJismPwAcY8niVO_K6UO0CqeSVycQPju1tk728jjXNXmZkDNfSKbB_MoWGYnatPrMDTszo_a4PWNer3hOaM5k1b-x2zsZzjhhV6KfIsOoVzWxhGzUNokCP2u1redaKaepRZjA7B_tt2Yri2cR5jALvFaIupY-CRFJvxN4lvQ2LYlUyjJ_zjAeXX/s16000/Blackburnian%20Warbler%20female.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">female Blackburnian Warbler</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGYRSQxf_DN1YcXDQkoFN3SVQYAeH1hAZDBdLxlyqvioCus413ehosiDshydr-QHRnW9x6mB2p1N6jVn_21yLrqu-xM7nIPwfvRf6YseNJWSFM_GMGWmjM-HjtpfK5cLGJTa4NGGzI7EUM1oKQM5cWgrdYLovel_Waon4gGdz5n831jIAc21Xjb3au/s750/Cape%20May%20Warbler%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGYRSQxf_DN1YcXDQkoFN3SVQYAeH1hAZDBdLxlyqvioCus413ehosiDshydr-QHRnW9x6mB2p1N6jVn_21yLrqu-xM7nIPwfvRf6YseNJWSFM_GMGWmjM-HjtpfK5cLGJTa4NGGzI7EUM1oKQM5cWgrdYLovel_Waon4gGdz5n831jIAc21Xjb3au/s16000/Cape%20May%20Warbler%202.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cape May Warbler</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZuSGK2fUBXWqeOZbo0359vlRrYgtBiW5icH69Me4Sdkzh1fGU84eQWzjdJo8HJRfjdsk4EWLq1UWF5UVFDHI80xXF8kpomYs06M45wN1Ku_DMjtHjFxrFpqHdXnlHt5LODeZCC10KmGQ0FTlbM8XoLdroEFWXR4OVRoV7ZQqupSLBjKU4RQVDq1I/s750/Palm%20Warbler.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZuSGK2fUBXWqeOZbo0359vlRrYgtBiW5icH69Me4Sdkzh1fGU84eQWzjdJo8HJRfjdsk4EWLq1UWF5UVFDHI80xXF8kpomYs06M45wN1Ku_DMjtHjFxrFpqHdXnlHt5LODeZCC10KmGQ0FTlbM8XoLdroEFWXR4OVRoV7ZQqupSLBjKU4RQVDq1I/s16000/Palm%20Warbler.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Palm Warbler</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftDkQtuf4b0Xn_4tl6tmGy6GAPg01aa5jXt-Ub28Q1wG1nxJODCsL87AMN0wkHzhtezmKnNlwWfU5eqyeGtH2G0mIfUW2qUJGA8gzSM2ARbppKSaPtbnNFVkMYfcaKnCyZrSKVRKjilO8dzdvXLBLpKss5dp-VHrnVEv7WdTmOJgBXAEvddB77cxD/s750/Yellow-rumped%20Warbler%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftDkQtuf4b0Xn_4tl6tmGy6GAPg01aa5jXt-Ub28Q1wG1nxJODCsL87AMN0wkHzhtezmKnNlwWfU5eqyeGtH2G0mIfUW2qUJGA8gzSM2ARbppKSaPtbnNFVkMYfcaKnCyZrSKVRKjilO8dzdvXLBLpKss5dp-VHrnVEv7WdTmOJgBXAEvddB77cxD/s16000/Yellow-rumped%20Warbler%202.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yellow-rumped Warbler</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">It wasn’t just about the warblers here, as a male Scarlet
Tanager shone in the trees, an Eastern Kingbird briefly and a male
Ruby-throated Hummingbird chasing some kinglets all lit up the morning, and
slightly less spectacular-looking, a Least Flycatcher and a Savannah Sparrow
were more confiding.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJpXwJA-qfqw6I-0ob1lGPOEGfpN1MsPGdIjn1VU3xupQFh4h1KlKBita2JvcvDCc7asDKrGwhNwwrW_UaKBL3tEgv09zfTXDqRDyRroVjAmqZVjMor9pgRzOqS99P-QtnAK6u9PzePkDp_loExjDJvJOG-zHM1M1Rlw12DjgKTtFIEPAeBWsEJ5e/s750/Savannah%20Sparrow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJpXwJA-qfqw6I-0ob1lGPOEGfpN1MsPGdIjn1VU3xupQFh4h1KlKBita2JvcvDCc7asDKrGwhNwwrW_UaKBL3tEgv09zfTXDqRDyRroVjAmqZVjMor9pgRzOqS99P-QtnAK6u9PzePkDp_loExjDJvJOG-zHM1M1Rlw12DjgKTtFIEPAeBWsEJ5e/s16000/Savannah%20Sparrow.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Savannah Sparrow</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8j7mGpgVjweMHWN_BDoJ_yX1peowzS9diDM63XwVb2nLA1A6g-zGamsm-fJ1ItN1VzwCkpVCCqogoGNegJVJyB6bFNHbsgb-GyyOtLfBVqQ2iHmRIYVX0TYSGVq91boYuQ2DAvI_7w_jTyUzfCWkpZuHx-q7a2a__-YtPJydPQoeAgqICGDvuGwQ/s750/Least%20Flycatcher.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8j7mGpgVjweMHWN_BDoJ_yX1peowzS9diDM63XwVb2nLA1A6g-zGamsm-fJ1ItN1VzwCkpVCCqogoGNegJVJyB6bFNHbsgb-GyyOtLfBVqQ2iHmRIYVX0TYSGVq91boYuQ2DAvI_7w_jTyUzfCWkpZuHx-q7a2a__-YtPJydPQoeAgqICGDvuGwQ/s16000/Least%20Flycatcher.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Least Flycatcher</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As the morning wore on, the birding slowed down, and a short
look at Sanctuary in the hope of relocating yesterday’s Chestnut-sided Warbler,
but with time running out before I would have to drag myself away, I was only
able to find a Cape May Warbler, a group of 4 Cedar Waxwings and a few
Yellow-rumped and Yellow Warblers.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Inevitably, I made good time getting back to Toronto, and as
I had a couple of hours to kill before I needed to be at the airport, I went to
Colonel Samuel Smith Park for my final taste of Canadian birding. It was very
overcast when I arrived, but a short walk around the park produced a single
Warbling Vireo, while on the small lakes, a single drake Bufflehead showed
close in and several pairs of Red-necked Grebes were present and calling to one
another.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvm-A8gvfY-B-8C2jM7ILfZnkwavVEXNbtjUtMOEcdbJqjjOVdsjvMo_rQdEiySJ4wb8Ml6acdphUAoaQNlKi8spqFzRaxXLtXuqjoCi6HY4w9ChHlsi4_Asg_utkltREBRepGrTws7pDNksikwoRSZf01D-SBR6_lZJZH994KWkfEZ06Cc2B9YsN/s750/Bufflehead.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvm-A8gvfY-B-8C2jM7ILfZnkwavVEXNbtjUtMOEcdbJqjjOVdsjvMo_rQdEiySJ4wb8Ml6acdphUAoaQNlKi8spqFzRaxXLtXuqjoCi6HY4w9ChHlsi4_Asg_utkltREBRepGrTws7pDNksikwoRSZf01D-SBR6_lZJZH994KWkfEZ06Cc2B9YsN/s16000/Bufflehead.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bufflehead</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhXifmZzwpdT5RP0SLOklYVLV1V-Yl24tfXg5nyoQD4Aud4Smr4b0OI6qTJawpqzPnlllHSdHyLvwp2vDoPjafbFw7axysfJS3uvn8MCWBcuZW5mdbcnQFdJIc9dWIaEllcCnm3xNOJj20DHCYk2anX9eEH3qkhXEsK9Cx4THQXHLJ7EOv-6s7iOx/s750/Red-necked%20Grebe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhXifmZzwpdT5RP0SLOklYVLV1V-Yl24tfXg5nyoQD4Aud4Smr4b0OI6qTJawpqzPnlllHSdHyLvwp2vDoPjafbFw7axysfJS3uvn8MCWBcuZW5mdbcnQFdJIc9dWIaEllcCnm3xNOJj20DHCYk2anX9eEH3qkhXEsK9Cx4THQXHLJ7EOv-6s7iOx/s16000/Red-necked%20Grebe.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Red-necked Grebe</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Out on Lake Ontario on which the park sits, as at Point
Pelee, the surreal sight of groups of Long-tailed Duck, a species in the UK we
only see in the winter and at sea. Watching summer plumage birds among
Red-breasted Mergansers so far inland did feel odd! After a few minutes
photographing some confiding Tree Swallows, it was time to head to the airport
and my flight home.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FLyO0llb0Yd-bf0-fni6lgauXC-hzAqQwUslragg5Ww0_lnUoo8lgrqcjYDdd6VG8KisMwOGUwFl-MYBbwHSud4Ey1OwWbGIgCYxraOCuMLawm4UMmGhzUvUoWVql-EQrY4JQ10vK_hqcqZRmGJRCrXIr132MNWbZGQHuQ-cyAlWSPm7-vh1BJ49/s750/Tree%20Swallow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FLyO0llb0Yd-bf0-fni6lgauXC-hzAqQwUslragg5Ww0_lnUoo8lgrqcjYDdd6VG8KisMwOGUwFl-MYBbwHSud4Ey1OwWbGIgCYxraOCuMLawm4UMmGhzUvUoWVql-EQrY4JQ10vK_hqcqZRmGJRCrXIr132MNWbZGQHuQ-cyAlWSPm7-vh1BJ49/s16000/Tree%20Swallow.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tree Swallow</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Although my trip to Canada was brief and the warbler migration
wasn’t as spectacular as in some years, it was an amazing trip with 128 species
of bird and 6 species of mammals seen, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute. It
was great to meet so many friendly photographers and birders who were happy to
share their knowledge and I am already planning to return next spring!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-4197935972527632452022-10-13T00:23:00.003+01:002022-10-13T01:15:25.716+01:00A long way back<p>The remaining couple of days in Churchill were very uninspiring, we couldn't get back to the highs of the Polar Bear tundra buggy experience. We had a possible exciting moment, when one evening as we drove down the long track to the Marina to look for Belugas while the wind had subsided, we were parked up and saw a brief white tail disappear behind a rock a few feet from the car. A few seconds later, what looked like a Wolf appeared from behind the rock and casually walked around the car park before moving back up to the road. I say "what looked like" since there are a lot of sled dogs in Churchill that bear more than a passing resemblance to a true wolf, and although we were 15km out of town, the possibility this was just one of them can't be ruled out, I'm not sure we'll ever know.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggIMRriIWqO_DfsjcWIBdGXE5TMa6LCF8wdZZouln3ms21ON1JJa_go5ZnysU3RaAdJyCNEoIS3w4MTKT9ljrKuIj6vAsmopBvSZGbKmgm3dz4oLl2w3EZf5EgecDqrICUWs9xz6Xi1cFA4Ekuv6mKue6cso-i6u6wzElpmFc4cQB9rhWi-eGX1tCy/s750/Awolf.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggIMRriIWqO_DfsjcWIBdGXE5TMa6LCF8wdZZouln3ms21ON1JJa_go5ZnysU3RaAdJyCNEoIS3w4MTKT9ljrKuIj6vAsmopBvSZGbKmgm3dz4oLl2w3EZf5EgecDqrICUWs9xz6Xi1cFA4Ekuv6mKue6cso-i6u6wzElpmFc4cQB9rhWi-eGX1tCy/s16000/Awolf.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>Driving the same few roads as the previous didn't produce much other than much closer views of an Arctic Hare, again sitting on the lee side of rocks by the road, and unconcerned at us approaching them on foot.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLClsOcPSkqFmgDwiNDa0eGHt6JeS7VOswAi-G6ofidBet7itzSL5yF_cN1SY0DlfgwLZdSGf_wgevYQAFeb2M-P58vGpnT9sjlLeFESM63JhEQrnRHukyOBpp7pfLTJxt75INp7a9gDTrKLWfnx4CkQOz15X-5BWqBW8hCZfmVRhWr5XTOAiYiHMM/s750/AHare.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLClsOcPSkqFmgDwiNDa0eGHt6JeS7VOswAi-G6ofidBet7itzSL5yF_cN1SY0DlfgwLZdSGf_wgevYQAFeb2M-P58vGpnT9sjlLeFESM63JhEQrnRHukyOBpp7pfLTJxt75INp7a9gDTrKLWfnx4CkQOz15X-5BWqBW8hCZfmVRhWr5XTOAiYiHMM/s16000/AHare.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>The next couple of days have been far from relaxing and the camera has hardly been used, and have just been spent travelling, firstly the gruelling 14 hour train ride back to Thompson with a 3 hour drive to a town called The Pas straight after. Having had mostly cloudy nights while in Churchill, the night on the train was clear, and we got our best views of the Northern Lights.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy76KksvHHa-v9odNvY8HcHwNVOhorD78OWSQpMzPJ9veBxxX1u3XMyvhkPBUlywW4gRJNs7s7tKP3jhTzm_F_8A2jsNpRbQnf_BrfP0ZzFmsfIakY2BhDYsXtIZ1x4E-Jvv6DhGq3aYcCNSgEcC7MCJhEH0v27A6lnQw9MuY2yzxTUcLcWyOpsf2T/s750/20221008_210309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy76KksvHHa-v9odNvY8HcHwNVOhorD78OWSQpMzPJ9veBxxX1u3XMyvhkPBUlywW4gRJNs7s7tKP3jhTzm_F_8A2jsNpRbQnf_BrfP0ZzFmsfIakY2BhDYsXtIZ1x4E-Jvv6DhGq3aYcCNSgEcC7MCJhEH0v27A6lnQw9MuY2yzxTUcLcWyOpsf2T/s16000/20221008_210309.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>On arriving in The Pas, the only accommodation we could find online ahead of arriving in the town was an inn, and even before we set foot in the place we had an uneasy feeling about it. This was made worse by driving round the back of the building to our room, past a group of people that looked like they were doing a drug deal. On top of this, while we were settling into our room, there was a discussion in the hallway outside where someone had called social services on one of the residents, not the most restful of places, especially with a long drive ahead next day. Despite the now late hour, we decided to get the hell out of there and thankfully found a much nicer hotel nearby, though why they aren't on hotel booking sites I'll never know, and we could have saved a lot of stress!!</p><p>The next day we drove 1,100km back to Alberta, which took just over 12 hours in total. We took a different route back, but as with the drive eastwards, we still faced mile after mile of incredibly straight road, we measured one at 55km from one bend in the road until the next! </p><p>Arriving back around Calgary, we were met by a scene similar to something out of an apocalypse movie, lightning, very strong wind, rain and hail, we honestly thought a tornado was going to develop any second, but we made it to our accommodation near Sundre unscathed.</p><p>Next morning, we awoke to a glorious sunny and frosty morning, and the ranch we were staying on was perfect for a short morning walk. The hoped for Great Grey Owls that they have breeding on site sadly didn't appear, but a close encounter with a Moose, plus many American Tree Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, Red-breasted Nuthatches, a Sharp-shinned Hawk and another Harris's Sparrow were seen.</p><p>Our final destination for a few days before we head back to the UK is just outside Bragg Creek. When we visited Canada in 2016, Toni found some Wild Horses to photograph near here and so we came in via the Ghost River Valley, but the horses were mostly hiding in the trees and a Golden Eagle was about the only bird of interest to be had, some Bighorn Sheep by the road were much more photogenic though. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAOzREfwTiCvV3oRWBaYQ2LHTONmwdr7NtEHgMfalCcXi7xf6dRByjF2BaksTdUA7pW_j6u0KwaMwL9f8qp2I242ELGZ5whfRGXS9BEg0eSeOuLH73KXlaJ-FdVhw0Q6eHjPuL8xgyRkQyQoLH-WC8feqJO8AALZTz_H663GSLCktUiwglV18RqYv0/s750/ASheep.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAOzREfwTiCvV3oRWBaYQ2LHTONmwdr7NtEHgMfalCcXi7xf6dRByjF2BaksTdUA7pW_j6u0KwaMwL9f8qp2I242ELGZ5whfRGXS9BEg0eSeOuLH73KXlaJ-FdVhw0Q6eHjPuL8xgyRkQyQoLH-WC8feqJO8AALZTz_H663GSLCktUiwglV18RqYv0/s16000/ASheep.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>Being just outside Banff National Park, we will at least get a day there to look for Elk, wolves and other more exciting wildlife in the next day or two, and hopefully get the chance to reacquaint ourselves with he camera once more.</p>Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-60914684186530386192022-10-07T12:45:00.004+01:002022-10-07T12:45:33.993+01:00Big White Tour<p>Having spent the last couple of days fruitlessly driving the few roads around Churchill trying to find some Polar Bears, we joined a Frontiers North Tundra Buggy tour. After a short bus ride from the town, we boarded the tundra buggy near the Northern Studies Research Centre and set off along the bumpy "tracks" in search of bears.</p><p>We hadn't been travelling much more than 15 minutes when one of the passengers at the front of the buggy spotted a Polar Bear asleep in the shelter of some rocks ahead. As we trundled our way closer, another passenger saw an Arctic Fox sitting a short way off to the side, and thankfully it stayed put as we scrambled outside the buggy onto the back viewing platform. Unfortunately, my binocular strap chose that particular moment to come undone and so I only managed to quickly grabbed a couple of photos before trying to fix the strap to stop them falling on the floor. By the time I'd fixed the strap, the fox had ambled into some willows and out of sight.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6IgBVgKygqyG1BwvFFCe7lv0uiYF4Q88C9jOvA6_QUIUQ0ppuQ4vDN8c6WzS5m2LqkPfvISWWI15v0BPW_5iik_QHaLBfKQDtiitZaOgSnXxj3yt0_QgP7DOTOKI32ttLTJ-EkAUF9LSPFiNuGmfH0sCycsM3qGqBqvcU2tAozeI6O1_6Hk9KjYZ/s750/AF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6IgBVgKygqyG1BwvFFCe7lv0uiYF4Q88C9jOvA6_QUIUQ0ppuQ4vDN8c6WzS5m2LqkPfvISWWI15v0BPW_5iik_QHaLBfKQDtiitZaOgSnXxj3yt0_QgP7DOTOKI32ttLTJ-EkAUF9LSPFiNuGmfH0sCycsM3qGqBqvcU2tAozeI6O1_6Hk9KjYZ/s16000/AF.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>Going back to the bear, the driver was excellent, and slowly crept us along the ridge above where the bear was resting. On hearing the buggy above her, the bear appeared looking over a rock at us, and then decided to come and check us out properly and walked to within a few feet of the buggy, often sniffing the air to try to work out what all these thing were making clicking noises.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCKESkimEfwSjcHmyi7LmBdjqkFxFQegISIowNXD30sGN1eD1jo_N4XPqWPEWoP-qR0Y6sFcmGCtiJRS8F7YM6zZxLZDRu3l2YE60RCb1zFv6vRbXW527z6_dohlugeszsAZ2uO3Pa2ePfz2qVhFg_P3F38fvZ1nnyhM4dbGNWkl24MkewSPeCAbq/s750/PB1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCKESkimEfwSjcHmyi7LmBdjqkFxFQegISIowNXD30sGN1eD1jo_N4XPqWPEWoP-qR0Y6sFcmGCtiJRS8F7YM6zZxLZDRu3l2YE60RCb1zFv6vRbXW527z6_dohlugeszsAZ2uO3Pa2ePfz2qVhFg_P3F38fvZ1nnyhM4dbGNWkl24MkewSPeCAbq/s16000/PB1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIxi_hvMTVbLG4lnWbDDWdow0j_3TS7M4I1d-sniysCDtRVlubLn8eX31rGOy8JJKNcLqc-qVzoYW8gk16bFlBMEN41H4_LpD4d9nM1mQ3DfDxZGDBxSbwUvhjx86AxNlZPome9oL5vYWyfQmmN_IfniQ9c8BQ3NUtwnfPuJ0QBpgZf8Or5D2bfS6/s750/PB4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIxi_hvMTVbLG4lnWbDDWdow0j_3TS7M4I1d-sniysCDtRVlubLn8eX31rGOy8JJKNcLqc-qVzoYW8gk16bFlBMEN41H4_LpD4d9nM1mQ3DfDxZGDBxSbwUvhjx86AxNlZPome9oL5vYWyfQmmN_IfniQ9c8BQ3NUtwnfPuJ0QBpgZf8Or5D2bfS6/s16000/PB4.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw2a0_aeyG7oF5IS9kyMFkS3p4KyZhooOI-OOEcXEhO4mYrfSeagJyjtJD1hHsOjxkuUefMWG_nC1zg98pxS2vjIcoBwXRX2HWBcujih2rUkgkw29B-whkvFVbFSxibwlHY-hptVOwj5VFYFFnG7CDLvEYD4W8F-6NDxEEH8ID7pdd46DmnTxUdxAE/s750/PB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw2a0_aeyG7oF5IS9kyMFkS3p4KyZhooOI-OOEcXEhO4mYrfSeagJyjtJD1hHsOjxkuUefMWG_nC1zg98pxS2vjIcoBwXRX2HWBcujih2rUkgkw29B-whkvFVbFSxibwlHY-hptVOwj5VFYFFnG7CDLvEYD4W8F-6NDxEEH8ID7pdd46DmnTxUdxAE/s16000/PB.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mX0G6-1PsHcpR0XHe2m9WL6F43Vk_Pzy8inGq3jJb1DuWG0suQyNWy4XJ3s7a9A4E92PsEasCEeH2KdyvU4fWJ8RwpCpPiPzMaacPByRRQ4yBvemhLmGN4Gx7kZ0WpcUn3fVm0CDm10c3exIOHjBnknBBOlpSrEYxTRPiTysFXXo97uCU0wW77kJ/s750/PB5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="606" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mX0G6-1PsHcpR0XHe2m9WL6F43Vk_Pzy8inGq3jJb1DuWG0suQyNWy4XJ3s7a9A4E92PsEasCEeH2KdyvU4fWJ8RwpCpPiPzMaacPByRRQ4yBvemhLmGN4Gx7kZ0WpcUn3fVm0CDm10c3exIOHjBnknBBOlpSrEYxTRPiTysFXXo97uCU0wW77kJ/s16000/PB5.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>After a few moments, she walked away and then turned around, and came back for another look, before deciding we weren't really that interesting and set off toward another group of rocks. The driver, left her be for 10 minutes, which having seen the behaviour of some tour guides in Africa particular was incredibly responsible, as the inhabitants of the buggy all regaled how incredible a view we had just had. As we set off again and had to go past her, she had settled again in the lee of some rocks, and hardly batted an eyelid and she slept on some rocks and we left her to resume her sleep.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtQ5IvhtQh38u6mO44H9cGrpW3YAJNAnic5ejWngSu6mnOih2s5oLpCZTHit5zUz_s1gH7W1G8hRxJknsd2NtNHfVCZ9reXnLlZaR4i8aAiYujJPYQTEPgfflMazosRQxmqUZEJFnEpE23iUDgOPRZ1MPWtmIoEXavNbv9QrHeHxY21I2YmHAvekt/s750/PB3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtQ5IvhtQh38u6mO44H9cGrpW3YAJNAnic5ejWngSu6mnOih2s5oLpCZTHit5zUz_s1gH7W1G8hRxJknsd2NtNHfVCZ9reXnLlZaR4i8aAiYujJPYQTEPgfflMazosRQxmqUZEJFnEpE23iUDgOPRZ1MPWtmIoEXavNbv9QrHeHxY21I2YmHAvekt/s16000/PB3.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>We trundled on across the tundra, seeing occasional groups of Snow Bunting and Shore Larks and then some Willow Ptarmigan (sorry, Willow Grouse, they call them Ptarmigan over here to confuse things even though they are the same Red Grouse we get in Britain, though these guys turn white which ours don't!) which kept in among the willow scrub.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ClG4abSEeu4rjwNqnqjjRgT4-SI6XEhqcwLjb0CQEl8-ylbfHTsJe-hPvKQMMHKzWXMLBopiwQrxtmv-fvCcbE0O8lB9ghlvmcj8mirbQjYUwJABxgf1r9lKJ0Sf2qpNzYa6foSYUxjNXUdnUiatoJJrXFblM9HpxUVSukSNCvPNrIcNG4j5G2tW/s750/WG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ClG4abSEeu4rjwNqnqjjRgT4-SI6XEhqcwLjb0CQEl8-ylbfHTsJe-hPvKQMMHKzWXMLBopiwQrxtmv-fvCcbE0O8lB9ghlvmcj8mirbQjYUwJABxgf1r9lKJ0Sf2qpNzYa6foSYUxjNXUdnUiatoJJrXFblM9HpxUVSukSNCvPNrIcNG4j5G2tW/s16000/WG.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>After a stop for lunch, we began to head back, and came across another bear, though it was much further away, walking along a spit, but after the earlier views of the young female, this bear was nowhere near as exciting.</p><p>As we retraced our steps and headed back to shore, we passed the original bear, who by this time was out walking around along a spit looking for a snack. It was nice to watch her in her environment as the tour guide told us tales of how he once saw 27 bears from one spot but nowadays, in a good day you may see 10 in a day. The population in Hudson Bay has nearly halved in his 20 years doing tours here, and who knows what the future holds for these magnificent animals?</p>Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-16600696836925489462022-10-05T23:54:00.000+01:002022-10-05T23:54:13.664+01:00Planes, trains and automobiles<p>Having flown across the Atlantic, driven 1,500km from Calgary to Thompson, we caught the overnight train to Churchill. The train is quite a slow moving and very rocky and clattery one, trying to get a decent night's sleep on the reclining chairs is not easy and we arrived in Churchill feeling more jetlagged than we did after the flight to Canada. As we approached Churchill, we did see a few birds, mostly Willow Grouse, which had mostly moulted and so had a lot of white on them, and also a couple of Rough-legged Buzzards.</p><p>The rental car company met us off the train with the truck we were hiring, took payment for the car and handed us a map of the area, with roads and track we were allowed to drive on marked and then a series of Xs for those we weren't. However, given the scale of the map, it's not that easy to work out which is which in real life, but annoyingly, the track known locally as "Polar Bear Alley" was one of the off limits ones!</p><p>A couple of people we had met en route to Churchill were adamant we would see bears and we rather innocently thought there would be quite a few around along the shore and easy to see, if not get close to. However, it is early in the season and the biting northerly wind may be making them keep their heads down, and after 2 days of driving various road and tracks and scanning shorelines, we still haven't seen a Polar Bear, or much else come to that.</p><p>The excitement, for me anyway, reached its peak as we drove along a track by the river. Suddenly I braked and swerved so that I could get my lens lined up on something ahead. Toni said, "Is there something exciting?" to which I replied, "Yes, Sparrows!". Possibly not what she was expecting, but on the track were 4 sparrows - 3 American Tree Sparrow and 1 Harris's Sparrow, both species I've not seen before. The Harris's Sparrow showed quite well by the side of the track and I did at least manage a few respectable photos of it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzv1-_R651lm2hC8oTWDK7GruYq94qzqLmf1HjAiQinQ5p66JPUClLKoh3dMYZH-I8elMo5M4nF1G2LwJ6m_l2_zpCESskiqiSeLmJSscXkx8uuWtiPwdjPhQ05oZrVx4qI5IjVwg2iRcgPhMbU_4vqSjtUqcdzhghizLc3a0iiH1Lq9ME0ZOtP7o/s750/HS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzv1-_R651lm2hC8oTWDK7GruYq94qzqLmf1HjAiQinQ5p66JPUClLKoh3dMYZH-I8elMo5M4nF1G2LwJ6m_l2_zpCESskiqiSeLmJSscXkx8uuWtiPwdjPhQ05oZrVx4qI5IjVwg2iRcgPhMbU_4vqSjtUqcdzhghizLc3a0iiH1Lq9ME0ZOtP7o/s16000/HS.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>To even things out, since Toni much prefers furry animals to feathered ones, this morning while driving down one track, we did find a couple of Arctic Hares, both hunkered down behind rocks sheltering from the blustery wind, and when we returned later in the day, they were still there and clearly not moving far from their sheltered spots.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTaay7kKmD8pWVjAIkYBmz7EzQOk5Kwq362KxNNwumOlzLuc9kv7hx_k39EXevk2M379-8naMKK_ku9pj51tndX1QF0QTFXh0O-ZHMEtd46gSVholpsfbnK982nlKd_SPQwP3q4kcG1_IrF_HE-fgPQ_huFVldQjeal2bQeGY34jax77bg0PFTqpYq/s750/AH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTaay7kKmD8pWVjAIkYBmz7EzQOk5Kwq362KxNNwumOlzLuc9kv7hx_k39EXevk2M379-8naMKK_ku9pj51tndX1QF0QTFXh0O-ZHMEtd46gSVholpsfbnK982nlKd_SPQwP3q4kcG1_IrF_HE-fgPQ_huFVldQjeal2bQeGY34jax77bg0PFTqpYq/s16000/AH.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>Hopefully, tomorrow's tundra buggy tour will be more fruitful for seeing and photographing Polar Bears than driving back and forth along the same roads each day has been...</p>Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-42150123643607143892022-10-03T01:34:00.001+01:002022-10-03T01:47:27.088+01:00The long, and certainly not winding, road<p>Canada is big. Very big! Even though we are used to driving large distances on these trips, the last few days has felt like quite a slog. It has taken 3 days of travelling east from Elk Island National Park, about 1,300km, to our destination of Thompson, Manitoba from where we will catch the train to Churchill.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCUwxWJUsASZ45xw5xZni3HVgzoV3WePoSdMd-7cBK5GEL5JDVRiq7uKQ1TwOqyOWJwwXGf8FoJrUW0Cg8Ib3otvn5gBVItvuzu7QlyDfkP9M2LWNqGo-8x4fKYyU2SD4y9xXCcb6_KYTl-LR4lYh-Y2kk669gXVZIBxozz5kf7XS32YnEJctIcPP/s750/Screenshot%202022-10-02%20165922.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCUwxWJUsASZ45xw5xZni3HVgzoV3WePoSdMd-7cBK5GEL5JDVRiq7uKQ1TwOqyOWJwwXGf8FoJrUW0Cg8Ib3otvn5gBVItvuzu7QlyDfkP9M2LWNqGo-8x4fKYyU2SD4y9xXCcb6_KYTl-LR4lYh-Y2kk669gXVZIBxozz5kf7XS32YnEJctIcPP/s16000/Screenshot%202022-10-02%20165922.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>We have done long drives in Canada before, but in British Columbia, where the scenery is spectacular. Travelling east from Alberta, through Saskatchewan it is flat, very flat, that would give Norfolk a run for its money, and other than endless cereal fields and the odd lake, there's not a great deal to see. With no hills to go around, roads through here and neighbouring Manitoba are as straight as a ruler, as far as the eye can see, often 15km between bends in the road, and they have been largely empty of traffic too and cruise control has been a blessing. In Manitoba, the endless cereal fields of Saskatchewan are replaced by forest, which means that even large lakes showing on the sat nav next to the road are invisible behind the thick trees.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3bQiRErJJYWtYV-r441n6GauCtIFvPmwrhSonrJoUlAqJaYl1D_8wzw97c-nb0pVhAvD4xcmRzK6PHADIqwUi1k5fUeAW_0UkopbQIjkL4b0-_xrblEB6ZrhMfcRl97_qfKaZ_C9MS6dA6q7TxMzJc6IDQ7tjgHuNZlhptjGLoFVmSrE1PZULqcq/s750/20221002_134506.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3bQiRErJJYWtYV-r441n6GauCtIFvPmwrhSonrJoUlAqJaYl1D_8wzw97c-nb0pVhAvD4xcmRzK6PHADIqwUi1k5fUeAW_0UkopbQIjkL4b0-_xrblEB6ZrhMfcRl97_qfKaZ_C9MS6dA6q7TxMzJc6IDQ7tjgHuNZlhptjGLoFVmSrE1PZULqcq/s16000/20221002_134506.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>Being autumn, there has been some obvious migration of geese, and in Saskatchewan, some of the fields and lakes have attracted large numbers of Snow Geese in particular, with fewer White-fronted and Cackling Geese. Our first night we stopped in Shelbrooke, just west of Prince Albert, and just before we reached the town, a large lake along the roadside hosted several thousand Snow Geese and other wildfowl, that got spooked, presumably by a Northern Harrier that was hunting the shore, providing an amazing spectacle as the geese took to the air.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRmJ5aZFKXpH2_DllaDeO82jfOuyicwfrG5qizqxqsTqv0uH3b8mBU6K0-1r_XUm82PIGYpvkXv-nUiKMuBkhEWER3zbSnm50CkZgtWMEHHvRc0fLUyH9M6S3uPXl8qSJ0-TxIjaH-f98JrxKlbpUCctbUB16esFs90b6xWl9b551OwnYYw16nLi9/s750/SJ.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRmJ5aZFKXpH2_DllaDeO82jfOuyicwfrG5qizqxqsTqv0uH3b8mBU6K0-1r_XUm82PIGYpvkXv-nUiKMuBkhEWER3zbSnm50CkZgtWMEHHvRc0fLUyH9M6S3uPXl8qSJ0-TxIjaH-f98JrxKlbpUCctbUB16esFs90b6xWl9b551OwnYYw16nLi9/s16000/SJ.jpg" /></a></div><p>In the evening, we took a drive up into Prince Albert National Park where we found a Beaver on a small pond and as we returned down the gravel track, a Snowshoe Hare and a comical pair of Raccoons were added to the mammal list.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqETHPE0JH0roNDvRNTmI3Ins4QVj0X_3TuktxdkkAyL070hxn16kk6ksE1wZVYWawUDSCZR-I4jtKHKUax1jP1SkUEN_fVa6Rb60FZqQEvubKobenscmrL_hx0bVpbm29woy1UgX2i3H6QX5IXgw27RJuGWuEd_qVDlzjIOOUpS6NWi7_mkfMRwS-/s750/Beaver.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqETHPE0JH0roNDvRNTmI3Ins4QVj0X_3TuktxdkkAyL070hxn16kk6ksE1wZVYWawUDSCZR-I4jtKHKUax1jP1SkUEN_fVa6Rb60FZqQEvubKobenscmrL_hx0bVpbm29woy1UgX2i3H6QX5IXgw27RJuGWuEd_qVDlzjIOOUpS6NWi7_mkfMRwS-/s16000/Beaver.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>The drive from Shelbrooke to Creighton, which is on the border with Manitoba, and is a shift in the time zone was even less eventful. A stop at a picnic site by a lake for a snack was a signal for some Canada Jays to descend to see if we had anything to offer them, and pose for some photos, naturally.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPPyOZw1kaKA1HeyF3jVq8O-n7z3g-zeItwJi2GOzQaEji-o3eISRWFhxK6e52L8UeE7jkOykm1YXE89ipqKC2vaZWja9e4dhk_8Fxl5npmHWNt7-pKslKfrCGiUOxRzg_SkQsdgvLGnvGL8gX1d2aQBuaNTwUk5hndd28znOyITnb6kZHCh7NULJ4/s750/CJ.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPPyOZw1kaKA1HeyF3jVq8O-n7z3g-zeItwJi2GOzQaEji-o3eISRWFhxK6e52L8UeE7jkOykm1YXE89ipqKC2vaZWja9e4dhk_8Fxl5npmHWNt7-pKslKfrCGiUOxRzg_SkQsdgvLGnvGL8gX1d2aQBuaNTwUk5hndd28znOyITnb6kZHCh7NULJ4/s16000/CJ.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>The big problem with such long, boring, straight roads is keeping concentration. Back in Norfolk, I'm used to little Muntjac Deer feeding by the roadside and walking out, but here in Canada there's bigger deer, namely Moose, that have a habit of doing the same, with potentially serious implications if you don't watch out. As we drove a particularly long straight stretch, we noticed a large bull Moose standing on the edge of the trees on the verge by the road, and so started slowing down, just as we were overtaken by someone who hadn't noticed the Moose, until he got much nearer to it! Thankfully the Moose turned round and ran back into the trees, and so an accident was avoided.</p><p>Having checked in to our accommodation in Creighton, and found a flock of Ross's Geese on a playing field next to the hotel, we looked on a map and found a nice quiet-looking spot by a lake, from where we hoped the forecast Northern Lights would be visible. As we arrived, we saw 2 Mink bounding around a picnic site, a species that in the UK is an unwelcome non-native species, but here we enjoyed watching them without feeling any guilt!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQc9MvEcfUYzLngiaUBSmkcpJGE7m3Mx8PYvGDRC9f-_bGOoY74gTFgLF1uanQqgsC9HLcyk0fHvWlyvh4leGmiymEtcSJrrcZHl6ZULdk8_WhOWt2ZhTDjOCpwxjBuCnXCQMUaWR1RnU2aJ5Ki-2bek0Q86tAwM3A_WmyDEOetvgcDJe5H3ksL5a/s750/Mink.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQc9MvEcfUYzLngiaUBSmkcpJGE7m3Mx8PYvGDRC9f-_bGOoY74gTFgLF1uanQqgsC9HLcyk0fHvWlyvh4leGmiymEtcSJrrcZHl6ZULdk8_WhOWt2ZhTDjOCpwxjBuCnXCQMUaWR1RnU2aJ5Ki-2bek0Q86tAwM3A_WmyDEOetvgcDJe5H3ksL5a/s16000/Mink.jpg" /></a></div><p>Unfortunately, when picking our nice quiet spot on a map, we hadn't accounted for a camp nearby having a very loud wedding bash, and despite staying until after dark, the forecast Northern Lights didn't materialise. Oh well, hopefully we will have better luck another night, but apart from the noise, it was a lovely spot.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikujf-dzdEh4ju0zt5xKaL4wV85CGTjjC2ap0IKg8wkeFsUmMN3RYdaOyAEdjdRqqCSyuEBRXOfUKECJjhGKDo409E5oh0lUOPEepAwu00vfxewBE6dLGxLDlzcSOA0sz2bGqgHGSmD7tAQsl5vE13O846mkCWn36u40ZA2XuOw0LCRZ-gGsNf6SJt/s750/20221001_180915.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikujf-dzdEh4ju0zt5xKaL4wV85CGTjjC2ap0IKg8wkeFsUmMN3RYdaOyAEdjdRqqCSyuEBRXOfUKECJjhGKDo409E5oh0lUOPEepAwu00vfxewBE6dLGxLDlzcSOA0sz2bGqgHGSmD7tAQsl5vE13O846mkCWn36u40ZA2XuOw0LCRZ-gGsNf6SJt/s16000/20221001_180915.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>Today we have driven the final leg, and have now arrived in Thompson, and are quite looking forward to a few days of no long drives!! Tomorrow afternoon, we catch the slow-moving, overnight train north to Churchill where we hope to photograph Polar Bears, though the temperature here in Thompson is 17 degrees, and doesn't feel very wintry to be photographing such animals!</p>Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-13008185274889360232022-09-30T23:27:00.000+01:002022-09-30T23:27:37.961+01:00A pleasant diversion<p>Having endured the 8 hour flight to Calgary, getting held up by overzealous security checks in the airport and then trying to work out how the car hire cost has double when Alamo add their insurance on, and then an hour or so drive north, we finally arrived in the town of Red Deer. An evening wander around a small pool and a bit of woodland got me familiar again with some American bird species, including Downy Woodpecker, Boreal Chickadee and a nice mixture of ducks such as Redhead and Blue-winged Teal, which only occur in the UK as vagrants.</p><p>Next morning, we set off on the long drive across to Prince Albert, but as usual, Toni found a place en route to stop called Elk Island National Park, where there is a large reintroduced population of Bison. As it turned out, this was a really nice national park, and we decided not to press on to Prince Albert, and spent the rest of the day around the park. A lunchbreak around Astotin Lake produced a confiding group of 3 Yellowlegs, 2 of which were Lesser and one, Greater Yellowlegs. By sitting still, one of the Lesser Yellowlegs did come very close, though even when some noisy kayakers came stomping past, it wasn't duly bothered!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MmOOoq2SUfge5O1pFxR0N2M0vl9JAgn7B8pukFpx4r_p3IOd1VTD3QfbEq_EIxwDFzG4a-BrD-wuYSm6fuX6yqR_n29djJYfFsyuAW_uTj3A42Ku0n362xM_e4JlK4OhaBWuXiR_EMBHXJTvR8YoPo7ONnmBHa78k2uoaPs90MEo5he1ncHeBIA4/s750/Lesserlegs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="750" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MmOOoq2SUfge5O1pFxR0N2M0vl9JAgn7B8pukFpx4r_p3IOd1VTD3QfbEq_EIxwDFzG4a-BrD-wuYSm6fuX6yqR_n29djJYfFsyuAW_uTj3A42Ku0n362xM_e4JlK4OhaBWuXiR_EMBHXJTvR8YoPo7ONnmBHa78k2uoaPs90MEo5he1ncHeBIA4/w640-h446/Lesserlegs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>As we drove along the road, past the many lakes with large Beaver lodges on, we noticed a Beaver sitting on the edge of the water. After several minutes it swam into the water, found a nice stick and swam off to the lodge, presumably the beaver equivalent of grabbing. a take out for tea!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJiokFDs5xi3thvQ-3lDwo6Sd_HOEt0y-UnrJLSOQkfdaucDozQG6zy4OT9uIgFo6hbnaQi-YciG4wHDiSBilunXp5JbxXNRm2d4jpTY3--CsyqQJFD0TMiPePrFSZofx7vDwtdHcJEmyi5-XtpmioPDyH_mMuOQJJbwPo_Gtii5TeR7GcWCIEgH-q/s750/Beaver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="750" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJiokFDs5xi3thvQ-3lDwo6Sd_HOEt0y-UnrJLSOQkfdaucDozQG6zy4OT9uIgFo6hbnaQi-YciG4wHDiSBilunXp5JbxXNRm2d4jpTY3--CsyqQJFD0TMiPePrFSZofx7vDwtdHcJEmyi5-XtpmioPDyH_mMuOQJJbwPo_Gtii5TeR7GcWCIEgH-q/w640-h462/Beaver.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>One of the features of the park is a Bison loop, where there was plenty of bison dung, but no bison, but Toni spotted a Coyote hunting among the grass, which eventually came closer and we got some lovely views, and eventually it walked straight across the track and off into deeper grass. I doubt a Coyote outside the safety of the park would have been so calm around us!!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6J3_-PHPPuXnHdF7HMWdJJAMw1OkGkYS8R9lbtqxYrB-sQtE3VBiuhzR65VCApJeHyg0mosPLk1U6qUxw065LfpoXM2lLPwFSK0zJKHmUmQe7AvmVNXDxHxwvRQhK5RSoaqBZBV06RoU8r8kuylg5N-eSAQr1ReXnsRLKfHB1xGNjM4xnOMPm-eC/s750/Coyote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6J3_-PHPPuXnHdF7HMWdJJAMw1OkGkYS8R9lbtqxYrB-sQtE3VBiuhzR65VCApJeHyg0mosPLk1U6qUxw065LfpoXM2lLPwFSK0zJKHmUmQe7AvmVNXDxHxwvRQhK5RSoaqBZBV06RoU8r8kuylg5N-eSAQr1ReXnsRLKfHB1xGNjM4xnOMPm-eC/w640-h426/Coyote.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>As evening fell, we started to drive back up through the park and head toward Lamont, where we had found some accommodation. With fewer vehicles on the road and the temperature dropping from the heat of the day, several Bison were feeding along the roadside, and watching from the safety of the vehicle, they were completely unconcerned, though they probably see plenty of selfie grabbing tourists so are a bit more blase about people than they would be in wilder places.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyHXBOLo5g9dmhaRNIMJXHKv0yHhM_5PRMY_nRLRdktjz6recrJJTinu4dtwcpRZiOHmbsDBE8TGHwshSVmlS-qgxViOa0cjScAJbJ_xqmVvDKOoJrhyFzfuSogdScddd-kxld2vJJJW0ACdNd_VmhehE2Jg2owGMsz_W97-bcTN1b_Bfzk9xvzdm/s750/Bison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyHXBOLo5g9dmhaRNIMJXHKv0yHhM_5PRMY_nRLRdktjz6recrJJTinu4dtwcpRZiOHmbsDBE8TGHwshSVmlS-qgxViOa0cjScAJbJ_xqmVvDKOoJrhyFzfuSogdScddd-kxld2vJJJW0ACdNd_VmhehE2Jg2owGMsz_W97-bcTN1b_Bfzk9xvzdm/w426-h640/Bison.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-3736665064156029992021-10-05T08:29:00.000+01:002021-10-05T08:29:37.684+01:00Where the Wildcats roam<p>Another day spent just outside the Picos de Europa watching Wildcats. Today they were generally more distant and skittish, though quite surprisingly were still out hiunting in the middle of the day. This one in the evening was much more photogenic, though it did have a dodgy eye.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rFUaGiK8M8o/YVv-i5H-1aI/AAAAAAAADj8/Z_Eh-o8rEZ0VUvjCT3-mx7uve1ff9cNzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/Wildcat%2Bportrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="539" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rFUaGiK8M8o/YVv-i5H-1aI/AAAAAAAADj8/Z_Eh-o8rEZ0VUvjCT3-mx7uve1ff9cNzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Wildcat%2Bportrait.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-68080116449113818432021-10-03T20:17:00.003+01:002021-10-03T20:17:44.332+01:00Wildcat heaven<p>Sadly the following morning and evening in Somiedo were rather less fruitful than Friday evening, with the wind picking up and squally showers setting in, followed by torrential rain overnight and unsurprisingly no further bear or wolf sightings. The male Black Redstart that had been singing in Caunedo every morning finally posed for some photographs on the rooftop opposite the bedroom window after a couple of days of frustrating me.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QWZ_zC8Md7c/YVn9L9JDbhI/AAAAAAAADjE/DsMB_5AoA1cA-e86QnxCjDu3HNrb4Rv_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/Black%2BRed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="750" height="438" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QWZ_zC8Md7c/YVn9L9JDbhI/AAAAAAAADjE/DsMB_5AoA1cA-e86QnxCjDu3HNrb4Rv_QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h438/Black%2BRed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Male Black Redstart in full voice</div><p>Following a post on a Mammal Watching Europe group on Facebook of a possible Wildcat spot over towards the Picos de Europa where we were planning on heading next anyway, we left Somiedo and it's amazing memory behind and headed off. A stop for lunch and a quick look around a couple of roads in the Montana de Riano Regional Park produced a rather unexpected Lammergeier near the village of Liegos, along with many Chough and an Osprey circling over the road by the Embalse de Riano and then carried on to Los Espejos to check in to our accommodation.</p><p>Having found our accommodation and had a short rest, we set out for a quick early evening drive to check out the area along the road between Boca de Huergano and Guardo where the post had suggested. Amazingly, we had been driving for little over five minutes when we saw our first Wildcat sitting in a roadside meadow, and in the next field was another one! We had no idea they would be quite this easy, and quite so early in the evening!!! Unfortunately this road is quite a fast road and doesn't have many places where it is easy to pull of the road with bends and/or barriers causing problems for would-be photographers! We ended up having to drive several miles past the cats to turn round and then back to the Boca de Huergano and then go back to find them but thankfully they were still in the same spot and one quite close to the road was by a wider part of the road where we could pull off. Unfortunately I wasn't quite as ready as Toni who was sat in the back of the car clicking away and by the time I had unfastened my seatbelt and got my camera up into position, the cat gave me a stare and then ran off a short way down the field.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cDBplSCpJtk/YVn-qEONliI/AAAAAAAADjM/K4Q8Wa-bjeMbcPMGgPJdSooR2uDMemMtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/Cat%2Brunning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cDBplSCpJtk/YVn-qEONliI/AAAAAAAADjM/K4Q8Wa-bjeMbcPMGgPJdSooR2uDMemMtgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Cat%2Brunning.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>After another drive up and down the road, seeing a third cat as we passed, we returned to the original cat who had now moved to the field slightly further away and now was completely unconcerned by our presence as it stalked across the field searching for Montane Water Voles which live in burrows in the fields. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Ih_BEVPZ4w/YVoAWEjdYwI/AAAAAAAADjU/KAofPRcMfaY3XO5S-43qNdYAS766B8zBACLcBGAsYHQ/s750/Cat%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="750" height="486" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Ih_BEVPZ4w/YVoAWEjdYwI/AAAAAAAADjU/KAofPRcMfaY3XO5S-43qNdYAS766B8zBACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h486/Cat%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fhO9SqBUqPA/YVoAWF0vbJI/AAAAAAAADjY/479M-LDew3IHSoBiBBWtM0H50vhI6aXXACLcBGAsYHQ/s750/cat%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="750" height="408" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fhO9SqBUqPA/YVoAWF0vbJI/AAAAAAAADjY/479M-LDew3IHSoBiBBWtM0H50vhI6aXXACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h408/cat%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">At one point, it successfully caught a vole and quickly dispatched and ate it before carrying on hunting, so we left it in peace to look for its next meal.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p5qAgcvF-z0/YVoAWFGkKmI/AAAAAAAADjc/YB9859i4mpIxIX236ZrDamEpmYu1EYyHgCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/cat%2Bwith%2Btea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="750" height="396" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p5qAgcvF-z0/YVoAWFGkKmI/AAAAAAAADjc/YB9859i4mpIxIX236ZrDamEpmYu1EYyHgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h396/cat%2Bwith%2Btea.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>In total we saw 5 different Wildcats in just a 6 mile stretch of this road, we thought we'd be doing well to see one! Most though inconveniently were in fields where there were barriers and so no chance of being able to stop near them, though we have another day in this area, so will certainly be having another go in the morning when hopefully the light will be at a better angle.</p><p><br /></p>Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-79672783033114433712021-10-02T15:13:00.000+01:002021-10-02T15:13:12.537+01:00A howling experience<p> </p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Somiedo National
Park, on the border of Asturias and Castile y Leon has become the
go-to place to look for Brown Bears, along with the outside chance of
Iberian Wolves, in Spain. With four days here we hoped to be
successful, and our accommodation in Caunedo, in the heart of the
park with views of likely hillsides giving us ample opportunity.
Along with the view from the window are several well known viewpoints
from where bears can often be seen, especially at this time of the
year when they are fattening up on berries ahead of hibernating.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Having spent a
morning and evening staring out of the bedroom window at the
hillsides north of the village with nothing but a few bellowing Red
Deer and a distant Chamois to look at and then a morning visiting one
of the known stakeout viewpoints at Puertos de la Farrapona, again
with lots of Chamois, but no bears or wolves, we were starting to
wonder if we would be lucky.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">After a gruelling,
and not very exciting walk up to Bra<span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;">ῆ</span>a
de Mumi<span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;">á</span>n in the
afternoon heat in the feint hope of finding a Wallcreeper, my legs
were glad of a short break before heading back out for another bear
hunt in the evening. A mile north of Caunedo is the village of Gua,
which has a viewpoint behind the chapel near the Mirador de Gua.
There is no parking in the village itself, but there are a few
convenient pull-ins along the road, which soon fill up with would-be
bear watchers. As we arrived, Toni realised in her rush to get
moving, she had left her binoculars at the house and so went back,
while I walked up the short, sharp hill to the viewpoint, much to my
legs’ dislike. As I arrived, a gathering of bearwatchers were at
the viewpoint, excitedly looking at the hill to the west, and a quick
scan with the binoculars revealed why, there was a Brown Bear sat on
the hillside, a few hundred yards away!! As I hadn’t expected to
see anything close enough to warrant needing a camera, having lugged
it up the Bra<span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;">ῆ</span>a de
Mumi<span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;">á</span>n hill, I had
decided to leave it in the car! This turned out to be a big mistake
and so I rushed back down the hill, getting back to the car just as
Toni returned, I grabbed the camera and, fuelled by adrenalin since
my legs clearly weren’t enjoying the experience, went back up to
the viewpoint but by the time we got back up there the bear had
wandered off.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">We sat at the
viewpoint for a while as the light began to fade, and over the
talking I heard faintly what I assumed was just a bellowing Red Deer
on the hillside on the opposite side of the river, but it sounded a
bit too high pitched. One of the bearwatchers also heard the noise
and then uttered the word “Lobo”, which is Spanish for Wolf! I
thought he too was being overeager, but then as the voices silenced
to listen, we heard it again and it was indeed the unmistakable sound
of a wolf howling. A frantic scan of the hillside then ensued and
despite the distance, the unmistakable ears of a wolf were visible
sticking above a rock right along the crest. After a few minutes, the
wolf revealed itself fully, and walked along the ridge, stopping for
a brief stretch and a scratch and then stopped and began to howl,
which echoed around the valley. The atmosphere at the viewpoint was
electric as everyone enjoyed watching the wolf work its way along,
stopping occasionally to howl for the rest of its pack, as another
wolf nearby began to howl in reply. Even though it was quite a way
off and the lens had to be handheld, or rested on my knee, I still
managed to get some acceptable photos (well, with a fair amount of
cropping in needed) and video, and learned a firm lesson in always
take your camera with you.</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MFqtkkmSHOs/YVhnIdTb5MI/AAAAAAAADiE/hc-VvvnQ8-c23R8KgEEwHrpzShC1_uZNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/First%2Bview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="750" height="414" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MFqtkkmSHOs/YVhnIdTb5MI/AAAAAAAADiE/hc-VvvnQ8-c23R8KgEEwHrpzShC1_uZNQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h414/First%2Bview.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It may not look like much but the first proper view of a wolf is always special!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DPYQTfNaDRE/YVhn0AbOtmI/AAAAAAAADiU/6fkSE5C7cTQmQP2Y40bdVW9WZ71D1XWcACLcBGAsYHQ/s750/Steps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="750" height="414" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DPYQTfNaDRE/YVhn0AbOtmI/AAAAAAAADiU/6fkSE5C7cTQmQP2Y40bdVW9WZ71D1XWcACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h414/Steps.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Starting its walk along the crest of the hill</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uPGj1ujRrBs/YVhn5w026MI/AAAAAAAADiY/0YW74kNslcYzz8MCnyNFgFDduwbmgwKjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/Downward%2Bwolf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="750" height="448" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uPGj1ujRrBs/YVhn5w026MI/AAAAAAAADiY/0YW74kNslcYzz8MCnyNFgFDduwbmgwKjwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h448/Downward%2Bwolf.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I call this, the "Downward Wolf" pose</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fr8kc5HO9Mc/YVhoA8Q8oTI/AAAAAAAADic/Aun0tYdETP0VB05Q3PhfcAVbb2e0-9opgCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/Wolf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="750" height="442" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fr8kc5HO9Mc/YVhoA8Q8oTI/AAAAAAAADic/Aun0tYdETP0VB05Q3PhfcAVbb2e0-9opgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h442/Wolf.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Howling for its pack</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1EhuHeFWajM/YVhoHyVpKgI/AAAAAAAADig/7SMOKEeU8lIzKdLkUE24tlKeGeYxSMRVgCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/Wolf%2Bin%2Blandscape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="750" height="430" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1EhuHeFWajM/YVhoHyVpKgI/AAAAAAAADig/7SMOKEeU8lIzKdLkUE24tlKeGeYxSMRVgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h430/Wolf%2Bin%2Blandscape.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Howling wolf in habitat</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-85993603831878557492021-02-19T11:39:00.001+00:002021-02-19T11:39:18.177+00:00Spring is in the Hare<p>Every year, I spend hours around suitable fields trying to photograph the local Brown Hares boxing, and for one reason or another, every year I never get anything I'm really happy with. Usually they only box when they are far away from me on the other side of a field or are facing the wrong way, but I persevere.</p><p>The Nunnery Lakes Reserve adjoins the Shadwell Estate which has a good population of hares, and in the last couple of weeks they have become more obvious and with increadingly spring-like temperatures in the last few days, have become rather more frisky than they were during the recent cold snap. </p><p>This morning I headed out on my daily walk around the reserve, and as the wind had dropped, I headed straight to the best hare field, and waited. At first a couple of pairs of ears were just visible over the brow of the field, and after another half an hour, the first couple of hares came closer over the brow and looked quite settled. It was only when two more hares joined the party that the first chasing around started and eventually two had a proper boxing match, luckily I had been following the correct couple of hares in the viewfinder and then kept my finger on the shutter while they had their bout, before one conceded defeat and ran off. There's no finesse when it comes to boxing, it seems to be close your eyes, flail your arms around and hope you land a blow! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-deQlM6XygTo/YC-itK91gGI/AAAAAAAADbM/C8n4Qd7DQsgaqvBFSN94WmQ1pWhk5GicgCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/boxers2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="750" height="448" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-deQlM6XygTo/YC-itK91gGI/AAAAAAAADbM/C8n4Qd7DQsgaqvBFSN94WmQ1pWhk5GicgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h448/boxers2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ww5FFdmKcsA/YC-iyN3OgtI/AAAAAAAADbQ/mOZO_625kC0SEIDOi8Xx5_kgLtikCBn2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s750/boxers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="750" height="418" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ww5FFdmKcsA/YC-iyN3OgtI/AAAAAAAADbQ/mOZO_625kC0SEIDOi8Xx5_kgLtikCBn2ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h418/boxers.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4duF0xAzj9s/YC-i2EXeebI/AAAAAAAADbU/hicRaRKpC3kq1g-w04Q4ejrmH4_jEEjwACLcBGAsYHQ/s750/boxers3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="750" height="418" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4duF0xAzj9s/YC-i2EXeebI/AAAAAAAADbU/hicRaRKpC3kq1g-w04Q4ejrmH4_jEEjwACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h418/boxers3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p><br /></p>Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-23396469790753241472020-09-21T21:15:00.002+01:002020-09-29T13:49:19.230+01:00In leaps and bounds<p>With Wednesday being a write off with the glorious weather of the previous day instead being grey, cold and windy, wildlife watching was hard going. A look off Fort George, which lies on the opposite side of the bay to Chanonry Point in the hope the dolphins may be closer in off there drew a blank, though seabirds were more numerous in the conditions, including a group of Arctic Skuas terrorising terns for their food which I always enjoy watching! The Findhorn Valley wasn't any more productive, with no sign of any Golden Eagles, just a few 'Tourist Eagles', a.k.a. Buzzards seen. A walk through the woods at Boat of Garten in the hope of Red Squirrels proved fruitless, though several Crested Tits called loudly high in the pines and a Roe Deer looked unsure of us but stood his ground.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pq3kcS_s0DU/X2kJnOlqFbI/AAAAAAAADT4/spFh5CFUZ8QVl0IQZpD_qc7AiX5oVop4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/Roe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="750" height="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pq3kcS_s0DU/X2kJnOlqFbI/AAAAAAAADT4/spFh5CFUZ8QVl0IQZpD_qc7AiX5oVop4wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h478/Roe.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Thursday we again woke to beautiful sunny weather, and so headed back to Nairn Harbour where at least 3 Basking Sharks were still feeding offshore, but more distantly than on Tuesday. A group of Bottlenose Dolphins loitered in Nairn Bay, so we went just down the coast to Whiteness to try to see them closer, but they were still distant, only a confiding group of juvenile Sanderling on the beach made the visit worthwhile.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-quxQ9Xoz5xo/X2kFq3CZptI/AAAAAAAADSc/gjs9EVK0cXQGVPU_F1YS9M0e88bOvVbcwCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/SS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="750" height="442" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-quxQ9Xoz5xo/X2kFq3CZptI/AAAAAAAADSc/gjs9EVK0cXQGVPU_F1YS9M0e88bOvVbcwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h442/SS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>With such nice weather, we carried on to Chanonry Point in the hope of closer views of the dolphins. Our hopes were realised immediately as we arrived with a group of Bottlenose Dolphins were bounding through the bay just offshore, occasionally jumping clear of the water much to the delight of the gathered watchers on the beach.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w234fkR34h8/X2kID2_B7bI/AAAAAAAADTI/IIQpCKLCLoAFmg8T-qf_qUM8Dy9NDw-bQCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/BN.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="750" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w234fkR34h8/X2kID2_B7bI/AAAAAAAADTI/IIQpCKLCLoAFmg8T-qf_qUM8Dy9NDw-bQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h424/BN.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l6Qv9RKyWEM/X2kH4dnmjiI/AAAAAAAADTE/dI9QgpcNiSoJIboYxRx80jFxBelgWLllACLcBGAsYHQ/s750/BN1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="750" height="416" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l6Qv9RKyWEM/X2kH4dnmjiI/AAAAAAAADTE/dI9QgpcNiSoJIboYxRx80jFxBelgWLllACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h416/BN1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-duT1SXWaXJ4/X2kH4Pm2tVI/AAAAAAAADTA/gBjTHe1pHis1jIbZFnUsaqscVuyA6n1_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s750/BN2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="750" height="462" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-duT1SXWaXJ4/X2kH4Pm2tVI/AAAAAAAADTA/gBjTHe1pHis1jIbZFnUsaqscVuyA6n1_ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h462/BN2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>After while the dolphins moved further out and many of the dolphin watchers left, and as we sat and waited in the hope of the dolphins returning, a group of 6 Ringed Plover flew in, with a slightly larger wader, and landed on the beach in front of us. It was a surprise when I lifted my bins and realised the larger wader was a very smart-looking juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, not a bird I was expecting to see here! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1pe2OWdhKEs/X2kIcrhkVfI/AAAAAAAADTY/oNz342rd-80IzKYtfVsTylEQ3SYJptAegCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/CV.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="750" height="448" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1pe2OWdhKEs/X2kIcrhkVfI/AAAAAAAADTY/oNz342rd-80IzKYtfVsTylEQ3SYJptAegCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h448/CV.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>With the dolphins not returning, we headed to Glen Affric. At the head of the glen is a short steep walk up to a viewpoint, which gives a superb view of the surrounding hills, excellent for looking for raptors. Initially only a few Buzzards and a Kestrel were on show, and eventually a Golden Eagle appeared, soaring majestically, and was soon joined by a second bird. Initially both eagles were distant, and once one landed, the original bird, a first year bird judging by the white on the tail and wings appeared closer and gave superb 'scope views.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCdsAGkRqAk/X2kImrryWII/AAAAAAAADTg/Wl2Q0e7mUTY5BMSTXy8kr0Z-Z8ytJO9ewCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/Affric.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="750" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCdsAGkRqAk/X2kImrryWII/AAAAAAAADTg/Wl2Q0e7mUTY5BMSTXy8kr0Z-Z8ytJO9ewCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/Affric.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-goQmd8VF8qM/X2kImQ5Kv3I/AAAAAAAADTc/qRp_IGNev9wgnedkaMdFu8-Prwf0QFjlgCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/Eagle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="750" height="454" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-goQmd8VF8qM/X2kImQ5Kv3I/AAAAAAAADTc/qRp_IGNev9wgnedkaMdFu8-Prwf0QFjlgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h454/Eagle.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>With the hope of photographing Red Squirrels, we went around the other side of the glen to Plodda where they are reportedly abundant. Typically, none were to be seen, but better was a Crossbill, which looked good for Scottish going off the bill shape which perched on top of pines around the car park, calling loudly, but frustratingly I wasn't able to get a photo.</p><p>Friday was another gorgeous morning, with the thick fog soon burning off as we headed toward Speyside. With Toni wanting another go at photographing dolphins, I took myself off up Cairngorm to look for Ptarmigan. The warm weather made for a tough walk up Coire an t-Sneachda where I have had success in the past, and despite a 5 hour walk with stunning views back over Loch Morlich, I couldn't find a Ptarmigan anywhere!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IQMnlI7xpeE/X2kIwHKoM4I/AAAAAAAADTo/yKDMDzxE-1EfKvsJ7CRHZ_1KkH0kg0dAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/Morlich.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="750" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IQMnlI7xpeE/X2kIwHKoM4I/AAAAAAAADTo/yKDMDzxE-1EfKvsJ7CRHZ_1KkH0kg0dAQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/Morlich.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Saturday was our final day and after a quick visit to Lochindorb, which is my favourite loch, to do a WeBS Count, which produced an unexpected Slavonian Grebe with as small group of Goldeneye, lingering fog around Speyside brought our week-long trip to a conclusion, just the 10 hour drive home to look forward to...</p>Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-8704574170538942732020-09-15T22:22:00.014+01:002020-09-16T21:15:14.153+01:00Scottish weather, seriously?<p> After a couple of wet and windy days on the west coast of Scotland, including the arduous drive down Ardnamurchan Point to be greeted by a bank of fog, only the resident American Black Duck at Strontian and a couple of sparring White-tailed Eagles to slightly raise the excitement levels, we headed across to Speyside. </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bNFzot1LV-w/X2EvlXge6FI/AAAAAAAADQY/83TN5TvM28MS1YK5LIjftDnRTW9D4lBOwCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/WTE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="750" height="438" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bNFzot1LV-w/X2EvlXge6FI/AAAAAAAADQY/83TN5TvM28MS1YK5LIjftDnRTW9D4lBOwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h438/WTE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Arriving in our accommodation late afternoon, a wander around the forest produced a superb but all too brief juvenile Goshawk, darting across a clearing, perching briefly before disappearing into the trees.</p><p>This morning we awoke to the sound of rain, and following a leisurely breakfast, we took the chance that the Met Office forecast for Inverness was correct and headed to the Moray Firth in search of some dolphins. Amazingly the forecast was correct as the sun broke through the clouds and there wasn't a breath of wind, something I can't remember ever experiencing at usually one of the coldest spots in Scotland - Chanonry Point. Typically the small car park here was already nearly full when we arrived and the only dolphins were very distant, and they stayed that way the whole 2 hours were were there. </p><p>A chance text message from our AirBnB owner told us of a couple of Basking Sharks on Nairn Harbour, something we had hoped to see on the west coast, but the weather was far from suitable. Here though, the sea was like a mill pond, and immediately on arrival at the harbour, we could see the distinctive fin and tail tips of a Basking Shark offshore. A scan around revealed at least four other Basking Sharks, though most quite distant, and became more distant as the tide receded.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sjRIgCJMuKE/X2EwGAJ4JSI/AAAAAAAADQs/j0wD0ArJvKgZMmzikE_AdugdWJrljfTaQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1056/Basking%2BShark.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="1056" height="410" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sjRIgCJMuKE/X2EwGAJ4JSI/AAAAAAAADQs/j0wD0ArJvKgZMmzikE_AdugdWJrljfTaQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h410/Basking%2BShark.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>With the glorious weather, we had to drag ourselves away for a prior appointment in Badger Hide. We met our host, Allan, in Boat of Garten and followed him in his car to the parking spot, and after a short walk arrived at the hide. The hide is run by the Boat of Garten Wildlife Group who do other conservation initiatives in the village. Less than half an hour after arriving and the peanuts being put out, the Badger arrived, as early as 7pm while it was still light. This was quickly followed by a couple more and eventually had 5 at one time, including a cub. The badgers fed completely unconcerned just feet from the hide, and were completely unconcerned by camera noises or even our host talking about some conservation issues.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-btqJxCRgUHE/X2EwPheSPrI/AAAAAAAADQw/uq7s76_8kPIHmYtzM86ygjAZbxx6WwzkgCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/Badger1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-btqJxCRgUHE/X2EwPheSPrI/AAAAAAAADQw/uq7s76_8kPIHmYtzM86ygjAZbxx6WwzkgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Badger1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gogrE5h-IXA/X2EwP1NFC4I/AAAAAAAADQ0/yIG67JgdYFkE5_nuG90mr2JRKXpQTJV0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s750/Badger.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gogrE5h-IXA/X2EwP1NFC4I/AAAAAAAADQ0/yIG67JgdYFkE5_nuG90mr2JRKXpQTJV0ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Badger.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-833430655532460622020-07-14T19:28:00.001+01:002020-07-14T19:28:27.745+01:00What's that coming over the hill....is it a monster??!!When news of a Lammergeier, or Bearded Vulture if you follow new names, broke of a bird photographed over a garden near Coventry at the end of June, British birders hoped it would get relocated, and last weekend their hopes were realised, when after a series of sightings in the Peak District, the bird was found to favour a rocky outcrop on the moors above Ladybower Reservoir just to the west of Sheffield.<br />
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Although I don't twitch that often these days, <a href="https://twitter.com/markjleitch/status/1282390919975776256" target="_blank">stunning photographs</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/durosekevin/status/1282227844605710336" target="_blank">videos</a> on Twitter over the weekend, and even on the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-53383387" target="_blank">BBC News website</a>, meant that it was getting very hard to ignore, and on Monday morning the decision was made to go for it. The main drawback is the 8 mile round walk to view its favoured roost site, but in preparation, we drove up and stayed in a B&B at Dungworth Green, a few miles from the site ready to embark first thing in the morning, hopefully before it left its roost.<br />
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Arriving at the parking spot shortly after 6am where the road was already lined with 30+ cars, we set off on the walk, and straight into a headwind up a hill, which living in Norfolk, is not something our legs are used to. About an hour later, we reached the turnoff from the track from where we had to trudge across some boggy moorland and across a stream to the favoured area, to be greeted by the news it had already left its roost and flown off to the northeast, and so we sat down and waited...<br />
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After an hour sat on a grassy tussock, the cold brisk wind was getting to us (that's what happens when you trust and dress for the Met Office forecast of sunny and 18 degrees, as opposed to 11 degrees and cloudy that it actually was!), and so we decided to slowly head back toward the car and rethink the plan or hope it got relocated somewhere else. About half way back to the car, feeling dejected and discussing that after the failure at the Belgian Wallcreeper twitch earlier in the year that maybe I should give up twitching for good, we noticed a couple of young birders stood off the path just ahead of us intently watching something. As we took a few more steps, it soon became clear what, it was the Lammergeier, being mobbed by a couple of Ravens, that looked like flies in comparison! I frantically got my camera out of the bag and took a series of photos as the bird circled and drifted slightly closer and then carried on back toward where we had just come from, eventually dropping behind the hill and out of sight.<br />
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Even though our views were nothing like some of those by other birders, it was still an amazing sight, an absolute monster of a bird with its 2.5m wingspan, and well worth the walk, even if the powers that be do eventually decide it's not officially tickable on the British list due to it thought to be the offspring of a pair of reintroduced birds from the Alps. Whatever its origin, there won't be many more spectacular birds to occur in this country, and certainly none anywhere near as big!!<br />
<br />Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-74485927894979286632019-08-08T09:55:00.000+01:002019-08-08T09:55:05.024+01:00Homeward boundLeaving the rainforest and heading back down the hill, we started our journey back south to the Blue Mountains where the roadtrip had begun over 3 weeks ago, and ultimately back to Sydney Airport and the long, long flight home.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">4th August</span></u><br />
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After a slight detour to revisit Toni's daughter in Toowoomba, we set off south down the New England Highway. As we came into the town of Warwick, as we passed a picnic site at Rotary Park, Toni realised she had been there before when she was here earlier in the year and that it was good for parrots, and so we pulled in. She certainly wasn't wrong, as a group of very noisy Musk Lorikeets fed in the trees above our heads and Toni caught a quick glimpse of a Platypus in the nearby river.<br />
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Musk Lorikeet</div>
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A bird I had hoped to see while we were in the outback was Zebra Finch, a bird I used to keep as pets when I was young. As they are very nomadic, they can be difficult to pin down and we hadn't come across any so far, but eBird again came to the rescue (sorry BirdTrack!!) and recent sightings just outside Warwick gave me hope. The site was by a lake on the back of a housing estate, not a habitat I had expected to be going to look for them, and although the lake had an abundance of Pelicans and a few White-headed Stilts there was no obvious habitat for finches. As we gave up and drove back out of the housing estate, 3 Zebra Finches flew up by the roadside - success! As I got out of the car and walked back to where they were, about 35 finches flew up, I have no idea how we had missed them as we drove in and although very flighty, some sat nicely in some trees along with a pair of Striated Pardalotes.<br />
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male Zebra Finch<br />
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Striated Pardalote</div>
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The rest of the day was spent driving down to Bellingen, along some back roads with their abundant kangaroos.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">5th August</span></u><br />
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A pleasant night in a Youth Hostel in Bellingen put us in a good location for Dorrigo National Park. I visited Dorrigo when I was last in Australia 6 years ago, and the weather was poor and so we couldn't walk the trails which Toni said are worthwhile. This time the weather was glorious, and the trails were devoid of people and many of the usual rainforest birds like Whipbirds and Catbirds called loudly and a couple of Topknot Pigeons showed surprisingly well, while a female Superb Lyrebird was less showy in the undergrowth.<br />
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Topknot Pigeon</div>
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After a mid-morning cream tea, we headed back down the trail to the car, the female Superb Lyrebird had moved across to the opposite side of the path from where I had seen it on the way up. As we watched it along with a young bird, we could hear an array of bird calls including kookaburra and whipbird close by and realised it was actually a male Superb Lyrebird singing a few feet away mimicking them perfectly! After it stopped singing, it moved towards the female and young bird and then met another male and a face off ensued, their extravagant tail feathers fluffed up as they called angrily at each other before one of the males ran off.<br />
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Superb Lyrebirds</div>
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Heading toward the coast for a spot of lunch, we grabbed some fish and chips and went and sat up on the clifftop at Nambucca Heads. From here, we could see at least 6 Humpback Whales offshore, many of them constantly breaching but always very distant. Much better were a pair of White-bellied Sea Eagles that coasted low overhead, hanging on the wind just off the clifftop.<br />
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White-bellied Sea Eagle</div>
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We finished off driving down the coast to Myall Lakes Holiday Park for a couple of nights, arriving after dark and after the reception had closed. Thankfully they had left an envelope with the key and gate code for us and so we were able to get to our accommodation, complete with a couple of tame Grey Kangaroos and a screeching Barn Owl.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">6th August</span></u><br />
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After all the driving of the last few weeks, today we had a nice relaxing day around the Myall Lakes area. The hoped for surfing dolphins off the Hole in the Wall car park that Toni had seen earlier in the year failed to materialise and we carried on south to Jimmy's Beach. Twelve years ago when Toni visited Australia for the first time, having failed to find a Dingo in Queensland, she randomly came across one somewhere near Jimmy's Beach and so was intent on finding the same spot. We parked up at a random car park near a creek and as we stood looking across, a Great White Egret suddenly flew up and moments later, a Dingo walked through the mangrove and stood on the opposite side of the creek looking at us!! Typically neither of us had a camera to hand as we hadn't expected to see anything, so we ran back to the car, grabbed the camera gear and walked back and the Dingo was still there watching our antics and after a few minutes walked across, paused again and then disappeared back into the mangrove scrub.<br />
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Dingo</div>
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The rest of the afternoon was spent on the Tea Gardens to Port Stephen Ferry, where a couple of Bottlenose Dolphins entertained the passengers as they bow-rided just underneath the boat for several minutes.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">7th August</span></u><br />
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It was time to head back to Katoomba, and we left Myall Lakes behind and rather than just whiz down the highway to Sydney, we instead set off west towards the Hunter Valley. We first headed up the Monkerai Valley toward Barrington Tops until the road we thought we could carry on over became impassable, but not before we had seen photogenic Australian Kestrel, Wonga Pigeon and Fan-tailed Cuckoo.<br />
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Australian Kestrel </div>
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Wonga Pigeon</div>
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Fan-tailed Cuckoo</div>
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We finally arrived back in Katoomba after dark, following a slight delay as Toni helped round up a horse that had got loose and ran down a road toward us.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">8th August</span></u><br />
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A morning walk looking for reporting Gang-Gang Cockatoos at Blackheath drew a blank, but a stunning male Scarlet Robin more than made up for it, a quite fitting looking bird to end the trip.<br />
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Scarlet Robin</div>
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A quick tot up of the miles that Google suggests we covered meant it was just over a 4,500km round trip (probably nearer 5,000km by the time you add the odd diversion and driving around areas), which Toni's Subaru Outback did admirably!! It was interesting to see Malaysia followed by Australia and the outback (well apart from the flies), see the whales and then do some rainforest birding, so a bit of everything really! We managed to amass a species list of about 240 birds and over 26 mammals and had fantastic weather (if rather cold at night) throughout so can't complain one bit. Now just the excruciating flight back to the UK to look forward to tomorrow....Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-5485815545914574862019-08-08T04:09:00.000+01:002019-08-08T04:09:42.903+01:00An Englishman who went up a hill and came down a mountainLeaving the whales in Hervey Bay behind, we weren't completely finished with cetaceans just yet, a short drive down to nearby Tin Can Bay before driving down to Lamington National Park for some rainforest birding.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">1st August</span></u><br />
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An overnight stay in Tin Can Bay meant we were only minutes away from Barnacles Dolphin Centre where each morning several Australian Humpback Dolphins come in to be fed by the public. Admittedly it is a bit of a circus that I would normally shy away from, but it was a mammal tick, and wasn't quite as bad as I thought, plus the breakfast at Barnacles was very nice indeed under the very watchful gaze of some Australian Magpies and Blue-faced Honeyeaters! When we got there, two dolphins were already there waiting for their breakfast, while the two women stood in the water and explained the rules and history of the dolphin feeding at Tin Can Bay to the gathered crowd, and were joined by a mother and young calf too.<br />
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Dolphin feeding at Tin Can Bay</div>
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Blue-faced Honeyeater </div>
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Australian Magpie</div>
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After breakfast, we headed south towards the famous O'Reilly's Guesthouse in Lamington National Park, via a stop at the equally famous <a href="http://www.yatalapies.com.au/" target="_blank">Yatala Pie Shop</a> on the outskirts of Brisbane for a spot of lunch. Arriving in Canungra, the sat nav was still saying we were nearly an hour away from O'Reilly's, even though it was only 30km away, and as we started to ascend the hill, which turned into a mountain, we could soon see why as we twisted and turned up the hill, avoiding the Whiptail and Red-necked Wallabys by the roadside.<br />
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Whiptail Wallaby</div>
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After what seemed an age after a days driving, slowly driving up the mountainside, we arrived at O'Reilly's, which was much bigger than I had expected, not the simple guesthouse I had envisaged, but a resort with restaurant and cafe, gift shops and a swanky reception. Thankfully, being midweek and winter, it was quiet of people, I dread to think what it would be like in the height of summer!<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">2nd August</span></u><br />
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I was up and out early walking the boardwalk and some of the trails, hoping to see Albert's Lyrebird and any other local specialities. I had been warned that diversity of species may not be high, and that proved to be the case, but although I couldn't find any Lyrebirds, it was nice to get excellent views of Logrunners as they busily fed in the undergrowth, always accompanied by a scrubwren or robin after a treat they had unearthed. Other good birds on the rainforest trails included Bassian Thrush, Wonga Pigeon, a couple of confiding Green Catbirds, and several Eastern Whipbirds, which are one of the most <a href="https://www.xeno-canto.org/470608" target="_blank">distinctive and iconic sounds</a> in the rainforests.<br />
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Australian Logrunner (don't ask me why they are called that!) </div>
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Eastern Whipbird </div>
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Green Catbird</div>
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Around the main resort area, the birds are very accustomed to people, especially those carrying trays of seed. King Parrots and Crimson Rosellas will happily sit on your head if you offer out food, while Satin Bowerbirds would come to within inches of you for anything dropped, not a species I was expecting to behave in such a manner. Smaller birds would mop up any dropped seed, mostly White-browed Scrubwrens, but also a group of a dozen Red-browed Finches, Superb Fairywrens and Lwin's Honeyeaters were equally confiding.<br />
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Needing a closer look at a Crimson Rosella</div>
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Australian King Parrot </div>
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Lewin's Honeyeater </div>
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Red-browed Finch </div>
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Superb Fairywren</div>
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Satin Bowerbirds (male top, female below)</div>
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">3rd August</span></u><br />
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After a very comfortable night's sleep (Toni was most impressed with how comfy the mattress was, something she often complains about on our trips, even if the birding wasn't quite to her taste), we were out first thing again having read in the sightings book of Lyrebirds being seen on the Centenary Trail. Within minutes of walking down this trail, we came across an Albert's Lyrebird which was busily scraping around and although a bit skittish if you moved too quickly, was also very confiding.<br />
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Albert's Lyrebird</div>
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On the adjacent campsite, a mother and joey Red-necked Pademelon were equally confiding, we had seen them at dusk yesterday but the light was too poor for photos and so it was nice to see them both again and in better light.<br />
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Red-necked Pademelon (mum above, joey below)</div>
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Also on this trail aside from the usual suspects of Eastern Yellow Robins and White-browed Scrubwrens following the lyrebird and Brushturkeys around was a superb looking Crested Shrike-tit, looking something like a Great Tit with the beak of a Shrike, and I thought Blue and Great Tits back home are painful to hold when ringing them, not sure I'd like to handle one of these guys!<br />
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Crested Shrike-tit</div>
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With the Saturday crowds staring to appear and more noisy groups on the trails, we were more than happy to pack our stuff and head back down the hill. I'm not sure if it was just the time of year, but the forest was quiet and species like Regent Bowerbird and Paradise Riflebird which I was expecting to see quite easily were both absent, but it was still a very enjoyable and relaxing couple of days<br />
<br />Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-82519768836108076372019-08-02T12:19:00.000+01:002019-08-02T12:30:56.737+01:00A whale of a timeHaving had a few excellent days in the Outback and got extremely annoyed with the flies that, while they don't actually bite, just pester you constantly to the point where a mosquito head net is called for to keep them out of your face, we headed east to the coast to Hervey Bay for a few days of Whale watching.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>26th July</u></span><br />
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After a few days travelling east, with short stops at in the Bunya Mountains National Park and then Toowoomba to pick up Toni's granddaughter, Elsie, we arrived at the Sanctuary Lakes Fauna Retreat in Hervey Bay where we were met by an assortment of Australian Swamphens, Dusky Moorhens and Pacific Black Ducks that are obviously regularly fed by guests.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">27th July</span></u><br />
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Up early, we were booked onto a whale watching boat out of Hervey Bay at 8.30am with the Boat Club's Amaroo. With Phil at the helm, we headed out into Platypus Bay where the Humpback Whales come to spend the season and before we had left the harbour, a Brown Booby flew over the boat, hopefully a good sign. With several other whale watching boats out already that morning, all of whom are in communication with one another, we received word from Pete on the Blue Dolphin of a whale breaching. As we approached we could see the whale breaching in the distance and thankfully as we steadily got closer, the whale continued to breach, hurling itself clear of the water on several occasions. Trying to photograph breaching whales is tricky since it's not always obvious where they will appear from next, but with luck you can get the shot, though this particular whale had the slightly annoying habit of always appearing in the sun's glare.<br />
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breaching Humpback Whale</div>
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The other 3 whales we saw were much less active, just their back and fins visible but a group of Bottle-nosed Dolphins which came in to bow-ride alongside the boat entertained the passengers, both young and old.<br />
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Bottlenose Dolphin bow-riding</div>
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As we headed back into the harbour, a Brown Booby and an Australasian Gannet were seen sat on the sea, while a group of Australian Pelicans met us in the harbour itself.<br />
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Australasian Gannet</div>
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Brown Booby</div>
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">29th July</span></u><br />
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Having lost yesterday to returning Elsie to her parents, after recovering from the experience of looking after a 5 year old for a couple of days, we decided the best cure was to head back out for an afternoon whale watch, again on the Amaroo. This time, Daimo was at the helm, but unlike Phil, Daimo liked to motor about the bay in search of whales, with much less stealth. This was most apparent as we headed towards a whale breaching in the distance and rather than slow down and slowly approach to let the whale become accustomed to our presence, we raced to the immediate area, and disappointingly, though not totally surprising, the very actively breaching whale became much less active, engaging more in a spot of tail waving.<br />
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Occasionally Humpbacks can be very curious, and the next whales we saw were just that. As soon as we approached them, the whales began to come closer and the engines were cut while the two whales spent the next 20 minutes virtually within touching distance as they swam underneath the boat and spyhopped with just their head out of the water looking at us.<br />
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As we raced back to the harbour, another breaching whale appeared on the horizon, and again only breach a couple of times when we were nearby, and again as we left, with Daimo clearly more interested in getting people back to harbour on time rather than staying with active whales. Thankfully I did manage to get a good sequence of a breach before we set off again.<br />
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After Saturday's experience with Phil, this trip was much less pleasing despite the amazing sightings, but it just shows how different it can be with different captains.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">30th July</span></u><br />
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After a couple of days watching whales, I was keen to get back to some birding, and as Toni had been offered a day on the Blue Dolphin boat, having been more preoccupied trying to look after Elsie than take photos on Saturday, we went our separate ways.<br />
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Having looked on eBird (sorry BTO!!!) for locations of recent Beach Stone Curlews, a bird I wanted to, but failed to see on my previous visit to Australia 6 years ago, I headed to Gataker's Bay at nearby Point Vernon. I had only been walking along the shoreline a few minutes after watching a group of Pacific Golden Plovers roosting with a couple of Australian Terns and a Caspian Tern when I saw the unmistakable silhouette of a Beach Stone Curlew a bit further down the beach. As I approached, trying to work around it to get the light better on it, it was always a bit wary of a direct approach, but by sitting down I found it would actually come to see me and I was able to get the shots I wanted.<br />
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Beach Stone Curlew</div>
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Along the shoreline was a bit of mangrove and scrub, which held quite a few birds, including a couple of pairs of Red-backed Fairywrens, the 5th species of Fairywren I have sen on this trip, the males absolutely stunning, but quite difficult to photograph from the beach below the scrub meaning I was always looking up at them.<br />
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male Red-backed Fairywren</div>
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Walking back to the car, a Sacred Kingfisher and several Rainbow Bee-eaters virtually posed for photographs in the lovely morning light.<br />
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Sacred Kingfisher </div>
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Rainbow Bee-eater</div>
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On my last visit to Australia, we had stayed in Point Vernon while Tropical Hurricane Oswald hit, but thankfully the weather was much better this time, or I'm pretty certain I would never be allowed to set foot in the place ever again! While there for several days, I would visit an active Eastern Osprey nest and as I was in the area, went past to see one bird sat on the nest and then found its mate on a post along the water's edge, that was remarkably approachable.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x_HYwYiZtoY/XUQY-lE-CeI/AAAAAAAADCw/rgW-HqETFV8xJP-xtn4sbLsPJAwMPodNgCEwYBhgL/s1600/OP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="750" height="418" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x_HYwYiZtoY/XUQY-lE-CeI/AAAAAAAADCw/rgW-HqETFV8xJP-xtn4sbLsPJAwMPodNgCEwYBhgL/s640/OP.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Eastern Osprey</div>
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Thankfully, Toni had a good day out on the Blue Dolphin and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lickycowgallery/posts/2412942502087808" target="_blank">got some good photos of Humpbacks</a>, and so I didn't feel quite as guilty about dragging her away and down to Lamington National Park for the next stop and some rainforest birding!Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-72996802406647182822019-07-30T05:20:00.000+01:002019-07-31T10:19:15.831+01:00Outback odyssey<br />
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Having had a couple
of days in Malaysia, it was time to head to Australia for the next 3
and a half weeks to go on a road trip into the edge of the outback
and ending up on the Queensland coast for some whale watching before
returning to Sydney. Arriving at Sydney Airport after a very bumpy
flight, we made our way up to Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains where
Toni’s Dad lives.
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After a few days
getting over any remaining jetlag, and doing some wildlife watching
locally, we loaded the car and set off on the road trip, our first
stop being the Pilligas, then Brewarrina and finally after 3 days,
our (well, my) main destination, Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary.<br />
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The drive
wasn’t without its wildlife highlights, the best being a pair of
Wedge-tailed Eagles feeding on one of the many roadkill Kangaroos
that litter the outback roads that flew up as we approached and then
circled overhead when we pulled up.</div>
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Eastern Grey Kangaroo</div>
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Wedge-tailed Eagle</div>
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">21</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">st</span><span style="font-size: large;"> July</span></span></u></div>
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Having completely
misjudged the distance and the condition of some of the outback
roads, plus getting sidetracked by my first Red Kangaroos, a pair of Brolgas, some
Australian Bustards and Brown Falcons by the road, we finally got to
Cunnamulla just after dark.
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Red Kangaroo</div>
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Brolga</div>
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Brown Falcon</div>
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Australian Bustard</div>
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Arriving in
Cunnamulla, we were surprised how quiet it was and not much appeared
open, even though it was only just after 6pm and having little food
with us, wanted to find something to eat, but it was only when we
happened upon a cafe that was still open did we realise it was
because it was Sunday night that everything else was closed.
Thankfully the cafe also sold fish and chips, so with food in hand,
we drove the short journey to Bowra, only to be told that we were a
day early, I had booked us in for the night of the 22<sup>nd</sup>!
Thankfully they were very understanding and as there was only one
other couple in the Shearer’s Quarters, there was plenty of room
for us for an extra night stay.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>22nd July</u></span></div>
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Having arrived at
Bowra in the dark, we had no idea what habitat we had driven through,
and we awoke to a cacophony of noise and ventured out of the
quarters. In the early morning light, there were lots of birds around
the immediate area, mostly White-browed Woodswallows and Brown
Treecreepers feeding on the ground while a nearly pool had 4
White-headed Stilts and a couple of Black-fronted Dotterel.
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White-browed Woodswallow</div>
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One bird that I
really wanted to see on this outback leg of the trip was Splendid
Fairywren. I have always had a passion for Fairywrens, and Splendid
are probably the best looking of the lot, and thankfully we were told
of a nesting pair in a gravel pit. As we drove the tracks around the
reserve, there were birds everywhere, mostly Woodswallows but also
Crimson Chats, Crested Bellbird, White-winged Trillers and even a
couple of Budgerigars!</div>
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male Crimson Chat</div>
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Once we arrived at
the gravel pits, we soon saw the Splendid Fairywrens, the males quite
stunning being a dazzling electric blue, but photographing them was
remarkably tricky as they moved back and forth to feed young in an
out of sight nest, and didn’t always follow a set route to allow
for preparation and staking out a particular perch.</div>
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male Splendid Fairywren</div>
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As we arrived back
at the Shearer’s Quarters, 2 Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos were
feeding on some fruit, and having only earlier seen them briefly in
flight, it was nice to see this local specialty too.</div>
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Major Mitchell's Cockatoo</div>
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After a lunchtime
wander down to Cunnamulla to do some food shopping, I went for a
wander round Bowra alone in the evening, which was much quieter, but
still produced very photogenic Red-capped Robin and a Banded Lapwing.</div>
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Banded Lapwing</div>
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Red-capped Robin</div>
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">23rd July</span></u></div>
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Awake early again,
we had another drive around the reserve, which was much quieter than
yesterday but before we left, we paid another visit to the
fairywrens. After a fair wait, the male showed much better than
yesterday and I was much happier with the photos I managed to get of
him.</div>
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male Splendid Fairywren</div>
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We were told of a
pair of White-winged Fairywrens along the entrance track that we had
completely failed to find yesterday, but taking our time, we found
the rolls of wire we had been told to look out for and sure enough,
flicking around on top of it was a stunning male.</div>
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male White-winged Fairywren</div>
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Having thought
Splendid Fairywrens were the best looking, having sat and
photographed male White-winged Fairywren, I am now not sure which I
prefer, but safe to say, they are both stunning and what a great way
to finish a visit to this superb reserve.</div>
<br />Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-69128196562536677012019-07-18T13:17:00.000+01:002019-09-29T13:38:56.644+01:00Malaysian stop-overTravelling to Australia is a bloody long way! To break up the journey this time, we did a 2 day stop-over in Malaysia en route rather than do it in one go.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Saturday 12th July</span></u></b><br />
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Flying in to Kuala Lumpur Airport takes the best part of 13 hours from Heathrow, thankfully it was a smooth flight and so we got some sleep ahead of our arrival in possibly the most confusing airport I have ever been through. Having battled our way through the airport and picked up our car (despite the lack of obvious signage to the car rental area) we set off towards Bukit Tinggi, according to the maps on my phone, just an hours drive away to the north. Unfortunately my maps decided the best way to go was straight through Kuala Lumpur, which even on a Saturday night was extremely busy with mopeds, motorcycles and cars coming at you from all directions, occasionally they even indicating where they were going, most times you had to be a mind reader. Having failed to stop as instructed at the first petrol station to top up a toll card, we upset the system and although the first time we were fine and were given a card with 10 ringgit of credit on, the second time we got to a toll plaza, we set the alarms off when we swiped our card which had insufficient credit, as we had no idea how much we would needed and had to walk across lanes of traffic to get to a booth who would top it up for us. After 4 hours from landing, we finally reached our destination, the Colmar Tropicale Resort in the Genteng Highlands, a strange French Chateaux themed resort on the hillside. After a quick pizza, we went for a stroll after dark with the torch to stretch the legs and to look for any nocturnal wildlife, plus get our bearings for the next morning's efforts to see the Mountain Peacock-pheasants that the area is renowned for, and came across a Bearded Pig which was an unexpected mammal tick.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Colmar Tropicale Resort, nestled in the Malaysian hills</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Sunday 13th July</span></u></b><br />
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Next morning, we were awake early and set off just before 6am and walked up the hill in the dark, reaching the Japanese Garden site just as it was getting light, which takes about 60-90 minutes depending how fit you are and certainly a shock to the legs after a 13 hour flight the day before! If you stay at the resort you can drive up the road as the barrier is otherwise closed until 10am, but walking is a nice way to feel like you've earned the tick! As the sun came up, the first birds appeared - 3 flyover Rhinoceros Hornbills briefly followed by singing Stripe-throated Bulbul, then Little Cuckoo Dove, Buff-rumped Woodpecker, Grey-rumped Treeswift and Oriental Magpie Robin feeding young while Glossy Swiftlets whizzed overhead.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Stripe-throated Bulbul</span></div>
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Within minutes of arriving at the Peacock-pheasant stakeout spot, the female Mountain Peacock-pheasant appeared, completely unconcerned at the cameras clicking away from behind the thin black netting as she strutted around digging at the ground for food. Apparently we were expected to provide the mealworms for her, but I'm not sure where you can buy mealworms from on a Saturday night in Kuala Lumpur.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Female Mountain Peacock-pheasant</span></div>
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After a while, a male appeared and began displaying to the female, showing off the iridescent green markings in his tail, and when a second male appeared, the original one began chasing and showing off his markings even more. At one point the male chased off his competitor, running within 6 feet of us, I really didn't need to have carried the heavy 200-500mm lens up the hill for these guys!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Male Mountain Peacock-pheasant</span></div>
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An Orange-breasted Trogon that we were told is always there was calling just behind the viewing area, but wasn't visible and a family of Yellow-bellied Warblers kept us entertained while the Peacock-pheasants were out of sight. The walk down was much easier going and a few new birds appeared, including Yellow-eared Spiderhunter, both Blue-winged and Orange-bellied Leafbirds and a Crested Serpent-eagle called as it circled overhead. A party of Dusky Lagurs sat in a tree above us while a couple of Siamangs, which are huge black gibbons with a young one, moved through the treetops.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dusky Langur</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Orange-bellied Leafbird</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Crested Serpent Eagle</span></div>
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After a well-earned and hearty breakfast, we made our way to Frasers Hill, another well known birding area. The drive up to Frasers Hill seems to take an age, twisting and turning and then you reach the gatehouse to the village. Being a Sunday, the village was very busy, not the quiet quaint little village I had envisaged and once we had checked in at our apartment in the Silverwood resort, where a family of Long-tailed Sibia and a Streaked Spiderhunter fed in the trees by the balcony, we went for an afternoon look around. Birdlife was fairly thin on the ground around Jeriau, with a few Yellow-vented and a Black-crested Bulbul of any note, and also a family of White-thighed Leaf Monkeys in the trees just before the heavens opened and we made a hasty retreat to the car.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Long-tailed Sibia</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">White-thighed Leaf Monkey</span></div>
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Monday 14th July</span></b></u><br />
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Monday morning, Frasers Hill was very quiet, much more suitable for wandering around. Chestnut-capped Laughingthrushes and Fire-tufted Barbets joined the Sibias by our balcony as we had breakfast. We went back toward the gatehouse first thing to look for the Malaysian Whistling-Thrush but were probably a bit too late and by the time we got to the nearby Richmond Cottage, there was also no sign of any Hill Partridges.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush</span></div>
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By the time we finished looking for Partridges, it was getting a bit later than hoped, and the Telekom Trail (off the Girdle Road) was also fairly quiet though still produced some stunning Red-headed Trogons, Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker and Blue-eared Barbet.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Red-headed Trogon</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Rufous-browed Flycatcher</span></div>
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Once we had checked out of the apartment, we headed back towards Jeriau where at the old delapidated hotel, photographers have been putting fruit out by some perches which attracts a variety of very tame species. As we arrived, there was already a couple of photographers there and even though there wasn't any fruit available, Long-tailed Sibia and a Silver-eared Mesia appeared. Once the photographers had gone, muttering about the barbets not coming down, I put some sliced apple down and stood back. Within seconds the first Chestnut-capped Laughing Thrushes and Long-tailed Sibias were tucking in, then a Fire-tufted Barbet (obviously the previous photographers hadn't provided the correct fruit!) and finally a flock of 10 Silver-eared Mesias, looking quite stunning entertained us. What fruit the birds missed, a Common Tree Shrew and a Squirrel sp would appear occasionally to eat.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Silver-eared Mesia</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Fire-tufted Barbet</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Common Tree Shrew</span></div>
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Afterwards we walked down towards the nearby Jeriau Waterfall where Slaty-backed Forktail fed on the stream and a Green-billed Malkoha moved among the tree tops.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Slaty-backed Forktail</span></div>
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We received a tip-off about a spot where a Pygmy Cupwing comes down and performs on a set up perch, almost like a stage, apparently you provide some mealworms and whistle and the bird will appear.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The "stage", sadly minus the Cupwing</span></div>
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Sadly it didn't appear for us, possibly being too late in the day by this point, the mealworms a fellow photographer provided were quickly hoovered up by the laughingthrushes and a party of Grey-throated Babblers, while a Shrew-Mouse would appear for a few leftovers.<br />
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Nearby another setup perch where photographers put mealworms down attracted a family of Large Niltava and a Rufous-browed Flycatcher, despite some of the photographers standing a few feet away talking incredibly loudly!<br />
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By mid-afternoon, it was time to head back to the airport for our midnight flight to Sydney, which was a much smoother drive as we were able to avoid going through Kuala Lumpur, instead skirting down the west side. With a bit of time to kill before flying and some light still available, we stopped at a small nature reserve a few minutes from the airport called Payah Indah Wetlands, which unfortunately had closed by the time we got there just after 6pm, but parked by the entrance we still saw a singing Paddyfield Pipit, flyover Blue-throated Bee-eater and best of all, 3 Savannah Nightjars which gave superb close views in the failing light.<br />
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In just over 2 days we saw, well identified 48 species of bird and a few new mammals. It's a lovely country, one I'd love to go back to for a much longer visit, but for a quick taster, it was just about right. Now onto the Australia leg of the trip for the next 3 weeks....Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-52207790726047730172018-09-10T13:39:00.001+01:002018-10-12T14:04:36.972+01:00G is for Goshawk<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Most mornings before work, you can probably find me walking down the BTO's Nunnery Lakes Reserve, and although usually I don't see or photograph anything of note, just occasionally it is worth lugging the 200-500mm lens around every day. This morning, as I walked down a track, a gamekeeper drove his Landrover across the far edge of a neighboring field, scattering the pigeons and partridges in my direction, and with it this/chasing them, was this stunning juvenile Goshawk. The hawk dashed across right in front of me, banked and as soon as it was there it circled back and was gone across the fields, thankfully I was quick enough on the draw to grab some shots!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-57520079004137671392018-03-11T21:07:00.001+00:002018-03-11T21:07:58.276+00:00Snow dayLast week a Snowy Owl was seen by a member of the public near North Wooton, on the edge of the Wash, and then on Friday was relocated on the north coast on Scolt Head. Due to commitments at a conference, yesterday when the owl had been showing all day at Titchwell, albeit very distantly, I wasn't able to go and with negative news this morning, I had given up hope of seeing this bird and as the rain began to fell, I started doing domestic chores. At lunchtime, the owl was amazingly relocated not far from its original location, at the south end of Snettisham RSPB reserve and once I had seen a couple of chores and had seen some pictures on Twitter of it showing much closer than on previous days, it was a bit too much to resist. Leaving a bit later than ideal at 3pm, we got there just after 4pm and began the long walk from the car park to the far end of the reserve. Thankfully the owl was still present when we arrived and had conveniently left the tussock it had been sat on and was sat in full view on a fence post only 80m away giving quite stunning views completely unconcerned by the throngs of birders. We stayed until dusk when it flew a short distance, with a couple of Barn Owls hunting nearby, often in the same 'scope view as the Snowy.<br />
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<br />Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-80255654259750774202018-01-25T19:12:00.000+00:002018-01-25T19:12:04.679+00:00Back for moreAfter last Friday's amazing afternoon watching Short-eared Owls on the Nene Washes in Cambridgeshire, I was itching to go back for another go and with the sun shining today, I was able to take the afternoon off for a return visit. Despite it being midweek, when I arrived shortly after 2.30pm, the car park was already full and the bridge crammed with birders and photographers, but already at least 2 Short-eared Owls were out hunting, and a Red Kite passed overhead, though I wasn't quite prepared to get any decent shots before it drifted off.<br />
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Over the next 90 minutes, at least 5 Short-eared Owls quartered over the grassland, coming much closer than they did on Friday, and being out earlier the light was so much better.<br />
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<br />Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-26741896981320898052018-01-20T08:10:00.002+00:002018-01-20T08:10:48.701+00:00An afternoon with owlsAny day you see an owl is a good one! They have to be my favourite bird family, and having seen on RSPB in the Fens Twitter feed about some Short-eared Owls showing regularly by the Eldernell car park on the Nene Washes in Cambridgeshire, I couldn't resist a visit. Thankfully being more diurnal than most owls, Short-eareds can be seen at all times of the day, though late afternoon is usually the best time to watch them as they ghost across rough grassland and pounce on unsuspecting rodents in the grass.<br />
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Arriving at the car park at just after 2pm, there were already several photographers waiting on the bridge for the owls to show. Distant Whooper and Bewick's Swans, a couple of Marsh Harriers and a group of Roe Deer kept us occupied but the wait continued. It was nearly 3.30pm when the first owl appeared, distantly at first but then came closer and was joined by at least two others, occasionally coming fairly close but most times keeping their distance. Photographing them in flight was a challenge with the light fading all the time while still trying to get used to the autofocus options on my new camera produced a mix of results.<br />
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Just as we were about to leave, a Barn Owl began hunting by the car park, but the light really had gone for photography by that point.Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-41760130713952565882018-01-08T08:48:00.004+00:002018-01-08T08:48:45.325+00:00More local OttersHaving just treated myself to a new camera, it was only right to get out and try it out on some more local Otters. Although the Thetford ones from a few years ago are now only seen occasionally, there have recently been a up to 4 along the river at Santon Downham which are becoming well known and very popular with photographers. Toni and I spent a couple of hours with one of the Otters, though as always seems to be the case whenever I photograph Otters, they show best when the light isn't that great, and even on sunny days, will invariably show best in the shadiest stretches of the river. They also seem to have a fondness for hunting around fallen trees and so getting shots without branches covering the face can be tricky but can usually be got with a bit of patience. I'll no doubt be back to see these animals a lot more times this year, especially as this stretch of river is one I survey for the Waterways Breeding Bird Survey, but for a first visit, this particular Otter performed well for the small appreciative crowd.<br />
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There were also many Little Grebes along the river here, and unusually for this species, were remarkably photogenic.<br />
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<br />Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-80560012407168942412017-10-14T20:50:00.003+01:002017-10-14T20:50:52.775+01:00Białowieża BisonArriving in Rotterdam on the Hull ferry on Monday morning, we drove across the Netherlands and most of Germany, stopping for a night just outside Berlin and then across Poland to just north of Warsaw for another night before arriving early afternoon on Wednesday in Białowieża, a mere 850 miles. Unfortunately the glorious weather that we had driven through hadn't made it this far and we arrived to find it constantly raining, which not only made our enthusiasm for getting out and walking far not very high, but also made the non-tarmacked roads quite muddy and slippery. A bigger problem was with the recent logging operations and subsequent Greenpeace protests which have made the news, the road between Białowieża and Narweka on the north side was impassable by car due to the heavy sand surface put down for the lorries and many of the trails we had hoped to walk along were now closed. We had a walk around the Palace Gardens, not seeing much except 2 squabbling male Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a handful of Nuthatches and Treecreepers, and got pulled over by the border guards (even though we were nowhere near the border or on a road that crossed it!) who probably had never seen a car with English plates on before, but satisfied, they let us go on our way.<br /><br />Thursday morning dawned with a damp, grey, drizzly air as we we out as it was getting light, scouring the meadows in the hope of seeing a Bison. No sooner had we driven through the village of Teremiski, we saw a car with hazard lights and a group of people watching a male Bison in a field by the road. Quickly grabbing cameras, we crept down the side of the meadow, tucked in among the bushes so as not to disturb it, only to see one of the group march straight out camera in hand, across the meadow towards the Bison, which, unsurprisingly wandered off across the meadow into some trees in search of peace and quiet, but not before we managed to get some quick shots through the murk.<div>
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A quick look at Gora Batorego did yield a few Crested Tits and a photogenic Middle Spotted Woodpecker.</div>
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The rest of the day was spent around Siemianowka Reservoir where Red-necked Grebe, a juvenile White-tailed Eagle, 3 Marsh Harriers and a couple of Whooper Swans were visible from the watch tower, along with, more surprisingly, a Fox and along the trail by the reservoir, a Grass Snake, taking advantage of a brief period of sunshine. A dusk stakeout at Babia Góra before the rain returned failed to produce any more Bison, just a small group of Roe Deer, a Great Grey Shrike, a male Stonechat and a Merlin.</div>
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Friday we were again up early and revisited Teremiski Meadows, and thankfully the Bison was again there, though today on the edge of a small copse. As we were about to edge closer, possibly the same group as yesterday appeared and again marched toward the Bison. We gave up and drove off and returned twenty minutes later as the group were leaving, and thankfully the Bison was still there and with only 2 of us there, he was a lot more accommodating to an approach than previously as we got within 15m of him as he fed unperturbed, occasionally snorting if you ventured a step too close.</div>
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This morning, we had a final walk around Zebra Zubra and Budy Bridge areas, but failed to find any woodpeckers other than Great Spots and a calling Black, though autumn is not necessarily the best time of year to be looking for such things, and we headed north to Augustow Forest and Biebrza Marshes for a further few days. </div>
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All in all, Białowieża Forest was a bit of a let down, though the time of year and weather didn't help, but with such limited access to the main tracks through the forest, many of the sites in the excellent guide by Wild Poland were no longer accessible and may not be come next spring when many birders will visit the area.</div>
Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541394790709230666.post-83472421721998349862017-03-23T20:56:00.004+00:002017-03-28T16:46:54.516+01:00BTO (and others) Arctic Norway tripFollowing a very successful <a href="http://neilcalbradephotography.blogspot.no/2015/03/bto-estonia-birding-weekend.html" target="_blank">BTO birders trip to Estonia</a> in 2015, this year myself, Sarah Harris, Nick Moran, John Marchant (now ex-BTO having retired last year), <a href="http://www.alanharrisbirdartist.co.uk/" target="_blank">artist Alan Harris</a> and <a href="https://www.norfolkbirding.com/" target="_blank">Norfolk Birding owner Chris Mills</a> decided to embark on a trip to the Varanger Peninsula in Arctic Norway to look for seaducks, Siberian Jays, Siberian Tits, Gyr, owls and woodpeckers.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The intrepid team, from left to right: John Marchant, Sarah Harris, Chris Mills, Nick Moran, me and Alan Harris </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(photo by Nick Moran)</span></div>
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<b><u>16th March</u></b><br />
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After a night in a Premier Inn near Heathrow, we caught the flight to Oslo where we spent 4 hours between our connecting flight staring out at the runway trying to start a Norway list but only managed a few Jackdaws, Hooded Crows, Magpie and Buzzard. From here we boarded our next flight to Kirkenes, where we arrived but unfortunately due to faulty hydraulics, they weren't able to get our luggage off the plane - not a great start. After an hour of organising to get our bags delivered next day we picked up our hire cars and drove a couple of hours south to Øvre Pasvik Camping, arriving at around midnight.<br />
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<u><b>17th March</b></u><br />
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Despite the late night and due to it getting light at about 4.30am, we were out very early in the surrounding woods. Almost immediately on looking out of the cabin window and some of the group who were out first, a group of Pine Grosbeaks were soon on the list along with some Arctic and Mealy Redpolls, Bullfinches and Greenfinches. A walk along the road towards a large frozen lake and husky centre soon revealed our first Siberian Tit, though very mobile but once we arrived at the husky centre, found a feeding site where a dozen Pine Grosbeaks, 2+ Siberian Tits and several Arctic Redpoll were all coming to feed only a few yards away from us allowing excellent photographic opportunities.<br />
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<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="402" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5fMi_LuRksQ/WNQs5IzxC-I/AAAAAAAACrs/xiyMd4blmxUYtjCPQVYlZj5379O_8YCJwCLcB/s640/Pine%2BGrosbeak.jpg" width="640" /></span><span style="font-size: x-small; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">Pine Grosbeak</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Siberian Tit</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Arctic Redpoll</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sfvDGExSxQ/WNQs0YAtXkI/AAAAAAAACrU/z7mDS0kI7Oo0Dp7bdEf0EAXoAtyX9SIaACLcB/s1600/Bullfinch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sfvDGExSxQ/WNQs0YAtXkI/AAAAAAAACrU/z7mDS0kI7Oo0Dp7bdEf0EAXoAtyX9SIaACLcB/s640/Bullfinch.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">male Bullfinch</span></div>
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After a thoroughly enjoyable hour photographing we headed north towards Svanvik, seeing a very brief Willow Grouse flying across, a couple more Pine Grosbeaks by the road, but very little else. As we drove around a loop road, a quick stop by a house produced 2 Siberian Jays feeding on a bird feeder in the garden.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Siberian Jay</span></div>
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Thankfully, and rather miraculously, when we got back to the cabins, our lost luggage had been found and delivered, and we were able to dig out some proper cold weather clothing.<br />
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<b><u>18th March</u></b><br />
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Another early start and another excellent hour or so spent at the husky centre feeding site, which again held at least 16 Pine Grosbeaks, 3 Siberian Tits, several Willow Tits and Arctic Redpolls as the snow began to fall more heavily.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">male Pine Grosbeaks </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Siberian Tit</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Willow Tit</span></div>
<br />Other good birds seen by the group during the morning included a Hawk Owl that Nick was lucky enough to see briefly before it was chased off by two Siberian Jays, a probable Three-toed Woodpecker John heard then saw in flight only, Black Grouse for Nick and John, and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker seen by Alan, but I wasn't quite so lucky.<br /><br />The rest of the day was spent driving in horrendous blizzard conditions up to Ekkerøy, on the Varanger Peninsula, uns<span style="font-family: inherit;">urprisingly </span>with very few, if any, birds seen except the odd Raven and Hooded Crow. A few Reindeer were seen by the road, but the conditions didn't allow for much in the way of photos, this one I photographed while we stopped by the road to remove ice from the windscreen wipers.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Reindeer in a blizzard</span></div>
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A quick stop at Nesseby Harbour produced little but a large flock of Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls following a trawler and a flock of c20 Snow Buntings.<br />
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<u><b>19th March</b></u><br />
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In complete contrast in weather to yesterday, we awoke to gorgeous sunshine and soon found our first drake Steller's Eider, right behind the accommodation in Ekkerøy. Our first stop was the nearby harbour where John found the first King Eiders of the trip, but I got distracted by a group of Purple Sandpipers performing brilliantly in the morning sunshine, as did several Kittiwakes from the massive colony.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Purple Sandpiper</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Kittiwake</span></div>
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From here we headed east towards Vardø, stopping to scan the bays where another drake Steller's Eider was seen. A chance stop near Krampenes where a couple foxes drew our attention soon got much better when a male Gyr appeared overhead and then the female was seen perched on a rock before also flying off over the bay.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">male Gyr Falcon</span></div>
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Arriving in Vardø Harbour, an Iceland Gull flew over the car and a small group of Steller's Eider were present very close in giving amazing photographic views and further round a small group of Long-tailed Ducks and Black Guillemots too virtually posed for the camera, but the King Eiders present were all too distant for photos. At least 5 Glaucous Gulls were also in the harbour, one flying quite low overhead.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Steller's Eiders</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">drake Long-tailed Duck</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Black Guillemot</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Glaucous Gull</span></div>
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On the other side of Vardø, a viewpoint looks across at the island of Hornøya, which we had hoped to get a boat across to but we didn't have time. Hundreds of auks were visible from the Biotope hide at the viewpoint, mostly Puffins but also many Guillemots, and also many King Eider, a distant White-tailed Eagle, a Gannet and a distant acrobatic pod of White-beaked Dolphins.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Scanning across to Hornøya Island from the Biotope Hide</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(photo by Sarah Harris).</span></div>
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On the way back to Ekkerøy, a scan of various rocky outcrops eventually produced 2 more Gyrs and a couple of White-tailed Eagles, but both were very distant and spent the majority of their time perched.<br />
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In the evening, the Northern Lights were visible, by eye looking very uninspiring, being a dull green cast to the sky, but the camera on a long exposure pulled out many more colours than our eyes could see.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Northern Lights</span></div>
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<u><b>20 March</b></u><br />
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A more thorough scan of the bay behind the accommodation in Ekkerøy produced 250+ Steller's Eider close in along with a few Velvet and Common Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser and the rest of the group who had 'scopes had a Red-necked Grebe here too, but despite a good search, no White-billed Divers that had been reported in the area recently.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Steller's Eiders</span></div>
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Just west of Ekkerøy lies Vadsø Harbour, but although there were a few groups of Common, Steller's and King Eider, Long-tailed Duck and a flyover White-tailed Eagle present from the Biotope hide, nothing was that close in to be worth photographing.<br />
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A little further west we went for a walk along a trail at Vestre Jacobselv, which was generally extremely quiet, though several White-tailed Eagles were seen, including one low overhead.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">adult White-tailed Eagle</span></div>
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Another quick stop for late lunch in Nesseby Harbour produced a single Iceland Gull among the gull masses following a trawler in, but the highlight was an adult White-tailed Eagle that drifted over and then swooped in, almost striking at a Grey Seal that had its head poking out of the water before flying across in front of the breakwater being furiously mobbed by gulls.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">White-tailed Eagle with Herring Gull escort</span></div>
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<b><u>21 March</u></b><br />
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Our final morning was spent driving to the airport. As we drove south of Bugøyfjord, 2 Willow Grouse (or possibly Ptarmigan, given how similar they are in winter) flew across the road, one landing, by the treeline and almost vanishing in its white plumage among the snow, with only its black beak and eye visible. A few more Reindeer were seen, but none in places to photograph them.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Willow Grouse, or possibly Ptarmigan</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(photo by Chris Mills)</span></div>
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Although the final species list was just over 50 birds and 5 mammals, it is a quite stunning part of the world and a place I will have to revisit, both in summer and again in winter. Thanks go to Sarah for her organising and researching for this trip.Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0