Jun 062022
 

During mid March 2022, we spend a week visiting the island of Fuertaventura. It was our first visit to the Canary Islands and sampling some early spring sunshine. With limited time available, it also provided me with an opportunity to see some of the islands very special birds, including Houbara Bustard, Fuertaventura Chat, Black-bellied Sandgrouse and a few others. 

We based ourselves at the resort of Caleta de Fuste, with its rocky coastline and many rock pools. Staying at the superb hotel, Barcelo Fuertaventura Mar.

I visited the Tindaya Plains and Villaverde, spending a day exploring this vast area, finding four Houbara Bustard, lots of Spectacled Warbler, small flock of Trumpeter Finch, two Stone Curlew, 2 Black-bellied Sandgrouse, several Barbary Partridge, 8 Egyptian Vulture, 3 Fuertaventura Chat, Berthalot’s Pipit, Ruddy Shelduck, Lesser Short-toed Lark and Plain and Pallid Swift.

During the remaining time I made early morning visits to the shoreline and beach area surrounding the hotel and found a Whimbrel, Greenshank, Turnstone, Common Sandpiper, lots of Cory’s Shearwaters off-shore, a Hoopoe in-off the sea, Sandwich Tern and Yellow-legged Gull.

Houbara Bustard
Houbara Bustard
Houbara Bustard
Houbara Bustard displaying
Houbara Bustard
Fuertaventura Chat – male
Berthalot’s Pipit
Berthalot’s Pipit
Stone Curlew
Barbary Partridge
Trumpeter Finch
Trumpeter Finch
Trumpeter Finch
Spectacled Warbler
Cory’s Shearwater
Canarian Wallflower
Brown Bluebell
Spanish Sparrow
Little Egret
Yellow-legged Gull
Red Rock Crab
Apr 042022
 
A trip to Peter Scott's home - Slimbridge

We made a trip to the UK’s headquarters of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge, the home of Sir Peter Scott. A man who, as a small boy, had a major influence on my interests in birds and wildlife in general. Slimbridge is also the home of the Bewick’s Swan, and for generations now, these wild swans winter in good numbers at Slimbridge. Peter Scott, during his studies of the Bewick Swan, soon realised that each swan could be individually identified by their bill markings, in a very similar fashion to the human finger print. An information bank has […]

Apr 042022
 
A rare goose close to home

Pleased to have received phone messages from a couple of local birders on 6th March. A few minutes later, met-up with them and was watching 2 Tundra Bean Geese in fields at Swarkestone, Derbyshire. It’s been a few years since we have had these rare geese in the Trent Valley. A really excellent discovery, whilst looking for the 2 Russian White-fronted Geese that were also on view in nearby fields. A goose extravaganza as they say. Well done and big thanks to Chris & Colin.

Apr 042022
 
Local updates - February 2022

A walk around the local fields on 3rd February produced a flock of 4 and another flock of 9 Yellowhammer. Good to see they are still close by, although none at Staunton Harold Res so far this winter. 2 Brambling at Staunton Harold on 5th Feb, 9 Red-legged Partridge, c200 Fieldfare and c50 Redwing and a Little Egret on 12th Feb. The Feb WEBS count produced following highlights on 23rd Feb – 105 Great Crested Grebe, 103 Tufted Duck, 3 Goosander, a Great White Egret, but not a single Teal anywhere. A drake Goldeneye and the juvenile Peregrine still around […]

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