I’m catching up! – My Shetland list

/1 Comment/in /by
Hugh Harrop of Shetland Wildlife & TUB

I’m beginning to catch my breath after an amazing two week stint on Shetland in June followed by a frenetic filming and writing schedule – which hasn’t ended just yet!

I want to thank Hugh Harrop for being such a great mate and a good geezer all round for making my Shetland experience so amazing!

My Shetland list

Red-throated Diver
Great Northern Diver
Fulmar
European Storm Petrel
Northern Gannet
Cormorant
Shag
Grey Heron
Mute Swan
Whooper Swan
Greylag
Canada Goose
Shelduck
Mallard
Gadwall
Pintail
Shoveler
Wigeon
Teal
Pochard
Tufted Duck
Ring-necked Duck
Eider
Red-breasted Merganser
Sparrowhawk
Moorhen
Coot
Common Crane
Oystercatcher
Ringed Plover
Golden Plover
Lapwing
Sanderling
Turnstone
Dunlin
Little Stint
Redshank
Bar-tailed Godwit
Curlew
Whimbrel
Snipe
Red-necked Phalarope
Great Skua
Arctic Skua
Black-headed Gull
Common Gull
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-back
Great Black-back
Glaucous Gull
Kittiwake
Common Tern
Arctic Tern
Puffin
Black Guillemot
Guillemot
Razorbill
Rock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Cuckoo
Swift
Skylark
Sand Martin
Swallow
House Martin
Rock Pipit
Meadow Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Wren (Shetland race)
Robin
Northern Wheatear
Song Thrush
Blackbird
Blackcap
Lesser Whitethroat
Sedge Warbler
Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
Spotted Flycatcher
Rook
Hooded Crow
Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Linnet
Twite
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Common Crossbill
Common Rosefinch
94 species
mammals
Bearded Seal
Common Seal
Grey Seal
Otter
Rabbit
Mountain Hare
Brown Rat
Hedgehog

Rambles around Shetland

/1 Comment/in /by
 The coast at Scatness
 Immature Common Crossbill, Baltasound, Unst
 Redshank
 Great Skua at sea
Common Tern in Lerwick 
Arctic Hare

Shots from Shetland

/0 Comments/in /by
 Gannet at Noss
 Gannet
 Grey Seal
 Atlantic Puffin (Hugh Harrop)
 Golden Plover
 Common Crane with busted wing
Immature male Scarlet Rosefinch

Urban Birder Sightseeing in Shetland

/1 Comment/in /by
 Northern Lapwing
 Oystercatcher
 Northern Fumar
 Common Starling
 Little Stint
 A pair of Red-necked Phalaropes
A female Red-necked Phalarope

Dungeness

/2 Comments/in /by
Had a nice Sunday morning strolling around the shingly expanses of Dungeness, Kent. 
There wasn’t a great deal around bird-wise but that was cool. It was nice to take a break from the tons of writing that I have been doing recently.
 A pair of Linnets
 The lighthouse
 An expensive beach hut
 A curious male House Sparrow
 A wary Herring Gull
A male House Sparrow

My Portuguese birds!

/1 Comment/in /by
Some views of the glorious countryside at Castro Verde…..

Male Stonechat

Alentejo list

Cattle Egret
Little Egret
Great Egret
Grey Heron
White Stork
Mallard
Griffon Vulture
Black Vulture
Golden Eagle
Iberian Imperial Eagle
Booted Eagle
Bonelli’s Eagle
Short-toed Eagle
Black-shouldered Kite
Black Kite
Marsh Harrier
Montagu’s Harrier
Common Buzzard
Kestrel
peregrine
Red-legged Partridge
Moorhen
Coot
Great Bustard
Black-winged Stilt
Collared Pratincole
Little Ringed Plover
Ringed Plover
Lapwing
Sanderling
Yellow-legged Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Swift
Hoopoe
Bee-eater
Skylark
Crested Lark
Thekla Lark
Woodlark
Short-toed Lark
Sand Martin
Crag Martin
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
House Martin
Tawny Pipit
White Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail iberiae
((Nightingale))
Black-eared Wheatear
Stonechat
Blackbird
Blue Rock Thrush
Sardinian Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Zitting Cisticola
((Savi’s Warbler))
Crested Tit
Iberian Grey Shrike
Woodchat
Azure-winged Magpie
Magpie
Jay
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Spotless Starling
Golden Oriole
House Sparrow
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Serin
Corn Bunting
Rock Bunting
75 species
((heard))

The Alentejo, Portugal in late May

/2 Comments/in /by
I really love the Alentejo Region of Portugal. Set between the Algarve in the south and Lisbon in the north, it really is a relatively undiscovered jewel. I was there for just two days for meetings sandwiched in between tons of birding.
Saw some great stuff including a Golden Eagle at its eyrie with two eaglets. It was amazing. The first Golden Eagle’s nest I have ever seen. And as if that wasn’t enough, I was taken to a secret location to see an Iberian Imperial Eagle’s nest, again containing two eaglets. I felt so priviledged.
What a great birding region!
Black-winged Stilt
Hoopoe
Woodlark
A Crested Tit carrying food
TUB looking up!
Collared Pratincoles
Sanderling – an inland rarity
A drifting male Montagu’s Harrier

Serbian Trip List

/2 Comments/in /by
Long-eared Owl

A fantastic seven days wandering the Pannonian Plains. I can’t wait for next year’s spring tour. Give me a shout if you fancy coming with me!

Tour list

Black-necked Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Little Grebe
Great Cormorant
Pygmy Cormorant
Little Bittern
Night Heron
Squacco Heron
Little Egret
Great Egret
Grey Heron
Purple Heron
White Stork
Black Stork
Spoonbill
Mute Swan
Greylag
Mallard
Gadwall
Garganey
Pochard
Ferruginous Duck
Tufted Duck
White-tailed Duck
Marsh Harrier
Montagu’s Harrier
Long-legged Buzzard
Common Buzzard
Sparrowhawk
Goshawk
Kestrel
Red-footed Falcon
Hobby
Saker
Pheasant
Moorhen
Coot
Black-winged Stilt
Lapwing
Common Sandpiper
Black-headed Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Common Tern
Whiskered Tern
Feral Pigeon
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Turtle Dove
Cuckoo
Barn Owl
Long-eared Owl
Little Owl
Swift
Hoopoe
Kingfisher
Bee-eater
Black Woodpecker
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Syrian Woodpecker
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
((Wryneck))
Skylark
Crested Lark
Sand Martin
Barn Swallow
House Martin
Tawny Pipit
White Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail (Black-headed)
((Wren))
Robin
Nightingale
Common Redstart
Black Redstart
Northern Wheatear
Stonechat
Song Thrush
Blackbird
Barred Warbler
((Garden Warbler))
Blackcap
Lesser Whitethroat
Common Whitethroat
Sedge Warbler
Savi’s Warbler
Reed Warbler
Marsh Warbler
Great Reed Warbler
Icterine Warbler
Spotted Flycatcher
Great Tit
((Blue Tit))
((Marsh Tit))
Long-tailed Tit (caudatus – white-headed)
Bearded Tit
Nuthatch
Short-toed Treecreeper
Red-backed Shrike
Lesser Grey Shrike
Magpie
Jay
Jackdaw
Rook
Hooded Crow
Raven
Starling
Golden Oriole
House Sparrow
Tree Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Hawfinch
Reed Bunting
Ortolan
Yellowhammer
Corn Bunting
((heard))
122 species

More reasons to hang out in Serbia

/2 Comments/in /by
 The vista
 White Stork
 Black-necked Grebe
 Common Buzzard
A very blurred Barred Warbler

The Serbian Spring Tour thus far

/1 Comment/in /by
 Hot, idyllic days so far
 Quite a few Marsh Warblers
 Tons of Collared Doves
 Stacks of Bee-eaters
 A male Syrian Woodpecker amongst tripods and a dead female Red-footed Falcon
 A poor Rook chick that fell out of its nest in the rookery with our guide, Milan Ruzic
 Spotted Flycatchers abound
 There’s plenty of Red-backed Shrikes
 A secretive Savi’s Warbler
What we all came for – Long-eared Owls

Back on the urban ranch

/1 Comment/in /by

I’ve been so cold for so long this year in the UK. Indeed, ever since last October I have barely felt the rays of the warm sun on my back. This is mid May and it really does look and feel like March. Today was relatively dull with a quite fresh wind blowing.

Wednesday was even worse. I got to The Scrubs at 6am to witness the trees almost doubling over due to the strong winds. All of this occurred under a cold grey sky. I didn’t even get out of the car. I sat there for a few minutes, convincing myself that there were no migrants to be found and that a warm bed was a better option.

It was.

The final Latvian count

/2 Comments/in /by
Yellow Wagtail

Black-throated Diver

Great Crested Grebe

Red-necked Grebe
Cormorant
Bittern
Little Egret
Great Egret
Grey Heron
White Stork
Mute Swan
Whooper Swan
White-fronted Goose
Bean Goose
Greylag
Canada Goose
Barnacle Goose
Shelduck
Mallard
Gadwall
Shoveler
Wigeon
Teal
Garganey
Pochard
Tufted Duck
Scaup
Eider
Common Scoter
Velvet Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Goldeneye
Goosander
Red-breasted Merganser
Capercaillie
Black Grouse
Hazel
Grouse NEW!
Red-legged Partridge
Corncrake
White-tailed Eagle
Osprey
Red Kite
Black Kite
Marsh Harrier
Pallid Harrier
Common Buzzard
Rough-legged Buzzard
Honey Buzzard
Goshawk
Sparrowhawk
Kestrel
Hobby
Merlin
((Water Rail))
((Little Crake))
Moorhen
Coot
Common Crane
Oystercatcher
Golden Plover
Lapwing
Wood Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Bar-tailed Godwit
Curlew
((Woodcock))
Snipe
((Jack Snipe))
Ruff
Black-headed Gull
Little Gull
Common Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-back
Common Tern
Arctic Tern
Black Tern
White-winged Tern
Whiskered Tern
Feral Pigeon
Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Turtle Dove
Cuckoo
((Tengmalm’s Owl)) NEW!
Tawny Owl
Nightjar
Swift
Hoopoe
Roller
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Wryneck
Skylark
Woodlark
Crested Lark
Sand Martin
Swallow
House Martin
Tawny Pipit
Tree Pipit
Meadow Pipit
White Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail (flava & thunbergi)
Waxwing
Dunnock
Robin
Thrush Nightingale
Bluethroat (red & white spot)
Common Redstart
Black Redstart
Northern Wheatear
Whinchat
Song Thrush
Redwing
Mistle Thrush
Fieldfare
Blackbird
Blackcap
Garden Warbler
Lesser Whitethroat
Common Whitethroat
Sedge Warbler
((Grasshopper Warbler))
((Savi’s Warbler))
Reed Warbler
Icterine Warbler
Willow Warbler
Wood Warbler
Chiffchaff
Goldcrest
Wren
Spotted Flycatcher
Red-breasted Flycatcher
Pied Flycatcher
Great Tit
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Crested Tit
Penduline Tit
Nuthatch
Treecreeper
Red-backed Shrike
Magpie
Jay
Jackdaw
Rook
Hooded Crow
Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Tree Sparrow
Chaffinch
Brambling
Linnet
Mealy Redpoll
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Siskin
Serin
Crossbill
Hawfinch
Reed Bunting
Yellowhammer
165 species
2 lifers
((Heard))

Latvian birds

/1 Comment/in /by
 Female Red-breasted Flycatcher  
 Male Northern Wheatear
 Goldfinch collecting nesting material from a building site
 White Stork
 Sedge Warbler 
 Female Common Redstart
 Crested Lark
 Pied Flycatcher
 Pied Flycatcher
 Common Whitethroat
Barn Swallows

Kolka, Latvia – the amazing migration watchpoint

/0 Comments/in /by
Lying on the Latvian coast with the Baltic Sea to the west and the Gulf of Riga to the east, Cape Kolka looks well placed for receiving migrants destined for Scandinavia further north. Perhaps 90 miles north west of Latvia’s capital Riga, it has to be one of Europe’s hidden gems when it comes to watching diurnal migration.
I was there last Friday and stayed for two days. On Friday morning we sat on chairs in a field and simply looked up. After two minutes we were witnessing the beginnings of an incredible passage of raptors, cranes and storks. 
Within three hours we clocked up nearly 300 Common Buzzards, c10 Honey Buzzard, c6 Rough-legged Buzzard, c6 Marsh Harrier, 1 Black Kite, 1 Red Kite, 1 Hobby, 1 Red-footed Falcon, 1 Kestrel, 1 Goshawk, at least 15 Sparrowhawks, c200 White Stork, c400 Common Crane and around 25 Waxwings. In addition we had hundreds of Chaffinches, Tree Pipits and Yellow Wagtails to add to the mix. Our full day totals were much higher. There were birds passing over all the time. In between all this we searched the trees and bushes for migrants. Some of the bushes were jumping with warblers, flycatchers and shrikes. But more about those tomorrow.
The following day was quieter, but we still recorded good species including a Pallid Harrier. This place should firmly be on the birding map!
 Common Crane
 White Stork
 Male Marsh Harrier
 Red Kite
 Rough-legged Buzzard
 Honey Buzzard
 Another male Marsh Harrier
 Hobby
Common Buzzard

More Latvian Birding History

/3 Comments/in /by
Correspondence for this blog has been rather slack recently due to me being pretty exhausted at night after long days in the field. But I will be plastering this blog with loads of images from Latvia in the coming days.
For the past couple of days we have been based at Kolka Cape to the west of Riga and the last stop for migrants before Scandinavia. 
What a place!!!
Dripping with migrants and not a birder in site. It is Latvia’s hidden secret its jewel in an already embelished crown. Today we recorded the country’s fourth ever Pallid Harrier. An immature female from the looks of it.
Amazing!!

Latvian Ornithological History

/1 Comment/in /by
Found four Whiskered Terns today with a bunch of Black Terns, Black-headed Gulls and a Little Gull just outside Riga representing the first record for over 24 years – yowza!!
We also watched a Black Kite drift over nearby – rare visitor!
 One of the four Whiskered Terns
 Male Starling
 Tree Sparrow
 Pied Flycatcher
 Black Tern
 Black Kite
 Male Northern Wheatear
 Female House Sparrow
White Wagtail

Ride a White Swan

/0 Comments/in /by
Arrived in Riga, Latvia this afternoon for a week of birding, talks and interviews in a country that I know absolutely nothing about bar the fact that it is the hen party/stag night capital of Europe.
Was taken around a reserve near the coast seeing and hearing such delights as Bittern, Savi’s Warbler, Thrush Nightingale, Wood Warbler, Penduline Tit and gorgeous Blue-headed Wagtails. In the evening we arrived at a river where Ruslans Matrozis, one of my hosts, started to throw bread at the swans. I was confused wondering why such a serious ornithologist would be feeding the swans like a regular parkgoer.
 The scene before…..

All of a sudden, he grabbed a swan that had turned its back on him to scoff some bread.

 Pinned it down
 Checked if it was ok
 Then placed a ring on its leg
 On pops the ring
 The swan’s ok……
 Well, maybe a bit peeved!
 Back you go!
Some of his mates!

London the new Falsterbo?

/0 Comments/in /by
I’ve been very lucky over the past few days whilst strolling around Central London. No, I didn’t find a stash of cash on the floor nor was I basking under a hot sun – when is that going to happen again?
No, I’ve seen some great urban birds. A week ago whilst walking along Southbank I casually looked at the Thames and amongst the cruising pleasure boats was an adult Shag happily diving away. It was my first adult in central London. The day before a discovered a Red-legged Partridge casually strolling past the football pitch that I was about to play on.
Most surprising was  yesterday’s sighting – an Osprey soaring over Covent Garden! I was walking up St Martin’s Lane and as I do, I looked up to the sight of what I orginally thought was a large gull. A second look and I suddenly realised that I was watching an Osprey. The bird then drifting east, no doubt following the course of the Thames.
Today, whilst parking in Golden Square, I looked up and there was a Common Buzzard drifting south. Tomorrow I will be up on Tower 42. Will my luck continue?
 Common Buzzard over Golden Square, central London
 Red-legged Partridge on the wing
Still making a run!

Pied Flycatcher at The Scrubs

/1 Comment/in /by
Today was a good day at The Scrubs. We recorded our first spring Pied Flycatcher since 2006 and this female was the first since 2005. 
Cute bird!

Back on dry land

/0 Comments/in /by
Life on the ocean wave is all very well but there comes a time in your life when you have to return home to survey the scene. Home for me is the patch – Wormwood Scrubs. 
Winter at The Scrubs ended last week whilst I was watching Glaucous Gulls off the coast of Norway. We enjoyed a phenomenal fall of some 14 Common Redstarts and an unbelievable 40 plus Northern Wheatears all in just one day!
Below are a fragment of the birds to be seen at The Scrubs over the last 10 days.
 A female Black Redstart – in there somewhere! (Rob Ayers)
 Rook
 Robin
 Northern Wheatear
 A showy Northern Wheatear
Same bird, different angle