In Memory Of Nigel Richard Stow 1941-2004

GARDEN PATH

Let's stroll along a garden path

And just enjoy the day

No thoughts of worries fill our minds

We'll just wander on our way.

Forget about life's problems

You'll see that they will keep

Just walk with me a little ways

Nature's blessings we will reap.

Let's find some joy in little things

We'll talk of nothing much

Just wander down the garden path

Sweet flowers we shall touch.

We'll find a spot to sit awhile

And watch the clouds float by

We'll listen to the song of birds

And sigh a pleasant sigh.

When at last the day is over

And home now we must go

Take the memory along with you

For the days you're feeling low.

by Charlotte Anselmo

"Turning Back The Pages"-Henley Standard March 2008.

50 Years Ago

Nigel Stow, the 16-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Stow, of Manor Cottage, Henley, accomplished a fine performance on Saturday last when he won the Berkshire boys cross-country championship over a course of about five miles near Maidenhead. Nigel, who previously had won the championship of his school, Ashmead, scored maximum points for Ashmead, who won the team event. The winner finished about 100 yards in front of his nearest opponent.

January's Local Sightings.

The garden has been busy with the usual sightings, Marsh Tit and Nuthatch have been regular visitors throughout the month as have the usual Blue, Great and Coal Tits. Both male & female Great-spotted Woodpeckers are regular along with Robin, Dunnock, Wren, Blackbird and the occasional visit from a small flock of Long-tailed Tits. 2 Goldcrests are regular visitors to the trees outside the cottage and their high pitched contact calls are heard long before they show themselves, a single Green Woodpecker has been feeding around the orchard on a regular basis and a single female Bullfinch was in the orchard on the 3rd with Goldfinch & Greenfinch. Chaffinch numbers are averaging about 12 which is far fewer than previous years when numbers have reached 25+, Goldfinch and Greenfinch numbers are certainly down with only 2 or 3 birds of each species visiting on occasions. Both Mistle & Song Thrush have been occasional visitors to the fields next to our cottage along with what seems to be the last of the Redwing, Male & female Sparrowhawk have been seen in the garden attempting to pluck some unsuspecting victim from the feeders and they seem to be passing through almost daily at the moment, at least 3 Buzzards are around most days and Red Kite numbers seem to building up again with at least 14 being seen over the fields between Skirmett & Frieth on one occasion at the end of the month, many of them seem to be displaying already. A male & female Kestrel have become common visitors since December and are often perched on the telegraph poles scanning the fields for prey. Both Black-headed & Common Gulls have been feeding in the nearby fields throughout January along with good numbers of Rook, Carrion Crow & Jackdaw. Plenty of Magpies about with a single count of 17 being seen in the adjacent fields, a single Jay also seen in the orchard.

Marsh Tit.

Tawny Owls are calling from dusk and long into the early hours with one again calling from the top of the cottage, most sightings come from the nearby country lanes with one faithful bird being seen along Shogmoor Lane regularly. Our resident Little Owls are still laying low with only a handful of sightings through January, most of which are on sunny days when the pair are out sunning themselves. Another pair are still regular sightings at a farm shed at the top of Shogmoor Lane and can be seen most nights perched on the shed roof.

A small covey of Red-legged Partridges were seen passing through the garden early in January but other than that there has been few sightings, The male Pheasant is still coming into the garden before dusk and using the seed feeders!.
No sign of any Siskin or Brambling around the garden but at Chisbridge Lane the Brambling flock of at least 25 birds remained faithful to the cereal crops in the fields next to the double gates, Yellowhammer, Chaffinch & Greenfinch make up the numbers in this flock of 50 or so Finches & Buntings. They can be viewed from here.

Deer numbers have massed into the hundreds and can be seen from the roadside near the Old Luxters Farm Brewery in Hambleden as they graze in the fields, a Stoat was again seen as it ran through the vegetable patch towards the end of January.

Fallow Deer Stag Filmed In The Garden In October.

Wallaby - 31st January 2008.

Driving back from Henley-on-Thames along the A4155 late afternoon I had a rather unusual sighting as I approached Benhams Lane SU767853. I noticed something sitting upright next to the bus stop on the Management college side of the road so I slowed down to a crawl and was surprised to see a Wallaby sat in the grass, a car soon came along the road behind me and I was forced to drive on. Okay I know what you're thinking, Bullsh*t but it's not as crazy as it sounds as the nearby McAlpines estate has a number of exotic animals on the grounds which have a tendency to escape now and again. My first encounter came in June 2004 along Icehouse Lane near Toad Hall Garden Centre when a certain individual was seen in the same location a number of times.

I recall a close friend thinking I was mad when I told him that I had seen a Wallaby near Fawley as we drove to the Warburg Nature Reserve one afternoon, I parked the car up and pointed out the spot where I had found it in a field near an old shed, I don't think he was really taking me seriously until a head popped up out of the long grass and a Wallaby sat there looking at us. We watched it for 5 minutes before it hopped out of sight.

Bittern - Lavell's Lake January 2008.

I took a trip over to Lavell's Lakes, Berks to try and catch up with the Bittern that had been seen roosting in the main island reedbed. As I approached the new hide I met a couple that informed me that the Bittern was on show and had been for sometime, I slowly opened the door to the hide and came face to face with my birding pal Roy Rose who already had the bird in his scope. I quickly looked through his scope in case the bird disappeared into the reeds as they often do and was delighted to see my first Bittern of the year sat motionless in the reeds. The Bittern showed well before it became slightly obscured by the reeds in the reedbed and as dusk approached it blended in with the background and became almost impossible to see, amazing camouflage for such a large bird.

It's always a pleasure to see this elusive bird and to be able to watch it from the comfort of the magnificent new hide at Lavell's makes it even better. Much more spacious than the previous hide it offers views out across the lake and also to the sides of the hide giving views into the side of the reedbeds. Another small viewing window offers views out to the array of feeders that are hanging behind the hide.

Added To My Year List

111. Bittern

Brambling - Remenham 12th Jan 2008.

I made a visit to Coldhabour Lane in White Waltham, Berks today hoping that I might get a chance of seeing Merlin, after touring the lane and viewing the fields from a number of vantage points I hadn't seen much and apart from a small flock of finches that flew over it was very quiet. As I approached the A4 I noticed a large flock of Fieldfare 150+ feeding in the fields and stopped to take a look, a small number of Redwing were joining the Fieldfare and the hash chattering call of the Fieldfare was unmistakable.

I decided to drop in to Remenham on my way back home and making my way along Remenham Lane I soon noticed a number of Finches flying across the road and into a nearby hedge, I stopped the car and in the process of getting my scope out I startled 2 Egyptian Geese that were feeding in the edge of the field, they soon made their way out in to the field and were joined by 32 Greylag Geese that flew in from the River Thames direction.

Looking along the hedgerows soon gave me a glimpse of a Yellowhammer sitting in the hedge and then I noticed a large amount of birds darting in and out of the crops growing along the edge of the field, I was soon rewarded with some close views of Brambling, Yellowhammer, Linnet and Chaffinch in a flock that must have amassed some 75+ birds. They were feeding in the crops and returning to the hedgerows every few minutes and this continued for over 25 minutes, I continued scanning the hedgerows until I found another flock of Finches further away perching in a large tree next to the track. Even though they were at a distance it was easy to see another small flock of 20+ Brambling with another small Finch flock. They continued feeding whilst I watched them and at one point I had Brambling and Yellowhammer both feeding on the floor only metres away from me on the other side of the gate. There are a number of Pheasant pens in the area and the crops and seed that are left to entice the Pheasants and other game for shooting are obviously benefiting the Finch flocks. A covey of Red-legged Partridges were heard long before 7 came running up the track towards me, it wasn't long before they disappeared into the crops in front of me followed by another 5 shortly after. 3 Ring-necked Parakeets passed over nosily and headed off towards Temple Island and 2 Red Kites drifted over the fields towards Aston.

Seems to be a good year for Brambling with flocks being seen at Penn Wood, Wycombe & Chisbridge Lane, Frieth and now Remenham, Berks to name but a few.

Added To My Year List 2008.

106. Linnet

107. Ring-necked Parakeet

Egyptian Geese

Lesser Scaup - Appleford GP's, Sutton Courtenay, Oxon. 9th Jan 2008.

I headed off to Appleford gravel pits, Sutton Courtenay, Oxon this afternoon hoping to catch up with the 1st-winter drake Lesser Scaup. After parking in the village and searching many of the local pits I finally found the Lesser Scaup on the Hanson pit which can be viewed from SU517939. It remained in the South-east corner diving alongside Tufted Duck & Pochard until dusk. Earlier whilst trying to find the Lesser Scaup i watched 2 Kingfishers chasing each other around one of the anglers pits and a male & female Goosander were present on one of the pits heading towards the Hanson's pit.

Added To My Year List 2008.

105. Lesser Scaup

RSPB Otmoor, Oxon. 8th Jan 2008.

A rather grey and windy day greeted me when I arrived at RSPB Otmoor this afternoon, a few small showers passed over and despite the main track being extremely muddy I made my way towards the main fields. At the feeder station Blue & Great Tits were busy on the feeders and as I watched a male Reed Bunting perched in the trees behind before dropping down to the floor to feed. The main field was rather quiet apart from the usaul ducks and a Grey Heron, a few Starlings passed over and a Kestrel was at the far end of the track by Noke floods. I scanned the floods near Noke woods and found Mallard, Pochard, Teal, Wigeon & Shoveler and whilst scanning through the ducks a male Pintail passed through the scope. Mute Swan & a flock of Greylag Geese were present but there was no sign of either White-fronted or Pink-footed Geese that were reported earlier in the week, I decided to carry on along the path and after 15 minutes of truddging through the mud I arrived at the pump house at the far end of the footpath, looking back across the floods 5 White-fronted Geese appeared in the distance from behind one of the bunds. I decided to walk back towards the reserve in the hope that I might get better views of the Geese and hopefully find the Pink-footed. I arrived back at the main track and viewed the floods, as I watched the White-fronted Geese they flew to the edge of the field and in perfect view, I continued to watch them and after about 15 minutes the Pink-footed Goose flew in and joined them to graze on the grass. I continued on to the first screen and within 5 minutes a female(ringtail) Hen Harrier drifted over the reeds searching for food, this individual seemed to have an injured leg as the left leg was hanging down and remained there whilst it hunted over the reedbed, it quartered the reeds before dropping down in to them and out of sight. Another Kestrel began hovering to the right of the screen and while I scanned the wildfowl on the water I spotted a lone Snipe sat at the waters edge. As the light started to fade a number of small Starling flocks joined together and within 25 minutes the number had risen to at least 5,000 birds circling over the fields, as I headed back along the track more and more Starlings flew in to join the main flock and a female Stonechat flew across the path and into the bushes.

Added To My Year List 2008.

98. White-fronted Goose
99. Pink-footed Goose
101. Hen Harrier

Chisbridge Lane, Frieth. 7 Jan 2008.

I decided to head up to Chisbridge Lane this afternoon to see what was about, as I left home a Stoat ran across the veg patch and out into the orchard, good to see it's still about as Rabbit numbers seem to be very high at the moment and hopefully the Stoat will thin them out a bit. 3 Kites over the cottage, Marsh Tit still visiting the feeders as well as a Great-spotted Woodpecker, Chaffinch numbers have increased from about 6 regular visitors to 15+.

At Chisbridge Lane the Finch flock was still present in the cereal crops, I waited in the car as a passing shower brought the birds to the trees next to the road, at least 25 Brambling, 25+ Chaffinch, 2 Greenfinch and 2 Yellowhammer perched in the trees until the shower passed and then slowly returned to the fields. 3 Red-legged Partridge fed along the side of the field with 2 Male Blackbirds, a Kestrel passed over and began hovering next to the farm followed by 3 Red Kites that drifted over. A large flock of 100+ Wood Pigeons scattered from the woods behind the fields. Further down the road a flock of 35+ Skylark flushed from the fields as I drove past followed by a small covey of 6 Red-legged Partridge that ran across the road and into a nearby field. Good numbers of Hare, 25+ spread out across the fields.

Added To My Year List 2008.

94. Brambling

West Sussex. 6th Jan 2008.

Little Egret
Red-breasted Goose

After my good friend and fellow birder Roy Rose and I decided we would have a good attempt at a decent year list for 2008 I've been planning trips and routes in the aim to see some of the overwintering rarities and scarcities that might be on offer. My first choice was the Hoopoe that had been seen in Kingsley, Hants since 24th December 2007, always a fantastic bird to see and at this time of year it would certainly be an added bonus, the last time I had seen one was back in late March 2005 at Reading Brewery so that was the first stop. As I looked through the birdmap on www.birdguides.com I noticed that the Cattle Egret at East Lavant, West Sussex was still being seen on most days and as it had been present since the 7th December there was a good chance of connecting with it, as it's not far from Kingsley it was soon added to the trip. As long as we were in the area it made sense to keep heading south for the long staying Red-breasted Goose at West Wittering and maybe just enough time to drop into Pagham Harbour and Church Norton.

The Plan was hatched and the journey programed into the Sat Nav, a beautiful cold but sunny day greeted me as I left home for Roy's house. Our usual Red Kite was sat in the tree outside the cottage and further along my journey a flock of Feral Pigeons sat on the farm roof by the Ploughden Arms pub in Shiplake, as I approached Caversham a number of Starlings were seen, and at Roy's a small flock of Fieldfare were busy feeding through the fields as we loaded the cars.

Off we set and before long we arrived at Kingsley, sadly no sign of the Hoopoe and after an hour of searching nearby fields and paddocks there was still no sign, Fieldfare, Redwing, Mistle & Song Thrush but no Hoopoe, we decided to leave and return later if we had time.

After a short drive we arrived at East Lavant and as we drove along Fordwater Road I spotted a few Egrets in a field, we stopped the car to scan the fields and promptly found the Cattle Egret in the cattle fields along with Little Egret. We made our way across the public footpath and stream to where 3 Little Egrets were feeding with the Cattle Egret. We watched it for sometime before it headed down a ditch and out into the next field, whilst walking back towards the car a Grey Wagtail flew over calling as it headed upstream.

The next stop was West Wittering to hopefully find the Red-breasted Goose and upon arrival we soon noticed a large Goose flock feeding in the fields behind the cafe. We scanned the flock and only managed to find Brent Geese so decided to walk around the fields to view from the northern side, the field slopped away and many of the geese were being lost to view as they headed to the rear of the field. We met a couple of local birders that gave us directions to another location where the Red-breasted Goose had often been seen and we said our goodbyes. We stayed to check the pools and beach front which hosted Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Shelduck & Oystercatcher and back near the car park a small flock of Golden Plover had joined the large flock of Brent Geese. I know the Witterings pretty well and spent many family holidays there in my youth, my late father spent many hours birdwatching at Pagham, Selsey and at West Wittering and I guess that the times we spent together have imprinted a fondness for the area and a sense of direction so by the time we got in the car and left for Bracklesham we were there already. As we drove towards the South Downs Caravan Park I spotted a large flock of Brent Geese in the fields opposite and we stopped the car to have a look, it didn't take long to find the Red-breasted Goose in the middle of 300+ Brent Geese although the Black Brant wasn't with them. By now time was ticking away and at 3pm we left Bracklesham hoping to have a quick look at Pagham Harbour and Church Norton before we headed home.

We had a quick look at the visitor centre to see what sightings had been seen but the book was empty so we headed off to the Ferry Pool hide. The Ferry Pool was extremely quiet and we made our way to the sluice gates to look down the channel towards the harbour, two birds caught my eye as they flew across the fields that are next to the path and as I watched two Short-eared Owls appeared again as they quarted the fields. We only had an hour or so of light left so we got back in the car and drove to Church Norton, the mudflats were very quiet other than 6 Avocet and a few Shelduck in the distance so we made our way towards the beach. At the beach the birdlife was much better with Turnstone, Dunlin, Knot, Grey Plover and Redshank on the shoreline and at least 5 Mediterranean Gulls joined the melee of Gulls feeding on the waters edge. Out at sea were Red-breasted Mergansers, a Black-throated Diver flew West and a Slavonian Grebe drifted Eastwards, whilst scanning the harbour entrance a pair of Velvet Scoters took flight from the water and headed round the spit towards the harbour, good views of the white secondary panels in their wings as they flew.

We never made it back to Kingsley so the Hoopoe will have to wait for another day.

Added To My Year List 2008.

70. Cattle Egret (East Lavant, West Sussex)
81. Red-breasted Goose (Bracklesham, West Sussex)

82. Short-eared Owl (Pagham Harbour, West Sussex)

89. Mediterranean Gull (Church Norton, West Sussex)
91. Black-throated Diver (Church Norton, West Sussex)
92. Slavonian Grebe (Church Norton, West Sussex)

93. Velvet Scoter (Church Norton, West Sussex)

Theale Area, Berks. 5th Jan 2008.

Scaup
Scaup

I headed off to the Theale area with the hope of seeing the rarer Ducks that have been present since the end of last year, my thinking was to see the long staying Red-crested Pochards, Scaup and Ferruginous Duck to start off my year list and before they departed.

I arrived at Wigmore Lane gravel pits and met Roy Rose and we made our way to the lake they currently inhabit, We soon found the 2 male & 1 female Red-crested Pochards and shortly after the male Greater Scaup behind the Island but there was no sign of the female Ferruginous Duck. We decided to search for the Ferruginous and headed off towards some of the other lakes encountering a number of Tit flocks one including a single Siskin and a single Bullfinch amongst 9 Long-tailed Tit. On the furthest Lake we found a large flock of Greylag Geese, Shoveler and 3 female Goosanders which departed 5 mins later, sadly there was no sign of the Ferruginous Duck.

We headed off to Searles Lane gravel pits next and as we walked towards the pits a flock of 40+ Siskin flew from the Alders overhead, they flew tightly together calling as they flew further down the path. The Black-necked Grebe was still present and was feeding on the far side of the southern lake close to the reeds. Ken Moore & Roger Stanfield joined us and we scanned the Gulls on the pits, Black-headed, Common, Herring, Lesser & Great Black-backed Gull all present, local birder and finder of rare ducks Ken Moore soon found Yellow-legged Gull but no sign of the Caspian Gull that was seen earlier. A pair of Egyptian Geese were present along with Goldeneye.

We stopped off at Theale main pit and met Ken Moore & Ken Spring who let us know that the Ferruginous Duck was again visible at Wigmore Lane, a quick scan of the main pit where 2 Peregrines were perched on the pylon, a male on the right side of the pylon and a female which was sat next to a nest at the top of the pylon.

Back to Wigmore we headed and met up again with Ken Moore who showed us where the female Ferruginous Duck was, she was asleep on the far side of the pit until she slowly drifted towards the island.

Added To My Year List 2008.

39. Greater Scaup

40. Red-crested Pochard

57. Yellow-legged Gull

58. Black-necked Grebe

61. Peregrine Falcon

64. Ferruginous Duck

A Year Of Birding 2007.

January

2007 started well with a Bean Goose being found on the 2nd January in the fields between Aston & Remenham, it stayed until the 8th January feeding in the fields with Mute Swans. Shortly after both Lesser & Greater Scaup were found together at Sonning Eye pit's in Oxfordshire and on the 4th of January I made a mad dash to see them before it got dark.
Staines produced Great Northern Diver and Black Necked Grebe and then it was down to Wraysbury to see Smew. Bray gravel pits hosted a Slavonian Grebe from the 23rd of January to the 12th of February and I was so pleased to see one I made 2 visits to look at it. A visit to Finchampstead Ridges bought the annual sighting of Firecrest as one flitted through the holly bushes along Dell Road and across the road at Moor Green Lakes the wintering Goosander flock put on a welcome show in the Winter sun.

Goosander

February

2 Bitterns put on a good show at Lavell's Lake on the 3rd followed by a Water Rail and singing Cetti's Warbler. It was then off to Hawley near Camberley to see the Yellow-browed Warbler on the 10th, another lifer for me and well worth the visit.On the 11th I made my way to Amwell Gravel pits to see the Little Bunting, fantastic views from the viewpoint and also amazing views of Water Rail as I fed in the open below the watchpoint.Dinton Pastures hosted a single male Red-crested Pochard which I saw on the 18th and another visit to Lavell's Lake on the same day brought good views of a single Bittern. A pair of Grey Partridge wandered through the garden on the 26th February allowing me to get some great photos as they sat in the adjacent paddock, they stayed around for most of the afternoon and then headed off through the fields, not a bad garden tick at all!.The month ended off on a high as I managed to find the single Waxwing in Botley, Oxford on the 27th.

Water Rail
Little Bunting
Red-crested Pochard
Grey Partridge
Waxwing

March

Finally I found a Barn Owl close to home on the 3rd March just when I was beginning to think they hadn't made it through the Winter. Cropredy in Oxfordshire hosted a Common Crane which stayed faithful to the fields alongside Appletree Road and gave good views although distant at times.

Oystercatcher
Stonechat
Common Crane

April

On the 1st a visit to Penn Woods near High Wycombe brought fantastic views of Brambling as they came in to roost, certainly worth a visit to see hundreds of Brambling. I managed to see the Male & female Garganey at Woolhampton gravel pits on the 5th and managed to get some good photos that I sent to birdguides and then it was off to Aston Rowant the next day to catch up with the arriving Ring Ouzels that always stop there on migration. At home on the 9th a lone Grey Partridge wandered through the garden followed hours later by a singing Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. On the 11th another Ring Ouzel turned up, this time at Twyford gravel pits which I couldn't resist going to see, good views as it fed in one of the horse paddocks near the railway bridge. Then on the 29th a trip down to Frampton-on-Severn, Glos, to see the Glossy Ibis invasion with at least 8 individuals present along with a Spotted Redshank, Marbled Duck was also present on the adjacent pools.

Garganey
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Ring Ouzel
Glossy Ibis

May

The month started well with me getting to see Bonaparte's Gull at Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon, another lifer for me, I also picked up Artic Tern on the same day. It was then time for the Theale Area Bird Conservation Group(TABCG) http://www.freewebs.com/tabcg/index.htm annual trip to Wales on the 6th, never disappoints and the highlights were Cuckoo, Dipper, Pied Flycatcher, Wood Warbler, Common Redstart, Wheatear, Raven and a Tawny Owl perched out in the sun for all to see. Lea Farm, Lavell's Lake hosted 2 Spoonbills on the 14th and a Black Tern at Black Swan Lake Dinton Pastures and sightings of Nightingale, Reed & Garden Warbler and 5 Bullfinch rounded off a good day. My first Hobby of the year drifted over the fields next to temple Island,Remenham whilst I watched the common Terns on the 17th. The annual TABCG Berkshire Bird Race on the 26th provided a great days birding, rather tiring to say the least and after competing in it for 3 years I should be used to it by now, a new team this year and a respectable 98 species, not bad seeing as the winning team recorded 105.

Bonaparte's Gull
Tawny Owl
Common Buzzard
Common Buzzard
Common Tern

June

The annual TABCG Nightjar walk at Padworth Common as very successful, a few new faces joined us as we attempted to see both Nightjar and Woodcock at dusk. Probably the best views of Nightjar that I've had as two males displayed metres in front of us, Woodcock continually passed over throughout the evening whilst Roding along their territories. Good views of Turtle Dove at RSPB Otmoor as one perched in the trees behind the car park.

July

The 18th bought my first ever sighting of the rare Purple Emperior as a male flitted across the Warburg Nature Reserve car park, 2 Marsh Tits were using the Niger feeders and were viewed extremely close from the hide next to the information centre. A family party of 7 Mistle Thrush were present in the fields and occasionally using the bird bath, 2 Juvenile Great-spotted Woodpeckers were busy being fed in the garden and the Little Owls had a brood of 2 young.

August

My first calling Quail for many years was heard on the Berkshire Downs along with good sightings of Wheatear, Grey & Red-legged Partridge. A juvenile Marsh Sandpiper was at Farmoor Reservoir on the 5th and whilst walking back across the causeway to the car park a female Purple Emperor flitted along in front of me before coming to rest on the side of the causeway. Back to Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon on the 12th to see my first ever Purple Heron, 2 Black Tern were also feeding over the F2 reservoir. On the 14th, a wet and miserable day I made my way to Moor Green Lakes, Berks to see the juvenile Little Stint and followed that on the 19th with a Wood Sandpiper at Days Lock near Dorchester, Oxon. An Adult and juvenile Curlew Sandpiper was seen on the 24th at Borough Marsh, Berks and I finished the month off back at Days Lock, Dorchester adding Ruff to my year list. Tawny & Little Owls were a regular visitor around the gardens, 3 juvenile Green Woodpeckers were often seen feeding with their parents in the paddock, 2 Marsh Tits were regular visitors to the feeders and also Stoat and Badger were both seen around the garden.

Purple Emperor
Little Owl
Wheatear
Juvenile Little Owl

September

A trip over to Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon on the 29th gave me fantastic views of Grey Phalarope and whilst watching it an Artic Skua flew low over the reservoir before gaining height and flying off out of sight. Badger sightings at the start of month were regular with at least one individual being seen next to the cottage and along the driveway. Tawny and Little Owls were also regular sightings around the garden and along Shogmoor Lane, Frieth throughout the month as were Sparrowhawk.

Grey Phalarope

October

A family holiday in Kalkan, Turkey, between the 1st-8th added 23 species to my life list and the bonus of watching Red-backed Shrike, Rock Nuthatch, Blue Rock Thrush and numerous Raptors from the villa roof was very appealing, a little known area of South West Turkey with very good potential due to the varied habitat. The day after I returned from Turkey the news broke of a mega sighting at Farmoor Reservoir on the 9th, A Buff-bellied Pipit was present along the far end of the causeway and despite the weather being terrible the Pipit was very obliging and allowed me to add it to my life list. My last trip of the month took me to Wishmoor Bottom, Berks to see Great Grey Shrike and then off to Pagham Harbour where I managed to see Pomarine Skua on the mudflats and a flock of Common Scooter at sea at Church Norton.

Rock Nuthatch
Blue Rock Thrush

November

On the 17th a female/immature Merlin swooped low over the road at the top of Shogmoor Lane, Frieth, Bucks, my first of the year. A day later I made the trip over to Wigmore Lane, Theale, Berks to see the Greater Scaup and Ferruginous Duck, both birds were found by Theale birder Ken Moore and both are still present.

December

A trip to see the Juvenile White-tailed Eagle(Sea Eagle) at Shipton Bellinger was unsuccessful although I did have good views of Raven and Peregrine. The Eagle is still present and I will certainly try again in 2008. A visit up to the Berkshire Downs on the 22nd brought good views of both Short-eared Owls and a female Hen Harrier, and a small flock of Brambling near home at Chisbridge Lane, Frieth ended the year.

2007 Year List Total = 212
2007 Garden Year List = 49

Species added to my Life List = 35

December Sightings.

The month of December saw the usual visitors to the garden feeders, Blue, Great and Coal Tit were regular sightings feeding on Black Sunflowers as were small numbers of Chaffinch and Greenfinch. Blackbird numbers seem very high this year with at least 8 individuals been seen around the cottage and even more out in the fields, Redwing continue to be seen in one or two small groups of at least 15 birds and although Fieldfare seem to be thin on the ground two Mistle Thrushes are often in the fields and around the garden. Robin, Dunnock, Wren & Great-spotted Woodpecker have also made regular appearances.

The resident Little Owls have been very quiet and only seen on two occasions this month, I'm interested to find out if they are using a nestbox I put up for them but signs don't look too promising. Tawny Owls are still calling on most evenings and during the few days before and after Christmas an individual was calling from the cottage roof in the early hours, probably perched on the chimney warming itself up during the chilly evenings. Another single bird flew through the paddock and straight passed me one early evening as I collected wood from the shed, it always amazes me how quiet these birds are as they fly and I got a fantastic view as it flew through the beam of the outside light. You can't buy moments like that and I guess that's what makes wildlife so special, unscripted is probably the best description.

The eve of Christmas Eve bought an unexpected but very welcome visitor as I was glancing out of the window at the feeders, a flash of Blue darted towards the top of the feeder stand and there sat a Nuthatch. A nice change from the usual visitors and although not a unusual sighting in the garden there have been very few visits from them recently. Later in the day I heard a bird calling from the bushes next to the garden and rushed to the window in the hope that I might get a sight of a sporadic garden visitor, I waited for the bird to call again and suddenly heard "pitchoo", the sneezing call of the Marsh Tit and as I watched a single bird hopped it's way to the top of the bush. This is the first sighting I've had since August and they always liven things up a bit in the garden, I've often noticed that they are heard long before they appear at the feeders. Finally a pair showed throughout Christmas and on to the New Year. They often have a tendency to disappear for months at a time and due to them being in rapid decline it's always a relief to see them back in the garden and still about. I've been lucky enough to have this species as a garden visitor in two gardens I have lived in during the last 5 years.

Brambling, Frieth. 23rd December 2007.

I headed off to Chisbridge Lane near Frieth today hoping to catch up with a reported Brambling flock feeding in the fields adjacent to the road, upon arrival the finch flock scattered from the field with birds heading in every direction. I waited in the car and before long the flock started returning to the field to feed, many of the flock perched in the trees by the lane and scanning through them I finally picked out a number of Brambling amongst the Chaffinch and Yellowhammer. A single Reed Bunting was present and at least a couple of Greenfinches. It seems to be a good year for Brambling with numbers already reaching over 600 at a favoured roosting site at Penn Woods near High Wycombe.

The Downs, Berks. 22nd December 2007.

Short-eared Owl

A cold grey day greeted me on my visit to the Berkshire Downs today, the aim was to see the female Hen Harrier that had been present for a few days and the wintering Short-eared Owls.

I arrived at the car park and made my way along the Ridgeway towards Bury Down where two figures in the distance soon showed themselves as Berks birds webmaster Marek Walford and my now good friend Roy Rose, both were watching the Female Hen Harrier which was sat just inside the Oxon border. Although distant we watched the Harrier before it took to the air and flew along the Oxon/Berks border, it flew low and leisurely across the fields scattering finch and thrush flocks from nearby bushes as it went and then disappeared from sight over the brow of a field. Roy then managed to pick up on a couple of Brambling that where sat in bush along with Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer and various other finches. Skylarks could be heard singing and although we searched the fields the Lapland Bunting that was reported the previous day couldn't be found, a few Fieldfare and Redwing were seen in flight and a few singles were seen feeding on berry bushes as I walked towards Bury Down.

We then made our way towards Cow Down in the hope of spotting a Short-eared Owl, we waited patiently scanning the bushes but to no avail but had the luck of spotting the Hen Harrier crossing back across the fields this time inside Berks airspace, it hung in the air as it slowly quartered the fields heading eastward before again losing sight of it as it disappeared behind the contours of the field. As expected Red Kite, Kestrel and at least 4 Stonechats were found across the downs and even the odd Partridge call could be heard in the distance.

Finally we managed to see the Short-eared Owls on Cow Down with at least 5 birds being present maybe even 6, one of which was a extremely pale individual which came under some close attention from another Short-eared Owl after it caught a mouse/vole. One of my favourite birds to see and watch and I never really tire of watching them as they glide across the downs in search of food.


Added To My Year List.

211. Hen Harrier (Bury Down, Berks)

212. Short-eared Owl (Cow Down, Berks)

Where Eagles Dare, White-tailed Eagle at Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire.

It's not often a White-tailed Sea Eagle sighting is reported in England, most reports are from Scotland were the relocation project is well under way. so the news that a juvenile had been seen on a regular basis in Hampshire had me rather excited. I've never seen a White-tailed Sea Eagle and the chance to see Europe's largest raptor in the wild was very appealing, the major question was whether it was an escapee from a local zoo. I waited eagerly to find out and finally Lee Evans had the information I was waiting for, a Juvenile White-tailed Eagle(Sea Eagle) born in 2007 and ringed in Finland or Sweden July 2007.

Saturday came and I was greeted by a damp and grey day, by the time I picked Berks bird race team mate Roy Rose up a small hint of sunshine popped out from the clouds only to disappear again behind the now gloomy skies.

We arrived at the viewing area and by now it was cold,grey and damp, 20 or so people were at the viewing site, the usual questions flowed between arriving birder's "any sign of it" too which the replies were " it was seen earlier this morning but no sign since". Roy and I waited patiently observing Raven, Buzzard, Peregrine, Sparrowhawk and a possible Merlin flying low across the fields in the distance during our wait. We were joined by a birder from Herts. and continued to chat about the Eagle when a number of pagers started going off, the chorus of pagers ringing across the waiting watchers only added to my tension and finally a voice piped up and announced the Eagle had been seen over Shipton Bellinger. I mulled over the options, do we go and search at the last sighted location or do we wait for the Eagle to return to one of it's favoured haunts, we conversed and decided to wait and before long more birders arrived with the surprising news that they were at Shipton and hadn't seen anything!.

The rain then started, first a small shower then the skies opened and a cool breeze blew across the Hampshire landscape, we decided to have a drive to see if we could spot anything and make it back to the viewing area in case it came in to roost. Off to Quarley we headed soon meeting birders dotted around the quiet country lanes, "any luck" we inquired but luck wasn't on our side and we returned to the viewing area 30 minutes later without sight or sound.

As the light started to fade an old land rover came chugging in to the field, it could be no other than the farmer. We chatted and he told us of the first sighting he had in one of his fields, he pointed out that at first it looked like a large Turkey at long distance as it walked over the ground, he soon realised it was no turkey when it took to the air being harried by Crows and Jackdaws, his next sighting a few days later was above his house as the bird circled on the thermals before drifting off. He seemed very happy that the bird was visiting his land and hoped that the Eagle would hang around, his enthusiasm for the Eagle was extremely pleasing. After chatting with the farmer for sometime we finally made our way back to the car and headed off home with the hope that it will hang around long enough to get another chance to see it.

November Local Sightings.

All three of the common Owls have been present throughout November, Tawny Owls can be heard regularly most nights calling from dusk onwards from nearby woodland and on the odd occasion can be seen perched in trees above the country lanes watching for prey and a certain individual has been "hooting" from the cottage roof in the early hours on a number of occasions.

Little Owls have been sighted on a regular basis at their favourite haunts, two perched together in the afternoon sun near Frieth and although our resident pair seem to be less active at the moment they are often heard calling to each other. A single bird has also been heard calling from the fields near Skirmett.

Barn Owls are still being heard in the fields adjacent to the cottage after dusk, two individuals again have been heard with one being extremely close to the cottage, a single bird flew in front of the car as I drove along the A4155 early evening at the beginning of November, it headed towards the Henley Management College and could well be one of the pair that I often watched hunting along the towpath near Hambleden Lock during 2003/04.

Redwing have stripped the hedgerows of most of the berries and a flock of about 20-25 birds seem to be found most days in and around the neighbouring fields and hedgerows. Fieldfare on the other hand have been small in numbers with most sightings being seen migrating overhead, a flock of 12+ was seen feeding in a adjacent field in the last week of November. Blackbird Numbers have risen to at least 5 males & 3 females, often being found along the hedgerows and country lanes and a pair that are regularly seen in and around the garden. Sightings of Mistle Thrushes have also increased with two birds being seen quite regularly.

Three Great-spotted Woodpeckers have been visiting the garden feeders as have Blue & Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit and Coal Tit have returned to the feeders along with a few appearances from a single Nuthatch. Still no sightings of the local Marsh Tits although they often don't appear until December onwards. Two Goldcrests have returned to feed in the trees next to the garden and can be heard and seen most days. 2 Jays were seen on and off in the orchard and the rest of the garden regulars started turning up to make the most of what's on offer, Robin, Dunnock, Wren, Magpie, Chaffinch, Greenfinch & Goldfinch all busily feeding in the garden as the weather turned colder. Not forgetting the single male Pheasant that has now given up feeding from below the feeders and prefers to stand on the squirrel guard and use the feeders. Red Kite & Buzzard are still daily sightings around the cottage with at least 6 Red Kites and 3 Buzzards being present in the area most days.

Carrion Crow, Rook and Jackdaw have all been feeding in the surrounding fields in large flocks, They seem to be favouring the fields with grazing Sheep presumably with the chance of a better selection of grubs and insects. The last week of November brought the unexpected sighting of 5 Jackdaws flying over the cottage at 9.30pm, a few calls as they headed over and they soon disappeared into the darkness as they flew west.The Gulls have returned to feed in the fields as they do most Winters, both Common & Black-headed Gull numbers seem to be increasing slowly and presumably return to Little Marlow Gravel Pits to roost.

Deer movement is still ongoing with small herds of Fallows Deer still passing through the garden and also near Frieth, all herds include a good number of this years fawns. A large herd of 50+ can often be seen in the fields near Luxters Farm, Hambleden. A couple of Fox sightings and a unusual sighting of a small Bat flying/feeding from 2-4pm in the third week of November finished off a busy month.

October Local Sightings

Finally a bit of activity on the feeders again as large finch flocks made their way in to the garden, Greenfinch 20+, Goldfinch 15+, Chaffinch 15+ all feeding busily on Sunflower Hearts and blended Peanuts. Blue & Great Tits seem to be low on numbers at the moment and well down on last year although it's still early and I'm expecting numbers to rise. Robin, Wren and Dunnock are occasional visitors and our regular visiting male Pheasant is using the squirrel guard to stand on so he can get to the hanging bird feeders, he does empty them pretty quickly but i can't knock him for ingenuity. A Pied Wagtail is an occasional fly over and my first garden sighting this year of Starling as 3 flew low over heading East. Blackbird numbers are slowly rising with at least 3 Males feeding through the hedgerows nearby. Redwing migration was underway by the time i returned from Turkey and almost every night their contact calls ( 'seep' ) could be heard overhead as they passed over. Corvid numbers have continued to rise with Carrion Crow, Rook and Jackdaw all busy feeding in the surrounding fields. The last week of October saw at least 9 Red Kites and 4 Buzzards circling over the cottage.

Both Tawny and Little Owls have been seen and heard regularly throughout October. Little Owl sightings both at home and Frieth have been regular with a pair sat together in a farm shed at the top of Shogmoor Lane, Frieth. Tawny Owls have also been seen on a regular basis with sightings at home, Shogmoor Lane and also Bovingdon Green, a Tawny was also heard calling at 2pm at Kingwood, Stoke Row. A Barn Owl was heard hissing from a nearby field early evening through the second week of October and again towards the end of the month, on one occasion two were heard but still not seen.

October saw the start of frequent Deer sightings around the cottage with small groups of 5/6 moving through the gardens and out in to the fields, this culminated with a magnificent Fallow Stag outside the living room window. I managed to film this individual as he slowly walked passed the window and hopefully will have the film on here soon. The third week of October saw a female Fallow deer and her fawn sleeping in the paddock next to the cottage, under the cover of the treeline the pair settled down to sleep returning three nights running. More movement from Fallow Deer herds continued through the month with large herds crossing the main Hambleden Road near Luxters Farm and smaller herds at the top of Shogmoor Lane near Frieth. All herds contained good numbers of young Deer.

Ferruginous Duck & Scaup - Wigmore Lane GP, Theale, Berks. 18th November 2007.

With Lesser & Greater Scaup, Red-crested Pochard all being present in the Theale area of Berkshire over the last few weeks the news that local birder Ken Moore had found a Ferruginous Duck put the icing on the cake. The female was found at Wigmore Lane gravel pits on the 15th Nov and is a very good record for Berkshire. I was dying to get over and see it and decided that if it was still present Saturday i would go and have a look for it, sadly on Saturday it was seen early morning flying off and couldn't be relocated, i decided to wait till Sunday and have another go. Sunday arrived and although the weather was terrible i made my way over to Theale. On arrival at the Wigmore lane gravel pits www.berksbirds.co.uk webmaster Marek Walford was viewing the Ferruginous Duck which was feeding on the far side of the lake, she was staying close to the reeds on the northern bank often diving for short periods then returning to the surface whilst speedily making her way round behind the island and towards the eastern side of the pit. Marek told me the 1st Winter Scaup was still present on the eastern side and after we said our goodbyes i headed off to look for it. As i walked round the path 5 Egyptian Geese flew overhead shortly followed by 3 Canada Geese. As i approached the eastern side of the lake i found the 1st winter Scaup preening and stopped to watch it, another great find by Ken Moore first seen with the Ferruginous Duck on the 15th. I was busy watching the Scaup as it preened and suddenly saw the Ferruginous go through my scope lens, i watched it swim past until it stopped at the edge of the centre island. Here she remained for at least 5 minutes preening and taking a couple of dives underwater, i got some good views especially of the white undertail-coverts that were hard to see when she was on the far side of the pit. As the light started to fade and the rain become more intense i decided to leave and head for home, back at the car 2 Goldcrests were calling as they flitted through the trees above me.

Added To My Year List.

210. Ferruginous Duck

Merlin - Frieth, Bucks. 17th November 2007.

Saturday afternoon bought an unexpected sighting as i drove towards Frieth along Shogmoor Lane, a female/immature Merlin swooped low over the road in front of me and out across the fields at SU790900. It's typical rapid wing beats were interspersed with a brief glide with wings held tightly into it's body as it shot over the hedge and out of sight. Last year i had a similar sighting near Hambleden as a male flew down the road in front of the car before coming to perch in a roadside tree, very suitable habitat in the Hambleden Valley and certainly worth looking out for at this time of year.

Added To My Year List

209. Merlin

Wishmoor Bottom,Berks & Pagham Harbour,West Sussex. 20th October 2007.

Great Grey Shrike.
Mediterranean Gull.
Pomarine Skua.

Little Egret.
Little Stint.
Curlew Sandpiper.

A late planned visit to Pagham Harbour was quickly aranged on Friday evening with one of my bird race team members Roy Rose, we discussed the local sightings and he informed me that he'd already dropped in to Wishmoor Bottom near Camberley to see the Great Grey Shrike that had been showing well since the 14th of October.I made a quick decision that we could probably drop in at Wishmoor on our way to Pagham and with Roy knowing the birds location hopefully we could get good views and be on our way.

On arrival at Wishmoor Roy led the way to where he had seen the Shrike on a previous visit, the sun was shining and with clear blue skies it felt more like spring than Autumn. We made our way from the car and within a few minutes we heard a Goldcrest calling from the conifers alongside the path, then came Coal Tit shortly followed by Stonechat. We arrived at the spot and after a couple of minutes searching we spotted the Great Grey Shrike perched on a small branch, we managed to get a bit closer and had very good views of the bird in fantastic light, a number of other birders where visible dotted around the landscape all looking for the Shrike. It then flew around us and we turned to walk towards where it had headed, Roy's famous last words~Watch out for that ditch!, to which I didn't disappoint~What ditch! Oh that ditch!, down I went disappearing in to the ditch below. After I hauled myself out of the ditch we caught up with the Shrike again which then began to chase a Stonechat across the heath, they both made haste across the heathland with the Shrike trying in vain to catch it's quarry, darting this way and that the Stonechat finally shook the Shrike of it's tail and headed off across in to the gorse. A Meadow Pipit showed well in a bush in front of us as did another gorse specialist!.

Next stop was Selsey Bill, West Sussex, along the seafront a party of a dozen Turnstones scurried along the waters edge, a couple of Pied Wagtails flew over, 2 Linnets were perched on a house roof with a Lesser Black-backed Gull and a single Med Gull was amongst a group of Black-headed and Herring Gulls on the water close to the beach. We made our way to the Lifeboat house and soon spotted a number of Gannets fishing offshore, Greater Black-backed, Lesser Black-backed, Herring and Black-headed Gulls all present. Back in the car and off to Church Norton.

At Church Norton 12 Curlew were feeding in the fields before the Church and on arrival at the church car park we were alerted that a Pomarine Skua was present in the harbour. We arrived to find the Skua still sat on the ground and although it was fairly distant we still had good views. Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Brent Goose, Shelduck, Little Egret, Wigeon, Teal, Pintail all present around the harbour and after watching the Pomarine Skua fly off towards Selsey we headed towards the beach. At the beach the usual Turnstones were busy searching the along the incoming tide and out at sea 2 Red-breasted Mergansers drifted past towards Selsey followed by a small group of 7/8 Common Scoter.

We drove back to the Pagham Nuture Reserve and met up with the warden who we'd earlier met watching the Skua, he told us that a Little Stint was on the Ferry Pool so we headed off in search of it. It was still present and fed along the edge of the pool with 2 Avocet nearby. A quick look by the sluice before we headed home proved successful with a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper feeding in the mud.

Added To My Year List.

205. Great Grey Shrike (Wishmoor Bottom, Berks)
206. Gannet
207. Pomarine Skua (Church Norton, West Sussex)*
208. Common Scoter

Added To My Life List.

296. Pomarine Skua

Buff-bellied Pipit - Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon. 9th October 2007.

On my return from Turkey I sifted through the hundreds of email I'd received and was amazed to see a Buff-bellied Pipit had been found at Farmoor reservoir, Oxon, this is an extremely rare visitor to this country and to have one turn up in Oxfordshire is a fantastic county record.I had never seen one before and decided that a visit to Farmoor was a must. Well I got a shock when I woke up, the weather was terrible and then rain just didn't look like it was going to ease up, It's one thing waking up to Eagles soaring outside your Villa in the hot dry Autumn weather of Southwest Turkey and another waking up to a cold wet English Autumn day!. I decided to brave the weather as the Buff-bellied is an unmissable species to see, who knows when another would turn up.
The M40 was a nightmare and visibility was terrible but I made it all the same despite a number of numbskulls driving along the motorway with no lights on, but that's another story. At Farmoor I made my way into the Thames Water gatehouse and was told that for a small donation that all birders could drive round to the far side of the reservoir were the Pipit was, I duly obliged and coughed up a quid, anything to save me getting wet on the walk across the causeway was a bonus.
The Buff-bellied Pipit was still present along with 50 or so excited birdwatchers, it was on the causeway at the Pinkhill side of the reservoir along with a couple of Rock Pipits. It was still raining but that certainly wasn't going to put anybody off watching this rare American species. It continued feeding along the waters edge on the F1 reservoir before flying up on to the causeway, this caused a quick shuffle of places and soon everybody was back on it again before it dropped down from the causeway and out of sight on the F2 side. This behaviour carried on and off for 10 minutes or so with a least one Rock Pipit in close attendance. As the rain started to ease off the Buff-bellied Pipit took flight and flew out across F1 before turning back towards the causeway and settling down behind us, another quick shuffle around and we watched as it stood by the waters edge. It showed extremely well with views of around 20ft and most of us got fantastic views, it continued up and down the waters edge for 3 or 4 minutes before taking flight and heading northwards over the F1 reservoir, it continued out across the water and then turned West and finally landed on the west side of F1 by the number 3 marker. I decided to leave as I was rather wet now and felt that the bird was going to get a lot more onlookers and probably needed a bit of privacy. At 8am on the 10th October the Buff-bellied Pipit flew off Northwest with 3 Rock Pipits and was not located again.

Photos can bee seen in the log book page on Nic Hallams excellent website http://www.farmoor-birding.com/LOG-BOOK

Added To My Year List.

203. Buff-bellied Pipit
204. Rock Pipit

Added To My Life List.

295. Buff-bellied Pipit

Kalkan, Turkey. 1st - 8th October 2007.

Red-backed Shrike.
Eastern Rock Nuthatch.
Blue Rock Thrush.
Yellow-vented Bulbul.

Kalkan in Southwest Turkey is situated on the Mediterranean sea so when the offer of a weeks family holiday came along I jumped at the chance.

The first morning I made my way to the rooftop to scan the surrounding area, we were situated just outside Kalkan at kisla(pronounced kishla) with mountains on most sides and the harbour and sea on the other.It didn't take long for me to hear a bird calling from nearby, the song was very reminiscent of the last few notes of the Wood Warbler, I could hear the spinning coin call trailing off at the end of the song and I searched frantically to find who's it was. I finally found a Eastern Rock Nuthatch perched on the villa roof across the road, this was a first for me and I was delighted to see something so quick, little did I know that at least 3 Eastern Rock Nuthatches would be present around our villa all week and on one afternoon all 3 were perched above me on a telephone wire calling. As I was watching a small group of Swallows flying over the mountains towards me I heard another bird calling, I continued to watch the Swallows to see if a Red-rumped Swallow was amongst them when a Thrush sized bird flew past me and caught my attention, I quickly watched where it went and then returned to view the Swallows. As they flew past I scanned each one to see what species they were, they were all Barn Swallows and they continued down towards the edge of the sea and over the next hill. I then began looking for the bird that flew past me and it took a few moments before the bird started calling from a nearby rooftop, I grabbed my scope and zoomed in to find a male Blue Rock Thrush singing, another first for me and I was delighted after finding this very pretty member of the Thrush family. Again this was a species that was seen everyday around Kisla. From my rooftop observatory I could see all around the local countryside and out across the sea and towards Kalkan and whilst trying to locate the calling Rock Nuthatches again I came across a Shrike perched in the top of a Olive bush, closer inspection showed that it was a juvenile Red-backed Shrike and again this was a bird that could often be seen nearby and was often located through it's alarm call when one of the many local cats wandered through the Olive trees. As I watched the Red-backed Shrike I noticed a slightly larger juvenile Shrike in the bushes behind and after it joined in with it's alarm call I realised that this was a Woodchat Shrike, a quick check through my Collins bird guide to make sure and everything checked out confirming my sighting. So in the space of about an hour I had seen 3 new species for my life list. Mid-morning I noticed a flock of birds flying along the mountains above Kisla and watching them I soon realised that they were Crag Martins, they continued to fly along the mountainside before passing over the mountain and out of sight. Early afternoon I was scanning the masses of Olive trees that surround the area when I noticed a Warbler flitting through a bush at a nearby villa, it disappeared from view and I waited in the hope it would show itself and it's identity. It didn't take long for it to work it's way back up the bush and in to sight again, it perched at the top of the bush and flicked it's tail downwards repeatedly as it dropped back down the bush, it showed a olive/grey plumage with short primary projection and a long narrow bill, a short pale supercilium finishing at the rear of the eye and a pale eye ring, all major features of the Olivaceous Warbler.This was another first for me and I watched it for sometime before a passing motorbike flushed it and it disappeared towards another villa along the seafront. I continued to look for it but with no luck so I started scanning back at the beginning of the Olive trees and soon found another Warbler, this Warbler was much larger than the Olivaceuos and soon showed to be an Olive Tree Warbler. The day continued with a fall of Warblers and a few Swallows passing through. Late afternoon and the mountains above Kisla came alive, first came a single Short-toed Eagle followed by 2 Booted Eagles, a Common Buzzard and 2 Long-legged Buzzards, they continued circling for well over 10 minutes before they were joined by a pair of Lanner Falcons and a single Saker Falcon, the raptor display continued and each minute seemed to draw more birds in, 2 Sparrowhawks joined the melee followed by a Common Kestrel, 2 Peregrine Falcons and another Buzzard species. Above them 3 large Eagles circled but were too high too identify and remained so throughout the time I watched, below another Peregrine had joined the circling raptors along with a pair of Elenora's Falcons and another Lanner.This continued for over an hour and I counted at least 30 birds of prey circling over the mountains, they slowly dispersed dropping down behind the mountains and out of view except for 2 Elenora's falcons that slowly passed over the villa and eastwards towards the mountains followed by a Lanner and a Peregrine.I wondered if one of the many mountain goats had perished drawing the raptors in.

Wednesday started out with a mist forming over the mountain tops, it was still very hot but as the day continued a strong breeze began to blow across the mountains and towards Kalkan and by lunchtime the tops of the mountains were disappearing under blankets of mist. Late morning brought another small flock of Swallows this time including 3 Red-rumped Swallows, they circled above Kisla and then headed off in a south-west direction, moments later a single Alpine Swift paddled it's way across the sky and headed off over Kalkan. As the day continued the sky turned greyer and greyer and I was sure a storm was on it's way. Mid-afternoon brought the first sighting of a Little Gull as it flew around the harbour at Kalkan and was soon followed by 3 Larger Gulls that remained on the waters surface on the far side of the bay. They remained out of viewable sight until later in the afternoon when they then flew closer into the bay and were identified as Audouin's Gulls, minutes later they were joined by 2 Yellow-legged Gulls.A few more small groups of Swallows passed over and it seemed as if they were on the run from something that was perhaps soon to hit this part of Turkey. A walk round Kisla late afternoon brought good views of a Blue Rock Thrush as it sang from a rooftop, a Blackbird called, Common Kestrel flew over and a dead Willow Warbler was found. Walking back from the seafront my girlfriend Louise noticed a strange looking bird sat next to a swimming pool in the garden of a villa, of course by the time I looked it had flown off. We continued back towards our villa when we got to a villa called the secret garden, it was here that the strange bird revealed itself as it sat on a telephone wire in front of us, it was joined by 2 others and they began to chatter noisily and again I noticed a cat nearby which was probably making them very uneasy. I got a good look at these birds as they continued their noisy conversation and noted that under a long tail was a yellow vent, as one turned I noticed a near black head with a white eye ring, it didn't take long to work out that they were Spectacled/Yellow-vented Bulbuls, another species that was seen on most days around the Kisla area. We carried on along the track and I spotted a small greyish Shrike perched in a tree, it showed a small white patch in the wings and a long narrow tail, it didn't hang around long a flew into another tree further up the hillside, another quick check of my Collins Bird Guide later revealed it was a juvenile Masked Shrike. A large Warbler that could only be a Great Reed Warbler was found preening by the side of the track, it had a long primary projection with a reddish/brown plumage and a long thick bill, as it preened through it's tail feathers it was clear to see that it had a large and slightly rounded tail. Plenty of House Sparrows about and they seem to be doing quite well there, they were seen and heard every day in most areas, at night large flocks roosted in the centre of Kalkan in a number of trees and could often be heard chirping whilst we ate in the rooftop restaurants.

Thursday and the storm I was expecting was finally on us, the wind was blowing fiercely from an eastwards direction and soon bought a downpour with it. The Audoiuns and yellow-legged Gulls were still in the bay and I spotted 3 Rock Doves perched on the side of a mountain near Kalkan, a dead warbler was found on the main road and I'm still unsure of it's species, Sedge or Moustached Warbler. The rain continued throughout the day and a huge lightning storm soon brought power cuts throughout the region, we then were informed that it hadn't rained in Kalkan since the end of April. Grey Wagtail, Rock Nuthatch, Blue Rock Thrush, House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Barn Swallow, Collared Dove were all seen early morning around Kisla.

By Friday the storm had passed and the skies were blue again, the Gulls had left the bay and the local Rock Nuthatches were close-by feeding amongst the Olive trees on the hillside next to the villa, one seemed to favour the villa rooftop opposite and again gave good views. A Blue Rock Thrush perched at the top of a villa roof down the road from us and called for over 10 minutes before flying off to another of it's favoured perching points by the seafront. A Yellow Vented Bulbul could be heard calling from nearby and briefly showed as it flew passed the villa. Early afternoon a Golden Eagle appeared above the eastern mountainside and was soon joined by another, they began soaring above the mountains gaining height as they did so and continued this for 35 minutes or so before being lost to sight. A Northern Goshawk passed over the hillside and glided over the Olive trees heading north-east and an hour later a juvenile Spotted Eagle drifted over the mountains and carried on west, with the sun shinning on the bird the prominent rows of white spots along the upperwing were very clear. Late afternoon a small Kestrel believed to be a Lesser Kestrel flew from the mountains on the south side of the bay and headed north towards the Kalkan region and a group of 40+ Crag Martins flew along the mountainside near Kisla. 3 Eagles were seen but were too high to identify.

A road trip to Kas brought sightings of a White Wagtail at the harbour, my first trip sighting of a Great Tit on a restaurant roof, good numbers of House Sparrow and Collared Dove, an eastern race Jay sat in a tree near the centre of Kas.2 Gulls were seen flying over the sea on the road back to Kalkan and were presumed Yellow-legged Gulls and a small group of Rock Sparrows were seen on the hillside next to the road.

On the final day a 2 hour drive back to Dalaman produced a number of birds that weren't seen in the Kalkan area.Before we left Kisla a Hummingbird Hawk-Moth was seen feeding from flowers near the villa, they seem to be quite common here as a number of them were seen most days. As we approached Xanthos a Crested Lark flew in of front of the bus and landed on the side of the road raising it's crest as it came to rest and further down the road the first Hooded Crows were seen flying across local farmland and again later near Dalaman.

Added To My Year List.

174. Eastern Rock Nuthatch
175. Blue Rock Thrush
176. Red-backed Shrike

177. Woodchat Shrike
178. Crag Martin
179. Olivaceous Warbler
180. Olive-tree Warbler
181. Short-toed Eagle
182. Booted Eagle
183. Long-legged buzzard
184. Lanner Falcon

185. Saker Falcon
186. Peregrine Falcon

187. Eleonora's Falcon

188. Red-rumped Swallow
189. Alpine Swift
190. Little Gull
191. Audouin's Gull
192. Yellow-vented Bulbul

193. Great Reed Warbler
194. Rock Dove
195. Masked Shrike
196. Golden Eagle
197. Northern Goshawk
198. Spotted Eagle
199. Lesser Kestrel
200. Rock Sparrow
201. Crested Lark
202. Hooded Crow

Added To My Life List.

272. Eastern Rock Nuthatch
273. Blue Rock Thrush

274. Woodchat Shrike

275. Crag Martin

276. Olivaceous Warbler

277. Olive-tree Warbler

278. Short-toed Eagle

279. Booted Eagle

280. Long-legged Buzzard
281. Lanner Falcon

282. Saker Falcon

283. Eleonora's Falcon

284. Red-rumped Swallow

285. Audouin's Gull

286. Yellow-vented Bulbul

287. Great Reed Warbler
288. Rock Dove

289. Masked Shrike

290. Spotted Eagle
291. Lesser Kestrel

292. Rock Sparrow

293. Crested Lark

294. Hooded Crow