Bolton Abbey Reprise

DW contacted me to say he was going to Bolton Abbey this morning so would I like to come?

Being a sucker for pleasure I answered in the affirmative. 😆✌

Once the mist had cleared, the birds appeared.

2 Redstart, 8 Pied Flycatcher, Wood Warbler singing repeatedly and loudly.
Green Woodpecker, GSW, 4 RLP. Brief view of probably Tawny Owl flying across road.
Otherwise a repeat of yesterday's birds minus the Mandarin.

Bottom two photos: DW

Bolton Abbey

Courtesy of DP. 4 Redstart, 9 Pied Flycatcher seen but several more heard. Cuckoo heard.
3 Mandarin, Buzzard, Oystercatchers, Curlews, WWs, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps.

At one stage I thought I'd heard the Wood Warbler's start up trill but both times it never completed the number so I'm letting that one go.
Also Common Sandpipers, Sand Martin, Nuthatch, Treecreeper,  Mistle Thrush, Grey & Pied Wagtails, Greylag Geese, & f Goosander.

Queensbury Poles Stroll

Both local North & South this cold morning. Old Guy Rd 7 Skylark, 2 Linnet, pr Lapwing. 16 large gulls north but the sun in my eyeballs prevented 100% id though I did get the feeling one at least was LBBG. WW in Roper Lane.

Oats Royd is finished as a venue - overgrown and access problems. 2 WW 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap & Greenfinch.
Shibden Head: Song Thrush, 2 Blackcap, WW. The delph leading to Deanstones Lane coughed up 4 Linnet, 2 Whitethroat & a pr Swallow.

The Flip Side Of The Coin

Daily Mail: The savage cruelty of a law that lets crows torture and kill lambs...writes SUE REID. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6965469/The-savage-cruelty-law-lets-crows-torture-kill-sheep-writes-SUE-REID.html?ito=rss-google-news

Soil Hill to Hunter Hill

SH 0810 hrs. The Sand Martins have moved on from the quarry.
4 Oystercatcher, 6 Lapwing, 8 Curlew, 3 Whitethroat, pr Red-legged Partridge, 5 Linnet & residents.

A pr Tufted Duck were on Ogden Res. The trees coughed up a few WW, 2 Chiffchaff  & a Blackcap.

I bumped into DP by the golf course who had just heard a Cuckoo call 3 times from Hunter Hill.

As we walked toward Mixenden Res a Grasshopper Warbler reeled several times from the juncus nearby. It was still there performing about an hour later.

At the top of Hunter Hill was a pr Raven and 1 each of Kestrel & Mistle Thrush.

Swillington Ings

Courtesy of DP on a pleasant warm day.
5 Common Tern, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit ditto Tundra Bean Goose, 7/8 PFG, pr Black-necked Grebe, 1 Shelduck, 4 Shoveler and the usual Tufted Duck and Gadwall. Not forgetting a handful of resplendent drake Pochard.

All the world's BHG must have decided to breed here and the noise was almost frightening. Several Herring and 1 GBBG present.

5 Cettis Warbler, 1 Garden Warbler, 3 Whitethroat similar Blackcap & several WW. Sedge Warbler seemed to be all over the place and I'll stick my neck out and say we got 2 Reed Warbler by distant song only. A couple of Bittern were booming & male Reed Bunting seen throughout.

Soil Hill to Mixenden

A story that starts well has a really lousy middle and ends satisfactorily.
SH 0910 hrs. Sand Martins were hell bent on prospecting for nest sites in the E quarry, c14 birds in all. I really hope they move on quickly given the rate of excavation here.
Others: 9 Curlew, 4 Lapwing, Jay, 3 WW ditto Whitethroat, 5 Linnet. A gathering of c35 Crows plus the Larks & Mipits.

Then it hit rock bottom: apart from platoons of WW and a Chiffchaff there was nothing from the Giants Tooth right across to Mixenden via Hunter Hill bottom. I tell a lie; a single Lesser Redpoll called thrice in flight.

Mixenden Res had 2 LBBG, Moorhen on nest (I'll give it 4/5 days) Grey Wagtail, pr Tufted Duck & 1 Common Sandpiper - my first of the year locally.

Soil Hill and Mixenden Res

Courtesy of DP on a blazing hot afternoon. Not too much going down birdwise but a very enjoyable walk round.
Soil Hill: Snipe, Kestrel, pr Red-legged Partridge, Skylarks, Mipits, 3 Whitethroat, WW, 7/8 Linnet, 4 Lapwing and still Curlews hanging on, 12 birds in total.

Mixenden Res: 2 pr Tufted Duck, 1 f Goosander, pr LBBG, Chiffchaff, 2 WW. Many Homo Sapiens.
The walk across Hunter Hill bottom produced very little, Mipit, pr Curlew, WW.

Queensbury North

A bonus in Old Guy Rd this afternoon when 8 Golden Plover flew around a few times calling and then settling. Shortly after DW arrived another bunch flew in taking to total up to c25 birds. Also a pr Lapwing here and a Buzzard circling over Fox Hill Park.

Prior to this I'd been down to Low Moor Dams and got a House Martin over Jackson Hill Lane on the way.
Both Harold Park and Park Dam were very quiet but at the latter I managed to get a very loud singing Garden Warbler.

Back In The Badlands

Crashed down to earth or rather the soil on the hill from hell: Oystercatcher, Kestrel, 2/3 Curlew, 5 Skylark. I got my first WW of the year and the Grey Partridge pr are still hanging on in the  'hood.

Ogden was quiet for a change, cough; 2 LBBG ditto GSW. WW count climbed to 6 & 2 Chiffchaff were chortling. A Moorhen was cruising on the drink (uncommon).
Stod Fold coughed up a Green Woodpecker, pr Jay, 2 more WW and a Reed Bunting.

Mixenden Res provided a single Swallow - another annual. Also present: 1 each Goosander & Grey Wagtail, Moorhen & 4 Tufted Duck.

Friday and Saturday Walks

Braved the heat and got a few more birds, 2 on the Friday which still need identifying and thankfully 4 on Saturday that were all identifiable.

Friday 12 April: What appeared to be a large Reed Warbler was a drab Brown affair with no discerning features e.g no supercilium, this will be a struggle. The other mystery was a fan tailed Bush Robin type again Brown but with white throat and a small white super, hopefully I can bottom this one.
Also 6 Coppersmith Barbet,  similar Scaly-breasted Munia, Indian Roller, pr Collared Kingfisher, ditto Brahminy Kite, plus 4 Egret species,  et al.

Saturday 13 April, a slightly greyer day but still rather sticky. Most of the previously mentioned species seen apart from any Kites. Most we!come newbies being Streak-eared Bulbul (lifer), Greater Coucal, Black-naped Oriole, & Little Cormorant (lifer).
The Oriole was a glorious yellow coloured male and only my second ever after a bird in Kuala Lumpur in another life.
I bottomed the Little Cormorant after getting some decent photos of one this morning.

Well it's been hard graft but it beats the upcoming alternative birding back in...bugger, I can't say it 😟😨

Thursday A Heated Encounter

Today's slog in the sun (33c but feeling like 39c at 1020 hrs) brought some interesting results. I walked near a Muay Thai training camp so as I used to do some Thai Boxing training back in the day I smugly walked in.
I don't remember much after that apart from being confused and contused but a kind lady Muay Thai exponent filled me in, literally.
It seems I challenged her to a sparring session, me being a cruiserweight and her a lightweight, nothing unfair about that in my eyes 🤓.

"What your name big boy?" She enquired while applying a cold compress to my heart.
"Canvasback Kerwin" I answered "What is your name you delightful creature?"
"They call me Measles Lady" she smiled "I was all over you like a rash" 🤼🤸

The dojo owner decided I didn't need oxygen and let me carry on walking, adding that next time he would instruct the fighter to use both arms and legs.

Some incidental birds: Great White Egret, Cattle Egret, Little Egret and another Eastern Reef Egret.
Indian Roller, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Magpie Robin. I got some decent photos today, including a cracking Coppersmith Barbet, pity I left the crucial camera cable at home.
For once the Pond Herons stayed still and didn't take fright as is their wont.
For future analasys is a large Eagle which soared above giving reasonable views. Right now I'm pondering Serpent and Hawk Eagle, we shall see hopefully.

Another Hill Walk

No intention of birding today but I do like to keep fit so off into the super heated version of Soil Hell. I was distressed to find that someone in the night had packed my camera and binoculars; could this be the work of the infamous Snert family ghosts, the denizens of Small Page Fold, Queensbury?

Accepting fate l begrudgingly took note of the birds I didn't want to see thus:
Cinnamon Bittern, 3 Olive-backed Sunbird,  ditto Little or Indian Cormorant  (grrrr), 2 Magpie Robin one of which gave itself up to the camera. Collared Kingfisher, Coppersmith Barbet, 2 Brown Shrike, 3 Brahminy Kite (sluuurrrpp).
Also Java Pond Heron, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Striated Swallow & 1 distant blue  glowing newbie that remains a mystery.

Another Chameleon species tried to camouflage itself from the camera without success.
Tomorrow's target: King Cobra - the bite  is on!

Wetlands A Dry Joke

Jumped on the hotel shuttle to Nai Harn. Got off and was promptly greeted by Magpie Robin & photogenic Collared Kingfisher perched on a lamp post.

I then got a Pigeon I always forget the name of even though it was a photo addict. Then my first identified wader and only the second for the trip. At this stage the two of you who read this drivel may go get a cuppa, do the garden etc. - twas a only a Common Sandpiper.
A Little  Egret and more Striated Swallow plus a Chameleon species also eyeballed.

After watching a massive water bowser drain a marsh of water for the building industry I lost  the will to live and cried myself along the road back to the hotel. Scant consolation for the trek being a pr Brahminy Kite.

In the afternoon the river produced: 2 Java Pond Herons, 1 each White--vented Myna & Yellow-vented Bulbul and the Collared Kingfisher carrying a couple of small fry. Also few Asian Palm Swift & Striated Swallow.

I'm done with birding now it's time to immerse myself in a truly great book 'How To Train Your Cat' by Claud Balls. I would say this shouldn't be read at scratch, it is a truly deep rooted ripping publication.

Very Heated Birding

I went up into the hills even further this am and arrived a Cape Prom Thep hoping to get seabirds but it was closed for business. Such is the paucity of seabird life here a huge fishing trawler didn't have a single bird following it!
After scanning the rocks I came across a Cormorant, either Little or Indian. I got a distant shot of it so hopefully in a day or so I should have bottomed it.

Another new bird not a lifer but most welcome was a Shikra seen twice in flight (just think of Sparrowhawk). I managed to get fairly good shots of Olive-backed Sunbird  which could be a lifer but I've almost got to the stage of not being bothered.
Also seen: 2 Black Drongo, 5 Scaly-backed Munia, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Brown Shrike, Indian Roller.

The local cess pit river turned up a Brahminy Kite and another first in the shape of 3 photogenic Striated Swallow. At the other end of the beach I got my first viewing of Hoopoe but as expected the moment the camera appeared, the bird disappeared.

Note to self: when the heat is crippling and the birding sloooow just think about breakfast time when you were feeding Tree Sparrows which came up to a metre away and a Common Myna which thought about taking from the hand before I relented and threw it the grub. Does this happen at home in the local parish? Nooooo.

Not in a Million Years

http://www.phuketbirdpark.com/

Rawai Hillsides

A pretty lumpy slog this am, costing me a litre of sweat but the payback was some interesting birds.
Hoopoe were calling frequently as they have been doing since day one.

A small bird that sounded like squeaking garden machinery turned out to be a Sunbird; I'll determine which later.
A pr Brahminy Kite put on a show as did an unknown party of Drongo species (I do know they weren't Racket-tailed).

Had great views of a Brown Shrike less so of an Indian Roller. Both of these are lifers 😎😋
Also Magpie Robin, Pond Herons, White-vented Myna & pigeons.

I had a look at the river (polluted up to the eyeballs 🤢) and got only my second ever Asian Brown Flycatcher. Yet another Brown Shrike turned up as did a few Yellow-vented Bulbuls. I'm getting spoiled but hell I'm worth it.

Friday 5th & Saturday 6 April

I make no excuses for having become a basket case; all down to having a mind blowing trip where birds are taking second stage to other aspects of le joi d'vivre.
I'm still in a state of indeciveness regarding some birds that I got good views of but I also clarified a couple of others.

Friday I nailed a superb Brahminy Kite and also a flock of c60 Scaly-breasted Munia. A Black-crowned Night Heron gave  good views and the Collared Kingfisher is now a regular performer. Thow in a couple of Magpie Robin for good measure 😆.
Leaving the hotel at beer o'clock I was overjoyed to get a pr of White-vented Myna and earlier I was able to confirm Yellow-vented Bulbul.

Today Saturday I had a fabulous boat trip out that brought minimal aviformes, so much so that in 5 hours out at sea not a single Gull or Tern was seen! 😱
I got distant  views of a Sanderling wader type that will be labelled "sod it" and reasonable if brief views of one of the 2 Sea Eagle species that are found here. The Brahminy Kite that was performing either escort or watchdog duty was acceptable compensation
A Collared Kingfisher showed up and 3/4 undetermined Egret species were at distance. A modicum of Asian Palm Swift reiterated I'm still getting some tasty birds, well most of the time 😊

Magic Moments

Thursday evening April 4th.
As is my won't I set off in the necessary pursuit of food and beer 🐯. In a period of 10 minutes along the front shoreline I encountered:  Striated Heron flying left, Collared Kingfisher perched on branch of a dead tree just 5 metres in front of me and below that a Pacific or Eastern Reef Egret feeding on the beach the same distance below me. The latter is not only a lifer but also a bird I've fantasised about in the past thirty years that I've been coming to this area.
The episode concluded with a large raptor putting in an all too brief appearance coming into land in a tree; methinks a Fish Eagle species but I'll let that one go.

Roasted While Birding

Yumpin Yiminy it's bleeding hot so much so methinks this holiday has all the potential of a disaster .

Wednesday April 3: Asian Palm Swift; Common Mynah; Striated Heron; Javan Pond Heron or whatever nationality appeals as it's hard to split.
Jungle Crow and Eurasian Tree Sparrow nesting all over the hotel including the reception area. All too brief views of flying Eastern Spotted or Red Collared Dove.

Thursday April 4: Finally discovered a small, narrow river and estuary after a long walk. Oddly enough this is where the birds performed to my satisfaction .
Collared Kingfisher, White-breasted Waterhen, 6 Javan Pond Heron, Magpie Robin, Barn Swallow, breeding Asian Palm Swift colony.

There are  3 species I have to work on, two of which I have the genus tagged; the other needs splitting twixt 2 families. Goes to show yer think you know most of it; truth is yer don't know half of it . Still the ginormous Water Monitor lizard I eyeballed didn't take my leg off at the elbow 

Oboes and Clarinets

I don't know what unearthly hour it was this a.m but a pr Tawny Owl were giving it large from the trees behind the back yard.