September!!

Don't you just love it.... well when easterlies and rain happen anyway :-)

Plenty of migrants, a few year ticks and a chance to play with my camera meant a great day at Hartlepool. Best shot was of this absolutely stunning Wood Warbler.

About time!

At last... got my new photo equipment and, having moved house, finally got the internet up and running.

First attempts with the new lens yesterday, in the rain unfortunately, but at least the Whiskered Tern hung around long enough for me to get a record shot. More to come as the autumn progresses...

Retirement frustrations

Having retired and got cash, the hard bit appears to be getting hold of a good lens for taking bird pics. This is by Ian Forest, ironically with the exact gear I'm awaiting delivery for. Still, nice shot of the Whiskered Tern (still present today) and, with an Osprey at Crookfoot, I would like to take some of my own shots... anyday soon!

Sandgrouse blues

So, yet another Western Palearctic Mega slips by.

Twenty years since the last opportunity (in Shetland) to see Pallas's Sangrouse in the WP, Finland comes up with the goods but, unless it's going to stay another week, I'll not get chance to see it.....

Oney day!

Meanwhile, I'll get online and book my Corvo flights to cheer me up... should be some ticks there :-)

Autumn has begun!!

Seems like such a long time since I've been on here but more a result of May and June's poor birding.
Anyway, 'autumn' began today with a juvenile Whiskered Tern on Saltholme Pools - a great grip back as I missed Cleveland's first last year while birding in Morocco.
A nice ID challenge too!

Back this evening and the MEGA has been joined by another rarity..... White-rumped Sand, stood side-by-side with the Whiskered Tern! Some day for Saltholme.

A Little Stint made it three year ticks in view at once

Hope this is the start of a productive season.

Post Israel blues

After birding one of the WPs hotspots and gathering 5 new ticks, the spring back home seems very sow arriving and birding can be a little hard work. It's been almost a month now and Cleveland's been quiet to say the least, though a Great White Egret on Dormans brightened up last weekend.

Then, with a bang, Cleveland strikes! A 1st winter Black-throated Thrush was found this morning by Chris Sharp and performed well for the crowd - even singing! This is a 1st record for Cleveland and only my second ever. Monster county tick :-)

A week in Israel, 5 targets, 5 ticks....eventually

So, having saved the dosh for Nubian Nightjar (see 'Thayer's Gull') it was off to the Holy Land for a week's twitching. Sunday's target species were the two plastic Cat Cs near Tel Aviv, Vinous-breasted Starling and Nanday Parakeet. Thunder, lightning and VERY heavy rain put paid to them so it was off to the Dead Sea to try and retrieve the day with the Nightjar. Finding our guest house locked and being totally ripped off for a few bits of bread and beer added to our crap day 1 and light rain seemed to put the nightjar out of our reach too but it was all to turn good. Fantastic views of the Nightjar and of Desert Eagle Owl was a highlight ranking alongside any in the last 30 years birding... Incredible... thanks Yoav!

























The rest of the week was set aside for the wintering Oriental Honey Buzzard and Small Skylark, a more regular winterer. These both proved much easier than expected and the lark was a real education, a fantastic 'birders bird' if you know what I mean.



Back to TA for Starlings and Parrot, which proved almost no problem in the much improved weather and two days to spare.



Chose Hula for the first, an inspired choice as it coincided with about 10,000 Cranes setting off on their return to Europe - quite a spectacle! Thw wintering Demoiselle had the decency to hang around long enough for us to see too:-)



Last day at various fish ponds around Keffar Ruppin (poor) and Bet She'an (fantastic) allowed us superb views of GBH Gulls and confusing nightmares with lots of 1st winter white-headed gulls... just how do you split Caspians from Armenians at that age?