Sunday 21 June 2015

6 months in…Longhaven

I thought it was about time to post my first post of the year.

not unsurprising really seeing how crap it's been.  Spring passed by without a notable bird to be seen and now we're in the glorious days of mid summer and not expecting much now for another couple of months.


Best bird of the year is a crossbill, of the common variety.

Total 61 species
48.41%

But expect a better second half performance, or  else I'll start a new patch in Singapore…


Happy Days

Bushveld


Wednesday 17 June 2015

Seasonally adjusted figures

The past few weeks have offered some great highlights of South-east Asian birds and wildlife. Just a pity that most of it has happened off-patch.

Not that the patch has been without interest. The undoubted highlight has been the two buffy fish owls that seem to have taken up residence and are regular at a daytime roost. At 50 cm these are large owls, and a really nice addition to the patch at a time when things have been pretty quiet otherwise.





Meanwhile, Seppy offered me a fiver to not see so many birds. Happy to co-operate, I thought about adding ten to the target for the year, which would make the maths easier. But then I decided to take all the Category C junk off the list. Goodbye to seven species; Javan myna etc which actually feels like a good move.


In other news, a short cross border raid into southern Malaysia connected with rail-babbler among many other quality birds, and served to remind me of just how bird-poor the forests in Singapore are. But not entirely without interest, as I discovered when I was lucky enough to come across a Sunda pangolin (!) in the Central Catchment Reserve a short bus ride form home. That piece of excitement will keep me going for a while.
     

Friday 12 June 2015

dodgy patch ticks

Far be it from me, Sepp Blatter, to court controversy but there's a calling corncrake on my patch and I'm having it on my patch list, and I ain't even seen it! What ya gonna do? Depose me? Ha! Haven't even seen one in Ireland but I'm having it anyway.

I demand a recount!

Tuesday 2 June 2015

chumpions league winner

Bit late but still worth posting a shot of last years worthy winner Basil Faulty  finally getting his hands (and lips!) on the much-coveted Golden Mallard for which we all fight each year.

Victorious!