Plummeting

The safari just got back from sunny climes to discover – shock horror – that our FB ranking has crashed almost 100 places. In true Bridgit Jones style – “note to self – must get blogging again!” Not that the safari is that competitive – honest…but a 3 at the front would be better than a 4 and definitely better than a 5!
So what was out there in the sunny climes…copious amounts of sunshine, cloudless (almost) skies (any one else remember Puff the Magic Dragon?), hot heat, a bit of dust and plenty of warm sea…oh the Mediterranean is a joy to behold.
Arriving in the dark you just don’t really know what’s out there. But a hint at things to come after rinsing out the day’s travel clothes.
“Where do I hang out the washing?” Wifey’s answer “Just past the Scorpion and turn left”…”What - past the what???” “Oh that Scorpion!” Big claws (relatively)/small sting = fairly harmless??? or is it the more potent European Black Scorpion? And she said that without the usual 'it's a bug hullaballoo!'The darkness was a revelation – a total cacophony of bizarre sounds. Some numpty had put bells round the necks of a flock of sheep. The irregular clonking sounded like the sound track to some strange eastern opera.Above the din half the known universe’s Stone Curlews wailed away, a Little Owl mewed and shrieked outside the bedroom window and a Fox yelped almost all night – it was actually quieter at home with drunks caterwauling at each other, police sirens, and cars with boom-blasters whizzing past the house most nights.
Morning broke to an azure sky – full of Kestrels, 10 in the air together was the best count. Buzzards and Hooded Crows sat on posts and wires all over the place. A scuttle below the balcony revealed a lizard of some description.
Never mind all that the beach beckons but it is so windy no chance of getting in the water, so we try somewhere more sheltered.

Nice. No not the place in France although it wasn’t that far away as the Blue FinTuna swims – if they do in the Med anymore?
Really do need to get a field guide to the fish of the Med – see loads when snorkelling, some are even colourful – but haven’t got a clue what they are.
Back at the ranch a Golden Eagle quarters fields adjacent to the garden as we drive up to the house, deffo don’t get that at home! Then four – yes FOUR – Marsh Harriers drifted past.
Still can’t photograph the scuttlers…proving to be nigh-on impossible, like the very wary Buzzards, Hooded Crows and the plain just-too-mobile Sardinian Warblers zipping in and out of the dense scrub.Picked out a ‘patch’ to walk which had the added benefit of the half way point being at the cliff top to check if the beach was OK for swimming. Got plenty of Stonechats and Cirl Buntings, OK, OK I know I said buntingS

They are one of only two regular UK breeding species I’ve not got on my UK tick list – the buntings not the chats, silly! – probably cos I’ve never been to south Devon to see ‘em.
The wind died down and the beach became a second home…sunbathe or swim, swim or sunbathe - the decisions are endless.
Yellow Legged Gulls regularly loafed about on the rocks but couldn’t get to grips with any Audouin’s, nor could I turn any of the multitude of Kestrels into an Eleanora’s Falcon.
A Blue Rock Thrush warbled away half-heartedly in the heat from the crags above the beach.
At one point a Swallowtail butterfly landed on my leg, as did a Red Veined Darter; now that’s never gonna happen too often back in Blighty. Meadow Browns were numerous and a Clouded Yellow in the garden is always a joy.A few sightings of blues were eventually revealed as Long Tailed Blues.
Insects were on the whole pretty good. But again the heat makes em pretty active. There were loads, I mean hundreds, of this lime green coloured Darter and several others including this dark Hawker. Anyone got any ideas? I’ve not got a copy of the European dragons guide. But not a Hobby in sight which I thought was a bit strange with all this Odonata on the wing. Whilst photographing the hawker something crashed into the top of my head. Looking round with a start I saw this bright green apparition tumble into the bush next to me. Nice one – a Speckled Bush Cricket.

Red and black Capsid Bugs were everywhere and a favourite prey of ants. The scuttlers however, seemed to ignore them. The warning colours must mean more to lizards than ants! I think the species is Lygaeus equestris - they are common throughout the warmer parts of Europe, although there are a couple of confusion species but this one seems to have the white dots in the right places.

The Scorpion was out later that evening, this time with prey.
The thing with the med at migration time is you just don’t know what you’re gonna get next. A Whinchat appeared amongst the Stonechats and a flight of Sand Martins was mixed in with the Swallows one morning, but it took almost the whole week to bag a Crag Martin despite the habitat looking absolutely ideal for them. A Peregrine appeared for a couple of days and a guy walking his dogs – is there NO escape – flushed what I thought to be a tad unusual for a dusty dry cliff top…a flock of eleven Golden Plovers.
The fields at the top of the cliffs gave Woodlarks plenty of foraging and singing opportunities but it wasn’t until the last day when a pair where in the garden that I managed anything like a half decent shot. Great camouflage when you see like this.
The walk to the cliffs and back gave me Western Whip Snake, a sizeable specimen and A.N.other much smaller snake, along with a Gecko, either Moorish or Turkish Gecko – far too quick into its hidey-hole in the wall to get much on it.
Also on the last day I managed to eventually get some shots of the scuttlers. I think I’d missed during the week by being out when they had been most active and least wary.
Mammals were thin on the ground, except dead Hedgehogs on the road and no bats despite large numbers of moths (mainly micros) and Ant-lions coming to the driveway lights! But a glimpse of something dashing across the road in front of the car looked suspiciously like a Genet which from the info I can glean off the interweb I dodn’t think are supposed to be present on this island.
For those of you who might wish to know where we went the lizard and the Meadow Brown are endemic forms…over to you budding Sherlocks! Brilliant place, and not too expensive provided you don’t go to a hotel and you don’t eat out! Deffo going back to check out the east coast which could be even better. Lovely sunset made even better by the fact that the car in the bottom right is a Disco just like mine...now who's an anorak twitching Land Rovers.
Full (haha – didn’t even look at the plants, but most dried up by this time of year anyway) species list:- Birds - - -
Stone Curlew

Jackdaw

Hooded crow

Swallow

Sardinian Warbler

Magpie

Kestrel

Golden Eagle

Buzzard

Little Egret

Wheatear

Spanish Sparrow

Feral Pigeon

Yellow Legged Gull

Coot - yes - nice one!

Collared Dove

Shag

Raven

Stonechat

Marsh Harrier

Woodpigeon

Blue Rock Thrush

Cirl Bunting

Spotted Flycatcher

Blackcap

Goldfinch

Golden Plover

Woodlark

Little Owl

Cetti's Warbler

Sand Martin

Spotless Starling

Blackbird

Whinchat

Peregrine Falcon

Crag Martin

Great Tit - looking bizarrely lost and out of place flitting through the maquis

Spectacled warbler/Whitethroat

Grey Heron - which wifey got but I dipped...and she was driving; shouldn't she have been watching the road?

Barn Owl - dead on road - horribly unlucky seeing as how rush hour lasted about 10 minutes

Sparrowhawk - right at the death as we loaded the car to head back to the airport

Butterflies - - -

Large White

Meadow Brown

UnId white sp.

Red Admiral

Clouded Yellow

Long Tailed Blue

Painted Lady

Not bad considering we did no real birding and tried to avoid taking the bins to the beach for fear of getting them scratched (or more likely being accused of perving the well tanned totty)

Where to next? Back tomorrow with some interesting survey results - - - - frightening!!!!!

In the meantime let us know what's been the highlights of your holiday outback adventures.

A trip down memory lane

The safari visited Marton Mere nature reserve for the first time in ages. On the walk in there was a juvvy Heron just standing on the path. Nearly didn't get a shot off as a dogwalker appeared from the otherside and although he could see what I was doing just kept coming. I was hoping to be able to inch a little closer but you guessed it he flushed it...marvelous. Same happened with two Herons at the very end of the walk - they were in a pond very close to the path, I got a bit nearer and cautiously set the camera up and was just about to click away when a dopey woman threw a stick into the pond for her dogs to fetch. Not as if it wasn't obvious what I was about to do cos she'd watched me stalking them for a few minutes; AND there are several notices asking you to keep your dogs away from the water. D'ya know what - I don't think she could be bothered waiting for me to finish getting my photos so she deliberately scared em off. Dozey, selfish cow! A total imbecile who should not be allowed 1) to keep dogs and 2) out of her front door!!!

The mere itself was looking good but there didn't seem to be too many birds on which isn't unusual for the rtime of year though more gulls to rummage through wouldn't have gone amiss. Sorry about the list to starboard, being pulled by Frank at the time. The striking patch of yellow plants are Hoary Ragwort. The patch of dead flowers in the foreground are the remains of Black Knapweed. Looks like there has been a good show of wildflowers on this meadow over the summer.

Out of the wind it was quite warm and sheltered areas held a few dragonflies. This one is Common Darter, also seen were Brown Hawker, Emperor and Migrant Hawker.

Round where the kids feed the ducks there was a young Black Headed Gull which seemed to be having a right old peck at whatever took its fancy on the reed stems. Even had a go at one of the young Mute Swan's toes at one stage. They do stick em out at a tempting height.

I ddin't count the Coot but there were probably around 150. Interestingly one at the feeding area was ringed. We have seen ringerd Coots here in the past; if I remember rightly almost all were 'done' on passage at the Wigan Flashes. Tried to get a few shots of the ring but had no bread to coax it up the bank and get it moving about. Just got the one pic which is inconclusive unless there is enough there for someone to have stab at identifying the individual. C,G,6? N 4?......it then toddled into the water and swum off to join its mates in a pond weed feeding fenzy.

The mere looking westwards over the reedbeds to the iconic Blackpool Tower. Very quiet in the reeds today only a lonely Blue Tit and eventually a Reed Bunting dropped in from on high. Still a bit too early for the Bitterns.

A short blast of sunshine revealed a nie bright fresh Small Tortoiseshell feeding on the Hoary Ragwort.

Nearly all the way round, looking back over the mere to the north east. In clearer weather you get a good view of the Bowland fells from this vantage point.

Where to next? Somewhere new and unusual coming up I think .

In the meantime let us know who is pecking whose feet in your outback.

A veritable gull fest

The safari had a plan to go south today, but the wind looked too windy from home and it was decided we'd hit the coast instead. To find out if we missed anything check out John Dempsey's blurb and Martin Mere (no he's not a person!). So it was off down to the coast instead. Well it wasn't that windy and it was from a very poor direction almost due south - hardly a ripple on the sea. Nothing really for it but to go and snap away at some of the gulls roosting on the cliffs over the high tide. They are very confiding. All but a very few were Herring Gulls.

The old boating pool is now a go-kart race track but despite the noise (no carts today thankfully) there is still a roost on the walls and the green bit in the middle is our 'saltmarsh'. A Grey Wagtail flew over and I spotted a Swallow doing a few circuits. Something else caught my eye - a Wheatear - nice bonus bird! They usually pass through not long after first light rather than hanging around until lunchtime.

But you don't want distant shots of Wheatears you want gulls. Well that's what you're getting like it or not. The cliffs are a great place to get to see em close up and examine the minute detail of their complex plumages.

And in flight too.

I like the way this adult is showing all the wear and tear of the breeding season and must be looking forward to completing the moult it has started.

Out to sea there was very little. A few scattered small flocks of Common Scoter, probably no more than fifty in total. A big dark bruiser couldn't be turned from a juvvy Great Black Backed Gull into a Bonxie unfortunately. But as it was duly grilled it did fly over the nose of a Grey Seal that was about a mile out giving an indication of how calm it was. To the left of the Isle of Man ferry there were a couple of, very appropriately, Manx Shearwaters sliding southwards on their epic journey to Brazil.

There could have been more but judging by the state of my scope I was probably wasn't going to see it.What a salt encrusted mess!
Back to the gulls with a Herring Gull in that "I'm looking seriously like a yankee Ring Billed Gull plumage."

"I don't mind you standing there - just throw some bread or let me nod off!"

On the boating pool wall the roost was disappointing but there are four species in the frame. There can be up to a hundred Redshanks. Hardly any Black Headed Gulls and only a handful of Lesser Black Backs seen all afternoon, the latter must be making their way south. Can you see the odd one out?Bit easier in this one.

Did you spot the fourth?An easy Turnstone when they'd shimmied round a bit. Did you get them - there are three in amongst the Redshank? No fibbing now.

The cracks in the rock give a toe (root) hold for a small variety of plants the most numerous of which along this stretch of the cliff are the Sea Plantain

and a daisy type thingy I should know but have temporarily forgotten.You don't want to go down there - - -That's about as rough as it got today - there's no way you can stand here and snap away on a higher tide with a bit of a westerly throwing it up the steps - you'd last one wave!
Back to the gull fest.
The audience looks bored by the kid's one-legged cliff balancing act.

Don't try to sleep too close to the edge you might just drop off!

Where to next? More excitement tomorrow when an old favourite is revisited.

In the meantime let us know what the gulls are up to in your outback.

Showers

The safari made a mad dash out this arvo between showers. Warm and sticky for a change. Good numbers of butterflies about, over 20 Speckled Woods, and a couple of fresh looking Red Admirals.But just one Painted Lady.Not noticed the expected huge numbers of these yet after the May influx maybe they didn't all stop to breed. A Common Darter buzzed about but was too warm to get anywhere near, kept going back to a favourite perch but not really giving a photo opportunity. Unlike a nearby Migrant Hawker - not so long ago that these were unheard of round these parts but now seem to be about the most numerous dragon.

Not many birds to shout about, but not really unexpected on a warm mid-afternoon in late summer. A Wren blasted away from thick cover and a Robin warbled its melancholy winter song at me from an overhead branch. Other than that nobbut Magpies and Woodpigeons.

Just got back in time - another downpour.

Where to next? Surprise coming up

In the meantime let us know what is dodging the rain storms in your outback.