Bit of a different safari coming up

The Safari is leaving Safari-land this week and venturing a little further afield for a change, so there’ll be no updates of ‘nothing new’ on Patch 2 and no news of any Peregrines that may or may not be sat on their favourite ledges on the tower for a few days or so. We’re off on a real life real adventure DOWN UNDER!

The self-sufficient Maroo’s brand new sustainable education unit is now well and truly open for business and about to be tested to the full by Yours Truly! Perhaps even to the extent of setting up future green tourism ‘holidays’.

“We don't want ‘just’ holiday makers, but are marketing to conservation and wildlife enthusiasts. We will cater just for small groups.

You get your own personal experienced wildlife guide, (yes that's The Safari).

We are not offering a holiday excursion for ‘holiday makers’ with some buffoon dribbling on about wildlife he knows nothing about :-) – we’ve been on some those and are never sure whether to pipe up and tell them they are wrong or keep quiet and snigger quietly to ourselves; one ‘guide’ (and we use the term lightly) we remember told his group a lot of nonsense about swans and them horror of horrors referes to ‘seagulls’ as nothing more than flying Rats - eejit!!! Our trips will be informative and allow you to get up-close and personal with the wildlife of your interest. This is an adults only opportunity so there won’t be any children frightening off the wildlife.

We want to market Maroo in such a way that only those who are totally bonkers about hiding out in hides to photograph Cockatoos coming in to drink, laying on your stomach in a paddock just to spot that Swamp Hawk raising her babies in the sedge. This is the type of holiday anyone who works in any environmental capacity will just love. We’ve even spent hours near at the water hole taking photos of bugs. Let’s face it we are appealing to people just like ourselves – anyone with a passion for wildlife who would relish the chance to get up close and personal with some of Australia’s weirdest and wonderfulest – is that a word?

It’s a great opportunity for birders and wildlife photographers. It’s not just birds although there is a fantastic range of endemics, there are unique mammals, unusual reptiles and enough invertebrates to keep a macro-photographer entertained for years and more exotic plants than you could shake a big botanical stick at!

On offer is good old Auzzie hospitality, eat with us, sleep with us, talk wildlife, drink and be merry. We want it to have the same feel as an environmental expedition, nothing fancy but damn good holiday. There may also be the chance to go out with professional researchers on their trapping and monitoring projects.

Our Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is going from strength to strength so who knows what animals you might meet. If you want to handle, feed, go on rescue runs with us then this can also be an option.

Think Rolf Harris’s ANIMAL HOSPITAL meets STEVE IRWIN (RIP) on an EXPEDITION HOLIDAY and you’ve got it in one.

This region is our biggest selling point; you do not have to travel thousands of kilometres up north into the distant outback when you have everything you want in our beautiful SOUTH WEST of Western Australia.

We need to save our many endangered species from extinction, (some far rarer than Giant Pandas!) by the end you will know that in a small way you have contributed to their survival.”

For all the goss on how we’re getting on keep coming back but if there’s no news on here try the Maroo blog...anything could happen over course of the next month!

Some pics nicked from mein host Aussie Glen - sure he won't mind!

We're gonna get educated in here

Kookaburra being treated



The reptile re-habilitation nclosure and volunteer

Roo gate demo by Aussie Glen

Skink


OK we're off to pack now and make sure we've got plenty of SD cards and spare batteries and a rain coat apparently it's cold and pouring down - so nothing new there then!...ciao for now as they say in Italy...where Young Un AB should be having a ball on his 'working holiday'...he tells us he's already seen a shed load of goodies like flocks of Bea-Eaters, and White Admirals, Swallowtails and more - nice one; hope we can emulate him.

Calling the knowledgeable

The Safari has been busy in the garden at Base Camp today so no wildlife news at all...disturbed it all with various crashings and bangings.

Aussie Glen sent us this pic and asked if we knew what it is...any one out there like to hazard a guess...species would be good, family, order, class or even phylum might be helpful!

Over to you...we're pretty sure it's an invertebrate!!!

Tbh we don't know exactly how big it is (2-3cm?) which end is the front (right?) and if it has feet or not...we have an inkling of what it might be but will wait for your suggestions.

The location might give you a clue, the forests of the far SW Australia.

Where to next? The Shoresearch coastal wildlife volunteer training event tomorrow - looks like the weather will hold off long enough for us to do some serious rummaging in the rockpools.

In the meantime let us know how the weird and wonderful are shaping up in your outback.

Moving along nicely

The Safari went to the nature reserve again with the intention to get the Iceland Gull. On the drive in we did nail Goldfinch on site for the year...not one we were likely to struggle for for long though. Once at the hide we learned we'd just missed the Iceland gull by a few minutes AGAIN. So we hung around and waited whiling the time away with our birding chums. With nothing new to add to the list we decided to try the moss for the Tundra Bean Geese. Before we set off for the moss we went to view the Whooper Swans (55) a little way in the opposite direction and hoped to pick up the Green Sandpiper that has been there as an 'insurance' tick. No Green Sandpiper...but two Lapwings (56) went into the notebook for the first time this year and off to the geese we went.

No geese at the spot they have regularly been at so we tried another of their 'regular' locations, no joy there either - becoming a wild goose chase but we did get several Rooks (57) on the way and the no-geese field had a small flock of Skylarks (58). As we turned round to try location № 3 we got a text from CR saying he was in Ice Station Zebra and had just got some pics of the Iceland Gull - stuff the geese...we high tailed it back to the nature reserve at breakneck speed. Still there!!! Iceland Gull (59:MMLNR52) made it into the notebook...phew. We filled our boots - or at least the SD card - with gull pics in the reasonable light, helped by some good tips from resident expert PT.

This is one of the rarest gulls this year, today it only outnumbered the Iceland Gull 2:1!!! 1st winter Common Gull - where are they all?

1st winter Herring Gull taking off.

 Not sure we'd be too happy if a Great Black Back was about to land on us.

 More species of gull in this pic than the whole of Australia - 4 v 3

For 'proper' pics of the Iceland Gull etc see here. We spent much of the afternoon at the nature reserve enjoying the Iceland Gull and others including a superb display of hovering in the ever stiffening breeze by one of the local Kestrels. Our regular Snipe flushing Sparrowhawk sped by several times giving the other photographers ample BiF opportunities with the Teal, Wigeon and Shoveler.

Then it was time to stretch our legs, our back has 'gone', give Frank a bit of game of ball then head off somewhere else. 'Somewhere else' ended up back at the Whooper Swans, of which there were 80) but still no Green Sandpiper. Somewhere else mkII was a little further south at Fairhaven Lake, passing an Oystercatcher (60) on the posh school's playing field just before we pulled up to park, where we spotted the female Scaup (61) in dreadful light after about 20 seconds. With our back now really painful it was time to call it a day - dunno what we've done...kidney failure from the holiday excesses or a chilled muscle from to much sitting in cold draughty hides or a twinge from some unknown cause - whatever the cause it flippin hurts, will have to rest it well at work tomorrow.

So two days into the New Year and were almost 2/3rds the way to half way to our target of 200...not a bad start.

Where to next? Back to the grind tomorrow but that means Patch 2 will be in play and a few new species are anticipated.

In the meantime let us know how you are progressing in your outback.

More gully stuff

The picture is the answer to the question - 'which is the UK's most numerous breeding gull?

D'yer know what it is yet?

Answers please......I'm not telling you you'll have to write in.

Surprisingly it is the species that most people see the least due to the fact that it only breeds on northern sea cliffs and spends most of the year out at sea. There are a few pairs nesting on buildings in ports, particularly Newcastle. They are almost never found inland.

Best bird in the book is the Mediterranean Gull. This is an adult showing the full black head, big white eye brows, bright shiny red beak and pure white wings. A real beauty. Most of the world's population actually live in the Black Sea not the 'Med; but if I said to you that 's a Black Sea Gull you'd think I said black seagull and then you'd think I was bonkers! So I think it's OK to call them Med Gulls.


Their young look like very pale versions of Common Gulls. But just to confuse the issue so do young Ring Billed Gulls - a rare but increasing visitor to Britain from America. I've not seen one for a while now. First picture is a young Med, dark bill and legs and a pale brown panel in the wing, the second picture is a young Ring Bill with a stout black tipped pink bill and a paler panel in the wing. You've got to admit they are similar and despite being much paler on the mantle than young Common Gulls are still quite tricky to pick out, being out-numbered several hundreds, if not thousands, to one.


Below is a Little Gull. The only British species to be darker - almost black - on the underwing than above, which you can see is silvery grey. The best place to see these is Seaforth Nature Reserve in spring when often well over a hundred are present. The are a very dainty small gull with an effortless buoyant flight. They nest in eastern Europe but many years ago I was lucky enough to warden a nesting pair in Norfolk in the late 1970's.


Now we come to them more regular species. This is a Black Headed Gull in adult winter plumage. Thin dark red bill, dark flesh legs, little splurge behind the eye.


In flight the white leading edge to the wing is a give away. You can see it on the upper and under wings.

Unlike the Mediterranean Gull there is some black in the wingtip and the underwing is smokey grey not pure white.

The white leading edge can be easily seen even if the bird is coming towards you.

Just a couple more shots of Black Heads to make sure you've got your eye in.

The other species most regularly seen is the Herring Gull. This is the gull of seaside sound effects and stolen ice creams, sandwiches, etc. Large powerful, bold with a silvery grey back, pink legs and a strong yellow beak with a red blob - the gonyal angle. Very easy to identify in flight - look for the clean underwing with the translucent patch. Lesser Black Backs seen from below have a narrow black band along the trailing edge and no translucent patch.



The translucent patch is evident in all age groups as this first winter bird shows.




Even on a grey day like today the wing appears translucent, in sunny conditions it is very easy to pick out if if the gulls are soaring at great height.

Below is the bully boy of the shore line. In our part of the world the biggest bird normally seen on the beach; the Great Back Backed Gull. Very big, very powerful and very belligerent. They will fly over the top of feeding gulls disturbing them to see if there are any easy pickings. I have seen them kill Rabbits and Herring Gulls at Seaforth Nature Reserve.

This magnificent specimen is an adult Lesser Black Backed Gull. same size as the Herrings but significantly smaller than the Great Black Backed Gulls and subtly paler too. A nice tone of dark charcoal grey rather than totally black.

Below are some annotated beach scenes from this afternoon. I really must get some digiscoping equipment. But if your down on the beach with your binocs or even just the dog these are the views you will get so the pictures are quite relevant.

Enjoy your gull watching whervere you are - there's far more to them than just 'seagulls'!

This is the sort of thing they were after on the beach. Lots of shellfish washed up after the recent storms. This one is a very fresh Prickly Cockle.

Where to next? I might have some more gull info about the 'white winged' gulls. but then there'll be a safari to report on over the weekend.

In the meantime don't forget to let us know what you have found in your outback.

And just in case we've upset any Australians with our multitude of gull species - here's a crackin' picture a Silver Gull.

Well worth the wait don't you think?

Gulls, gulls, gulls....Gulls, gulls, gulls.

A very short safari along the beach today. There were hundreds of gulls rooting through the strandline after yesterdays storm...which leads nicely in to a gull masterclass.

I couldn't see any Mediterranean Gulls and wasn't really expecting to. (One spent all last winter at Bispham beach a little to the north and to the trained eye was quite easy to pick out from the sea wall without binoculars - is it there this year?) They can be told from Black Headed Gulls as they do actually have a black head (although in winter all that remains in both species is a dark smudge behind the eye). The bill is heavier and a brighter coral red, the legs too are brighter red. The back - mantle - is much paler than the silvery grey of a Black Headed Gull. This one is a second summer bird as it has black feathers in the wing tip, adults have pure white wingtips.

This one below is an adult Black Headed Gull moulting its 'black' head. You can see the bill is a darker shade of red, more burgundy than coral and finer too. A very easy way to identify Black Headed Gulls at all times of year, and in all plumages, is by the white leading edge to the outer wing and smokey underwing when seen in flight.

Here are two Lesser Black Backed Gulls, both adults. The mantle colour is not black (it is in Great Black Backed Gulls, which are obviously bigger and have pink legs) but a very dark charcoal grey. Legs are yellow. The preening bird in the foreground is a Herring Gull with pink legs and a silvery grey mantle, very close in shade to the Black Headed Gull's colour. The brown on the wings indicates it is a young bird second or third winter plumage. How do I know it's winter - they are standing on a frozen lake and there are dark flecks on the head and neck. Both Herring and Lesser Black Backs have this but 'Yellow Legged' Gulls do not making them stand out a little.

An adult Herring Gull has learn't how to raid the bird table at base camp; and yes it does take the peanuts left out for the smaller birds. The wind has to be in the right direction for it to get the necessary fine control for a landing and it doesn't half teeter if it has to land on the top of the fence. Sorry about the glare - the picture was taken through the kitchen window. You can still see the pink legs and pale mantle.

I don't have a picture of a Common Gull (that's Mew Gull to anyone the other side of the Atlantic - I hate to be pedantic, by why can't you lot call anything by its proper name?) yet but they are intermediate between the smaller Black Headed Gull and the larger Herring/Lesser Black Backed Gulls. Also their mantle colour is an intermediate slatey blue grey. So next time you're out and about in your outback have a good look at the gulls - there are plenty of different species to sort out - unless you are in Australia where most places only have two; big 'uns and little 'uns. Would you believe it Blackpool beach has more species of gull than a whole continent!!!!! (There's a Silver Gull...oh and another one...and another...and another...and another...ad infinitum. I've got some slides of one somewhere I'll have to dig 'em out and scan 'em.)

Be wary of the 'colour' of the mantle in bright sunlight as it an look different on adjacent birds if they are not facing the same way. The aspect causes shadows and shadowing making the same colour look different - an example of this can be seen in your own living room if it is painted the same colour on all walls - look in a corner - although the colour is the same it will appear to be different. The best light for assessing mantle colour is dull and flat as on a cloudy day when there are no shadows. (This is irrelevant in Australia where they are all Silver Gulls, or the other one - what the other one is depends whereabouts in Aus you are)

More gull masterclass coming up in the future...when we might look at some immature plumages and throw in the confusing melee of 'Yellow Legged' Gulls.

If any of you are wondering -I didn't manage to get the head from the Porpoise, the tide had removed it before I got to it. Some of the spine was still there and it really stunk...not a sniff of the skull - if you'll pardon the pun.

Here's a question to ponder during the long dark nights (of the northern hemisphere at least). Not quite the meaning of life; although I believe Ford Prefect et al have sussed that one, and far less important and worrying than 'why do wellingtons always suck your socks off?' But this........

I don't know about your neck of the woods but round here the gulls spend loads of time foraging round the rubbish dumps and following the plough in muddy fields so without access to a well known brand of washing powder how do they stay whiter than white? In fact the only time they show any trace of 'dirt' is when they have been out at sea and got contaminated with spilt oil; something that, thankfully, seems to be happening much less frequently now than in previous decades.

A second question (for UK readers only) is which is our commonest breeding gull...hint...it's not the Common Gull. Answers on a post card please...to coin a phrase.

In the meantime let us know what you have seen in your outback.


Where to next? We still hope to connect with the very elusive Long Eared Owls sooner rather than later we hope.