Winter Birding in the Sunshine State

We have been here for a few days but this is the first chance I've had to post anything.  We are spending the first five nights in Orlando and driving to and from specific areas of interest.  We are guided by Florida birding legend, guru and mutt magnet Lionel Godwit.  The vast number of species we are seeing are sometimes hard to keep track of so I'm just going to list some photos of the birds I have managed to get photos of to date.  I'll post a full species list at the end of the holiday.

PS  These photos don't seem to look very good when posted online but seem the look find when on the iPad.  I'll upload them again when I get home if need be.

Wood Stork

American Black Skimmer

Ring-billed Gull

Osprey

Turkey Vulture (Native of Witch Wood Lytham - as found by Big Dave)

Glossy Ibis

American Coot

Roseate Spoonbill

Laughing Gull

Bonaparte's Gull

Northern Cardinal

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Female Hooded Merganser

Sandhill Craine

Crested Caracara

Whooping Craine

Limpkin

Anhinga

Meadow Lark

Easten Bluebird

Red-headed Woodpecker

Blue Jay

Pileated Woodpecker

Fylde and Over Wyre

Good local day out with Ribble Bird Tours.

Scaup - Fairhaven lake
Great Grey Shrike - Lytham Moss
Shorelark - Rossall Point (Lifer)
Barnacle Goose - Over Wyre

Budapest Birding (with a guide this time)

At last we got see some target species! Today we hired the services of Bence Kokay who took us to an area south of Budapest. I don't know the exact locations but once of the areas was called Kiskunsag. Bence was a great guide who I would strongly recommend to anyone. We only had a short amount of time as we fly home toady at 17:30 (I'm writing this from the airport).

The birds!

Hen Harrier - Male and Female. Females abundant and 2 male sightings (just metres away).
Marsh Harrier
White-tailed Eagle - Immature and adult birds. Abundant. Appx 3 visible at any one time.
Eastern Imperial Eagle - 2 sightings, both birds perched. Excellent views of contrasting markings.
Caspian Gull (no doubt DMG's bird of the day)
Raven
Great Grey Shrike - 2 sightings
Great White Egret - Abundant
White-fronted Goose - Abundant
Red-breasted Goose - 4 sightings
Dunlin (No doubt LG's bird of the day)
Rough-legged Buzzard - 1 sighting
Great Bustard - c10 sightings

Return to Margit Island

Ok, so today wasn't great.  Let me explain. I left the appartmemt at 7am.  Firstly the ticket machine didn't work so I had to walk half a mile to the tram stop.  The sun coming up in the city was a nice sight though.

When I arrived at Margit I thought it might be nice to cycle around the island on one of those 'hire a bike' thingys but..you guested it, the machine didn't work.  I called the number on the machine but it did no good.  So I set off around the island on foot.  Same species as yesterday but with 19 Common Crane flying overhead (I'm guessing common Crane, they were huge, not Herons, Egrets, or Storks).  One extra thing I did notice was these cool makeshift bird feeders locals had put out (you have to look closely but they are there).  At one point I stood right inside the enclose of trees with the feeders and birds kept coming.  Great to see them so close you could touch!

No sign of Syrian Woodpecker I'm afraid.  So I headed west on the tram to the bus terminal and caught a bus to a place just outside the main city that had been recommended to us on birding pals.  I took the half mile walk to the beech forest entrance to find a manned police blockade!  Apparently the forest is closed due to severe storm damage.  It was at this moment I received this text from a very understanding, subtle and supportive Fylde birder.  Git.

This post may habe a few typos.  Written on phone in cafe.

First day in Budapest

We spent today finding our feet in Budapest.  We used the 'hop on hop off' bus that we had pre-booked, although we have learnt this is not the best way to get around the city.  We stopped off at Gellert Hill to take in the view and have mooch about for some birds.

We saw Hooded Crow (these seem very abundant), Great Spotted Woodpecker and Greenfinch.  We wanted to nail Syrian WP today but didn't manage it.  We walked to the nearest bus stop and traveled to Margit Island where we got our best ever views of Hawfinch.  They were plentiful and showed very well in the travel scope.  The light became quite poor after 15:30 so we headed back.  Not a long species list for us today but the birds in this city are plentiful even in the dense city centre.  Now we have our bearings I'm hoping for a more productive day tomorrow.

Mirabell Gardens Salzburg

With a few hours to spare before the train to Budapest I bought some sunflower hearts from the Spar at the station and headed to Mirabell Gardens.  I stocked up an ornamental bird table and sat with a flask about 10 metres away.  

Plenty of Nuthatch, Blue and Great Tit.  The Willow / Marsh Tit from yesterday came to the table to and after better views today I'm pretty sure it was a Marsh Tit.  No Goldcrest or Treecreeper seen today sadly.  Plenty of Chaffinch and Blackbird.  Highlight was a Peregrine and Kestrel soaring above the gardens almost in unison.  Was good to see them quite close together in flight.

Salzburg City Centre

Mirabell Platz Garden

Either Willow or Marsh Tit.  Light buff on side and no gloss to head so possibly Willow.

Treecreeper

Nuthatch

Goldcrest x3

Salzach River

Goldeneye (M&F)

Peregrine Falcon - soaring around cliffs

Grey Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

Mandarin Duck

Munich 28.11.2014

Today we were lucky enough to have the company of Abinash, a friend Becky made through the Birding Pals website. (Sorry if I have spelt your name wrong my friend!)  It was a cold misty day (-2c) but remained dry throughout.  We met Abinash at Hopbahnhof station and made a short tram journey to Nymphenburg Park.  

The large lake was home to Canada and Greylag Goose, Goosander, Pochard, Tufted Duck and Little Grebe.  The surrounding trees were filling with flocks of Long-tailed Tits, large amounts of Nuthatch, Wrens, Treecreeper (heard) and Goldcrest.  The park is also home to two Tawny Owls both light and dark.

There is a beautifully clear small stream that flows through the park which is a fantastic spot for Kingfisher.  We were lucky enough to see one fishing just metres away.  Below is the stream.

We took a short underground journey east to an area surrounding the Isar River.  Here we saw Mandarin Duck.  The area is very good for Dipper but none showed for us today.

Other species to note were Great Spotted Woodpecker (in large numbers) and Buzzard.

Male Hen Harrier Marshside

Today we stopped off at Marshside before heading on to the NW Birdfair.  Manged to get quite good views of the HH actively hunting.  It really was an impressive sign to behold.  We also saw Peregrine, Merlin and Kestrel.  Whilst at the Birdfair at MMWWT we saw Marsh Harrier and Tawny Owl.

Kestrel Hesketh OM

Lowther Gardens and Witch Wood

It had rained quite heavily overnight and although no rain fell during the day the trees and woodland leaves remained damp all day.  The sun shone periodically but the dampness remained making it constantly feel like it had only just stopped pouring down.  In my short time birding I have noticed that the moment when the rain breaks and sun seeps through is the time when birds really become active, especially woodland birds.  I only visit Lowther Gardens occasionally whilst out birding, usually looking for some wintering thrushes but have never found it place with much going on (bird wise).  Today I was pleasantly surprised.  I stood in the centre of the crazy golf course just behind the bowling green and took in the activity.  Dozens of Long-tailed Tits moving through along with, Blue Tit's, Great Tits, Chaffinches, Dunnocks, Wrens, Nuthatches, Collared Doves, Wood Pigeons, Blackbirds and Goldfinches.  Okay these are common garden birds but it was the volume (and how close they were) that I found fascinating.
Witch Wood was also a hive of activity.  Again large numbers of Long-tailed Tits moving through, at one point I managed a count of 25.  Jay and Goldcrest also put in an appearance - the place was just teeming with activity.  A truly enjoyable day; no scope, no flask, no rarities, no stress - just boots and bins.

Witch Wood

Black Redstart Blackpool South Shore 19.11.2014

Two Black Redstart turned up on the Fylde today.  DMG saw one appx 11pm on the sea wall by the mirror ball.  Headed down but no joy.  Bird was rediscovered later in the day and I managed to pop down and see it perched on top of the Waldorf Hotel.  Lifer for me.  One also seen at Pilling today.

Leighton Moss November 2014

Good day at Leighton Moss today with 52 species seen including.  Marsh Harrier,  Marsh Tit, Kingfisher, Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Great White Egret, Ruff and Cetti's Warbler.  We missed both Bittern and Bearded Tit but saw the Starlings murmurate and and a Grey Heron gulping down a water vole!

Great Grey Shrike Lytham Moss

Both Fylde and life tick for me.  Green Woodpecker also seen today by Easterleigh gates!

Spurn October 2014

This was my first visit to Spurn.  The trip was organised last minute as the weather on the Fylde was forecast to be bad but better on the east coast.  Sadly the wind picked up and was so strong it was hard to hold your bins steady to your face.  There were a couple of Great Grey Shrikes kicking about and a  Rough-legged Buzzard reported but we weren't lucky enough to see them (nor were many other birders from what I gathered).  The trip wasn't wasted as we saw some cracking birds including Twite, Brambling, Redstart, Dark-bellied Brent Goose and Marsh Harrier.  Bird of the day was Short-eared Owl hunting just meters away from us and we also saw our first Redwing of the Autumn.

Leighton Moss and Over Wyre

Good weather.  Started off at Leighton Moss looking for Bearded Tit.  They weren't on the grit trays but were flitting either side of the path.  A small flock seemed to be on the move and we saw 4 flying extraordinarily high over head - there was even talk of an 'irruption'.  Later on in the day we heard a Bearded Tit calling from a tree on the hillside overlooking the Morecambe Bay pools - god only knows what the hell they were doing there!  Anyway..at Leighton we saw Curew Sandpiper and 3 Spotted Redshank.  These were the best views of both species to date.  Also we saw 2 Great White Egret at the site overlooking the pools and Stuarts new Swarovski ATX 70x95 really came into play here!  The resident Spotshank was at conder with 3 Snipe and 2 Ruff.  An adult and a FY Mediterranean Gull were over the road from the Conder (what ever that place is).

                  

Peel Castle, Derby Haven

Early start at Peel Castle.  Saw some Turnstone and Linnet.  We moved on the the Sound where we saw Gannet, Rock Pipit, Wheatear, 3 Common Sandpiper and Turnstone.  Eclipse Teal and Wigeon at  Derby Haven and then back to Peel Castle where we saw some Chough and what I presume to be a Black Guillemot in non-breeding plumage.

Peel, Scarlet Point, Douglas Head

We saw a Brent Goose in Peel Bay in the morning.  We moved down south to Scarlet Point and surrounding area hoping for some Geese but nothing.  A Wheatear popped up and there was a soliitary Black-tailed Godwit kicking about and the ever present Shag.  We moved on the Douglas Head and saw a few Gannet offshore and cracking view of a Raven (with camera to hand - sods law).  Quiet day all in all.

Peel Castle, Harbour and Jetty

The day started at Peel beach at 9am.  No dogs are permitted on the beach between April and September making the beach a good place to be at high tide.  Large numbers of Pied Wagtails flitted up with some Rock Pipit amoung them.  Large roosts of gulls were close to the shore, mosly Herring Gull with some Lesser Black-backed Gull too.  Rooks and Jackdaw were also on the sand with a flock of Eider and a few Shag in the bay.

The area behind the castle was home to a few Rock Pipit with a constant stream of Shag flying past - this is where I saw my first RP last year.  Looking from the jetty brough good views of Kittiwake, a couple of what we thought were Little Gulls and a single Oystercatcher.

The walk along the River Neb was uneventful with only the sound of Robins 'takking'.  There was Barnacle Goose at the foot over Peel Hill (the same place it was last year) and further up river near Emery's Fish Pass there was a Rookery in the trees above.

Later in the afternoon we took mum's dog for a walk and had a peep over the harbour wall to see if the Little Gulls were still there.  They were and I managed to get a couple of shots - although they weren't LG's but young Kittiwakes!

At last light we returned to the harbour and saw a couple of Redshank at the lifeboat station.