Royal Botanical Gardens, Melbourne

We visited the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne this afternoon, a beautiful park in the middle of the city.

It was very windy, which made finding birds rather difficult, but soon after entering the park, I found several of this fantastic duck:

Australian Wood Duck, also known as Maned Duck, Melbourne

Nearby was this Crested Pigeon:

Crested Pigeon, Melbourne

Spotted Doves have been introduced to Melbourne from Asia. They really are stunningly beautiful birds and are extremely common in the city.

Spotted Doves, Melbourne

We then came to a small pond, on which there were many Dusky Moorhens, Eurasian Coots (the same species as is found in England) and Pacific Black Ducks, as well as a slight surprise in the form of this Intermediate Egret, a really nice bird to see.

Intermediate Egret, Melbourne

Pacific Black Duck, Melbourne

We continued on to a larger lake, a really stunning area, which had lots of birds on it. Here, I found my first new bird of our trip to Australia, a female Hardhead.

Hardhead, Melbourne

Nearby was this Grey Teal:

Grey Teal, Melbourne

It was fantastic to see one of my favourite birds, the Purple Swamphen, in large numbers around the park. This species is found across Africa, Southern Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand

. Since Europeans arrived in Australia, it has become much more common, mainly due to the expansion of artificial lakes and reservoirs. This one posed for me on top of a bin:

Purple Swamphen, Melbourne

Nearby, I found my second new species of the trip, with two Bell Miners calling loudly just above my head. Their call is unlike any other bird I can remember hearing, with a very close resemblance to the noise of a frog.

Bell Miner, Melbourne

It was great to find a Nankeen Night-heron roosting just above the water:

Nankeen Night-heron, Melbourne

Silver Gulls are abundant across all of Melbourne, and there were loads of this elegant little gull in the Botanical Gardens:

Silver Gull, Melbourne

Australian Magpies are one of the most evil-looking birds I have seen and are also very common in Melbourne. I had an horrible experience of being attacked by one on Kangaroo Island off South Australia seven years ago when I accidentally passed close to its nest.

Magpie-larks were absolutely everywhere in the park. This bird really does have a suitable name.

It was fantastic to have a view of the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) from the gardens, one of the world's most beautiful cricket grounds and somewhere that I have always wanted to visit.

One of Australia's most magnificent birds, the Black Swan. I was surprised to only find two of this species in the gardens, but it was a great pleasure to see this wonderful species so close.

Three Gallinule species- Purple Swamphen, Eurasian Coot and Dusky Moorhen. The gardens were literally swarming with these three species.

I was very pleased to find a third new species for the afternoon, when two Australasian Grebes appeared rather distantly in the middle of the lake. 

Australasian Grebe, Melbourne

Other species I saw at the gardens included both Little Pied and Little Black Cormorants, White-faced Heron, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Rainbow Lorikeet, Brown Thornbill, Little Wattlebird, Grey Fantail, dozens of Welcome Swallows and Fairy Martins, several Common Blackbirds and Little Ravens and an enormous number of Common Mynas. I really enjoyed visiting these gardens and I will certainly return later in the week.

24 hour stop-off in Dubai

We have just arrived in Melbourne for an hugely-exciting seven week trip around Australia, where I will soon be moving in time for going to university there in 2016.

We stopped off in Dubai, a city I have always wanted to visit, on the way. We arrived at five o'clock in the morning, and while the rest of my family went straight to sleep, I, strangely awake, sat on the balcony of our hotel room, hoping for some interesting birds to appear.

House Crow, Dubai

The first bird I saw- while it was still virtually dark- was the House Crow, a bird that has colonised much of the Gulf (along with many other areas of the world) from its native Indian Subcontinent, having travelled to the area as a passenger on trade ships. This species is truly abundant in Dubai.

Common Myna, Dubai

The next species was another Indian native that has spread across much of the world in the same way, the Common Myna. This close relative of the Starlings is also abundant in Dubai. The noises this species makes are truly remarkable- it is capable of mimicking virtually any noise extremely effectively.

Red-vented Bulbul, Dubai

Soon, another non-native species from India appeared, the Red-vented Bulbul. This was a new species for me and a really rather beautiful bird.

Western Reed Heron, Dubai

It was nice when a species native to Dubai finally appeared in the form of three Western Reef Herons flying past. This was another new species for me and one that is seemingly very common around Dubai.

Shikra, Dubai

A species that I was rather surprised to find has been introduced to Dubai is this bird, a Shikra. I have seen a large number of this small hawk in Kenya and it was fantastic to find one here.

Two Myna species- a Common Myna in the background with three Pied Mynas in the foreground

It wasn't long before another Asian introduction put in an appearance, this time the quite magnificent Pied Myna, noticeably much smaller than its more abundant cousin. This species is really quite striking in appearance and I enjoyed watching a small flock of them for some time (sadly they were always quite distant). This was another new species for me.

White-eared Bulbul, Dubai

Soon yet another non-native Asian species appeared, the White-eared Bulbul. This was again a new species for me and one I really rather enjoyed seeing. 

On top of that I saw another new species for me- a White-cheeked Tern, a species that looks like a very dark Arctic Tern and is a common breeder along the Gulf coast. Another Asian species was present in large numbers- the Rose-ringed Parakeet, but sadly I was unable to find any Alexandrine Parakeets among them. I also saw several Hoopoes, one of my favourite birds, and there was an abundance of House Sparrows.

I then went to sleep and woke up early in the afternoon. I had hoped to visit two of Dubai's best birding sites- Ras Al'Khor and Safa Park, during the afternoon.

We arrived at Ras Al'Khor, a small wetland near the centre of Dubai, only to find that the reserve was closed due to it being Ramadan. This was a real shame, but it is very understandable. We looked through the fence onto the reserve, which created a sorry feeling of what might have been had we been able to enter- there was an enormous number of herons, waders and terns present. A large flock of Greater Flamingoes were close to the fence, a species which is the pride and joy and the Sheik and the reason for the area's protection. There were also several Black-winged Stilts and Kentish Plovers, but I could not make out several distant small waders, which may well have been Broad-billed Sandpipers (which would have been a new species for me). A large number of Caspian Terns, a fantastic gull-sized tern with a huge carrot-like bill, were feeding over the water and big group of herons- Western Reef and Grey, were near to the flamingoes. I did find one new species here- the Red-wattled Lapwing, of which about 15 were feeding in the shallow water. I shall have to return to this reserve at some point as it looked very promising indeed.

Black-winged Stilt, Dubai

Greater Flamingoes, Dubai

We decided not to try Safa Park as we strongly suspected that this would also be closed, so instead opted for a tour of Dubai in a 'limousine', as the beaten-up grey Lexus was described by its drive. We visited the Gold Souk, a truly gaudy place with a remarkable array of jewellery and clothing covered in gold. We then travelled to the Palm, an artificially-created palm-shaped area of land built on the sea. On the way, I added the resplendent Indian Roller and the Grey Francolin (another Asian introduction) to my life list. We also saw several Peacocks and Chickens, both with young, on the way, seemingly living feral in the area. The Palm itself was bizarre, with thousands of identical appartments built in dozens of identical, gaudy buildings. In the middle was 'Atlantis'- essentially an enormous hotel/restaurant with a gigantic aquarium. What a weird place! On the way back to our hotel, we passed the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, rising up 828 metres (for comparison, the Eiffel Tower is 324 metres tall). Wow!

Soon we had to leave, to catch our flight on to Melbourne, with an all-too-brief stop-off in Singapore (it was dark, so I didn't see any birds...).  Dubai was an extraordinary place to visit, but one that was certainly not to my taste.

Arriving in Melbourne, it is quite cold (10 degrees Celsius- it was 36 in Dubai), but it is a wonderful city. I am yet to see many birds, but there are numerous Common Mynas, Spotted Doves (continuing the trend of Asian introductions), Rainbow Lorikeets, Red Wattlebirds and Little Ravens around the area where we are staying and I have seen one White-plumed Honeyeaters, several Silver Gulls, as well as a Blackbird, several Common Starlings and House Sparrows- it's like I'm back in England!

Red Kites! From the garden!

 I looked out of the kitchen window this evening, and this was flying over! A Red Kite! Hardly able to control my excitement, I grabbed my camera and sprinted outside, managing to take a couple of pictures of my favourite British bird species before it disappeared behind the trees.

Red Kite, Hilfield

I changed my angle of viewing to look over the recently-ploughed field next to our garden. There were THREE Red Kites hunting low over it!

Red Kite, Hilfield

It really was one of the most beautiful sights I have been lucky enough to enjoy. For me, it is one of the world's most beautiful birds, with its fantastic gliding flight, magnificent long, thin wings, forked tail and something truly magical about its aura. One of the great things about nature is the way it can put you into an almost trance-like state, where all of life's difficulties feel infinitely far away. For me, watching these wonderful birds was like being in paradise. Truly incredible.

One bird flew low over the garden as we ate supper outside. A breathtaking spectacle, made even better as the bird proceeded to land in the woods. Sadly, I was unable to take a picture, as the bird was forced off by a crowd of mobbing passerines. 

There seems to have been a minor influx of this raptor into Britain in recent weeks- no-one seems too sure as to where they have come from, but they have brought great joy to many people. This species certainly seems to be on its way to returning as a common British bird, following near extinction in the late 20th Century- a remarkable collapse in numbers for a bird that abundant across Britain (even as an omnipresent scavenger in the middle of London). How superb it would for this bird to return to being a regular sight on these isles.

Garden birding....

...can be awesome.

After a quite remarkably unproductive morning of revision for my AS levels, a 'quick' break outside revealed this fantastic bird migrating over the garden:

Honey-buzzard, Hilfield, 31/5/14

An Honey-buzzard! Amazingly it is my second sighting of this rare species from the garden, following on from one last July. What a fantastic bird! It is presumably on its way to breeding grounds further north in the country- I was very lucky indeed to find it!

Tawny Owls have been calling madly from the woods, there are certainly a number of pairs nesting there. I will upload a sound recording as and when I can work out how to!

I also saw a Hobby chasing Swallows low over the garden this afternoon, but on the 26th rather aggravatingly was unable to identify a Stork species that flew over- I am all but certain that it was a Black Stork, but I had no binoculars- a dark silhouette of a Stork was as far as my identification could go.

Meanwhile, Britain's third Short-toed Eagle was found today at Morden Bog. I may have to get down there tomorrow.... Sadly I have rather a large amount of revision to do before then!

Somerset levels 25th May

We spent this morning on the Somerset Levels, visiting Shapwick Heath and Ham Wall RSPB. It is also a fantastic place to be on a spring or summer morning and this morning certainly did not disappoint. 

Starting at Meare Heath lagoon, Shapwick, we quickly found the resplendent Black-winged Stilt that had been first seen there two days previously. This was my first of this superb species in Britain, and one which always brings some joy when it is seen, with absurdly long red legs supporting its delicate black-and-white body. Though it is still classified as a rarity in Britain, it seems inevitable that this bird of warmer temperatures will soon extend its breeding range in Britain- a pair tried to nest in Somerset two years ago, but sadly flooding thwarted its attempts to raise young. A large number have been found in Britain already this Spring. It certainly would be a welcome addition to our avifauna!

Black-winged Stilt, Shapwick Heath

 Among the other birds on the lagoon were approximately 30 Black-tailed Godwits, several Lapwings, Gadwall, Shovellers and Pochard. Large numbers of Swifts and hirundines were hawking above the water, three Marsh Harriers passed and two Hobbys were seen. Reed and Sedge Warblers were singing from the reeds, in addition to Whitethroats, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. To add to the Mediterranean feel created by the Stilt's presence, two Great White Egrets flew past. This species is rare nationally, but remarkably virtually at Shapwick and Ham Wall. It recently bred for the first time in Britain, at Shapwick, and it seems certain that it will follow in the footsteps of its close relative the Little Egret in colonising this country.

We then headed to Ham Wall. Warblers were again singing in abundance, with Swifts and hirundines filling the skies. An extraordinary number of Hobbies, one of my favourite birds, were seen- approximately 15 in all around the reserve, along with more Marsh Harriers. Several Cuckoos were calling. We found another three Great White Egrets flying past, as well as our first Little Egret of the day. Very few birds were on the water in front of the two viewing platforms- just a small number of the more regular waterfowl and no waders. It had never taken me so long to find a Bittern while on the Somerset Levels, but eventually one of this magnificent species flew overhead. Another two passed over not long later. This species has recovered remarkably in recent years to become really rather common here.

The Levels is an extraordinary place for birds- to have Bitterns, Great White Egrets, Hobbies, Cuckoos and Marsh Harriers all virtually guaranteed, along with a great deal of other species, really is unique in Britain.

Great White Egret, Ham Wall 

We made a minor detour to Chew Valley Lake on the way home to search for a reported Great Reed Warbler. It was horrifically windy and as a result the bird remained hidden at the bottom of the reeds. Some consolation was found with a huge number of Swifts and hirundines and three Hobbies hawking above the lake.

Hobby, Hilfield

I didn't manage to photograph any of today's Hobbies (they are way too fast!), but here's one that passed over Hilfield last week. Such a fantastic bird.

Hoopoe at Corscombe

A Hoopoe just seven miles from home was far too tempting to be missed, so we headed to Corscombe straight after school today.

The Hoopoe really is one of my favourite birds. Not only is it absolutely magnificent, but it is a bird that evokes fantastic memories of holidays in lovely places, as well as being complete and utterly unique- there is nothing (in Europe at least) that looks even similar to it.

It has been frequenting a 'natural burial site' near the village for the past few days. Having never visited a natural burial site, I wasn't really sure as to what to expect. It turned out that it was perfect Hoopoe habitat, with a mixture of small patches of forest, large meadows and shortly-mowed grass path in an incredibly wild and untouched area. And loads of unmarked graves. It had a really chilling atmosphere- thinking about the large number of corpses hiding buried around where we walked. I wouldn't like to be there at night.

Corscombe Natural Burial Ground. A really beautiful place, but rather spooky. Much nicer than a graveyard though....

We found the Hoopoe almost immediately, on a small patch of grass in the car park. What a stunning bird. Sadly, it didn't hang around for long, as it flew high off possibly to one of the nearby meadows, but we couldn't re-find it.

 

Hoopoe, Corscombe, 9/5/14

What a great bird. And really close to home in a stunningly beautiful place. Nice.

Portland strikes again!

There are some times as a birder that one has to give up everything to go and see a bird. Or several birds as the case may be. 

I was settling down to a solid day of revising for my AS levels, when one of those fantastic moments occurred. It really is one of the greatest things about this wonderful hobby.

The birds in question were Pomarine Skuas, one of the species I have wanted to see all my life. Though regular off Portland each May, I have never been able to see them- either we have been on holiday, or my lack of a telescope has rendered my search for them inevitably futile.

It seemed that today would have to be the day I finally saw this magnificent Arctic-breeder, which spends its winters in the world's southern oceans and graces Britain's waters in Spring and Autumn on its journey.

A large number had been reported passing Southern British coastal sites in the morning, so we hurried down to Chesil Cove. After half an hour, a flock of eight passed very distantly, but views were hardly satisfactory. Then, sometime three magnificent Pomarines bearing their resplendent 'spoon' tails (a feature only present in breeding plumage individuals) headed towards us. Soon seven more appeared and they were then joined by another twenty individuals. To make things even better, they then proceeded to land on the water directly in front of us, offering truly breath-taking views through my telescope. My attempt at photographing them was somewhat thwarted by being unable to find them through my minuscule camera lens. My tactic was to take photographs of random areas of sea approximately where they were. This was the result:

Pomarine Skuas, Chesil Cove, 5/5/14

Several Swallows, Fulmars, Gannets and 'Commic' Terns also passed, along with my first Arctic Skua at Portland.

Very much rushed for time, we decided to make a short (very short- approximately 100 metres) detour to Portland Castle, whose garden a male Wood Warbler had been frequenting for the morning.

Wood Warbler, Portland Castle, 5/5/14

I found it almost immediately, showing extremely well and calling regularly. This stunningly-bright Phylloscopus was a new for me in Britain (I have previously seen one in Italy), my second new warbler species at the Castle in the last week! It was certainly a nice bonus....

Sadly, we ran out of time to look for a Black-winged Stilt that was found earlier in the morning, but having seen so many of this beautiful species before, I could cope. Just.

As we headed home, we had a wonderful surprise as an Osprey swooped very low over us just two miles from Hilfield! We enjoyed superb views of it as it headed north-east. This really highlighted how birding can bring fantastic excitement and joy no matter where you are in the world. What a fantastic hobby it is.