Natural Selection

You can’t go far wrong as a birder being next to a lighthouse in mid October. When I wanted to make the short trip to the Ilheu de Cima just off the south east of the main island I had fanciful ideas of seeing a few migrants. Before we set off I genuinely wondered if…

It wasn’t a very auspicious start to this morning’s birding walk when I left the hotel without binoculars. I’d returned and set out again when a flock of Rock Sparrows tempted me to get my camera out and realise there was no memory card in it. Jane who’d noticed rang and offered to fetch it…

I don’t know if it was the start of the hunting season today, but it certainly stepped up a pace. The hillsides on the way up to the golf course were littered with men and dogs taking partridges and rabbits so I made sure I didn’t wander off the road. There was a good showing…

Given passerine migration isn’t really happening I wasn’t sure if I would have any additions to the trip list today. Approaching the golf course a Grey Heron flew overheard so that was soon sorted. I saw it again near the Ribeira Salgado and finally by another ribeira near town, assuming it was the same one.…

Having visited Porto Santo Golf yesterday the birding priority was to visit Tanque Pond. This is the only other substantial freshwater on the island. As you can see it’s a lot less substantial at the moment than it can be. It has been one of the foremost sites for migratory birds on the Madeiran archipelago…

An early start from Manchester meant I had the afternoon to get some initial birding in. I went to the golf course as it seemed a good way to get some species under the belt. So it proved with wildfowl, waders and some of the resident landbirds. There were so many Coot that when I…

This week I received some details from Stuart Darbyshire on the three different vagrant Canada Geese he has found with Pinkfeet on the Ribble over the last couple of years. I write the goose accounts for the Lancashire Bird Report, and this background information is always good to have. Apparently wild Canada Geese, rather than…

I went to Little Singleton more in hope than expectation yesterday afternoon, but it was an enjoyable visit. The feral geese were gathered on the River Wyre, and the escaped Bar-headed Goose that comes and goes was with them. There are a few that roam from Grange duckpond, but I think it’s the same bird…

If you live anywhere near Morecambe Bay or the Ribble Estuary you’ve probably noticed that the Pink-footed Geese have returned in force over the last week. I first saw significant numbers on a day birding around Glasson and Cockersands with a friend on the 16th. He said that there’s nothing like seeing them coming in…

I have back to back holidays this autumn (tough gig I know). I’m going to Shetland, Skerries in particular, on go big or go home dates in late October and I’ll say something about that nearer the time. Before that Jane and I are going to Porto Santo and this short blog sets the scene…