tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129053383318280772024-03-15T13:32:18.435+00:00The Birdless Cuddesdon BlogTom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.comBlogger318125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-17358925959833442362016-02-24T21:48:00.000+00:002016-02-24T21:48:32.650+00:00A farewell to Cuddesdon<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have left Cuddesdon and it feels appropriate to say goodbye with some sort of summing up of my experiences of trying to find birds around the village. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">There were some fabulous sunrises:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And some fabulous sunsets:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>My most satisfying finds: </b></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The blog title says it all: Birdless Cuddesdon, I did not find a lot. Some of this is due to my skill levels and some due to poor coverage. My ambition was to try to find a county rarity. Phil Barnett once told me that this make take 10 years. I only gave it 8! A Shrike seemed most likely, but it was not to be (though a Great Grey Shrike at nearby Chiselhampton was a near-miss). I recorded 108 species of bird around Cuddesdon between mid-2008 and early 2016, plus two escaped species (Harris Hawk and Snow Goose). I am sure I missed much, as always, greater coverage produces more. Here, in no particular order, are some of the bird finds that I enjoyed the most. On the whole these are Cuddesdon rarities. Apart from the Redstart they represent the only record of that species or subspecies:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A stonking (probable Greenland) <b>Wheatear </b>in early April:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A trilling fly-over <b>Waxwing</b>:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is there a better start to an early April morning than finding a male <b>Redstart</b>?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A magnificent <b>Merlin</b>:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A reeling <b>Grasshopper Warbler</b>:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Green Sandpiper</b>, my best wader:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But, by coincidence (for I believe that any other explanation would seem to invoke rather a lot) my two most statistically and emotionally interesting finds both occurred on my first local patch visits after the births of my children. On 25th March 2010, 11 days after the birth of our first daughter I stepped into the fields and was staggered to find myself looking at a male <b>Ring Ouzel</b>, perched in a local hedgerow. I never saw another in 8 years of trying:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But lightening can strike twice. Two years later, on 21st January 2012, a mere 7 days after the birth of our second daughter, I recalled that Ring Ouzel and wondered if I would be lucky again. 12 minutes later I am watching Oxfordshire's first ever (and to date only) <b>Whitethroat </b>recorded in winter, a remarkable record for a bird that should be in Senegal at that time of year:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Rural weather:</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I was "fortunate" to live in Cuddesdon through some of the coldest winters in recent memory. There was a night when the temperature dropped to -17</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">°</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> and I can still the penetrating cold of cycling to work at -12</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">°</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">. For the first three winters there was snow each year:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">What I won't miss:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1. The sound of gunshots and bird scarers. Often the first sound I heard on awakening would be the sound of gunfire:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2. Low flying aircraft:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3. Rapeseed, the harsh colour and penetrating smell and taste of early summer. Yuck:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4. The chemical desert of the modern English countryside. Living out here has permanently changed the way that I see "the countryside". Rolling fields of wheat and rapeseed are not beautiful. Their production soaks the land in chemicals removing much insect and therefore bird and mammal life. Even in the 8 years I lived in Cuddesdon there was an observable reduction in the amount of hedgerows and mature trees. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mammals and amphibians: some survive! </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Local conservation:</b></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There wasn't much. But this gave me a lot of pleasure:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3 Hobby chicks in a purpose built nest platform.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The Birds:</b></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And finally here are some nice Cuddesdon bird pictures to remind me that, for all the challenges of modern agricultural practice, some birds do cling on in Cuddesdon... for the moment. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wish the 2 or 3 pairs of locally breeding Corn Buntings good luck and hope they cling on. I hope the Hobbys continue to nest on their platform, they were always a joy to see. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The future:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I now live in Headington, Oxford. Back in the city. Ironically we now spend much less time in the car and more time cycling and walking. But where would my new local patch be? A city park didn't quite feel right and neither did somewhere that I would have to drive to. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This morning, following a hint from Richard Ebbs, I discovered the </span><a href="http://www.headington.org.uk/lyevalley/about/index.html" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Lye Valley Nature Reserve</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, just a few minutes walk from our house:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Who would have thought that there was ancient fen, fed by the water that passes through the limestone valley sides, in central Headington? The high alkaline content of the water (8.6pH!) has allowed a remarkable range of unique plants to survive here for thousands of years. The site is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Site_of_Special_Scientific_Interest" target="_blank">SSSI</a> and I met Dr. Judy Webb, a botanist and prime mover on the reserve, who has helped catalogue over 300 species of plant in the small valley and Tony, the butterfly expert, on site this morning. Apparently they need someone to help record the birdlife on the reserve, which (surprise, surprise) is threatened by a nearby housing development. The Lye Valley is small, but unique and ancient. It also appears to have my name written all over it. I feel a new blog coming on. </span></div>
Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-24723192403616535252016-01-12T12:01:00.000+00:002016-01-12T12:03:14.711+00:00Beginning the year with a goose<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It has taken a while, but the River Thame is now in flood, at least between Chiselhampton and Cuddesdon Mill: </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jABi7L7DO5I/VpTj4FN3cqI/AAAAAAAAKH8/XPyQL7bK-2Q/s1600/TomBedford.160112.7528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jABi7L7DO5I/VpTj4FN3cqI/AAAAAAAAKH8/XPyQL7bK-2Q/s640/TomBedford.160112.7528.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And raising my binoculars for the first time in 2016 to check out some distant shapes right down by the river reveals a new species for Cuddesdon. How often does that happen? The glory (or should that be gory?) of a flock of <b>7 Egyptian Geese</b>. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gTvgoZvjOUk/VpTj2SmQIaI/AAAAAAAAKH4/vwhpKWAtZcM/s1600/TomBedford.160112.7494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gTvgoZvjOUk/VpTj2SmQIaI/AAAAAAAAKH4/vwhpKWAtZcM/s640/TomBedford.160112.7494.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-thycT-L_S9M/VpTj1WFesjI/AAAAAAAAKHs/fYR0cnNUVBI/s1600/TomBedford.160112.7509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-thycT-L_S9M/VpTj1WFesjI/AAAAAAAAKHs/fYR0cnNUVBI/s640/TomBedford.160112.7509.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whilst this species has a certain numeric interest for me (I haven't come across it here before in the last 8 years) there is none of the usual celebrations associated with adding a new species to the Cuddesdon list. It joins other plastic delights such as Snow Goose, Greylag Goose and Mandarin Duck which I have found along the River Thame. Oh for a real duck, a spring Garganey say, just one! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Above, an artificially introduced bird in chemically soaked, intensively farmed, winter wheat. British birding at its best! Happy New Year! </span><br />
<br />Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-12245235029243046662015-12-07T11:30:00.000+00:002015-12-07T11:56:25.204+00:00Oman: Dhofar, 4th and final.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Sgjk6NQhbI/VmR2QjQ3yeI/AAAAAAAAKFM/_pDUlyhYQQM/s1600/muddya%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Sgjk6NQhbI/VmR2QjQ3yeI/AAAAAAAAKFM/_pDUlyhYQQM/s640/muddya%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A day of two halves: we spent the morning out at Muddya oasis near the border with Yemen and the afternoon with local birder Rob Tovey at Khawr Rawri, before taking an evening flight back to Muscat. We rose well before sunrise, noting that the Moon, Jupiter, Venus and Mars were all in close proximity: </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WaVRIqiMkO8/VmR3DK0iLeI/AAAAAAAAKFU/oheBcf9lkTg/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WaVRIqiMkO8/VmR3DK0iLeI/AAAAAAAAKFU/oheBcf9lkTg/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5086.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Not being remotely superstitious, we took this as a good sign that it would be safe to drive towards Yemen</span>. <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Yemen itself is not safe. If you like your trip reports to exist in a vacuum, free from human suffering, I suggest you scroll down to the nice picture of camels crossing the road, below. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While visiting a country to observe and enjoy the wildlife, it is sometimes easy to ignore the challenges that the people of that country may face. Having made our decision to travel out towards the Yemen border it was impossible not to reflect on the human suffering that is currently taking place in Yemen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My understanding is that the Arabian peninsular, and perhaps the whole Middle East, should be viewed as a tribal region. This is one reason why neatly dividing up the region into states and attempting to install democracy is so challenging as to be probably futile. Yemen has long been divided on ethnic, and therefore religious, grounds between the north and south. The northern Houthis, Shia Muslims backed and armed by Iran, are instigating for greater say in the running of Yemen. In the south, a Sunni Muslim Saudi-led coalition of tribal groups and separatists have fought back against the northern invaders. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jihadi groups are a third force in the complex civil war. Both Islamic State and Al </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Queda are taking territory and only yesterday, Sunday 6th December, IS claimed responsibility for the murder of the Governor of Aden in a car bombing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Oil and gas exports have been suspended, the economy is devastated and a humanitarian crisis is under way. The ports have been virtually closed in an attempt to prevent Iran re-arming Houthis forces by sea. But as Yemen is completely dependent upon imported food, thousands have been forced to choose between starvation at home or fleeing the country. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The UNHCR estimate that since fighting began in March 70,000 people have fled to Somalia, Djibouti, Sudan and Ethiopia. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When leaving your home and going to Somalia is seen as a safe option, you know your country is close to ruin. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But we were fortunate. Fortunate to be able to travel to watch wildlife and fortunate to be in the comparative safety of Oman, not in war-torn Yemen. The hazards we faced were the usual ones on Omani roads, speed-bumps and camels:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GYUyBgAOAZc/VmR5L7EvQWI/AAAAAAAAKFo/5HAKJDexkAg/s1600/TomBedford.20151109.6224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GYUyBgAOAZc/VmR5L7EvQWI/AAAAAAAAKFo/5HAKJDexkAg/s640/TomBedford.20151109.6224.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We traveled north from Salalah, through the Dhofar Mountains which were thick with overnight fog and the air temperature was only 18°, the lowest we experienced in our visit to Oman. But as soon as we left the mountains, it was business as usual, scorching hot. At Thumrait we took the only road west, towards Yemen, our destination Muddya, a tiny town with an oasis, some 50km</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> from the border. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are two types of military checkpoint in Oman: light ones where you may just be waved through or the guards may </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">have fun examining your retractable sunroof.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> There are also </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">heavy check points. These have significantly more armed troops and have vehicles with huge roof-mounted machine guns stationed on both sides of the road and on either side of the checkpoint. Some 10km from Muddya we rounded a corner and came face to face with the military. It was a heavy checkpoint. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Richard and I have a routine for army checkpoints. Whoever is the passenger has to cover the back seat of the car, which is covered with binoculars, cameras and telephoto lens, with a blanket. This just saves awkward questions. Although if anyone lifted the blanket we were aware that it may produce rather many more awkward questions. It also meant that as we approached any checkpoint one of us was obviously reaching back into the car, covering something up. I was driving, so Richard quickly covered up our optics. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We were pulled up by a group of six Omani soldiers, all with guns. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">They said "good morning" in English and asked where we were going. I replied "Muddya" and was relieved to see that they seemed content with the answer. "Why are two Englishmen driving to an oasis next to the Yemen border at dawn?" would have been my response in their position, but I certainly wasn't going to argue. They checked our passports, had a quick look in the rear of the vehicle and waved us through. The blanket had worked again! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Shortly afterwards we passed through Muddya and found the Oasis. It was not a particularly picturesque Oasis and here, away from the ocean, it got very hot very quickly. Our visit was a speculative one to try and see Nile Valley Sunbird and perhaps catch up with an early Grey Hypocolius. These nomadic birds are much sought-after, the "Waxwings of the Desert". They regularly winter in the palms at this oasis, but usually do not arrive for another week or two. We searched for Hypocolius, but without success. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cvTgscChQzE/VmR5AEsMEPI/AAAAAAAAKFg/liobPtohffs/s1600/Oasis%2B1_Panorama1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cvTgscChQzE/VmR5AEsMEPI/AAAAAAAAKFg/liobPtohffs/s640/Oasis%2B1_Panorama1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Seeing Nile Valley Sunbirds was much more straightforward. These tiny Sunbirds were positively hyperactive, quite shy and were the fourth species of sunbird we saw in Oman: Purple Sunbirds in the north, Shining Sunbirds on the Dhofar coastal strip, Palestine Sunbirds in the Dhofar hills and Nile Valley Sunbirds out here in this desert oasis. This is a female Nile Valley Sunbird:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r2w7GPUGn88/VmNw638gkrI/AAAAAAAAJ-4/4nCQzT49odA/s1600/TomBedford.20151109.6230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="446" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r2w7GPUGn88/VmNw638gkrI/AAAAAAAAJ-4/4nCQzT49odA/s640/TomBedford.20151109.6230.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Eclipse male Nile Valley Sunbird:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v8rAF69mmik/VmNxE7w41II/AAAAAAAAJ_k/LO1Yr6NU9hA/s1600/TomBedford.20151109.6391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v8rAF69mmik/VmNxE7w41II/AAAAAAAAJ_k/LO1Yr6NU9hA/s640/TomBedford.20151109.6391.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pale Crag Martins were common here. Small groups swooped, fought and twittered over the oasis, but none were close or easy to photograph, these pictures are heavily cropped:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EMuagwuAJV8/VmSu9jsn-wI/AAAAAAAAKF4/ZmVPxShgTds/s1600/TomBedford.20151109.6303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EMuagwuAJV8/VmSu9jsn-wI/AAAAAAAAKF4/ZmVPxShgTds/s640/TomBedford.20151109.6303.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pale Crag Martin composite:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We had our best views of Blackstart:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Blackstart, eye-to-eye with a fly:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then, from behind us on the road, a car screeched to a halt and a voice called out in English "STOP NOW!". We turned cautiously, not knowing what to expect and being vaguely aware that out here anything was possible. Two young men had pulled up in a vehicle and were looking at us from their car. "Photograph us now!" they shouted. We approached and obliged. They seemed happy and drove off, leaving us with the pictures, though slightly puzzled. This was the kind of interaction that we were only to happy to deal with and was typical of our experience of meeting the friendly and proud Omani people: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">By late morning the heat was intense and we decided to travel back before meeting up with Rob Tovey back down in Salalah. We came across a small flock of Lappet-faced Vultures circling near Thumrait:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VlpeTC7Z1wc/VmNxIoGgu8I/AAAAAAAAJ_4/vIJfKwa0mBY/s1600/TomBedford.20151109.6416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VlpeTC7Z1wc/VmNxIoGgu8I/AAAAAAAAJ_4/vIJfKwa0mBY/s640/TomBedford.20151109.6416.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We popped in to a commercial Frankincense Tree "farm" just north of the Dhofar Mountains:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sap is collected from the cuts on the branches and dried into "tears", which is sold as incense:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There was a large flock of Fan-tailed Ravens here, showing off the short round tail that gives them their name:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then back through the mountains and south to the beach. Large flocks of Sooty, Slender-billed and Heuglin's Gulls gathered on the beaches, mixed in with terns and waders:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Greater Sand Plover:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Kentish Plover:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sanderling:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sooty Gulls:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Yellow-billed Kite:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Both Saunders and Little Terns can occur here, though separating these species in winter plumage is challenging at best. We think these birds were Little Terns, based on the extent of the white above the eye:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The afternoon was spent at Khawr Rawri with local ex-pat Rob Tovey. Having a spot of local knowledge is always a good thing and we enjoyed our birding with him, which he wrote up <b><a href="http://birdingforalark.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/khawr-rori-with-richard-and-tom.html" target="_blank">here</a></b>. Khawr Rwari was a nice spot with freshwater lagoons running down to the sea and Rob showed us some of the best areas:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2Pwk8QzeuTU/VmRw6KauZcI/AAAAAAAAKC0/atFNIe8Ka6M/s1600/TomBedford.20151109.9471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="324" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2Pwk8QzeuTU/VmRw6KauZcI/AAAAAAAAKC0/atFNIe8Ka6M/s640/TomBedford.20151109.9471.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There was a large flock of Greater Flamingos out in the middle of the lagoon...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> ... together with a single juvenile White-fronted Goose. This bird has come a long way from it's Russian Arctic breeding grounds to winter about as far south as a White-fronted Goose gets. They are a winter rarity in Oman:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Many herons could be found around at the waterside, Western Reef and Grey Herons together with Intermediate and Little Egrets. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Below, an instructive shot of Squacco Heron (top bird) and an Indian Pond Heron in flight together. Note the richer, more saturated cinnamon ground-colour on the breast and back feathering of the Indian Pond Heron (lower bird):</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Waders were present in good numbers, Black-winged Stilts, Black-tailed Godwits, Marsh, Common and Green Sandpipers and this Pacific Golden Plover:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Y4fa4SR7gU/VmRxYJby8UI/AAAAAAAAKEs/-lC-VI4HACE/s1600/TomBedford.20151109.6933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Y4fa4SR7gU/VmRxYJby8UI/AAAAAAAAKEs/-lC-VI4HACE/s640/TomBedford.20151109.6933.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This Pacific Golden Plover was the 34th species of wader we recorded in 8 days in Oman, not a bad total for a desert country! </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There were also species present that had crossed the Indian Ocean from India and the Malaysian peninsular to winter here. A Pygmy Cotton Teal: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pheasant-tailed Jacana:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our best find was a White-breasted Waterhen, another local winter rarity:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sf8R7f4XqAI/VmRxQQSGotI/AAAAAAAAKEE/018CUHbOjJ8/s1600/TomBedford.20151109.6809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sf8R7f4XqAI/VmRxQQSGotI/AAAAAAAAKEE/018CUHbOjJ8/s640/TomBedford.20151109.6809.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One tree held a flock of fabulous Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uROOKDjEXqE/VmRxMWdV_7I/AAAAAAAAKDw/92Hbk2cV69o/s1600/TomBedford.20151109.6774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uROOKDjEXqE/VmRxMWdV_7I/AAAAAAAAKDw/92Hbk2cV69o/s640/TomBedford.20151109.6774.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">They looked pretty good in flight too:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Blue-cheeked Bee-eater composite:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aFUp5bEaMO4/VmRyAnhVt5I/AAAAAAAAKEw/_1lSx2KbHPk/s1600/BCBee-eater%2Bmontage%2B1small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aFUp5bEaMO4/VmRyAnhVt5I/AAAAAAAAKEw/_1lSx2KbHPk/s640/BCBee-eater%2Bmontage%2B1small.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I was excited to see that there were also Swifts present. The swifts of Dhofar have had an interesting history. For a while they were referred to as "Dhofar Swift" but are currently thought to be Forbes-Waton's Swifts, resident on nearby Socotra and a local breeder on the Dhofar coast. These birds are in the Pallid Swift super-species and have the large pale throat, pale fringed body feathering and chunky hips of that species. However, they have dark foreheads and lores, unlike Pallid Swift, so that the eye-mask is less contrasting and obvious. In some birds we saw these features could be made out. Here is a comparison with a Pallid Swift I photographed in Portugal:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qeF_clif3pA/VmVTIBl1lHI/AAAAAAAAKGg/BvqMesnZ7Cs/s1600/Swift%2Bsidebyside%2B1%2Bsmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qeF_clif3pA/VmVTIBl1lHI/AAAAAAAAKGg/BvqMesnZ7Cs/s640/Swift%2Bsidebyside%2B1%2Bsmall.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The lack of a pale forehead also meant that there is less contrast between the head and the dark back in Forbes-Watson's Swift. Compare the evenly dark head and mantle on the bird below with the Pallid Swift above:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nNpD1cHRtt0/VmVTwYzSGxI/AAAAAAAAKGo/z9KWtj3do3o/s1600/TomBedford.20151109.6833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nNpD1cHRtt0/VmVTwYzSGxI/AAAAAAAAKGo/z9KWtj3do3o/s640/TomBedford.20151109.6833.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But these are subtle features and some birds I photographed would have been hard to distinguish from Pallid Swifts. Here is a Forbes-Watson's Swift composite:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dp7TWaaLfFs/VmRyY_1HDOI/AAAAAAAAKE4/BB1zi5bdJ-E/s1600/Forbes-Watson%2BSwift%2Bmontage%2B1small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dp7TWaaLfFs/VmRyY_1HDOI/AAAAAAAAKE4/BB1zi5bdJ-E/s640/Forbes-Watson%2BSwift%2Bmontage%2B1small.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our birding in Dhofar ended with a flight of 20 Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse which circled past the beach and headed inland. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This trip was a real adventure. Richard Campey was, as ever, a fabulous travelling companion. We saw nearly 170 species of bird in 8 days, at a decent, but not hard-core pace, without trying for most of the Owls or for more seabirds. Given 10 or 12 days we would have missed much less and a two week trip to Oman is probably the ideal length. We enjoyed that the species we saw provided a nice combination of seabirds, waders, desert and Afro-Arabian species. There were great local specialty species and migrant bird species too. Photographic opportunities were plentiful. It was an absolute joy to use a camera in sunshine in winter. Indeed we saw so much that we are still coming to terms with how good the trip was! Fed up with cold grey English winters? Then head south-east to Oman, it comes most highly recommended. </span>Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-74460747819056371432015-12-03T22:12:00.000+00:002015-12-10T22:36:23.843+00:00Oman: Dhofar 3<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is Ayn Hamran, a large wadi only 15 minutes from Salalah. This fabulous site holds most of the Dhofar species we wanted to see. It is also apparently a site where Verreaux's Eagle can be seen. Richard and I don't talk about Verreaux's Eagle. Even the name is fabulous. Any bird whose name has a scrabble score that high, must be worth seeing. In fact, this monstrous, rare, black Eagle, with its unique wing-shape and dramatic white patches on the wings and back is one of THE most wanted birds, anywhere. In fact, we don't even look in the field guide at its image. It is simply TOO good a bird and one that we have accepted since birth, that we will never see. At Ayn Hamran, we glance up wistfully at the blue morning skies. I regularly scan the ridge-line, picking up 3 Steppe Eagles, but nothing more. We know we won't see Verreaux's Eagle and we are calm in acceptance of that state. We might as well be scanning the skies for Unicorns. Except that the appearance of one would generate slightly less shock than if a Verreaux's Eagle were to pass overhead. But it won't and it doesn't. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The day begins with a much smaller bird, Arabian Warbler:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Then Arabian Partridges:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Then Arabian Butterfly. Only kidding, this is a Common Tiger Butterfly:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ayn Hamran produces a fabulous few hours of Dhofarian birding. Cinnamon-breasted Buntings and White-spectacled Bulbuls join more the familiar Chiffchaffs, Whitethroats and Lesser Whitethroats. There are Hoopoes, Shining Sunbirds, Tristram's Grackles, many Bruce's Green Pigeons and African Silverbills. Abyssinian White-eyes are common:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are half a dozen of one my favourites, Blackstart:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And a single adult Masked Shrike, with the usual hordes of Turkestan's: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then there is a burst of colour as a Grey-headed Kingfisher zips through the trees in front of us. We manage to relocate it further down the wadi. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RX96qcZ2hcc/VmB0zH0qP4I/AAAAAAAAJ6Y/yslwccBWfdY/s1600/TomBedford.20151108.5856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RX96qcZ2hcc/VmB0zH0qP4I/AAAAAAAAJ6Y/yslwccBWfdY/s640/TomBedford.20151108.5856.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is a smart bird and the only one we have seen in Oman. If only it would open it's wings, to reveal those colours again. And as if by magic, it opens a wing and begins sunbathing. You stunner! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">All the while we have been listening out for Black-crowned Tchagra, this being the best site for a bird with a name as fabulous as it's head pattern. After a good hour and a half, we stop for breakfast in the car and then head to the base of the cliffs. There are African Paradise Flycatchers and Shining Sunbirds in the scattered trees here and we finally get a picture that captures the Sunbird's iridescence:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This particular male Shining Sunbird was flying up to feed on insects and spiders in the huge webs that hung from the trees. Note the size of the adult spider, a monster:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Be3bz7RxTw/VmB09DOICYI/AAAAAAAAJ7A/ruIP7rltPwM/s1600/TomBedford.20151108.5905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Be3bz7RxTw/VmB09DOICYI/AAAAAAAAJ7A/ruIP7rltPwM/s640/TomBedford.20151108.5905.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Below, this was a horrendous beast: large, staring eyes, black furry legs and a fearsome mouth that looked as if it could take a bite out of you at any moment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Oh, I've just noticed there is a spider in the picture too ;-) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Having survived walking through spider webs the size of double duvets, Richard suddenly starts pointing down at the ground silently. He is on the top of a small ridge and has just found our target, a fantastic Black-crowned Tchagra. This is not an easy bird to see. It creeps around on the ground under the branches of bushes and only once comes out into the sunlight: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Very satisfied with our morning so far, we work our way east. Dropping into </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Khawr Rawri, where a Malachite Kingfisher has been recently reported. Apparently we have about a 1 in 4 chance of seeing this bird but this isn't to be our lucky day. We find a very smart adult male Turkestan Shrike:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> The female wasn't bad either:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Also a beautiful Blue Pansy butterfly:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BNYiPQ6E100/VmB1DGH2IaI/AAAAAAAAJ7o/dn1CtF1CR54/s1600/TomBedford.20151108.5969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BNYiPQ6E100/VmB1DGH2IaI/AAAAAAAAJ7o/dn1CtF1CR54/s640/TomBedford.20151108.5969.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then into the mountains to what we thought at the time was the Tawi Atayr sinkhole. In fact we were at a smaller sinkhole a few km south of the big one:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Sunbirds up here are Palestine Sunbirds:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A pair of South Arabian Wheatears were present around the buildings:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This site is the only accessible site for one of the most boring birds in the world: Yemen Serin. Mainly because the rest of the world population of this species live in Yemen. A country, we are told, where everyone, even the children carry guns and we have no intention to visit. Small, brown and slightly streaky, the Yemen Serin is a bird that even I find it hard to get excited about. The fact that Richard flushes a small, brown streaky bird that I don't see and can't relocate, makes me feel even more flat about the experience. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then something amazing happens. Two other birdwatchers turn up. This is the only time in Oman we meet other birders. And it is pivotal moment. They are Swedes, we exchange pleasantries and sightings and give them directions to where we saw the Dideric Cuckoo the day before. Then:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Have you seen Verreaux's Eagle?" one of them asks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We freeze. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"No", we added cautiously, not feeling the need to add, "they don't exist". </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"We saw one 10 minutes ago, on a cliff-face just up the road. We waited for about an hour and ten minutes, but then one flew past, a fantaschtic birrrd". </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We run to the car. It is our unicorn moment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Only after we leave do we try to digest their directions. "You will see a view. You will know when you get there", what sort of directions are they? But nine minutes later we turn a corner and bang:</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NbMIf1S14Rc/VmB1bWuFl4I/AAAAAAAAJ8A/gMMYTytLkFg/s1600/Jebel_Panorama1small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NbMIf1S14Rc/VmB1bWuFl4I/AAAAAAAAJ8A/gMMYTytLkFg/s640/Jebel_Panorama1small.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We encounter one of the most stunning vistas I have ever seen. In the distance the Indian Ocean twinkles blue. In the mid-ground a huge expanse of desert and wadi stretches out before us. In the foreground we are on the edge of huge cliff, enormously high. Looking at the view, it is more like flying than being on the ground. It is a physically staggering experience. I sit down on the edge of the cliff, Richard starts taking some scenery shots. I look down at my feet, noting that most of Oman appears visible beneath them. Then from behind my right foot, two adult Verreaux's Eagles appear beneath me, moving away faster than any other bird I have ever seen. I can see their huge black wings, white rumps, the thin white lines on their backs. "<b>EAGLES!</b>" I scream. Richard calmly takes a picture of me, watching the impossible, watching Verreaux's Eagles:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Oooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And other assorted swear-words that are best not repeated here. When we calm down we realise that there are three birds present. In the strong winds blowing up towards our lofty look-out, these huge Eagles cover vast distances in seconds. We estimate that they pass at over 70mph. We are treated to a number of flybys in the next couple of hours, the birds tending to return to the cliffs away to our right. It was fabulous to look down at the eagles, a unique perspective in raptor-watching. Even though they are mostly distant, we do see them approach and land on the cliffs. Below are heavily cropped images:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">An incoming Verreaux's Eagle:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yqWDD0K1sPU/VmCBX9xzDqI/AAAAAAAAJ98/KB78jtF4R-Y/s1600/TomBedford.20151108.6192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yqWDD0K1sPU/VmCBX9xzDqI/AAAAAAAAJ98/KB78jtF4R-Y/s640/TomBedford.20151108.6192.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Adult on cliff:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ElnfiB85MMI/VmCBTA27-fI/AAAAAAAAJ90/PyYGB_GVCcQ/s1600/TomBedford.20151108.6123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ElnfiB85MMI/VmCBTA27-fI/AAAAAAAAJ90/PyYGB_GVCcQ/s640/TomBedford.20151108.6123.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">... joined by a second bird.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NYvFcaotUpQ/VmCBYzClrlI/AAAAAAAAJ-I/B_JM_bTutyA/s1600/TomBedford.20151108.6201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NYvFcaotUpQ/VmCBYzClrlI/AAAAAAAAJ-I/B_JM_bTutyA/s640/TomBedford.20151108.6201.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Flight shots were tricky due to the immense speed of the birds passing at distance, all the while we were being buffeted by strong winds, but I've made up a couple of composite images. The first is of a diving bird:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u-VacKDjYoM/VmB2RE231NI/AAAAAAAAJ9U/fHQX2mDre10/s1600/V%2BEadgle%2B2%2Bmontage%2Bsmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u-VacKDjYoM/VmB2RE231NI/AAAAAAAAJ9U/fHQX2mDre10/s640/V%2BEadgle%2B2%2Bmontage%2Bsmall.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The second of a bird climbing, then stooping, all in front of the fabulous panorama:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-74HGF0u18jI/VmB2QC460JI/AAAAAAAAJ9M/xxe7oIU7d8I/s1600/VEagle%2Bmontage%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-74HGF0u18jI/VmB2QC460JI/AAAAAAAAJ9M/xxe7oIU7d8I/s640/VEagle%2Bmontage%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Two extremely happy birders, sitting on the edge of the world, feeling as if they have achieved the impossible:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ygr7xWZPszk/VmCBYw86K1I/AAAAAAAAJ-M/CPmzVwmqE2Q/s1600/TomBedford.20151108.9403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ygr7xWZPszk/VmCBYw86K1I/AAAAAAAAJ-M/CPmzVwmqE2Q/s640/TomBedford.20151108.9403.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Next: an excursion towards Yemen... </span>Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-29003095558225052502015-12-01T22:13:00.001+00:002015-12-10T22:37:18.668+00:00Oman: Dhofar 2<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our first full day in Dhofar and what a day. We headed west to Al Mughsayl at first light. Travelling wasn't difficult in such beautiful coastal scenery:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1DzMv4TDiWA/VlweDT0I19I/AAAAAAAAJz0/tBgqf3ofkmQ/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.9355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1DzMv4TDiWA/VlweDT0I19I/AAAAAAAAJz0/tBgqf3ofkmQ/s640/TomBedford.20151107.9355.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A look at the sea produced little evidence of seabird movement, apart from a few Socotra Cormorants passing by, but the local Tristram's Grackles provided some distraction:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jLcVpukPUI8/VlwgnEEvJPI/AAAAAAAAJ0Q/0h45xU_ymTs/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jLcVpukPUI8/VlwgnEEvJPI/AAAAAAAAJ0Q/0h45xU_ymTs/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5103.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The coastal pools held Curlew and Wood Sandpipers and attracted this Greater Flamingo, a species that somehow looks even more spectacular in flight than on the ground:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l7k805PuMBY/Vlwgmohdp3I/AAAAAAAAJ0I/f-QF0izHW5Q/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l7k805PuMBY/Vlwgmohdp3I/AAAAAAAAJ0I/f-QF0izHW5Q/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5113.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We then took the Pujero up into Wadi Hashir, using the 4-wheel drive for the first time. On the higher ground were Isabelline Wheaters, Striolated Buntings, Blackstarts and Long-billed Pipits. Trees in the wadi itself held Yellow-vented Bulbuls and secretive Whitethroats, probably of one of the eastern forms but we never got a decent look to confirm this. We eventually found South Arabian Wheatear at the end of the wadi. It was hot here, by 10am it was 34° in the shade, much hotter in the sun. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wAoLONSf8qQ/VlwjRTrAcmI/AAAAAAAAJ2M/d0Gi9qDfug8/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.9341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wAoLONSf8qQ/VlwjRTrAcmI/AAAAAAAAJ2M/d0Gi9qDfug8/s640/TomBedford.20151107.9341.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Frankincense trees grow wild on the sides of the wadi. The incense comes from burning dried "tears" of Frankincense sap that is tapped from the main trunk. The trees only grow in southern Oman, Yemen and Ethiopia and are globally threatened due to the over-extraction of sap. At the time of Jesus's birth Frankincense was more valuable then gold. The wise man with the precious metal was the poor man of the three. A Frankincense tree in Wadi Hashir:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TX6CK5yuoTU/VlwjRX0FHJI/AAAAAAAAJ2Q/xCgPewPT6LM/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.9340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TX6CK5yuoTU/VlwjRX0FHJI/AAAAAAAAJ2Q/xCgPewPT6LM/s640/TomBedford.20151107.9340.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">European Rollers were common migrants here. Unlike northern Oman where Indian Rollers were abundant, in the south we only came across "European" birds:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7SD2OSF24Fk/VlwgrySR26I/AAAAAAAAJ0g/54SUQYvDCM0/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="446" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7SD2OSF24Fk/VlwgrySR26I/AAAAAAAAJ0g/54SUQYvDCM0/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5164.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our next stop was Raysut tip and water-settling plant. A contrast from the beautiful scenery of the coast, but the food and water here concentrate thousands of birds from the area. We located the tip from the huge cloud of eagles that was circling above it. We tried to get in but written permission was needed in advance. Despite asking, smiling, questioning and even bribery, the security guards at the gate would not let us in. I never imagined that I would one day find myself offering a bribe to enter a rubbish tip. Never say never.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As it happened failing to gain entry was not a problem, there were eagles everywhere. A drive around the fence perimeter gave us great views of some of the hundreds of Steppe Eagles that were present:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aX3NwXGD8dI/VlwizS6XTKI/AAAAAAAAJ10/ppWEhjlKsMo/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aX3NwXGD8dI/VlwizS6XTKI/AAAAAAAAJ10/ppWEhjlKsMo/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5229.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m8FsttCFJZY/Vlwgs-SlFiI/AAAAAAAAJ0o/fGrqi8oYoZs/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m8FsttCFJZY/Vlwgs-SlFiI/AAAAAAAAJ0o/fGrqi8oYoZs/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5232.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Next door to Raysut tip is a water-settling plant. Before going in we saw a few eagles perched up in trees alongside a track next to the water plant. We drove slowly along the track and our attention was drawn to a large pale eagle, clearly no Steppe Eagle. It was a juvenile Eastern Imperial Eagle and obviously did not associate cars with humans. From our vehicle we were allowed a fabulous close approach and we experienced incredible views:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D3yhiyjgUvc/Vlwgs-fnIHI/AAAAAAAAJ0s/_WKTWKcvq1Y/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D3yhiyjgUvc/Vlwgs-fnIHI/AAAAAAAAJ0s/_WKTWKcvq1Y/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5257.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Eventually it did take flight, allowing us to take in the underwing... </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DSBoyHp8R10/Vlwgwf6HuWI/AAAAAAAAJ04/yJZkg0VMNcs/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DSBoyHp8R10/Vlwgwf6HuWI/AAAAAAAAJ04/yJZkg0VMNcs/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5266.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.. and upperwing. A majestic eagle. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YRPHWGbihfk/Vlwgxuhmb3I/AAAAAAAAJ1A/odKkVjKPvkQ/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YRPHWGbihfk/Vlwgxuhmb3I/AAAAAAAAJ1A/odKkVjKPvkQ/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5271.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Obtaining entry to the water plant could not contrast more strongly with the tip. A smiling security guard showed us where to park, we filled in a an entry form and began exploring the balancing ponds on foot:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3r8FjBMCzPY/VlwjTt6qW5I/AAAAAAAAJ2Y/wEaqsGxwkoA/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.9357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3r8FjBMCzPY/VlwjTt6qW5I/AAAAAAAAJ2Y/wEaqsGxwkoA/s640/TomBedford.20151107.9357.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There were birds everywhere! At edges of the ponds were Common, Green and Marsh Sandpipers. Black-winged Stilt were common:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PDWgyTdZHkI/Vlw9AQh7QwI/AAAAAAAAJ5A/VneRcD-tFNU/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PDWgyTdZHkI/Vlw9AQh7QwI/AAAAAAAAJ5A/VneRcD-tFNU/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5427.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Small flocks of Ringed Plovers gathered at the overflow at the back of the ponds. This was a great area for wagtails. There was a cracking male Black-headed Wagtail:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b75Aqomik1U/VlwgyySsIyI/AAAAAAAAJ1I/xJ-VvpW8-PA/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b75Aqomik1U/VlwgyySsIyI/AAAAAAAAJ1I/xJ-VvpW8-PA/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5408.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And lots of adult and juvenile Citrine Wagtails:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K0KljqGjmx8/Vlwg4uplR2I/AAAAAAAAJ1Q/VKxcsZHtGPc/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K0KljqGjmx8/Vlwg4uplR2I/AAAAAAAAJ1Q/VKxcsZHtGPc/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5409.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In contrast to the Indian Silverbills in the north, in southern Oman the Silverbills were African Silverbills, with dark not white rumps:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CNQZbpOO18k/Vlw-cID_d6I/AAAAAAAAJ5M/J-DsJq_jfuQ/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CNQZbpOO18k/Vlw-cID_d6I/AAAAAAAAJ5M/J-DsJq_jfuQ/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5399.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On the far ponds were some 400 Abdim's Storks, the African version of Black Stork:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YnbCIqLLjvw/Vlwg5PI_zlI/AAAAAAAAJ1U/Vv8X_vZ2bfA/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YnbCIqLLjvw/Vlwg5PI_zlI/AAAAAAAAJ1U/Vv8X_vZ2bfA/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5451.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9RT9bJLWm-w/Vlwg8XXmiSI/AAAAAAAAJ1o/Xq0HwzzdV5k/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9RT9bJLWm-w/Vlwg8XXmiSI/AAAAAAAAJ1o/Xq0HwzzdV5k/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5531.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A half a dozen White-winged Terns were feeding above the water:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q9uRc4MkIHA/Vlwl23CJEdI/AAAAAAAAJ2k/JyBLBeHKGME/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q9uRc4MkIHA/Vlwl23CJEdI/AAAAAAAAJ2k/JyBLBeHKGME/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5377.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Three juvenile and one adult winter White-winged Terns:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u_4h0sM8is0/Vlwl5_0E61I/AAAAAAAAJ20/Hp8ojao-kAQ/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u_4h0sM8is0/Vlwl5_0E61I/AAAAAAAAJ20/Hp8ojao-kAQ/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5468.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A composite image of a single juvenile White-winged Tern dip feeding:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nJ1olUrqZuk/VlwnOku9dmI/AAAAAAAAJ3A/hVKtXVsRbIU/s1600/White-winged%2BTern%2Bmontage%2Bsmall%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nJ1olUrqZuk/VlwnOku9dmI/AAAAAAAAJ3A/hVKtXVsRbIU/s640/White-winged%2BTern%2Bmontage%2Bsmall%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Early afternoon found us exploring Wadi Darbat, in the mountains to the east of Salalah:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O1Uta1ZK6pA/VlwoU2dle-I/AAAAAAAAJ3c/vgort_0tpvQ/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.9366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O1Uta1ZK6pA/VlwoU2dle-I/AAAAAAAAJ3c/vgort_0tpvQ/s640/TomBedford.20151107.9366.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Shining Sunbirds called from the scattered trees, we quickly notched up half a dozen Hoopoes, a couple of European Rollers, 5 Blackstarts, a few Desert Wheatears and small flocks of noisy Tristram's Grackles. A harsh, insistent call from a nearby tree attracted our attention. Initially hidden, we could see a female Rüppell's weaver dropping down to feed another bird. Then the larger bird moved and revealed itself - a male Dideric Cuckoo! </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E7L4bAOyOTE/Vl1bFiYn4GI/AAAAAAAAJ5c/olEjPA6lJ4M/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="401" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E7L4bAOyOTE/Vl1bFiYn4GI/AAAAAAAAJ5c/olEjPA6lJ4M/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5573.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This was a good find. These tiny Cuckoos are smaller than a Starling and are nomads, following the rains out of Africa, their range just about extending to Dhofar. They usually depart in early November, back to Africa. Juveniles are rufous brown, so we were puzzled as to why an adult male Cuckoo would be being fed so late in the autumn. Perhaps it was just after an easy meal? The Cuckoo then flew to another tree, perching briefly, as if to show off his finery:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We then stumbled across this wadi-side fruiting fig tree that was stuffed full of birds:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5tY1hxZ-D8o/VlwoXdiYbHI/AAAAAAAAJ3s/GrP39Mm-oJE/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.9376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5tY1hxZ-D8o/VlwoXdiYbHI/AAAAAAAAJ3s/GrP39Mm-oJE/s640/TomBedford.20151107.9376.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A lone Bruce's Green Pigeon (great name, but who was Bruce?) initially attracted my attention. This beautiful bird was feeding secretively high up in the branches, was perfectly camouflaged and kept itself hidden most of the time. Only on a couple of occasions did we see most of the bird:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--SftLF-jT60/VlwovYRDO6I/AAAAAAAAJ4I/xz5CJLgmZUY/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--SftLF-jT60/VlwovYRDO6I/AAAAAAAAJ4I/xz5CJLgmZUY/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5607.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A Pale Crag Martin zipped around overhead, a Steppe Eagle drifted down the wadi. The tree also held our first Abyssinian White-eyes and African Paradise Flycatchers. The names say it all, we felt African, rather than Arabian, influences. Next a Rufous Bush Chat hopped out:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K2CtYi_eUW8/VlwoyaZcDPI/AAAAAAAAJ4Q/GTOCflEfdgM/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K2CtYi_eUW8/VlwoyaZcDPI/AAAAAAAAJ4Q/GTOCflEfdgM/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5653.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Followed by a pair of Cinnamon-breasted Buntings that came down to drink. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The males were very smart:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fNgxKaHltx8/VlwozD76lcI/AAAAAAAAJ4Y/suHmRUYG5VA/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fNgxKaHltx8/VlwozD76lcI/AAAAAAAAJ4Y/suHmRUYG5VA/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5713.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Finally out crept a Whitethroat, perfectly blending in with the floor of the wadi:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wez0M1-QNtg/VlwxISkjOPI/AAAAAAAAJ4w/KklrDp6BJGI/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wez0M1-QNtg/VlwxISkjOPI/AAAAAAAAJ4w/KklrDp6BJGI/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5701.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Continuing the African theme, Richard picked out this Desert Locust:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QmsplLlZ3ec/VlwpsfbbzZI/AAAAAAAAJ4g/eQpAd1bx6jU/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.5733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QmsplLlZ3ec/VlwpsfbbzZI/AAAAAAAAJ4g/eQpAd1bx6jU/s640/TomBedford.20151107.5733.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In fact we liked Wadi Darbat so much we returned there after dark, where at least 3 Arabian Scops Owls were calling. A wonderful day drew to close. Little did we know that tomorrow would be even better... </span>Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-66679703561919425892015-11-29T22:03:00.000+00:002015-11-29T22:07:34.535+00:00Oman: Dhofar 1<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We left the central desert and drove south towards the coast:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UfvMNHqmoFk/VltjHIkO1BI/AAAAAAAAJxo/njdRc-EGkKU/s1600/dhofar%2Bwide%2Btext.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UfvMNHqmoFk/VltjHIkO1BI/AAAAAAAAJxo/njdRc-EGkKU/s640/dhofar%2Bwide%2Btext.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our target, Salalah, the coastal khawrs and the wadis of the Dhofar Mountains:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cKvxlI4_q-Q/VltjIUWbCZI/AAAAAAAAJxs/v_SEDpMNjhw/s1600/Dhofar%2Bnarrow%2Btext.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="378" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cKvxlI4_q-Q/VltjIUWbCZI/AAAAAAAAJxs/v_SEDpMNjhw/s640/Dhofar%2Bnarrow%2Btext.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Dhofar Mountains are unique in Oman, as they are green. The extreme southern coast of Oman benefits from the influence of the monsoon, which provides rainfall between June and September, something that is a scarcity in the rest of the country. This year was an El Niño year, so the monsoon was weak, with the locals complaining of low water levels. Nevertheless the contrast between the Dhofar coast and the rest of the country was striking. We drove south from the arid central desert and found ourselves crossing mountains covered in vegetation, with trees with green leaves:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The wadis that drain water from the mountains almost feel like African savannah. The bird life reflects this too, with many African species present that are not found in the rest of the country:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IloogyvlQ9s/VltjjdW9MuI/AAAAAAAAJx0/vclz6YjHN2A/s1600/TomBedford.20151107.9367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IloogyvlQ9s/VltjjdW9MuI/AAAAAAAAJx0/vclz6YjHN2A/s640/TomBedford.20151107.9367.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We arrived in Salalah late afternoon and went straight to a East Khawr, a body of water immediately east of the town. The sun was behind us and we spent a pleasant hour enjoying the high tide wader roost:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ruff were the most numerous wader species present, with around 300 present. Two white birds stood out:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nr_QozGB0kA/VltotxYcBfI/AAAAAAAAJyg/IN6XVBC65Q0/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="372" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nr_QozGB0kA/VltotxYcBfI/AAAAAAAAJyg/IN6XVBC65Q0/s640/TomBedford.20151106.4948.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Black-winged Stilts, Spotted Redshanks, Greenshanks and Marsh Sandpipers (below) were all seen, with Squacco, Grey and Western Reef Herons. Ducks included Garganey and Pintail, with Osprey and Marsh Harrier making up the raptors:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9HKpLzPC-4I/VltouCB_z_I/AAAAAAAAJyY/eucr65HBGt0/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9HKpLzPC-4I/VltouCB_z_I/AAAAAAAAJyY/eucr65HBGt0/s640/TomBedford.20151106.4961.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Over 100 Glossy Ibis were present, they left in large flocks in the late afternoon:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The bushes on the east side held Rüppell's Weaver, Desert Wheatears, Chiffchaffs and </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Graceful Prinia... </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wqDW0Nx-E1o/Vltoz3--UvI/AAAAAAAAJys/IRG0meyR5AY/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.5017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wqDW0Nx-E1o/Vltoz3--UvI/AAAAAAAAJys/IRG0meyR5AY/s640/TomBedford.20151106.5017.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> ...and our first Shining Sunbirds. The males were stunning:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vn5l_Skc_pc/Vlto0lGqioI/AAAAAAAAJy0/Qi7RTpkiLBU/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.5071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vn5l_Skc_pc/Vlto0lGqioI/AAAAAAAAJy0/Qi7RTpkiLBU/s640/TomBedford.20151106.5071.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We planned to base ourselves in Salalah and checked into this hotel on the beach. From here we could get to all the local sites within 45 minutes drive, a relief having spent the best part of two days driving the length of Oman:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1I9OBYbGzQU/VltpUDmhdwI/AAAAAAAAJzE/8DjOYr-egS8/s1600/TomBedford.20151109.9461.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1I9OBYbGzQU/VltpUDmhdwI/AAAAAAAAJzE/8DjOYr-egS8/s640/TomBedford.20151109.9461.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The beach at Salalah gave us our first experience of Omani beach culture. The women all worn b</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">urkas, البرقع, the long black garment that covers the head and body:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s6fh5izTtkA/Vltv8grOYwI/AAAAAAAAJzk/w1UYn6OOUXA/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.5078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s6fh5izTtkA/Vltv8grOYwI/AAAAAAAAJzk/w1UYn6OOUXA/s640/TomBedford.20151106.5078.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But burkas don't protect you against everything. As the sun went down, the Sooty Gulls closed in on their prey, circling their victim, as she desperately called for help. There was no mercy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Next: Shawadi Wadi birding at Dhofar's finest sites. </span>Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-48873733206541362092015-11-25T21:07:00.000+00:002015-11-25T21:07:19.017+00:00Oman: the central desert<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This was to be our longest day of traveling. We drove over 700 km in the day plus the one hour ferry crossing from Masirah Island. We traveled </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">inland</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">from the east coast to the main Muscat-Salalah road, before heading south alongside the Saudi border into Dhofar, the southernmost region of Oman:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LGg2PPJ1yl4/VlWAkX4kyII/AAAAAAAAJxA/METbD6F9f_c/s1600/central%2Bdesert%2Btext.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LGg2PPJ1yl4/VlWAkX4kyII/AAAAAAAAJxA/METbD6F9f_c/s640/central%2Bdesert%2Btext.jpg" width="520" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Cars in Oman have an alarm that sounds as you get to 120kph. A constant audio alarm, not dissimilar to a continental European police siren. This is surprisingly effective at preventing speeding. The trick was to set the cruise control as close to 120kph as possible without the alarm sounding and then sit back and relax. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Unfortunately there was not much else to do. For much of the journey there was simply no scenery. Just a straight road and flat desert. When Richard and I travel together we have a rule that we only drive for one hour at a time and then swap over. This prevents too much driving fatigue creeping in and meant we could cover about 100km per hour easily, hour after hour. I got lucky. I was at the wheel for the left turn onto the main road south: in 7 hours of driving I was the one who got to turn the wheel, woo-hoo! </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Below, typical desert scenery, flat and straight:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FaDHNcL8wpI/VlVrMvD9cOI/AAAAAAAAJrs/bSyEJ0fjNMg/s1600/TomBedford.20151105.9258-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FaDHNcL8wpI/VlVrMvD9cOI/AAAAAAAAJrs/bSyEJ0fjNMg/s640/TomBedford.20151105.9258-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Google Earth gives a good indication of the terrain: </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jQCPWRsy-Ek/VlWAlqmbGXI/AAAAAAAAJxM/iWzQeh8q4kY/s1600/qatbit%2Btext.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jQCPWRsy-Ek/VlWAlqmbGXI/AAAAAAAAJxM/iWzQeh8q4kY/s640/qatbit%2Btext.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After travelling all day we were grateful to arrive at Qatbit at around 4pm. We woke the rather grumpy owner up and tried to book a room, only to be told they were full. Not the news we wanted, especially as we were literally in the middle of nowhere. We assumed a bird tour group were staying that night, there seemed little other reason to stay here. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Having been sitting in the car for so long, we took the opportunity to see what birds we could find in the trees around the hotel. We discovered a few migrants, including this Hoopoe:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bEeaS1OkHf8/VlVrP1jZOCI/AAAAAAAAJr0/RtJrSUAocro/s1600/TomBedford.20151105.4662-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bEeaS1OkHf8/VlVrP1jZOCI/AAAAAAAAJr0/RtJrSUAocro/s640/TomBedford.20151105.4662-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Spotted Flycatcher was joined by our only Red-breasted Flycatcher of the trip. There were a few warblers, but all proved to be Chiffchaffs. A couple of Isabelline Shrikes were present, including this very grey looking Turkestan shrike:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tqWR3qf81J0/VlVrQWQKDMI/AAAAAAAAJr4/-xfX8j8NFvw/s1600/TomBedford.20151105.4672-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tqWR3qf81J0/VlVrQWQKDMI/AAAAAAAAJr4/-xfX8j8NFvw/s640/TomBedford.20151105.4672-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then we had to make a decision on where to spend the night. We had few choices. The owner directed us to Salalah some 200km south, interesting, as we knew there was a hotel much closer at Al Ghaftan, 110km north. It is in the wrong direction and means that we have to retrace our steps for another hour back north, but we have no choice. As it turns out the Hotel at Al Ghaftan and it's owner are much nicer than our experience of Qatbit. Even better, 5 minutes into the drive back north I glimpse some shapes by the roadside as we flash by at 119.9kph. "Sandgrouse, right by the road!". I execute a swift U-turn and we carefully drive up to a small flock of a dozen Spotted Sandgrouse:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k3oioYoQgSw/VlVrWaN62cI/AAAAAAAAJsQ/HgD9i-6wzY0/s1600/TomBedford.20151105.4692-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k3oioYoQgSw/VlVrWaN62cI/AAAAAAAAJsQ/HgD9i-6wzY0/s640/TomBedford.20151105.4692-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Richard gets some excellent pictures of this desert species:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XQqLHWvXmYQ/VlVriMDhJeI/AAAAAAAAJsU/UeBbBdXzqwY/s1600/_V5B5652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XQqLHWvXmYQ/VlVriMDhJeI/AAAAAAAAJsU/UeBbBdXzqwY/s640/_V5B5652.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5-OPkwxAuLI/VlVrTLXTDHI/AAAAAAAAJsI/LubYsKz6kDk/s1600/_V5B5665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5-OPkwxAuLI/VlVrTLXTDHI/AAAAAAAAJsI/LubYsKz6kDk/s640/_V5B5665.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We check into the Al Ghaftan hotel, eat and then sleep in another hotel that we do not see in daylight. The next morning we are up early and drive back south, past Qatbit to be at Muntasar Oasis, some 17km off the main, road shortly after dawn:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jfl8-bct37g/VlVvG2wuz5I/AAAAAAAAJsk/SeKvj3uLTiE/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.9270-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jfl8-bct37g/VlVvG2wuz5I/AAAAAAAAJsk/SeKvj3uLTiE/s640/TomBedford.20151106.9270-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Above, a Pajero in the desert. The one on the left obviously. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Below, o</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">n the horizon Muntasar Oasis appears:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xprraET3L0k/VlV3GF_OecI/AAAAAAAAJvA/JtLcGJaN_zw/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4695-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xprraET3L0k/VlV3GF_OecI/AAAAAAAAJvA/JtLcGJaN_zw/s640/TomBedford.20151106.4695-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As we approach the oasis we pass a camel herder and his camels. These are Arabian Camels and are very dark, some almost black:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ULTayzJMQ9Q/VlVvRtiSK_I/AAAAAAAAJtE/X7fgtF-y2Io/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ULTayzJMQ9Q/VlVvRtiSK_I/AAAAAAAAJtE/X7fgtF-y2Io/s640/TomBedford.20151106.4714.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xy0fAqIp3bo/VlVvPf7vBmI/AAAAAAAAJs0/6necKfNbtz0/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xy0fAqIp3bo/VlVvPf7vBmI/AAAAAAAAJs0/6necKfNbtz0/s640/TomBedford.20151106.4702.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Camel tracks:</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d-5DxAnn3pw/VlVvQmA9cWI/AAAAAAAAJs4/tnIpcAOYhaY/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4703-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d-5DxAnn3pw/VlVvQmA9cWI/AAAAAAAAJs4/tnIpcAOYhaY/s400/TomBedford.20151106.4703-2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> The Camel herder insisted that we photograph him:</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ActYz2RBOqQ/VlVvVmGq5CI/AAAAAAAAJtI/1u-ZM0KdO_Y/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4717-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ActYz2RBOqQ/VlVvVmGq5CI/AAAAAAAAJtI/1u-ZM0KdO_Y/s400/TomBedford.20151106.4717-2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Oasis:</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9pRzwN0wMq4/VlV4ND63cNI/AAAAAAAAJvM/xGeodFo8fqw/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.9271-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9pRzwN0wMq4/VlV4ND63cNI/AAAAAAAAJvM/xGeodFo8fqw/s640/TomBedford.20151106.9271-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KiPiVdkMMT4/VlVvLi4pO-I/AAAAAAAAJss/0I34KFNK194/s1600/Muntasar%2BOasis%2BPanorama%2Bsmall1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KiPiVdkMMT4/VlVvLi4pO-I/AAAAAAAAJss/0I34KFNK194/s640/Muntasar%2BOasis%2BPanorama%2Bsmall1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Water always attracts birds, especially in such hot, dry conditions. Wood and Common Sandpipers fed on the edge of the pools, we flushed a few Common Snipe (but no Pin-tailed) from the marshy areas. A Great Grey Shrike was present, with the common Turkestan Shrikes:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--yC9SHI4Ehw/VlVvX_MFjyI/AAAAAAAAJtU/hbThbU9Bnn4/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--yC9SHI4Ehw/VlVvX_MFjyI/AAAAAAAAJtU/hbThbU9Bnn4/s640/TomBedford.20151106.4746.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YF32O2MV-h8/VlVvbI3cJeI/AAAAAAAAJtg/t0w8F6GuqzQ/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YF32O2MV-h8/VlVvbI3cJeI/AAAAAAAAJtg/t0w8F6GuqzQ/s640/TomBedford.20151106.4753.jpg" width="466" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There were Desert and Pied Wheatears, a Spotted Flycatcher and two Spotted Sandgrouse flew overhead. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Male Desert Wheatear:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pk0OXFPBNLA/VlVvdFlK8fI/AAAAAAAAJts/bTRHfR8TI5g/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pk0OXFPBNLA/VlVvdFlK8fI/AAAAAAAAJts/bTRHfR8TI5g/s640/TomBedford.20151106.4780.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pied Wheatear, top right and Desert Warbler, bottom right:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GcoCE2BZrgs/VlVvho40dBI/AAAAAAAAJuA/C9kxIzl_CBI/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GcoCE2BZrgs/VlVvho40dBI/AAAAAAAAJuA/C9kxIzl_CBI/s640/TomBedford.20151106.4808.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pied Wheatear:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a-pxgPKtltE/VlVvjPoxIRI/AAAAAAAAJuI/TiXpN9pYP_M/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a-pxgPKtltE/VlVvjPoxIRI/AAAAAAAAJuI/TiXpN9pYP_M/s640/TomBedford.20151106.4822.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Asian Desert Warbler:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GK3LGL8ZgEw/VlVvoJBdqzI/AAAAAAAAJuY/OwtvnNylWvg/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GK3LGL8ZgEw/VlVvoJBdqzI/AAAAAAAAJuY/OwtvnNylWvg/s640/TomBedford.20151106.4826.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-35VPA9_0kd4/VlVvpPMTNlI/AAAAAAAAJug/fO8eHefGfZ0/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-35VPA9_0kd4/VlVvpPMTNlI/AAAAAAAAJug/fO8eHefGfZ0/s640/TomBedford.20151106.4830.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We had hoped for rather more than the two Spotted Sandgrouse that came down to drink, but it is always good to see sandgrouse. Male Spotted Sandgrouse:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-37OgjqHZfe8/VlVvy2YhRgI/AAAAAAAAJuo/aG5ocXuddIQ/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-37OgjqHZfe8/VlVvy2YhRgI/AAAAAAAAJuo/aG5ocXuddIQ/s640/TomBedford.20151106.4841.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Below, the female bird on the left, with spotted neck and breast, the male on the right:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LPVOlbhS3JM/VlVv0jnfreI/AAAAAAAAJu0/qYGM-b1oHFQ/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LPVOlbhS3JM/VlVv0jnfreI/AAAAAAAAJu0/qYGM-b1oHFQ/s640/TomBedford.20151106.4842.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Muntasar was pleasant but not exactly brimming with birds, but I had high hopes of our next stop, a farm in the desert 80km south. We eventually found Dawkah Farm, the access track is now off the main turning to Dawkah and were able to drive right in. The farm consists of five huge green circles of irrigated grassland that stand in desert sand. From the perspective of a migrating bird in the air they look like this:</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mhHIkgzCP00/VlYY9Ari3KI/AAAAAAAAJxY/JukAFVm8ENM/s1600/dawkah%2Btext.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mhHIkgzCP00/VlYY9Ari3KI/AAAAAAAAJxY/JukAFVm8ENM/s640/dawkah%2Btext.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From the ground, like this:</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WD2ZIhArRX8/VlV7HEesQ7I/AAAAAAAAJvU/WdP1BtQw93M/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.9280-Pano-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WD2ZIhArRX8/VlV7HEesQ7I/AAAAAAAAJvU/WdP1BtQw93M/s640/TomBedford.20151106.9280-Pano-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In such a barren habitat these damp green areas are simply full of birds. The short grass circle was the best: Tawny and Red-throated Pipits strolled past Desert and Isabelline Wheatears. Hoopoe Larks fed in front of Cream-coloured Coursers, while overhead Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters and Marsh Harriers swooped about. Below, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Svy8LtFcYO8/VlV7RWvwiTI/AAAAAAAAJvg/7o3HwTBUPH8/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Svy8LtFcYO8/VlV7RWvwiTI/AAAAAAAAJvg/7o3HwTBUPH8/s640/TomBedford.20151106.4871.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Best of all, for us, were the many Black-crowned Finch Larks. The males were super smart:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6kObb-TrN-w/VlV7ls1vbPI/AAAAAAAAJwE/szj_i6f_2e8/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4893-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6kObb-TrN-w/VlV7ls1vbPI/AAAAAAAAJwE/szj_i6f_2e8/s640/TomBedford.20151106.4893-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zbM_DoYBesU/VlV7crjHzwI/AAAAAAAAJv8/MQJ-5CqMAL0/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zbM_DoYBesU/VlV7crjHzwI/AAAAAAAAJv8/MQJ-5CqMAL0/s640/TomBedford.20151106.4896.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hoopoe Larks: </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cOCWrWIRV2M/VlV7rmANxfI/AAAAAAAAJwM/12Wylua-580/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cOCWrWIRV2M/VlV7rmANxfI/AAAAAAAAJwM/12Wylua-580/s640/TomBedford.20151106.4903.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-knGdeGu2YNA/VlV70Veb-zI/AAAAAAAAJwk/fsrOxNvJ_pc/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4911-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-knGdeGu2YNA/VlV70Veb-zI/AAAAAAAAJwk/fsrOxNvJ_pc/s640/TomBedford.20151106.4911-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Away from the short grass we found more Desert Warblers, Desert Wheatears, Turkestan Shrikes and our only Rose-coloured Starlings of the trip: </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-69aF7Zg3zlY/VlV8ODebiRI/AAAAAAAAJw4/onR3ZOB8Um0/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4921-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-69aF7Zg3zlY/VlV8ODebiRI/AAAAAAAAJw4/onR3ZOB8Um0/s640/TomBedford.20151106.4921-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the heat of the day we left Dawkah Farm and headed to the southern coast of Oman, to Salalah the capital of Dhofar. What would await us there?</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jt097DNEuOU/VlV7yiZZS9I/AAAAAAAAJwg/sGc2K3beEbk/s1600/TomBedford.20151106.4925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jt097DNEuOU/VlV7yiZZS9I/AAAAAAAAJwg/sGc2K3beEbk/s400/TomBedford.20151106.4925.jpg" width="332" /></a></div>
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Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-56285112372711650732015-11-23T11:25:00.000+00:002016-01-04T11:18:39.048+00:00Oman: the central coast<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Having spent the first three hours of daylight at sea, we then spend most of the rest of the day driving south:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cgTjW0XLprs/VlILuq-DBQI/AAAAAAAAJl8/YgCocIGhC1A/s1600/central%2Boman%2Btext.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="614" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cgTjW0XLprs/VlILuq-DBQI/AAAAAAAAJl8/YgCocIGhC1A/s640/central%2Boman%2Btext.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We leave Muscat, pass through the Al Hajar mountains and entered the desert:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-09vMQ-t8MD0/VlLPRCBz15I/AAAAAAAAJqs/8pLaBrns4RI/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.9231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-09vMQ-t8MD0/VlLPRCBz15I/AAAAAAAAJqs/8pLaBrns4RI/s640/TomBedford.20151104.9231.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Four and a half hours later with only two species of bird seen (Hoopoe Lark and Brown-necked Raven) we arrived at the coast of central-eastern Oman, the winter home to millions of shorebirds. Having seen Sooty Falcon in the morning, our efforts are now concentrated on seeing our other major target, Crab Plover. These unique waders can be found in the huge wader flocks that winter on the coast of Barr Al Hickman, but it seems most reliable on the mudflats of Masirah Island. To get there we planned to get arrive at Barr Al Hickman with a little time to search through some wader flocks on the mainland, before boarding the 6pm ferry to Masirah:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fPzGtykAcSk/VlILvshhtFI/AAAAAAAAJmE/82sGNqMCt8g/s1600/BAH%2Btext.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fPzGtykAcSk/VlILvshhtFI/AAAAAAAAJmE/82sGNqMCt8g/s640/BAH%2Btext.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was high tide when we arrived at the Shannah Ferry terminal. The surrounding coastline gave us our first taste of the sheer numbers of waders that can be found here. As far as the eye could see, and I suspect, much, much further, were huge numbers of herons, Flamingos and waders:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zrtfbr8CaGY/VlIcSDkVnFI/AAAAAAAAJmc/SF9SpQ_X7kg/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zrtfbr8CaGY/VlIcSDkVnFI/AAAAAAAAJmc/SF9SpQ_X7kg/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4389.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Bar-tailed Godwits were abundant. We scanned through flocks of these birds for their much rarer congener, Great Knot, but without success:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8ghV57vPis8/VlLR21D3N9I/AAAAAAAAJq4/aA9IEOL8Dvg/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="443" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8ghV57vPis8/VlLR21D3N9I/AAAAAAAAJq4/aA9IEOL8Dvg/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4405.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The wintering Oystercatchers were distinctive, presumably of the eastern <i>longipes</i> subspecies: </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xW1JWb7-86U/VlIcSNvZDYI/AAAAAAAAJmY/UOAz6cAkInE/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xW1JWb7-86U/VlIcSNvZDYI/AAAAAAAAJmY/UOAz6cAkInE/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4382.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A typical quiet patch on high tide shoreline: Terek Sandpipers and Little Stint at the front, Spotted Redshanks in the middle-ground and Bar-tailed Godwit and Oystercatchers at the back:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T_-cpAIUH5Q/VlIcR5pugzI/AAAAAAAAJmg/I4CJC98bbIE/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T_-cpAIUH5Q/VlIcR5pugzI/AAAAAAAAJmg/I4CJC98bbIE/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4387.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Curlew Sandpipers, Little Stints, Greater and Lesser Sandplovers, Grey Plovers, Bar-tailed Godwits:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ILtZmAcU-2Q/VlIcXCHwRqI/AAAAAAAAJmo/qyokjcM2DjY/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ILtZmAcU-2Q/VlIcXCHwRqI/AAAAAAAAJmo/qyokjcM2DjY/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4399.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Drier areas just inland held large mixed flocks of Sandplovers and Curlew Sandpipers:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Iyr1VmnMUw/VlLUVKBObyI/AAAAAAAAJrE/x1w4wBFvc8o/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Iyr1VmnMUw/VlLUVKBObyI/AAAAAAAAJrE/x1w4wBFvc8o/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4372.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But all too soon it was time to time to catch our ferry and as the sun set we drove our Pajero on board and made ourselves comfortable in the seats above the car deck. In fact, we were much more comfortable than our surrounding passengers who stared at us in horror. Then Richard noted we were the only men in that lounge. Unaware that the tradition of keeping separate public areas for men and women extended to this ferry we had absent-mindedly entered the "family" area. We quickly left and found the an identical seating area on the other side of the ferry, signposted "Men". This was where we were meant to sit. The ferry filled with workers returning from the mainland to Masirah. We observed that Arab men greeted each other with a handshake, then touched foreheads together, before lifting their chins to briefly touch noses. We did not see this habit anywhere else in Oman. As the sun sank into the Indian Ocean our ferry departed, arriving at Masirah one hour later in darkness. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-80kXQDccOF0/VlIGqk4_7eI/AAAAAAAAJl0/OWbSRw-j8q8/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.9239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-80kXQDccOF0/VlIGqk4_7eI/AAAAAAAAJl0/OWbSRw-j8q8/s640/TomBedford.20151104.9239.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We spent a night in a hotel which we never saw in daylight, then drove the 21km south to Sur Masirah, negotiating a track through a ram-shackled coastal village to arrive on the mudflats before dawn. Richard was anxious. He had sworn he would not leave Oman until he had seen Crab Plover, on our tight schedule this morning was our one opportunity to fulfill that dream. Having seen the sheer numbers of waders that winter on the coast here would we have time to find a Crab Plover among the millions of other shorebirds? As the sun rose we could make out large flocks of waders on the shoreline:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tBdJj80a4fs/VlIiSd4u-aI/AAAAAAAAJnM/zt-ijx_IGoU/s1600/TomBedford.20151105.4423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tBdJj80a4fs/VlIiSd4u-aI/AAAAAAAAJnM/zt-ijx_IGoU/s640/TomBedford.20151105.4423.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was just light enough to begin searching. I picked up my binoculars</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> and scanned through the nearest birds. I relaxed. "Crab Plover. All of them!"</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dYvl5LMzk00/VlIiYO_BfvI/AAAAAAAAJnY/3HmLQTLmbIQ/s1600/TomBedford.20151105.4479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="338" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dYvl5LMzk00/VlIiYO_BfvI/AAAAAAAAJnY/3HmLQTLmbIQ/s640/TomBedford.20151105.4479.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And indeed they were:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-saoEyfn-58s/VlIiSqVWiZI/AAAAAAAAJnQ/qDAT4JB_t3U/s1600/TomBedford.20151105.4419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-saoEyfn-58s/VlIiSqVWiZI/AAAAAAAAJnQ/qDAT4JB_t3U/s640/TomBedford.20151105.4419.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">These are quite remarkable waders. The huge black bill, the pied appearance, those long legs and the peculiar horizontal gait contribute to an unmistakable charismatic combination. Most bizarrely, they nest in burrows, the digging of which must be helped by that enormous black bill:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Bi2ELlDKp0/VlIiVShdMhI/AAAAAAAAJnU/Zpn6jSrq0KQ/s1600/TomBedford.20151105.4477-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Bi2ELlDKp0/VlIiVShdMhI/AAAAAAAAJnU/Zpn6jSrq0KQ/s640/TomBedford.20151105.4477-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In flight they appear even more distinctive, long legs trailing behind flashing black and white wings, with the black back standing out against white body:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rq_M4cKsDco/VlIic2nXh2I/AAAAAAAAJnk/ksoKBv8lLBs/s1600/TomBedford.20151105.4500-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rq_M4cKsDco/VlIic2nXh2I/AAAAAAAAJnk/ksoKBv8lLBs/s640/TomBedford.20151105.4500-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IL7zgz2KCrQ/VlIicxd6T-I/AAAAAAAAJno/y8xLfQr3rTw/s1600/TomBedford.20151105.4512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IL7zgz2KCrQ/VlIicxd6T-I/AAAAAAAAJno/y8xLfQr3rTw/s640/TomBedford.20151105.4512.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Click the settings cog at watch at 720p. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We spent about an hour with these fantastic creatures, before heading back to Masirah town. Masirah island was a strange place, a sandy outpost on the edge of the Indian Ocean. Camels were common here, in the sand between the coast and the central hills. Heading east of Masirah Island the next land is the Indian subcontinent on the other side of the Indian Ocean. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We checked the coast before catching our ferry back to the mainland. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lesser Sand Plover: </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WbUO-nTSpkI/VlIpuqryzgI/AAAAAAAAJoo/AkdnJhDxMLw/s1600/TomBedford.20151105.4569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="454" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WbUO-nTSpkI/VlIpuqryzgI/AAAAAAAAJoo/AkdnJhDxMLw/s640/TomBedford.20151105.4569.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SHRN8pgyaBs/VlIpv5C41VI/AAAAAAAAJow/U5VXJs6NJLA/s1600/TomBedford.20151105.4599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SHRN8pgyaBs/VlIpv5C41VI/AAAAAAAAJow/U5VXJs6NJLA/s640/TomBedford.20151105.4599.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sooty Gull, the abundant Gull of the Omani coast. Great bill colours!</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y5wTlED-t_M/VlIpvk4sU_I/AAAAAAAAJos/tM2Dk5q8-88/s1600/TomBedford.20151105.4620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y5wTlED-t_M/VlIpvk4sU_I/AAAAAAAAJos/tM2Dk5q8-88/s640/TomBedford.20151105.4620.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We caught the 8am ferry back to Shannon, but not before I fell in love with the young lady on the ticket counter at the ferry terminal. True, I could only see her wrists and eyes as she was wearing full hijab and burka. But that was enough. "Ticket" </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">she said, her voice a sweet river of dark chocolate, before she made full eye-contact. I plunged into the dark pools of her eyes, knowing I was lost and at her mercy</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">. "Mmmmhhhh" I mumbled. She looked at my ticket and said the words that broke my heart: "Next". We parted, never to meet again. Outside in the car Richard asked, "how was that?". "Intense" I replied. We boarded the ferry. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Below, t</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">he Shannah-Masirah ferry. We now knew to locate the Men's lounge and think we returned without causing great offence.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dnTuD2kcYjM/VlIp7d2VYdI/AAAAAAAAJpQ/O2S3w7eMniU/s1600/TomBedford.20151105.9246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dnTuD2kcYjM/VlIp7d2VYdI/AAAAAAAAJpQ/O2S3w7eMniU/s640/TomBedford.20151105.9246.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The viewing deck for the journey back to the mainland. Spot the European traveler:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--N5Yyavz-ek/VlIp8O4feaI/AAAAAAAAJpM/b_zr8_pC6oY/s1600/TomBedford.20151105.9249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="386" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--N5Yyavz-ek/VlIp8O4feaI/AAAAAAAAJpM/b_zr8_pC6oY/s640/TomBedford.20151105.9249.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We spent the entire one hour journey on deck. Wilson's Petrel were quite common away from the coasts, we came across a total of 25 in the central part of the journey back, together with Sooty and Heuglin's Gulls; Swift, Sandwhich and Little Terns. Arriving back at Barr Al Hickman we had a short while to explore the coast here. Barr Al Hickman is a vast flat area of sand, water and salt. Driving here, away from the roads, can be treacherous. Some areas were completely barren:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1dhXQMyVPD8/VlIp9jubx6I/AAAAAAAAJpU/Tx0fJb_IPm8/s1600/TomBedford.20151105.9251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="342" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1dhXQMyVPD8/VlIp9jubx6I/AAAAAAAAJpU/Tx0fJb_IPm8/s640/TomBedford.20151105.9251.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We headed south to the village of Filim, a traditional spot to view the wader flocks. In one scan from here I think I saw more shorebirds than I have ever seen from one single vantage point before. Out in the distance, behind the Flamingos in the foreground, are thousands upon thousands of waders:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5N7aRUFOZHM/VlIp1V5dRBI/AAAAAAAAJo8/KOf1uNicP_s/s1600/TomBedford.20151105.4649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5N7aRUFOZHM/VlIp1V5dRBI/AAAAAAAAJo8/KOf1uNicP_s/s640/TomBedford.20151105.4649.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The further back one looked, the more there were: </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cV92b3i7dg8/VlIp2OxXlFI/AAAAAAAAJpA/Y2KSikDDEqk/s1600/TomBedford.20151105.4654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cV92b3i7dg8/VlIp2OxXlFI/AAAAAAAAJpA/Y2KSikDDEqk/s640/TomBedford.20151105.4654.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> the light was against us and so was the time. We continued our journey south and drove inland into the desert... </span></div>
Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-49588339464349321552015-11-19T22:34:00.000+00:002015-11-19T22:34:58.349+00:00Oman: Arabian Sea pelagic from Muscat<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You can't beat a boat trip as a way to see seabirds, so I had arranged a 3 hour trip at dawn on a boat provided by Ocean Coral Tours at the Al Bustan Marina, just south-east of Muscat. Our main target was to get out to Al Fahl island where hopefully some Sooty Falcons would still be present, but we were also keen to see the local phalaropes, shearwaters and petrels. Using the GPS in my camera to geo-tag the pictures I took, we could plot our route, first out to Al Fahl Island, then further north-east to the open ocean, before sailing south back to the coast:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At 7am we left the harbour, at first accompanied by a couple of local fishing boats:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AdKIILU4DqQ/VkuRR-HIa1I/AAAAAAAAJkQ/dTYUz0mOsPs/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.9178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AdKIILU4DqQ/VkuRR-HIa1I/AAAAAAAAJkQ/dTYUz0mOsPs/s640/TomBedford.20151104.9178.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After 30 minutes or so, we began closing in on Al Fahl island:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c8JCmrohl0g/Vktt2MQ-jHI/AAAAAAAAJgQ/YaW-as7oEU8/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.9188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="374" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c8JCmrohl0g/Vktt2MQ-jHI/AAAAAAAAJgQ/YaW-as7oEU8/s640/TomBedford.20151104.9188.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As we approached the island, our first seabird appeared, a Persian Shearwater, heading east:</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Slu2nghTAAs/VkuKKWg_lLI/AAAAAAAAJh8/0GOONuvZtfE/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.3821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Slu2nghTAAs/VkuKKWg_lLI/AAAAAAAAJh8/0GOONuvZtfE/s640/TomBedford.20151104.3821.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OenJRD641ec/VkuKyYIe59I/AAAAAAAAJiI/JhXNHjjrU3U/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OenJRD641ec/VkuKyYIe59I/AAAAAAAAJiI/JhXNHjjrU3U/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4266.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have seen shearwaters of the Little Shearwater superspecies in the Indian Ocean before. Tropical Shearwaters (below left) appear much blacker (in good light) with a clean white underwing, especially the axilla. Persian Shearwater (below right) is a browner bird (in good light) with a much dirtier underwing, the axilla is obviously marked. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is depressing to note that my photography of shearwaters at sea in the intervening eight years has not improved one bit! </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7sCsFjsX6wY/Vkzwv5MNo7I/AAAAAAAAJkk/uZmv6dNqip4/s1600/Shearwater%2Bcomparison%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="394" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7sCsFjsX6wY/Vkzwv5MNo7I/AAAAAAAAJkk/uZmv6dNqip4/s640/Shearwater%2Bcomparison%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We then became aware that we were passing small flocks of Red-necked Phalaropes. These fabulous waders spend the winter in the Arabian Sea, such a contrast to seeing them on their high arctic breeding grounds:</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vaMsqHeukDE/VkuI-kWQ68I/AAAAAAAAJhw/9I90gDEKbkI/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vaMsqHeukDE/VkuI-kWQ68I/AAAAAAAAJhw/9I90gDEKbkI/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4274.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Coming across small flocks on a regular basis was a real treat:</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rcd8rP2OlFs/VkuIxr4LmMI/AAAAAAAAJho/aIJ5KxqAPEo/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rcd8rP2OlFs/VkuIxr4LmMI/AAAAAAAAJho/aIJ5KxqAPEo/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4049.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--PN3fEuLGLY/Vkzy82YQJRI/AAAAAAAAJks/3t8wy3HotSs/s1600/_V5B5029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--PN3fEuLGLY/Vkzy82YQJRI/AAAAAAAAJks/3t8wy3HotSs/s640/_V5B5029.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then our first major target species appeared. As we arrived at Al Fahl island Sooty Falcons were immediately obvious. Our first bird, like the majority here was a juvenile. These birds will make their migration to Madagascar in the next week or so:</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZqpUIfoYETE/VkuAHuNyzsI/AAAAAAAAJhI/0O-RSznq-SQ/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.3893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZqpUIfoYETE/VkuAHuNyzsI/AAAAAAAAJhI/0O-RSznq-SQ/s640/TomBedford.20151104.3893.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We had been concerned that we may be too late to catch up with Sooty Falcon, but on 4th November, we estimate that we saw between 20-30 birds still present around the island. Our captain told us that he had "many times" seen Sooty Falcons hunting Red-necked Phalaropes, usually in pairs, over the open ocean.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dcrNAH5dCnw/VktuEWdwi9I/AAAAAAAAJgk/e0cjGI8DAeQ/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.3940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dcrNAH5dCnw/VktuEWdwi9I/AAAAAAAAJgk/e0cjGI8DAeQ/s640/TomBedford.20151104.3940.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The adults were particularly smart:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3wtGs_p6BvI/VktuEI0kyQI/AAAAAAAAJgc/BQvyStJlioY/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.3960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3wtGs_p6BvI/VktuEI0kyQI/AAAAAAAAJgc/BQvyStJlioY/s640/TomBedford.20151104.3960.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dq7uYeZkX24/VktuDjrEMGI/AAAAAAAAJgY/kXw9r_zQhIA/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.3972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="446" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dq7uYeZkX24/VktuDjrEMGI/AAAAAAAAJgY/kXw9r_zQhIA/s640/TomBedford.20151104.3972.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We were treated to all sorts of behaviour from these fantastic falcons, birds soaring overhead, perching on the cliffs, one stooped at our boat, whistling low over our heads at incredible speed. As we circumnavigated the island we disturbed an Osprey. It left it's roost site on the cliffs and immediately became a target for the Sooty Falcons, one adult diving down to mob the much larger raptor:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G8F794Z0PWQ/VkuHaly7GWI/AAAAAAAAJhg/p4W-zYippGQ/s1600/Sooty%2BFalcon%2BOsprey%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="372" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G8F794Z0PWQ/VkuHaly7GWI/AAAAAAAAJhg/p4W-zYippGQ/s640/Sooty%2BFalcon%2BOsprey%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then a moment of real confusion. Richard picked up a bird flying in, low over the sea, from the north. I got onto it and saw a medium-sized bird flying on stiff wings, inter-spaced with short glides. Being in seabird-mode my first thought was "petrel?", but it was light brown and the flight action was wrong; then "wader?". But no, the bird flew past the back of the boat and began flying up and down under the overhanging cliffs at the base of the island, just above the waterline. It then landed on the cliffs, clinging to the rock. Finally all became clear - it was a Nightjar! Fresh in from Iran or Pakistan to the north, this nocturnal bird had completed its crossing of the Arabian Sea, arriving at the north Oman coast at dawn. We brought the boat in closer... </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hUJfH7cw7Sk/Vkz314BgRqI/AAAAAAAAJk0/7eJng2nJmM8/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.9183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hUJfH7cw7Sk/Vkz314BgRqI/AAAAAAAAJk0/7eJng2nJmM8/s640/TomBedford.20151104.9183.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">... and were treated to point blank views of a European Nightjar. A completely unexpected species on a boat trip, though Nightjars are a known identification pitfall for some seabird species (see <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Ok6qCQAAQBAJ&pg=PT190&lpg=PT190&dq=nightjars+at+sea&source=bl&ots=d_41g-lyae&sig=2ADnI-zHIdegSuccHKKj0cQa3gg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CD4Q6AEwBWoVChMIsbvp8YGbyQIVwWAPCh0uxQ-r#v=onepage&q&f=false" target="_blank">here</a> which also includes a picture of a day migrating Nightjar in Omani waters.) </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o7C7j8TGC8g/VktuGV8c7oI/AAAAAAAAJgw/arn2Zs9K05A/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o7C7j8TGC8g/VktuGV8c7oI/AAAAAAAAJgw/arn2Zs9K05A/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4024.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We left Al Fahl island in good spirits, one target species under our belt and a bonus Nightjar thrown in. I wanted to head further out to sea to try for Jouanin's Petrel. I spoke to our captain, described a large black seabird, mimed a glide, low over the waves and the penny dropped, "I know this bird" he said. We headed out to sea, north-east from Al Fahl island. After 22 minutes, though it seemed like longer as the swell increased, he shouted - there was an all dark seabird distantly in front of the boat: Jouanin's Petrel:</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-clSWtoQDLK8/VkuJgSdbTCI/AAAAAAAAJh0/OV7K4k2meNc/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-clSWtoQDLK8/VkuJgSdbTCI/AAAAAAAAJh0/OV7K4k2meNc/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4214.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Out in the open ocean, the swell was increasing and photography with a long lens was near impossible, staying upright was a challenge. Don't be fooled by the nice level horizon in these images, the originals have a 45</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 19.2px;">°</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> slant as we were thrown left and right by the waves.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AU7LKHcGYms/Vk5Arq50XnI/AAAAAAAAJlM/_B6i3ZPr42o/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AU7LKHcGYms/Vk5Arq50XnI/AAAAAAAAJlM/_B6i3ZPr42o/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4206.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our captain then said he thought he had seen something else, something white. I scanned across the horizon and came across a Pomarine Skua, which promptly began harassing the Jouanin's Petrel. The skua had a pale belly, is this what the captain had seen? I maneuvered myself into a seat and scanned from the port side again:</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bs_FGfPVnkw/VkuLcaWCfFI/AAAAAAAAJiQ/o0d_gjnkZi0/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bs_FGfPVnkw/VkuLcaWCfFI/AAAAAAAAJiQ/o0d_gjnkZi0/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4101.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A blow from a whale. That is what the captain had seen. "Whale" I shouted, when "there she blows" would have been better. We move closer. There are lots of whales. And some of them are huge:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z4HBwlvjnZs/VkuLcjnk6_I/AAAAAAAAJiY/Y9keygIYOeQ/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="378" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z4HBwlvjnZs/VkuLcjnk6_I/AAAAAAAAJiY/Y9keygIYOeQ/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4127.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BlFv7TSW26c/Vk5C2Io5DkI/AAAAAAAAJlU/8Os7sTUcxN0/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.9193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BlFv7TSW26c/Vk5C2Io5DkI/AAAAAAAAJlU/8Os7sTUcxN0/s640/TomBedford.20151104.9193.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--rOuMXJoBfk/VkuLcnaoy5I/AAAAAAAAJiU/VCJpnyVdy-A/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--rOuMXJoBfk/VkuLcnaoy5I/AAAAAAAAJiU/VCJpnyVdy-A/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4159.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The next 20 minutes will stay with me forever. We are in the company of a pod of 9 Sperm Whales, including at least one small calf. Sperm Whales exhale by lifting only the apex of that massive square head out of the water. Only the left nasal passage is used, creating a unique blow that rises forwards and to the left of the whale, reaching a good 2 metres in height:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PfI4fYlmj9I/VkuLgl8XUxI/AAAAAAAAJik/5Bnoduwn-Gc/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PfI4fYlmj9I/VkuLgl8XUxI/AAAAAAAAJik/5Bnoduwn-Gc/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4171.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then they dived and dived deep, leaving Richard and myself open-mouthed with shock and joy at what we had just witnessed. Even our captain was delighted, he had not seen whales for several years, we were just very, very lucky. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vN5TM5BmljE/VkuLg26OUKI/AAAAAAAAJio/EXXD6q3Obx8/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vN5TM5BmljE/VkuLg26OUKI/AAAAAAAAJio/EXXD6q3Obx8/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4186.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Capturing the experience of seeing cetaceans seems to work better with video than stills. Here is the result of my efforts. Probably best not to watch this video if you are prone to seasickness. Bear with me in the first 30 seconds, the footage gets much less wobbly at the end and finishes with a large pod of Spinner Dolphins:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">As always, click the settings cog and watch at 720p. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If we had just sailed back to Al Bustan Marina then we would have been more than happy. But there was more. A close flyby from another Persian Shearwater:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NexhnJyeZyI/VkuPZYoMagI/AAAAAAAAJjc/T4bh1zL9jrA/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NexhnJyeZyI/VkuPZYoMagI/AAAAAAAAJjc/T4bh1zL9jrA/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4247.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then a Wilson's Petrel came dancing through the waves towards us:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cm777lviBzE/VkuPV3Ih_lI/AAAAAAAAJjM/wv4pgvpdZEs/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cm777lviBzE/VkuPV3Ih_lI/AAAAAAAAJjM/wv4pgvpdZEs/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4223.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-86yfomIys80/VkuPWWP2-TI/AAAAAAAAJjU/kqlReOb1dEc/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-86yfomIys80/VkuPWWP2-TI/AAAAAAAAJjU/kqlReOb1dEc/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4224.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As we neared land we saw another Osprey, Sooty Gulls and Swift </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Terns </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(aka Greater Crested Terns) became common:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KjVjwBTbQFo/VkuQmKPeZRI/AAAAAAAAJj4/uJYcY7_qPMM/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KjVjwBTbQFo/VkuQmKPeZRI/AAAAAAAAJj4/uJYcY7_qPMM/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4321.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-05Wd0H6a15g/VkuQkvw2TYI/AAAAAAAAJjs/tMzBUpV6G5o/s1600/TomBedford.20151104.4366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-05Wd0H6a15g/VkuQkvw2TYI/AAAAAAAAJjs/tMzBUpV6G5o/s640/TomBedford.20151104.4366.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We passed the beautiful Omani coast, before heading back to the marina. Wow. One of the most memorable boat trips I have done, not for the numbers of seabirds, but for the quality of the species we saw and for an unforgettable close encounter with Sperm Whales.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Next: south for a wader spectacular!</span><br />
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<br />Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-70532402724696839642015-11-16T22:49:00.000+00:002015-11-16T22:49:55.565+00:00Oman: the north<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This was a trip, with long time friend Richard Campey, to see Sooty Falcon and Crab Plover, with anything else a bonus. The standard site guide for the region is Sargaent and Eriksen's superb "Birdwatching Guide to Oman". T</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">hanks are due to Richard Ebbs for recommendi</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ng <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Birds-Middle-East-Field-Guides/dp/0713676027" target="_blank">this</a> excellent field guide and for his trip report & map from his visit. On the ground I contacted <a href="http://birdingforalark.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Rob Tovey</a> in Salalah who gave us useful advice and joined us for the final afternoon. It was hot and sunny throughout, and the temperatures were punishingly relentless, typically reaching 32<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.2px;">°</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.2px;">- 34</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.2px;">°. In the shade. Which meant out in the sun it was pushing 40</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.2px;">°. At night temperatures dropped to 29</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.2px;">°. Stepping out before sunrise, it was hard to believe it would only get 5</span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.2px;">°</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.2px;"> or 6</span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.2px;">°</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.2px;"> warmer by midday. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We hired a 4x4 from Muscat airport, toured the north and the</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">n drove the length of the country south to Salalah, before</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> flying back to Muscat. </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">We were given a Mitsubishi</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> Pajero, perhaps the most famous cultural brand failure in the global car market. Named after</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> <i>Leopardus pajeros</i>, the Pampas Cat, it had to be re-branded as the Montero after the researchers failed to note that that "pajero" is slang for w****r in most Spanish speaking countries. I will leave you to guess which term we reserved for our vehicle. For us, it was perfect. Omani roads, which are otherwise excellent, are famous for having unmarked speed ramps on fast roads and we did have a couple of aerial moments, when the high road clearance was invaluable. However, the vehicle's height was most appreciated when an Arabian Chameleon stepped out in front of the car in the mountains east of Salalah: </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XeCAeDo1yVk/VkpEjecPOeI/AAAAAAAAJfM/F_owDSFlII4/s1600/ArabianChameleon-20096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XeCAeDo1yVk/VkpEjecPOeI/AAAAAAAAJfM/F_owDSFlII4/s640/ArabianChameleon-20096.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">I stepped on the brakes, but knew there was no chance of us stopping before we hit this beautiful reptile. I tried to keep the wheels either side of it and hoped that we could pass safely above it. Unfortunately when Chameleon are threatened they make themselves bigger, straightening their legs and raising their heads high above their bodies. This may fend off the various mammals that hunt them, but about 1.5 seconds before impact we were horrified to see the </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Chameleon</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> stop, straighten up and raise it's head. Decapitation was imminent. "No!" we simultaneously shouted as the Pajero, brakes screaming, shot over the </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Chameleon. We screeched to a halt and spun our heads around to survey the scene of butchery behind us. There, in the middle of the road, completely untouched was an Arabian </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Chameleon. It stalked it's way into the roadside bushes, to safety, where I am certain I heard it mutter, "pajero". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Most official birding tours of the country spend 10 - 14 days searching for the best birds, but we only had 8 days. This meant that we accepted in advance that we would not be able to see everything. Our timings were more planned around avoiding school holidays, as we both have children, rather than to target certain species. We wanted to be late enough in the season to try for some wintering species, but not so late we that we missed Sooty Falcon, which leave for Madagascar in mid-November. And hopefully no earlier. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1. Al Ansab Wetland Reserve, Muscat:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This fabulous site is just 15 minutes from the airport so was the logical first and last place we visited. A site visit must be booked via the <a href="https://www.haya.om/AlAnsabWetland.aspx" target="_blank">Haya Water website</a>, but is free. You are met at gate by a guide, who outlines the rules and then you are free to walk around. It was an interesting cultural experience to chat to an Arab woman about birds, but the guides know their stuff. Earlier is best. Delayed by fog on our departure from Heathrow, and cruelly deprived of sleep all night long by Omani Air, we did not arrive until 10:30am, when we stumbled out of the Pajero into blinding, intense heat. Fortunately the wildlife was fabulous:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Citrine Wagtails were common at the waterside:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Herons and Egrets were common. We recorded Greater Flamingo, Eurasian Spoonbill, Grey, Western Reef and Squacco Herons plus Great, Little and this Intermediate Egret:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Being a wetland in the desert, the water acted as a magnet to birds. There were waders everywhere, from White-tailed Plover to Ruffs and Common Sandpipers...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To Wood Sandpipers...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To Marsh Sandpipers....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To Temminck's Stints...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To Little Stints...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Raptors were constantly present. Ospreys, Marsh Harriers, Kestrels joined Steppe Eagles:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Booted Eagles:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And my favourite, Greater Spotted Eagles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Passerines were well represented in the trees. Isabelline Shrikes (Daurian as far as we could tell) perched up in the shade below the canopy, Arabian Babblers hopped about under the trees, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">tiny Green Bee-eaters were common and eye-catching:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Indian Silverbill:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clamorous Reed Warbler:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Red-tailed Wheatear:</span><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xMTPT2LOmmc/Vkd5Mp6SQjI/AAAAAAAAJeI/koL8G_kNpKw/s1600/TomBedford.20151110.7110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xMTPT2LOmmc/Vkd5Mp6SQjI/AAAAAAAAJeI/koL8G_kNpKw/s640/TomBedford.20151110.7110.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We also came across our first Sunbirds. Purple Sunbird, like this eclipse plumaged male below, were abundant on our second visit at 7am. On our first visit, mid-morning, we saw none. Timing, and heat, mean everything. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Qurm Park, Muscat:</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the centre of Muscat, another green watery oasis. There was a nice selection of waders on the stream that runs into the sea, the abundant Red-Wattled Lapwings together with Black-winged Stilts, Whimbrels, Redshanks, Green and Common Sandpipers. A sizable Ring-necked Parakeet roost was building up by dusk. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Abundant" does not really capture how many Common Myna's were present in the park:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uv0Jf7FIqGQ/VkpYWwGkdTI/AAAAAAAAJfw/VWEPwSo7yfs/s1600/TomBedford.20151102.3730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="328" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uv0Jf7FIqGQ/VkpYWwGkdTI/AAAAAAAAJfw/VWEPwSo7yfs/s640/TomBedford.20151102.3730.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our first Indian Rollers performed spectacularly. These birds flash violent blue in flight to human eyes. How these birds must appear to other birds in infra-red is beyond me. No wonder they roll and wing-flash at every opportunity: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A migrant Grey-headed Wagtail, <i>thunbergi</i>: </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 & 4: Liwa and Khatmat Milahah</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We ended our exploration of the north near the UAE border in far north-western Oman. We failed to see Collared Kingfisher at Liwa, but found things more productive at Khatmat Milahah. This was a dry, sandy area of desert, with scrubby Ghat Trees providing the perfect habitat for warblers: Ménétries' Warbler, Eastern Orphean Warbler and Asian Desert Warblers were in the scrub, Isabelline and Desert Wheatears out in the sun, with a few migrant Redstarts and Spotted Flycatchers as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Richard at Khatmat: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Having had a coupe of days out and about on the land, it was time to check the coast. Next, an Arabian Sea pelagic. </span>Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com128tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-50263082965120244062015-09-13T19:23:00.002+01:002015-09-13T19:23:45.661+01:00A 1,000 bird morning<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The gulls have arrived. Ploughing in the stubble always attracts loafing flocks of gulls, today there were around 300 present, spread over three fields. The usual three species were present, <b>Black-headed</b>, <b>Herring</b> and <b>Lesser Black Backed Gulls</b>, about 100 of each. Small numbers of<i> intermedius</i> <b>Lesser Black Backs</b> were the only gulls of note, their darker backs standing out among the more common <i>graellsii</i></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. I was hoping for a Yellow-legged Gull, though Common Gull would be a more realistic find, not yet recorded locally this year. Below is a typical scene from the east of the village:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Passerines were well represented today. <b>15 Siskin</b> headed east, continuing the influx into the county this autumn. A single <b>Yellow Wagtail</b> also flew east calling. <b>Blackcaps</b> and <b>Chiffchaffs</b> were present in most hedgerows, with family parties of<b> Blue</b>, <b>Long-tailed</b> and <b>Great Tits</b>. Hedgerows to the south held a few <b>Linnets </b>and <b>Yellowhammers</b>, including this bird (which I assume is a </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1st winter male, </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">aged on the yellow fringing to the folded primaries, the pristine coverts with no moult contrast and the rather pointed tail feathers):</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IVYWdGT16eA/VfVGLdegWYI/AAAAAAAAJY4/G8PF3RzdfKE/s1600/TomBedford.150913.2877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IVYWdGT16eA/VfVGLdegWYI/AAAAAAAAJY4/G8PF3RzdfKE/s640/TomBedford.150913.2877.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The horrendous picture below, over-manipulated to show some plumage details, is of a juvenile <b>Bullfinch</b>. I can't recall having seen this plumage before. The lack of a black cap gives them a strange open-faced appearance and reveals the true size of that massive bill:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Then two remarkable sights. Firstly, East Field held over 500 hirundines, about 50:50<b> Swallow:House Martin</b>, all feeding within 2 meters of the ground, with often up to 100 birds at a time resting on the stalks of the harvested oilseed plants. Most birds were juveniles. It was a strange experience, scanning across an oilseed field, counting hundreds of resting Swallows and Martins: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Secondly, a <b>Whinchat </b>popped up on a nearby hedgerow - the third of the autumn and bird of the morning:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So by the time I had returned to the village I had recorded over 1,000 birds for the morning. It is not often that I can say that (for random exceptions see <a href="http://birdlesscuddesdon.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/a-carpet-of-fieldfares.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://birdlesscuddesdon.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/a-perfect-storm.html" target="_blank">here</a>). </span><br />
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85 species for the year; 107 since 2008.<br />
<br />Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-9678251014578433412015-09-06T19:32:00.000+01:002015-09-06T19:32:40.100+01:00Double Whinchat morning<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In a year in which weekend commitments have meant precious little time to check the local birdlife, opportunity came knocking this morning. The harvest is done, ploughing has begun and today was gloriously sunny. On the open areas to the north of the village, this <b>Whinchat</b> was immediately obvious, accompanied by <b>2 Wheatears</b>, reminiscent of<a href="http://www.birdlesscuddesdon.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/boom.html" target="_blank"> late August 2013</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Good numbers of </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">House Martins</b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> and </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Swallows</b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> remain around the village, with </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">4 Yellow Wagtails</b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> calling in flight from various fields. There was a </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hobby</b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> over the river valley, but even better another </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Whinchat</b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> to the south of the village - the first record of more than one in a day:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A productive excursion, with a real feeling of migration underway. Had time allowed I felt confident that I could have picked out a Redstart from one of hedgerows, surely there must be one out there somewhere? </span>Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-53431635319714590232015-05-25T21:48:00.000+01:002015-05-25T21:48:07.139+01:00Spotted Flycatcher <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Seven long years. That is how long it took to add <b>Spotted Flycatcher</b> to the Cuddesdon bird list. But today was that day. A movement in the top of the willows by the River Thame. A movement that returned to the branch from where it had flown, pumped it's tail and looked over it's shoulder as if to say "hello boys". There was a brief moment of celebration, arms raised to the sky. But only after I had the record shot:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bsDD136nLhs/VWN90s_72iI/AAAAAAAAJR8/yM0mZiEqo4o/s1600/TomBedford.150525.9540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bsDD136nLhs/VWN90s_72iI/AAAAAAAAJR8/yM0mZiEqo4o/s640/TomBedford.150525.9540.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I suspect that 20 years ago there were several pairs in the village and the species was regular as a migrant. Not now, Spotted Flycatcher is a very scarce local bird in the county. Could the systematic use of insecticide over several decades have contributed to the decline of this insectivore? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was down by the river as it was time for the second part of the Waterways Breeding Bird Survey for the BTO. It wasn't easy this year as the meadows by the River are being grazed by what turned out to be a particular aggressive herd of cows. I tried ignoring them, then shouting at them and ended up having to climb over a fence to avoid their attention. Last month our neighbour </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Salt (first introduced on these blog pages </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://birdlesscuddesdon.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/come-on-in-water-is-terrifying.html" target="_blank">here</a></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">) had to throw himself into the river to avoid the bull. Not wishing to copy his moves, as I was with camera, I choose the "safety" of the huge beds of nipple-high stinging nettles in the woods instead. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Away from the trauma of actually completing the survey, most of the expected summer migrants were back: <b>Garden Warblers</b>, <b>Blackcaps</b>, <b>Chiffchaffs</b>, <b>Whitethroats</b>. The local breeders were in full swing, with a large flock of <b>15 Long-tailed Tits</b>. The reeds that fringe the narrow River Thame held a few singing <b>Reed Warblers</b>... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> ... and these birds were attracting the attention of a male <b>Cuckoo</b>:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This bird has been driving me insane in recent weeks. It roosts on the eastern edge of the village and is getting desperate to attract a female. Before this week I had not given any thought to the question "what time does a Cuckoo wake up?". I can now report that on Thursday it began calling at 03:54 and on Friday at 03:42. Even through our double glazing the insistent, onomatopoetic song could pierce my unconsciousness. Fortunately this bird appears to move away from the village soon after waking, allowing me some time to rediscover my own unconsciousness. Or at least a couple of hours before I found myself running from cows and throwing myself into the nettle beds again. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">81 species for the year, 107 in total since 2008. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-34614182355244333482015-04-14T22:10:00.000+01:002015-04-14T22:10:08.076+01:00Early April Sunrises <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I've been watching the sun rise this week. There have been some cracking mornings: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And this morning, there was even a migrant bird perched out in front of a boiling red dawn: the first<b> Wheatear</b> of the year: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One morning I found two Muntjac Deer foraging in the pre-dawn light:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once the sun got going, the local wildlife began to respond. Singing <b>Corn Bunting</b>: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Friday was Peacock Butterfly day, they were everywhere, basking on every patch of open ground:</span><br />
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67 species for the year </div>
Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-55740119557704606612015-04-06T10:47:00.000+01:002015-04-06T10:47:06.146+01:00Toadageddon<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It has been a good year for for Common Toads in our garden. We now have at least 5 by our back door, spending the day hiding in damp corners. This morning two pairs were in <i>amplexus</i> (latin for "embrace") the male claiming his female by grasping her back: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> The face of sexual ecstasy. In Toad terms: </span><br />
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<br />Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-56973144644686098472015-04-04T13:40:00.000+01:002015-04-04T13:41:58.677+01:00Some Arctic Circle Wildlife: a video<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You've seen the pictures, now here is some video. Best to watch at 720p: </span></div>
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Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-878889051427015022015-03-22T21:39:00.000+00:002015-03-22T21:39:01.050+00:00Norway: Ptarmigan<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Having spent a pleasant morning in the intimate company of several hundred Eiders of three different species, I decided to spend the afternoon in the hills above Båtsfjord looking for Ptarmigan. There were a number of potential problems with this plan. Firstly, in winter Ptarmigan are nearly completely white. Despite the unseasonable warmth of the last two weeks, it had snowed in the night and the tops were blanketed in fresh snow. It was not always easy to differentiate the land from the sky:</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Picking out a white bird in that white habitat was not going to be easy. Secondly, shortly after arriving on top of Båtsfjordfjellet, the weather closed in, an unpleasant combination of high winds, thick fog and blizzards. I didn't get out of the car, but turned around and descended back towards Båtsfjord. At lower levels, the weather was calmer, but I kept nervously looking behind me at the weather. Getting caught alone on the hills by that weather had all the hallmarks of a good mountain rescue story. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Fortunately I knew that the Ptarmigan would not be on the very top during the winter. I was looking for small lower valleys, ideally with dwarf birch trees that they could feed upon. I choose a random bend in the road, parked my car and set out alone into the snow, reassuring myself with Oates's last words: "<i>I am just going outside, I may be some time</i>". </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I climbed the ridge above the road, took the picture below back towards my car and used the digital compass in the GPS settings in my camera. I decided I would walk east. Providing the battery lasted in my camera I felt I should be able to navigate back, even in a white-out. Probably. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Me on the ridge in full view-master mode. I then headed into the hills behind me in this picture: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After at least 45 minutes walking, having seen nothing but Reindeer, I dropped down into a small valley. This looked more promising. Unfortunately, a little snow blindness was creeping in. I was in an effectively overexposed habitat, without any eye protection. I noticed that I was missing my footing more often, as I failed to make out dips and crests in the snow. As I entered the valley, the snow was quite deep. Everything was acutely white. Everything that was except a strange, small black line some ten meters in front of me. What was that? I stopped, squinted and then threw myself down into the snow. A Ptarmigan was stationary in the snow, just in front of me! But the only thing I could make out was the black line joining the eye and the bill. The rest of the bird was pretty much invisible: </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xxhmfHdbKr0/VQ8iHynhI7I/AAAAAAAAJKk/fUslwSiZRnI/s1600/TomBedford.20150304.8021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xxhmfHdbKr0/VQ8iHynhI7I/AAAAAAAAJKk/fUslwSiZRnI/s1600/TomBedford.20150304.8021.jpg" height="436" width="640" /></a></div>
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</span> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Looking through my camera, I realised I could see much more. I had found a male Ptarmigan, a white bird in a white-out! I cranked the exposure down, took some pictures, but the autofocus struggled with the lack of anything other than white to lock onto. I even tried a little video, hand held with a telephoto lens, so it is wobbly. But you can still see that everytime the bird turns it's head away from the camera, so that the black line between eye and bill is hidden, the autofocus goes hunting. Should have switched to manual focus, I know, I know:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have edited the following photos significantly, in the moment, everything was blindingly white. If I bring the exposure up to normal levels the results resemble the picture above. Only by reducing the white can I bring out the detail in the pictures. I never thought I would get views such as these of Ptarmigan in winter:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Then, perhaps sensing my inadequacies in this environment, this fabulous male Ptarmigan, walked slowly behind a ridge... </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">... which cunningly hid the lower half of his body and tail and then took flight. As he wheeled away I caught a glimpse of the all black tail and then he was gone. What a moment. I was ecstatic. Mission accomplished, I followed my tracks back to the car and was back in civilisation within two hours, just before the weather closed in. </span>Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-86614651112427705282015-03-19T20:51:00.000+00:002015-03-19T20:51:24.404+00:00Norway: Eiders. Lots of Eiders. <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Eiders: the beautiful sea ducks of the north. And being northern sea ducks they have to have world class insulation. You don't survive the winter in the Barents Sea without it. For most people without direct experience of seeing these birds they are forever associated with the contents of your bedding: eiderdown. Indeed, the French name for Common Eider is <i>Eider á duvet</i>. But if you have seen one of the three species of Eider that are regularly found in northern Europe, then you will have a different association. For these are beautiful birds, usually found in beautiful places. Common Eiders are special birds. But they have two stunningly attractive cousins: King Eiders and Steller's Eiders. In Båtsfjord, on the extreme northern tip of mainland Europe, you can see all three species together.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My previous experience of seeing King Eider was limited and distant. A first winter male in, but mostly behind the waves, off Holkham, Norfolk some ten years ago. Then there was a small flock of males off Longyearbayen in Svalbard in 2011. They were perhaps 2km away, just pale blobs of colour, virtually unidentifiable even in the 'scope. Today was going to be the day that all changed, as I was booked in to use <a href="http://arctictourist.no/en-US/default.aspx" target="_blank">Ørjan Hansen</a>'s floating Eider hide in </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Båtsfjord harbour. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The setting: the red building on the right of the photo below is the fish processing plant in </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Båtsfjord</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. Fish waste is discarded into the water under the jetty that it stands on. The three species of Eider that winter in the fjord and the adjacent Barents Sea have discovered this easy source of food and come into the harbour to feed. The floating photography hide is the long dark object, moored to the left of the factory. Photographers are brought into the hide at first light and then picked up at lunchtime as feeding activity reduces. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was picked up at 05:25, I met up with my companions for the day, a friendly Dutch couple and we were in the hide by 06:00, well before sunrise: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The hide takes up to eight people, so having the entire thing to share between three of us made for a relaxed experience. As soon as the boat that had brought us over departed, Eiders began flying in from the fjord. Initially <b>Common Eiders</b>...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">.. but soon lines of <b>Queen Eiders</b> began streaming in:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Yeah, I just noticed the mustard yellow bill and frontal lobes on the male Common Eider in the middle of the picture too. I can't make out any scapular sails, though the angle is unhelpful, so I'm assuming that this is a <span style="background-color: white;">variant </span>Common Eider rather than a Northern Eider,<i> borealis</i>? If you think differently: tell me!). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And then royalty arrived. <b>King Eiders</b>, regal in yellow, orange and blue, steaming in, getting closer all the time: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">These are truly stunning birds:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Many drakes began displaying as soon as they arrived:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1jibjTpnvZM/VQqRiTTPJYI/AAAAAAAAJE8/Ead09fyoGig/s1600/TomBedford.20150304.0925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1jibjTpnvZM/VQqRiTTPJYI/AAAAAAAAJE8/Ead09fyoGig/s1600/TomBedford.20150304.0925.jpg" height="410" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The King Eiders were not only completely relaxed by the hide, they were almost inquisitive as to what was going on inside. Many were close enough to touch. It was not difficult to photograph them. The reflections from the fish factory painted the water a lovely red colour. Next year they are repainting the building blue, so expect to see lots of King Eider photographs bathed in deep Mediterranean blue. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To lie in the hide in such close proximity to these fabulous arctic sea duck was a real thrill. Getting close to these species outside of the hide would be impossible. Here some birds almost entered the hide they were so close. Both sexes of <b>King Eider</b> would regularly swim within 2 meters of me, giving incredible, intimate views:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The floating hide is clearly reflected in the eye of this drake <b>King Eider</b>:</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Queen Eiders:</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b> ♂ </b><b>Common Eider</b>, or if you are French,<b> </b></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Eider á duvet: </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">♀ Common Eider: </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>♀ King Eider </b>for comparison:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tJrQ8yn3wAs/VQsh3R5e8AI/AAAAAAAAJJo/nDt_sjpuhmU/s1600/TomBedford.20150304.1614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tJrQ8yn3wAs/VQsh3R5e8AI/AAAAAAAAJJo/nDt_sjpuhmU/s1600/TomBedford.20150304.1614.jpg" height="382" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sure, there are differences in the feather pattern around the bill in female Common and King Eiders. But the smaller size, more rounded head and darker bill stood out much more for me. Plus the Queen smiles more: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">♂<b> Stellers's Eider: </b>the smallest, rarest and most duck-like of the Eiders present in Båtsfjord harbour: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">These birds take on a completely different appearance when viewed head on. The dark spots on their flanks mirror the dark eyes on the pale head, set off by the darkest of green neck collar and throat patch: </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5QVEHMR5UZw/VQqR29Oqk-I/AAAAAAAAJFo/yHz5HkpTKjw/s1600/TomBedford.20150304.1396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5QVEHMR5UZw/VQqR29Oqk-I/AAAAAAAAJFo/yHz5HkpTKjw/s1600/TomBedford.20150304.1396.jpg" height="434" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The green tuft on the back of the head is an unusual feature:</span><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5wUq4mBYXHE/VQqWirEIA3I/AAAAAAAAJIk/XDonvlhlAHE/s1600/TomBedford.20150304.1754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5wUq4mBYXHE/VQqWirEIA3I/AAAAAAAAJIk/XDonvlhlAHE/s1600/TomBedford.20150304.1754.jpg" height="444" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;">Below, a </span><b style="text-align: left;">♀ Steller's Eider</b><span style="text-align: left;">, just out of arm's reach. There can be no confusing this female Eider with the other two Eider species present. If it looks like a duck, it's a Steller's! </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wmANSpVjyEE/VQqR7ZiKxXI/AAAAAAAAJGA/pEoNQP-JF3Q/s1600/TomBedford.20150304.1579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wmANSpVjyEE/VQqR7ZiKxXI/AAAAAAAAJGA/pEoNQP-JF3Q/s1600/TomBedford.20150304.1579.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>♀ Steller's Eider</b>, with <b>Queen Eider </b>in background. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>♂ Long-tailed Ducks </b>provided the soundtrack to the experience, a constant evocative yelping. The males were very smart in winter plumage:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c2DNXLzOKWE/VQqR9-TiuYI/AAAAAAAAJGQ/iajiXeXcrr4/s1600/TomBedford.20150304.1668.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c2DNXLzOKWE/VQqR9-TiuYI/AAAAAAAAJGQ/iajiXeXcrr4/s1600/TomBedford.20150304.1668.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b_m5zfl1oaA/VQqSGlkS-PI/AAAAAAAAJG4/XyU_5ulUlHE/s1600/TomBedford.20150304.1843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b_m5zfl1oaA/VQqSGlkS-PI/AAAAAAAAJG4/XyU_5ulUlHE/s1600/TomBedford.20150304.1843.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>♀ Long-tailed Duck</b>. Cute. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I got lucky with my companions in the photo hide. I shared it with this friendly Dutch couple. We are not obese, despite our appearances in the photo, below. The red survival suits are seriously bulky. Honest. We also shared an aversion to the suggestion that we should spend some time getting some "escape shots" of the eiders in the fjord. These resting eiders are chased by the photo-boat daily at this time of year. Surely this will discourage birds from gathering eventually? We passed one flock of King Eiders, saw them take off, then we asked to head back to </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Båtsfjord. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1st winter <b>Glaucous Gull</b>, checking out the boat on the way back. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What an experience. Now I can say that I have seen King Eiders. Highly recommended. </span>Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-87500938090002011552015-03-18T08:34:00.000+00:002015-03-18T13:00:31.529+00:00Leaving Finland, driving north<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I leave the Pine Grosbeaks, Siberian Jays and <b>Siberian Tits</b> in northern Lapland...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> ...and drive north. The cars here have metal discs embedded into the tyres, resulting the in surprising experience of driving at 80kph on pure ice. For over 300km. I pass through some small places, some with extraordinary long names:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Past huge frozen waterfalls... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">... and enter Northern Norway. Norway never disappoints:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I approach the plateau above Båtsfjord. In heavy snow they run convoys every few hours behind snowploughs, so the road never really closes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I pass the exact spot where I had my number one "birds in snow" moment (Gyrfalcon hunting Willow Grouse on foot; see <b><a href="http://birdlesscuddesdon.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/my-top-10-bird-in-snow-moments.html" target="_blank">here</a></b> for the full top 10)</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and reach the top of the plateau, where Reindeer await:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then down into </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Båtsfjord. Tomorrow is Eider time. </span><br />
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<br />Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-6155876254722612332015-03-12T09:02:00.000+00:002015-03-12T09:03:58.801+00:00Finland: Pine Grosbeak<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Warning: this post contains explicit images of Pine Grosbeaks. Please only continue if you are aware of the consequences of viewing such material. </b></span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It may get expensive.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They came from the heavens, perching up on the highest trees:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then these huge, thrush-sized birds, would swoop to descend to branches overlooking the feeding site. Females and young birds are bronze and grey:</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Adult males are stunning in vivid raspberry red:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Grosbeaks ("large bills") were only focused on the seed and were typically approachable. This apparent tameness and reluctance to fly is responsible for their old Swedish name of "<i>silly fool</i>". In Newfoundland, they are locally known as "<i>mopes</i>". Some birds dropped down to feed 2 -3 meters away from me. Other birds, when squabbling with each other, flew so close to my face, I could feel the wind from their wings on my cheek. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">30-40 birds were in the area, with up to 15 feeding together at one time. To sit quietly by feeding flocks of Grosbeaks was a huge thrill, they are fabulous birds. Naturally there was some interaction between birds, both Grosbeak on Grosbeak and Grosbeak on Redpoll action. I captured a little of the latter at the end of this video:</span><br />
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</span>Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-22283485748697030112015-03-11T09:21:00.000+00:002015-03-11T09:26:00.874+00:00Finland: Redpolls<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I have always wanted to see Pine Grosbeaks. Those charismatic inhabitants of northern forests, big red males and gorgeous bronze-coloured females. Their Latin name sums them up perfectly: </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Pinicola enucleator,</i> pine forest dwelling seed extractor. </span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Having decided that this would be the year, I travelled up to Ivalo in northern Finland last week and stayed at Neljan Tuula Tupa, a well known guesthouse in the forests, with what must be one of the largest piles of bird seed on the planet, forming a small snow covered hill next to the property. This seed mountain attracts a small flock of Pine Grosbeaks, a big flock of Common and Arctic Redpolls, with Siberian Tits and Siberian Jay also dropping in.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Early March in Finland usually sees temperatures of between -20° and -10° with cold sunny skies. I had no such luck. It was unseasonably warm, -2° to +2° with low heavy cloud, putting paid to any dreams of photography in bright light or even seeing the northern lights. Dawn last week found me sitting outside in northern Finland in front of the small seed mountain. The Red Squirrels that had kept me awake most of the night as they frolicked in the roof space above my bed were foraging around the guesthouse. Pine Grosbeaks were obviously not early risers, but the Redpoll flock were: 30-40 were dropping down to feed on the seed mountain, regularly exploding back up into the trees, before returning back to the seed.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Redpoll identification is not straightforward, is still evolving and I am no expert! However, most of the flock seemed to be <b>Common Redpolls</b> (aka Mealy Redpoll,<i> flammea</i>), with lots of flank streaking, brown mantle feathering with thick black centres and well marked ear coverts:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some male Common Redpolls were liberally pink: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">In with the Common Redpolls were some <b>Coues's Arctic Redpolls</b> (<i>exilipes</i>). Classic birds appeared very pale, mainly white and grey, with greyish mantle feathering with thin black centres and more white to the wing feather edges when compared to Common Redpoll. The face appeared cleaner, washed with light brown, without the well marked ear coverts of Common Redpoll: </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most had a single dark streak on the central undertail coverts:</span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The wings (greater covert tips, tertial fringes and primary fringes) were broadly edged in clean white, creating a more contrasting black and white pattern when compared to the limited whitish/brown edging to the wings in Common Redpoll:</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XY6TOJRB47A/VP_7o31ATqI/AAAAAAAAI9g/Un_ResNw_rQ/s1600/TomBedford.20150303.0590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XY6TOJRB47A/VP_7o31ATqI/AAAAAAAAI9g/Un_ResNw_rQ/s1600/TomBedford.20150303.0590.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Pink males. At the back of the photo below is a typically pale, bull-necked <b>Coues's Arctic Redpoll</b>, with a clean face, washed with light brown and limited flank streaking. This was about as much pink as I saw on an </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>exilipes</i>. In the foreground is a very red male <b>Common Redpoll</b>. Despite being</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> completely out of focus, you can still make out the greater range and intensity of the pinkish red on the breast and crown, much stronger flank streaking and the brown well marked ear coverts: </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DCl0-X1Wd3c/VP_2pErwk5I/AAAAAAAAI9Q/kAspVPVGlYU/s1600/TomBedford.20150306.8258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DCl0-X1Wd3c/VP_2pErwk5I/AAAAAAAAI9Q/kAspVPVGlYU/s1600/TomBedford.20150306.8258.jpg" height="444" width="640" /></a></div>
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">So the classic birds, especially the males, were distinguishable. But there were some female and first winter birds that were much less clear cut. Here is a taste of the Redpoll experience:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Then a monster of a bird thudded down in the snow, dwarfing the Redpolls. The Grosbeaks had arrived...</span></span><br />
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</span></span>Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-30876062204159054462014-12-31T22:23:00.000+00:002014-12-31T22:23:11.614+00:002014: a year of Cuddesdon wildlife in pictures<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the beginning, there were floods:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rYSRr6uDbuc/VKQ38X6vNyI/AAAAAAAAIxs/YAOGomJRcpw/s1600/TomBedford.140105.6181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rYSRr6uDbuc/VKQ38X6vNyI/AAAAAAAAIxs/YAOGomJRcpw/s1600/TomBedford.140105.6181.jpg" height="354" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dN2MSP_2mP0/VKQ3-IqC4DI/AAAAAAAAIyA/2cQjC-LB1Bg/s1600/TomBedford.140105.6211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dN2MSP_2mP0/VKQ3-IqC4DI/AAAAAAAAIyA/2cQjC-LB1Bg/s1600/TomBedford.140105.6211.jpg" height="372" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And floods means birds:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b> Gadwall</b> are very rare local birds: </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mkRlzWbH8nM/VKQ38R2IUbI/AAAAAAAAIxw/XmRZsJOkdDg/s1600/TomBedford.140105.6176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mkRlzWbH8nM/VKQ38R2IUbI/AAAAAAAAIxw/XmRZsJOkdDg/s1600/TomBedford.140105.6176.jpg" height="434" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A mad march Hare, hiding in the dew:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The first of three new species for the area this year, a 1st winter male <b>Merlin</b> on 1st March:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_-rqFj-MVHk/VKQ4ebeU9ZI/AAAAAAAAIyY/1SSUpyukAg8/s1600/TomBedford.140301.6427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_-rqFj-MVHk/VKQ4ebeU9ZI/AAAAAAAAIyY/1SSUpyukAg8/s1600/TomBedford.140301.6427.jpg" height="470" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b9CVNiJUkuY/VKQ4mD5THMI/AAAAAAAAIyg/zHI2P4yctzQ/s1600/TomBedford.140311.3579-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b9CVNiJUkuY/VKQ4mD5THMI/AAAAAAAAIyg/zHI2P4yctzQ/s1600/TomBedford.140311.3579-2.jpg" height="430" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tWi0py0_sRY/VKQ4q84ZyhI/AAAAAAAAIyo/LUHudAjCu04/s1600/TomBedford.140313.3639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tWi0py0_sRY/VKQ4q84ZyhI/AAAAAAAAIyo/LUHudAjCu04/s1600/TomBedford.140313.3639.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">New species number two, a drake <b>Mandarin</b> - not even on the "completely unexpected" list: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Spring brought the first migrants, including this nice male <b>Yellow Wagtail</b>:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0ya9ZvkoG10/VKQ4-lSEPDI/AAAAAAAAIy4/VsIYfytGxRY/s1600/TomBedford.140421.6976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0ya9ZvkoG10/VKQ4-lSEPDI/AAAAAAAAIy4/VsIYfytGxRY/s1600/TomBedford.140421.6976.jpg" height="490" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The best new species of 2014: new species number three, a reeling <b>Grasshopper Warbler</b> on a fabulous morning of spring migration that had already included a fly-through male Whinchat: </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6asK2vGrvqM/VKQ4_YXXzRI/AAAAAAAAIy8/odOU3Os1DZw/s1600/TomBedford.140421.6991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6asK2vGrvqM/VKQ4_YXXzRI/AAAAAAAAIy8/odOU3Os1DZw/s1600/TomBedford.140421.6991.jpg" height="436" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A male <b>Cuckoo</b> was resident in late Spring:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The <b>Hobby</b> nest, complete with three young. The lone light of conservation for the year:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the young <b>Hobbys</b> in August, before departing for Africa for the winter: </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xKfIDi7hdwM/VKQ8YNMMoVI/AAAAAAAAIzU/b8jpA5FQBEE/s1600/TomBedford.140816.6821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xKfIDi7hdwM/VKQ8YNMMoVI/AAAAAAAAIzU/b8jpA5FQBEE/s1600/TomBedford.140816.6821.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Late summer saw a number of <b>Green Woodpecker</b> fledglings: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An autumn <b>Whinchat</b>... </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6qXUI_ehTF4/VKRA9F2UFBI/AAAAAAAAI0E/Uh2RMAqYY2E/s1600/TomBedford.140913.7109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6qXUI_ehTF4/VKRA9F2UFBI/AAAAAAAAI0E/Uh2RMAqYY2E/s1600/TomBedford.140913.7109.jpg" height="436" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> ... with autumn <b>Wheatears </b>(that was about it for autumn migration):</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MLNcrvNYA2o/VKRA8joP1gI/AAAAAAAAI0A/XCz9q8fpriU/s1600/TomBedford.140913.7117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MLNcrvNYA2o/VKRA8joP1gI/AAAAAAAAI0A/XCz9q8fpriU/s1600/TomBedford.140913.7117.jpg" height="436" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And autumn became winter:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VmpWYqqvEj0/VKRBTVLimKI/AAAAAAAAI0k/CCD6wPjX_8w/s1600/TomBedford.141229.2958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VmpWYqqvEj0/VKRBTVLimKI/AAAAAAAAI0k/CCD6wPjX_8w/s1600/TomBedford.141229.2958.jpg" height="472" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Let's hope this is the only year when it takes 363 days to record a <b>Lapwing</b>: </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mo-0h4COvd4/VKRBUjr8l9I/AAAAAAAAI0w/e_BzprnmFqE/s1600/TomBedford.141228.2899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mo-0h4COvd4/VKRBUjr8l9I/AAAAAAAAI0w/e_BzprnmFqE/s1600/TomBedford.141228.2899.jpg" height="330" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And the year finished in style, with a record total of 93 species and some fabulous sunrises:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Bird of The Year 2014?</b> A tie, between the <b><span style="color: red;">Merlin</span></b> on 1st March and the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">Grasshopper Warbler</span></b> on 21st April. Both represent quality local birds, both were new to the Cuddesdon area: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2014 was a record year, in terms of the total number of species recorded; it contained the largest number of new species for many years (3 in total) and had one of the best days of spring migration that I have seen here. The best year yet.</span>Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-84464995563847561992014-12-30T19:26:00.002+00:002014-12-30T19:26:59.315+00:00Day 364: a new record<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another dawn, another </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">-4°</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> frozen morning, another attempt at adding another bird species to the Cuddesdon year list. And like yesterday I have about 40 minutes of usable light before work. Having failed with Green Sandpiper yesterday, its back into the woods for Woodcock. Hopefully. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To find Woodcock I look for bracken. I have flushed Woodcock from an area of the wood with a reasonable bracken understory in previous years, but I tried there on Sunday without luck. I am determined to try again today. The woods are filled with birds: <b>Redwings</b> <i>seep-</i>ing from every treetop, <b>Lesser Redpolls</b> calling as they fly over, a drumming <b>Great Spotted Woodpecker</b>, <b>Blackbirds</b>, <b>Song Thrushes</b> and <b>Woodpigeons</b> everywhere. Small flocks of <b>Golden Plover</b> move south, high above the canopy, <b>Red Kites</b> whistle and <b>Buzzards</b> leave their perches to defrost. Ten minutes of tramping through the bracken and I have covered the area without a glimpse of a Woodcock. Where are they? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I look down at the gully next to the wood, white with frozen bracken. I have no other choice, so begin picking my way down the icy slope, bracken cracking under every step. Then it happened. A blur of rounded, brown wings and a glimpse, a momentary impression, of a medium sized bird that vanished into the adjoining trees almost as soon as I saw it. Surely that was a Woodcock? I then found myself pondering the indeterminate identification puzzle: what else could it have been? The truth is, it could not have been anything else, but I have long been aware of the dangers of claiming an identification on the grounds of "what else could it have been?". In my mind there is a world of difference, and a weight of evidence, between "what else could it have been?" and "it was a Woodcock". One hangs on hope and conjecture, an opportunity missed. The other is a definitive identification. I know that if I am still in the realm of "what else could it be?", then I have not seen enough to positively know the identification. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I continue down the slope. There is another explosion of wings, a bird rises rapidly towards the canopy, this time I get onto with my binoculars: it has a pot belly, a long downward pointing bill and is beautifully cryptically brown: it is a <b>Woodcock</b>. It is the 93rd species of bird I have seen in Cuddesdon this year and it is a personal record. A small amount of silent air-punching follows. A Woodcock. And so was the first bird. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I emerge from the woodland just as the sun breaks the horizon and, as if in celebration, I am confronted by one of the most glorious sunrises of the year:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8u7RkEFGz5k/VKLh9-04vhI/AAAAAAAAIw4/s9tgCHux0Hs/s1600/Frosty_Panorama%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8u7RkEFGz5k/VKLh9-04vhI/AAAAAAAAIw4/s9tgCHux0Hs/s1600/Frosty_Panorama%2B2.jpg" height="344" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes, when you get it just right, you can see that the sun is a star, exposed by the slow turning of our globe. Crazily counterintuitive, but equally beautiful. The morning light, despite being frozen, was so soft, it was almost possible to make the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">chemical</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">agricultural deserts of Cuddesdon appear crafted and textual:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-44403giQXqo/VKLh-GCj-1I/AAAAAAAAIw8/52XIrZGSAhg/s1600/TomBedford.141230.2994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-44403giQXqo/VKLh-GCj-1I/AAAAAAAAIw8/52XIrZGSAhg/s1600/TomBedford.141230.2994.jpg" height="354" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are some rather better views of Woodcock that I have had: from Sweden (below) and Poland (bottom):</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dAVbXtriyGA/VKL6nwObivI/AAAAAAAAIxY/-pWCHtBSTxY/s1600/TomBedford.100522.woodcock%2B1_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dAVbXtriyGA/VKL6nwObivI/AAAAAAAAIxY/-pWCHtBSTxY/s1600/TomBedford.100522.woodcock%2B1_edited-1.jpg" height="580" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5ST_lvscgOs/VKL6ml6zUnI/AAAAAAAAIxQ/Gan78Jb2QCM/s1600/TomBedford.110516.8224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5ST_lvscgOs/VKL6ml6zUnI/AAAAAAAAIxQ/Gan78Jb2QCM/s1600/TomBedford.110516.8224.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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93 species for the year. It is official: 2014 is the best year yet.Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-7819756370896332882014-12-29T19:52:00.002+00:002014-12-29T19:52:39.515+00:00Day 363<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now things are getting serious. Firstly, in the last 24 hours I have been contacted by two people informing me of bird sightings in the Cuddesdon area. Heartfelt thanks go out to Steve Lockey, who recognised my need for Lapwings by letting me know there were some in fields to the south-east of the village. Then last night Andrew Callender shattered my peace with news of a Green Sandpiper by the river north of Cuddesdon Mill on December 22nd. Six days is a long time for a Green Sandpiper to hang around, especially over the Christmas period when the number of people going out for a festive walk along the river increases significantly. You'd have to be mad to go out before dawn on a bitterly cold morning on the off-chance it had hung around...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>8:00am</b> this morning. It is -4°, the coldest morning of the year, with an exceptionally hard frost. I calculate I have about 20 minutes of light after sunrise, then I need to leave for work. I'm by the River Thame 20 minutes before sunrise, looking for a bird last reported a week ago. I start walking north, through the frozen fields:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rvxtQKX51vQ/VKGtIp1CQDI/AAAAAAAAIvY/nnJ_YJKORTk/s1600/TomBedford.141229.2943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rvxtQKX51vQ/VKGtIp1CQDI/AAAAAAAAIvY/nnJ_YJKORTk/s1600/TomBedford.141229.2943.jpg" height="364" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WBiWTenVo0c/VKGtNiOT7UI/AAAAAAAAIv4/h3rqYg5mc9M/s1600/TomBedford.141229.2963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WBiWTenVo0c/VKGtNiOT7UI/AAAAAAAAIv4/h3rqYg5mc9M/s1600/TomBedford.141229.2963.jpg" height="392" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can easily imagine a Green Sandpiper here, calling as it flushes, flashing a white rump between dark wings and tail, as it zig-zags away. There were waders this morning, <b>2 Snipe</b> rose from the river edges. There were duck too, <b>12 Mallard</b>, <b>2 Wigeon</b> and <b>3 Teal</b>. But no Green Sandpiper. This Fox padded through the frozen grass, apparently oblivious to my presence, though it always kept at least one ear on me. It may have tried to keep both on me, but there appears to be some damage to it's left ear:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-29MRYU7bUtc/VKGtJATVK-I/AAAAAAAAIvk/yQpKMfLQtVQ/s1600/TomBedford.141229.2953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-29MRYU7bUtc/VKGtJATVK-I/AAAAAAAAIvk/yQpKMfLQtVQ/s1600/TomBedford.141229.2953.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f3U-_v6qu1Q/VKGtMbK-KvI/AAAAAAAAIvw/q6VKnFpuKTY/s1600/TomBedford.141229.2960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f3U-_v6qu1Q/VKGtMbK-KvI/AAAAAAAAIvw/q6VKnFpuKTY/s1600/TomBedford.141229.2960.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then the sun rose and spread some colour over the landscape. Time to go to work. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PCxq8VLnIHg/VKGve3wvmFI/AAAAAAAAIwQ/NaUAgy5eYBk/s1600/Frosty_Panorama1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PCxq8VLnIHg/VKGve3wvmFI/AAAAAAAAIwQ/NaUAgy5eYBk/s1600/Frosty_Panorama1.jpg" height="236" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">92 species for the year. 2 days to go.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span>Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812905338331828077.post-14508050659686460922014-12-28T20:32:00.002+00:002014-12-28T20:32:48.225+00:00The best year yet? <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes you just need a little luck. Mine occurred at about 4:30pm yesterday evening as we approached the village via Cuddesdon Mill. Gratifyingly, I had just said to my wife that conditions were perfect for a <b>Barn Owl</b>: mid-winter, sub-zero, little wind, the sun down but the light not yet gone, when a ghostly pale form drifted over the hedgerows, crossed the road in front of our car and floated off towards the river. This is only my fifth record of Barn Owl around Cuddesdon, there are about one per year and all the records are between early December and early February. I have also found two dead birds. This species also marked the 91st species for 2014 and the realisation that the all time record of 92 species recorded in 2011 was within reach. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Feeling suddenly determined I was up before sunrise to scour the woods for Woodock, the species I was most likely to add to the 2014 year list. Sub-zero sunrise:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DfFZIKckdWU/VJ_eU2k8ZrI/AAAAAAAAItk/gMIn13OqTNc/s1600/TomBedford.141228.2871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DfFZIKckdWU/VJ_eU2k8ZrI/AAAAAAAAItk/gMIn13OqTNc/s1600/TomBedford.141228.2871.jpg" height="382" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Great Haseley windmill in the early morning mist:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4iCXD3zUEpM/VKBha6j90mI/AAAAAAAAIu0/2UlJf1VWKGI/s1600/TomBedford.141228.2883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4iCXD3zUEpM/VKBha6j90mI/AAAAAAAAIu0/2UlJf1VWKGI/s1600/TomBedford.141228.2883.jpg" height="288" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The woods were cold... </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TWmH3gJdu_4/VJ_eVz5k_OI/AAAAAAAAIt0/lJ-VI8E91zc/s1600/TomBedford.141228.2878.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TWmH3gJdu_4/VJ_eVz5k_OI/AAAAAAAAIt0/lJ-VI8E91zc/s1600/TomBedford.141228.2878.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">..but frustratingly without Woodcock. I headed out to the east of the village and after 362 days without a seeing a single <b>Lapwing</b>, this flock of 8 were good enough to fly north:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LlzybFLfY0I/VJ_ean62s8I/AAAAAAAAIuA/7IzW47i2du8/s1600/TomBedford.141228.2889.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LlzybFLfY0I/VJ_ean62s8I/AAAAAAAAIuA/7IzW47i2du8/s1600/TomBedford.141228.2889.jpg" height="386" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Species number 92 for the year: the record is equaled! Then the <b>Lapwing</b> floodgates opened. 130 flew north over the village...</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0TTIW5HYxQY/VJ_ebYtftOI/AAAAAAAAIuM/6-tP_uMG638/s1600/TomBedford.141228.2898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0TTIW5HYxQY/VJ_ebYtftOI/AAAAAAAAIuM/6-tP_uMG638/s1600/TomBedford.141228.2898.jpg" height="306" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">...followed by a close flock of 15... </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j_7A1d5NBsU/VJ_eeGgjHeI/AAAAAAAAIuU/eL6c3pWO4-8/s1600/TomBedford.141228.2899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j_7A1d5NBsU/VJ_eeGgjHeI/AAAAAAAAIuU/eL6c3pWO4-8/s1600/TomBedford.141228.2899.jpg" height="330" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.. followed by several hundred more. From none in 362 days to nearly 300 in 90 minutes.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-spOta24loaU/VJ_efnGSHNI/AAAAAAAAIuk/6c3mLFIpB50/s1600/TomBedford.141228.2903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-spOta24loaU/VJ_efnGSHNI/AAAAAAAAIuk/6c3mLFIpB50/s1600/TomBedford.141228.2903.jpg" height="336" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zJ5y8PH_BZk/VJ_efLXYw_I/AAAAAAAAIuc/hDIjeyDrPJU/s1600/TomBedford.141228.2908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zJ5y8PH_BZk/VJ_efLXYw_I/AAAAAAAAIuc/hDIjeyDrPJU/s1600/TomBedford.141228.2908.jpg" height="334" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The cold weather had also brought in more winter thrushes, at least 200 <b>Fieldfares</b> fed to the south of the village... </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kh0nBNIKoWs/VKBi9QbLIII/AAAAAAAAIvE/z9_qjdcO6dU/s1600/TomBedford.141228.2941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kh0nBNIKoWs/VKBi9QbLIII/AAAAAAAAIvE/z9_qjdcO6dU/s1600/TomBedford.141228.2941.jpg" height="376" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">..which was worringly close to the inhabitants of this house. Honestly, exactly how many cats are too many? Do any pet owners ever consider the consequences of their actions for the local wildlife? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are the 14 species of bird that I have seen in Cuddesdon, but not recorded this year, followed by the total number of records of that species:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Shoveler 1</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Woodcock 1</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Green Sandpiper 1 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yellow-legged Gull 1</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Common Gull 4</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Turtle Dove 2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Little Owl (annual until this year, when the breeding tree was felled)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sand Martin 1 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stonechat 1 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ring Ouzel 1</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Garden Warbler (annual, but none this year!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nuthatch (annual since 2010, but about 1 record per year, usually in spring) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tree Sparrow 1</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Brambling 1 </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are no floods, so no chance of Shoveler or Green Sandpiper; Turtle Dove, Sand Martin, Ring Ouzel and Garden Warbler should all be in Africa in December (though there was<a href="http://birdlesscuddesdon.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/winter-whitethroat.html" target="_blank"> this Whitethroat</a> in January). Realistically Woodcock, Nuthatch, Little Owl and Common Gull are the only species that I am likely to come across in very late December. 3 days to go, this could be tougher than I thought. Especially as I am at work during daylight hours for the next two days... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">92 species for the year.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Tom Bedfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333838201430756640noreply@blogger.com2