Helmet Vanga - Madagascar 2024

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Tuesday, 29 July 2025

Azure Hawkers

With continuous working on boggy moorland this season, it's hardly surprising to have come across several of the bog-specialist Azure Hawkers whilst out and about. Away from the principal sites of Loch Maree and Glen Affric area, this species is notorious for it elusive nature, but it must have been a good season for them as most places we've visited has produced this small hawker in prime habitat. The early summer drought I thought would hinder the species, but it seems they've adapted well. 

In general, it's been a brilliant season for Odonata up this way, with many Northern and Brilliant Emeralds, showy White-faced Darters, stacks of Common Hawkers and Golden-ringed Dragonflies, plus lots more. 

I'm in two minds whether to commit to leading weekend dragonfly tours for private groups next year, or maybe leave it a year or two, but I hope a plan can be put in place one day for a little side hustle. 

Azure Hawker near Loch Ness area, 29th July

female Azure Hawker near Lairg, 3rd July



Saturday, 14 June 2025

Tarbat Ness 14th June 2025

With a slight north-easterly airflow overnight and a deluge of rain predicted for mid-morning, I thankfully and unexpectedly alighted at 3.30am, sorted through the moth trap with Emily and then dashed off to Tarbat Ness. The sea upon arrival was flat calm and I really wanted to skip the land and head straight into Orca watch, but I resisted and headed straight for the plantation, via the usual route. 

It was of course quiet but a slight surprise came in the form of a Lesser Whitethroat in the plantation, something of a scarcity up this way. It was however very elusive and was initially picked up by its faint rattling song. Once a good view was had, I was struck by how dark it was... if only it was larger and had a pale iris!! 

Two seawatches (interrupted by walking other sites on the peninsula) produced two Arctic Skuas, a few Puffins, a Bonxie, a dozen Manx Shearwaters, but oddly, not a single cetacean! The rain never materialised but by late morning I gave up and made for home. 

Arctic Skua

Brown Hare

Garden Tiger

female Drinker



Saturday, 26 April 2025

Tarbat Ness - 26th April 2025

It felt promising, but again failed to deliver any goodies, but it was nice to see my first Whimbrel, House Martins and Whitethroats of the season, while offshore were singles of Manx Shearwater and Bonxie, plus six Great Northern Divers were settled on the sea. The usual pod of Bottlenose Dolphins treated me to an acrobatic performance.

I checked a couple of other sites on the peninsula which looked incredibly good for holding migrants so something to look out for in the future. I briefly stopped at Nigg Bay RSPB on my return and two Barnacle Geese were with the Pink-footed Geese, still numbering in their low thousands. Lastly, an Osprey was fishing in the Cromarty Firth at Alness.

Whimbrel


Bottlenose Dolphin

Linnet and Willow Warbler

Small Coppers


Thursday, 24 April 2025

Black Grouse - 24th April 2025

It's been an exhausting week, which is not yet over, but it has offered some excellent birding, especially this morning where lekking Black Grouse performed admirably at one of our regular sites on the edge of Caithness. An hour spent with five males and two scuritising females resulted in us watching a pair mating! Viewing from the car was valuable as the birds don't care and it remains warm (for us). 

Also on this site were the repetitive sounds of displaying Greenshanks, Curlews, Golden Plovers and Oystercatchers, whiles in the valleys were our usual pair of Golden Eagle, a Dipper and an Osprey (now my 6th of the spring).





Black Grouse

Osprey


Monday, 21 April 2025

Udale Bay - 21st April 2025

After a decent day at work where I saw two male Hen Harriers, a reeling Grasshopper Warbler and a dozen Black Grouse, after work while Em was busy I visited Udale Bay RSPB where no fewer than eight White Wagtails were present, many Pink-footed Geese (with a Barnacle and White-fronted also mixed in) were lingering in the bay and an Osprey came down with a fish in its talons and proceeded to eat its dinner. Off in the distance was still a respectable number of Scaup, but I didn't drive closer to count.

Yesterday afternoon while sitting in the garden, two Ospreys were out over the River Beauly and in the morning up Strathconon a Tree Pipit and yet another Osprey were seen.

Pink-footed Geese

one of eight White Wagtails

Osprey


Saturday, 19 April 2025

Tarbat Ness - 19th April 2025

With it raining until mid-morning, it was nice not to rush over to the east coast, instead, arriving just after 9.30am. A look on the south side of the peninsula leading up to the lighthouse was quiet, although just offshore a small pod of Bottlenose Dolphin were surfacing every now and then. 

With it seemingly quiet all over, I did an hour's seawatch from the point, with my first two Manx Shearwaters, a Great Skua and Sandwich Terns moving north, as did three Red-throated Divers and 35 Common Scoters. I then again concentrated on the scrub and pine plantation, but little to show for any effort. 

A quick look at Portmahomack on my return saw the usual Long-tailed Ducks (now in fine summer plumage) and two Scaup

Bottlenose Dolphins

Common Scoter

Yellowhammer
Tarbat Ness lighthouse

The pine plantation, situated perhaps
400m inland from the point... ideal!

Saturday, 8 March 2025

Borneo - Part 3 (Sepilok): December 2024

Our final few days of our mammoth trip were spent at the easily accessible and walkable Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Centre, staying at the rather luxurious Sepilok Jungle Resort, treating ourselves for a change after 5-weeks on the 'road'. All of the below photos are by Emily.

20th December

We departed Osman's early morning, with Romzi boating us back to our vehicle where we headed directly for the Caves, but this time concentrating only on the final 500m of forest to the cave car park. Upon stepping out the car, we immediately heard a Western Hooded Pitta, and a short time later we were watching it, whilst another called nearby which Em also saw. Along this bit of forest, now in the rain, we also saw Red-bearded Bee-eater, Ventriloquial Oriole, Blyth's Paradise Flycatcher, Dark-necked Tailorbird, Grey-hooded Babbler, Sooty-capped Babbler, Thick-billed Spiderhunter, but best of all, a briefly perched Blyth's Hawk-eagle! As we returned slowly along the road, a brief stop turned into a prolonged one as a Black-crowned Pitta was heard close to the road, but try as we might, it remained invisible. 

It was then a quick and easy two-hour journey to Sepilok where we had time for a quick jaunt around the local secondary forest which attaches itself to the main expanse of forest. We found a few things here, including our first and only Malaysian Hawk Cuckoo, Red-throated Sunbird and Yellow-eared Spiderhunter of the trip, but then a presumed 'rehabilitated' Bornean Orangutan appeared and showed nicely, but never too close. A further wander produced large groups of Black Hornbills before we called it a day.

Black-and-red Broadbill

Blyth's Hawk Eagle

Blyth's Paradise Flycatcher

Red-bearded Bee-eater

Western Hooded Pitta

21st December

We awoke early and entered the Rainforest Discovery Centre in the dark, showing a guard our pre-purchased day tickets. We headed straight for the Hornbill tower and ascended the tower just as it got light, but the rain was pouring so it was nice to shelter and listen to the half-hearted dawn chorus. Once the rain had eased, over the next few hours we saw Asian Brown Flycatcher, Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Raffle's MalkohaLesser Green Leafbird, Green IoraChangeable Hawk-eagle, White-bellied Woodpecker, Fiery Minivet, Ruby-cheeked Sunbird and Rhinoceros Hornbill

The sun finally emerged so we walked one of the trails which took a good few hours, the best find probably being a Lesser Mouse Deer, but birds comprised, once in good habitat, a Black-crowned Pitta and Black-naped Monarch, but it was generally quiet during the heat of the late morning. 

We headed back to base for a short time before returning for an afternoon vigil on one of the towers to try again for a Bornean Bristlehead, but only finding some of the usual species from this morning plus a Plain Sunbird and a Lesser Cuckooshrike. We also enjoyed a superb showing of some Black-and-yellow Broadbill, a quite incredible looking bird! 

As the light decreased we made our way back to the reception area and waited for our group and guide to arrive for a two hour night walk, which turned out to be brilliant. We initially waited on the canopy walkway to observe the unveiling of a Red Giant Fly Squirrel, with two swopping across the night sky as they emerged from their daytime roost site. We then went in a hopeful hot pursuit of a Western Tarsier, but sightings being relatively infrequent we weren't holding out too much hope. Still, along our walk we came across many highlights, thanks to our two quality guides. Two Bornean Slow Loris showed for a prolonged period, and a roosting Rufous-collared and Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher were found, some excellent scorpions, then right at the last knockings, a guide somehow spotted a Western Tarsier, which had promptly vanished. Rather incredibly, he re-found it and we ploughed into the bush (with me getting stung by something nasty) and watched this tiny mammal clinging onto a branch. It stayed for a good few minutes before hopping off, but what an incredible view and a fitting finale to our final evening away!

Asian Red-eyed Bulbul

Crimson-winged Woodpecker

Raffle's Malkoha

Black-and-yellow Broadbill

Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot

Changeable Hawk-eagle

Dragonfly sp.

Lantern Bug sp. 

Bornean Slow Loris (supporting a
Wryneck-patterned neck and mantle)

Western Tarsier

22nd December

Our flight back to Kota Kinabalu was just after midday which meant we would have another couple of hours back on one of the towers for a last chance saloon at a bristlehead. It sadly wasn't to be, but our walk to the tower and for most of the morning was being serenaded by a Bornean Gibbon. We did luck into one final new bird though, as a Long-billed Spiderhunter flew in for a brief spell. However, it was much of the same as yesterday in terms of species, not a bad thing though as it contained some good lookers, with a much better view of a Little Green Pigeon.

It was then time to call it a day, we packed and made our way to the airport, dropped off the car with no issue and flew back to Kota Kinabalu, onwards to Kuala Lumpur and back to Heathrow, arriving early morning on the 23rd. 

Bornean Gibbon


view from the tower and walkway