tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90406751228040659722024-03-05T01:58:27.374-08:00Matt Eade's BlogMatt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comBlogger1745125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-64214144772735642922024-02-16T08:27:00.000-08:002024-02-16T08:27:24.880-08:00Recent Highlights<p>It's been, once again, a hectic start to the year with the usual January (pointless) panic to scrounge a decent number of species on the year list before the enthusiasm dwindles, plus work has been more busy than ever, although recent trips to Colombia and Iceland have been most welcome to keep me sane. </p><p>On Jan 1st, along with Tim Squire, I recorded 117 species seen/heard, but since then it's been limited birding. The Northern Waterthrush in Essex was a brilliant UK tick and one that I didn't go for in 2011, so a superb grip back. </p><p>In January, I co-led (alongside a local) the Santa Marta Endemics tour where we found most of the endemics, although today I've learnt a new species of antpitta has been discovered... doh! I then had a few days back home before leading an Iceland tour, which actually turned out to be more enjoyable than Colombia! </p><p>Anyway, a few pics to showcase the year so far.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZe6OZ6WQZZ802nwLoYZhGVva6Sci1cptwljss5RLglJwfEbNIsKBXDfHihY0kSNdr66mNBzjPIa5EVhXGLfRqsKgaoEFn4HyR6C5lzKkX6z6y1dLNWplS2ZDoSQnTB7ltXtdikvgXo-BVt3CWBXA_2BppfHxZApDUO21bSpTL_OyWP7QHkSW20QyZamc/s3637/Santa%20Marta%20Antpitta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2537" data-original-width="3637" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZe6OZ6WQZZ802nwLoYZhGVva6Sci1cptwljss5RLglJwfEbNIsKBXDfHihY0kSNdr66mNBzjPIa5EVhXGLfRqsKgaoEFn4HyR6C5lzKkX6z6y1dLNWplS2ZDoSQnTB7ltXtdikvgXo-BVt3CWBXA_2BppfHxZApDUO21bSpTL_OyWP7QHkSW20QyZamc/w400-h279/Santa%20Marta%20Antpitta.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Santa Marta Antpitta</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYBHr-qD7QvTa0W6UUZBsX57ohxAa4Ow8IiIPOZLN6zHxQQb2QtP3z89MD1jQnVOR0RlQMnyyyrI4yXOQJsPX-UEFcqpPa9_7-FD8F7DGCkKJHsKRrw8Sm3kQsinEKYsm3aklasOJGitIisaFA_KIkRRN5qbmG6MsNhmttF9DsUpaZP2PG4we0RyGoY78/s3393/Orinoco%20Saltator.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2521" data-original-width="3393" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYBHr-qD7QvTa0W6UUZBsX57ohxAa4Ow8IiIPOZLN6zHxQQb2QtP3z89MD1jQnVOR0RlQMnyyyrI4yXOQJsPX-UEFcqpPa9_7-FD8F7DGCkKJHsKRrw8Sm3kQsinEKYsm3aklasOJGitIisaFA_KIkRRN5qbmG6MsNhmttF9DsUpaZP2PG4we0RyGoY78/w400-h297/Orinoco%20Saltator.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Orinoco Saltator</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVCTglBekbbQTqbSFobXgevYfjxXuRaAofqPwXA7kZvSCYuS9XqG_ieDzPnxvhnuKOMr8ZMhbfmszBTIyejjju6PBbUT7mQmDEYVJ1M_WmXg1LVJaUeoi-LRchFStBXVa25Y0PxolZU8GzAsdiIdcDZLd8w8WBcp8CQBwCb-UMOE_pr191AKPsEVbyBc/s2775/Rusty-breasted%20Antpitta%202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2161" data-original-width="2775" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVCTglBekbbQTqbSFobXgevYfjxXuRaAofqPwXA7kZvSCYuS9XqG_ieDzPnxvhnuKOMr8ZMhbfmszBTIyejjju6PBbUT7mQmDEYVJ1M_WmXg1LVJaUeoi-LRchFStBXVa25Y0PxolZU8GzAsdiIdcDZLd8w8WBcp8CQBwCb-UMOE_pr191AKPsEVbyBc/w400-h311/Rusty-breasted%20Antpitta%202.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Rusty-breasted Antpitta</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-xb5FQKYnXEcWoDSzxN3eS98zjj8Hp2Im7vjY8YsGZVqx1hF1Q4PmnJosGKcoAtxvdcGbl3InXwdzVVBcx0z9Q4EWNRl93BprlSDm2ZPDP0yjoHMJoWW7AOn0rYcGLy-ITtfX_jENDNNL68saJe-pBIS4-LGPJpQP0VnFmOIXxwhs_-A7Zjm6fN0X_0/s2974/Santa%20Marta%20Screech%20Owl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2169" data-original-width="2974" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-xb5FQKYnXEcWoDSzxN3eS98zjj8Hp2Im7vjY8YsGZVqx1hF1Q4PmnJosGKcoAtxvdcGbl3InXwdzVVBcx0z9Q4EWNRl93BprlSDm2ZPDP0yjoHMJoWW7AOn0rYcGLy-ITtfX_jENDNNL68saJe-pBIS4-LGPJpQP0VnFmOIXxwhs_-A7Zjm6fN0X_0/w400-h291/Santa%20Marta%20Screech%20Owl.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Santa Marta Screech Owl</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMw1LiNhulozkhloHfeUj6FsZp6rD5oy6Y1sSNyuAIvfI8joz8mqrrre0NPIoEOpVdcJs6z_fS8xNvuTU0JP7Gu87yY3tj3ocyMAsSGUslmMuSIZULb3TGbqeOQiHBIKRE7iP4Q9YQnKQBGvBTG5a9cblL_2MD48Ws5hsGEr9vHPFnVpFZtOnajfM0Ag/s3680/Vermillion%20Cardinal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2704" data-original-width="3680" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMw1LiNhulozkhloHfeUj6FsZp6rD5oy6Y1sSNyuAIvfI8joz8mqrrre0NPIoEOpVdcJs6z_fS8xNvuTU0JP7Gu87yY3tj3ocyMAsSGUslmMuSIZULb3TGbqeOQiHBIKRE7iP4Q9YQnKQBGvBTG5a9cblL_2MD48Ws5hsGEr9vHPFnVpFZtOnajfM0Ag/w400-h294/Vermillion%20Cardinal.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Vermillion Cardinal</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWNqp7chj4lhHS_bDOezboK4pHg8QZQjz6Okzs8RPckzPV7m_hyamvvwSHv_omSKPY3fR-y_5xU6e2aEk0hTOOvjpIeRKz4OSKCDTDyIqHPFpEAzHM0bAcA-VFT2rXPC64WsBANU-6ZjIyZsSSCLi-HFJOm3DjcF7pKJyOXU-Ve5xR8aVSH6Y93wbUss/s3219/Santa%20Marta%20Woodstar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2204" data-original-width="3219" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWNqp7chj4lhHS_bDOezboK4pHg8QZQjz6Okzs8RPckzPV7m_hyamvvwSHv_omSKPY3fR-y_5xU6e2aEk0hTOOvjpIeRKz4OSKCDTDyIqHPFpEAzHM0bAcA-VFT2rXPC64WsBANU-6ZjIyZsSSCLi-HFJOm3DjcF7pKJyOXU-Ve5xR8aVSH6Y93wbUss/w400-h274/Santa%20Marta%20Woodstar.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Santa Marta Woodstar</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpm7fIfpiHSJDzz1agNe9kudgU93-EXkG-CUGCwOYj2dsu9VmOB_fqj_9eapMsSotiE8g6KgLAVxMTHtDsYczmLYi7wmaHQYWfejyvdS2oIaOloiubKWXdtX83TS886dh3rTx6GeswMHcUuExGYzqfwXgrSvkHBF_gcl1Vi3trsSql_VqHzKzzi1IoQvc/s3349/776A4691-DeNoiseAI-clear.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2264" data-original-width="3349" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpm7fIfpiHSJDzz1agNe9kudgU93-EXkG-CUGCwOYj2dsu9VmOB_fqj_9eapMsSotiE8g6KgLAVxMTHtDsYczmLYi7wmaHQYWfejyvdS2oIaOloiubKWXdtX83TS886dh3rTx6GeswMHcUuExGYzqfwXgrSvkHBF_gcl1Vi3trsSql_VqHzKzzi1IoQvc/w400-h270/776A4691-DeNoiseAI-clear.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Humpback Whales</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqUhkGkzIApnMW06Xe6Eg9mZa6KXSNyDQT0L3HwNsWFj_4vsydZVWgwat9jnUGQ_-moRV0X2RFIg9XDw9c01BEzdahIDXHhyphenhyphenNhZAoHJa7c7YKqDlSgCqm6zOF7tnN0RPYsBtZI4fkaN80WRqXCT6-iruR8ntYMhQsFBGJqg5Cin5CBIqDHeegZS4PPU1E/s4590/776A4785-DeNoiseAI-clear.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2642" data-original-width="4590" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqUhkGkzIApnMW06Xe6Eg9mZa6KXSNyDQT0L3HwNsWFj_4vsydZVWgwat9jnUGQ_-moRV0X2RFIg9XDw9c01BEzdahIDXHhyphenhyphenNhZAoHJa7c7YKqDlSgCqm6zOF7tnN0RPYsBtZI4fkaN80WRqXCT6-iruR8ntYMhQsFBGJqg5Cin5CBIqDHeegZS4PPU1E/w400-h230/776A4785-DeNoiseAI-clear.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Barrow's Goldeneye - my only new bird in Iceland</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg509xAFJBOeE-QuvrPSwDD69V4PRUaFFnIQvYMF2JrihMga5GIQIR3Phz6WXvXmJfJBShocT8SLEx8OnTGpwDq1uyYGUy-QUeE8_IcsNqm-Dnxgx4J9XePOT-IAan6_ExMoL3KUumchI2mmZCmpC0V-MmbuaIsDUg3P_mueprJa1tPR00lgsgfjJpLXuo/s5000/Aurora%202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3297" data-original-width="5000" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg509xAFJBOeE-QuvrPSwDD69V4PRUaFFnIQvYMF2JrihMga5GIQIR3Phz6WXvXmJfJBShocT8SLEx8OnTGpwDq1uyYGUy-QUeE8_IcsNqm-Dnxgx4J9XePOT-IAan6_ExMoL3KUumchI2mmZCmpC0V-MmbuaIsDUg3P_mueprJa1tPR00lgsgfjJpLXuo/w400-h264/Aurora%202.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-fwpgyZpKVE4SFkahQFW5O9NgAGnzZIzrR-zIniVUVYgJNr_WBI_sGoJz1-X-GJAK1aQ79a6WDfEdGdJvHQcOvQE0rF0B2bOF0hV5v4U0le4fVLdJEafK7uW6d_pMy-WtBZorQ0ZkFTOBuWeIEGmtN2f957yPCoj1DbHrB-OcGh9z9-fI87sfWkPBGs/s5031/Aurora%203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3384" data-original-width="5031" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-fwpgyZpKVE4SFkahQFW5O9NgAGnzZIzrR-zIniVUVYgJNr_WBI_sGoJz1-X-GJAK1aQ79a6WDfEdGdJvHQcOvQE0rF0B2bOF0hV5v4U0le4fVLdJEafK7uW6d_pMy-WtBZorQ0ZkFTOBuWeIEGmtN2f957yPCoj1DbHrB-OcGh9z9-fI87sfWkPBGs/w400-h269/Aurora%203.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Aurora</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-13357657264335225872023-12-31T08:43:00.000-08:002023-12-31T08:43:58.269-08:00Olive-backed Pipit on Shetland - 2nd October 2023<p>During our break on Shetland back in early October, the dream was to always find something good, whether that be an absolute mega, or, a species rarely encountered in southern England. For this year on Shetland, it turned out to be the latter, but just so happened to be one of my favourite eastern vagrants.</p><p>It was a very windy day (no surprises), so Emily and I set about trying to locate an Otter. I thought Toft would be a good bet and after some searching, we located one swimming out along the distant shoreline. With this success, we then wanted to head to Esha Ness on the west coast, so diverting through central Mainland seemed the most sensible route. A quick look at one excellent garden near Sullom Voe found a young male Crossbill; thinking Crossbill could be a theme, a large conifer plantation at Voxter was too tempting not to stop at. No Crossbills (or anything for that matter) were found, so instead we diverted our attention to a small, walled garden, packed with Sycamores. </p><p>We cautiously entered the garden, with me going through every likely mega that could be here and set about scanning the appealing understorey, only for Emily to casually say a pipit flew up from the ground in the centre of the garden. I had my suspicions on the most likely pipit it could have been, and despite being perched mid-canopy, I failed to find it initially. Ems stated it was most likely a Meadow Pipit, but when I eventually locked onto it, it was clearly a Tree/Olive-backed Pipit. The pumping tail was a good sign, as was the obvious and short white supercilium, but due to the angle, I couldn't make out any dark lateral crown sides. The ear spot, although present, wasn't conspicuous, so it was a relief the pipit flew back down to the ground and started rummaging amongst the leaf-litter... at this point, there was little doubt, as now the dark lateral crown sides, the black-white ear spot and lack of streaking on the mantle meant this could only be an Olive-backed Pipit. I fired off many photos and then enjoyed watching its elusive nature. The pipit then flew off around the garden, calling as it went, only to return soon after.</p><p>I found some signal and sent some pics off to Dave to make sure I wasn't losing the plot, and with thumbs up, the news went straight out. It was at this time we left the site and continued on our merry way to the west coast. </p><p>Massive kudos to Emily for picking the bird up in the first place, something she does every time with me!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJzwXMvxbTv_m-biUsGAodTbgDSPQ3_SNcMaSiT-QdbDKhYyxkgMT0XVnSLuaLp5cj0B_cYNImPr1rIqzSv1wKLUC3RFGVk-Qh4z0vUDDvsmi773hdyygqIpQokVXa3jKf-IIu9LSdiyejYSTvBvBSZDXZ3yOBRRlwDKGxDJMUr68bwSHn7JQ4f45bp0o/s2490/OBP2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1888" data-original-width="2490" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJzwXMvxbTv_m-biUsGAodTbgDSPQ3_SNcMaSiT-QdbDKhYyxkgMT0XVnSLuaLp5cj0B_cYNImPr1rIqzSv1wKLUC3RFGVk-Qh4z0vUDDvsmi773hdyygqIpQokVXa3jKf-IIu9LSdiyejYSTvBvBSZDXZ3yOBRRlwDKGxDJMUr68bwSHn7JQ4f45bp0o/w400-h304/OBP2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcsgQO7MZMuX8iLUDpeCVO0eIHVsko2fGtddoCxgYSQ6M7z8fZ4MayEiT47AmlgM9mykxN2fy5yv2qIRnMBr7_g7PjtkPKB39twWGhmJ38OJT9KXDRh5uLGgSXy1peAOCHEKh6CCEh71ZTO9NR-81z_OTEtXUqh6tC7_8VLkJ6pold1W2jgO_BNcQ0HwM/s2930/OBP3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2087" data-original-width="2930" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcsgQO7MZMuX8iLUDpeCVO0eIHVsko2fGtddoCxgYSQ6M7z8fZ4MayEiT47AmlgM9mykxN2fy5yv2qIRnMBr7_g7PjtkPKB39twWGhmJ38OJT9KXDRh5uLGgSXy1peAOCHEKh6CCEh71ZTO9NR-81z_OTEtXUqh6tC7_8VLkJ6pold1W2jgO_BNcQ0HwM/w400-h285/OBP3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zK_g7PLz9bAuf_iOO4Q5sPshgz7TGYyOSF3uKBXwof4AbLsXfQtp3HBZT8h1cHcGW2CAyBx8xUqB53WwvnkA76LLBr0FLRvTL5hih2AuhDxMfZBGw6bychEVPoSK9pQIUByjksgE3qBDHnLnP79LmgxeZhyphenhyphenxsL8kL6opFojqFTcz721XIVm5GpfF0wI/s2508/OBP4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1801" data-original-width="2508" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zK_g7PLz9bAuf_iOO4Q5sPshgz7TGYyOSF3uKBXwof4AbLsXfQtp3HBZT8h1cHcGW2CAyBx8xUqB53WwvnkA76LLBr0FLRvTL5hih2AuhDxMfZBGw6bychEVPoSK9pQIUByjksgE3qBDHnLnP79LmgxeZhyphenhyphenxsL8kL6opFojqFTcz721XIVm5GpfF0wI/w400-h288/OBP4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aYHq5aE5KNoRq2hK6h5iGudZOtylFfYjKKo9fYyAz7FxQbQ_dllHwXaucD6mpKuF7D7Tzoamjja-GW8jn6ZQ8YPRcRhhdRwE32cSCSLlmNoRR_t9xJNAm_MP3O2qOtX0S3oIbX3-GoxMk1Rht_D4YCloGNerYOprlWxGciJAtDI4v81FD7it8yXAGAY/s2948/OBP.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2145" data-original-width="2948" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aYHq5aE5KNoRq2hK6h5iGudZOtylFfYjKKo9fYyAz7FxQbQ_dllHwXaucD6mpKuF7D7Tzoamjja-GW8jn6ZQ8YPRcRhhdRwE32cSCSLlmNoRR_t9xJNAm_MP3O2qOtX0S3oIbX3-GoxMk1Rht_D4YCloGNerYOprlWxGciJAtDI4v81FD7it8yXAGAY/w400-h291/OBP.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Olive-backed Pipit at Voxter</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGI6rFOk773A-Pyk6UstSuMl3FXYtmxZ75Av_knLIEHoBPWbmDcjSoVlZOdE7t_Q21TMoov_UZNeNLA_E9cqnB2L0r8TtJ_sDyrHb-lGjywmQ92A6O1PEPAU99WO96AqmubKDKKoqB-ZasyRPARR_ltjXmQS0kV0baBRC1QAqDrTWjtSj9sAI8owNWpSk/s4032/IMG_2395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGI6rFOk773A-Pyk6UstSuMl3FXYtmxZ75Av_knLIEHoBPWbmDcjSoVlZOdE7t_Q21TMoov_UZNeNLA_E9cqnB2L0r8TtJ_sDyrHb-lGjywmQ92A6O1PEPAU99WO96AqmubKDKKoqB-ZasyRPARR_ltjXmQS0kV0baBRC1QAqDrTWjtSj9sAI8owNWpSk/w400-h300/IMG_2395.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The walled garden at Voxter</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-21778419729903741572023-12-26T08:57:00.000-08:002023-12-26T08:57:11.275-08:00Christmas in SussexOn Christmas Eve, I drove down to Dad's and stopped off at Rackham Woods, walked the lower track and scanned the brooks where seven adult <b>Bewick's Swans</b> were roosting and a <b>White-tailed Eagle</b> also flew over.<div><br /></div><div>On Christmas Day, a short dog walk on Seaford Head and the Cuckmere produced a sublime first-winter <b>Caspian Gull </b>in the small gull flock, but the weather was fairly dreadful so I didn't look too hard for anything else. </div><div><br /></div><div>On Boxing Day, the same route, now armed with a telescope, produced the <b>Long-tailed Duck </b>on the scrape and a <b>Green Sandpiper</b>, two <b>Avocets</b> and a <b>Spotted Redshank</b> were on the west side. Afterwards, I went and saw the obliging <b>Waxwings</b> at Hailsham and on my way back to Alton I stopped off in Crawley and saw the 20 <b>Waxwings</b> there too, where it was also good to see Paul Marten.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjYdhlEvkV4yk-wBWdp2c8dK4rdg5R8bwqmh37I2Ese68Crq6k24bBH3DkmT7dkwsytERG4DpjrCyTOBJCHTIIDJ2WdKd2AzDErTverE-m8s9l18zWzFFbCeVj87HvjH39_efWztFR4RMQstJMbArZ39yCpELDami8cXgWM5GnAP0un0oc83LO9fbAwQ/s3279/Waxwing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2424" data-original-width="3279" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjYdhlEvkV4yk-wBWdp2c8dK4rdg5R8bwqmh37I2Ese68Crq6k24bBH3DkmT7dkwsytERG4DpjrCyTOBJCHTIIDJ2WdKd2AzDErTverE-m8s9l18zWzFFbCeVj87HvjH39_efWztFR4RMQstJMbArZ39yCpELDami8cXgWM5GnAP0un0oc83LO9fbAwQ/w400-h296/Waxwing.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmNU22Zb6kgNXwWlAsGAiix7zhp-0OQ4yf-w-M_Yf87StIi2VFVSNAViNpKUAcC9GzuoTzK2F9xw1RIwRab0dEM25EKlSKELeGJn7AUdkRX0B_UZ2r3uAvTDztswwcpoWAWpzAXnj92E7yfBoD2gy5RY5h-LB2cUoQZDeq7yZV-R6VKBFjpQJRrCuZ6o/s2999/Waxwing%203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2303" data-original-width="2999" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmNU22Zb6kgNXwWlAsGAiix7zhp-0OQ4yf-w-M_Yf87StIi2VFVSNAViNpKUAcC9GzuoTzK2F9xw1RIwRab0dEM25EKlSKELeGJn7AUdkRX0B_UZ2r3uAvTDztswwcpoWAWpzAXnj92E7yfBoD2gy5RY5h-LB2cUoQZDeq7yZV-R6VKBFjpQJRrCuZ6o/w400-h308/Waxwing%203.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlk9Jy1gt6zviTMpsRyDilnamRZmCB5SAJ2Ge2-b1rBmjwweCvmBLNluODh2DhSr_GEGaX9sRHpo5cLM6Bvl5kklg4h4z31jmdPGGa4WSfs-7DhJa8ltFCbg0b1hqtDN_RSVGWO_GV9J10D6auw4FlW5J99wMqcR0jQJUpTB-pQd9LqEMZr8NjgCNuvpY/s3190/Waxwing%202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2323" data-original-width="3190" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlk9Jy1gt6zviTMpsRyDilnamRZmCB5SAJ2Ge2-b1rBmjwweCvmBLNluODh2DhSr_GEGaX9sRHpo5cLM6Bvl5kklg4h4z31jmdPGGa4WSfs-7DhJa8ltFCbg0b1hqtDN_RSVGWO_GV9J10D6auw4FlW5J99wMqcR0jQJUpTB-pQd9LqEMZr8NjgCNuvpY/w400-h291/Waxwing%202.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Waxwings at Hailsham</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div>Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-85524388710237248182023-11-26T06:08:00.000-08:002023-11-26T06:08:35.790-08:00Isles of Scilly - 22nd November 2023Thinking the autumn was over, a Cape May Warbler surfacing during the off season on Scilly meant a slightly logistical twitch could be on the cards. The bird seemed settled on Bryher, so Jake, Ian and I arranged flights five days in advance and headed down on Wednesdsay morning to Lands End airport. <div><br /></div><div>A <b>Black Redstart</b> was a good start to the day and while waiting in the departure lounge, news filtered through that the warbler was still present... game on! The flight was on time and we landed a mere twenty minutes later on St Marys. Rob Lambert kindly drove us down to the quay and we were soon on our way to Bryher with a few others. </div><div><br /></div><div>Docking on Bryher, a few minute's walk up the beach to view a pittosporum, the <b>Cape May Warbler</b> gave itself up. Although it was always elusive here, when the bird flew down the beach and fed in the tamarisks, it showed incredibly and we enjoyed the warbler for a couple of hours.</div><div><br /></div><div>A short walk around the island failed to find little else, but worse news of all was a tweet stating that flights from Lands End were currently on hold due to low cloud! We departed Bryher after more Cape May views (a <b>Willow Warbler</b> was also close by) and made our way up to the airport. It soon transpired that our flight had been cancelled and we would have to stay the night on Marys... the airport did a sterling job of finding us a self-catering apartment in Hugh Town. Thankfully, by the morning, despite the strong wind, flights were on time and it was a relief to depart Marys, where we then had to drive five hours back home. </div><div><br /></div><div>After the booby dip back in August, it was good to be back on winning form on twitching Scilly.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3dSvE9Y296KWhcRumcfxGt2sOAyj8NT2perILJYUp0RRo7qtKXVKG63SujCfa385OE_vVmA1Lq_q5zaYT9y_BNmj8Wh5BkeI0XkgeXYLOy4dhO2Mz0j-yUJrmb54BiCbkMJLeCnnHt2YAq51EvVTb2v31mM3BzJ0E7qwJEJgteE-CiGYTt7EmKJMCxM/s3131/Cape%20May%201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2290" data-original-width="3131" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3dSvE9Y296KWhcRumcfxGt2sOAyj8NT2perILJYUp0RRo7qtKXVKG63SujCfa385OE_vVmA1Lq_q5zaYT9y_BNmj8Wh5BkeI0XkgeXYLOy4dhO2Mz0j-yUJrmb54BiCbkMJLeCnnHt2YAq51EvVTb2v31mM3BzJ0E7qwJEJgteE-CiGYTt7EmKJMCxM/w400-h293/Cape%20May%201.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykO-bhu1I7piIO4hM6uop6MSzvs6kAvnl-xUo07ntIT989WF7sUkEZySWQCBe7YkXme9Ni4uXiN5YZM2AVWCI3mYzdRazr6cSIRUX06eMS1XUi64ylvZmZcGIrBogEPCCycv1uElL1ROsAdhC_c0oJ8TOUuMO8U01OAuZD5U7x1MhnKeivKNM5VAmYgA/s3570/Cape%20May%202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2605" data-original-width="3570" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykO-bhu1I7piIO4hM6uop6MSzvs6kAvnl-xUo07ntIT989WF7sUkEZySWQCBe7YkXme9Ni4uXiN5YZM2AVWCI3mYzdRazr6cSIRUX06eMS1XUi64ylvZmZcGIrBogEPCCycv1uElL1ROsAdhC_c0oJ8TOUuMO8U01OAuZD5U7x1MhnKeivKNM5VAmYgA/w400-h293/Cape%20May%202.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPWEMoMIK8KHfVW5C_-Mxot33T5zcp_g1AKyeDz8XP7OBe0ulOyGO3cykEXDlDHaAWNMXSgRc6ao7bMmkdev7SLmODOqzPVhlXPH0cvXiRRVwr6xpYJZ8HC0a_g5YJ3fCyehjY-QwiOSHJ7uswHJdwhz1OvORkfaCS_-Zsv-4yG3De5oFjUz87zaznKA/s2654/Cape%20May%204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2010" data-original-width="2654" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPWEMoMIK8KHfVW5C_-Mxot33T5zcp_g1AKyeDz8XP7OBe0ulOyGO3cykEXDlDHaAWNMXSgRc6ao7bMmkdev7SLmODOqzPVhlXPH0cvXiRRVwr6xpYJZ8HC0a_g5YJ3fCyehjY-QwiOSHJ7uswHJdwhz1OvORkfaCS_-Zsv-4yG3De5oFjUz87zaznKA/w400-h303/Cape%20May%204.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpZTIe7eLqNS1B5ZsLIBdHJ0elr_VU1thIIFuz8qB_XZEKqaSzeIt1clPlDCJ4DOoz3YFTVcadVmq0AJd1M6Ra8TJGHnRIdAAWKqDmnyJW6bjxW2F8El-k_oQhLnPuup4pm1VlU1JjN3w3mj93NqKqUXjNHFW7qOl1O1l1FWfYyco2w_f5aC3LbDzRkA/s3511/Cape%20May%205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2419" data-original-width="3511" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpZTIe7eLqNS1B5ZsLIBdHJ0elr_VU1thIIFuz8qB_XZEKqaSzeIt1clPlDCJ4DOoz3YFTVcadVmq0AJd1M6Ra8TJGHnRIdAAWKqDmnyJW6bjxW2F8El-k_oQhLnPuup4pm1VlU1JjN3w3mj93NqKqUXjNHFW7qOl1O1l1FWfYyco2w_f5aC3LbDzRkA/w400-h275/Cape%20May%205.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cape May Warbler on Bryher</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div>Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-2718626710467332362023-11-19T05:34:00.000-08:002023-11-19T05:34:12.018-08:00Veery, Orca & a Deaths Head Hawk Moth - Shetland 30 September 2023Since my first visit to Shetland in 2012, I have desperately been trying to intercept a pod of Orca from the various headlands around the archipelago. I've had numerous near-misses and it felt as if my dream of encountering my first Orca (of any 'type') on Shetland wasn't going to come. <div><br /></div><div>This year, Emily and I spent 8 days here from 30 September, grabbing the train from Farnham and arriving into Aberdeen a mere nine-hours later, via Kings Cross. The journey was smooth, stress-free and importantly, on time. During our train journey, a Veery had been found on mainland Shetland and a pod of Orca had also passed the same site whilst the rare thrush was being watched... what a duo and perfect timing for our arrival the following day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, after a sleepless overnight ferry journey (even with a cabin) we arrived, collected our vehicle and drove straight to the Veery, which showed straight away, but in damp conditions so any photos were poor. Situated along the Lunna peninsular and after securing some lovely views of the trans-Atlantic vagrant, we set out to check the various bays heading back south towards Lerwick. Whilst at South Nesting Bay, I was searching for White-billed Divers when quite astonishingly, a pod of Orca had been sighted off Ocraquoy, just to the south of Lerwick. With seatbelts securely fastened, I went into full rally mode and sped towards south Mainland. Being a Saturday, observers were out in force and updates were coming through on regular occasions.</div><div><br /></div><div>Drifting around a corner, Em spilt coffee over her lap which added to the chaos, before we arrived at a decent viewpoint to the south of Cunningsburgh, making record time it seemed. Several others had arrived and rather nonchalantly, they explained the Orca were on view... WHAT!! Several panicked scans failed to find anything, until we realised we were looking too far out... they were in the bay below us!</div><div><br /></div><div>Fairly soon, a huge sigh of relief marked the sighting of my (and our) first Orca and over the next 30-minutes, we were treated to an incredible and unforgettable performance. I knew bull Orca were big, but the size of the dorsal fin of each bull was crazy and beyond all expectations! There were eight individuals involved (the 27s pod) and they casually moved south until out of sight. After a quick celebration, we drove down to Leebittern and waited for the pod to come through. </div><div><br /></div><div>Well, they came through perilously close to shore, apparently grabbing a seal in the process, before continuing on their way towards Mousa Sound where despite running after them, slowly disappeared, but what a start to our time on Shetland!</div><div><br /></div><div>Afterwards, and for a calm down, we went to Hoswick to secure a Yellow-browed Warbler for the trip list; twitched the Citrine Wagtail and Bluethroat in Lerwick, and whilst shopping for the week in Tescos, got news of a Deaths Head Hawk Moth just around the corner. I was desperate to ditch the shopping, but that was refused, so it was a tense wait to see this huge moth. </div><div><br /></div><div>We then drove to Walls and found our accommodation, a discrete cottage with sheep and chickens as neighbours and a friendly Hedgehog. It had probably been my best six hour period on Shetland!!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8c5LYvkOmki3_DaVgUWVfGQ9cQf-siiWpB14k0PNLKKKIhe8jcuOv2Kr98QEThyzMtXDcz_Y-07EHAqT_Tcpmf86y5xEAmj5gAvhM6ju6gS4Kfzx_ueAz0ixxDg5bvK04Odcte7wqKAcneuASRvVmjnplm1MRZt4gSfeFZrB9Kfy_C5DKsrbNwHOj0hA/s4337/Orca%202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2798" data-original-width="4337" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8c5LYvkOmki3_DaVgUWVfGQ9cQf-siiWpB14k0PNLKKKIhe8jcuOv2Kr98QEThyzMtXDcz_Y-07EHAqT_Tcpmf86y5xEAmj5gAvhM6ju6gS4Kfzx_ueAz0ixxDg5bvK04Odcte7wqKAcneuASRvVmjnplm1MRZt4gSfeFZrB9Kfy_C5DKsrbNwHOj0hA/w400-h258/Orca%202.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0Nx19derM6Ll2N2pMwLU2R4KtldpFC3Ep8jD0_TVimWt2VsXcDCSsq4gKHjf5MKNimYiaw_dvQjNQTvFo8hb-fAQeG4yuX4qH4B6pUk_N2FYGm6R6Pj_m7cCjywtd1rOeyHVjgtLE6-Fc7cA2-qD3yOEUzd9GsMf4U1zt6k3U4GUhNgZcHKl4gkHeww/s3049/Orca.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2001" data-original-width="3049" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0Nx19derM6Ll2N2pMwLU2R4KtldpFC3Ep8jD0_TVimWt2VsXcDCSsq4gKHjf5MKNimYiaw_dvQjNQTvFo8hb-fAQeG4yuX4qH4B6pUk_N2FYGm6R6Pj_m7cCjywtd1rOeyHVjgtLE6-Fc7cA2-qD3yOEUzd9GsMf4U1zt6k3U4GUhNgZcHKl4gkHeww/w400-h263/Orca.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_tyry6TW9TFBJFecwoRyIhJHk6Xpu1Pftm5bcinKDssByfyxwgt-oEYgd2WTVPN_yuRou7WA4fxIespSO4t0hsixQY7zJOtNyX5z0faKy49lecOpcc9vgcxjirTchnnvXGNSm7UlPhLoXziqcj4fnRgdJknLZ6X16HQswCls8XGlRAPD2awst9p8RAP8/s3863/776A7067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2649" data-original-width="3863" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_tyry6TW9TFBJFecwoRyIhJHk6Xpu1Pftm5bcinKDssByfyxwgt-oEYgd2WTVPN_yuRou7WA4fxIespSO4t0hsixQY7zJOtNyX5z0faKy49lecOpcc9vgcxjirTchnnvXGNSm7UlPhLoXziqcj4fnRgdJknLZ6X16HQswCls8XGlRAPD2awst9p8RAP8/w400-h274/776A7067.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80Ez5Qra5atVRBk3a5acjY3y2zzuwYmcRRJbxvo6UckrNZUa8YomLKDfzKTCZGoOsmMq_5quFkBS_ggeBQ15u9hC2OTJe_YB3_Z62UOE0YMO5tNPCLsGao9L4rgY-7uKQaQ-ZLXKGYlGzsorkvXuKC2RQPh4dmPVyXE5_KbAU6EOspZ8_pNSzzVu6tTE/s3213/Orca%203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2073" data-original-width="3213" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80Ez5Qra5atVRBk3a5acjY3y2zzuwYmcRRJbxvo6UckrNZUa8YomLKDfzKTCZGoOsmMq_5quFkBS_ggeBQ15u9hC2OTJe_YB3_Z62UOE0YMO5tNPCLsGao9L4rgY-7uKQaQ-ZLXKGYlGzsorkvXuKC2RQPh4dmPVyXE5_KbAU6EOspZ8_pNSzzVu6tTE/w400-h258/Orca%203.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwdb_EFSsSVqnHeRmqeDaIIB7D-vfm5d99-Tl2vFrkEd17iu_83TrCxsBVUoUrPwGSo7GZamVxn4QyqlieuNgcc_9ujczDhdXlkZliK-6dZW8MdZPGs1vXTi2oimiaQo3Mx_6tVHAoCHAy2nOMSBaVT0fJKxyscaaG5dKzzCeR8CMYFjB_szTnw0WCloQ/s5472/776A7032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwdb_EFSsSVqnHeRmqeDaIIB7D-vfm5d99-Tl2vFrkEd17iu_83TrCxsBVUoUrPwGSo7GZamVxn4QyqlieuNgcc_9ujczDhdXlkZliK-6dZW8MdZPGs1vXTi2oimiaQo3Mx_6tVHAoCHAy2nOMSBaVT0fJKxyscaaG5dKzzCeR8CMYFjB_szTnw0WCloQ/w400-h266/776A7032.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Orca</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tu0GCBywHo9no_iWXAi8l0kpFb-J5mJ4sKbG6tP7iCtPcAj875BzMlnoxr9FG0ANohTJFvvO0rox6PNc6YcIf_qyVa5fRhoY2EL6Ocvc4c_RwcdW8SZ3fhdmgeAm3sMZXfqXzEwQwWPO-ab7CvIBaiVcWVVZbzINfOQ2Tccw8cq9q6DY6QhNfdEdpWM/s2066/Bluethroat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1592" data-original-width="2066" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tu0GCBywHo9no_iWXAi8l0kpFb-J5mJ4sKbG6tP7iCtPcAj875BzMlnoxr9FG0ANohTJFvvO0rox6PNc6YcIf_qyVa5fRhoY2EL6Ocvc4c_RwcdW8SZ3fhdmgeAm3sMZXfqXzEwQwWPO-ab7CvIBaiVcWVVZbzINfOQ2Tccw8cq9q6DY6QhNfdEdpWM/w400-h309/Bluethroat.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bluethroat</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzM0hay3RKt5nzkO0l20bcP4ww05Gns4J9uCJ3mbKaQCvO2L73ea0b5I0Pf-ICE8tQir1wN54l8mOQq43R0ZT8vndolOfBQckdQAyKRKv8LsKzGVKwBumvPTRWVYYmgLbinGCL0WM-54_UIe8_MHw1EllKOSuN4AwqNQ1DodGe2R_pbJ_O4gotOfL7tIU/s2550/Citrine%20Wagtail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1832" data-original-width="2550" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzM0hay3RKt5nzkO0l20bcP4ww05Gns4J9uCJ3mbKaQCvO2L73ea0b5I0Pf-ICE8tQir1wN54l8mOQq43R0ZT8vndolOfBQckdQAyKRKv8LsKzGVKwBumvPTRWVYYmgLbinGCL0WM-54_UIe8_MHw1EllKOSuN4AwqNQ1DodGe2R_pbJ_O4gotOfL7tIU/w400-h288/Citrine%20Wagtail.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Citrine Wagtail</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifhRUeyAPCtDAu4laOhrFloP3WD81oxxxRytjxjqImy5RvmPVndIvjzX1wlekrhyphenhyphen__1FFUCAnCi0OzIN6TDjZWf_0BaznaCOIIVisRwfs4vXUwkah1hcT4ROKND-DiAT5j3FZh-SKfILi1o4EAtm45S9tqmBcr_0za8hnL3UoB-NC0nIyq75bMrMHWdw/s4032/Deaths%20Head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifhRUeyAPCtDAu4laOhrFloP3WD81oxxxRytjxjqImy5RvmPVndIvjzX1wlekrhyphenhyphen__1FFUCAnCi0OzIN6TDjZWf_0BaznaCOIIVisRwfs4vXUwkah1hcT4ROKND-DiAT5j3FZh-SKfILi1o4EAtm45S9tqmBcr_0za8hnL3UoB-NC0nIyq75bMrMHWdw/w300-h400/Deaths%20Head.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Deaths Head Hawk Moth</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaESZvvbIFvgijiM1PTrbk5Gx3mXZcSh_BqDUx9mtuOdjewKA-3S7e9aSrJ9xEwDxdPpInHNhwfcoeIgOUpIGNSAqDXZ_OkKeiBGnTDpTH_SRt-nslTrEoWwGJjrm3wSvK7kwj7QpZSTO6ZRtSPY36UQ7n4Ko-cNajuatsN1P8ZCroe_BS4VdnuuRrQ0s/s4032/Cottage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaESZvvbIFvgijiM1PTrbk5Gx3mXZcSh_BqDUx9mtuOdjewKA-3S7e9aSrJ9xEwDxdPpInHNhwfcoeIgOUpIGNSAqDXZ_OkKeiBGnTDpTH_SRt-nslTrEoWwGJjrm3wSvK7kwj7QpZSTO6ZRtSPY36UQ7n4Ko-cNajuatsN1P8ZCroe_BS4VdnuuRrQ0s/w400-h300/Cottage.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">our cottage</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzzGV93uypROUGHTVhC81J2wKAJZOQ4GjsKYKRrpH4FuIh1z-nOerVsfcfDB2EIGlqkBKc02qCYlEBeZXDgwiGVH-8IL80Q1qrQqNIfK5j-X3fvqp9LfFnnrXWv2M1z5LMQpw8bClNJTB9tcFTaoPg8coL0Ybr-KT8SBbLqV2WFiScTu8Fsm0a6UP5p8/s2029/Veery.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1462" data-original-width="2029" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzzGV93uypROUGHTVhC81J2wKAJZOQ4GjsKYKRrpH4FuIh1z-nOerVsfcfDB2EIGlqkBKc02qCYlEBeZXDgwiGVH-8IL80Q1qrQqNIfK5j-X3fvqp9LfFnnrXWv2M1z5LMQpw8bClNJTB9tcFTaoPg8coL0Ybr-KT8SBbLqV2WFiScTu8Fsm0a6UP5p8/w400-h289/Veery.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Veery</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-50588443076831685712023-11-14T09:24:00.000-08:002023-11-14T09:24:13.568-08:00Recent Bits<p>On Saturday 11th, I drove back down to Sussex, intending to have most of the weekend on the coast, but news of a Canvasback in Essex put pay to that. However, the little time I did have in county was spent at Coldwaltham Brooks where there was no sight nor sound of the possible Hume's Warbler. Therefore, it was down to the Cuckmere where from Harry's Bush, I could scope the <b>Long-billed Dowitcher </b>and the <b>Spotted Redshank</b>. I managed to get fairly close to the former, whilst stumbling across a few Scandinavian Rock Pipits.</p><p>It was then an early start at Abberton Reservoir, arriving at first light and avoiding the Dartford toll in the process! Jake and Ian soon arrived too and we played it lazy, until the <b>Canvasback</b> was located a mere 10-minute's walk from us. We soon got onto it and enjoyed respectable views of this mega bird. Also, I saw 35 <b>Goldeneye</b>, two <b>Goosander</b> and three <b>Cattle Egrets</b>!</p><p>It was most appreciated that a mega was only two hours from home for a change!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKFUPMGs4N6DOwlkffO_vsRGJ1sFSuEQB2Vl8fXy8y-tL__urXLZ_3CR4nBnZX3X0eHysYtIcDLv9raOgChTPL80ov1OZ5qWaKFXuqdBpCYUd4GlBiJAaFmzTqb18l_jaGnAmGBHVY1D8oe-3VyCElTvrCZ1wpkOzHtIYjIqw9VU1ND73ITuM9-mXlSs/s1854/IMG_3044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1344" data-original-width="1854" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKFUPMGs4N6DOwlkffO_vsRGJ1sFSuEQB2Vl8fXy8y-tL__urXLZ_3CR4nBnZX3X0eHysYtIcDLv9raOgChTPL80ov1OZ5qWaKFXuqdBpCYUd4GlBiJAaFmzTqb18l_jaGnAmGBHVY1D8oe-3VyCElTvrCZ1wpkOzHtIYjIqw9VU1ND73ITuM9-mXlSs/w400-h290/IMG_3044.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Canvasback at Abberton Res. - <br />look a little to the left of the Tufted Duck near centre</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-36190868539089278052023-10-21T02:34:00.006-07:002023-10-21T02:36:56.806-07:00Cuckmere Haven: 20th October 2023<p>After dipping in torrential rain on Wednesday, it was back to Sussex on Friday where thankfully the <b>Long-billed Dowitcher</b> was found from first light and performed wonderfully for the time I was watching it. This being a very long overdue species onto my county list, now standing at 330.</p><p>It wasn't just the dowitcher though, as a <b>Hawfinch</b> and three <b>Corn Buntings</b> flew over, an <b>Osprey</b> was fishing at the scrape and a superb <b>Ring Ouzel</b> was located preening atop a sycamore at Foxhole Farm. I wish I had more time as the morning was full of promise, but alas I had to head back to work.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCg3FbmvST8uFuz-dzZ7CYIJIfqcEN-IvUMtjDQ4kFwyy_q2uzfOlTlOM2kKsreDlV6Azg_MyR0qjgQk2_YS0_6MQuPoxyLrZsBsA_PGDmV0CVZv4X46P52-SZ1uauxE0VnSyElIDXZmwqLNL_FP0aiJMvhPGUBTfEm_JWZ7IabVnOL-IHIYbACNT6vQU/s1242/IMG_2636.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="1242" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCg3FbmvST8uFuz-dzZ7CYIJIfqcEN-IvUMtjDQ4kFwyy_q2uzfOlTlOM2kKsreDlV6Azg_MyR0qjgQk2_YS0_6MQuPoxyLrZsBsA_PGDmV0CVZv4X46P52-SZ1uauxE0VnSyElIDXZmwqLNL_FP0aiJMvhPGUBTfEm_JWZ7IabVnOL-IHIYbACNT6vQU/w400-h223/IMG_2636.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Long-billed Dowitcher</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-65902921865055179652023-09-28T08:11:00.001-07:002023-09-28T08:11:09.907-07:00St. Govan's Head... Part 2 Saturday 23rd September<p>On Saturday morning, I had just completed Alice Holt Park Run. Having got back to my car and looking at my phone, I couldn't believe that I had to drive back to the same location as a few days previous. This time for an even more spectacular American wood-warbler... a Canada Warbler! I soon left and arrived in the mid-afternoon to a huge crowd of twitchers, gusty winds and not much hope of a sighting. </p><p>After an hour, I still hadn't seen the bird, so I stuck to one spot, halfway up a tree, which allowed me to view slightly deeper into the vegetation. This worked a treat and I soon had some brief views of the uniform slaty-grey upperparts and bright yellow underparts of the <b>Canada Warbler</b>. I had a further two views which was shamefully good enough for me as I had to drive back as I had a half marathon the next morning. Still, a mega exciting twitch/bird and hopefully I don't have to return to SW Wales anytime soon. </p><p>Most of this week, I've been back down in Sussex but I've not seen a great deal. Two Ospreys at Arlington and the four Cattle Egrets in the Cuckmere on Tuesday, plus heaps of common migrants at Seaford Head on Wednesday. Off to Shetland Friday for some hopeful yank action, but we'll see. </p><p>For those interested:</p><p style="text-align: left;">Alice Holt Park Run 5K: 17mins 57secs 1st place<br />Barns Green Half Marathon: 1hr 19mins 27secs 7th Place</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRThwzOBlQssHeug0FB-hFlaZTJDPovoth4vijjzhlVDGoePtv7HOz5ypFWbQLmocXs4EFI-_21B8H0es57M1ZtwTFsJEPC0sbUb1GG2vCoEFI0g_Ro4yDKprpU13dRab5cgSlMWNtbZvzi_dNenyUIAp71RCxYWZcf65-Xrs3uKdEEJROETPaZxNG4I/s2256/Osprey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1602" data-original-width="2256" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRThwzOBlQssHeug0FB-hFlaZTJDPovoth4vijjzhlVDGoePtv7HOz5ypFWbQLmocXs4EFI-_21B8H0es57M1ZtwTFsJEPC0sbUb1GG2vCoEFI0g_Ro4yDKprpU13dRab5cgSlMWNtbZvzi_dNenyUIAp71RCxYWZcf65-Xrs3uKdEEJROETPaZxNG4I/w400-h284/Osprey.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Osprey at Arlington</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-26278172871246173252023-09-21T14:35:00.002-07:002023-09-21T23:17:30.022-07:00St. Govan's Head, Pembrokeshire - Magnolia WarblerThere is something about American wood-warblers...! Wednesday evening's news of a Magnolia Warbler on mainland UK and less than four hours from my house was wholly unexpected. With limited annual leave, I couldn't waste a day if I was to dip, so I waited on news, which came before it got light it seems, and off I went to SW Wales. <div><br /></div><div>The journey was fine, other than the fact the mega alert was going off every five minutes, with all the megas being in the direction I was heading, albeit on outer islands which were sadly inaccessible today (and tomorrow). Therefore, it was straight to the Magnolia and soon after arriving I laid eyes on this transatlantic beauty. The local Choughs were also good value, especially when I was sat on the cliff edge having lunch and they flocked past me very close on several occasions. A nice day out on the Pembrokeshire coastline.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5XpYsAdTL2mvF3Nd-i-fDiDmzcGcbvvP9W1aN-Mz1cMpFcls8J0YY3dn57ajF3P4eB-XSWnpE9o9ZJL16XA431HFdcK2AYG3Fn85xhzLRkd6FLwnw2iaHaK777TplonxQTn29f8RHNt54Cw2HIXuImyOmJvf1yj-gEhgEvg_bMbVB061JXDk-6mCk3g/s1786/776A6747%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1231" data-original-width="1786" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5XpYsAdTL2mvF3Nd-i-fDiDmzcGcbvvP9W1aN-Mz1cMpFcls8J0YY3dn57ajF3P4eB-XSWnpE9o9ZJL16XA431HFdcK2AYG3Fn85xhzLRkd6FLwnw2iaHaK777TplonxQTn29f8RHNt54Cw2HIXuImyOmJvf1yj-gEhgEvg_bMbVB061JXDk-6mCk3g/w400-h276/776A6747%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwj1R_bwr-DLzBAKWnj6SXe8zV0aH_Y51ccwiNooKV6Y7wxY5B35u7WDQT9q2Aih4EaZlX-C_l2TKIArKTGSAyRNynEWeVGl8ENTyaofUMZR_yIB2tPeTafrXyC_2z_M6uc_DoTYLryoi7tgJj3xEF7YwDfuEteGlcRqiEyQR27OoD9wlUUkhmgM4uGA/s1745/776A6758%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1298" data-original-width="1745" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwj1R_bwr-DLzBAKWnj6SXe8zV0aH_Y51ccwiNooKV6Y7wxY5B35u7WDQT9q2Aih4EaZlX-C_l2TKIArKTGSAyRNynEWeVGl8ENTyaofUMZR_yIB2tPeTafrXyC_2z_M6uc_DoTYLryoi7tgJj3xEF7YwDfuEteGlcRqiEyQR27OoD9wlUUkhmgM4uGA/w400-h297/776A6758%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Magnolia Warbler</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUOmc3HTXIh71Jv0brgG3NGUqNgWTBvTkdFFtvdt7fUmcgdErIgVmDIuQUpHCvYs0Oct_0C-SG7r7rkZb5o6zsKRhFDDEUFtDrRevGeO6MCCsh5M4x8BdOi54SKZ_N5JWK0xEctb34r4j7xVgaSHNOqJwwc1gmd8NTodlq-SaXDnBlZ6vvRgtY-J7ZEPg/s3743/776A6834%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2568" data-original-width="3743" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUOmc3HTXIh71Jv0brgG3NGUqNgWTBvTkdFFtvdt7fUmcgdErIgVmDIuQUpHCvYs0Oct_0C-SG7r7rkZb5o6zsKRhFDDEUFtDrRevGeO6MCCsh5M4x8BdOi54SKZ_N5JWK0xEctb34r4j7xVgaSHNOqJwwc1gmd8NTodlq-SaXDnBlZ6vvRgtY-J7ZEPg/w400-h275/776A6834%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Chough</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div>Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-81749858005712597802023-08-26T07:46:00.000-07:002023-08-26T07:46:35.013-07:00Post-Monsoon Birding in Rajasthan, India: 9th - 15th August 2023<p>It was some time ago that Ashley Howe invited me along on a whistle-stop tour of Rajasthan during the post-monsoon season to seek some critically-endangered species. We used Asian Adventures who once again did a sterling job. Our main quarry was the superlative Lesser Florican, a species that will soon (in relative terms) be on the extinction list, and to see this very rare bird, one has to visit in late July or early August to correspond with its display. Another hoped for species was the Bristled Grassbird... seemingly another doomed species. </p><p>Our 7-day trip, of which only five were spent in India, was most successful, and as we had both visited this region previously, there were very few species to actually target, with myself not even hitting the double-figure mark for lifers. </p><p><b><u>9th August 2023</u></b></p><p>We departed Heathrow in the evening on a direct Virgin Atlantic service to Delhi. </p><p><b><u>10th August 2023</u></b></p><p>We arrived on time and swiftly got through immigration and found our guide and driver, Deepak and Pawan. It was a short drive to the hotel where we got dropped off, much to our dislike as we were desperate to see some birds, but just had to make do with the local Black Kites. </p><p>In the afternoon, we left and headed for Surajpur Sanctuary on the outskirts of Delhi. It was a nice surprise to see new and improved infrastructure in the road network and my grim memories of my past visit were soon dashed, all for the positive. I was actually impressed with India this time around, with less chaos for starters. Anyway, the afternoon journey was highlighted by a Shikra, White-throated Kingfisher and some Asian Green Bee-eaters. </p><p>We finally arrived at an open section of the Surajpur Sanctuary and instantly found some nice birds and the joys of foreign birding commenced. Straight away we encountered Cinnamon Bitterns, Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, Great Coucals, Black Francolins, Pied Bushchats, Red Avadavats and three species of weaver (Black-breasted, Baya and Streaked). We soon heard our main target, this being a Bristled Grassbird and soon we clapped eyes on this critically-endangered bird. After a short walk which produced some excellent dragonflies and butterflies, plus some more birds including Tricoloured Munia, a Blyth's Reed Warbler, Jacobin Cuckoo and Bengal Bush Lark, Ash and I crept up to a safe distance and admired the grassbird for 45-minutes. </p><p>All too soon our time was up and we departed the site during the midst of a minor deluge, but what a successful start to our short Indian adventure. What was even better was the food in the evening, the first of many fine curries!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCr8l0FA0n3dI05ZVvD_zPoOQScU8g-jG7cEjxz4TtS0l4ShpHjO_55nB02tt5auKEQ9Ho1oZ9e2rBgXPF6xXGGM2P_Ao11Aini0w-VpuHNvEjYmWC9IIC_i6U0TGsOg5Az43awIxfLgZ-aqleoV6IedfgGiLSbiucqQPOuCDRz5OGwINZ84jL0UMlUw/s3968/776A5041%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2682" data-original-width="3968" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCr8l0FA0n3dI05ZVvD_zPoOQScU8g-jG7cEjxz4TtS0l4ShpHjO_55nB02tt5auKEQ9Ho1oZ9e2rBgXPF6xXGGM2P_Ao11Aini0w-VpuHNvEjYmWC9IIC_i6U0TGsOg5Az43awIxfLgZ-aqleoV6IedfgGiLSbiucqQPOuCDRz5OGwINZ84jL0UMlUw/w400-h270/776A5041%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Plain Tiger - needless to say the only 'tiger' was saw</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRF-L3oAqIuw8TMhPZ2wzly2pTFBLrW7Xx3Cv8khQpSZ46VExl9-Z7kWbMXlaXzMitTc8G_wWZMShCPmYL9n9vjeQe-F8_tbnBT6Russ09_CTE6uDCcBN80T7_rZMOOoN8DQ-UokHEePANwY46430r4JpVLCxuaOwV-p4QpznPO27nynbS7PavhuSXAZs/s2986/776A4978%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2061" data-original-width="2986" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRF-L3oAqIuw8TMhPZ2wzly2pTFBLrW7Xx3Cv8khQpSZ46VExl9-Z7kWbMXlaXzMitTc8G_wWZMShCPmYL9n9vjeQe-F8_tbnBT6Russ09_CTE6uDCcBN80T7_rZMOOoN8DQ-UokHEePANwY46430r4JpVLCxuaOwV-p4QpznPO27nynbS7PavhuSXAZs/w400-h276/776A4978%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ashy Prinia</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7w66ase87rfPpPCFchKh_cjJgvGQiKJKFW3LcXGNHskRtU1UmfA10H3vUSNhksGKiBuxj7GFpgrMP48FiAkmDRMEPSf7xJ5MwQuxc6C2z111Dv5JkrBfCJfKcwU6DA1kkXxs3lAope4T23jetBcUCQYqfrRiBI_cF0eMJVMhs5cmR4LkZWhV7-d-EjG0/s3016/776A5056%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2123" data-original-width="3016" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7w66ase87rfPpPCFchKh_cjJgvGQiKJKFW3LcXGNHskRtU1UmfA10H3vUSNhksGKiBuxj7GFpgrMP48FiAkmDRMEPSf7xJ5MwQuxc6C2z111Dv5JkrBfCJfKcwU6DA1kkXxs3lAope4T23jetBcUCQYqfrRiBI_cF0eMJVMhs5cmR4LkZWhV7-d-EjG0/w400-h281/776A5056%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Wire-tailed Swallow</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9nNTIKfhnisIDCXDOynQPzMq_GGYDiQIKJOL9zQc794xPLk9PEJTA-Cxe5-Zr2W_deTcp3uSr8vCgJMbsn--o0qpeLbmzBXtyFokC5QIFmImuaV-0ZKCgtH4AQkmj-0hd3XpS_Qn7iyQwue-NpGfaYUC8vDifPK2SSCVeI7F_pzYtptp1uly-Ps3TnU/s2589/776A5086%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1854" data-original-width="2589" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9nNTIKfhnisIDCXDOynQPzMq_GGYDiQIKJOL9zQc794xPLk9PEJTA-Cxe5-Zr2W_deTcp3uSr8vCgJMbsn--o0qpeLbmzBXtyFokC5QIFmImuaV-0ZKCgtH4AQkmj-0hd3XpS_Qn7iyQwue-NpGfaYUC8vDifPK2SSCVeI7F_pzYtptp1uly-Ps3TnU/w400-h286/776A5086%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Red Avadavat</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhplbkR5vAj2bG75c5J5blcWWEnFejYFmKmytRid6mdBezY9yPlxkZaP0WVOspgMbp82WvIhFEcJJhtYjbPzjl2cRDIlv1656PglZ9T5-pI39N11Szexl45pKMRY5p_R9fSKdvMywisZXtbdC_bK__JmukD4KCWewUBWs5hmJzwdXSm-XDL3TixmPSoJEQ/s5472/776A5106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhplbkR5vAj2bG75c5J5blcWWEnFejYFmKmytRid6mdBezY9yPlxkZaP0WVOspgMbp82WvIhFEcJJhtYjbPzjl2cRDIlv1656PglZ9T5-pI39N11Szexl45pKMRY5p_R9fSKdvMywisZXtbdC_bK__JmukD4KCWewUBWs5hmJzwdXSm-XDL3TixmPSoJEQ/w400-h266/776A5106.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Black-breasted Weaver</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxpQJKWOyC3mluEfvSxHjV6VNel63_AmCLHfC67qkLN5_KeN2f1jdVGyUpRksXXaCD3RPz6t-OYt9dzp4650fTnny4AfFu2OCwrlOV6ouqVtFp-6HPlH45SDvAUafoBRJ1nmcXWSunWUqY1aBoYhBk6FjO8J60USJIU4ILCbkXzkP4b8NgbcNGNP0_H4/s2877/776A5311%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1993" data-original-width="2877" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxpQJKWOyC3mluEfvSxHjV6VNel63_AmCLHfC67qkLN5_KeN2f1jdVGyUpRksXXaCD3RPz6t-OYt9dzp4650fTnny4AfFu2OCwrlOV6ouqVtFp-6HPlH45SDvAUafoBRJ1nmcXWSunWUqY1aBoYhBk6FjO8J60USJIU4ILCbkXzkP4b8NgbcNGNP0_H4/w400-h278/776A5311%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bristled Grassbird</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u>11th August 2023</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After breakfast, light soon emerged and we drove roughly an hour to Sultanpur Reserve, a site we had visited during our last visit and where we had seen Sind Sparrow and Brooke's Leaf Warbler. As the reserve was closed, we concentrated our efforts along the storm drain which gives way to some excellent marshland. It was again brilliant with an excellent variety of birds, with Black Bittern, Cinnamons and many Little Bitterns flying around; a few Yellow-breasted Prinias were in the reeds and there were lots of Wood Sandpipers about too. Besides the commoner species like Indian Golden Orioles, Indian Robins and Silverbills, there were no new birds here so we left and started the long journey to Jaipur. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A roadside breakfast stop was most welcome especially as a Blue-cheeked Bee-eater went over. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We eventually arrived in Jaipur and rested up in our fancy hotel, before being picked up again and drove a short distance to a Leopard reserve on the city's outskirts. Despite the park's size, there are thought to be 30 completely wild Leopards here, which apparently mostly hunt on the local dog population! A 'safari-style' drive in the park wasn't a crazy affair like other Indian reserves, but we couldn't find a Leopard, though did find the following birds: Bay-backed Shrike, Common Woodshrike, Black-winged Kite, Hoopoe, Jungle Nightjar, Spotted Owlet, Yellow-throated Sparrow and lots of babblers comprising three species.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With a curfew in the park, we had to leave and therefore went back to hotel. During the drive, we had expressed our concerns as to why we were faffing about with non-Lesser Florican activities, so Deepak quickly changed the plans for tomorrow which meant we were florican bound for tomorrow!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTFV08z2YgtQuUnkSK6eCU9N1N5KL2bjwSgKdmEt0v3YA-erWPKJ7gg7vYTDUb473RdAJEgXizspR1J4yhoXaxsXRh6o41pj2n3louqKTp9tkIKiu_3_c9ivt6pc79V6LLMkvxsQOzIBCGJQpNaC6amPK18wFJR9kv48tCUtnnNfTaT4UgHMcfLi7sUU/s2677/776A5330%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2059" data-original-width="2677" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTFV08z2YgtQuUnkSK6eCU9N1N5KL2bjwSgKdmEt0v3YA-erWPKJ7gg7vYTDUb473RdAJEgXizspR1J4yhoXaxsXRh6o41pj2n3louqKTp9tkIKiu_3_c9ivt6pc79V6LLMkvxsQOzIBCGJQpNaC6amPK18wFJR9kv48tCUtnnNfTaT4UgHMcfLi7sUU/w400-h308/776A5330%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Little Bittern</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCnAeRI_g5vbME8hQeDMlmKwiZ5asW9tJJb17yq2mLoXVjIj9Zq5S66CU31NEksxE85jx0HcGexS9DL5xX2EQj2yHV4fNVAcRxwExewePSvz2F6ZgfkseBsj-mgnIdzcBwU5IFvwl_dNqv5zFhPPZBhdKJ_Cn_zjDsTVisXWZUTeyxGiDC-IRBTjKQdA/s3562/776A5385%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2738" data-original-width="3562" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCnAeRI_g5vbME8hQeDMlmKwiZ5asW9tJJb17yq2mLoXVjIj9Zq5S66CU31NEksxE85jx0HcGexS9DL5xX2EQj2yHV4fNVAcRxwExewePSvz2F6ZgfkseBsj-mgnIdzcBwU5IFvwl_dNqv5zFhPPZBhdKJ_Cn_zjDsTVisXWZUTeyxGiDC-IRBTjKQdA/w400-h308/776A5385%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Striated Babbler</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeNEcyGBSdS8quNDKtIGgOhnIeWHa3jXGCmf4yl167lkFIQGnbGIyDjWBgmQ5-8GSTajnR2ZP3Zn0N_VSgW4d2UPz0R5tvGlTdl7OsTNqC-inodnvKMhlEfAGfZ06LjYNLhZCpuzZ2TVEVc4TYbDfCJLNSZL8W1lyZIKrmlJ7Js4DqdKP3zcFgd1CaI4/s3329/776A5494%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3329" data-original-width="2786" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeNEcyGBSdS8quNDKtIGgOhnIeWHa3jXGCmf4yl167lkFIQGnbGIyDjWBgmQ5-8GSTajnR2ZP3Zn0N_VSgW4d2UPz0R5tvGlTdl7OsTNqC-inodnvKMhlEfAGfZ06LjYNLhZCpuzZ2TVEVc4TYbDfCJLNSZL8W1lyZIKrmlJ7Js4DqdKP3zcFgd1CaI4/w335-h400/776A5494%20(2).JPG" width="335" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Indian Silverbill</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJ-76rOmaQQwByz_dFK8t2--o4YIAvprAx7AKGQRVGAeta82pd-7cK2jaI2ki2DiSY8m2Xl2DLqrFDg8axKD0qACUrfqYuJqFb_P7tJDgfGfFk9jpe8_AOrpWzDK76a4eMe_ZEHhuJabaDnyLpiDd9Q81ectG28fFCZQbaEC28elrRN65AsImIpQOXBc/s4045/776A5525%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3103" data-original-width="4045" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJ-76rOmaQQwByz_dFK8t2--o4YIAvprAx7AKGQRVGAeta82pd-7cK2jaI2ki2DiSY8m2Xl2DLqrFDg8axKD0qACUrfqYuJqFb_P7tJDgfGfFk9jpe8_AOrpWzDK76a4eMe_ZEHhuJabaDnyLpiDd9Q81ectG28fFCZQbaEC28elrRN65AsImIpQOXBc/w400-h306/776A5525%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Shikra</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNSDmt95-xNbWt1z8swEM5VwBH7WtsiBBO7ePCIL0BaczM6rGicaNRuCv5jvsXOgmuS68KNWAdxeeQr0cH_qeyznm5EPZRQhJxh7wYp2SSG1Cd4ixhsRp3b8PXFknCPscDmHRjKlgKd7UgNBLY2Z2tGv8J2s9iEMU0RIyxvaY4TxoKstrNR9Nxk1AY_I/s3987/776A5575%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3069" data-original-width="3987" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNSDmt95-xNbWt1z8swEM5VwBH7WtsiBBO7ePCIL0BaczM6rGicaNRuCv5jvsXOgmuS68KNWAdxeeQr0cH_qeyznm5EPZRQhJxh7wYp2SSG1Cd4ixhsRp3b8PXFknCPscDmHRjKlgKd7UgNBLY2Z2tGv8J2s9iEMU0RIyxvaY4TxoKstrNR9Nxk1AY_I/w400-h308/776A5575%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Hoopoe</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xRRNhO2YIgnmO1-IKCsdr_6mkNUvGE41EsWX6-el6-UCcXgqSjyKAS4LgdBYRAN5J9ceVYe_QEyGoKNdcKnNZy2U2DHAzCqdaaDZp9C14rc9FGPBryT2L2BFhQ4cobcrZRGeAsL-PGyG-_e5YLde7ksZhrofOATdKsOCzi6_Z2B2fnsR_yKdD_aEIjs/s2897/776A5622%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2118" data-original-width="2897" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xRRNhO2YIgnmO1-IKCsdr_6mkNUvGE41EsWX6-el6-UCcXgqSjyKAS4LgdBYRAN5J9ceVYe_QEyGoKNdcKnNZy2U2DHAzCqdaaDZp9C14rc9FGPBryT2L2BFhQ4cobcrZRGeAsL-PGyG-_e5YLde7ksZhrofOATdKsOCzi6_Z2B2fnsR_yKdD_aEIjs/w400-h293/776A5622%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Black-winged Kite</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwhw-pWiIbwosiaP1UWIA7ITW3Kw-Gu0EveFNRFffSUJIef7vmFc2Gugt7Wfwenk4TvzaIRXkzZBfYc7aJkwToXYmN_55tQzBHJVLZBiXzLxGvMYa2eL_hccuO27gT-ppLCejHnlO3Vg01ghafv7uuPS2arFBG2eDPSbc_bG9BNLDkpWxg9RUdwjZgHk/s4111/776A5642%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3027" data-original-width="4111" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwhw-pWiIbwosiaP1UWIA7ITW3Kw-Gu0EveFNRFffSUJIef7vmFc2Gugt7Wfwenk4TvzaIRXkzZBfYc7aJkwToXYmN_55tQzBHJVLZBiXzLxGvMYa2eL_hccuO27gT-ppLCejHnlO3Vg01ghafv7uuPS2arFBG2eDPSbc_bG9BNLDkpWxg9RUdwjZgHk/w400-h295/776A5642%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jungle Nightjar</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u>12th August 2023</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As we weren't due to leave the hotel until 8am, I woke up early and went for a run, which was brilliant! I only did 5km, but did see my only Indian Grey Hornbill of the trip!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After an excellent breakfast, we left and were heading directly for a Lesser Florican location. Deepak was extremely relaxed, and with good reason, as a mere four hours later, we parked up and joined some Indian photographers, where just beyond, up bounced a splendid Lesser Florican! I had first become aware of this species from a tv program when I was a kid... like most things back then, I never thought I would see it, but here I was now watching one of the world's rarest birds performing its ludicrous display. We watched it for over an hour during which it barely stopped jumping, much to our delight. A dream come true!! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Unfortunately, there are only two states where you can see the florican, with Gujarat being out of bounds in the post-monsoon season, therefore, this tiny pocket in Rajasthan is the only site where one can see it, thought his year, only five or six displaying males have 'returned'... drastic times indeed! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We continued birding nearby and found roosting sites for Indian Nightjar, Savanna Nightjar and Indian Eagle Owl, before retreating to our very nice hotel, maybe 20km south of Ajmer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the late afternoon, we were off out again and went in search of Jungle Bush Quail and Painted Spurfowl. No joy with the former (although several Rock Bush Quail were found) and after hearing a spurfowl, we soon located it. A few Barred Buttonquail were also located and a Southern Grey Shrike also showed nicely. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It had been a top day and we retreated to the hotel, meeting a Dutch birder at check-in, who was to join us (in separate vehicles) tomorrow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGNN9NvK3zBqIrGxTPpO9yCiGJA5vEGb05Yx2iuALCiwm8WYk-F2_KRa9laSlP-A-Al2HwHZZTJbdfWqxgq6qf2DIwpnPg70g4oS9e1eJDwYHwbrnkjlNPXmzcm1Hj0YosFsNJTybAVqSp6sFglJQadSeRTbSh_coneuLTKbXoV7hWRzaCGmB9YcLF4A/s2088/776A5679.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1510" data-original-width="2088" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGNN9NvK3zBqIrGxTPpO9yCiGJA5vEGb05Yx2iuALCiwm8WYk-F2_KRa9laSlP-A-Al2HwHZZTJbdfWqxgq6qf2DIwpnPg70g4oS9e1eJDwYHwbrnkjlNPXmzcm1Hj0YosFsNJTybAVqSp6sFglJQadSeRTbSh_coneuLTKbXoV7hWRzaCGmB9YcLF4A/w400-h289/776A5679.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhopHJPvYbUcazxBBz1ZhwmxpQU7tjy-wOUbkasZOwU2vxxlI4BMPXp41cU6e1khJXxBe216Wc3Z305PPTS0m2aR0WEUnbz36GjRjxdEhQQ9Vx3pYiiC6ZMrx54Ls06KHPaDd-hkeMY_1e-8DZmL2TBsogjLehO4vx-v856I2gzi3AbKlkk37kxM54_X0E/s2840/776A5681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2003" data-original-width="2840" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhopHJPvYbUcazxBBz1ZhwmxpQU7tjy-wOUbkasZOwU2vxxlI4BMPXp41cU6e1khJXxBe216Wc3Z305PPTS0m2aR0WEUnbz36GjRjxdEhQQ9Vx3pYiiC6ZMrx54Ls06KHPaDd-hkeMY_1e-8DZmL2TBsogjLehO4vx-v856I2gzi3AbKlkk37kxM54_X0E/w400-h283/776A5681.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lesser Florican</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVPJ5W7I2TYemvIVOcjmxbWU0R8P3w_Vo0lekP-kHg-C8VxesE0CvGZ1i9i9Xe6iLCqQKR1KGQS2-0sCKt6nXwv0WRpGyYMTAwgt6eqyoAzKHbf6vDTtwquIA4HuzdDVUKt3_2hRn0uuk-Urnmo1ihyB_53LM9k5IE1d6POVMCM6GWEJWmwKw4QNmKMU/s3060/776A5775%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2213" data-original-width="3060" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVPJ5W7I2TYemvIVOcjmxbWU0R8P3w_Vo0lekP-kHg-C8VxesE0CvGZ1i9i9Xe6iLCqQKR1KGQS2-0sCKt6nXwv0WRpGyYMTAwgt6eqyoAzKHbf6vDTtwquIA4HuzdDVUKt3_2hRn0uuk-Urnmo1ihyB_53LM9k5IE1d6POVMCM6GWEJWmwKw4QNmKMU/w400-h289/776A5775%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ashy-crowned Sparrowlark</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCnpup3R78r_dqlBFGf9zs2ne1vdFZjHGU6OPdJMnQgaKzJCQUhDgdZCo0hYWB4v71G23jvWX6Vhe_SBtVFrlWPJWhb2UMFMsvTNoNCnrHM4yG6uAyn0b2R6dCajZMQW7oH76F1mKDWU5Cr1NfcLv2DlBPj-EG8c8RJh_DpCWtWYZE0NpXiJAEMUnrucc/s4083/776A5922%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2865" data-original-width="4083" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCnpup3R78r_dqlBFGf9zs2ne1vdFZjHGU6OPdJMnQgaKzJCQUhDgdZCo0hYWB4v71G23jvWX6Vhe_SBtVFrlWPJWhb2UMFMsvTNoNCnrHM4yG6uAyn0b2R6dCajZMQW7oH76F1mKDWU5Cr1NfcLv2DlBPj-EG8c8RJh_DpCWtWYZE0NpXiJAEMUnrucc/w400-h281/776A5922%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Indian Eagle Owl</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3B8uJ00Vjt7qRJqlPDV1rj8phiUDymslRMebFjuroXC5cR73TedcPulMhVU4A3aaPONohaMVGTW1g2fwSFZuq5yFVfsoXAY-eglXB2Sgl1a-3ZNmnU_gCcYrOp4SHMwaVIX1PMdIbPsY7GYazUG59WJnfqxKZJKf_gURlX4z3OaVpeApRHWpkQ3k4hw/s3225/776A5943%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2398" data-original-width="3225" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3B8uJ00Vjt7qRJqlPDV1rj8phiUDymslRMebFjuroXC5cR73TedcPulMhVU4A3aaPONohaMVGTW1g2fwSFZuq5yFVfsoXAY-eglXB2Sgl1a-3ZNmnU_gCcYrOp4SHMwaVIX1PMdIbPsY7GYazUG59WJnfqxKZJKf_gURlX4z3OaVpeApRHWpkQ3k4hw/w400-h297/776A5943%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Indian Nightjar</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfD7FQGF2cUcHRDNkhI44P8u39BewlPZTCID1x9_SzXZkwrtMc11Uj_tWccfW_l6n03hg_jQKfVdKcnM2Ff1nu1ClwI6w4tEmGA0LCWIgt5uLGQIHNCaYAJ9CQqFJMu8YBszd1A_MuMgnOgT_8WwRf2nuymFaaJU20jDwUGw7BsHuZd_wws_4R9A_JJSI/s2669/776A5984%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1977" data-original-width="2669" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfD7FQGF2cUcHRDNkhI44P8u39BewlPZTCID1x9_SzXZkwrtMc11Uj_tWccfW_l6n03hg_jQKfVdKcnM2Ff1nu1ClwI6w4tEmGA0LCWIgt5uLGQIHNCaYAJ9CQqFJMu8YBszd1A_MuMgnOgT_8WwRf2nuymFaaJU20jDwUGw7BsHuZd_wws_4R9A_JJSI/w400-h296/776A5984%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Savanna Nightjar</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxiXVechRTax4f7fL0kSapbqu6iL4_watTLFQv5dCFUPYzcIMx_SwMHfGEjWekxE1TIkyQZVhMRFLfnuDirqXkOAI7HDucsQ2Cm9sTVuBLKtYEknYpImB2WJ3Z9t_fm4QYj2tsFfEQLEDMBvk8BSaFtqCMGyCZZ58XWGQE9ksuilUFmddT1msvtyiJqo/s3247/776A6052%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2358" data-original-width="3247" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxiXVechRTax4f7fL0kSapbqu6iL4_watTLFQv5dCFUPYzcIMx_SwMHfGEjWekxE1TIkyQZVhMRFLfnuDirqXkOAI7HDucsQ2Cm9sTVuBLKtYEknYpImB2WJ3Z9t_fm4QYj2tsFfEQLEDMBvk8BSaFtqCMGyCZZ58XWGQE9ksuilUFmddT1msvtyiJqo/w400-h290/776A6052%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJX8Bnjh-IYrh8JcnJSv3FfQ0g8j3Rwu4FGMrFKLBnGE667N2qYz8dgvufw4E0Mob0pjsvuxV7_VmA9UdqEhwbrcx9B1nXs0Q-8sOBTp8CVHfURfrDMivlEPuAYp1FBOJd8pnbL6L9crEDqShDcfnemaA1iNAM9kdZpQrX3QPY0aLIccKB2_8LDzACy2c/s3744/776A6096%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2523" data-original-width="3744" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJX8Bnjh-IYrh8JcnJSv3FfQ0g8j3Rwu4FGMrFKLBnGE667N2qYz8dgvufw4E0Mob0pjsvuxV7_VmA9UdqEhwbrcx9B1nXs0Q-8sOBTp8CVHfURfrDMivlEPuAYp1FBOJd8pnbL6L9crEDqShDcfnemaA1iNAM9kdZpQrX3QPY0aLIccKB2_8LDzACy2c/w400-h270/776A6096%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Rock Bush Quail - class birds!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u>13th August 2023</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first surprise of the day was in the hotel reception pre-dawn, where our leader from a few years back was standing - Dalveer, such an awesome person and always happy. Anyway, off we went to a different florican location, but also an exceptional Rain Quail site. I had actually seen Rain Quail in Thailand, but one can never tire of such a lovely bird. They were incredibly easy to find and by the end of this session, we had maybe seen 10 birds. A Lesser Florican was also jumping around, but more mobile and difficult to track in the longer grass, so it didn't have our full attention. What was most impressive was having a pair of quail on the deck as they crept past at moderate distance. A flock of 19 Garganey also went over. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The rest of the morning was spent walking a more savannah-like habitat, with scattered acacias and very short grass. Here, we came across yet more Rain Quail that were proving difficult to locate on the deck and there were lots of Rufous-fronted Prinias singing. A Painted Spurfowl was also located, this time calling from a tree branch and we admired this pretty bird for a short time. A few Yellow-wattled Lapwings and a stunning Bay-backed Shrike were found too. The morning had flown by, and after a prolonged rest at the hotel, off out we went again for some decent birding. Before we did leave, Ash spotted maybe the find of the trip, as a man with six toes emerged from the hotel. I had to grab my bins to confirm... I'd never heard of this before, but a great sighting, despite staring at an Indian foot!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Out again and at the same Indian Nightjar site as yesterday, Ash and I went off in hot pursuit of a grounded individual, but they mostly outdone us. However, I caught a glimpse of a 'leaf warbler' which appeared to have a solid crown stripe. Quickly alerting Ash, we both watched the mostly obscured bird and both quickly came to the conclusion that is must be a Western Crowned Warbler. Firing off photos confirmed our suspicions, although it was rather humerous/annoying that Deepak didn't believe us one bit, this despite him glancing at our photos! Soon after a Booted Warbler was found by Ash. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On the return to the same florican as this morning, a nice adult Rose-coloured Starling was seen and the jumping florican would be the last time we would see the species this trip, and probably, forever... good luck to them! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndmY-FIc__GMfFteshxyTBVOlm31fVF4yfjIscjAkCApEI9ls6M4lQU8A5uvXS8n-HvQYM7f9vLgAGM-KRgC9fi2-wiu9nDVR_vNel0J9WFNPAXHbGOMdz63T1I1tOaYIuyDmsLCT-w_y9_AM2fqkaYu2puH7XhJFsnJMLlA0pPsoDyQT60hbZEjvH9Y/s4423/776A6127%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3135" data-original-width="4423" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndmY-FIc__GMfFteshxyTBVOlm31fVF4yfjIscjAkCApEI9ls6M4lQU8A5uvXS8n-HvQYM7f9vLgAGM-KRgC9fi2-wiu9nDVR_vNel0J9WFNPAXHbGOMdz63T1I1tOaYIuyDmsLCT-w_y9_AM2fqkaYu2puH7XhJFsnJMLlA0pPsoDyQT60hbZEjvH9Y/w400-h284/776A6127%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Eastern Cattle Egret</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88GGzbbP_XbfFISXF30eKADFWRfN2CPvC36cZ4sBYM2zvfarIqmfOrCYuoNnetflti7pwo0C_sOF7nw1TIA4nOZDo4zPLKLu__Q_zLojNPN0CFZ7qJu5kk2Kpo8exMljmWCjXKumwLc1cC--6zfdd5BDnzhE8ERMNghHjWJaPeOBjJmhPuBT9AvMg4EA/s3111/776A6268%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2368" data-original-width="3111" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88GGzbbP_XbfFISXF30eKADFWRfN2CPvC36cZ4sBYM2zvfarIqmfOrCYuoNnetflti7pwo0C_sOF7nw1TIA4nOZDo4zPLKLu__Q_zLojNPN0CFZ7qJu5kk2Kpo8exMljmWCjXKumwLc1cC--6zfdd5BDnzhE8ERMNghHjWJaPeOBjJmhPuBT9AvMg4EA/w400-h305/776A6268%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Rufous-fronted Prinia</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_47XYVJxM9mmvNzr5uMp_Am_yK-p5rSr3aLDVj7qaH1p5zF8KLpmwml6O07NbQWVnbZUorSXckYoVrsje1wEl8oKS_EI8KzdjARLUmFqHon5GhfBnp2SB63YZr2TRS87oqCPNFIfuo1Iq4bh9foAiPmXiGNH-GIdEOEp93SKqLnEaLpeWrVGnxdjfEuU/s1925/776A6276%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1340" data-original-width="1925" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_47XYVJxM9mmvNzr5uMp_Am_yK-p5rSr3aLDVj7qaH1p5zF8KLpmwml6O07NbQWVnbZUorSXckYoVrsje1wEl8oKS_EI8KzdjARLUmFqHon5GhfBnp2SB63YZr2TRS87oqCPNFIfuo1Iq4bh9foAiPmXiGNH-GIdEOEp93SKqLnEaLpeWrVGnxdjfEuU/w400-h279/776A6276%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Rock Bush Quail - a split-second too late</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiz7Gf2Z1rGXjez9bpvNq6zzVIJ7EdGINmVqIphWadHoM1--NpSnpAAK4ECKKGhc5l4X6afEFktlcpf5qp5xysHEyiTUgIO8I7sKkFj3_UGI05y7qTxf9TUR8eJOGWwBplTLesg8DCgnpLfXPhxEom6hjPswV5nkdqc3NcIv4RAKa-jpCGo4w3ibSyZp8/s3407/776A6296%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="3407" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiz7Gf2Z1rGXjez9bpvNq6zzVIJ7EdGINmVqIphWadHoM1--NpSnpAAK4ECKKGhc5l4X6afEFktlcpf5qp5xysHEyiTUgIO8I7sKkFj3_UGI05y7qTxf9TUR8eJOGWwBplTLesg8DCgnpLfXPhxEom6hjPswV5nkdqc3NcIv4RAKa-jpCGo4w3ibSyZp8/w400-h281/776A6296%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Yellow-wattled Lapwing</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNwaY1UGKKbWvddxwf6iKmpRvSVuMacka5OW0Tt3p-KZI49VrDvWzwDtNuvwJguCCGkzT757U1ViS1Sji2mgFzeOhYpIM5rI239I6zvCIL79O4bQ9QRy4k-uKibsgGCDlXIetK2_Iz8z0lOVikdq5dOQUAd0uvdC55aLGS3WmUw5Jd0KMXdcMnPB1nx8/s2473/776A6369%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1689" data-original-width="2473" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNwaY1UGKKbWvddxwf6iKmpRvSVuMacka5OW0Tt3p-KZI49VrDvWzwDtNuvwJguCCGkzT757U1ViS1Sji2mgFzeOhYpIM5rI239I6zvCIL79O4bQ9QRy4k-uKibsgGCDlXIetK2_Iz8z0lOVikdq5dOQUAd0uvdC55aLGS3WmUw5Jd0KMXdcMnPB1nx8/w400-h274/776A6369%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Western Crowned Warbler</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQZWeNy5ekiQaB2v4kLvKHLKjoP3xiWIirjBP1lvD_AliMJ9LtISD_vQnk4NOCj3hd1dIuMlOF9x0VDAAMXJxyxtrEq4MPleUntY9m0nhaxLdl0vct9s7RZ__J-TtiuAqDTVVuyPEbsxZTvo4LcKmaODOkz-JDWlTcRjaleH2FZxJOurhCPJ1V-luOsE/s3499/776A6439%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2421" data-original-width="3499" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQZWeNy5ekiQaB2v4kLvKHLKjoP3xiWIirjBP1lvD_AliMJ9LtISD_vQnk4NOCj3hd1dIuMlOF9x0VDAAMXJxyxtrEq4MPleUntY9m0nhaxLdl0vct9s7RZ__J-TtiuAqDTVVuyPEbsxZTvo4LcKmaODOkz-JDWlTcRjaleH2FZxJOurhCPJ1V-luOsE/w400-h276/776A6439%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Booted Warbler</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u>14th August 2023</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our final day of birding had us departing the hotel pre-dawn and venturing north and then north-east to an area of dense scrub/low-level forest for yet another great birding session. We only had a few hours, but in this time found a good variety, with the following highlights: White-naped Tit, Plum-headed Parakeet, Western Crowned Warbler, Tytler's Leaf Warbler, Greenish Warbler, three Bonelli's Eagles and a White-eyed Buzzard.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was then a very long slog back to Delhi, but quieter roads due to the following day being Indian Independence Day, so no large lorries could enter the city... excellent! We arrived at Delhi airport in good time for our flight down to Mumbai, where we were to kip on the airport floor, ready for our Virgin flight the next day, where we arrived at Heathrow in the mid-afternoon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A great few days in India and many thanks to Ash for sorting and to Asian Adventures for their efforts.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1-JJ6oSXZ70rpzdid8xki3ZB5gsQLo39gAat_CK0dilDR9BQsAPol_zKqJFe8WasfCPWXmWNKcmtYpXvm1IQxoullHjDne-pn6PzTRJ0aD6x31QMh3LovK5H234WYwf5rwAmd0oqftZrJKTe6Zvk-zhJcqWFMLLTQxp8IB93VZFypBAxKjV7g6gdrd4/s3381/776A6485%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2435" data-original-width="3381" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1-JJ6oSXZ70rpzdid8xki3ZB5gsQLo39gAat_CK0dilDR9BQsAPol_zKqJFe8WasfCPWXmWNKcmtYpXvm1IQxoullHjDne-pn6PzTRJ0aD6x31QMh3LovK5H234WYwf5rwAmd0oqftZrJKTe6Zvk-zhJcqWFMLLTQxp8IB93VZFypBAxKjV7g6gdrd4/w400-h288/776A6485%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Purple Sunbird</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivD4Ai31eYzDJ8mxFIsNhLUYU7GJjNxHa95jq9TdA7NrqFVkWrUtToH9wikw7ANj1nGmrlIgDg52ScwUu-W0QI9f9PouD-kO6P2GSOmrG4tRQJXRvOdwJWEeMTWX9UFk-GsLXfQSdDmnFAAULAg31qHcMLl7v3rEqQ-xJs3ZCImeVYaBajeBWmVyvcb7c/s2777/776A6537%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2054" data-original-width="2777" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivD4Ai31eYzDJ8mxFIsNhLUYU7GJjNxHa95jq9TdA7NrqFVkWrUtToH9wikw7ANj1nGmrlIgDg52ScwUu-W0QI9f9PouD-kO6P2GSOmrG4tRQJXRvOdwJWEeMTWX9UFk-GsLXfQSdDmnFAAULAg31qHcMLl7v3rEqQ-xJs3ZCImeVYaBajeBWmVyvcb7c/w400-h296/776A6537%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">White-naped Tit</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdiDwVt5fFcmmxNuZqxC2jxedz_RxrjVHwLAuX55a3gxdIdpdVn6cbsZ6Cx1SbMNxk6XKvVEr2KG8j1RL48aWqAjQbc7uwFDyLQhFCG607_EWeZDSf9djma0rB9naCIX8SpN7soYxmCLrDKf8dTxDjzL2KqSrgl8DJizkzBVNCX3dAnNL1jJvZ4ioDbwo/s2217/776A6618%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1507" data-original-width="2217" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdiDwVt5fFcmmxNuZqxC2jxedz_RxrjVHwLAuX55a3gxdIdpdVn6cbsZ6Cx1SbMNxk6XKvVEr2KG8j1RL48aWqAjQbc7uwFDyLQhFCG607_EWeZDSf9djma0rB9naCIX8SpN7soYxmCLrDKf8dTxDjzL2KqSrgl8DJizkzBVNCX3dAnNL1jJvZ4ioDbwo/w400-h272/776A6618%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">juv. Bonelli's Eagle</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXGrv8tQY8_Fyx4E_UdaCFxjsXMIH16p0r8ftqgJy14Xdy8uM6ZcA236tZWO72mmf7B1pWBVmjp9j8XSlt0upv_ZzUW9WSLtgCzLJzyse_vVHf63Yv_zt7YwUpEjJ4p6wbekTTez0o-LEgjhIlZIeMIuZXJHORYPXZfN4-W81qROfaTykCPcXErgx7zk/s3891/776A6626%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2575" data-original-width="3891" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXGrv8tQY8_Fyx4E_UdaCFxjsXMIH16p0r8ftqgJy14Xdy8uM6ZcA236tZWO72mmf7B1pWBVmjp9j8XSlt0upv_ZzUW9WSLtgCzLJzyse_vVHf63Yv_zt7YwUpEjJ4p6wbekTTez0o-LEgjhIlZIeMIuZXJHORYPXZfN4-W81qROfaTykCPcXErgx7zk/w400-h265/776A6626%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Indian Roller</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-69822482399479091262023-08-20T03:27:00.004-07:002023-08-20T03:27:49.142-07:00Western Pacific Odyssey (Part 7) - Narita, Japan<p>Ed and I had a pretty much a full afternoon and a full day from the Crowne Plaza on the outskirts of Narita. A narrow canal surrounded by superb habitat meant we had plenty of birding opportunities and we spent most of our time here.</p><p>We also went and saw some cool temples in Narita itself, which is still very much like the 'old' Japan and was a pleasant experience wandering the grounds. </p><p>Bird highlights from Narita:</p><p style="text-align: left;">Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker - 2<br />Meadow Bunting - 10<br />Masked Bunting - 25<br />Grey-faced Buzzard - 8<br />Dusky Thrush - 1 male<br />Oriental Turtle Dove - 20<br />Brown-eared Bulbul - 200<br />Siberian Buff-bellied Pipit - 1<br />Brown-cheeked Rail - 1<br />Bull-headed Shrike - 4<br />Varied Tit - 2<br />Green Pheasant - 3<br />Little Ringed Plover - 2<br />White-bellied Green Pigeon - 1<br />Oriental Greenfinch - 5<br />Brown-headed Thrush - 1<br />Pale Thrush - 5<br />Japanese Bush Warbler - 2</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXuUyc7R9JgRosMLUq6A9JJVAGWGDmZoO36fQFfwgzmr4sfV_O5JYl0h9UVPAe7bs4DrTt-pTuB-50oxdlK8N2dl6vRnEOcdQqoc6IUXtIj-3j-UmIT9unZqZdUMW574jrU-zLUcVRTr_ejGYv0hX3Y6IrI1EC2_lY_NZL1hGLykH4GEokqrMiC4yA7Q/s2005/776A8162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1386" data-original-width="2005" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXuUyc7R9JgRosMLUq6A9JJVAGWGDmZoO36fQFfwgzmr4sfV_O5JYl0h9UVPAe7bs4DrTt-pTuB-50oxdlK8N2dl6vRnEOcdQqoc6IUXtIj-3j-UmIT9unZqZdUMW574jrU-zLUcVRTr_ejGYv0hX3Y6IrI1EC2_lY_NZL1hGLykH4GEokqrMiC4yA7Q/w400-h276/776A8162.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswMYuzTk8pkB6OfVF5HHfgZCqD7QCEA9e-7jtGm4vADYmvNQ4qZ6logTviqF68rh7ktSAnrepqfEjUfmqPbDMEbWFPw4RHzDO97ELdwZuobwA0rZF17s0doTYF0N0OvP06qzWonMJttvvA0JYMLWqMF9cKxV7Kg_UIhesVE81nkIb1QzFI2phnSgjqw4/s2488/776A8176%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="2488" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswMYuzTk8pkB6OfVF5HHfgZCqD7QCEA9e-7jtGm4vADYmvNQ4qZ6logTviqF68rh7ktSAnrepqfEjUfmqPbDMEbWFPw4RHzDO97ELdwZuobwA0rZF17s0doTYF0N0OvP06qzWonMJttvvA0JYMLWqMF9cKxV7Kg_UIhesVE81nkIb1QzFI2phnSgjqw4/w400-h265/776A8176%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Meadow Bunting</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-S6Ju-fxytkTwc1QuwNvdUuqdpE2RWRK5NePDV9VoI27bgPttlrZ2SQTJpRAccUCGsvzuXTo18ZClrf-lC15Wp2ZjhLAe5vHX65BUcVSkbSOoDliYrT60gygDoEa0qoBO25jVpc89ilaIVsKh1fg3USf6RkPX-AeiBOMKy1EHpfoZuTGxckSSZZBV8Yg/s2772/776A8381%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1845" data-original-width="2772" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-S6Ju-fxytkTwc1QuwNvdUuqdpE2RWRK5NePDV9VoI27bgPttlrZ2SQTJpRAccUCGsvzuXTo18ZClrf-lC15Wp2ZjhLAe5vHX65BUcVSkbSOoDliYrT60gygDoEa0qoBO25jVpc89ilaIVsKh1fg3USf6RkPX-AeiBOMKy1EHpfoZuTGxckSSZZBV8Yg/w400-h266/776A8381%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Grey-faced Buzzard</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj_Vz133LwqN6esfegODH_vRLKCo10Bx2-FB0NOfpN6J1TQiq0v02TUz-pRWAu33IS4y7UHyDHVx4R70QhrD3DryX1anAsXpIpS-qrh5bz2kFyHHtSbI12TAVagOq_ztHKEMsJSVP1NUGay0ypKMYMWWWd5N8D0rXSUvAIiVzOWICaBKu-JRAmC_G3ezQ/s1994/776A8447%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1493" data-original-width="1994" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj_Vz133LwqN6esfegODH_vRLKCo10Bx2-FB0NOfpN6J1TQiq0v02TUz-pRWAu33IS4y7UHyDHVx4R70QhrD3DryX1anAsXpIpS-qrh5bz2kFyHHtSbI12TAVagOq_ztHKEMsJSVP1NUGay0ypKMYMWWWd5N8D0rXSUvAIiVzOWICaBKu-JRAmC_G3ezQ/w400-h300/776A8447%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr79zjDXu_KhcTsP8TFvrEVr8TSqXvAbRPTOCdmm3MZA-MYdsruiS7RXEH6MI2Ej5u1Zcbhzu27DlqAW32L9BzCAKkpVtZik-mCe1_xLrZZ0XET-gvnW1O13D7rnnlS-Wo-lB-SL1pOjU-_SI5rESCD7YjNTykfEGf9yvhUH77cn6TRF2UrB20BJ03K1E/s2842/776A7941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1969" data-original-width="2842" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr79zjDXu_KhcTsP8TFvrEVr8TSqXvAbRPTOCdmm3MZA-MYdsruiS7RXEH6MI2Ej5u1Zcbhzu27DlqAW32L9BzCAKkpVtZik-mCe1_xLrZZ0XET-gvnW1O13D7rnnlS-Wo-lB-SL1pOjU-_SI5rESCD7YjNTykfEGf9yvhUH77cn6TRF2UrB20BJ03K1E/w400-h278/776A7941.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Oriental Turtle Dove</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-62834710261503145862023-08-09T05:07:00.000-07:002023-08-09T05:07:06.556-07:00Western Pacific Odyssey (Part 6) - Japanese WatersThe 13th and 15th April were two of our most exciting days at sea of the entire voyage. Among the thousands of <b>Wedge-tailed Shearwaters</b>, hundreds of <b>Matsudaira's </b>and fewer <b>Tristram's Storm-petrels</b> and <b>Bonin Petrels</b>, a few <b>Leach's Storm-petrels</b> and increasing number of <b>Black-footed Albatrosses</b>, were two mega seabirds, namely the Bryan's Shearwater and Short-tailed Albatross.<div><br /></div><div>On the 13th from roughly 3pm onwards, the island of Chichijima was in view. This is thought to be only one of three islands where the diminutive Bryan's Shearwater breeds - a mega rare seabird of the NW Pacific region and only recently split in the Little Shearwater complex. Myself and many others positioned ourselves out on the monkey deck, hoping for a sighting as we encroached the island looming ahead of us. </div><div> </div><div>It was a stormy sea with fierce winds and low cloud, meaning it was tough to hear what everyone was calling. A few Humpback Whales were breaching off to our left, some <b>Bannerman's Shearwaters</b> were flying through the hoards of other shearwaters, until Barry Reed sat next to me spotted a Little-type Shearwater flying from left to right. Panic ensued but I soon got onto the bird as it flapped its wings endlessly; it was immediately obvious this could be nothing but the <b>Bryan's Shearwater</b>. I watched it for some time before reaching for my camera... this didn't work and that was sadly the last I saw of it. Due to the conditions and despite us shouting, the people on the right of the vessel couldn't latch onto the bird - only six of us confidently saw it. It was then a case of searching for other seabirds; a stonking <b>Long-tailed Skua</b> was the highlight and several more Humpback Whales (including a breaching mother and calf) were seen too.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdjqzbFtMpHxf1BvPfirKZ9zeIoCIBIS-Yo-l7AN_u6LVeeevNlNEBwWJn9Ouxnda0_FUnzY7QI9xMBGHkc9K-1K2Rc2iQ6j4L96SLfaRpg8KlTos8PCkulc2upE6nwqU2wYBiAbfXj0wp3-rJG-n-v21ugcFQdifPaudREvvJC1_JDXr9LfHndjlqA4/s2803/776A4890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1955" data-original-width="2803" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdjqzbFtMpHxf1BvPfirKZ9zeIoCIBIS-Yo-l7AN_u6LVeeevNlNEBwWJn9Ouxnda0_FUnzY7QI9xMBGHkc9K-1K2Rc2iQ6j4L96SLfaRpg8KlTos8PCkulc2upE6nwqU2wYBiAbfXj0wp3-rJG-n-v21ugcFQdifPaudREvvJC1_JDXr9LfHndjlqA4/w400-h279/776A4890.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Long-tailed Skua</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtHzKi1okXRuy3Aqn7Z1fbQZAoQb-x6si2Uoifrz2Xx2BwuPijCbiCpbHCgT4BCDrCmhGHiH7ZLhBv-6TByyvGcXvbJ9XyX1wXKUhN1rwXw4v81ZIGv_r1tC1P1WCwFcsog8fmwOmEj9HSpIAkxeQWW0bjxHqTrcyqRfE3ZKqJ24d-wADht1dxbu6_KE/s2054/776A4571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1474" data-original-width="2054" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtHzKi1okXRuy3Aqn7Z1fbQZAoQb-x6si2Uoifrz2Xx2BwuPijCbiCpbHCgT4BCDrCmhGHiH7ZLhBv-6TByyvGcXvbJ9XyX1wXKUhN1rwXw4v81ZIGv_r1tC1P1WCwFcsog8fmwOmEj9HSpIAkxeQWW0bjxHqTrcyqRfE3ZKqJ24d-wADht1dxbu6_KE/w400-h288/776A4571.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Oceanic White-tip Reef Shark</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMZ7EAANOPMTp6DVd4yQd_yYr2NmOwDdB9AkFlzp4LXfso1VWgk5ZI1sdr-SO5dukJXNwe8VEDvUKJZEdPZmo6mcT99gfhvaSfqdDpQ4WYxa1aMIwnFdChGfEwtFqWnfSwwR_zwnj4Bs-hRWk5yPtd4TOaFS0-XixlVrhX446Jk6yETZsOGB-I1IH1as/s2570/776A4650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1718" data-original-width="2570" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMZ7EAANOPMTp6DVd4yQd_yYr2NmOwDdB9AkFlzp4LXfso1VWgk5ZI1sdr-SO5dukJXNwe8VEDvUKJZEdPZmo6mcT99gfhvaSfqdDpQ4WYxa1aMIwnFdChGfEwtFqWnfSwwR_zwnj4Bs-hRWk5yPtd4TOaFS0-XixlVrhX446Jk6yETZsOGB-I1IH1as/w400-h268/776A4650.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bannerman's Shearwater</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihV5hSjO6wINsUWg5IQ09coE-YkJ8i7_K7m6Act3hFRQjTJQDp2vO5lcy4EjbgwL3Z2FMlhYpBi3ht3_NmT8kBl0qJ45BJ-ieMxHcjOVXrpEpNQJKgTn24GxjYhz5ovbXBHXy3LSbDmv_WEK7vRFE8N-ce9WTyiwqVh4a_9sKrmf239gUJV8odVkAndUU/s2204/776A4709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1438" data-original-width="2204" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihV5hSjO6wINsUWg5IQ09coE-YkJ8i7_K7m6Act3hFRQjTJQDp2vO5lcy4EjbgwL3Z2FMlhYpBi3ht3_NmT8kBl0qJ45BJ-ieMxHcjOVXrpEpNQJKgTn24GxjYhz5ovbXBHXy3LSbDmv_WEK7vRFE8N-ce9WTyiwqVh4a_9sKrmf239gUJV8odVkAndUU/w400-h261/776A4709.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Humpback Whale</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />The 15th was a quite incredible day. Hints of us approaching the southern end of the Japanese chain of island soon became apparent when from deck, a couple of Eyebrowed Thrushes and an Eastern Cattle Egret joined us... remarkable. A <b>Laysan Albatross</b> was an excellent bird and then in the distance, the island of Torishima emerged. This island is an active volcano, and human settlers on here practically wiped out the only breeding population of Short-tailed Albatross until they became extinct as a breeding species, not just here, but anywhere!<div><br /></div><div>Roll on a decade or so and the birds which had come out of immaturity, had now returned to the island where they had been raised - Torishima. In-between this time, the volcano had erupted and left the island inhospitable for humans, which meant the albatrosses could return and not be hunted. Nowadays, there are a few hundred pairs of this quite beautiful (and huge) albatross. </div><div><br /></div><div>It wasn't until we reached the island that the sheer numbers of both <b>Short-tailed</b> and <b>Black-footed Albatrosses</b> became apparent, with many flying right up to the ship. After this quite surreal performance, we chummed heading away from the island, with the most impressive sighting being a young Humpback which appeared to like what was being served. A superb adult <b>Pomarine Skua</b> also flew through. A few <b>Short-tailed Shearwaters</b>, some <b>Bonin Petrels</b> and an <b>Eastern Buzzard</b> were also seen.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXj9HLX4JPNxcBcHeRotRgZShnfYjE8zRVoYorRumbnD7Sx2i8UgwEdW9hPu9dDmW56m3ySKIg1NF5s56He73b9L4HI5IzQ0t8LH21wslCTVe6DdTcrRTNR-FmLgkYFjbZUMgDS5BZHHc5joQuD_oLVWJ87v4RPKv7Y4gRmb6EP7XFvu04zXkPDw9M_A/s2837/776A6407%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1947" data-original-width="2837" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXj9HLX4JPNxcBcHeRotRgZShnfYjE8zRVoYorRumbnD7Sx2i8UgwEdW9hPu9dDmW56m3ySKIg1NF5s56He73b9L4HI5IzQ0t8LH21wslCTVe6DdTcrRTNR-FmLgkYFjbZUMgDS5BZHHc5joQuD_oLVWJ87v4RPKv7Y4gRmb6EP7XFvu04zXkPDw9M_A/w400-h275/776A6407%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A mixed species flock</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZ3Kq9keqO_hy7ve-RkC6--oRBP_VELyfr13tj8VV6sIKB0tcqoOxuv3CGQM8c5udVbDmLwOqkb-49F41Lwley0-pBbKDPceHoyTADczPrc-P-qAMfvW9G3VJYo7lzT9_VZ5-L4w1E5hBztN9NQdNv2Vm8JUbrscyWShHAkMdm5DmboUsLfZ0VJX1sXk/s2554/776A6425%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1862" data-original-width="2554" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZ3Kq9keqO_hy7ve-RkC6--oRBP_VELyfr13tj8VV6sIKB0tcqoOxuv3CGQM8c5udVbDmLwOqkb-49F41Lwley0-pBbKDPceHoyTADczPrc-P-qAMfvW9G3VJYo7lzT9_VZ5-L4w1E5hBztN9NQdNv2Vm8JUbrscyWShHAkMdm5DmboUsLfZ0VJX1sXk/w400-h291/776A6425%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqR-P_K7zQYcHaegqnIKTYIXq-Lk0jGYy4tqOh4PCKvjmmGN7Afl8JORVhHLoVSa5l3-b4RfH7D6v79OtHEhFIfr9DhodjcUchq4MezHEM01VdCXtMr7KCbrjbJsUTtw7oBtrLA3_hKoNw-j4dWalQqmPV9ZvxQyv0v1COFV_rlmf8OglwIFOPFT8wP_0/s3422/776A6485%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2286" data-original-width="3422" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqR-P_K7zQYcHaegqnIKTYIXq-Lk0jGYy4tqOh4PCKvjmmGN7Afl8JORVhHLoVSa5l3-b4RfH7D6v79OtHEhFIfr9DhodjcUchq4MezHEM01VdCXtMr7KCbrjbJsUTtw7oBtrLA3_hKoNw-j4dWalQqmPV9ZvxQyv0v1COFV_rlmf8OglwIFOPFT8wP_0/w400-h268/776A6485%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisu8vK-hL9i4i-zMu3Vbllo96DDM8d0QpjNK-RazNRojQBAVGS40kSGj8m1oBTvEoOGwifETh6_Tr3Gcnd4hQhsABSJK4xlWnxY8kFxHlwcj9pE7w06LgeEgR0iwh1eSkQWteWq5FLhcEIrqTGg7MxuNeXeKRfJs5SYhqnMgTjKeodtQVLHL74Vxy4Gys/s2400/776A7141%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1528" data-original-width="2400" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisu8vK-hL9i4i-zMu3Vbllo96DDM8d0QpjNK-RazNRojQBAVGS40kSGj8m1oBTvEoOGwifETh6_Tr3Gcnd4hQhsABSJK4xlWnxY8kFxHlwcj9pE7w06LgeEgR0iwh1eSkQWteWq5FLhcEIrqTGg7MxuNeXeKRfJs5SYhqnMgTjKeodtQVLHL74Vxy4Gys/w400-h255/776A7141%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Short-tailed Albatrosses</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJehZXWjni8tm2NG0oAvOuP1wesQMIq67c_K84LKiD0O3bklhtAjRnGhUOEB5RVhf-q_WbZ-1hwiXIBZFVKeFLd7pnDtmmFMa5Qa1vIavIYjpYVSs4C7Gd-QuQD0lMBdoqQSH5ZnNjLwhwVNCUurboRhkBwKA7fqIbUnrbGJeuSfN59D5q4gJXpRxF2xI/s3881/776A7338%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2264" data-original-width="3881" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJehZXWjni8tm2NG0oAvOuP1wesQMIq67c_K84LKiD0O3bklhtAjRnGhUOEB5RVhf-q_WbZ-1hwiXIBZFVKeFLd7pnDtmmFMa5Qa1vIavIYjpYVSs4C7Gd-QuQD0lMBdoqQSH5ZnNjLwhwVNCUurboRhkBwKA7fqIbUnrbGJeuSfN59D5q4gJXpRxF2xI/w400-h234/776A7338%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Humpback Whale</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJygzMJJqHLAIvdBzXe3cBafhpKuGiO7ba2JgzyX2NzRURwy6XisOp1wbqhQ-FPwYmiy5UdzSdIUTGzWwT0S8wtgM8S4YmUMg9mF2MmFvwteXPQGg9F9WpoTs2TfIbPkrIDb_QiE-bkwoTTLCBNV4k0gQPIpETiD6Xfw4AdrWHCGwr181_7PUEHid9aQ/s1889/776A7497%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1335" data-original-width="1889" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJygzMJJqHLAIvdBzXe3cBafhpKuGiO7ba2JgzyX2NzRURwy6XisOp1wbqhQ-FPwYmiy5UdzSdIUTGzWwT0S8wtgM8S4YmUMg9mF2MmFvwteXPQGg9F9WpoTs2TfIbPkrIDb_QiE-bkwoTTLCBNV4k0gQPIpETiD6Xfw4AdrWHCGwr181_7PUEHid9aQ/w400-h283/776A7497%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pomarine Skua</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_koEe2lzNNj-kv5jIB_qDkNJN02XQ7tGxJH9Ll5gOjbcp4Hg18r7UWYzm_4QW-jlTFev-on8SfDjoIIKgnxD7l-gkAEHaGtKNyDVEblZiO0R6-bW1C73u_FFLF7I2d74SLdbxeY44boXx6YmJpHpHvd9py5rg5x_ZLVI-cMmQTc5SYRkfJ3hggJSjJY/s2812/776A7558%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1975" data-original-width="2812" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_koEe2lzNNj-kv5jIB_qDkNJN02XQ7tGxJH9Ll5gOjbcp4Hg18r7UWYzm_4QW-jlTFev-on8SfDjoIIKgnxD7l-gkAEHaGtKNyDVEblZiO0R6-bW1C73u_FFLF7I2d74SLdbxeY44boXx6YmJpHpHvd9py5rg5x_ZLVI-cMmQTc5SYRkfJ3hggJSjJY/w400-h281/776A7558%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">same Humpback</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6EoAnrwlSCi8vzvi2VU4VWCfoq_FGNWpe79WeYQqKIySnslF3w486fQ4E-bip9cZ-TxTBjqaC4dbmM6N5uWRKThu0TyciYq9kvr-ixqugJfl6SQ0_BJgSdb9laxRnLPCDLumPOaEZ4NeGdrFRcBWIu7SaClPrEejMRB8FkGbI040uD8ruFgOy2j1-6U/s5472/776A6688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="5472" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6EoAnrwlSCi8vzvi2VU4VWCfoq_FGNWpe79WeYQqKIySnslF3w486fQ4E-bip9cZ-TxTBjqaC4dbmM6N5uWRKThu0TyciYq9kvr-ixqugJfl6SQ0_BJgSdb9laxRnLPCDLumPOaEZ4NeGdrFRcBWIu7SaClPrEejMRB8FkGbI040uD8ruFgOy2j1-6U/w400-h225/776A6688.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4oiId8e46DvSZYRo6_cUA8M-fmqF5TYtjoluE3psS_Rme_dBm9EBOi-0BZg9si29IN3GigDNhummV50U6jo_iZe0kwCwQKVAOA1BfsnuYKziaqVWoVB5Qm9f0boH91oxVDbUZu8b4l4GlugJC5YVzKMqTKrZGnsvw6V5iewSWhueEDueLL9Myhomx48/s5472/776A6790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="5472" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4oiId8e46DvSZYRo6_cUA8M-fmqF5TYtjoluE3psS_Rme_dBm9EBOi-0BZg9si29IN3GigDNhummV50U6jo_iZe0kwCwQKVAOA1BfsnuYKziaqVWoVB5Qm9f0boH91oxVDbUZu8b4l4GlugJC5YVzKMqTKrZGnsvw6V5iewSWhueEDueLL9Myhomx48/w400-h225/776A6790.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Torishima Island</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The following day saw us track through the island chain in the south where we were hoping to have landed, so a few land endemics were missed, but we were very fortunate to see, amongst the thousands of <b>Streaked Shearwaters</b>, a handful of <b>Japanese Murrelets</b>. The wind was exceptionally strong here and even I started to feel a bit grim, so I went for a lie down, missing some mega close murrelets in the process. Our first gulls since New Zealand flew past, these being <b>Black-tailed Gulls</b> and a couple more <b>Short-tailed Albatrosses</b> also whizzed by.</div><div><br /></div><div>After nearly a month onboard this fine vessel, our final evening on the Heritage Adventurer was now upon us. However, a trip that was long in the making, one I had been looking forward to since 2008(ish), was now over. The next morning, we docked in Yokohama Harbour with Mt Fugi as a pleasant backdrop and <b>Vega Gulls</b> on every building it seemed. Edward Paxton and I made our way to the Crowne Plaza at Narita Airport where we enjoyed an enjoyable 24-hours of birding (which will be the next post) before heading home.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1x9HbXtHR2YYHoRS2sCowU5EJNFcilLA0e7BszdD_Pb_ImynvwVcHzZ-qgVQ4UVfEMrAIOQxd1NLFfGEEi-qXlsy3RwSZDEDlTi0k2dJXOhZTIE1r9XAXoHMITU5FZOulDWexlCp5buUyjZoag2NSJYvLlkD0NITifrwFWiTQ6sjd9VWtLHK5bPTNUdE/s5472/776A5176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="5472" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1x9HbXtHR2YYHoRS2sCowU5EJNFcilLA0e7BszdD_Pb_ImynvwVcHzZ-qgVQ4UVfEMrAIOQxd1NLFfGEEi-qXlsy3RwSZDEDlTi0k2dJXOhZTIE1r9XAXoHMITU5FZOulDWexlCp5buUyjZoag2NSJYvLlkD0NITifrwFWiTQ6sjd9VWtLHK5bPTNUdE/w400-h225/776A5176.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">One less umbrella onboard</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KJbpogYBdrPLd_X5WITDkerdV9YgUNIxS5951a7ijrQ6i8ZMKaTnCwGdO_ViP-h0dCVvjWYtudiGVVdmzUlgvKcV7GOZ839Sb58OR9GptPD-aGlDQOPo9rWf_vahgF0ANG3Zvf0uf0iJ7Pk57w0p9QQF6HJ3TxzQQ6b0So3aAKGNUBJ5EPdE0SSoUMQ/s5472/776A7841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="5472" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KJbpogYBdrPLd_X5WITDkerdV9YgUNIxS5951a7ijrQ6i8ZMKaTnCwGdO_ViP-h0dCVvjWYtudiGVVdmzUlgvKcV7GOZ839Sb58OR9GptPD-aGlDQOPo9rWf_vahgF0ANG3Zvf0uf0iJ7Pk57w0p9QQF6HJ3TxzQQ6b0So3aAKGNUBJ5EPdE0SSoUMQ/w400-h225/776A7841.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuZpjh2g4wA9uDACSlpapKGnWjY1OcP_2xt5ou2QoMP3J6JoM1FgrNhh531EZCOm990aI8MDkjCrNqcc213Imh7Hhzqze5XcXbRsEzxgl6sP8z2mjXQvcfzDtYwbE28X0SXPuzUpkWdgufnPgnfEUlaaxH3g84DDWYVSrHjoude7ocUEYo5VD75mbzhQ/s4119/776A7908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2654" data-original-width="4119" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuZpjh2g4wA9uDACSlpapKGnWjY1OcP_2xt5ou2QoMP3J6JoM1FgrNhh531EZCOm990aI8MDkjCrNqcc213Imh7Hhzqze5XcXbRsEzxgl6sP8z2mjXQvcfzDtYwbE28X0SXPuzUpkWdgufnPgnfEUlaaxH3g84DDWYVSrHjoude7ocUEYo5VD75mbzhQ/w400-h258/776A7908.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Streaked Shearwaters</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div>Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-20677197902775353502023-08-06T11:20:00.004-07:002023-08-06T11:43:59.954-07:00Western Pacific Odyssey (Part 5) - North to Japanese Waters<p>On the 5th April, we sailed relatively close to Bougainville to the east, whilst heading in a ENE trajectory for New Ireland. Halfway through the day we were due to cross an incredibly deep oceanic trench, but sadly no cetaceans were encountered, so it was a case of building up the adrenaline for our time off the coast of New Ireland - home to the Beck's Petrel! </p><p>Back in the early days when I was a trainee bird-ringer at Whitbread Hollow, I distinctly remember John Cooper approaching me with a CD of images from his recent WPO trip, a CD that he kindly gave to me. Being ever inquisitive, I asked John what his main target was - an instant reply was Beck's Petrel. It was this species that was to stick with me for many years, reading about its history and taking interest in sightings year after year on this particular expedition. It was therefore a major target for myself, and with only one afternoon/evening to find this once lost petrel, it was fair to say the mood was tense on the outer decks. </p><p>The birding was quiet until mid-afternoon when we entered New Ireland waters. Two Eden's Whales (otherwise known as Bryde's, but a different race here) cruised past and a few <b>Tahiti Petrels</b> were spotted, fooling those who were unprepared for how distinct the Beck's Petrel supposedly is. There appeared to be thousands of birds off to the horizon, mainly <b>Black Noddy</b>, <b>Wedge-tailed Shearwaters</b> and a few <b>White Terns</b>. Then, eventually, a few sharp eyes picked out a <i>Pseudobulweri</i> petrel with distinctly faster wingbeats than Tahiti Petrel and overall a different jiss... this was a <b>Beck's Petrel</b> - a species lost for nearly 80 years until it was rediscovered in 2007. Over the next few hours, several more Beck's were found, all interestingly heading for Ambitle Island. Unfortunately, neither of the birds came close enough to get a decent photo, but some good scope views were had... mission accomplished.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyAXK0RLxDCsVXLHRll7UDW49Z2xY7digHfjCVEJq4pdgBjxNzRmsR1Qk6kZ5OI_990ftyLpcE_fy-O_sICL9P8ML08Fyn18qe_POfH926e23cgTgFW-bKh1L_tjmdvKIFlW48B1hXq2iWOopK57_plxV3QT-Tu3hsYnVGRpDw6cdeqUaEqKcWlgeyCTQ/s3934/776A9889%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2598" data-original-width="3934" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyAXK0RLxDCsVXLHRll7UDW49Z2xY7digHfjCVEJq4pdgBjxNzRmsR1Qk6kZ5OI_990ftyLpcE_fy-O_sICL9P8ML08Fyn18qe_POfH926e23cgTgFW-bKh1L_tjmdvKIFlW48B1hXq2iWOopK57_plxV3QT-Tu3hsYnVGRpDw6cdeqUaEqKcWlgeyCTQ/w400-h264/776A9889%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Red-footed Booby</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfb53ywcocQx4_YixWFMSDTcdCZe8rNKz9m_QzHJQHsxFq48C-_Q-uTwsl7MNXBVbCTbcKFxtsazOv94Cho0pdW76vZ1DIu5UJZFm_4pboo0O6e5ylfKu6jHOxN_bvM_dxnl8lrIpWVA0qHtjfjATEDU_gmUCu54MamyRNgbANiLXr_ZnYIUYQMMBQ0YI/s3030/776A0052.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1976" data-original-width="3030" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfb53ywcocQx4_YixWFMSDTcdCZe8rNKz9m_QzHJQHsxFq48C-_Q-uTwsl7MNXBVbCTbcKFxtsazOv94Cho0pdW76vZ1DIu5UJZFm_4pboo0O6e5ylfKu6jHOxN_bvM_dxnl8lrIpWVA0qHtjfjATEDU_gmUCu54MamyRNgbANiLXr_ZnYIUYQMMBQ0YI/w400-h261/776A0052.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Eden's Whale</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFlRkFxVlLXd-Q-2nhkN4mw1-V3vZv8f1flwSQ4fT8EowtDOLZ5Tl3aXNl3NLFasm7XyP3Gc1YH4CPI9m8iUwWdHLu1fXEbJUPw6ATtgFd9MM5ca1lTCW0EquVKlmClPzT9TsHTT1CioXLlj95eFNoi_KQkGKlcf1aa_dxWHWyzkkNcWEnC2fg9n64UQ/s4308/776A0064.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2465" data-original-width="4308" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFlRkFxVlLXd-Q-2nhkN4mw1-V3vZv8f1flwSQ4fT8EowtDOLZ5Tl3aXNl3NLFasm7XyP3Gc1YH4CPI9m8iUwWdHLu1fXEbJUPw6ATtgFd9MM5ca1lTCW0EquVKlmClPzT9TsHTT1CioXLlj95eFNoi_KQkGKlcf1aa_dxWHWyzkkNcWEnC2fg9n64UQ/w400-h229/776A0064.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fTDRxcgBXT8sFV9b_jojyP3jFzz-frrwIZxrdqPStxEqdqH0O2jqJHRvBRtkYPWRYqaGADiChSAM7dqGg_HXFA8GgpbQ4rIjjpD-FiIoZRvQaC88AUQdsWpQ0ZYSCiOYhulsKBt0oBZWxrZP8wWLzAN9Ax7-tv5SASVPOCuTe7V0esIR6VBPMJQmPzg/s2954/776A0095.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1985" data-original-width="2954" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fTDRxcgBXT8sFV9b_jojyP3jFzz-frrwIZxrdqPStxEqdqH0O2jqJHRvBRtkYPWRYqaGADiChSAM7dqGg_HXFA8GgpbQ4rIjjpD-FiIoZRvQaC88AUQdsWpQ0ZYSCiOYhulsKBt0oBZWxrZP8wWLzAN9Ax7-tv5SASVPOCuTe7V0esIR6VBPMJQmPzg/w400-h269/776A0095.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Long-tailed Skua</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBEusBEAXRorWsZdG7hIARf7WMQeOIEgEcTpxJ6nFfzVGS6cY8IE23v80yaJrhuJZ1jmBjEo9T6f-1hTeGl-xnZbB7fKKqDbO8-uswagDFboDVRNS_9rq7H--PSbpl_J_GOXHpoxm6ldT0hw4epYvwWfJvANY8HrJ40vpkOcMUwP0_Hz0K03oXzYaI-Is/s1013/776A0161%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1013" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBEusBEAXRorWsZdG7hIARf7WMQeOIEgEcTpxJ6nFfzVGS6cY8IE23v80yaJrhuJZ1jmBjEo9T6f-1hTeGl-xnZbB7fKKqDbO8-uswagDFboDVRNS_9rq7H--PSbpl_J_GOXHpoxm6ldT0hw4epYvwWfJvANY8HrJ40vpkOcMUwP0_Hz0K03oXzYaI-Is/w400-h296/776A0161%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Beck's Petrel</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The following few days before entering Japan's southern islands were relatively quiet, as we crossed the Equator line and headed across the Mariana Trench and towards the North Mariana Islands. Here, a peculiar petrel was on the water and failed to move as it sat perplexed. Its identity was a mystery, even to those experts onboard, and as it didn't fly one bit (bird flu perhaps?) it was frustrating to say the least. I personally thought it was a Pheonix Petrel, but the general consensus pointed towards a <b>Beck's Petrel</b>. A pod of <b>False Killer Whales</b> also moved through and a few Spinner Dolphins also went by.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWTq1Z9Jqmb4AOi3PrVm5VR8jy-tMiiEXcCz0xx1f8bH-QqYbjzvTDj5pCOPthjYB-lHE0XQY3FgTK5RFdYcBO5b2MY4OpUTcMkXsKcP2wYiv21wBg52OoMK-i14kWGu-qkAaZSyPHDmcLd7mFxv3xeIOsM6PE4ulEOiDtTLZy37vYw3EZhsb-53GV9I/s2208/776A0482%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1557" data-original-width="2208" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWTq1Z9Jqmb4AOi3PrVm5VR8jy-tMiiEXcCz0xx1f8bH-QqYbjzvTDj5pCOPthjYB-lHE0XQY3FgTK5RFdYcBO5b2MY4OpUTcMkXsKcP2wYiv21wBg52OoMK-i14kWGu-qkAaZSyPHDmcLd7mFxv3xeIOsM6PE4ulEOiDtTLZy37vYw3EZhsb-53GV9I/w400-h283/776A0482%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">petrel sp</span>.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQopv9-2edwFzoq_rNFkBYE9QwJVOQ-609U2YfxSnF6e9G-IJV7ZBUcKF9szkgSfdP3tQwP1P7Me6ONuW_Rm8Sm49Tk3E-dEghWGYivYbyrK6rToSF00-rW9eG-UB9Fo84demOWfKsY6upIO_hc5zMwl3QZfmAPvA4d0P61UctsHde2Vu8jZtVXFetpk/s2843/False%20Killer%20Whale.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1768" data-original-width="2843" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQopv9-2edwFzoq_rNFkBYE9QwJVOQ-609U2YfxSnF6e9G-IJV7ZBUcKF9szkgSfdP3tQwP1P7Me6ONuW_Rm8Sm49Tk3E-dEghWGYivYbyrK6rToSF00-rW9eG-UB9Fo84demOWfKsY6upIO_hc5zMwl3QZfmAPvA4d0P61UctsHde2Vu8jZtVXFetpk/w400-h249/False%20Killer%20Whale.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">False Killer Whale - closely resembling Melon-headed Whale, <br />the lack of broad base to the dorsal fin, <br />very long body and lack of ridge on head,as well as a <br />strong visual of the blow, means False Killer Whale is the only option.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>On one of the evenings we made an oil slick of <b>Matsudaira's Storm-petrels</b>. which worked wonders, but a <b>Band-rumped Storm-petrel</b> failed to come much closer. As we progressed towards Japanese waters, our final new Pterodroma petrel of the voyage made constant appearances and became common as we steamed north, these being the ultra smart <b>Bonin Petrel</b>. Another petrel which I'd only seen in European waters previous was the Bulwer's Petrel, with good numbers seen on a few days before Japan.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlO_NOxxTXiihUx0QxxliDVRdqCmcB5fEjCLDJJqCvkRufw505X3gVjjZYJ1QqX7DiGQcXsaDxQWq9CMTpdyznRXSnjCxvaqm4sNVt7yGIxOAsr733XGiqY0WYjPcgp2L7Mk494S-w_AFeSx73l5uKDvbZd7isqyPMn9cLOSKAlpmnFqCsS8iK48PkFQ/s1575/Bannermann's%20Shearwater.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="1575" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlO_NOxxTXiihUx0QxxliDVRdqCmcB5fEjCLDJJqCvkRufw505X3gVjjZYJ1QqX7DiGQcXsaDxQWq9CMTpdyznRXSnjCxvaqm4sNVt7yGIxOAsr733XGiqY0WYjPcgp2L7Mk494S-w_AFeSx73l5uKDvbZd7isqyPMn9cLOSKAlpmnFqCsS8iK48PkFQ/w400-h261/Bannermann's%20Shearwater.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bannerman's Shearwater</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_Wj-8q6qGHsnOAF4K7fJ_yobdx_1TwyZ6lObMcBWO0UseFPI301FnblnTp1qlMv9jO_z-LywhjJmfBUHeAz1GUKefIip8jO3oiyzg0z0vGlqe_9SgYYZ8RBJvtI0PICQhPm99L62DZnRMv52z-hpNmCVVld8IB5KH65oeLp3DA0BsYGG4S76LtN9f0k/s2517/Bonin%20Petrel%202.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1725" data-original-width="2517" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_Wj-8q6qGHsnOAF4K7fJ_yobdx_1TwyZ6lObMcBWO0UseFPI301FnblnTp1qlMv9jO_z-LywhjJmfBUHeAz1GUKefIip8jO3oiyzg0z0vGlqe_9SgYYZ8RBJvtI0PICQhPm99L62DZnRMv52z-hpNmCVVld8IB5KH65oeLp3DA0BsYGG4S76LtN9f0k/w400-h274/Bonin%20Petrel%202.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrFHitQ47wB7mVvEHkuZIf4Bin_MKWEmI17OrniIXZ4N2VDwF3vkRURG1AAQdllIil3xI9-gVoc-1cS18qVlcqDS1nCyv9cVjkqEIXYKr-I4KNPnKoCF88mhwNtN1PxzCxw8FtdfGXcTTEquACeuhwY0loWIBnQpcWMDDrXNKuIgBrnd0N2r1lHhD2Fs/s2212/Bonin%20Petrel.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1541" data-original-width="2212" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrFHitQ47wB7mVvEHkuZIf4Bin_MKWEmI17OrniIXZ4N2VDwF3vkRURG1AAQdllIil3xI9-gVoc-1cS18qVlcqDS1nCyv9cVjkqEIXYKr-I4KNPnKoCF88mhwNtN1PxzCxw8FtdfGXcTTEquACeuhwY0loWIBnQpcWMDDrXNKuIgBrnd0N2r1lHhD2Fs/w400-h279/Bonin%20Petrel.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bonin Petrel</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3p03b3AwifT8ssPkmhyBfZiYlbGSr6gGUvnEB2sv5IUB12krMrzmDqN4B9lsuQzGAZEjRc3yA9c9PE5N7k_D2ZXEkI2iqdMEpc8pQ-cm03P6G71k45MePBDEIwj4Fu44hKZmRlXBl345f_NgR5_A5SbqAZ1Rynt_77udMZkH1CqRSE-GqPpmyoGjmtE/s2081/Matsudaira's.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1403" data-original-width="2081" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3p03b3AwifT8ssPkmhyBfZiYlbGSr6gGUvnEB2sv5IUB12krMrzmDqN4B9lsuQzGAZEjRc3yA9c9PE5N7k_D2ZXEkI2iqdMEpc8pQ-cm03P6G71k45MePBDEIwj4Fu44hKZmRlXBl345f_NgR5_A5SbqAZ1Rynt_77udMZkH1CqRSE-GqPpmyoGjmtE/w400-h270/Matsudaira's.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Matsudaira's Storm Petrel</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WbblLN9HosKVY-1Hs0D8GpETNBntF8ORAMA--E4xWbXQN-N8graC_rzt3b1Hv36rBbVuskcoMzaCRWqeYJxCTM_q_7TO1twhMi298G0sxXCuZ7ZcJYDxZ9cp8vbc_D8I2qHmxC2THZdYZ6retK-_wiGSdxP8TxT4R3p45SEs9ZX2mOuQmVAjRRHRuxc/s4032/IMG_0061.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WbblLN9HosKVY-1Hs0D8GpETNBntF8ORAMA--E4xWbXQN-N8graC_rzt3b1Hv36rBbVuskcoMzaCRWqeYJxCTM_q_7TO1twhMi298G0sxXCuZ7ZcJYDxZ9cp8vbc_D8I2qHmxC2THZdYZ6retK-_wiGSdxP8TxT4R3p45SEs9ZX2mOuQmVAjRRHRuxc/w400-h300/IMG_0061.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxNtHO1K9xBRwxmwPxkjp5vt1CeBm8FLHwWJgiUrodrAIEwvAOy4oE7xQmfTTXtF7tV6O_ZpO1Bzou3McXreJApuMHn37K8f_M94bLB7JFh3sC-yZVU_H_Q1CZifHJiadQOIarkabGtO0y8MDd9moE8Vh-MbLO2eYOe8QJrQj0iA-TWz_2ICEzBGcL1Y/s4032/IMG_4936.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxNtHO1K9xBRwxmwPxkjp5vt1CeBm8FLHwWJgiUrodrAIEwvAOy4oE7xQmfTTXtF7tV6O_ZpO1Bzou3McXreJApuMHn37K8f_M94bLB7JFh3sC-yZVU_H_Q1CZifHJiadQOIarkabGtO0y8MDd9moE8Vh-MbLO2eYOe8QJrQj0iA-TWz_2ICEzBGcL1Y/w400-h300/IMG_4936.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">My usual posture in the tropics. <br />Next to me is Barry Reed and one over is Denzil Morgan, <br />a man close to reaching 10,000 bird species seen worldwide!!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-6gBdwlcq3MpwIT8tfSrCGLQdylu2iKliCrLPArE2v30vxnksAqnktUq_88rT-B_HZIhnjENzZWjPYWkfmMTekOhvB1TO7ntuU5HzIU966wSyeFLsgqbOdEuf_GP2_YFvoLfK7ePrUSYFp4XapT-TchEiZl9RgeMVRDB0ThDlHYSjbIKYz-4nE3w50Y/s4032/IMG_9972.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-6gBdwlcq3MpwIT8tfSrCGLQdylu2iKliCrLPArE2v30vxnksAqnktUq_88rT-B_HZIhnjENzZWjPYWkfmMTekOhvB1TO7ntuU5HzIU966wSyeFLsgqbOdEuf_GP2_YFvoLfK7ePrUSYFp4XapT-TchEiZl9RgeMVRDB0ThDlHYSjbIKYz-4nE3w50Y/w400-h300/IMG_9972.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crossing the Equator</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hDRIKD-Xm5cMp7JpeslsN9KkvFcPJiwBTXieEUnmUnTu2ZLhWyNy_SHu9KXVnO5oO1uKJrMSxDy03qKV9K3hgyC0PucVKJvywEbN3JUG-g1r62yGCS92wOIlwk6mmRN-oilnPcP-cltWm9ojy-ZEpsTP0OwEqxKoVKT18Hs0qcoUOn5ijdSi39YK7T4/s4032/IMG_9987.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hDRIKD-Xm5cMp7JpeslsN9KkvFcPJiwBTXieEUnmUnTu2ZLhWyNy_SHu9KXVnO5oO1uKJrMSxDy03qKV9K3hgyC0PucVKJvywEbN3JUG-g1r62yGCS92wOIlwk6mmRN-oilnPcP-cltWm9ojy-ZEpsTP0OwEqxKoVKT18Hs0qcoUOn5ijdSi39YK7T4/w400-h300/IMG_9987.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Umbrellas were a must to keep out of the sun</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>My next post will be the final one of the voyage, featuring some truly mega seabirds, highlights amongst the Bonin Islands, before finally setting foot off the ship in Yokohama Harbour.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5LTgXUtrNReLpNGlAnORAToPCgd28_EsDVFUgeKHFvoaqHG9oSiTTXqSj3n5JfcE4yYnzOFITLAE95qjYrVmCpbfV_LWBdQl-ecD1t318ThjXOkWEotlkSD-H4-mzHRWFK4ZM58eONkVjNBoRx0ACVIZdxVJFoGB8imjxthA7c414XPTvCI6mIiXNFU/s4000/776A1974%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2652" data-original-width="4000" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5LTgXUtrNReLpNGlAnORAToPCgd28_EsDVFUgeKHFvoaqHG9oSiTTXqSj3n5JfcE4yYnzOFITLAE95qjYrVmCpbfV_LWBdQl-ecD1t318ThjXOkWEotlkSD-H4-mzHRWFK4ZM58eONkVjNBoRx0ACVIZdxVJFoGB8imjxthA7c414XPTvCI6mIiXNFU/w400-h265/776A1974%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Masked Booby</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_avjaC_gHO5bnadExa3ggKA2iwWcVJsHlduGCQpOhbZKMdBm6uaK_EZprpj2qYasJvMwuwm6qAV4giwsXKhHODQ9QaBGHxOYwR6ZCOkO04uq8o1x_DgIsPlQQXNdWzIMjtzeFVJ99J5Nfk8ouv4bO3iNwGXHT8ONcikM-n1ZX6CN90tRrw6V1zTXKjs/s4795/776A1505%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2930" data-original-width="4795" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_avjaC_gHO5bnadExa3ggKA2iwWcVJsHlduGCQpOhbZKMdBm6uaK_EZprpj2qYasJvMwuwm6qAV4giwsXKhHODQ9QaBGHxOYwR6ZCOkO04uq8o1x_DgIsPlQQXNdWzIMjtzeFVJ99J5Nfk8ouv4bO3iNwGXHT8ONcikM-n1ZX6CN90tRrw6V1zTXKjs/w400-h245/776A1505%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Red-footed Booby</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9uEhKMqylpSe_Fl6WEDhwzR07fPRXeKV8-HvAscvim6DE18dJwhJpwO8XYvtnSRQw_slem2Y4f1IYsWF_V3rKuCup1Xbg8v5y1Q0afnt0jYho2qw1uBmqj57PG6raIIvjKhmrsoddbMBT4f7aVUPG_KuRnJ0DZeklLp-0IJcxsoZMYJHNk5hHj-AhQY/s4416/776A1888%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3071" data-original-width="4416" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9uEhKMqylpSe_Fl6WEDhwzR07fPRXeKV8-HvAscvim6DE18dJwhJpwO8XYvtnSRQw_slem2Y4f1IYsWF_V3rKuCup1Xbg8v5y1Q0afnt0jYho2qw1uBmqj57PG6raIIvjKhmrsoddbMBT4f7aVUPG_KuRnJ0DZeklLp-0IJcxsoZMYJHNk5hHj-AhQY/w400-h279/776A1888%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Brown Booby</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-88431370716655224052023-08-05T06:33:00.001-07:002023-08-05T06:33:12.669-07:00Western Pacific Odyssey (Part 4) - The Solomon Islands (Part 3)<p><u>3rd April 2023</u></p><p>It was another early start as we were to head to the island of Kolombangara. We docked at a small village and were hoisted into a handful of pick-up trucks who were to take us to a superb overlook of Mt Veve. The drive was mostly in the dark, but as light emerged, various parrot species were flashing across the road. </p><p>We finally arrived at a viewpoint but most were held back to listen to Collins shouting instructions, whereas I ignored this and got front row seats of the spectacular forest view. <b>Pale Mountain Pigeon </b>was the hoped for target here and I soon located a very distant flock. It wasn't until they flew that we could all be sure of their identity, until a much closer bird sailed through. </p><p>With the pigeon secured, it was then a case of slowly walking the access road, which myself and Barry Reed covered together, trying as best we could to evade the swarm of birders behind. The birding was very good and although most of the species were the same as yesterday, today they were in greater abundance and showed better too. New birds seen included <b>Solomon's White-eye </b>and the beautiful <b>Oriole Whistler</b>. We also saw many <b>Finsch's Pygmy Parrots</b>, <b>Kolombangara </b>and <b>White-capped Monarchs</b>, <b>Cockerell's Fantail</b>, <b>'Grey-capped' Cicadabird</b>, many <b>Solomon's Cuckooshrikes</b> and a few <b>Sanford's Sea Eagles</b> were also drifting over every now and then. Most of these species were in a mixed species flock so the birding was constantly entertaining, however, there was still the Buff-headed Coucal which had eluded me, despite hearing a few of them this morning. </p><p>We reluctantly departed this site soon after lunch and headed back to the small town. A group of villagers greeted us and sang a number of songs, using their local instruments to full effect. While they were doing this, a group of Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins came into the river channel, much to our surprise.</p><p>The afternoon was spent out on deck as we skirted Kolombangara as this is renowned as a good area to see the range-restricted <b>Heinroth's Shearwater</b>. A few were spotted including some at good scope range allowing the underwing to be seen well, but not close enough for any decent photos. The usual <b>Lesser Frigatebirds</b> and <b>Sooty Terns</b> were also about.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Jew76mfPUSqueGFuIHANT59KW82sUSPWEcKtm5ZYSps2EH1Fo71fdCak1YEHFTkD7z7b-stXl3ce6yMblKvoz6j-VAMiyL3ShzxT0NWeNqrUvQiyceDsEjOotJ8VJEkhxw15oYha1JPoI2AxJyg4OcvRSSrlFkPsx8qG9taavsNjKaE9LyCNh7qmy7o/s2780/776A9191%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1981" data-original-width="2780" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Jew76mfPUSqueGFuIHANT59KW82sUSPWEcKtm5ZYSps2EH1Fo71fdCak1YEHFTkD7z7b-stXl3ce6yMblKvoz6j-VAMiyL3ShzxT0NWeNqrUvQiyceDsEjOotJ8VJEkhxw15oYha1JPoI2AxJyg4OcvRSSrlFkPsx8qG9taavsNjKaE9LyCNh7qmy7o/w400-h285/776A9191%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">MacKinley's Cuckoo Dove</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGTDIdNinKozmOjMqZ9pYrDuQtB23120PMcdv6LuV86aXtDW7m5SEO2skjzQY0EGMwlWsDVIKZqSqa9oKVQl3oaMHJ0uDiPWoHQcE-Cek0uVnsMPI2Dugx9sAZ2Ow6kZ9XL7gkIVUsAGWv17P13zY04Bqm776deDsdU674pE8lpnpqWvLjQqQIHxOaTQ/s2827/776A9404%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1858" data-original-width="2827" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGTDIdNinKozmOjMqZ9pYrDuQtB23120PMcdv6LuV86aXtDW7m5SEO2skjzQY0EGMwlWsDVIKZqSqa9oKVQl3oaMHJ0uDiPWoHQcE-Cek0uVnsMPI2Dugx9sAZ2Ow6kZ9XL7gkIVUsAGWv17P13zY04Bqm776deDsdU674pE8lpnpqWvLjQqQIHxOaTQ/w400-h263/776A9404%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sanford's Sea Eagle</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj81w600FclldMBmSDmksBallXbbPK-647774T5XmAL8G4K5GQw1AyOunKH0ie89MU3doGN7Yk_Rzo2WIuqxmq2Ps5PrLdY9fd_j0oZl8hOD6WXNC_RQFWAnxYsytX_Ddr3EdFEPo_MZfeBnoLajrJwdSy_lA83HjkV5IohHLmsGtf5IBcGdS3iRqwHUg/s4032/IMG_9897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj81w600FclldMBmSDmksBallXbbPK-647774T5XmAL8G4K5GQw1AyOunKH0ie89MU3doGN7Yk_Rzo2WIuqxmq2Ps5PrLdY9fd_j0oZl8hOD6WXNC_RQFWAnxYsytX_Ddr3EdFEPo_MZfeBnoLajrJwdSy_lA83HjkV5IohHLmsGtf5IBcGdS3iRqwHUg/w400-h300/IMG_9897.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The distant mountain is home to<br />two endemic birds, but too far out of reach<br />for us.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx09ccVu5EMmuJxLh1pStXpgvqK_qkHWBZ-DPkorF_zXMuuEGUxTwJZsaV0huZgS0Ot8-312EW0lIgSdKli0rgFIyXhbD3kiJYx8w2Ga0jTytgFLpt-YvMTf6TOWmhDQeb47AglQRzFou12cMDzOu5n505u11IixQMd0E20DVnmuOGsoq3NQGIjkqFANE/s4032/IMG_9906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx09ccVu5EMmuJxLh1pStXpgvqK_qkHWBZ-DPkorF_zXMuuEGUxTwJZsaV0huZgS0Ot8-312EW0lIgSdKli0rgFIyXhbD3kiJYx8w2Ga0jTytgFLpt-YvMTf6TOWmhDQeb47AglQRzFou12cMDzOu5n505u11IixQMd0E20DVnmuOGsoq3NQGIjkqFANE/w400-h300/IMG_9906.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyIJnOzFvf9kTihH3j-3KVPAojD05Bb0-QBTfyFcAlAVuhhkUzznRB7aeLGCho4dF0gg2FoM4-dutMpajsFNPFQX3aXHxvMCjGXmKrkUlBIgkcgIUwWGWKMwECqmAnAnSvjc_ka4tHbacJB2tUpPcjEPPFxdMrR7h3YoTibugF80w8IKws2q9EnxKVlg/s4032/IMG_9909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyIJnOzFvf9kTihH3j-3KVPAojD05Bb0-QBTfyFcAlAVuhhkUzznRB7aeLGCho4dF0gg2FoM4-dutMpajsFNPFQX3aXHxvMCjGXmKrkUlBIgkcgIUwWGWKMwECqmAnAnSvjc_ka4tHbacJB2tUpPcjEPPFxdMrR7h3YoTibugF80w8IKws2q9EnxKVlg/w400-h300/IMG_9909.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><u>4th April 2023</u></p><p>Unbeknown to us, today was going to be our last day of landings for the entirety of the trip, due to Micronesia and Japan being pansies about the COVID pandemic which was long gone - truly pathetic, but that's life. </p><p>This morning we arrived at a different location on Kolombangara, but had to be given permission upon arriving. Our chosen villager to let us through, was typically not a popular chap amongst the villagers, so it took some persuasion to let us enter their area, but eventually we managed to get permission... never mess with a women and her machete! </p><p>Anyway, we were soon birding and I joined Frank and a few others as we marched the various village trails, joined by a local. Whilst trying several attempts to lure in a rail, a <b>Stephan's Emerald Dove</b> flew through, and I even struck gold with a <b>New Georgia Dwarf Kingfisher</b> which zipped past me, calling as it went. More coucals were calling and so I sent a local to go and locate it, which he did. I rushed in and after much frustration, I latched onto a <b>Buff-headed Coucal</b>, obtaining brilliant views of this quite superb bird. The sighting was well worth the wait, but it was typical that I saw another one with ease about an hour later. After seeing a <b>Shining Bronze Cuckoo</b>, <b>Moustached Treeswifts </b>and a close <b>Sanford's Sea Eagle</b>, time was pressing on so we slowly returned back to the launch site. However, a calling Roviana Rail was too tempting not to try for, but frustratingly for me I was standing at the wrong end of the line to see it. Therefore, I persisted and walked into the habitat and laid down. Tentatively playing the call, a rail came hurtling towards me, but it was tiny, which soon revealed itself to be a <b>Spotless Crake</b>. A shout then went up for a couple of <b>Duchess Lorikeet</b> in the village, so we rushed over and saw these quite magnificent birds before we reluctantly had to leave. A very impressive morning, but there was still one more landing to do. </p><p>In the afternoon, we diverted from our itinerary and were given an hour only on the island of Ranongga. Us birders were the only ones excited by this, as this tiny island supports an endemic white-eye, and not just any white-eye, but one of the most impressive. Upon landing, it was a mad rush to get across to the village. Frank blasted the tape and almost instantly a <b>Ranongga White-eye</b> flew in. It took some time to perform but eventually did - mission accomplished. I then did a quick swim over a nursery reef before we had to head back. </p><p>Before departing the Solomon's, we had to head over to Gizo to get permission to leave, but despite scoping the trees from the deck, we failed to find Gizo White-eye, which would've been some find, with us maybe 300-metres offshore! </p><p>So that was it for the Solomon Islands. My next post may be my final one of the cruise itself as there were no more landings, and as we crossed the tropics, very few birds, although there were still a few special ones to try and find, including my most wanted of the trip.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwp6ykwpIsG0uUAc0jY0JhSaDRUL3jKVE-1cUgFEeG96I6M9Pw-LjDvlDxCkFGlbOzpmw3rLOpR3smVXvIjwvctKuDjlLf0uJ20rrQJc12DDPKHCK6U8UgUHG7dqdvSJ8pKIvm9bMSUgnEE0IrK8ob733J7cTnNdsoROaAOrdD8O5zEbqyROY2_lh0DA/s1948/776A9435%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1337" data-original-width="1948" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwp6ykwpIsG0uUAc0jY0JhSaDRUL3jKVE-1cUgFEeG96I6M9Pw-LjDvlDxCkFGlbOzpmw3rLOpR3smVXvIjwvctKuDjlLf0uJ20rrQJc12DDPKHCK6U8UgUHG7dqdvSJ8pKIvm9bMSUgnEE0IrK8ob733J7cTnNdsoROaAOrdD8O5zEbqyROY2_lh0DA/w400-h275/776A9435%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sanford's Sea Eagle</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WpC8e15tkvqfM5y5aM9PDVl0nV_pk6_FhIEvWC7PUCppMA4Tast3YYNYZervRQWmwXR7E2IWoaSR1HVqNYGcijNPKzTH-gCIjY-mTtqU7kYwUjfzRRXVD5hJNXKyYzTYx27cECLvssH3sHiRmNpY4M9wMTaAfL1KEguOE449QSwgeTP733RU_KYwMMg/s2186/776A9476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1580" data-original-width="2186" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WpC8e15tkvqfM5y5aM9PDVl0nV_pk6_FhIEvWC7PUCppMA4Tast3YYNYZervRQWmwXR7E2IWoaSR1HVqNYGcijNPKzTH-gCIjY-mTtqU7kYwUjfzRRXVD5hJNXKyYzTYx27cECLvssH3sHiRmNpY4M9wMTaAfL1KEguOE449QSwgeTP733RU_KYwMMg/w400-h289/776A9476.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moustached Tree Swift</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMceBWNKdu8kOXif_mNyAnA6yT4TQh9FXqTVSH8Yu7lrstcEOEfHmNPPfVic0kLJg-An_Z5jubyGKk-XPcGkK53CM2t5l1Ba69L3Y1Tbn3LH_oPNHlktb5uG0-YsyvoS69JmRt-d5Oa0JG5NNfIaQZVZWSooxd8Bawrkghp1amj-UpPAdvv0w3U9dLtoA/s1635/776A9750%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1635" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMceBWNKdu8kOXif_mNyAnA6yT4TQh9FXqTVSH8Yu7lrstcEOEfHmNPPfVic0kLJg-An_Z5jubyGKk-XPcGkK53CM2t5l1Ba69L3Y1Tbn3LH_oPNHlktb5uG0-YsyvoS69JmRt-d5Oa0JG5NNfIaQZVZWSooxd8Bawrkghp1amj-UpPAdvv0w3U9dLtoA/w400-h284/776A9750%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ranongga White-eye</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlcT8J3vVbdhGDNbnH1uiYL0YFC-Z6jDnZb5aDikuLWjS2yJgNdREIrVv9b3ewSzAsaUsv3Jn8j_owwwYdzN09dClpdRu85bLV7oa4a5O-7J1Xwk0zr8L0mIkfgqBnguKXqNd7xA3YsiPisE-KoKeXLSfGe0O5sAtm0PBcYFD_dXNCETz4jComW9Oglcg/s4032/IMG_9926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlcT8J3vVbdhGDNbnH1uiYL0YFC-Z6jDnZb5aDikuLWjS2yJgNdREIrVv9b3ewSzAsaUsv3Jn8j_owwwYdzN09dClpdRu85bLV7oa4a5O-7J1Xwk0zr8L0mIkfgqBnguKXqNd7xA3YsiPisE-KoKeXLSfGe0O5sAtm0PBcYFD_dXNCETz4jComW9Oglcg/w400-h300/IMG_9926.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3HMaMSotu5-B0SMaOswd2ruIunYdHkd6k4fcCNn_YixTS6dk5s-wRItJd7_IRoFjSP_4Q3ssCb7n2ArybVQKGBJhwYSkXdy-vtjWtMsc8_QVXJPiLRpSyNv-SjtWBDqcPhv64Kx3_xubmy3mF-qbkXLvhvtfSatkpIKpiRtIOgFX2LpDqqOtGIVQbT7U/s4032/IMG_9929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3HMaMSotu5-B0SMaOswd2ruIunYdHkd6k4fcCNn_YixTS6dk5s-wRItJd7_IRoFjSP_4Q3ssCb7n2ArybVQKGBJhwYSkXdy-vtjWtMsc8_QVXJPiLRpSyNv-SjtWBDqcPhv64Kx3_xubmy3mF-qbkXLvhvtfSatkpIKpiRtIOgFX2LpDqqOtGIVQbT7U/w400-h300/IMG_9929.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEeX4r_XsLngUE2FoTkGLE6Tq5oDvyvqwUze2cflrjp0CSHmfvxJtvWcU4axGt2ug4MKaZTq2gVwrM_VpjLJry0rYEKEvUcRSkkdJrLr6rmYF0FgsDMa9IEBEh1pkPSrGiHBz2MPiQP_3Whv4BkkEoLz2H7mFsGGRPmAgFvyc8dlUUV9o1G2cVph9Nrw/s4032/IMG_9938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEeX4r_XsLngUE2FoTkGLE6Tq5oDvyvqwUze2cflrjp0CSHmfvxJtvWcU4axGt2ug4MKaZTq2gVwrM_VpjLJry0rYEKEvUcRSkkdJrLr6rmYF0FgsDMa9IEBEh1pkPSrGiHBz2MPiQP_3Whv4BkkEoLz2H7mFsGGRPmAgFvyc8dlUUV9o1G2cVph9Nrw/w400-h300/IMG_9938.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ranongga</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzJW8fTifgWqSN0z5AcpTcBIZ9cMIsLzhWSA2GGoWNDplrPSKT2qKNTHiOBrJyrltht4ENfRMf7rmbbo7lVra3jppvIRPIdhEqiV9qyyeh_V5bDSL1UIE7i6djyzU4uLiSy6Eaa3cma3sWoZjQV3WUz4xA9vvV1jhfC0lGSv5rd9un2_3jQsXtEblE_4/s4032/IMG_9941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzJW8fTifgWqSN0z5AcpTcBIZ9cMIsLzhWSA2GGoWNDplrPSKT2qKNTHiOBrJyrltht4ENfRMf7rmbbo7lVra3jppvIRPIdhEqiV9qyyeh_V5bDSL1UIE7i6djyzU4uLiSy6Eaa3cma3sWoZjQV3WUz4xA9vvV1jhfC0lGSv5rd9un2_3jQsXtEblE_4/w400-h300/IMG_9941.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Departing the Solomon's... will I ever be back?</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-85131058354199530952023-08-03T13:41:00.005-07:002023-08-03T13:41:49.021-07:00Western Pacific Odyssey (Part 4) - The Solomon Islands (Part 2)<p><u>1st April 2023</u></p><p>After the snorkel yesterday, we left heading for westwards towards my most wanted island to visit in this region, this being Guadalcanal. Not only are the birds excellent here, but the island has plenty of historical interest too and although there was no time for that, to set foot on the island was a privilege. One of the highlights from our sailing westwards were two quite awesome logging Pygmy Sperm Whales which I picked up as we were gawping at a huge raft of <b>Sooty Terns</b> and <b>Lesser Frigatebirds</b>. Certainly my cetacean highlight of the trip.</p><p>We anchored overnight off Honiara and awoke pre-dawn and even arrived up on Mount Austen pre-dawn too. In the darkness, a Woodford's Rail was calling from some rank vegetation, but alas it remained out of sight throughout this brief period of vocalisation. As light arrived, the forested valleys below us stretched as far as the eye could see, but the birds took a while. <b>Solomon's Cockatoo</b> started to appear in very raucous flocks, while both <b>Cardinal Lory</b> and <b>Yellow-bibbed Lory</b> flew over and Buff-headed Coucal were proving to be a nightmare with their secretive ways. </p><p>As per the norm, I tended to head off from the main flock of birders and walked the main forest track on my own, which worked wonders. I must say I did really well with the majority of target birds seen in a short space of time, while others were struggling. We birded until midday before we had to make tracks back to the vessel, which meant a rather hectic uphill return to make the last vehicle back. However, during the birding time, I saw the following: <b>Midget Berrypecker</b>, <b>Solomon's Cuckooshrike</b>, <b>Moustached Treeswift</b>, some superb <b>Claret-breasted Fruit Doves</b>, <b>Steel-blue Flycatcher</b>, <b>Finsch's Pygmy Parrot</b>, <b>Black-headed Myzomela</b>, two <b>Ultramarine Kingfishers</b>, two <b>White-billed Crows</b>, a juvenile <b>Pied Goshawk</b> and a brief <b>Song Parrot</b>. It had been a brilliant session but I was still missing the coucal and I'd also missed a megapode, although there was still a few days left on these islands before heading north. </p><p>We reluctantly departed this site and took a zodiac back to the ship and continued our sailing westwards, this time towards Tetepare, although there was little rush to set sail as Tetepare wasn't too far away. As dusk approached, I stayed outside to admire the sunset and general sense of being in such a remote part of the world, and I'm glad I did, as two Blainville's Beaked Whales emerged, admittedly at a distance, but were a treat to see.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9HXTrdk74Co-ho-ijitbEoGBbLiOmZU0hW2f0yKFClJlvTBY1wFzD9eDYI7lJNtQY3XALguPdMQp5vdCSEHydfL3lwm_TsaotooFgvclM3oKUg7jUFV4ajB3A_BTqtqTnfIWLnMsbg2rKBSskO4QKLW9ER2PTiGoSl_0k72wwNp4aoNZucnSLRh3faQ/s2249/776A7862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1610" data-original-width="2249" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9HXTrdk74Co-ho-ijitbEoGBbLiOmZU0hW2f0yKFClJlvTBY1wFzD9eDYI7lJNtQY3XALguPdMQp5vdCSEHydfL3lwm_TsaotooFgvclM3oKUg7jUFV4ajB3A_BTqtqTnfIWLnMsbg2rKBSskO4QKLW9ER2PTiGoSl_0k72wwNp4aoNZucnSLRh3faQ/w400-h286/776A7862.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Solomon's Cockatoo</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrXFNFm3SnMgo25L8FEqKedwJVp4GAg2Ep6poyQCJex7mN6cOE_-dAfQ2Wso90hr6KSK38z7V0bo0P88f5IpTt7CdWLMflipy4kFh89PQbo1lG8UYUc3CgpzkVxrSTYliDZx4pLW0lRK6-z3xyaBcUneQ6wsnZ7CTnuVgiWa3-V_BqIRK4bStdlzyG24/s1300/776A8013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1300" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrXFNFm3SnMgo25L8FEqKedwJVp4GAg2Ep6poyQCJex7mN6cOE_-dAfQ2Wso90hr6KSK38z7V0bo0P88f5IpTt7CdWLMflipy4kFh89PQbo1lG8UYUc3CgpzkVxrSTYliDZx4pLW0lRK6-z3xyaBcUneQ6wsnZ7CTnuVgiWa3-V_BqIRK4bStdlzyG24/w400-h296/776A8013.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Finsch's Pygmy Parrot</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFoiuP1ymIBwuYIO5R6SHJ9zBZFtR-NrIdKiJQFwd-r1IjRRwA3xBxg0LK_m25k95BVqQgaxiTzsUO-fKpRc1CCR__jaBG_R8F0qlvAwbSOlyympnDKKS8q-VoTdmnCYPNYE_AljCurg1U29dw8XWNLL22wT0yJgu-DOofafgA4bdrectIX-ee0K_xUi8/s2438/776A8079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1653" data-original-width="2438" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFoiuP1ymIBwuYIO5R6SHJ9zBZFtR-NrIdKiJQFwd-r1IjRRwA3xBxg0LK_m25k95BVqQgaxiTzsUO-fKpRc1CCR__jaBG_R8F0qlvAwbSOlyympnDKKS8q-VoTdmnCYPNYE_AljCurg1U29dw8XWNLL22wT0yJgu-DOofafgA4bdrectIX-ee0K_xUi8/w400-h271/776A8079.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ultramarine Kingfisher</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkiXm17eaDSNklq5vg9Yokcgx4GN6D4cMUgab43InRsV3CnXGubGnt3nHUdTeDbY2bZ07B9LSBZA7g8fhZWOVb_7QR9OQdzzpe8zcYScL3u2jfi6HKt-dmlheQtqzp5YAILmgVxeqQdAR4Bay2qKUwArVOXtaDobczhotSh-NKJk9oC4p1tyElrn3HMo/s3656/776A8157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2520" data-original-width="3656" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkiXm17eaDSNklq5vg9Yokcgx4GN6D4cMUgab43InRsV3CnXGubGnt3nHUdTeDbY2bZ07B9LSBZA7g8fhZWOVb_7QR9OQdzzpe8zcYScL3u2jfi6HKt-dmlheQtqzp5YAILmgVxeqQdAR4Bay2qKUwArVOXtaDobczhotSh-NKJk9oC4p1tyElrn3HMo/w400-h276/776A8157.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltZ1mS5ouq0BSQjT-0ibefvZITX8dUMU6LyH7QY11k0up6aOTj5M5V7YLvt3sg1EvPfUWiEbPhEDzMzBwYuam7TNHrtadbFvXw8VJo2aIGsK5tZz-MJDZChJvVAnIS_B2HJlit3aceC2afOOdHBJvxGmk-xYqQCRvlnkY5vA4FSzWly7mLL_EslTj1V0/s2613/776A8185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1793" data-original-width="2613" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltZ1mS5ouq0BSQjT-0ibefvZITX8dUMU6LyH7QY11k0up6aOTj5M5V7YLvt3sg1EvPfUWiEbPhEDzMzBwYuam7TNHrtadbFvXw8VJo2aIGsK5tZz-MJDZChJvVAnIS_B2HJlit3aceC2afOOdHBJvxGmk-xYqQCRvlnkY5vA4FSzWly7mLL_EslTj1V0/w400-h275/776A8185.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86SeDngE1gzsrSC26tJW4AZfqKZQXWguFSvLkbvzsORkR4x03ZB2hhe4TuyRaoo5l5tX5v_AXJtuXP8cNfUwDnbotqNanRoi7L6MxabOir4POA24ZWnvk360OmZt-zwHeERiBKFE0rSElAo13gf3jL_QhR5Z5wWPtX1S70CPcYGbYALIQaeHlGpOeZo8/s1867/776A7670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1377" data-original-width="1867" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86SeDngE1gzsrSC26tJW4AZfqKZQXWguFSvLkbvzsORkR4x03ZB2hhe4TuyRaoo5l5tX5v_AXJtuXP8cNfUwDnbotqNanRoi7L6MxabOir4POA24ZWnvk360OmZt-zwHeERiBKFE0rSElAo13gf3jL_QhR5Z5wWPtX1S70CPcYGbYALIQaeHlGpOeZo8/w400-h295/776A7670.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Claret-breasted Fruit Dove</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ah3mgWMyV-qvvNEGUumdWh6tcARogxgsnQxzwxWI73yaI4NSXRSls3kRfVmeRUf2GFOttjC9xnrq8bcLdknHyJt7ImyBO0kpl0wkp6qNvN00Tyh7ol8w8cnlc5-f3EP-ET0jdTPbMtXCU-_r-6q1Po4CZJMkH7gE4jJH4UXpe61FtFNM7VCIBFb0tVc/s2793/776A7850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2012" data-original-width="2793" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ah3mgWMyV-qvvNEGUumdWh6tcARogxgsnQxzwxWI73yaI4NSXRSls3kRfVmeRUf2GFOttjC9xnrq8bcLdknHyJt7ImyBO0kpl0wkp6qNvN00Tyh7ol8w8cnlc5-f3EP-ET0jdTPbMtXCU-_r-6q1Po4CZJMkH7gE4jJH4UXpe61FtFNM7VCIBFb0tVc/w400-h289/776A7850.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cardinal Lory</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxHBB8JgmQ2HKV1C_S7jVRFQ3Lvj7BAK88bfOutx0EzqOYb88gr0Nsru1nned86ZVTadNjwxLPFdfrBHGrkR4UzdH75KO0tyIifBfftjfEIpk3eFzEWE1UELBHjW48uABa8OMr5Xx9XUqoPg8SWDK1Xe7ZQLLXWufzkFbPDOYY3p5VkguoqO0s2IW9pU/s2279/776A7916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1579" data-original-width="2279" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxHBB8JgmQ2HKV1C_S7jVRFQ3Lvj7BAK88bfOutx0EzqOYb88gr0Nsru1nned86ZVTadNjwxLPFdfrBHGrkR4UzdH75KO0tyIifBfftjfEIpk3eFzEWE1UELBHjW48uABa8OMr5Xx9XUqoPg8SWDK1Xe7ZQLLXWufzkFbPDOYY3p5VkguoqO0s2IW9pU/w400-h278/776A7916.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Solomon's Cuckooshrike</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVK-nTBRsblsRfX10v_BQFaZBUWsv3C8Z84qasCpWp0ofsWNQrYUemDuCWoRlTADP7nJ2YmMZYcBhzncsLLa4YNwnTVADR5KZnVv_n5BF5EwKzLCCTugiHmdWx7jxjbFHUn_bOseo7QtSXOODCVs_2uwmuA3kLYjxnTn29pP4ss5yrE4_JLBiHVshCuA/s2368/776A8008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1693" data-original-width="2368" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVK-nTBRsblsRfX10v_BQFaZBUWsv3C8Z84qasCpWp0ofsWNQrYUemDuCWoRlTADP7nJ2YmMZYcBhzncsLLa4YNwnTVADR5KZnVv_n5BF5EwKzLCCTugiHmdWx7jxjbFHUn_bOseo7QtSXOODCVs_2uwmuA3kLYjxnTn29pP4ss5yrE4_JLBiHVshCuA/w400-h286/776A8008.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Steel-blue Flycatcher</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhohnjyJHX1f_4Z3m0C00sjjd1vL3Aad-WZYmFdcKw9oRnBTQLP9X5t5fyyvJIbx1YJ75qd2AfMGKOoBO9fz-DFbs3PmQWYFN6H2CWAakCX5QNDO18OzymXDz5igH0gbvY9kcKJRl51Fp3ed8znWor_NLQ5dSh4GnVh51DrTNjKPLj1Bqti4VDA4-FnUzs/s2294/776A7540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1514" data-original-width="2294" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhohnjyJHX1f_4Z3m0C00sjjd1vL3Aad-WZYmFdcKw9oRnBTQLP9X5t5fyyvJIbx1YJ75qd2AfMGKOoBO9fz-DFbs3PmQWYFN6H2CWAakCX5QNDO18OzymXDz5igH0gbvY9kcKJRl51Fp3ed8znWor_NLQ5dSh4GnVh51DrTNjKPLj1Bqti4VDA4-FnUzs/w400-h264/776A7540.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCewIznjyPBpSSi0ch9FnWDtLfVOvjpsgKiBk8qi3kvwgt_H5sNPBQWSAYuxzVIYKK1M8_mVYISTpioTWzrsFs8FuzhjyBaI9hK6jzdUtKfEWlLOatOXJ1SwpboxqcUXqIjYR61HuCer8p1Gh3MaqOdvo9l45EJTl8oQOcVf8Bostlhztz8cfGINGfKk/s2673/776A7560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1822" data-original-width="2673" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCewIznjyPBpSSi0ch9FnWDtLfVOvjpsgKiBk8qi3kvwgt_H5sNPBQWSAYuxzVIYKK1M8_mVYISTpioTWzrsFs8FuzhjyBaI9hK6jzdUtKfEWlLOatOXJ1SwpboxqcUXqIjYR61HuCer8p1Gh3MaqOdvo9l45EJTl8oQOcVf8Bostlhztz8cfGINGfKk/w400-h272/776A7560.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Blainville's Beaked Whales - although hard to see, the upper image<br />shows the beak at about a 40 degree angle out of the ocean, <br />combined with a distinct dorsal fin, <br />there is little else what this beaked whale could be.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><u><br /></u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDwJAoWrxJV3uYk0QqphL6EuQO5q1LN8Yia8ZoO3FVV0v45ffWSetZ_RkaVXbbP8eIeal0EhCOVVo9V1cvDt92Y7k8d4Wf5zTxzHl9ykpx-wf4nOpPWOk2tJhA3EvrpCAz58RV-io0NXQbYYPHAkkzipgk6yQy9ocV84uDKXhISM5o1R5m9Ft1ZwdURk/s4032/IMG_9871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDwJAoWrxJV3uYk0QqphL6EuQO5q1LN8Yia8ZoO3FVV0v45ffWSetZ_RkaVXbbP8eIeal0EhCOVVo9V1cvDt92Y7k8d4Wf5zTxzHl9ykpx-wf4nOpPWOk2tJhA3EvrpCAz58RV-io0NXQbYYPHAkkzipgk6yQy9ocV84uDKXhISM5o1R5m9Ft1ZwdURk/w400-h300/IMG_9871.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrDxJBAoXxQtR2q7mMLB5VZzL1I2Q_FbkthXYEOHcHpO-1snc7_LkfaMOLn4Bx6hVPYwDu5vj7ek7WrAz52ir1V2Iuzis5zalLnoYI9hpqlSxJ-RgPkDNB7Alpwyp0Iex6k3ElCEVE65mGib91YaD7CAukhyjMTakpoRaso3kOk2LUhVkz4AhlssMxY4/s4032/IMG_9867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrDxJBAoXxQtR2q7mMLB5VZzL1I2Q_FbkthXYEOHcHpO-1snc7_LkfaMOLn4Bx6hVPYwDu5vj7ek7WrAz52ir1V2Iuzis5zalLnoYI9hpqlSxJ-RgPkDNB7Alpwyp0Iex6k3ElCEVE65mGib91YaD7CAukhyjMTakpoRaso3kOk2LUhVkz4AhlssMxY4/w400-h300/IMG_9867.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Views from Mount Austen</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7on8oSMTuj9-QMHG4VyIvw5al7B_P9Iq95jMXWKDux5XLIcYPL_NUQ0ccnZfSRADea94XgaJX6I8xoXgmrd7rEB9lZkEoLhNYqfjkkhWQAQ5cT40F15eSxmQEid-LkwmLBYqVgwQ_DFxS-098LhdABRS9tikdUzeNOnwKlREMDLRMadjC7ENMHNmc8b4/s4032/IMG_9862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7on8oSMTuj9-QMHG4VyIvw5al7B_P9Iq95jMXWKDux5XLIcYPL_NUQ0ccnZfSRADea94XgaJX6I8xoXgmrd7rEB9lZkEoLhNYqfjkkhWQAQ5cT40F15eSxmQEid-LkwmLBYqVgwQ_DFxS-098LhdABRS9tikdUzeNOnwKlREMDLRMadjC7ENMHNmc8b4/w400-h300/IMG_9862.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Another Solomon's Sunset</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><u>2nd April 2023</u><p>Today, we dawned opposite the small island of Tetepare where we spent the morning walking the trails that led out from a small village. It was as if the trails were meant for birding, but I suspect not. Anyway, the usual chaos ensued with everyone gathering in one spot, being shouted at by Chris Collins ordering everyone around, before being allowed to set off with a villager to ensure we didn't get lost. It didn't take too long for me to breakaway from my group and once again I ended up on my own, every now and then bumping into the odd group here and there. </p><p>The birding was very good, however, and before we had even departed the gathering spot, we had seen <b>Beach Kingfisher</b>, large groups of <b>Singing Starlings</b>, the superb <b>White-capped Monarch</b>, <b>Dark-eyed White-eye</b>, <b>Crimson-rumped Myzomela </b>and <b>Olive-backed Sunbird</b>. Walking the trails, I had some excellent views of a <b>Red-knobbed Imperial Pigeon</b>, <b>Song Parrot</b>, <b>Barred Cuckooshrike</b> and I even managed some great looks at a<b> Cockerell's Fantail</b>. I walked off the trail at one point and I was certain I flushed a nightjar species, but the views were frustratingly brief and I couldn't be sure. A short while later, I was walking close to the beach and heard a <b>Melanesian Megapode</b>. I stalked the area and finally clapped eyes on the elusive bird and obtained some excellent views. I went off to alert others to its presence and thankfully most others saw it. It had been another productive walk, and after several circuits of the area, I was ready to head back. I then just so happened to be on the correct zodiac as a superb <b>Sanford's Sea Eagle</b> flew over us... what a bird and finale to the morning.</p><p>In the afternoon, there was then an option of either visiting Rendoza Island, or go snorkelling off Tetepare. As always, I was keen for both and so I made sure I was back in time to grab the final zodiac over to Rendoza after my snorkel. I must admit, the snorkel was superb - far greater variety than last time with some exceptionally colourful fish seen, including the spectacular Moorish Idol (look it up). I annoyingly missed a Black-tip Reef Shark... I still don't know how! </p><p>Thankfully I still had time to get to Rendoza and I rushed over to the main forest track and joined Frank Lambert who was taping in a <b>Kolombangara Monarch</b>. It took some time to come in but thankfully it did which was a huge relief, although I need not have worried, as we were to see many more the following day. A pair of <b>Cockerell's Fantails</b> and several <b>White-capped Monarchs</b> also performed superbly.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JZp1CVAYOIfDZumEwISQRV5hmr9vU_tfBFjakwwjcx9toN8feAFiLviuwEJeHPt9jRhZMBbCr5Zp39FNvsv9WezvxWUnvmjsKNbikCIHOXIEw6ZkedPe4EonRlc_mR4lqyGk0fXvk2llG5M0DlXOW_e9EkTDOK6n2aKi8eGH9Mh505uqosdOgZnNwyI/s4225/776A8587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2747" data-original-width="4225" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JZp1CVAYOIfDZumEwISQRV5hmr9vU_tfBFjakwwjcx9toN8feAFiLviuwEJeHPt9jRhZMBbCr5Zp39FNvsv9WezvxWUnvmjsKNbikCIHOXIEw6ZkedPe4EonRlc_mR4lqyGk0fXvk2llG5M0DlXOW_e9EkTDOK6n2aKi8eGH9Mh505uqosdOgZnNwyI/w400-h260/776A8587.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Monitor Lizard</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTr52tTxxtsf7sBrwOISQZ7OMsK-G7YXpfwIYs32rwJkXQ6rc8ehJcoW-KcxIzPk3X2PHAzIi0Y2WtMNz5Yb5mVJhNsCFxbgovZN9AsJLn4yDpfHOsppzRrv5YRwsQr1BUpzy-0EbtYPZrqN9HYebMkTUiEoD8IfjqGGmcEGIJzwvxB98Yh1yDF07R1g/s2206/776A8700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1582" data-original-width="2206" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTr52tTxxtsf7sBrwOISQZ7OMsK-G7YXpfwIYs32rwJkXQ6rc8ehJcoW-KcxIzPk3X2PHAzIi0Y2WtMNz5Yb5mVJhNsCFxbgovZN9AsJLn4yDpfHOsppzRrv5YRwsQr1BUpzy-0EbtYPZrqN9HYebMkTUiEoD8IfjqGGmcEGIJzwvxB98Yh1yDF07R1g/w400-h286/776A8700.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Red-knobbed Imperial Pigeon</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9obC-uf1_bqEUM9EGwvInBQ9rVW4mzncfdBOHXjh3kO9PhAbUh2aTcDwvNO8Pj6lM6FHCMrmH4recc1N23_dsxQHBOHuk8xFC-1fQDDY3HXDJ7trxRJI2X5QlK46Dm69DT-rayV8hhXHud77YXkVXK2COIIGnAKytRBLgmYrlGUmC5UlWpIvYi4cyqY/s3174/776A8783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2314" data-original-width="3174" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9obC-uf1_bqEUM9EGwvInBQ9rVW4mzncfdBOHXjh3kO9PhAbUh2aTcDwvNO8Pj6lM6FHCMrmH4recc1N23_dsxQHBOHuk8xFC-1fQDDY3HXDJ7trxRJI2X5QlK46Dm69DT-rayV8hhXHud77YXkVXK2COIIGnAKytRBLgmYrlGUmC5UlWpIvYi4cyqY/w400-h291/776A8783.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Long-tailed Myna</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7mRPY55MVVh6noEz6Bdq8Gk5qt0JFP-umqF1PW5VyvTv6VYG8hKTF3Aq8NrSHmNd3NifkERNIhJaCut5q697FbkCIf1og9RzyBMUk9tEYmpgJpFdhwHrkW6q7NH-Nc2HvBEzHxlw5AvhlCPazo8SUQfe_emPrwhygthEUEx5xQgW8x6PsfU_t3dOGVUY/s1810/776A8834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="1810" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7mRPY55MVVh6noEz6Bdq8Gk5qt0JFP-umqF1PW5VyvTv6VYG8hKTF3Aq8NrSHmNd3NifkERNIhJaCut5q697FbkCIf1og9RzyBMUk9tEYmpgJpFdhwHrkW6q7NH-Nc2HvBEzHxlw5AvhlCPazo8SUQfe_emPrwhygthEUEx5xQgW8x6PsfU_t3dOGVUY/w400-h274/776A8834.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Barred Cuckooshrike</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJZcSsG91gsQxZB7h0yTKABPndTQZJofLwA1A2_Zo1OilGdmUxwrueMsQwww0EIGMrFPF_h95BFG7B8-5x5fDNBqnT9MzgKlry-8XdzW_LTZX6cH6yJrlG8HpLPNpG_jpIXOTGgrBchvTnMhZDoSqY3yol7HBq1YiJ4gw_yDVRZ9AeQu18s_7YHRsem4/s2429/776A8862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1694" data-original-width="2429" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJZcSsG91gsQxZB7h0yTKABPndTQZJofLwA1A2_Zo1OilGdmUxwrueMsQwww0EIGMrFPF_h95BFG7B8-5x5fDNBqnT9MzgKlry-8XdzW_LTZX6cH6yJrlG8HpLPNpG_jpIXOTGgrBchvTnMhZDoSqY3yol7HBq1YiJ4gw_yDVRZ9AeQu18s_7YHRsem4/w400-h279/776A8862.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Song Parrot</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVm4cW4o5foJRizKmNI-DbiGY9gxY1E5XY1mTpWIOK3kX6mqLpL0xMm6HSavzTWxvIAln8pSCIPCVAoY3NywEuuZ39yWt7mQU_hSUyAD1iL2ru_aTEIjZ3gu_LcL_umchP-pxJkwMgOdBd0v1c6kljOaHJkI50-wso8FG28Ba_og5ua3P5w_z0fcf0BLY/s4032/IMG_9892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVm4cW4o5foJRizKmNI-DbiGY9gxY1E5XY1mTpWIOK3kX6mqLpL0xMm6HSavzTWxvIAln8pSCIPCVAoY3NywEuuZ39yWt7mQU_hSUyAD1iL2ru_aTEIjZ3gu_LcL_umchP-pxJkwMgOdBd0v1c6kljOaHJkI50-wso8FG28Ba_og5ua3P5w_z0fcf0BLY/w400-h300/IMG_9892.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1QwHchYqYv1jqPemsromf-f0RsWcBACW4MmciOAHlPJQL7xcbZ0yRXQpTmEJFU8QBiyKMVDRMMvjRk7tWXqe9CfzV1WVWuiq6npzYSVZDsqMMWyT1-GfV__qtwrzePINrn-A2pi7og9SiJaRz_gJOyx2KKeUN28YCBA0limg8lMgR7BFyPrkrLBWnto/s4032/IMG_9889.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1QwHchYqYv1jqPemsromf-f0RsWcBACW4MmciOAHlPJQL7xcbZ0yRXQpTmEJFU8QBiyKMVDRMMvjRk7tWXqe9CfzV1WVWuiq6npzYSVZDsqMMWyT1-GfV__qtwrzePINrn-A2pi7og9SiJaRz_gJOyx2KKeUN28YCBA0limg8lMgR7BFyPrkrLBWnto/w400-h300/IMG_9889.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A trail on Tetepare</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOAMOYMATqTtsQcMDqL-0aIGQjVFdSuIHBvvCQFVyU3WiNX8KCi8pi3M20jwnC7Awb49WARPYTaSWsGA5LW8MwCjgV8H_G2RIsn_81ZOOS8T46luBT73iffKBmNPnPMXJ1QKAsIGTp-UW_imwubx8BA5OvyzV7gmxLsWDP9aGNb8_y_72_3HYIz5KCetI/s4032/IMG_9884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOAMOYMATqTtsQcMDqL-0aIGQjVFdSuIHBvvCQFVyU3WiNX8KCi8pi3M20jwnC7Awb49WARPYTaSWsGA5LW8MwCjgV8H_G2RIsn_81ZOOS8T46luBT73iffKBmNPnPMXJ1QKAsIGTp-UW_imwubx8BA5OvyzV7gmxLsWDP9aGNb8_y_72_3HYIz5KCetI/w400-h300/IMG_9884.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Beach Kingfisher on Tetepare</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-46584181930878140612023-07-29T08:47:00.001-07:002023-07-29T08:58:11.161-07:00Western Pacific Odyssey (Part 4) - The Solomon Islands (Part 1)<div><u>27th - 29th March 2023</u></div><div><br /></div>As we left New Caledonia, we were informed we would be passing its eastern side, much closer to Vanuatu than what had been planned, which is never a bad thing! As we exited the southern channel, it wasn't just birds which were showcasing, as a few Sea Snakes and turtles surfaced. <div><br /></div><div>During the next few days, we were heading north for one of The Solomon's most western island, this being Nendo. This small island not surprisingly holds a few endemic species and was an unexpected visit too. Along the way, seabirds were the theme and we came across some decent species. Probably the highlight was encountering the seabird yet to be described to science and is tentatively named '<b>Lava Petrel</b>', which resembles a combination of a skua, shearwater and petrel, but in looks, is close to a Kermadec Petrel, but there is certainly something not quite right about it. Also along this stretch of open water were many of the beautiful <b>Magnificent Petrels</b> (still officially Collared Petrel), two <b>Polynesian Storm-petrels</b>, <b>Tropical Shearwaters</b>, a few <b>Band-rumped Storm-petrels</b> and on one occasion what was most likely a Figi Petrel... the one that got away, but its shape and posture led me to firmly believe this is what it was. Cetaceans weren't too bad, comprising a Sperm Whale, likely Pygmy Killer Whales and a Grey's Beaked Whale.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgltmxZ9csVO8OL1PrpMhlBoULHGcPWov9CzkOGyoMKsB11hEvCXWigkLLIjO6MQkV2OUTroA3u3j83WL1bB-9W-URCuMvtO3xGWB6QNXrBqmyrD-w590V0pl3zfQM_nUJ3fqHHCUQVzYv-DK59aCJ-QdE7sO2gTbX0_iuutABC-6LdM5ueZ9CdC98Hc/s4032/IMG_9734.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgltmxZ9csVO8OL1PrpMhlBoULHGcPWov9CzkOGyoMKsB11hEvCXWigkLLIjO6MQkV2OUTroA3u3j83WL1bB-9W-URCuMvtO3xGWB6QNXrBqmyrD-w590V0pl3zfQM_nUJ3fqHHCUQVzYv-DK59aCJ-QdE7sO2gTbX0_iuutABC-6LdM5ueZ9CdC98Hc/w400-h300/IMG_9734.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIuHvOFe7nQ3ffCL0zcvJgqNZPehXaRZsBhMBRt-dj5XkAVq0R-zyJk5aDlikWEn_VPANNuV-1dGvsvWP20M9xDwZkUibQ_cyHc_uzfHfuKDJoz72OaisQf8x4F0YwpTmco8-oTF4KXL2CRKvQehMdchAmmKGAbcZIqJ9TDIirt3ebYfJ_cjwB1AbjKw/s4032/Sunset%202.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIuHvOFe7nQ3ffCL0zcvJgqNZPehXaRZsBhMBRt-dj5XkAVq0R-zyJk5aDlikWEn_VPANNuV-1dGvsvWP20M9xDwZkUibQ_cyHc_uzfHfuKDJoz72OaisQf8x4F0YwpTmco8-oTF4KXL2CRKvQehMdchAmmKGAbcZIqJ9TDIirt3ebYfJ_cjwB1AbjKw/w400-h300/Sunset%202.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAKgFpqJHWWaCWy1bkCKqPdv395t6OLd2wDak1onExQYXLlkHGTapUEUKUpvC2LNOaIC6b_7vgdgei4fZ5nqZMcyMhzVFJAGx2Ok9f233HCkS9m4U4tgaLP_JS_EK8Bg63jamcT-hckXG6HQev7WCt11e6d_eGWoaHnhbmJEBDMIeJeswHXA7uA2SFDYo/s2332/776A5978.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1639" data-original-width="2332" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAKgFpqJHWWaCWy1bkCKqPdv395t6OLd2wDak1onExQYXLlkHGTapUEUKUpvC2LNOaIC6b_7vgdgei4fZ5nqZMcyMhzVFJAGx2Ok9f233HCkS9m4U4tgaLP_JS_EK8Bg63jamcT-hckXG6HQev7WCt11e6d_eGWoaHnhbmJEBDMIeJeswHXA7uA2SFDYo/w400-h281/776A5978.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">White-tailed Tropicbird</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfERnVRM_zpJyYMp9pXBxv0Qw_JoWvfmbh6W-v8zl5ZPqNsperYdkN6CM5d6kwA3qlpnIp6lVLhDorY1ltD9hHVg39MJemcrSgWj-TpwW6XZfRFSNqibfgQbGZxk6jISE3IfO7D3Pj35PaceY3TKM70A94Eg7ARe5PwqLIe-fEkw1xTPQWI3_MoxGGPgk/s2013/776A6214%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1358" data-original-width="2013" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfERnVRM_zpJyYMp9pXBxv0Qw_JoWvfmbh6W-v8zl5ZPqNsperYdkN6CM5d6kwA3qlpnIp6lVLhDorY1ltD9hHVg39MJemcrSgWj-TpwW6XZfRFSNqibfgQbGZxk6jISE3IfO7D3Pj35PaceY3TKM70A94Eg7ARe5PwqLIe-fEkw1xTPQWI3_MoxGGPgk/w400-h270/776A6214%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">'Magnificent' Petrel</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAyNm9f_pvgjQxoF6KJGkSVrpLyuRjvgh_H6STM33SCuyiX3HNRLS3HWmyACq3of3Ls6CFQ_ndFKBHCMHLi26ozI7G3p7sxjCHZXQnD5EkFCVQxbxC5uWLx6-awkoPOLGa4bSacYK8WbHL6iEqrF8h6SKv8BYmUbndCQX5bO1nHf7flm9poEZ6LqFXaw/s1201/776A6263.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="862" data-original-width="1201" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAyNm9f_pvgjQxoF6KJGkSVrpLyuRjvgh_H6STM33SCuyiX3HNRLS3HWmyACq3of3Ls6CFQ_ndFKBHCMHLi26ozI7G3p7sxjCHZXQnD5EkFCVQxbxC5uWLx6-awkoPOLGa4bSacYK8WbHL6iEqrF8h6SKv8BYmUbndCQX5bO1nHf7flm9poEZ6LqFXaw/w400-h288/776A6263.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABxr58Hiv-ehf0Bzf-x3zlJe1TquL-dn4ReA5NvYcgmch89VmEBpwiUaJ4_bYJvyO_RKKFjTsjq_4Pf6mmX6w2o4J3_64N3jNvxmoZjC2IoxgYFp4SHL3AWCQ3GVrzdEjM6MY6sCM7egMdGOZq0K8XIQrHKzKJm_gEnKBpCALnlw2W_P-Y09bvQvwQfA/s1216/776A6333.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="1216" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABxr58Hiv-ehf0Bzf-x3zlJe1TquL-dn4ReA5NvYcgmch89VmEBpwiUaJ4_bYJvyO_RKKFjTsjq_4Pf6mmX6w2o4J3_64N3jNvxmoZjC2IoxgYFp4SHL3AWCQ3GVrzdEjM6MY6sCM7egMdGOZq0K8XIQrHKzKJm_gEnKBpCALnlw2W_P-Y09bvQvwQfA/w400-h272/776A6333.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">'Lava' Petrel</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><u>30th March 2023</u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div>We arrived into Nendo's territory in the early hours and my first sight of the legendary Solomons was in view as I arose onto the outer deck. Of course, the nature of this trip would mean only a handful of the many endemic species would be seen on the few islands we would land at, but just being in paradise was good enough for me. </div><div><br /></div><div>We eventually set foot and straight away the landing site was alive with fly-through <b>MacKinlay's Ground Doves</b>, <b>Pacific Imperial Pigeons</b> and <b>Cardinal Myzomelas</b>. We had all gathered (all 45 of us) and in a rather long line, we walked a logging track through some rank forest either side, but despite the chaos, we did see along this track the following: <b>Temotu Whistlers</b>, <b>Red-bellied Fruit Doves</b> and <b>Santa Cruz White-eyes</b>.<b>White-rumped Swiftlets</b> were flying at tree-top height, but it wasn't until we gained some altitude that the proper birding began. After a tense wait of scanning through several Santa Cruz White-eyes, the remarkable looking <b>Sanford's White-eye</b> was located, and what a beauty it was, being more reminiscent of a babbler than a white-eye. A short while later a <b>Polynesian Triller</b> joined the show, which pretty much completed the set. Therefore, I set back to the landing site to spend some time in the sea, visiting the local tribe and spending time in the shade.</div><div><br /></div><div>As we set sail heading west towards the main Solomon archipelago, cetaceans got interesting with the highlight encounter being a mother and calf Deraniyagala's Beaked Whale - a mega in every sense! A few <b>Long-tailed Skuas</b>, <b>Bridled </b>and <b>Sooty Terns</b>, and thankfully, a few <b>Grey-backed Terns</b> were also spotted. Another odd experience was watching a presumed passenger ferry emerging from a bank of fog, which in honesty, could have been a ghost ship as it was truly battered and it's absurd to think it's still operating, but that's the developing world for you!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0h8OOX_VBSFmOPR21vvTlxY-KP3a2jEySPtf7xRsF841Lx1A9Lj8exCll9WImNlUGzvx_1HjmD_o0g0jv4Trvb-5cGBp-au3_x3tVQIQu3upRcHsdVYl1JHWe417Pv2yTLJEc2rbVcRzKRTSnUea7yaS4MHBgdOZtJssZzeb3a9NrGgmxyDUF_WCuH2E/s2181/776A6627.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1518" data-original-width="2181" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0h8OOX_VBSFmOPR21vvTlxY-KP3a2jEySPtf7xRsF841Lx1A9Lj8exCll9WImNlUGzvx_1HjmD_o0g0jv4Trvb-5cGBp-au3_x3tVQIQu3upRcHsdVYl1JHWe417Pv2yTLJEc2rbVcRzKRTSnUea7yaS4MHBgdOZtJssZzeb3a9NrGgmxyDUF_WCuH2E/w400-h279/776A6627.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sanford's White-eye</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmxD0vdI3hOqePoThvlznbYiKMSFtOApadlY7i2y6mlC9FVIeKmiRNGM4ix0MOuCFot20wqO0GvyWvI2nMLLhLgZ0N8zow-o_DBuOyDgrpc__m_6UIKUpso9RwkH3PCT9jhgG8xEvkLf8C_PCINKf9hKnoQ9pErhNXpPNoDi64LR3qRqwHtzZH9SVK_4/s2413/776A6720.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1815" data-original-width="2413" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmxD0vdI3hOqePoThvlznbYiKMSFtOApadlY7i2y6mlC9FVIeKmiRNGM4ix0MOuCFot20wqO0GvyWvI2nMLLhLgZ0N8zow-o_DBuOyDgrpc__m_6UIKUpso9RwkH3PCT9jhgG8xEvkLf8C_PCINKf9hKnoQ9pErhNXpPNoDi64LR3qRqwHtzZH9SVK_4/w400-h301/776A6720.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Polynesian Triller</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSz1rz8-e6TAlqYEtrUc6KvZRrd31BlmqWCiJ7Pz_q35gOb4J2OMMtww9LRMgZlkGNC5VI7YRmlqvP4tx6w-_KL4t0tQkWyYXWQjMABbmfoQbREQRYMEntKX6gaIyoCuOK3X7AaDyhcQSeOiBTjJD0fta2wHmTpvjSVowUZJBNpk_54MERVFDD9CVZrqA/s2416/776A6816.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1631" data-original-width="2416" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSz1rz8-e6TAlqYEtrUc6KvZRrd31BlmqWCiJ7Pz_q35gOb4J2OMMtww9LRMgZlkGNC5VI7YRmlqvP4tx6w-_KL4t0tQkWyYXWQjMABbmfoQbREQRYMEntKX6gaIyoCuOK3X7AaDyhcQSeOiBTjJD0fta2wHmTpvjSVowUZJBNpk_54MERVFDD9CVZrqA/w400-h270/776A6816.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSw4V1EG_1RNPZm8ef78vrsOogLbNyK4q4dpQl9_z21mQMHVZBmIUe6vapWWWnJVOF0hJ38v2vn8h1W4aRkq_YPXB8imsphmyDBlVTWWfv4WHeU04W5DbePt5TnBZEtihJktyrN8cM5H_PGMBJBtuBRgR-psauk6iocuGBbeGDcN1OiD9AzDlE1gxHYSg/s2566/776A6899.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1787" data-original-width="2566" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSw4V1EG_1RNPZm8ef78vrsOogLbNyK4q4dpQl9_z21mQMHVZBmIUe6vapWWWnJVOF0hJ38v2vn8h1W4aRkq_YPXB8imsphmyDBlVTWWfv4WHeU04W5DbePt5TnBZEtihJktyrN8cM5H_PGMBJBtuBRgR-psauk6iocuGBbeGDcN1OiD9AzDlE1gxHYSg/w400-h279/776A6899.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcpYIfpOI0xdfkQ6SKVAeeMVb4gc9ORsGaRiD8UiXtAr5Ln5AVr6rae0jS3jWzdapNtE5lQ1C2gr4RXY0ZoI2vHuf8pw9c_YBFVG1xy6kNvYolTZMObySh-bArRtTbhy4tR8JDiUNCGtgPVmboFTxyOFA-m2ztw4OL3J8zzfe8Qw5vt1FQKSj9KLaMYo/s2388/776A6446%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1685" data-original-width="2388" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcpYIfpOI0xdfkQ6SKVAeeMVb4gc9ORsGaRiD8UiXtAr5Ln5AVr6rae0jS3jWzdapNtE5lQ1C2gr4RXY0ZoI2vHuf8pw9c_YBFVG1xy6kNvYolTZMObySh-bArRtTbhy4tR8JDiUNCGtgPVmboFTxyOFA-m2ztw4OL3J8zzfe8Qw5vt1FQKSj9KLaMYo/w400-h283/776A6446%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Temotu Whistler</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg25M1YtEVGAI38hG9YKT2tAac9x6NocQDk-5KkKJg0_XcUJq7Z92ofxact44I8rqn-Cyxd689j2DEpvunnoMYd2LtciKy177-jXG5j3wc0jqkL_LDvO2vJ2Fq5xP1AmddAv-zf-v8l6wwmWDZQudhm_ZL5H_yWDv1VR9t8QUn8sQ1pUCgG1udyjXsPkL4/s2062/776A6495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1574" data-original-width="2062" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg25M1YtEVGAI38hG9YKT2tAac9x6NocQDk-5KkKJg0_XcUJq7Z92ofxact44I8rqn-Cyxd689j2DEpvunnoMYd2LtciKy177-jXG5j3wc0jqkL_LDvO2vJ2Fq5xP1AmddAv-zf-v8l6wwmWDZQudhm_ZL5H_yWDv1VR9t8QUn8sQ1pUCgG1udyjXsPkL4/w400-h305/776A6495.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Red-bellied Fruit Dove</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh916TTZ91Jid16MejyN62y2JH2Y2yS_JtXNmsX3Evcldxl2vv1l_HL5VxC17L_NoWM1y4m4Uz5g7qFnK4awzHoPWLnqbUF10AYPLnJSSgL6Z_LsbMmBZzMqCuXzqymloHFgEQbla77uQHid7VCZ82--vcdpF-97FsbRA14eBMr9x32MZo1Mt-LcSSb_Pg/s2594/776A6991.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1781" data-original-width="2594" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh916TTZ91Jid16MejyN62y2JH2Y2yS_JtXNmsX3Evcldxl2vv1l_HL5VxC17L_NoWM1y4m4Uz5g7qFnK4awzHoPWLnqbUF10AYPLnJSSgL6Z_LsbMmBZzMqCuXzqymloHFgEQbla77uQHid7VCZ82--vcdpF-97FsbRA14eBMr9x32MZo1Mt-LcSSb_Pg/w400-h275/776A6991.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Long-tailed Skua</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmrK5e_Ztc1sAxwrl6RkrCu654qIw-0hCb003Bts-7HyREiNe0T-W8WgB0QSqa-W_c_KkQj5DvjzrIjm4fbGGuy1Tp54dvyBYeme_xlI9kMIlujlJqy1QqjKRmBz0dmsxeHCgafI0sHlcEf4wAnLYR6rup7BwUVsun2K_0KLaTD3BGoOT4dGezbC7mgU/s2539/776A7167.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1747" data-original-width="2539" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmrK5e_Ztc1sAxwrl6RkrCu654qIw-0hCb003Bts-7HyREiNe0T-W8WgB0QSqa-W_c_KkQj5DvjzrIjm4fbGGuy1Tp54dvyBYeme_xlI9kMIlujlJqy1QqjKRmBz0dmsxeHCgafI0sHlcEf4wAnLYR6rup7BwUVsun2K_0KLaTD3BGoOT4dGezbC7mgU/w400-h275/776A7167.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Deraniyagala's Beaked Whale</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6aV_9gWIKqHdBivvNSQJAwoB_ZGKXezeAVNhhIeEAgNvD3kA9CtgqEd0-cqL5i0lqC73ExdlMtwwWxhPJLbfgI2mJGlvcxXXlyCK7zOLj36FHA5wlyF5Wkect_0hd2n7mbNGyAgszOqhtyJ5Q0vo_UhvwF2Ca41sz6N3dAd0oXYDT3pmLrTvOmsmDmDQ/s5472/776A7267.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="5472" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6aV_9gWIKqHdBivvNSQJAwoB_ZGKXezeAVNhhIeEAgNvD3kA9CtgqEd0-cqL5i0lqC73ExdlMtwwWxhPJLbfgI2mJGlvcxXXlyCK7zOLj36FHA5wlyF5Wkect_0hd2n7mbNGyAgszOqhtyJ5Q0vo_UhvwF2Ca41sz6N3dAd0oXYDT3pmLrTvOmsmDmDQ/w400-h225/776A7267.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>31st March 2023</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><br /></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Overnight we had sailed west and arrived close to the island of Makira. There was an option for both birding and snorkeling today, both of which I was very keen to do. Our planned landing had gone belly up, so we had to make to with some random village, although there was decent primary/secondary forest on its periphery. Once again, we had to wait for the battalion of birders to arrive before we could go birding, but due to the restricted area of access, it didn't take too long to find all we could. Straight away, <b>Makira Honeyeater</b>, <b>Mottled Flowerpecker</b>, <b>Sooty Myzomela</b>, <b>Brown-winged Starling</b> and many <b>Chestnut-bellied Imperial Pigeons </b>and <b>Island Imperial Pigeons</b> were found. As we encroached the good forest, I caught a glimpse of a Fruit Dove, which soon transpired to be the stunning <b>Yellow-billed Fruit Dove</b>. Two <b>Eclectus Parrots</b> flew over and some superb <b>Pacific Bazas</b> were also located. However, after a few hours it felt as if we had seen everything, therefore, along with a few others, I headed back to the ship and went snorkeling at a nearby reef, which turned out to be an excellent move... no birds, but some quite excellent fish and a completely new experience for me. Seeing a Clownfish was particularly impressive.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibljZhakpnNyoiHzI10FO0WoBRF_I7WDLk9M-jAJYPH55Hi6KiLXPNnW7oPyktTI12o8N7JiWTqH-feIN_YtNNg3KMU56QBDC_w4f60FRKB0mzJJC31_Hp-5L9q9GZ0EAF8WSVGldQ24Pf2u99VmzpuIxLrGYJL7ylBYKP-KuTTye3M5wxoLeQFVmuVfc/s2048/352216312_6439222812802653_5960777056623080045_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibljZhakpnNyoiHzI10FO0WoBRF_I7WDLk9M-jAJYPH55Hi6KiLXPNnW7oPyktTI12o8N7JiWTqH-feIN_YtNNg3KMU56QBDC_w4f60FRKB0mzJJC31_Hp-5L9q9GZ0EAF8WSVGldQ24Pf2u99VmzpuIxLrGYJL7ylBYKP-KuTTye3M5wxoLeQFVmuVfc/w400-h300/352216312_6439222812802653_5960777056623080045_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil35M0kbkJIcevf3vSK9kAOfj7q-YHQeH_L-594x6iSB1W_dJzZCRazcOHAYJr5p2FWZ8TaeGUAW_ORdd6l2YRjPRBfmc-3_ibjDR5NATpW6h-jwgRfK-6kDrdBuEos9rnInz6IASjQA2bIRyY6Nu9QMkTudAJX1ede0W64mGkMifSaqYOb2bsZVGNTco/s2048/352822880_6439220316136236_3827574458003159364_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil35M0kbkJIcevf3vSK9kAOfj7q-YHQeH_L-594x6iSB1W_dJzZCRazcOHAYJr5p2FWZ8TaeGUAW_ORdd6l2YRjPRBfmc-3_ibjDR5NATpW6h-jwgRfK-6kDrdBuEos9rnInz6IASjQA2bIRyY6Nu9QMkTudAJX1ede0W64mGkMifSaqYOb2bsZVGNTco/w400-h300/352822880_6439220316136236_3827574458003159364_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDej8a1oDThvgSHoyXxjAO27WDjkshZ_Q0k8UNQZB4H5miZ5Nf8X1s_v05PXuM6enTfvjCiopZsrsiY2fTn5NHjQWOoIp3BFBPE_sRvF4_xEKDcTKkGHdUQBzpvjPX6kjjTXJaliRtXEtN1IGlpG79KLPTlWXqahHCTnQxr-1iz51DlcxAh4D4O5qhw70/s2048/352839238_6439226019468999_2302628327047181757_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDej8a1oDThvgSHoyXxjAO27WDjkshZ_Q0k8UNQZB4H5miZ5Nf8X1s_v05PXuM6enTfvjCiopZsrsiY2fTn5NHjQWOoIp3BFBPE_sRvF4_xEKDcTKkGHdUQBzpvjPX6kjjTXJaliRtXEtN1IGlpG79KLPTlWXqahHCTnQxr-1iz51DlcxAh4D4O5qhw70/w400-h300/352839238_6439226019468999_2302628327047181757_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-76560381363074306342023-07-23T02:22:00.002-07:002023-07-23T09:01:47.215-07:00Black-winged Kite, a Cornwall seawatch... and recent bits<p>A fairly busy late spring and early summer has seen me neglecting my blog, however, I'm keen to catch up as speedily as possible, especially on my recent trips and I'm fully aware I'm only a third of the way through my WPO adventure. </p><p>Anyhow, away from going abroad, in late May I moved into my house, situated on the very edge of Alton. It's lovely, and I was thrilled during the week just gone to find a male Brown Hairstreak a mere 50 yards from my back garden (trumped by a Purple Emperor today!!), along with many other butterfly species. Recent moth traps have also been excellent. Birding has been on the slow side, but with autumn migration now upon us, I'm looking forward to some coastal visits.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzPvzOZOeJeYB1DGSKYRJzgXSxqAqTw43lMq_xlIj6y4i8gXt6W26_mmh1RiNdQCgdKfNiHrnANR32O3TBeKBj3kpnC9U4BXP7mB2-El0ORpNI3dubPGiF7LsBm0cyrDcAQa7YHlf2pj7ZHo7OlUpO8WogDI5VLjq0p-VH3wgoe0sbFG0XA70HAqAHg6M/s3174/Brown%20Hairstreak.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2255" data-original-width="3174" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzPvzOZOeJeYB1DGSKYRJzgXSxqAqTw43lMq_xlIj6y4i8gXt6W26_mmh1RiNdQCgdKfNiHrnANR32O3TBeKBj3kpnC9U4BXP7mB2-El0ORpNI3dubPGiF7LsBm0cyrDcAQa7YHlf2pj7ZHo7OlUpO8WogDI5VLjq0p-VH3wgoe0sbFG0XA70HAqAHg6M/w400-h284/Brown%20Hairstreak.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Brown Hairstreak</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>On Friday morning, Emily and I left at 1.30am and drove via a short diversion in Dartford, to Felixstowe Ferry, arriving just before first light, We met Jake and together we joined the 10 or so other birders, who had miraculously already located the <b>Black-winged Kite</b> at its roost. It was constantly preening and just before it was nearly time to head off to work, the kite took flight and showed off its typical flight and hovering before disappearing out of view. A relief to connect with this first/second for Britain and it was even better not having to go to Norfolk for it. Having seen so many abroad I didn't think I'd be that impressed, but they are such excellent birds and one can't fail to be impressed. Also present were two <b>Little Owls</b>, three <b>Hobbies</b> and a <b>Whimbrel </b>also flew over. I was back at work at 8.45am... phew!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7iGmkkGueu-j-v0MQNxmnS9dlCDIAdg92b4kJ_GtEse_-MzIuRc_M4YOU4omFdwpze6zoR9gRiojGEvizoHAOZL3M9OHiNKpzh3Vf7xGxC7zXvQu9wps4zQG7dU8E9CQZUePVeV4oU1th2EhP62LtKtKqZeA9TjYa5l88wbRTQ4q8OraAZz8TmkKa6U/s1014/Kite.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="1014" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7iGmkkGueu-j-v0MQNxmnS9dlCDIAdg92b4kJ_GtEse_-MzIuRc_M4YOU4omFdwpze6zoR9gRiojGEvizoHAOZL3M9OHiNKpzh3Vf7xGxC7zXvQu9wps4zQG7dU8E9CQZUePVeV4oU1th2EhP62LtKtKqZeA9TjYa5l88wbRTQ4q8OraAZz8TmkKa6U/w400-h323/Kite.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A distant video freeze frame of the Black-winged Kite</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGubdVPu0ztqr0snZff8NL9gw-NT77KyISJZdUz5O5mwvRUhcISiZIumBSDk_BSeBFpHF5jV9xyGJcSHe1e-t7iOw1sQQxcULtNqMKlXgrVw9pU-9uIADu4bDbRwmtHXbBtoVnN0OMhbunDDT072Sncllbhcg68p54eq16eGP97eX-Fpa_SRq5pTNNeA/s1600/Me.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGubdVPu0ztqr0snZff8NL9gw-NT77KyISJZdUz5O5mwvRUhcISiZIumBSDk_BSeBFpHF5jV9xyGJcSHe1e-t7iOw1sQQxcULtNqMKlXgrVw9pU-9uIADu4bDbRwmtHXbBtoVnN0OMhbunDDT072Sncllbhcg68p54eq16eGP97eX-Fpa_SRq5pTNNeA/w400-h300/Me.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicptANlKhhqydh_l8FBVg4qn0l_bb0LjwKyt6mgHawDrGlD7p3sayUhxMuky2I6d2W1OzCezBfmyn9sskSIUX-bt7M6079ldHEZZGHGkaaZ0C-SHXGxj5kfQWIH-yAaKehfUwp-W5DOcOnwpvU9jMwUTrJ5PewzxbnozRfsB9fSDaVy-3d3H7DnVSJ5e0/s2048/roost.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicptANlKhhqydh_l8FBVg4qn0l_bb0LjwKyt6mgHawDrGlD7p3sayUhxMuky2I6d2W1OzCezBfmyn9sskSIUX-bt7M6079ldHEZZGHGkaaZ0C-SHXGxj5kfQWIH-yAaKehfUwp-W5DOcOnwpvU9jMwUTrJ5PewzxbnozRfsB9fSDaVy-3d3H7DnVSJ5e0/w400-h300/roost.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The bird's roost on the left; the Little Owl home on the right</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Roll on to the Saturday morning and after only six hours sleep in two nights, I was driving down to Cornwall for my annual spout of seawatching. I had been eyeing up the conditions since Monday and they looked very favourable, albeit very wet. This didn't put me off and after only a 4.5 hour journey to Porthgwarra, I was joining eight others on the cliff at 7am. The afternoon was very wet and so I re-positioned down to the cove which worked wonders, especially with several <b>Cory's Shearwaters</b> passing very close - absolutely superb!! No megas this time around but all of the hoped for species were seen, totals below:</p><p style="text-align: left;">Cory's Shearwater - 25<br />Great Shearwater - 2<br />Sooty Shearwater - 8<br />Balearic Shearwater - 2<br />Manx Shearwater - ca. 40,000 (at times passing 10,000 an hour)<br />Storm-petrel - 20<br />Arctic Skua - 1<br />Whimbrel - 1<br />Common Scoter - 4</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeSRVDDW3T7DonIv3ilVA4TtYQNZ_ybpSk-ZE5RvZmXQssdzlmB9HBC3r52rEfEqKg8nDvo0KXsb_KTCqd_L3HNsLkTXNdq4yhdCguv5UT3EdYhKyzMM44mviuNVeufkb15msG4TenjmCzT-U18xbIEwHajibsUBRBnehgUpNKbp1FF79QXX0GZu9obQ/s4032/IMG_1800.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeSRVDDW3T7DonIv3ilVA4TtYQNZ_ybpSk-ZE5RvZmXQssdzlmB9HBC3r52rEfEqKg8nDvo0KXsb_KTCqd_L3HNsLkTXNdq4yhdCguv5UT3EdYhKyzMM44mviuNVeufkb15msG4TenjmCzT-U18xbIEwHajibsUBRBnehgUpNKbp1FF79QXX0GZu9obQ/w400-h300/IMG_1800.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0iUqa1naqTDOWC1dx0Qc_d2Bl2iu8jl4IndlM7CztTtPqFft-biFG02MMkdxC8Aj1Vie7xJ9-QcqsdARyh-pYRaKYGJeLm4T3VXNIMg5KLi2fEvmY2R6Fj20vtqUoMosvNaJpqiUy8RmcF_czud9uWlaxqdJQ3D6D90kAHdaGKslhh41aNUMqJ7SzMM/s1810/IMG_1808.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1242" data-original-width="1810" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0iUqa1naqTDOWC1dx0Qc_d2Bl2iu8jl4IndlM7CztTtPqFft-biFG02MMkdxC8Aj1Vie7xJ9-QcqsdARyh-pYRaKYGJeLm4T3VXNIMg5KLi2fEvmY2R6Fj20vtqUoMosvNaJpqiUy8RmcF_czud9uWlaxqdJQ3D6D90kAHdaGKslhh41aNUMqJ7SzMM/w400-h275/IMG_1808.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7-AsRxjE1XAA7MnT2r3TOlZ8LTUlZmmaPMPr4njg4ZCvGWZXX_5RKt7xvOVlDwgw8DYXg9Y0EVCMWracclt75qDazFjiWNZf3WyERbJL2rvymQ0-v__5hntR_YTALR5CPxz4Bicu4EBO31xsjVBEClFtlA2rFWMzNdslnzygwu9mKW3RXTv4ObrNat4/s1620/IMG_1809.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1242" data-original-width="1620" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7-AsRxjE1XAA7MnT2r3TOlZ8LTUlZmmaPMPr4njg4ZCvGWZXX_5RKt7xvOVlDwgw8DYXg9Y0EVCMWracclt75qDazFjiWNZf3WyERbJL2rvymQ0-v__5hntR_YTALR5CPxz4Bicu4EBO31xsjVBEClFtlA2rFWMzNdslnzygwu9mKW3RXTv4ObrNat4/w400-h306/IMG_1809.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">freeze frame shots of a Cory's Shearwater <br />passing Porthgwarra</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-91801824931414713922023-05-10T22:37:00.004-07:002023-05-10T22:37:53.123-07:00A Twitch Tup North - Saturday 6th MayWith a full week of work to endure, it wasn't until the Saturday 6th May that I was able to drive north for the long list of mega birds which were present, namely the Grey-headed Lapwing in Northumberland; Stejneger's Scoter and White-winged Scoters off Fife, and lastly, the dodgy drake Hooded Merganser in the Lakes. <div><br /></div><div>Despite all plans being in place on the Friday for the twitch, an <b>Iberian Chiffchaff</b> in Sussex (a proper one at long last) meant I had to get down there on the Friday evening, before returning back to Alton, where I only had an hour before embarking tup north. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCAtu29OKUCS57aQq5G3BIsJ19U5qldIudyQ8lsYTDOcJ4wK6931Xht2b_qsyL6J0Kw0JcRk5jl2pBc7gicA9J0x13wUWY8tu8PiPzvxxPTnCZKtj2HlvagjBMcoDh2KR__85SQbci0oS4LRVdVKV4csVmZxUwRy2z4jWjCMTXzrh1Nm6aITzjCmZW/s2973/IMG_0313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2330" data-original-width="2973" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCAtu29OKUCS57aQq5G3BIsJ19U5qldIudyQ8lsYTDOcJ4wK6931Xht2b_qsyL6J0Kw0JcRk5jl2pBc7gicA9J0x13wUWY8tu8PiPzvxxPTnCZKtj2HlvagjBMcoDh2KR__85SQbci0oS4LRVdVKV4csVmZxUwRy2z4jWjCMTXzrh1Nm6aITzjCmZW/w400-h314/IMG_0313.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Iberian Chiffchaff at Abbot's Wood</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><div>Thankfully I had company (Tommy and Emily who both work at Naturetrek) for the 23-hour journey, first picking up Emily close-by, then Tommy at Basingstoke Train Station before driving pretty much non-stop to a fog-bound Northumberland coastline. Not ideal conditions when searching for what was presumed to be a distant bird, but it slowly dissipated and our first mega of the day, the <b>Grey-headed Lapwing</b>, was stood motionless out on a bit of wetland. An excellent start and a major relief after a long and tense week, but the scope and flight views certainly made the stress worth it. Ian Bennell was present and we would later meet at Fife.</div></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4eC_M7-TtDSDQxrkQxttiD1cNvZK3isjfH-Vj80ZZXFEOk69fBxCyaaWijhJ-uC5LUVF0BjF8Rb8aAQOTQ6l8P0XYKwrtkE5cxXZnfXBGdJeTkPtSfNPg1LJ0nhwYPF_Rwygr5XNX9OS5PqarJr8dSirvvOYaejEPSsltnVkINNjfFygUIfs2XG-u/s4032/IMG_0343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4eC_M7-TtDSDQxrkQxttiD1cNvZK3isjfH-Vj80ZZXFEOk69fBxCyaaWijhJ-uC5LUVF0BjF8Rb8aAQOTQ6l8P0XYKwrtkE5cxXZnfXBGdJeTkPtSfNPg1LJ0nhwYPF_Rwygr5XNX9OS5PqarJr8dSirvvOYaejEPSsltnVkINNjfFygUIfs2XG-u/w400-h300/IMG_0343.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">a squinting view of the Grey-headed Lapwing (centre-right)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>We soon left the site and continued north, via a breakfast stop. The stop was due to near-hunger, but also, I had a lazy, but cunning plan, as I knew Ian was going for the scoters, so this breakfast stop would mean we could just rock up and hopefully be put straight onto the birds, without spending too much time/effort in finding... old age is catching up with me! Anyway, we eventually arrived at a windless Lower Largo in Fife, spotted a gathering of troops, and low and behold, the <b>Stejneger's Scoter</b> was there - plan worked! This was a world tick for me and my main target for the day. It showed fairly well in the scope amongst a large gathering of <b>Velvet</b> and <b>Common Scoters, </b>and with a zoom eyepiece, it was fairly straightforward to find.</div><div><br /></div><div>A short way up the coast were another swarm of scoter, so we went about finding the two <b>White-winged Scoters</b> and <b>Surf Scoters </b>by ourselves, which we duly did with some ease. There were also two sublime <b>Long-tailed Ducks</b> close inshore. A random dog then took a certain liking to us, and despite initially thinking it was a birder's dog, it became apparent that the dog was actually a lost dog. At one stage the friendly lad even climbed into my boot and made itself cosy and warm, until a couple came up and basically nabbed the dog off of us, phoned the owner, and were reunited. For some reason I felt I had to inform them I wasn't trying to hijack the dog, despite the looks I was getting... hey ho. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRAtJ3y0sn0ukpKe0i8JhQjd9XGIaNDR9fqhdAghbCKJi94AAczp3KdtD-Z9yDAs3I1ieIR5kZR-HNdAOpDj5p5iLJzXNRjqrBEq38Q3FTUf0gp9MUVjtChtM9clz1MVC1t2pnBEgjsDGZRI_CbA3TckqgZkLcRPlGnT0eamUzipWuHYFSZ0vRTQQW/s750/939a1ec9-e6dd-4684-b1ae-187b2a57f065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="750" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRAtJ3y0sn0ukpKe0i8JhQjd9XGIaNDR9fqhdAghbCKJi94AAczp3KdtD-Z9yDAs3I1ieIR5kZR-HNdAOpDj5p5iLJzXNRjqrBEq38Q3FTUf0gp9MUVjtChtM9clz1MVC1t2pnBEgjsDGZRI_CbA3TckqgZkLcRPlGnT0eamUzipWuHYFSZ0vRTQQW/w400-h364/939a1ec9-e6dd-4684-b1ae-187b2a57f065.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">White-winged Scoter (top right) taken by Tommy</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXYlxWrMx4lw68502iSxtAvwZuOtlyr622U9Zc0OEOrO8GJmpXQYYEb2CMA4zEGcI0bCMLbCNfeNNl2kBD6vg-cTy5N59AghfedE-b2SpfF6HLtZzBjZK-6fv_RZpn1hifbAvJs03suxrvQaDRcmuBg5GZbWnw3oz23sI0612U4c-IWP8IkoeSUbX/s4032/IMG_0349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXYlxWrMx4lw68502iSxtAvwZuOtlyr622U9Zc0OEOrO8GJmpXQYYEb2CMA4zEGcI0bCMLbCNfeNNl2kBD6vg-cTy5N59AghfedE-b2SpfF6HLtZzBjZK-6fv_RZpn1hifbAvJs03suxrvQaDRcmuBg5GZbWnw3oz23sI0612U4c-IWP8IkoeSUbX/w400-h300/IMG_0349.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I never did get its name</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The excitement of Fife was all too much, so we departed and made our way swiftly across the base of Scotland and headed back down the M6, soon arriving in the Eastern Lakes to Whinfell Tarn where a smart drake <b>Hooded Merganser </b>was present. It's probably a dodgy one, but my first drake anywhere in the world, bar the zoo, but it probably has the same credentials! </span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3EOmxwA57OlFTkb9L1rP_I5c9Um7-7Dbk-l3Hv_fBH6BGcEjtuYxsMipLLSWnIpWXDZLP65vCQhJyK-RljRp4crhHoNfMUsX-ZlqgTK4b77VMZwIkYm3G0n1q_u4Wa2zCZZwRypk-em8V1MdysZp_KwSqeR5O4oI4zQq2N6700-7sofGfnuD03Pv9/s953/0222f526-1396-4c7d-a963-b0846cd1d816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="953" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3EOmxwA57OlFTkb9L1rP_I5c9Um7-7Dbk-l3Hv_fBH6BGcEjtuYxsMipLLSWnIpWXDZLP65vCQhJyK-RljRp4crhHoNfMUsX-ZlqgTK4b77VMZwIkYm3G0n1q_u4Wa2zCZZwRypk-em8V1MdysZp_KwSqeR5O4oI4zQq2N6700-7sofGfnuD03Pv9/w400-h303/0222f526-1396-4c7d-a963-b0846cd1d816.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Hooded Merganser taken by Emily</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">After a quick swift half in Kendal and watching some Goosander, it was time for the final leg of the journey, arriving home at about 9.30pm. I clocked in at just over 1000 miles of driving, but thanks to the decent company, it wasn't as tiring as one may think.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLLkioOvE6gXRAyYQRY2mZOi327QBKFqsiVIK2YdUEI1K3GTcVUn6iId50Vmd--IJKC-U6sq-Q9WX2ajhHcWqM3tm2fbosuzvm_3xgl_QeQngMUp8HDmXvz9rJRCCq0c1NiinHyJXeWdrdeCng48yly41Y36-U2fbT1202QgOB-ZfoFJsQ7P7rUjp/s4032/IMG_0355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLLkioOvE6gXRAyYQRY2mZOi327QBKFqsiVIK2YdUEI1K3GTcVUn6iId50Vmd--IJKC-U6sq-Q9WX2ajhHcWqM3tm2fbosuzvm_3xgl_QeQngMUp8HDmXvz9rJRCCq0c1NiinHyJXeWdrdeCng48yly41Y36-U2fbT1202QgOB-ZfoFJsQ7P7rUjp/w400-h300/IMG_0355.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufBhMrtGnuw94neBmTgtRuC4hbbf12ly17Ztp6Ev-spQswVxDFse8bOMNAIIKpunvWUlQExq49_WX4OF2sdqe-z9HVN5nJQpQ59InF3WmUga2LLpZeHGfkVRiWpEyWGWZncuTtUH2ff9CKjS6cvqQLSd9aUSHr4fd9tpOeVh-IgDfDo5vQN0Syvvk/s1600/687f218c-ee93-455f-ad3a-46382982f325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufBhMrtGnuw94neBmTgtRuC4hbbf12ly17Ztp6Ev-spQswVxDFse8bOMNAIIKpunvWUlQExq49_WX4OF2sdqe-z9HVN5nJQpQ59InF3WmUga2LLpZeHGfkVRiWpEyWGWZncuTtUH2ff9CKjS6cvqQLSd9aUSHr4fd9tpOeVh-IgDfDo5vQN0Syvvk/w300-h400/687f218c-ee93-455f-ad3a-46382982f325.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Watching the lapwing</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-35450922337979636012023-04-30T11:08:00.003-07:002023-04-30T11:08:30.509-07:00Western Pacific Odyssey: Part 3 (New Caledonia)<p><u>26th March 2023</u></p><p>After our arrival into port, and after a swift lunch, it was time to disembark onto New Caledonia for an afternoons birding up Mt Koghi. With 50+ birders, it of course started rather hectic, but myself, Barry Reed and Ed managed to sneak off pretty much by ourselves and away from the crowds, enjoying a wealth of endemic birds along the forest trails, and eventually, on the approach road. </p><p>The forests here were lush and there was constant activity - in fact, we managed to see pretty much everything during only a three hour vigil. The highlight for many was a responsive New Caledonia Thicketbird, a true mega in every sense and a very smart bird. However, the Red-throated Parrotfinches were just stunning and very tricky to see. </p><p>We first hit the forest and soon found mixed species flocks containing <b>NC Myzomelas</b>, <b>NC Whistlers</b>, <b>Fan-tailed Gerygones</b>, <b>Streaked Fantail</b>, <b>Green-backed White-eyes</b> and <b>Yellow-bellied Flyrobins</b>, but the call of a few <b>New Caledonia Crows</b> soon had us watching what is renowned to be the world's most clever bird - we even saw one with a twig in its bill, plucking out food from a small hole in a tree! A couple of <b>South Melanesian Cuckooshrikes</b> dwarfed everything close-by. </p><p>As the light began to fade, we headed out of the forest and walked down the approach road, finding our only <b>Long-tailed Triller</b> of the trip, both <b>Barred</b> and <b>Grey-eared Honeyeaters</b>, a <b>NC Friarbird</b>, all while <b>Satin Swiftlets</b> were buzzing around us. The views looking back down to the coastline were superb. We had seen lots, but we still had a few more bits to see, and we basically struck gold. We just happened to luck into another group who were watching a <b>NC Thicketbird</b> - probably the hardest endemic to see on the island! It even showed well enough for many to get some excellent photos, though I was wrongly positioned. Next up was a <b>Melanesian Flycatcher</b>, which meant we had pretty much cleaned up on the mountain - always a nice feeling, but we still had one more magical birding experience on the island the following day.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk5Bzfc_EUHsnzPIXIyBiQb8g5sVzfJSq6Cf8HMgFGAsJIE8n5xSR96MqlnpQGVO9AjR7TrY4K7uNgZUtdy4TTPUMo5GL0mR7WpomcDCESXnCt2U9TwQleTYWUfkewnhnh4VnSNLCNMc3vLpTzyPXEbckyOrJJmoTqslL3fN1BSjQ0cBaGqZOdxfLV/s3408/776A4664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2303" data-original-width="3408" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk5Bzfc_EUHsnzPIXIyBiQb8g5sVzfJSq6Cf8HMgFGAsJIE8n5xSR96MqlnpQGVO9AjR7TrY4K7uNgZUtdy4TTPUMo5GL0mR7WpomcDCESXnCt2U9TwQleTYWUfkewnhnh4VnSNLCNMc3vLpTzyPXEbckyOrJJmoTqslL3fN1BSjQ0cBaGqZOdxfLV/w400-h270/776A4664.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">New Caledonia Crow</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPaNmwwvYIkFOZS6OKz6Y7-5TYIwQ_n3ZKdFA0TmGRyi4tfKQuvIJx0tizSQpHlbJU4zJKtbb-pPn5LyHQ54zWPASztP-TRM2gypgfmIDO_iWYiOXNo1dxRsbkMNm5_AFQRYvHNiwO4okiiM9-kKjKM21YYS8dFibAcLfo560gbLXkSSvVNBR43Il/s3556/776A4719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2537" data-original-width="3556" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPaNmwwvYIkFOZS6OKz6Y7-5TYIwQ_n3ZKdFA0TmGRyi4tfKQuvIJx0tizSQpHlbJU4zJKtbb-pPn5LyHQ54zWPASztP-TRM2gypgfmIDO_iWYiOXNo1dxRsbkMNm5_AFQRYvHNiwO4okiiM9-kKjKM21YYS8dFibAcLfo560gbLXkSSvVNBR43Il/w400-h285/776A4719.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Grey-eared Honeyeaters</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnKEM-AJwJe3T4y35adIvmraLJRr8mY4W0pI__wrUKElr1lOUjZZ-7CvIGiKAuboypBdCV4KUt4KM9_YfsjRPrxN4M_QDG71hZct9hqYk4hVxGZOGcXyTYe34mP8_Dumbn9SWASSigzh4jtQpLTpPVfkS7VpgYI8bYzGHDnUY6tcQaQMj7DYs9L1a9/s2307/776A5061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1648" data-original-width="2307" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnKEM-AJwJe3T4y35adIvmraLJRr8mY4W0pI__wrUKElr1lOUjZZ-7CvIGiKAuboypBdCV4KUt4KM9_YfsjRPrxN4M_QDG71hZct9hqYk4hVxGZOGcXyTYe34mP8_Dumbn9SWASSigzh4jtQpLTpPVfkS7VpgYI8bYzGHDnUY6tcQaQMj7DYs9L1a9/w400-h286/776A5061.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Red-throated Parrotfinches</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9dw-KnFnAEQnjWM0jsx1NxdCITOGmD-w3BqX5JfApC5cH2qLqgEFxkIDgKjx_0gYS_EZKrDoCrD4AwPF5VnoMTE4O0vuqIBzrsDafp01SUv8HQ9-5mFKdMyEMjX2LRav0N0LbnVMhGsXIMuK3v0f1p9UB5YrZkKO9RwWSFwHCKqdpP6VW6ydPkCH/s4032/IMG_9648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9dw-KnFnAEQnjWM0jsx1NxdCITOGmD-w3BqX5JfApC5cH2qLqgEFxkIDgKjx_0gYS_EZKrDoCrD4AwPF5VnoMTE4O0vuqIBzrsDafp01SUv8HQ9-5mFKdMyEMjX2LRav0N0LbnVMhGsXIMuK3v0f1p9UB5YrZkKO9RwWSFwHCKqdpP6VW6ydPkCH/w400-h300/IMG_9648.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhr_rVNDi5O-ZuowMWFiLuDu2keTyd8dXqQcWiqTPDmMkm2qCU_G539O_nAv7yiYmf3XfL35v7cA4PCtkaivG49e7u_LJNrIf1fpeZNhVcu03tBEHCw9gQGp5F02klYayC3piefmQH-B2Z1KPBZ3QIyIgUzt27FCGrsdStr5D8rrbpoIEd9e_UjYH/s4032/IMG_9652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhr_rVNDi5O-ZuowMWFiLuDu2keTyd8dXqQcWiqTPDmMkm2qCU_G539O_nAv7yiYmf3XfL35v7cA4PCtkaivG49e7u_LJNrIf1fpeZNhVcu03tBEHCw9gQGp5F02klYayC3piefmQH-B2Z1KPBZ3QIyIgUzt27FCGrsdStr5D8rrbpoIEd9e_UjYH/w400-h300/IMG_9652.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQePoj4pBBLXxE4o9H5Lu5ISuXElsa1rqvdolpc6z4bk5eNVjaa0ARQYtPphkYCG5RB6pwYYRTkpnfl4lDU1wfGSpJSu4FmuoQxrjY4YIL-dhxUvpiPUDpBePa3pirGPcI8Pv3M-SiaQhejY_9ohPtcJpLEgm5Bxd2zXubtmC4eX9ERD6jihKiNXQh/s4032/IMG_9656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQePoj4pBBLXxE4o9H5Lu5ISuXElsa1rqvdolpc6z4bk5eNVjaa0ARQYtPphkYCG5RB6pwYYRTkpnfl4lDU1wfGSpJSu4FmuoQxrjY4YIL-dhxUvpiPUDpBePa3pirGPcI8Pv3M-SiaQhejY_9ohPtcJpLEgm5Bxd2zXubtmC4eX9ERD6jihKiNXQh/w400-h300/IMG_9656.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">views from Mt Koghi</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><u>27th March 2023</u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div>Today was the day I had long been waiting for. Kagu has been on my wish list for years, and this trip provides an almost guaranteed opportunity to see this bizarre, flightless bird. However, one still has to get up to Grand Riviere Bleue, perhaps a 90-minute drive from Noumea. It didn't start too well when our bus decided to go AWOL, with a dodgy braking system which gave off an unwelcome alarm, but thankfully the driver ignored this and kept going... Kagu wins all day over safety, in my opinion!</div><div><br /></div><div>We eventually arrived at the park, but then had to scramble into minibuses to the start of the actual forest. By now, it was very light and time was ticking by. As we waited at the start of the forest for other group members, we scored <b>NC Cuckooshrikes</b> and <b>New Caledonia Parakeets</b>, so an excellent start and my target list had lost a few more. </div><div><br /></div><div>After a introduction by the foghorn that was Chris Collins, in true army style, we began the 'charge' into the forest along the main track. I was upfront with the keenest, and we were told to not pass the leaders, make any noise, or anything else. Anyway, a tracker slowed the charge and off to our right, a ghostly figure emerged from the forest... a magnificent <b>Kagu</b>! Just such an amazing moment!!</div><div><br /></div><div>After a few more Kagu sightings as I went off-piste into the forest, Barry Reed and I again managed to lose the crowd and we rushed off down the track until we were on our own. This proved to be an excellent move. We had lovely views of the remarkable <b>Cloven-feathered Dove</b> (probably the best dove I've seen), no fewer than three <b>Crow Honeyeaters</b>, a <b>Southern Shrikebill</b> and a few <b>Horned Parakeets</b>. More of the other endemics seen yesterday were seen again in good numbers today, making this a most enjoyable morning. Barry and I had some mega Kagu sightings next to the Le Grand Kaori tree, which is apparently 1,000 years old. </div><div><br /></div><div>I then walked back to the forest entrance by myself having seen all I had wanted from the morning and again saw several Kagu. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was then a case of being picked up and driven back to the vessel for our afternoon departure from New Caledonia. There was just one endemic which I failed to find, this being the NC Goshawk... one of the easiest, but I wasn't too fussed. 23/24 endemics in only 8 hours of birding was nothing short of a miracle. </div><div><br /></div><div>The late afternoon journey was inside the reef system and through the southern part of the island and out onto the Vanuatu side of NC. Many good bits were seen in the few hours we had, with several Sea Snakes, a Turtle, <b>Ospreys</b>, hundreds of <b>Wedge-tailed Shearwaters</b> and a few <b>Tahiti Petrels</b>. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1bTpLeM-3gbC5GRnHQ1Fisi7nib3Pv3GqMLhZn-vq5ietb7icqjcgrs-vbjiblerQrT-JNzIg_2AAKk3vA5xdeCwYmsO9cYA7L9YrRUerigixzZ55_FxdjGJ85eO9PC72Zm4DXnUUWK9rUmIzYRn-ODoCPSgqJij7I2M85k6hWI6VR_dBwrkNFha/s3682/776A5266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2688" data-original-width="3682" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1bTpLeM-3gbC5GRnHQ1Fisi7nib3Pv3GqMLhZn-vq5ietb7icqjcgrs-vbjiblerQrT-JNzIg_2AAKk3vA5xdeCwYmsO9cYA7L9YrRUerigixzZ55_FxdjGJ85eO9PC72Zm4DXnUUWK9rUmIzYRn-ODoCPSgqJij7I2M85k6hWI6VR_dBwrkNFha/w400-h293/776A5266.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WyO-j95_lCQZ5s9K_LGSCN8ErP9wQmhG-BqVS1e8RR8czLJASOJUHSq-dui9ZOzVtikSu-M_py0O9caQZzoxk1j-2MQiluFd0quRW2TPiYGr086x1KYeOxSFSxPwQTmCulpguOvgeESe-dw6yQM82ujMzRB0D62hw97dEYzltkG9ggjIZjS8ordx/s3978/776A5439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2751" data-original-width="3978" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WyO-j95_lCQZ5s9K_LGSCN8ErP9wQmhG-BqVS1e8RR8czLJASOJUHSq-dui9ZOzVtikSu-M_py0O9caQZzoxk1j-2MQiluFd0quRW2TPiYGr086x1KYeOxSFSxPwQTmCulpguOvgeESe-dw6yQM82ujMzRB0D62hw97dEYzltkG9ggjIZjS8ordx/w400-h276/776A5439.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf5cwSY8PRovSHixfNhSNiLOhV4bGc1w5PleqrB6ICWQVpvx2SRHZFmjXrOl4D4OQ7--eVW0llGrQtsM2mXNE8shj7U-GKLDEhjmmvrtuKRGFVAldQYc-c58tgqlnAvmgDkt00FMqPsG3G8xALtrDVX9UjwhwK33CggrMtQ2a4xqNuYV9_VIS4-p6h/s4077/776A5474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4077" data-original-width="3071" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf5cwSY8PRovSHixfNhSNiLOhV4bGc1w5PleqrB6ICWQVpvx2SRHZFmjXrOl4D4OQ7--eVW0llGrQtsM2mXNE8shj7U-GKLDEhjmmvrtuKRGFVAldQYc-c58tgqlnAvmgDkt00FMqPsG3G8xALtrDVX9UjwhwK33CggrMtQ2a4xqNuYV9_VIS4-p6h/w301-h400/776A5474.JPG" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Kagu</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheVMqoci4D5r-_A1LwwlaC4DbCTz5hM3e6VAdUmKAVqbYwYgOnB0CpChW5aPKc2aJIQ-4HRgE-cLFcGO1W71pDLR2j7uJfP93Y7gvYgE5f5aEQX1uOSlXntxlyrscgizYFFflNUNa0PiCob3sUeC6MzxwhqIysDFi5fqRDLB585pysMn5td4KepOWv/s2503/776A5153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1752" data-original-width="2503" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheVMqoci4D5r-_A1LwwlaC4DbCTz5hM3e6VAdUmKAVqbYwYgOnB0CpChW5aPKc2aJIQ-4HRgE-cLFcGO1W71pDLR2j7uJfP93Y7gvYgE5f5aEQX1uOSlXntxlyrscgizYFFflNUNa0PiCob3sUeC6MzxwhqIysDFi5fqRDLB585pysMn5td4KepOWv/w400-h280/776A5153.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">New Caledonia Parakeet</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yQ2ClV8aX3p7sf8dVDrZQY6q_S-0O3DadcTgQfMvVidmq4FqbIObhrtZwVIWQovUgK7qgeXwQgA3S6w9yQlwxNdqkJXMG4OWFSeAdAHRJMBXqiSBr_Pj-q0cdQ2XwXcGTMNBNwazpGxsdmzHovPzJ5r8CuMrLI_gQqei_ODRKz6RCyYm3V8nxa17/s3644/776A5482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2460" data-original-width="3644" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yQ2ClV8aX3p7sf8dVDrZQY6q_S-0O3DadcTgQfMvVidmq4FqbIObhrtZwVIWQovUgK7qgeXwQgA3S6w9yQlwxNdqkJXMG4OWFSeAdAHRJMBXqiSBr_Pj-q0cdQ2XwXcGTMNBNwazpGxsdmzHovPzJ5r8CuMrLI_gQqei_ODRKz6RCyYm3V8nxa17/w400-h270/776A5482.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">New Caledonia Cuckooshrike</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXS-H2RQkXsaPSiAuDuk4G0tNtDvB5PCnk9cyx6x6DSgzcdgBWptao-g7tRYOIIPEFCTVkcRbe2Vobjp9g08h3VpVh7dYiaZkfUCjPh7uocXRsz0ckkK8mCn9W6HDJhXWcv-iT0_bMTN5McaTkX8y7wNJfFYAyrtcUKD72fNG2peitgNjq9M7EG8x/s2823/776A5398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2073" data-original-width="2823" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXS-H2RQkXsaPSiAuDuk4G0tNtDvB5PCnk9cyx6x6DSgzcdgBWptao-g7tRYOIIPEFCTVkcRbe2Vobjp9g08h3VpVh7dYiaZkfUCjPh7uocXRsz0ckkK8mCn9W6HDJhXWcv-iT0_bMTN5McaTkX8y7wNJfFYAyrtcUKD72fNG2peitgNjq9M7EG8x/w400-h294/776A5398.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crow Honeyeater</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfaFOZbq7eYJo9ZFgGDu-tKiwKxoU5vgSEQLrjUvPvz8I-P7OZyx23lpn5j32qXMc8yXvtG5PE2BH4Rbw4zPj6cJb7u4Ws18cY1TuqV3nuUp8wE8nQset7It_zi0Oa62YPIC0DHitsBAu5cEuvFydmhI2rFjr8Ce64r7v7G-IjxX8mSy5lWZ-l7lO/s4032/IMG_9674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfaFOZbq7eYJo9ZFgGDu-tKiwKxoU5vgSEQLrjUvPvz8I-P7OZyx23lpn5j32qXMc8yXvtG5PE2BH4Rbw4zPj6cJb7u4Ws18cY1TuqV3nuUp8wE8nQset7It_zi0Oa62YPIC0DHitsBAu5cEuvFydmhI2rFjr8Ce64r7v7G-IjxX8mSy5lWZ-l7lO/w400-h300/IMG_9674.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Coaches to buses</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DzGdabSCWxp_4KAsbk5xuDPsnVA-sFRwAZfTBYzezWGzPFqBiTEUwZciJiRy65GV6npsn2CC_5EwKe7fmn4LPDxHV1pAxOQ-xICqWmrgBcEUKGNzYqUpPN6-iF4Nyyxduae187Lt1gMJQpKF5xyAKq0nF4v3g9cysyqi-rq6zNY8VVkhWgxgbhoB/s4032/IMG_9676.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DzGdabSCWxp_4KAsbk5xuDPsnVA-sFRwAZfTBYzezWGzPFqBiTEUwZciJiRy65GV6npsn2CC_5EwKe7fmn4LPDxHV1pAxOQ-xICqWmrgBcEUKGNzYqUpPN6-iF4Nyyxduae187Lt1gMJQpKF5xyAKq0nF4v3g9cysyqi-rq6zNY8VVkhWgxgbhoB/w300-h400/IMG_9676.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The forest entrance</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzytEiE1INQ7p0uONYI8DMxsqk_AIAx0A4afXTSII4kjesuPzU5eU_Q8z09KhAnrdZ-ZdcSCyViSfhRRykhWLpmK_aRXtkpXQx2Zp_EuHsjrIRGJE1qZdI3RjImkidEp899m0n8qvwoObP65nfF62EBp3QY0yiPbjw2uQiroSpkiRhdwaltOzFNSR_/s4032/IMG_9677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzytEiE1INQ7p0uONYI8DMxsqk_AIAx0A4afXTSII4kjesuPzU5eU_Q8z09KhAnrdZ-ZdcSCyViSfhRRykhWLpmK_aRXtkpXQx2Zp_EuHsjrIRGJE1qZdI3RjImkidEp899m0n8qvwoObP65nfF62EBp3QY0yiPbjw2uQiroSpkiRhdwaltOzFNSR_/w400-h300/IMG_9677.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moments before the charge</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibL0e0Kl2PZJwqz9f1oprPL03uwy9B9MUNlgc1mZOPb0kIR6XRDLtwOdKipUPEd0G-AlqDkxBM2W_wt3Bxp_tfnqv6quPJElr5Oqa3JPJgsTNKSnHdSyd8Zm9AAkcFzLA2U7rlGAvtg1xo9PXNw9wd3RvKb-VqJLVxhc-kFEVtMcILwcwJ1cwHgjKv/s4032/IMG_9681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibL0e0Kl2PZJwqz9f1oprPL03uwy9B9MUNlgc1mZOPb0kIR6XRDLtwOdKipUPEd0G-AlqDkxBM2W_wt3Bxp_tfnqv6quPJElr5Oqa3JPJgsTNKSnHdSyd8Zm9AAkcFzLA2U7rlGAvtg1xo9PXNw9wd3RvKb-VqJLVxhc-kFEVtMcILwcwJ1cwHgjKv/w400-h300/IMG_9681.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRYqydrump-b79jeungK-iNAScc853Vc0t7g9WWSu20lZrGSVf_rKDU_PKgYDa2IdHoDH44B5Ebk9SoOK7JY9d33VxT0gHVQu9baVIvtCFI2AfX_d6ZK3uwywW9hBfobny-hPKeJpCsQ75z-jRgi2EkwWY9zagw3MKNlx_671mu3Md13Uf51T0d9y/s4032/IMG_9684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRYqydrump-b79jeungK-iNAScc853Vc0t7g9WWSu20lZrGSVf_rKDU_PKgYDa2IdHoDH44B5Ebk9SoOK7JY9d33VxT0gHVQu9baVIvtCFI2AfX_d6ZK3uwywW9hBfobny-hPKeJpCsQ75z-jRgi2EkwWY9zagw3MKNlx_671mu3Md13Uf51T0d9y/w400-h300/IMG_9684.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Riviere Bleue reserve</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOkfHkH1tKyQavlU7D1MGipkFm0QuXfjA1BIsGLk-pNNiUc-nRxwtcS3SpBo8m_465Pk71gmHARs2mAqhmRrH1t17rkjIaFg4C_sus0EVZKmNENTnWEH0CFGGpU302XrkdyKwcmH7BHGsX7WDZIFQW3HvX3_NIaz33I8I0f_13ncIaJ0oD9os7pWQ/s4032/IMG_9687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOkfHkH1tKyQavlU7D1MGipkFm0QuXfjA1BIsGLk-pNNiUc-nRxwtcS3SpBo8m_465Pk71gmHARs2mAqhmRrH1t17rkjIaFg4C_sus0EVZKmNENTnWEH0CFGGpU302XrkdyKwcmH7BHGsX7WDZIFQW3HvX3_NIaz33I8I0f_13ncIaJ0oD9os7pWQ/w300-h400/IMG_9687.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Le Grand Kaori</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gCbb5meT0lIRf0co6_YkG05KkGsJHT_Q2zt-PiNqQUFhwb_YdbuN2-QrywO3SDh3dR1kPaHtEZtN4_nXcqbLHdwWxdfSJR8MfrOUjgV5uNUCfwR1bIlrXdIAMr9wRigeJvhPAeZw1RLpSSmhVUP-_VmXWZId1X-Y23oiJ82KSMASSKcGV7tUC9Ok/s4032/IMG_9693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gCbb5meT0lIRf0co6_YkG05KkGsJHT_Q2zt-PiNqQUFhwb_YdbuN2-QrywO3SDh3dR1kPaHtEZtN4_nXcqbLHdwWxdfSJR8MfrOUjgV5uNUCfwR1bIlrXdIAMr9wRigeJvhPAeZw1RLpSSmhVUP-_VmXWZId1X-Y23oiJ82KSMASSKcGV7tUC9Ok/w400-h300/IMG_9693.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-52040175759460962162023-04-29T09:48:00.002-07:002023-04-29T09:48:38.572-07:00Western Pacific Odyssey: Part 2 (Norfolk Island; then sea days to New Caledonia)<p>This next post follows on from the couple of sea days we had as we travelled NNW from New Zealand. </p><p><u>24th March 2023</u></p><p>We awoke to a distant view of Norfolk Island, though it was immediately apparent we were close to land as the number of seabirds we were encountering was superb. Countless <b>Black</b> and <b>Brown Noddy</b>, <b>White Tern</b>, <b>Red-billed Tropicbird</b>, <b>Masked Booby</b> and <b>Great Frigatebird</b> all numbered rather handsomely. We also saw a fair few <b>Grey Ternlets</b>, many <b>Black-winged Petrels</b> and our first <b>Wedge-tailed Shearwaters</b> as we coasted between the two landing areas. After failing the test at the first landing area, we were thankfully given the green light to land on the eastern side of the island. Apparently the landing hit rate on Norfolk is only 1 in 4, so we felt very fortunate. </p><p>Once on dry land, and in stunning conditions, we gathered at the minibuses which would take us up to a nature reserve, full of Norfolk Pines. As we waited, <b>Black-winged Petrels </b>were displaying overhead and <b>White Terns</b> were constantly flying back and forth.</p><p>We arrived at the reserve and were told we would have three hours on site. As we had to find four true endemic birds, we wasted no time. Within five minutes, we had already scored two of these: <b>Slender-billed White-eye</b> and <b>Norfolk Geregone</b>. <b>Norfolk Robin</b> took some finding, but the parakeet was proving highly problematic. A few <b>Golden Whistlers</b> were also found with ease.</p><p>It wasn't until the last half hour when a <b>Norfolk Parakeet</b> was eventually found. I happened to be on my own not too far away, as maybe 30 birders came running up the path towards me. I joined the peloton and we soon gathered at its location, where it thankfully flew below the canopy and landed briefly in the open, before melting away into the forest. A major result, which allowed for a calm stroll back to the minibuses and back to the zodiacs. </p><p>It was then a full two days at sea before we would see land again, but this being what would prove to be the highlight of the trip - New Caledonia. </p><p>During the course of the afternoon, seabird activity was good, but not too much variety, the best being a <b>Kermadec Petrel</b> and two <b>Providence Petrels</b>, three-figure count of <b>Black-winged Petrel </b>and two <b>Tahiti Petrels</b>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNbGomuJZP60XjbxV7W1m2nYVuNnz3M4eOLABcFeOj-fY-oPTpc_fpS5TASNT_ousBbncZo89NDdj4Pqi1ecvM8Nakd6u6dN2tz5K0-h77Z5aZMgb4V4SmZpDDLTzd62mJgqrUHAWaJeD7u-X1i3TsKHqqbpOXatAMF1tSQLER2PgXjNZbjjLaME3I/s3820/776A3810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2608" data-original-width="3820" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNbGomuJZP60XjbxV7W1m2nYVuNnz3M4eOLABcFeOj-fY-oPTpc_fpS5TASNT_ousBbncZo89NDdj4Pqi1ecvM8Nakd6u6dN2tz5K0-h77Z5aZMgb4V4SmZpDDLTzd62mJgqrUHAWaJeD7u-X1i3TsKHqqbpOXatAMF1tSQLER2PgXjNZbjjLaME3I/w400-h272/776A3810.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Slender-billed White-eye</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZluoeGmP5DNSU9RbuOue3s9D0V0A_NsmYo6HR8IYT38H1eZ9hqkrN-vUy-4baXYsXamoxnKVSCKCr7nsARxzNgy_2Jqw7yBinP5y2CauXpBebGKZa620PRszaylSYyZIHr9WOAn_IyBtmfdYlmvL0gUDijH52ecyoyXLKgSVzrn2PPokWM8tGK_tU/s2362/776A3845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1710" data-original-width="2362" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZluoeGmP5DNSU9RbuOue3s9D0V0A_NsmYo6HR8IYT38H1eZ9hqkrN-vUy-4baXYsXamoxnKVSCKCr7nsARxzNgy_2Jqw7yBinP5y2CauXpBebGKZa620PRszaylSYyZIHr9WOAn_IyBtmfdYlmvL0gUDijH52ecyoyXLKgSVzrn2PPokWM8tGK_tU/w400-h290/776A3845.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Norfolk Robin</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgurVU-b5N7Z_Xzt1xLcm6BJFi8OctGudkFTayC-3gVHa8LzuFgaaVZk5djmIJC5oXqXNkIL3JitByDvQ_vMmSLUE_LRKMobsZjJO2BDi1f8YxkiOwPxnljajOhy3MTuG6Rgw6Ueno0tjgxPh4R0tGHrbQZEXb27-JN_P06rOLxtwjQQpv9vDPYzF/s2246/776A3939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1450" data-original-width="2246" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgurVU-b5N7Z_Xzt1xLcm6BJFi8OctGudkFTayC-3gVHa8LzuFgaaVZk5djmIJC5oXqXNkIL3JitByDvQ_vMmSLUE_LRKMobsZjJO2BDi1f8YxkiOwPxnljajOhy3MTuG6Rgw6Ueno0tjgxPh4R0tGHrbQZEXb27-JN_P06rOLxtwjQQpv9vDPYzF/w400-h259/776A3939.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0T5pcSxac_W7MWalIlsvF9jYPN1Jvez9V3sj5QCLyh7BfL28estxbtHfrcpipTaQ4NmgvRUP8cgjwMua1fiTDCTcQaqeAOQCcvmCWkSCOoGU7EygfdigjAgr0myXvq9Mt6kd5yQrBA0kHkwy6x0YxRsb7EaKwFU70B-Vhy8doBBIxaHXvpQ31pJPC/s3057/776A4008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2135" data-original-width="3057" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0T5pcSxac_W7MWalIlsvF9jYPN1Jvez9V3sj5QCLyh7BfL28estxbtHfrcpipTaQ4NmgvRUP8cgjwMua1fiTDCTcQaqeAOQCcvmCWkSCOoGU7EygfdigjAgr0myXvq9Mt6kd5yQrBA0kHkwy6x0YxRsb7EaKwFU70B-Vhy8doBBIxaHXvpQ31pJPC/w400-h279/776A4008.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Red-tailed Tropicbird</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqd7Wv1DuHtjVPR1OnWNP5q7XbQuBlHfOJ1eMJ-T2eJ03V1dmNdbuoSlaee6q2xa08igvVwsb5C-rK8Xc-7_kobxcJqjNRYtOeYXxjUx216wwdUKhx0jmgafvbDfk8SiwPE25-lBzk8Hp3U1encErFhWGxRgO7hkJiPQcjdkvLVzKCBn-ZAKARkX2/s2615/776A4173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1833" data-original-width="2615" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqd7Wv1DuHtjVPR1OnWNP5q7XbQuBlHfOJ1eMJ-T2eJ03V1dmNdbuoSlaee6q2xa08igvVwsb5C-rK8Xc-7_kobxcJqjNRYtOeYXxjUx216wwdUKhx0jmgafvbDfk8SiwPE25-lBzk8Hp3U1encErFhWGxRgO7hkJiPQcjdkvLVzKCBn-ZAKARkX2/w400-h280/776A4173.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Black-winged Petrel</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidwDO4N4vfs_GGa_inyEeJIrScT-oJLmoN5Hq9iAiwGtB-RDm17oYzEd6sd8bTaigplcQKUo9TXFz_qtvdGR30k7w8TnVna6V4bmcXv36B-sG01cobduie3LadATuCJeULxkEyqiLG5GAwL6DVCvY7zQ4rb7_lI5f090Mwfm_ewt_hI-SfXkBPqXL/s3279/776A4216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2194" data-original-width="3279" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidwDO4N4vfs_GGa_inyEeJIrScT-oJLmoN5Hq9iAiwGtB-RDm17oYzEd6sd8bTaigplcQKUo9TXFz_qtvdGR30k7w8TnVna6V4bmcXv36B-sG01cobduie3LadATuCJeULxkEyqiLG5GAwL6DVCvY7zQ4rb7_lI5f090Mwfm_ewt_hI-SfXkBPqXL/w400-h268/776A4216.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Masked Booby</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9QsX2fXzQOYuqMeTMXJbqgAC_6c4LwBqwd8b2HSdSKcKvOjrBbwHLoa2iHCZyvppjMR9fRsix3jKTZulEszVPak1tNfHQxnlLNzAv6ryvxrNwlJKKiHSXdZC2Czl2xvknAl7XbtDHQOA5YZLKk2maiajd73Cg9lz6bs1qDktfvAah6jusTSTTqde/s2834/776A4256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1840" data-original-width="2834" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9QsX2fXzQOYuqMeTMXJbqgAC_6c4LwBqwd8b2HSdSKcKvOjrBbwHLoa2iHCZyvppjMR9fRsix3jKTZulEszVPak1tNfHQxnlLNzAv6ryvxrNwlJKKiHSXdZC2Czl2xvknAl7XbtDHQOA5YZLKk2maiajd73Cg9lz6bs1qDktfvAah6jusTSTTqde/w400-h260/776A4256.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tahiti Petrel</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zlVzOql5jyomj1xwdJbqpXiyjx6jPFW3rwFwWICNAYUdfNk0Rd2v_dDGo40ZBYqcfhvS2PhswZhHdgwNMW5qzLSL5WeKnCu2UyyegN-UuM0kArBULug_8bXA8CNbLiSD8-e0vnJAv3IUuhMUjQxHrg-nQEwzpZUAzzLSAk7BXVkVGc8l2AbOUy58/s4032/IMG_9594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zlVzOql5jyomj1xwdJbqpXiyjx6jPFW3rwFwWICNAYUdfNk0Rd2v_dDGo40ZBYqcfhvS2PhswZhHdgwNMW5qzLSL5WeKnCu2UyyegN-UuM0kArBULug_8bXA8CNbLiSD8-e0vnJAv3IUuhMUjQxHrg-nQEwzpZUAzzLSAk7BXVkVGc8l2AbOUy58/w400-h300/IMG_9594.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aha973iGg6kDySHgA-VnJHmDwOZwWvls5JUVt_Fp04BBhsnuYp73HAHrYeC3Zpu92hNWW5irBzqmmO4eROZkv32B0SrstolqFx2z8GEvoBCTtpz05sasANItUvYddRjwH0hBEgff2ST7ETwMlZWjRK-o0ymMlT0RfaKlz-hjoQD8PTBV412qROlS/s4032/IMG_9595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aha973iGg6kDySHgA-VnJHmDwOZwWvls5JUVt_Fp04BBhsnuYp73HAHrYeC3Zpu92hNWW5irBzqmmO4eROZkv32B0SrstolqFx2z8GEvoBCTtpz05sasANItUvYddRjwH0hBEgff2ST7ETwMlZWjRK-o0ymMlT0RfaKlz-hjoQD8PTBV412qROlS/w400-h300/IMG_9595.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHeFlBwvjybNP6ufSmKCtMn81A4ITgRuCo6LLHz0A7qlEnLwhfRP6vFGTN9b8LfT4Xtpoc9G8TQLdE_MOMoeDVC4g8ferEbS60-2KYkG3hYGylwP35mx8ej9ZVRsgA7CHZod02QclJbIzd4TH95oCmn5JV6xNhJ0HTERsenh5vvfz_aWFCqWbGnypV/s4032/IMG_9598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHeFlBwvjybNP6ufSmKCtMn81A4ITgRuCo6LLHz0A7qlEnLwhfRP6vFGTN9b8LfT4Xtpoc9G8TQLdE_MOMoeDVC4g8ferEbS60-2KYkG3hYGylwP35mx8ej9ZVRsgA7CHZod02QclJbIzd4TH95oCmn5JV6xNhJ0HTERsenh5vvfz_aWFCqWbGnypV/w400-h300/IMG_9598.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLlkyI_E4pW4shdmfaaa1PcL6P-qd8JEkQ8iNlfxmBOQpIPW1en83NjqrmJRIkvUOqtFQ7Iswbyw64UvQmFw9_57Ce_7KJ966ICHpdQm4h2SpiyECiwKgiCHUwrHGMdragTWaLd8NwhpbCTTMn9LRICYK1nMq5J7dEG2QZTbF_fmgXxfiqk3QjpoM/s4032/IMG_9600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLlkyI_E4pW4shdmfaaa1PcL6P-qd8JEkQ8iNlfxmBOQpIPW1en83NjqrmJRIkvUOqtFQ7Iswbyw64UvQmFw9_57Ce_7KJ966ICHpdQm4h2SpiyECiwKgiCHUwrHGMdragTWaLd8NwhpbCTTMn9LRICYK1nMq5J7dEG2QZTbF_fmgXxfiqk3QjpoM/w400-h300/IMG_9600.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Norfolk Island</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><p><u>25th March 2023</u></p><p>The seawatching today was surprisingly poor, with just a couple of Providence Petrels, a fair few Tahiti Petrels, and as the evening arrived, our first Gould's Petrels appeared. Some White-tailed Tropicbirds also provided some interest, but there wasn't much on offer. </p><p><u>26th March 2023</u></p><p>Today was the day we were to land on my most anticipated destination during this voyage, New Caledonia - the land of the Kagu. However, much to my displeasure, we weren't to go for Kagu until the following day, which was slightly grueling, but understandable all the same. </p><p>We will still had plenty of sea to go through before sailing through the reef and onwards to Noumea, where plenty more <b>Gould's Petrels</b> were seen. As we got closer to the reef, <b>Black-naped Terns</b> were relatively common, and four <b>Ospreys</b> were on one of the marker buoys. A potential duo of Grey's Beaked Whale surfaced all too briefly and a Sea Turtle was also spotted, but too brief for me to even attempt identifying it. A few <b>Pacific Reef Herons</b>, <b>White-faced Herons</b>, <b>Greater Crested Terns</b>, and as we docked, our first <b>Silver Gulls</b> for a few days. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrKK7P5YpusWP7-s35H3y5omtHxK4F5_HuojfS5hK9dN_t1KB6Ai578Z8Ki9YujweAf3LyGHJTC3lCcsWluUypOhxpXBhekVkYSTAu_FKcqXSt_1ZVScQKw9PKixFwYS6AF0rZ7hSmRw2DTwFq-K8kamkHNL0f-SGPq3hEph7Ka2u2fCYLjnklk69/s2237/776A4308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1672" data-original-width="2237" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrKK7P5YpusWP7-s35H3y5omtHxK4F5_HuojfS5hK9dN_t1KB6Ai578Z8Ki9YujweAf3LyGHJTC3lCcsWluUypOhxpXBhekVkYSTAu_FKcqXSt_1ZVScQKw9PKixFwYS6AF0rZ7hSmRw2DTwFq-K8kamkHNL0f-SGPq3hEph7Ka2u2fCYLjnklk69/w400-h299/776A4308.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Wedge-tailed Shearwater</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipkIbSxjtImxx9X8rL8ldq_L6dYzBXgACCnezlPt1BZy7KyrImB3-C917zZ-gKQJ1fk8Mt0Vyo3OJuI6PyHE9xRn8ktD6RXqynLY_9vJORbsN8HjuwPl06D2V8VOm1dkDbdKmtTVW78Qa7QAPiPfnup2yrP418ZwYimaNUBwR6ArmPgFYVpjT3oo4/s1868/776A4453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1305" data-original-width="1868" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipkIbSxjtImxx9X8rL8ldq_L6dYzBXgACCnezlPt1BZy7KyrImB3-C917zZ-gKQJ1fk8Mt0Vyo3OJuI6PyHE9xRn8ktD6RXqynLY_9vJORbsN8HjuwPl06D2V8VOm1dkDbdKmtTVW78Qa7QAPiPfnup2yrP418ZwYimaNUBwR6ArmPgFYVpjT3oo4/w400-h280/776A4453.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Gould's Petrel</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yJAFxUasxD0oCFUr2Tiukv0P2PqDGH4DxSwjGQ6Wh_asVqhVhmrVkG7lImW9sV8416c7T131y5ARsyy_xhJpdjD2KFf3ncdYjOnTmTFb0UYlb0N3dqpQpRWYsvpHVxhOmXMjHCGD5FEib_Nhf9xBEZfgWa_UrtU-jAkCJ0pQkprtnIyPX7Y2vzeB/s4032/IMG_9644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yJAFxUasxD0oCFUr2Tiukv0P2PqDGH4DxSwjGQ6Wh_asVqhVhmrVkG7lImW9sV8416c7T131y5ARsyy_xhJpdjD2KFf3ncdYjOnTmTFb0UYlb0N3dqpQpRWYsvpHVxhOmXMjHCGD5FEib_Nhf9xBEZfgWa_UrtU-jAkCJ0pQkprtnIyPX7Y2vzeB/w400-h300/IMG_9644.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtcCaz6XBUMqkC7_V35rh-7SYjeq5mnaa7wZpOckeSwmyhPZTNiADkF1kQX7XAQFPZkjIYzn6wuRqwBpcltE7QUMvkawf2wH0TDt0jYJ89Qq9hBSdPbvJaizUCxcIsea3VYlonAyBRmFv1YgpZdNb-Fc8jjK-fxJaB77yJKvaHCaH309pzPs-k6aJ/s4032/IMG_9636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtcCaz6XBUMqkC7_V35rh-7SYjeq5mnaa7wZpOckeSwmyhPZTNiADkF1kQX7XAQFPZkjIYzn6wuRqwBpcltE7QUMvkawf2wH0TDt0jYJ89Qq9hBSdPbvJaizUCxcIsea3VYlonAyBRmFv1YgpZdNb-Fc8jjK-fxJaB77yJKvaHCaH309pzPs-k6aJ/w400-h300/IMG_9636.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">arriving at New Caledonia</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-28775646340348474302023-04-24T13:03:00.001-07:002023-04-24T13:03:53.105-07:00Western Pacific Odyssey: Part 1 (New Zealand to Norfolk Island)<p>The next few blog entries will be on the Western Pacific Odyssey trip which I have only just recently returned from. The WPO is a trip which I'd been long wanting to be apart of, and was first brought to my attention by John Cooper way back in 2007(?). John kindly supplied me a CD of images back then which I very much enjoyed trawling through, and with seabirds already in the forefront of my birding, the opportunity to go this year with Edward Paxton was too much of an opportunity to ignore. </p><p><u>Monday 20 March</u></p><p>I had overnighted in Auckland, relatively close to the harbour front and not too much of a walk from the Auckland Sky Tower. After tentatively walking around the outer rim of the Auckland Sky Tower during the morning (under controlled circumstances might I add), it was then a case of chilling for a few hours, before grabbing a taxi to the Grand Millennium Hotel, where expedition staff from Heritage (Matt Jones and Frank Lambert) were ready to greet me. I also met up with Ed, as well as the other Birdquest gang. </p><p>We were soon coached down to the harbour and stepped onto our home for the next month, the beautiful Heritage Adventurer. The previous vessel used for this specific trip - the Spirit of Enderby - is no longer available and is therefore why we were using this grander vessel, which worked in some sense, but it was thought the size/noise of the vessel meant the seabirds' proximities to the boat never meant they were super close.</p><p>The rest of the afternoon was spent doing all the usual practicalities and meeting our expedition leader, Chris Collins, and the entire crew etc. </p><p><u>Tuesday 21 March</u></p><p>As is typical for the first morning, excitement ensured an early awakening and light soon gave way to Great Barrier Island, our first landing of the trip. Our first Pterodroma - a <b>Cook's Petrel</b> - overflew us as we steamed into the bay. Another Cook's Petrel was even found on deck, so we all got some excellent views of the bird in the hand before releasing it.</p><p>The walk around the conservation area of Great Barrier was plenty enough time to see all of the birds, but as I had spent some time in NZ before the trip, there was only one species I was after here, this being the <b>New Zealand Kaka</b>. As this was the case, after landing, I went off on my own (the usual theme for me and this continued throughout the trip... nothing worse than being in a big group) and soon found some Kaka. It was then a case of slowly walking the forest trail which looped back down to the landing area. Overall a decent selection of birds were found: <b>Tui</b>, <b>Buff-banded Rail</b>, <b>Grey Geregone</b>, <b>Brown Teal</b>, a <b>Sacred Kingfisher</b> and <b>New Zealand Pigeons</b>. </p><p>After this and lunch, it was then a case of being out on deck as we sailed through the Harauki Gulf. This gave way to some excellent seawatching, and as the evening progressed, we chucked out an oil slick and found numerous New Zealand Storm Petrels! Totals:</p><p style="text-align: left;">Cook's Petrel - ca. 25<br />Common Diving Petrel - 10<br />Buller's Shearwater - 35<br />Flesh-footed Shearwater - 10<br />Fluttering Shearwater - 3<br />White-faced Storm Petrel - 1<br />Black Petrel - 25<br />Grey Noddy - 15<br />Grey-faced Petrel - 15<br />Fairy Prion - 3<br />White-capped Albatross - 3<br />White-necked Petrel - 5<br />New Zealand Storm Petrel - 15<br />Providence Petrel - 1<br />Black-winged Petrel - 1 </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghiNrnVT2XDkSUgfr2BPLPiNTpst-lAKvjaM1xdMk1Fj5ycTZc8_Ik_CKxlEWvPCSq76hx_edPVCxqXVj5defeCMo54uEglT2_1JGpnKEsgJaxZR2fQAZOSQ7RTp5-glAFKu0pd7TxZqkqmwbWCmX1xo2EL430vAHYcFkz_sclDT-vINi_PxdJp9cw/s4109/776A0424.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2884" data-original-width="4109" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghiNrnVT2XDkSUgfr2BPLPiNTpst-lAKvjaM1xdMk1Fj5ycTZc8_Ik_CKxlEWvPCSq76hx_edPVCxqXVj5defeCMo54uEglT2_1JGpnKEsgJaxZR2fQAZOSQ7RTp5-glAFKu0pd7TxZqkqmwbWCmX1xo2EL430vAHYcFkz_sclDT-vINi_PxdJp9cw/w400-h281/776A0424.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">New Zealand Kaka</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-sANm44BryZH17HUWpMq5jFRfAyoSpLJZ29svuRSI4MYcvutYo4YwQnWqFR9G1kbvZCPu3HuzrPWqzObxuDCG1Du-fpSWWNQ7OEAhM8TQQLW83R4vv83tiA9ZtKVjtkeceOvz6AORZ3ly6aX5j7n-q_VB7irLDKDsaPR4mmNyaKFef5ScBY7sVLL/s4249/776A0625.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2860" data-original-width="4249" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-sANm44BryZH17HUWpMq5jFRfAyoSpLJZ29svuRSI4MYcvutYo4YwQnWqFR9G1kbvZCPu3HuzrPWqzObxuDCG1Du-fpSWWNQ7OEAhM8TQQLW83R4vv83tiA9ZtKVjtkeceOvz6AORZ3ly6aX5j7n-q_VB7irLDKDsaPR4mmNyaKFef5ScBY7sVLL/w400-h269/776A0625.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">New Zealand Fantail</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapkXISchiSWi80MMDqhuDTJDJpASqxr8HVRf095pkQacyILv3n83ZTrTAXGGrAfrTf302Gf4y529pQxOEGvlxMl2HL40kfcXgFrGgtpQbgqXUmPoXYheAOzpFTEp_736RZvgv3M1aWoWOPVcmjsJ1ufHl9JZMn4aNMUXXdRzp-ogzu9nVZ1xXzcVz/s2305/776A0852%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1622" data-original-width="2305" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapkXISchiSWi80MMDqhuDTJDJpASqxr8HVRf095pkQacyILv3n83ZTrTAXGGrAfrTf302Gf4y529pQxOEGvlxMl2HL40kfcXgFrGgtpQbgqXUmPoXYheAOzpFTEp_736RZvgv3M1aWoWOPVcmjsJ1ufHl9JZMn4aNMUXXdRzp-ogzu9nVZ1xXzcVz/w400-h281/776A0852%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cook's Petrel</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsPFEDRbyW0BjvLWRYAXv0NBhQUdJL4SLV3lwy7etBbESvUL7O6ye2OxozNViv_wiMtu2EicW2rp0ctfpMaH-gnl3sFJiQ9EgUFrN8eNJgJwnMY48Rj8jpVDRDbRF_53cYWMyq-T_NvuJ5H9hEvHw1cWbjhdwp9lg2ItE6CnVtNsUyFBn6K4IJOW8/s2459/776A1247%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1662" data-original-width="2459" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsPFEDRbyW0BjvLWRYAXv0NBhQUdJL4SLV3lwy7etBbESvUL7O6ye2OxozNViv_wiMtu2EicW2rp0ctfpMaH-gnl3sFJiQ9EgUFrN8eNJgJwnMY48Rj8jpVDRDbRF_53cYWMyq-T_NvuJ5H9hEvHw1cWbjhdwp9lg2ItE6CnVtNsUyFBn6K4IJOW8/w400-h270/776A1247%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Black Petrel</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3f8P4eP4sKdg32Jr6pxcTwNOV8xdB8vRBwEebhrDwfsclEAUXm_Xvf_mPAxHVpYkA4dXh-KvoIOkUodCHtf54v7BOwhLvCK7JbwJM3vEG41y8FIkPGyWzwrgBjk3M6-EKke2iqhunxAWNyOj45sWL8_RA8DGOyche3K-DN4nH7WLhN2cKrCtFUZql/s3505/776A1549%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2193" data-original-width="3505" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3f8P4eP4sKdg32Jr6pxcTwNOV8xdB8vRBwEebhrDwfsclEAUXm_Xvf_mPAxHVpYkA4dXh-KvoIOkUodCHtf54v7BOwhLvCK7JbwJM3vEG41y8FIkPGyWzwrgBjk3M6-EKke2iqhunxAWNyOj45sWL8_RA8DGOyche3K-DN4nH7WLhN2cKrCtFUZql/w400-h250/776A1549%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">White-capped Albatross</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvf6AmzDowvcPY-907Qj2por4sAMOa_fLAintBxlgM3Jg0BYrPj7IpQ6iePhKK2XP06zghwIHx-O3eMTDmxPDhc-rxqN3EHdxlNZGBKr3_ByD_UIo6SEEWgtsy3ThcKQj1v0EPPth-mPAMouduOszbeMM6jmqRQ6x1vrUtsfvTBdetoswHw_CKKBb/s1422/776A1611%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1422" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvf6AmzDowvcPY-907Qj2por4sAMOa_fLAintBxlgM3Jg0BYrPj7IpQ6iePhKK2XP06zghwIHx-O3eMTDmxPDhc-rxqN3EHdxlNZGBKr3_ByD_UIo6SEEWgtsy3ThcKQj1v0EPPth-mPAMouduOszbeMM6jmqRQ6x1vrUtsfvTBdetoswHw_CKKBb/w400-h260/776A1611%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">New Zealand Storm Petrel</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbT-HDz4A5LbHkYFi2xWBDVM7RfvXrfOFccci7AtcVtwctoF6sW4coN7MkCrjVtbvaZJR67E_3lss43Mz8Un4Qipm-tXOoEAcvbPY6MfPrHuhM4OzK40fyBfprk2xDzZrnQmsBKotvIJvbuUu8FkC32Ksucu7kmlwPX8mfqp6Zn9zyD1ujSpDDDNl/s1421/776A1766%20(3).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="945" data-original-width="1421" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbT-HDz4A5LbHkYFi2xWBDVM7RfvXrfOFccci7AtcVtwctoF6sW4coN7MkCrjVtbvaZJR67E_3lss43Mz8Un4Qipm-tXOoEAcvbPY6MfPrHuhM4OzK40fyBfprk2xDzZrnQmsBKotvIJvbuUu8FkC32Ksucu7kmlwPX8mfqp6Zn9zyD1ujSpDDDNl/w400-h266/776A1766%20(3).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">New Zealand Storm Petrel</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkPRlom2qBSlrX0rzXi9k-kyMjES9c6pEgtg43SbKnkP4eYvYG_3mi2cjm9AC4_xgnSUikT7_0Xd0-iHscav-QxbJnen0e2aj4iwAQ37dbvgYnq_bSjPbBeLwwLjd4vSABaV4nd1OqzUz8Bq33rtxzswRBMuWutGnrhZ-k8mrr1AbqofED15feY1w/s2997/776A2001%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2073" data-original-width="2997" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkPRlom2qBSlrX0rzXi9k-kyMjES9c6pEgtg43SbKnkP4eYvYG_3mi2cjm9AC4_xgnSUikT7_0Xd0-iHscav-QxbJnen0e2aj4iwAQ37dbvgYnq_bSjPbBeLwwLjd4vSABaV4nd1OqzUz8Bq33rtxzswRBMuWutGnrhZ-k8mrr1AbqofED15feY1w/w400-h276/776A2001%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Buller's Shearwaters</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><u>Wednesday 22 March</u></p><p style="text-align: left;">Another fine morning and we arrived at the Bay of Islands, situated on the north-eastern tip of New Zealand. The seas here were beautifully calm and clear, giving way to coral reefs and pristine sandy beaches. </p><p style="text-align: left;">We left the vessel and onto a smaller inter-island ferry, bound for the island of Urupukapuka. As we arrived at the jetty, a party of <b>New Zealand Plovers</b> were ready to greet us. I then walked off on my own as I stayed behind to photograph the plovers, meaning the group had left me, which was fine for me. I walked the south-western edge of the island first, finding most of the endemics already seen in NZ, but a <b>Red-crowned Parakeet</b> was new for me. I then found a beach and decided to go for a swim as it was desolate of people, in fact, I hardly saw anyone for a couple of hours.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Afterwards, I walked towards the centre of the island and down a trail to a beach where I thought I would be able to coast back to the jetty. With only 20-minutes until we had to depart, I found myself unable to coast, and in a panicked state, had to run back up the hill and over the island and back to the boat... somehow I arrived with a minute to spare, and even had time to look at a Stingray below the jetty. This mishap was worth it though, as a <b>Tomtit</b>, several <b>North Island Saddlebacks</b> and <b>Whiteheads </b>were seen, making this a productive visit. The views were also incredible from the high points. </p><p style="text-align: left;">The afternoon was spent sailing north and away from New Zealand, but the seabirding was strangely quieter than imagined, with pretty much the same stuff seen as the day before, although a Bottlenose Dolphin became friendly with the vessel for a short time. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjEHwKKBlkX80KYEMLIilIkMn77lXfdAW7mbQDGiWKB_p2hx3L2WDPFA53Kwqy_IfxvSSw97AgRZuLWodaz6Zf7Yv632T1XZVRE4oEp0c3lWbFUGVAyi_nC3U7wUV77QJCq8Gs-U3n2tb2aDumhznw_4wzP0Ifd_KJ-Moe_a03HLnTL4D0EKI8D3z/s5472/776A2832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="5472" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjEHwKKBlkX80KYEMLIilIkMn77lXfdAW7mbQDGiWKB_p2hx3L2WDPFA53Kwqy_IfxvSSw97AgRZuLWodaz6Zf7Yv632T1XZVRE4oEp0c3lWbFUGVAyi_nC3U7wUV77QJCq8Gs-U3n2tb2aDumhznw_4wzP0Ifd_KJ-Moe_a03HLnTL4D0EKI8D3z/w400-h225/776A2832.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjn8PTmjBtwv1Ark4hX3LDKZgnoOEBXOAHzJu_p_t-0ZFsyBu8L44O72pmHOo5qff9cMutr9yE1E5Slcn6kGYBiPM-8lOARVvQUS2oFq1Kj2nVBmMKD_7TnQ2k_M-J1NmLVF8KLQmp9QtLDkyKj60WSUtVgFpdss4Qf0ugh3Rwxfr1dmzngbgUfsT6/s4243/776A2895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2784" data-original-width="4243" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjn8PTmjBtwv1Ark4hX3LDKZgnoOEBXOAHzJu_p_t-0ZFsyBu8L44O72pmHOo5qff9cMutr9yE1E5Slcn6kGYBiPM-8lOARVvQUS2oFq1Kj2nVBmMKD_7TnQ2k_M-J1NmLVF8KLQmp9QtLDkyKj60WSUtVgFpdss4Qf0ugh3Rwxfr1dmzngbgUfsT6/w400-h263/776A2895.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasWWsDujGFcAbVYgz9CGfW6WX_UDgjlb9T3pwdA2qVWl_Hsr4ERp40Q7-RiVVAIY_3SooUAtPzCeJYINUEb_-ZJLXXKhOzDlZC9ON_yM2ecugxhDUcUu-JQr4q556Fn0ctWqNP3W3wHyEYwaraMRCdSUU8qf2cMd2RwZC8p5A4VYUHWztnlRqDal6/s4084/776A3051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2771" data-original-width="4084" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasWWsDujGFcAbVYgz9CGfW6WX_UDgjlb9T3pwdA2qVWl_Hsr4ERp40Q7-RiVVAIY_3SooUAtPzCeJYINUEb_-ZJLXXKhOzDlZC9ON_yM2ecugxhDUcUu-JQr4q556Fn0ctWqNP3W3wHyEYwaraMRCdSUU8qf2cMd2RwZC8p5A4VYUHWztnlRqDal6/w400-h271/776A3051.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">New Zealand Plovers</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUt7EJAkEkl907gPKKWhR7CpNAxziRhi5mcmQ0j4eQGN4NF_IB3CTInpSkgR0rWP7uOpv2oOLN9diy4naX7Y32SS5uTcbcQEBTsZW0mk6Bo9B4JgX9uV1QdZmxRs2gaxijBGFhucFCmoKlX65Zifno7PvHF3jh0jmG7tWiTwmOk4RrZ9i5CuzIFMNJ/s3512/776A3232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2397" data-original-width="3512" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUt7EJAkEkl907gPKKWhR7CpNAxziRhi5mcmQ0j4eQGN4NF_IB3CTInpSkgR0rWP7uOpv2oOLN9diy4naX7Y32SS5uTcbcQEBTsZW0mk6Bo9B4JgX9uV1QdZmxRs2gaxijBGFhucFCmoKlX65Zifno7PvHF3jh0jmG7tWiTwmOk4RrZ9i5CuzIFMNJ/w400-h272/776A3232.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tomtit</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKh_VBGHp0Ph3FR1BGF1Gl8bF6UhsQZhbieMLuIsGDh_8IpOy_C1iO1IM2axkBwN0ONu6wQzYt1P9CC66gx_54hToZUWdLtohmYE6J6jeBo01HqJuQp9LaXjPg9pW8XavHF_Rw7uVNcxbyDh8XosKFFzJcbAee058r3R8xjzA8rZ-HUGWzrZCpkjhq/s4032/IMG_9561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKh_VBGHp0Ph3FR1BGF1Gl8bF6UhsQZhbieMLuIsGDh_8IpOy_C1iO1IM2axkBwN0ONu6wQzYt1P9CC66gx_54hToZUWdLtohmYE6J6jeBo01HqJuQp9LaXjPg9pW8XavHF_Rw7uVNcxbyDh8XosKFFzJcbAee058r3R8xjzA8rZ-HUGWzrZCpkjhq/w400-h300/IMG_9561.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lRlgPBkYAx6B9XViRSPJgXHxX00cjo_LtmzaKC2MJbxO70K0UVQ5wt7hcQy02pci5CcXwv2OZB4Rs3Mc_vEZ405XrizvX89W4PwwcRbBaQ5PMdgBhM1VevPYhuALvIA1X5Jx7Vw8MYsg7Pml7SPQPAbVIeizHj_YPqzG4ZtjC2bNFZlhrKsLrCZ0/s4032/IMG_9562.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lRlgPBkYAx6B9XViRSPJgXHxX00cjo_LtmzaKC2MJbxO70K0UVQ5wt7hcQy02pci5CcXwv2OZB4Rs3Mc_vEZ405XrizvX89W4PwwcRbBaQ5PMdgBhM1VevPYhuALvIA1X5Jx7Vw8MYsg7Pml7SPQPAbVIeizHj_YPqzG4ZtjC2bNFZlhrKsLrCZ0/w400-h300/IMG_9562.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBFUUNJn4sjzWJfeWJCHHGSFn89yDBqg5OeXcwiWNwkPf4fzj25ddcACU71FBVQ3EJi9GmaAi5VceLq56TFLoX-ucryS3jWTRSzRBT6e-5dVPT_SHdhVmRYMMEs2j5FwUibQC2cddLxzOd1ZDuO1cNGgkqjd49pbIV-dq3Hj7yTBTqz1EFBm7eNO5/s4032/IMG_9564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBFUUNJn4sjzWJfeWJCHHGSFn89yDBqg5OeXcwiWNwkPf4fzj25ddcACU71FBVQ3EJi9GmaAi5VceLq56TFLoX-ucryS3jWTRSzRBT6e-5dVPT_SHdhVmRYMMEs2j5FwUibQC2cddLxzOd1ZDuO1cNGgkqjd49pbIV-dq3Hj7yTBTqz1EFBm7eNO5/w400-h300/IMG_9564.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">views from Urupukapuka Island</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHt8VIvGTkeV--j8Xo9jPcT_94bX_X--RKy3M187ZtzQHwL5j-6LosTO84QJ2KMyP-4-mq3ksdck0iAJs41s57SlJcJgqZ_p9a2geDvIn31BsNu1rrcrws_-rzqcMxHJV5uTa7zhcUePWlF8ZNlO2ebPUlo7-3rp1Gv_pLJ5k9kqlFtHeKDcjURHC/s3111/IMG_9575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2246" data-original-width="3111" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHt8VIvGTkeV--j8Xo9jPcT_94bX_X--RKy3M187ZtzQHwL5j-6LosTO84QJ2KMyP-4-mq3ksdck0iAJs41s57SlJcJgqZ_p9a2geDvIn31BsNu1rrcrws_-rzqcMxHJV5uTa7zhcUePWlF8ZNlO2ebPUlo7-3rp1Gv_pLJ5k9kqlFtHeKDcjURHC/w400-h289/IMG_9575.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Stingray</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><u>Thursday 23 March</u><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div>Today was a day at sea as we sailed NNW towards Norfolk Island. The day started well with a stunning <b>Gibson's Wandering Albatross</b> hanging at the back of the boat for a few minutes - it still amazes me how big these are!! It was then a case of scanning the seas for most of the day. Probably the highlight for me here were the <b>White-necked Petrels</b>. As the day progressed, we were starting to lose the Cook's Petrels, which were to be replaced by another smart Pterodroma... the <b>Black-winged Petrels</b>, which breed on Norfolk. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBdv3fSwL09nwdIr-RBYGcYoHz3n38N500xGGSLBfdkKfwooS7u8QuBZP4TIsgc8mg-AX2uBPnpstWeKpvVbRW04M7Z_dLlJsdU2Jbho3fXZqaVzqI96-tMM5dorfivMtFPsasxnLUPBOtmLMYQ_znjCtZsFyiw6QWvFGG3io9RYpvg0qHf1QvpQrT/s2623/776A3569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1798" data-original-width="2623" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBdv3fSwL09nwdIr-RBYGcYoHz3n38N500xGGSLBfdkKfwooS7u8QuBZP4TIsgc8mg-AX2uBPnpstWeKpvVbRW04M7Z_dLlJsdU2Jbho3fXZqaVzqI96-tMM5dorfivMtFPsasxnLUPBOtmLMYQ_znjCtZsFyiw6QWvFGG3io9RYpvg0qHf1QvpQrT/w400-h274/776A3569.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">White-necked Petrel</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJQYjMDVwPTKLV8mtxp0aetwJAnafn-EhzEOaZ6IZL5xe8XWxQ3aW-pK4razo_yTD-62pUgl_Xg7I5Q0VZ-3YXZOEN-6Kv1b868Ery2iTEYKpsp-QR9uonA-i8YHNt0JsJ-qvRs5zsKDpIHvS55LRskI0YXqT9BxVHV1MCrdLhUmiTbM7xBb_kUdy/s2900/776A3801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1966" data-original-width="2900" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJQYjMDVwPTKLV8mtxp0aetwJAnafn-EhzEOaZ6IZL5xe8XWxQ3aW-pK4razo_yTD-62pUgl_Xg7I5Q0VZ-3YXZOEN-6Kv1b868Ery2iTEYKpsp-QR9uonA-i8YHNt0JsJ-qvRs5zsKDpIHvS55LRskI0YXqT9BxVHV1MCrdLhUmiTbM7xBb_kUdy/w400-h271/776A3801.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Black-winged Petrel</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0l6TafzDZD6Dkdjqgf5WLMCtlh51_QFYwFho1AI7QZ-ahzeNNMxsknc8LGXKf3FmcUnBKbqApQm661dHBTCauHyXd_IG8bgKXz-eAYnSEZvKGNb0OotjPekSwTkPO8wtOszYEMiWi4XBNi1VChGMNv8DWqA-ITyqqi5DtDcNw2xqZ1i3pgAgHneY/s4032/IMG_9588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0l6TafzDZD6Dkdjqgf5WLMCtlh51_QFYwFho1AI7QZ-ahzeNNMxsknc8LGXKf3FmcUnBKbqApQm661dHBTCauHyXd_IG8bgKXz-eAYnSEZvKGNb0OotjPekSwTkPO8wtOszYEMiWi4XBNi1VChGMNv8DWqA-ITyqqi5DtDcNw2xqZ1i3pgAgHneY/w400-h300/IMG_9588.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">One of many sunrise photos</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p></div>Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-34081875966091678162023-04-22T21:55:00.004-07:002023-04-22T21:55:51.938-07:00Splash Point & Seaford Head: 22 April 2023<p>After a short seawatch at Splash Point on Friday evening, seeing five <b>Arctic Skuas</b> and 20+ <b>Little Gulls</b>, I was optimistic for a slightly better return on Saturday morning, however, the passage was slow, with highlights being four <b>Arctic Skuas</b> and a <b>Great Skua</b>. </p><p>Due to my near hypothermic state, I decided to walk the headland and cut the seawatch short. Walking towards Harry's Bush from Splash Point, there were a few <b>Willow Warblers</b> and many <b>Whitethroats</b> present. I descended down Hope Gap, seemingly avoiding a county first in the process, and walked back to Splash along the cliff edge. </p><p>Having just set-up my scope again at Splash, Brian received a call, and his panicked face meant a swift exit was necessary... but for what? "Nick Pope has found a <b>White-crowned Sparrow</b> in Hope Gap"!! A first for Sussex no less, I was on site in probably five minutes. It was then a grueling wait until roughly 1pm when the sparrow appeared from nowhere atop a hawthorn before dropping down again. It was then a case of hide and seek for the next few hours before we all got satisfying views of this mega transatlantic vagrant. </p><p>Sussex strikes again with now its fourth yank since the turn of the decade. </p><p>Having just had five weeks away, I think its safe to say I've been slightly lucky on this occasion!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX5vpOZ1T1Kv-ao0X55s5vtr8p9tdji4t-PAg69QjDfbQ3e77-EcDRw0KBt-QUNGTa6nPjlJWC6t9MDnyGc9sqm0axGFHsVQ7reQL149M6GIJbwGRHaNfD2_itgoSvIjul4ioe0u2FVDHcFTgeZCWraegGTBma2Maot7uvGo6XTuqEe53E3kh6-dMb/s4032/IMG_0214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX5vpOZ1T1Kv-ao0X55s5vtr8p9tdji4t-PAg69QjDfbQ3e77-EcDRw0KBt-QUNGTa6nPjlJWC6t9MDnyGc9sqm0axGFHsVQ7reQL149M6GIJbwGRHaNfD2_itgoSvIjul4ioe0u2FVDHcFTgeZCWraegGTBma2Maot7uvGo6XTuqEe53E3kh6-dMb/w400-h300/IMG_0214.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A boc of Jake Everitt's photo</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-34082329791290003692023-03-19T11:15:00.002-07:002023-03-19T11:15:28.406-07:00Tawharanui Regional Park: 18th & 19th March 2023<p>The flight to New Zealand, via Dubai, was surprisingly OK and Ed Paxton and I landed at around midday on the 18th. </p><p>We quickly exited the airport and got the hire car, then drove north to North Ridge Resort for a one-night stay. After dumping stuff off at the lodge, it was then just under an hour to Tawharanui RP. The countryside was very 'British', but there was just a complete lack of birds on the journey, but at least that meant I could keep an eye on the roads. </p><p>We arrived at the park (no entrance fee and full of lovely people who all knew the birds, despite being just day tourists) and soon started to find a few of the regional specialties: <b>Variable Oystercatcher</b>, a smart <b>Buff-banded Rail</b>, two <b>Brown Teal</b>, <b>New Zealand Bellbirds</b> and some dull <b>Grey Geregones</b>. Arriving at the beach and with tiredness setting in, we spent much time scanning the open ocean in front of us towards Little Barrier Island, completely stunned by a feeding frenzy of <b>Fluttering Shearwaters</b> just offshore; maybe comprising 400 birds, it was a surprise nothing else was amongst them. A few <b>White-fronted Terns</b> and<b> Australasian Gannets </b>were present. A short walk along the South Coast, then the Ecology Trail, produced our first <b>Tui</b>, a few<b> Sacred Kingfishers</b>, <b>Whiteheads</b> and many <b>Bellbirds</b>, plus a <b>New Zealand Falcon</b> causing havoc amongst the abundant Pukeko (Australasian Swamphens).</p><p>Thankfully the light started to go which meant we weren't too far away from the quest of finding the North Island Brown Kiwi. We were unsure on the exact location, so we just stood around the start of the Ecology Trail and waited. A couple of <b>Morepork</b> started calling and one was quickly enticed in. We then heard a Kiwi but it was distant, so it was with some relief a small party of locals came walking past and pointed us in the right direction. Just past the 'feet cleaning station' on the Ecology Trail, Ed and I were a few paces back from the non-birding Kiwi hopefuls, when a noise from our left soon had us stopping in our tracks. A brief wait to let the other people head off, we shone our light and in front of us, stood the lump of a <b>North Island Brown Kiwi</b>! We watched it for maybe 30-seconds when someone with a white-light torch shone the bird, enabling a few photos to be taken, before it scuttled off into the forest. </p><p>With this success, we marched back to the car park and found another Kiwi, this time in the dunes, but more distant. The drive back to the hotel was hard work; tired and shaking eyes made for a dodgy journey, but we made it and collapsed until the following morning. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhB7fZ96-jazyNSy7ve2EQkDVwv1yutSQKF6KqxS0XM0-M8iVLNC2kFd1-9SleuPf0dZuaLHdm9IaB8T-V3mvL4cogbSnR0vFhOp24n-dCKPjJCRW3q0BKcSXf3wedDDXtej2UzpEhxTbNi8oAWBcuT4Jg-NhtPUldFE_bAvykdDHuz3bqG7Ml5CN/s3922/776A9901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2718" data-original-width="3922" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhB7fZ96-jazyNSy7ve2EQkDVwv1yutSQKF6KqxS0XM0-M8iVLNC2kFd1-9SleuPf0dZuaLHdm9IaB8T-V3mvL4cogbSnR0vFhOp24n-dCKPjJCRW3q0BKcSXf3wedDDXtej2UzpEhxTbNi8oAWBcuT4Jg-NhtPUldFE_bAvykdDHuz3bqG7Ml5CN/w400-h278/776A9901.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">North Island Brown Kiwi</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rKkJysbrLWvq03s5-mgz6pSJKuUVt8U45kfirlhFQSjvRnK4p-WJZKRNxjj6NyB47BdCRBChIkKYNO06-E3hZjCxT6TABXZ9Lu3S9P8aSTgHBlLqfpEx8bILIJ5KtSuCrr2HMs7cO7AYCgM_TOU9yna4lZX_hiuVtCVCwUgr-xxFU-vh7lir33tU/s4198/776A9619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2906" data-original-width="4198" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rKkJysbrLWvq03s5-mgz6pSJKuUVt8U45kfirlhFQSjvRnK4p-WJZKRNxjj6NyB47BdCRBChIkKYNO06-E3hZjCxT6TABXZ9Lu3S9P8aSTgHBlLqfpEx8bILIJ5KtSuCrr2HMs7cO7AYCgM_TOU9yna4lZX_hiuVtCVCwUgr-xxFU-vh7lir33tU/w400-h278/776A9619.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Fluttering Shearwaters</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gTvGJj5OTHJz8B5EFlUp3QKqQQdj7lzsB9hzrbgsLJHdjaZaa98FpTqPcqDJGAi5qygDH2np4SAi8oqXXIX2VB5gXNWcJKBFM5sV5d6kzo8XmoMdP64zLLR_mD-ofSVUGyWNhiIh5Orhbfd3MXeBGK4eG1ZXLnVOcoyzOimPOHz4x3AO2L19p3Xw/s3280/776A9720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2487" data-original-width="3280" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gTvGJj5OTHJz8B5EFlUp3QKqQQdj7lzsB9hzrbgsLJHdjaZaa98FpTqPcqDJGAi5qygDH2np4SAi8oqXXIX2VB5gXNWcJKBFM5sV5d6kzo8XmoMdP64zLLR_mD-ofSVUGyWNhiIh5Orhbfd3MXeBGK4eG1ZXLnVOcoyzOimPOHz4x3AO2L19p3Xw/w400-h304/776A9720.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Silver Gull</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9rgL4KQ5EyRS96YnBuJVVsr8u4oNt9CzSQ3jb-kk8mq0vUBzZcE-sEYKx1AEmkMVUX6QDl_rlwaLlD41I2ccJGOI4z-UByYAMfiY14DbsdaE2yRfRTe7v0VIsYDKj679U2je3UP1NJrXmHzQxlBfBexcA7O1Xm_JpVSPZLASRYBfwhFHheTtcMRNP/s2261/776A9777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1604" data-original-width="2261" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9rgL4KQ5EyRS96YnBuJVVsr8u4oNt9CzSQ3jb-kk8mq0vUBzZcE-sEYKx1AEmkMVUX6QDl_rlwaLlD41I2ccJGOI4z-UByYAMfiY14DbsdaE2yRfRTe7v0VIsYDKj679U2je3UP1NJrXmHzQxlBfBexcA7O1Xm_JpVSPZLASRYBfwhFHheTtcMRNP/w400-h284/776A9777.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tui</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoY0nLT87IkgBCCtL7Sr5lQOxvK3gJ06vXsMAi6z11uz6jja2kidfYg1Ycuqs2JDBbOTJDKKOc0cEXZn_N8WlBOTCPuLHI_dki8IYlq8x7lOqHHd7XAxN_bUqkSHerfa8sW8psZ2xHJosfVmKI7s1dBNLVitprMdtKKS3UlbfXgjIyaHP7oJ-ZFE9b/s3829/776A9820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2623" data-original-width="3829" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoY0nLT87IkgBCCtL7Sr5lQOxvK3gJ06vXsMAi6z11uz6jja2kidfYg1Ycuqs2JDBbOTJDKKOc0cEXZn_N8WlBOTCPuLHI_dki8IYlq8x7lOqHHd7XAxN_bUqkSHerfa8sW8psZ2xHJosfVmKI7s1dBNLVitprMdtKKS3UlbfXgjIyaHP7oJ-ZFE9b/w400-h274/776A9820.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Morepork</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />On the 19th, before leaving the resort, we walked the golf course finding a <b>Laughing Kookaburra</b> and several <b>Silvereye</b>. We again drove to Tawharanui and walked the entirety of the Ecology Trail, past the kiwi location, and looped back via some open grassland. Despite the warm temperatures, it was a pleasant stroll through incredible forest habitat, then only to walk through what seemed like the British countryside. A short seawatch first produced four <b>Buller's Shearwaters </b>and the usual stuff. The Ecology Trail was alive with Bellbirds, Tui and Whiteheads, with <b>New Zealand Fantails</b> also being very easy to find. Several <b>Brown Teal</b> were along the creek too. On the return loop, after dipping out on NZ Pipit, it was great to finally find the <b>North Island Robin</b>, a species I thought would have been easier to locate. Afterwards, I fancied a swim in the sea and it was just too tempting, so in I went. <div><br /></div><div>It was then time to drive back to Auckland, drop Ed off at his hotel, find my hotel near the harbour front, then drop the car off back at the airport and garb a taxi back. I was tired but didn't fancy a 5pm sleep, so I went for a 5-mile run, then found a nice bar along the harbour and grabbed a couple of beers. The views of the Auckland Tower were stunning, and I'm looking forward to doing the Sky Walk on the 20th, before boarding the Heritage Adventurer in the afternoon, bound for Japan. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBaXzXprisQy0P09m0-yc3e4yNYXMDW956bv8fNEQfR3HR5bCJ5vQa6MqS1VT55nI1p7D2krq5Hs552fWK4S8nctf4M_B8CZg8740smbnHkOCZUu7RmUEH6jrvh4RblecUfwA3eID93i-qtn1_mCJL8EukwpVBeG2VhtolbSmSf2etyVB1YjJKuYU2/s3575/776A0208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2360" data-original-width="3575" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBaXzXprisQy0P09m0-yc3e4yNYXMDW956bv8fNEQfR3HR5bCJ5vQa6MqS1VT55nI1p7D2krq5Hs552fWK4S8nctf4M_B8CZg8740smbnHkOCZUu7RmUEH6jrvh4RblecUfwA3eID93i-qtn1_mCJL8EukwpVBeG2VhtolbSmSf2etyVB1YjJKuYU2/w400-h264/776A0208.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">NZ Bellbird</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjef95SGbosEJhPuCgr5_HhdGFNsmGbFgtD4RLzEoR-Mt4dSX8fNWiD9jUO2TvDcWPKOMoS32sRoOlSC5AoR79p4UVnbJkmpBOE4Wg4RHpL792r-lOogqsCkPW17NeJ67xRyzx6fmAu4yp2y9pYm3mA7_OWp1cqbPcpVHR9E4iuZ-ZR-y0pLw2LRBYP/s2712/776A0274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2068" data-original-width="2712" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjef95SGbosEJhPuCgr5_HhdGFNsmGbFgtD4RLzEoR-Mt4dSX8fNWiD9jUO2TvDcWPKOMoS32sRoOlSC5AoR79p4UVnbJkmpBOE4Wg4RHpL792r-lOogqsCkPW17NeJ67xRyzx6fmAu4yp2y9pYm3mA7_OWp1cqbPcpVHR9E4iuZ-ZR-y0pLw2LRBYP/w400-h305/776A0274.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">NZ Fantail</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22X3XFkwqKdEPu9rhJAfs0ngvo5ri_ZpCCNxwRG6BAkpDY78W-ckcQZSpdLexz3Pt0skVlSmeheuSRVBKosB5oLQ0lr-vOIok8UnR6HJcCx9jWQH4jQSAm6VYzn52gCpoln--ZjAhVQn1ZNfAWeabdGTW01-yDZhcQ2M-kQoqR4i6KvqjKm87Gt8o/s3540/776A0304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2348" data-original-width="3540" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22X3XFkwqKdEPu9rhJAfs0ngvo5ri_ZpCCNxwRG6BAkpDY78W-ckcQZSpdLexz3Pt0skVlSmeheuSRVBKosB5oLQ0lr-vOIok8UnR6HJcCx9jWQH4jQSAm6VYzn52gCpoln--ZjAhVQn1ZNfAWeabdGTW01-yDZhcQ2M-kQoqR4i6KvqjKm87Gt8o/w400-h265/776A0304.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Whitehead</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9s5Gld3beNIHzqV6-GS7PudzryCpXJ6AM1XGeKwAlQUIqeq2b21VeS_WEg4_rwzkpye9UOs2Gyw8_WJE0g8BY1B-9oU6gpbQ-5CxvJwAjQg1_Qy8gLR-MAJbOBj6ZmJbcGC458n9b3SfunY_SGMKzdNYzVYp-ppYBSpUEJmvZFCtadttuPTKvlilJ/s4032/IMG_9495.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9s5Gld3beNIHzqV6-GS7PudzryCpXJ6AM1XGeKwAlQUIqeq2b21VeS_WEg4_rwzkpye9UOs2Gyw8_WJE0g8BY1B-9oU6gpbQ-5CxvJwAjQg1_Qy8gLR-MAJbOBj6ZmJbcGC458n9b3SfunY_SGMKzdNYzVYp-ppYBSpUEJmvZFCtadttuPTKvlilJ/w400-h300/IMG_9495.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Auckland Sky Tower</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRRPPCX9oVo181HFGZmmuufZN1c9en-Cq29-W6o8E-otsbjWquhA6RewinRWnC0z9U2aGh5EJqZ5FpmxE94qTPeODnzYlECQPSEIQ5AbnpylQwoW4cg-jRkcKr640ohSPm3AdzfFEUKmBuY-m769Vr3ib1Xg-0I1zfpRbAUQiWdQ2Cz7e2xdbax26/s4032/IMG_9473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRRPPCX9oVo181HFGZmmuufZN1c9en-Cq29-W6o8E-otsbjWquhA6RewinRWnC0z9U2aGh5EJqZ5FpmxE94qTPeODnzYlECQPSEIQ5AbnpylQwoW4cg-jRkcKr640ohSPm3AdzfFEUKmBuY-m769Vr3ib1Xg-0I1zfpRbAUQiWdQ2Cz7e2xdbax26/w400-h300/IMG_9473.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Little Barrier Island</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCDFrhWIniqYmCsfM7qPzn-6x44mrx9yLns0wE3PX7vzfsRR2Ks0W2DNgTqlo2VS10l8AYC_A_deg_DsWrExbM5rKzP9nMZR70EER2XVxQV6C4u0JT7BdIvYR5spLkA3oHGdN2xJtVNUasPBTLmvCc99A6RRLq84M7gbgNDuziaHYd7E7hQx7E2sL/s4032/IMG_9483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCDFrhWIniqYmCsfM7qPzn-6x44mrx9yLns0wE3PX7vzfsRR2Ks0W2DNgTqlo2VS10l8AYC_A_deg_DsWrExbM5rKzP9nMZR70EER2XVxQV6C4u0JT7BdIvYR5spLkA3oHGdN2xJtVNUasPBTLmvCc99A6RRLq84M7gbgNDuziaHYd7E7hQx7E2sL/w400-h300/IMG_9483.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ecology Trail</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBpnNRAax4Lw99YWwAYafG81S5hHl-IjJf7n7MsQ6GdPc6Zs_uokIU-utrfnnc_7j99RJJTwOznTVE9K7mFk84FgjRCt5t0X8tqR0wFN9e7TgHcnmeVPUJ7NnAa1XFkArqvcOr6vyrDwCpinPDsFUO4mRppbtcze7DOGY6qwprLrBTjaiCh8FqLJC/s4032/IMG_9487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBpnNRAax4Lw99YWwAYafG81S5hHl-IjJf7n7MsQ6GdPc6Zs_uokIU-utrfnnc_7j99RJJTwOznTVE9K7mFk84FgjRCt5t0X8tqR0wFN9e7TgHcnmeVPUJ7NnAa1XFkArqvcOr6vyrDwCpinPDsFUO4mRppbtcze7DOGY6qwprLrBTjaiCh8FqLJC/w400-h300/IMG_9487.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tawharanui RP</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><p><br /></p></div></div>Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-57355564867377332722023-03-16T04:18:00.007-07:002023-03-16T04:18:57.552-07:00Recent Stuff and Western Pacific Odyssey<p>There hasn't been too much recent birding due to being mega busy on the build-up to several talks and my mammoth trip (starting this afternoon) to the Western Pacific. However, on Saturday, I took a few colleagues to a Goshawk location in NW Sussex, where we saw no fewer than seven individuals... it was crazy!</p><p>Previous visits had also seen a few Goshawks, as well as some Woodlarks, a Dartford Warbler, a Crossbill and a few other bits. </p><p>A short visit to West Dean Woods in early March also produced a memorable encounter of three Goshawks in full display mode at rather close quarters, so it's fair to say it's been a Goshawk kind of winter.</p><p>Anyway, off to New Zealand now, with hopefully many photos to come from after my trip. </p><p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79KxDyubW0Y8gGaRMEA8l2W-etSZ_n9NwKjBZ4D_vMOl1YWnyNg25bGXxVpmuDd3CYQ5MX8I7n-lIrduwpeD7dfQEmEJ6-U8iE3XY-C9ORvCBl_fIfsuCHxwp9DOpGGUJc8yTzervbM1kibQgAT_nCNa_WjRO-0VXCMb362lNl3v6ypkrUcE_SY-B/s2052/Woodlark.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1431" data-original-width="2052" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79KxDyubW0Y8gGaRMEA8l2W-etSZ_n9NwKjBZ4D_vMOl1YWnyNg25bGXxVpmuDd3CYQ5MX8I7n-lIrduwpeD7dfQEmEJ6-U8iE3XY-C9ORvCBl_fIfsuCHxwp9DOpGGUJc8yTzervbM1kibQgAT_nCNa_WjRO-0VXCMb362lNl3v6ypkrUcE_SY-B/w400-h279/Woodlark.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Woodlark</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnS_Z47p6KDGDNpO1XvgklxKoIOh4629Thb4DdKu87RszrrNeDBGaJroMvIMq6d-mNi9eUiXYnjVzjP4hfpPpv7LaEzTt238e-7w4GsGuKdbzMrNOPQQROky-6pX1j7ukIW2jeCOGakyoqRgSbG0fyMahzOnB-FPwqerwbKdoCAmMCQ2JPj06ABRf/s1155/15e665a6-4f04-4773-81d7-0f5f318ede30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1155" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnS_Z47p6KDGDNpO1XvgklxKoIOh4629Thb4DdKu87RszrrNeDBGaJroMvIMq6d-mNi9eUiXYnjVzjP4hfpPpv7LaEzTt238e-7w4GsGuKdbzMrNOPQQROky-6pX1j7ukIW2jeCOGakyoqRgSbG0fyMahzOnB-FPwqerwbKdoCAmMCQ2JPj06ABRf/w400-h266/15e665a6-4f04-4773-81d7-0f5f318ede30.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdcfvDYJ_jfKOtYYRu1-ZOgqsmVviO5Kmm0F2iIKfkjkX5HHw4X5jw9BBf19BVc89xbkqa2llQnH8mzyB-qM35a14Lgux64OGnDFPSdnSp6CSormzjztRU54600mJuzV1gKEU7NibEsYNmFFNal-KKoQZflKUnPXyRpIjetBefF_Tp1x3dX4NQMo4I/s1600/8be4db9b-f0df-47cf-879e-bb5838da4b66.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdcfvDYJ_jfKOtYYRu1-ZOgqsmVviO5Kmm0F2iIKfkjkX5HHw4X5jw9BBf19BVc89xbkqa2llQnH8mzyB-qM35a14Lgux64OGnDFPSdnSp6CSormzjztRU54600mJuzV1gKEU7NibEsYNmFFNal-KKoQZflKUnPXyRpIjetBefF_Tp1x3dX4NQMo4I/w400-h266/8be4db9b-f0df-47cf-879e-bb5838da4b66.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Goshawks by Simon Dicks</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9040675122804065972.post-67051974335401661372023-01-21T09:42:00.003-08:002023-01-21T09:42:17.994-08:00The New Forest: 21st January 2023<p>What a great day! I left home early and arrived at The New Forest soon after first light. The entire landscape was frosted as I slowly made my way down to Pig Bush enclosure in the hope of seeing the Great Grey Shrike. I joined Ads and Paul Bowley and after an hour, there was no sign. Alan Lewis and I therefore walked around to Shatterford, skidding across the ice as we went, and thankfully found the <b>Great Grey Shrike </b>atop a Birch Tree. The shrike continuously preened as it warmed in the morning sun, before becoming increasingly active, and soon, disappearing.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikgXq758ZfmqfnCI-_Tox-uGP9W7rxgPChngGHvvfXfPY80q7uMIKo9oWRrtwxxo3ion-cguO8gi-Fl_TORW0ZA9wyzqpUqf-fwhjfzaTQdcCYK8igkxpPCx348s2IlVK8-ZczL9JBb0xw-AuXdYltnlspr1ENtpUkhwDPzGdn0BZniFG5kjxvkzO/s4032/IMG_9214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikgXq758ZfmqfnCI-_Tox-uGP9W7rxgPChngGHvvfXfPY80q7uMIKo9oWRrtwxxo3ion-cguO8gi-Fl_TORW0ZA9wyzqpUqf-fwhjfzaTQdcCYK8igkxpPCx348s2IlVK8-ZczL9JBb0xw-AuXdYltnlspr1ENtpUkhwDPzGdn0BZniFG5kjxvkzO/w400-h300/IMG_9214.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTLZYpR2F-6ZMurNzcj48sfgrTzkiu2u_T3EVA9VwSgH3yxy2nxw2iZ3lNmf4jVemVJeiMRbhDBOyJ2C4OpbgLlxlzBTfvNYpIyL_jZPcBGvyzxVFj72x7a5idZ6dgPgkHLoJAE9fBzok_4g5PhYdMtHe-Tnel1LeAX8uEtE9aZt9lRrtdAuw_FKo/s4032/IMG_9215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTLZYpR2F-6ZMurNzcj48sfgrTzkiu2u_T3EVA9VwSgH3yxy2nxw2iZ3lNmf4jVemVJeiMRbhDBOyJ2C4OpbgLlxlzBTfvNYpIyL_jZPcBGvyzxVFj72x7a5idZ6dgPgkHLoJAE9fBzok_4g5PhYdMtHe-Tnel1LeAX8uEtE9aZt9lRrtdAuw_FKo/w400-h300/IMG_9215.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5MbWo7J9X0dj4EFcMnUBj6eRaksCEVFoHCHh5EBiEYhlonjh4Co7mYwtkKt2igAThFGAMq8FtqVMUZLhf9Nfl2g3cNmZnF7Y2CTzTkwfor7FoyTFxlEfGvGiN1TDNvfigquP62sFbxnCH1F-cCllddiqZTb4HZSZK2cP--VjfGw5EuKJocmCQa1a/s2275/IMG_9250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1736" data-original-width="2275" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5MbWo7J9X0dj4EFcMnUBj6eRaksCEVFoHCHh5EBiEYhlonjh4Co7mYwtkKt2igAThFGAMq8FtqVMUZLhf9Nfl2g3cNmZnF7Y2CTzTkwfor7FoyTFxlEfGvGiN1TDNvfigquP62sFbxnCH1F-cCllddiqZTb4HZSZK2cP--VjfGw5EuKJocmCQa1a/w400-h305/IMG_9250.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Great Grey Shrike</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I had wanted to walk a long circuit today in the hope of coming across a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, obviously knowing this would be a near-impossible task. However, five minutes are departing the shrike, I heard a <b>Lesser Spotted Woodpecker</b> singing. I waited patiently , and soon spotted its movement in the treetops as it got slightly harassed by a Great Spot. It quickly vanished, but carefully walking the forsest floor, I could here its slight drumming, before it went into full singing mode again. I had it on view for easily 10-minutes, but always obscured by twigs etc, but such an amazing sight!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglVachMfk4u-kn8uBb6jZ-I1r_nPrFNDMPazFdiQHV4PYpNxJovue-r9e7kWORuQKV4MNc7a2tOYIHiJ_i9GWHNvWOfWqIN3R7KwWxTPspgUFuNRUyyifzBwz3wmksw-V47SSyDihMXpQMIYduHdYRKolUcxP7vmC2wO2qN6cEhtj-1Aux863S7p2q/s2044/776A9319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1435" data-original-width="2044" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglVachMfk4u-kn8uBb6jZ-I1r_nPrFNDMPazFdiQHV4PYpNxJovue-r9e7kWORuQKV4MNc7a2tOYIHiJ_i9GWHNvWOfWqIN3R7KwWxTPspgUFuNRUyyifzBwz3wmksw-V47SSyDihMXpQMIYduHdYRKolUcxP7vmC2wO2qN6cEhtj-1Aux863S7p2q/w400-h281/776A9319.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXfpz3Cg-PNd6d-2xtra2N2zL50maZICYcFV-jnRfomPQ6lCuPS_HYttzew38f4Iz63ETSJXX4zqtpVX_R7UqZiUkrc3PEw_I11EsnOxmcDLLcL0gYzKSKaNQ5KJZqX7MoDo_Ivlo53JkJYnY27H8Af1HLauPRB05mRjboUg_YWP2Rq5igBN0RzZI/s2261/776A9336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2261" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXfpz3Cg-PNd6d-2xtra2N2zL50maZICYcFV-jnRfomPQ6lCuPS_HYttzew38f4Iz63ETSJXX4zqtpVX_R7UqZiUkrc3PEw_I11EsnOxmcDLLcL0gYzKSKaNQ5KJZqX7MoDo_Ivlo53JkJYnY27H8Af1HLauPRB05mRjboUg_YWP2Rq5igBN0RzZI/w400-h283/776A9336.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lesser Spotted Woodpecker</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I walked back to the car via a few forest trails where a male <b>Goshawk </b>flew over, before driving to the north part of the forest to Pipers Wait 'viewpoint' and soon had a male and female <b>Goshawk</b> fly around, allowing excellent scope views. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtg8faIftQq1bhkTfqKb-2ZgJGn45_AFBk8dLlQWPL_0CtzBmC_ilX8-qb62QDvNY8RCohPVFxCfIPgJkzwqOhBEQFvrXC-3XXatWxDCOaIo_OwLBgQkv6spKn8uMmz7lKWeoD07IF0OEousn5AJbS3DY6y8Rkt0bHh3kWqpIfX4YjYLxgLUnLTBnB/s5472/776A9369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="5472" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtg8faIftQq1bhkTfqKb-2ZgJGn45_AFBk8dLlQWPL_0CtzBmC_ilX8-qb62QDvNY8RCohPVFxCfIPgJkzwqOhBEQFvrXC-3XXatWxDCOaIo_OwLBgQkv6spKn8uMmz7lKWeoD07IF0OEousn5AJbS3DY6y8Rkt0bHh3kWqpIfX4YjYLxgLUnLTBnB/w400-h225/776A9369.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot the perched male Goshawk</td></tr></tbody></table><p>It was only 1pm, so I opted to drive straight to Staines Reservoir for a complete change of scene (and noise), but quickly found the drake <b>Lesser Scaup</b>. I wish I'd stayed around the forest and went to Blashford, but I had been wanting to see the scaup all week as it's only 40-minutes from home, so there we go. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcF7u8p4vd11l9SNXZXBOiXN5WaXZBGbmkNNoljlIS3RiJKPfi5ikjPOHJNn14PXwv6WReVjVsoQjeHWCvtmKNlXbeLxqNfFMpKRHl4SW_OvbzCvgTPzaYE6yOw88Hl3On0ronBVM5zx9LsrUfhW47kIQzHBp1MeJExNvqhSJFcOYP8T9s573T9gKZ/s4032/Lesser%20Scaup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcF7u8p4vd11l9SNXZXBOiXN5WaXZBGbmkNNoljlIS3RiJKPfi5ikjPOHJNn14PXwv6WReVjVsoQjeHWCvtmKNlXbeLxqNfFMpKRHl4SW_OvbzCvgTPzaYE6yOw88Hl3On0ronBVM5zx9LsrUfhW47kIQzHBp1MeJExNvqhSJFcOYP8T9s573T9gKZ/w400-h300/Lesser%20Scaup.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">drk Lesser Scaup</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Just under a month until the Seville Marathon so most of my time is training for this, therefore it was good to have a decent birding day.</p><p><br /></p>Matt Eadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11579133135293393650noreply@blogger.com