Woodlark Central

Today a quick sprint up the motorway and a mornings birding at Maigmo Mountain not surprisingly Woodlarks we're putting on a show, we've now renamed Maigmo Mountain to Woodlark Central, plenty Woodlarks showing off, and many more heard. All the Tits seen with one exception Blue Tit, 3 Rock Bunting showed well at the balcony of Alicante also on the way up a few Tree Creepers.

Woodlark

Other birds seen probable Peregrin Falcon gone too quickly, a pair of Ravens, Blackcaps, Crossbills, Mistle Thrush,

 Rock Bunting

2 Rock Bunting

The birding Moment of the day came in the form of a rather small bird but incredibly stylish Kinglet or Firecrest, The head crest, orange in the male and yellow in the female.

Male Firecrest 

Male Firecrest 

When displayed and during breeding, the orangey crown strip becoming more prominent and wedged-shaped.  This Firecrest looked like a punk rocker with an orange Mohican hairstyle. 

Unfortunately, I didn't get any sharp images of this Firecrest mainly because it was in the shade and flitting around like Lewis Hamilton, so just a few shots but more than good enough to explain what I'm referring to

 Female Firecrest 

Rock Bunting

The other Firecrest's that were around all had the thin crown Strip, so this particular bird must be a breeding male, and the others were females.

Interesting! Gareth spotted Red Squirrel close to the Firecrest.  Red Squirrel are known to rob the eggs of Firecrest?

Sardinian  Warbler

This bird have been coming to my garden for days
Have a Happy Easter don't overdo it
let you know next week what we've been up too
NBBC

.

Cheers  

Bryan

Water levels

I had to cancel our birding travels this week due to other commitments but had a spare hour and went down El Clot.

Bit of a disappointment, most Ducks have gone? With Coot being the predominant species, no Gadwall, Fudge Duck, Widgeon.  A few Marbled Teal, Shoverlers, Red-crested Pochard still there, White-headed Duck numbers are well down as well as Pochard.

 Red-crested Pochard 

Lots of hirundines going over and a few pair up Great-crested, Black-necked, and Little Grebe, and the Male Marsh Harrier.

But the water levels are now good should be enough to see them through the summer?

And yesterday the 4 amigos returned to Montnegra everything very much the same as previous week, not a big species list but there again it's never is,  it's about quality birds, and how they showed-off today

Even before we got to the Finch site they were there waiting and another Oscar-winning performance in their very smart plumage. One Trumpeter Finch was reacting to another bird calling close by and started a courtship dance/ display.  I've never seen this behaviour before almost like break dancing for birds. It was mesmerising 

Trumpeter Finch

Trumpeter Finch

Our next nominee was a Sub Alpine Warbler which gave us the runner round for a while but Gareth managed to be in the right place for the best views.

A Melodious Warbler didn't want to show and was very hard to see, with only a brief glimpse.  We follow some new tracks which looks promising for another time.  Today it turns up a new bird for Gareth and closes eye-level views of a Crossbill.

Crossbill.

The next star on the red carpet was Dartford Warbler which gave prolonged views "brilliant" yet again what a show.

Dartford Warbler 

Other birds seen Red-rumped Swallow and a few Blue rock Thrush.

Not a big list but a good mornings birding.

Dartford Warbler 

Have a great day

Cheers Bryan

Photographic Species Guide for Spain,

Hi there everybody

 I'm just started to compile a photographic species guide to birds of Spain, all images are taken by myself and my own from my library catalogue.

Nothing copied, scanned,  downloaded, or stolen.

 major work in progress,

Look on the right-hand sidebar and click the link to view and arrow back to return to main menu.

 and to follow on  butterflies, dragonflies, and insects,

Two-tailed pasta


Cheers 
Bryan

Ta-Dar

I said to Gareth some days ago we'd smash it sooner or later? 

( Birding that is ) and today we did just that.

I've booked a dental appointment as soon as I got back home,  more or less to be on the side of caution as think my teeth might be starting to decay.

Because today I must have sucked my way through at least half a packet of Werther's Original caramel moments in a celebration of our birding moments throughout the day.

The plan, to visit the valley of Montnegra and Maigmo Mountian and see just what's going on there.

Montnegra

Slowish start with Rock Sparrow, Chough, Blue rock Thrush, Southern Grey Shrike, the odd Swallow,  Crag Martin, and Black Cap, heard only Black-eared Wheatear?

First breakfast was calling, so we headed for the Trumpeter Finch site and slab of Lemon Drizzle cake and a cupper. I thought it might be a bit too early for the Trumpets (maybe they've not arrived yet?) and from over the rock face came to a stunning Bonelli's Eagle it came right over us, I watch it and then cursed as I should have been taking photos as glided over our heads, anyway I didn't get any photos, but seconds later I flushed 2 Trumpeter Finches which sneaked in while we watched the Bonellis Eagle, I cursed some more.

 "unbelievable"

You couldn't write it, could you? 2 good birds in as many minutes and not one photo.

John managed to get on the 2 Trumpets, as the flew away to the far side of the valley, I was starting to question my self as it was only a quick glimpse, but I did hear the call. So we waited and it wasn't long,  sure enough, 3 birds dropped in 1 male 2 female, Magic and out came the sweets again.  Ta-dar Happy days!

Trumpeter Finch
male

Female Trumpeter Finch
or none breeding male

Further up the track John and I heard a Great-spotted Cuckoo, not content with one bird Gareth spotted a second, "brilliant" as they chased each other around the pines.  I was getting a bit fed up with these sweets by now, my 5th of the day so far.  Another Blue rock Thrush on the roofs in the village of Montnegra. A pair of Dartford Warbler performed well, they can be a difficult bird sometimes they just don't show well,  but not this pair, out pop the bag of sweets again.

And to finish off our visit Montnegra  8 Griffon Vultures.

Happy so far with how the day progressing and a few lifers for Gareth can't be bad.

Maigmo

It was now about 1 o'clock which meant we'd spent 4 hours in the valley.  Our first birds for Maigmo  Song Thrush, Chaffinch, Sardinian Warbler, followed by Coal Tit, Crested Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Short-toed Treecreeper, heard only Crossbill,

Crested Tit

Star Bird for Maigmo was Woodlark and what a performer this little bird turned out to be, larking about with us, perching up in tree to tree, an absolute stunner and another celebration sweet, and another new bird for Gareth.

Woodlark 

Woodlark 

Woodlark 

 2nd breakfast at the top with welsh cakes and probable Golden Eagle it was a long way off but couldn't make it into anything else.

A mega days birding and with the welsh cakes Gareth brought along it was bliss, and good to see some different birds.

I've not mention ever bird seen but to days species total. 40

More rain tomorrow yippee

Have a great day

Cheers Bryan

The Clot De Galvany

A Mornings Birding at El Clot with John and Michelle 

There are fewer birds at the Clot today,  No sign of any Widgeon or Fudge Ducks, not even any Marsh Harriers.  It could be these birds have moved on? Or be on one of the other lakes that we have no access to view.  Shoveler and Pochard number are lower.  In good numbers, are Marbled Duck, Gadwall, White-headed Duck, Red-crested Pochard.  

Red-crested Pochard

Black-necked and Little Grebe's almost full summer plumage. An abundance of Sardinian Warblers, showing off from the top of every other bush.

Sardinian Warbler

  The only other thing of note is the Coot population it's always been healthy at the Clot,  but today it's gone mega, I'm not sure where all these birds have come from I'm guessing there on migration Or a partial migration?

Marlbed Duck

Not so many Hirundines  just a few Swallows

Other birds seen Little Bitten, European common Snipe, heard only Penduline Tit, Cetti's Warbler,  Stone Curlew,  Iberian Green Woodpecker.

Water levels are better after last weeks of soaking.

Cheers Bryan

Very funny clip fermented fish

Good morning

I found this on Facebook

It's about the fermented fish challenge for those who don't know about this, we would use gallons and gallons of this stuff, purified fish called chum to entice the seabirds to the boat, the sea birds love it.  It's now been renamed as fermented fish? Probably the worst smell that's ever had the pleasure to go up my nostrils,  as soon as the lids came off the 25-litre containers it would start to make a few people on board the boat sick, and with the added motion of the boat it all most guaranteed people would be throwing up.

For me, I hated the smell and made me feel very queasy, but it does bring the sea birds to the Boat my old friend and Skipper of the MV Sapphire wouldn't think twice about using it

But anyway it's a funny clip

It really is the worst smell ever

Click the link below

Fermented fish (Chum)

Have a good  one

Cheers Bryan

Music video's covers Micheal Buble Ray Charles, Rod Stewart, Steely Dan,

Hi, if you've read my profile you'd of noticed that I've been a musician, singer, performer, for almost all my life.  I've had a lot of comments through by blog pages and also from emails to upload some of my music performances. So here you go?  These songs we're recorded live for a local Bar and their internet web site during the lockdown April 2020

Click the link below to watch

Steely Dan

Black Cow

Micheal Buble

Such a Night, 

And also this song from 

Rod Stewart

Swonderful

Ray Charles

 Unchain my Heart

Have a great weekend

Thank you so much for taking the time to watch

It means a lot 

Thanks 

Cheers 

Bryan

One year on since lock down

Well, here we all are one year on since the Covid 19  and our Spanish lockdown. So what changed. Well, nothing really the Virus hasn't gone anywhere. We do now have a vaccine but God knows when it will be available,  we're miles behind the UK. so I  guess it more of the same not mixing outside your bubble and being careful.  I can't see many tourists being allowed to visit Spain shortly. And the covid tests cost @€100 per test each way, even if you've had the jab, hopefully, I'm wrong about that, it's been a tough time for everybody but especially the entertainment industry and the bars and restaurants they could do with a few holidaymakers.

Birding  2020 was difficult, as we were not allowed out for anything except supermarket, doctors and rubbish bin, we missed the best part of the spring migration last year due to restrictions, and we the NBBC are so looking forward to going to other sites this year And seeing/ finding a few different birds.

I've copied my blog from this day last year 

Saturday 13th March 2020

 Lock Down

Well, I made it back to Spain on Saturday, by the skin of my teeth before they shut the border.  The Rugby was cancelled, why oh why didn't WRU  cancel some days before???

 All the Scotts had already travelled to Cardiff???  Bus's had already arrived Full of our Celtic Mates. The Bar, Pubs and Hotels in Cardiff were full with the welsh and Scotts fans enjoying themselves.  So what did it achieve Cancelling the game?  well it probably saved lives,  the game should have been cancelled days and days before and stop everybody travelling too Cardiff

A Right Cock up.

Good job, WRU.

  Since the lockdown started in Spain, nobody's able to get in or out of our province more or less you can't go anywhere, just to the Supermarkets, walk the dog, (I don't have one) or go to the Rubbish bins, Doctors or Farmacia.

GRAN ALACANT  is like a ghost town and everything is shut down.   The police are enforcing strict movement ( and are handing out fines for people not obeying the rules ) It looks like no birding for months, except for what I hear or flies over's close to my casa.

The latest news, it looks it could be August before it levels out? ITS now the UK's TURN TO BE LOCKDOWN. GET PREPARED it's not nice, Italy is on the front line and they have been warning of what's to come for us in Spain and the UK.

With 200.000 UK Deaths Predicted, IT getting Scary.

GOOD LUCK 

EVERYBODY
BT

Latest Sightings

Wednesday 10th of March 

Hi there and good morning

Well, yesterday we had a look around our route around the Salinas of Santa Pola, and inland later we do this route quite often, it's stupid to drive past without having to look.  we cross the N332, 1st stop  36 very smart  full Sumner plumage Mediterranean, Gulls, Audouin's, Slender bills, lesser b backed, Black-heads,  Sandwich Tern, Spoonbills 5+ and 5 Great White Egret,   A distant Osprey hovered

A quick pull in at El Pinet didn't produce much as the water levels are were high the highlight there was 2 Stone Curlew.

Inland

At the back of La Marine our 1st Little Owl for a long time, a Booted Eagle drifted over high up into the sun which made ID difficult and a Buzzard perched up,  and then on to Palm farm Road and a tea stop,  the brown and crunchy welsh cakes supplied by Gareth were scoffed up while watching 75 + House Martins and the odd Swallows drift by. The welsh cakes remind me of Rugby, Sheep and one Wellington boot?

Ruff

This photo is the closest I have to the plumage of our latest bird
Date: 15/04/2018  Model: Canon EOS 5D

Through the agricultural area, we heard several Corn Bunting and eventually managed to pick out a bird,  our route took us towards Sante Aquada we came across a flood area and our star bird of the day an almost summer plumage Ruff,  we don't get to see them that often in this plumage it catches you out as your not expecting to see them like this, Nice bird shame we couldn't get closer. By the time he reaches the breeding grounds, he probably will be in full breeding plumage.

Ruff

Ruff

And despite our efforts to connect with our target bird a Great-spotted Cuckoo we failed so it'll have to wait for another day

Springs arrived and the sun is here

Avocet

Other Waders seen today Kentish Plover, Dunlin, Redshank, Avocet,  Ruff, little stint, Black-tailed Godwit 25+ and a few kingfishers.

Have a great day

Cheers Bryan 

Digital Blasphemy

A twenty-year review of my ancient Canon EOS Digital Cameras 

It's something that I've been planning to do.  A review of my Canon Digital cameras and the image quality.  So make your own mind up and draw your own conclusions. 

There's lots of photos to look back on from my archive of images from around the globe.  To be honest, my camera equipment is now showing its age, it's a bit like me.

Semipalmated Sandpiper
 Porth  Hellick
 Isles of Scilly

Date: 02/08/2003

Model: Canon EOS D60  Canon Lens (mm): 300 and ISO: 100 Aperture: 7.1 Shutter: 1/400 Exp. Comp.:-.3

Program: Aperture Priority  Focus Mode: One-Shot AF

Gannet
At Sea
Isles of Scilly

Date: 27/08/2005  

Model: Canon EOS-1D Mark II  Lens (mm): 300 ISO: 160 Aperture: 4.5

Shutter: 1/5000 Exp. Comp.-0.7  Program: Aperture Priority Focus Mode: AI Servo AF

You'd think with the advances made In digital photography with SLR, Mirrorless  cameras, megapixels, sensors, autofocus, lens optics, and screens resolutions, and so on, you'd be thinking there'd be a massive improvement, in image quality. There has been in certain areas, an improvement, flip out, rotating screen and resolution, autofocus speeds, operating system, menus etc.  

I'm now starting to feel, a bit of a photography dinosaur, now after 50 years of photography, using a variety of different formats 35mm, 6cm x 6cm square images on 120, 126mm,  Slides, and print film, Polaroid's, medium format, Hasselblad's etc and finally Canon EOS Digital.  

Steve Young from Birdwatch Magazine ( my amigo) said back in the day,  digital photography, it's never gonna catch on,  in those days we'd sell prints to birders of rare birds, we've never let him forget what he said about,  Digital photography and how it is now mainstream.

Short-billed Dowitcher
Isles of Scilly

Model: Canon EOS 550D ISO: 200 Aperture: 6.3 Shutter: 

1/640 Exp. Comp.: +0.3 Program: Aperture Priority Focus Mode: One-Shot AF

 I owned full-frame cameras that we're at the time was the very best you could get,  I have other types that could rattle off 10 frames a second, which I rarely used the high frame rate, which would occasionally frighten off the bloody bird.  That's a good thing about mirrorless no shutter noise,  I've almost always had the latest high-end cameras from Canon. But for me at this moment in time, I seem to be reverting backwards in time.  All I'm using my camera and lens for is just to record what I've seen, I guess that's what most bird photographers do? 

Razorbill
Isles of Scilly

Date: 16/06/2004

 Model: Canon EOS D60 Lens (mm): 300 ISO: 200 Aperture: 5 Shutter: 1/2500

Exp. Comp.: -0.7 Program: Aperture Priority Focus Mode: AI Servo AF

 I've never really felt the need to use all those bells and whistles that we're on offer in the sub-menus. I'm a bit of an instinct photographer, a single shot at a time, when everything looks right, I Press the shutter

Black-capped Petrel
Off Auckland New Zealand

Date: 31/03/2008

Model: Canon EOS-1D Mark II  Lens (mm): 300 ISO: 400 Aperture: 5.6 Shutter: 1/4000 Exp. Comp.: -0.7 Program: Aperture Priority  Focus Mode: AI Servo 

But can I justify spending another £3.500+ on yet another Digital camera? for my low-resolution Birding Costa Blanca blogs. 

White Chinned Petrel
Little Barrier Island Hauraki Gulf.

 Auckland New Zealand

Date: 12/11/2003

Model: Canon EOS D60  Lens (mm): 300 ISO: 100 Aperture: 4 Shutter: 1/800 Program: Aperture Priority

Focus Mode: AI Servo AF

  I don't think I'll be winning any awards for my type of photography nowadays as it's mostly now from cars and hides.  I'm not getting down and dirty for a bird's eye view,  I find it hard just getting down there never mind getting up nowadays.  I'm not supplying rarity bird images for publishing and probably not reaching the minimum requirements needed, for publications.

Cream coloured Courser
Isles of Scilly
Date: 13/10/2004

Model: Canon EOS-1D Mark II  Lens (mm): 600 ISO: 100 Aperture: 8 

Shutter: 1/500 Exp. Comp -0.3 Program: Aperture Priority Focus Mode: One-Shot AF

My good friend and amigo Hadoram Shirihai, who's is the most brilliant photographer /writer/ researcher said to me this. .... His camera and lens is just a tool to help his research, which did wind me up no end because of the fantastic photographs he takes. And the camera for him was just like a brush is to a painter/artist.

Montague's Harrier 

Extremadura Spain

Date: 14/05/2016

Model: Canon EOS 550D  Lens (mm): 840 ISO: 200 Aperture: 7.1 Shutter: 1/1000

Exp. Comp.: -0.3  Program: Aperture Priority Focus Mode: One-Shot AF

My question is this?

Can you see any difference between theses photos taken with my various ancient relic Canon Digital Cameras the very top photo a Semipalmated Sandpiper is taken with a mere 6.3 megapixel D60  but it doesn't look any worse or any better than the Canon 760D 25 + megapixel Alpine Accentor photo?  

Great Spotted Cuckoo

Guadalentín Spain

Date: 17/04/2018

Model: Canon EOS 5D full-frame Lens (mm): 840 ISO: 100 Aperture: 7.1 Shutter: 1/800 Exp. Comp.: -0.7

 Program: Aperture Priority Focus Mode: One-ShotAF

 I'm I going mad?  

Honestly, I'm not seeing any major difference in images quality?  considering the difference in pixels size, density, crop sensors, and full-frame, and very little different between the cameras over the last twenty years of research and development.

 I must be missing something?

 I get it, that more pixels make bigger enlargements and finer detail possible, but do we need a 2 foot high Alpine Accentor photo?

Alpine Accentor
Pyrenees Spain

Date: 19/06/2017

Model: Canon EOS 760D Lens (mm): 840 ISO: 400 Aperture: 7.1 Shutter: 1/2000  

Exp. Comp.: -0.3 Program: Aperture Priority Focus Mode: One-ShotAF

 If anything digital noise looks a little bit worse on the Canons latest 1.6 crop sensors cameras.  (It might be different on the mirrorless camera? ) I guess because there cramming more pixel in the same crop sensor resulting in more noise.  Post-production noise reduction can be used with care, it does add a little softening and loss of image detail.

Wilson Snipe
Isles of Scilly
Date: 23/10/2007

Model: Canon EOS-1D Mark II Lens (mm): 600 ISO: 100 Aperture: 8 Shutter: 1/32 Exp. Comp.: -1.0 Program: Aperture Priority Focus Mode: One-Shot AF

Interesting comparison of images over time"

All images processed in the latest Adobe Camera RAW, only basic level's and sharpening applied, little or no noise reduction applied

Pied Wheatear
Isles of Scilly

Date: 16/10/2003

 Model: Canon EOS D60 Lens (mm): 840 ISO: 100

Aperture: 5.6 Shutter: 1/800 Program: Program AE Focus Mode: One-Shot AF

Desert Wheatear
Isles of Scilly

Date: 12/10/2010

Model: Canon EOS 40D lens (mm): 840 ISO: 400 Aperture: f8 Shutter: 1/3200 Exp. Comp.: -1.0 Program: Aperture Priority Focus Mode: One-Shot AF

American Golden-Plover
Tresco
Isles of Scilly

Date: 04/10/2006

Model: Canon EOS 20D Lens (mm): 840 ISO: 200 Aperture: 9 Shutter: 1/1000 Exp. Comp.: -0.7

Program: Aperture Priority  Focus Mode: One-Shot AF

Buff-breasted Sandpiper
St Agnes
Isles of Scilly

Date: 17/09/2006

Model: Canon EOS-1D Mark II  Lens (mm): 840 ISO: 200 Aperture: 5.6 Shutter: 1/2000 Exp. Comp.: -0.7 Program: Aperture Priority Focus Mode One-Shot AF

Royal Tern
Cuba

Date: 13/01/2008 

Model: Canon EOS-1D Mark II  Lens (mm) DO: 400 ISO: 125 Aperture: 5.6 Shutter: 1/2000 Exp. Comp.: 

Program: Aperture Priority Focus Mode: One-Shot AF

Short-tailed Albatross
Chichijima Northern Pacific
Date: 01/05/2008

Model: Canon EOS 40D  Lens (mm): 400 ISO: 125 Aperture: 6.3 Shutter: 1/1000  Program: Aperture Priority Focus Mode: AI Servo AF

Kagu New Caledonia South Pacific

Date: 09/04/2007

Model: Canon EOS-1D Mark II  Lens (mm): 135 ISO: 250 Aperture: 5.6 Shutter: 1/80

Exp. Comp.: -1.0 Program: Aperture Priority

Focus Mode: One-Shot AF

Conclusion my personal view

My favourite Canon Digital camera body of all time fast accurate autofocus and

pin-sharp images never miss a shot

Canon 1D Mk Il only 8.2  megapixels and a 1.3 crop

King Penguin
South Georgia South Atlantic

Date: 20/03/2006

Model: Canon EOS-1D Mark II  Lens (mm) DO 400 ISO: 200 Aperture: 10 Shutter: 1/200

Exp. Comp.: -1.7  Program: Aperture Priority Focus Mode: One-Shot AF

The Canon D60 is a bit of a relic at only 6.3 megapixels it's a bit slow autofocusing using a telephoto lens and challenging for seabird photography, but I've used it and done it and the results are fine.  I've seen it for sale on eBay as low as 99p in working order with a lens attached, I think I paid about £1.300

Southern Royal Albatross
Kaikoura New Zealand
1/11/2003 

Model: Canon EOS D60  Lens (mm): 130 ISO: 400 Aperture: 6.3 Shutter: 1/640Exp. Comp.: 0.0 Program: Aperture Priority Focus Mode: One-Shot AF

below is my list of the Canon cameras I've owned and or still have

EOS 550D/Rebel T2i/Kiss X4 

EOS 650D/Rebel T4i/Kiss X6i

EOS 760D/Rebel T6s/8000D

EOS 5D 

EOS-1D Mark II 

EOS-1D Mark III

EOS D30 

EOS D60

EOS 10D 

EOS 20D

EOS 40D

EOS 50D

Mirrorless Canon EOS M

my wish for rain has come true

Thanks to the rain God

hope you've enjoyed my review

Have a great day

Cheers BT