Picos De Europa, 25-28.5.05

I've once more (and for the last time this year) been guiding in the Picos de Europa, once more with Matt Hobbs for the Company of Whales. Thanks to all on the trip for a great time. The highlights included finding a Wallcreeper nest-site more than 1,000 dolphins, nine Fin Whales (including three close to the ship together) and three Minke Whales on the last day. A fuller trip report should be appearing later at www.companyofwhales.co.uk
Meantime, this selection is from the Spanish part of the Biscay-Picos-Biscay sandwich which makes up the holiday.



Most of the photos are clickable for a larger image...
Redstart, Brez, 25.5.05:

Ascalaphid (Libelloides sp.), Brez, 25.5.05:

Crab spider on Pink Butterfly Orchid, road to Brez, 25.5.05:

Heath Fritillary Brez, 25.5.05:

Streetlight: Glow-worm on the road at Brez, 25.5.05:

Me and my shadow: Alpine Newts, Fuente De, 26.5.05

Cirl Bunting (male), road to Cabanes, 26.5.05

Heath Fritillary, road to Cabanes, 26.5.05

Lizard Orchid, road to Cabanes, 26.5.05

Black Redstart, Fuente De, 26.5.05

Large Skipper, Cosgaya, 27.5.05

Duke of Burgundy, Cosgaya, 27.5.05

Black Vanilla Orchid, Puerto San Glorio, 27.5.05

Grizzled Skipper, Puerto San Glorio, 27.5.05
Nikon Coolpix 4500 or Coolpix 880 (birds with latter plus Kowa 881 & 32WLER)

Lunch in the Grime

I took a wee lunchtime stroll through the beautifully overgrown Grimeshaw Woods, Bretton, Peterborough, today (18.5.05). Here are some of the goodies on offer.

A buttercup bursting with brown beetles (click image for big version):

Rather-too-late Early Purple Orchid:


And everyone's favourite geranium, Herb Robert:
All Nikon Coolpix 4500

Frog

We have a Belfast Sink for a pond, nothing more. Still, we get the odd frog, and yesterday (17.5.05), we had two. One was smallish (shown below), the other a true whopper (too elusive for my camera).
Nikon Coolpix 4500

Turnstone at Fletton Brick Pit

Turnstones are pretty scarce passage migrants in these here parts, so it is always good to find one – especially in spring when they are truly one of the most gorgeously-patterned of the waders. I found this beaut on 16.5.05 (here foraging past the nesting Common Terns) at Fletton Brick Pit, just by the Ikea Distribution Centre south of Peterborough.

Nikon Coolpix 880 + Kowa TSN-821 + 32xW LER

Fulmar: 210

Nikon Coolpix 880 + Kowa TSN-821 + 32xW LER
I was feeling as ill as anything on Sunday (15.5.05) and awoke from a deep afternoon sleep to find numerous messages on my mobile. In a nutshell, Martin Coates (without Sparky) and his GPOG birdrace team (a 24-hour bird race around the hallowed PBC area) had found a Fulmar on a rarely-checked pit west of Langtoft, Lincolnshire. I made the dash as quickly as possible (despite flu), partly as I heard the poor bird was looking as sick as I felt and may not be long for this world (and you can't tick corpses or else many GPOGers would already have Fulmar on their local lists after a dead one visited their pub, after being found at Holme Fen last year).
Here are the best of the shots I managed (it looks almost healthy, doesn't it?) of this, species number 210 on my PBC list. Thanks, Martin and co.

PS: At the time of writing, the bird was still alive, trying roost on the bank of the pit.

Skippers

Old Sulehay, Northamptonshire, is a great place: nice woodland (and even a bit of water) combined with the closely-cropped cover of a former limestone quarry. It is therefore an ideal reserve to visit if all you want is your car broken into and a painful insurance claim. Still, all credit to the dedicated Brian 'The Natural' Stone, he bounces back well, and with car mended (with only a nasty paint scratch to show for his trouble), he kindly offered to take me back to the scene of the crime to look for whatever yesterday lunchtime (12.5.05). The best on offer at this time are the scarcer, moth-like skippers: Dingy Skipper and the tiny Grizzled Skipper.
Brian got better photos than me (respect due), and if you click on his The Natural Stone link (on the right) you can see for yourself (his photos are even clickable to get bigger versions). However, this is what I came up with:
Grizzled Skippers:




Dingy Skippers

Mrs B returns

A month or so ago, a female Blackbird started building a nest at the end of the gutter of our garage (just outside the kitchen window). Then she stopped and seemingly abandoned the whole affair (which I put down to a drop of rain). Now she (or another) is back and appears to be on eggs. Good luck, Mrs B!

Gallery: Picos de Europa, 26-30.4.05

More photographs from the Picos de Europa, this time from the second of two fantastic holidays I was co-guiding with Matt Hobbs for the Company of Whales (once more promoted by Bird Watching Magazine). Again, this selection is from the Spanish part of the Biscay-Picos-Biscay sandwich which makes up the holiday. A fuller trip report should be appearing in next week at www.companyofwhales.co.uk

Alpine Choughs, Fuente De, 29.4.05


Chamois (baby and adult), Fuente De, 29.4.05



Water Pipit, Fuente De, 29.4.05


Sooty Copper, road to Cabañes, 29.4.05


Swallow, male with crossed bill, Cabañes, 29.4.05


Violet Fritillaries, Enterrias, 30.4.05



Oberthür's Grizzled Skipper (probably), Enterrias, 30.4.05


Provençal Frittillary, Enterrias, 30.4.05



Rock Bunting, Fuente De, 28.4.05


Green-underside Blue, Lebeña, 30.4.05


Red-underwing Skipper, the road to Puerto San Glorio, 30.4.05

Nikon Coolpix 880 + Kowa TSN-821 + 32xW LER (and Nikon Coolpix 4500)

Gallery: Picos de Europa, 22-24.4.05

Here are some photographs from a holiday I was co-guiding with Matt Hobbs for the Company of Whales, promoted by Bird Watching Magazine. This selection is from the Spanish part of the Biscay-Picos-Biscay sandwich which makes up the holiday. A fuller trip report should be appearing in next week at www.companyofwhales.co.uk

Rock Bunting, Fuente De, 22,4,05



Wood White, Lebeña, 24.4.05


Green Hairstreak, Lebeña, 24.4.05


Serin, Lebeña, 24.4.05


Lizard sp., Lebeña, 24.4.05


Water Pipit, Fuente De, 23,4,05


Chamois, Fuente De, 23,4,05


Alpine Accentor, Fuente De, 23,4,05


Middle Spotted Woodpecker, 24.4.05

Nikon Coolpix 880 + Kowa TSN-821 + 32xW LER