Gaining altitude

Spent most of today in the Crystal Basin trying to get to grips with some of the upland stuff before spending a week in the High Sierra proper. Managed to add a couple of species to my parulidae list, Hermit and MacGillivray's, very nice. Both gave good views too, considering the usual view of an oporornis, it was a nice surprise to have stonking male flick across the path and feed in the bottom of some low scrub, at times in full view. Other 'goodies', in chronological order, included: Mountain Quail (shit arse-end view), Townsend's Solitaire, White-headed Woodpecker and Pygmy Nuthatch (three species of nuthas today). All very nice, bordering on lovely.

Had some fun behind the wheel today too. Discovered an excellent way of winding up yanks, pretend not to know you can turn left at a red light, winds them up a treat (to the point where they pull a loud, but ineffective, wheel-spin as you pull off minutes later). The next motoring joy today was driving for about a quarter of a mile on the wrong side, before the appearance of a large white 4x4 snapped me back into US mode. It was only a side-road, and I was thinking about birds, I can't be expected to do everything at once.

Noises from the bushes

It is rather nice being in a country that has a reasonably diverse mammal fauna; it does have the odd downside mind. As happens on all trips to new destinations, the first few days are a steep learning curve on the songs and calls front; I tend to pair species up to aid the memory, so a party of Bushtit sounds not unlike a party of Long-tails and Wrentit song is vaguely like the 'spinning coin' bit of Wood Warbler. However, it really doesn't help when Californian Ground-squirrels chime in, or indeed Western Grey Squirrel and then, of course, the insects come to the party, jeeez. The strangest noise today though was a regular 'slap,... slap,... slap,... slap' coming from behind me, alongside a thin strip of riparian woodland near Lake Solano, very odd. Spun round and had the shock of my life,... the last thing I need is to be stalked by middle-aged women with ill-fitting bikinis on ill-fitting bodies wandering round in ill-fitting flip-flops. Urgh! Thank jumpin jim-jam wearing jehovah I'd had my lunch.

And now a couple of pics to calm the nerves,...

Here we are and here we go

In total had about 24 hours in the Point Reyes area. The place is rather good, and huge, and (today anyway) flipping windy. Birding in the wind always knackers me out; one day in and I'm mentally and physically wrecked. I have spent most of today staring into wind tossed vegetation attempting to discern movement against the flow of leaves, debris, etc. As a result of the conditions I have missed one or two species I thought I'd bag, but I should get a few more bites at most of these cherries. Have managed to get a few goodies, two new hummingbirds, four new flycatchers, two new towhees, blah, blah, blah; have also had three pinniped ticks, outrageous!

Anyhoo, a few pics for those who don't like words,...




PS. Kathy Burke is working in a roadside restaurant in Vacaville, I know, I was served by her this evening.

Day-flyers and high-flyers

It would appear the birding round these parts is slowing down for the summer, time to quit the country. For those of you not shooting off to chase birds elsewhere, you can always turn to moths in your desperation; you don't even need to bother with the anti-social hours of trapping at night, here are a couple of common day-flyers to keep an eye open for in the dog days of June and July.


Mother Shipton and Burnet Companion can be found in more-or-less any open grassy habitat. The Mother Shipton is named after the reputedly ugly, though largely mythical, prophetess of the same name, because a witch-like profile can be seen in the pattern on the forewing.

Personally, I'm off to chase empids, etc., for a few weeks,... bugs, nothing but bird fodder.

PS. Something to warm the cockles from the BBC online football gossip page "Liverpool are officially the best team in Europe. The Anfield club top the official Uefa rankings that are based on European performances over the last five years. AC Milan are a point behind in second, Chelsea make into third while European champions Manchester United only make it to seventh". Too bloody right.

Near death experience

It's bloody dangerous out there! One minute I'm blundering about in the early morning half-light/Severn Sea mist, minding my own business (well ringing birds actually), next I know I'm fighting to keep my vital signs from flatlining. Stabbed, impaled actually, claret pissing all over the shop. Luckily, being the quick-witted, always prepared-type that I am, I managed to fight the waves of nausea, dizziness and a strangely enticing vision of the reaper beckoning me to a blissfully pain-free stupor just long enough to reach for the Leatherman and, with gritted teeth and hastily jerry-rigged torniquet in place, I wrenched the stiletto-like corpus alienum from my flesh. Then it was on with the pressure dressing and I'm stuffing my face with sugary morsels to counter the effects of the waves of shock (I'm sure I experienced ventricular tachycardia and arrhythmia and probably lots of other things with long unhealthy sounding names). Thank Christ-on-his-little-Rayleigh-bike I wasn't chucked out of cubs before getting my 'extreme survival badge'; and thank God-and-all-his-evil-impish-foot-soldiers another member of the ringing group was on-hand to drive me home. I think I'm on the mend now although I might need three weeks in some sunny clime to recover properly. Go careful out there folks.

[Oops, almost forgot. Here is a picture of the splinter and another of (what remains) of my finger, warning graphic images below.]



I know, I know, I feel sick just looking at the pictures, I think there might still be something still in there.

PS. In case you haven't already realised, the birding was pretty quiet today.

A little bit harey

Nothing too exciting down on the levels this week, a trickle of passage waders was the only real suggestion of migration. Did bump into a few of these guys though,...

Aberrant Grey Heron

Shot off this evening in search of the reported Purple Heron near Bishton, on arrival it became evident that the bird in question was an odd Grey Heron, either partially melanistic or very heavily soiled. Most of the upperparts were very dark grey and the remiges looked blackish; below, the flanks and part of the breast again appeared blackish whilst much of the belly, breast and neck were tinged an oily/rusty brown. The head and bill were pretty standard Grey Heron, though 'washed' with brownish. It spent most of the time hunched up at the edge of the field and eventually walked off into the field margin, it did not appear a picture of rude health. Unfortunately the weather did not make for quality photography, here's the best I could muster,...


Given the fact that the Purple Heron in Gloucestershire had disappeared a few days ago, I was pretty hopeful of adding to my Gwent list this evening, but nooooo, the curse of Gwent strikes again.

Swearing is fine if it is necessary

The worst thing about doing a bird race is that, for weeks afterwards, you keep seeing all the species missed on the 'big day' (perhaps more accurately the 'mediocre day', in fact perhaps it should have been called a fuck-all race; indeed, while I'm at it, perhaps the new book should have been entitled 'The fuck-all of Gwent'). Anyway, today I was goaded by Red-legged Partridge, Little Owl, Stock Dove and, naturally enough, Sparrowhawk. I was not goaded by Siberian Blue Robin, Siberian Rubythroat or White-throated Robin, in fact I have never been goaded by any one of these species, I find them very ungoadly. If I had to be goaded, I would probably pick one of these to be goaded by. If there is a White-throated Robin reading this, I am awaiting my goading,... goadnight.

PS. Please note I have managed to avoid ranting about fat, ignorant, red and yellow lorry driving wankers who seem to think they live on a planet that is not being totally fucked up by global climate change and biodiversity loss and whose only interest in life is whether the can line their pockets with a few more quid - someone should give me a medal.

PPS. Please also note I have also managed to avoid ranting about fat, ignorant, self-publicising bastard MPs who seem to think they live on a planet that is not being totally fucked up by global climate change and biodiversity loss and whose only interest in life is keeping their seats at the next general election by pandering to drivers of knackered, old, gas-guzzling cars - someone should give me another medal.

Bit of a slow one

A good wander round Uskmouth followed by quick visits to Goldcliff and Llanwern produced VERY little in the way of birds. The most notable 'highlights' were either: botanical, four species of orchid showing well; invertebrate, moffs, odonata, etc.; or mammalian, a lovely ickle baby fox. The only avian joys were, in rough order of joyousness, a brood of Stonechat (there is only one pair on the reserve), a Whimbrel or two, managing to read three metal rings on feral Greylags and the fattest gosling in the world EVER! Thank little baby Jeebus it is going to piss down for the next two days, I can now stay in tweaking my plans for next month's birding blitzkrieg of northern California (the Modoc Plateau or the Warner Mountains or both?).

The amazing singing sheep

Imagine, if you will, a sweeping aerial view, a left-right camera pan through clouds and across snow-covered mountains before dipping into a green, wooded valley with steep cliffs that descend into a snow-fed lake. The hills are perfectly reflected in the mirror-like surface of the water. The camera moves over the landscape, alights on a meadow nestled between the peaks and zooms in to find a happy and joyous Maaaaria (Dolly Andrews) striding across the field in open-armed appreciation of the beauty of the surrounding peaks, she twirls and sings...