A little windypops

The plane didn't come. Something to do with a little bit too much wind. Still howling around out here.

Bumped into the Indigo Bunting this afternoon, which actually seems to be different to that which was über-flushed the other day.  Also pottered around the village this evening on crashed cagarro patrol, only one was found, which is almost certainly a good thing.

Much effort, nothing new

Melancholy is a demon that haunts our island. The black birds are upon our backs. Our dusky companions press upon us, and follow us in our flight,... or something like that.

Is that a mojo on the horizon?

Finally blundered into an American passerine today. And a most awe-inspiring, aesthetically pleasing, gob-smackingly gorgeous one it was too. Unfortunately, for the Corvo-cum-latelies who needed it, moments after I found and photographed it, a bloke rolled up with a chainsaw and started chopping up the wood pile it had been sat on. Possibly, the most impressive flush of all time. It was, however, eventually relocated late in the afternoon on the opposite side of the village. Also relocated the Scarlet Tanager this morning, which was nice, albeit that also did a bunk before anyone else laid eyes on it.

Indigo Bunting, bit of a Corvo special.

New birds

A Scarlet Tanager and an interesting White-crowned Sparrow appeared today. There is hope after a couple of slooow days.

Probable/possible/maybe western taiga/Gambel's/gambelii White-crowned Sparrow [photo from 21st, during the less-than-perfect initial viewing I had totally missed the 'western' potential]. Is it possible to rule out an intergrade with eastern taiga/leucophrys? Answers on a blog comment/postcard/talk amongst yourselves.

Maybe tomorrow

Slow going again today. Did the lighthouse, Cantinho and Lapa, plus a few fields,... nothing.

Remember this? Well,...

Vincent in the eye of an almost ready to go Cory's Shearwater nestling. 

A day off

Only got out in the field for a few hours today. A quick potter in the village fields, paid this fella a visit and saw a dose of Common Dolphins.

Still looking

 Fojo on a good day. Neck ache much?

This valley has played host to Northern Flicker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Wood Thrush, Black-throated Green Warbler, Canada Warbler, Ovenbird,... And today? Nothing I could lay eyes on. 

YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER

Another day to go down in Corvo lore,...

A ropey photograph of a stonking bird. Yellow-throated Warbler, Corvo, a first for the Western Palearctic find for Mr. Josh Jones. Unexpected and gorgeous.

Hel-lo! A slightly surprising first for the Azores on the slopes of the caldera.

On the way back to the village I spent 20 minutes hunkered behind a wall with the 'power station ibis'. We're pals now; me and the ibis, we see eye-to-eye on things, e.g. we both quite like the rain but thought this afternoon's downpour was taking the piss.

Why did the ibis cross the road?

Wooded valley, open valley, hilltop, fields, another wooded valley, more fields and village. Naff all found, Black-throated Blue Warbler as briefly as hell, bit of a run-around for a no-show American Robin, and a Mourning Dove to end on. Another day on the rock done and done.

Two of the original five are now, unfortunately, ex-Glossy Ibises. But this one is still going strong,... and surprisingly adept at crossing the road and avoiding traffic.

The Mourning Dove. A goat carcass was being butchered just behind us as we were watching this. 

Big and floppy

Spent all morning in Fojo and a fair part of the afternoon in Agua, didn't find squat in the way of yankee passerines. In fact, due to the fact that I shunned Black-throated Blue Warbler, Philadelphia Vireo and Common Yellowthroat, etc., I havent seen anything small and American all day. Did get an Azores tick in the form of a big floppy raptor though,...

Juvenile dark morph Rough-legged Hawk in absolutely god-awful light.