Thursday, September 11, 2008

Rain and more rain!

Well sea watching proved a damp squib - so am hoping to go again this w/e Saturday or Sunday or both!Somewhere out there is a Sabine Gull with my name on it!

Found a small flock of Fieldfares in Syon Park the other day. I love to see these birds again as it shows that migration is in full swing! Their plumage was so smart - just like all the feathers had been through the dry cleaners!
There were a few House Martins busily feeding.

There was also a juvenile GSW with two adults.

Staines Reservoirs had a visit from a Great Skua - known as "Bonxies" in Shetland.It stayed for part of the afternoon before going off - presumably to find some sea!

I have to get used to "Bonxie" as I shall be going on my first visit to Shetland next October. I'm excited as I have been thinking about a proper visit for ages.
I say proper just in case something spectacular is turned up there that I have to twitch - that would be unlikely as its a long way to go - and I do have commitments down south!I will be travelling all over the Islands and getting to see all the "hot-spots" - with a view to going back if its as brilliant as birders say!

More about this trip later!

I am currently watching videos of birds in Southern Africa. I am trying to learn to id as there are many that I havent even seen on TV! Its a good video - I'll do an ad on it later - its in the wrong room!You get a clip of a bird then the name comes up so you can quickly have a go at its id! There is no commentary - oh bliss but good views and the calls/song - so you can then look it up in the field guide.
I am off for about 3 weeks towards the end of October into November.Kruger Safari - staying in 3 Rest Camps - cant believe I will rest as there will be too many birds and mammals to watch!This is a trip I wanted to do since I was 14 - quite why its taken this long I have no idea!Dreams are great but to be about to fulfill them... well.I wanted to be a Wildlife Photographer then (age 12 -14) and if I had gone on Safari to Africa then....who knows maybe I would have been as famous as Simon King! Or perhaps I would have stayed forever!Haha couldn't have afforded it then!

We are travelling about quite a bit and covering quite a lot - including St.Lucia wetlands and the Drakensburg Mountains!

I will blog later about this, now back to earth and some shopping!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

3WEEKS!!!! you cant go away on hol for 3 weeks sneaky. BBF will be a nightmare!! you cant do this, i'llhave to have a word with passport controll, they are very strict on who they allow into their country.