Sunday 16 December 2018

NON-STOP BIRDING HIGHLIGHTS OF 2018

Here's a few highlights from this year's trips away and adventures at LITTLE OAK GROUP


JANUARY :WINTER IN THE TROPICS - GHANA 

No better way than breaking up the Northern winter than with a trip to the tropics. Planning on setting up a small winter project in Ghana so in 2018 we did a recce to find a project area.

 Western Fantasia
 Chocolate-backed Kingfisher 
 Piping Hornbill 
Isaac and I on the Canopy Walkway

FEBRUARY: HAWFINCHES
The local Hawfinch invasion was a once in a lifetime spectacle.  For the full story see Steve's blog HERE

FEBRUARY- MARCH: THE BEAST FROM THE EAST

The infamous Beast from the East 2018 produced some excellent local birding.


Ice age at Beddington Farmlands 
Lapwing at Beddington- large numbers were displaced in the cold weather
Golden Plover- good numbers were also recorded with birds also on the deck, feeding amongst the excavators that were keeping unfrozen ground exposed 
Knot- one of the highlights of the hard weather movement 
Avocet on ice 
Pink-footed Geesse over Oxfordshire

MARCH: SPRING IN THE DESERT- WESTERN SAHARA

TRIP REPORT HERE

Jaffa and the Sahara 
Dunn's Lark
Cricket Warbler
'Desert' Lanner- amazing birds 
Wryneck on a pavement in the city 
Eurasian Bittern in the middle of the desert- the first sight record for the Western Sahara 
     Managed to get one of the best recordings of Golden Nightjar. Also availale to download from Xeno-canto HERE

APRIL: HOOPOE AT BEDDINGTON 

The first at Beddington in 40 years!

APRIL: BEDDINGTON FARMLANDS CAMPAIGN

The Beddington campaign rumbled along through 2018 with highlights including the May local councillor election where I stood as a Green Party candidate to highlight Beddington Farmlands and also the September Chris Packham People's March where we marched for a end to conservation organisation corruption at Beddington Farmlands.



May Elections 
The Amazing Magical Viridor Plan- our Spring campaign song 


The Royal Society for the Protection of Big Business- our autumn campaign song 

Sue, Andrew and myself meeting Sian Berry (Green Party co-leader) and Caroline Lucas (Green MP) 


MAY: HERPING IN BULGARIA

Had an absolutely fantastic trip in May with Dylan and Anton herping in Bulgaria. We had 20 species of reptiles and amphibians in three days.

Dahl's Whip Snake
Sand Boa
Aesculapian Snake 
Glass Lizard

JUNE: EUROPEAN ROAD TRIP- SLOVENIA, CROATIA AND AUSTRIA IN SUMMER 


Absolutely incredible trip in the camper with the gang. The focus was on getting Rock Partridge for the WP list and then making a start on learning WP butterflies and moths. Guided in Slovenia by Domen BLOG HERE.

Rock Partridge in Croatia
Ural Owl in Slovenia 
Scarce Fritillary 
Purple Shaded Gem 
Narrow-bordered Bee Hawkmoth
Burnt-tip Orchid 
Carniolan Lily
Globe Orchid 
Alpine Marmot
View over Cerknica, Slovenia 
The Tyrol Alps in Austria 

Holly and Jacob in the Med (nice to drive there) 


JUNE: SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS AT THE OLD VICARAGE


Great to see the Spot Flys breeding again at Holly's.


SUMMER: CONSERVATION WORK 
Our wildlife friendly green space management goes on daily throughout the year SEE HERE. For more on works in 2018 see HERE/

JULY-AUGUST: THE LONG HOT INSECT SUMMER

Summer 2018 was long and dry and hot. Great for insects. Loads of new moths at the Beddington obs and an incredible influx of Southern Migrant Hawkers into the South.

Southern Migrant Hawker (above and below) , Oare Marshes 

Bulrush Veneer-at Beddington Farmlands. A local scarcity. There was a lot of displacement of insects through the summer particularly wetland species which were presumably moving around as their habitats dried up. 
Nephopterix angustella- one of many firsts for Beddington Farmlands through the period 
Gold Spot - a second for the farmlands 
Juniper Webber- a first for Beddington 
Presumably forced out by the dry conditions there were 12-15 Hedgehogs in the local area by late summer 
Had a couple of great days out with Steve Gale BLOG HERE out on the North Downs looking at botany and butterflies. This Small Teasle was one of the highlights. 

Beddington Farmlands in August- a parched landscape 

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER: AZORES PELAGIC 2018
SUMMARY HERE

Yet another great success on the Azores pelagic. This year led by David Monticelli with three separate Swinhoe's Petrel sightings and lots more: SEE HERE .
Monteiro's Storm Petrel
Swinhoe's Storm Petrel

AUGUST TO OCTOBER: AUTUMN RARITIES

The Richard's Pipit at Beddington was the local highlight of the autumn. The first since 1970 
Roger found some great local birds including Black Tern (above) and recording breaking numbers of Spoonbill (below) 

Despite several trips to Kent, didn't manage to find much although did see the usual Bonaparte's at Oare, Red-necked Phal there and some general great Thames Estuary birding 
'Bird ' of the autumn locally was this Beluga Whale in the Thames estuary. 
The great mothing season continued into the autumn with this Dusky Lemon Sallow in October- a first for the farmlands 

OCTOBER: AZORES AUTUMN 2018

What an autumn!- full article on Birdguides HERE

Blue Grosbeak- a first for the WP 
Yellow-throated Vireo- a dream WP bird 
Bay-breasted Warbler
Wood Thrush 
Wilson's Warbler
White-throated Sparrow 
Red-eyed Vireos 
Yellow-browed Warbler
Northern Parula- a self found bird 
A couple of publications from the team including two articles in Dutch Birding and the 2015 Azores Rare and Scarce Bird Report 



NOVEMBER : BULGARIA RECCE NOVEMBER 2018
Started an exciting new project in November with the plan to buy some land and set up a small nature reserve/observatory on the Black Sea in Bulgaria. Early days yet but the recce went really well.


Juvenile White-tailed Eagle
The Shipka Monastery- also visited the family while there in the beautiful Valley of the Roses 
Dimiter at one of the prospect areas

NOVEMBER: LOCAL REFERENDUM ON OUR LOCAL NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
More HERE


DECEMBER: BEDDINGTON FARMANDS REPORT 2017

A good end to the year with managing to complete and get the Beddington Farmlands Report published. Another great team effort and amazing photography by Tomos WEBSITE HERE.

3 comments:

Steve Gale said...

That was some year Pete. Hope that 2019 is as action packed and successful.

Peter Alfrey said...

Cheers Steve!
Making 2019 plans right now :-)

Jana said...

Beautiful blog and pictures!
its is the Shipka church btw ;-)

Greetings from a Bulgarian living in the lowlands...