Beddington- 280609

Pass the summer solstice so now officially heading towards autumn. Juvenile Black-headed Gulls have appeared and post breeding Lapwing and Black-headed Gulls flocks are beginning to form. The first staging migrants include 15+ Green Sandpiper, 2 Shoveler and 1 Teal. A single adult Little Ringed Plover was present on hundred acre.

The 'Urban Birder' at Beddington

Roger and I took BBC's David Lindo (The Urban Birder http://urbanitybirder.blogspot.com/) and Kim Dixon on a tour of Beddington. David is writing an article for BBC Wildlife Magazine about birding sites in London in which Beddington will feature.

Birding highlights were a first-summer Med Gull, 8 Green Sandpipers, 13 Mistle Thrush and 2 Peregrine.

Home Time

The end of a great little trip to Turkey with Darryl (top) and me. Highlights included Caspian Snowcock, Radde's Accentor, Grey-necked Bunting, Mongolian Finch, Red-tailed Wheatear, Pale Rockfinch, Chestnut-shouldered Petronia, Little Swift, Menetiere's Warbler, Striated Scop's Owl, Olive Tree Warbler, Upcher's Warbler and a total overall of 205 species.

200th species for our Turkey trip

Got Red-tailed Wheatear (Kurdish Wheatear)  as our 200th species for our trip. Also at Nemrut Dagi were Horned Larks, Snowfinches, Black-eared Wheatears, Northern Wheatears, Rock Sparrows and Black Storks on the ferry over.

Mongolian Finch

Finally found Mongolian Finch (top) after failing to locate them at Ishak Pasa (below). We had 10 at Serpmentas Lava Fields (thanks Richard) where they were feeding by the road and made our two days of scree climbing, lightning dodging and fighting off dogs all needless. Also Snowfinches, Crimson-winged Finch and Twite at the Lava Fields.

Always wanted to see one of these

Always wanted to see a Grey-necked Bunting (top) for some reason but had to get through a major electric storm, military checks and feral dog aggression before doing so. Crimson-winged Finches and Alpine Swifts up here too.

Armenian Gulls

http://peteralfreybirdingnotebook.blogspot.com/2009/02/more-on-armenian-gull.html

Lake Van

Top to bottom: Black-winged Stilt, Black-headed Wagtail, Great Reed Warbler, Armenian Gull and Ruddy Shelduck

Record shots

Drove to Lake Van today and spent all day driving the 2nd most deadly roads in the world http://peteralfrey.blogspot.com/
Top to bottom: Menetries' Warbler, White-throated Robin, Eastern Rock Nuthatch and Caspian Snowcock.

Turkey

Darryl and I have been working our way to eastern Turkey from Adana over the last few days. Got a few photos (from top to bottom): Pale Rockfinch, Desert Finch, Black-headed Bunting, Roller, Bald Ibis, Little Swift, Night Heron, Marsh Harrier, Spur-winged Plover, Golden Jackal, Long-legged Buzzard, Horned Lark, Ortolan and Bimaculated Lark.

Turkey