Day in Kent

Spent a very windy day in Kent with Kojak. We started at Oare Marshes for the rising tide, then Shellness for the falling tide, then Capel Fleet and ended up doing the approach road to Elmley. 80 species in total and because Kojak is going to write it up on Birdtrack I won't bother doing Ebird. More from Kojak here.

Highlights included the Bonaparte's Gull at Oare and 2 juvenile Garganey, Hobby and an adult Curlew Sandpiper also there. At Shellness we had Whimbrel, Barwit, Curlew, Sanderling, Little Tern and Sandwich Tern which we didn't have the other side of the Swale. Day ticks at Capel Fleet included Corn Bunting and at Elmley there were Marsh Harriers everywhere along the track. 

The rarest thing we found today was a Hummingbird Hawk Moth. 

 Juvenile Marsh Harrier (above) and Marsh Harrier and Brown Hare altercation (below)

 Oare waterbirds

Juvenile Garganeys 

More Moths

Fear not I am actually going birding tomorrow. The good spell of mothing continues. Here's a few highlights from both the Old Vic and the Beddington Farmlands trap over the last few days.

  Pine Hawkmoth- a long overdue lifer at the Old Vic

 Swallow Prominent at the Old Vic 

 Yellowtail at the Old Vic 

 Mystery moth- just a worn Smoky Wainscot or something like a Striped Wainscot or Reed Dagger (the Old Vic). It's a Smoky ! (Thanks Martin)  

 Golden Pearl, Anania verbascalis from Beddington Farmlands- I believe a first for site 

 Black-headed Conch, Cochylis atricapitana, Beddington Farmlands 

 Straw Conch, Cochylimorpha straminea, Beddington Farmlands 

Black Arches, Beddington Farmlands 

Heat Wave Week- Moth Mania

It's been an extremely busy and hot week. Temperatures on Wednesday were low 30 degrees and it got up to 37 degrees locally on Thursday. My brother Steve is still away so I had to quote work (including a Merton Council tendor for Wimbledon Park) on three days and most of the rest of the week was paper work.

In between I was trying to keep up with the moth trap and due to the temperatures was concerned about the well being of the moths so was trying to get them released as early as possible, so in the rush I hope I didn't miss any migrants. Jacob was also taking a keen interest in all the moths attracted to the bugry but still hasn't quite mastered delicate handling of some of them!

So in all up to 70 moth species on several days and a few Beddington rarities (still need to check status of some of them- might be a couple of firsts for the farmlands).  Here's a few highlights and ids. 

Pheonix

Dark Spectacle (above ) and Dark Spectacle (below left) and Spectacle (right)

Dewick's Plusia- our local speciality 

Gold Spot 

Pebble Prominent 

Rosy-striped Knot Horn 

Dusky Thorn (above), August Thorn (below) 

Nutmeg

Currant Pug 

Plain Pug (above and below) 

 A Common Rustic variant (cheers Billy for confirming ids) 

Oak Processionary have reappeared . Also Jersey Tigers appeared about a week ago.

Little Emerald

Uganda Photo Album

Click on facebook symbol to view: 

To fly or not to Fly?

Interesting discussion about the pros and cons of international travel and nature conservation. Click on facebook symbol to view. 

Uganda, Last Post

The final Uganda trip post, here's a few pics of the group and some of the excellent lodges we stayed at.

Wise Birding (the company I travel with) are running the trip again next year and I couldn't recommend it more highly. One of my favourite trips/destinations with incredible wilderness and super abundance. WISE BIRDING UGANDA 2020.

Graeme has been uploading our Ebird lists, so scroll back to earlier posts to find the added Ebird lists with hotspot locations. 

Will add a full trip report when complete. 

Last day Entebbe ferry crossing ebird list HERE

Fantastic Trip! 97 lifers taking my World List to 2932. 

 Looking over 'the Swamp', Bwindi Forest 

 The Gorilla trek day 

 Chris Townend- Wise Birding owner and group leader 

 Our lodge at Mburo Np (above and below) 

 A couple more accommodations (above and below)  

Wise Birding Uganda 2019 

WISE BIRDING

Uganda Day 15, 150719

Our last full day birding was spent at Lake Mburo National Park which has unique mammals to Uganda including Impala, Topi and Zebra which are more typically in Kenya and Tanzania. It's also the best place in Uganda to see Finfoot. 

Ebird lists:

Mbarara Road- Papyrus swamp

Igongo Country Hotel

Masaka Road- Pond

Lake Mburo Boat trip

Lake Mburo NP

Lake Mburo NP 2

Rwakobo Lodge

 and full trip report to follow.

 African Finfoot- above and below (female) 

 Immature African Fish Eagle 

 Giant Kingfisher 

 Little Bittern 

 Little Bee-eater on Papyrus

 Vervet Monkey 

 Common Zebra 

 Topi 

Impala

Uganda Day 14- 140719

Today was an exhausting 10km trek to the swamp. However it was the best Albertine Rift endemic bird area we had visited so far with nearly every bird being a lifer. The highlight was Grauer's Broadbill. 

Ebird lists:

HERE

The Swamp

Night birding

 and full trip report to follow. 

 Grauer's Broadbill (above and below) 

 Dwarf Honeyguide 

 Stripe-breasted Tit 

 Grey Cuckooshrike 

 Yellow-streaked Greenbul

 Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher 

 White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher

 White-headed Wood Hoopoe 

 Grauer's Rush Warbler 

Black-fronted Duiker