Rep of Georgia - Batumi Raptor Count - Banding Levant Bonus!

This morning had a slight twist to it with Dries having set out the nets in garden to the guesthouse. The morning continued at slow pace until a fall of birds in the nets which just happened to coincide with a talk and demonstration with a Georgian Falconers Group. We processed Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Great Tit and Garden Warbler. In between net checking a Black Woodpecker was observed in flight and calling from trees above the house. 

The best was saved till last during the last check of the nets for the day. An accipter had found its way into the first net. No time was wasted removing the very co-operative Levant Sparrowhawk from the net. 

A yellow grey eye, throat stripe and several bars through the length of the tail were features confirming the age of the bird as a juvenile. The excellent Identification guide to Birds in the Hand by Demongin, Lelievre, and Candelin assisted with this process.

In the mean time the Honey Buzzards had been pouring through station one therefore it was time to join my fellow counters for an afternoon of streaming raptors. This spectacle is still as amazing as the first day I experienced it. There were 37,000+ HB counted today along with Black Kite by the bucket full.

For exact numbers please visit the BRC link below where the full days count is shown.

The previous day on Station two produced a small flock of juvenile Purple Heron which may have been displaced by overnight rain.

What wonders will tomorrow will bring…!

Rep of Georgia - Batumi Raptor Count - 30,000 HB in a day!

I have been with Batumi Raptor Count for two weeks now and time has literally flown by. The number of raptors that pass through the bottleneck is staggering and the season has not got into full flow yet.

The counting process requires complete teamwork with stream counters, species identifiers and aging and sexing birds that pass overhead or in zone 1 either side of the station. The data is then entered by another counter into a palmtop computer.

 In addition to organizing the troops at the stations the count co-ordinators provide expert advice on identifying and aging species with raptor identification presentations some evenings. As a result my knowledge of raptors has gone into orbit with every feather pattern being scrutinized as a bird passes overhead.

For exact numbers please visit the BRC link below where the full days count is shown.

I have added eleven new species to my life list with a Middle Spotted Woodpecker causing some discussion the other morning. The call was perfect for this species but the white on the back and crown colour was the focus of the debate.

There is a lighter side to the count which keeps everyone focused enhancing the enjoyment of the spectacle that appears each day. The Rollers tend to fly along the coast at station one early in the morning. A minutes silence is announced over the radio for birds that I do not see. Fortunately a flock passed overhead the other day.

I am as a result collecting a mass of photographs which will need sorting out at some stage. I hope to have good pictures of every age of each raptor by the end of the two months.

Rep of Georgia - Batumi Raptor Count - Clicker mania on the hills!

I have been alternating my visits to the two stations which both give a different prospective over the landscape. Gabi spotted an unusual migrant in the form of a Pintail the other day. This was my first duck of the trip but sadly I could not lock the camera onto it.

The Rollers are seen along the coast from station one with over c111 on the 24^th. A Spotted Flycatcher was also seen at the top of the hill to station 2. Small flocks of Turtle Dove are now passing through.

A Lesser Spotted Eagle has been the star of the show recently although a thermaling flock of over 300 White Stork was an impressive site! The c20,000 Honey Buzzards passed from station one on the 25^th. The flow of birds is almost constant with the rattle of clickers from the hill as the birds pass over the transect line.

Black Kite integrate into the Honey Buzzard flocks with Short Toed Eagle and more numerous Booted Eagle adding a further edge to the scanning process.

For exact numbers please visit the BRC link below where the full days count is shown.

(Swallowtail)

There is no shortage of things to see whatever the day. The days are flying by the way! A visit to the theatre to watch traditional Georgian dancing was an amazing spectacle followed by table tennis in the floodlit park. 

(Chinese Screw Orchid)

The atmosphere in Batumi is wonderful and I look forward to visiting town again in the near future!

Rep of Georgia - Batumi Raptor Count - Pallas's Gull!

Yesterday was very stormy with frequent showers but it seemed Station 2 had the better of the weather and the numbers of birds. Ortolan Bunting was a life bird for me with good views as the birds stayed low over the station.

Station 2 – 22/8

Montagus 8, Marsh Harrier 40, MonPalHen 11, Booted Eagle 2, Lesser Kestrel, Levant Sparrowhawk, Black Kite 159, Honey Buzzard 1,132, Ortalan Bunting c25, Tree Pipit c5, Bee Eater are numerous across the area.

Today turned up another life bird Pallas’s Gull which was found along the coast. The bird obliged by taking a fly over the station. I was relieved to add this species to my life list having chased an individual along the Bulgarian coast without locating it last year!

Station 1 – 23/8

Palid Harrier 6, Montagus 39, MonPalHen 33, Booted Eagle 35, Levant Sparrowhawk c15, Black Kite 260, Honey Buzzard 9311, Black Stork, White Stork 2, Steppe Buzzard 2, Bee Eater are numerous across the area.

Rep of Georgia - Batumi Raptor Count - Honey Buzzard Bonanza!!

A milestone was reached today with 10,002 Honey Buzzard migrating through the Batumi bottleneck and in the words of Gabi “Kevin this is nothing!.”

I saw a small flock of Roller today which incidentally is a life species for me. The birds were seen on the coast side of station one.

I took pictures of a Levant Sparrowhawk unlike the bird I posted before! Always check the photos.

Osprey was another welcome addition to the photo list.

(Booted Eagle light phase non-juvenile)

For exact numbers please visit the BRC link below where the full days count is shown.

Station 1 – 21/8

Palid Harrier 2, Montagus 11, Marsh Harrier 33, MonPalHen 22, Booted Eagle 60, Short Toed Eagle 2, Osprey 2, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Levant Sparrowhawk, Black Kite 465, Honey Buzzard 10,002, Black Stork 3, Roller 9, Bee Eater are numerous across the area.

Republic of Georgia - Batumi Raptor Count - The Count Begins!

The Batumi Raptor Count season has started. There are two stations which are strategically positioned within the bottleneck. There is an imaginary line between both stations where birds are counted as they cross it. The sightings are recorded on palmtop devices with distance zones included with the sightings. Some double counts are identified on the palmtop so that the computer program that calculates the true count can be tested. Radio contact is maintained between the stations maximizing the return of identified groups of birds.

Station one is situated on the coastal side of the Black Sea. The viewing area covers an area of lowland and populated areas.  Station two is situated closer to the mountains and overlaps with station one on the west side of the valley and the viewing area extends into the mountains to the east.

The first few days have seen a steady build up of migrating birds. The highest number was yesterday over 800+ raptors but the figures are low in migration terms. It is not possible to identify all the harriers that pass over the stations therefore the birds are classed as MonPalHen. These are the counts from the stations I have been on so far.

Please visit the BRC link below where the full days count is shown.

(Sparrowhawk)

Station 2 – 17/8

Levants Sparrowhawk, Marsh Harrier c35, Booted Eagle 5, Black Kite 5, Honey Buzzard c250, White Stork 23.

(Pallid Harrier)

Station 1 – 18/8

Palid Harrier 2, Montagus 41, Marsh Harrier 23, MonPalHen 81, Booted Eagle, Short Toed Eagle 3, L,esser Kestrel, Levant Sparrowhawk, Black Kite 4, Honey Buzzard 7.

(Lesser Crested Eagle)

Station 2 – 19/8

Palid Harrier 2, Montagus 12, Marsh Harrier 48, MonPalHen 42, Lesser Spotted Eagle 3, Booted Eagle 11, Short Toed Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Levant Sparrowhawk, Black Kite 72, Honey Buzzard 659, Osprey, Hobby, Black Stork.

(Black Stork)

I have a day off today and have been wading through my photographs. I will being going to have a look around Batumi with Paulina (Mexico) later. 

Tomorrow 21^st I will be back on a station and in the thick of the action!

Republic of Georgia - Churockhi Delta

I arrived in Rep of Georgia late Wednesday evening and was met at the airport by Triin one of the count co-ordinators. The remainder of the evening was spent eating a hearty meal and being introduced to Bart and Arthur the other co-ordinators and getting to know fellow season counters.

The next day was spent at the Churockhi Delta searching for some new birds for my pitiful Western Palearctic list. The area of scrubland and fields supported an array of species a few including a life bird Booted Eagle greeted us as we entered the area via an ungraded road.

Isabeline Wheatear was the next species to surrender itself to the list. Red backed Shrike was most numerous of the shrikes with a Lesser Grey Shrike making an appearance.

There were a few small puddles along the path which supported a few shorebirds. A Wood Sandpiper was the most notable with Little Ringed Plover, Common and Green Sandpiper.

Citrine Wagtail was irregularly seen feeding in the short grass either side of the path. Rose-coloured Starling and a Short-toad Lark was also noted. A flock of Garganey was seen in flight.

The main wetland area held Little Crake (another lifer), Squacco Heron, Little Grebe and Snipe. The margins supported a group of Yellow Wagtail.

Lunch was taken before the afternoon walk along the beach to the river. Gabi (France) found the species of the day a pair of Ferruginous Duck which present but difficult to find in Georgia.

The beach was a good resting place for various ages of Yellow-legged Gulls.

The pool before the river mouth held Curlew Sandpiper, Ruff, Little Stint and Broad Billed Sandpiper. Further along the river a Terek Sandpiper was found by Gabi. White winged Black Tern patrolled the margins a couple of juvenile birds flew past the group at eye level.

The day finished with a bus ride back to the Guesthouse.

Republic of Georgia - Batumi Bound!!

Tomorrow at stupid o clock another adventure begins. My destination is the Republic of Georgia Eastern Europe. I will be joining the Batumi Raptor Count for a seasons counting as one million raptors (birds of prey) migrate through the Batumi Bottleneck.

I have watched many videos of the migration and I have spoken in the past of venturing east to witness the spectacle! I have been preparing for this trip for some time now and trust everything comes together in the field. I have even stepped up the fitness regime with the mornings climb to the viewing station in mind!

(Beddington skywatch from the corner!!)

As with all forms of bird data collection it will be a game of patience with long periods of empty skies and the odd day of rain preventing migration but when the birds arrive the numbers will be phenomenal! The moment will remind me of the line in the film poltergeist where the girl sits in front of her fuzzy TV and exclaims “They’re Here!” The anticipation factor will tide me through the lows. I have had plenty of them raptor watching at Beddington Farm!!

The last day before travel can be a dull affair sitting around with only the kit left to pack. The arrangement of kit has become an easier task with practice but there are always must be included items even if their initial purpose is not totally clear. One such item is the Amber and Chocolate of Sutton United! I bet this shirt has not been seen this far east before!!

I remember taking a Vialli 9 shirt away with me to Borneo many moons ago and parting company with it after a hotel concierge took me to a local soccer match in Sabah. The manager of Sabah was Ken Shellito and the late David “Rocky” Rocastle was the team midfield general! It was a fair exchange and the guy was beside himself when I presented him with the shirt on my last day!

The soccer aside (which I will miss!) the forthcoming experience will add a new element to my ornithological journey teaching me counting and recording methodology for migrating raptors. My identification skills should spike I will just have to remember to breathe as the waves of raptors pass overhead!! With any journey there is the opportunity to meet like minded people from all corners of the globe.

If you would like to know more about BRC and the raptor count please click on the banner (link) at the end of this post.

I am not completely sure of how good the wifi connection at the base is but if I can I will update my progress on here. If not I will be posting like a maniac when I return to blighty in eight weeks time!!

Beddington Farm - Back to the Smoke!!

The journey back to the smoke was trouble free and we arrived at Beddington Farm at around 1630hrs. We were both confident that the day list would gain several common species that we had not bumped into thus far.

100 Acre is the best area for shorebirds at present so we hot footed it taking a quick look over the North Lake as we made our way to this area. Shelduck and a family party of Tufted duck were noted both species were surprisingly not recorded earlier on in the day!! The area of proposed wet grassland had Green Sandpiper on the edge of what can only be described as a puddle in the SW corner.

Jim’s bed on 100 Acre was littered with Moorhen who seemed to be enjoying the low water levels allowing wading access to most parts of the bed. A Ringed Plover and Little Ringed Plover were noted along the edges of the main island.

Common and Green Sandpiper were also present on this bed along with some regular passerines that were added to the days total.

The final total was 91 species which included a Yellow-legged Gull on Jim’s.

A very enjoyable day indeed!

North Kent Coast - Part II - Isle of Sheppey

In the past I have spent a considerable amount of time on the Isle of Sheppey. The island situated off the north coast of Kent offers a diverse range of habitats with hills, farmland and coastal areas which provide feeding grounds for migratory birds.

The winter months are best to see raptors which have included Rough Legged Buzzard in the past. Hen and Marsh Harrier and Merlin are also regulars during this period. Geese, swans and shorebirds also congregate on the fields and coastal areas.

Sheppey was a former venue for my owl race where I would attempt to see the five species that frequent England (Tawny, Barn, Little, Short-eared and Long -eared) in one day. The Harty Ferry Inn which is situated on the opposite bank to Oare Marsh was always a welcome stopping point to refuel!

Today’s plan included a pit-stop for lunch at The Harty Ferry Inn which incidentally is expanding its business to include accommodation which is currently in the construction phase. I will be keeping an eye on this despite the drive from home to Sheppey being around 90mins. A stop on the way added Cuckoo and closer views of Whimbrel that were feeding in a field.

After lunch we headed to the shoreline Pete locating a Med Gull in a small group of Black-headed Gulls. We then headed off to Shellness which is situated at the mouth of The Swale and the North Sea.

The tide was now on the turn and the exposed mudflats were being filled by an almost constant flow of shorebirds. Curlew, Knot, Grey Plover, and Bar-tailed Godwit were added to the day list. Sadly this was not the only areas that were exposed as part of this stretch of beach is now a nudist beach!!

Further along the beach we found groups of terns, Little, Common and Sandwich which were observed from near the pill box. The Kent part of the trip was complete with 79 species recorded. The obsmobile just had to dash back to the smoke before the rush hour took hold.

(Sea Holly)

The day however was not over last stop Beddington Farm....

North Kent Coast - Part I - Oare Marsh

Today I teamed up with Pete Alfrey and his mobile observatory to venture along the North Kent coastline to connect with a recent congregation of rarities.

This first stop on our tour was Oare Marsh which has attracted a host of rare birds recently. We set out at almost stupid o clock to enable us to reach the marshes a couple of hours before high tide which at 0917hrs at Sheerness.

On arrival we set to work on sifting through the numerous shorebirds and gulls on the East flood. The Red Necked Phalarope was busy feeding away in the distance views through the telescope were only possible throughout the morning.

The shorebird total rose quickly with seventeen species noted including a Curlew Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, plovers and shanks. As the tide moved in flocks of birds sought sanctuary on the flood reminding me of days stood on crowded railway platforms amongst commuters.

A Spotted Redshank was not fazed by this invasion of birds and continued feeding in front of an exposed area of mud.

Black Tailed Godwits were by far the most numerous species present with a few individuals staying clear of the main groups.

A particular highlight of the morning was the Bonaparte’s Gull which Pete located in a group of Black Headed Gulls. The bird was reasonably close to the road that dissects the two floods allowing good opportunities for photographs. I had missed this species at Oare several times in years gone by and was therefore relieved to have finally caught up with it.

Having enjoyed the shorebird fest we moved on to the West flood having been earlier distracted by a pinging family group of Bearded Reedling (Tit). I never tire of seeing these birds and the icing on the cake was a perfect display at short distance despite a blustery wind.

Marsh Harrier, Kestrel and Buzzard represented the morning’s raptors. But it was Turtle Dove that grabbed our attention as we made our way across the flood. Lesser and Common Whitethroat, Cetti’s and Reed Warbler were added to the day list which was making good progress reaching a healthy 62 species with several common species missing from the tally....

Next stop Isle of Sheppey....