22 May 25 - Another Durlston Bee-eater

After a long day of volunteering on Brownsea, I was enjoying a lazy start on the next day. I had just finished my breakfast, when the phone pinged, a mobile Bee-eater around Durlston Castle. This is the only regular Purbeck site for Bee-eaters and they have a habit of hanging around. So, I grabbed the bins and camera and headed up. I had a quick look at the top of the Long Meadow, where I've seen a flock of six on 31 May 97 and seven on 15 May 19, but there was no sign. I tried a loop around the Castle but again, I drew a blank.

At this point, local Birder Rob Johnson, appeared. Rob said it had been found an hour earlier over the diagonal path by local Durlston patch-watcher, Hamish Murray, before disappearing. Hamish had then had short views by the Castle, before it disappeared. It was clearly mobile. Rob & I decided to check out the Lighthouse Gully, where I saw my other Durlston Bee-eater on 31 May 2012. By this point, we had been joined by James Leaver & Jol Mitchell. Initially, there was no sign, but about ten minutes I heard it giving a classic pantomime call: it's behind you. We turned to watch it fly past at a distance, before flying over the Lighthouse Gully for a couple of minutes.

Bee-eater: A distant flight shot over the Lighthouse Gully

Swanage Birder Phyl England reappeared while it was flying around the Lighthouse Gully and we waved to her to join us. Next, we saw it drop into the large Sycamore next to the bridge on the Lighthouse road, but that was about three hundred metres away. Time to walk down the road. We finally picked it up in the Sycamore when we were about sixty metres away. Time for a few record shots.

Bee-eater

Bee-eater: It saw a couple of Bees, went after them, before dropping back and out of our sight in the tree. Time to walk closer

We were all aware that this is a popular thoroughfare and locals and visitors were likely to walk about twenty metres away from the tree. So, after a few minutes we walked closer until we were finally on the bridge. It was a lot closer, but more hidden behind the branches. But it wasn't worried by our presence. At least we could explain what we were watching to any passers-by and hope they wouldn't be as loud as they passed the tree.

Bee-eater

After showing it to a couple of walkers, it decided it was time to go and bully the local Bee population and flew up and disappeared back towards the car park. After twenty or thirty minutes, it reappeared in flight before quickly flying off along the Upper Gully. We gave it a bit more time, but it didn't reappear. I walked back along the Long Meadow and it put in two short appearances before disappearing as I left the park. It stayed until late PM, but surprisingly it appeared to head off West around tea-time.

Kestrel: Male. It's a shame the Bee-eater didn't sit out as obviously as this Kestrel

Despite having seen fifteen Bee-eaters on four dates at Durlston, I've only seen two other Bee-eaters in the Isle of Purbeck, with Autumn singles in Swanage on 29 Oct 12 and Creech Heath on 10 Sep 22. I've never seen a Portland individual, which is the other Dorset Bee-eater hotspot. But there again, I've never tried chasing one on Portland, given how mobile they can be.

15 May 19 - B Is For Bee-eaters

I was working at home on Wednesday, when I saw a message at lunchtime of seven Bee-eaters at Durlston: the excellent Dorset County Council reserve at the Southern side of Swanage. I couldn't head up quickly due to work. I could afford to be laid back on this occasion, having been lucky enough to have seen a flock of six Bee-eaters at Durlston on 31 May 97 & a single exactly fifteen years later to the day. Maybe I should pop up on 31 May 27? They were still present when I finished for the day, so it was time to grab the camera & pop up to Durlston. I could see a few parked cars just outside the park entance & a small huddle in the field on the Eastern side of the entrance road. As I walked up to the small gathering, I saw Peter Moore lift his camera: clearly, they were still here. For the next hour they regularly flew over the fields on both sides of the entrance road. I've now seen eighteen good Birds at Durlston: a Red-footed Falcon, a Red-flanked Bluetail, a Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler, a self-found Bluethroat & fourteen Bee-eaters. A bit more variety would be nice!

Bee-eater: They really are too bright for the British countryside

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

Bee-eater: They are even better on the upperside

Bee-eater

Bee-eater: Doing what their name suggests

Bee-eater: An unidentifiable Bumblebee: one of a number of species with a yellow band on the body

Bee-eater: This individual with a lop-sided tail moult and a notch in the inner primaries on the right wing was the most photogenic

I left about 20:00 as the light levels were starting to drop & I didn't think I was going to get any better shots. They must have headed off within the next thirty minutes, as one of my mates arrived about 20:30 & failed to see them. Presumably they roosted locally, but they didn't return to Durlston the following morning. Hopefully, the Dorset Spring isn't over yet.

12 Oct 14 - Launch Of The New IQ30 Bird Club

Following the recent voting success in Clacton for UKIQP, the political wing of the IQ40 club, the IQ40 Club is pleased to announce today the launch of the new IQ30 Club. This will be a Bird Club for  supporters of UKIQP. So if you are fed up of all those Foreign Birds coming over here & getting all the attention, then this is the Bird Club for you. The rules are simple. You will be only be allowed to tick British Birds. Some are obvious such as Blackbirds & Robins. 

Blackbird: Juvenile. Clearly no problem ticking this resident Blackbird. This Studland Blackbird is 100% pukka as it was clearly born here (31 May 14)

Robin: Nearly all Robins are fine, but beware the greyish backed European Robins on the East coast in the Autumn, as they won't be tickable. Old Harry (4 Sep 14)

But other British Birds you can Tick are those which have long winters abroad like the Swallows & House Martins before coming home again to breed.

House Martin: These bred here, but like to have long holidays abroad in the winter & they are still tickable. Studland (6 Sep 14)

Also the British breeding Warblers such as Chiffchaffs & Whitethroats are obviously tickable. After all who doesn't enjoy their Winter holidays in the sun. 

Chiffchaff: IQ30 Birders will obviously have to ensure they aren't wrongly ticking a Siberian Chiffchaff as these will not be tickable. Studland (7 Oct 14)

Whitethroat: Clearly tickable, especially as this was born here. Old Harry (4 Sep 14)

But you will not be able to tick those European Birds that come here without permission and should be sent back to Europe. So out go the Redwings, Fieldfares & Waxwings which come over here in the Winter & eat our British Bird's berries.

Waxwing: Waxwings wouldn't be tickable as they are a European species that only come here to exploit our berries and not contribute anything. Poole (12 Dec 10)

But don't worry about not being able to Tick these common Winter visitors the spokesman for the IQ30 Club said. You can sign up now for one of our exclusive IQ30 Summer Tours, where in addition to the Scottish Specialities, we will take you to our special & secret sites, where you will be able to Tick breeding Snow Buntings, Redwings and Fieldfares. These trips will be timed to see the British chicks, as well as their British parents. You will all be expected to buy & wear our special IQ30 blindfolds so you cannot reveal our secret sites. He finished by saying they double up as exclusive bandanas, in a desperate attempt to woo back former members of the IQ40 club.

Fieldfare: Winter Fieldfares won't be tickable, but our special Tours go to our secret & exclusive sites where they breed & all Tour participants will get a certificate to prove they have a tickable Fieldfare on their IQ30 Club lists. This Fieldfare photographed at Dungeness wouldn't be tickable (8 March 14)

The IQ30 spokesman also said you won't be allowed to Tick the gaudy European Birds that arrive here every year without permission. He said we will made clear statements of what can & can't be ticked. For example, Bee-eaters are clear European & can't be ticked. But the Isle of Wight 8, referring to the 8 babies that were born in the UK are fully tickable. He confirmed their parents are not countable. The beaming smile on his face indicated he clearly has this major IQ30 Club Blocker on his list.

Bee-eater: Gaudy adults like this would not be tickable, although the spokesman said the Isle of Wight 8 would be fully tickable. Beit She'an, Israel (12 April 14)

For years UKIQP have argued that these European Birds should be caught by Ringers. Once caught they should be quickly bagged and put on the next Eurostar before being released. Their leader, Mr Farfetched, says they will hold the balance of power after next year's Bird Elections and the old parties such as BUFO (British Union For Ornithology) and BOT (British Ornithology Trust) have had their day. After all he argued, how can you trust organisations that are named after the Common Toad or rude parts of the body, to represented today's Birders. We are the organisation of the future and we will send these Foreign Birds back, suitably marked with a special ring to show they have been deported. That way if they return, it will be obvious they won't be tickable.

Subalpine Warbler: This is a classic species that would be deported if caught by a ringer according to the UKIQP manifesto. Velji Do, Croatia (5 May 14)

The IQ30 spokesman announced they were pleased to hear the news that following the successful campaign to keep Scotland part of the UK, by the Bigger Together team, that Scottish Birders realised the threats to their lists and voted to keep those English & Welsh Birds on their lists.

Corn Crake: Scottish Corn Crakes are still fully tickable now Scottish Birders voted for the Bigger Together campaign in the recent Scottish Birders referendum organised by SNIP, the Scottish Nationalist Independence Party. They wanted to drastically snip the Lists of Scottish Birders & stop them ticking English & Welsh Birds. Balranald (4 June 12)

Critics have been quick to respond how will we know what we can Tick. This has already been full thought out by the President of the IQ40 Club, and new IQ30 Club, said their spokesman. He went on to say short term visas will be introduced to allow the American Birds to be ticked. The President will also judge which of these birds will get visas allowing them to be ticked & which will be extended to give them automatic rights to be ticked on future Year Lists.

Mourning Dove: This American visitor would be is likely to get a visa allowing it to be ticked. But it's possible that being on a distant island, a visa might be ruled out: depending on whether members of the IQ30 Club committee travelled to add it to their IQ30 Year List. Rum (30 Oct 13)

He said some of the British Wildfowl will become fully tickable: Black Swans and Bar-headed Geese which were clearly born here will be eligible for ticking. He said BUFO need to allow these species. But he said with a smile, clearly enjoying his own joke, the organisation was old & warty and he is looking forward to the day it croaks for the last time.

Bar-headed Goose: British born Bar-headed Geese would be added to the IQ30 List. Bharatpur, India (27 Jan 14)

So join the IQ30 Club now as we have a special offer at the moment, with a 50% discount on the membership fees for members of UKIQP or for subscribers to the Daily Birding Mail.

12 April 14 - A Cracking Scops Owl

We left Eilat after an early breakfast to head up to the Kfar Ruppin kibbutz, near to small town of Beit She'an, in central Eastern Israel & close to the Jordanian border. This kibbutz is set up to attract birders to it numerous fish ponds, good fields & bird hide. It is also has a ringing station, but no ringing was going on while we were there. The first stop was the fields at the start of the Ovda road for a final look. There were a few migrants moving South West through the valley.

White Stork: Stopping off on migration

Crowned Sandgrouse

Ortolan 

Then it was for a final walk around the sewerage works at the nearby Ne'ot Smadar kibbutz.

The Ne'ot Smadar sewerage works: A mixture of open pools

The Ne'ot Smadar sewerage works: As well as landscaped reed beds

Rock Martin

Tree Pipit: This is the nominate trivialis subspecies

Yellow-vented Bulbul

Wheatear: Female

A quick check on the car reveals a few recent additions: Striated Heron (far left), the Grey Phalarope (middle) & Pied Kingfisher (for Simon on far right)

Bush shelter: Travelling back to the main Dead Sea to Eilat road, we saw this great bus shelter. How long before this would be vandalised in the UK

The bush shelter proved to be a good omen as we had great views of the real thing, Nubian Ibex, at the En Gedi turn off.

Nubian Ibex: This desert Goat occurs in Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordon, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yeman, Eritrea, Ethiopia & Sudan

Nubian Ibex: These ones are clearly used to tourists photographing them

Nubian Ibex: I couldn't resist another photo

Carrying on North, we left the arid Dead Sea area and passed into the West bank. The further North we got, the greener & more agricultural it was. It was a quick journey as the road bypassed all the main towns and we only made a couple of quick stops when we saw birds of interest. Passing through the border fence at each end was pretty quick with just a quick scan of the passports at the exit point.

The West Bank: The Southern end where it started to get green

White Stork: We passed a rubbish tip where at least 90 White Storks were feeding along with at least 20 Cattle Egrets

Tank & Cafe: Soon after leaving the West Bank we saw this closed up cafe with tank in the car park 

We arrived at the Kfar Ruppin kibbutz around mid afternoon & were soon being shown to our accommodation, a self catering flat, by David: who as well as running the accommodation was also a birder. This gave us a chance to catch up with directions for a few birds. The key birds here were Long-billed Pipits on the nearby hills near to Beit She'an & Dead Sea Sparrows (which we had missed near Eilat). David confirmed there were a few pairs of Dead Sea Sparrows on the kibbutz & after a quick drink, we were ready to head out birding. We started on the kibbutz, but later explored an area close to Beit She'an.

Pygmy Cormorant

Black Kite

Montagu's Harrier: Male

Moorhen: Immature of the nominate chloropus subspecies which occurs throughout the Palearctic, wintering to Arabia & South China

Bee-eater: It's great when you see them this well

Yellow-vented Bulbul

Clamorous Reed Warbler: This is the levantinus subspecies of Northern Israel with the similar stentoreus subspecies occurring in Egypt. There are a number of other Asian subspecies which occur from Arabia, to the Indian Subcontinent, SE Asia & Indonesia

Palestine Sunbird: Male

Palestine Sunbird: Male who must have seen some Hummingbird Hawk Moths given it was frequently trying to copy them

Dead Sea Sparrow: Male

We headed into Beit She'an to try & get some food. But everything was closed up as it was the Jewish Sabbath. So we ended up with plan B: a few bits from the garage & self catering. It was dark when we got back to the kibbutz & we could hear Scops Owls calling. I put the food plans on hold & grabbing the torch & camera headed out to see if I could get some photos. For me, some of the most enjoyable overseas birding I can remember is walking around at night looking for Owls. I'm always up for the challenge, especially for the smaller Owls. It's rarely quick, but if I see good views of the Owls, then it is really rewarding. I knew from previous experience in Europe that Scops Owls will call for ages from the same perch, but can be tricky to find & won't respond to a tape. But that wasn't a problem, as I didn't have a recording anyway. But there were several around & all calling to each other & so not having a tape wasn't going to be a problem. After about 15 minutes, I had seen a couple of brief flight views as birds moved perches, but that was all. Finally, after about an hour of looking, I located one calling from the top of a palm tree & got some reasonable photos. Time to cook some food at last.

Scops Owl: This is the cycladum subspecies which occurs from Southern Greece to Turkey, Israel, Jordon & South Asia Minor. Still managed to photograph all the Owls seen, although the following evening I had brief flight views of a Barn Owl, so that is currently amended to photographing all the family of Owls I've seen since getting the camera (but the family of Barn Owls will now have to wait till I can get a shot of a Barn Owl in the UK)