19 May 15 - Have You Seen An Orange Dove In The UK This Summer?

The results of this May's UK National Bird survey are in and it has highlighted an 86% drop in Orange Doves in the UK in the last five years. In the last survey, this species was found in 57 pockets scattered from the South West & Southern England to its strongholds in Scotland, especially in the Highlands & Islands. But the latest survey has shown the Orange Dove has crashed in all these areas, with just eight isolated populations left in the UK.

Orange Dove: A rare species I have yet to photograph (so I had to borrow this image - copyright the Lib Dems) 

When asked for an official government comment, a senior spokesman looked up briefly from his plate of roast Grouse & Peasant (surely a typo Ed) & laughed. After recovering his composure, he blamed the Badgers & promised to extend their slaughter. Off the record, he admitted the Badger slaughter in the last few years was a secret trial to protect the Orange Doves in the South West. The cull to reduce TB was purely a cover story. Despite its failure, with no Orange Doves found in the latest survey, the spokesman was adamant the Badger cull had to press on to protect the Orange Dove. When asked what scientific evidence backed up the cull, he pointed out the lack of Badgers on the Shetlands, the only place in Scotland where the Orange Dove has clung on.

Badger: The cause of the decline of Orange Doves according to a Government spokesman. Poole Harbour (Apr 14)

He then added, don't be complacent, Foxy, we know you are guilty as well & will be coming for you, just as soon as we have introduced tax breaks for anybody who likes to wear a red jacket & white jodphurs whilst riding their horses.

Fox: Another species implicated in the decline of Orange Doves according to the Government spokesman. Middlebere (12 Sep 14)

The President of the leading IQ40 Bird Watching Club was surprisingly elated. Mr 'Bear' Lee Credible has been known to birdwatchers for many years for his extreme views. He quoted, Mr Farfetched, the press officer of UKIQP, the IQ40's political arm of the IQ40 club, who has blamed the decline of Orange Doves on Foreign Doves coming over here & causing the problem. But ever the opportunist, Bear Lee encouraged people to sign up for his Round Britain tours which will visit the remaining strongholds for Orange Doves.

Many conservationists are worried about the future of the Orange Dove as historically this species has been on long term decline. It was widely established across the UK, but has been in terminal decline since the widespread planting of Red Roses in the UK after the First World War.

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.

30 Aug 14 - IQ40 Club Announce English & Scottish Ospreys To Be Split

During a visit to the annual 'In The Rut' Bird Show a spokesman for the IQ40 Club, Mr 'Bear' Lee Creditable, shocked the Birding world with the news that Scottish Ospreys are soon to be tickable for members of the IQ40 Club alongside English Ospreys. He continued by saying the Scientific Panel of the IQ40 Club have investigated this thoroughly and the facts are clear. We are on the eve of a Yes vote by Scottish Birders in the forthcoming crucial Referendum when they will be asked to decide "Do You Wish Your List To Become Independent From The UK List". The likely result is the Scottish List will become an Independent List & clearly this is good evidence for separating these 2 species of Ospreys.

Osprey: Further taxonomic work is needed on this Osprey. Kfar Ruppin, Israel (13 April 14)

Dressed in his signature white suit, 'Bear' Lee is believed to have finished the statement with his popular sound bite "I have the whitest suit in birding, I have the whitest List". Unfortunately, the recording of the interview became unclear at the end, due to a prolonged bout of loud coughing from nearby birders.

Osprey: This one isn't going to go hungry. Eilat, Israel (9 April 14)

The move was backed by the Fair Birders Organisation who have sponsored the Ospreys that have bred nearby for several years at Osprey Waters (formally Rutland Water), where they hold their annual Bird Show gathering. This backing was seen as a cynical ploy to push up attendance at future Bird Shows.

Osprey: Eilat, Israel (9 April 14)

When the idea of a Bird Show was first discussed, there was considerable lobbying from the usual big interest groups, of the Yorkshire, Norfolk & Kent Bird Clubs to host this new show. In a move to avoid a Birding War of the Roses between the White Rose of Yorkshire, the Kentish Rose & the Norfolk Poppy-Rose, the Fair Birders Organisation settled on the neutral ground of Rutland. It was an ideal compromise as this county was done away with, by one of the Whitehall's Sir Humphreys in 1972 and didn't have a Rose to compete either. It is widely believed that the Sir Humphreys involved has historic links to Leicestershire, the only county to benefit from this annexation. As he signed the annexation order he was heard to mutter, "At long last, Leicestershire birders will have somewhere worthwhile to go Birding". 

Osprey: Periyar, Western Ghats, India (10 Jan 14)

Welcoming the news that English Ospreys were to become a near endemic breeding bird in his county, investigative journalist at the Llama Times & local birder, Andy Llama commented "it's that exciting, I might start blogging again". In the past, Mr Llama has investigated the shady world of 'Bear' Lee and the shadowy world of the IQ40 Club and many hope he will come out of semi-retirement and return to the world of blogging.

Scottish Osprey: Heavily cropped with the Canon 7D & 400mm lens. Middlebere (30 Aug 14)

Scottish Osprey: The uncropped version of the same photo. Middlebere (30 Aug 14)

This is believed to be a Scottish Osprey as it's been heard to give its distinctive call. This has been described in words in the latest field guide as "I have had enough of being fed on a diet of Salmond". This is understood to be a reference to every time the Salmon communicates, all anybody hears is Pollocks (is this spelt right?).

Scottish Osprey: Digiscoped photo. Still struggling by the small pixel size from the IPhone after zooming it. Middlebere (30 Aug 14)

This Osprey has headed South to Poole Harbour in search of Pollocks, which apparently taste great. The Osprey is understood to have indicated it would love to return to breed in Poole Harbour, as they are already empty homes for it to occupy. But it was worried it would become as fat & obese, as the overlarge polystyrene Osprey models (sponsored by the Big MacOsprey Co). These have been placed in some of the nests to attact the Ospreys to their local reserve, by the RSPOB, Royal Society for the Promotion of Obese Birds.

24 May 14 - Swivel-eyed Loon Added To The IQ40 UK List

In a surprise announcement, the IQ40 club have added the Swivel-eyed Loon Gavia fruitcakei, (also known as the Swivel-eyed Diver), to the IQ40 UK List. A spokesman from the IQ40 club confirmed the Swivel-eyed Loon has been identified at a number of localities in the Home Counties. Other ornithologists have expressed concern that that the population seems to consist of elderly individuals which are not believed to have bred for many years & questioned whether the population is self sustaining in the long term. However, the IQ40 club spokesman said there are more of these in the Home Counties now than Lady Amherst's Pheasants and we still allow Lady A's to be ticked on our popular tours.

Great Northern Diver: These are clearly not Swivel-eyed Loons, which are know to only lean to the right

A spokesman from UKIQP, the political wing of the IQ40 club, commented "We broadly welcome these changes as this is our party's logo and the distinctive purple colour looks great on the Swivel-eyed Loon". We are pleased with the number of records that have been recorded all across the UK during the European Big Bird Count yesterday.

White-tailed Sea-eagle: This is turning up regularly in England these days & therefore not a troublesome species in the event of Scottish independence (Rum 1 Nov 13)

Speaking more generally, both the UKIQP and the IQ40 club spokesmen strongly supported the campaign for Scotland to remain part of the UK. Should Scotland vote for independence, then funding will be found to relocate key UK species such as Capercaillie, Crested Tit and Ptarmigan to the Lake District, saying it's important that we are allowed to continue to tick these birds on our Year Lists.  As for the so called Scottish Crossbills, the IQ40 spokesman added, we don't recognise that species as they are too hard to identify, so they can keep them. We would strongly support all plans to retain the Hebrides, Orkneys, Shetlands and Fair Isle as part of the UK, should Scotland vote for independence. 

Corn Crake: A reintroduction scheme into the Fens has already made this species cheaper to Year tick in these days of soaring fuel costs. It's hoped relocating the Capercaillie, Crested Tit and Ptarmigan further South will reduce the UK's dependency on Shetlands oil (Balranald, North Uist, 4 June 12)

When asked about two recent controversial birds, the IQ40 spokesman confirmed that the Flamborough Atlas Flycatcher will remain fully tickable (following scientific studies that showed that its DNA was indistinguishable from that of a Pied Flycatcher). Thus, it is completely tickable alongside the UK Pied Flycatcher.

"Atlas Flycatcher": Well OK, this is a Collared Flycatcher, but they all look the same, give or take a bit of black & white here & there (Beit Yatir, Israel 8 April 14) 

The IQ40 spokesman also confirmed the current Hampshire male Italian Sparrow is fully tickable, as scientific studies are also expected to show a high percentage of House Sparrow genes in it (when a DNA sample can be obtained). He added (desperately), I've already travelled to see it & I can't lose this bird off my Year list. Cynics have said the Italian Sparrow looks a bit like a cross between the following two species (perhaps that explains it). 

Spanish Sparrow: (km19 - km20, Eliat, Israel 9 April 14)

House Sparrow: (Jungle Hut, Western Ghats, India 28 Dec 13)

8 Nov 13 - Mystery Bird Photo

For a bit of fun, here is a photo of the best bird that I saw today, ignoring any species I've seen earlier this week. No prizes for identifying it (as I've given the answer further down this post). Photographed living wild in a wood within Poole Harbour.

Mystery Photo (answers below)

But first back to earlier in the morning. Joined Marcus Lawson at Brands Bay to see the Surf Scoter again, but it was distant. Rain soon set in and Marcus & I just made it to the hide, before it got seriously heavy. Eventually, braved the rain as the Surf Scoter got closer, but wasn't able to improve on the photos on yesterday's blog.

Moving on to the nearby Middle Beach car park on the seaward side of Studland, just as the rain finally stopped. Cracking views of Old Harry at the North Eastern end of the Ballard Down. Old Harry is a full height chalk rock stack, but is hidden behind the left hand grass topped stack. The small chalk rock stack at the far left hand side of the photo is Old Harry's Wife. This is a view I never tire of seeing.

Old Harry Rocks: from Middle Beach, Studland

 

Old Harry Rocks: A close up of Old Harry's Wife

Old Harry Rocks: from Peveril Point, Swanage (taken in Aug 2011)

Old Harry Rocks: A close up of Old Harry

The area of Studland Bay from Knoll Beach South to Old Harry Rocks is the best wintering ground for Black-necked Grebes in the UK. No pictures today as they weren't close in, but numbers starting to build up with 17 on view along with 4 Common Scoter. My peak count has been 75 birds in Jan 2011, but a few days later Steve Morrison counted a stunning 80 birds at the evening roost.

Walked around Middle Beach, South Beach wood & the start of Ballard Down hoping to find a goodie such as a Yellow-browed or Pallas's Warbler. These Eastern birds are just about annual or very rare at Studland respectively, with the best chances of finding one by checking all the birds hanging around in the local Tit flocks. No joy, but several Goldcrests in each flock, including this hyperactive bird.

Goldcrest

Goldcrest: They frequently hover to pick small insects off leaves

Having failed to find anything more unusual than a Firecrest (& that's fairly expected at this time of the year) & carried on to explore some private woodlands within Poole Harbour. So back to the mystery photo. It's a male Reeves's Pheasant.

Male Reeves's Pheasant: sulking under a dense conifer wood. The wings look much too big for the body

The BOU (British Ornithological Union) which maintains the official British List places Reeves's Pheasant in Cat E* (covering species recorded as introductions or escapees from captivity and whose breeding populations are thought not to be self-sustaining, with the * confirming they have bred in the wild in Britain). Therefore, sadly I can't tick it (as the only categories that can be ticked are Cat A (fully wild) or C (viable, self sustaining populations). I'm not old enough to be tick anything in Cat B (last wild record was pre 1958).

Reeves's Pheasant originate from East & Central China & it's a bird I've yet to see tickably in the world. Although I've made a couple of trips to China & Tibet, it hasn't been a bird I had a realistic chance of seeing on those trips. But will be a good excuse to return.

 Reeves's Pheasant: Stretching its wing

Reeves's Pheasant: After a long wait, it finally emerged from the dark conifer wood

Reeves's Pheasant: The tail is much longer than the body. The body is about 50 cm, but the longest tail feathers can be as long as 160 cm

Reeves's Pheasant: Check out the spurs on the legs

I've no idea of the history of these birds. I would be really interested to hear any details of when & how they were introduced locally, how many there are, are they still being introduced & whether they are breeding in the wild. But there are both males and females locally, they are shy, wary birds. The local population is probably larger than of Lady Amhurst Pheasants in the UK, which are still on the BOU Cat C List (i.e. tickable introduced species). This is a species I run into on only a handful of occasions in any year & I always enjoy seeing them.

 Anyway, I've heard that people can make good money leading tours to private locations to see Lady A's in the UK, so will be happy to quote for private tours to see these cracking birds. I will even throw in a certificate on seeing one, giving my permission to allow you to tick it on your British List. Happy to give a discount to any members of the IQ40 club who have an up to date membership when they book on a tour.

Finished the afternoon off with a couple of heathland favourites.

Stonechat

Dartford Warbler