I thought I would do a 'golden oldies' section about once a month (when I remember) to show a few drawings and to remind us what can turn up in the month ahead. This is just a scanned page from an old diary, so nothing fancy, just a pen and pencil drawing. It shows the male White spotted race of Bluethroat that was found at St Mary's Island, Whitley Bay, on the beach. This was a bird I wanted to see from childhood and can still remember an old picture in a book I once had. Although just like the commoner ( though now rare enough) Red spotted Bluethroat, this race was the first I had heard of as a kid, so I was very keen to see this individual.
On the few occasions this race arrives in Britain, it is usually about a month or more earlier than its Scandinavian relative and its still the only one I've had. I hope it doesn't annoy some more recent St Mary's patch watchers! Anyway, they turn up about once every twenty years at St Mary's..., the last county record before this was one there in 1981!
Click for a bigger image...
4 comments:
Hi Boulmer Birder, another great blog! Wished i had found it four monthd ago so it could have passed some nightshifts over here.
We use the same page set up on blogspot too!!
How do you get the free counter for visitors? And have a look at my site at birdingiraq.blogspot.com
Good birding and regards from the desert. Dave slater
im impressed, what a wonderful diary you can look back over, great drawings and very neat handwriting too
Hello Dave,
Fantastic to hear from you. Going through your blog you've had a few better birds than me recently! Red necked Stint is a canny record for the middle east is it not?
Search on Blogger or Google for free web counters, its a doddle and good to see how many folk are looking in. I had a record last week - 466!
My nearest trip to Iraq was to Birecik on the Turkey / Syrian border, on the Euphrates. Birding was tremendous.
Try not to get too engrossed in the birding, look after yourself out there first, Good luck to you and your mates, keep in touch. I'll add you on my links.
Cheers Stewart.
Thanks Nic, I'll add some more occasionally...
S...
Stewart, yeah the Stints were a bit of a surprise, and a conundrum to start with. They tagged along with Little Sints, but could never really get decent views (dont have my scope) however after some pools filled up managed to get half decent views of a couple. They all moved on faily quickly tho, as did the Avocets and most of the Black Winged Stilts. May take the chance and head out for a few hours tomorrow,it'll be my last opportunity and there seems to be a lot passing thru at present.
Thanks for the tips on the counter by the way, managed to get one at last.
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