FORMER ARTICLES RE-VISITED

(Ken Wright)

Ontario, Canada

Readers may well recall that I wrote about visiting Stratford on Avon, Ontario (A Family Holiday to Ontario, 1999) and referred to the many birds that we saw on the river. This included a particular Goose that I could not positively identify (well, it wasn’t an Owl!). My request for an ID from members did not elicit any response so in my own heart, I went along with the owner of that animal food shop that we visited.

I also went through Stratford again when I went over to see my brother (The Return of the Swans, 2001) and it was all frozen up. Not a bird to be seen and the river was completely frozen over – as were many other places as well.

Some time after my return – like the year after! – I received information from my niece about an activity that takes place in Stratford annually on 1^st April at 2pm. This is the Ceremonial Swan Parade, complete with Pipe Band. It is known as a “truly festive celebration” to announce the change of seasons. Oh how I wish I could have been there. Last year there were 28 Swans in the parade and while the actual breeding flock is larger, some additional breeding pairs are held back so that they can be transported to other nearby waterways. Apparently Stratford’s Honorary Keeper of the Swans says he knows why the critters appear so eager to be released from their winter quarters. “The lengthening daylight hours trigger a hormonal response in the swans and they need to get back on to the river to establish their territories. You will see the mated pairs looking for their nest sites within hours of being released and the younger birds in the non-breeding flock will be engaged in a lot of flirtations. If too many breeding Pairs are released, there will be many territorial fights between rival males that can turn deadly”.

The parade last year included 28 Swans, an Emperor Goose, some Chinese Geese, Bar-headed Geese, Ruddy Shelduck and the Black Swan ‘Mid-nite’ and her cygnet ‘Chris-nite’. Apparently the cygnet was named after a youngster who rescued it from the river the previous fall when it had become separated from its mother and was lost in the extreme cold weather. Leading the parade was the Perth County Pipe Band and local dignitaries. Even coffee and doughnuts were handed out to spectators.

In the photograph, I am taking it that the large goose at the front, with the knob on the bill – the one that I could not identify, is the Emperor Goose.

Hawk Conservancy

Members who read my article last year (An Activity Day at the Hawk Conservancy, 2002) will no doubt remember that I had intended to include some photographs but because of my illness, had not finished the film off.

That task is now completed and here are those that I had intended to use. The first is of “Danebury”, the American Bald Eagle, taken as weighing took place before the flight. Apparently weighing has to be so exact – overweight and they will not fly and underweight, they are not fit to fly. For at the end of each flight, food is given. The second picture is of me holding “Morgana”, the Harris Hawk, during our own flying activity.

PORTON DOWN 17 MAY 03

(Andrew Bray)

My first trip to Porton Down, famed for insects and birds and there I was in the car park by the conservation centre donning the full set of waterproofs. The omens were not good, as the sky was dark with rain clouds. The group was met by some volunteer wardens and after a quick brief and a chance to look around the conservation centre we were off through security. We made our way to a wood ready for a walk to the other side and the hope of finding stone curlews, the main prize. Once through the wood and out into the open it was not long before the birds were spotted. They were very obliging by standing near on the skyline of the valley slope allowing everyone to get good views. The rain held off and the group was on a mission to find more pairs. Unfortunately for long periods of the walk the route was barren of birds but there were lots of foxes. There was also the opportunity to update our botany skills with some nice showings of small native plants (and I thought they were garden weeds!). At lunch spirits were still cheerful as the heavens had not opened up and we had seen quite a number of birds including impressive views of Yellowhammers. It was then off to another part of the range for a scrubland walk. Mind the cars, bright red lights showing, cars slewing across the road but no-one looking as all faces were looking up as a Hobby put in a spectacular appearance. The afternoon walk started well but then the rain arrived with a vengeance. Birds were heard (h) but seldom seen and on return to the cars a halt was called. The total birds for the group was:

Woodpigeon	Swift	House Martin	Pied Wagtail
Rook	Starling	Mistle Thrush	Corn Bunting
Jackdaw	Pheasant	Meadow Pipit	Long Tailed Tit
Gold Crest (h)	Chaffinch	Crossbill	Crow
Buzzard	Yellowhammer	Greenfinch	Stone Curlew
Cuckoo	Green Woodpecker	Sparrow Hawk	Skylark
Willow Warbler (h)	Whitethroat (h)	Lesser whitethroat (h)	Blackcap (h)
Hobby

THE BRITISH BIRDWATCHING FAIR 2003

(Gerry Birch)

This event first held in 1989, has become firmly established in the birdwatchers year and has continued to grow in size and popularity reflecting the increase in the number of birdwatchers and the interest in ornithology and the hobby in general. Funds raised from the fairs go towards the support of critically endangered areas of concern to birdwatchers and conservationists. This year was the fifteenth fair and on Day One the total raised by all these fairs over this period so far, passed the one million pounds total. The area being supported this year was the Madagascar wetlands.

One advantage of living in south Cambridgeshire is its proximity to the site of the fair at Rutland Water, with a journey time of one and a half hours if the A14 around Huntingdon is clear. In order to gain full value in attending events like these an element of planning is necessary. I take the same approach to this as we do for the Chelsea Flower Show, get there at the start of the day. I noted that this year the organizers ran a courtesy bus from Oakham station throughout the day. Don’t ask me how to reach Oakham by train! By 0900hrs I was on the start line having obtained a good parking spot but still had to queue for my £9 day ticket. Two and three day tickets are also available for the ‘obsessed’ although I have to say that if one attended all the events there would be probably be enough to do. As a result of previous visits I have developed a strategy and having got my programme I head firstly to the Anglian Water Birdwatching Centre to see how the Ospreys are getting on and look at the Tree Sparrows at the nearby feeding station. It is worth taking a small pair of binoculars that can be easily carried and also a small rucksack for sandwiches and drinks and as somewhere to put the inevitable handouts and purchases etc acquired during the day.

This year five Osprey chicks in two nests have hatched both on private land nearby. There were apparently also two non-breeders in the area. These could be seen from the Centre and initially there is little competition in the main viewing gallery that can become very crowded later on. At this stage one can sit quietly and go through the programme to work out the detailed tactics for the rest of the day. This year there were seven ‘trade’ marquees and several separate large tents for various outdoor displays. There was a full programme of simultaneous events taking place in both the Events and Lecture marquees. I highlighted some five events that I thought I might attend and then set off to find our guide and mentor from the recent very successful AOS trip to Poland – Marek Borkowsky at his Wildlife Poland stand. He and Hanjia had arrived late the previous day and were still sorting out their pitch ‘aided’ by their three young children! They had travelled in their trusty ‘Chevvy’ minibus converted into a ‘camper’ without too many amenities and were living on site. Later in the day I returned to collect my carved stork and Hanjia said that they had had a busy day with lots of inquiries although one cannot measure then what results might subsequently accrue. The centrepiece of their stand was a description of the journey they made from east to west across Poland herding their special horses on the hoof. Marek considers this of particular conservation interest and it is quite an amazing achievement in modern day Western Europe. He has already brought horses across from Poland which are now grazing on the RSPB reserve at Minsmere and he was deep in conversation with an RSPB staff member about a possible article for Birds magazine next year. Watch that space. The potential of horses for grazing on reserves seems increasingly to be realized. The National Trust has also recently introduced a herd of them (not from Marek) onto the Wicken Fen reserve here in Cambridgeshire. I could have done with some on the Stradishall training area! Marek had been asked to visit Northern Ireland to look at the possibility of some of his horses being located on a reserve apparently near Belfast (NI warriors may know where this might be).

My next move was to listen to a BTO presentation on the expansion of the Little Egret. Most of us are aware of this and those living on the south coast will have had firsthand knowledge of the increase in breeding pairs. I remember how excited we were on the AOS AGM visit to Newtown IOW, not that many years ago, when we sighted just one bird. Now they are not uncommon in the winter on Colchester ranges, whiter than the white patches on the targets! Some 50 pairs nest in the Newtown area and the peak UK autumn count in 2001 was some 3000. The Orwell estuary at the moment has some 56 and the BTO estimate a possible autumn peak this year of 5000. It is thought that the autumn peak includes birds dispersing from NW France. The lecturer noted that the Great White Egret was also increasing in the Netherlands and was being more regularly recorded here in UK and may yet be another candidate for increased and regular breeding in UK (cf the wretched Collared Dove!). Shades of global warming? A subsequent presentation on the ‘Brenne’ area nature park in France also highlighted the increase in Egrets. This area some 5 hrs drive from Calais is SW of Orleans and consists of a mosaic of habitats of manmade ‘etangs’ (or fishponds) most dating from the Middle Ages with woods, pastureland and a relatively sparse human population. Species seen include Montagues Harrier, Hoopoe, Purple Heron, RB Shike etc. A subsequent visit to the Regional Nature Parks of France stand was interesting not least for the bevy of attractive French girls speaking excellent English with charming ‘Allo Allo’ accents (but don’t spoil it by mentioning the Gulf War II!). Not only were the virtues of the area in respect of birdwatching and general wildlife (27 species of orchid) emphasised, but also the excellent range of B&B accommodation and the standard of the food. The handouts seem very useful with enough in English to describe the areas in sufficient detail. Next up was Dr Knystautus, a Russian, from Ibisbill Tours. He was forced to ad lib for several minutes with a string of amazing jokes at the expense of the old communist system whilst a new projector was found! During his talk on birding on the ‘Silk Route’ he spoke not unnaturally about the Ibisbill. Whilst its breeding habitat in the rocky riverbeds of Central Asia, such as the upper reaches of the Indus, was still relatively undisturbed, the same cannot be said of its wintering habitat. This also requires the same stony river beds to be found at the foot of the Himalayas in India and in the Nepal terai at sites such as the Rapti river. These were subject to increasing disturbance due to road construction when large amounts of pebbles and stones are extracted. This activity is causing reduction in overall numbers. The last presentation I attended was given by a gentleman rejoicing in the name of Mr Alpha O Jallow from (I believe) the Gambian government department dealing with wildlife. He described some birding hotspots that I remember from the AOS trip and the large number of species to be found in The Gambia. He also set this against the large increase in population from 25 per sq km to a current level of around 100 per sq km with the halving of total forest cover between1946 and 1999. He also mentioned the problems of the Tanji bird reserve and the problems with the coastal road building project and resulting coastal forest degradation that has so dogged that reserve. He highlighted the need to involve the local population in conservation projects but how this translates to action on the ground with any priority for wildlife I am less certain. Other members with more recent Gambia experience may have views on this subject. He emphasised the importance of the delightful Bijol Islands for the Royal Terns and other birds using the site on migration and the creation of the West African Bird Study Association to foster awareness of conservation amongst the local population.

Also seen at the fair apart from Marek and Hanjia Borkowski were Carl and Ann Powell, Carl in his professional capacity doubtless, and Flip Bruce Lockhart on the African Bird Club stand. Dr Hemsagar Bharal from the Kosi Thappu reserve in Nepal was due on the Naturetrek stand on Day Two, but I was pleased to meet one of his guides who had been with us in 2001 and who particularly remembered the ‘swimming memsahib’ aka Mrs Patricia Davies whom he had also met on her earlier visit to Nepal.

Apart from the people and the presentations what else is there to do and see at the fair? The answer to that is ‘plenty’. The Oriental Bird Club had their own stand and amongst other things were getting up a petition about the continuing lack of water at Bharatpur. Their brief is elsewhere in the bulletin. The problem at these events is that it is too easy to become carried away with ideas for trips, buying exotic equipment, wonderful pictures, cards and photographs (a copy of Chris Knight’s British Birds winning photo of the year of a Skylark in flight could be had for £65). Then there are countless book ‘bargains’ new and second hand for temptation! I can thoroughly recommend a day at the fair for straight self-indulgence in ones hobby, but possibly not every year.

BULFORD CONSERVATION GROUP

(Leslie Bond)

Now that the MOD Bird Count is behind us, it seemed the right moment to let members know what our Area has to offer.

The Group covers the eastern third of Salisbury Plain, east of the River Avon and extending to Perham Down, Everleigh and Upavon. Except for the Rifle Ranges, the whole area is accessible on foot and there is an extensive gravel transit track network.

The ornithological Sub-Group has some 20 members, about 12 of whom are active, as well as an enthusiastic Nest Box team that has appeared on Southern Television and won two Shell Better Britain awards. The team is led by Robert Hayden who livers at Gunville besides the river.

The habitat is predominantly chalk grassland, much of which is grazed, some established woodland around Perham and Everleigh, plus numerous small plantations and scrub. Some of the latter is being cleared under the EU Life Project injecting some £2.1m into the preserving the unique chalk grassland of Salisbury Plain and Porton Down. The Avon Valley and river itself produces a different and welcome habitat on our Western Boundary.

Now to this year’s birds. We leave Stone Curlew monitoring on and off the scrapes to the RSPB; at an autumn gathering 2 years ago, we counted over 70 Stone Curlew in one area. Some recent sightings include Montagu’s Harrier, Red Kite (on one occasion carrying food), Hobby, Peregrine, Stonechat over wintering, Winchat, Nightingale, Little Egret on the river and Curlew on the downs. Barn, Little and Short-Eared Owls are regular inhabitants and Raven has been seen overhead. This year the count so far is 89 species.

The Nest Box Team is advising Bulford Parish Council on developing an area of Nine-Mile River. The team meets every Friday evening in the Conservation Group Hut. Most of the hut has been converted into a workshop with its tools and material donated, acquired, liberated or bought using money from awards.

If you are thinking of visiting, or live near enough to become involved, please get in touch with Leslie on Tel 01672 851403.

A Visit to the Pyrenees

(Nicholas Beswick)

Judy and I didn’t need too much persuading to visit my godmother in May, especially when we found that a new budget airline route had opened to her local town, Pau. Only a quarter of the way along the French side of the Pyrenees from the Atlantic, the climate is maritime and the countryside much like southern England. For our week we experienced typically unsettled English spring weather, though rather warmer, and the mountains were blanketed in low cloud on several days with extensive patches of snow on the higher peaks.

As a result we divided our time between the mountains and other areas. A trip to Biarritz was a must, to see the famous resort, but was a non-event for birds. Just up the coast, the mouth of the river at Anglet is worth visiting for waders and seabirds which included a couple of lingering Gannets. Near Pau, the heronry at Artix is a spectacular site in an unexpected location, set between industrial complexes. Featuring dozens of nesting Cormorant, Grey and Night Heron, Little and Cattle Egret, there is a hive of activity and always the possibility of scarce visitors such as Squacco Heron and Great White Egret. Other artificial lakes near Pau are also well worth visiting: Ayguelongue and Uzein are both very near the airport and attract passage migrants. Ayguelongue also has a population of Coypu.

Although the snow had only recently cleared from the higher passes into Spain the meadows above the tree line were alive with wildflowers and Marmots. We soon realised that their shrill whistle was not an unfamiliar bird call but could warn of a passing raptor. There are good places to explore around the main passes at Pourtalet and Somport. Griffon Vultures and Buzzards are common but other species less so. Still, we were briefly treated to the majestic spectacle of a Lammergeier gliding over. Away from the higher slopes Black Kites were everywhere and Red Kites widespread. Once the passes are clear it is possible to do a circular trip into Spain where the arid scenery and birds are very different from the French side. The Spanish villages appear to have been caught in a time warp and are well worth visiting. Having experienced blazing sunshine all the way from Somport to Jaca and then west towards Pamplona we were disappointed to find cloud rolling over the mountains on our route north back into France at La Pierre St Martin. The area around the ski slopes is a wierd formation of karst pavements and outcrops and is a possible site for Wallcreeper but there was little to be found in the mist. Despite recent sightings, the waterfall at Sanchese above the village of Lescun was equally Wallcreeperless but is still worth a visit for other birds, the magnificent scenery and wildflowers.

Back at my godmother’s home near Pau we quickly became familiar with Black Redstart, Melodious Warbler, Serin and Cirl Bunting in the garden. Quite unfamiliar was a grey sparrow size bird lurking and chattering in the undergrowth. With a bright red bill, dazzling golden throat and wing patches, it was clearly not a native! It appears that a population of Leiothrix lutea has become established from escaped birds and so this is presumably a legitimate addition to my European list! This spectacular bird rejoices under any permutation of Pekin, Japanese, Robin or Nightingale according to various websites but Pekin Robin seems to be the most logical.

For those visiting the area A Birdwatching Guide to the Pyrenees published by Arlequin Press is invaluable. An enthusiastic local bird club – Le Groupe Ornithologique des Pyrenees et de l’Adour (GOPA) – publishes a newsletter and annual report. GOPA may be contacted through its website gopa64.free.fr and welcomes records from visitors. As far as timing is concerned, mid May is perhaps a week or two too early to catch all the breeding species in the high mountains but conversely is late for the forest specialities such as White-backed Woodpecker. As my godmother said, “It’s such a shame you didn’t see the Wallcreeper, you’ll just have to come again!”. And so we shall.

A RECORD OF BIRDS SEEN IN THE PAU AREA 10 – 18 MAY 2003

NOTABLE RECORDS

Records are of single birds except where otherwise stated

11 May – Amou

Fan-tailed Warbler Cisticola juncidis

12 May – Uzein Lake

Great White Egret Egretta alba – one overflew

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos – 8

Firecrest Regulus ignicapillus – one singing

12 May – Artix Lake

Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus

Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis

Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo )

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea )

Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax ) not counted

Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis )

Little Egret Egretta garzetta )

Mute Swan Cygnus olor – pair plus 7 cygnets

Yellow-legged Gull Larus cachinnans – 2

Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti – 3 singing

13 May – Lasseube

Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur – 2

Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus

13 May – Anglet

Gannet Sula bassana – 2

Sandwich Tern Sterna sandviciensis – 4

Greenshank Tringa nebularia

Redshank Tringa totanus – 2

Knot Calidris canutus – 2

Dunlin Calidris alpina – 7

Turnstone Arenaria interpres – 5

Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula – 5

Hoopoe Upupa epops

14 May - Arette-Pierre St Martin

Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus

Citril Finch Serinus citrinella – 3

Snow Finch Montefringilla nivalis – 3

15 May – Oloron

Red Kite Milvus milvus

Crag Martin Hirundo rupestris

Dipper Cinclus cinclus

15 May – Lescun Area

Egyptian Vulture Neophron perncopterus

Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea Probable breeding at Sanchese

Dipper Cinclus cinclus

Red-backed Shrike Lanius colluria

Raven Corvus corax

16 May – Pic du Midi d’Ossau

Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus – adult

17 May – Laroin (river & gravel pits)

Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax – 2

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos – 5

Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur – 2

Sand Martin Riparia riparia – 30 (nesting in banks of pits)

Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos – 2 singing

Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti – 8 singing

Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta– 4 singing

Garden Warbler Sylvia borin – one singing

Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus – one

17 May – Pourtalet

Buzzard Buteo buteo

Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

Crag Martin Hirundo rupestris

Skylark Alauda arvensis – 4 singing

Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta

Wheatear Oeanthe oeanthe – 4 singing

Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella

18 May – Ayguelongue Lake, Momas

Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus – 7

Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

Gadwall Anas strepera – one pair

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos – 2

Greenshank Tringa nebularia

Black Tern Chlidonias niger – 16

Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur – 2

Kingfisher Alcedo atthis

Cuckoo Cuculus canorus

Whitethroat Sylvia communis – one singing

Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti – 2 singing

18 May – St Faust

Honey Buzzard – Pernis apivorus

Hobby Falco subbuteo

ST FAUST SPECIES LIST

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus

Black Kite Milvus migrans

Buzzard Buteo buteo

Hobby Falco subbuteo

Feral Pigeon Columba livia

Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto

Tawny Owl Strix aluco (3 territories)

Swift Apus apus

Green Woodpecker Picus viridis

Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major

Cuckoo Cuculus canorus

Swallow Hirundo rustica

House Martin Delichon urbica

White Wagtail Motacilla alba

Dunnock Prunella modularis

Wren Troglodytes troglodytes

Robin Erithacus rubecula

Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros

Blackbird Turdus merula

Song Thrush Turdus philomelos

Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta

Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla

Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

Great Tit Parus major

Blue Tit Parus caeruleus

Marsh Tit Parus palustris

Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus

Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata

Pekin Robin Leiothrix lutea

Nuthatch Sitta europea

Crow Corvus corone

Jay Garrulus glandarius

Magpie Pica pica

Starling Sturnus vulgaris

Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs

Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis

Greenfinch Carduelis chloris

Linnet Carduelis cannabina

Serin Serinus serinus

Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula

House Sparrow Passer domesticus

Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus

Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra

OTHER RECORDS

Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus

Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

Mallard Anas platyrrynchos

Pheasant Phasianus colchicus

Moorhen Gallinula chloropus

Woodpigeon Columba palumbus

Stonechat Saxicola torquata

Goldcrest Regulus regulus

Coal Tit Parus ater

Crested Tit Parus cristatus

Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

Alpine Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus

The Southern Red Sea

(R H J Nash)

I again headed for the Red Sea this year to do a bit of fish watching over the 2^nd to 8^th August 2003. This time I decided to try the south of Egypt and booked on a boat sailing from Marsa Alam, the last main settlement before you cross the Sudanese border. It is a dusty, rather scruffy town with little to recommend it, except that it is the closest port to St John's Reef.

It was just as well this was not a birding trip, because for the first 3 days we were well away from any dry land and I didn't see a bird. My first sighting was a small group of Swift Terns (Sterna bergii), who were resting on some coral heads that protruded just above the surface. The next sighting came some 2 days later as we were passing a low sandy island where I saw a Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster), a flock of White-eyed Gulls (Larus leucophthalmus) and a couple of Bridled Terns (Sterna anaethetus). That was it, as far as the boat trip was concerned.

Such a list would hardly justify any mention, but things did look up once we had returned to Marsa Alam. A walk down town produced a pair of Palm (Laughing) Doves (Streptopelia senegalensis) and c.8 Brown-necked Ravens (Corvus ruficollis). Another White-eyed Gull was foraging on the beach.

The next morning we had a 4-hour coach trip to get back up north to Hurghada, from where our plane flew to Gatwick. Our outward journey was made in the dark so we saw very little even when we were awake. This trip started well with a pair of Caspian Terns (Sterna caspia) fishing just offshore. Brown-necked Ravens were seen regularly and one or two more Caspian Terns were offshore. The next new bird was a Falco sp, probably a Sooty (F. conclor) or a Barbary Falcon (F. pelgrrindoides). I think it was more likely to be the former, but I didn't see it well enough. The reef then produced a white Western Reef Heron (Egretta gularis) and an Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) as well as 2 small wader sp, too far away even to hazard a guess.

The highlight of the trip was at Hurghada whilst I was having lunch (v. poor), in the Beach Restaurant of the Hilton Hotel. In a period of about 10 minutes 1000+ White Storks (Ciconia ciconia) flew over in flocks of 100 to 200.

The final bird record was a group of Hooded Crows (Corvus corone) by the roadside en route for the airport.

Only 11 species, but it was a fish watching trip!

BIRDING ON THE RIVER DANUBE

(Anne Nelson)

In mid-April 2003 Ian and I made a trip down the Danube from Passau to Budapest and back. I had not expected it to be a birding trip, but in fact we had some interesting sightings. We flew British Airways to Munich and were then taken by coach on the two hour drive to Passau, near the border between Germany and Austria.

As we drove through the flat, fertile German farmland I spotted Lapwing and Pheasant on the ploughed fields, and the occasional Buzzard and Skylark overhead, as well as common species like Jackdaw and Wood Pigeon. We embarked at Passau in the evening and set sail on the Viking Line’s Heinrich Heine soon afterwards. The following day, while still in Austria, we arrived at a lock with birch woods nearby, and a clump of bushes only yards from our boat. I spotted a small brownish bird hopping in and out of a bush, and with hastily grabbed binoculars, I identified it as a Tree Sparrow. Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff were calling from the birch woods, but soon we dropped 60 feet or more to the bottom of the lock and the view was blocked by a concrete wall.

The next day we disembarked at Esztergom in Hungary and went round the huge cathedral, modelled on St. Peter’s Rome. A Kestrel was circling the cathedral, possibly using it as a nesting site. We then took a coach to Budapest and en route stopped to take photographs of a White Stork on its bulky nest at the top of a power pole, with its tangle of electrical wires, right beside a busy road. Not a scenic photograph, but it was interesting to see how storks have adapted to modern life! The crows we saw in Hungary and Austria were Hooded Crows, rather than Carrion Crows – a distribution I had not expected.

Next morning we were taken to a farm about an hour out of Budapest, to watch a display of horsemanship, similar to the Cossack style of riding. The “putscha?” was on the flat Hungarian plain that stretches interminably to the horizon, giving the impression of being at sea. The first swallows had arrived and were inspecting the farm buildings and in the near distance was a marshy area where Ian spotted a Marsh Harrier quartering the ground and I heard the piping of a Greenshank.

My eye was caught, not by birds, but by the movement of some small animals on a mound behind the display ground where the riders were carrying out daring feats on horseback. With my binoculars I could just make out that they were rodents of some sort, and appeared to be similar to the North American prairie dog, or to marmot, but were smaller. I could not find anyone who could tell me in English what they were, which was hardly surprising as when I returned home and looked them up in the Collins Guide to the Mammals of Europe, I discovered they were “European Sousliks”. Presumably we do not have a translation for them! I have subsequently discovered that they are on the “endangered species” list.

We travelled from Budapest to Bratislava mostly by night, and our time in Vienna was taken up with sightseeing, but on the return journey to Passau we passed through a huge set of locks where House Martins were already at their nests under the giant “bridge” which straddled the lock. Upstream of the dam we saw many hundreds of Tufted Duck on the river, and a solitary Smew. On this stretch of the Danube we passed a marshy area with Heron, Marsh Harrier, Great Crested Grebe and Coot. There were also Black-headed Gulls, possibly nesting.

It was noticeable in the 6 days since we had passed down the river how much further the trees had come out into leaf, and bird song was more in evidence. Shortly before Passau I spotted two geese flying eastwards down the river and managed to get my binoculars to them before they receded into the distance. I was surprised to see that they were Bar-headed Geese. On referring to my bird book, I discovered that these Geese, usually seen flying over the Himalayas, are now reasonably common in mainland Europe – obviously escapees from wildfowl collections.

One more unexpected sighting was a Great White Egret, spotted from the bus on our return journey to Munich airport, which was another surprise, but according to the distribution map, they are present in that area. There were many Roe Deer in the fields, in one instance, a herd of up to a dozen. At least the German love of “hunting” has not wiped out the Roe Deer population!

Although our species list for the trip was only about 42, we had had some interesting sightings and it had added to our enjoyment of the trip, during which we had visited three capital cities, Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna and several other places of historical and architectural interest.

(Melodious Warbler at Portland Sep 03)

Full of Eastern Promise - A Birdwatching Trip to South Korea

(Keith Powrie)

We decided to take a trip to South Korea to see what the Far East had to offer in the way of new and interesting over-wintering birds. So we booked a 12-day jaunt with Birdwatching Breaks, 14^th – 26^th February 2003.

The excitement of the holiday started very early on, with the total evacuation of Heathrow’s Terminal 2 into the cold morning air, as the result of a ‘bomb-scare’. We eventually were on our way to Frankfurt, an hour and a half late, where we originally had 50 minutes for transfer. Fortunately they had held the plane and we arrived at Incheon International Airport on time and with our luggage!

Here we met our guide “James”, driver “Mr. Seo” and “Bob”, an American who had arrived earlier. Bob regaled us with tales of his previous day and a half birding, and we decided to visit Song-do on our way south, instead of Asan Bay.

Despite the sea being partially frozen, the mudflats by the promenade provided the first birds for our Korean List, with Spot-billed Ducks, and a range of gulls including Black-tailed, Kamchatka, Vega and Mongolian Gull. We also found four Oystercatchers of the eastern race and a party of Swan Geese flew over. A pine-covered promontory had held a wintering pair of the very rare Chinese Nuthatch. After a prolonged wait that revealed our first female Daurian Redstart, Great Tits and Coal Tits, (which have crests in Korea), both male and female Nuthatches were seen. The female provided excellent views while she perched motionless. Hen Harrier and Great White Egret were added to the list en route to our hotel.

The following day, our destination was the large reclaimed Chonsu Lake A and the associated extensive rice fields. These rice fields stretch from horizon to horizon and are so vast that they have to be seeded by aircraft. At harvest time several thousand employees from the nearby Hyundai factory are released to assist with the task!

A wrong turn en route provided our first Rustic Buntings, Marsh Tit, Oriental Turtle Doves, Oriental Greenfinch and Brambling. We arrived at the lakes at about 0900 and spent most of the day searching the shores of the lake and the numerous tracks traversing the rice fields. The area gave us our first experience of the large concentrations of wintering birds in South Korea. The rice fields yielded our first flocks of Tundra Bean Geese, with over 1000 seen during the course of the day. These were accompanied by Greater White-fronted Geese, with around 500 recorded in the area. A wide reedy channel produce a flock of Chinese Penduline Tits, Vinous-throated Parrotbills and a range of buntings which included, Eastern Reed, Pallas’s Reed and Chestnut-eared together with another Daurian Redstart, all providing the challenge of knowing which to look at first!

A flock of Lapland Buntings were picked up in flight and when eventually located on the ground, provided prolonged views. Three distant Oriental White Storks were observed soaring and alighting in the rice fields and numerous Great White Egrets were seen.

Searching the lake produced large numbers of wintering wildfowl, including at least 1000 Spot-billed Duck and an estimated 20,000 Mallard. Good numbers of sawbills were also present in the form of 200 Goosander and at least 75 Smew. We also located our first Black-necked Grebe. The large numbers of wildfowl attracted good numbers of raptors and at least 3 immature White-tailed Eagles were found. Two of them offered exceptionally close views and were seen to make a food pass, which made a gripping and memorable experience. Despite much searching, we failed to locate the wintering Steller’s Sea Eagle. At least 4 Common Buzzard of the race japonicus were seen and a single Upland Buzzard was watched for a long period, soaring at first and then hovering at a great height whilst hunting. We flushed a single Japanese Quail, which eluded one of the party, but all managed to catch up with the flock of 17 Eurasian Spoonbill that were initially located flying towards the lake at a great distance and later found roosting on the edge of an island. In this same area we discovered our first Baikal Teal, a group of two drakes and a duck.. Not quite the spectacular numbers we were expecting! Maybe we would find more in the evening.

We moved on briefly in the late afternoon to the nearby Lake B where we found our first Falcated Duck with a