News in Brief: Europe, Africa and the UK

Operations Manager, Matt Eade, has recently returned from co-leading our ‘Wallcreepers & the Camargue’ holiday, where no fewer than three Wallcreepers were sighted, including one which showed superbly at the dramatic Pont du Gard. Further highlights comprised a Eurasian Eagle Owl, multiple sightings of Hen Harriers, and vast flocks of Cranes, Corn Buntings and Greater Flamingoes. Matt goes on to say, “despite the weather not being favourable on this 5-day tour, visits to Les Baux and the Pont du Gard were rewarded with fine views of Europe’s most sought-after species – the stunning Wallcreeper. This incredible species was rightfully agreed by all to be the highlight of the trip, closely followed by the fine views of several male Hen Harriers! As well as hundreds of Cranes, egrets, Greater Flamingoes and many other birds, this tour will also be remembered by the daily picnic feast, where a fine spread of local cheeses, bread and wine (amongst other goodies) were soon devoured. Our lovely hotel on the outskirts of Arles – enabling a city-centre visit for some – ensured we were within an easy driving distance each day from the key wildlife sites. This was certainly a memorable tour for all involved.”

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‘Our November tour to rural Portugal in search of wildlife and dark skies included many special moments, with views of Greater Flamingo, White Storks, Spoonbills and thousand-strong flocks of Glossy Ibis in the Tagus Estuary’, writes co-leader, and Operations Manager, David Phillips. ‘Other avian treats included Black-winged Kite, Hoopoe, Zitting Cisticola, Cirl Bunting and Iberian Magpie. However, the highlight for many was our view of Great Bustards on our final full day! As we were driving close to the Spanish border, we drove slowly along narrow lanes scanning the arable fields, where we spotted a group of 16 Great Bustards in the distance. We trained the telescopes and, as we enjoyed views of the birds in good light, they took flight (we noted where they flew and, driving a little further along the lane, picked them up again!). Leaving the bustards behind we headed south along the border to a beautiful location by the River Guadiana where, as the sun dropped towards the horizon, we watched flocks of Common Cranes flying along the river, bugling as they passed over. What a lovely finale!’

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Tour I:

As the great autumn migratory event across the Strait of Gibraltar hits its full September glory, we found ourselves beneath an incredible flow of soaring birds! One day, well over 1,000 Honey Buzzards passed over our heads in just two hours, as well as hundreds of White Storks, Egyptian Vultures, Short-toed Eagles, Booted Eagles, Black Kites, Eurasian Sparrowhawks, Western Ospreys – and more! Between the raptors, the gaps were filled by Common, Pallid and Alpine Swifts, European Bee-eaters and innumerable Barn Swallows and House Martins. Spectacular! 

Out to sea we encountered a superb Fin Whale, migrating out to the Atlantic. Long-finned Pilot Whales and Bottlenose Dolphins swam together and a playful pod of Common Dolphins surfed the wake of our boat! Other highlights included Barbary Macaques, Two-tailed Pasha butterflies, Barbary Partridge, Eurasian Stone Curlews, hundreds of Greater Flamingoes, Slender-billed and Audouin´s Gulls, Woodchat Shrike, Tawny Pipit and the Critically Endangered Northern Bald Ibis!

This quick taster of the amazing wildlife spectacles of the Strait of Gibraltar whetted appetites and had many of our guests promising to return for more!

Tour II:

This 5-day trip was packed with highlights and provided a fantastic introduction to the spectacle of the soaring bird migration for which the area is famous! Black Kites, Honey Buzzards, Short-toed and Booted Eagles, Egyptian Vultures, Black Storks, White Storks, Montagu´s Harrier, Western Marsh Harrier and Eurasian Sparrowhawk headed out right over our heads, making the crossing from Europe to Africa in their droves, with European Bee-eaters providing a constant chirpy soundtrack!

During our extraordinary boat trip, we had close encounters with Bottlenose Dolphins and Long-finned Pilot Whales and the sea was full of Cory´s and Balearic Shearwaters and Wilson´s Storm-petrels.  We could also watch a steady flow of Short-toed Eagles passing right over our heads and arriving in Africa, really summing up this amazing place.

Other highlights included Barbary Macaques, Barbary Partridge, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Audouin´s Gull, Calandra Larks, Rufous Scrub Robin, Melodious Warbler, Blue Rock Thrush and Northern Bald Ibis!  Not to mention great personal attention and delicious food at our stunning accommodation in a traditional Andalucían cortijo.

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‘As a tour leader, it's rare to guarantee any single species but on this particular tour, we always encounter vast numbers of elegant Common Cranes as they head south-west across France, returning from their breeding grounds further north’, writes tour leader Jason Mitchell. ‘During our stay at Lac du Der, an astonishing 85,000 cranes were recorded at this internationally-important migration staging post. Wildfowl were also present in impressive numbers: tens of thousands of Teal, Pochard and Mallard, along with huge flocks of Pintail, Wigeon and Red-crested Pochard. Most of our time was spent exploring Der and its surrounding wetlands but a bonus foray rewarded us with a mega-rare Sociable Lapwing! We also explored the attractive city of Troyes, with its half-timbered buildings, but wildlife was never far away. Bewick's Swans, a playful pair of White-tailed Eagles and a dozen White Storks were all hits.... washed down with a glass or two of the region's finest tipple!’

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‘Everyone enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere of the Palmarium Reserve, the relaxing boat travel and the wonderful encounters with Indri and Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs’, writes tour leader Cathy Harlow. ‘The Aye-aye were mesmerising and we had great sightings on both night visits to their island home. On our walks around the reserve, we marvelled at a rare and quirky Madagascar Leaf-nosed Snake, a Giant Hog-nosed Snake and a Cat-eyed Snake. In Kirindy's dry deciduous forest we observed nocturnal Grey Mouse Lemur and Pale Fork-marked Lemur, while during the day we found a roosting Scops Owl, Crested Coua, Madagascar Paradise Flycatcher and Madagascar Ibis and enjoyed great views of acrobatic Red-fronted Brown Lemurs and Bokiboky or Narrow-striped Mongoose foraging among the leaf litter. Fosas were definitely in the area but this year, in contrast to previous years, have not been regularly seen around the camp. We heard the grunt of a Giant Jumping Rat emerging from its burrow but only a glimpse of it as it scampered away into the night.  

At Berenty we explored the Gallery Forest and Spiny Forest, finding White-footed Sportive Lemur, White-browed Owl, 'dancing' Verreaux's Sifakas and abundant Ring-tailed Lemurs with their babies. At Andasibe, we heard the Indri calling and spent time with a family group whose playful youngster was learning to explore the canopy world, leaping from bough to bough. With the help of Maurice's expert guiding, we got great views of the colourful Diademed Sifaka, Grey Bamboo Lemur, Goodman's Mouse Lemur, Peyrieras Woolly Lemur, Blue Coua, White-throated Rail and chicks, Mossy Leaf-tailed Gecko, Giraffe-necked Weevil and Madagascar Tree Boa.’

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‘Naturetrek’s trip to southern Morocco covered all of the major habitats across the area, from the High Atlas, through the southern deserts to the coast, and introduced the group to the culture and wildlife of this part of North Africa’, writes tour leader Martin Pitt. ‘We were very successful in finding many of the specialities including 170 species of birds, plus four distinctive subspecies, together with 13 species of butterfly, 11 of reptiles, eight of dragonflies and four species of mammal. Despite the ongoing drought, we connected with a number of the resident species including Bald Ibis, African Crimson-winged Finch, Thick-billed Lark, Atlas and Maghreb Wheatears, Tristram’s Warbler, Moussier’s Redstart and Desert Sparrow. Migration was still ongoing, although apparently interrupted by the first snows of the season, and we managed to connect with Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Western Olivaceous Warbler and Ortolan Bunting amongst others, although finding the 20th Pectoral Sandpiper for Morocco on a desert pool was the biggest surprise. The diversity of landscapes and wildlife makes this a special tour and early October weather made this a comfortable time to head to this arid land.’

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‘The first photographic adventure to Uganda captured both the imagination and some incredible images of mammals and birds throughout the 2-week tour’, writes tour leader Oliver Smart. ‘Visiting four distinct habitats and national parks in the western region of this lush green, land-locked country, the group focused on enigmatic species including Gorilla and Chimpanzee. Additional mammalian highlights included colobus monkeys, Leopard, tree-climbing Lion, Uganda Kob, Zebra, Hippo and African Buffalo. With a backdrop of mountains for dramatic scenic views, we explored vast savannah plains, expansive lakes and marshes and dense jungle. We took to boats, canoe, explored on foot and used an excellent open-top vehicle to track and photograph a vast array of wildlife. Birds were high on the list of targets too, and with over 300 species observed this was a great place to engage with Shoebill, kingfishers, bee-eaters, barbets and a host of smaller passerines. From waders and storks to bulbuls and weavers, there was such beautiful diversity in the avifauna, that we simply could not get enough! With drained batteries and full memory cards at the end of every day, this was a trip to remember for a long time.’

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‘Geographically central in the UK, Dumfries and Galloway is home to the northernmost of southern species and the southernmost of northern species of a whole range of biodiversity, including several birds’, writes tour leader Chris Rollie. ‘The Solway Firth and Loch Ryan are renowned for their wintering waterfowl, whilst the farmland and low-lying moorland attract a range of raptors in winter, including Hen Harriers.

In addition to the magnificent Svalbard Barnacle Geese, exclusive to the Solway, wonderful views of Pale-bellied Brent Geese were enjoyed, together with relatively scarce Greenland White-fronted, Pink-footed Geese and Icelandic Greylags. Other highlights included the Whooper Swan feed, Hen Harrier, numerous waterfowl including Pintail, Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler, plus stunning views of Tree Sparrow and Yellowhammer. Other notable sightings included Peregrine, at least three scarce Willow Tits, and the breathtaking spectacle of around 100 Red Kites swooping down for food at a feeding station, followed by distant views of two ringtail Hen Harriers tussling with four ravens, immediately followed by a brief but unmistakeable Golden Eagle put up by one of the harriers.

Loch Ryan was a delight, with superb views of Pale-bellied Brent Geese, Greater Scaup, Slavonian and Great Crested Grebes, Common Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser, Red-throated Divers and Common Eider, and at least nine gorgeous Long-tailed Ducks. A cracking finale was provided by some eight Hen Harriers flying in to their communal roost at dusk.

Comfortable accommodation, superb cuisine and hospitality were all enjoyed at the award-winning Clachan Inn, and combined with stunning birdlife and scenery, together with fascinating historical attractions, delivered a truly memorable few days and a total of 100 bird species (including Water Rail which was heard only).’

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'Our “Islay's Winter Wildfowl” tour enjoyed fine settled weather and produced some fabulous sightings’, writes tour leader Neil MacMahon. ‘An interesting diver species at Kennacraig resembled the rare Pacific Diver but the light beat us as we boarded the ferry to Islay and our very comfortable hotel at Port Charlotte.

The first day, after an early morning sighting of Otters right outside our hotel, we visited the fabulous RSPB Gruinart reserve and Ardnave Point. We were completely spoilt with views of no less than five White-tailed Eagles, a distant Golden Eagle, plus a Marsh Harrier, Hen Harriers, Choughs and thousands of wild geese calling and flying around us, whilst we also had great views of Roe Deer, Brown Hare and Grey Seals.

The next day, on the adjacent rugged island of Jura, we quickly spotted another Otter before focusing our attention on the Red Deer harems, the stags showing off their hard-earned herds. A Golden Eagle showed extremely well right overhead and more Hen Harriers, Sparrowhawks, Buzzards, Great Northern Divers, Black Guillemots, Feral Goats and plenty of shore-hugging wildfowl kept us focused! Another Otter was found fishing in earnest, before we returned to Islay and notched up a White-tailed Eagle, Whooper Swans and a slice of well-researched Nordic history at Loch Finlaggan.

Our final day took us to Portnahaven and we explored the Rhinns of Islay, awash with winter thrushes, Stonechats, corvids, yet more geese and small groups of both Roe and Red Deer. Machir Bay yielded an interesting harrier flying south, shortly followed by two Hen Harriers for indirect comparison. Two adult White-tailed Eagles flew low in the strong wind. At Saigmore we saw the harrier again and managed to photograph it – an apparent juvenile Pallid Harrier and a first for Islay! A return to Gruinart coincided with a fly-through Golden Eagle, with spectacular consequences as thousands of Barnacle Geese took to the air! This was Islay at its best!’

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‘Our outward crossing from Penzance provided big seas, but also distant Bottlenose Dolphins and large numbers of seabirds, comprising Gannets, gulls and many shearwaters’, writes tour leader Neil McMahon. ‘Balearic Shearwaters were the pre-cursor to an impressive rolling flock of Great, Sooty and more Balearic Shearwaters, with just a few Manx Shearwaters further along the Cornish coast. Kittiwakes, auks and a Great Skua were also added to our outward journey list.

During the week, we explored St Mary's, visited the beautiful islands of Bryher, Tresco, St Agnes and St Martin's, and enjoyed a couple of pelagic trips, notching up yet more seabirds, dolphins and leaping Blue-finned Tuna. Rafts of shearwaters, bow-riding Common Dolphins and encounters with European Storm-Petrels and Grey Phalaropes made the pelagic trips particularly memorable. We took early morning walks and even a couple of evening hedgehog safaris, which proved successful in locating these prickly foragers! Tresco was the venue for our encounter with a rare transatlantic vagrant in the shape of a Swainson's Thrush.

The Isles of Scilly are famous for their plentiful common birds – tame Song Thrushes, cheeky House Sparrows and ever-present beach-combing Turnstones – while other notable sightings included Wrynecks, Firecrests, Yellow-browed Warblers, Common Rosefinch, Curlew Sandpipers, Jack Snipe, Long-tailed Duck and Cattle Egret, among others.

The ferry trip back to Penzance was a much calmer affair, dominated by large numbers of auks and Gannets, a couple of Sooty Shearwaters and both Common and Bottlenose Dolphins; of course, we were tinged with sadness at leaving these magical isles behind!'

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‘Eight participants met at Ham Wall, before making our way along the old railway track towards Shapwick Heath’, writes leader David Gibbs. ‘We soon came across one of the many wintering Chiffchaffs here, one even bursting into song as the sun came out. At the tower hide, we located the smart drake American Wigeon that has been around for about a week, whilst a female Garganey gave good views, although frequently asleep! On the bank, a Great White Egret gave nice views, and when another one tried to land next to it, quite a chase ensued. We continued to Noah’s Hide where several Pintail could be seen, at least three Marsh Harriers quartered the reedbeds, one coming very close, and a young Peregrine had a go at the flocks of duck on the water.

We then headed back to Ham Wall RSPB reserve, stopping at View Point one for our lunch Water levels were too high for any waders but at least three more Marsh Harriers were seen and a Sparrowhawk streaked across in front of us. We continued east to Loxton’s Marsh where we picked up a Bearded Tit “pinging” in the reedbed, eventually it came closer and gave excellent views. With the sun beginning to dip towards the west, we made our way back to the Avlon Hide to wait for the Starlings. About 4pm they started to arrive, soon building up to impressive numbers, putting on a nice display before diving down into the reedbed for the night. A very enjoyable day netted a total of 50 bird species recorded, and even a few fungi, two butterfly species and European Hornet.’

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