Out Birding

The GBC quarterly magazine, ‘Out Birding’, was created in 1995, and has grown from a flimsy paper-bound eight wordy pages to a 30-plus page tome filled with all the latest club news, views, drawings and photos.

A major feature in every issue is the event write-up section, where GBC members write in to describe the  club trips over the preceding few months.  It stirs great memories for those who were on the trips, or tantalises those who could not make it!

The articles published below are just a small selection:

Here are the recollections from the November 2000 edition.

The Dragonfly Picnic (Sunday 18th June, Bristol - was it GBC’s first non-birding event?) went well – four of us met at Keynsham and wandered along the River Avon, home of the notable ScarceChaser dragonfly, which we saw up close, along with other river specialities such as Banded Demoiselle,Red-eyed Damselfly and White-legged Damselfly, and some stunning Emperors. We then continued on to Saltford and saw lots more Red-eyed Damselfly – this is a local rarity in the Bristol region –sat on the lilypads. A flypast Kingfisher and several Sand Martins (they nest in the pipes in the nearby Cadbury’s chocolate factory) meant that the day wasn’t totally devoid of birds.

The two new members enjoyed the day – I think we ought to have more non-bird events – there are bound to be other GBC members out there with other wildlife interests.

Agreed.  On the GGTII, there should be some great plants to see – the White Peak is a major botanical crossroads for species from the warm south, cold north, wet west and dry east.  Plus I’ve got some spots for Water Vole, Grayling (the fish, not the butterfly), and Dingy Skipper. Oh, and the Dragonfly Day was indeed the first ever exclusively non-birding wildlife GBC event. But we did notice how the birds crept in nevertheless!

Rye Harbour (15th July) is one of my favourite birding spots in summer and had not yet been visited by the GBC in that season.  I was living dangerously by saying we would see at least 50 species. I was not to be proved wrong; I believe most of the six of us saw more than 50 species and one member had a list of 70 species. We had really good views of a Hobby, at first flying and then sat on a post.  There were a fair number of young birds around including a couple of Ringed Plover chicks.  I will always remember one of the party’s squeals of delight as they ran across the road in front of us, the speediest clockwork pompoms you can imagine.

One thing I hadn’t appreciated in being an event leader is that no-one would eat, even if they were hungry, before I officially declared it lunchtime. By the middle of the afternoon, the youngest member of the party, having been out late three nights in a row, was flagging and I had to declare an official rest-time. I regarded this as an official skywatch (it was optional whether eyes were open or closed).

If any member is aware of other good birdwatching sites in Sussex or Hampshire not yet visited by the GBC, please let me know so it can be considered for future events.  Don’t worry if it is a site that is only worth visiting for half a day; I may know another half-day site nearby.

Mark 

The customary Bank Holiday rain dampened the enthusiasm of some GBCers, five hardy birders and myself arrived at Spurn Point (Saturday 26th August), a remote shifting peninsula on the far east of Yorkshire, to be rewarded with warm sunny weather which endured into the early evening.

This is the premier migration point for Yorkshire and North East England, with a bird observatory stationed here.

 Early exploration of the estuary mudflats produced Redshank, Dunlin, RingedPlover, Curlew etc. and a lovely Whimbrel– quite close in. Proceeding down the peninsula and looking landwards, the scrub produced lovely Whinchat, PiedFlycatchers,Redstart, Whitethroat, and various little warblers beginning their long journey south. Sandwich and CommonTerns were also abundant, flying over the narrow strip of land between estuary and sea, together with numerous flocks of waders whose identification was beyond my wit.  The weather was too calm for skuas which can frequently fly overhead between the sea and the Humber.

After a light lunch, we went down to the end of the peninsula, to see more of the same plus Curlew Sandpiper and both godwits,Reed Bunting and other passerines feeding up before departing. The area appeared relatively quiet until a couple of men passed us with walkie-talkies muttering about Booted Warbler. Then a throng of twitchers materialised out of the ether equipped with pagers, walkie-talkies and acute hypertension and surrounded a small area of scrub wherein sat a hapless bemused birdy – much to the apparent amusement of H.M.Coastguard towering above us in the observation post. A few of our group saw ‘a bird’ flit between the bushes but alas not good enough to merit a tick or a listing.  Anyway, the twitchers were far more fascinating to watch!

A quorum of four rounded off the day by visiting some of the pools to the north of Spurn to look for Roseate and Black Tern which had been sighted the previous week, but alas to no avail.  Thanks to all who came to this event which has excellent potential and records of rarities, and would perhaps best be suited to a weekend event due to its inaccessibility.

J. Archer!

I was honoured to have the globe-trotting VIP turn up at my humble event at Pagham Harbour here in Sussex on 27 August 2000.  And he does of course guarantee entertainment at the picnic break. This time was no exception with a fine array of food and drink from his various flasks and containers and two chairs.

Then on the other hand was the one and only Lyndsay.   The dizzy so-and-so left her bag in the car park, and on sorting things out later I found it contained various keys and medical supplies and some spilt milk. Oh, and her used swimming cozzy. 

And the birds, Peter?

Oh yes, the birds.  Well not a massive amount really.  Nice views of Curlew Sandpiper, Whimbrel and Spotted Redshank,Green and Common Sandpipers.  Nice sunny weather though, and the event debut for Chris from Brighton.

Peter

Oh, go on then Peter, tell us about another event:

A week later and here we are at Oare Marshes in Kent, on 2 September 2000, this time organised by Mark. Superb close up views of Curlew Sandpipers, Ruff and Little Stints, as well as Garganey (where were you Doreen?), Kingfisher and Whinchat.

This was quite a well attended event, Jean was there getting closer to her 200 for 2000, even an ex-husband attended, and I can’t remember our Essex girl looking so ginger and freckly!

Peter

Funny the things he notices.

It was such a hot September day when five of us met up at Wicken Fen (Saturday 9th September).  Common migrants such as Greenshanks and Green Sandpipers were on the pools, whilst Marsh Harriers hunted over the fields and marshes. A Kingfisher perched obligingly close for good views of it fishing.

Then the confirmation of a rare bird report on pager – the Isabelline Shrike* (new for GBC) was still at the Nene Washes!  With no hesitation, we all leapt into cars and headed up there in the afternoon to find a first-summer bird as it dived from the top of a hawthorn bush, plucking insects from the air.  Excellent views which gave us the chance to sketch it well. As we left the reserve, a Hobby swooped low over our heads to complete a wonderful day.

Carol

In the Realm of the Wilson’s Storm Petrel

With dire forecasts of severe weather in the North Atlantic, four intrepid GBC members arranged to meet in Penzance on Friday evening before the pelagic trip on Sunday.  A short detour on the way down produced a juvenile Woodchat Shrike* (new for GBC) at Godrevy Point (one of six lifers for Pam) and Little Egrets and Whimbrels at the Hayle Estuary.

Late Friday evening saw us sifting through Sedge Warblers at Marazion Marsh, becoming intimately re-acquainted with the species.  No sign of the Aquatic Warbler, but a perched male Sparrowhawk provided some compensation.

The nearby Merry Maidens Stone Circle induced us to run round in opposite directions, leaving Pam to explain to bemused American tourists that we were performing an ancient ritual!

Leisurely birding later on Saturday, in Cornish Riviera weather, turned up American Black Duck*(new for GBC) and Wood and Green Sandpipers at Stithians Reservoir.  No sign of the shrike back at Godrevy, but a lovely Clouded Yellow butterfly and Wheatears to enjoy.  Then on to Hayle Estuary where we tracked down one of the best Cornish cream teas whilst watching Peregrines hunt waders over the estuary.

Clear starry skies on Sunday morning saw us stumbling awake at 3.30 a.m. to make an early morning dash across from Lamorna to Marazion, breaking speed limits on the way (allegedly)!  By 5.00 a.m., the SS Scillonian III (I often wonder what happened to the first two) sailed giving us the chance to watch a lovely sunrise at sea – it was a sign of joys to come.  As the light grew, we started to pick up Fulmars, Gannets, gulls and our first Storm Petrels andManx Shearwaters.  A couple of hours from land, we passed the Isles of Scilly on our way to deeper Atlantic waters – still the calm weather continued.

A rusty trawler in the distance had attracted a flock of gulls, so we streamed over to start spreading ‘chum’ (oil and fish offal) on the water. Well, well … our first close views of Great and Sooty Shearwaters, a distant view of Sabine’s Gull and Kittiwakes too.  Steaming on, we saw Bonxies (Great Skuas), Arctic Skuas, small flocks of Grey Phalaropes, and then the prize of Wilson’s Storm Petrels.  An unforgettable brown and white petrel with paddle-shaped wings which flew like a huge butterfly over the sea.  With such close views, we could see the grey panels in the wings and most other features.

Our return journey gave us more sightings of seabirds, including a Cory’s Shearwater, Common Terns, and a tired Garden Warbler looking to rest on the boat.  What else could we have wished for? – groups of dolphins and porpoises, sea turtles including Loggerheads and Leatherbacks,Sunfish and a large Fin Whale blowing in the distance!  So 15 ½ hours after leaving, mountains of pasties/chips/egg and bacon rolls later, 380 well-satisfied birders disembarked at Penzance to find the pavements rolling and pitching in the sunset.

What a weekend! 

Carol 

A quorum for the trip to Leighton Moss (Sunday 10th September) on this pluvious day.  Our expectations and hopes of rarities were met with equal disappointment, but the regular indegene afforded pleasurable views in congenial company. (It’s okay, he doesn’t actually talk like this.  Not all the time, anyway.) The seasonal autochthons (my spell checker is now struggling) included Marsh Tit at the feeders affording superlative views, the usual wildfowl (Shoveler, Teal, Mallard, Pochard, Gadwall etc.). At the coastal hides, we were graced with Reed Bunting, Greenshank, both godwits,Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, a plethora of Redshank, and a distant adumbration (I just write what I’m given) of a resting Peregrine on a decaying stanchion. 

Nothing untoward but a lovely day’s birding with friends – which of course is the raison d’etre of the club.

Paul

Norfolk weekend - 23rd & 24th September 

Bill couldn't make his own event because of illness and we all missed his good humour and enthusiasm. Saturday was spent at Cley and Salthouse followed by a pleasant evening meal for all in Wells. A good number of species were recorded with highlights of the day being Black Tern, Spotted Redshank, Bearded Tit and Pectoral Sandpiper at Cley. We were also able on behalf of GBC able to report hearing Cetti's Warbler at Cley which was the first record for 17 years. Sunday was spent at Titchwell where again a good variety of species were recorded with the highlights being Little Stint, Sanderling, Eider and Sammy the Black Winged Stilt whose cousins in the Gambia will also be on the GBC list soon. 

Minsmere - 30th September 2000

Good turnout of members but not so good for birds, lowest species count I have ever had for this premiere reserve. We spent the first half hour searching fruitlessly for a Ring Ouzel in the scrub near the visitor centre and were then able to shake off our collective disappointment with some brilliant views of a FLOCK of Bearded Tits. The other highlight of the day was a brief glimpse of a Great White Egret* (new for GBC) which was a British lifer for many including me.

Cornwall Weekend - 7th & 8th October

We met at Hayle and explored the estuary which yielded good views of Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail and a more distant view of a Spoonbill. We then headed for Stithians reservoir for American Black Duck and Ring Necked Duck*(new for GBC). The two birds were soon spotted and the rest of the party added to their life lists before moving on to Marazion and lunch. A wet afternoon was spent at Drift Reservoir searching in vain for Woodchat Shrike but we did see Black Swan which had flown in on a south easterly that morning! The late afternoon was spent sea watching at Porthgwarra before retiring to a good Cornish pub for our evening meal.

Sunday was spent in much improved weather exploring Nanquidno and Cot valleys, the former producing excellent views of Wryneck before moving on to Pendeen for some good sea watching which added Manx Shearwater, Gannet, Puffin and other auks to our list. It was a great weekend which I look forward to repeating next year hopefully with some more local members and a special thanks to our hostess, even if she did fail to find us some Purple Sandpipers. 

          

GBC at the Somme, France

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Elsewhere on this website you will find the GBC list. Oh, and an explanation of why we think such a thing is a good idea. Here is an article from August 2000’s ‘Out Birding’ looking at how we might add to that list:

Shopping Lists

My own family will tell you that if I write out a shopping list before I set off to the supermarket, it's only a short while into the journey before I realise that I’ve left it on the table!  

No such problem though when I’m off on a GBC event! I definitely know what I “want” to see – or is that “need” to see!?  Last year I decided to go for 200 species in the 12 months but I wasn’t sure if that was possible what with work and family commitments.  My final total was 208 and I was very grateful to all who encouraged and helped along the way and of course for all the events and event leaders whose diverse locations enabled the vast range of species to be seen. I think I’m on track again this year too, although with less “I must get this” than last year.  There’s always my bogey bird though, that is a “must” – Garganey.

I got to thinking about all the different kinds of lists people make and lingered on our very own GBC list that is impressive by all accounts. How are we going to achieve more, when it gets increasingly difficult to add to (as anyone who has a good British list knows!).

To help me answer this, the Editor first gave me a list of birds he thought were not on the list but are the most likely candidates to be added soon. This included Kentish Plover, but I know this was seen on an event at Dungeness so that’s another on the list. So I’m thinking there may be others that have slipped through the net.  Have a check through the following and if you remember seeing any of them by four GBC members on an event that you attended, let the Ed know:

Common Crane, Surf Scoter, Honey Buzzard, Rough-legged Buzzard, Little Bunting, Ring-necked Duck, Glaucous Gull, Hoopoe, Short-toed Lark, Grey Phalarope, Red-necked Phalarope, Rock Dove, Quail, Common Rosefinch, Serin, Penduline Tit, Barred Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Pallas’s Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Waxwing.

Now the new GBC calendar is currently being drawn up, and you may know where we can definitely see, or possibly see, or it is worth looking to see, any from the above list.  If that’s the case, then put on an event in the appropriate location and season and let us know your plans so that it can be included in the calendar.

Not all of us twitch, and currently the GBC recording system does not allow for twitching, as each bird must be seen by four members on a scheduled event.  Will this have to change and, if so, who devises something other?  If you feel that’s you, then let’s have some discussion and not only progress the GBC list but enable individuals to enjoy this aspect of seeing varieties with their GBC friends.

I must just add that I’m not all “lists” and any event is always a delight to attend just to see what’s around and to learn a little bit more about species already seen.  The recent trip to Eigg, for instance, produced not one but two baby cuckoos being fed by Meadow Pipits – I’ve seen Cuckoos, been there, done that etc. but not this wonderful spectacle, the highlight for me of the trip!

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A news flash from May 2000’s “Out Birding”:

Hot off the press is the fabulous news that the Australian Gay Birders Club (AGBC) has now been formed, based in Melbourne. The first official meeting will be at the You Yangs, Victoria, on 30th April and there are meetings planned every month thereafter until the end of the year.

If you would like more details of the AGBC, you can contact them at gaybirdersaustralia@yahoo.com

The meetings will be based around the Melbourne area, although if the group takes off they may stray further afield. The group say, “We are only too pleased to assist any stray birders on our side of the planet.”  So if you are thinking of visiting from another state or another country, they’d love to hear from you.

We’d all like to wish the AGBC a fun-filled, bird-filled first year. Good luck!  And keep us informed!  And of course, there are so many GBCers elsewhere in the world ready to extend the hand of hospitality, friendship and birding expertise to all present and future AGBCers.

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A letter sent to GBC included in the February 2000 edition of ‘Out Birding’:

Dear GBC, 

On behalf of BirdLife, on behalf of birds and the rest of wildlife, I would like to than you for your donation of £320.29.

Since its inception, BirdLife has been struggling the uphill climb of nature conservation, and no part of the journey has ever been easy or cheap. So along with our campaigns, we have constantly had to run parallel campaigns to raise funds to foot the ever-growing bills!

Our work at is-Simar is a case in point.  A few years ago BirdLife started to transform a sterile backwater into a haven for wildlife.  Today, nature has taken over and several new bird species are breeding. However, BirdLife also wants to make a vigorous educational tool of the place.  So we are currently channelling a great deal of time, effort and money on getting the place ready to let people enjoy this celebration of nature.  We’re beginning with school visits – BirdLife puts its greatest hope in the growing generation.  But just to build and equip a modest reception centre will set us back a cool Lm 50,000. 

Which is why donations such as yours are so welcome!  BirdLife is a charity entirely dependent on the voluntary support of its members and benefactors.    We have come far, and we are convinced that with supporters like yourselves, we can carry on much further and achieve more.

 Once more, thank you for your generosity.

 Yours sincerely

 

f/Dr. Antoine Vella

President, BirdLife Malta

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The following account comes from the hugely successful first Grand Get-together of the GBC in October 1999 when 70 GBC members gathered in Sheringham: 

A Triumph of Talent

The Grand Get-Together also saw two crack Celebrity Teams battling out for the title of GGT Bird Brain 1999.  With some very loose geographical groupings, just to encourage partisanship amongst the rowdy audience, it was a case of North and West versus South and East.  For those who were unfortunate enough to miss this spectacle, you can witness the quality of the Draw That Bird round on page 3. There was a wealth of talent to draw from, but six members all gamely agreed to lay their knowledge bare in front of 70 expectant GBCers.  By the final quick fire round, scores were tantalisingly level.  See how you fare in the quick fire question round.  You have two minutes to answer as many questions as possible; you have the advantage of not sitting in front of a crowd, and remember both teams got every question right!

·       Which bird in Shetland is known as the Rain Goose?

·       What are the tail feathers technically known as?

·       Which bird did Noah send from the ark to search for dry land?

·       Which corvid is said to sit in moral judgement of each other in a Parliament?

·       I’m looking at a pink pigeon – where am I?

·       Which bird is known as the Storm Cock?

·       What is the name given to migration where birds are deflected by lateral winds in clear weather?

·       In what year was the multiple breeding by Common Rosefinch in eastern England?

·       What bird is ridden in a chart-topping T-Rex song?

·       Name one of the main breeding islands for Leaches Petrel in the UK apart from St Kilda

·       What is the American name for skua?

·       What is more common in the UK – Black-billed or Yellow-billed Cuckoo?

·       Where in the UK did a Black-browed Albatross take residence from 1972-1995?

·       On which islands do Great Shearwaters breed?

·       Which ibis now breeds ferally in Northern France?

·       Which main river flows into the Coto Donana?

·       Which American plover with a double breast band gets its name from its call?

·       What is the name that describes a bird only active in daylight?

·       What is the prominent ridge called where the two halves of the lower mandible join?

·       What is the name given to closely related species whose ranges don’t overlap?

·       What word describes a distinct genetically determined plumage form of a species?

·       Ducks often have a hardened tip to the upper mandible – what is it called?

·       What is the technical name for the central shaft of a feather?

·       What are fine wavy feather markings called?

·       How many species of tern regularly breed in the UK?

·       Which ornithologist is commemorated in the Latin name of Pied Wagtail?

And who won? North and West, but by then it didn’t matter.

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A Guide to Finding Birds in Gran Canaria

The Canary Islands are reasonably well known for their unique bird and plant species and subspecies. Birders normally visit the islands for holidays where sunshine is the priority and birding comes second. Straight birders tend to head for Tenerife and Fuerteventura because the bird habitats there are comparatively unspoilt; consequently there is quite a bit of information about the birds of these islands. Gay birders are more likely to head for Gran Canaria because of its excellent gay scene, but the birding information is relatively poor. There are many good bird species to see in Gran Canaria, and in this article, I will attempt to pass on some of the sites I have found for Canary Island specialities.

My visits have been limited to September, but I have drawn upon information (with acknowledgement to Steve Whitehouse's Foreign Birdwatching Information Service) from other times of year. Since this article was written, an excellent new guide to birding sites in the Canary Islands has been published (Collins & Clarke 1996).

THE BIRDS

The islands do not hold a particularly wide range of bird species, but many of those which occur here are only found in the Canary Islands (endemics) or are difficult to see elsewhere.

Blue Chaffinch inhabits Canary pine forest and is found only on Tenerife (race teydea), where it is fairly common, and Gran Canaria (race polatzeki) where it is seriously endangered. It is like a dark slaty-blue version of chaffinch; the Gran Canaria race is paler, especially on the belly and has whiter wing bars than the Tenerife race. It is extremely difficult to find in Gran Canaria, best located by its call. My notes equate their call to "a slurred, budgerigar-like cheep, equivalent to the pink pink call of common chaffinch; also gave a trilling version of the common chaffinch's chirrup".

The canary is found commonly on the islands and also in Madeira and the Azores and lives in a variety of habitats; usually forested areas and on the edge of cultivated areas. It is like a dull, streaky, green domestic canary.  It is larger, longer tailed and less boldly streaked than the similar serin (which now occurs in some gardens of Las Palmas and Playa del Ingles). The canary has paler, less marked ear coverts and the male's yellow rump is duller than serin's.

Berthelot's pipit occurs everywhere in the islands (and also in Madeira).  It is like a smaller, greyer and streakier version of tawny pipit.

Plain swift is like a dark common swift with a dark throat. It is common throughout the islands, mainly at lower altitudes. It is thought to visit Morocco in winter but otherwise is endemic to the islands.

Canary chiffchaff is similar in appearance to northern chiffchaffs, but differs mainly by its grating "chiff chiff cheff cheff" song. There is recent, strong evidence in support of this being re-classified as a species in its own right. It is ubiquitous in gardens throughout the island, especially in Maspalomas.

Many species which are common on the mainland have formed distinct sub-species in the Canaries. The most distinctive of these are long-eared owl, great spotted woodpecker (sub-species thanneri is endemic to Gran Canaria), grey wagtail, robin, Canary goldcrest, blue tit, chaffinch, greenfinch and linnet.

                                    

AROUND MASPALOMAS AND PLAYA DEL INGLES

This is the main tourist resort and centre for the gay scene. The best birding areas I found are around the Maspalomas Oasis. Species which I found in most areas I visited were hoopoe, plain swift, Berthelot's pipit, Sardinian warbler, Canary chiffchaff, goldfinch and Spanish sparrow.

The Golf Course

Security guards expel any intruders, but it is possible to look at most parts through the perimeter fence. Check the driving range adjacent to the road to the lighthouse. Species seen here include hoopoe, ringed, little ringed and Kentish plover, flava wagtail, great grey shrike (southern form), linnet, ring-necked parakeet. Other species seen here include cattle egrets.

The Dunes and Bushes

An area of scrub between the golf course and the beach. Also the gay cruising area (the usual dilemma - do we go birding or cruising?). Best to visit early in the morning for birding because of excessive disturbance and the risk (increased in recent years) of robbery later in the day / evening. Good for spectacled warbler, Sardinian warbler, great grey shrike, Berthelot's pipit, plain swift, hoopoe and ring-necked parakeet.

Maspalomas Oasis

A pool near the lighthouse formed by the Barranco de Fataga where it meets the beach. Best viewed from the east side where a track leads past the dunes and the camel farm towards the beach. Heavily disturbed from late morning onwards. Moorhen, coot, starling and herring gull are present throughout the year. Wintering and migrant waders, herons, egrets and gulls use the pool in small numbers. Potential for rarities (e.g. lesser yellowlegs in September 1995).

Barranco de Fataga and adjacent waste-ground

The dry river bed running down the west side of Maspalomas to the Oasis and lighthouse. Trumpeter finch and lesser short-toed lark occur on waste ground on the western side of the barranco (near Green Oasis apartments). Spectacled warbler, and during migration periods, migrant warblers, flycatchers and chats are found in the scrub behind the Oasis. Further north in waste ground are common waxbills, especially around Faro II in the early morning. There is some debate about whether they reached here naturally or escaped from captivity; the latter seems most likely.

Maspalomas lighthouse leading towards Playa de las Meloneras

Rocky fields, good for lesser short-toed larks and trumpeter finches.  Seawatching from the lighthouse is good for Cory's shearwaters and atlanticus race herring gull. Lesser black-backed gulls occur offshore in winter.

Palmitos Park

Apparently good for common waxbill, blackbird and blackcap.

OTHER AREAS WORTH VISITING

It is worth hiring a car and visiting other parts of the island. The walking and scenery are outstanding and the birding can be good. If you don't drive, there is a reasonable bus service. In the interior of the islands, common buzzard, kestrel, raven (high altitudes), red-legged partridge (moderate altitudes - I saw one between Ayacata and Tajeda), blue tit, robin and blackbird can be found. In the north, long-eared owl and corn bunting can be found (although I haven't seen either of these species in the islands).

The road between San Nicolas and Agaete

The road along the cliffs of the west coast of the island has some of the most spectacular scenery of the whole island. I saw a female barbary falcon (a smaller, brown-breasted version of peregrine falcon with a rufous nape) while walking along this road near Cruz de Tabaibal on my third attempt at seeing the species. Ospreys can be seen at the bases of the cliffs apparently.

Pinar de Tamadaba

An area of good Canary pine forest where blue chaffinches maintain a toe-hold on the island. I saw a female by a reservoir at Cueva del Zapatera in 1989 on the west side of the loop road here. There has been another sighting at the start of the one-way loop road (see map below). Apparently it is difficult to find blue chaffinch in these woods. The woods here are good for canary, great spotted woodpecker, blue tit and the ever present Berthelot's pipits.

Pajonales

A beautiful area for walking with mostly thin Canary pine forest, but becomes quite dense in places. I have heard blue chaffinches here (see map) but was extremely frustrated not to see them. Other species include canary, blue tit, great spotted woodpecker, pied flycatcher (September) and rock sparrow.  Take good walking shoes, water, a good map and "Landscapes of Gran Canaria" by N Rochford.

Los Tilos

A small relict area of laurel forest which once covered much of the north end of the island. Although only a small piece of forest, it was alive with bird song when I visited. An excellent area for grey wagtail, canary, greenfinch, robin, blackbird and Canary race of Chaffinch. I also saw pallid swift here. Sadly there are no Bolle's or white-tailed laurel pigeons left here.

Arinaga

An area of salt pans and rough fields. The salt pans hold breeding Kentish plovers and wintering and migrating waders such as dunlin, curlew sandpiper, little stint, redshank, greenshank, turnstone etc. The fields around the lagoons are good for lesser short-toed lark and trumpeter finch. The area has diminished in value since the construction of a wind farm.

POTENTIALLY INTERESTING SITES

I haven't visited any of these sites, but from information I have gleaned I will be checking them out in future visits.

La Isleta - a rocky headland north of Las Palmas. According to Rose (1995) barbary falcons and Bulwer's petrels nest here. I have not visited here, but have seen it. The habitat looks good for barbary falcon, but I did not see any scree slopes suitable for Bulwer's petrels (I doubt any petrels would survive rat predation from nearby Las Palmas). I would expect the lighthouse to be a good seawatching point. A site well worth checking out.

The Botanical Gardens - are close to Tafira to the south-west of Las Palmas and apparently are an excellent guide to the botany of the islands (at least as interesting as the bird life). The habitat is rich here and a friend saw lots of canaries.

Coastal plains between Playa del Ingles and Arinaga - according to distribution maps in Moreno (1988) the island holds resident stone curlew and cream-coloured courser, although I can find no other information to support this. If I were to look anywhere it would be in stony desert areas between the main road and the coast here, especially Playa de las Tartagos which looks relatively remote.

OTHER ISLANDS IN THE CANARIES

Quite a lot has been written about the other islands in the Canaries group.  It is best to get up to date information from Steve Whitehouse's Foreign Birdwatching Information Service for places to go in these islands. Tenerife can easily be reached by plane or ferry. I recommend the slow ferry from Las Palmas to see marine wildlife. On Tenerife it is possible to see blue chaffinch fairly easily and also Bolle's and white-tailed laurel pigeon and Canary kinglet. It took me two half days to see these species here. Fuertaventura is a dry desert-like island and is home to the Canary Island chat, houbara bustard, black-bellied sandgrouse, barbary partridge, cream-coloured courser, stone curlew and Egyptian vulture amongst others. Fuerteventura can be reached by ferry from Las Palmas; it should be possible to see most of the species there in one day.

On a return ferry crossing between Las Palmas and Santa Cruz (Tenerife) I have seen hundreds of Cory's shearwaters, and small numbers of Bulwer's petrel and little shearwater. The passage was excellent for sperm and fin whales and I saw two beaked whales, probably Cuvier's. On the crossing to Puerto del Rosario (Fuerteventura) I saw Cory's shearwater, one Bulwer's petrel, great shearwater and British storm petrel. Madeiran petrels are reputedly seen, although my understanding of this species is that it occurs mostly offshore. Watch out also for loggerhead turtle.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

D Collins & AG Clarke (1996). A Birdwatchers' Guide to the Canary Islands. Prion, Sandy.

H. Heinzel, R. Fitter & J. Parslow (1972). The birds of Britain and Europe with North Africa and the Middle East. Collins, London.

J. M. Moreno (1988). Guia de las aves de las Islas Canarias. Editorial Insular Canaria S.A., Santa Cruz.

N. Rochford (1986). Landscapes of Gran Canaria, a countryside guide. Sunflower Books, London.

L. Rose (1995). Where to watch birds in Spain and Portugal. Hamlyn, London.

Andy

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Lesbian Western Gulls

The article "Naughty but Natural" in Out Birding 3 reminded me of a controversial research project involving lesbianism in Western Gulls in California (where else?!)

The research showed a high preponderance of female-female pairs of the gulls (they are the type of gull you see on the beach in Bodywatch...sorry, Baywatch). Most of them would incubate their infertile eggs together, although occasionally nests contained fertile eggs which the two females would raise together without the assistance of any male birds.

There were a number of hypotheses about the causes but it seems likely that this was largely a response to an excess of female Western Gulls in the local population. Attempts to attribute their behaviour to abnormal levels of hormones in these females drew a blank.

The project was carried out in the late 70's on Santa Barbara Island by a research group from the University of California Irvine with a National Science Foundation grant. Ultra-right wing politician Senator Proxmire in the US latched onto the project as an example of a "big waste of government money" and duly awarded it the prestigious Golden Fleece prize. Naturally this led to a great deal of publicity for the project and a number of "interesting" research students came out of the woodwork to volunteer as helpers.

There is now a suggestion that the high numbers of females might have been attributable too high concentrations of DDT in the coastal environment at the time. The research team are planning to go back to Santa Barbara Island and fnd out if there are still lesbian Western Gulls there. It would be nice to think that they would choose a lesbian lifestyle irrespective of whether there is an excess of females. I'll let you know if I find out.

Andy

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A Short Guide for GBC `Virgins'

It may be that some of you have been in the GBC for some time now but have yet to attend your first field day or weekend away. There are probably a variety of reasons why and this article seeks to address some of them and hopefully encourage you to come along and sample some of what's on offer.

1. I Won't Know Anyone.Well yes, it's true, until you go to your first meeting you won't know anyone. For that reason it is probably a good idea to start with a day trip, particularly if you a bit nervous about meeting a lot of new people. Your Regional Contact will be happy to hear from you if you want to attend a meeting in your area and want some moral support and encouragement. New members are always made welcome, there's no feeling of cliquishness from people who already know each other.

2. I Don't Know Much About Birds. Your level of expertise is irrelevant; what matters is your interest in birdwatching. The GBC has a wide variety of members whose knowledge about birds varies accordingly. It is not stuffed full of twitchers racing around the country with mobile phones dialling up Birdline, though there are those who have been known to phone Birdline before breakfast on certain GBC weekends....You will find support and information at a level to suit you, whether it's separating a Redwing from a thrush or a Lesser White-fronted Goose from a White-fronted. Nor will you be expected to have thousands of pounds worth of equipment: I don't have a scope and have never really thought I got on with them, wearing glasses, but having looked through other member's `scopes on various trips, I'm gaining in confidence and can foresee a time when I might buy my own.

3. I Don't have my own Transport.This need not necessarily be a problem. A number of members attend events without their own transport. If you let an organiser of an event know that you'd like to come, then he/she will hopefully be able to put you in touch with someone who can offer you a lift. Or if you arrive by train then arrangements can be made to pick you up. On weekend events your own transport is often unnecessary as transport is shared during the days out.

4. I Don't Want To Be The Only Woman There. The GBC now has over 40% woman members (and rising steadily) so there's no good reason why women should find themselves in the minority or on their own at events. I have been the only woman on the three events I have attended but I can honestly say that it hasn't put me off attending more. Sure, I'd like to meet some other women at the events but ultimately I go to have a good time birdwatching with other gay people. I've met some really nice men on the events I've attended and I've always been made to feel welcome. Someone asked me if I thought we should hold women only events to encourage more women to come out with the group but I don't think that that is the way forward. The GBC aims for integration not isolation and presumably anyone joining the group does so primarily for their interest in birds. The fact that it's a gay group means that we can relax with others who share both our hobby and our sexuality. So if you are a woman who has yet to attend an event, then please don't be put off thinking that it's a male-dominated group. So far it's the men who have started the group and organised the vast majority of events but that is in no way because they don't want women involved. I have had nothing but support, encouragement and friendship from the men in the GBC which is why I agreed to be Regional Contact for the South West in the hope that it will encourage more women to be involved.

5. I Don't Have Enough Money To Go Away On Expensive Weekends. Attending a GBC event doesn't require having lots of spare cash. On day trips the only cost is often that of getting to an event, or buying a sandwich at lunchtime (even cheaper if you bring our own). Many weekend trips are based around members' own homes which keeps them cheap. Even when they involve rented accommodation, as on the Cornish week at Sennen Cove, the cost is kept down by filling the house for as many nights as possible.

I hope this has addressed some of the concerns some of you may have had. If there are others, then write in and let us know and perhaps we can help - we will certainly try to. Otherwise, I look forward to seeing more of you - particularly you women! - out there in the field.

Kerry

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Et in Arabia Felix(The Fortunate Arabia)

So was Yemen known in ancient times. In contrast to most of the rest of the Arabian peninsula, with its vast expanses of burning sands and inhospitable gravel plains, here is a land blessed by equinoctial and monsoon rains in its highlands and with wadis where water flows in some cases all year round.

So what does this little-visited country have to offer birdwatchers? Much. It lies on the extreme southern edge of the Palaearctic; is on one of the great migration routes from Eurasia to the Rift Valley of east Africa. It has 11 endemic species; it shares some birds of the Horn of Africa; and it receives vagrants from the Oriental region. What more could you want? Habitats vary from high mountains (to 12 000 feet), a long coast line, uninhabited Red Sea islands, mangroves, sandy plains, relict acacia woodlands, low intensity agricultural terraces, palm grove and deep desert!

A few days at the beginning of the trip produced many of the highland and wadi specialities: the euphorbia-eating Golden-winged Grosbeak, the Yemen Serin, Arabian Serin, a late flock of 18 Abdim's Storks en route to winter quarters in east Africa, and Arabian Accentor. On a spectacular escarpment one windy afternoon, both native partridges (Philby's and Arabian) appeared together, the former being particularly elusive. Much to the wide-eyed incredulity of the locals one morning, after we had watched the antics of a chameleon tight-roping upsidedown on an electricity cable, we went looking for the Arabian Woodpecker in a shady lane passing through their village - we saw two eventually.

Passing from the highlands to the hot sandy plain bordering the Red Sea, we encountered Hammerkop with it's unmistakable hammer-shaped head and blunt nape crest, Abyssinian Roller, Arabian Bustard - this one stalking through the sorghum crops just after dawn, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Spotted Thick-Knee and six real wild Helmeted Guinea Fowl scuttling from cover.

The sunbirds were among the real gems of this area, with Nile Valley and Shining to be found. The latter is particularly brilliant in its iridescent plumage. We also saw the Orange- tufted (or Palestine) Sunbird later in the trip.

Sewage lagoons usually figure high on the list of choice locations for birders in search of waders. This trip was no exception and at Hodeidah lagoons we saw Western Reef Heron, Little Grebe, Garganey, Pied Avocet, Spur-winged Plover, Marsh Sandpiper, Greenshank and Red-necked Phalarope, all eclipsed however by a White-throated Bee-eater, usually a summer visitor.

A recently discovered marsh at Aden caused a change to be made to the original itinerary and, since the marsh boasted Black-headed Heron (an African vagrant) over 200 Lesser Flamingos, Sacred Ibis and only the third record of Black-winged Pratincole for Yemen, it was just as well. Just along the beach there was Crab Plover for good measure.

Along the southern coast of Yemen, long lines of Socotra Cormorants passed. There were Jouanin's Petrels too as well as White-cheeked, Greater and Lesser Crested Terns on the beaches. Forty Pink-backed Pelicans in flight were a highlight plus a Pheasant-tailed Jacana in an irrigation tank -1000 miles west of its usual territory in Pakistan!

The last leg of our journey led us over the barren Jol Plateau into the great Wadi Hadhramaut and across the empty quarter to marib. This brought us such specialities as Cream-coloured Courser, Liechtenstein's Sandgrouse, Dunn's Lark, Desert Lark, Scrub Warbler, Arabian Babbler, Trumpeter Finch and finally on the last morning, one of the keenest-eyed members of the group found a pair of Grey Hypocolius, the second record of this species for Yemen! What relief not to have to go to lran, Iraq or steamy Bahrain to see this!

If, in addition to any of the goodies described above, you like window-shopping for dark hairy men (perish the thought - Ed), most of whom are either moustached or bearded, you will love Yemen.

Peter

Yemen Factfile: Capital - San"a; Population - 13 million; Political System - emergent democratic republic; Exports - cotton, grapes, coffee, veggies; Ethnic groups - ;Arabs, Indians, negroids Principal Language - Arabic

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Page 3 Pin-Up - Crex crex

This month 's Page Three Bird is chosen by everyone who went to Mull.

Its Latin name, Crex crex, does nothing more than describe its voice, for that is all one is ever likely to encounter. It adds to its obscurity by being the 117th rarest bird in the whole world. "Difficult to observe", "crepuscular and very skulking", "frustratingly difficult to see", it is the one bird for which our own Bill B has to clear his mouth of all saliva and food particles when mimicking. And its English name describes the bird that crakes from the corn.

Yet on the Mull trip we saw it. The looks our faces said it all. In a flurry of toffee- coloured wings and dangly legs we had seen the bird I had been dreaming of when I first organised the trip. The problem is that the BTO 1988-91 Atlas of Breeding Birds believes "its disappearance as a breeding species may only be a matter of time. With three quarters of all the UK population lost in the last 25 years, things look grim for the Corncrake.

The problem? Basically a change in UK agricultural practice regarding the fundamental Corncrake habitat of hay meadows. Farming machines now destroy more nests, chicks and adults than traditional scything; introduced grass species can now be cut earlier in the season; plus the introduction of silage production allows the cutting of grass even earlier. A massive programme by the RSPB has succeeded in halting the declines in the Outer Hebrides, their current stronghold, and maybe it is this sterling work that allowed us the privilege of hearing four singing males on lona this summer.

                                            

Adrian

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