A visit to the same place today got me another bunch of very nice additions:Went quite far out to a place where a lot of very interesting highlights have been seen this year, mainly to find vipers and snake-eagles. Not much luck on either of those because of the horrible weather, but I did manage to find the following:
BIRDS:
247) Redwing, Turdus iliacus
248) Redpoll, Acanthis flammea
249) European golden plover, Pluvialis apricaria
250) Common linnet, Linaria cannabina
A very notable heard-only species was a little bunting (Emberiza pusilla) that hung around the entire morning and called often, but unfortunately we couldn't manage to see it.
A few nights in the Dales (28-31/8/2017), got me a few new birds, including one I've heard a lot this year, but only just managed to see!
125. Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus
126. Tawny Owl Strix aluco
127. Barn Owl Tyto alba
A few additions from a week in Lisbon:
396. Spotless starling
397. Spanish sparrow
398. Zitting cisticola
399. Blue-crowned parakeet
157 - Blue rock thrush, Monticola solitarius
A trip out to both Abberton Reservoir and RSPB Old Hall this morning got me four new birds for the year (plus a rather unusual carcass - a Manx shearwater on a grassy bank along the seawall at Old Hall), thus bringing me equal to my entire bird total for last year:
154. Osprey Pandion haliaetus
155. Willow warbler Phylloscopus trochilus
156. Eurasian hobby Falco subbuteo
157. Pectoral sandpiper Calidris melanotos
109) European Quail
Yes it would be a grey partridge. I assumed it was quail because of how it looked like in flight and the way it blended into the light brown background.Are you sure it was a quail, normally European quails are well on their way to Africa by now, so a Partridge would be a lot more logical.
And finally, after over a month, I have added a new bird to my list making 2017 my most successful birdwatching year so far:
158. Little stint Calidris minuta
Probably the most random list of additions over the last one and a half month, including a quick holiday to Rome.141. Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)
142. Great Skua (Stercorarius skua)
143. Dulin (Calidris alpina)
144. Little Tern (Sternula albifrons)
145. Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus)
146. Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)
147. Coal Tit (Periparus ater)
148. Slavonian Grebe (Podiceps auritus)
MAMMALS
11. Common Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)
12. Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)