Reflections of the year - what were your special moments?

Happy New year to all our readers.

So here we are again, 2018 is bowing out and we look forward to whatever 2019 may bring. We've all been reflecting on our best moments of the year and here's a few.

I've had quite a few special moments home and abroad this year myself, here's a few I'll share. 

Spring saw me in Chilly Scotland with Jeff Clarke's group staying at the birders hotel The Grant arms. I dipped the Capercaillie😒 but loved the Loons

Black throated diver

Loch Mallachie

and the landscapes.

Not long after I was in the 30 degree heat of Extremadura staying on a farmhouse/ranch with Jeff's group again.

Casa Rural Las Canteras - Casa Rural en Trujillo

 Every morning I woke up to the sound of hundreds of sparrows in the hedge, hoopoes calling and storks clacking fabulous.So many great birds, butterflies, mammals. Nightjar on the road was a highlight ..sorry no pic.

Gt spotted Cuckoo

Queen of Spain fritillary

Read all about it here - http://www.jeffclarkeecology.co.uk/blog/extremadura-may-2018

Make no bones about it I had a busy and fortunate year.

September, and I was in Bulgaria with the RSPB group. Corncrakes under foot, stone curlews, head turning Wrynecks and a fabulous Bluethroat.

Bluethroat

Wryneck - Chris Daniels who was on the same trip also named this as one of her  highlights too

Team Liverpool with Iolo Williams

Back at home I was on the march in London -  the People's walk for nature, and standing up for nature at the Parkgate Hen Harrier day. WE WILL WIN

Team Liverpool

Laura Bimson

Enough about me....

Chris Tynan has been doing the patchwork challenge at one of the local parks http://patchworkchallenge.com/

Hawfinch Stadt moers -I Igglesden

I never thought of being able to find hawfinches 5 minutes from my house but the 2017 hawfinch invasion meant that I found a single bird 7th January and by Febuary there was two

At the end February the beast from East brought snowstorms and gales to the UK and  a very unexpected bonus, when some friends were saying that they were finding lots of displaced golden plover.

Golden Plover

So I called in to the park after work and couldn't believe it when I counted eight birds, three birds were still there in the morning but dog walks flushed them and witnessed fly high and away.








Phil & Sue Heery

My best birding experience of 2018, was a trip at the start of the year to Parkgate on 3rd January 2018. The RSPB had advertised the event. Almost as soon as we arrived, we watched a merlin crossing the marsh, glimpsed a peregrine taking a snipe and saw hen and marsh harriers hunting.

Water rails at wall  R Blythe

Then later, as we walked coastwards the high tide seemed to surge. The marsh swelled with rivulets of saltwater driving the tide towards us. Looking up there were suddenly 12 short-eared owls that really seemed to come out of nowhere; some hunting, some perched scanning for the scurrying voles and waders.

Short eared owl

 A gull, buffeted in the wind, dropped and knocked and then grabbed a water rail about 20 feet from us, lifting it clear in to the air. The wind was strong though, and the rail broke free, and found refuge in a hole in the old quay. This, in itself, was a revelation; that water rails may find sanctuary in a wall - not where you would expect to find one.
Thanks, happy new year and best of luck for 2019!!!

Azure tit    R Lewis

Rob Lewis

My highlight was an azure tit at Baltoji Voke in Lithuania, which was the 5th record for the country. Picture made it on Tarsiger and birding Lithuania fb pages. Loads of other highlights as I was abroad eleven times in 2018.




Jen Brown
My best part of 2018 was my trip to Canada and America with the highlight being seeing a hummingbird, not once,twice but 3 times. What an amazing bird!! Sorry don't have pics!


Sean O'Hara

Snowy Owl    I Igglesden

  

S O'Hara

In July an exceptional day. Sean caught up with the Snowy owl on Anglesey and his first grandson was born on the same day!











Ann Thomson

Lambs   A Thomson

Feeding the orphaned lambs, North Ronaldsay Observatory was one of the highlights for me!

Sanday

Sanday, Orkney Isles, nice place to stop for lunch.

Grey Phalarope   N Gordon

Neil Gordon

Highlight either this grey phalarope that landed at my feet at new Brighton or watching Austin run in the rain for the worst common rosefinch you'll ever see 🤪







Damian & Austin


Highlight of the year for me I think has to be the Red Billed Tropicbirds me, Patrick, Austin and Gary saw in Fuerteventura.

Austin & gang

Tropicbird   A Morley

 When we booked to go we new they were there and had very ropey directions (which proved to be wrong) but I don't think any of us really thought we'd see them. But we eventually found them and got the most incredible views too. Literally at touching distance. Unbelievably fantastic birds seen with a great group of fellas. This is one of Austins pictures and there's a full write up of our trip on his blog if anyone hasn't read it. https://austinmorley.blogspot.com/p/fuerteventura-april-2018.html?m=1


Ian Igglesden

Pitta   I Igglesden

Had this Male Blue Pitta with a Female also 2 Coral-Billed Ground Cuckoos,Siberian Blue Robin and a White-Rumped Sharma all within touching distant while I was hid practically inside a bush.

Ground cuckoo   I Iggleseden

Had to stay totally silent and not move.I watched them on my own on and off for two hours. Didn't think life could get any better till........White rumped swift at Hornsea 🤓


Jackie Binks

Tree sparrow   J Binks

 I was made up to see the grey phalarope but I’ve got to be honest and say watching the barn owl and tree sparrows has been my highlight.

Barn Owl   J Binks

John Doragh

Smew

Lots of highlights this year but I'll go for the drake Smew at a snowy Scotsman's Flash back in February





Jenny Jones

No pics, but I'd say capercaillie in flight in Scotland was mega for me, but the Golden & White tailed eagles in Findhorn valley came close second.

Team Ronaldsay

Lengths gone to when birding on North Ronaldsay 2018

 Paul Kurs

Goshawk over my head at Hale on Vizmig was a special highlight I won’t forget. Another would be going to Spurn and Kilnsea Wetlands with Tyno, Rev and Shaun O. Grand total of 80!!  Sooty Shearwater, Arctic Skua and the Sabine’s gull I believe I may have located myself although I’m open to opinion.



Thanks to all contributors

Parkgate Hen Harrier day vision

We had a dream - to bring Hen Harrier day to Parkgate in 2018. 

If you build it, they will come😃

Fabulous day - thanks to all who volunteered, supported and those who were just out for  a Sunday walk and became better informed😉

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OyGuDvSSl4

https://www.craigjoneswildlifephotography.co.uk/blog/events/hen-harrier-day-2018/20180815864/

Advertising at Martin Mere

Team Liverpool

Iolo 

Jeff did a fantastic job in opening  and closing the speakers  sessions . He really reinforced the fact that Hen Harrier Days need to continue and why we were all there all. Audeince particiation was as ever mandatory🤣👊 

Jeff socks it to Beefy Botham

The first speaker Colin Wells (former manager at RSPB Burton Mere) who spoke about the history of the site and how it is a fantastic place to come and see Hen Harriers in the Winter.👌

Second speaker was Colin's successor as manager at RSPB Burton Mere; Graham Jones spoke about how he was going to continue to protect the site for raptors and  breeding waders.👏

Next up was Alan Davies who talked about Hen Harriers, lifed the audience - He told them that they will lose eventually, no matter how long it takes.😆 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5PoH4-oWgE

Findlay Wilde was on next.Talking about the illegal persecution of upland wildlife and joined the other voices in calling for an end to this barbaric slaughter. Told a personal story about a Hen Harrier called Finn, her life cut down far too soon😡😰.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0n_iKWFOm4

Findlay

After Findlay it was James Bray from the RSPB  Bowland.  Talking about upland species of raptor  that should be breeding in Bowalnd likes Peregrine and Hen Harrier. Stories from the front line of raptor conservation.😡

Next was Dr Mark Avery, who  recapped on the history of Hen Harrier Days and his hopes for the banning driven grouse shooting .👊 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UNxNrdTHmw

Finally  Iolo Williams. Another heart felt,  rousing  speech relating  how  he used to go up on the moors and watch Hen Harriers as a child and yes he's  really 'pissed off' . 😆👍 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brwIAdCucro

Videos courtesy of Stuart pike

Gathering


See you next year 👊🤞👀

Hen Harrier Day 2018

     

We’re missing our Hen Harriers and we want them back.

This year we are marking the Inglorious 12th  on our home patch.. we got it to PARKGATE, so be there

Join the official Hen Harrier Day protest event at Parkgate, Wirral 12noon Sunday 12/8/18.

The Parkgate message to our RSPB members who share their disgust and sadness at this persecution for the sake of a minority's so called  'sport'....

*Satellite tagged Aalin disappeared,  assumed dead

Hen Harriers are still being heavily persecuted by the Driven Grouse Shooting fraternity, already this year two satellite tagged Harriers from this year’s broods have disappeared in suspicious circumstances. England still has fewer than a handful of breeding pairs and nobody is getting prosecuted for the illegal persecution of this iconic species.

It is up to all of us to bring pressure to bear on the powers that be - politicians, the police, the CPS and DEFRA/Natural England to take this situation seriously. To enable us to do that we need to speak with a unified voice and a very loud one. We also need to get our message across to the general public, for whom this issue has little, or of no relevance. We need to get their support if we are going to turn this super-tanker of destruction around. It is for this latter reason that this year we have chosen Parkgate Old Baths as our venue for the awareness raising protest. Till now we have largely preached to the converted, from here on we must ensure that non-birders know just what is going on in the name of ‘sport’.

How can you help? Spread the word, share it on social media ..tell everyone about the event that's taking place and try and persuade them to attend if at all possible. This is a numbers game!

We have some great speakers,

James Bray (Bowland Project Officer for RSPB),

Findlay Wilde (A Young Campaigner on Conservation Issues)

Mark Avery (Author, campaigner and naturalist) pictured with RSPb's Tim Melling

Iolo Williams (say no more) 

Hen Harrier day 2017 Dunsop Bridge

*Missing, assumed dead Aalin

https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2018/03/21/satellite-tagged-hen-harrier-aalin-disappears-near-ruabon-grouse-moor-north-wales/

RIP - LIA- did'nt make it to her first birthday

http://raptorpolitics.org.uk/2018/07/25/nos-da-to-our-tagged-welsh-hen-harrier-lias-journey-is-over/#more-24227

Your Harriers Need You

Terry & Andrea with Harry

As a member of the Tayside Raptor Study Group I recently had the opportunity to meet up with Mark Avery and Henry the Harrier during their nationwide tour. Over a curry we discussed the plight of our birds of prey particularly the Hen harrier. As birders we need to raise the profile of the harrier and not allow the grouse shooting industry to have its own way. There is a concerted effort going on right now to eradicate the Hen harrier - male birds seem to be the target this summer meaning females at the nest are not fed leading to nest desertion. In winter, roost sites are now being targeted further reducing the population. 

The aim of the Hen harrier day campaign is to bring the plight of these birds into the national conversation. Some newspapers are owned or edited by members of the shooting fraternity and many politicians are on the side of the grouse industry. So we must rouse ourselves to stand up for our persecuted birds. 

I mentioned to Mark Avery that Liverpool were planning a minibus to attend a Hen harrier day event and how it would be good if more local groups did the same. 

Mark passed on his regards to the Liverpool group and mentioned meeting certain members at the North West Birdfair. What a speaker he would be for an indoor meeting. 

Terry 

Tayside group with Mark Avery

A website dedicated to Hen Harrier Day 2015 has been launched – http://henharrierday.org

Buy a badge, bag or teeshirt and show your support!

https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/

https://twitter.com/HenryHenHarrier

Bowland Betty

**RSPB LIVERPOOL HAS SENT OUT AN EMAIL TO ALL OUR MEMBERS ABOUT OUR PLAN TO ATTEND THE EVENT IN THE GOYT VALLEY, WE ARE TAKING NAMES OF MEMBERS INTERESTED IN JOINING THE MINIBUS. 

HEN HARRIER DAY IS COMING!

A website dedicated to Hen Harrier Day 2015 has been launched – http://henharrierday.org

A one-stop-shop for everything Hen Harrier Day related :

If you have a Hen Harrier-related news item you want to write or suggest we look at, we want it for the Blog Page.

If you have an “Occupy The Butts”, “The Only Hen Harrier I Saw Today” or “Birder and Badge” selfie picture, we want to display it on the relevant Gallery Page.

For all the above, let us know on the dedicated Hen Harrier Day e-mail address : info@henharrierday.org

Buy a badge, bag or teeshirt and show your support!