News from the field - March 2023
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Our Spring tours are off to a great start, so we thought we would share some of the news from our Guides in the field. John Muddeman updates us from Morocco, Toby Green gives us some highlights from the new Cyprus tour and Holly Page and Barry Embling tell us how the Mainland Scotland tours are going ..... where will YOU go birding this spring?
Photo Credit: Toby Green
“Cracking start to our new Cyprus trip. Migrants everywhere, up to 25 Ruppell’s Warblers and Sardinian Warblers just two of the 7 species of warbler seen. Black-eared and Cyprus Wheatear were just 2 of the 4 species of wheatear noted, hundreds of wagtails, a bonus Collared Pratincole, Alpine Swifts and of course Crested Larks. We also got to see the big one - Diederik Cuckoo - what a bird! Great numbers of Spur-winged Lapwing, Greater Flamingos and a nice Long-legged Buzzard continued the species tally.
Another day saw the group catch up with stunning Citrine Wagtails, Short-toed Lark and Little Crake. Semi-collared Flycatcher and several Eastern Bonelli's Warblers rounded things off nicely.”
Heatherlea Guide: Toby Green
Morocco
“We are just over half way through the tour and so far it's going very well. 116 bird species recorded to date, with lots more to still come from the coast and High Atlas. We've also more than doubled the butterfly list.
Yesterday in particular, in the desert was superb, with Desert Sparrow, Greater Hoopoe Lark, Spotted and Crowned Sandgrouse, African Desert Warbler, Tristram's Warbler, Egyptian Nightjar, Maghreb Lark and Fulvous Chatterer all added, so seeing everything we'd hoped for, plus the Tristram's! We were also shown a Wryneck in the hand from the ringing station on the first morning and this morning saw the first Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin thanks to the ringing scheme too! These are both write-in's, along with Eurasian Long-eared (seen) and Eurasian Scops Owls (heard), Black-bellied Sandgrouse and Eastern Subalpine Warbler!" Heatherlea Guide: John Muddeman
Spring into Scotland including Mull
“This week's tour took us to the lovely island of Mull for two nights. We were very lucky with four Otter sightings, Golden and White-tailed Eagles and Great Northern Divers in every bay, some just coming into Summer plumage. A couple of summer-plumaged Slavonian Grebes, the first Wheatears of the year and Sand Martin.” Heatherlea Guide: Barry Embling
Photo Credit: Holly Page
“My group have just returned from our two night stay on the wild Ardnamurchan Peninsula. We had fantastic views of Pine Marten both nights at our accommodation. Golden and White-tailed Eagles, first spring migrants in Wheatear and Sand Martin plus a bonus Kingfisher! We also had good views of an Otter fishing just offshore which then came onto land to eat a fish!” Heatherlea Guide: Holly Page