Shetland Misfit: Variable Wheatear

Showing posts with label Variable Wheatear. Show all posts

Wednesday, 19 October 2016

Four Wheatears

So I thought I'd set myself a bit of a challenge, see and photograph the four species of Wheatear that were available in South Mainland in the fastest time possible. Starting off with the Desert Wheatear at Scousburgh Sands, seen straight away and I watched it on the beach for 10 minutes as it gradually worked it's way closer, before flying to the north end of the beach at 08:20. Nearby the Isabelline Wheatear along the Noss road was showing but at a distance of 100 yards or more and never looked like getting any closer, so I moved on to the Pied Wheatear at Scatness, predictably it was still in Stinky Geo feeding on flies coming off the rotting seaweed. Three down, one to go. Yesterday there was a Northern with the Pied, but it was nowhere to be seen today, I kind of gave up on it and started walking back to the house along the coast, and on Sanblister Beach - a Northern Wheatear - all four! The time was now 09:02, so 4 species of Wheatear in 43 minutes!!! Thinking back, I remembered that I had seen 4 Wheatear species before in 1 day, Variable, Desert, Isabelline and Red-tailed, in the Great Rann of Kutch in Gujarat in 2010.
After all this excitement, it was back to thrashing the patch, totals as follows - a late Bonxie, 1 Pink-footed Goose, 7 Barnacle Geese, 1 Pintail, 12 Carrion Crows (normally a spring bird), 2 Waxwing, 7 Blackcaps, 5 Goldcrest, 2 Song Thrush and 2 Chiffchaff.

The 4 Wheatears

Desert Wheatear

The 4 Wheatears from Gujarat

Pink-footed Goose with Barnacle Goose

Wednesday, 3 March 2010

30th January 2010 Little Rann of Kutch.

Arrived at the camp just in time for lunch, after which we just spent a few hours birding around the camp - Pallid Scops Owl roosting by the gate, 4 White-cheeked Bulbuls, 1 Greenish Warbler, 2 Black Redstarts and a Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher all in the camp grounds, and a Spotted Owlet roosting in the eaves of the porch in front of the hut we were staying in.
On the jeep safari into the Little Rann in the afternoon - 900+ Short-toed Larks, 60 Rufous-tailed Larks, 20 Crested Larks, 10+ Isabelline Shrikes, 2 Variable Wheatear, 2 Desert Wheatear, 20+ Isabelline Wheatear, 2 Bay-backed Shrike, 40 Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, 2 Grey Francolin and a male Pallid Harrier. After dark we were on the hunt for Nightjars - 3 Sykes seen out on the Little Rann and an Indian on the road near to the camp.
Several Nilgai and Wild Ass out on the Rann.

Black-rumped Flameback.

Black Redstart.

Variable Wheatear.

Sykes Nightjar.

Nilgai (Bluebull).

Asiatic Wild Ass.

31st January 2010 Little Rann of Kutch.

2 safari's today, including visiting the lake in the Little Rann. 6 Dalmatian Pelican, 200+ White Pelican, 250+ Lesser Flamingo, 150+ Greater Flamingo, 200+ Greylag Geese, 10 Shelduck, 40 Tufted Ducks, 150+ Demoiselle Cranes, 600+ Common Cranes, 1 Greater Sand Plover and 10 Marsh Sandpipers around the lake. 2 male Montagu's Harriers, 1 male Pallid Harrier, 1 Booted Eagle, 4 Indian Coursers and 2 Desert Warblers around the Rann. Desert Wheatear and Crested Lark a lot commoner in this area. Also seen - more Rufous-tailed Larks, Southern Grey Shrikes and Variable & Isabelline Wheatears.
The Pallid Scops Owl was showing much better than yesterday at the camp, plus a Short-toed Eagle over in the afternoon.

Crested Larks.

Demoiselle Cranes.

Desert Warblers.

Desert Wheatears.

Indian Courser.

Isabelline Wheatear.

Greater and Lesser Flamingo.

Pallid Scops Owl.

Rufous-tailed Lark.

Southern Grey Shrike.

Short-toed Eagle.

Variable Wheatear.

About Me

Sometimes I try to do things but it just doesn't work out the way I want it to, and I get real frustrated and then like I try hard to do it, and I like, take my time but it just doesn't work out the way I want it to. It's like, I concentrate on it real hard, but it just doesn't work out. And everything I do and everything I try, it never turns out. It's like, I need time to figure these things out, but there's always someone there going “hey Steve, you know we've been noticing you've been having a lot of problems lately, you know? You need to maybe get away. And like, maybe you should talk about it, you'll feel a lot better.” And I'm all like “oh, nah, it's ok, you know. I'll figure it out. Just leave me alone, I'll figure it out, you know? I'm just working on it by myself.” And they go “well, you know, if you wanna talk about it, I'll be here, you know? And you'll probably feel a lot better if you talk about it. So why don't you talk about it?” I go “no, I don't want to! I'm ok. I'll figure it out myself!” But they just keep bugging me, they just keep bugging me, and it builds up inside.I was in my house and I was just like staring at the walls thinking about everything, but then again I was thinking about nothing. And then my wife came in, and I didn't even know she was there. She called my name and I didn't hear her and then she started screaming “Steve, Steve !” And I go “what ? What's the matter ?” She goes “what's the matter with you?” I go “there's nothing wrong” She’s all “don't tell me that ! You're on drugs !” I go “FFS, I'm not on drugs. I'm ok, I'm just thinking, you know? Why don't you get me a Pepsi?” She goes “No! You're on drugs!” I go “I'm ok. I'm just thinking.” She goes “No! You're not thinking, you're on drugs! Normal people don't be acting that way!” I go “just get me a Pepsi ! Please, all I want is a Pepsi !” And she wouldn't give it to me! All I wanted was a Pepsi, just one Pepsi, and she wouldn't give it to me! Just a Pepsi !I'm sitting in my house, when a couple of my mates came in. they pulled up a chair and they sat down. They go “Steve, we need to talk to you.” And I go “ok, what's the matter?” They go “we've noticed that lately you've been having a lot of problems, and you've been going off on one for no reason, and we're afraid you're going to hurt somebody, and we're afraid you're going to hurt yourself. So we decided that it would be in your best interest if we put you somewhere where you could get the help that you need.” And I go “wait, what are you talking about, WE decided ? MY best interests ? How do you know what MY best interest is ? How can you say what MY best interest is ? What are you trying to say? I'm crazy ? They say they're gonna fix my brain. Alleviate my suffering and my pain. But by the time they fix my head, Mentally I'll be dead. They stuck me in an institution, said it was the only solution, to give me the needed professional help, to protect me from the enemy, myself !
Doesn't matter, I'll probably get hit by a car anyways !!!!