Whilst away over Easter we went to Newport Wetlands as usual. This is based on two sites to the East of the mouth of the R.Usk in Newport. The 'formal' reserve & RSPB centre is at Uskmouth in the shadow of the power station, but this does get very busy. It does get good birds, we saw a singing male Subalp...
Heard some news the other day that the ownership of Highfield Moss has now been taken on by Wigan MBC but it will be 'managed' by LWT. Lets hope their first job will be stopping the local scroats from torching the place every spring. The stonechats down there already seem to have disappeared due to most o...
We have taken in on commission a mint condition, boxed Celestron 56mm objective ED Micro Spotting Scope. This has a zoom eyepiece which gives a 9-27x magnification range. Thesde are such small scopes that they can fit in your pocket and you can carry a scope with you when otherwise you may have just gon...
There has been much talk on the lack of insects and habitat damage etc, and many birders reporting lack of common birds on there patches, I have spent most of this year trying to stay local to my home area and bird just in and around where I live, the results are I am afraid to say disappointing, lots and lot...
Me and Mrs P are off to Corfu next week and was wondering if anyone had any info or pointers of where to watch some birdies or where certain birdies are!
We are in Aghios Gordios which is South West Corfu, I think!
Cheers Matt
Its come to my attention that there seems to be another outbreak of trichomoniasis (or canker) in greenfinchs. This is a tiny protozoan parasite that creates swelling in the throat as it forms a cheesy type puss. This usually infects pigeons but is also infecting some finches. This condition is trea...
We have just taken in on a commission basis a nice little Leica Scope which has been to Leica for a full service. It is the Leica APO Televid 62 with the 16-42x Zoom eyepiece which has the locking mechanism and so is one of the newer versions. It had a Leica own make stay-on case too. The owner wants £650 for i...
Time to end the Christmas Sale & update the sale list of binoculars in the Manager's Specials cabinet I have added another Pentax binocular today and further stock will be added periodically, so keep watch for that bargain binocular The current list is as follows: Pentax 8x36 DCF HS: was £295...
Long unused after a fall loosened interior. Have held onto them 'just in case' but know I'll not do anything with them now. Would anyone like them to cannibalise them? Am happy to post out if that is of help re-using them.
Hello All, I have set up a conservation project - Bolton & Bury Swifts - to help try & address the decline of this enigmatic species in my local area. I am also volunteering for RSPB with a specific Swift remit, they have a funding bid pending to create homes for swifts in Greater Manchester, thr...
We have taken in on a Commission sale basis an Acuter 80 Grand Vista scope. The owner has upgraded to a Swarovski so no longer needs it. It was sent away for repair and as a result the suppliers have swapped it for a brand new boxed one !! This is typical of this supplier, their service is second to none. So th...
If anyone is looking for a top brand scope at a very cheap price then we have taken in on Commission Sale this week a Kowa 824 Telescope, with a 20-60x Zoom and 32x Wide Eyepiece. A stay on case is included but has no eyepiece end cover, although the scope still has its hard eyepiece cover for that end. The bo...
We have just taken in on a commission basis an Opticron MM4 50 angled scope body with the green, luxury stay-on case for sale. This is only 6 months old and so has almost a full warranty on it, it is almost un-used too and in mint condition. The scope body is still boxed with all paperwork including origina...
We have just taken in for a commission sale a pair of 8x42 Conquest HD bins in excellent condition. They have just been overhauled at Zeiss Germany so are in perfect working order etc. The come with box and full accessories and have c.7 years of the 10 year Warranty left, this is fully transferable. The s...
Four days on Rum, weather was horrendous for two, but still some decent birds. Ghurdil Bay 2 Golden Eagle 1 White Tailed Eagle Loch Scresort 15+ Red Breasted Mergansers 20+ Curlew 30+ Oystercatcher 3 Red Throated Divers 1 Glossy Ibis, An Isle of Rum First! Feeding just of Loch Scresort In a field. 3 Bre...
Trying to obtain spare copy of Martin Garners Birding frontiers Autumn challenge series, not concerned about the condition, its for a young birders trying to build up a reference stock of books Keep Birding
A once in a blue moon (or should it be red sun this week ) opportunity has come up with a pair of mint condition, current model Swarovski binoculars up for commission sale. These bins are jsut back from a complete service at Swarovski and are unused since return and so are in effect new and unused! The ow...
Montserrat Mountain 04/10/17 2 Bonelli's Eagles, 2 Firecrests, 1 Kestrel, 1 Song Thrush, 2 Redstarts, 1 Jay and a singing Robin. Around 30 Crag Martins flying above the monastry. Salou Area 05-09/10/17 Noticeably very few gulls along the coast, just 1 Audouins, 1 Mediterranean plus a few Yellow Le...
Know anyone who might be visiting SE Brazil? I have 3 good homemade books of plates to give away (and they will be throw away if there are no takers). 1. All the plates from Tudor and Ridgely. 99 pages, spiral bound. 2. Birds of SE Brazil. 29 pages, spiral bound (plates extracted from both Handbook of the B...
The Rochdale Field Naturalists' Society are running a coach trip to Filey Dams and Filey Brigg this Saturday 14th October at the height of the autumn migration. If you are interested in going on the trip Sheila Simpson is taking the bookings. Tel 01706 853791 The fare of £15 is paid on the coach which le...
My morning shave was interrupted by an 8.30 call from John Rayner advising of a mega alert regarding a Scops Owl discovered at Ryhope, some 4 miles south of Sunderland. We were soon en route (I driving, and Doug Smith navigating, as this was "terra incognita" for me despite the site being only 2/3 miles...
Originally posted today by John Watson: View the following and accept disclaimerhttps://apps.wigan.gov.uk/planappsPlanning application A/17/84395/MAJORThere is a substantial bird report (which describes breeding birds only) & an ecological assessment. Both reports by Penny Ande...
on this foggy morning
at red seas and crooke
1 water rail
15 blackbirds
5 jays
1 kingfisher
1 buzzard
2 wigeon unusual for here probably dropped down in fog
3 willow tits in seperate locations
6 bullfinch
lots of siskins flying around but no count on these
20 teal
21 c geese
crooke
2 grey wa...
Out here for a few days with David Lindo and one of his friends and staying at a nice rustic holiday home, with a watchtower over Matsalu Bay. We were joined at dinner by another group of Brits with their Finnish guide and it turns out that 3 were from Ramsbottom! *waves* Its a small (birding) world!! So fa...
Is it just me, or are there are a lot of Chiffchaffs making a different call to what I consider to be their normal autumnal hoo-weet! I started to notice it a few weeks ago and it has become more and more obvious. Its more of a "sweeooeet". Higher pitched, quite sharp. Have I just been missing this for the pa...
Canon f2.8 L Macro lens IS USM for sale £500. This L lens is one of the best lenses Canon make and is in great condition. It is as bought, boxed with lens caps, lens hood and carry bag. In addition it comes with a tripod mount. If interested and want to have a look at it e mail me at mjfsscs at gmail.com
