November 9, 2007
Whatever happened to free time?
The last few weeks have been CHAOTIC, travelling the length of the UK for job interviews, finishing papers etc - no time for birding! I leave to catch my plane (the first of 3) to New Caledonia in 7 hours' time and I haven't started packing! I have a 10 hour layover in Japan, so fingers crossed they'll let me leave the airport for a spot of urban birding - not sure how I'll do given I don't own a Japanese field guide! I'm clearly getting tired, as I'm ending all my sentences with exclamation marks! Below are a few pictures from a warm and sunny visit to Aberdeen, plus the amazing fall colours on campus. Expect a deluge of photos and blog entries in early December!
Flying over the Lake District
Cappuccino TARDIS!
Blue skies in Aberdeen
View from the Bridge of Don
A friendly Turnstone on the promenade
Barely identifiable Razorbill - some lucky bugger found a Brunnich's Guillemot not far from here a couple of weeks later...
Aberdeen sunset
Flying back over Kent
Autumn colours on the Orsay campus
November 1, 2007
Brittany trip part 4 - Le Conquet
After taking the late afternoon ferry from Ouessant (no birds to speak of, but was fun to chat to a group of Spanish birders revolutionising birding in the NW corner of the country - many of their photos can be seen on the European Rarities page on Surfbirds), we decided to stay overnight in the port of Le Conquet.
The hotel has a fabulous creperie, and a good view over the harbour.
A very pleasant surprise was the presence of several Arctic Terns (Sterne arctique) in the harbour, often perched on buoys or flying by at close range.
Several Shag (Cormoran huppe) and a single Black-necked Grebe (Grebe a cou noir) were swimming between the boats.
Multiple Kingfishers (Martin-pecheur) were also present.
Great Black-backed Gulls (Goeland marin) lined the chimney pots.
Inland from the harbour, the saltmarsh held a selection of shorebirds including a couple of Black-tailed Godwits (Barge a queue noire) close to the road.
After a brief hike out on a neighbouring headland, we drove back to catch the TGV from Morlaix in Tristan's loveable old banger, a Renault 4L - they don't make them like this any more!
