120627 Skottland-Scotland , day 4 Wednesday crossing GB

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Click to enlarge All photos   NF Photo 120627

120627 Wednesday, day 4

Woke up at 6 first time and set the computer battery to charge. At 7 I went up. Wrote a bit on my diary, swedish version, and then started to pack. Now I am waiting for breakfast.

It is a rainy morning so spending most part of the day in the car is not bad. We are crossing the GB to the other coast today. It was not that easy to find the right way across country. There were several times when they missed turns and had to go back or take a different road. It was also raining most of the day so the three of us in the backseat was dozing off every now and then. And when you were alert... what you did see was sheep. The land was dotted with white sheep.

We made one stop for coffee, one photostop and then lunch in a restaurant. So much food my stomach protests.

We came to the site of the ferry in Ardrossan  at appointed time despite driving problems. Ola got all the tickets for comming ferry trips as well. So from now on we only had to be at the ferry in time for embarking them. At 17.55 the ferry was out on the water heading for Brodick on Arran. The trip took about an hour and we were birding most of the time.

The weather changed again when we were on our way out to the islands. Lots of mists and clouds hiding the island. We spotted several spieces of birds. Many of them the same as yesterday and a few new ones. Like Manx Shearwater, hm strange name,  (Mindre Lira) and Black Guillemot (Tobisgrissla).

Fishingboats with lots of birds surrounding it. Hardly seen because of the msit.

Not much is seen but that was the destination. Brodick on Arran. A gannet luckily passed by.

120627-28 Lochranza Hotel, Lochranza Arran 

We arrived at the hotel, located on the northern part of the island, at 19.30 so we were assigned our rooms and then headed for the dining room. I got a great room today. First floor and I have 4 beds. All by myself. :)

For dinner I had some sirloin steak. Really great food. But of course, too much for me so I had to leave some. Dinner included today. Didn´t help, still too much on the plates. But I did take an icecream dessert.

This hotel has a working shower so I freshened me up. Then uploaded todays shots of course. It sounds like rain outside so it does not seem good for tomorrow. We shall meet at 7 for a morningwalk. Breakfast is 8.30.


Crossing Scotland,GB  to Ardrossan ferry (220km)
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Himmelsk 97    Sky Watch Friday

Mer om Skottland på NF Photo  Fågelarter

More about Scotland on NF Photo  Bird species Labels: Resor, travel, trip, journey, vacation, Öland, Sverige, Sweden, airplane, flygplan, sky, photo, photography, Monica Johansson, NatureFootstep, nfphoto, NF_photo, nature, natur, fågelskådning, birding, Skottland, Scotland Lochranza Hotel, Scotland, Seahouses, Skottland, Arran, Brodick, Ardrossan, ferry, färja, gannet, havssula,

111003 Falsterbo monday

Sky watch friday   Himmelsk 60

World Bird Wednesday LIII

Click to enlarge All photos NF Photo 111003 Falsterbo

Falsterbo 111003 Monday

Woke up at 6.40 to have breakfast at 7.00h.

We left at 8.00 to go to Nabben at the south point of Falsterbo. We passed the lighthouse and walked down to the point. We stayed there for most of the morning. It was a misty morning again but a bit better then yesterday. And it cleared up around 10.30. A lot of small birds took off for crossing the water to Germany. One group after another headed south. The water fowl was still out on the shallow banks. Vaders and ducks mostly. A few gulls, cormorants and sparrowhawks. (photo)

At 11 aclock it was sunshine and starting to get warm. Then we had an appointment with mr Nils Kjellén who is responible for the bird counts at Nabben. They have been doing that for about 40 years. Using a special rutine. That is quite unique and can be used for scientific research.

For lunch we went back to the car and Kolabacken. We ate our lunch sitting on the old hillock where they in old times used to burn the lighthouses light. Kol means coal. :) During our meal we were entertained by rather many birds of prey. Hawks, Buzzards, Harrires and Red Kite were quite common. But they did not really go out. Most of them turned around and flew back inlands. Acc to our guide the yneed very clear weather to start the migration. They don´t like to fly over water. Most of them also needed warm upwinds to sail on. I learned a lot. :)  (Common Kestrel to the left)

Later in the afternoon it is time again for Annas bakery and the coffe everyone was longing for.

After the coffe break we headed a bit north. Passed the location of our lounge and took to the left later on. We parked hth car at a farm and went down to n inlet of the Baltic Sea. Here at the parking place I finally could get some shots of the, for the area common bird, Rook. I had been afraid that I would have to go home without getting a shot at them. That would have pissed me off. Really! Rook on the Birdblog (Rödglada - Red kite)

We walked along a field of corn to get down at the little Gröna Boden (Green barn). There were a lot of geese and a lot of vaders and ducks. But, as usual, you could not get close to them. The field-scope was needed. And then it is hard to shot also. At least closeups. Some harriers were also sailing the skies. It was a nice afternoon. One real treat is to see the huge flocks take off and fill the skies with waves after waves with birds. Mixed flocks of geeze, ducks and vaders. It is amazing.

We estimated a no of at least 5000 Barncle goose alone.

Dinner at 17.00 and then we looked at some of the shots taken by our guide. He is also a good teacher. And we went thro the birds we seen today.

After that I went to the beach on the other side of the road. But not for a long time as my stomach was telling me to go back. Uploaded my shots for today and took a shower and was online for a while before hitting the sack.

The Golf club at Nabben in the misty morning

And close to the club at the shore was these

We were also introduced to the Migration counts that are performed at Falsterbo. You can find  the link on this URL:
MIGRATION COUNTS - DAILY TOTALS


Links/Länkar 

Falsterbo Bird observatory

Falsterbo kortrapport

Från kortrapporten:

Disigt idag också, men betydligt bättre väder – och dessutom kommer vinden just från sydväst, vilket är idealiskt.

Vi startar på Nabben och kan direkt konstatera att det är mer fågel i luften idag: grönsiskor, bofinkar, hämplingar och dessutom en del bergfinkar och steglitsar samt enstaka trädlärkor, skärpiplärkor och inte minst en varfågel. Sparvhökar piper dessutom förbi hela tiden.

Vi går ut till vindskyddet längst ut på Nabben där Naturvårdsverkets sträckräknare Nils Kjellén ger oss en intressant introduktion i sträckräknandets konst och de resultat som en snart 40 år gammal Falsterboserie renderat. Uppåt för många dagsträckande småfåglar och rovfåglar – det är kul. Samtidigt pekar Nils ut höstens första större korsnäbb för oss – det är också kul.

Enstaka ormvråkar dyker upp på himlen trots diset och sparvhökarna matar ju på, så lunch intages på Kolabacken där vi får en hel del fina obsar, inte minst av ett antal juvenila röda glador samt en d:o blå kärrhök.

När det blir för glest mellan fåglarna intar vi Annas Bageri för varsin latte med blåbärsbröd. Osannolikt att man kan sitta utomhus och gotta sig på detta vis i oktober.

Dagen avslutas vid Gröna boden med utsikt över Foteviken och tusentals fåglar. Överallt gäss, änder, vadare, och en och annan brun kärrhök som stirrar upp krickor, ljungpipare och annat. Fint eftermiddagsljus, behagliga näravstånd och ett kontinuerligt liv och kiv bidrar till att göra Gröna boden till en härlig lokal så här års. Vi räknar inte gässen noggrant men gör bedömningen att även här finns över 5 000 vitkindade gäss.
Magnus Ullman

More on Falsterbo here:

NatureFootstep
Bird blog / Fågel blogg
Labels: Resor, travel, trip, journey, vacation, Venedig, Venice, Camargue, Frankrike, France, Costa Rica, Öland, Sverige, Sweden, airplane, flygplan, sky, photo, photography, Monica Johansson, NatureFootstep, nfphoto, NF_photo, nature, natur, fågelskådning, birding,sparvhök, sparrowhawk, Tornfalk, Common Kestrel, Rödglada, Red Kite, Falsterbo, Nabben, Gröna boden, Foteviken

San Jose - Panama 110213

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NF Photo 110213 over Costa Rica

Idag får ni besöka min reseblogg. Det här såg jag på hemvägen, Första flyget, San Jose i Costa Rica till Panama City
Today I welcome you to my travel blogg. This is what I saw on my way home, first flight, from San Jose to Panama City

Sky watch Friday

More on Costa Rica:

Costa Rica på NF Photo 2

Costa Rica Birdblogg .

Labels: Resor, travel, trip, journey, vacation, Venedig, Venice, Camargue, Frankrike, France, Costa Rica, Öland, Sverige, Sweden, airplane, flygplan, sky, photo, photography, Monica Johansson, NatureFootstep, nfphoto, NF_photo, nature, natur, fågelskådning, birding,