Hello
We returned home today following a 24 day tour of south east Asia visiting the countries of Laos, Cambodia and Thailand with friends John Dixon and Alex Lewis. This was essentially a birding trip but with an opportunity of seeing a few mammals and insects too and even a little culture with a visit to the Angkor Wat temple complex at Siem Reap in Cambodia. It was very warm out there with daily temperatures around 36 - 38 degree centigrade so our best wildlife sightings came in the early hours of the morning and the few hours before dusk. We were fortunate to see most of the birds we wanted to see and for Eleanor and I it had been a long time since we had been in this part of the world so we were a little identification rusty!
On arrival back at Hanging Houghton this morning we were greeted by a flock of about forty Fieldfares and a pair of Raven around the village. Eleanor explored the Brampton Valley below the village and up to the Blueberry Farm complex this afternoon. No sign of the Great Grey Shrike but there was still an adult male Merlin attracted to the flocks of finches and buntings still present in the area.
A couple of days ago three Cormorants were found dead at Pitsford Reservoir in suspicious circumstances suggesting intentional killing. All the birds were found by the dam and the cause of death has yet to be established but visiting birders are asked to be on high alert and to report any suspicious activity to the Police and/or the RSPB Investigations Unit.
Regards
Neil M
We returned home today following a 24 day tour of south east Asia visiting the countries of Laos, Cambodia and Thailand with friends John Dixon and Alex Lewis. This was essentially a birding trip but with an opportunity of seeing a few mammals and insects too and even a little culture with a visit to the Angkor Wat temple complex at Siem Reap in Cambodia. It was very warm out there with daily temperatures around 36 - 38 degree centigrade so our best wildlife sightings came in the early hours of the morning and the few hours before dusk. We were fortunate to see most of the birds we wanted to see and for Eleanor and I it had been a long time since we had been in this part of the world so we were a little identification rusty!
On arrival back at Hanging Houghton this morning we were greeted by a flock of about forty Fieldfares and a pair of Raven around the village. Eleanor explored the Brampton Valley below the village and up to the Blueberry Farm complex this afternoon. No sign of the Great Grey Shrike but there was still an adult male Merlin attracted to the flocks of finches and buntings still present in the area.
A couple of days ago three Cormorants were found dead at Pitsford Reservoir in suspicious circumstances suggesting intentional killing. All the birds were found by the dam and the cause of death has yet to be established but visiting birders are asked to be on high alert and to report any suspicious activity to the Police and/or the RSPB Investigations Unit.
Regards
Neil M
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| Fieldfare courtesy of Jacob Spinks. |
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| Cormorant courtesy of Robin Gossage. |
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