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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Recent content by gnome

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    Tenerife in late April

    Thanks for that Larry! I've updated the original post to reflect this information. I've found some more information on the Chaffinch split here. I've also found some information on the Blue Chaffinch split, apparently into (Tenerife) Blue Chaffinch and Gran Canaria Blue Finch (Sangster et al...
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    Tenerife in late April

    Thanks for your comments Richard. You are right! I was a bit too casual in assuming the red eye was diagnostic for ACD vs CD. Collins mentions a "dark eye" for CD which I took to mean "not red". However, it seems that the colour of the under tail coverts is a more diagnostic marker, being grey...
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    Tenerife in late April

    Going Home There's not much to report here. We left the house fairly early, filled up with petrol as the hire car required a full tank on return and then drove the hour or so back to the airport to drop off the car. K's flight wasn't until the evening so she went on via bus to go on a whale...
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    Tenerife in late April

    Day Three We decided to have a more chill day today. I'd basically seen all the major species that I had on my target list apart from African Collard Dove. I had spotted a pale Collard Dove species in passing from the car which had probably been one but I wasn't sure. Still, I was fairly easy...
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    Tenerife in late April

    Day Two The next morning, first thing it was bright and sunny. Just wandering around the cottage environs there were Chiffchaffs, Canaries, and Blackbirds everywhere, along with a single singing Robin, and a Turtle Dove was purring away in the copse at the end of the garden. Overhead were Plain...
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    Tenerife in late April

    Day One K had stayed at La Laguna several times as it is right next to Tenerife North Airport which is used to hop over from Tenerife to La Palma where the observatory is. However, she'd never had a chance to explore the town itself so after the hotel breakfast we went for a wander about. Once...
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    Tenerife in late April

    This is a compilation taken from my latest blog post. K, my eldest daughter, was going to La Palma in the Canary Islands for work. She's an astronomer and visits regularly to take measurments at the observatory there where the air quality and light pollution are both very good for astronomy...
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    November Trip to Madrid

    I'm due out on a business trip to Madrid in November. I've never birded Spain at all and so am looking for advice on what to look out for "in passing" that might be around at that time of year. I'm also thinking of staying on an extra day in order to do some dedicated birding of the nearby...
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    Strontian Black Duck During Eclipse

    I just thought I'd share a couple of photos for good measure. In the first shot you can see how skulking it was, hiding right under a tree on the far bank. It took a bit of work to get into a position to see it. Good luck to anyone else thinking of going for it. Adam
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    Strontian Black Duck During Eclipse

    Yes indeed there was! I'm pleased to report back that I managed to see the bird though the vegetation proved somewhat problematic. For those who are interested there's a full write-up on my blog here. Someone e-mailed me after I'd seen it asking for detailed instructions so I thought I'd...
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    Strontian Black Duck During Eclipse

    Yes, thanks for that. I got in touch with the finder via Twitter and he kindly told me where he'd seen it. I'll post a screenshot below in case anyone else is interested. His instructions were: park at the church, cross the bridge and take the first left. I wasn't going to bother trying for it...
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    Strontian Black Duck During Eclipse

    I'm due to take my daughter up to Edinburgh Uni in a couple of weeks. Whilst up there I was thinking I might take the opportunity to go and see the Black Duck. However, there have been no updates for a while and I am guessing that it hides out somewhere whilst it's in eclipse. Does anyone have...
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    Bucks Souther Emerald Damselfly Info?

    Bucks Southern Emerald Damselfly Info? Saw this on BDS sightings page. "Southern Emerald Damselfly 32 on small pond and adjacent scrubby footpath just off the A40 near the reclycing centre east of Beaconsfield." Does anyone have any more info on this, specifically where the small pond is...
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    2017 UK orchids

    As I live relatively nearby in Oxon, I was wondering if someone could PM me directions to the Warwickshire Dune Helleborine site? TIA Adam
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    2017 UK orchids

    Hi all, I'm due up in the North East at the end of this coming week to pick up my daughter from Durham University so I thought that I'd take the opportunity to do more on my new-found interest and indulge in a spot of orchid'ing. I'm particularly interested in specialities that I might not see...
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