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

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  1. S

    A Week in Morocco May 2024

    I think had we been a week or two earlier we would have found Desert Warbler but the breeding season is somewhat ahead of the UK so they had stopped singing. We were lucky to get Tristram's.
  2. S

    A Week in Morocco May 2024

    Thanks Mike, it was a stunner, the light in the desert was excellent!
  3. S

    A Week in Morocco May 2024

    Day 7 Saturday 18-05-24 We started the day by birding some scrubby ground near the hotel. A Great Grey Shrike was seen singing from a fence line and another Little Owl also showed well, a Eurasian Stone-Curlew was more distant. Larks were very much in evidence again, including Mediterranean...
  4. S

    A Week in Morocco May 2024

    Day 5 Thursday 16-05-24 The day started with the not unexpected news that no Nightjar had been found that morning. There was also a dawning realisation that because we were now heading to the coast that the next 2 days would be mainly driving. We had severely underestimated journey lengths and...
  5. S

    A Week in Morocco May 2024

    Day 4 Wednesday 15-05-24 After a sweltering night (so much for the desert being cold at night!) and a rushed breakfast as the hotel failed to provide it on time we headed out into the Sahara for its special birds. For this we had a new guide for the day, also called Hamid who knew the desert...
  6. S

    A Week in Morocco May 2024

    Day 3 Tuesday 14-05-24 The following morning, we started with a pre-breakfast walk in search of Scrub-Robin but without success, just seeing a similar range of birds to the previous night although Laughing Dove was an addition and we had excellent views of a singing House Bunting. After...
  7. S

    A Week in Morocco May 2024

    Trip Report Morocco May 2024 Participants: - Simon Bradfield, Simon Hitchen, Dave Rose, guided by Hamid, assisted by Mohammad The logistics/TripAdvisor bits -you can skip this if you just want to read about the birds. This was effectively an 8 night/7 day trip although the first day was taken...
  8. S

    Sri Lanka November 2023

    Yes - you can save hundreds by booking direct with local guides rather than tour companies.
  9. S

    Sri Lanka November 2023

    Thanks Rob Cost for the guiding, hotels, breakfast and dinner was £750pp for twin £930pp for single. We had to buy lunch and beers and I think we spend about £70 each on those. Flights were £774 each from Gatwick via Dubai.
  10. S

    Sri Lanka November 2023

    Yes we saw the Laughingthrush in Sinharaja
  11. S

    Sri Lanka November 2023

    It is possible but would be a lot harder. Our guide had lots of good local contacts which helped with things like owls and the more skulky species
  12. S

    Sri Lanka November 2023

    Day 8 Saturday 25-11-23 At the start of the trip we had expected today to be a desperate race against the clock for our remaining endemics. Instead we had a somewhat relaxing day ahead. We started back at the Visitor Centre again. This time Sri Lanka Blue Magpie showed incredibly well allowing...
  13. S

    Sri Lanka November 2023

    Day 7 Friday 24-11-23 An early start saw us drive to the SInharaja Visitor Centre to pick up a ranger and jeep head towards the National Park. Our first stop was at a blind where food was put down to attract the very shy endemic Spurfowl. It was still quite dark when we arrived and as the gloom...
  14. S

    Sri Lanka November 2023

    Ah the leeches. Yes we got leeched just about everywhere. The guide provided leech socks but a leech onesie would have been more appropriate. We did find that once you got over the "yuck" factor they were harmless and at least the bites don't itch like mozzie bites do.
  15. S

    Sri Lanka November 2023

    Day 6 Thursday 23-11-23 We started by doing some birding in the hotel garden before breakfast. White-breasted Waterhens prowled the lawns and an Asian Koel gave better views than we had previously had of this species. We found many of the usual suspects…Red-vented Bulbul, Black-hooded Oriole...
  16. S

    Sri Lanka November 2023

    Thanks Pete. It's a great country and the birding is excellent.
  17. S

    Sri Lanka November 2023

    Day 5 Wednesday 22-11-23 Torrential rain overnight made for an interesting journey from Nuwara Eliya with landslides partially blocking the road in several places. Still, we got to our first destination Surrey Bird Sanctuary without problem and the birding began in the car park. Oriental...
  18. S

    Sri Lanka November 2023

    Day 4 Tuesday 21-11-2023 We were up at 4.30am with a packed breakfast to head for Horton Plains National Park. Today looked critical - we still had 4 highland endemics to find, 2 of which were difficult and we really wanted to see if we could get better views of the Warbler and Bulbul which we...
  19. S

    Sri Lanka November 2023

    Day 3 Monday 20-11-23 An early start saw us taking the van high into the hills overlooking Kitulgala to look for Starlings and Mynas. The day started with a Stork-billed Kingfisher on wires over the river which was unfortunately flushed by the ferryman and a small group of Orange-billed...
  20. S

    Sri Lanka November 2023

    Day 2 Sunday 19-11-23 Sometime during the night the rain stopped and after a very comfortable sleep we were up early and back to the Camp to make up for lost time. The early start meant it was initially quiet and gloomy in the poor light. It was difficult to see much detail on our first new...
  21. S

    Sri Lanka November 2023

    Day 1 Saturday 18-11-23 We arrived broadly on time despite the best efforts of Emirates and having negotiated immigration and currency exchange (Sri Lankan bank notes each feature an endemic bird - nice) we were met by Jith and Thilina. After a brief run through of the itinerary we headed out...
  22. S

    Sri Lanka November 2023

    A trip report from our recent trip to Sri Lanka. A longish read and I hope it is useful Trip Report Sri Lanka November 2023 Participants:- Simon Bradfield, Simon Hitchen, Dave Rose, guided by Thilina Karunanayaka The logistics/tripadvisor bits -you can skip this if you just want to read about...
  23. S

    Hummingbird - Restaurant Guaycapi, Mindo Cloud Forest, Ecuador

    Hi all I think this might be a juvenile Green-crowned Brilliant but the bill looks a bit long? Thanks in advance Simon
  24. S

    Swarovski repair costs

    An update in case anyone was interested. I sent the eyepiece off to Swarovski UK who forwarded it to Austria. Repairs cost £137 and it is as good as new. Arrived back today whole process took 1 month, much faster than the 4 months they had warned me about. Great service!
  25. S

    Swarovski repair costs

    Hi. Does anyone have any experience of Swaro repair costs?. My scope eyepiece (zoom 25-50) has a hairline scratch and needs a new rubber eye ring. It is outside the warranty period so will not be covered. Given it will take 4 months to repair and taking into account the cost of sending it to...
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