Hawfinches in N Lincs

Glorious time with the Hawfinches today, much easier to see now the leaves have fallen - we watched them feeding on Beech, Larch and Yew with seemingly no particular favourite food

Hawfinch Invasion

This autumn has seen an unprecedented influx of Hawfinches into the country and we have been lucky to find two in Normanby Park having seen them fly over our garden and today we found at least five at another local site - horrendously difficult to track down, we could hear them but not see them until they flew and then trying to relocate them before they disappeared into foliage was not an easy task!

Flipping heck a Scops Owl

Amazing how a day can change, one minute I'm at Alkborough looking for the Phalarope, the next minute I've glanced at twitter and the next I'm ringing Wayne at work asking if he fancies dashing up to County Durham when he gets home for a European Scops Owl - of course the answer was always going to be yes and he may even be able to leave at 3 so 5.30 and there we are - Ryhope Village looking at a Scops Owl.

The Elderberry bush containing said Scops Owl

Red-necked Phalarope at Alkborough

Found yesterday by Neil this lovely little juvenile still present the evening

Tour of Britain N Lincs Sportive 2017

Another exceptional event in Normanby today with the sportive going through - Wayne entered the 102 mile circuit and my brother Mark and his mate Rob the 64 miler.  A tough day with strong chilly winds saw Wayne completed the route in 5hrs 36mins - well done to the 500 competitors who took part.

Waynes sträva results as follows;

08:05 on Sunday, 10 September 2017

Tour de Britain Sportive

View Flybys

• 163.4km
  Distance
 
• 5:23:07
   Moving Time
 
• 1,133m
  Elevation

• 175W
  Estimated Avg Power
 
• 3,394kJ
  Energy Output

	Avg	Max
Speed	30.4km/h	67.3km/h
Elapsed Time	5:39:26

The Normanby Park feed station

The Scunthorpe finishing line

Mark and Rob crossing fishing line

Wayne crossing finishing line

Tour of Britain Stage 3 Normanby Hall

Fabulous day for Normanby and N Lincs yesterday when the Tour of Britain came to town - here's videos of the start and finish and a few pics of Mark Cavendish signing autographs before the race ..

Wallace's Standardwing

So the final Sulawesi bird post and we have to end it on the whole reason for the trip - the bird Wayne has always wanted to see Wallace's Standardwing a magnificent bird of paradise.  Two trips were made to see this fabulous bird at its lek - always high up and in deep shade its not an easy bird to digiscope! It was originally discovered in 1858 and not seen again for nearly 60 years and only a handful of times up to 1953 and no further sightings until rediscovered in 1983 - it was filmed by David Attenborough in 1986 and broadcast and it was seeing this documentary that stuck in Wayne's mind ever since and inspired this trip.

Odds and sods

Savannah Nightjar

Sulawesi Hanging Parrot

Purple-bearded Bee-eater

Sulawesi Brush Cuckoo

Sulawesi Cuckoo Dove

Sulawesi Thrush

Superb Fruit Dove

Umbrella Cockatoo

White-faced Cuckoo Dove