Shoreham and Lancing (26-31 May 2025)

Monday 26 May. Lancing Ring with Megan and Otis: Grey Partridge heard, Red Kite, 2 Buzzards, Kestrel, 7 Skylarks, 2 Swallows, House Martin, 6 Whitethroats, Meadow Pipit and 5 Corn Buntings.

Corn Bunting on Lancing Ring

Thursday 29 May 2025. Adur circuit with Megan and Otis: Great Crested Grebe, 2 Oystercatchers, Whimbrel, 3 Little Egrets, 2 Skylarks, Cetti's Warbler heard, 4 Whitethroats, Meadow Pipit, 2 Linnets, 3 Goldfinches.

Friday 30 May 2025. Lancing Hill TQ1806 Farmland Bird Survey with Otis: 4 Stock Doves, 90 Woodpigeons, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Kestrel, 10 Skylarks, 2 House Martins, 2 Chiffchaffs, Blackcap, 2 Lesser and 9 Common Whitethroats, 4 Song Thrushes, female Stonechat, 4 Linnets, 5 Goldfinches and 3 Corn Buntings.

Saturday 31 May 2025. Adur/Cuckoos Corner: 2 Oystercatchers (carrying worms into Ricardo), Grey Plover, Grey Heron, 3 Little Egrets, 2 Buzzards, Skylark, 15 House Martins (collecting mud), Cetti's and Reed Warblers heard, 3 Whitethroats, 2 Linnets and 3 Reed Buntings.

immaculate Grey Plover at Cuckoos Corner

Reed Bunting at Cuckoos Corner

GALAPAGOS part 9: Santa Cruz (Dragon Hill) and Santiago/Bartolome (19 May 2025)

Monday 19 May 2025. SANTA CRUZ. We arrived off the NW of Santa Cruz during the night and I was up at 05:30 ahead of an 06:00 departure to Dragon Hill, an unscheduled early visit to the last chance saloon for Vegetarian Finch. A species which we probably should have seen well several times by now but hadn't, not helped by limited time at the best time of day in suitable habitat. We wet landed and walked through decent looking open forest up to a very low hill with nice views but no Vegetarians. It soon became very hot and bird activity quickly dropped off, not that it had been much to start with. We were back on board at 08:00 for breakfast and set off for the north end of Santiago. SANTIAGO/BARTOLOME. We arrived in Sullivan Bay between Santiago and Bartolome at 11:00, lunch was at noon with a panga ride/snorkeling from 14:00-15:10. The panga circumnavigated Bartolome and was the best we'd done to date (Tiger & several White-tipped Sharks, Turtles, 3 Wandering Tattlers and Galapagos Penguins). A dry landing at 15:45 and a half hour walk on a 130 year old lava flow completely devoid of life. We were back on board the Chacalote Explorer at 16:30 and departed an hour later for Genovesa. I was on deck to dusk, a nice sunset but not the previous evenings stunner although 2 Band-rumped and a Wedge-rumped Storm Petrel and 22 Galapagos Petrels made it worthwhile. Birds seen: 3 Galapagos Doves, 5 Smooth-billed Anis, Dark-billed Cuckoo, Black-necked Stilt, American Oystercatcher, 3 Wandering Tattlers, 20 Brown Noddies, 5 Galapagos Penguins, 2 Red-billed Tropicbirds, 26 Elliot’s, 2 Band-rumped and a Wedge-rumped Storm Petrel, 22 Galapagos Petrels, 18 Galapagos Shearwaters, 15 Magnificent Frigatebirds, a Nazca and 15 Blue-footed Boobies, 5 Brown Pelicans, 3 Lava Herons, 2 Great Blue Herons, 4 Galapagos Flycatchers, 6 Galapagos Mockingbirds, 6 Mangrove Warblers, 6 Small Ground Finches. and 2 Common Cactus Finches. 

a bit optimistic featuring Orca on the daily itinerary

Lava Heron at Dragon Hill

Chacalote Explorer off Dragon Hill

Great Bule Heron at Dragon Hill

Mangrove Warblers at Dragon Hill

Black-necked Stilt at Dragon Hill

Land Iguana at Dragon Hill

view from Dragon Hill, it wasn't much of a hill

Galapagos Shearwaters off Dragon Hill

Santiago

Elliot's Storm Petrels in Sullivan Bay

Pinnacle Rock from Sullivan Bay

White-tipped Shark as we circumnavigated Bartolome by panga

Nazca Booby on Bartolome

Bartolome viewpoint climbed on 13th

Lava Heron on Bartolome

Galapagos Penguin on Bartolome

Sullivan Bay lava flow

Pinnacle Rock, Bartolome, Sullivan Bay and the lava flow

Pinnacle Rock

Band-rumped Storm Petrel at sea north of Santiago

Galapagos Petrels at sea north of Santiago

sunset at sea north of Santiago, final stop Genovesa tomorrow ...

GALAPAGOS part 8: Floreana (18 May 2025)

Sunday 18 May 2025. FLOREANA. I was on deck at 06:15 to find we were anchored of Punta Cormorant having arrived overnight, little was moving on the sea. As usual breakfast was at 07:00 followed by a wet landing at 08:00, we walked past a flamingo lagoon and through scrub across a small isthmus to a beach where turtles had recently dragged themselves out of the sea to lay their eggs. Back of board at 10:00 for a panga ride or snorkeling around Devil’s Crown. The panga ride was a very frustrating experience as Champion, one of two islets off Floreana where the endemic Floreana Mockingbirds have been relocated, was clearly visible about 4km away. We could easily have gone there while the others, supported by the second panga, were snorkeling. The mockingbirds are extinct on Floreana and Champion is the only place in the world where they can be seen. Although landing is not allowed permission can be obtained to circumnavigate it by panga. We had not sought/been given this permission. I suspect the former as Darwin was quite surprised when I asked him at the start of the cruise if we had permission. Maybe some effort was then made to obtain it but if so we were unsuccessful. In contrast Birdquest managed it, having good views/photos of the mockingbird from a panga a few days after our non-visit. Human nature, unfortunate that it is, is that had I seen Floreana Mockingbird I would think about it an awful lot less than I am now and the disappointment of not being able to try will stay with me for a long time. Back on board at 11:45 for lunch at 12:00 which I skipped, three meals a day were getting rather tiring. Next up was a very touristy wet landing at Postbox Cove at 12:45 where we spent half an hour checking if any cards local to any of us had been left there. None in the bundle I checked were to anywhere in England and the whole thing seemed a rather pointless waste of time but I was still in a bad mood so it would have taken a lot to impress me! We arrived off Puerto Velazco Ibarra, the main town on Floreana, at 15:05 and a bus was waiting to take us up to Asilo de la Paz where we walked a trail for 45 minutes obtaining largely unsatisfactory views of 2 juvenile/female Medium Tree Finches and somewhat better views of at least 2 juvenile/female Small Tree Finches. We made an unscheduled stop on our way back to Puerto Velazco Ibarra where a track left the road and went through a forest patch towards Cerro Pajas. It saved the day with decent, if somewhat brief, views of a male Medium Tree Finch but it was another skin of the teeth success that could have gone badly wrong. Too little time in optimal habitat and often at the wrong time of the day seemed a continuing theme in the quest for Darwin’s Finches. Birds seen: 2 White-cheeked Pintail ducklings, 14 Galapagos Doves, 4 Smooth-billed Anis, Dark-billed Cuckoo, Black-necked Stilt, 3 Semipalmated Plovers, Hudsonian Whimbrel, 3 Ruddy Turnstones, 15 Swallow-tailed Gulls, 15 Brown Noddies, 25 American Flamingoes, 2 Red-billed Tropicbirds, 11 Elliot’s and 2 Band-rumped Storm Petrels, 60 Galapagos Shearwaters, 30 Magnificent Frigatebirds, 20 Nazca and 12 Blue-footed Boobies, 2 Brown Pelicans, 3 Lava Herons, 30 Western Cattle Egrets, Great Blue Heron, 2 Galapagos Flycatchers, 5 Mangrove Warblers, 3 Medium and 2 Small Tree Finches and 8 Small Ground Finches.

Small Ground Finch at Punta Cormorant

Galapagos Flycatcher at Punta Cormorant

Champion, home of Floreana Mockingbird. This was as close as we got in daylight, closeish but no cigar. A week later Birdquest had good views (and photos) of one while cruising around. Poor choice of tour company on my part.

frigatebird over Punta Cormorant

recent turtle tracks at Punta Cormorant

dragonfly at Punta Cormorant

the lagoon at Punta Cormorant

Lava Lizards at Punta Cormorant

American Flamingoes at Punta Cormorant

Husdonian Whimbrel at Punta Cormorant

circumnavigating Devil's Crown

Darwin checking mail at Post Office Bay

looking back at the Devil's Crown and the largest cruise ship we saw

Galapagos Shearwater off Floreana

Magnificent Frigatebirds hitching a ride

looking back at the Devil's Crown and Punta Cormorant

Puerto Velasco Ibarra

female Small Tree Finch at Asio La Paz

presumed female Medium Tree Finch at Asio La Paz

presumed female Medium Tree Finch at Asio La Paz

male Medium Tree Finch between Asio La Paz and Puerto Velasco Ibarra

leaving Puerto Velasco Ibarra