Wednesday 29 June 2016

Owl Display, Beer & BBQ - 23rd July, Salehurst, East Sussex


On the 23rd July we will once again be hosting a family fun day, including an Owl Display from the wonderful chaps at Owls About Town and a Beer Tent & Barbecue put on by Buster's Farm Produce. Our selection of binoculars will be as always be well stocked and open for anyone to try & buy. Lots to see and do on the day, free entry and ample parking. Come and join us! Visit our website to find out more about us and how to get here.


Bird watching in Kos, Greece

Earlier this month we took a family holiday to Kos, staying near the town of Kardamena at a hotel called Akti Beach Club. By no means was this a 'birding' holiday but I did try to squeeze a bit in, along with just general bird spotting while on the bus/taxi etc. Having stayed on Rhodes (which is also part of the Dodecanese archipelago) 5 years ago, where I found very few birds, I knew roughly what to expect. For the most part we didn't leave the hotel, other than short walks around the local area, where steep rocky hills towered above the flat, dry fields. In this immediate area I found Crested Larks in reasonable numbers, lots of House Sparrows and Jackdaws, Collared Doves, House Martins, Swallows, Common and Alpine Swifts, the occasional Gull (not my speciality!), Hooded Crow and (I think) Lesser Kestrel. There were very few small birds, e.g. Warblers, Finches etc. On a couple of occasions whilst travelling I spotted a European Roller, a nice first for me but a shame I couldn't get a photo. I had researched a bit about the Island before hand but unless you're willing to visit places like Lake Psalidi outside of Kos town, don't expect to find too many birds. 

Here are a few pictures from our week away:

House Martin

Swallows in the nest

Crested Lark and House Sparrow

Crested Lark

Swallow

Kestrel (Lesser?)

House Martin

Alpine Swift

Hooded Crow

Swallow

Friday 3 June 2016

Fledglings at Feathers

Sparrows, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Long-tailed Tits, Siskins, Starlings and Nuthatches all seen with young up to now. The Robins and Great Spotted Woodpeckers have been taking food away in bulk so should be out very soon. The timing seems to be about average this year, having had a fairly mild winter but a chilly April, pushing a potentially early season back to normal.

A few photos of youngsters so far:



Top of the agenda at the minute is suet - our premium fat balls are a hit with all the birds and are a great source of easily digestible protein, especially beneficial to garden birds when this past week has been only 15° with plenty of rain making natural food in short supply.

Binocular sales have been very good, notably in the shop as more people are trying before they buy, always advisable if you ask us. Vortex, the latest addition to our range, has been our best seller in the last month. If you are looking for a new pair of bins or know someone who is, please consider us!

Vortex binoculars in East Sussex
Swarovski binoculars in East Sussex
Opticron binoculars in East Sussex
Hawke binoculars in East Sussex
Vanguard binoculars in East Sussex
Viking binoculars in East Sussex