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FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT PARTICIPATED IN A WINGSPAN TOUR DURING 2017, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CUSTOM & YOUR COMPANY AND WE WISH YOU HEALTH AND HAPPINESS FOR 2018.

THE PROGRAMME FOR SPRING 2018 IS NOW ON MY

WEBSITE BUT HERE IS A PREVIEW



Jan 2nd - 5th - Somerset Levels

Jan 7th - 20th. - Sri Lanka. £1850

Feb 16th - March 3rd Costa Rica - full

Mar 20th - 30th Morocco - 10 nights. - full

April 2nd - 9th - Andalucia migration tour. - full

April 10th - 18th - Coto Donana & Extremadura - £950 - 2 places

April 19th - 27th - Coto Donana & Extremadura - £950 - full

April 28th - 5th May. - Lesvos - full

May 6th - 13th - Portugal - £950 - 4 places

May 15th - 22nd - Northern Greece - full

May 23rd - 30th Bulgaria - £850 - 4 places

May 23rd - 30th - Andalucia birds and butterflies - £850

May 31st - June 7th. - Extremadura and Sierra de Gredos - £950

June 12th - 20th - Pyrenees and Picos de Europa - full


FLIGHTS NOT INCLUDED IN THESE PRICES



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Red-throated Bee-eater

Red-throated Bee-eater
join us for a fantastic tour of The Gambia this November

Thursday, October 2, 2014

AUSTRALIA - HOLIDAY/RECCE TOUR - DAY 6 - OCT 2ND - WAGGA WAGGA TO CANBERRA

Today we left Wagga Wagga and drove to Canberra so my birding was limited to an early morning walk around Lake Albert. I went in a different direction than yesterday and stumbled upon some reed-fringed pools and wooded areas. It was a another beautiful morning bright sunshine and the cold wind had gone, perfect for birding.

WILLIE WAGTAIL - yes that's its real name and he does wag his tail
 from side to side, unlike the misnamed wagtails of Europe that 'pump' their tails up and down


I saw most of the species from yesterday's list but added a handful of new ones. The lorikeets, parrots, cockatoos and galahs were buzzing about noisily as before and the group of Pelicans roosted in the same spot. I saw a Willie Wagtail close up for the first time and got these pictures (above).


Dawn had to stick her 'oar in' and produce this lovely picture of the Pelicans

A mixed group of swallows and martins had roosted in the reeds and were now preening before flying off to feed on the wing all day, with the usual Welcome Swallows were both Fairy Martins and a single Tree Martin.

Welcome Swallows with Fairy Martins

Tree Martin with Fairy Martin (right)
Then I saw a small group of waders ahead of me on a sandy bank, they looked and acted just like Ringed or Kentish Plovers but the Australians for some reason call them Dotterels.

Black-fronted Dotterel
As the sun rose it got warmer and the light was superb I couldn't resist taking pictures of any bird that posed for me.
Galah

female Superb Fairy Wren
The male Superb Fairy Wren is stunning but would not sit still enough for me to digi-scope him.


Australian Reed Warbler 

The Australian Reed Warblers look a bit more like Hippolais warblers than Acrocephalus, there were dozens of them mulling about.

We left Andrew and Jane at 10am and said goodbye to Wagga Wagga and their beautiful home. Our journey to Canberra was leisurely we took our time and made a few stops for coffee and lunch. At the lunch stop we saw our first 'real' Kingfisher on a wire above a roadside brook. Dawn photographed and we identified it as a common species, the Sacred Kingfisher, lovely, the first is always the best.

the Rabbits over here are enormous and their feet are huge,
I don't know how they clamber into their burrows (Dawn)

We arrived in the centre of Canberra late afternoon, we had booked a room in the University Hotel which is slap bang in the centre of t;he University Campus. After settling in for a while we set off for a walk to the Canberra Museum. It was a pleasant walk along the lake shore but we had limited time at the Museum.
a very large Kingfisher the Kookaburra (Dawn)

Dinner was taken in one of the University restaurants (more like a canteen) but the food was good and much cheaper than in town.

 
 

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