Off on a Bear Hunt

As there had been several, regular sightings reported we decided to take a short trip to Finland for Brown Bear, Wolverine, and Wolf. We flew Ryanair to Tampere and then drove up to the Wild Brown Bear Lodge at Kuhmo, near the Russian border.
We landed about 12.30, collected a nice, roomy Hyundai i30 and set off. We drove as far as Lapinlahti and stopped at a Hotelli for the night. We stopped for lunch and enjoyed views of Red Squirrel and Black-throated Divers. We made a few stops, including Satami boat harbour and Jamsa lake where we found Red-throated Diver, Snipe, Great-crested Grebe, Common Gull, Honey Buzzard, Common Tern, Jackdaw, Hooded Crow and Magpie.

Around this car park there were Red-backed Shrike, Willow Warbler, Blue Tit, Robin and Lesser Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Siskin, Spotted Flycatcher, Reed Bunting and Kestrel. Across the lake the filed was full of Fieldfares with Mistle Thrush and Redwing among them as well as Wood Pigeons and a Sparrow Hawk.

Another stop at lake Jarvis with Red and Black-throated divers, Gret-crested Grebe, Coot and Marsh Harrier among other birds.
We managed to find the Hotelli we stayed at last time and booked in before driving back down the road to the service area for dinner.
€80 per room/night + breakfast.

In the morning there were Fieldfares in the Rowan outside and after a breakfast of egg, cheese, cold meats, tomatoes and cucumber. We set off for the Wild Brown Lodge.
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Trips Out

Over the week we managed to visit a variety of places, most of which revolved around dog-friendly pubs for lunch. Our first foray was to find the Cerne Abbas Giant - slightly confusing the Satnav and driving places we wouldn't choose to! and then exploring the abbey in the village

 We visited Abbotsbury Swannery where swans have been cared for since at least Medieval times.

We drove past Corfe Castle, among a plethora of other cars, and we made it to Lullworth Cove and Durdle Door, where we managed to find several Lullworth skippers and 2 Rose Beetles, among lots of whites and Meadow browns. There were a few Pyramidal orchids just in flower on the path down to the door.
 

A week in Dorset

We joined my family for a weeks holiday in Dorset

The cottage is a converted barn right in the heart of the countryside. Today we went for a walk after lunch along a stream where there were Green-veined white butterflies, Demoiselles and a couple of damsels. In the water was a lovely yellow water lily and some Sagittarius in flower.

  

 

 We came back and strolled down a lane between high hedges. There were several Red Admirals, a Peacock, a Marbled white, meadow browns, Brown Hawker and this lovely large Southern Hawker.

The weather goes from sunny and cloudy to rain so hope it clears up tomorrow.

29th - Silifky to Side and the airport at Antalya

Another early start to try and find the marsh and lakes to the east of silifky.
Black Francolin, Bearded Tits, Moustached Warblers etc.

28th - Back to Silifky.

An early start saw us entering the ibis canyon and walking along looking for birds. The bottom of the canyon had some pools dotted along it and some careful looking found a tree frog and a marsh frog as well as a real unexpected fresh water crab.
Various Bald Ibis flew around the cliffs as well as Rollers bringing food to nestlings in the holes in the cliffs. We also had more Upcher's and Menetrie's warblers.
 

Biracik 27th - gravel pits, Halfiti

We got up early and drove back to the gravel pits where we found the iraqui babblers, graceful warbler and a pied kingfisher. A group of Desert Finches twittered in the top of a tree and a Black Francolin was calling from the middle of a field. Tony and I walked quietly along the field edge but with no luck, however we did see a Dead-sea sparrow as well as a Rufous Scrub Robin and a Graceful warbler flying back and forth.

Dead-sea Sparrow

Graceful Prinia

In the vegetation were several dragonflies that were new for the trip.
We returned to the hotel for breakfast, which was tomato, cucumber, cheese and olives with a cup of black tea and some lovely, fresh bread.
After breakfast we decided to go to Halfiti, hoping for Eastern Rock Nuthatch. We made our way out of the town and found the new road to Halfiti after passing the exit from the dual carriageway. We drove some kilometres down this road until we found the cliff site for Eastern Rock Nuthatch. As we parked in a layby we could hear one calling from across the road but as it was so hot we decided to walk up on our side of the road, except for Tony who went to explore the other cliffs.

Halfiti Cliffs

 

Biracik 26th June - Bald Ibis

After an ealy breakfast we headed up to the Bald Ibis Centre. We met the WWW warden who showed us how to get to the canyon. We walked up for about 150 meters to where there were some pools. As we made our way along the water course we heard Seesee calling and a couple of birds were found making their way up the side valley.

As we walked along we saw Roller, Bald Ibis nest with young, Olivaceous, Menetries, and Upchers warblers, various dragons and butterflies, including Persian Fritillary.

tea garden, pallid scops owl
gravel pits.