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BOURNEMOUTH NATURAL SCIENCE SOCIETY | ||
| 39 Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, Dorset BH1 3NS, UK. Registered Charity No. 219585 |
Given by: Simon Woolley
In view of the snowy conditions, we were extremely fortunate that Simon, a Geography teacher at Winchester College, was able to present this fascinating, and beautifully illustrated, selected highlights of the birds that he saw during 2009.
A school NHS trip to South Africa, and lengthy holidays during which he visited Papua New Guinea and Ecuador, produced some great stories and photos of mammals, scenery and the avifauna. Despite birding in 42 countries on six continents since the late 1970s, over 400 of his 2009 species were 'lifers' - birds that he was seeing for the first time.
Each location had its endemic species - for example, the Cape Sparrow and Cape Spurfowl in South Africa; many of the 25+ species of Papuan Kingfishers; and the Galapagos Penguins, Mockingbirds and Finches.
The Galapagos Islands visit was part of a Christmas trip to Ecuador which began at high altitude Quito and dropped down through other habitats. Cloud-forest valleys were full of birds - Toucans, Toucanets, Motmots, Woodpeckers and Tanagers were shown. The Lodges where Simon and his wife stayed attracted 45 species of Humming Bird to sugar feeders.
As the talk progressed Simon updated his annual bird count - 368 after South Africa, 710 at the end of the New Guinea expedition, and a magnificent **** at the year end. I leave Simon to tell you this figure himself, if you are lucky enough to hear this excellent talk in the future!