Saal Digital review

I was asked by Saal-digital to order and review one of their professional line photo books and was glad to accept that invitation. 

The front acrylic cover (sorry my iphone pics don't do it justice)

Saal market this product as the "Photobook with the WOW factor". so I was interested to see if it lived up to this. I'm used to ordering photobooks as I put them together for family for birthdays and Christmas presents and to date have been happy with my current supplier but I was more than happy to use the promotional voucher Saal provided.

My first step was to download their design software which concerned me a little but proved a real asset as it made for a much quicker upload of images. The software if very user friendly and allows for simple and advanced editing. 

The Professional line offers varying sizes from a standard 210mm square to a portfolio sized  400 x 300mm. I opted for something in the middle with a 300 x 210mm landscape book. I chose to have an acrylic image as the cover which gives the book a heavy feel of quality with the thick acrylic really a stand out feature compared to other books I've ordered in the past. The print option gives you the choice to have your images as glossy or matte and there is an option to have the book delivered in a lovely presentation box but I found that option a bit our of my budget at £40 a box. I selected the mid range option of 52 pages but ended up adding a few extras as you do in these things and this meant I ended up paying a good bit towards the book as my promotional voucher didn't cover the full cost.

The book arrived in under a week and communication was excellent from point of order to delivery through to customer service interest post delivery as is normal in todays world.

I am delighted with the product, the print quality and colour representation is superb although I made a point of only using high resolution images that the Saal design software recognised as "very good" in it's upload remarks. Without the promotional voucher I might have chosen different options to keep the cost within my budget but I cannot fault the finished product and would highly recommend the company for the product and the service provided.

Overall verdict = ten out of ten.

Covid Year list update for the end of June

I popped into Hertfordshire to listen to some Quail singing in the week and as usual I struggled to see any but did hear three birds doing their thing accompanied by Corn Bunting and Skylark in what was an enjoyable couple of hours not far from home.

Quail fields in Baldock Hertfordshire

The quail lifted the Covid affected year list to 225. 

The recent lifting of lockdown restrictions has opened the door for birding trips again in England apart from the fact that many reserves remain closed to the public and I still can't get in a car with the Jims as I'd very much like to again so we can enjoy a good days birding together. We are not yet allowed to cross borders to the rest of the UK and I miss those excursions. I find it strange that we can travel to Spain again but can't go to Scotland or Wales for a bit of birding but maybe they have it right and in time we'll reflect on Spain etc opening the doors so fast.

When out birding recently I've seen different levels of concern over infection and different levels of social distancing and this isn't defined by a specific group as you'd think the younger guys would be happier to break the two metre rule but its usually the older guys that are happy to get up close and personal and at times you'd be hard pressed to think we are in the middle of a global pandemic. I have on more than one occasion found myself backing away from a birder that has encroached my self defined safe space.  As I write Leicester has just been told to Lockdown again due to a local outbreak and the virus seems to be growing in many countries so I remain under no illusion that we are over the hill with this dreadful bug but getting out in the fresh air is good for my spirit (mental health they call it now) and I'm glad we currently have the freedom to enjoy the hobby again even if I am going solo and still being a bit picky about my days out. I guess we all have different ways of dealing with stress and anxiety but for me it's all about Bird Therapy!

I find myself sitting on 225 species seen this year where as at the end of June last year I was on 264 so I'm 39 off that pace but on a positive note I've seen the following seven birds this year that I didn't manage to see at all last year..........

Gull-billed Tern at Dungeness and so far my only LIFE TICK of 2020
Desert Wheatear
Honey Buzzard
Hoopoe
Marsh Warbler
Richard's Pipit
Rose-coloured Starling

During lockdown I missed some migrants including these relatively easy annual ticks

Wheatear
Whinchat
Pied Flycatcher
Whimbrel
Arctic Tern
Black Tern
Wood Sandpiper
Grasshopper Warbler

I'd like to think I have a great chance of connecting with these guys on the way out in the autumn and I should state too that no Wales and no Scotland to date means I'm missing a dozen or so that these trips would usually deliver and there's still time for the devolved governments to open the doors to the English again in time to add these ticks but more importantly allow me the chance to see the wonderful sites they have to offer as I collect the ticks.

Scotland....Please open the door to English visitors again soon

A late summer trip to Cornwall would still add a few ticks if I can justify the travel in time and expense but I would love to get down for a sea watch if at all possible again his year as I really enjoyed it last year with the Jims.

Some of the 303 birds I saw last year will I'm sure evade me though and I'm thinking here of the megas from 2019...

Little Bustard
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler
Black-eared Wheatear (pending)
Black-headed Bunting
Brown Booby
Great Snipe
Baikal Teal
Red-eyed Vireo
White-winged Scoter
Ortolan Bunting

Lockdown has cost me two lifers with the Short-toed Treecreeper at Dunge and the Greater Sand Plover up in Scotland that may have tempted me if the border was open to us. I also delayed going for the Asian Desert Warbler until the day it departed which I'll regret until the next one comes along but thankfully I only travelled half way before negative news arrived. I should have connected with Blyth's Reed Warbler but for some reason couldn't get myself to twitch one of the numerous possible targets and a similar story with the handful of Savi's on offer. Whiskered Tern at Dunge would probably be on the list if  the reserve wasn't closed. The Laughing Gull at Belvide has grabbed my attention although I'm not convinced the journey for it is justified in this climate but if I'm honest I may have a different attitude if it were a life tick which I suppose doesn't reflect too well on me.

On another positive note I still have the chance of connecting with lot's of great birds from last years list like any of the Skuas and Shearwaters along with Little Auk on passage. Phalaropes are still possible as they head south and I suppose we still have the chance of an unexpected rarity or two.

I expect to see a big difference in the final list for 2020 with all we've been through this year but I'll keep getting out there and hope to make the difference as small as possible but at this point my family has come through stage one without too much drama so I'm grateful for that and will remain focused on safe birding throughout the rest of the year whilst trying to add a few more ticks.

Here's to a better second half to 2020 

Stay safe guys and enjoy your birding time.

Gull-billed Tern at Dungeness

I had a feeling this year was going to be my Gull-billed Tern year and when news came through last night regarding one on ARC pit at Dungeness I thought this would be my chance to finally add it to my life list. I left early but had to divert as the road down to the M25 was closed apparently due to a murder enquiry but I still arrived before 7am. The bird had been seen to leave the roost at 4am but hadn't been seen since and I had to wait until 9.30am before I saw it flying in from the Tower end where I'd already found a Black-winged Stilt. The small crowd were more than happy when I put the shout up and as the bird moved closer and closer I was glad it proved to be the target and not a Sandwich Tern which did run through my mind as I called it.

Gull-billed Tern

I watched the bird until 10.30am when it flew over Burrowes pit to rest and I decided to have a quick look at the sea. The only thing of note here was a RNLI lifeboat picking up a group of people and delivering them to the Border Force patrol. I had another go at seeing the Tern and after an hours wait it flew in again and gave a decent display to the handful of birders for the afternoon shift. As I stood waiting I picked up a large raptor coming in toward the pit and as it got close enough I could confirm it was a Honey Buzzard which again delighted me and the other guys on site.

View over ARC pit

Border force doing what they do 

The Honey Buzzard 

The year list nudged forward to 224
The life list now sits at 412 with my first new bird of the year

Gull-billed Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Nightjars in the Brecks

I arranged to meet the Jims in the Brecks last night for some socially distant Nightjarring. We are well aware of the risks of sharing a car even with the Covid risk seemingly at a much lower base rate now so set off separately with the Jims going early to search for Stone Curlews before meeting me in the Kings Forest at 9.30. Between 9.30 and 10.30 we had numerous close encounters with Nightjars churring, wing clapping calling and flying around us. Tawny Owls were calling throughout too and with the barking of the deers it made for quite an atmosphere as it got dark and provided a very enjoyable evening far better than staying home watching TV.

Nightjar country

Nightjar shot on the iphone

Year list now 222

Missing the Asian Warbler

Having stressed all week about the Asian Desert Warbler in Northumberland and should I go or not last night I decided I would try. I set off on my own as we can't car share presently with the Covid restrictions and decided on stopping off in North Yorkshire to await news of the Warbler on Holy Island before pressing on for the final two and a half hours of the journey.

Nosterfield NNR

My stop off was planned as I still needed Lesser Yellowlegs for a year tick so Nosterfield NNR fitted the bill and on arrival around 5am I found fellow Essex birder Dave B on site with exactly the same plan. We discussed the probability that the bird had moved over night whilst we enjoyed good views of the Lesser Yellowlegs with a guy from Newark that also had the exact same plan as us. Nosterfield NNR is a new reserve for me and very nice it is too.

Record shot of the Lesser Yellowlegs

With negative news finally coming through we both set off in different directions in search of year ticks. My first stop was a short drive down the A61 where I found Red Grouse in a spot I've visited before near Harrogate. I then headed off in search of the Red-footed Falcon that Dave had already seen down the A1 at Biggin. On arrival the bird was sat on the wires but soon took flight and was lost to view and I don't think it was seen again today. As I checked the news services I noticed that the Rosy Starling had been reported at nearby Collingham so I drove back just one junction and in no time I was watching a superb adult Rose-coloured Starling with the small group of birders already on site.

Rosy

Rosy

I had said to myself that if the Warbler is a no show I'd spend a big chunk of the day at Welbeck and this is what I did. I saw three Honey Buzzard from the watchpoint and one came quite close to reveal itself as a very dark male bird. It's been a while since I had any view of Honey Buzzard but this was close to my best views to date. I left late afternoon now feeling the early start but still found time to detour around Rutland Water to check out the Ospreys in Manton Bay for another year tick.

A good two metres apart at Welbeck.

What could have been a very disappointing day was rescued by a very good supporting cast and it's good to be out enjoying the hobby with like minded people again.

Year list now 221

Strange visit to Minsmere

I went to sleep on Monday well aware that many birders would be travelling to Holy Island over night hoping that the Asian Desert Warbler had settled down. For me its a 12 hour return car journey and whilst I could handle that I find it hard to justify the cost of that journey in a single occupied car. If we were permitted to share a car then a three way split with the Jims might have changed my mind but instead I opted to visit Minsmere only 90 minutes from home and always a good place to get some birding in.

Minsmere scrapes

The reserve has opened trails but the shop and hides remain closed. At the car park you are asked to park with greater distance between cars which makes sense and you are asked to follow a one way loop too. The Public viewing platform is open but the area is somewhat overgrown as you'd expect with the lack of attention lately. I enjoyed good views of Bearded Tits and more Dartford Warbler on the walk out to the hide and in the end found scanning from the sea wall a better option than using the public platform. I found a large group of Sandwich Terns to give another year tick and a Single first summer Little Gull but couldn't find any Roseate Tern among the Commons.  I only counted another five birders in my three hours on site so perhaps many still think it's closed.

Entrance to the public viewing platform

Dunwich Heath is also closed but does allow prior booked access which I didn't have so I made do with a walk around Westleton Heath. I heard Woodlark singing and found a couple of pairs of Stonechat before spotting my first Dartford Warbler of the year followed quickly by my second third fourth and fifth. The warblers were busy and had no time to sit still and all views were flashes of movement only and hardly any calling.

Westleton Heath

Before I left I headed down the entrance trap and heard the Iberian Chiffchaff calling as I got out of the car at Saunders Hill. I managed a couple of views as it moved around the branches but nothing very clear but it was a welcome year tick as I'd missed the local Ponders End bird during lockdown.

Year list now 216

Reed Warbler

Bearded Tit

Linnet

Bearded Tit

I'd still like to see that Asian Desert Warbler and it's still pulling my twitch strings but the sensible me is so far winning the debate.

Catching up at Abberton

Having missed a few migrants during the long period of intense lockdown I decided to try to catch up a bit if I could whilst still maintaining some self discipline and a level of control over my actions as I continue to run mini risk assessments every time I leave the house.

Abberton looking beautiful in the early morning light

Today I kept the birding to my home county of Essex with a morning at Abberton where the reserve is still closed as is access to the farm but the two causeways are open and the screen that overlooks Wigborough bay is also accessible. I didn't have to worry about other people as the place was very quiet and being closed to the public helped.

I spent the morning scanning from outside the screen at Wigborough and the causeways and also spent some time at Abberton Church scanning with the sun behind me which was a little easier and for my trouble I picked up three year ticks with Garganey, Yellow Wagtail and Little-ringed Plover all firsts for the year. Other highlights included Cuckoo and Marsh Harrier but little else of note although the number of Egyptian Geese was a little unexpected.

Year list now 212
I think I'll do well to reach 250 in this climate but time will tell.

Little-ringed Plover