"That's why I'm easy, I'm easy like Sunday morning's.. You know the rest and you like it don't you. Well Sunday morning here was a grey, cold, damp and foggy affair and so I decided to wait until the weather improved and as I was at base I could hear the loudest trance like music being blasted out from outside the community hall. I had a look and there was a platform outside with a banner and baloons and so there was obviously something going on. It turned out to be a festival presentation for the youth (so I was informed) and it takes place every year. There were lots of people from the village, mainly of Chukchi origin and they seemed to be enjoying themselves. See photo abobe & below.
After this and realising that the weather didn't look like improving I decided to take a stroll to the small spit that protrudes in to the second river where I was advised that sometimes in previous years Spoon Billed Sandpiper's get seen feeding at this location. There wasn't any Spoon Billed Sandpiper's present but a close confiding feeding Red necked Phalarope was a good sign 3 singletons of Ringed Plover, 2 white winged Scoter's, 5 Pacific Eider, Scaup, Pintail and 7 Emperor Goose flew east. After dinner I took the quad bike and went out with Nigel to the floods that are now drying up and disapearing fast. Then up in to the morane hills just for a walk where we had a single Spoon Billed Sandpiper in the usual valley of which I have now decided to the call the Valley of dream's (more on that in a bit) then we went along to the western spit and to the third river where there were pleny of Scaup and Pintail but a cracking pair of Harlequin Ducks stole the show albeit in rather dull lighting at 23:00hrs. We then headed back to base where a much needed cup of tea was had.
Ok I have now decided to name the valley and ridge where I seem to be spending a lot of my time here the "valley of dreams" it should infact be called the valley of reality as it is close by to where the dream became exactly that, a reality of seeing Spoon Billed Sandpiper in breeding plumage, on the breeding breeding grounds giving a full display flight and song. It is with this I really do feel very lucky to have witnessed this. You know I have seen some great "moments" in wildlife watching. From seeing huge flocks of Levant Sparrowhawks migrating overhead in Israel that can only be described as swarms, having stunning views of both Tiger's and Leopards in India, Orca's in southern Ireland, huge pods of Dolphins out in the Azore's which can only be described as "The Ocean is boiling with them" Wallcreepers nesting at close range in the Hecho valley Prynees Spain, diving in the crystal clear waters of the Red Sea and seeing the huge Napolean Wrasse at close range, Observing a female Honey Buzzard digging up comb from close by in the New Forest to seeing Iberian Lynx in Spain. All of these are (to me) truly amazing wildlife moment's but seeing what I have seen out here on this trip with regards to Spoon Billed Sandpiper really is something very special to me and if see nothing new with regards to them on this I trip I will leave here a very happy and appreciative person. It then got me thinking of what are some of the other animal's / species I'd like to see and then I realised there isn't actually that many but a couple did spring to mind and they are and in no particular order I have wanted for a long time now to witness good low down prolonged views of huge flocks of Honey Buzzards migrating over head. I have never witnessed this and have seen more Oriental Honey Buzzards in flocks migrating very high up in Thailand and so need to do this, also there is always that mythical beast "Snow Leopard" now that would be something else wouldn't it, if seen well of course. Then I find myself being drawn to the old " Diademed Sandpiper Plover" but I have never been that keen on this one but since being here and seeing Spoon Billed Sandpiper's walking in amongst the tussocks of the tundra in the morane hills I find myself relating to this species more than ever. So I wonder if any of these other wildlife "pipe dreams" will ever become a reality ?Oh there is one other thing and not related to wildlife moments but I would so love to see the England football team lifting up the world cup trophy in my time. Oh well guess I have got a better chance of seeing a Snow Leopard....
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