Coppersmith Barbets

These were always around the fruiting tree at the top of Baga Hill.

Owls

Spotted owlet, brown wood owl and brown hawk owl. We also saw barn owl around the hotel and a brown fish owl at Backwoods camp.

White rumped sharma

These were at the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary.

Backwoods, Goa

Indian Pitta and Frogmouths are Backwoods speciality birds. The pitta seems to visit the kitchen each morning for scraps.

Brahminy Kites

Brahminy Kites seemed to be everywhere in Goa. Beautiful birds.

Jars of dirt

We saw lots of these stalls on the markets. The man sold what looked like 'jars of dirt', with a long list of all the ailments it cured. The dirt was different colours, I suppose that depended on whereabouts on the beach he had dug it from. It was about £10 a jar !

Beautiful ladies

Indian ladies fetching their water from the nearby well. A lovely picture

Elephants

Elephants are Karen's favourites so she had to ride one. One lived at Backwoods and loved being fed and cuddled. I went to see her whenever I could, collecting vegetable scraps from the kitchen on the way.

Health and safety

The locals building a bung in the paddy fields. The water they are stood in is full of crocodiles. Large pieces of stone were passed along the line and placed down into the water to build up the road. Wonder if it was the tallest one that worked at the end?

Raymond

We had a fantastic guide in Goa. Raymond. He knew all the sites for the rarities and was a lovely bloke. Would recommend him. He can be found at the Biera Mar Hotel.

Saltwater Muggers

Took a boat trip into the mangroves. We had a fantastic guide, Raymond, who arranged the trip to see collared kingfisher. We found these beauties along the way.

Unbelievable.....

Well, this takes some beating. Stood in the middle of nowhere in Goa, not even near a village, looking at literally 1000's of larks coming into roost. This field was covered in them until this idiot arrived. In the distance were Pallid, Monty's and Pied Harriers, a real treat. Then this idiot pulled up in a taxi and, straight infront of us, built a remote control model airoplane which he then flew scattering our larks everywhere. Locals came from miles around as they had never seen anything like it before. Even thousands of miles away, you cannot escape the british idiot. In all the fields in India he chose ours..... WHAT A TOSSER

British idiots in Goa, unbelievable

This field was full of larks 10 minutes ago. Well, he did cause a stir - the locals had never seen anything like it before. The plane will have cost more than they will earn in a lifetime.....

Local patch birds

Scarborough Harbour

Shag swallowing a fish, Great Northern Diver and a Long Tailed Duck.

Iceland Gull

A trip to Scarborough produced this lovely Iceland Gull in the harbour. Along with a long tailed duck, great northern diver, shag and Father Christmas arrived in a trawler. All this topped off with a bag of chips. Next stop was Reighton for the pied wheater which showed well.

Steppe Grey Shrike

A brilliant week on the Lincs coast produced numerous waxwings and ring ouzels, long eared owl, glaucus gull, tundra bean goose, pallas warblers and then this little beauty arrived.

More rutting deer

Autumn rutting deer

Donna Nook seals

A newly born seal at Donna Nook taking it easy