Greetings from Belgium...
I am about to resubscribe to birding-aus after three months struggling
"home" from Adelaide to the U.K. Now I have a year's work in Belgium,
so if any of you are passing through on your European travels then feel
free to drop by for a walk in the Heverlee woods. I heard my first
Redwings yesterday, so winter is fast approaching. Actually I have
followed their migration these last few weeks as there were thousands
flying over my parents' house in SW Scotland two weeks ago.. and now
they are here in Belgium...
So what have I got to say of relevance to Australian birding? Well not
much this time - but I have already been struck by how much harder it
is to see birds in the tops of trees against European grey skies than
in the bright light of Australia. I am having to learn my calls all
over again and tuned into a new one this morning - the sound of Crested
Tits foraging high in some pines. So no parrots or honeyeaters.. but
some compensations!
Our trip back from Australia included five weeks in Malaysia and a
month in the United States. Malaysia is a destination that I highly
recommend to all Australian birders - it is hard work, the leeches can
be a bit depressing (!) but the birds are really stunning. We spent
time at Fraser's Hill, The Gap, Bukit Larut, Taman Negara and Kuala
Selangor. If anyone wants any details on birding there then feel free
to ask. Thanks to all who provided me with suggestions before I went.
These Rhinoceros Hornbills are absolutely amazing...!! Our month in the
States included two weeks in Utah where I came to terms with some of
these mysterious words that American birders bombard the internet
with.. chickadees, thrashers, grackles... Birds in the arid parts of
Utah seemed sparser than in Australia's interior - of course they are
quite different environments, but it helped to remind how much pleasure
I have always had spending time in Australia's arid zone.
Anyway - I look forward to hearing the latest from Australia - I miss
it already.
Cheers,
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Keith M. Martin Tel +32 16 32 18 62
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Fax +32 16 32 19 86
Dept. Elektrotechniek-ESAT
Kardinaal Mercierlaan 94
B-3001 Heverlee
Belgium
http://www.esat.kuleuven.ac.be/~martin/
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