<![CDATA[Ballyman House - Lists]]>Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:16:08 +0100Weebly<![CDATA[Australian Bird List]]>Fri, 26 Jun 2026 11:05:32 GMThttps://www.sjmckenzie.com/lists/australian-bird-listThe bird list: Australia
  1. Superb-Fairy wren
  2. NH Honey-Eater
  3. White-faced Heron
  4. Magpie
  5. Grey Currawong (black form - pretty certain of this ID)
  6. Mudlark
  7. Willie Wagtail
  8. Tawny Frogmouth
  9. Black Cockatoo (yellow tail)
  10. Black Cockatoo (red tail, Alice)
  11. Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo
  12. Little Corella
  13. Rainbow Lorikeet
  14. Eastern Rosella
  15. Sparrow
  16. Welcome Swallow
  17. Common Starling
  18. Rock Pigeon (normal pigeon, feral)
  19. Spotted Dove
  20. Crested Pigeon (with top-knot)
  21. Australian Raven ("crow")
  22. Little wattle bird (black, dusky, smaller)
  23. Swan (black swan)
  24. Silver Gull
  25. Pacific Gull (the bigger one)
  26. Black-shouldered kite (in the dunes)
  27. Little pied cormorant
  28. Little black cormorant
  29. Great cormorant (definite)
  30. Pied Cormorant (Mutton Cove)
  31. Bin Chicken (Australian White Ibis)
  32. Purple swamp Hen
  33. Eurasian coot (white beak)
  34. Dusky Moorhen (red beak)
  35. Hoary-headed Grebe
  36. Red Wattle-Bird (Robe)
  37. Noisy Miner
  38. White-Winged Chough (in hills)
  39. Galah
  40. Kookaburra (the common laughing one)
  41. Pelican
  42. Blackbird
  43. Greater Crested Tern
  44. Masked Lapwing
  45. Australian Wood Duck
  46. Pacific Black Duck (green or purple wing patches)
  47. Grey Teal (white wing patches, no head stripes)
  48. Royal Spoonbill
  49. Pied Stilt
  50. Yellow-Rumped Thornbill
  51. Sooty Oyster Catcher (Robe)
  52. Pied Oyster-Catcher (KI, early 2021 and again, Mutton Cove 2022)
  53. Wedge-Tailed Eagle (no pic but seen with confidence) (Robe)
  54. Spiny-Cheeked Honey-Eater (Robe)
  55. Hooded Dotterel or Plover (Robe and KI)
  56. Singing Honey-Eater
  57. Australian Spotted Crake (Robe)
  58. Nankeen Kestrel (Robe)
  59. Red-Browed Finch
  60. Latham's Snipe (Robe)
  61. Sharp-Tailed Sandpiper (near Robe, ID according to Peter Lynch)
  62. Chestnut Teal  (Mine has a black head. Can also have a green head, or, not be chestnut at all) (Robe)
  63. Common Bronzewing (photo by Alex)
  64. Common Sandpiper (pretty sure, and definite sighting in Onkaparinga while canooing with Smith-Golding clan)
  65. Little Egret
  66. Beautiful Firetail (seen in birdbath on KI)
  67. Emu
  68. Striated Pardalote (KI)
  69. Sanderling (KI, probable)
  70. Australian Reed Warbler (Laratinga)
  71. Crimson Rosella (Adelaide form with mottled red front)
  72. Crimson Rosella (normal form)
  73. Crimson Rosella (yellow form)
  74. Musk Lorikeet
  75. Mulga Parrot
  76. Bluebonnet (Greater)
  77. Australian Grebe
  78. White-plumed honey-eater
  79. Blue Faced Honey Eater
  80. Cape Barren Goose
  81. Peacock (Alice)
  82. Zebra Finch (Alice)
  83. Budgerigar (Alice)
  84. Grey Crowned Babbler (Alice)
  85. Tawny Crowned Babbler
  86. Apostlebird
  87. Pied Butcherbird
  88. Grey Butcher-Bird
  89. Yellow-throated Miner
  90. Dusky Woodswallow (no decent photos) (Alice)
  91. Southern Boobook Owl (Alice)
  92. Diamond Dove (Alice)
  93. Western Bowerbird (Alice)
  94. Spinafex Pigeon (Alice)
  95. Eastern Spinebill (in our garden)
  96. Australasian Pipit (Alice, and also on the airport creek)
  97. Fairy Martin (blue backed swallow)
  98. Nankeen Night Heron (juvenile and adult)
  99. Port Lincoln Parrot (in Alice and in WA)
  100. JABIRU (Mary River)
  101. Comb-Crested Jakani (Mary River)
  102. Black Kite (Mary River)
  103. Whistling Kite (Mary River)
  104. Peregrine Falcon
  105. Collared Sparrowhawk
  106. Intermediate Egret (Mary River)
  107. Australasian Darter (Mary River)
  108. Pied Heron (Mary River)
  109. White-Bellied Sea Eagle (Mary River)
  110. Blue-Winged Kookaburra (Mary River)
  111. Plumed Whistling Ducks although I could hardly see them
  112. Torresian Crow (Darwin)
  113. Stone Curlew (Beach)
  114. Orange-Footed Scrubfowl
  115. Brahminy Kite
  116. Imperial Pigeon
  117. Spangled Drongo (Darwin, probable)
  118. Crimson Finch (Darwin, probable)
  119. Red Collared Lorikeet (Darwin)
  120. Lemon-Bellied Flycatcher
  121. Restless Flyctacher
  122. Grey Fantail
  123. Silver Eye
  124. Red-Capped Robin (at airport creek, photo by Louise)
  125. White-Naped Honey-Eater
  126. European Goldfinch
  127. Crescent Honeyeater (Wild Dog Glen, with ID help from FB site)
  128. Scarlet Robin (at Cleland)
  129. Western Whistler (also at Cleland)
  130. Golden Whistler
  131. Long-Billed Corella
  132. White-Browed Scrubwren (Wilson's Prom)
  133. Brown Thornbill (Wilson's Prom)
  134. Red-Rumped Parrot (Heidelburg / Banyule)
  135. Yellow Wattlebird (Melbourne, not certain)
  136. Pied Currawong (Melbourne)
  137. Indian Mynah Bird
  138. Rufous Whistler (Aldinga)
  139. Grey Shrike-Thrush (Aldinga)
  140. Elegant Parrot (Aldinga)
  141. Rainbow Bee Eater
  142. Brush Bronzewing
  143. white winged fairy wren
  144. Australasian Shoveller
  145. Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo (heard again with one note call at Monkey Mia in 2026)
  146. Sacred Kingfisher
  147. Dusky Woodswallow
  148. Yellow-Billed Spoonbill (Milang)
  149. Striated Thornbill (Milang)
  150. Painted Buttonquail
  151. Little Friarbird (Wentworth NSW)
  152. Yellow-Faced Honey Eater (Scott Creek)
  153. Musk Duck (the reservoir)
  154. White-Throated Treecreeper (Bridgewater)
  155. Black-Faced Cuckooshrike (Parrawirra)
  156. Bar-Tailed Godwit
  157. Red-Necked Stint
  158. Ruddy Turnstone
  159. Whiskered Tern
  160. Fairy Tern (actually seen in Quobba WA 2026, not in SA, I got that wrong)
  161. Caspian Tern
  162. Red Knot (can't ID this on my own yet)
  163. Great Knot (also can't ID)
  164. Fantailed Cuckoo (Mt Bold)
  165. Jacky Winter (Ettrick)
  166. Hooded Robin (Ettrick)
  167. Varied Sitella (Ettrick)
  168. White-Winged Triller (Ettrick)
  169. Brown or Black Falcon (Ettrick, can't formally ID yet).
  170. Brown Treecreeper
  171. White-Browed Woodswallow
  172. Rufous Songlark
  173. White-Breasted Woodswallow
  174. Brush Cuckoo
  175. Satin Bowerbird
  176. Brown Falcon
  177. Pied Currawong
  178. Noisy Friarbird
  179. Great Crested Grebe
  180. Yellow Thornbill
  181. Lyrebird
  182. Rock Warbler
  183. White-Eared Honeyeater
  184. White-Necked Heron
  185. King Parrot
  186. Gang Gang Cockatoo
  187. Olive-Backed Oriole
  188. Baillon's Crake
  189. Freckled Duck
  190. Spotted Pardalote
  191. Shining Bronze-Cuckoo
  192. Eastern Yellow Robin
  193. Eastern Whipbird
  194. Double-Barred Finch
  195. Golden-Headed Cisticola
  196. Black-Tailed Nativehen
  197. Brown Songlark
  198. White Fronted Chat (Tolderol)
  199. Australian Hobby! end 2023, Murray Mouth
  200. Black Kite (Id's for me by Zeb)
  201. Barbary Dove
  202. Gannet
  203. Bell Miner
  204. Stubble Quail
  205. Red-Kneed Dotterel
  206. Swamp Harrier - also seen at Tolderol with Houyi and Daniel
  207. Bassian Thrush
  208. Hardhead
  209. Tree Martins, Leigh Street, early April.
  210. Black-Faced Cormorant, turns out I saw one at 12 Apostles in March, ID'd on ABID in April
  211. Purple-Gaped Honey Eater
  212. Scarlet Robin
  213. Double-Barred Plover
  214. Pacific Reef Heron
  215. Brown-Headed Honey Eater at the reservoir (Happy Valley)
  216. Red-Capped Plover at Aldinga
  217. Redthroat (near Burra SA)
  218. Little Crow (near Burra SA)
  219. Purple-Crowned Lorikeet (Clare, probably)
  220. Southern Whiteface (Monarto)
  221. Purple-Backed Fairy-Wren (Monarto)
  222. Hooded Robin (Monarto)
  223. Mistletobird at Aldinga with Louise
  224. Grey Plover, Bald Hill, HouYi
  225. OSPREY, Declan's trip
  226. Tawny-Crowned Honey-Eater
  227. Splendid Fairywren (Brookfield)
  228. Masked Woodswallow
  229. Mallee Fowl (no pic)
  230. Chestnut-Rumped Thornbill
  231. Brown-Headed Honeyeater
  232. White-Fronted Honeyeater
  233. Spotted Scrubwren (Port Lincoln)
  234. Owlet Nightjar ( Port Lincoln, no photo)
  235. Brolga (WTP)
  236. Marsh Sandpiper (WTP)
  237. Fairy Martin (WTP)
  238. Red-Necked Avocet (WTP)
  239. Striped Honey-Eater (Lyrup)
  240. Western Wattlebird (Perth Yanchep)
  241. Western Corella (Perth 2026)
  242. Carnaby's Black Cockatoo (2026 WA)
  243. Lesser Crested Tern (Quobba WA)
  244. Little Tern (Quobba WA)
  245. Little Grassbird (running over the road in Quobba WA, no pictures as proof, also probable at Monkey Mia)
  246. Laughing Dove (Perth, invasive)
  247. Dusky Gerygone (most probable guess, Louise, Geraldton or Carnarvon)
  248. Wilson's Storm Petrel (on whale tour June 21 2026, tiny, very close to water)
  249. Common Tern (almost certain spot in WA)
  250. MAYBE a flesh-footed shearwater according to lady on whale shark tour
  251. Torresian Crow (WA)
  252. Brown Songlark (ID made by call only, Exmouth region)
  253. WHITE-BELLIED SEA EAGLE (Cape Range WA)
  254. Mangrove Fantail (Cape Ranged WA)
  255. White-Bellied Cuckooshrike (Coral Bay)
  256. Western (Thick-Billed) Grasswren - definite spot in Monkey Mia, WA
  257. Chiming Wedgebill - definite ID, Monkey Mia, ID through call, seen singing in distance.
  258. Probable Blue-Breasted Fairy Wren although could have been Purple Backed 
  259. Black-Faced Woodswallow at Badgingarra! Yay! 
  260. BUFF BANDED RAIL! Finally got one at Herdsman's Lake Perth. 




]]><![CDATA[British Beer List 2026]]>Fri, 26 Jun 2026 10:45:03 GMThttps://www.sjmckenzie.com/lists/british-beer-list-2026I've been back nearly a week, and have had a lot to catch up on in terms of appointments, and sleep. I am currently in Burra and slept for 14 hours last night. My physio says not to do too much to allow my back a chance to recover. If things are still playing up on Thursday I might need scans. 

Despite drinking a lot of good beer while away, I did manage to lose 9 kilos, and wasn't under-eating, so it must have been the exercise. These are the best I can remember. 

1 - Tring Brewery Side Pocket for a Toad Ale
2 - Butcombe Original Ale, Bristol
3 - Wadworth 6x, Wiltshire
4 - Harviestoune Bitter and Twisted, Scotland
5 - Caledonian Brewery Deuchars, now owned by Green King / Belhaven
6 - Belhaven 80 Shilling (or Caledonian 80 Shilling aka Edinburgh Castle)
7 - Smithwick's Red Ale, Ireland
8 - Williams Fraoch Heather Ale, Scotland
9 - O'Haras Stout, Ireland
10 - Timothy Taylor's Landlord Pale Ale was a hit wherever I could find it on tap

Best whiskies (Top 6)

Lagg
Raasay
Hearach (from Harris)
Ledaig
Method and Madness Single Grain (Ireland)
Wiltshire]]><![CDATA[THAI BIRD LIST 2026]]>Fri, 26 Jun 2026 10:31:59 GMThttps://www.sjmckenzie.com/lists/thai-bird-list-2026
  1. Eurasian Tree Sparrow
  2. Yellow-Vented Bulbul
  3. Asian Glossy Starling
  4. Eurasian Tree Sparrow
  5. Yellow-Vented Bulbul
  6. Asian Glossy Starling
  7. Scarlet Flowerpecker
  8. Ornate Sunbird
  9. White-Fronted Kingfisher
  10. Collared Dove (Spotted Dove?)
  11. Indochinese Roller
  12. Nutmeg Mannikin
  13. Pacific Swallow
  14. Pink-Necked Green Pigeon
  15. Common Mynah
  16. Asian Koel (bad pic)
  17. Oriental Magpie Robin
  18. Racket-Tailed Drongo (in flight, no picture)
  19. Brahminy Kite
  20. Zebra Dove
  21. White-Fronted Water Hen
  22. Coppersmith Barbet
  23. Black-Naped Oriole
  24. Black Naped Tern
  25. Little Egret
  26. Large-Billed Crow (Jungle Crow)
  27. House Sparrow
  28. Eurasian Whimbrel
  29. Common Redshanks
  30. Striated Heron
  31. Common Sandpiper
  32. Javan Pond Heron
  33. Pacific Reef Heron
  34. Greater Sand Plover
  35. Malaysian Sand Plover
  36. Brown-Throated Sunbird
  37. Garden Sunbird
  38. White-Bellied Sea Eagle
  39. Last Bird at airport
]]><![CDATA[BRITISH BIRD LIST 2025]]>Fri, 26 Jun 2026 10:04:00 GMThttps://www.sjmckenzie.com/lists/british-bird-list-2025British Birds Wot I Have Seen
  1. Grey Wagtail
  2. Yellow Wagtail (rare sighting)
  3. Yellowhammer
  4. Spotted Redshank
  5. Carrion Crow
  6. Magpie (Pica Pica)
  7. Pochard (a type of Duck)
  8. Greylag Goose
  9. Canada Goose
  10. Egyptian Goose
  11. Barnacle Goose
  12. Great Cormorant (same as Aus)
  13. Little Egret (also in Aus)
  14. Blackbird (ho hum)
  15. Starling (ho hum)
  16. House Sparrow (ho hum)
  17. Long-Tailed Tit
  18. Blue Wren
  19. Linnet
  20. Dunnock
  21. Grey Heron
  22. Common Tern
  23. Black-Headed Gull
  24. Lesser Black-Backed Gull
  25. Eurasian Skylark
  26. Herring Gull
  27. Tufted Duck
  28. Wood Pigeon
  29. Stock Pigeon
  30. Greenfinch
  31. Goldfinch also seen in Aus
  32. Rose Parakeet (invasive)
  33. Common Shelduck
  34. Mute Swan
  35. Eurasian Moorhen (different from Dusky Moorhen)
  36. Eurasian Coot (same as we get in Aus)
  37. Red Kite
  38. Little Grebe (different from Australasian Grebe)
  39. Great Crested Grebe (same as Aus)
  40. Common Chiffchaff (bad pic)
  41. Eurasian Wren (bad pic)
  42. Rock Pigeon (feral, apparently the original species is from Outer Hebrides)
  43. Kingfisher
  44. Collared Pigeon
  45. Stork
  46. Great Tit
  47. Pied Wagtail
  48. White Wagtail
  49. Meadow Pipit
  50. Rock Pipit
  51. Sandpiper
  52. Chaffinch
  53. Thrush (not sure which one)
  54. Spotted Woodpecker (Greater)
  55. Oystercatcher
  56. Siskin
  57. Curlew, Eurasian
  58. Black-Tailed Godwit (in flight)
  59. Nightjar
  60. Greater Black-Backed Gull
  61. Raven (in Wales, first sighting)
  62. Common Redshanks (Flint Castle)
  63. Hooded Crow (Ireland)
  64. Guillemot (Common), Ireland
  65. Fulmar
  66. Shag
  67. Whooper Swan
  68. White Tailed Sea-Eagle
  69. Northern Wheatear
  70. Common Gull
  71. Ringed Plover
  72. Golden Eagle (Inverness)
  73. Manx Shearwater
  74. Gossander, Female
  75. Marsh Harrier (Otmoor)
  76. Lapwing (Otmoor)
  77. Snipe (Otmoor)
  78. Eurasian Teal
  79. Pheasant
  80. Greenshanks (Otmoor)
  81. Grouse (Scotland)
  82. Widgeon (Ullapool)
  83. Bulllfinch (Burren)
  84. Mediterranean Gull
  85. Yellow-Legged Gull
  86. Great White Egret
  87. Mallard
  88. Peregrine Falcon
  89. Kestrel
]]><![CDATA[A Gaelic PLace-Name List]]>Thu, 01 Jan 2026 06:59:18 GMThttps://www.sjmckenzie.com/lists/january-01st-2026Drum / Trim: Ridge (Antrim= Lone Ridge)
Cree: Border. 
Strath: Wide river in Scots Gaelic, Grassland in Irish (srath)
Inbhear: Estuary
Rath: Fairy Hill, Earthwork on a hill. 
Slieve / Sliab: Mountain. (Most of the Sliab I have seen are prominent Irish peaks.)
Benn / Binn: Mountain (more common in Scotland than Ireland).
Bennan: Small Mountain.
Droichead: Bridge. 
Coill: Forest
Doire: Oak Grove
Caol / Kyle: Slender, Strat, Narrow
Allt: Stream
Riasc: Marsh
Knock / Cnoc: Hill
Luascadh: Swamp
Portach: Bog
Tir: Land
Tech: House
Bally: Fortified Place
Ath: Ford
Lough: Lake
Cill / Kill: Churchyard
Dun: Fort, Town
Carrig: Rock
Inis: Island
Gleann: Valley, Glen
Ard: Height
Bel: Rivermouth
Bun: Also rivermouth
Cahir / Caher: Stone Fort
Coom: Hollow (c.f Coombe)
Letter: Hillside
Moy / Maigh: Plain (Battle site)
Porth: Port, Harbour, Landing Place
Ross: Wooded Promontory
Tieve: Hillside
Tober: Well
Teampall: Church / Temple]]>