Migrants in the Tame valley

Lesser Whitethroat, Coton

The Camp

Friday 16th April 2010

Had a walk round Grendon common and across the fields to Merevale but no new migrants. Moved on to the Tame valley with a quick stop at Shustoke but no terns or hirundines. Intended to move to Coton but the car park gates were locked due to some unwelcomed migrants having set up camp on the rough ground just to the north of the car park. Moving on to the Water park I checked the southern pools for wagtails but yesterdays birds appeared to have moved on and so did I. First 'new' migrant was a Grasshopper warbler(132) in a different area of the Water park. It was reeling intermitantly and I was waiting and listening when along comes Ron Thomas on his bike. We chatted about this and that before we were joined by Steve Cawthray. We had a typically brief glimpse of the bird as we continued our conversation. Amongst other things Ron mentioned he had heard a Lesser Whitethroat in exactly the same spot I thought I'd heard one a week earlier. Anyway Steve and I went off to investigate. My route took me straight through the 'travellers' camp but there were no problems. I met up with Steve again and we soon picked up the song of the Lesser Whitethroat(133). The bird eventually showed reasonably well feeding in the Hawthorns towards the hide. As I walked back to the car via 'the camp' a couple of younsters were firing air guns into the trees, there were also more vehicles arriving. I think from an environmental point of view the sooner these people move on the better.