More new birds in the Tame valley

Sedge warbler, Ladywalk N.R.

Whimbrel, Ladywalk N.R.

Whimbrel

Black tailed Godwit

Shelduck, Ladywalk N.R.

Orange Tip, Ladywalk N.R.

Tuesday 20th April 2010

Explored the area around Piccadilly. near Kingsbury this morning. Lots of habitat but few birds unfortunately. The accessible area is a lot more extensive than I'd realised and took a while to look round. I was in need of a coffee by the end of my stroll so I took a midday break at the Cedars Cafe. I somehow make this birding sound like hard work but I know I'm very lucky to be able to wander round birding most of the day. I moved on to Ladywalk and picked up a new year bird straight away in the form of a Sedge warbler (135). It was also good to see Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin and Swift all in the air together for the first time. I picked up a message that a Whimbrel and a Black tailed Godwit had been seen from riverwalk hide but had flown off. I phoned Steve Cawthray to check on the sighting and he said only the Whimbrel had flown off. I made my way to Riverwalk hide and was surprised to see 2 waders, one was clearly the Black tailed Godwit (136) but the Whimbrel (137) took a while to ID before the crown stripe became visible through the bins. I then had a mad half hour. A further message that there was a female Ring Ouzel near Coombe Abbey had me on the go again. I found the site, but the habitat looked wrong, cultivated fields of Kale. I met the birder who had found the bird. He had brief views of the bird perched up in some trees and then a flight view, but the bird had flown some distance and there was no further sign in the short time I was there. There seems to have been a big movement of Ring Ouzel in the North and the Midlands but as yet no birds are being found in Warwickshire.