Farne Islands? Fishers Mill

Thursday 27th May 2010

On the way back from a day out with my Dad we were approaching the TV Masts near Four Oaks when a Raptor appeared low over the wheat fields. Luckily there was a handy pull in so it was possible to watch the bird, clearly an adult female Marsh Harrier, at close range. It was mobbed by a Kestrel and gained height before moving off towards Tamworth. I should add the paging service made a complete cock-up of my message as Meriden was never mentioned so Ive no idea where that came from.
After leaving Sutton I stopped off at Middleton for a quick look round Fisher's Mill pool. My first job was to explain to a couple of blokes that it (the pool) was part of a Nature reserve and that they should refrain from throwing stones to encourage their dog to forage about in the reeds. Thankfully they moved on without any fuss.
As I scanned the pool from the bench I was aware that a particularly noisey Black headed Gull was showing an unusual interest in me. It got lower and lower, dive bombing like an Arctic tern on the Farne islands. I was nowhere near any potential nesting sight so why it took such a dislike to me I dont know. It should have directed its attentions to a marauding Jay which was taking eggs from Reed warbler nests. The Kamakazi gull made sure I was off the premises, following me over the Canal bridge and along the path until I was in the wood. Just past the farm another predator, a Sparrowhawk flew low, mobbed by Swallows from the farm, but hanging on to the unfortunate Blue tit it had caught. The Sparrowhawk chicks would be fed but the Blue tit chicks would go hungry.