Fun in the Sun

Lesser Whitethroat, Fisher's Mill
Lesser Whitethroat

Lesser Whitethroat

Lesser Whitethroat

Black tern, Shustoke Reservoir

Black Tern

Black tern

Common Whitethroat, Kingsbury

Sedge warbler

Tuesday 3rd May 2011

With a proper days birding to look foward to I opted for the the Tame valley. With some good passage birds being found over the last couple of days at the north end of the valley the plan was to work through as many locations as possible from South to North. I resisted the temptation of going to have a look at the Spotted Sandpiper in Worcestershire. There was clearly an influx of Common Swift with over 30 at Coton, 15 at Shustoke and a similar number at Broomey Croft, Kingsbury. Cuckoos were in evidence with the now regular individual at Broomey Croft waiting for the Reed warblers to oblige and another at Whitacre Heath Nature reserve. At Shustoke the reported 3 Black terns had increased to 5 and annoyingly Adrian Mills spotted a Ist summer Little Gull as we scanned the lake. Annoying, cos I'd missed the bird earlier and can't include it on my self found year list. I moved on to the Water park via Lea Marston and the newly refurbished Cedars Cafe, amazing what a lick of paint can do. New management, slightly different menu but still greasy spoon prices. I'm on for a free coffee for giving the place a mention on the old blog. 80p for worldwide publicity - I think I'm selling myself short. Might negotiate a small breakfast as well!

Anyway spent the afternoon walking north but I only got as far as Fishers Mill as I stopped to try and get some snaps of warblers. Unusually Lesser Whitethroats were the most obliging. I missed out on the Wood Sandpipers at Drayton Bassett but hey I was having fun with my warblers. The only other birds of note were Song thrushes. I counted 7 in the cowfield, either feeding on the ground or singing from the bushes.