Keeping an eye on things

Friday 30th August 2013
Spent a good deal of the day around 'the patch', most of the migrants were around 'the bushes' near the Anchor pub. There were more Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs than yesterday and a few House Martins with the dwindling Swallows. There was a single Spotted Flycatcher but no sign of the Garden warbler. The flood meadows and hedges were very quiet with the only birds of note being 3 flocks of Goldfinch, the biggest C20 birds and a similar sized flock of Chaffinches with House Sparrows on Leather mill Lane.
A quick look in at Shustoke Res. didnt produce any migrants apart from Swallow. Indeed the only other bird of note was a single Wheatear in the Horse paddocks at Hoar Park Farm near Ansley,Nuneaton.

Flood meadows on the patch

'the patch'

Grasshopper spp. one of very few seen locally

Busy canal nearby

Spotted Flycatcher

Blackcap feasting on Elderberries

Wheatear, Hoar Park Farm

Patch watch

Wednesday 28th August 2013
Back on Patchwatch today or at least part of it. Albeit a small area the patch has a lot of the features that might attract a migrant bird. Elderberries lots of Elderberries and Blackberries, water, there is a canal close by, high ground, scattered Hawthorn bushes, sheep, mature trees etc,etc. Nothing Mega today but new migrants non the less. Spotted Flycatchers 3, Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat 2, Common Whitethroat and several Chiffchaffs.
Closer to home there was a Chiffchaff in the garden early morning and a Hobby jousting with a Kestrel late afternoon over the River Anker near the Rugby/Soccer ground in Nuneaton.

Shapwick Heath N.N.R., Somerset

Tuesday 27th August 2013
A few days with friends in the deepest depths of rural Somerset down on the Dorset border proved to be very interesting, even though Birding was not on the agenda. With no light 'pollution', Star gazing was very rewarding with my host pointing out constellations and galaxies I'd hardly heard of. We had a trip to the seaside for breakfast on the beach at Burton Bradstock followed by a walk to West Bexington along the beach. We saw 8 or so Wheatear and 3 Stonechat as well as several Painted Lady and Clouded Yellow butterflies.

Clouded Yellow on Chesil Beach

Painted Lady

Despite the big fall of goodies down the East coast nothing unusual seemed to have found the South coast as yet.
The next day we had a trip to the Somerset levels and stopped at Shapwick Heath N.N.R. I'd never been to this particular location before. As we got out the car a Hobby was feeding high over the car park, but it was the lagoon which yielded an impressive variety of species with Glossy Ibis, Little Egret, Black tailed Godwit, Greenshank, Curlew Sandpiper, Ruff and Water Rail. Further on at Noah's Lake was a distant Great white Egret and an Osprey soaring high over the water. For good measure a Bittern flew over the reeds just the other side of the main ditch as we made our way back to the car. A very rewarding visit.

Shapwick Heath N.N.R.

 We stopped at Glastonbury on the way back for an organic sandwhich and an organic cup of Tea. Fair trade of course. Sixty year old ex hippies or would be ex hippies wandered the streets searching for enlightenment before clambering back into their Range Rovers. Whatever floats your boat I say. I'd had a great day and I hope they had too.

The local patch

Wednesday 21st August 2013
A much needed walk today around the Anker valley near Caldecote. Nothing doing in the canal side bushes except about 30 Swallow overhead (mainly juvs), a young Peregrine hopelessly chasing Woodpigeons and 5 Common Buzzards. The Combines' were working flat out on the wheat fields and a couple of Yellow wagtails and a few Linnets were flushed. Near the river Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Stock doves and more Buzzards towards the A5 but no passerines.

Common Buzzard

Air Ambulance

Migrant Watch

Monday 19th August 2013
The day started with a look round 'the bushes', part of the Caldecote walk between Hartshill and Atherstone. The only migrant seen was a Painted Lady butterfly.

 Painted Lady, nr. Caldecote

Painted Lady

The next stop was Alvecote pools. It turned out to be a brief visit. Roy had already been round and seen nothing, although yesterday......  A herd of cows were close to the stile, the cows themselves didnt bother me but the tiny flies which went with them did. How the hell something so small could have such a big bite. So that was Mill pool done and dusted. As I wasnt having much joy with my migrant watch  I decided to go for broke and have a look round Sutton Park at least part of it that had been productive in the past. Almost straight away 3 Wheatear were seen but it took a bit of a walk to find a Whinchat perched up in the Bracken with several Common Whitethroats, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Lesser Whitethroat in the same area. No sign of any Common Redstarts though.

Wheatear

Whinchat

Whinchat

Wheatear

Two Barred Crossbills, Broomhead Res.,Nr Stocksbridge, S.Yorks

Thursday 15th August 2013

Two Barred Crossbill

Two barred Crossbill

Two barred Crossbill

Having arrived at the car parking area on the edge of Broomhead Reservoir around late morning I was met with the rather gloomy news that the Crossbills hadnt been seen since 7.30am. Imagine the relief when after a short walk I met the main body of Birders all looking up and giving various directions. I joined in and it wasnt too long before I'd focussed on a juvenile Two barred. A matter of seconds later several Crossbills flew off  but there were several still in the tops of the Larches. I moved round to try and get the sun behind me. Luckily I stood next to a bloke who was giving directions to a male Two barred. He had it in the scope and kindly let me have a look. Wow.What a view. I hesitate to use the word stunning but this bird certainly was. The remainder of the flock suddenly got up and disappeared not to reappear for an hour or so. This was a regular pattern though, the birds would disappear for quite lengthy spells but would return to the area with the feeding station sooner or later.

Black is the Colour

Monday 12th August 2013
An interesting day in the Tame valley. Coton was the first venue and produced a Black necked Grebe which showed well from the hide before getting too close in to the bank and becoming hidden by the vegetation. A message from Mr T that Steve C had found a Black tailed Godwit at Shustoke had me backtracking. The bird was close to the car park but was flushed by a worker as I arrived. The bird flew around for some time before settling on the waters edge again. Another wader in flight caught my attention on the far shore but it wasn't IDed and couldn't be relocated. At Cliff pool Kingsbury what I presumed to be the eclipse Mandarin duck was present with 5 Little Egrets.

Black necked Grebe, Coton lake

Black necked Grebe

Black necked Grebe

Black tailed Godwit, Shustoke reservoir

Black tailed Godwit

Black tailed Godwit

Egrets and Woodpeckers

Friday 9th August 2013
Had a good day at Middleton Lakes RSPB. A Great White Egret was the main attraction but seeing 3 species of Woodpecker was also worthy of note. The Great White Egret was favouring the southern pools: Fishers Mill and the pool next to it. The bird frequently flew around these pools often in the company of a Little Egret before flying off fairly high to the South East at 2.40pm. Thanks to a phone call from Geoff W. I also saw 3 Turnstone, a Dunlin, several Ringed plover and a Little ringed Plover on the Jubilee wetlands. It was approaching the car park though that I saw the Lesser spotted Woodpeckers a great surprise to end the visit.

Lesser spotted Woodpecker, Middleton Lakes RSPB

Lesser spotted Woodpecker

Lesser spotted Woodpecker

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Great White Egret



Night Heron, Thornton, Leics.

Tuesday 6th August 2013
I went back to Thornton reservoir in Leicestershire to hopefully get better views of the immature Night Heron. Having walked down from the church I followed the path round past the inlet stream to view a patch of mud under the willows at the inlet. A small group of birders were focussed on a small group of reeds next to the inlet and it wasnt too long before the Heron could be seen. A good deal closer than my previous encounter but still partially obscured by dead twigs and vegetation. From time to time the bird would venture across the mud giving excellent views before disappearing into the inlet again. The Night Heron could be seen feeding in the shallow pools and channels around the main stream and took several small fish while I was watching.

 Night Heron, Thornton Res. Leics

Night Heron

Night Heron

Night Heron

Night Heron

Night Heron

Night Heron

Night Heron

Night Heron in Leicestershire

Thursday 1st August 2013
August already eh. Oh well. I took a leisurely drive across into Leicestershire through a succession of villages to Thornton reservoir. It was a lovely morning to be birding although the temperature increased steadily through out the day. A short walk around the NW arm of the reservoir to the other side allowed a view of the 2s Night Heron on the far bank among the willows some 2 feet off the water. Not the best view ever but another interesting bird in a summer of interesting birds. By mid afternoon it was uncomfortably hot and a walk round the Caldecote patch was probably not a good idea. The birds had more sense and apart from a handful of Yellow wagtails and 'thousands' of Wood pigeons were keeping under cover. One good thing about the walk though was that I'd worked up a good thirst for a beer at the Brewery tap.

Larva of Sycamore Moth on drive

Distant view of Night Heron in Willows at Thornton Res. Leics.