Good Day

Song Thrush - garden

- a contradition in terms ?

Dunlin, Mill pool - Alvecote

Juvenile Common Tern, Alvecote

Red crested Pochard, Middleton Lake


30th July 2010

The day started well with a garden rarity, a Song Thrush. Not exactly going to set the pulse racing but a very infrequent visitor to my garden unfortunately.
I stopped at the tip at Grendon on route to Alvecote, one of the signs caught my eye, the waste disposal operative and re-cycling consultant stood open mouthed as I took a photo. At Mill pool, Alvecote I found an adult Dunlin (157) in almost full breeding plummage, Yipee. Doesn't take much to get me excited these days. I also counted 12 Common terns, adults and juveniles. Had a quick look at Swan Lake, Coton before moving on to the Cedars cafe for lunch. Its not a posh place. You can read The Sun while your eating your meal. Which is what most people do judging from the Baked bean juice dripping from the corners of the papers. I did notice though that according to Sun sources Harry Rednapp was willing to swap the entire Spurs first team for Ashley Young. I may have got that slightly wrong because I dont take my glasses with me on Birding trips.

After a hearty Turkey and salad sandwich Middleton Lake was the next port of call. The long staying 5 Green Sandpipers were still there but there was a surprise in the form of a pair of female Red crested Pochard. There wasn't much at Fishers Mill or KWP.

The total No of species reported in Warwickshire so far this year now stands at - 181

Hop Gun saves the day

Young Garden warbler : one of the highlights of a walk around Coton pools yesterday.

Garden warbler

Linnet

Linnet

All the images above were taken around Coton pools.

Being a Birder in Warwickshire can often be a lonely vigil. Seeking out the less common species from every scrap of habitat it is easy to slip into a fantasy world of rarities and exotic locations. Even Kingsbury Water Park can seem like the upper reaches of the Orinoko or the Everglades. It is only the almost total lack of birds that brings you crashing back to reality. An Oystercatcher was the best Cliff pool had to offer and with the constant threat of rain there were few Dragonflys or Butterflys on show.

I visited Sutton Park in the hope that there might be a few migrants on the move but again there was little of great interest although a flock of 20+ Greenfinches, mainly Juveniles, was noteworthy.

So when all else fails Thursdays can provide the frustrated birder with the solace of a decent pint at the Church end Brewery. Tonight one of my favourite beers; Hop Gun was on offer and with the coversation ranging from such weighty topics as the Severn Valley Railway, old light bulbs, the cast of Are you being Served reality asserted itself once more.

False Start - Part 2

Common Sandpiper, Draycote Water, Warks.

Yellow legged Gull

Tuesday 27th July

Late in the afternoon I got a pager message about a Sanderling at Draycote but no further details. Having been primed for action earlier I decided to give it a go even though the chances of it still being near the entrance were very slim. As I arrived the odds got slimmer as I greeted by the excited shouting of what sounded like hoards of children. They turned out to be a group canoeing in the small bay near the pontoons where the Sanderling had been. I had some walking to do to check as much of the shoreline as I could without walking all the way round. Apart from a single Yellow legged Gull on the boats and a Common Sandpiper I didnt see a great deal of interest but it was worth hanging around for a bit in case somebody picked up the Sabine's gull in the evening roost. The somebody being John Judge and Richard Mays. They did pick up an exceptional total of 20 Yellow legged Gulls but no Sabine's gull.

False Start

Tuesday 27th July 2010
Got a bit excited when I recieved news from Tom Perrins and Dave Hutton that there was an adult Sabine's Gull at Draycote Water. I'd just completed my tasks for the morning in town when the news came through so I just had to pick up the camera and off we set. The gull had been found by Richard Mays and Bob Hazel, regular Draycote birders who have found a good number of A list birds over the years. I'd reached the end of our road when the dreaded second message came through saying the bird had flown. So the excitement was short lived but at least I hadn't travelled to find out it had gone. Thanks to whoever for getting the news out so quickly of the birds arrival and departure. Saved quite a few gallons. Sabines gulls are very paleagic and inland records usually associated with Autumn gales. This was an exceptional record for Warwickshire, just a pity its visit was so brief.

Franklin's gull returns to Chasewater

Sunday 25th July 2010

When the highlight of the weeks Birding is meeting Julian Allen and Steve Richards to share a moment looking at a handful of Lesser Black backed Gulls at Chasewater you know its been a quiet week. Its 'always a pleasure' meeting said gents but theres really nothing moving inland yet. A few Green Sandpipers here and there and the odd Black tailed Godwit and thats about it at the moment. Of course it will liven up but I'm just impatient to see my first Dunlin of the year in Shakespeare's county. When I arrived at Chasewater there was a solitary birder scanning the groups of gulls. The Franklins was amongst a group of Lesser black backs. The view was still fairly distant but with no heat haze it was a slightly better view than last week. The bird hadnt been seen for several days and was presumed to have 'moved on' so news of its reappearance came as a bit of a surprise. The gull was now starting to moult out of breeding plummage. I was chatting to Steve Richards when the Franklin's 'disappeared'. One second it was there the next it had gone, which was unfortunate as other birders were beginning to arrive. Perhaps it will become a regular visitor again, perhaps.

Drama at Brandon Marsh

Green Sandpiper, Brandon Marsh N.R.

Little Egret

Sparrowhawk

Stoat with young Rabbit

Little Egret

Moorhen

Tuesday 20th July 2010

It all started so peacefully, family groups of birds: Moorhens, Grebes, Common tern, Kingfishers all feeding fully fledged young at Brandon Marsh Nature reserve. Green and Common Sandpipers and Little ringed Plovers fed easily on the muddy pools. Birders ambled from hide to hide and a Little Egret drifted over. An idyllic scene, but a prelude to what Dramas were to unfold came as a Sparrowhawk flew through carrying a small bird of some description.

I was walking to Steetley hide when a shreech came from the Nettles a few yards ahead, there was some movement in the undergrowth and clearly some kind of violent struggle was taking place as more screams were heard. There was no visability in the dense vegetation just the movement of the plants and dead twigs. I moved a little closer to get a partial view of a young Rabbit lying on its side being attacked by a Stoat. The Stoat was trying to drag the badly injured Rabbit away but the Rabbit was still able to kick out and wasnt giving in easily. I'm not sentimental about Nature but I wanted the Stoat to finish the Rabbit off quickly.

Little Owls

Little Owl, Nr. Warton. North Warks.

Little Owl

Little Owl

Little Owl

Little Owl

Monday 19th July 2010

It was one of those days today when I just couldn't wait to take my trousers off. It was OK early on, checking out the Little Owls near Warton but by the time I'd strolled around Alvecote pools it was time to get them off. The strength of the sun had taken me by surprise and it would have been nice to put some shorts on if I'd got any with me. It was a lovely day whatever I was or wasn't wearing. The Little Owl was certainly enjoying the sun and there were a good variety of Butterflies about with most of the commoner species seen during the day with the exception of Small Heath and Holly Blue. Brown Hawkers were the most numerous Dragons. Birds were generally few and far between with just the 3 Common terns still and a Lesser Whitethroat seen at Mill pool.

Coton was little better and a Kingfisher was the best bird on the Water Park. The walk up to Fishers Mill was pleasant enough though unrewarding in birding terms and by the time I got back to the car it was definitely time to get them off. I was desperate for an ice-cold FRIJJ which is the one thing that does it for me when I'm feeling the heat, but it must be Banana flavour.