Search for the Great White

Wednesday 30th January 2013 After a game of musical dustbins at home first thing, I ventured to the Dosthill area of the Tame valley in search of the Great White.It was a very pleasant morning despite the gusty wind.Plenty of Skylarks and Reed Buntings around the Water Skiing pits but the best bird was a Jack Snipe which typically got up from under my feet before dropping down in the long grass 20 metres ahead. The 2 Long tailed Ducks were in their favoured area, while a Peregrine was playing havoc with Woodpigeons, Corvids and everything else over the fields behind the Malthouse pub. As for the Great White Egret not a sniff but it may well be hunkered down in some ditch out of the wind. I'll tell of the story about the bins another time maybe.

Long tailed Ducks, Dosthill, Warks

Long tailed Duck

Long tailed Duck

Long tailed Duck

Long tailed Duck

Siberian Chiffchaff, Lesser and Mealy Redpoll at Ladywalk N.R.

Monday 28th January 2013 A visit to Ladywalk car park before the rains began resulted in views of both the Siberian Chiffchaff close to the river bridge and Mealy Redpoll at the car park feeding station.

Siberian Chiffchaff, Ladywalk N.R. from nr River Anker bridge

Siberian Chiffchaff

Siberian Chiffchaff

Siberian Chiffchaff

Siberian Chiffchaff

Mealy Redpoll, Ladywalk N.R. Car park

Lesser Redpoll

Redpoll sp

Lesser Redpoll

Mealy Redpoll

Last of the snow?

Friday 25th January 2013 My day usually begins watching birds fly past my bedroom window. Something is usually happening, either in the trees I can see or flying over. Today the interest was Starlings. At first light they start flying over in small groups varying in size from 5 to 20 birds but most about 12. They come in, presumably from their roost site, from the South East and congregate in the top of a very tall Poplar tree on the boundary between the houses and open countryside maybe 500 metres away. The whole process takes 10-15 minutes.There were 10 groups today, involving perhaps 150 birds. The next part of my birding day involved sheep. A friend of mine had noticed a bird getting up close and personal in a sheep pen at his farm. It was clearly a Dunnock but had few features such as a whitish chin and paler head than the other Dunnocks around the yard I took a few photos just in case. It was always going to be a funny looking Dunnock but if you dont check things out. Saturday 26th January 2013

Ice patterns on the car windscreen

The day began with the usual scrapping of the windscreen but not before I'd taken a photograph of the patterns the fast freezing moisture had created.It was arguably the most photo worthy image of the day as Brandon Marsh N.R.seemed quiet with even the array of cameras in the Carlton hide largely silent.

Another Dunnock

The Bridge of Sibes

Thursday 24th January 2013 No Gondolas on the River Tame, at least not at Hams Hall but plenty of activity on the river banks from the bridge next to Ladywalk Nature Reserve car park. At least one Siberian Chiffchaff was seen and another probable. Other birds seen included Kingfisher, Meadow pipit, Song Thrush, Grey wagtail, Siskin, Lesser Redpoll and Sparrowhawk. In the Cotoneaster bushes at the car park entrance a female Blackcap was feeding on the tiny berries with a large flock of Fieldfare

Meadow pipit, Ladywalk N.R.

Fieldfare

Blackcap

Fieldfare

Fieldfare

Snow Patrol

Wednesday 24th January 2013 Another walk in the snow around the Caldecote area. A different route took in some marshy areas which produced 6 Common Snipe but not much else.Other birds included 4 Reed Buntings,Kestrel,4 Mallard and a few Moorhen. The only other creature of note was a Tortoise, at least I thought it was. Turned out to be a Rabbit. I'd heard a vast expanse of snow could make you see things, bit like a mirage in the desert but colder.

Common Scoter at Shustoke Res.

22nd January 2013 After several frustrating days of inactivity I managed to get out and 'do a bit'.Didnt venture very far to be honest but it was good to get the wellies on and get a bit of a walk. I did a circuit round Caldecote Hall near Nuneaton. Most of the avian activity was close to the River Anker with 6 Cormorant and 3 Goosander but also Dunnocks and Reed Buntings. The fields were a snow covered wasteland with only 2 Skylarks trying to feed where a clump of grass penetrated the snow exposing a bit of bare earth. A Sparrowhawk dive bombed the ground presumably trying to flush prey from its snowy shelter.Not much else though apart from the usual stuff and the odd Fieldfare and Redwing. So it was something of a relief when I got a message from SH about a Common Scoter at Shustoke. After picking up my Dad we headed off and soon found the Drake Scoter before heading home as the temperature started to drop.

Snowbird - Skylark

Skylark

Fieldfare

Common Scoter, Shustoke Res.

Common Scoter

Common Scoter

Common Scoter

Garden Birding

Friday 18th January 2013 One of those shall I bother days, cos not much to report. Spent all day out yesterday but didnt see a sausage. Pork pie, but not a sausage. The Day was largely based around Ladywalk N.R. area with a drive round to other N.Warks venues to look for Little Owl, Brambling and so on but not a .......The rest of world, those birders who could brave the sub-zero temperatures were having a great time proving Warks isnt such a birding backwater with good views and photos of Firecrest and Siberian Chiffchaff and even Hen Harrier and drake Pintail in the vicinity. Me? zilch except a pair of Peregrines. Todays enforced garden watch has so far produced 11 Fieldfares and 2 Common Gulls drifting around the estate with a few Black headed Gulls but the feeders are pretty quiet at noon.I INTERRUPT THIS BLOG WITH A NEWSFLASH - A Pied Wagtail has just landed in the Ash tree.Unusual in my garden but I dont think its worth telling RBA.

Water Rail, Ladywalk

Peregrine

Ladywalk N.R. Bitterns Beware

Fieldfare - garden

Common Gull, on my roof This is action blogging today as I spin round from the PC every 30 secs to check for new birds like someone out of the exorcist.