Very little to report today, but then I must admit I didn't try too hard in the persistent light rain.
Green Sandpiper, Cliff pool, Kingsbury W.P.
Thursday, 7 March 2013
Green Sandpiper
Thursday 7th March 2013
Very little to report today, but then I must admit I didn't try too hard in the persistent light rain.
Very little to report today, but then I must admit I didn't try too hard in the persistent light rain.
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
A funny thing happened....
Tuesday 5th March 2013
I dont laugh much at least not out loud. But I did have a good chuckle today on the way to a days birding. I was driving along the A5, just past the roundabout for the Hinckley road is an old garage forecourt.There is an Indian restaurant car park but the rest of the tarmaced area is used for hand car washing by gangs of migrant workers, probably from eastern Europe. Anyway what should have pulled in for presumably a full wash, shampoo, valet, etc was a tractor and muck spreader. Absolutely encrusted with sh.. / manure. I mean dripping. I kid you not. The staff just surrounded the machinery and I can only guess at what was being said. Probably the Polish equivalent of 'What the ...k'. It was one of the funniest sights I've seen for a while and I didnt stop laughing until I reached M69.
The rest of the day seemed very ordinary by comparison but I did manage to catch up with the parrot at Corley.
I dont laugh much at least not out loud. But I did have a good chuckle today on the way to a days birding. I was driving along the A5, just past the roundabout for the Hinckley road is an old garage forecourt.There is an Indian restaurant car park but the rest of the tarmaced area is used for hand car washing by gangs of migrant workers, probably from eastern Europe. Anyway what should have pulled in for presumably a full wash, shampoo, valet, etc was a tractor and muck spreader. Absolutely encrusted with sh.. / manure. I mean dripping. I kid you not. The staff just surrounded the machinery and I can only guess at what was being said. Probably the Polish equivalent of 'What the ...k'. It was one of the funniest sights I've seen for a while and I didnt stop laughing until I reached M69.
The rest of the day seemed very ordinary by comparison but I did manage to catch up with the parrot at Corley.
Ring necked Parakeet, Corley, Warks.
Ring necked Parakeet
Ring necked Parakeet
Ring necked Parakeet
Ring necked Parakeet
Monday, 4 March 2013
Waxwings and Chiffchaffs
Monday 4th March 2013
Started the day with a group of 21Waxwings just up the road after a call from Dave H. Great views in the sun.
Started the day with a group of 21Waxwings just up the road after a call from Dave H. Great views in the sun.
Waxwing, one of the 21 in Nuneaton this morning
Waxwing
Waxwing
Waxwing
Waxwing
Waxwing
Wotcha lookin at Mate
The afternoon started well with a Merlin over fields near Duntan island between Bodymoor Heath and Wishaw. At Ladywalk N.R. 3 Chiffchaff were seen along the river but while both Greater spotted and Green Woodpeckers were seen there was no sign of the hoped for Lesser spotted Woodpecker.
Chiffchaff ? Ladywalk N.R.
Chiffchaff ?
Chiffchaff ?
Chiffchaff ?
Little Egret, Ladywalk N.R.
Saturday, 2 March 2013
A day of two halves
Saturday 2nd March 2013
Spent the morning looking for a Parrot and other less exotic birds around the Tame valley with no success at all. I couldnt even get a coffee on a sunny Saturday. My usual haunts were rammed. There must have been a cyclists convention at Middleton Hall. Bikes everywhere. I moved on. At Kingsbury Water Park my luck changed, I got a coffee and something to eat without any trouble at all. I wasnt expecting too much from a stroll round the pools but I hadn't been in Skan hide too long before a movement in the reeds on the far side of the pool became a Bittern in the reeds.The bird stayed in view for some 10 minutes as it emerged from the reeds to walk slowly in full view around the waters edge before disappearing down a channel next to the Sita hide. Other birds included; Curlew, 3 Oystercatchers, 2 Little Egret, Green Sandpiper, 2 Shelduck and a Kingfisher.
Spent the morning looking for a Parrot and other less exotic birds around the Tame valley with no success at all. I couldnt even get a coffee on a sunny Saturday. My usual haunts were rammed. There must have been a cyclists convention at Middleton Hall. Bikes everywhere. I moved on. At Kingsbury Water Park my luck changed, I got a coffee and something to eat without any trouble at all. I wasnt expecting too much from a stroll round the pools but I hadn't been in Skan hide too long before a movement in the reeds on the far side of the pool became a Bittern in the reeds.The bird stayed in view for some 10 minutes as it emerged from the reeds to walk slowly in full view around the waters edge before disappearing down a channel next to the Sita hide. Other birds included; Curlew, 3 Oystercatchers, 2 Little Egret, Green Sandpiper, 2 Shelduck and a Kingfisher.
Thursday, 28 February 2013
Signs of Spring
Thursday 28th February 2013
Pretty unremarkable week's birding, highlight was a Common Buzzard trying to look like a Rough legged Buzzard at Warton. Looked good sitting on a distant hedge until it flew that was. A small flock of Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings was note worthy, just, and Skylarks were getting very active but that was about it. Met an old lady who pointed out a good circular walk which I must have a go at sometime. Did a few Tame valley sites today, several degrees warmer than recently and a few species were getting their vocal cords in order for the spring. Oystercatchers were as noisy as ever and the pair of Long tailed Ducks were still on the Dosthill lake. A Kingfisher was on Cliff pool, and a flock of several hundred Lapwing were over the north end of Middleton Lakes and up to 10 Common Buzzards were soaring over the area.
Pretty unremarkable week's birding, highlight was a Common Buzzard trying to look like a Rough legged Buzzard at Warton. Looked good sitting on a distant hedge until it flew that was. A small flock of Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings was note worthy, just, and Skylarks were getting very active but that was about it. Met an old lady who pointed out a good circular walk which I must have a go at sometime. Did a few Tame valley sites today, several degrees warmer than recently and a few species were getting their vocal cords in order for the spring. Oystercatchers were as noisy as ever and the pair of Long tailed Ducks were still on the Dosthill lake. A Kingfisher was on Cliff pool, and a flock of several hundred Lapwing were over the north end of Middleton Lakes and up to 10 Common Buzzards were soaring over the area.
Lesser Redpoll, uncommon visitor to the garden feeders
Long tailed Ducks, Dosthill lakes
Long tailed Duck
Long tailed Duck
Long tailed Duck, female
Long tailed Duck, male
Sunday, 24 February 2013
Tree Sparrow and Green winged Teal
Sunday 24th February 2013
Tree Sparrow, Caldecote
Tree Sparrow
A couple of images of local Tree sparrows on a bitterly cold February morning
Later that day
A phone call from Terry S had me jumping into the car and heading off to Brandon Marsh near Coventry. A Green winged Teal had been found among the Common Teal on the River pool and it wasnt long before I was watching this American visitor.
Green winged Teal, Brandon Marsh N.R. Warks
Green winged Teal
Friday, 22 February 2013
New site for Tree Sparrow
Thursday 21st February 2013
Followed up the yesterday's finch flock sighting and thanks to Dennis W found them very easy to view from a layby next to the Aircraft 'museum' at Bagington, Coventry. The main flock were largely Linnets with other flocks of Bramblings and Chaffinches nearby. At Brandon Marsh, just down the road a Bittern finally showed, albeit briefly from the Carlton hide. So not a bad day despite the icy wind.
Friday 22nd February 2013
A walk around Caldecote Hall, produced a new site for Tree Sparrow along the Anchor valley corridor between Weddington, Nuneaton and Atherstone. Tree sparrows have now been seen at 4 well separated locations along the valley as well as sightings to the east of Nuneaton in the Burton Hastings area. There are only small numbers involved and it may be the same birds moving along the valley over the winter period but its good to know they are around. Other birds encountered today included Pied wagtail 12, Jackdaw C30, Green Woodpecker 2, Sparrowhawk, Goosander pair, Woodpigeon C400, Grey Heron 3.
Followed up the yesterday's finch flock sighting and thanks to Dennis W found them very easy to view from a layby next to the Aircraft 'museum' at Bagington, Coventry. The main flock were largely Linnets with other flocks of Bramblings and Chaffinches nearby. At Brandon Marsh, just down the road a Bittern finally showed, albeit briefly from the Carlton hide. So not a bad day despite the icy wind.
Friday 22nd February 2013
A walk around Caldecote Hall, produced a new site for Tree Sparrow along the Anchor valley corridor between Weddington, Nuneaton and Atherstone. Tree sparrows have now been seen at 4 well separated locations along the valley as well as sightings to the east of Nuneaton in the Burton Hastings area. There are only small numbers involved and it may be the same birds moving along the valley over the winter period but its good to know they are around. Other birds encountered today included Pied wagtail 12, Jackdaw C30, Green Woodpecker 2, Sparrowhawk, Goosander pair, Woodpigeon C400, Grey Heron 3.
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