That was the year that was - 2017

Saturday 30th Dec.2017

Annual summary of Photographic Highlights of the year 2017

Bearded Tit, Warks

Grasshopper Warbler, Warks.

Grey Phalarope, Warks

Waxwing, Leics

Semipalmated Sandpiper, Tresco, Scillies

Lesser Yellowlegs, Warks.

Whinchat, Warks.

Hawfinch, Leics.

Buff bellied Pipit, Shetland Isles

Razorbill, Warks.

Parrot Crossbill, Shetland Isles

Staying local

Friday 22nd December 2017

Perseverance pays off ! I've been visiting a couple of local sites which seem to have potential for winter birds. Both came up trumps this week. A Firecrest was found at the Hartshill Sewage outfall together with the regular winter Chiffchaff and Goldcrest, Unfortunately the bird has proved extremely elusive with apparently only one other sighting.Other seen there though include Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Blackcap and Little Egret.         
 The other 'find' was a Merlin over fields of Winter Wheat between Warton village and the M42. The Falcon was being mobbed by a crow and gave an amazing exhibition of flying skills for a minute or so. Regular walks at Mancetter and Caldecote have been largely quiet.

Hawfinches mainly

Thursday 7th December 2017

The main focus of the past 2 weeks has been the continuing search for local Hawfinches with mixed success. A trip to Staines Reservoir with John H. for the 'American' Shore Lark was fruitless but there was some compensation in seeing 16 Parrot Crossbills at Camberley not far away.A trip to Draycote Res. produced Long tailed Duck, Shag and Oystercatcher but the Black necked Grebe couldn't be found.
     Highlight of the fortnight was finding a Hawfinch at Caldecote Hall but it hasn't been seen since. Other Hawfinchs have also been seen at Ansley and Berkswell. Also of note was witnessing the demise of a White Dove at Warton. I was hoping to see Merlin but watched distantly as a male Sparrowhawk plucked the still flapping dove. Gruesome stuff but there was only going to be one winner.

Hawfinch, Ansley

Hawfinch - dwarfing the Greenfinch next to it.

Hawfinch - Burbage, Leics.

21st November 2017

Managed to get decent views of a single Hawfinch feeding, although I did have to travel a few miles into Leicestershire to see it. To Burbage Common to be exact. The Hawfinch was feeding in a Maple tree.

Hawfinch, Burbage Common, Leics.

Hawfinch

Hawfinch

Hawfinch

'That was the week that was'

Friday 17th November 2017

A week when things got back to normal even though Hawfinch mania was still in vogue. Desparate to see birds 'perched up' rather than just flyovers, not that I wasn't delighted to see flyovers at Hartshill, I've spent the week searching any local spot that looked promising but all to no avail. The highlights of my week have been 3 Stonechats at Caldecote and the dance of the 13 Pied Wagtails at Bentley Wood. The latter was an interesting spectacle. The birds jumped up from the ground in a field of Corn stubble usually about 4 feet, presumably after insects. It was more like the ritual dance of some bird of paradise. The first and probably only pair of Fieldfare in the garden apple tree was a good end to rather a disappointing week.