If the birds wont come to me........

Ring Ouzel - Beacon Hill, Leics.

Ring Ouzel

Ring Ouzel

Monday 12th April 2010

Been trying to keep off the beaten track over the last few days. While Ive managed to keep away from the great hoards I've also been successful in avoiding birds. I think a Common Sandpiper at Alvecote was the best I could come up with. Believe me I've been greatly tempted to go out of County for Hoopoe, Tree pipit and Ring Ouzel but I'll keep looking for that North Warks. Redstart.

Tuesday 13th April 2010

After a quick and fruitless walk around Merevale I finally gave into temptation and decided I needed a refresher course on what a Ring Ouzel looked like. I was loosing faith in ever finding one in Warks. If they weren't turning up at Napton they probably wouldn't be found at all. I dont doubt there are Ring Ouzel even now on some unwatched hillside in South Warks but we'll never know. With the price of fuel continueing to rise it will take something a bit special for me to visit the deep south. So off to my second county, Leicestershire, home of Pork pies and good Rugby. Indeed it was only a short drive to Beacon Hill. It was again a very pleasant day and as the info on the pager was very accurate it wasnt too difficult to locate the field and indeed the bird which was feeding about 60 metres away. I took a few snaps and then had a wander. I was looking for Tree pipits but only found a few Meadow pipits.

Warwickshire hits 150

Lapwing, Brandon Marsh

Early Thorn, Garden

Friday 9th April 2010

No Im not commenting on Warwickshire's batting performance against Yorkshire in the County Championship, rather the number of birds reported in the County so far this year. Personally, like Warks. batsmen I had a poor day yesterday only adding the Brandon Marsh Ringed Plover (127) to my year list and wasting valuable drinking time looking for a Common Redstart reported late in the day at Kingsbury. When I eventually did get a pint, it too was disappointing paticularly as the previous night's ale had been 'Bong on' to quote one of my Tap room colleagues.

Staying local

Thursday 6th April

Birding was limited today so I took myself off to an area of farmland near the Merevale estate near Atherstone. I parked at St Mary's church and followed various footpaths around Baxterley and Grendon keeping to the higher ground. I wasnt too optimistic about finding migrants after such a clear night but almost straight away I came across a male Wheatear. Unfortunately that was as good as it got but it was such a beautiful day it didnt matter so much. Willow warblers were everywhere making the most of the sunshine. Other birds seen on the 3 hour walk included Goldcrest, Skylark, Mistle Thrush, Nuthatch, Great spotted and Green Woodpecker. The biggest surprise though was 4 Little ringed plover on a tiny patch of waste ground.

Migration in the Tame Valley

Blackcap - nr. Fishers Mill

Blackcap

Sparrowhawk - Coton

Chiffchaff

Jay

Little Gull - Shustoke

Little gull - Shustoke

Little Gull

Wednesday 7th April 2010

A text from Pete Forbes got me moving rather earlier than I anticipated when I woke to early morning rain. A Little Gull (125) at Shustoke was a good start to the day though and with several Willow warblers (126) in song around the reservoir and a White wagtail and single House Martin the prospects of finding other birds was good. At Cliff pool Kingsbury there were 3 Common Sandpipers and a walk along the canal to the Fishers Mill area produced at least 6 singing Blackcap and many Chiffchaff. Fishers Mill itself was very quiet. At Coton the hide had been vandalised but still useable, a male Sparrowhawk showed well albeit briefly while I was there.

Migration in the Tame Valley

Avocet - Cliff pool, Kingsbury W.P.

Avocet - Cliff pool, Kingsbury W.P.

Northern Wheatear - Picadilly, Nr Kingsbury.

Tuesday 6th April 2010

My day started with a stroll round Mill pool, Alvecote but a single Swallow was the only migrant on show apart from Chiffchaff. Had better luck at Picadilly with a Northern Wheatear on the spoil heaps. Lea Marston and Coton lakes had no new migrants only Chiffchaff and a couple of Swallows. Fishers Mill had a pair of Little ringed Plover and at least 3 singing male Blackcaps along the path to Fisher's Mill bridge. I also met Colin Potter and a chap called Dave who both mentioned sightings of Avocet and Marsh Harrier heading South. Cliff pool was the obvious lookout point so I headed that way. Tame valley communications Ltd had clearly been in overdrive and a big thankyou to Tom Perrins and Karl Sargent for the messages. I met Dave Hutton as I parked up. It was a new county bird for Dave so we didnt waste any time in getting to Cliff pool where the Avocets (123) were showing well. The Skan hide was full of celebs as well as Tom, Colin, Dennis, Karl and Dave with John Harris not far behind. At 4 o'clock Dennis and I took tea at Broomey Croft. Ever alert we spotted a single tern flying towards us over the pool. After wrestling with the door we managed to exit the cafe and watched the Sandwich Tern (124) fly south over us. Again messages were sent out but the bird, unfortunately, didnt linger.

Total No of species reported in Warks so far in 2010 = 147

So near yet.....

Saturday 4th April 2010

Just not quite connecting locally. Birds are starting to move but its a question of being in the right place at the right time, and basically I aint. So far anyway. Marsh Lane yesterday but only added Little ringed Plover for the year. Today started with a quick check of the spoil heaps at Picadilly but only saw Mistle Thrush, Skylark and Meadow Pipit. Coton was better with a Lesser Whitethroat singing but staying in heavy cover, along with Cetti's and Chiffchaff. The hide was as good a place as any to look for birds passing through. I'd done about half an hour when I was joined by another birder. After about 10 minutes the guy casually mentions the fact theres a Sandwich Tern on Cliff pool Kingsbury. What. Goodbye, Im off. Too late. When I got to the hide another birder confirmed there had been a Sandwich tern on the horseshoe island but had flown off north 40 minutes before. C'est la vie.

Took some interesting images at Coton. The face depicted in the sawn branch indicates the site of some Satanic ritual or, and I think this is rather more likely, a Fairy playground where birders who gaze upon the Smiley wooden image are blessed with good fortune and find lots of rare birds in Warwickshire.

Hirundines at Shustoke

Wednesday 31st March 2010

Shustoke has always been a good reservoir for attracting migrating Hirundines. So it was no surprise there were 2 - 300 Sand Martins, 50+ Swallows(119) and a single House Martin(120) by late afternoon. Sorry about the estimates but numbers seemed to increase as I watched. With a strong breeze blowing I thought there might be an unusual gull but in fact there were very few Gulls or Ducks around.
Despite the fact there were 5 large dogs running around between the waters edge and the hedge past the Sailing club there was a single Yellow Wagtail (121), single White Wagtail, 5 Pied Wagtails, single Meadow Pipit, pair of Grey Wagtails and several Reed Buntings along the supposed 'quiet' bank.

Total number of species reported in Warks. so far in 2010 = 142