As of 13/10/06.

After netting a solitary Ruff towards the end of September, I decided to have a couple of weeks 'off' from VP as it was getting rather monotinous (luckily in that time period I missed nothing that I needed!!).

Away day's twitching (see my other blog), netted me a handfull of lifers, but soon the pull of the patch had me back.

Amazingly, my second visit in October was for an exceptional county bird.... a Knot!!! Only the second (I think?), for VP & the 1st in the county for nearly 3 years!! A totally unexpected tick and not only a VP lifer but a 1st for the entire county for me!! The bird remained for 2 days allowing plenty of people to see this very difficult bird to get in Shropshire ( we've had more Pec Sands in the last 3 years than Knot - 4:1 ratio in fact!!).

Anyway, with my VP year list now at 128 species, I just require 2 more for my target!!

Woken at 06:20am by my daughter to the sound of torrential rain. Hmmm, maybe this'll have dropped something in at VP, I thought? So, with only a spare hour before my missus departed for work, I set off for the old patch.

And to cut a, not very, long story, even shorter.... there was nothing there of note... except the Water Rail showing well in the North Bay. Utterly dejected I returned home.

After dropping my daughter off at pre-school at 12:10pm I decided to head back to VP.... What an enspired decision that turned out to be.

As I arrived I bumped into a couple of Staffs birders I know and the one said to me "Your just in time for the Black Tern's".... WHAT?!!! And there they were, 10 of them in the southern end of the pool. They circled a few times before flying off north. Despite this I hurredly sent out a text to a few VP regulars.... Who most arrived in the next few minutes... Which were a few mintues too late. The Black Tern's did not return.

However, we al sat watching the Little Egret which was present and the Water Rail which was still showing extremely well in the same spot (with a Green Sandpiper nearby). I scanned right across the pool and saw a medium sized gull had just arrved, it took only a second or two to realise what I was looking at, a patch lifer for me, a 1st w. Mediterranean Gull!!! WOW!!!

I called it out and everyone swung round to look at it, not too soon as the bird remained only a minute or so before flying off south.

What a brilliant visit, with 2 patch year ticks with the one a major bonus of a patch lifer!! Excelent.

Patch Year List now a slightly more impressive 126 species!

Andy Latham  & Jim Almond were to score with a double whammy on 26th with not only a Whinchat in the top field but also an Osprey over the trout pool!! Unable to go due to home/work commitments I simply seethed for 24 hours!! That's 2 Osprey's I've now missed (& at least 3 Red Kites!!!).

But on the 27th, after work, I was back at VP, and after a quick 'chat' (har-hah!!) with Simon it was apparant that the Whinchat was still present but hadn't been seen for nearly 2 hours despite Simon & Geoff searching for it!!

I worked my way along the hedgerow, picking up on 2 Redstart on the way, when eventually I saw a bird perched on top of the kale.... an imm. Whinchat!!! Then, just behind it was a second one! This one an ad. female. I called Simon down and we got both in the scope.

Good grip back and now just 6 off my target for the year!! Plus, the gap between myself & the 'deadly duo' is back to at least 4! ;-)

15th-17th Aug.

With a quiet spell during the 2nd week of August (only highlight was a Red Kite that flew over.... 3rd one I've missed this year!!), I decided to have a break from patching for  few days. My 1st day back was lunchtime on the 15th with the only real birds of note being 2 Greenshank & 2 Common Sandpiper.

The next day, also lunchtime, just 1 Greenshank remained and was joined by a very smart summer pl. Black-tailed Godwit. A distant Peregrine was the only other bird of note.

But today, the 17thm things went a little more exciting! I recieved a text from Andy Latham around 16:30hrs saying he'd found a Tree Pipit!!! A 1st for VP!!! I was unable to go, as I had my daughter with me & couldn't leave until my wife came home from work. To cut a... well rather boring few hours where I aged 10 years, story short, I arrived at the western most point of the top field around 18:30hrs. A few of the VP 'hard core' were gathered, and now it had been revealed that there were actually 2 Tree Pipits present. A quick wait and both birds were perched together on the overhead cables. Excellent!!! Another patch tick & my 123rd species for the year at VP! I hope this keeps up now?

6 Black-tailed Godwit & a Greenshank last night (05/08), with the Greenshank still present this morning, but it flew off south at 07:30am aprox.

Could really do with some good waders turning up soon, Spotted Redshank, Ruff, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper etc.... all would be excellent VP Year Ticks!!... I need 8 more to hit 130 for the year and therefore setting a very difficult target to beat!!

31st July - 03rd Aug.

Despite the quiet spell, there have been a few things turning up. A very obliging male Common Redstart near the oak tree in the top field showed excellently, and at one point was joined by an equally showy Lesser Whitethroat.

The 2 Little Egret's continued to roost most evenings at VP.

But the morning of July 31st was, for myself, an excellent early visit, with a Wood Sandpiper arriving at roughly 06:50hrs, and after a few minutes in moved to the channel just outside the main hide, giving some of the best views I've ever had of this bird.

And if that wasn't enough, at 07:40hrs it was joined by a Greenshank!! Taking my VP Year List to 121 species, and to the best of my knowledge, a new year listing record for VP!!!

Finally, this evening, at 20:40hrs, I added Green Sandpiper, as 2 arrived. Making my yearly total so far 122 species.... with still a few to add... hopefully!?

Things are certainly starting to pick up slowly, which is excellent news!!

18th July.  19:00hrs.

At last a year tick in the shape of 2 Little Egrets this evening! I'm fairly certain that we didn't have a single sighting of one last year, but in 2004 up to 7 were present at any one time. Hopefully a few more 'regulars' will start putting in an appearance now after recent absances?

(For eg: Bittern & Osprey - always usually easy, have been exceptionally difficult the last year or so, with Sanderling and Wood Sandpiper yet to make an appearance so far this year).

I guess I can dwell on previous good birds until the cows come home, either they'll show up or they wont!?

Anyway, VP Year List now at 119 species, just 1 off last years final score, with still quite a way to go...

01-11th June 06.

An expected quiet month, proved to be almost that was it not for a couple of sightings of Hobby (both sightings were of a single bird soaring high up, 200ft+, over the southern end of the pool. But a patch year tick all the same and became species No.116. Just 4 off my final total for 2005.

However, a phone call from a fellow birder on the afternoon of the 11th, was to prove to be one of those unforgettable visits to VP!! He rang to tell me of a flock of 68 Black-tailed Godwit at VP!!! I raced there (leaving the wife asleep in front of the football!), and arrived to witness this unprecidented number of waders at VP!!! I believe the previous highest count of Blackwit at VP was 14? - so this was awesome!

The majority of the birds were either sleeping or sunning themselves on the main island, but a few were busy feeding. It was mentioned that these birds could possibly be of the islandica race? I cannot honestly comment on this as I didn't either study them well enough (only had my bins & too difficult through the heat haze!), nor do I have any real knowledge of this race (I know they're supposed to be shorter billed & legged and brighter plumage on the summer birds). Some did look very bright....but I'll leave that decision to the county recorder!

The main thing was a) An awesome spectacle for VP. & b) My 117th species at VP for the year!!

I hope that this is the start, of a much needed, pick up of things turning up at VP!!?...

...And finally the 1st Whimbrel of the year at VP which Jim actually found (Andy & myself were at the time watching a Hoopoe at Catherton Common!!).

I must appologise if I'm doing this blog wrong, I'm not 100% certain how you correctly 'add' to your running topic...trial & error for now, I'm afraid!!

And here's the pair of Garganey found by Andy Latham....

Some photo's by Jim Almond, my fellow VP year litsting competitor, who is also attempting to photo over 100 species of bird at VP this year (he's currently managed over 70 - well done Jim!!).

Here's one of the Lesser Whitethroat that I found.

22nd May 06.  08:45-10:30hrs  Wet, rain. 12DegC.

Still very quiet with little being seen. The pair of Garganey have gone! Plenty of Sedge & Reed Warbler in the far phrags & reedbed (best viewed from main hide I find, although a scope is preferable). A few Little Ringed Plover, Green & Great Spotted Woodpecker (I've heard Lesser Spotted a few times now, incl. in the car park, just not been able to see it yet - definately got a nest hole over in the Cound Stank woodland!!). Willow Warbler, Common Whitethroat & Blackcap all seen/heard well this morning. Over c.200 Swift today.

Having started this blog 'mid-year', quite a bit to catch up with. Possibly a too quiet a year to have started this challenge, but hey, lets see!

Not really anything of any major note, but we've had a 'first' in the shape of an unusually elusive female Black Redstart on the 3rd April. Male Hen Harrier was also good on the 30th Jan plus I found a Common Redpoll on 20th March.

Just going back to the Black Redstart briefly, I'd took my mate to see it early the following morning and whilst we enjoyed far better views I also added another patch tick in the shape of a Barn Owl drifting over the pool....& we were the last to see the Black Redstart!!

I had another good find on the 7th April with a Bar-tailed Godwit, a good bird for VP & the first one since 2004!! Plus it remained for over 24hours, giving others a chance to 'tick' it.

Migrants all began arriving, I missed the only reported Osprey plus a 'fly-over' Shag, but did pick up Common Redstart & Ringed Plover and also found a very vocal & showy Lesser Whitethroat on the 22nd April.

Common Tern & Whimbrel both ticked on the 23rd April, with the remaining 'gettable' warblers all picked up in the next few visits.

Spotted Flycatcher was an excellent find on the 11th May (& I was the only one to see it!), and a pair of Garganey on the 14th May (still present to date).

Gripped back Arctic Tern on the 15th & a second ever for VP....2 Egyptian Goose on the 16th May.

Bring us pretty much up to date, my VP Year List is currently at 115 species, which aint bad but could've easily been more!

I've been very lucky in so much as that I 've got a couple of mates challenging me. Andy is keeping his cards close to his chest, but I'm pretty confident he's behind me, whilst Jim is far more open and is currently 5 species behind me. So far this year I've missed - Kingfisher, Black-tailed Godwit, Red Kite, Osprey, Hobby, Cuckoo & Shag! I'm also quite surprised that, so far at least, we've not had Black Tern, Green & Wood Sandpipers, Sanderling & no real 'surprise' birds (this time last year we'd had Ring-necked Duck, Pink-footed Goose & Woodlark!!).

My target for the year is 130+, but that is quite a way off yet! We really need a good Autumn & a few seriously good birds to turn up. In 2004 we had a real awesome August with Pectoral Sandpiper, Black-necked Grebe, Long-eared Owl, Little Stint & Goshawk all reported & seen by many observers!! We could do with another repeat of that. Last year was poor, with little wader movement, hardly any return Osprey passage & no Little Egret or, in winter, Bittern!!

I guess we'll see what happens soon? Thanks, more to follow soon!

Sunday 21st May.  06:00-07:45hrs.   Cloudy & wet/rain. 9DegC.

Still proving very quiet at VP - seems to be a trend across most of the midlands at the moment though! 5 Little Ringed Plover present, with a large number of Swift over (100+), 2 Sedge Warbler & 3+ Reed Warbler feeding in the phrags. Common Whitethroat & Blackcap both singing in the vicinity of the car park & a Willow Warbler outside the main hide. No sign this am of the pair of Garganey, but they could easily have been feeding somewhere out of view. 3 Tawny Owl were reported early am yesterday - I need to put in a very early visit!!

Hope things pick up soon.