Sunday, April 6, 2008 - Memories Of Islay
Well, I've woken up to a beautiful carpet of snow here in Wythall, so any birding plans have been put on the back burner for the moment.
I thought I would take this opportunity to post a piece about my trip to Islay a couple of years ago, an event that changed my whole outlook on birding. Writing up this summary brought back some brilliant memories. I hope you enjoy it.
Memories of Islay
In May 2006 we spent a week on Islay, off the west coast of Scotland. At the time the trip was organised my Dad and I were still to be fully initiated in the art of birding. We had both been interested in birds for a number of years, but our knowledge extended only so far as being able to identify the more common species that we had come across in our gardens or during holidays by the sea.
Among our group were Dave Lyons, Dave Thomas and Brian York, all of whom had much more experience than the two of us. Making up the group were Steve Jones, Matt Bailey and David Chalmers. With so many Daves and Davids on board, I will from this point on use nicknames where appropriate. For the record, Dave Lyons is more commonly known as Leapy, whilst Dave Thomas is generally referred to as Ivor.
After an overnight stop on the mainland in Crianlarich, we headed down to Tarbert to catch the ferry on Saturday morning. I remember Brian pointing out a few Guillemots as we waited for the ferry. Birds like this were completely new to me and I was immediately fascinated. Once we were on the ferry we had more new and exciting sightings such as Black Guillemot, Manx Shearwater and Great Northern Diver. I don't think I had a life list at this point, but the names of all these weird and wonderful creatures were duly noted. When I returned home I listed as many as I could remember.
Once on Islay itself, the rest of the party immediately headed off to the open day at the Lagavulin distillery. I elected to stay behind and familiarise myself with the house, which was situated within walking distance of Port Ellen. I remember stepping outside and wandering down the lane, before taking a few snaps of the bay. Later on, I took a walk with Leapy and Brian and recall seeing my first ever Willow Warbler. I remember thinking what a rare bird it must be. I'd never even heard of it!
On Sunday, it was my Dad's 60th birthday. We spent the first part of the day at the Bruichladdich distillery, sampling whisky and oysters, along with other local produce. We also paid a brief visit to Loch Gruinart that day. We saw a Sedge Warbler here and more Willow Warblers, one of which was kind enough to pose for the camera. There was a bit of excitement when a couple of the group heard a Corncrake calling in the area, but we never saw it.
The Monday was a brilliant day that lives long in the memory. It started with a bit of birding by Brian, Leapy and I. A Cuckoo had been heard around the cottage on Sunday morning and after catching up with a few of the more regular species, Leapy thought he'd spotted the Cuckoo perched on overhead wires. Before we could get a really close look at it, it dropped down and disappeared from view.
To his credit, Brian likes to be meticulous about his birding, so politely challenged Leapy as to why he thought it was the Cuckoo. Quick as a flash, Leapy began listing the bird's features. He mentioned its long wings, which projected below the body, the bill, which looked right for a Cuckoo and the barring on its chest, before stating, "And the bloody thing was going 'cuckoo' for heaven's sake!"
After a priceless start to the day like that, surely it was going to be downhill all the way, but no. First up, we paid a visit to the Caol Ila distillery. Dad, Leapy and I were in one car with Script For A Jester's Tear by Marillion blasting out of the stereo, whilst Ivor drove Steve, Matt and Brian. Once at the distillery, we watched several Gannets at close hand, fishing along the stretch of water between Islay and Jura.
After the distillery tour, there was a tasting. Everyone had been given a small number of bottle tops and these could be exchanged for a dram of 12 or 18 year old Caol Ila, or a rather potent cask-strength edition. We duly had our samples and declared the 18 year old as a rather fine drop. It is still my favourite tipple to this day.
I remember being outside talking to Steve and wondering where everyone else had got to. It turned out that these token bottle tops meant nothing and they were simply giving the whisky to anyone who wanted it. Consequently, we headed back inside and proceeded to enjoy rather too much of the hard stuff. My Dad and Ivor were driving so we cunningly smuggled an empty water bottle in and filled it with Caol Ila's finest. There must have been about £15 worth of whisky in that bottle by the time we'd finished!
Brian was a little worse for wear when we arrived back at Cairn Cottage, but we had booked ourselves into the Port Ellen maltings tour, so we had to head off once more, this time on foot! After a few more drams, we suddenly realised we were a bit peckish. Right on cue, plate after plate of sandwiches arrived and were quickly snaffled. It was only once we were back at the cottage that Brian realised that his camera was missing. He wasn't sure whether he'd left it at Caol Ila or the maltings, but there was little he could do about it.
That evening we went to the ceilidh at Port Ellen, a traditional Scottish celebration of music, dance and, yes, you've guessed it, whisky! Thankfully, Brian was reunited with his camera here. Someone had found it at the maltings and deduced that the owner might well be amongst the revellers at the ceilidh.
Towards the end of the evening, a chap that looked curiously like Michael Winner stood up and sang a traditional gaelic mantra that seemed to last for about two hours! David Chalmers, being Scottish himself, offered to translate for us. We looked on intently as David told the tale of a man who travelled to Islay and visited Port Ellen, before getting drunk and losing his camera at the distillery. He did it in such a dead-pan style that we were all taken in, right until the point where the story became ever so slightly familiar.
On Tuesday we resolved to do some slightly more intense birding. Having said that, we still visited the Laphroaig distillery via a scenic walk along the coast. Brian, whose nickname is Corky, had not yet seen a Wheatear, but everyone else had. Every time one popped up we'd shout out to Brian, but they seemed to disappear just before he could get his binoculars onto them. In the end, we decided they must be a sub-species, Corky's Wheatear, thus named because Brian was doomed never to see one!
That afternoon we walked on the Mull Of Oa. It was supposed to be reliable for Choughs, but we didn't see any. I recall seeing Kittiwakes, Fulmar, Ravens and plenty of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks. A stunning male Wheatear also presented itself. Even Brian got onto this one!
On the way back in the car, my Dad slammed on the brakes when he spotted something at the side of the road. We thought it was a raptor and immediately fired off a few photographs. The bird took off and we sighed in disappointment as we decided it was just a gull. It was only when we got back to the cottage and I blew up the picture that we saw it was a male Hen Harrier. Seriously bad ID skills all round!
On Thursday we were finally treated to excellent views of a Golden Eagle as it patrolled the area behind the Ardbeg distillery. Of an evening there would often be two or three people cooking in the kitchen, whilst the others were sea-watching from the comfort of the conservatory. We would often see divers, Eider, Gannets, Arctic Tern and Black Guillemots on these vigils.
One evening, Leapy got a diver in his scope, but it was distant. He thought it was a Black-Throated Diver, but I wasn't too sure. I reckoned it was a Red-Throated Diver. Considering my woeful lack of experience, I'm not sure why I chose to disagree with him, but either way, he launched himself into a passionate narrative on the subject of diver identification, which ended with him declaring that the Black-Throated Diver has got a bill like a piece of shit! Whenever we come across divers these days, they are invariably referred to as shit-bills!
After hearing Corncrake at Loch Gruinart earlier in the week, we resolved to go back and have another try. In the end, I think it was just Ivor, Brian, Steve, Leapy and I that made it. As soon as we got there we could hear them calling. One individual appeared to be in a small patch of nettles not too far away. Slowly, but surely, we crept closer and closer to it over the course of an hour. Every few minutes we would hear its cry coming from the thicket, but could we see it? Could we heck as like!
A bit later, a mother and her daughter came by. Brian wasn't too impressed as the girl was making a bit of a racket. She didn't help proceedings by saying that she had seen our intended target a short while ago, even though we suspected it was a load of tripe. Eventually, they disappeared leaving us to stake out our elusive quarry. In the end, we were almost on top of our prey. Somewhat out of character, Leapy was very nearly tempted to trample through the nettles in order to flush it, but thankfully, common sense prevailed and we admitted defeat.
During the trip I picked up 22 lifers, but more importantly than that it made me want to go out and do more birding. Later that year I got some proper binoculars and went halves on a scope with my Dad. I haven't looked back since. My records show that I only had 72 birds on the trip. I'm sure there were more than that, but I just wasn't able to take it all in. When we go back, which we intend to do in 2009, I'm certain that the birding may take precedence over the whisky. But only just!
Announcement
It is with regret that this will be my last post on Surfbirds. Thank you for having me.
My blog will still be available at the following sites:
Reg The Birder at MySpace
Eye To The Telescope at Blogger
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Friday, April 4, 2008 - Never Give Up On A Good Thing
I was bit gutted to miss out on Hawfinch in the Forest of Dean last Sunday. However, I had a day's holiday carried forward from last year and it was a case of use it or lose it, so I booked today off and decided to have another stab at this elusive bird. I thought I might as well make a day of it, so I came up with a return journey that would take in a couple of other decent locations.
It was an early start. I wanted to get on the road at 6:30am and I somehow managed it, despite being a bit bleary-eyed when I awoke. I had a good run down the M5, though I was a little concerned by the patchy fog that I encountered on the way. It was still a little misty when I arrived at Brierley at about 7:40am, but the sun was beginning to poke through and fortunately I was able to see alright.
I didn't have to wait too long to track down a Hawfinch [year tick 141!]. There were a few up in the canopy, possibly up to half a dozen. At one point I had one not twenty feet from me on the deck, but the Chaffinches and Bramblings that they were associating with were very flighty and getting a picture was difficult. In the end, I managed a half decent shot of one in the trees.
I left Brierley at about 9:30am, but not before I'd bagged a picture of a Great Spotted Woodpecker that was having a whale of a time drumming in the trees to my right.
Next stop was Cutsdean, but not for either a lifer, nor a year tick. A Great Grey Shrike has been in this area for a week or so and having bagged my first one in Devon in February, but not having been able to get a decent view of it, I was determined to do better this time.
The first bird of note was a Red-Legged Partridge [year tick 142!], which I was alerted to by its unusual call. Having solved this birding mystery, I returned to the matter in hand. It only took a few minutes to track down the Great Grey Shrike, but in the time it took me to dash back to the car and fetch the scope, the thing had vanished.
There was a moment's panic, then it returned to its perch, where it sat happily for the next fifteen minutes whilst I gorged myself on its beauty. A really excellent looking bird. I have to confess, I did get a bit emotional!
I also had a number of Yellowhammers in this area.
On returning to the car, I heard a rustling in the grass next to me. It was a lizard. Then I saw another. I understand that this is what shrikes like to eat, so no wonder the little beauty had decided to make this reptile-rich area its temporary home.
Next stop, the Clent hills [well done, Kay!]. I was keen to see what this area was like and the added attraction of a possible passing Ring Ouzel was too much to resist. I had a pleasant walk, encountering some Jays, Nuthatches and a mouse, but on the whole, there wasn't much to see. I decided to move on and as I was way ahead of schedule, I thought a trip to my somewhat neglected local patch, Bittell Reservoirs, would be a fitting end to the day and might bring me a warbler or two.
As soon as I arrived, I had a Grey Wagtail and a pair of Ravens [can't get away from them at the moment!] , but this was nothing compared to what happened as I made my way up the path to the upper reservoir. Firstly, I noticed something fly to my right and I immediately suspected it was a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. I was right! It took a further second or two to get onto it, but then it slowly made its way up the trunk of a tree just in front of me, allowing me to rattle off some good pictures.
Then another one, this time a female, appeared a little further down the path. Unfortunately, this one disappeared as I was getting the scope set up for some more photos. I couldn't believe it. I've seen three this year now. I wasn't even sure I'd see one at the beginning of the year.
The upper reservoir was full, so I didn't waste any time scanning it for waders. I heard either a Blackcap or Garden Warbler near the stile, but couldn't get onto it to confirm its identity. It was probably the former, but I wasn't sure. I was a bit disappointed, but I needn't have worried, because on arriving home, there was a male Blackcap in the garden. Only the second one this year! The perfect end to a perfect day.
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Tuesday, April 1, 2008 - Raven Mad
There was a bit of excitement yesterday when a Raven turned up in the field opposite the house. It seems that another bird, possibly a Sparrowhawk, had taken a rabbit or other creature and left part of its remains in the field. I noticed a large, black bird having a go at it and immediately sensed that it wasn't a Carrion Crow. Once I had the binoculars on it, my suspicions were confirmed.
Later on, a pair of Buzzards were showing an interest in it too, though they seemed to prefer an area further left of the carnage. I did try to get a few pictures of them, but they were obscured by our sycamore tree, a telegraph pole and a street lamp. Frustrating!
I spent the afternoon and early evening at Upton Warren. A few random pictures follow. Spot of the day was undoubtedly a Jack Snipe at the rear of the flashes.
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Monday, March 31, 2008 - Fancy That!
Phew, what a scorcher! The weathermen got it wrong again and Sunday turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far. We had decided to press on with our proposed trip to the Forest of Dean whatever the weather and I'm so glad we did.
Our first foray was to Brierley for the Hawfinch. Things didn't quite go to plan here. As I made my way down the track, quite slowly and carefully I hasten to add, I flushed a huge flock of Chaffinch from the woodland floor. There were certainly some Brambling amongst them as I spotted them in the trees shortly afterwards, but I have no idea whether there were any Hawfinch present. We waited for them to regroup, but they never came back.
We decided to stroll further into the woods, thereby giving the birds the opportunity to return undisturbed. We heard a Marsh Tit call to our left, then were pretty sure we had one at the top of a tree further along. I wasn't entirely happy to tick it though and knew we would probably get better views later in the day.
Sadly, the finch flock did not return and after an hour we decided to press on. We had intended to stop off at Cannop Ponds, but we ended up at New Fancy View more by luck than judgement. As it was such a clear, warm morning we were optimistic about our chances of seeing a displaying Goshawk. A couple of other birders were up there and it only took a minute or two before we spotted a Goshawk soaring high over Cinderford [lifer 205!] [year tick 134!].
The views were far better than I had expected. You could tell that these were big birds as we had several Buzzards in the vicinity for comparison. Whilst scanning the area, I heard the familiar call of a Raven and we had several over during the short period we spent there [year tick 135!]. A singing Chiffchaff to our right was also a welcome sight.
We had another unsuccessful search for Hawfinch at Parkend, before finally locating Cannop Ponds. We tracked down a pair of Mandarin here, a lifer for my Dad, then had excellent views of a pair of Marsh Tits [year tick 136!] on the feeding station next to the road. We felt it was worth one last shot at Hawfinch, so we went back to Brierley for fifteen minutes, but we were again unsuccessful and finally conceded defeat.
The second half of our day was spent in and around Frampton On Severn. We were keen to locate the Cattle Egret that had been reported and a gentleman at Brierley had given us some information about a viewing platform further down the canal.
We bumped into a fellow birder scanning the flashes adjacent to the canal. I greeted him and asked if he had seen much. To my delight he told us that there was a Garganey in the water. I got the scope up and it didn't take too long to locate the bird [year tick 137!]. An incredible stroke of fortune.
I had been getting really excited about the prospects of seeing this relatively scarce duck over the next few weeks and feel privileged to have ticked it in March. Unfortunately, despite rattling off a dozen photographs, none of the pictures showed the bird in its full glory. This was the best I could manage.
We spent the next hour or two with this chap, who hails from the Isle of Wight. After a decent walk along the canal we eventually reached the viewing platform, which was about the size of a postage stamp! Another birder was already present and we somehow managed to squeeze three scopes into the available space.
The first thing we spotted was something that the gentleman at Brierley had mentioned, a Green-Winged Teal [lifer 206!] [year tick 138!]. I was fortunate to drop onto it almost immediately. There was a bit of debate as to whether this was an escapee from nearby Slimbridge. I suppose you can't be certain, but if there is evidence to suggest it is I will duly strike it from the list. I notice, however, that Slimbridge itself is reporting a Green-Winged Teal on its website. I wonder if this is the same bird?
Shortly afterwards we had another unexpected fillip in the shape of a Spotted Redshank [year tick 139!]. I think these are amazing birds. With due respect to my lifers, I can't decide whether this or the Garganey was the tick of the day. Another good spot here was a Ruff, which my Dad picked up. He's getting better at his waders. We had been told that Little Stint were also present, but we didn't see any. Similarly, the Cattle Egret had been seen from the platform earlier in the day, but it didn't show.
A search for Little Owls a mile or so on from Frampton on Severn didn't reap dividends, but we did have excellent views of a Sparrowhawk perched in a tree in this area. Other nice sightings during the day included Kestrel, Little Egret, Grey Wagtail, Great Spotted Woodpecker and some Common Gulls [year tick 140!], which flew over our heads as we enjoyed a pint at the Bell Inn.
This week's amusing anecdote concerns pork pie. Traditionally, we take out a Dickinson & Morris pork pie when we go birding, which we affectionately refer to as Dicko. My Dad had instead picked up a pie from the Tesco's finest range. It was good pie and I wondered whether Tesco should rename it I Can't Believe It's Not Dicko. Well, I found it amusing anyway.
Finally, I would like to thank Dan Pointon and Kay for their excellent gen, which enabled us to find our way around without too much difficulty and led to some great spots. Couldn't have done it without you.
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Monday, March 24, 2008 - Start Spreading The News ...
The arrival of the Spring migrants meant that some kind of birding excursion was imperative this weekend. However, when I awoke on Sunday morning and saw that it was snowing, I immediately feared the worst. Realising that the roads were clear and knowing that the forecast wasn't too bad, I rang my Dad and we agreed that we would press on despite the weather.
Our plan was to visit Grimley first, before heading to Hartlebury to see if we could track down the Iceland Gull that was seen on the trading estate there on Friday. I was also keen to pop into Shenstone as it was fairly nearby and we had planned to pay a brief visit to Upton Warren, mainly for the Little Ringed Plover that arrived during the week.
We arrived at Grimley shortly after 8:00am. Our main target here was the juvenile Black Redstart, which had been spotted a few days earlier. We scanned the north end of the site for twenty minutes or more, but couldn't see anything. Eventually, we decided to get back in the car and park in the traditional spot by the hay barn. From here we had a walk along the main pool, noting a few Oystercatchers and a Redshank along the way.
As we approached the north end again, we ran into another birder who told us that he had not seen the Black Redstart either. He did, however, mention the littoralis Rock Pipit, a Scandinavian sub-species of the bird we normally see in this country, which had arrived at Grimley on Saturday.
We had a quick look with him for the bird and were lucky enough to get onto it within a minute or two. Birders tend not to treat sub-species as separate ticks, though everyone has their own rules. I go along with the theory that they should not be added to the life list, but I will certainly make a note of it for my own records. I had seen some pictures of this bird on Brian Stretch's excellent Worcester birding website, but they did not really do it justice. In the field, the bird had a beautiful pinkish wash to its underparts and I would recommend that you go and have a look at it for yourself if you can.
Whilst we were looking at the Rock Pipit, we also spotted a pair of Little Ringed Plover [year tick 130!], which made the proposed trip to Upton Warren obsolete.
Shortly afterwards, we managed to track down the three Wheatear [year tick 131!] that had been around for a few days. They are beautiful birds and I never seem to run into them as often as I would like. After a bite to eat we resumed our search for the Black Redstart, but there was still no sign of it. We decided to head off to try our luck elsewhere. We did pick up a Green Sandpiper [year tick 132!] on the way back to the car, however.
Firstly, we payed a brief visit to Hartlebury, but the search for the Iceland Gull bore no fruit. It was always a long shot to be honest. We then continued to Shenstone. My Dad still needs Grey Partridge for his year list, but again we could not find any. Probably better early in the morning. That's when I flushed a pair here a couple of weeks ago.
Shenstone was untypically quiet, but there's always something to see here. True to form, we had a Sparrowhawk cruising low over the field with the Bramblings in it. Our pulses raced when we initially thought it was a Merlin, but common sense prevailed. There was no sign of any Corn Bunting or Yellowhammer, but plenty of Skylarks and a few Meadow Pipits were dotted around.
We felt it was worth one last stab at the Black Redstart, so we headed back to Grimley, noting a presumed Weasel dicing with death on the A449 on the way! My only previous encounter with a Weasel resulted in its untimely death beneath the wheels of my car, an experience that left me feeling pretty wretched. Somebody needs to tell them that playing chicken on a busy road is not a good idea.
Back at Grimley we were encouraged by the sight of several cars parked on the verge. Had there been a positive report whilst we were gone? It turned out that it had been seen, but had once again disappeared. After some more unsuccessful scanning, we took a walk along the cliff. Still no sign. Back with the small group of birders that had formed, we gave it one last shot and were just about to concede defeat, when I spotted something on the deck in front of us.
As I was getting the scope on this bird, I thought I heard someone confirm my suspicions. I was just beginning to congratulate myself, when I realised everyone else had their scopes pointing in a different direction. Sure enough, there it was, the Black Redstart [lifer 204!] [year tick 133!] and I never did find out what my mystery bird was. I had a swig from my hip flask, swiftly followed by a second from my Dad's. We've decided that lifers are worth two nips now that we've joined the 200 club! If we ever get to 300, we'll be catching the bus home!
Next week, I'm hoping to go to the Forest of Dean to see if I can get hold of a Goshawk amongst other things and I have my eye on a Garganey that has turned up in Hereford this week. Read about it here in due course.
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Friday, March 21, 2008 - Garden Warbler
Spring seems to be arriving earlier each year, but as any birder worth his salt will know, tracking down Sylvia Borin at the moment might be pushing it. My cryptic heading instead refers to the first Blackcap to visit my garden this year. They are pretty rare visitors to the garden, but I usually manage to note one or two each year, particularly during the colder months.
The wet weather last weekend put paid to any plans to go birding, so I have had to get my fix in and around the garden once again. Fortunately, there was plenty to see, so I thought I'd knock up a quick summary of events.
First off, there have been many visits from a pair of Goldcrests over the last couple of weeks, and I was finally able to get a couple of reasonable pictures of one of them after many frustrated attempts.
As you may recall, there is a white-winged Jackdaw that hangs around with the regular Jackdaws near my house. I call him Chalky. What I haven't yet told you is that there is another unique individual with a mottled belly. I call him Dapple, and he turned up in the sycamore tree this week. The picture I took doesn't really do Dapple justice, but photo opportunities are few and far between, so you take what you can get.
Other sightings this week included a pair of Mistle Thrush feeding on the front lawn yesterday morning, a flock of roughly 100 Starlings in the field opposite the house earlier in the week and a pair of Buzzards patrolling the same field a few days later.
The resident Goldfinches, assisted by several Siskin and possibly a few Greenfinches, demolished the niger seed this week. In the end, the Goldfinches were reduced to impersonating Chaffinches when they had to resort to pecking at the scraps on the ground. Don't worry - the feeders were dutifully refilled today!
Good Friday generally marks the beginning of the gardening season for me. Consequently, the damson tree was pruned to within an inch of its life today. I made sure that I left plenty of perches for the birds, however, and I hope the lack of cover won't deter them from coming to the feeders.
It was reassuring to see Wing, the lame Chaffinch perched on the tree later today. He's been seen quite a few times in the last week or so and he's almost beginning to feel like the son I never had!
That's about all, but I think a Sparrowhawk flew across the field this afternoon. Similarly, I'm almost certain that a Raven went past the back garden earlier in the day. I was in the kitchen, spotted it flying past and immediately rushed out to see if I could hear it calling, but it had gone. It could have been a Carrion Crow, but it seemed to have that shaggy throat thing going on, which made me wonder. I still need one for the year list actually.
As for up and coming birding excursions, I hope to get to Upton Warren on Sunday morning, but the weather may play a part in this. I am really keen to catch up with the likes of Common Sandpiper, Sand Martin, Little Ringed Plover and Wheatear, plus there is always the chance of a Garganey turning up somewhere nearby. I've only ever seen one, at Upton Warren on 1 April 2007, and I would really like to catch up with this striking duck again this Spring.
Following that, there is a trip to the Forest of Dean pencilled in for Sunday 30 March, specifically for Goshawk, a potential lifer, but with the added attraction of possible Hawfinch and Marsh Tit. Then I have a day off work on Friday 4 April, which I may spend at Upton Warren again.
The prospect of seeing all these aforementioned birds, plus the imminent arrival of the warblers and other Summer visitors is making me all twitchy!
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Sunday, March 9, 2008 - Wyred
I've just returned from an excellent morning's birding in the Wyre Forest. This is an area that I have yet to fully explore, but slowly and surely, I am building up my knowledge of some of the best birding sites that the forest has to offer. I think this will become more important as Spring approaches [if it hasn't already!] and Wood Warblers, Pied Flycatchers, Redstarts and the like begin to arrive.
My main aim today was to explore the area around Lodge Hill Farm and Dowles Brook. I couldn't even find these places the last time I was here, but armed with some excellent info from a couple of my birding buddies [you know who you are!] I had more success this time.
First spot of note was a Green Woodpecker along the old railway track, closely followed by a Yellowhammer up in the trees to my left and a few Song Thrush singing away. After a short walk I reached Lodge Hill Farm and made my way up to the bridge that crosses the road.
There was plenty of good birding to be had here. In the trees and bushes that line the road there were Bullfinch, Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Brambling, Redwing, and the more common birds such as Great Tit and Robin. The bird I was really hoping for was Hawfinch, but I knew that the chances of getting any were slim even at the best of times. I scanned the tops of the surrounding trees without any joy. A Greater Spotted Woodpecker was noted flying over.
After about half an hour, I gave up on the Hawfinch and headed off in the direction of Dowles Brook. I didn't have to walk too far before I picked up a pair of Dipper.
A little further down the brook I spotted a pair of Mandarin [lifer 203!] [year tick 128!], a bird that I had convinced myself didn't exist, having dipped on them a few times in the last year. I take it all back. They do exist and although they look like escapees from someone's collection of exotic wildfowl, they are tickable. They are certainly amazing looking birds and it was nice to finally see them.
After noting a pair of Grey Wagtails in the same area [beautiful birds], I headed back up the path and into Knowles Coppice. A few Greater Spotted Woodpeckers were seen, but little else of interest. As I left the coppice and rejoined the old railway line, something made me decide to stop for a minute or two. Suddenly, to my right came the call of a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and, seconds later, there it was on the branches of a tree not too far away from me [year tick 129!].
After enjoying a good butcher's with the binnies, I reached for the camera and was able to get off a few shots. This was only the second time I have ticked this bird, although I did have a close encounter with one at Whitacre Heath a few weeks back. Never mind the year tick, this felt like a lifer and I will definitely be having a wee dram tonight to celebrate.
I spent some more time back on the bridge at Lodge Hill Farm and picked up some birds on the tops of the trees away to my right. I am currently without-scope and had difficulty identifying these distant creatures. I borrowed a fellow birder's binnies, which offered slightly greater magnification, but it was no good. Were they Hawfinches? Probably not, but I'll never know for sure. If I had to stick my neck out, I'd say they were Brambling. The only other spots worthy of mention were a Sparrowhawk cruising overhead whilst birding from the bridge, and the distant 'cronk' of a few Ravens, though these were never seen.
It's been a cracking start to 2008. Long may it continue!
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Saturday, March 8, 2008 - Familiar Faces
It's been an exciting week for birds in the garden and around the neighbouring area. As mentioned last week, a pair of Lesser Redpolls showed up in the damson tree on Sunday, albeit for a matter of seconds. As if this wasn't good enough, a female Brambling turned up on Monday. This is the first record of this species in the garden. The bird hung around for 10 minutes or more, allowing me to take a few photos.
On Thursday afternoon, I noticed Chalky, the white-winged Jackdaw, perched on top of the oak tree opposite the house, with another of his kind and a pair of Mistle Thrush. He has been spotted in the field today too.
Another individual who stands out from the crowd is Wing, the lame Chaffinch. Sadly, Wing is not very good on his feet and has a habit of fluttering about on the ground using his wings to support him. I remember seeing a female Chaffinch at Whitacre Heath a few weeks back with a similar problem.
Wing tends to sit for long periods in 'Seed Valley', the area underneath the damson tree where seed falls from the feeders. He seems to be able to fly alright, but he just has trouble perching anywhere. Poor thing.
Another tick from the house this week was a male Pheasant in the field on Friday morning. My neighbour told me that he had had a Pheasant in his back garden recently. Maybe it was the same one. You don't see too many around here.
I'm planning a trip to the Wyre Forest in the morning and will report back in due course.
Until then, happy birding!
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Sunday, March 2, 2008 - Back In Time
I managed to grab a quick hour's birding at Shenstone early on Sunday morning. I've been studying for an exam on 11 March, but unable to resist the urge to get out in the field I took my nose out of my books and headed for a favourite spot of mine.
Shenstone is a small village between Bromsgrove and Kidderminster. It is a reliable site for Corn Bunting and Grey Partridge, relatively scarce birds around these parts. On arriving at about 7:30am, I opened the car door and immediately felt as though I had travelled back in time to England as it might have been in the 1950s.
The first sound that hit my ears was that of a number of Skylarks happily singing away in the fields to my right and it only took a matter of seconds for me to pick one out with the binoculars [year tick 125!]. Next came the familiar song of a Yellowhammer in the trees lining the road. Not a year tick, but wonderful birds all the same.
A stroke of luck next when I flushed something from the undergrowth. I thought it might be a rabbit at first, but a pair of Grey Partridge [year tick 126!] appeared and promptly scuttled off into the field to my left. A Green Woodpecker was noted grubbing around in the grass further up the road. A scan through the trees and fence posts for Little Owls was unsuccessful. They remain a noteable absentee from the life list, but I'm sure I will run into one somewhere this year.
As I reached the junction of Heath Lane I suddenly heard a Corn Bunting singing. I guessed it was probably in the large tree in the field to my right, as that's where I have seen them before. True to form, once I had a better view, I could see it perched on top [year tick 127!].
I carried on down the lane in the hope of latching onto the Chaffinch and Brambling flock that has been seen here in recent weeks. Unfortunately, fog prevented me from seeing much at all the last time I was here. Not today though. I soon located the flock and had nice, if distant, views of the Chaffinches and their smartly-attired relatives, plus Pied Wagtails and Fieldfares in good numbers.
I had a slow walk back to the car and noted the more usual species, including Long-Tailed Tits. In keeping with the mood of post-war England, however, I wondered whether I should note them down as Huggen-Muffins. At least, I think that's how they used to be referred to. Please correct me if I'm mistaken.
In a similar vein, I was tempted to add Windhover to the list when a Kestrel appeared over the nearby woodland. Maybe the next time I visit Shenstone, I should wear a demob suit and arrive by Morris Minor!
Once back home and in the noughties again, I was discussing my excursion with Mrs Telescope when two Lesser Redpolls appeared in the damson tree. They were there for a few fleeting seconds and then they were gone. I've had a few in the garden before, but they are rare visitors and these are the first ones I've seen this year.
All in all, a brief, but excellent visit to 1950s rural England. And I still had change for a fish supper!
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Friday, February 29, 2008 - Four Go Mad In Devon [4 of 4]
Day 4 of 4 - Cheddar Reservoir / Slimbridge
The last day of the trip, but there was still birding-a-plenty to be getting on with. A phone call to the long-suffering Mrs Telescope on Sunday evening confirmed that there was a Red-Necked Grebe at Cheddar Reservoir. The King Eider in North Devon was a twitch too far, but the reservoir would only involve a minor detour, so we thought it was worth a shot. There was talk of trying for a Short-Eared Owl at Aust Warth, but eventually we came to the decision that a few hours at Slimbridge would pay greater dividends.
Before all of this, however, my Dad and I made an early morning visit to Exminster to try for a Woodlark. It was a long shot and, somewhat predictably, there was no sign of them. To be fair, I think they breed in this location and they may still be on their wintering grounds. Either way, they weren't there so far as we could see. We had a pleasant surprise, however, when we picked up a pair of Chiffchaffs merrily singing away [year tick 116!]. Another reasonable tick so early in the year.
We left Budleigh Salterton at 10:15am and arrived at Cheddar Reservoir about an hour later. It's a two mile walk around the reservoir, which isn't too bad when compared to the veritable behemoth that is Draycote Water. The sun was in our eyes at first, which made scanning tricky, but having sifted through a number of Great Crested Grebes we felt happy that its rarer relative was not amongst them.
As we made our way around the water's edge, I suddenly noticed something that got my birding senses working overtime. It looked like a diver, but disappeared from view very quickly. When it broke the water again I was able to identify it as a Great Northern Diver. Not a year tick, but it was a great moment. We had no idea that it was there, although I later found out that it had been around for a couple of weeks. Self-found birds! You just can't beat 'em!
Further round I picked up four Scaup [year tick 117!], two drakes and two females, plus a pair of Goldeneye. Birds like divers and the rarer ducks used to have to be pointed out to me, so it was personally very pleasing to be picking them up on my own. Without wishing to sound big-headed, I reckoned I must be getting the hang of this birding lark.
They say pride comes before a fall, so you can guess what happened next - a birder travelling in the opposite direction told us that the Red-Necked Grebe had been seen on the opposite side of the reservoir about an hour ago. Of course, that was where we had started our search, so we hot-footed it around the path until we could get a decent view of the appropriate area.
Almost instantly, I had a grebe in my sights that looked promising. It was still a bit distant, though, so there was another mad dash to get a better vantage point. Then there was no doubt. Red-Necked Grebe [lifer 201!] [year tick 118!] fell, meaning that we had bagged five grebe species on the trip. Nice work!
Onwards and upwards to Slimbridge, where we got easy ticks in the shape of Bewick's Swan, White-Fronted Goose, Golden Plover and Barnacle Goose [year ticks 119, 120, 121 & 122!], plus a Water Rail and the second Peregrine of the trip. Sadly, my camera had packed up at this point so I have none of my famously blurred record shots with which to illustrate these sightings.
A quick dash to the Zeiss Hide got us nothing better than a Gadwall for the trip list, so we made our way back towards the Holden Tower. It was from the hides along the path to the tower that we picked up a couple of Ruff [year tick 123!], before beginning the daunting task of picking out the Bean Goose amongst the sizeable flock of White-Fronted Geese.
Ten minutes in, we were joined by a youngish lad, who almost immediately claimed to have located the lone goose. We were able to get in the right area fairly easily due to the fact that the bird was only about twelve geese or so in from the right. After an agonising ten minutes or more, the goose stuck its head up and we finally got good enough views to see that it was indeed the Bean Goose [lifer 202!] [year tick 124!]. The hides were closing at this point so we packed our scopes away for the final time and headed for home, not before we'd had our last swig of whisky though!
Looking back, it was an amazing weekend. I knew three lifers in some shape or form would surely fall, maybe even four or five if we were really lucky, but to get seven was incredible. Passing 200 lifers courtesy of the Long-Billed Dowitcher was a special moment. Although there are a few relatively common species that I still need to see, it is inevitable that any lifers now are going to be pretty good birds. Equally, lifers are going to become more and more scarce in accordance with the law of diminishing returns, but I'm looking forward to the birding challenges ahead with nothing other than excitement.
Until next time, happy birding!
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Thursday, February 28, 2008 - Four Go Mad In Devon [3 of 4]
Day 3 of 4 - Bowling Green Marsh / Beer / Woodbury Common
Before I begin waxing lyrical about Sunday's birding, I should mention our close encounter with another potential lifer on Saturday night. Ivor had told us that Tawny Owls had been calling from the trees near his house, and as we were heading into Budleigh Salterton for a few pints and some food that evening, we were sure to listen out for them.
Sure enough, one called from the branches of a tree just as we passed underneath it. It couldn't have been more than 10 to 20 feet above us. I have certainly never heard them call as clearly as that before. Unsurprisingly, we couldn't locate it in the dark and a shameful attempt to flush it with the flash from my camera proved ineffective.
Sunday morning didn't start too well. The first thing I did was crack my head on the sloped ceiling above my sleeping bag, leaving me with a red mark on my forehead and a passing resemblance to Harry Potter. Undeterred by this blunder and a spot of resultant dizziness, I headed for the shower. Unfortunately, Leapy's decision to take a steaming hot bath the previous night meant there was no hot water, so I was forced to wash beneath an icy torrent. Needless to say, I was in and out within a minute. My nipples are still recovering.
After a quick breakfast, me and my Dad headed off to Bowling Green Marsh. In our opinion, the early tide meant getting there before 8:00am, which we managed, but Leapy and Ivor had elected to join us later on. There were many birds present including Dunlin, Wigeon, Snipe, Avocet, Knot and Bar-Tailed Godwit. I also picked up Black-Tailed Godwit [year tick 111!] in good numbers.
We were, of course, looking out for the Long-Billed Dowitcher that has been frequenting the estuary for some weeks now. There was no sign of it over high tide, and as the waders began to move back down the estuary, we felt that we might be better off at the viewing platform further down the road. Leapy and Ivor had arrived by this point and we were within minutes of heading off, when a chap to our left suddenly spotted the Long-Billed Dowitcher at the rear of the marsh [lifer 200!] [year tick 112!].
We'd done it! 200 birds on the life list! There were a few slaps on the back and, needless to say, a few more swigs from the hip flask. It was a lifer for Ivor too, but Leapy had twitched the bird at Bittell Reservoir in Autumn 2006. Nevertheless he was suitably pleased for us, being the top bloke that he is.
Next up, we headed to Beer. One of the birders at Broadsands on Saturday had told us that there were three Black Redstarts there. It sounded too good to be true and unfortunately it was. We were there for over an hour and saw no sign of them. On a more positive note, several Fulmar [year tick 113!] and a Peregrine [year tick 114!] found their way onto my year list, the latter powering over the waves, before perching on the cliff face. A fine sight.
Last, but by no means least, we paid a visit to Woodbury Common in the hope of finding a Dartford Warbler. It took us about two minutes to track one down [year tick 115!], mirroring the success I had with these great little birds on Aylesbeare Common last April.
Although we managed a walk down the Otter Estuary afterwards, there were no more year ticks or lifers to be had. The rain closed in and we pronounced the birding over for another day, one that I will remember for a long time to come.
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Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - Four Go Mad In Devon [2 of 4]
Day 2 of 4 - Dawlish Warren / Broadsands / Exminster
I woke up with a thumping headache on Saturday morning. We had tucked a fair bit of wine and whisky away the night before and I was paying the price. Still, there was birding to be done, so I popped a couple of Ibuprofen and washed them down with a cup of tea.
We headed to Dawlish Warren first. We quickly ticked a Rock Pipit [year tick 93!], before noticing a small group of fellow birders by the sea wall. They kindly pointed out what was around, mentioning that the long-staying Surf Scoter had been seen off Langstone Rock that morning. We set up the scopes and picked up Slavonian Grebe, Common Scoter, Eider and Red-Throated Diver [year ticks 94, 95, 96 & 97!] without too much difficulty.
After much scoping, Leapy finally thought he had a contender for the Surf Scoter in his sights. It was quite distant, so we upped scopes and headed further down towards Langstone Rock, where we could get better views. The bird eventually showed well enough to confirm that it was indeed the Surf Scoter [lifer 197!] [year tick 98!]. Sadly, my attempts to digiscope this bird failed. I was still feeling pretty rough at this point, but the combination of another lifer and a slug of whisky from my Dad's hip flask perked me up no end!
A walk through the reserve revealed it to be fairly quiet. Once we were on the dunes, however, we were greeted by the welcome sight of many waders in the bay adjacent to the golf course. Grey Plover, Dunlin and Bar-Tailed Godwit [year ticks 99, 100 & 101!] were duly recorded, along with Knot [year tick 102!], a bird that I dipped on in 2007. Nice to get that one under the belt. Finally, a pair of Stonechats [year tick 103!] revealed themselves on the walk back to the car.
Next up, we travelled down the coast to Broadsands. The target birds here were Black-Necked Grebe and Cirl Bunting. More seawatching ensued. First up was one of my all time favourites; a fine Gannet [year tick 104!] cruising over the water. Then I picked up something far out to sea. It certainly looked grebe-like, but it was diving frequently and travelling some distance under the waves, which made it hard to keep tabs on. I was almost certain that it was a Black-Necked Grebe, but I was wary of letting my heart rule my head.
I took a break from the scope and had an unexpected surprise when I noticed a Shag [year tick 105!] in the bay below us. I had previously dismissed this bird as a Cormorant without looking at it properly. A lesson to be learned there, I'm sure.
Back on the scope, I was still struggling to identify the speck on the horizon, but I did pick up a Razorbill [year tick 106!] for my troubles. Then we realised there was something else just in front of us. No need for scopes with this one. Binoculars revealed it to be a Black-Necked Grebe [lifer 198!] [year tick 107!]. The hip flask was produced once more.
We had no idea where to start looking for Cirl Bunting, so we asked a fellow birder if he had any gen. He told us to head for the car park, where a canny birder had put down some seed, which the birds were reportedly happily tucking into. Sure enough, once we got down there, there were the birders, there was the seed and there were the Cirl Buntings [lifer 199!] [year tick 108!].
These little beauties were both me and my Dad's 199th lifer. We had hoped to hit 200 together, but had thought that we would have to wait until a trip to Scotland in May to achieve this. With our next port of call being Exminster Marshes, plus the fact that he needed Cattle Egret and I didn't, it looked like he might just pip me to it.
Exminster Marshes was reasonably quiet, save for a few trip birds. Certainly no Cattle Egrets about, though a Cetti's Warbler was worthy of mention. Scanning the Exe estuary got us our first Avocet of the trip [year tick 109!] and plenty more waders, but it was the bird that appeared as we made our way along the canal and back to the car that took first prize. Ivor thought it was a House Martin. Leapy said it was more likely to be a Sand Martin, but when it flew back in front of us, it revealed itself to be an extremely early Swallow [year tick 110!]. A fitting finale to a memorable day ...
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Tuesday, February 26, 2008 - Four Go Mad In Devon [1 of 4]
Day 1 of 4 - Dartmoor / Exmouth
On the morning of Friday 22 February, I headed off to Devon with my Dad, Dave 'Leapy' Lyons and Dave 'Ivor' Thomas. It was to be an intensive birding weekend, with trips to Dartmoor, Dawlish Warren, Broadsands and Bowling Green Marsh planned. We also intended to hit a few sites on the way back to Birmingham, although Ivor would not be joining us for these as he was staying on in Devon for another day or so.
We had a great run down the M5 and arrived in Budleigh Salterton before 8:30am. The car was quickly unloaded and without further ado we headed for Dartmoor. At about 10:00am we arrived at the Warren House Inn area, where a Great Grey Shrike has recently taken up residence. The weather was a little inclement, which made viewing tricky, but on Leapy's advice, we headed off the road towards the valley opposite the pub. Once we had a reasonable vantage point along the valley, I quickly located the Great Grey Shrike [lifer 196!] [year tick 83!] perched on top of a small bush. We didn't have great views and the bird took off shortly afterwards, but fortunately we all managed to get onto it.
After a bite to eat and a swig of whisky to celebrate the lifer we headed off to Fernworthy Reservoir. I didn't know too much about this site, but it was quite nearby and from what I could gather, it had a reputation for attracting some good species. True to form, within a few minutes of arriving we heard the distinctive calls of Common Crossbill. They revealed themselves moments later on the top of a stand of larches to our left [year tick 84!]. Definitely one of my favourite birds and a nice year tick. A short walk down the road revealed little else, so we decided to head off.
The next site on the agenda was Steps Bridge. I had seen reports of Marsh Tit and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker here recently and I also understood that it was a reliable sight for Dipper. A scan from the bridge revealed nothing, but we did get a Grey Wagtail [year tick 85!] along the river. On the way back, however, Ivor had a second scan from the bridge and got us our Dipper [year tick 86!]. Another great bird in my opinion.
Next up was Dunchideock, a small village where Little Owl is regularly reported. In fact, I had been told that this bird was 'virtually guaranteed' - dangerous words in the birding fraternity. Finding the village was hard enough, let alone the owl. We never saw it, but one of the locals kindly 'gripped us off' by showing us a photograph of it perched on the roof of the village hall, not ten feet from where we were standing. He said it tended to show at dusk, but we weren't prepared to stand out in the cold any longer and made our way back to Exmouth.
A quick walk along the seafront and marina got me some regulation year ticks in the shape of Oystercatcher, Great Black-Backed Gull, Red-Breasted Merganser, Brent Goose, Turnstone and Redshank [year ticks 87, 88, 89, 90, 91 & 92!]. A Black Redstart had reportedly been in this area in the last few days, but we failed to locate it.
The birding finished for the day, we headed back to the house for pizzas and red wine. A brilliant day. We only hoped that our success would continue ...
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Thursday, February 21, 2008 - Meal Or No Meal?
It's been a relatively slow start to the birding year. I said at the end of 2007 that I wanted to focus on quality, not quantity, but with January behind me and February passing by at a rate of knots, I have to confess to being more than a little keen to get some more ticks!
Sadly, studying for financial qualifications has hampered my ability to get out and about, but when my Dad suggested an early morning visit to Upton Warren on Tuesday to have a go for the Mealy Redpoll that has been about, I didn't need asking twice.
I arrived there at 7:30am. I had agreed to meet Dad at 7:45am, but I firmly believe the early bird gets the worm. Within ten minutes, I had tracked down a Siskin and a Lesser Redpoll, then noted another bird to their right, which looked paler. Although it looked a good candidate for Mealy Redpoll, I just couldn't be sure. It took off before I could sort it out properly.
Presently, my Dad arrived. By this time small flocks of redpoll were appearing in the bushes, their numbers reaching double figures. After about twenty minutes or so we identified a bird with paler markings and a white rump. This time I was happy to declare it a Mealy Redpoll [lifer 195!] [year tick 81!].
With the lure of a day at the office not appealing too much, I decided to spend a further hour at the reserve and spotted Water Rail, Pintail and Cetti's Warbler [year tick 82!]. I didn't see any sign of the Black-Tailed Godwit that was reported there that morning.
One other sighting worthy of mention was the first ever Sparrowhawk in my garden on the morning of 11 February. I was washing up and noticed something flash across the back of the garden. Although I immediately thought Sparrowhawk, I dismissed it as a Woodpigeon as they are ten-a-penny where I live, but a few minutes later it reappeared, perched on the hedge at the rear of the garden. Another one for the list.
I'm off now for a long weekend in Devon. That should boost the year list a bit and with a bit of hard graft and a hefty dollop of good fortune I might even get a few lifers.
A full report will follow on my return. Until then, happy birding!
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Monday, February 11, 2008 - Crack Open The Caol Ila 18!
A super day's birding on Sunday brought me my first lifer of 2008, a couple of nice year ticks and a close encounter with a bird that proves elusive to even the best birders.
My Dad and I headed to Alvecote Pools first thing. We arrived at about 8:30am, parked at the end of Laundry Lane and had a measured amble up the path. Those in the know will have already guessed what we were after. At least two Firecrest have been seen in this area for a number of weeks now. Having dipped on this species in December 2007, we were keen to make amends.
Birding chum Dave 'Leapy' Lyons was due to meet us at 9:00am, but rather than sit and wait for him, we thought it best if we tried to track down the birds so that we could get him onto them as soon as he arrived. A chap who arrived at the same time as us informed us that they tended to frequent the bushes and scrub at the end of the lane, so we promptly made our way up there.
I heard it first, and picking up movement in the bush to my left I quickly had my binoculars focused on the Firecrest [lifer 194!] [year tick 78!]. As this was the first lifer of 2008, I had come prepared. The hip flask was carrying a small amount of Caol Ila 18 year old whisky, my favourite tipple. A couple of swigs followed. The taste of success!
We waited for Dave to turn up. We waited and we waited. No sign. By this time, we had lost the Firecrest, but I latched onto it again further down the lane. This time there were two of them. Then they were gone again. Still no sign of Dave.
Finally, my mobile starts ringing. Unsurprisingly, it's Dave. He's been in the area for half an hour, but he can't find us. After giving him some directions, he finally joins us at about 9:45am, but the Firecrest has vanished again having just given us brilliant views amongst the ivy on the left of the road.
Somehow, I manage to track it down again. It's distant, but with that distinctive eye stripe and its constant flitting about, it is surprisingly easy to spot for a small bird. Dave gets onto it and we head off. Next stop Whitacre Heath.
On the way to Whitacre Heath we stop off to scan the Lea Marston and Coton reservoir. We're looking for Scaup, which we don't get, but there is an incredible amount of waterfowl here. Goldeneye is the pick of the bunch for me, but there are Pochard and Wigeon here too in good numbers, amongst the many Tufted Ducks.
Once at Whitacre Heath, we have a bit of a game trying to find the hide by the woodland feeding station. On our way through the woods, however, we are sure we hear Lesser Spotted Woodpecker drumming and calling. It isn't too far away. In fact, it seems to be coming from a dead tree a matter of yards away. I make a beeline for it and see a small bird fly from the top of it, before disappearing into the woodland. With hindsight, I should have scanned the tree before charging towards it. We think we hear the bird later, but we never get as close to it as this again. A missed opportunity.
Once we have found the hide, we enjoy close views of Lesser Redpoll, Siskin, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting and Greater Spotted Woodpecker. Then the bird we really wanted, a Willow Tit [year tick 79!] shows up. It is quickly joined by another.
We head back to the car, picking up a Treecreeper [year tick 80!] on the way and make our way back home. A fine day by any standards and I shall definitely be visiting Whitacre Heath again with a view to catching a glimpse of that woodpecker!
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Wednesday, February 6, 2008 - Welcome Visitors
It was a good weekend for birds in and around the garden. Best of all, the Siskins were down in reasonable numbers. The cold snap also brought Redwing into the field opposite the house, plus there was a Lapwing over on Saturday afternoon and a Goldcrest in the fir tree in the back garden on Sunday.
The Chaffinches are still around in good numbers, but to date no Lesser Redpolls or Brambling have visited with the other finch flocks.
On Monday, I headed to the Wyre Forest with my wife. We had a very pleasant two-hour stroll, but I have to say it was reasonably bird-light. On a positive note, I did locate a Chaffinch flock, which was duly searched for Brambling and I'm pleased to say there was at least one amongst them [year tick 77!].
The walk didn't take us as far as Dowles Brook, so I wasn't able to tick Dipper and I had expected to run into a Treecreeper or two, but it wasn't to be. The only other birds of note were Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Jay and Great Spotted Woodpecker.
I have an expedition to Whitacre Heath pencilled in for Sunday and if the Firecrests are still at Alvecote Pools, I will definitely have a look for them too. I note, however, that they weren't reported yesterday so it is possible that they have now moved on.
Tomorrow night I'm getting together with Dave Thomas, Dave Lyons and my father to draft our plans for our short visit to Devon in a couple of weeks. I've pulled together some pretty good info and I'd be disappointed if we don't get a few lifers and many year ticks down there. I can't wait!
Until next time, happy birding!
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Wednesday, January 30, 2008 - Birding In The Mist
I had high hopes for my birding on Monday. I planned to visit Shenstone, Norchard, Grimley and maybe take in the Lickey Hills too. I thought if I had an excellent day and a bit of good luck I could bag ten year ticks and maybe a lifer or two. Alas, it was not to be.
I arrived in Shenstone to find that the county of Worcestershire was shrouded in a thick curtain of mist. It was going to be hard enough to see my hand in front of my face, let alone spot a Woodlark, one of my main targets, from distance.
Never to be discouraged, I took a deep breath and immersed myself in the gloom. I thought I had a good chance of seeing Corn Bunting, Red-Legged Partridge and Grey Partridge here, but I failed to locate any of them. There were several hundred Fieldfare in the field adjacent to the public footpath, a small flock of Siskins further down, and I managed to locate a pair of Reed Buntings as I made my way back to the car, but that was about it.
A stroll up Heath Lane revealed a couple of Song Thrush and a Wren, but nothing out of the ordinary. Finally, a hunt for the recently reported Brambling half a mile down the road in Summerfield was unsuccessful. As I consoled myself with a chicken sandwich and a swig of hot tea, I had some consolation in the form of a Greenfinch [year tick 75!] in a nearby tree.
Next I headed off to Norchard. Woodlarks have been seen here consistently for a couple of weeks. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I was quite prepared to invest an hour or more here. Woodlarks would not be lifers for me, but as I have only ever had a fleeting view of one as it flew away from me I was obviously keen to get a proper look.
I found the place with relative ease and knew I was in the right field when I spied a couple of fellow birders with scopes ahead of me. Although I'm not shy of putting in a bit of hard graft to find a bird, I was hopeful that these two chaps had already had a positive sighting, not least because the mist had come down again and it was not possible to see across to the other side of the field. Armed with only my binoculars, it was also difficult to comfortably scan much more than half of the field.
Sadly, the two chaps had not seen anything and within fifteen minutes they headed off. I persevered and became more optimistic when the mist cleared a little, but despite seeing a few small birds at distance, there was no way I could be certain that they were the Woodlarks. I tried my luck further down the lane, my heart skipping a beat as a Meadow Pipit [year tick 76!] appeared in front of me, but there was no access to the other side of the field. I gave it another five or ten minutes back in my original position, but eventually had to concede defeat and headed for Grimley.
I had a thirty minute walk around Grimley. There were some nice species here including Snipe, of which I saw three flying, Pochard, Teal, Goldeneye in reasonable numbers, Shoveler and Gadwall. I think some Wigeon flew over, but ducks in flight are not one of my strong points so I couldn't be certain. There was no sign of the Water Pipit, but I didn't really expect to see that if I was being honest.
As I was without Brambling, I decided to stop off at the top of the Lickey Hills on the way back. I walked through the area near the church and Twatling Road for about ten minutes or so and I can honestly say I did not see one bird!
I headed home a bit dejected. I always enjoy my birding, whatever the result, but having invested a good five hours in the field I was a bit disappointed to get just two year ticks, especially as they were birds that I am bound to see in good numbers over the course of the year.
Let's hope the next outing is a liitle better. Until then, happy birding!
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Monday, January 21, 2008 - I Suppose The Exercise Did Me Good!
This Sunday I headed off to Draycote Water. There's one thing you need to know about this place - it's vast. I have the utmost respect for those people who treat this as their local patch as I don't think I could it. It does, however, attract some very special species and occasionally I can't resist the temptation to make the not inconsiderable journey in order to see some nice birds. I always come away feeling that I have been on a ticking exercise, rather than a true birding experience though. I'm sorry if that upsets anyone, but it's just how I feel.
I also came away this week with a pulled thigh muscle and sore shins for my troubles. Now, I accept that I've not been shy of the Quality Streets and the Terry's chocolate orange this Christmas, but I'm not that unfit. Therefore, if you're planning a trip around this huge expanse of water, just beware of what's in store!
Anyway, enough about my physical insufficiencies, let's talk birds.
There were three main targets in mind, those being the Lesser Scaup, Great Northern Diver and the Smew. I recall a visit in February last year for these latter two, which although successful, was damned hard work. As I cast my mind back I also remember bumping into Max and Kay that day. They were much easier to spot, though I don't think I have ticked them at any other birding haunts since. Hope to see you again soon, guys!
We decided to head off to Toft Bay and picked up a few year ticks on the way, namely Goosander and Goldeneye. My dad also picked up his first Rook of the year. Then we got to the bit where the Lesser Scaup tends to frequent. There were a large number of Tufted Ducks and we guessed that the vagrant duck might be among them, but they were quite distant and we thought we might be able to get the scope on them further round the path. This didn't prove to be true, so we carried on to the valve tower, year-ticking Wigeon and Gadwall on the way.
Once at the valve tower [after a two mile walk by my reckoning!] we began our search for the Smew and Great Northern Diver. No immediate joy, until I realised that the Smew was right under our noses. I captured a couple of quick record shots and my Dad scuttled off to do the same, but the Smew immediately took off and disappeared towards Rainbow Corner.
The search for the Great Northern Diver continued for a few minutes. We were having no joy, however, so we continued walking towards Rainbow Corner, carefully checking out every Cormorant along the way. All of a sudden I spotted something unusual and got the binnies up to confirm that it was the Great Northern Diver. We had pretty good views as the sailing fraternity caused the bird to head nearer the shore. Within minutes, though, it had quickly made its way out of range, but again I had managed a couple of reasonable snaps.
With time running out we hotfooted it back to Toft Bay to see if we could unearth the Lesser Scaup. As we neared the area we spotted a few birders. More eyes equals more chance of success, but most of the people we spoke to said they had not seen it. With literally seconds left, a chap to my right suddenly announced he had it. I too had spotted a likely suspect and as it happened we were looking in the same area. We took our time and made certain that we were on the right bird before agreeing that it was another tick before heading back to the car.
A successful trip, albeit a tiring one. Despite my failing health, I couldn't resist popping down to Marsh Lane once we were back in Solihull. My Dad couldn't make it, so I headed off on my own. I don't have a permit for the reserve so I contented myself with a short walk down the public footpath running adjacent to it. I thought I might stand an outside chance of picking up a Lesser Redpoll or maybe the Common Redpoll that has been here for a few weeks, plus the possibility of a Brambling or Yellowhammer. As it happened, I did pick up a few Yellowhammers and some Greylag Geese, but after half an hour my various aches and pains were making the whole experience a little less pleasurable so I got back in the car and made my way home.
Other sightings of note this week were a lone male Siskin in the garden on Saturday, followed by a small flock a few gardens down later on. This week also saw the first Bullfinch of the year in the garden and I got a further year tick in Solihull today when a pair of House Sparrows settled in a tree outside Starbucks in Solihull. After Sunday's exertions, it was a nice contrast to get a tick whilst sat down with a hot latte and a cinnamon swirl!
Until next time, happy birding!
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Sunday, January 6, 2008 - Upton Warren
Saturday 5 January 2008
Finally shaken off a particularly nasty cold, picked up over the festive period. Heading to Upton Warren with my Dad. Main goal - locate the Bittern, which my Dad still needs for his life list.
It is to be a full day - we arrive before 9:00am and intend to depart after dusk.
Having ticked Kestrel on the M42 on the way down we're in the car park. As soon as we get out we can hear Curlews calling. Within a few minutes a small group pass overhead.
We head to the West hide. The plan is to have a search for the Bittern first. Whilst doing so we tick the more common species in front of us. Bullfinch on the feeders, a drake Pintail on the water and Shelduck, Lapwing, Shoveler, Pochard, Canada Goose, Reed Bunting and Teal. We give up on the Bittern and decide to have a go for Water Rail instead.
As we enter the concrete hide, my thoughts turn to the enormous spider that resides here. My spider radar leads me to look upwards, revealing the outsized critter sitting in its web on the corrugated iron roof. At least, I hope this is the correct arachnid - if there's a bigger one then I don't want to see it!
On a brighter note, as soon as I peer out of the window, a Water Rail dashes across the water in front of me. My Dad doesn't see it, however, so we invest a further 10 minutes and are rewarded with a couple more sightings before we head off.
Dad's keen to look for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in the area behind the West hide. We head off and quickly spot a Kingfisher zipping along the brook. Then I spot a raptor overhead. I think it's a Sparrowhawk, but I'm not confident. Just then, Arthur Jacobs and another chap appear and confirm my suspicions. They also confirm that Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers have been seen and heard in this area, but we fail to latch onto any.
On a walk through the woods, however, we tick Pheasant, Green Woodpecker and Long-Tailed Tit, before picking up some Siskins on the return leg. No Lesser Redpolls amongst them unfortunately, but a couple of chaps back at the car park say that Lesser Redpolls have been seen on the path leading to the East hide. Great, that's where we're off to next to get Snipe. Sure enough, with a bit of patience, we manage to see a few Lesser Redpolls on the way.
Once in the East hide we pick up Snipe very easily - there must be 30 of them in front of us! Whilst eating our lunch we also get the first Little Grebe of the year, plus another sighting of Sparrowhawk high over the water.
Off to the Flashes next. On the way down we get excited when we think we have spotted a Peregrine, but it turns out to be a Kestrel instead. Once in the hide we tick Buzzard and Stock Dove, which I pick out with the binnies from some distance, before confirming with the scope - must be getting better at this birding lark!
We decide to stick it out here for a bit to see if the Barn Owl shows. It doesn't, but somebody spots a suspected Jack Snipe out on the edge of the reeds. There's an anxious few minutes as we struggle to confirm its identity, but in the end it shows brilliantly and the distinct markings, shorter bill and amusing bobbing action result in the best tick of the day so far.
It's getting late now. Back off to the Moors Pool to try once more for that elusive Bittern. Whilst waiting for it to show itself, I manage to get a few reasonable pictures of another Water Rail from the West hide.
The Little Egret is also present and soon enough somebody spots the Bittern out on the edge of the pool. We get good views for 15 minutes or more, then it flies across the water and disappears. Magical!
Another excellent day and the year list now sits at 60 birds.
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Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - Ruddy Mandarin Ducks!
This year I am doing my birding armed with a pen and notebook, in which I jot down my thoughts at the time. By coincidence, I've found this gives any summary something of a real-time feel, hopefully making you feel more like you are there as you read it. Anyway, I'll try it for a bit and see what happens.
1 January 2008
A Mandarin turned up at Earlswood Lakes yesterday. Potential first lifer of 2008!
7:41am
Despite feeling as rough as a badger's bum I'm up and dressed. Just filled new flask with tea. Waiting 10 minutes to allow it to reach drinking temperature. Still yet to tick first bird of the year, but it's still dark. I'll turn the light off and watch the sun come up.
7:43am
I can hear a Robin!
7:50am
Gotcha! There he is on the damson tree. Number one bird of 2008! Only fair really - heard the blighter since I got up. I can allow myself a glance into the alder now for an expected Woodpigeon or Jackdaw [didn't want them to be my first tick!]. Oh - nothing!
Have to say, that Robin wasn't showing particularly well. Still, no mistaking its identity.
7:57am
Right! I can't wait any longer. Let's get off to Earlswood Lakes.
8:08am
Well, I'm here. Great! We're fogbound. That could make things tricky. Still, I'm up for the challenge. Ticked a Carrion Crow on the way and now I'm officially up and running.
Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Mallard, Coot. That's ticks 3, 4, 5 and 6.
What's that? A juvenile gull. Oh dear! Probably a Herring Gull, but I'm not sure, so no tick.
Black-Headed Gull, Pied Wagtail, Herring Gull [an adult this time - nice and easy!], Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Blackbird, Song Thrush [nice to see one so early], Fieldfare [not showing well, but no mistaking that chuckle!], Jackdaw. Up to 16 now.
The fieldcraft has gone out of the window as I lollop through the mudbath formally known as Earlswood Lakes! At last, I round the corner at the end of the Windmill Pool.
Great Crested Grebe and Tufted Duck make it 18.
Let's have a sit down and drink some tea. Maybe tie my shoelaces [don't ask!].
Goldfinch [overhead, unmistakeable chattering]. 19 up.
Nice cup of tea. That 10 minutes waiting time was just an experiment, but it seems that the beverage is at optimum drinking temperature. I love it when a plan comes together. A Wren is singing. Almost certain I saw one a few minutes ago, but decided to wait until one presented itself properly before ticking it. Just dropped my notebook in the mud!
Woodpigeon [at last!]. That's 20.
On the move again now.
Goldcrest [little beauty], Cormorant, Wren [first proper view, glad I waited!]. Okay. Up to 23 now.
A Blue Tit poses obligingly.
Okay. Back in the car now. No Mandarin. Can't say I'm surprised.
Magpie [overhead on Gorsey Lane] brings the total so far to 24.
The remainder of the day's birding is to be conducted from the house.
Collared Dove, Moorhen [in field opposite house near small pond], Lesser Black-Backed Gull and Jay [with an acorn in its beak] take the total to 28.
10:04am
5 Chaffinches in the garden. Nice.
Coal Tit, Nuthatch and Mistle Thrush bring the final tally to 31.
First day's birding of 2008 complete. May there be many more!
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The continuing adventures of Reg The Birder in 2008
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