Firstly, on Monday my wife and I had a stroll along Bittell Reservoir. It was fairly quiet apart from the usual species that you tend to see and I was unable to pick out anything of note at the upper reservoir, despite recent reports of juvenile Arctic Terns, Curlew Sandpiper and one or two other smaller waders. We did, however, spot a Hobby hawking over the field behind the reservoir. This was a lifer for Mrs Telescope and possibly the best views of this bird that I have had. Excellent viewing.

We then headed off to the Lickey Hills, not for anything specific, but I thought we might connect with a few woodpeckers maybe. However, it was fairly quiet up there. I did see a couple of Nuthatch and caught up with my first Treecreeper for a few months, but that was about it really.

On Tuesday, I saw further reports of Arctic Tern and Black Tern at Bittell, so I decided to pop along after work. After a bit of effort I got the Arctic Tern, though I have to be honest, telling these birds from Common Tern is still quite a challenge for me. Shortly afterwards, I thought I had the Black Tern in my sights, but they were too far away to be sure. I had to wait patiently for ten to fifteen minutes as one inched its way across the reservoir. Then it was close enough to identify [lifer!]. Quite a small bird, with a short tail. An unexpected yet welcome addition to the life and year list.

Not a great deal else of note this week. A number of Jays have been quite active in the field opposite the house this week. I don’t remember seeing that many Jays last year, but I can’t seem to get away from them this year. Lots of Mistle Thrush too, but hardly any Song Thrush. I guess it just happens that way some years.

On Saturday afternoon I spotted a pair of Muntjac deer in the farthest field from the house. Having first seen them a few weeks ago, I wonder if they’re going to become regular sights now? Also, whilst I was writing this blog, a Grey Heron flew right over the top of the house.

Should get out next weekend with the scope. I’ll keep an eye open for any rarities passing through before deciding where to head to. Until next time, happy birding!

It started on Friday when I came down with a stinking cold. Having struggled through work, I decided that the best remedy was to fight fire with fire and picked up a chicken madras from my local Indian takeaway on Friday evening. I have to say, I did feel quite a bit better on Saturday, but was still a bit chesty and frail, and on waking up this morning I decided to stay in bed a bit longer, which is quite out of character for me.

Having finally risen from my slumber at about 8:30am, I staggered to the computer to pick up what birding news I could, but instead of my usual tour of the birding websites I decided to spend half an hour or so creating an account for my Dad on Birdguides. Having done this, I then typed up a short set of instructions for him and emailed them to him. He’s headed off to Scotland this morning so is keen to keep an eye on what might be around whilst he is up there.

So, it’s about 9:10am and only now am I starting my tour of the websites. For some reason, I leave the Bird Forum till last. I don’t know why I did that, but when I did finally take a look at 9:13am, I saw a post from a fellow birder stating possible Wilson’s Phalarope at Upton Warren on the Flashes. It was only posted three minutes previously, so any earlier and I wouldn’t have seen it!

Wilson’s Phalarope! This is a bird of near-mythical proportions. I nearly twitched for one a few weeks ago, but it would have been a bit of a drive and I didn’t really want to see it without my Dad being there. If I had, I would have felt bad about it.

Anyway, I rush into the bedroom, start babbling to my wife about it and before you can say Jack Robinson, I’m showered and ready to go. Having very little hair helps, but even if I had a barnet like Julia Roberts I guess I could have worn a hat!

Okay, so it’s about half an hour later and I’m at Upton Warren. A quick dash to the hide reveals that word has travelled fast. There must be about ten scopes in there already. And I thought I’d got there quick! Still a few spare seats though. I grab one fast. A few minutes later and there must be about 20 birders in there now, all frantically phoning their mates. Arthur Jacobs [Upton Warren legend] asks ‘Has anyone got hold of Gordon yet?’. ‘I’m already here!’ comes a voice from the farthest reaches of the hide. Brilliant!

The bird isn’t showing yet, but the chap to my right points out roughly where it vanished a few minutes ago. It turns out I’m looking in completely the wrong direction, however, as the bird pops up and back down again without me seeing it. Surely I’m not going to dip on it? That would be too much to take.

Suddenly, several people are on it again, perhaps the whole of the hide, with the exception of me of course! I ask the chap to my right if it’s out. He tells me it is and suddenly I have it in my sights. Wilson’s Phalarope [lifer!]!

If I hadn’t stayed in bed so long and if I hadn’t looked at the birding websites exactly when I did then I wouldn’t have seen it reported, by which time it might have been too late. I wouldn’t have wanted to go without my Dad either, but as he was probably halfway to Scotland by then there was nothing I could do about it. Of course, the bird could always hang around for a few days, but I wasn’t about to take the chance! I guess it was just meant to be. Sadly, in my haste to leave the house I didn’t pick up my camera so I don’t have a record shot, but I can always get that next time. If there is one!

Finally, on the way home I got flashed by a speed camera and, to be honest, I couldn’t have cared less! Why? A speeding fine: £60. Wilson’s Phalarope: priceless!

However, I then dipped on the Knot at Upper Bittell Reservoir in the evening, a bird which is proving to be my 2007 bogey. I thought I had had one in Devon in April, but was not certain enough to tick it and now I’m hoping a few more pass through during the Autumn passage so that I can add it to the year list.

Time was a bit short yesterday as my Dad had to get home in time to watch my nephew play rugby, so I’m afraid that we were a bit guilty of acting like dudes [birding term for those who, amongst other frowned-upon activities, have a tendency to turn up, get their tick and bugger off again]. We were only at Upton Warren for about ten minutes, before heading off to Holt. Having got the Ruff almost immediately we then went to Grimley and enjoyed good views of a Kingfisher for all of five minutes before setting off home again!

Otherwise, it has been a fairly quiet week, though I did have a Swallow fly over the garden last Sunday, which was a first for the year, and yesterday morning, a pair of Muntjac deer turned up in the field opposite my house at 6:30am. I’ve never seen them around here before so this was a bit of a surreal experience!

The Autumn passage seems to be in full flow now, so with a bit of luck there could be some good stuff to go for locally over the next few weeks. Then I have a couple of expeditions to Wales to look forward to at the end of October and November, so I have a chance of squeezing another half dozen or so birds out of 2007.

Next year there are plans afoot for a trip to Devon in February, Norfolk and Suffolk in April and the highlands of Scotland in May, so if I don’t pick up some quality birds there then serious questions will have to be asked!

First off, I walked to work this week so picked up a few nice birds along the way, namely Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch and Kestrel. I also heard a Green Woodpecker along Brick Kiln Lane, but didn’t see it.

Tuesday night was a bit special. I went outside to collect the wheelie bin just after 10:00pm and no sooner than I had stepped out of the front door a Tawny Owl called from the oak tree just over the road. I waited patiently to see if it would show. Alas, it did not, but in a twist of irony a Barn Owl did float over whilst I was waiting! I continued my surveillance from the bedroom window and heard it call again about half an hour later, but still no sign. Shame, as it would have been a lifer.

On Friday I went to Weston-Super-Mare for the day. I couldn’t resist trying for the Spotted Crake and Little Stint at Coombe Hill Meadows on the way, having first sought consent from my long-suffering wife. Sadly, neither birds showed up, but it was good to find out where this reserve is in case future twitching opportunities present themselves.

Before we set off for Weston-Super-Mare, a pair of Bullfinches turned up in the garden. Other good birds in the garden this week included Coal Tit and a Wren this morning.

Weston-Super-Mare was pretty uninspiring as far as birds go. Just gulls, gulls and more gulls really. Still, they say if life hands you a lemon, make lemonade, so I now have some reasonable pictures of a Starling, Lesser Black-Backed Gull and Herring Gull to add to my growing collection of amateur snaps.

On Saturday I had a stroll around the lanes and picked up a Goldcrest in Wilmore Lane and then Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel along Barkers Lane and Tanners Green Lane. Map of Wythall courtesy of Google is attached. The Resolution building where I work is at the top left of the picture.

I had planned to nip out this morning and have a look for the Great White Egret that turned up at Grimley yesterday, but it appears that it did not hang around. Too bad. Let’s see if next week brings anything worth going for!

Therefore, I shall take this opportunity to talk about the regular visitors to my garden. On Bank Holiday Monday I was out there with the camera and managed to take a few snaps of them. Please excuse the quality of some of them!

The Nuthatch has always been a visitor to our garden and I think it was this bird that first got me interested in birding because it was so different to anything I had ever seen before. They love the peanut feeder especially, though I actually ended up taking a photograph of one on the seed feeder.

The Coal Tit was around too. They are less frequent, but I see them most weeks.

The smaller birds you can rely on day in and out are Great Tit, Blue Tit, Robin, Dunnock and, best of all, Goldfinch. The latter never used to be around, but having noticed a pair one day a few years ago I started putting out niger seed and they are now ever present.

Among the larger birds, Woodpigeons are never far away, plus Jackdaws and Collared Dove. Wrens are scarce as are House Sparrows, Bullfinch and Greenfinch, but they do appear from time to time, unlike Song Thrush, which I have not seen in the garden this year.

The Great Spotted Woodpecker appears from time to time and usually hangs around for a few days when he does, favouring the peanut feeder. The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker that showed up a couple of weeks ago was probably a one off and I doubt if I will see it again.

Other erratic visitors over the past few years have included Siskin and Lesser Redpoll, which were around during the very cold spell in March 2006. A Goldcrest will often pop up in the winter and maybe later in the year too. In fact, one paid a brief visit to the garden on Monday, but has not been seen since. Not a great photo unfortunately.

Birds that have been observed from the garden, as opposed to in it, include Redwing, Lapwing, Barn Owl, Cormorant, Raven, Pheasant, Grey Heron and Buzzard. Living opposite a field does help!

Anyway, here’s my all time list of birds seen either in or from the garden:

Barn Owl, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black-Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Lapwing, Lesser Redpoll, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Long-Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Nuthatch, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Raven, Redwing, Robin, Rock Dove, Rook, Siskin, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swift, Woodpigeon, Wren

A Robin in the garden

A Great Tit on the peanut feeder

A Dunnock in the fir tree

Barney enjoying himself on the lawn