Saturday 5th July

With no international cricket to watch on the telly this weekend, let's get some birding done. I'm quite looking forward to the test series against South Africa, it's always good to get one over on Graeme Smith.

Blithfield Reservoir, 13:00 - 16:00



There is now a bit of a shoreline forming at Blithfield, just in time for the first returning waders. A walk along the Admaston side of Blithe Bay produced a Greenshank and at least 16 Common Sandpiper. Some of them getting close in front of one of the hides.







I definitely found it easier to digiscope within a hide, much easier to see the camera's viewfinder without the glare of the sun on it.

Over at Tad Bay there was a cracking male Ruff and another Greenshank. Shame the Ruff was too far away to photo.

Another check of the quarry at Uttoxeter next. At the end of May I took a photo of the Canada Goose family with their three adopted goslings. I'll now do the embarrassing auntie thing now.



Haven't they grown? It's now apparent there is no Canada Goose genes in these goslings. Mother Goose, pictured in a previous blog entry, was obviously being a bit of a floozy with another Greylag/Domestic type goose. She then subsequently shirked her maternal responsibilities and laid her eggs in or near these Canada Geese. You wouldn't get a story like this on Eastenders!

My best attempt to photo one of the two Green Sandpipers still around. It really is there, honest.