Magpies v Badger

Saturday 5th September.

Just a quick visit to Uttoxeter Quarry today, en-route to the big game. No, not at Wembley, over to moneybags Notts County!

There's not much water left in the main gravel pit at the moment. But still enough to attract some duck and easy pickings for Cormorants, a Common Sandpiper and a couple of Green Sands. But the main highlight was a Whinchat, in amongst the weedy stuff in the gravel pit that's now taking hold a bit.

As for Burton Albion's game, a 1-1 draw was a fair result in my opinion. In addition to plenty of Magpies at Meadow Lane was the sight of County's new signing, Sol Campbell, who waved to the crowd before the game. I dipped Sven Goran Erikkson however.

Sunday 6th September.

A day's birding with Martyn today. Starting out at Drayton Bassett. Highlights here included a Little Egret, 3 Redshank, 2 Snipe, a Common Sandpiper and 2 Swifts. A slight diversion was then taken, to suss out car parking at Birmingham International Airport, reasons why will become apparent in a few weeks...............

Then over to Blithfield. Starting off around the dam, where goodies to be found included 2 Whinchats, a Wheatear, Yellow and Grey Wagtails and a Green Woodpecker. Then in Tad Bay were 41 Goosander, 1 Pintail, 2 Ruff, 1 adult Yellow-Legged Gull, 1 juvenile Common Tern.





Also whilst in Tad Bay, a couple of oddities caught on camera:



The rather macabre sight of a Crow tucking into the carcass of a Goose of some kind. Probably not the best advert for South Staffordshire Water PLC, but that's nature. Then mixed feelings:



I would usually be delighted to see any live Badger. More often than not, you see them dead at the side of the road. But one could tell this animal was in trouble. Clearly lame in one of it's hind legs and desperate to find somewhere to hide in the sedge behind it. Anyone's guess to know what happened to it. Hit by a car, or got into a fight with another Badger (or worse), or poisoned. Hence the term being "Badgered" I suppose, meaning persecuted............

Anyway, despite this a good craic was had with the others in the Tad Bay hides. A walk along the Admaston side of Blithe Bay produced 5 Wheatears, another Ruff (or perhaps one of those from Tad?), 6 Swift (probably the last I'll see this year, that's a sad thought), 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 7 Ringed Plovers and 10 Dunlin. Now for my controversial statement of the year............





Pesky waders. Don't they know that all they do is tease those nice Peregines????

Controversial statement well and truly over! Normal service will be resumed in the next blog entry!