A Question of Hides, Part 3

While I'm stuck indoors keeping away from hay fever, time to bring back an old favourite. As we all know, whether we like it or not, the world of celebrity is the "in thing" these days. I see Celebrity Masterchef is back on the telly, with some more "exceptional plates of food".

So lets attach some more celebrities to the names of bird hides. Many thanks to some suggestions earlier this year, which were:



Paul Stanley, front man of KISS (Carsington Water).



Valerie Singleton (Blacktoft Sands).



Stuart Pearce (Gosforth Park).

Since then I have thought of some more. Would you believe:



George Harrison (the quiet Beatle, as if you didn't know who he was!) once "drove" his livestock through Stodmarsh? Must've been during the seventies, between the Beatles and his collaborations with Jeff Lynne/Travelling Wilburys.



Gareth "Not Norman Pace" Hale (Martin Mere).



The Pioneers (Summer Leys). Classic ska band, who did "Long Shot Kick De Bucket", covered here by The Specials.

To end with this particular episode of "A Question of Hides", there's a "Williams hide" at Hickling Broad. Oh eck, there's loads to choose from:



Venus?



Serena?

Nope, I'm going with Mark Williams:



No not that one, this one:



Him from the Fast Show and those adverts where he says "We wanna be together!".

The birder's fear of the pollen count

Friday 12th June, Cannock Chase, 20:30 - 23:15.

A birding blog-based gathering this evening, on Cannock Chase to look for Nightjars. Which included myself, Kay and Max from the Brightside, Stuart the Alrewas Birder, Archie Archer and Tom and Julian of Tame Valley fame!

We had excellent views of a Grasshopper Warbler reeling away, best view I've had for many years actually. Other than that it was a bit of a struggle. By the time we got anywhere near to a churring Nightjar it was very nearly pitch-dark, so not much chance of seeing the bird.

Then as we were all leaving it was very kind of one driver in the car park who switched their headlights on, so we could all see each other. I can't think of any other reason why the person in the car would want to do this.

Saturday 13th June, Aqualate Mere, 10:45 - 14:00.

Inevitably, spring migration draws to a close and things start to quieten down for the summer. So why not do some exploring? Somewhere in my home county I have never been to before is Aqualate Mere, between Stafford and Newport, just over the border into Shropshire.





An impressive selection of 39 different species here, including a good selection of warblers, Shelduck, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and this Cuckoo.



But perhaps the most impressive sighting at Aqualate was this Hornet. That's something you don't see every day. Absolutely huge it was, like a Jasper on steroids!



As for the most exasperating sight from my trip to Aqualate. Well, it has to be one of these:



Someone in the hide decided to put their binoculars down and started doing a Sudoku puzzle! Nothing against Sudoku, but if I were to do that in a hide then you can guarantee every rare bird under the sun would fly past or appear out of the reeds. Recimiscent of this old Kit Kat advert!

Seven Springs, 14:30 - 15:45.

Battling through the traffic in Stafford and onto the Seven Springs area of Cannock Chase. I haven't been round here for ages. It was worth it though for a short time, as I managed a good view of a Spotted Flycatcher and still a Wood Warbler singing away.

Uttoxeter Quarry, 18:15 - 20:15.

A couple of hours with Andy over at the quarry. Which was rather quiet really, but still a solitary Dunlin with 3 Ringed Plovers, 1 Curlew, 5 Goosander and a pair of Shoveler. Hay fever really took it's toll on me at this point, with constant sneezing, runny nose and puffed up eyes.

I fear that if the weather stays dry and warm, I'll have to go into my temporary summer retirement for the next couple of weeks or so, until we get into July. Even at the time of writing it's getting a little unbearable.

I'll see how it goes, but it may be the end of birding (but not necessarily blogging) for a short while. Unless something turns up of course, in 1996 the Doxey River Warbler was found in late June. Something like that would get me out!

Do I not like Orange........

Saturday 6th June. Uttoxeter Quarry, 14:50 - 17:30.

........and not just because of England losing to Holland in the World Twenty20! As they say on the news just before giving the football results, look away now!



There, that was harmless wasn't it? Oh eck, who let these Ruddy Shelduck out? The bird's name that is, not using a mild swear word just to describe Shelduck! In any case, whether they've flown from JCB's collection at Rocester, or feral birds from continental Europe. It's just not the same after watching them at Bharatpur, somewhere they belong.

Also around the quarry were 4 Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin, 1 Dead-Legged Partridge and 5 Buzzards.

Sunday 7th June, Belvide Reservoir, 12:45 - 14:15.

What a wet morning! Although it does have it's advantages, keeping the pollen down mainly. And it can bring the odd bird down somewhere. In particular today at Belvide, where a splendid summer-plumaged Spotted Redshank appeared.



Bit distant for my scope, but at least you can make out it's a classy summer-plumaged bird. It was also good to chat with Steve Nuttall and Bernie Smith whilst in the west end hide.

Uttoxeter Quarry, 15:00 - 17:20.

It stopped raining at Belvide, so time to head towards home. Andy had found 15 Black-Tailed Godwits at the quarry in the morning, so I wanted to visit at some point during the day. Thankfully they were still around in the afternoon, along with 17 Ringed Plovers and 3 Dunlin.



Orange isn't so bad after all, it just depends what bird it's on.

Go Paxo Go!

A completely non-birding related topic.

When it comes to politicians, I've always held a fascination with either watching their careers implode around them (plenty of that going around at the moment, including my MP, Bill Cash) or dodging questions when being interviewed.

Speaking of the latter, I saw "Newsnight" last night. Twelve years after Jeremy Paxman's infamous interview with
Michael Howard, he's at it again! This time Paxo's victim was William Hague. I bet Hague wished he asked him!

A stomp in the fens

As mentioned previously, a weekend spent in East Anglia. Whilst driving to Norwich, news filtered through of a Great Knot at Breydon Water. "Shiver me timbers!" I thought politely, or words to that effect. But I bet it doesn't stick around.

Saturday 30th May, Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire, 10:30 - 13:30.

As I thought, the Great Knot had moved on. And in fact, not much else around to go for. Perhaps it was a little indulgent to go after the Squacco Heron at Wicken Fen, considering the number I've seen abroad before now (if you want to see loads of Squacco's, try the Thulasihleka Pan, Richards Bay, South Africa).



Unfortunately it appeared that early mornings and evenings were the best time for the Squacco Heron on Baker's Fen. But at least a dozen Little Egrets around, along with good views of Hobby and Cuckoo.

Lakenheath Fen, Suffolk, 14:15 - 17:30.

Twenty years ago, almost to the day, during a short birding holiday with my mum and dad we had an unforgettable day away from the north coast, in the brecks. Along with Weeting Heath for Stone Curlews and Santon Downham, which held the last pair of Red-Backed Shrikes (only a male was around), we visited Lakenheath for Golden Orioles.

Quite wisely, back then this site was nowhere near as well-publicised as it is today. Away from the poplar plantations it looked very different back when, all arable crop fields. What a transformation twenty years on! The poplars are now surrounded by reedbeds, marshes and lagoons. This is what the RSPB do best if you ask me, habitat creation/improvement.

An impressive selection of birds here too. Including a stonking male Golden Oriole, Garganey, Hobby, Marsh Harriers, a Bittern booming away. And more Cuckoos, an enviable amount of them here compared to around home.

Sunday 31st May, Potter Heigham/Hickling Broad, Norfolk, 09:00 - 12:30.

A bit of time for a morning's birding around Hickling Broad. A fruitless search around Potter Heigham for where a Great White Egret was supposed to be (in the end the bird is around the southern edge of the broad itself, so we were way off), over to the Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve.
Highlights around and about in the area included four Cranes, a flyover Bittern and a female Bearded Tit. However, the largest gathering of people were looking at this beautiful Swallowtail butterfly:















I've never twitched an insect before, there's a first time for everything!

Alas it was time to go home. I did think about going via Wicken Fen again but didn't fancy getting stung in the pocket by the National Trust, only to dip again. But a most enjoyable weekend, many thanks Jo, Ian and Fran.

Red-Necked Phalarope

Wednesday 27th May. Belvide Reservoir, 18:10 - 19:30

Not much to say, other than a superb female Red-Necked Phalarope from the West End Hide. That's the first Red-Necked Phalarope I've seen in Staffs during the spring. And at the time of writing, now two of them!

The bird was too distant for me to dodgyscope, but photos of both Phalaropes can be found on Steve Nuttall's excellent Belvide Birding blog.

Right. Off to Norfolk for the weekend, so I'll see what I can find there............

Is this Berkeley Square?

What was Vera Lynn going on about, with all that nonsense about a Nightingale singing in Berkeley Square? Everyone knows the place for Nightingale is Branston Water Park! Eh???????

But before that:

Friday 22nd May, Hawksmoor, 21:00ish.

1 Roding Woodcock

Saturday 23rd May, Blithfield Reservoir, 18:30 - 19:00.

Literally a half-hour trip along the causeway. Still 2 Sanderling legging it up and down the concrete.






























Sunday 24th May. Branston Water Park, 11:30 - 14:00

I kid ye not reader. Usually unheard of in this part of the world, in amongst this stuff was a singing male Nightingale:















Across the canal from the water park is a impenetrable area of thick scrub. Ideal really, for the bird anyway. Not so for us birders, but Nightingale is a notorious skulker.

It's strange how you can get anomalies sometimes in bird sightings. The only Nightingales I've seen or heard before were in Suffolk six years ago. By then I had already seen Thrush Nightingale over the years, twice!

Dimmingsdale, 15:30 - 16:30

Thought I would try Dimmingsdale before going home, as I've seen Spotted Flycatcher here the last couple of years. Not today though, although still a few Pied Flycatchers singing around the Ramblers Retreat car park. Also lots of people enjoying the glorious sunny weather.

Thinking about it though, when I have seen Spotted Flycatcher here it's coincided with the Glastonbury festival. So a mental note, do Dimmingsdale before Tony Christie's on the telly!