That's definitely it for blogging now, until my return from Spain. So on Friday morning, off to Luton Airport. I wonder if Lorraine Chase will be there?
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Yay Sanderlings!
Did I say I'd be happy with one Sanderling? Well how about 9? Oh my giddy aunt!
That's definitely it for blogging now, until my return from Spain. So on Friday morning, off to Luton Airport. I wonder if Lorraine Chase will be there?
That's definitely it for blogging now, until my return from Spain. So on Friday morning, off to Luton Airport. I wonder if Lorraine Chase will be there?
Monday, 16 May 2011
Some Time Off Work
Azerbaijan? It's not even in Europe! Oh well, at least I won five quid with Sweden finishing third. I've been concerned with Eurovision for the last few years, in this post-Wogan era, that's it's getting serious and rather dull. Thank goodness for Moldova, that's what I say. Oh, and Jedward!
Anyway, with that nonsense done for another year. I've got a couple of weeks off work now. On Friday I'm off birding in the Spanish Pyrenees for a week, really looking forward to it. So not sure if this will be my last blog entry before I go.
But I've checked Uttoxeter Quarry the last couple of days, and a nice number of passage waders building. Nothing particularly out of the ordinary, but 30 Ringed Plover:
And 19 Dunlin:
Is a decent showing, and slightly larger totals than yesterday. Pity there's nothing rarer with them, like a Broad-Billed Sand! Oh ok, I'll settle for Temminck's Stint. Actually, I'd be happy with a Sanderling!
Anyway, with that nonsense done for another year. I've got a couple of weeks off work now. On Friday I'm off birding in the Spanish Pyrenees for a week, really looking forward to it. So not sure if this will be my last blog entry before I go.
But I've checked Uttoxeter Quarry the last couple of days, and a nice number of passage waders building. Nothing particularly out of the ordinary, but 30 Ringed Plover:
And 19 Dunlin:
Is a decent showing, and slightly larger totals than yesterday. Pity there's nothing rarer with them, like a Broad-Billed Sand! Oh ok, I'll settle for Temminck's Stint. Actually, I'd be happy with a Sanderling!
Friday, 13 May 2011
Prediction Time
Wow, what a day in store tomorrow. With both the FA Cup final and Eurovision Song Contest!
Personally, it would be great to see Stoke City win tomorrow. As a Burton Albion supporter, perhaps I shouldn't be saying that? Although being in the same county, as a Brewer, Stoke City has never been on the "Radar of Hatred", or even Stafford Rangers. That previlege lies with both Derby County and Tamworth. But tradionally, the big rival of the past, during the fifties and sixties, was Nuneaton Borough.
But anyway, what's going to happen in Dusseldorf tomorrow? Well reader, watch out for Sweden. In fact, I'm off down the betting shop now!
Personally, it would be great to see Stoke City win tomorrow. As a Burton Albion supporter, perhaps I shouldn't be saying that? Although being in the same county, as a Brewer, Stoke City has never been on the "Radar of Hatred", or even Stafford Rangers. That previlege lies with both Derby County and Tamworth. But tradionally, the big rival of the past, during the fifties and sixties, was Nuneaton Borough.
But anyway, what's going to happen in Dusseldorf tomorrow? Well reader, watch out for Sweden. In fact, I'm off down the betting shop now!
Sunday, 8 May 2011
May Madness
There's not been much time for blogging recently, because there's been too many birds to either try to find, or to twitch!
Back to last Tuesday. I was heading to Burton for the evening anyway, so it was very useful that a lovely female Dotterel had been found at Whitemoor Haye. Very useful!
Then Wednesday, when another evening twitch was on. This time, a Wryneck found in the morning at Marshes Hill, just east of Knypersley Reservoir. It's an area that I knew wouldn't be quick to get to from home. Didn't get there until about 6:45, and no sign of the Wryneck in about an hour's wait. So that was a dip unfortunately, but useful to know where the place is.
Then to this weekend. On Saturday, with Blithfield being pretty quiet, Uttoxeter Quarry was an improvement with now 2 Wood Sandpipers around.
As for today. I'd just parked up in Uttoxeter for another check of the quarry, when the pager mentioned a Purple Heron at Ogston Reservoir in Derbyshire, sat in a tree next to the dam. I have a terrible record of dips for Purple Heron in Britain, and with plenty seen abroad I've never made an effort to twitch one for a long time. Not even the Doxey bird in 2005.
So I thought it's about time that changed. Less than an hour later, along the A50, A38 and through Alfreton. Setting up the scope in the public hide, the Purple Heron was still sat in a willow on the other side of the reservoir, next to the dam wall. Most of the time the bird was preening and stretching it's wings, then more difficult to see when the sun came out. This picture is reminisicent of those "magic eyes" that used to be popular, but the Purple Heron is there!
After about half an hour in the tree, the bird took off, had a fly around the reservoir for a bit, then got higher and moved off north-east. With my biggest bogey bird finally out of the way, no point in staying around now, so headed back towards home.
So during the afternoon, at Uttoxeter Quarry the 2 Wood Sands still around, but also a Greenshank around this time. And a Blithfield there was a Black Tern between the causeway and Beech Tree Point. I'd also been informed of a Grey Plover in Blithe Bay, a stunner apparently. I can't disagree with that!
Back to last Tuesday. I was heading to Burton for the evening anyway, so it was very useful that a lovely female Dotterel had been found at Whitemoor Haye. Very useful!
Then Wednesday, when another evening twitch was on. This time, a Wryneck found in the morning at Marshes Hill, just east of Knypersley Reservoir. It's an area that I knew wouldn't be quick to get to from home. Didn't get there until about 6:45, and no sign of the Wryneck in about an hour's wait. So that was a dip unfortunately, but useful to know where the place is.
Then to this weekend. On Saturday, with Blithfield being pretty quiet, Uttoxeter Quarry was an improvement with now 2 Wood Sandpipers around.
As for today. I'd just parked up in Uttoxeter for another check of the quarry, when the pager mentioned a Purple Heron at Ogston Reservoir in Derbyshire, sat in a tree next to the dam. I have a terrible record of dips for Purple Heron in Britain, and with plenty seen abroad I've never made an effort to twitch one for a long time. Not even the Doxey bird in 2005.
So I thought it's about time that changed. Less than an hour later, along the A50, A38 and through Alfreton. Setting up the scope in the public hide, the Purple Heron was still sat in a willow on the other side of the reservoir, next to the dam wall. Most of the time the bird was preening and stretching it's wings, then more difficult to see when the sun came out. This picture is reminisicent of those "magic eyes" that used to be popular, but the Purple Heron is there!
After about half an hour in the tree, the bird took off, had a fly around the reservoir for a bit, then got higher and moved off north-east. With my biggest bogey bird finally out of the way, no point in staying around now, so headed back towards home.
So during the afternoon, at Uttoxeter Quarry the 2 Wood Sands still around, but also a Greenshank around this time. And a Blithfield there was a Black Tern between the causeway and Beech Tree Point. I'd also been informed of a Grey Plover in Blithe Bay, a stunner apparently. I can't disagree with that!
Monday, 2 May 2011
The Beast from the East, and a Bird Race
You know certain winds around the world are given a name? Like the Sirocco, which blows north from the Sahara? Or the Fremantle Doctor in Western Australia? Well for the last few days here, that's what I'm christening this wind. For migrant waders and terns round this neck of the woods, it's been magnificent.
Back to Friday. Thanks to that T-Mobile advert I didn't have to watch the royal wedding. So a bit of birding in the Trent valley to start with, doubling up as a reconnaisance mission for Saturday's bird race. 2 Arctic Terns and 2 Greenshank at Whitemoor Haye, followed by 3 Black-tailed Godwits at Branston Gravel Pits.
Just about finished at Branston when I was informed of a Bar-tailed Godwit and a drake Garganey at Uttoxeter Quarry. I was getting there eventually.
And so to Saturday's big bird race day, with Paul Shenton of Birding for Fun, the name of which is a fine sentiment.
I'm not sure how I managed to stay awake all day, but I did. Starting on Cannock Chase at first light, about 4:45am, collecting a variety of woodland and heathland species like Redstart, Tree Pipit, Cuckoo, Stonechat, Wood Warbler. Next port of call was Aqualate Mere, where there was a useful selection of duck, including Pochard, and reeling Grasshopper Warbler, but unfortunately just missed out on a passing Marsh Harrier.
Then onto Belvide, with very good reason thanks to a pager message. A short amount of time in the Scott hide produced 2 smashing adult Little Gulls and an Arctic Tern, in amongst a few Common Terns.
The feeding station in the plantation was also rather useful, with Tree Sparrow and Willow Tit here. A quick look at Gailey produced our only Little Grebes of the day, but not much else.
Doxey was next, and this was where we had our best find of the day, when 8 Whimbrel flew over Tillington Flash near the metal hide, and then over the cemetery. Also a few other birds to bump the list up, such as Goosander, Moorhen, Teal, House Martin, Redshank.
A quick check of Tad Bay at Blithfield got us Goldeneye and Wigeon, two good'uns there that we wouldn't have got elsewhere. This "Beast from the East" wind had really got up by the time we got to Whitemoor Haye, where we managed Hobby overhead and Greenshank on the main gravel pit, but any farmland birds here were impossible due to the strength of the wind.
By now, it was heading towards 3pm. Croxall and Branston were scratched from the agenda to give us more time elsewhere. Uttoxeter Quarry was next, where the Garganey and Bar-tailed Godwit were still around, plus Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail, and another Whimbrel.
By now it was getting towards late afternoon and we still need to go further north. This should add a sense of urgency for the rest of the bird race.
Into the Churnet Valley, and a strange sense of urgency now, where we picked up Pied Flycatcher and 2 Mandarins at Dimmingsdale, and Dipper, Grey Wagtail and Treecreeper round Oakamoor. A quick pit stop, and then to Tittesworth, where we picked up a few more to the list, included the first Curlew of the day. It's odd when you've seen more Whimbrel than Curlew!
The rest of the evening until dusk was spent driving round the moors. But apart from Peregrine at the famous site of The Roaches, Red Grouse and Meadow Pipits, we just had to admit defeat with the strong winds up there, which was a shame really.
In the end we finished with a total of 105. I've never done a bird race before, and you don't hear of them being done any more, don't know why. But it is good fun, quite tiring (still recovering now!), and makes for a good adventure.
The weather conditions helped us with picking up migrant waders, terns and Little Gull, but did hinder us with some of the passerines. For example, Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat were missed, as were Bullfinch and amazingly, Coal Tit! Sparrowhawk was also missed.
Not surprisngly after all that, I slept like a log and didn't get up that early on Sunday, but the wader and tern passage continued unabated. You know when something good is happening when even Croxden Quarry was producing a Bar-tailed Godwit and 5 Arctic Terns over the course of the day.
And at Uttoxeter Quarry, a Wood Sandpiper had now arrived. The Bar-tailed Godwit still around, but no sign of the Garganey. Not the best picture of a Wood Sand you'll ever see, but it was there. And I did mention it was windy?
Back to Friday. Thanks to that T-Mobile advert I didn't have to watch the royal wedding. So a bit of birding in the Trent valley to start with, doubling up as a reconnaisance mission for Saturday's bird race. 2 Arctic Terns and 2 Greenshank at Whitemoor Haye, followed by 3 Black-tailed Godwits at Branston Gravel Pits.
Just about finished at Branston when I was informed of a Bar-tailed Godwit and a drake Garganey at Uttoxeter Quarry. I was getting there eventually.
And so to Saturday's big bird race day, with Paul Shenton of Birding for Fun, the name of which is a fine sentiment.
I'm not sure how I managed to stay awake all day, but I did. Starting on Cannock Chase at first light, about 4:45am, collecting a variety of woodland and heathland species like Redstart, Tree Pipit, Cuckoo, Stonechat, Wood Warbler. Next port of call was Aqualate Mere, where there was a useful selection of duck, including Pochard, and reeling Grasshopper Warbler, but unfortunately just missed out on a passing Marsh Harrier.
Then onto Belvide, with very good reason thanks to a pager message. A short amount of time in the Scott hide produced 2 smashing adult Little Gulls and an Arctic Tern, in amongst a few Common Terns.
The feeding station in the plantation was also rather useful, with Tree Sparrow and Willow Tit here. A quick look at Gailey produced our only Little Grebes of the day, but not much else.
Doxey was next, and this was where we had our best find of the day, when 8 Whimbrel flew over Tillington Flash near the metal hide, and then over the cemetery. Also a few other birds to bump the list up, such as Goosander, Moorhen, Teal, House Martin, Redshank.
A quick check of Tad Bay at Blithfield got us Goldeneye and Wigeon, two good'uns there that we wouldn't have got elsewhere. This "Beast from the East" wind had really got up by the time we got to Whitemoor Haye, where we managed Hobby overhead and Greenshank on the main gravel pit, but any farmland birds here were impossible due to the strength of the wind.
By now, it was heading towards 3pm. Croxall and Branston were scratched from the agenda to give us more time elsewhere. Uttoxeter Quarry was next, where the Garganey and Bar-tailed Godwit were still around, plus Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail, and another Whimbrel.
By now it was getting towards late afternoon and we still need to go further north. This should add a sense of urgency for the rest of the bird race.
Into the Churnet Valley, and a strange sense of urgency now, where we picked up Pied Flycatcher and 2 Mandarins at Dimmingsdale, and Dipper, Grey Wagtail and Treecreeper round Oakamoor. A quick pit stop, and then to Tittesworth, where we picked up a few more to the list, included the first Curlew of the day. It's odd when you've seen more Whimbrel than Curlew!
The rest of the evening until dusk was spent driving round the moors. But apart from Peregrine at the famous site of The Roaches, Red Grouse and Meadow Pipits, we just had to admit defeat with the strong winds up there, which was a shame really.
In the end we finished with a total of 105. I've never done a bird race before, and you don't hear of them being done any more, don't know why. But it is good fun, quite tiring (still recovering now!), and makes for a good adventure.
The weather conditions helped us with picking up migrant waders, terns and Little Gull, but did hinder us with some of the passerines. For example, Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat were missed, as were Bullfinch and amazingly, Coal Tit! Sparrowhawk was also missed.
Not surprisngly after all that, I slept like a log and didn't get up that early on Sunday, but the wader and tern passage continued unabated. You know when something good is happening when even Croxden Quarry was producing a Bar-tailed Godwit and 5 Arctic Terns over the course of the day.
And at Uttoxeter Quarry, a Wood Sandpiper had now arrived. The Bar-tailed Godwit still around, but no sign of the Garganey. Not the best picture of a Wood Sand you'll ever see, but it was there. And I did mention it was windy?
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Is something going on tomorrow?
Don't feel guilty to out birding tomorrow, because this is the jist of what will be going on:
Monday, 25 April 2011
A Cushty Easter
I won't go on and on, but a round up of what's been seen over the Easter bank holiday weekend.
A decent start on Thursday evening, in the form of a male Whinchat on the edge of the JCB grounds in Cheadle. Good job there's a footpath along the edge.
Not much birding was done on Good Friday and Saturday. After Tuesday evening's excitement, Uttoxeter Quarry had quietened down a bit. Two each of Curlew and Dunlin, but the first Lesser Whitethroat had arrived. Then another check of Hawksmoor, where there was a nice and showy male Redstart.
More time spent outside on Sunday, however. Uttoxeter Quarry again, with Garden Warbler and Reed Warbler to add, plus now 3 Lesser Whitethroats. 2 Common Terns around Blithfield causeway, with 7 Wigeon and 6 Goldeneye in Tad Bay, 19 Shelduck and a Sedge Warbler in Blithe Bay.
And today, a wander round the North Staffs Moors. With a dashing Hobby and a few Wheatears amongst the usual moorland fayre.
And an aside. It's very sad that we've lost John Sullivan from this world, the writing genius behind Only Fools and Horses. The man that gave the phrase "Bonnet De Douche" to the world. I don't know why that tickles me, I don't think it means anything in French.
Everyone remembers Del Boy falling through the bar, and the chandelier falling down. But I always enjoyed this bit. If there's an annoying advert for Sky at the beginning, stick with it.
A decent start on Thursday evening, in the form of a male Whinchat on the edge of the JCB grounds in Cheadle. Good job there's a footpath along the edge.
Not much birding was done on Good Friday and Saturday. After Tuesday evening's excitement, Uttoxeter Quarry had quietened down a bit. Two each of Curlew and Dunlin, but the first Lesser Whitethroat had arrived. Then another check of Hawksmoor, where there was a nice and showy male Redstart.
More time spent outside on Sunday, however. Uttoxeter Quarry again, with Garden Warbler and Reed Warbler to add, plus now 3 Lesser Whitethroats. 2 Common Terns around Blithfield causeway, with 7 Wigeon and 6 Goldeneye in Tad Bay, 19 Shelduck and a Sedge Warbler in Blithe Bay.
And today, a wander round the North Staffs Moors. With a dashing Hobby and a few Wheatears amongst the usual moorland fayre.
And an aside. It's very sad that we've lost John Sullivan from this world, the writing genius behind Only Fools and Horses. The man that gave the phrase "Bonnet De Douche" to the world. I don't know why that tickles me, I don't think it means anything in French.
Everyone remembers Del Boy falling through the bar, and the chandelier falling down. But I always enjoyed this bit. If there's an annoying advert for Sky at the beginning, stick with it.
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