Let the spring fun begin!

The other thing to get excited about (apart from Eurovision of course) is it's British Summer Time! It's lovely weather out there, so of course I'm typing on the computer!

But anyway, all I've birded this weekend is Uttoxeter Quarry. Once the fog lifted yesterday the first 3 Sand Martins of the year passed through to the north. 7 Chiffchaffs around, plenty of those back in force. Also 1 Fieldfare, 15 Goosander, 4 Goldeneye, 4 Wigeon, 8 Teal, 2 Shelduck, 1 Green Sand, 1 Redshank, 1 Curlew and 2 Ravens over.

And not a lot of difference today really. No LRP's back yet, at the moment they seem to be a bit thin on the ground. It's early days of course, hopefully it's due to the weather and not a rough time in wintering grounds.

Oh yes, roll on 26th May!

Getting excited! Why's that reader? Well, that's because this year's Eurovision will take place, from Baku in Azerbaijan!

For those who are unaware of Eurovision. It's a song contest. That's where people from countries all over Europe (and a few others!) sing some silly songs, then vote for the country next door!!!!

I have heard the UK's entry for this year, which is of course from Leicester's finest. The mighty Engelbert "The Hump" Humperdinck! It's brilliant to hear a proper crooner for a change, from the time of the likes of Tom Jones and Tony Christie. Obviously I was too young to hear Eng sing the likes of "The Last Waltz" and "Please Release Me". But his song for this year's contest, Love Can Set You Free, could do very well. I won't put it on here yet, I won't spoil it.

And if you've never got into Eurovision yet, just for a bit of fun, then maybe one of my highlights from last year can persuade you. Which was from Moldova, especially the young lady on the unicycle! Where's Moldova? I'll think you'll find it's somewhere between Romania and the Black Sea.

Two Crises in a day!

Yep that's right, two crisissississes yesterday. One of which was easily resolved, the other was the unsurprising-sacking of Paul Peschisolido! Well, the Albion haven't won a game since Boxing Day and with fourteen games without a win, it was inevitable. Wonder who the new manager will be? Time to put my application in!

The other crisis? I didn't realise until last weekend that I've got a hole in me welly! So I had to get a new pair. After a little shopping expedition in Hanley it was over to Berry Hill Fields, where a very early Ring Ouzel had been found.


Although definitely a male, it didn't quite look like a full adult, but I could be wrong. Also present were a pair of Wheatears in the fabled White Door paddock, and a Fieldfare to provide a seasonal crossover.

Christening my new wellies round Uttoxeter Quarry afterwards produced the Ringed Plover still around from last week, a pair of Pintail, 20 Goosander, 3 Goldeneye, 3 Shoveler, 8 Pochard, 2 Shelduck, 2 Green Sands, 9 Curlew.

And very similar fayre at Uttoxeter Quarry today really, with the only difference being the quarry's first Chiffchaff of the year. Still no sign of Sand Martins or Little Ringed Plovers yet, surely next weekend?

Black Redstart under suspicion?

Well, it's been a glorious day but not a sniff of a Sand Martin! Not long to wait for that though, I'm sure.

As for this weekend's birding. Yesterday started at Blithfield, helping out with the WeBS count. Blithe Bay this time, with highlights being a Redshank and 16 Goldeneye in amongst the common stuff. Over on the dam, the Black Redstart was still present and giving bursts of song. However, you could be forgiven to think that, with a lamp in it's face, the bird is getting a grilling from The Sweeney!


Come on sonny, confess! Who did the robbery?

The Black Redstart then moved towards the angling club and showed even closer.


With more daylight around now, I could fit in somewhere else before finishing at Uttoxeter Quarry on the way home. There's a decent selection of birds at Branston Gravel Pits in recent times, so that was next.

Birds here included the immature White-fronted Goose, 1 Knot, 4 Ruff, 5 Ringed Plover, 22 Golden Plover, 6 Green Sand, 19 Curlew, 1 Little Egret, 2 Pintail, 2 Pochard and 16 Shelduck.



Not surprisingly quite a few other birders were also present, as were the largest pair of binoculars you'll see this side of the Holden Tower! Which interestingly enough, belonged to birding stalwart, author and artist, Ian Wallace.

Finishing off at Uttoxeter Quarry before going home, a birder casually mentioned to me "there's a Grey Plover out there". What!!! Oh yes, so it was with a Redshank and a Dunlin. The light was fading a bit by now, and a little distant but you can tell what it is.


Back at the quarry today. No sign of the Grey Plover but there was the first Ringed Plover of the year, along with the Redshank, 1 Green Sand, 2 Shelduck, 5 Goldeneye and 15 Goosander.

Ooh it's a Scaup!

There may be more to come, after very kindly being asked into joining an epic trip into the northern bit of "Welsh Wales (tm)" yesterday. But it may yet appear in other parts of the blogosphere, so I won't spoil that yet.

So after a lazy morning today and waiting for the worst of the rain to move on, it was a check of Uttoxeter Quarry in the afternoon. Not a lot of duck around now, probably because of a Peregrine stood on a bank of bare gravel, that's not going to help.

But a look through the Tufted Ducks, one of those round-headed, grey-mantled Tufted Ducks was with them. Or should that be, a drake Scaup! Yabba-dabba-doo!


Also present were 42 Curlew, 6 Oystercatcher, 2 Snipe, 4 Shelduck, 15 Goosander and 2 Goldeneye.

And just to finish for this time, at an undisclosed site (eh?????) this afternoon. Coming soon to a gravel pit or reservoir near you..............

Returning Curlews, and other things

Not that much to report this time reader, no twitching or nonsense like that. Checking Uttoxeter Quarry yesterday, it was great to see a flock of 30 Curlews, starting to flock up before moving into the hills. Also around were 5 Oystercatcher, 3 Green Sands, 6 Snipe, 2 Goldeneye, 1 Shelduck and 38 Goosanders.


Onto today, starting off from the viewpoint at Croxden Quarry. The main highlight was the chip, chip, chipping call of a Crossbill over, along with a drake Shoveler.

The rest of the day was spent up in the North Staffs Moors. A look round the conservation pool at Tittesworth had 2 Curlew, 2 Oystercatcher, 10 Pochard and a Willow Tit, with 17 Goosander out on the main reservoir. Various stops around the moors revealed some Buzzards, Ravens and Red Grouse. Finishing off at Swallow Moss, a couple of Short-eared Owls performed beautifully.

A twitch to Welsh Wales

When it comes to twitching, I'll do a few a year but I couldn't do it all the time. Once you've seen everything, where do you go next? Much better to leave something in future I think. But a twitch was planned for yesterday, which originally was the Dark-eyed Junco/Spanish Sparrow double-whammy in Hampshire. Although personally, the Junco would've been the priority as I saw the Cumbria Spanish Sparrow in 1996.

That was until Thursday evening, when looking through Birdguides it mentioned a Common Yellowthroat at Rhiwderin, just outside Newport. Eh, did I read that right? Right, this Saturday twitch has to change! For a start it's much nearer, between the Yellowthroat and the Junco I'd much rather see the Yellowthroat. And most important of all, it's a bird in Burton Albion colours!

Arriving at Rhiwderin about 8am, fingers crossed the Yellowthroat would appear in the hedgerows before the impending rain later in the morning. It didn't! Some rather yellow-looking Siskins around, and a Goldcrest flitting about in the hedges. After a couple of hours the rain started to get heavier. The forecast had it lasting for two or three hours, then clearing away for a sunnier afternoon.

Hopefully by then, old Yellowthroat might become more active. So to pass the time, and a slight thought of not wanting to get the car stuck in an increasingly muddy field, there were a couple of other places to try. The first being Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, just south of Penarth, which in turn is just south of Cardiff.

Completely new territory for me, never been to Cardiff before. The main reason for coming here was a drake Lesser Scaup, which showed extremely well with the Tufted Ducks.


Also present were a Med Gull which looked like it was leaving it's 2nd-winter plumage, not a lot of black left in the primaries. And a very friendly Whooper Swan, whose wild credentials were somewhat questionable!


Two different Bonaparte's Gulls were around Cardiff Bay, by a Helipad and water treatment works, so that was somewhere to try next. I suppose this is where I really should've done some research as to where this spot was. Getting your bearings around the Cardiff Bay barrage as a start, couldn't even find the helipad never mind the bird! But a few Rock Pipits and Turnstones were around the barrage, with the Welsh Assembly building in the background.

With a biting wind and rain around the barrage, the pager went off to say the Yellowthroat had been relocated. Let's not waste any more time here, but get out of Cardiff and back to Rhiwderin as quickly as possible, in a style similar to something from Smokey and the Bandit!

Parking in Rhiwderin village this time, the field was too muddy by now, even an AA van was stuck! But wellies on and a mad dash up the hill, and the Common Yellowthroat was happily feeding away in ditch. Regularly jumping out, catching insects and moving from one side of the ditch to the other. Phew, and what a fantastic bird it is! When it could be seen openly in the ditch it was hopping around like a Robin, but with a bright-yellow throat and black mask covering the face.

A brilliant bird and an unforgettable twitch, a day of real lows and highs and a mixture of weather conditions. If anything it should give all local patchers hope, you never know what you might find. No thoughts of getting any photos of the Yellowthroat from me, but the next best thing is the twitch shot.