tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83783050118033442312024-03-13T13:46:41.248+00:00MIDLANDS BIRDERA birding blog from a young midlands birdermidlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.comBlogger605125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-32330144062049222622018-03-13T21:24:00.002+00:002018-03-13T21:24:57.396+00:00Snowy Owl in Norfolk!10/03/18<br />
We don't often day trip any more. It is always an excellent day, with 6 hours driving, with a long day in the field is always a little daunting..<br />
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Some birds are enough to get you off your backside though, a mythical bird that will be on your lips for weeks to come, and with the weekend approaching, boom. Snowy Owl in Norfolk! A hasty made plan, and we found ourselves driving around a familiar triangle at dawn, a short hop from the north coast where the bird had been seen the previous day. It had flown west at dusk, so my betting was Thornham Harbour for its reappearance. We slowly made our way north, checking the fields and beach before hitting the north coast road. As we drove through Thornham village, out came the hoped for tweet 'Snowy Owl- Thornham point!'.<br />
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2 minutes later, we were screeching to a halt in an empty RSPB Titchwell car park, and soon 'walking' up the track to the beach. A Woodcock got a brief passing glance and a pair of mating Common Frog were hastily avoided as we sped past.<br />
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A few cursory scans up the point oddly couldn't find any birders, but a large 'blob' perched up on a branch was a little curious. A couple of further stops and curiosity got the better of me, and set the scope on that 'distant blob'...<br />
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Massive, white and heavily barred!<br />
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The SNOWY OWL!!<br />
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Elated, we paced the rest of the distance to the beach, where we met a couple of birder already in-situ, watching the Owl at about 1km distance. What a beast!<br />
Drying out from the heavy overnight/ early morning rain, she shook off the rain from her plumage and preened and stretched her wings. Over the next couple of hours, the crowd grew, and eventually the bird dropped out of sight at which point those who had recently arrived started getting twitchy. Anxiety grew and, leading on from a few 'forerunners' who had already managed to flush the bird onto the beach, a mass commute began. The Snowy sat comfortably in the open, and the twitch grew. Eventually, with few people remaining at the RSPB viewpoint, we gave in, and walked for closer views with the rest of the crowd.<br />
With the crowd thoughtfully standing back and allowing plenty of room for the Owl, everyone managed excellent scope views and the bird slept here for the remainder of the day.<br />
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What a way to spend the morning!<br />
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midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-64217006064305687822017-07-12T19:33:00.003+01:002017-07-16T20:14:19.982+01:00Elegent Tern!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
With news of a putative Elegant Tern being found in Hampshire in early June, it was sure to attract a fair few admirers. The species has been reported on a number of occasions in the UK, (5 accepted and 3 pending), but most of the previous records have been tarred by the messy prominence of hybridization within the species in Europe. A number of birds have been semi-resident in Sandwich Tern colonies on the Atlantic coast for many years, and have allowed for close study while they hybridized with Sandwich Terns.</div>
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It is particularly the results from this study that interest many listers in a UK sense. This bird, along with 3 others, all of which show Elegant Tern like plumage have been caught, colour ringed and DNA analysed. Cut short, the results showed that the hybrid offspring do not resemble Elegant Terns in any way, and the original adults that were tested using DNA, matched specimens of pure Elegant Terns from the pacific coasts of the USA.</div>
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And the Hayling Island bird? It was soon confirmed to be a colour ringed male, and with DNA confirmation, it proved without doubt that this was an Elegant Tern. In terms of listing within the UK, the first unequivocally confirmed Elegant Tern was sure to attract a big crowd... Had the bird stuck around...</div>
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A couple of brief appearances followed, each lasting around an hour, before eventually the bird was tracked down in the Tern colony within Pagham Harbour, on the other side of the Selsey peninsula.</div>
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11/06/17</div>
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Plans for a day birding at Ham Wall was postponed so we could join in the excitement of a UK 'orange-billed' Tern. As we approached Hayling Island en route to Pagham, news circulated that the bird had flown out to sea. Having seen the birds routine the previous day, of going out to feed every 3-4 hours, for around 2 hours each time. So a quick stop, breakfast, coffee and we drove the remaining 15 minutes around an hour later.</div>
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20 minutes later, after leaving a crammed RSPB carpark and we saw the crowd. And a rather large one it was!</div>
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The bird still hadn't returned, but we were entertained by frolicking flocks of Med Gulls, hovering Little Terns and flocking Sandwich Terns.</div>
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Around an hour later, a shout came that the bird was flying back in, but before anyone could react, it had dropped down onto 'its' spot in the colony, out of sight, and leaving a good few hundred birders without a view!</div>
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A tense 10 minute wait, after patiently having the scope fixated on the area were it dropped in, and up flew a carrot billed large Tern. It hovered around for about 5 seconds, before dropping down again. This process was repeated a few times across the next hour, as we pieced together views of this world lifer for both of us.</div>
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Eventually, after a couple of brief flights around the Tern island, the bird took a more distant circular route around the harbour, giving its closest view so far, before it flew across the seawall and out to sea.<br />
And on that, we chose the walk home, together with a quick drop into the New Forest.midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-72364945875249299912017-06-06T22:19:00.002+01:002017-06-06T22:20:01.135+01:00Skomer- Puffins and Owls1/06/17<br />
I try to visit one of the Pembrokeshire islands every year. It is always great to leave the mainland and visit the seabird colonies out on the cliffs of these remote havens. Being based around an hour away from Martins Haven, an early start is needed to get anywhere near the front of the queue for tickets.<br />
Arriving around 45 minutes before the lodge to buy tickets opens, we arrived to one of the largest queues I have seen at that time in the morning. This resulted in us not being booked until the 11am boat.<br />
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The Deer park is always worth a scout around, and with a fair bit of time to kill, a full circuit was walked, giving some of the first views of the rafts of seabirds offshore and flying Choughs. A strong SW wind was howling across the headland, the start of a storm arriving the following night, which made it difficult to stand upright on occasions!<br />
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The winds however died later in the morning, leaving a smooth crossing to North Haven on Skomer, to be greeted by the usual hoards of Puffins on the water and cliffs around us. Following the introductory talk, most of the boat bolted towards The Wick, well known as one of the better spots on the island to watch its most famous resident. Being a creature of habitat however, I walked northwards from the farmhouse, through the north valley bushes. Sedge Warblers boldly sang and a Blackbird warbled quietly from deep within.<br />
As we walked further, Meadow Pipits parachuting into the trackside vegetation as we approached the Garland stone, where sandwiches were eaten as we took in the seabirds offshore. A few Manx Shearwater were fairly unusual to see so close to shore in the middle of the day, however scanning didn't reveal any cetaceans.<br />
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We continued along the north coast, passing breeding Oystercatcher and GBBG nests before heading down along the west coast, past Skomer head and down towards the Wick, where the Puffin flocks were turned up to maximum....<br />
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It has been interesting to compare numbers from year to year, and this year certainly seemed to be good one, with very large numbers present here. It seemed as if many of the birds were at home and many were feeding newly hatched chicks, resulting in regular visits to their nestholes. At the top of the Wick viewpoint, the numbers along the clifftop in front were staggering, even more so considering many were only a few feet away! Despite this though, it is always worth remembering the sobering point that Puffin populations have declined dramatically over the last few decades and all is not well with our seabird populations. </div>
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With the wind being fairly strong, I didn't take many photos (digi-scoping+ wind = failure) so instead I spent a while watching the behaviour of the Puffins. A lot of territorial battles and pair bonding were taking place, with lots of bill clattering and squabbles taking place.</div>
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With the stunning view down the cliffs and a carpet of Puffins at the front, the view is spectacular. This photo sums it up quite well, taken on a 'point and shoot' camera, showing just how close the action is. The Puffins in this one remind me of a number of rock album covers.</div>
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Having seen a few photos on social media of a leucistic Puffin on the island, it made for quite a target to try to find it. With 27,000 Puffins on Skomer currently, it was not an easy task without insider knowledge. We were pointed in the right way, and after a short while, out popped a head from a burrow to our right. Strikingly white, we could see it was the leucisitic individual! With white all the way from its forehead, down its nape and across its ears, it certainly stands out from the crowd. After only a few seconds, the bird spun around and walked straight back down its burrow.<br />
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With our time coming to an end on the island, a walk back towards the interior of the island was taken to look for an Owl. With it now being around 4pm, it seemed a perfect time for a day hunting Owl to be out, and with a drop in the wind, our chances seemed good!<br />
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Walking back towards North Haven, a Short-eared Owl was hunting ahead. We continued to walk onward, before the bird disappeared. As we stood on the track, the Owl flew up and straight towards us, passing closely. Some of the best views I remember having of the species (a concussed electrocuted individual doesn't count....) .<br />
After having watched it for a couple of minutes and with the bird still hunting in view, I scrambled to set up my scope and camera. A few seconds later, and it was again flying towards us, this time even closer.<br />
The Owl passed within 20ft of us, with no-one else around. Bliss.<br />
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What a way to end another superb visit to a superb island!midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-71507547926818080422017-05-30T13:32:00.001+01:002017-05-30T13:32:24.207+01:00American Golden Plover at the Gann.28/05/17<br />
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Our annual trip to Pembrokeshire rarely provides me with a
new bird species for my list. Back in the day when I first started visiting,
many species like Guillemot, Razorbill, Chough, Storm Petrel and Manx
Shearwater were all seen for the first time here. Around 12 years later though,
I still visit to enjoy the coastline and its wildlife ever year. With our visit
in late May, the majority of the migration period is tailing off on the west
coast. A few arctic breeding waders or a late Skua can liven a day up so what I
was not expecting to occur on the first day of this years trip was for a
national rarity to turn up. A <b>Turtle
Dove</b> as soon as we arrived at our accommodation already made for a good
trip, however late evening, news filtered out of an American Golden Plover at
the Gann. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As well as being a lifer, ‘AGP’ would complete the trio of
Golden Plovers in the UK, added to the fact it was at one of my favourite sites
in Pembrokeshire, it was clear where we were heading the next morning. Luckily,
by the time we were just ready to leave, news was already out confirming the
bird as still present. With the tide now coming in fast, we arrived and walked
the shingle to the river mouth. A couple of birders were present and quickly
gave a relieving message that is was still present and was on the small section
of beach still not covered by the rising tide.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What a stunner!<o:p></o:p></div>
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A full breeding plumage male <b>American Golden Plover</b>!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sleek, sexy and leggy, this out of place yank gave good
views as it slowly walked its way towards the shingle spit it roosts on as the
tide rose. We had about 10 minutes viewing at ‘close range’ (that still being
around 150ft away) where the bird fed and showed off all its defining features,
primaries beyond the tail, short tertials, extensive black on underbelly/tail
as well as the bold golden and white spots on its mantle and wing feathers. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The last feature to be given away was the dark grey/ bronze
underwing colour, when the bird took flight with a <b>Grey Plover</b> and flew around the bay, before coming back to settle
on the shingle bank with a flock of <b>Oystercatchers</b>
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We stayed around across high tide, hoping the bird would
come out to feed onto the fresh mud, however it moved more distantly with its <b>Grey Plover</b> companion and fed on the
saltmarsh north of bay. It looked stunning in the freshly emerged sun, but
unfortunately a little too distant for any photos.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A good spattering of waders made for an enjoyable visit,
with 6 <b>Whimbrel</b> joining the roosting
<b>Oycs</b>, 3 <b>Black-tailed Godwit </b>dropped onto the lagoon, 17 <b>Dunlin</b>, 1 <b>Ringed Plover</b> and 2 <b>Redshank</b>.
A couple of colour ringed <b>Oystercatcher</b>
took a while to read, however 20 minutes of effort gave me 1 code to report.</div>
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<o:p></o:p>All in all a good visit and an excellent start to the trip!</div>
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midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-60560784615433698102017-05-25T17:05:00.000+01:002017-06-16T17:09:06.076+01:00Eyes to the skies- Extremadura, 8th-16th April 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If Extremadura was famous for something more than its steppe
habitats, it would be its wealth of raptors that make it world famous. With
around half of the world population existing within Spain, and one of the
highest densities, Extremadura is renowned for its populations of European
Black Vulture. Together with good populations of the endemic Spanish
Imperial (Iberian) Eagle, among a wide range of raptor species, it makes
Extremadura a must visit destination for Raptorholics. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is the <b>Spanish
Imperial Eagle</b> which I was most hoping to connect with and over the course
of the week, we were well and truly spoilt for the species. We managed to see
the species on almost every day, with superb views from our very own balcony,
with regular views of at least 3 overhead. It was great to get to grips with
this species, often at close range as they soared along the ridgeline above.
Most commonly seen was this adult bird, which we very quickly saw has a
satellite transmitter on its back. It would be very interesting to see who was
tracking it and where it has been!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Also commonly seen was this immature bird (4cy) with a very
interesting mixture of juvenile and adult plumage. This also happened to be a
very vocal individual, often scrapping with (presumably) its parent. Its low,
and fairly quiet ‘barking’ call was often heard while enjoying our lunch on the
balcony! It also happened to be one of the last birds I saw when we were
packing the car to leave!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As well as getting a bit of gip from its younger companion,
a number of the more common species also chose the opportunity to mob the
larger Bird of Prey, with this Black Kite giving a fair bit of effort for a few
minutes.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4_B0fXTs7Ao/WUP-dm96PdI/AAAAAAAAFwo/aaZ-zFCF3wk-OC2xxF68MdG6gLHHIZ8ygCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC07228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1201" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4_B0fXTs7Ao/WUP-dm96PdI/AAAAAAAAFwo/aaZ-zFCF3wk-OC2xxF68MdG6gLHHIZ8ygCLcBGAs/s640/DSC07228.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Like the Spanish Eagle,
<b>Black Vultures</b> were seen regularly throughout the trip, in many habitats. They
were commonly seen from our accommodation, over the plains, sitting among
livestock and around breeding sites within Monfragüe national park. Some
great views were had with patience, including one a number sitting in fields on
the Santa Marta loop, looking rather like the grim reaper among the sheep and
cattle.<span style="font-size: 8.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The <b>Montagu’s Harrier</b> is one of my favourite raptor species,
their light elegant flight, stunning plumage and rarity (particularly in the
UK) all add to their appeal. It is always a pleasure then to see good numbers
in the Iberian peninsula, where they are significantly more common than my
homeland. As with any extensive area of habitat, views tended to be distant,
however we also managed a number of close flybys, often from the car while
driving past. Later in the trip however we dropped into a site well known for
large gatherings of the species, and as we did were lucky to see a ‘flock’ of
Montagu’s Harriers perching on fence posts next to the road a little further
up. With a bit of curb crawling, excellent views were had from the comfort of
our car seats! The female birds in particular were rather showy, happily sitting
on the fence posts until another birder pulled up in a car behind us, and
proceeded to get out!! And that was the end of that!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The male bird on the other hand proved more difficult, not
being helped by an ongoing territorial dispute which had him chasing a rival
male every couple of minutes. He did join the females on the posts briefly, but
was mostly seen in flight. It was nice to watch sky-dancing Montagu’s Harriers
again, something I haven’t seen for a couple of years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Although nowhere near as common as I have seen elsewhere in
Iberia (probably due to their positions close to raptors flyways), good numbers
of both <b>Short-toed Eagle</b> were seen, with just under daily sightings. We managed
our best views from the balcony of our accommodation, where 2 birds often
patrolled the ridgeline.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XzVyx9EFMmI/WUP_VVqYLQI/AAAAAAAAFw8/YfnAaYiVeIkukdMS0x5t1gWchUNIfibsgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC06314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XzVyx9EFMmI/WUP_VVqYLQI/AAAAAAAAFw8/YfnAaYiVeIkukdMS0x5t1gWchUNIfibsgCLcBGAs/s640/DSC06314.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Booted Eagle</b> in my opinion are one of the more striking
birds of prey in Europe. Being smaller and less imposing than their larger
Eagle cousins it is easy to not be so impressed. Many of the birds in Iberia
however are examples of the pale morph, with its striking contrast between
white underwings and body, black flight feathers and warm brown head and
mantle, this creates one stunning bird. All 3 colour morphs were seen; pale,
intermediate and dark, allowing for some good scrutiny of their variances in
plumage.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v8llirRHtNU/WUP_d-iEJQI/AAAAAAAAFxA/TEbAVcei2oMwpBHGpPR03YPVaPrryElewCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC07010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v8llirRHtNU/WUP_d-iEJQI/AAAAAAAAFxA/TEbAVcei2oMwpBHGpPR03YPVaPrryElewCLcBGAs/s640/DSC07010.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Being so close to Trujillo, and the nestbox scheme on the
Santa Marta loop, another Raptor commonly seen was <b>Lesser Kestrel</b>. The smaller,
lighter and more agile relative of the Kestrel. Many good views were had as the
birds held territory around ‘their box’. A visit to the Trujillo bullring in
the heat of the day meant that the birds were hunting in the fields around the
town rather than perched near their nests, however good views were had of them
hunting above the town centre as we explored the winding streets of an old
Mediterranean town. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lCRoMSzqxV0/WUP_nNMdopI/AAAAAAAAFxE/70vFRg51gtEJTYosLmpsOrsA8OARJa0ZQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC06704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lCRoMSzqxV0/WUP_nNMdopI/AAAAAAAAFxE/70vFRg51gtEJTYosLmpsOrsA8OARJa0ZQCLcBGAs/s640/DSC06704.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Although it is easy to highlight the rarer raptors, it is
hard not to ignore the more abundant species. Species like <b>Griffon Vulture</b> and<b>
Black Kite</b> can be regarded as two of the most commonly seen species of the
trip, however the spectacle of seeing so many large raptors in the sky is
rather awe inspiring. Even this far inland, far away from the migration
hotspots of Tarifa and Gibraltar rock, large kettles of both species were seen
almost daily. Combined with mixed White Storks and a various assortments of
rarer raptor species, it was always a sight to behold.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Excellent views were had of both, including some phenomenal
views of Griffon Vultures within Monfragüe, perched at their cliff face nesting
sites.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7O89nkr91D0/WUP_3WqzP_I/AAAAAAAAFxM/OlwIW6t9qdIsfTw8y1sYY5ox_B5IrR5PACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC07908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7O89nkr91D0/WUP_3WqzP_I/AAAAAAAAFxM/OlwIW6t9qdIsfTw8y1sYY5ox_B5IrR5PACLcBGAs/s640/DSC07908.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite still being common, it is poignant to end on a note
that even now, the populations of many of these species have declined. As with
any developing country, space for the species is gradually being restricted and
as land use change occurs, the resulting population levels suffer. With the use
of the veterinary drug Diclofenac still being discussed for use in Europ, it is worth looking at the effect that is has had in Asia. Having spent
some time in India earlier this year (more in an upcoming blog post), it was
shocking to see the extent of the damage to the vulture population that the
drug had had, with a handful of individuals left in a tiny relic population. It
is not difficult to imagine a similar outcome here in Europe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is hoping that the right decision is made, and efforts
are made to protect the superb Raptor species present in Iberia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-65348286985109978062017-05-24T19:17:00.000+01:002017-05-24T19:17:37.916+01:00Birding the plains- Extremadura, Spain, 8th-16th April 2017.<div class="MsoNormal">
Following a number of successful birding trips in the UK for
the last few years and with an increasing desire to explore to a wider scale,
plans were hatched in late 2016 for a short trip birding to the Iberian peninsula.
As one of my favourite European countries, it didn’t take a huge effort to be
on board for a group trip. Following some discussion, plans were formed looking
to explore the pseudo-steppe habitats in Extremadura, an area that I had not
previously visited, and with a small list of specialist species which I had not
seen to date. For the rest of the group however, it was the first time many of
them had ventured to the Iberian peninsula.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our base for the week was located on a ridgeline overlooking
one of the best areas of Steppe in Extremadura on the edge of a picturesque
Mediterranean town, Sierra de Fuentes. Our accommodation proved to be very
lively for birds, with many of our ‘target’ species being seen from the balcony
of our accommodation!<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of our main reasons for our choice of accommodation was
due to its proximity to the Steppe habitats of the Santa Marta loop, well known
for its populations of many range restricted species. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The area is well known for its populations of both European
Bustard species, Great and Little, however both have declined significantly, as
mirrored across many areas of Iberia. However, both still exist in good numbers
in the ‘loop’, with many giving fairly good views from the tracks and roads
that cross their preferred habitat.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Great Bustard</b> in
particular proved particularly easy to find, with one seen flapping its way heavily
over the motorway before we had even reached our accommodation for the first
time. Not a bad way to start the trip! Needless to say, with our proximity to
the Santa Marta loop, the species was seen on most days, with many sightings
from the motorways. When venturing onto
the plains, we often managed half decent views of the species, with good scope
views on many occasions. A few
displaying males were seen in full ‘bubble bath’ mode, gleaming white on the
short grass fields. Varying numbers were seen, with flocks of up to 25 noted,
but sightings of one, or a small number were much more common.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Little Bustard</b>,
(almost in contrast) was fairly difficult to find. Although seen frequently
when birding the area, numbers were very low and we were often lucky to note
more than a couple at a time at a single location. Maybe due to their habit of
inhabiting longer grass areas they may have passed undetected, but few were
also heard calling their ‘raspberry’ like call. Small numbers were noted
throughout the trip though, and we managed a nice view of 1 male, displaying
from atop a rock near the road.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For me in particular, one of my main targets for the trip
were the 2 Sandgrouse species. Having previously visited areas with small,
fragmented populations of these species, I had missed them on previous trips.
However, we were well into their core range in Extremadura however they still
proved difficult to pin down. On our first morning we managed to hear both
species, but frustratingly could not locate the source of the sound. A number
of mimicking <b>Calandra Larks</b> did not
help the matter, with some remarkably similar sounds replicated in their songs
by at least 2 individuals in areas we checked regularly. An early morning trip
on the 13<sup>th</sup> to the area we had heard them previously finally
produced the goods. Following a number of calls being heard, 3 Sandgrouse flew
up quickly from behind a ridge. As they rose, we could hear them calling and
with a slight movement, revealed a large black patch on their belly. <b>Black-Bellied Sandgrouse</b>! They flew
straight towards the horizon, meaning only 2 of our group saw them before they
disappeared. While scanning the same small ridge, another familiar call could
be heard, Pin-tails! In a similar
fashion to the earlier Sandgrouse, up rose a large flock from behind the ridge of
<b>Pin-tailed Sandgrouse</b>, skimming low
across the plains. Following a short, circling flight, the flock dropped onto
the near side of the ridge, allowing us some distant, but very enjoyable views
of a flock of 17 <b>Pin-tailed Sandgrouse</b>!</div>
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<o:p></o:p>As we watched, a distant sounding <b>Black-bellied Sandgrouse</b> led to great views of a pair as they flew
towards us and across the road very quickly, by far the best views we managed
of the species. A couple of rushed digi-scoped shots were taken in record time
as they continued away from us.</div>
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Many other birds were seen over the course of the trip, and posts over the next week or so will show some of the highlights. of which there were many!</div>
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midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-23905169114758625922017-05-15T22:49:00.000+01:002017-05-15T22:49:23.855+01:00Spotted Sandpiper at BelvideWell!<br />
It has been a while.<br />
<br />
With the stresses of uni now being a thing of the past, free time for writing for enjoyment has came about. So why not start with today!<br />
<br />
I don't 'subscribe' to notifications for many people on twitter, I struggle to cope with the sound of constant notifications, however I have followed Steves @BelvideBirding account for a number of years. As one of the foremost birding sites locally, and with now regular visits during the summer months due to bird ringing, the updates have proved first class.<br />
<br />
Just 2 weeks ago, a notification popped up 'Belvide mega', and a few hours later, following a couple of successful meetings, I was standing next to the small reedbed that held a singing Great Reed Warbler. Great! 3 hours later, staring at reeds to not even get a glimpse of it!<br />
Needless to say however, a first record for the site, and a 2nd for Staffordshire. Surely a contender for bird of the year already?<br />
<br />
Roll forward to today. [15/05/17] And there it is again. 'Belvide mega'. This time, Spotted Sandpiper.<br />
I have put off twitching this species for a while, as with Rose-coloured Starling, it is a species that seeing them in their 'typical' plumage in the UK means their drab winter/ juvenile clothes. Interesting non-the-less, but a little below par for what can be stunning birds.<br />
A quick text to Steve confirmed a summer plumaged adult, and I was on my way to Belvide a few minutes later. Twitching has dropped off my radar recently, so dropping everything to go and see it felt like spreading my wings a little. (feel free to mock me for that comment).<br />
<br />
For anyone who knows Belvide, the walk to the west end is not for the faint hearted, the midlands equivalent to the trudge along the Blakeney shingle or the point at Spurn. In reality, the walk is only around 1.5 miles, childs play when considering I walked 8km in search of a Pallid Harrer last week (and didn't even see it!). However, at the end lies one of my personal favorite hides, the Hawkshutts hide. Being right next to some superb muddy shoreline, the views from here are often crippling. If coincided with an evening visit, with the light behind you and the reserve completely to yourself, it makes for some great birding.<br />
<br />
A 'brisk' walk got me to the hide in record time, only even beaten by the occasions I have acquired the 'belvide bike', entering the hide to see the 'yankee Common sand' running straight towards us.<br />
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What a time to arrive!<br />
<br />
For the next 2 hours, phenomenal views were had of a 'spotty' Spotted Sandpiper as it ran back and forth along the shoreline in front of us. Being a mere 40ft away on occasions, it was the best views many have had of this species on this side of the Atlantic. In this plumage, truly unmistakable! Stunning!<br />
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A great bird at a great reserve, found by a hardworking patchworker, bringing valuable points towards their Patchwork Challenge score. However, on a final note... Upton Warren still thrashed you on the all dayer...</div>
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midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-37022158576999407072016-11-14T19:12:00.001+00:002016-11-14T19:12:05.122+00:00Broad-billed Sandpiper- Newport Wetlands<div class="MsoNormal">
23/04/16<br />
Sometimes, twitching is one of those pasttimes where either
things go completely right, or completely wrong, and today was one of those
days.<o:p></o:p></div>
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With news of a Broad-billed Sandpiper having been found on
the Friday at Goldcliff pools, South Wales, it didn’t take too strenuous a
decision as to where to head on a planned day out the next day. <o:p></o:p></div>
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With spring blooming, what better way could a calm morning
be spent than standing in a Gloucestershire woodland, with the sound of
<b>Nightingales </b>reverberating through the sun dappled vegetation. With one bird
singing deep within the vegetation behind us, away from prying eyes, further
music to our ears. The Sandpiper had just returned onto Goldcliff for the tide!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Being around 40 minutes away, we were in a good spot.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We drove southwards, pulled up near the entrance track for
the pools to be greeted with hoards of smiling faces “Still there, showing
well” repeated with reassuring certainty. “Asleep on the islands, it won’t be
going anywhere”. It took a mere minute to walk to the platform the bird was
showing best from….<o:p></o:p></div>
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All the waders were gone.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Peregrine literally just flushed them, they flew off
towards the estuary…”<o:p></o:p></div>
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And that was that, gone. No sign. Slight compensation was
offered with one of the Little Stints crawling around on one of the shingle
islands, but at this time, it all seemed a little dire. The tide was still
high, but after an hour, it was clear they weren’t coming back. We walked out
to the seawall with a vain hope. After
only a few meters, a <b>Short-Eared Owl</b> flew across the path in front of us, very
low before suddenly somersaulting towards the floor. Firstly I thought the
bird had dropped onto prey, so we changed position to get another view. We
moved a couple of meters before the bird came into view, and it was clear
something more disastrous had happened. The bird had collided with an electric
wire and was lying stunned among the vegetation. A couple of local birders
arrived, who contacted the site rangers and vet, who quickly came to check the
bird out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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(After being
collected and looked after for a short while, the bird recovered and flew off
strongly)<o:p></o:p></div>
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With no sign of a wader flock, and a view of a perched
<b>Peregrine </b>looking rather smug with itself, we decided to head for the RSPB
reserve. However, we left with a grand plan, till the next tide!<o:p></o:p></div>
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A particular corner of the reserve has previously resulted
in good views of <b>Grasshopper Warbler </b>and it didn’t take a long time before our
first was heard reeling away. Luckily, the bird was singing from an area of
nettles right beside the path, and soon we got our first view. Over the next 5
minutes, a few more brief views were had, until the bird climbed to the top of
a nettle bed and started reeling in full view. Crippling! <o:p></o:p><br />
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Good views of ‘gropper’ have been something that has proved
difficult for me. So to finally have one showing so well was fairly exciting!<o:p></o:p></div>
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After exploring the site further, finding other reeling
Groppers, we moved back down towards Goldcliff pools. We stopped around half
way along through to view from a hide overlooking an extensive area of
marshland. A Glossy Ibis had been seen on/off here for quite some time, but it
often proved elusive, and hadn’t been seen in nearly a week! We tried however
and it proved we were in luck. While walking along the field edges towards the
hide, a number of migrant <b>Redstarts </b>flicked out, their rusty tails glowing in
the sun. In total, we found 4 flicking around this small area, feeding and
chasing each other throughout the time in the hide.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After a short time, a dark bird emerged from among the dense
vegetation before quickly dropping down, a couple of seconds in the bins was
enough to confirm the <b>Glossy Ibis</b>! A couple of further views were had, and soon
a number of wannabe Sandpiper twitchers appeared to make the most of the dip.
For the next 30 minutes, the bird wandered in and out of the tussocks. Once we
had moved back to the car however, we struck lucky, the bird had wandered into
view, and was significantly closer! <o:p></o:p></div>
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With the day now progressing, and the tide soon to be on the
rise, we moved back to the Goldcliff Pools. A summer plumaged <b>Spotted Redshank</b>
was giving good views among the <b>Redshanks</b>, and a party of <b>Whimbrel </b>flew over.
Small flocks of waders were arriving off the estuary, dropping onto the shallow
pools in front of us.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The stunned <b>Short-Eared Owl</b> from earlier in the day was now
hunting the long grass around the edges of the pools, flying closer and closer
until it flew past the screen a mere few meters away. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The bird dropped onto a nearby fencepost, where it scanned
for potential prey.<o:p></o:p><br />
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The bird took off soon after, but as it did so, a birder scanning
the incoming waders asked for others to get onto this bird…<o:p></o:p></div>
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All scopes changed direction and there it was.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A superb summer plumaged <b>Broad-billed Sandpiper</b>!<o:p></o:p><br />
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That bird that had caused so much pain earlier in the day
had just made a group of birders elated! Its striking black and white plumage,
its humbug head pattern, its massive bill. Celebrations were shared as we all
enjoyed this eastern wader.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The bird waded around with a mixed flock of <b>Dunlin </b>and
<b>Redshank</b>, often in far deeper water than the rest of its short legged cousins.
This however, meant it was ‘slightly’ closer than the rest of the flock, but it
was still fairly distant at the back of the pool. With our target acquired, and
having watched it for some time, we decided to head back north towards home.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The early dip perhaps improved the day significantly,
without having missing the bird, we perhaps wouldn’t have spent so much time in
the area, seeing so many species and having such great views. Sometimes, things
do just work out. This time, for the better!<o:p></o:p></div>
midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-65268463081277064772016-08-08T18:33:00.001+01:002016-08-08T18:33:56.898+01:00Spring migrants on the patch<div class="MsoNormal">
With April underway, the amount of time I spend on patch
dramatically increases. Sometimes entire days are spent walking the tracks,
scanning the hedges and fields to uncover all of the incoming avian delight of
summer.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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As always, a huge dose of optimism is needed to pull you
through, after all, my patch does consist of a river, a number of fields,
hedgerows and small blocks of woodland in the middle of the country. Not
exactly prime migrant habitat. Despite this, combine a bit of favourable
weather and a lot of optimism, and all those hours pay off, and this spring can
certainly claim to have been one of my best.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It all kicked off on the 2<sup>nd</sup> April. Sudden
southerly winds have forced an obvious passage of migrants into the country,
however I was still resting at home until I picked up a tweet from Rob C saying
he had just had an Osprey fly north over Grimley. For those not local to
Worcestershire, Grimley is about 10 miles due south of my patch along the
river, so in theory, anything seen flying north here would probably end up on
my patch. Despite this theory however, nothing ever has, but I still went out
regardless, walking to the end of the road, setting up my scope and scanning in
a S/SW direction.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Light drizzle made standing motionless seem a little futile,
however the determination of a number of Sand Martin flocks to move north
despite the weather gave me a boost to keep going. After about 30 minutes
however, my hope was starting to dwindle. My quick calculations showed the bird
really should have flown over by now. At 10:55am though, while scanning over
the church near Arley Kings with my bins, I picked up a large, and very
interesting bird. I knew instantly that this was the Osprey, however much lower
than I was expecting. The bird dropped below the treeline while I drew my scope
in that direction, and a few seconds later it re-emerged. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Boom!<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was distant, probably nearing 2km however with the scope
I could quite easily see the distinctive shape and flight pattern of an Osprey.
The bird continued to move north, before starting to circle over Stourport town
centre, just over 1km from where I stood. A couple of record shots of this
momentous occasion were needed, so the camera was grabbed, and a few photos
taken as the bird continued to circle.
It circled out of view behind the Moorhall marsh woodland, and that was
that, not to be seen again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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However, having just seen my first ever patch Osprey, I was ecstatic! <o:p></o:p></div>
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It wasn’t too hard to draw my optimism to get me out on patch
the next morning. A patch first always has that effect. Half the walk had been
completed and other than a few expected birds, I was struggling to find much. I
had just covered Lickhill meadows and was just arriving next to the river when
I looked up into the bright blue sky to see 2 birds of prey circling above me.
One was one of the local Buzzards, however the 2<sup>nd</sup>, directly above
me immidiatly hit the paic button. Flying less than 100f above me, gleaming
white was another Osprey! Litterally frame filling views were had until I
decided to try to improve on my record shot of the day before, at which point
the bird decided it had had enough of lingering around, and started flying off
north, gaining height as it did.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Conidering I have birded this site for 15 years without a
hint of an Osprey (although a number of locals have seen them flying over while
I have been away from patch) to have 2 birds in two days was ludicrous, and
gave a great start to what turned out to be a great spring on patch.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I had been searching for Wheatear as the Osprey flew over,
so it was a relief when on the return leg of my walk, a pale ‘blob’ out on a a
distant field gave itself up as a male Wheatear. A great start to spring!<o:p></o:p></div>
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For a couple of weeks, activity died down again, however it
hit back with a vengeance on the 17<sup>th</sup>. A bright and sunny day, with
light winds, and lots of birds moving. Hirundies and Pipits were flying about,
Phylloscs flicking about everywhere. I had just made it out onto Lickhill
Meadows before another bonus bird appared, with my first Yellow Wagtail of the
year bouncing overhead calling. By the end of this walk, this day proved to be
my best ever day on patch for this species. A rattling Lesser Whitethroat gave
itself away near the quarry before an obvious, and regular ‘huit’ sound emerged
from the ‘Redstart hedge’. It didn’t take long to figure the first Redstart of
the year had dropped into the patch. Soon great views were had of the bird
sitting in the hedgerow, glowing red, blue and black. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I spent a while watching as the bird sang softly from the
hedgerow, flicking down to feed from the floor. It was stopping and waiting
which gave me another bonus when a distant, but obviously large Accipiter prove
itself to be an immature Goshawk, flying south along the ridge. Over the years,
this species has become almost expected on patch at this time of year, with
juveniles moving around to find a secluded woodland away from their parents.
The bird, as usual, flew straight through, without showing any signs of stopping.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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From the air, a number of Yellow Wagtail calls alerted me to
a small flock flying over, and from this flock, 3 birds peeled off and dropped
down to feed from the paddock inhabited by a pair of horses. Over time, these
horses have come to know me, and so regularly approach. This time however, and
for the first time in my patch history, a pair of Yellow Wagtails were exploiting
the numerous flies around the horses, and so as the horses moved towards me, so
did the Wagtails, until the views I had were nothing short of crippling! <o:p></o:p></div>
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With time getting on, I continued down the track towards the
old quarry field, now reverted back to pasture. The short grass here, combined
with extensive muck spreading had obviously given rise to large numbers of
insects, and a quick scan across the field broke another patch record, with a
single flock of 5 Wheatear being present on the field. 3 males were looking
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My list the end of the day included Goshawk, 11 Yellow
Wagtail, Redstart, 5 Wheatear and 2 Lesser Whitethroat. Not bad for a little
patch of land in the corner of Worcestershire. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The last patch visit to the moth took place on the 24<sup>th</sup>,
and the pace of earlier in the month continued. I had again reached the Quarry,
the favoured area for migrants on patch when I heard the distinctive ‘huit’
call of a Redstart from its namesake hedge and as I walked towards it, I was
struck by another bird which flicked up on top of a pile of cut branches. The
boldness in the way it perched proved it was a Chat species without need for my
bins. However upon raising them, a bold white supercillium and orange throat
secured the identification in milliseconds, my very first patch Whinchat! Not very
often I manage to find 2 new patch birds within a few weeks of each other.<o:p></o:p><br />
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The bird favoured one of the scrubby paddocks for much of
the remainder of the day, despite flying off strongly on a couple of occasions.
While waiting for the bird to re-appear, a quick look over the Gull flock in
the quarry revealed a very out of place 1<sup>st</sup> winter/summer Great
Black-backed Gull, another scarce bird on the patch! This didn’t hang around
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Once again, the hedges and fields were alive with birds,
with Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear, a pair of Redstart and plenty of Lesser
Whitethroats. What more could you want from a few hours on patch!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p>midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-1664190757842160842016-07-26T23:11:00.004+01:002016-07-26T23:12:48.346+01:00Great Grey Shrike in the Forest of DeanIt turned out that a day journeying to the next county below us in Worcestershire was a good move bird wise. Having seen 2 Penduline Tits during the morning we spent the rest of the say wandering around in the stunning Forest of Dean, looking for a couple of birds in particular. At least 2 Great Grey Shrikes had made the forest their winter home, and one bird in particular had been known to show fairly well on occasions.<br />
With a vague location and a will, we searched, and soon we managed to find out location. Atop one of the scattered dead trees, a familiar white shape sat sentinel. What we had been looking for.<br />
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The bird continued to show well as we watched, watching from its high perch before it eventually dropped down to the ground, flying back up with a Mouse almost the size of the bird! With a quick flick of its head, the rodent was dispatched and the bird flew off to cache its food at its larder.<br />
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The real Butcher Bird!<br />
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In the hour we watched the bird, it then went onto catch a Wren, flying up into a nearby tree to impale it, and then devour it in front of us. An awesome sight and something I have never had the privilege to watch before!<br />
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<br />midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-82109132356203725672016-07-26T22:43:00.000+01:002016-07-26T22:43:02.542+01:00Gloster Penduline Tits!Having found a female Penduline Tit a couple of autumns previously I was in no real rush to travel across the country to see another. The bird our crew had found though, was a rather dowdy young bird, probably female, so if a male turned up it may tempt me out to see another in the UK.<br />
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Generally as a winter visitor to the UK most records relate to bird arriving in singles or small groups in the SE of the country, so it was a shock to find that not one, but 2 male had found themselves flicking about the bullrushes on a flood storage area just outside Gloster! What more can you ask for?<br />
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So early on a freezing January day (and I do really mean freezing!), I journeyed down with Rob to check out these stunning visitors. A large crowd had accumulated even before dawn, but due to the birds habit of flying off not too long after dawn, it was no surprise.<br />
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A while was spent staring into a seemingly empty patch of bullrushes which the birds frequented until the fingers were feeling numb and then a familiar call started to sound from within the rushes. 'Almost' Reed Bunting like, however not quite, and upon my attention being drawn, soon our targets were sighted and flicking about low down in the dense vegetation.<br />
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The sun had still yet to rise, but as it did, the birds became more visible, spending more time moving up the stems. With some patience, and the temperature rising slightly, excellent views were had of these two stunning birds. After 2 hours though, our fingers were about to drop off, and so we decided to head off.<br />
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In fact, I first heard of the bird at around midnight when a post appeared on an unassuming group on Facebook. The poster simply posting a few photos of the Hoopoe they had found at Wall Heath, West Midlands! A couple of messages were sent to a friend who lives a mere few hundred meters from the location and I awaited dawn.</div>
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Soon, the bird was located, and I then quickly headed on down to see my first Hoopoe in the UK, a mere few miles from home!<br />
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I joined a growing crowd of appreciative observers and the bird preformed admirably, feeding in the short weeds and grasses on the site of the ex-quarry. Most local birders reacted quickly to the news (and rightly so!), however few of us imagined the bird would stay on to spend the entire winter with us, hanging around until well into March. Due to a mild winter, the bird survived well<br />
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The bird continued to draw in admirers throughout its stay, and often preformed superbly, although towards the end of its stay the bird could occasionally become elusive as it fed out of view among very dense weeds on the western side of the quarry.<br />
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Being only a few miles from home, and me passing through Wall Heath at least twice a week, I dropped in a number of times to admire this very out of place Mediterranean waif.<br />
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midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-77126010777456362942016-06-10T14:52:00.000+01:002016-06-10T14:54:42.635+01:00Red-Footed Falcon at Chatterley Whitfield! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the biggest surprises of July 2015 was the appearance of a young Red-Footed Falcon in Staffordshire. The 1st summer male chose a small horse paddock adjacent to an old coilry site, and often gave simply mindblowing views- Often assisted (perhaps wrongly) by provisioned feeding by photographer for better photographs.<br />
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The bird was first located while I was away on university fieldwork in the Lake District however when we arrived back, I caught the first train up to Stoke- with my suitcase in tow- to attempt to see the bird. I have only seen one previous RFF in the UK, a stonking full adult at Lakenheath, so I was very hopeful to catch up with this one. Luckily, the Clipsons came to the rescue, and picked me up from the station. A short drive later and we were soon enjoying crippling views of what was a superb Falcon!<br />
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As soon as we arrived, the bird was showing well, doing its best to not fall of the overhead wires in the fairly strong winds.<br />
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As time went, the bird still resided in its paddock, gradually becoming more and more tame, and then the controversy started. Firstly, two men pulled up in a van and attempted to catch the bird, provoking a response from the Police who suggested the immediate cessation of feeding by photographers. Most duly obliged, but the story of this bird didn't end there.<br />
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The bird vacated Staffordshire, and then moved over to Linconshire, where it resided at a small nature reserve for a while, continuing to provide good views to a host of appreciative audiences. The bird departed, and the story seemingly ended...<br />
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And then the eventful journey of this amazing falcon came to a catastrophic end, when news emerged that the bird had sadly been found shot in Cambridgeshire soon after it departed Linconshire. This sparked a fully justifiable wall of outrage on many social media sites, and the bird made regional and national news outlets. The bird that had caused so much joy and ended its journey by a seemingly random act of persecution. Funds were raised by conservation companies to aid the identification of the criminals however as yet, there has been no result of this, nor the police investigation. Only time will tell.<br />
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A superb bird, which met a fateful end.midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-6672124314113865372016-06-03T22:06:00.002+01:002016-06-03T22:06:39.498+01:00Norfolk, 16th-18th October 2015<div class="MsoNormal">
A weekend in Norfolk with the crew is always a highly
anticipated event. The promise of scarce bird species, good company and
conversation is always a top draw event.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So with a trip planned months upon months in advance, it was
going to be hit or miss as to whether we would have the trip planned to
favourable weather conditions. Time passed, plans were made and possible target
species identified. And as time grew nearer, and nearer, the weather seemed to
get more and more tasty for some migration and with only 2 days to go, it
happened. A large fall hit North Norfolk. Score!<o:p></o:p><br />
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16/10/15</div>
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The Friday came, and onwards we went. A very early start
from our midlands homeland had us finding ourselves pulling into a layby at
Beeston Common. An <b>Isabelline Shrike</b>
(ssp <i><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">L. isabellinus</span> isabellinus</i>)
had been found at the site a few days previously, and with it being a lifer for
everyone in the car, it was perhaps no surprise to head here first. Within a
few minutes, we had the Shrike located, flicking around in the densely
vegetated hawthorn stands. With its plumage being a mix of sandy and reddish
colours, it actually proved to be a very attractive bird. Shrikes are always
highly prized birds, and to start off our weekend with a bird of this class
certainly boded well.<br />
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Very aware that we had arrived at simply the perfect time
for migration, itchy feet soon took hold. Firstly by a look around the habitat
on Beeston Common for any further migrants (<b>Marsh Tit</b> and hundreds of inbound Thrushes) and later by thinking
about our next place to go.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As well as the passerine migrants, we were also away that
the weather conditions looked decent for seawatching. With the midlands lacking
‘some sea’ seawatching is a task we don’t manage to achieve often, so while
being so close to the known seawatching hotpot of Sherringham it would have
been rude not to drop in. In the grand scheme of things, it turned out to be
fairly quiet, however we quickly added 7 <b>Common
Scoter</b>, 5 <b>Red-Throated Diver</b>, 5 <b>Great Skua</b>, <b>Mediterranean</b> and <b>Little
Gull</b> to an ever growing day list. The Skuas in particular were greatly
appreciated, with me having had a significant lack of them in the past.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As we sat in a crowded ‘seawatching shelter’ on the
promenade, I received a text. ‘Olive Backed Pipit still at Muckleburgh Hill’…
On our group chat the night before, I was quoted on saying that it wouldn’t be
around by the Friday, and with an afternoon of no reports, it certainly seemed
true.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After wiping off some egg from my face, we jumped in the car
and headed west. Finding the hill, a new site for all of us, proved hard, but
we managed it first try, and quickly made our way up the sandy slope of the
hill. With Thrushes still streaming in off the sea we made our way to the top
of the hill, where a small clearing had been made among the Bracken. The scrum of
twitchers easily giving the site away as where we need to be. <o:p></o:p></div>
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After seemingly an eternity of failing to get onto the bird,
which was showing very briefly and often hidden I finally managed to get a
brief view of the bird as it picked its head up from the vegetation and stood
proud. <b>Olive-backed Pipit</b>. Wow! That
face pattern!<o:p></o:p><br />
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Slowly and stealthily the bird crept through the bracken,
and as the crowd grew, the bird became continually more and more confiding.
After about an hour with the bird, it was creeping around a mere 20ft away.
Absolutely crippling views!<o:p></o:p><br />
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With Wells Wood/ Holkham seemingly being the epicentre of
the fall, it was no surprise to head here next, and it truly was dripping with
birds. Those birds being mostly <b>Goldcrest</b>
and winter Thrushes, but we all knew there were some rare birds lurking in
there! A Blyths Reed Warbler had been knocking around in the Dell, however
after a fair amount of time searching here, this drew a blank. A <b>Short-Eared Owl</b> flew in off the sea and
over our heads before we decided to head further into the woods to try and
locate some of the other autumn migrants.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My main target, without a shadow, was <b>Pallas’s Leaf Warbler</b>, a species I have dreamed about seeing since
I first saw it in a bird book a number of years before. While I had been searching for the Blythes
Reed, the group split and our walkie talkies came in handy when they relayed
news they had just seen a Pallas’s about a mile further into the wood. This
gave me an extra boost and I walked past the Hume’s YBW crowd for views of a
much better bird.<o:p></o:p></div>
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By the time I arrived with my other crew members, the bird
had disappeared, but I went about scanning the hordes of Goldcrests in the
small areas of sycamore and Oak. It was only a minute or so before out of the
leaves flicked a broad yellow supercillium and a broad central crown stripe.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Pallas’s!”<o:p></o:p></div>
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A few views were had as it flicked along the treeline, but
then it flew across the track, and into a small line of trees on the marshes
side. For the next 15 minutes, the bird performed very well in a small
sycamore, often giving binocular filling views! Superb! Dreamy views.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Unfortunately I was too busy swooning over the bird and by
the time I had realised I should grab the digiscoping setup, the bird had
melted back into the dense vegetation. I again stayed behind for further views
but this proved pointless, and I missed views of the Hume’s as a result.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We headed back for further attempts to locate the Blyths
however, but this was again hard work, however at least this time we struck
lucky as while scanning a passing Tit flock, out flicked another <b>Pallas’s Leaf Warbler</b>, right above the
heads of the crowd! This one proceeded to flash its rump shamelessly as it
moved across the Silver Birches, before again, melting into the canopy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As we drove out of the car park at the Well’s Wood end, we
stopped on the entrance road, where we had good, but distant views of 2 <b>Great Grey Shrikes</b>, both perched like sentinels
waiting for the next passing exhausted migrant. (I imagine Goldcrests were on
the agenda).<o:p></o:p></div>
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With the day quickly closing in we wanted to add some
waterbirds to our weekend tally, and so therefore it was no hard decision to
head to Titchwell RSPB. A quick loop searching for Passerines within the scrub
around the centre didn’t produce much, so we headed out onto the marshes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The expected cast of waders was present on the tidal and
saltmarshes, swarms of <b>Golden Plover</b>
and winter Duck filled the skies, together with sizable flocks of both <b>Godwit</b> species and <b>Ruffs</b>. A couple of late <b>Avocet</b>
were a nice addition as we stood waiting for the roost. Only 2 <b>Marsh Harriers</b> arrived, however the
Gull roost developed, and in dropped 3 <b>Yellow-legged
Gulls</b>. At last light, a <b>Barn Owl</b>
quartered the reedbed, a perfect way to end a superb day 1 of the Norfolk
weekend. <o:p></o:p></div>
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17/10/16- Durnham Deapdale- 6:45am.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Wanting to maximise time in the field, the crew was up
pre-dawn with the intention of getting into the field by the time it got light.
As the first shades of blue emerged, the sound of <b>Pink-Footed Geese</b> built, and soon the sky was filled as they
vacated their roost to head to their feeding areas inland.<o:p></o:p></div>
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With the wind coming in at a strong north-easterly, and high
tides, we decided a quick shot at seawatching would be worthwhile to ‘test the
water’. If things were moving, we would stay.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We arrived on the Cley shingle bank by 7:30, and then
settled ourselves in for a shift. There was a fair bit of Duck movement, but
our targets were proving elusive, those being the rarer Shearwaters and Skuas.
A few <b>Red-Throated Divers</b> were
moving back and forth, and a close single <b>Red-Breasted
Merganser</b> flew past and along Blakeney Point. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Scanning into the distance, a Shearwater was approaching
from the east, low down across the water before wheeling up in a wide loop.
This behaviour quickly indicated we were on one of the targets and soon the
bird approached its closest point, revealing all dark plumage and long wings,
the first <b>Sooty Shearwater</b> of the
weekend! <o:p></o:p></div>
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The next hour provided a further 5 Sootys and a number of <b>Great Skuas</b>. A Sooty was tracking west
when I removed my eye from the scope, to see a dark seabird approaching close
in from the west. Quickly the lighter build of the bird was apparent in
comparison to the earlier Greats, however the bird still seemed barrel chested
and heavy. Approaching within 100ft of the beach viewpoint, it was clear we had
our first <b>Pomarine Skua</b>!<o:p></o:p></div>
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3 of the crew members were further east then us, so a call
on the walkie talkie tried to get them onto it, but in return we received a
message that they’d just seen a Lapland Bunting. Long story short, a walk out
there and a thorough search couldn’t relocate it and they didn’t see the Skua,
so with the continuing allure of Well’s Wood, the two members who hadn’t seen
the Lap cut our losses.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Following a quick Bap in Wells Harbour, we pulled into a
very full car park by 10:30. A <b>Red
Flanked Bluetail</b>, found yesterday after we had left was item number 1 on
our list, so we quickly hot footed it down there. It didn’t take long for our
first view, a ‘Robin shaped bird’ dropping down out of the tangle of bushes
followed by a strong flash of blue as it flicked back up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The crowd here was huge, surprisingly for this increasingly
common migrant. The bird moved, and the crowd shifted. I managed a few more
brief, obscured views (while most of the crowd, and the rest of the crew
managed great views), but after having seen the wintering Avon bird a number of
times, I wasn’t going to chase better views of this one.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After this, we didn’t strike lucky with any of the rarities
reported within the woods, and with it being 1:30, activity was dropping off on
the passerine front, so again, we decided that Titchwell would be a good shout.
We were still missing a number of species from our trip list that we could fill
in.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Although it was much the same as the day before, with large
flocks of ducks and waders, we managed to find a few of our targets. <b>Pochard</b> and <b>Red-crested Pochard</b> were well represented, with 13 and 9
individuals. Good numbers of both. Our main reasoning for missing them the day
before being that we didn’t visit their favoured pool. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Beyond the pools, the beach held the expected variety of
shoreline waders, with <b>Grey Plover</b>, <b>Knot</b>, <b>Sanderling</b>, <b>Turnstone</b>
and <b>Bar-tailed Godwit</b> all being
represented. As we had walked towards the beach, we had been treated to rather
good views of <b>Spotted Redshank</b>. And
again on the way back, we connected with the same bird, although this time it
was feeding right beside the track with a couple of <b>Black-Tailed Godwits</b>. Phenomenal views!<o:p></o:p><br />
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With the early mornings catching up with us, we decided to
take the rest of the evening off, enjoying food and drinks in a nearby pub.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We again were out for dawn, this time with the intention of
finding something for ourselves. We had racked our brains the night before
about where to head with the best options of finding birds, but being able to
avoid the majority of the crowds. Wells, as it had been all weekend, was packed
with birders, so if anything was in there, you’d imagine it was found, so where
else? Cley? Stiffkey? <o:p></o:p></div>
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We chose Burnham Ovary marshes and dunes. A good variety of
species can be found, and indeed we found many. The roadside fields were
covered in Geese, <b>pink-Footed</b>, <b>Greylag</b>, <b>Brent</b> and <b>Egyptians</b>.
Smaller numbers of ducks and waders were present in the fields. We checked the
pool and the estuarine mud after wading through hordes of <b>Goldcrest</b> to the seawall, adding <b>Little Grebe</b> stalking the edges of the reeds. <o:p></o:p><br />
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We walked further, and another <b>Short-Eared Owl</b> flew over our heads as it came in off the sea
before dropping into the Sueada on the saltmarsh. A <b>Greenshank</b>
flew past calling among the omnipresent <b>Redshanks</b>
and a number of <b>Common Snipe</b> flew
out of the vegetation as the tide approached. We reached the dunes, with <b>Reed buntings</b>, <b>Robins</b> and <b>Thrushes</b> all
scattering from the bushes but these seemed fairly quiet. (If only we had
checked the same area of scrub a little further west- we may have found the
Little Bunting seen later in the day at the same site!). A single Wheatear was
flicking around We settled on top of the dunes and scoped the sea for a while,
and also scanned the roosting wader flock. 18 <b>Common Scoter</b> flew past as well as 3 each of <b>Red-Breasted Merganser</b> and <b>Red-Throated
Diver</b>. A <b>Great Crested Grebe</b>-
our first of the weekend, sat out on the sea.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A number of Gannets were passing offshore, and sure enough,
after a while, a number of <b>Great Skua</b>
started moving past. An hours watch produced 15, including a flock of 6 which
lumbered offshore before settling on the sea, including some fairly good views.
As A Skua lumbered west, a more ‘flappy’ bird further out at sea immediately
drew attention. The bird flew nearer and nearer until it revealed itself to be
an ‘Eared Owl’. Although we had seen a number of <b>SEO</b> coming ‘in off’ we had not watched one struggling across the
waves until this point. Clearly exhausted, the bird tried its best to shake the
attention of a party of passing Gulls until it reached land. We had been
watching it or about 4 minutes before it finally struck land, flying over the dunes
and dropping into the long grass on the marshes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We walked east, which honestly was all a bit quiet, with
only a few hundred winter <b>thrushes</b>, <b>Meadow Pipits</b> and <b>Goldcrest</b> to show for the effort. We walked all the way to the western
end of Holkham wood, where a quick scan revealed the <b>Great White Egret</b> was still present, feeding in one of the pools
there, although very distant. A number of Raptors were also in the sky here,
with 4 <b>Marsh Harrier</b>, 2 <b>Buzzard</b>, <b>Kestrel</b> and <b>Peregrine</b>. <o:p></o:p><br />
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With a long journey home, we walked back to the car, with
our plan to find something interesting unfulfilled. A Bunting that if we had
walked 30 meters in the opposite direction may have shown itself to us, and a
brief probable large Pipit sp seen by one of the crew, which despite further
searching couldn’t be refound (A Richards was found in the exact same spot the
day after). As we were about to drop over the seawall, a superb <b>Merlin</b> gave a cracking flight view,
before perching up on a post on the saltmarsh.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8378305011803344231" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8378305011803344231" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8378305011803344231" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8378305011803344231" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8378305011803344231" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8378305011803344231" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8378305011803344231" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8378305011803344231" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8378305011803344231" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8378305011803344231" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8378305011803344231" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>With our weekend drawing to a close, we drove west, with a
last ditch stop at Choesley Barns to find a few farmland species. Sadly we
couldn’t find any of our targets here, huge coveys of <b>Red-legged</b> but no Grey Partridges and no Corn Buntings. A large
mixed wader flock were there to greet us goodbye to end the trip on a cheery
note.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Overall an excellent weekend. Considering we had planned the
trip months in advance, and not last minute due to weather conditions, we obviously
struck lucky. Lots of great birds, great company and lots of birdy chat. What
could be better!<o:p></o:p></div>
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To next autumn! <o:p></o:p></div>
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midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-29001306218056070732016-01-28T00:58:00.000+00:002016-01-28T00:58:03.608+00:00May 2015- Hudwit! <div style="text-align: left;">
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<b><u>May 2015</u></b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OG8qpbWLgOY/VqlZW6hfgpI/AAAAAAAAFiw/5QvIldQINRM/s1600/DSC02286.JPG" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZLYaQhcutlw/VqlZkF_u7-I/AAAAAAAAFjg/hdKQJR-gOfk/s1600/DSC02955.JPG" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8jjweLZ3vx4/VqlZsZVRGCI/AAAAAAAAFj4/6eOVuifCNVI/s1600/DSC03839.JPG" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ts9BD2I1Ixs/VqlZwmTvxZI/AAAAAAAAFkE/RzdNP2_RPkg/s1600/DSC03927.JPG" imageanchor="1"></a>One good aspect of writing something in hindsight is the fact that it takes somewhat of a greater context. And within the context of the entire year, one of the most stressful birds for me turned out to be the <b>Hudsonian Godwit</b>. Having turned down a lift on the birds first day (at the end of April), it looked like I had missed my chance when it then disappeared.</div>
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I don't usually get annoyed about missing birds, and stress isn't something I usually feel when thinking about them, but with something as striking (and incredibly rare as a Hudsonian Godwit!) something was different about this one.</div>
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Fast forward a couple of days.... It was back!!</div>
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However with impending university deadlines it would have been stupid for me to 'Just go for it', and another lift was turned down.</div>
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It disappears again... Then reappears.. Another lift offer... Again, circumstances stopped the journey south..</div>
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But then, with the weekend approaching, and me having pulled metaphorical chunks out of my hair, it was finally time to head down. As we sped south on the early morning of the 2nd, news emerged it was still there! Joy!</div>
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However, one of the better things about this bird was the fact of where it was. Present within the Avalon Marshes at the superb Shapwick Heath, you know you are in for some good birding, and that proved incredibly true, with just stepping from the car revealing flypasts of both <b>Great Egret</b> and <b>Bittern</b>. Standard fare here nowadays!</div>
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The 'Hudwit' hadn't shown since the original sighting, but a stirring among the Godwit flock below the near bank (out of view) sent the flock into the air, to shouts of 'there it is'.</div>
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A second or two later, the flock alighted at the very back of the flash, and among it, the yank Godwit that had caused me so much pain, anguish and stress over the course of the last 7 days. It stayed on view for the remainder of the visit, allowing for close study of this superb looking bird.</div>
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However, it was clear that it was all about those underwings, and after tantalising for what seemed like an age, it finally raised its wings, to an audible gasp for the large crowd of onlookers.</div>
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A great supporting cast was noted, <b>Great Egrets, Bitterns, Garganey, Hobbys, Marsh Harriers</b> and a singing <b>Grasshopper Warbler</b>. Superb</div>
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A rather ambitious plan to twitch a trip of Dotterel fell through while driving back north, so we decided to drop into Slimbridge, where a <b>Little Gull</b> was flitting around the pools and a couple of GCP Cranes were giving stonking views.</div>
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Mid month (15th) a plan was hatched to spend the day in Norfolk, always a superb way to spend any time in May, and our usual route was followed. Making our way up from the Brecks up onto the North coast. Our first stop proved good with the expected <b>Stone Curlew</b> and <b>Spotted Flycatcher</b>, but also 3 <b>Firecrests</b>, which gave great views. Not a bird I had seen at this site before so rather unexpected!</div>
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The previous year, we stumbled upon a small quarry which held a pair of <b>Turtle Doves</b>, and while driving past again we decided to drop in. And to my amazement, within a few minutes a Turtle Dove started purring! Great, but brief views followed as the birds moved in and out of the gorse. And to think we only stopped to look for Grey Partridge!</div>
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Choesley Barns is a regular site for <b>Dotterel </b>in spring, and a large flock had developed and refused to carry on with their migration. With the heat building it made for hard scanning, but with a bit of perseverance, at least 19 were counted in the distance. Certainly not the best views I have had of the species, but a welcomed bird to see at any time.</div>
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We had planned to meet up with Gary P, the Biking Birder to have a catch up and we spent the rest of the day birding the site.</div>
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Finding the 2 <b>Temminck's Stints</b> were the main priority, and these were located fairly quickly once in the Parrinder hide. Distant, heat haze, not good. </div>
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Luckily, they were showing significantly better later in the day!</div>
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Some great birding was had working our way through the masses of expected birds, and it was particularly satisfying to find this ringed <b>Sanderling </b>on the Beach. Apparently ringed in Ghana, Africa!!</div>
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A wide array of wader species were present, and a magical encounter with a pair of cooperatively hunting <b>Peregrines </b>culminated in a <b>Redshank </b>using us as a screen to prevent it being caught. The Peregrines weren't too happy and spent a while circling around us at very close range. It was great to watch a variety of Tern species over the sea and the pools, with a number of <b>Littles </b>looking stunning in the sun. Joining them were 4 <b>Little Gulls</b>. The flock of<b> Red-crested Pochard </b>were also giving good views.</div>
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Essay hand in date on the 18th and news emerges of a <b>Great Reed Warbler</b> present in Sandwell Valley. A huge shock and another 'I need to get there moment'. Arrived later in the afternoon to hear the bird loudly signing away on the island. I spent a good while trying to get decent views of the bird, with it mostly being fleeting glimpses, however a few rather nice views were had in the end. A 1st for West Midlands county.</div>
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The last week of the month 23rd-30th was spent on a family holiday in Pembrokeshire. Little bits of birding here and there revealed a variety of Coastal species, however the highlight of the trip was making it over to Skomer Island again, and admiring the large number of <b>seabirds </b>present, as well as some amazingly confiding <b>Chough</b>!</div>
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Back on the mainland, visits were made to Marloes Mere (which was fairly quiet) and the Gann. The tide was at the right stage and a good wader flock was present, with an array of <b>Ringed Plover,</b> <b>Sanderling</b>, <b>Turnstone </b>and <b>Dunlin </b>all giving great views as they fed only a matter of 20ft away.</div>
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The last day of month saw me again chasing a <b>Black Tern</b>. Another bird had been found at Upton Warren that morning so, having dipped the last couple, a rush was made to get over there, and very glad we did. A stonking summer plumaged bird giving superb views as it lapped the sailing pool!</div>
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midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-90927015281426202982015-10-05T18:30:00.000+01:002015-10-05T18:30:00.736+01:00The return- April 2015<div style="text-align: center;">
It was a somewhat depressing return to the UK on the 12th, the lack of birds of prey and general birdlife drained a fair bit of my usual 'spring optimism'. However, I soon tried to get back into the swing of inland UK birding.</div>
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Daily visits of Sedgley Beacon occurred, with optimism raised slightly by a couple of passage <b>Wheatear </b>on the 14th, followed by a decent day (in Beacon terms), with a <b>Wheatear</b>, 4 <b>Tree Pipits </b>and best of all a singing <b>Grasshopper Warbler </b>on 15th. Infact, the <b>Gropper </b>gave fairly good views, popping up on top of its temporary bramble home briefly on a couple of occasions!</div>
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A visit out to the University survey site on 16th revealed a pair of <b>Little Egret</b> was still present within the Heronry present there, however there was unfortunately no further breeding evidence over the summer.</div>
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This year a new joint BTO/ Natural England/ Forestry Commission survey has been set up within the Wyre forest to monitor effects on breeding birds within the Wyre over the coming years in which management work is being carried out to restore the original broadleaved deciduous forest. My Survey area is deep within the center of the forest and my first visit was very promising, despite the Douglas fir plantation (which is my survey area), the surrounding land is promising, and featured good numbers of <b>Tree Pipits </b>and <b>Willow Warbler</b>. A <b>Lesser Spotted Woodpecker</b> and a nice early <b>Wood Warbler</b> singing away next to 'my' woodland were very gratefully received.</div>
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Later the same day, the second summer <b>Mediterranean Gull</b> was still present at Upton Warren, together with the usual cast of breeding waders.</div>
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The patch has been fairly exiting this summer, and things kicked off early, with <b>LRPs </b>and <b>Peregrines </b>both being seen. A late <b>Goosander </b>still present on the river is usually a good sign that breeding could have been on the cards but unfortunately no chicks were found. A couple of <b>Red-legged Partirdge</b> scurried away along one of the dirt tracks while a <b>Wheatear </b>and a <b>Yellow Wagtail</b> were both the first on patch this year.</div>
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A day trip to near Reading with a University Society on 21st led to me seeing lots of <b>Red Kites</b> however it was on the 22nd that a real panic moment hit. While midway through writing up one of my essays (about flightlessness in the Galapagos Cormorant no less) I received news from a fellow Upton Warren warden. "<b>Red necked Grebe</b> at the Moors!!</div>
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Many rushed phone calls until a friend agreed to drive up from my hometown in Worcester up to my house on the other side of West Midlands country to pick me up! (massive shoutout to Rob, Legend!) And we were on our way. </div>
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A couple of hours running up and down the west shore until superb views were had just before the sun started to set with the bird swimming about just in front of the hide, a crippling bird for Upton Warren, a reserve first no less and in stunning summer plumage!</div>
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Huge thanks to both Rob and Hughie for their help!</div>
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My first Swifts of the year, a party of 3 moved over the university site again the follow day.</div>
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A fair quiet visit to the patch followed other than breeding birds but the Upton Warren all dayer was on the Saturday (25th). I arrived fairly early, before I heard news of an absolute 'mega' in Somerset. Despite the offer being given and many others abandoning the birdrace to go see the rare yank wader I refused as I was meeting a friend on site. As always, by the end of the day, my only contribution to the day list (with others already having found everything else by the time I arrived) was a single <b>Ringed Plover</b>, a species that I often seen to find on these All dayers, and infact it was probably the my best bird of the day, so I wasn't going to complain!</div>
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midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-76304507217505796802015-10-01T12:18:00.002+01:002015-10-01T12:18:47.055+01:00Spain, 5th-12th April 2015<div style="text-align: center;">
For those of you that follow my Twitter, or Facebook ramblings, you may have been aware in early to mid April I spent some time in the glorious locality of Southern Spain, based within Andelucia.</div>
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Hopefully those of you who were desperate to hear of our time in Spain will have looked at the other, often more in depth reports set out by many of the 16 NGB's who attended the trip.</div>
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Full trip report here:<br />
<a href="http://oliverreville.wix.com/avesdelsurblog" target="_blank"> http://oliverreville.wix.com/avesdelsurblog </a></div>
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And some excellent photos from the trip here by 'Bardsey' Ben:<br />
<a href="http://benporterphotography.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Spain%202015" target="_blank"> http://benporterphotography.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Spain%202015</a></div>
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5/04/15</div>
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A painfully early start at BHX was luckily not quite as bad as I was soon joined by company when my travelling partner arrived. Having checked in during the darkness, we boarded our plane as the first rays of sunlight filled the sky, we were on route to Malaga!</div>
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A number of the NGB's had already arrived, however due to the international nature of the trip, a few late comers led to some 'outside the airport' birding, with birds like <b>Spotless Starling</b> and <b>White Stork</b> seen while standing outside arrivals.</div>
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After introductions for the few that had not met before, and with the trip organiser having arrived, we headed around to collect the hire cars, with some more birding, with the first <b>Serins </b>of the trip in palm trees on the roadside.</div>
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With this task complete, it was time to head west, but not before we saw a good number of <b>Monk Patrakeets</b>, a single <b>Zitting Cisticola</b>, and a variety of butterflies at an area of wasteland adjacent to one of the highways.</div>
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The convoy stopped at La Canada (a shopping center on the outskirts of Malaga) to gather a few supplies, while a small group of us birded outside, which proved to be a decent idea, as we managed to see the first <b>Booted Eagles</b>, <b>Short</b>-<b>Toed Eagle</b>, <b>Osprey </b>and <b>Pallid Swift </b>of the trip.</div>
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We made our way to our first birding destination, a picturesque mountain ridge that shall remain unnamed. We hadn't even made our location before we were stopping to admire a party of <b>Serin </b>and a pair of <b>Bee Eater </b>from the road. Moving along the road further we parked the car, surrounded by the sound of <b>Nightingales </b>and <b>Sardinian Warblers</b>. After some of the group had had 'frame filling' views of a <b>Nightingale </b>the group moved up the dirt track, and it took a matter of minutes to find our target, a pair of <b>Bonelli's Eagle</b>! Easy to see as they flew up and down the top of the ridge, we moved up into a gorge nearby to move our way up the ridge.</div>
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2 <b>Crag Martin </b>gave point blank views adjacent to a large cliff and as we moved into the gorge the sublime sound of <b>Blue Rock Thrush </b>song filled the air, brief views at first, but eventually great views of at least 4 birds. First this youngish looking male:</div>
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And then this stonker of an adult male!</div>
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An exited shout from the group had us all looking up as one of the <b>Bonelli's Eagles </b>gave a low flypast, before alighting on the ridge above us.</div>
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A superb start to the trip.<br />
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With the light faded, we made our way to our accommodation within the town of Alacala De los Gazules, our base for the week, but not before a male <b>Cirl Bunting </b>gave us a show singing from a shrub adjacent to the path.</div>
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Day 2 (6/04) started bright and early for me, and the birding started instantly as I ate my cornflakes on the rooftop balcony, watching a large flock of<b> Lesser Kestrel</b> and a party of flyover <b>Griffon Vultures</b>.</div>
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Little did we know the latter were foreshadowing our fate.</div>
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Having just left Alcala, we soon became aware of a large number of Vultures dropped in height across the road, heading the direction we were travelling, and the cars in front of us had already capitalised on this with the first Egyptian Vulture of the trip. </div>
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We followed the still falling Vultures until we saw the cause, they were descending onto a carcass adjacent to the road! Stunning views were had as they cruised low over out heads, and squabbled over the remaining scraps of food on the opposite side of the road.</div>
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<b>Egyptian Vulture</b> soon gave itself up, with a single flythrough, and 2 sitting on another roadside field where a few more Vultures had gathered. After a rather short showing, both the Egyptians flew off, circling the field before disappearing from view.</div>
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Slowly working our way along the service road (stopping regularly to enjoy the multiple Iberian delights) we made it to a viewpoint overlooking a large lake, primarily to see a pair of nesting <b>Osprey</b>. Both birds were present, and upon writing this it appears the birds were successful, raising 3 chicks.</div>
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The reservoir kept us entertained for a while, but the overwhelming desire to visit a Spanish tip soon arose, however due to a change in practices it didn't have the usual number of birds hanging around, with only small numbers of <b>Black Kite, Griffon Vulture</b> and <b>White Storks</b>.</div>
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The drive away from the tip though was enlivened by rows and rows of nesting <b>White Storks</b>. There is a reason they call it the 'Stork factory'.</div>
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Again nearby, we moved to a mountain plateau, where due to the winds it was fairly quiet bird wise, but a <b>Tawney Pipit </b>and<b> Short-toed Eagle</b> proved interest. Here we also managed to see both <b>Sawfly </b>and <b>Tongue Orchid,</b> and we soon learned that due to the wet spring many Orchids were emerging.</div>
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Trying to avoid the wind we moved down into the woodlands, where <b>Crested Tits</b>, our first <b>Western Bonelli's Warbler</b> and <b>Short-toed Treecreeper</b> were found, among the now 'standard fare'. Here was also very good for other aspects of Spanish wildlife, with numerous butterflies, inverts and reptiles. A couple of <b>Mediterranean Scorpions</b> were found, with one particular individual standing its ground very well!</div>
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Benalup was our next call, were the differences to UK birding very quickly became apparent (if this had not already done so!), with large numbers of birds feeding on the agricultural land, <b>Corn Buntings</b> everywhere and enough to keep your head constantly switching from one side of the car to the other. <b>Woodchat Shrikes</b> joined the Corn Buntings along the fenclines, <b>Cicticolas </b>'zitting' everywhere and a pair of quartering <b>Montagu's Harriers</b>. A <b>Cuckoo </b>was also seen here before going searching for one of out target birds. </div>
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The car had only just stopped before one of the group picked up the distinctive sound of a displaying<b> Little Bustard</b>, and soon, excellent views were had! </div>
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Having had out fill, we dropped onto the side of an A-road below a steep cliff, where we were greeted by a flock of 14 <b>Bald Ibis</b>, part of the reintroduction scheme now trying to introduce them into this area Spain.</div>
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Below the cliff a large <b>Cattle Egret </b>colony resides, with many of the birds being at home!</div>
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With the light fading, it was time to head back, but a 'Sharpes' <b>Green Woodpecker</b> was seen and a quick stop at a vantage point of the reservoir below Alcala revealed a <b>Great White Egret.</b><br />
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Day 3 (7/04) was another windy affair, so we decided to move further inland, to do some birding around the big open plains of farmland around Osuna. Even here, far from the windy Atlantic coast, the wind was still whipping through, making digiscoping neigh on impossible. However, the birds again didn't disappoint! Simply while driving along the Spanish motorways we managed to find a number of decent birds, with the first <strong>Glossy Ibis</strong> of the trip when a flock of 3 flew over the car. The next few miles were particularly eventful, with further flocks of 5 and 10 Ibis, a happy sight considering not long ago these birds once held a precarious existence within the region. Following a population boom, they are once again a common sight!<br />
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Utera had the next delights, with a <strong>Pallid Swift</strong>, however this was overshadowed when a 'giant' lark launched into its song flight from beside us while going around 100kph. Instantly identifiable from its jet back underwings, our first <strong>Calandra Lark</strong>!<br />
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Osuna is an area basically consisting of one long, scarcely used road, with lots of habitat, pull overs (or make shift pull overs) and fencelines, the ultimate in birder curb crawling.<br />
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We stopped near a large bridge- in years gone by a decent lookout for Great Bustard- however non were present. We did however soon crack on with a good list of 'notables', a flock of <strong>Gull-Billed Tern</strong> flew through, 2 <strong>Hoopoe</strong> flew along the fenceline, a<strong> Short-Toed Lark</strong> sang, <strong>Osprey</strong> and <strong>Red Kite</strong> flew low over our heads!<br />
A <strong>Hoopoe</strong> landed on the distant fenceline, and a shout soon came up 'Shrike'- not an uncommon shout on this trip considering the large numbers of Woodchats around. However this was different, a slight quiver in the voice, a little excitability... "<strong>Iberian Grey Shrike</strong>"!<br />
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Mad rush- scopes pointed, directions shouted, then a rather quick walk back to the car once we noticed it was sitting on a fence next to the road a distance further up. If only to say farewell, a pair of distant<strong> Montagu's Harriers</strong> only hinted as to the delights to come!<br />
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The Iberian Shrike was quickly located, handheld digiscoped out of the car window, before it moved away.<br />
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It was just a little way to a number of disused farm building appeared on the horizon, and curiosity took us along for a look. The group had spread out a short distance to explore the area when the shout of 'Montys' was made, which saw everyone spin on their heals and look in that direction, to see a flock of <strong>Montagu's Harriers</strong> (Yes.. A flock!!) squabbling low behind the farm buildings. Everyone seemed to gravitate towards the birds, and soon we were enjoying a mixed flock of males and females as they quartered low over the crops. A single sweep over the large expanse revealed a superb 7 birds, but it quickly dawned that behind there was a similarly large expanse behind where I stood, so turning around, it was great to add another 4 birds patrolling along. </div>
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Incredible!! 11 Montagu's Harriers in one 360 panorama from where I stood. A total just shy of the entire UK population combined!</div>
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A single <strong>Marsh</strong> added to the Harrier fest at this location, but just like the wind, the birds moved through very quickly, and soon disappeared into the rolling plains.</div>
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Montagu's were nothing short of common here, and pretty much every stop on the side of the road featured at least one of these majestic raptors, and the list of 'others' continued to increase, <strong>Calandra's</strong> revealed themselves, and our Bustard search finally reaped reward when a male <strong>Little Bustard</strong> emerged from one of the crow fields, the heat haze now adding to the wind to further remove any opportunity to digiscope. A 'mediterranean' <strong>Peregrine</strong> flew over and a large <strong>Occolated</strong> <strong>Lizzard</strong> ran across the road. Stopping to confirm the ID of a distant Harrier, we stopped beside the road. Quickly ID'd as a <strong>Montys</strong>, we watched in awe as she quartered low over the crops, and in the process flush up two Bustards in the distance! Another 2 male<strong> Little Bustard</strong> took to the air, flying in panic from the raptor, in the process flying directly towards us, a quick shout to the photographers of the group had them raising their cameras and 10 seconds later the birds were flying overhead, at point blank range, our closest view yet!</div>
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Our luck with farm buildings continued, with a <strong>Little Owl</strong> roosting within the brickwork of one beside the road, and some 'unplastic' <strong>Red-Legged Partridge</strong>. The farm theme continued, as we dropped into an area known for Sandgrouse. A pair of <strong>Stone Curlew</strong> ran from the road as we drove along, but the most exited shout came as a <strong>Roller</strong> perched up on a post out in the field. Without even the time to set scopes up before it flew, in the brief moment I managed some very hasty video footage.</div>
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In the end, a pair of <strong>Roller</strong> stood next to each other distantly, but never allowed close approach. A surprise however came when the shout of a <strong>Barn Owl</strong> emerged, as the ghostly shape left one of the outbuildings!</div>
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Our efforts for Sandgrouse failed, the the abandoned buildings proved very interesting in a number of ways, lots of interesting Reptile and Butterflies were found, including a stunning juvenile <strong>Horseshoe Whip Snake</strong>.</div>
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As we left, a large flock of <strong>Spanish Sparrow</strong> fed beside us, on the edge of an orchard.</div>
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On the off chance we managed to arrange access to Laguna del Gobierno, a small nature reserve, with a few pools, and a sizable population of <strong>White-Headed Duck</strong>! We found this species with ease as soon as we parked outside the reserve, including some cracking males!</div>
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The lagoons were littered with all things buoyant and colourful, from swimming<strong> Greater Flamingos</strong>, to swarms of<strong> Red-crested Pochard</strong>, with lesser numbers of <strong>Common Pochard</strong>. And we hadn't even left the car!</div>
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Walking through the Jurassic Park style entrance gates, more akin to a high security compound than a nature reserve, we split up to explore. A <strong>Sedge Warbler</strong> attempted to scare us into believing it was something rarer, and some of the group saw a big purple bird. I on the other hand managed to pick out 6 <strong>Black Tern</strong> flying overhead, and a few of the banks contained waders, such as<strong> Black-Winged Stilt </strong>and<strong> Little Ringed Plover</strong></div>
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With our time here limited, we moved back to the cars, for the return to Alcala, but not without seeing a <strong>Roller</strong> and a few more <strong>Montagu's Harriers</strong> for good measure!</div>
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Day 4 (8/04) proved to be a windy and rainy affair, with it only properly clearing up fairly late in the afternoon, but nethertheless, the group soldiered on, starting at the Barbate Saltmarsh, and by the looks of it we had timed it well, with lots of waders present. <strong>Kentish Plovers</strong>, <strong>Dunlins</strong>, <strong>Little Stints</strong>, <strong>Sanderlings</strong>, <strong>Stilts</strong>, all were represented very well, and some perseverance paid dividends with some additions such as 2 <strong>Curlew Sandpipers</strong>, <strong>Grey</strong> and <strong>Little Ringed Plover</strong>, 2 <strong>Redshank</strong>, a <strong>Ruff</strong>, a party of <strong>Avocet</strong> and a rather out of place <strong>Stone Curlew</strong> (not what you expect on mudflats!). And that was just the waders, <strong>Gull Billed</strong> and <strong>Sandwich Terns</strong> roosted,<strong> Iberian Yellow Wagtails</strong> bounced along the puddles in the road, absolute heaven! The real stars of the show here though are the <strong>Collared Pratincoles</strong>, with a large flock resting along the dirt tracks, giving stunning views. Around 40 of them were present in the rain, resting, flying around us, feeding in the fields. Sadly the rain killed my optimism to digiscope them, but we returned later in the week....<br />
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Pushing on to check the back of the site, 8 <strong>Spoonbill</strong> flew off one of the pools, and a flock of 5 <strong>Bald Ibis</strong> flew across and landed back near the main road, but here the interest turned to the superb short, flowery meadows surrounding the area. <strong>Calandra Lark</strong> song everywhere! Cracking views were had in the occasional sunshine, even down on the road, joining a few <strong>Tawney Pipit</strong> and <strong>Short-Toed Lark</strong>. A last bonus came in the form of out first <strong>Black-Eared Wheatear</strong> of the trip, running around in the fields with a <strong>Northern Wheatear</strong> as we drove away.<br />
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We drove further down the coast, stopping on top of a very windy hill famous for its vulture colony and being the first place White-Rumped Swift were noted as breeding in the Western Palearctic. A few <strong>Griffons</strong> were hanging around in the strong winds but it was a struggle to find much else. A bit of rock turning revealed a <strong>Fire Salamander</strong>.<br />
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An even more famous birding locality followed, as we turned off the main roads onto the dirt tracks of the famous La Janda, the site of a formally extensive lake, which rather depressingly has been drained completely to reveal miles huge of agricultural fields. We had hoped the rice paddies would be full of wader but it was rather depressing to find the water levels even lower than expected for the time of year, with no obvious Rice paddies found. However the drainage ditches still held a number of waterbirds, a<strong> Green Sandpiper</strong>, <strong>Glossy Ibis</strong>, 5 <strong>Spoonbill </strong>and <strong>Great White Egret</strong> were found among others.<br />
This site is renound for its birds of prey, and a relatively quiet session still revealed, <strong>Merlin</strong>, <strong>Peregrine</strong>, <strong>Booted Eagle</strong>, <strong>Black Kite</strong> and <strong>Marsh Harriers</strong> among the more expected<strong> Griffon Vultures</strong> and <strong>Kestrels</strong>.<br />
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We stopped adjacent to a small pool, and upon leaving the car an exited shout from one of the group had me spinning around to see a bulky blue 'chicken' running through the rushes.. A <strong>Purple</strong> <strong>Swamphen</strong>!! A nice grip back considering I missed the previous one! It ran at full speed into a dense reedbed and disappeared completely. <br />
A little further along the track, a pair of Wheatears that alighted next to the car proved to be one of the most stunning, plumage perfect examples of a pair of <strong>Black-Eared Wheatear</strong>, the male absolutely glowing! <br />
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9/04/15<br />
We planned to head north for the day, to visit the (rather appropriately named) Bonanza Saltpans, on the very edge of the Donana national park. We haden't even made it out onto the main area of Saltpans before the birding began, with the car grinding to a halt with a flock of <strong>Slender Billed Gulls</strong> showing very well next to the road, and from here it only got better. <strong>Black-Winged Stilts</strong> joined the masses of feeding Gulls, and <strong>Sanderling</strong>, <strong>Dunlin</strong> and <strong>Curlew Sandpipers</strong> were flying all around. A <strong>Caspian Tern</strong> lumbered past along the river and the skies around us were filled with <strong>Black Kites</strong>.<br />
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Moving out onto the Saltpans itself, we were soon treated to a 'bonanza' of wader life. Among the hundreds of <strong>Slender-Billed Gulls</strong> were hundreds of waders! The bulk were made of <strong>Curlew</strong> <strong>Sandpipers</strong>, <strong>Dunlin</strong> and <strong>Little Stint</strong>, but the list of species was almost mind boggling! A great bonus came when a winter plumaged <strong>Red-Necked Phalarope</strong> was found feeding among a flock of <strong>Curlew Sandpipers</strong>, result! <br />
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We quickly noticed as well as sheer numbers of birds, across the entire site it proved excellent photographic opportunities, with many birds so habituated to human disturbance you could get excellent views of them!<br />
A number of<strong> Iberian Yellow Wagtails</strong> showed well..<br />
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Flocks of <strong>Kentish Plovers</strong> were showing just as well! <br />
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And so did this nice trio. <br />
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A good flock of <strong>Greater Flamingo</strong> fed out with the Gulls, towering above them and showing considerably better than birds earlier in the week!<br />
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Further scrutiny revealed a number of new birds for the trip, such as<strong> Spotted Redshank</strong>, <strong>Spectacled Warbler</strong>, <strong>Turnstone</strong>, <strong>Little Tern</strong> etc and this was only our first stop of this excellent area for birding.</div>
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Just a kilometre or so further down the road lies the superb freshwater lake at Pinar de algaida which proved very attractive to Ducks, Herons and 'millions' of Mosquitos! A single drake <strong>Garganey</strong> slept on the far side of the pool, joining the rafts of <strong>White-headed Duck</strong>, <strong>Pochard</strong> and <strong>Red-crested Pochard</strong>. The island held a Heron colony, featuring <strong>Night Herons</strong>, <strong>Spoonbills</strong>, <strong>Little</strong> and <strong>Cattle</strong> <strong>Egret</strong>.</div>
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Others had much more luck than I did, but Nightingale, <strong>Western Subalpine Warbler</strong> and <strong>Western</strong> <strong>Bonelli's Warbler </strong>proved the highlights from this <strong>Serin</strong> filled pine woodland.</div>
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Sadly, like La Janda, the expected Rice paddies here were dry, so we made our way around to another saltpan further along, where we managed to find one of my trip targets, <strong>Marbled Teal</strong>! <br />
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Among many of the species mentioned for Bonanza we managed to find a<strong> Lesser Short-toed Lark</strong> feeding adjacent to the road.<br />
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A single <strong>Montagu's Harrier</strong> was found here, as well as a few <strong>Greenshanks</strong>, a <strong>Lesser Black Backed Gull</strong> (surprisingly scarce!) a male <strong>Redstart</strong> and a <strong>Purple Heron</strong> flew out of one of the roadside ditches.</div>
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With the light fading, it was time to find somewhere to eat, so where other than the Oceanside town of Chiponia. <br />
The fact this town has one of the few breeding colonies of Little Swift in western Europe had no bearing on the decision, and we pulled up next to a warehouse on the seafront to immidiatly find ourselves surrounded by the sound and sights of <strong>Little Swifts</strong>! <br />
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Easily in double figures, we managed excellent views as the whizzed past us down to a few feet!<br />
The below photos were taken on my 50mm SLR lens, showing just how close they were! An amazing experience!<br />
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Not many places you can see this, 5 <strong>Little Swifts</strong> following each other! </div>
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In fact, this proved to be a rather good town for our birding, with thousands of <strong>Commic Terns</strong> flying offshore, lots of <strong>Turnstones</strong>, a couple of <strong>Woodchat Shrikes</strong>, a scattering of <strong>Pallid Swifts</strong> and the other two main highlights, a <strong>Great Skua</strong> and 6+ <strong>Mediterranean Gulls</strong> offshore as we ate our meal!<br />
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10/04/15<br />
Having birded the lowlands, it was time to head up into the mountains to find another range of specialities we would be unable to find in any other habitat. As we climbed, <strong>Griffon Vultures</strong> soared, and <strong>Booted</strong> and<strong> Short-toed Eagles</strong> flew through. Even higher still and the <strong>Blue Rock Thrushes</strong> appeared, together with <strong>Black Redstarts</strong> and <strong>Chough</strong>.<br />
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We pulled off the road at various intervals and at one found a wooded stream, where excellent views of <strong>Short-Toed Treecreeper</strong> were had, together with an <strong>Iberian Shrike</strong>.<br />
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Our next destination proved to have loads of birds, and also fair numbers of <strong>Yellow Bee</strong>, <strong>Mirror</strong> and <strong>Birds Nest Orchids</strong>. With searching, a flock of <strong>Rock Sparrows</strong> was found, with both <strong>Alpine Swifts</strong> and <strong>Bonelli's Eagles</strong> wheeling overhead. This also proved a good area for <strong>Bonelli's Warbler</strong>, with at least 5 singing in a small area.<br />
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Wanting to venture even higher, we climbed further, until we managed to locate one of our targets, as a male<strong> Black Wheatear</strong> sat on the rocks in front of us. The group spread out, finding some interesting butterflies and eventually added to the bird list as 2<strong> Rock buntings</strong> flicked between bushes at the bottom of the valley.<br />
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It was also here fairly large migrating parties of raptors, primarily <strong>Black Kites</strong> was flying over at a great altitude. With the area explored, unfortunately dipping out on the roosting Eagle Owl which is supposed to be at the site, we moved around to another nearby site, and while driving along, a herd of <strong>Iberian Ibex</strong> were showing. Before skilfully climbing up the vertical rockface behind them.</div>
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The whole valley proved popular for <strong>Black Wheatear</strong> and <strong>Black Redstart</strong>, but here the main highlight was a rather brief, and slightly distant female <strong>Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush</strong>, glowing orange in the sun atop the ridge.<br />
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11/04/15<br />
With the last day looming it was time to witness the feat of nature that happens in Southern Spain twice every year, the arduous Raptor migration across the Straights of Gibraltar. Here it is possible to see hundreds (thousands?) of migrant Birds of Prey in a day however due to the ongoing storm arriving off the Atlantic the number of birds cross the open water was lower than it can be. However for someone who has never witnessed this feat before, it was still somewhat of a spectacle.<br />
Picking up a huge <b>Short</b>-<b>Toed Eagle </b>lumbering its way across the water with a background of oil tankers, cruisers and the African coastline is certainly one of those sights that really needs to be seen. In our few short hours at the Tarifa migration watchpoint, we logged over 150 BoPs, including flocks of <b>Short-Toed</b> and <b>Booted Eagle</b>, with similarly large numbers of<b> Black Kite</b> and <b>Lesser Kestrel</b>! Moving on a smaller scale were the 'smaller' raptors, however <b>Montagu's Harriers</b>, <b>Marsh Harriers</b>, <b>Sparrowhawks </b>and <b>Kestrels </b>all made an appearance.<br />
By the time they had approached Europe, most were feeling the toll of the long (by raptor standards) sea crossing, and therefore many would fly past at almost touching distance! We returned later in the day after a short journey out to check a couple of other sites, and a <b>Booted Eagle</b> missed by head by inches, a great experience!<br />
Away from the Raptors though, a good variety of other birds were found, with seabirds consisting of <b>Scopoli's</b>/ <b>Corys Shearwater</b>, 5 <b>Great Skua </b>and flypasts from 3 <b>Audouins Gulls</b>!<br />
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The small woodlands were also alive with activity, with butterflies and birds everywhere, and with a bit of searching, a few <b>Melodious Warblers </b>and Singles of <b>Willow Warbler </b>and <b>Garden Warbler </b>were dug out, together with <b>Redstarts </b>and <b>Cirl Buntings</b>.<br />
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During the Tarifa vigial, the brief interlude elsewhere took us to 'Tarifa beach' (Playa de los lances) where we found 2 adult <b>Audouins Gulls </b>looking superb sitting among a flock of <b>Yellow-Legged Gulls</b>. Also here were some super gingery <b>Short-Toed Larks</b> and <b>Kentish Plover</b> with some tiny fluffy pom poms of chicks.<br />
We chose to head back onto the Sierra de la plata, where, with the wind slightly less strong, we managed to see an <b>Egyptian Vulture</b>, as well as a few migrating Raptors moving up from Tarifa, with a bonus <b>White Stork</b>.<br />
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Before heading to our final location of the trip, we dropped back into Barbate marshes again, where the <b>Collared Pratincole</b> flock had increased to around 80 birds, and similarly to last time they were showing very well. And with the evening sun glowing off them it was well worth some time getting some photos of these stunning birds.</div>
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Many of the birds here were similar to the last visit, however this still included the great variety. A flock of <b>Greater Flamingo</b> fed out on the saltpans, and the <b>Stone Curlews</b> were still present on the first mudflat. As we sat with the Pratincoles, 2 large terns flew up off the distant pan and flew directly towards us and over our heads, 2 <b>Caspian Tern </b>giving a bins filling view! A single <b>Grey Plover</b> fed on one of the pools, and we had good views of 12<b> Bald Ibis </b>as they pottered about around the fields next to the road.</div>
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With the day, and the trip drawing to a close it was time to finish with a bang, so we made our way to a known site for <b>Black-Winged Kite</b>, and we had only just pulled up when, rather distantly, a pair of these stunning raptors were found hovering and chasing each other. A superb way to finish the trip!</div>
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The photos aren't really worth showing, but while watching the Kites, a <b>Quail </b>started singing, and before we knew it, it was dark, and that was that, the end of the trip.</div>
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A huge thanks to all involved, to Oli for organizing it, and to some great company throughout the entire week.</div>
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<br />midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-28802287767638690612015-06-24T19:00:00.000+01:002015-06-24T19:00:06.008+01:00March 2015- Alpine Swift, YBW & RND<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A lot of uninspiring 'patchworking' of multiple sites was very similar to the latter of last month. A <b>Little Grebe </b>and <b>Water Rail </b>remained on Patch on 1st. </div>
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It was brightened up with a very unexpected site first at Parkes Hall Reservoir on 4th though, when a drake <b>Shelduck </b>was present. Something I didn't expect at all while heading out for an evening walk!</div>
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The first highlight of the month came on 6th, when news emerged late evening of a <b>Yellow-Browed Warbler</b> at a sewage treatment works just outside Sedgeberrow, near Pershore. It was in county, so it wasn't too hard a decision to head over there the next morning. It didn't take long to get out first views. A really smart winter gem!</div>
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It seems as if these things are now yearly in Worcestershire, which is an anomaly compared to the track record of other midlands countys.</div>
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Cracking views were had as it initially used the barbed wire fence adjacent to the sewage beds as a launching post before dropping down to feed on the pans. As it warmed up, insects became more active, and the bird followed them out into the trees, and it spent the latter half of the visit feeding up higher in the trees.</div>
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It wasn't exactly far to Ashleworth Ham from here, and with the sporadic appearances of a drake Green winged Teal we gave it a go. Sadly no yank Teal, but a top class list of winter birds. A very good variety of dabbling ducks, and a very good flock of <b>Common Gulls</b>. It didn't take long for my curiosity of the Gull flock to materialize, and it took a matter of seconds to locate one of my targets, a <b>Mediterranean Gull</b>, a rather pretty 2w bird, but soon more <b>Common Gulls </b>flew in, and with them, an adult <b>Mediterranean Gull</b>, Nice!</div>
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A <b>Red Kite </b>flew low over, which added another unexpected bonus to the day.</div>
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On the 8th,a <b>Barnacle Goose </b>joined a few <b>Canada Geese </b>on the patch. Interestingly, a bird also appeared around this time 2 years ago. Similarly, the both stuck around for some time, and this bird became a permanent fixture of the patch for a number of weeks.</div>
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Sometimes in birding you have surreal moments that you simply can't begin to comprehend what just happened, and the 9th March was one of those days. A fairly typical day, a number of lectures, and just a bit dull weather wise. Nothing in the slightest to get exited about right?</div>
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With lectures over, I was out into the courtyard and out of reflex the first thing I did was look to the skies, a couple of <b>Feral Pigeon</b>, typical... But as I glanced up, the unmistakable shape of a Swift rose up from behind the building opposite me!!</div>
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A Swift in March is always going to hit the 'PANIC' button, more so for the fact I didn't have my bins in hand and I couldn't see any sort of plumage details on it due to the white sky. It was merely a silhouette, but instantly it was obvious it was big and bulky. A few seconds, a couple of flaps, and it was across the top of the building and towards the Church/town centre.</div>
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Other than the certainty it was a Swift, which one?!?</div>
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Wanting to get people looking to the skies, a panicked tweet went out on my twitter and texts sent to all locals who may be in the area (including a number who were working in the office buildings around me!) in the hope it would be picked up/ people would run out of work.</div>
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Minutes of anxiety followed, I now had bins in hand and was scanning the skies, please tell me that wasn't it! As a gut feeling I knew it was an Alpine, but I just couldn't say it with that view.</div>
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A minute turned to 5 minutes, 5 turned into 30.</div>
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I was now standing around the opposite side of the church, facing towards the town, skies darkening by the minute. And then there it was, 35 minutes after I first saw it, a large Swift came cruising down the road below the height of the buildings, initially with its wings tilted showing its upperwing, then banking to show me its underside, with its huge white belly patch. <b>ALPINE SWIFT</b>! Absolute frigging MEGA! I watched it until it disappeared behind a building and I ran to get a better viewpoint, tweeting about its reappearance as I ran (hence the barely comprehensible message). The first birder arrived only 5-10 minutes after this, and as they arrived so did the rain. And that was that. It disappeared. Did it roost before the rain? Did it push off ahead of the weather system? Who knows. I stuck around until after dark, and spent most of the next day looking, but nothing, the skies above Wolverhampton returning to the Feral Pigeons and F-15s.</div>
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With my enthusiasm levels up high, it didn't take much effort to wake up early on the 14th and get out on patch, and I was in for yet another treat. The <b>Barnacle Goose</b> was still around, but I was anxious to check the quarry, and it was a good job I was, because as I arrived I picked up two waders on the mud at the far end of the flood. <b>RINGED PLOVERS</b>!! Getting the scope on them, I then realised that there were infact 3 waders, a pair of <b>Ringed Plover </b>and a <b>Dunlin</b>! Absolutely mega patch birds! They fed on the mud for around 30 minutes, before taking flight, climbing high and flying off north. Exactly what I had been waiting for when the quarry flooded last autumn!</div>
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A late evening visit to Upton Warren that evening gave me a showy <b>Redshank </b>and a <b>Green Sandpiper</b>, the former being a species I don't see regularly at the site anymore.</div>
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The next morning (15th) I was out on patch again, and I again found a good number of decent patch birds, with the highlight being a drake <b>Teal</b>, which came off the 'Wigeon lake' at Blackstone. A <b>Snipe </b>also flew out from the edge of the pool and the <b>Water Rail </b>scurried along the edge of the willows. 2 <b>Yellowhammer </b>gave me a flyover and it was a 3 goose day, with <b>Canada</b>, <b>Barnacle </b>and a flyover flock of 3 <b>Greylags</b>.</div>
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On 17th, I journeyed over to Sandwell Valey RSPB to meet with a couple of Uni friends. A few hours of walking around Forge Mill and the RSPB area gave us a few nice birds. My First <b>Little Ringed Plover </b>of the year, a flock of 20 <b>Barnacle Geese</b>, 3 <b>Parakeets </b>and a <b>Jack Snipe </b>in the marsh.<br />
Perhaps the most unusual addition being a <b>Harris Hawk</b>, which repeatedly flew over the RSPB area.<br />
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I have been watching Parkes Hall regularly, to not much reward, however on the 18th, a <b>Red Kite </b>flew south over Tenacre Fields. The first in the area for me!<br />
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After a fairly standard patch walk on 21st, and working in the afternoon, I was able to drop into Upton Warren flashes for the roost. All pretty standard stuff until late on when a superb adult summer <b>Mediterranean Gull </b>dropped into roost. What a looker!</div>
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With news having emerged that a drake <b>Ring-Necked Duck</b> had turned up at Priorslee Lake, Shropshire the previous day, we journeyed up there the next morning. News hadn't been released so we were going in blind but it was great to see on arrival that the bird was still present, and showing increasingly well as the morning progressed. Much better views compared to my previous (and only other) RND in the UK, a very distant bird on the Ouse Washes.<br />
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On our success we took a punt to go looking for a specific species, and a while later we were out searching. Not really hoping for much due to it getting towards mid morning it was somewhat shocking to find our targets within a few minutes of leaving the car, and we were soon getting crippling views of 3 <b>Woodlarks</b>, with a 4th singing off in the distance! You really couldn't have asked for much better, feeding in short grass right next to (and often on) a public footpath. Easily the best views I had managed of this species to date!<br />
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It then went quiet for a few days, visiting my usual local sites for not a huge reward. So instead I used the lull to practise some digiscoping skills, and this <b>Chiffchaff </b>obliged.<br />
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With the month coming to an end, and with migrants arriving, I journeyed over to Ryders Mere with a friend on 26th. Originally we had planned to drop into Stubbers Green but the Brent Geese had flown off, and following an uneventful stop, we carried on to the Mere. A good selection of birds were present but we knew out main target was on the marsh so we walked over there. It didn't take long before the female <b>Garganey </b>flew past us, and over the next hour we had a number of brief views. We walked to check elsewhere, but while doing so I saw a duck in the distance briefly which circled the Marsh. "Looked like a Mandarin" I thought to myself, but given the view it wasn't even worth calling.<br />
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We however walked back past the Marsh, and instantly there on the water was a drake <b>Mandarin</b>! Apparently only the 3rd site record and a couple of local patchworkers were soon on their way to twitch it! As we waited for them to arrive, the <b>Garganey </b>flew in, and swam about with the Mandarin for a while, before swimming off into the rushes. We stuck around until the first birder arrived, but as he approached, the Mandarin had flown. It seemed to drop down again in the distance, so following a brief search, the bird was refound on a 'puddle' at the north end of the site. Job done. Everyone was happy.<br />
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I was back in the home county on the 28th and again it was time for a roost session at Upton Warren. Again quiet until another <b>Mediterranean Gull,</b> this time a 2s dropped in to roost. Equally as stunning as the adult the previous weekend. Those primarys are just... Wow!<br />
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The last birding day of the month was spent on patch, and my effort was rewarded with a very good view of a female <b>Merlin</b>, which barrelled through the Quarry as I was unsuccessfully trying to find a few waders. I wonder why with this bundle of anger and feathers bombing around. Needless, a very good patch bird, and I left the patch very happy that day.</div>
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MB</div>
midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-91321562560521216192015-06-03T19:00:00.000+01:002015-06-03T19:00:00.259+01:00February 2015<div style="text-align: center;">
Long time no see yet again!</div>
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Slipping further and further behind as ever, but I still do intend to catch up with myself</div>
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The month started with the usual work party and Upton Warren on the 1st, where the standout highlight was 13<b> Jack Snipe</b> and 18 <b>Commons</b>. A fairly low total for <b>Common Snipe </b>but a half decent count for the Jacks.</div>
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A mess of local birding followed, without seeing very much, including regular failed attempts at gulling around the Stubbers area, which returned no reward. So it was gratefully received on 7th when a day out was offered in south Wales, with a whole host of scarcities to keep up occupied. First of was the stunning <b>Little Bunting</b> at Forest farm country park, which showed superbly throughout the visit. Perhaps too well!</div>
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Due to the awkward position for digiscoping I often had to go to the furthest point away in the hide, which meant I was looking through a fence for most of the time, but the bird performed admirably!</div>
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After our fill, and wanting to avoid the increasing crowds, we moved out from the country right into the center of Cardiff for the regularly returning drake <b>Lesser Scaup</b>, which was located without too much fuss swimming about with a large group of <b>Tufted Duck</b>. Having chosen to reside at the furthest point away from the viewpoint, and with strong and cold winds, we didnt stay around long, moving onto Newport RSPB.</div>
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The RSPB site itself was very quiet, a good number of waders on the estuary being the saving grace, featuring <b>Grey Plover</b>, <b>Bar </b>and <b>Black tailed Godwit</b>. A quick tea break led us to see <b>Peregrine </b>and <b>Kestrel </b>from the Cafe, which signalled the start of a bit of a raptorfest!.</div>
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Moving around to the Goldcliff Pools, we quickly located the wintering <b>Spotted Redshank</b>, a few <b>Pintail </b>etc. All was quiet untill from over the top of the hide can a raptor. Dropping low over the water in front of us a white rump gleamed. Ringtail <b>Hen Harrier</b>!!</div>
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She gave a good show for a couple of minutes, hunting around the pools, before drifting off over the seawall back towards the RSPB center.</div>
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While following it in the scope it dropped down, and while trying to pick it up again, another raptor appeared, another Harrier! But this was 4th raptor species in only 15 minutes, a juvenile <b>Marsh Harrier</b>! But no, it wasn't to end there, a male <b>Sparrowhawk </b>bombed past the hide only seconds after. With 5 species of Raptor on show in a matter of 30 seconds (<b>Marsh</b>, <b>Hen</b>, <b>Buzzard</b>, <b>Sprawk </b>and <b>Kestrel</b>) it was pretty good going. With most of the birds having gone into hiding, we left the hide, and while talking to a local birder about the enduring raptorfest, our 7th raptor species in 30 minutes appeared, as a female <b>Merlin </b>zoomed past us!! What a way to spend half an hour!</div>
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To finish the raptor extravaganza, we decided to take in some Owls, and an hour or so later, we were watching 4 <b>Short-Eared Owls</b> hunting over a weedy field, often at point blank range! But it didn't end there, a quick scope job of 3 distant raptors proved them to be <b>Red Kites</b>, Raptor species number of for the day, a superb days winter birding!</div>
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The very next morning, and I was out again, this time heading north into Cheshire, looking for my 2nd yank in 2 days. Heavy fog shrouded us as we arrived at New Brighton, and visibility was very restricted. We perserveered however, and after an hour or so, decided to try our luck with the Snow Buntings down the road, to return back to the marina later.</div>
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The <b>Snow Buntings </b>didn't prove too hard to find, as a pair shuffled about on the Wallsey end of the beach. Not wanting them to bother them too much in the cold weather we moved off, and then we heard that the Laughing Gull had just been refound. Perfect.</div>
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A minute drive back down the road, a trudge across the beach out to the lighthouse, and there in the still thick fog was the 1st winter <b>Laughing Gull</b>, standing out like a sore thumb. Good views were had as it ran about on the beach with the <b>Redshanks </b>and <b>Turnstones</b>, but the fog did prove very annoying.</div>
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However it was great to watch it flying around etc, showing off extremely well just how dark its plumage was! </div>
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A bonus 6 <b>Purple Sandpiper </b>out on the breakwater was a nice addition, but with limited time, and as the previous day, the freezing wind, it was hard to stay out too long.</div>
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We retreated to Burton Mere RSPB, almost entirely to see the roosting <b>Long-Eared Owl</b>, which was showing superbly on the track to the IMF hide.</div>
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A <b>Spotted Redshank </b>overflew the site when we checked the scrape, but it was otherwhys fairly quiet, particularly when compared to my last visit here!</div>
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Checking West Park revealed that <b>Med Gull</b> PNU9 was still present, with its hood becoming increasinfgly prominent on the 9th, with it last been seen on the 17th.</div>
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With the Water Pipits having returned to Doxey Marshes, it would have been rude not to visit, hence on a dreary 11th, i was stood scanning Pipits and Wagtails. Once reaching the right location, it didn't take too long to locate a <b>Water Pipit</b>, and by the time I left a few hours later, I was confident that there were at least 2 on show, with probably more.</div>
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The 'resident' 2 <b>Barnacle Goose</b> were often flying around and a good variety of wetland birds was present, including 10 <b>Goosanders</b>, 4 <b>Little Egret </b>and at least 6 <b>Water Rail</b>. A number of <b>Stonechats </b>were flicking around near the Water Pipit site, and some great views of <b>Cetti's Warbler </b>were had.</div>
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A patch visit on 15th revealed 2 hard to find patch birds, with both <b>Little Grebe </b>and <b>Water Rail </b>being present, both of which went on to stay around for a few weeks. A good flock of 119 <b>Lapwing </b>were also in the quarry.</div>
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The 21st saw my annual trip over to Draycote Water. Despite having a good number of good birds, we managed to dip the drake Smew, but a couple of hours getting wet, cold, and hailed upon proved worthwhile with a <b>Black-Necked Grebe</b>, a flock of 25 <b>Tree Sparrows</b> and the <b>Greylag Goose </b>flock containing a pair of <b>White-Fronted Goose</b> and a<b> Pink-Footed Goose</b>.</div>
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The last birding trip of the year took me to North Wales, where an early morning drive around the mountains saw us seeing a lekking flock of 22 <b>Black Grouse</b>! Very good, but distant views were hard in the breezy conditions, but it was great to watch them strutting their stuff on the grassy slopes.</div>
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2 <b>Red Grouse</b>, and a flyover flock of 3 <b>Crossbill </b>were the only other notable birds present in this very hostile, cold place!</div>
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A seawatch from Old Colwyn included the expected masses of<b> Common Scoter</b>, including a partially leucistic bird, but we failed to find any Surfs. We did however find 3 <b>Velvet Scoter</b>, with a nice cast of 7 <b>Red-Throated Diver</b> and 10 <b>Red-Breasted Merganser</b>. A flock of 5 <b>Whooper Swan </b>flew west far our at sea, which proved for a rather awesome, if random sight!</div>
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With a showy <b>Iceland Gull </b>being up the road it wasn't a hard decision to go take a look, and from the car as we pulled in you could see the bird, down on the sand, being thrown copious amounts of bread by a couple of photographers. I wasn't going to complain, as within a minute I was getting views like this. Absolutely stunning!</div>
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A drake <b>Red-Breasted Merganser </b>was showing well on the same tidal pool, until it and the <b>Iceland Gull </b>was flushed by a rampant Dog, much to everyones annoyance.</div>
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A check of the <b>Scoter </b>flock proved difficult, with distance and increasingly strong wind proving a problem. Needless to say, no luck here either.</div>
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With a few hours still remaining of daylight, and on the way home, we dropped into Venus Pool, where a Ringtail <b>Hen Harrier</b> had been hanging around. We had seen it briefly just north of the site on the drive down, but it proved elusive once we reached the site, and having given it a really good time, we only saw it once briefly for a matter of 20 seconds. We were however entertained by a large flock of winter Finches/ Buntings, which included around 100 <b>Yellowhammers</b>, 15 <b>Reed Buntings </b>and a flock of 17 <b>Corn Bunting</b>. The latter a very good record for the site!</div>
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midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-7951566440537226712015-03-31T19:00:00.000+01:002015-03-31T19:00:05.037+01:00The catch up- January 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Yes yes, I know. Here we go again, 5 weeks without a post.</div>
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The usual excuses are again exercised, Uni work, and to busy with actual fieldwork to update here. So here we are, another catch up post!</div>
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It's better than nothing!</div>
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1/01/15</div>
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After a night partying into the new year, I found myself stumbling through the city centre early the next afternoon after waking at a friends flat. It was straight down to West Park, where I managed to grab a few 'new year' ticks. Nothing special, but highlighted by the wintering <strong>Pochard</strong> and <strong>Shoveler</strong>.</div>
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Throughout January I was visiting West Park with regularity, so I wont be commenting on every visit, as the details from which are very monotonous and 'samey'.</div>
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3/01/15</div>
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The next birding adventure was pursuing one of my winter pastimes.</div>
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Bartley had an Iceland Gull visiting, so it didn't take much coercing to get my ass over there. With most of the Gulls at the west end, I moved around to view through the fence and here I met all the usual assemblage of Gullers. Nothing interesting had come in yet.</div>
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With the sailing boats having retreated back to dry land for the night, the gulls started drifting out, and so did most of the birders to the usual viewpoint off Scotland Lane.</div>
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A matter of minutes after, and I picked up the regular 2w <strong>Caspian Gull</strong> nice and close in. Needless to say, a few decent views (gull roost standards) were had, and soon after the guys up on Scotland lane picked it up also.</div>
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Again not much longer after, a return call came, the Iceland just dropped in!</div>
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We rushed around the corner, but the bird had flown. Having already set my tripod up, I chose to run the 100 or so metres to the high ground, and a little bit of scanning and BINGO!</div>
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3rd winter <strong>Iceland Gull</strong>!</div>
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Very distant, but shining like a beacon among the throng of white, grey and black.</div>
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I even managed a couple of record shots (literally!) showing the bird.</div>
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Iceland Gull (Red) and Mediterranean Gull (Black)</div>
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A Med Gull was called from near the bird, but no-one other than the finder managed to see it. That was until I reviewed my photos 2 months later and found the bird in question in a matter of 10 seconds. Ah, how easy is this Gulling lark when you don't have to contend with field conditions and freezing shanking hands! Needless to say. I'm not counting it, but a great reminder about how birds can so easily go 'under the radar'.</div>
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4/01/15</div>
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Patch birding followed, which boosted the year list significantly, gathering a couple of decent patch birds in the process in the form of a <strong>Snipe</strong> and a flyover <strong>Yellowhammer</strong>. The <strong>Lapwing</strong> flock in the quarry had levelled out to 54.</div>
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6/01/15</div>
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With the <strong>Great-Northern Diver</strong> still being in residence at Ryders Mere, it would have been wrong to not visit right?</div>
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So I found myself on a muddy shoreline getting cracking views of the juvenile bird as I made my way to Chasewater for the roost. A really nice supporting cast of birds here also, which shows just how top quality this site is, particularly so being within an urban area! </div>
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Moving onto Chasewater, it actually turned into a very productive visit. Highlighted by a 2nd winter <strong>GLAUCOUS GULL</strong> which arrived quite late in the roost. White wingers have been particularly scarce in this area this winter in comparison to the last few years, so to get both within the first week of the year was good going! Add to this, 2 <strong>Caspian Gulls</strong> and 2 <strong>Yellow-Legged Gulls</strong>. A very good if very cold visit!</div>
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8/01/15</div>
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Following a session in West Park, I moved around to Parkes Hall, where a flock of 15 <strong>Goosanders</strong> (4 drk) greeted m. The <strong>Mute Swan</strong> remained (the first site record!) and a good flock of 28 <strong>Moorhen</strong> remained.</div>
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10/01/15</div>
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A little bit of dirty twitching, or actually, lets rephrase that... I dropped into Worcester Cathedral to pay homage to the long staying, and often elusive <strong>Black Redstart</strong>. It was actually the first time I have visited the Cathedral to look for a 'Black Red', which are present most winters. I have heard tales of peope dipping this birds regularly, but within 15 minutes, up popped the bird, quivering tail and all, out in the sun above the Stonemasons Garden. Cracking scope views were had as it flicked, flycatched and shimmied along the ledges. Always a real treat!</div>
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Having just brought a digiscoping adaptor from the Birders Store down the road, this bird was my first 'subject', and it chose to be very obliging.</div>
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(Literally the first photo I took with the new adaptor in 'field conditions;)</div>
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I spent all the time I possibly could with the bird before the time ran out on the parking meter, during which she preformed admirably! </div>
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Wanting to try out the apaptor further, we moved around the Upton Warren, where, as luck would have it, a 1st winter drake <strong>Pintail</strong> had dropped in for the day! Not a bird I see at Upton regularly, so very chuffed with that stroke of luck! A<strong> Little Egret</strong> was also still around.</div>
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I tried my luck with birds on the feeders, and this stunning mossy male <strong>Greenfinch</strong> probably turned out the best.</div>
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11/01/15</div>
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Another day, another visit to the mecca (Upton Warren that is). The first work party of the year, and with the allure of Jack Snipe, who could resist. Prior to work, we undertook the usual Snipe count/flush, which proved very productive, with 15 <strong>Jack Snipe</strong>, and 40+ <strong>Commons</strong>!</div>
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Now before I get rolling eyes and 'that look', it must be said that these counts are an intrinsic part of our management regime, and without them, we would never know if the habitat management is working. And as anyone can see from these results, it really is! </div>
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Birding was limited throughout the work party, but a <strong>Great-Black backed Gull</strong> flew over, a very scarce yearly visitor to the Warren, so a great tick to get under the belt so early.</div>
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The usual after work birding party moved to the Moors to finish the day, where our luck was in! At very last light, a <strong>BITTERN</strong> clambered its way to the tops of the reeds. Having had a Bittern found dead only a few days before we were very relieved to still have a bird on site. Infact, it was my first at the Warren in almost 2 years! A great way to end what is always an enjoyable, if hard day!</div>
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12/01/15</div>
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Another visit to West Park called, and I finally connected with the 2 <strong>Ring-necked Parakeets</strong> that had been hanging around for a while. Somehow they had managed to elude me for two weeks, but eventually nice views were had of them sqwarking on the island.</div>
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Moving onto Stubbers Green, it was very uneventful bird wise, so the less I talk the better. Hitching a ride with a friend and his companion, we then moved around to Ryders Mere, where I took a 3rd helping of <strong>Great-northern Diver</strong>. Still present and accounted for...</div>
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Having just arrived, we walked to the nearest birder, who informed us that he thought he had a <strong>Caspian Gull</strong>. Guiding me onto the bird and I was faced by an absolute cracker of an adult bird! A real classic. 'Daz white' head, small beady eye, long parallel edged bill and best of all, a huge dollop of white of p10, with that classic white tip. Stunner!</div>
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Our main target though had been eluding us, so with only 5 or so minutes of usable light remaining, we rushed around for another viewpoint on the western shoreline.</div>
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Plonking the scope down, 3 seconds worth of scanning....</div>
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"<strong>GLAUC</strong>"</div>
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Everyone was on the bird, but the reason I had came up again was to get some video. (It had been showing well for a number of days). Unfortunately it wasn't too close, and annoyingly, wherever it had been foraging it had picked up some dirt on one of its right primarys, and given how dark it was, this was only exaggerated. Not the footage I had hoped, but it gives me something to improve on!</div>
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16/01/15</div>
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Visited Chasewater again in the hope of finding the two headlining Gulls for Mike. Unfortunatly the Glauc was a no show, but Mike picked up the adult <strong>Caspian</strong> from a couple of nights before. After a winter of trying, I also managed to see the 'White winged' <strong>Herring Gull</strong>, which was pottering about near the powerboat club.</div>
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17/01/15</div>
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A rather uninspiring afternoon wardening at the Warren. The usual array of birds were present, but this <strong>Blue Tit</strong> beside the hide was looking stunning.</div>
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18/01/15</div>
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What January would be complete without a visit to Slimbridge WWT. With the weather not being particularly cold (despite my hands still telling me it was!) the numbers of birds around the reserve had not reached their usual peaks, with many having short stopped on the continent.</div>
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Even though not of the usual size, many of the flocks were still of huge size so certainly gave me something to scan through throughout the day! A flock of <strong>Little Stints</strong> had been hanging around with the <strong>Dunlin</strong> flock for much of the winter, and I managed to locate one fairly quickly, rather obligingly pottering about in the long grass pretty close to the hide.</div>
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The Goose and Swan flocks have been particularly low. Only around 100 <strong>White-fronted Geese</strong> were on site, add to this only 80 <strong>Bewick's Swans</strong> and you can see what I meant with my earlier statement. A single <strong>Pink-footed Goose</strong> was found however, lumbering about at the back of one of the pools on site.</div>
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3 <strong>Avocets</strong> were the first to return to the site this year, and while watching 2 GCP Common Cranes from the Sloane Tower, a distant <strong>Barn Owl</strong> started hunting the reedbeds around the Zeiss Hide, rather confusingly, at around 12:30 in the middle of the day!</div>
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A Kestrel was showing very well from one of the hides, but unfortunately the crowds in the hide meant the floor was shaking like crazy!</div>
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22/01/15</div>
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A walk down to West Park was livened up when this stunning Gull decided to drop onto the pool! A stunning <strong>Mediterranean Gull</strong>. A great bird for such a site, and luckily it hung around well into the winter so all could come and admire it. Funnily enough, just before I scanned the Black-headed Gulls I remember saying "Wouldn't it be funny if there was a Med Gull in that lot".... A matter of 15 seconds later and I was calling out there actually was a Med Gull in there! Amazing!</div>
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23/01/15</div>
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Having noticed the<strong> Med Gull</strong> was ringed as it flew off, I returned the following day in the hope it would visit again, and luckily, on my very first scan, there it was, perched out on ice revealing its leg-ring code to be PNU9.The midlands seen to have a track records with these 'PNU' birds. I have previously seen PNU4, and PNU5 has been seen a number of times, so this bird made the 3rd PNU bird to be seen in the midlands within only a few years. These Polish Med Gulls certainly do like the midlands!</div>
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The bird was seen throughout January, and continued to visit until at least the 17/02.</div>
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While trying to find the Med Gull for a friend, we were caught in a heavy snowstorm. This <strong>Shoveler</strong> looked about as happy as I was to be in such weather. (Grim)</div>
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31/01/15</div>
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The last afternoon of the month was spent at Upton Warren, looking at the Gular pouch angle on Cormorants. Such a glamorous life.</div>
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This <strong>Cormorant</strong> however, was looking absolutely fabulous! </div>
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<br />midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-55303048193656002932015-02-16T19:00:00.000+00:002015-02-16T21:49:06.091+00:00Fudge, Blyth's, Shorelark, Rosy Pastor, Black Red and the rest of the highlights<div style="text-align: center;">
So, 3 months behind, I think it is time we got this show on the road right?!</div>
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I will start by saying this will not be a run down of every days birding I had in November, but simply the highlights, or anything I think of note.</div>
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18/11/14</div>
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A break from coursework and revision led me around to Parkes Hall Pool, which, despite being quiet, I managed superb views of a <strong>Grey Wagtail</strong> feeding on the track</div>
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22/11/14</div>
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With the quarry on patch having flood it is quickly becoming one of the highlights from a visit to the patch (spring is approaching, watch this space!) and it has been producing a steady trickle of decent birds (mostly at a patch level). On my first scan I picked up 3 dabbling ducks on the forever increasing size of the water body. 2 <strong>Wigeon</strong> and a <strong>Teal</strong>, all females but all unusual on a patch standing. The Wigeon were only the 2nd and 3rd I have ever seen on patch so to say I was chuffed was an understatement! </div>
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23/11/14</div>
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Wanting to check for the presence of the dabblers again, I quickly headed up to the quarry, but the ducks had disappeared. However, a Gull flock had started to develop, and a little bit of scanning pulled out a patch mega!</div>
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A 1st winter <strong>Mediterranean Gull</strong> had joined the flock!!</div>
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No less than a patch first, ecstatic! </div>
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25/11/14</div>
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Gulls have featured prominently this winter. Most of my birding exploits have revolved around visits to Chasewater for the roost, and I have managed a number of highlights. On an evening at Chasewater, I managed to locate 3 <strong>Willow Tits</strong> among a tit flock on the eastern shoreline of the reservoir, a much enjoyed record considering how rarely I see them! The roost didn't hold anything that make your hair stand on end, but an adult <strong>Mediterranean Gull</strong> and 4 <strong>Yellow-legged Gulls</strong> were worth getting cold for!</div>
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29/11/14</div>
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Following a session on patch, I heard news that the adult male <strong>Black Redstart</strong> was still showing at the Birders Store in St Johns, Worcester, and it would have been rude to have not made the pilgrimage to see my first 'Black Red' of the drake variety! Great views were had as it flicked around St Johns church, never remaining still for more than a few seconds, making digi-scoping difficult! What a stonker of a bird though!</div>
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30/11/14</div>
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The next day was a dirty twitch down to Bristol where an adult <strong>Rose-coloured Starling</strong> had been residing. After a very unpromising start, being surrounded in dense fog for nearly 3 hours, eventually it cleared, and as soon as it did, low and behold, a striking black and 'white' Starling flew over our heads from some distance away. It dropped into the bushes next to us, where we had brief, obstructed, but good views in someones garden. Unfortunately, some t**t with a camera then thought the best option was to climb a fence on someones private property and flop their lens over the top, flushing the bird and it then not showing for a further 3 hours. Luckily he left a soon as he did honestly, I can imagine a few words having been traded if he had stayed more than 20 seconds after committing his offence. </div>
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3/12/14</div>
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Nothing hugely of note, but there was a nice close female <strong>Goosander</strong> at Sheepwash.</div>
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7/12/14</div>
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A work party session at Upton Warren included some pre, and post work birding, where a <strong>Green Woodpecker</strong> showed insanely well from the hide. During our work, we undertook a Snipe count, in which 8 <strong>Jack Snipe</strong> were counted, among 20 or so <strong>Common</strong>.</div>
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8/12/14</div>
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A pair of <strong>Ring-necked Parakeets</strong> were showing 'rather well' at a local park.</div>
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9/12/14</div>
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A reconnaissance trip to Chasewater/ Stubbers Green for a forthcoming NGB day the following weekend turned out rather well! Stubbers had a good number of Gulls, including a fine adult <strong>Yellow-legged Gull</strong>, as well as a 2w bird.</div>
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But the main interest was witnessed from the south shore of Chasewater, where quite bizarrely, an adult<strong> Bewick's Swan</strong> was feeding/ roosting among the Mute Swan, dodgy domestic hybrid geese and ducks! My first for the WMBC region, and honestly something i really was not expecting to see on my visit that evening!</div>
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The roost was rather quiet, but of very large size, the highlight being the 4 <strong>Yellow-legged Gulls</strong> again.</div>
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13/12/14</div>
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The NGB Gulls day came, but Gull wise it was rather disappointing at the 'day sites'. A 'near adult' <strong>Yellow-legged Gull</strong> the pick of the bunch at Stubbers, but our day was to get much more interesting/complicated once we arrived at the south shore, Chasewater for the roost.</div>
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Pretty soon, James panned onto a rather strikingly obvious Gull, which seemed to show many characteristics of Ring-billed Gull! Significant discussion followed, and I don't think a true, and agreed answer was ever found. Was it 'the' hybrid. Was it a backcross? Was it a pure RBG? Who knows. You win some you lose some.</div>
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In my opinion, I believe it to have been A hybrid, but not 'THE' hybrid. But what do I know.</div>
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Our main aim for the day though was <strong>Caspian Gull</strong>, and we were obliged by a rather pretty and outstanding 2nd winter near the jetties, which we managed very good views of. For the 3rd visit running, we managed to pick up 4 <strong>YLG</strong>.</div>
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14/12/14</div>
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A rather 'spur of the moment' trip took place the following day as I decided to join 3 of my companions from the previous day (and another NGB) as we headed north. Spending the night at Zacs house, we made the quick journey to Rossall Point at dawn, where on our first walk down the beach managed to 'find' a female <strong>Snow Bunting</strong>, which was showing so closely from the concrete path the whole did didn't fit into the scope at minimum zoom!</div>
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An <strong>Eider</strong> was out on the mudflats when I got a call from the group who I had become separated with. They had found our target. A few seconds after, running across the dunes with 2 scope/tripod combos on my shoulders I lay it down on the bowling green/ picnic area to be treated to stunning views of the <strong>Shorelark</strong> that has been wintering there! What a way to start the day!</div>
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Moving east, we drove to Pugneys C/P where we waited for our target to come out of the grass. With some coercing from the local patchworker and finder of the bird, up came the bird with a loud and very obvious call from the tall grass. A couple of further flight views were had, but to say I was impressed would be a lie. I would have much preferred to have studied it on the ground. However, there was no doubting what it was, it called like a <strong>Blyth's Pipit</strong>, was smaller and lest robust than a Richards, and had the 'dodgy' tail that made the bird so distinctive among the Meadow Pipits</div>
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16/12/14</div>
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Me and Matt met up to try to refind the hybrid Gull from a few days previous, starting at Stubbers and finishing at Chasewater. In between these two sites, we dropped into Ryders Mere, where an immature <strong>Great-Northern Diver</strong> had been found earlier in the day. A first visit for me to the site and I left impressed.</div>
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The roost at Chasewater was decent, we managed to locate the 'known' RBG hybrid quickly, which destroyed any optimism over our find a few days before, but the roost held a 2w <strong>Caspian Gull</strong> (not the same as we had seen), an adult <strong>Mediterranean Gull</strong> and 3<strong> Yellow-legged Gulls</strong>. Not too shabby!</div>
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20/12/14</div>
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I had not visited Chelmarsh reservoir for some time, so with a free evening I headed over. The Gull roost was very impressive, being the largest I have ever seen it, with the flock extending almost 3/4 of the length of the reservoir on the opposite shoreline. A little bit of scanning paid of with 3 <strong>Yellow-legged Gulls</strong>. It was while scanning I heard the rather bizarre sound of a<strong> Ring-necked Parakeet</strong> calling in the woodland behind us, and as we left, the corvids flushed out of the woodland, and so did the Parakeet!</div>
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See the below photo, the left hand bird out of the top 2 is the Parakeet, trust me!</div>
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21/12/14</div>
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I was scanning the quarry on the patch when some commotion behind me had me noticing a small brown falcon motoring across the paddocks behind me. On getting my bins onto the bird, it quickly showed itself to be a stunning fem/juv <strong>Merlin</strong>! A first for patch for me. A flock of mixed winter flushed was feeding in the paddocks, and once they re-settled gave really great views in the sun.</div>
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30/12/14</div>
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The last 'day out' of the year. A female <strong>Ferruginous Duck</strong> had been found at Slimbridge the day before so I headed down with Mike in the hope of catching up with it. Catch up with it we did as it warily swam and circled on one of the captive pens after being relocated by one of the reserve wardens. It flushed off to the south lake later.</div>
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It however does seem to enjoy being among its close relatives on the captive pen as it associates with Baer's Pochard and its behaviour has changed somewhat since it first arrived. Many people are binning it as a plastic but I can't help but wonder if it is just a case of 'copycat'? Would you leave if someone was throwing you free food at regular intervals during the day?</div>
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A rather enjoyable bit of winter birding was had around the site, with all the regular species, including this rather menacing looking <strong>Buzzard</strong>!</div>
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My last birding exploit followed on the way back, as we dropped into the somewhat of a rarity hotspot of Pitville Park, Chelthnam, where we managed stunning views of a male <strong>Dartford Warbler</strong>, which was showing uncharacteristically well! Much to both mine and Mikes delight, as our previous bird at Arne RSPB earlier in the year had been nothing more than a glimpse of a female in the dark shadow of a gorse bush! What a treat!</div>
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<br />midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-17786968595224850852015-02-02T20:20:00.002+00:002015-02-02T20:20:35.523+00:00Norfolk Surfie! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
15/11/14</div>
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Skipping a fair number of days birding locally, my next 'full day birding' was in mid November, when with the usual crew we again headed east, and found ourselves in Cambridgeshire, scouring some rather birdless agricultural fields (admittedly with a large area of set aside adjacent) for the Richards Pipit that had been knocking around. After a good while searching, we decided to head off further east, via Guyhirn where we managed views of a superb flock of 8 <b>Common Crane</b> as they fed in roadside fields. It was just a shame the fog had started to descend and it hindered viewing somewhat! </div>
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We continued east, passing into the equally superb birding county that is Norfolk and to Cley Marshes!</div>
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Walking the east bank we were soon clocking up the birds,<b> Bearded Tits</b> pinging and showing well in the reedbed, <b>Brent Geese</b> and <b>Marsh Harrier</b> a permanent fixture in the sky, and a loud drawn out wheezy call overhead led us onto a single <b>Twite </b>as it flew over east.</div>
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Our main target however (as with many of our recent visits) was the sea and we soon started scanning for Auks and Skuas. Well, we found 5 Auks, however non were particularly small and it was clear that their Arctic cousins just weren't moving today. The swells had its usual and ever-present <b>Red-throated Divers</b>, but things were livened up by a drake <b>Eider </b>flying past and the appearance of 2 adult <b>Little Gull</b>, always a great addition to any day list! </div>
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A rather pointless visit to Salthouse followed before we headed back west to Holkham, where following a very long and sandy walk we eventually found a large flock of<b> Common Scoter</b> loafting and feeding offshore. We set about scanning, and soon found multiple <b>Velvet Scoter</b>, including some absolutely stunning drakes. Eventually we setted on a total of 10+ of these stunning seabirds!</div>
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With time, among a party of Velvets we picked out our 'yank' target. A drake<b> SURF SCOTER</b>! Nice! </div>
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Personally not even a year tick for me having seen 3 off Pensarn earlier in the year however the views off Holkham were significantly closer! That bill and the white patches stood out a mile, however with sea fog arriving, it was good we arrived when we did and not any time after! </div>
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With the light fading, I tried to make a last minute race to the end of the wood to look for the long staying Rough-legged Buzzard, but as we neared the end of the wood the crew decided to turn around and I dipped for the 4th time this year. Maybe one day.</div>
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midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-64468700172509989072015-01-21T19:00:00.000+00:002015-01-21T19:00:02.002+00:00The long awaited catch up!<div style="text-align: center;">
So, with my coursework having been completed within the last hour, and with only the two exams worth of revision to go, I think it is about time I should start writing again...</div>
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Right.</div>
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So, back to October we go.</div>
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26/10/14</div>
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Having had such a good time on the last RSPB fieldtrip, it perhaps wasn't too hard of a decision to join them again for their trip over to Titchwell RSPB. Who would complain at that.</div>
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On the way over as we drove past Guyhirn, I managed to pick up 2 of the <strong>Cranes</strong> that had been resident in the area for some time. Another birder beside me saw a further 8 standing in the field, however they were distant and the views weren't great from the moving coach.</div>
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Arriving at Titchwell I did exactly as I was hoping to do, and walked straight out to the beach to do some seawatching, and I was greeted with the rather joyous sight of a large numbers of others with the same idea. If a Skua went past today I was going to see it!</div>
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Immediately obvious was the large number of Gulls, and among them were a single adult <strong>Mediterranean</strong> and 8 <strong>Kittiwakes</strong>. A flock of <strong>Common Scoter</strong> were bobbing about on the troughs but the first highlight came as I saw a lone Scoter flying in from the east. Head on initially, it moved parallel to the beach revealing bring white secondarys. I was soon shouting a drake <strong>Velvet Scoter</strong> was going past! Luckily, there were a number of boats of varying colours offshore, so getting the crowd (particularly the ones sitting adjacent to me!) onto the bird was straightforward.</div>
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Next up was another self find. A small Grebe popped up in the breakers close inshore to the beach further west than the viewpoint, but being strikingly black and white It was obviously one of the 'rarer' small Grebes. Considering I have little field experience with 'Slav', it was immediately obvious as a winter plumaged <strong>Slavonian Grebe</strong> due to structure. The entire crowd got onto the bird and it continued to show for much of the afternoon and made for the best bird of the day.</div>
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Among the regulars (<strong>Gannet</strong>,<strong> Red-Throated Diver</strong>, <strong>GC Grebe</strong>, and both <strong>Guillemot</strong> and <strong>Razorbill</strong>) we also picked out a female <strong>Red-breasted Merganser</strong> on the water fairly close in, and a further 4 flew past, going west.</div>
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With no Skuas I moved back onto the reserve for the Gull roost. The usual assembley of waders was present, and 6 <strong>Marsh Harriers</strong> were buzzing the reedbed. It was here I also caught up with an old friend, as the same female Stonechat that got me onto the Penduline Tit on my last visit was feeding in the same area of reedmace. Sadly, no Penduline today though. Scrutiny of the increasing gull flock produced 2 <strong>Yellow-legged Gulls</strong> before I had to head back to the coach.</div>
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1/11/14</div>
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I had visited Steart Marshes WWT just a week previously in the hope of catching up with the juvenile Pallid Harrier, having dipped, we returned on the first day of November, but again our luck was out. A good showing of Raptors (<strong>Buzzard, </strong>1 <strong>Sprawk, </strong>7 <strong>Kestrel, </strong>3 <strong>Peregrine</strong>) was highlighted by 2 <strong>Merlin</strong>, including a great view of a female as we arrived, which barrelled fairly low over our heads.</div>
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With the bird having not shown again, we moved around the Huntspill Sluice. As we neared Bridgewater we heard the unthinkable.. The Pallid had just shown again (Insert relevant word of choice). Being stuck in traffic we couldn't go anywhere and carried on in the hope it would be viewable from the opposite side of the Parrett River. It wasn't, and we dipped it again. At least 1 female <strong>Red-breasted Merganser</strong> was feeding in the shallows, which gave slight compensation for the dip. It was from here while scanning for a ochre coloured bird of prey a superb sight of 3 <strong>Merlin</strong> chasing each other took place low over the saltmarsh. A good count of <strong>Avocets</strong> were also viewable form here, with 296 being visible among the huge swirling flocks of other estuarine waders.</div>
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Any other day without having dipped a Pallid Harrier and this would have been a good day!</div>
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2/11/14</div>
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That annoyance from dipping was relieved somewhat where a standard patch thrash led to the chance discovery of a female <strong>BLACK</strong> <strong>REDSTART</strong>! Standing scanning the Lapwings and Gulls within the now flooded quarry, I neglected to look on the small patch of ground adjacent to the hedgeline behind me. Having counted the <strong>Lapwing</strong> (32) and scanned through the Gulls to little avail, I turned around to see a bird flick up onto the top of a hawthorn in the hedgeline.</div>
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Getting my bins onto the bird which was only around 50ft away I was slightly perplexed to begin. It was head on, and just a slightly silhouetted greyish brown thing. There just wasn't any marks in this view, but it soon moved slightly, and I saw the quivering red tail!</div>
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I span to get my scope on it, aimed it at the bird, and just as I got it into focus it flew up, across the quarry, hesitantly at first, but it kept going.... And going..... And going. I kept on it until it was nothing more than a speck, when it suddenly dived down in the vicinity of Burlish Top. I spent the next 3 hours plodding around Burlish, Burlish Top, Moult Plesent etc, but I failed to refind this incredibly brief first for the patch.</div>
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Presumably this was the bird which then was found on the other side of the golf course a week or so after on the WFC Building.</div>
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6/11/14</div>
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A Uni fieldtrip led us across Wales to Aberystwyth, and we stopped at a number of sites on the way over. One of these was the Bwlch Nant yr Arian <strong>Red</strong> <strong>Kite</strong> feeding Centre, where we had excellent views of around 200 Kites. A female <strong>Goosander</strong> on the pool was also a nice surprise.</div>
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Moving onto Aberystwyth for the <strong>Starling</strong> roost, we stood near the pier and watched the aggregation grow, which despite not being the biggest Starling roost I have ever seen was still fairly spectacular.</div>
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As you would expect though, as we stood, I began to notice large numbers of Gulls roosting offshore, and being the fanatic I am, I just had to go through them. My efforts were rewarded when I picked up an adult <strong>Mediterranean</strong> <strong>Gull </strong>fly in from the south and drop onto the water in front of us. Nice!</div>
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The weather the next day was little short of vile, heavy rain and strong winds. A <strong>Rock</strong> <strong>Pipit</strong> pottered along the beach, and I had a flight view of what was probably one of the 5 Black Redstarts in the area as it flicked off the old college building and onto the castle.</div>
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MB</div>
midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-33746945653301464372015-01-06T19:00:00.000+00:002015-01-06T19:00:01.412+00:00That amazing weekend (Part 2) Patch YBW!<div style="text-align: center;">
19/10/14</div>
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Having found a Penduline Tit in Norfolk the previous day, to say I was on a high is an understatement. I'm barely used to finding unusual birds in my own county, never mind a bird that is a national rarity. But, being tired from the long day that we had just endured I took the decision for a lie in, and as I finally decided to wake up, I walked out of the room and heard what I thought was a rather 'familiar' call. Being in Worcester however, I continued on with my morning routine.</div>
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It wasn't much longer and I was out on patch though, and as I was walking up the street I heard the same call again...</div>
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Surely not..</div>
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Then it went quiet..</div>
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Could have been me mishearing a Coal Tit I suppose, which are plentiful in the wood.</div>
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I waited around for 15 minutes. Nothing.</div>
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I was actually walking away, when I heard it again! "Psweet" and again "Psweet" and again "Psweet".</div>
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Agh!! <b>YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER</b>!</div>
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I literally sprinted to the small line of tree's the call was coming from, but no mistaking it. I had a Yellow-Brow on patch!!</div>
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And then there it was! Feeding in the low branches or a sycamore, at eye height, a superb, crisp looking gem of a bird! Yellows and greens, buffs and whites... Such a classy bird! And it was on the patch! If I could feel any more elated I was surely feeling it now! Self finding Penduline Tit and Yellow-Browed Warbler on the patch in the space of less than 18 hours! Phenomenal! </div>
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Gaining permission to allow a few birder into the site, I grabbed the phone,and sent out the message about the birds presence, and people started arriving..</div>
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Vern was the first on site, and our luck was in. We followed the sound of it incessantly calling, and there it was. Sitting in the tree-tops surrounded in bright orange autumnal colours! Absolutely stunning. And even better, it remained motionless there for about 20 seconds as Vern 'papped' it and as I grabbed some ropey record shots!</div>
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Birders came and went, and all went away happy.. Eventually.. As the bird became more elusive it got harder to see, and it went quiet, with no sign whatsoever after about 2, but it certainly gave me a perfect ending to a weekend I will never forget!</div>
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Oh, and if anyone is wondering that call that first attracted my attention in my groggy 'just woken up' phase during the morning, have a listen to this. The sound of 'The East'.</div>
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MB</div>
midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8378305011803344231.post-4271336101796557462015-01-02T18:00:00.000+00:002015-01-03T20:42:15.173+00:00That amazing weekend (Part 1)- Penduline Tit!<div style="text-align: center;">
18/10/14</div>
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With the weather again looking rather decent for a trip across to the east coast, it wasn't hard to see why we filled the car with 5 birders very quickly!</div>
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With the presence of an Isabelline Shrike lingering on the north coast of Norfolk, and copious numbers of other mouthwatering scarcities lingering around it wasn't particularly hard to find where we would be heading either. And for 4 of us in the car it would our 4th day in Norfolk in 2 weeks!</div>
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So, wanting to make the most of our time out east, a stupidly early get up time, and 3 hours later, and as the sun started to rise ahead of us, we were only a short distance from our first location. 2 <strong>Barn</strong> <strong>Owls </strong>flitted over the car as we drove, which as always, was a great start to the day.</div>
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Walking out to the whirligig at Warham Greens, the seeps of migrating Passerines could be heard, with winter Thrushes and <b>Meadow Pipits</b> on the move. As it grew lighter, the vismig grew stronger, and good numbers of <b>Brambling</b> were moving over west with <b>Chaffinches</b>. Singles of both <b>Redpoll</b> and <b>Siskin</b> also went over, but it was quite clear that people were quickly losing hope for the Shrike. We searched though. Small flocks of waders and ducks gave us flypasts, with <b>Common</b> <b>Snipe</b> and <b>Golden</b> <b>Plover</b> going over and large numbers of <b>Little</b> <b>Egret</b> moved out of their roosts. A single <b>Spoonbill</b> flew past distantly before ditching into the Blakeney saltmarsh but it wasn't exactly the dreamed for start of the day.</div>
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As I wandered around, the rest of the group saw the first Yellow-Browed Warbler of the day, but I personally missed it.</div>
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Cutting our losses, we chose to move over to Cley Beach, where a <b>Grey</b> <b>Phalarope</b> had been residing for a few days. Luckily this one wasn't hard to see, spinning about on a tiny puddle adjacent to the shingle ridge. Needless to say, scope filling views were had, and we all had a large grin on our faces!</div>
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Phalaropes are great birds whenever you see them, but there is always quite special when you see one up close. No doubt a result of the birds innocence, the crowd possibly being the first humans it has encountered in its life. The arrival of a party of <b>Brent</b> <b>Goose</b> flushed the bird, giving us great flight views as it flew across to the road, and then back again! What a smart bird!</div>
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Further up the shingle ridge, another hoped for target of the day was showing, and we were all treated to superb views of a rather stunning sandy 1st winter male <b>Snow</b> <b>Bunting</b>. Again, another confiding bird, which happily fed down to about 30ft range. Scope views were again first rate, and it added another highlight to our ever increasing day list.</div>
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The Bunting gave us a brief flight view down the ridge, where it was joined by a Wheatear, and both fed happily as we chose to move on to Holkham to look for the Rough-legged Buzzard.</div>
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Over the course of the last couple of years, this has quickly became one the most aggravating birds I have spent time trying to find. Multiple trips spent looking for them and still they manage to avoid me! As we pulled into Lady Ann's Drive, a quick phone call from Espen (Who was also birding in Norfolk that bad) said he had just seen the Buzzard flying out towards East Hills! As with my luck though, we drew a blank, and we also dipped the Pallas's Warbler, which we walked the wrong direction for. 2 <b>Red</b> <b>Kite</b>,a <b>Peregrine</b> and 10 <b>Common</b> <b>Scoter</b> were little reward, but this was to prove the only low point of the whole weekend...</div>
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As with our last day of the Norfolk weekend, we chose to head back west to finish the day, being slightly closer to home, and it became easily the most productive site of the day. We made our way around the Meadow trail behind the visitor centre, and it didn't take long for a <b>Yellow</b>-<b>browed</b> <b>Warbler</b> to start calling as a Tit flock moved through the Willows. At one point it was calling in the tree right above our heads, when another started to call further away, so there was at least 2 birds present. </div>
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As we walked out of the trail, a female type <b>Merlin</b> sped across over our heads as it barreled east.</div>
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Huge numbers of dabbling duck were present, with <b>Teal</b>, <b>Shoveler</b> and <b>Wigeon</b> being the most numerous, and among these were smaller numbers <b>Pintail</b> and <b>Gadwall</b>.</div>
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Also present across the extensive areas of mud were good numbers of waders, with all the expected species being present, the highlight of which was a <b>Spotted</b> <b>Redshank</b> which dropped into the lagoon. Among the pre-roosting gulls, a rather dapper <b>Mediterranean</b> <b>Gull</b> was swimming around among the <b>Black</b>-<b>heads</b>, but the sea was calling.</div>
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But it was rather quiet! Until the long staying <b>Black</b>-<b>throated</b> Diver surfaced in front of us, which proved to be one of very few birds on the sea. Seeing that our time here could well be wasted we started walking back down the track.</div>
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A female <b>Stonechat</b> was feeding from some bulrush on the edge of the path, so it aimed the scope at it, and immediately a smaller bird flicked up and instantly started ripping apart a bulrush head. Smaller than the Stonechat, with a rufous back and pale grey head!!</div>
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"<b>PENDULINE</b> <b>TIT</b>!"</div>
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There was a Penduline tit feeding no more than 20 feet away from us!</div>
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My initial response I cannot post here due to its rather explicit content, but within seconds, the crew was on the bird, Liz had snapped a couple of record shots as I faffed around and called over a number of people standing on the track around us! </div>
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It was hard to believe we had just found a Penduline Tit, and at one of the most 'populated' and well visited reserves in the UK, my first 'BB' self find, ecstatic! Soon the crowd started to develop, and we all enjoyed crippling views of the star of the show as it continued to rip apart the bulrush heads.</div>
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Everyone was on it and news went out about its presence, and soon more birders started to appear. Apparently, it was the first Penduline Tit seen at Titchwell in 13 years, so I was incredibly chuffed to find it!</div>
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The bird started to move away as the crowd grew larger, and once it moved along the Parrinder bank towards the hide we headed back to the car as more than anything I needed a reality check! </div>
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We returned to find the crowd we had caused...</div>
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But the bird didn't show again (Although it was seen again very briefly the next day), so we spent time scanning the Gulls (A single adult <b>Yellow</b>-<b>legged</b> <b>Gull</b> being the highlight) and talking to a variety of NGB's and other birders who had made the rush to get here. Sadly few of them had seen it, with the bird only having been on view 40 minutes but it was a great way to take in that we had just ended the day by finding a BBRC description species!</div>
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Get in!</div>
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MB</div>
midlands birderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404988559603477700noreply@blogger.com0