YES, it's another patch bonanza

(this post will contain swear words, not like a normal post)

7/02/10

decided to do most of the patch today, from lickhill up to blackstone, then back to lickhill and to lincomb lock. and after it i was knackered. here's how this amazing patch day goes...........

the area around lickhill was pritty devoid of birds, so i went straight up to blackstone, the male buzzard was again on the hedgeline with the female on posts in the next field up(female MUCH larger), i stopped at the feeders at blackstone for the marsh tit which after 40 mins briefly visited feeders:

sorry thats all i got

also here was 3 nuthatch and 6 coal tit also the usual feeder birds....

last weeks little grebe wasent seen, so after a very long time looking at the feeders i walked up to the lake, it was nice to see the lake was defrosted and had 8 mallard and 3 coot on it, i walked around a line of willow trees(which crosses across the lake), i just got around and noticed a duck, 30 m from me, i noticed a brown head with a pale front, SHIT, the duck quickly flused before i got my bins onto it, but i was confused by the fact the bird lacked white patches on the upperwing. the bird settled not far away but behind another row of trees so ever so slowly i crept along the bush and stopped where i could view the lake, and waited, a few minuites passed and it then swam into view..

1st winter DRAKE WIGEON patch first......... BLOODY HELL, ANOTHER PATCH LIFER

i quickly got the confirmation video: and punched the air(strictly metaphorical(didnt expect that word did you)

i knew if i walked up the path the bird would flush, so being the kind, considerate person i am, i crept back and walked the long way along the river(where it would also be viewed from), i got the news out to a few locals (a significant record here), i scanned from the oposite bank(from where pic is taken

and looked through a gap in the willows, there he was a fine looking drake WIGEON, feeding blissfully at the edges of the lake, i had him in the scope when no less than 15 secs after i reofound him he became jumpy and withthe mallards took flight,

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

i saw the bird completly lacked the white patches of adult drakes, therefore showing the bird as a 1st winter male.

the bird looked to be flying out when it did a u-turn and headed back towards the lake dropping again, then the reason why the bird took flight appeard, A DOG,off its lead. the bird flew higher and missed the lake pulling my heart out of my chest, it repeated it over and over again for c5 mins reducing me to a blubbering wreck when it finally had enough and flew south.

BUT, the bird reappeared and again circled the lake, PLEASE, PRITTY PLEASE, PLEASE LAND, PLEASE, but again the bird just circled melting me into nothingness

the wigeon then flew off north, it reappeared yet agian to kill me off even more, but was very high at this point and quickly flew off east(there area few pools adjoining the safari park where it may of hopped to), and that was the last of the wigeon saga......(the sadist story you've heard in ages), the dog and its owners started walking up the path towards me, and said hi, i said hi and quickly looked away, not wanting to start a conversation, i couldent help it but just as they were out of hearing disatnce i muttered' fuckers'.

yes i know, not their fault, but would you do so different?

walking back to lickhill was a bit moody, only talking to the farmer about his land and what i had seen.i unintentionally brought up the partridges from earlier in the spring(09) and he said there was 2 CONVOYS. dont get me wrong but convoys means a group of them, he said, there had been 12 RL partridges on his land, he left and i continued.

quick stop off at home for a drink and i was off again.

a check of moorhall in the vain hope the wigeon located here was quickly squished, so i resumed my walk, a few BHG's and a LBBG on the basisin's,

a check of the repoll lake produced, well bar a load of pigeons and a few moorhan/coot nothing, so onwards, all the way down to lincomb lock was painstakeing, but the noise was immense. a kingfisher zoomed past and a cormorant was feeding just below the weir. i was going to walk further to see if i can view larford lakes but i can across a metal bridge, and i was shit scared, i was bricking it, i got a few steps into the bridge and saw the drop from the flimsy bridge below.

'fuck this' i quickly but carefully scrambled back and never looked back, dont get me wrong, hights im not bothered by, but that bridge looked like it was gonna go, and i mean any second.....

..... just by lincomb there is a chain of horse paddocks which could look good for wheater in a few weeks

back at the redpoll lake i saw a finch flock emerge from alders/birches on the opposite side of the river, they settled again and i had a scan with my bins, here's our redpoll. as they were in the top of the tree and i could see which were redpoll, goldfinch of siskin i counted the species, 68 lesser redpoll ,c20 siskin and similar amounts of goldfinch. i found a fence post to ballence my scope on(dropped tripod off at home) and started sifting the flock, nothing differnt was seen and no obvious pale 'mealy' repolls were in there, the males were very attractive to look at, and when you have a male lesserpoll, a male siskin and a male(presumably) goldfinch(very bright colours) in the same scopefully it is a very nice sight, i sifted the flocks for 20 mins and then headed home, with no other birds seen

also a partial albino carrian crow in stourport town centre recently, has entirely white wings, and it looks cool, a 'white-winger' on the patch LOL

i need a rest now

MB