Bloggers day out...

10/04/11
A days Birding, in apparently gods county, where you have to work for your birds, and it is better than upton warren.. (apparently)

Bloggers day members:

Me :)

Martyn Y ( Blurred Birder)

Kay D (Brightside Birder)

Richard P (Local Birding 4 Local people)

Our first target was on Cannock Chase, where a long staying GREAT-GREY SHRIKE was present, Not long after we had got out of the car we were treated to views of a gorgeous singing male Common Redstart, There area was plastered with Willow warbler with seemingly one singing from ever other tree, a few Meadow pipits flew over in the cool morning breeze

The Shrike was picked out at distance, and we moved closer to where we thought the bird was, we Found another Male Redstart singing and showing nicely in the Sun, and we climbed up a steep track to be greated with great Scope views of the shrike.

(Great-Grey Shrike- Cannock Chase)

After we had had our fill of the Shrike we walked to another section on the area where we had 2 Singing Tree Pipit, one of which was perched up in a tree, giving quite good views

We then decided to have a check of a nearby Vally, where a flock of 4 Stonechat ( 2 M) were feeding, alot more Meadow pipits started moving, and as we were walking back up the vally, we picked up a distant RED KITE, the others got more exited than i did because you get them all the time in worcester :P

After this we headed to a little bit of open water, Blithfield Res.
A single Common sand and 2 LRP were feeding near the causeway, But i was bemused by the lack of Gulls/terns, there were no terns, and maybe only a couple of BHG.
The Deeps gave us 2 (??) Wheatear one of which shown well on a ledge.






(Wheatear- Blithfield Res)

It also gave us 3 Yellow Wagtails one of which was a stunning male,



(terrible male Yellow Wagtail shot)

We then moved onto a Small area of wasteland with a puddle in it, and it held, 2 OYC, a mulitude of LRP, 2 Redshank and a Wheatear.

A check of a Gravel pit nearby (name has been lost to me) had us seeing a Pair of Mandarin,a Green sand, a few duck species, a few Curlew, and teal, BY now it was getting very hot, and very dusty, and we couldnt find any birds :P

We then headed back up to Blithers where a quick check of the deep end had the yellow wags again, Then we decided to head up to Tad bay, where things livened up for the last stand of the day. A pair of Pintails were at the far north end, as was 2 Female Goosander, alot of Wigeon and Teal, and 4 Goldeneye were showing ( 2 drk)
A Good few birds tbh
Cheers for the day to the Bloggers
MB