Off to Scotland tomorrow climbing and birding for a week, looking forward to it.
Wednesday, 10 May 2017
Monday, 8 May 2017
Monday 8th May
Dropped Joy off at work and headed to the Reservoir. It was the Big Bird Race at the weekend but due to circumstances I sat this one out. Maybe next year I will cover Shustoke but I will need a handicap. Middleton RSPB won this year with a total number of species topping 100 which is pretty good going.
On arrival there were in excess of 1,000 mixed hirundines mainly Swallow and Sand Martin but there were still c.50 House Martin. There had also been an arrival of Swift with c.300 during the morning. There were also 14 Common Tern and six Gadwall as well as several broods of Mallard the chicks of which are making the Lesser Black-backed Gulls lazy as well as fat!
I was half way around when I picked up a Whimbrel it flew in from the west, had a look and continued on its way, I think it is my first for several years. Again, it was rather cold and there was very little singing. Warblers were represented by 4 Blackcap, 3 Whitethroat and 4 Chiffchaff. I haven’t had sniff of anything else, there are usually at least one Lesser Whitethroat around.
Around the back of the fishing club I thought I could hear a distant Cuckoo, I stopped but could hear nothing I had just started to walk back when I heard it again. I headed under the railway towards the sheep paddocks and it got louder, then I picked it up in the top of an Oak singing away. I was pleased as I had failed to see one last year.
On the way back there were two pairs of Skylark, Mistle Thrush, Red-legged Partridge but not a lot else.
On arrival there were in excess of 1,000 mixed hirundines mainly Swallow and Sand Martin but there were still c.50 House Martin. There had also been an arrival of Swift with c.300 during the morning. There were also 14 Common Tern and six Gadwall as well as several broods of Mallard the chicks of which are making the Lesser Black-backed Gulls lazy as well as fat!
I was half way around when I picked up a Whimbrel it flew in from the west, had a look and continued on its way, I think it is my first for several years. Again, it was rather cold and there was very little singing. Warblers were represented by 4 Blackcap, 3 Whitethroat and 4 Chiffchaff. I haven’t had sniff of anything else, there are usually at least one Lesser Whitethroat around.
Around the back of the fishing club I thought I could hear a distant Cuckoo, I stopped but could hear nothing I had just started to walk back when I heard it again. I headed under the railway towards the sheep paddocks and it got louder, then I picked it up in the top of an Oak singing away. I was pleased as I had failed to see one last year.
On the way back there were two pairs of Skylark, Mistle Thrush, Red-legged Partridge but not a lot else.
Wednesday, 3 May 2017
Wednesday 3rd May
It appears that parking charges have been introduced at the Reservoir, I wasn’t aware as the only machine is in the main car park. I always park by the entrance – Oh well!
There was a good north-easterly blowing today and the water was quite choppy. There were at least 34 Common Tern present at one point the all came together and circled the Reservoir, I thought they were going to depart but they settled down and carried on feeding.
The bird of the day was a Dunlin my first for at least two years, I doubt it stayed long after I left as two ladies past me with two dogs complete with ball throwing apparatus, still I enjoyed it. Two Shelduck flew past as I was changing my footwear but I didn't relocate them.
I was hoping to perform an assessment of singing birds but there was little activity, although there were two Whitethroat but they were difficult and staying low in the wind.
I had my first Grass Snake of the year, first Dragonfly and a few species of Butterfly including Brimstone.
I received an email from Paul Reay who early afternoon saw two Dunlin, a male goo sander and c.30 Swift.
There was a good north-easterly blowing today and the water was quite choppy. There were at least 34 Common Tern present at one point the all came together and circled the Reservoir, I thought they were going to depart but they settled down and carried on feeding.
The bird of the day was a Dunlin my first for at least two years, I doubt it stayed long after I left as two ladies past me with two dogs complete with ball throwing apparatus, still I enjoyed it. Two Shelduck flew past as I was changing my footwear but I didn't relocate them.
I was hoping to perform an assessment of singing birds but there was little activity, although there were two Whitethroat but they were difficult and staying low in the wind.
I had my first Grass Snake of the year, first Dragonfly and a few species of Butterfly including Brimstone.
I received an email from Paul Reay who early afternoon saw two Dunlin, a male goo sander and c.30 Swift.
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