Alrewas Birder

I am afraid that I will not be birding this weekend.  On Wednesday night I bent over to pick up a small object when my back went.  It was not too bad at first and I even went back to work.  However, Saturday morning was worse and this morning (Sunday), it aint much better.

 

I had an email of a local birder, (Mr Berry), which got me really fed up.  He only photographed a flippin Glaucous Gull standing on the ice at Whitemoor Haye last Sunday.  Brilliant.  I will put the photos up soon.   

Today was going to be a bit patchy.  I had some things I needed to do but I could fit in a couple of places for a bit of birding.  Usual place to begin with and it was a casual walk/bike ride around.  Birds seen were Carrion Crow, Great Black-backed Gull, Wigeon 68, Mallard 18, Pochard 14, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Black-headed Gull, Coot 1, Tufted Duck 24, Great Crested Grebe 3, Teal 6, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Canada Geese, Lapwing, Golden Plover 3, Pheasant, Reed Bunting, robin, Wood Pigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Starling, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Magpie, Bullfinch, Grey Partridge 3, Mute Swan 29, Fieldfare, Greenfinch, Linnet, Skylark, Buzzard, Tree Sparrow and Wren.

 

 

I decided to pop down to this gull heaven.  I was just about to leave the house when my pager mentioned an Iceland Gull and a Caspian Gull.  Not seeing a Caspian Gull last year, I decided to get straight down there.  I arrived and a few people were looking on the main water body.  I have aways seen the Caspian Gull on the shore. I started walking towards the group but found a small gap in the trees where I could see the gulls on the water, so I decided to have a look for myself.  Up to this point I saw Mallard, Black-headed Gull, Canada Geese, Tufted Duck, Coot, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull and Great Black-backed Gull.  Within minutes I also added the first of the wanted birds.  I cracking Iceland Gull (year tick).  I carried on to the group and asked about the Caspian Gull.  Now, I will admit that I am useless at gulls.  I have just about sorted out Black-head, Common, Med, Lesser and Great Black and Herring.  Yellow-legged gives it self away when on land but when on water I have no chance.  And Caspian?  You must be joking.  Beady eye, long legs stick in my mind but when its on the water with a couple dozen of other larger gulls then I'm knackered.  I don't like doing it but I asked if the bird was still around.  The chaps present found the bird for me but I could not get on it.  Then they found it again and I had a good look at the Caspian Gull (year tick).  Other birds noted were Mute Swan, Goosander, Jackdaw, Buzzard, Moorhen, Common Gull, Grey Heron, Lapwing, Yellow-legged Gull (year tick), Pied Wagtail, Starling, Magpie and Teal.  I nice session to get three gull ticks for the year but again highlighted my weakness in identifying and ageing gulls.  Very frustating.

 

 

I did not do any birding here but this was my job for the afternoon.  At Fradley Junction, we (British Waterways) have a resevoir which is a header for the canal network (same as Chasewater and Belvide but on a much smaller scale).  i have taken over the management plan for this area and I am doing all the work on a weekend, voluntary basis.  There is a small hide and a circular walk around the woodland.  We put in a small tern raft at the end of last year.  We have a small feeding area next to the hide but this was put in on a temporary basis just for some bird walks we had last year.  Today I was to get some measurements and materials and a new feeding station is to be installed over the far side of the resevoir.  Once I got my materials, I loaded my car, went home and started building.  Whilst I was doing this I had the Derby v Forest match on.  By 3pm I had a sore throat and a painted frame to hang feeders off.  Success.  feeding station will be put in next weekend and Derby battered the enemy.  Top Saturday afternoon.  Anyone visiting Fradley Resevoir, please note what birds have been seen and then I have placed a bof in the bird hide for any notes.  You can also hand them in to the BW shop.

 

 

I was on a high and did not want to stop for the day and after some thought I decided to head for Branston GP.  My plan was to be on site untill dark, hoping for the odd owl or two.  Birds noted were Wood Pigeon, carrion Crow, Black-headed Gull, Magpie, Robin, Blackbird, Rook, Collared Dove, House Sparrow, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Pheasant, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coot, Wigeon, Lapwing, Teal, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Canada Geese, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Red-legged partridge, Redwing, Chaffinch, Jay, Moorhen, Pochard, Pied Wagtail, Curlew 13 (year tick), Lesser Black-backed Gull, Mute Swan, Sparrowhawk, Robin, Long-tailed Tit, Wren, Herring Gull and Great Black-backed Gull.  I hung around the main lake until dusk.  No owls but there was a small gull roost on the water.  I saw Black-headed Gull c600, Lesser Black-backed Gull c50, Great Black-backed Gull c20, Herring Gull 5.              

Had a message sent to me from a person called Scott (no more details).  he sent me a list of a few birds found on Tuesday 26th  Jan.

 

Croxall GP, main side.

 

Pochard, Goldeneye, Great Crested Grebe, Teal, Mallard, Canada Geese, Grey Heron, Goosander, Tufted Duck, kestrel, 20 Redshank, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Water Rail nice one, jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Great Tit and Pheasant.

 

East side.

 

Gadwall, Goosander, Mallard, 2 Green Woodpecker I heard one on Sunday but did not see, Great Spotted Woodpecker.

 

Whitemoor Haye.

 

Merlin, 200 Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Mute Swan, Goldeneye, Canada Geese, Tufted Duck, Pochard, 10 Corn Buntings.

 

Cheers mate.

 

I had planned to do a mornings birding, then relax in the afternoon so I decided to get on my bike and visit a couple of places.  Croxall first, in the hope of a Smew.  There have been a couple of sightings, recently, around Croxall so off I set.  I got to Croxall about 8ish and concentrated on the main side as cold air, wet ground, and leaking boots do not mix.  Upto and from the hide I noted Blue Tit, Great Tit, Canada Geese, Wood Pigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Wren, Chaffinch, Teal, Goldeneye, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Reed Bunting, Blackbird, Pheasant, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Wigeon, Redshank, Moorhen, Coot and Cormorant.  I had a small venture into the east side but the ground was very wet.  I added Great Crested Grebe, Gadwall, Rook, Magpie, Goosander, Little Grebe and a single Greylag Goose.

 

Three Kingfishers were reported around Croxall today.

 

 

As I have decided not to go round chasing birds this year, I decided to still give myself some targets.  I must admit I am a bit of a list keeper and so I have decided to target four sites - Whitemoor Haye, Alrewas GP, Junction Pit and the National Arboretum.  I have listed the birds I have seen at each site since my records began, in 1999, and my aim is to see as many birds as I can on each site.  This time next year I can work out the percentage of birds I have seen in one year from the lists.  that will keep me going.  For this, I carried on to Whitemoor to spend the rest of the morning. Birds noted were Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Skylark, Tufted Duck, Canada Geese, Pochard, Goldeneye, Teal, Mallard, Robin, Kestrel, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Reed Bunting, Blackbird, Grey Heron, Wigeon, Song Thrush, Great Crested Grebe, Starling, Carrion Crow, Mute Swan, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Linnet, Magpie, Stock Dove, Song Thrush, Moorhen, Buzzard and a major bonus in the shape of a male Merlin (year tick) just as I was setting off home.  There was a springy feeling around Whitemoor as the sun was out, it was not particularly cold and the Skylarks were doing the arial flights and songs.  This springy feeling did not last too long after I got home as it started raining.  

A big hello to the various people I spoke to today.    

Decided to go for a good walk over the usual places.  First place was the gravel pit by the A38.  I dropped my car off at my friends house at Whitemoor before getting a lift backand then set off, on foot, to the lake.  Once there I noted Grey heron, Coot, Tufted Duck, Great-crested Grebe, Cormorant, Great Tit, Black-headed Gull, Mallard, Goldfinch, Pied Wagtail, Magpie, Goldeneye, Starling, Chaffinch, Wren, Carrion Crow, Buzzard, Teal, Blackbird, Wigeon, Pheasant, Blue Tit and Robin.  I had a good hunt around the adjacent sewage plant for any over-wintering Chiffchaff or Blackcap but none so far this year.

 

 

Across the railway and in to the arboretum.  This place was pretty well flooded mid week but it had receeded this week so the paths were all open.  Birds noted were Dunnock, Robin, Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Wren, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Carrion Crow, Long-tailed Tit, Mallard, Lapwing, Canada Geese, Mute Swan, Cormorant, Moorhen, Grey Heron, Bullfinch, Redwing, Goldfinch, Kestrel, Stock Dove, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Wood Pigeon, Magpie, Jay, Fieldfare, Starling, Lapwing and Blue Tit.

 

 

A quick lool around this pit produced very little today.  Birds noted were Coot 7, Black-headed Gull 15, Tufted Duck 6, Cannada Geese 3, Mallard 2, Carrion Crow, Cormorant 1, Chaffinch and a couple of noisy Great Tits.

 

 

Final place this morning before a much needed cup of tea and breakfast/dinner.  A steady walk around the lanes of Whitemoor produced Lapwing, Carrion Crow, Robin, Great-crested Grebe, Tufted Duck, Goldfinch, Pied Wagtail, Wood Pigeon, Yellowhammer, Fieldfare, Great Tit, Bullfinch, Starling, Redshank, Black-headed Gull, Canada Geese, Wren, Blue Tit, magpie, Sparrowhawk, Goldeneye, Tree Sparrow, Mute Swan 112, Snipe, Pied Wagtail, Golden Plover (year tick), Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Dunnock, Green Sandpiper (year tick), Fieldfare, Stock Dove, Moorhen and Lesser Black-backed Gull.

 

 

After watching the footy I decided to head over to Chasewater for the gull roost.  I am not chasing birds this year but the weather was ok so off I set.  On arrival, there were a few gulls already settling so i went straight over to the small brick tower thing and started scanning from there.  I was there about half an hour before three strange people, with the same idea as me, came over and joined me.  We stayed until about 16.50 and saw the following.  Black-headed Gull, Pied Wagtail, Coot, Mallard, Mute Swan, Goldeneye, Common Gull (year tick), Lesser Black-backed Gull, Canada Geese, Lapwing, Great Crested Grebe, Goldeneye and Great Black-backed Gull.  Unfortunately no white-winged birds were seen.  The three amigos also had a drake Smew earlier in the day.