I had an early morning dog walk/birding session around Whitemoor.  With being on call, Twenty/20 final, US Open, and F1 grand prix, not much was going to be done today.  The birds I noted around Whitemoor this morning included Magpie, Yellowhammer, Carrion Crow, Skylark, Wren, Common Whitethroat, Corn Bunting, Wood Pigeon, Linnet, Grey Heron, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Goldfinch, Buzzard, Dunnock, Yellow Wagtail, Chaffinch, Herring Gull, lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Tern, Black-headed Gull, Swallow, Stock Dove, Swift, Jackdaw, Reed Bunting, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck, Lapwing, and Starling.  At the quarry pool I added Greylag Geese, Canada Geese, Ringed Plover, Mallard, Teal, Redshank, Mute Swan, a single Dunlin, Pied Wagtail and Robin.

 

 

Having not contacted the council on the state of the footpath I thought I would have another go as there had been no rain.  If you did not read about the visit recently, the footpath is well overgrown with weeds and I visited a few hours after rain.  I got soaked in the first fifty yards.  This time the weeds were higher but dry.  It was very heavy going and it took me ages to reach the pools.  The birds I noted were Wood Pigeon, Chaffinch, Skylark, Wren, Starling, Swallow, Greenfinch, Song Thrush, House Sparrow, Buzzard, Chiffchaff, Tufted Duck, Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Little Grebe, Mute Swan, Coot, Mallard, Canada Geese, Great-crested Grebe, Stock Dove, Common Whitethroat, Carrion Crow, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Sand Martin, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, Moorhen, Lapwing, Shelduck, Goldfinch, Tawny Owl, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Pheasant, Willow Warbler, Dunnock, Great Tit and Cormorant.  After the hassle of getting to the site I was hardly rewarded but it was different.  The Shelducks seem to have had a good breeding season.  One pair had 12 chicks and the other pair had eight.  The Tawny Owl was calling in the small wood nearby.  All in all pleasant enough.  

I am on call for a week so can only stay local.  It is also a weekend of various sports, especially the F1 grand prix.  Not everyones cup of tea but I love it.  Unfortunately Lewis Hamilton has just failed to get into second qualification as I write this edition.  I was up early today so I thought I would visit Croxall, hoping to beat the dog walkers.  Success, I saw absolutely no-one, except lots of birds.  I noted, around the main area, Common Tern, Oystercatcher, Coot, Wren, Wood Pigeon, Garden Warbler, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Sedge Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Bullfinch, Blackbird, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Black-headed Gull, Dunnock, Great-crested Grebe, Common Whitethroat, lapwing, Pied Wagtail, Canada Geese, Mute Swan, Collared Dove, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Blue Tit, and Great Tit.  Through to the east side and I added Cormorant, Shelduck, Skylark, Pheasant, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Starling, Swallow, Reed Bunting, Grey Heron, Green Woodpecker and a couple of Kestrels.  Back to the main side, heading towards the car via the hide and I added Common sandpiper, Swift and Moorhen.  Lots of juvenile birds around this morning and it was nice to see a good number of Common Tern chicks on the rafts.  I am hoping to put one in the resevoir at Fradley for next years breeding.  Cant wait.

 

 

After watching the grand prix qualifying and then doing a few things I needed to do, I fancied a walk around the water park for a)to see if I could hear the Quail, and b) try and locate the Nightingale, and c) to walk the dog.  I started walking around when news came through on the pager of a Royal Tern in LLandudno.  Typical.  I would have gone for that Branston is about the furthest I can go.  Back to Branston and the birds I noted were Canada Geese, Mallard, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Swift, Greylag Geese, Sand Martin, Robin, Swallow, Coot, Great-crested Grebe, Carrion Crow, Black-headed Gull, Common Tern, Chiffchaff, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, Reed  Bunting, singing Nightingale (but not seen), Magpie, Blue Tit, Common Whitethroat, Long-tailed Tit, Buzzard, Blackbird, Wren, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Pied Wagtail.  The Great Spotted Woodpecker was a noisy juvenile which I picked up in the scope.  It was clinging to a tree and it looked as if it did not know what to do, jusr calling mom.  A bit like me up a ladder!!    

I had to write saturday off as I was absolutely knackered.  A week of walking, a late Friday night, and MS known for making sufferers tired, I chilled out and did very little.  Today I was determined to spread my wings.  Inner Marsh farm is a secretive RSPB reserve on the Wirral.  It is kept quiet due to the size but it is a cracking place.  I believe RSPB has purchased some more ground so hopefully a few more hides might be built.  I was there just before 09.00 after an hour and a half drive and headed off to the hide for a few hours.  Birds I noted were Wood Pigeon, Little Egret, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Robin, Jackdaw, Great Tit, Shelduck, Wren, Magpie, Grey Heron, Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat, Mistle Thrush, Stock Dove, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Warbler, Pheasant, Teal, Black-tailed Godwit, Black-headed Gull, Reed Bunting, Coot, Canada Geese, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Garden Warbler, Skylark, Swallow, Moorhen, Starling, Swift, Gadwall, Shoveler, Sedge Warbler, Carrion Crow, Buzzard, Kingfisher, Tufted Duck, Reed Warbler, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Water Rail and Dunnock.  The pools were very quiet.  Usually the islands are full of breeding Black-headed Gulls and I actually missed the peircing noises they make this time of year.  Only a large group of Blackwits and a few ducks.  The Water Rails were worth it though, I never saw one last year.

The last few weeks have seen several Spoonbill in the area.  As they were not at Inner Marsh Farm, I headed down to Burton Marsh and then Parkgate.  Unfortunately I did not do my homework and the tide was about at its lowest.  The birds I saw in these areas were Common Whitethroat, Skylark, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Starling, Carrion Crow, Wood Pigeon, House Martin, Buzzard, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Swallow, Kestrel, Chaffinch, Mallard, Black-headed Gull and House Sparrow.  Parkgate is brilliant at a spring tide, when the tide breaches the marsh, all of the animals have to follow the tide up to survive, and the raptors and herons have a feast.  A very barbaric event but well worth it.

 

 

On the way home I decided to check out the area where I heard a couple of Quail.  I have decided to tell of the area as I did not hear any birds today.  Also the fields surrounding the area are mainly arable so they could still be in the area but further away.  Other birds I saw were Chaffinch, Skylark, Linnet, Common Whitethroat, House Sparrow, Wood Pigeon, Starling, Reed Bunting, Robin, Black-headed Gull, Chiffchaff, and Swallow.  The field in which I heard the birds is almost directly opposite the Bridge Inn on the other side of the canal.  Walk down the dusty track and where the field starts on the left by the canal is where I heard them the other day.

 

 

I was starting to wilt now but I decided to have a quick look at the quarry pool.  I struggled because my scope could not cut through the heat jaze.  I did pick out Swallow, Chiffchaff, Yellowhammer, Skylark, Canada Geese, Lapwing, Shoveler, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Greylag Geese, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Black-headed Gull, Mallard, Carrion Crow, Garden Warbler, Ringed Plover and Wren.       

Whilst at work the other day I heard one, if not two Quail singing in the Branston water Park area.  I have not disclosed the actual area as yet as it is a small area but I will ask advice from people.  I went to the place tonight but unfortunately I did not locate any singing birds. 

 

 

Tonight was a bloggers evening out to see what was occuring on the chase of an evening.  People present where Brightside Birders, Local Birding, Tame valley, and Archies alvecote blog.  We had a walk around a certain area looking for Dartford Warbler which did not show but we had various, distant sightings of Cuckoo.  We also had some good views of a reeling Grasshopper Warbler.  Other birds I saw were Blackbird, Willow Warbler, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dunnock, Wood Pigeon, Carrion Crow, Yellowhammer, Wren, Linnet, Green Woodpecker, Swift, Chaffinch, Pheasant, and Skylark.  We then went to a tried and tested place to watch Nightjar.  I have never been at this site before, and unfortunately, we only heard very distant birds, no sightings.  A little dissapointed, we trudged back to the cars, avoiding the cars flashing their headlights (see Adam Archer's blog)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   

I reported the singing Nightingale and Quail on birdguides, but gave no info on the Quail.  Unfortunately they did not mention the Nightingale but said the Quail was near the lock.  This is not the case, and the people who may have read my blog, read birdguides, and gone up for yourself, the Quail is a good distance away from this site, approx ten minutes travelling.  I am hoping to go in the next hour to see if they are still around, and if they are, I will take advice on telling people.

I have been working today but had a bizarre birding experience.  I, again, heard the Nightingale singing on the offside of the canal near Tatenhill Lock.  But before this (no time scale), I heard my first Quail for three years.  The thing about this is that I have heard Quail several times around Whitemoor and heard the Nightingale at the lock before but have never seen them.  How annoying.  Hopefully the Quail will stay in the field and I can get some views.

 

After having tea and then watching the South Africa innings in the T20 world cup, I decided to drag myself around Whitemoor as it was a nice evening.  Birds I noted were Corn Bunting, Swift, Carrion Crow, Skylark, Magpie, Black-headed Gull, Yellowhammer, Wood Pigeon, Pheasant, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Linnet, Wren, Starling, Robin, Tree Sparrow, Canada Geese, Greylag Geese, Grey Partridge, Common Whitethroat, Dunnock, Yellow Wagtail, Jackdaw, Song Thrush, Mallard, Buzzard, and Blue Tit.  These were seen/heard around the rough track.  I stopped off at the quarry pool and added Gadwall, Lapwing, Swallow, Ringed Plover, Redshank, Blackcap, Teal, Mute Swan, Garden Warbler, Sand Martin and Common Tern.  The three male Teal were new birds and after seeing Teal, Wigeon and Pochard at the weekend at Belvide, I thought Autumn must be here  (the weather added to that feeling too). The best bit of the night though was the 400 plus Swifts flying low over the fields.  It was a warmish evening with the threat of rain and there were flies everywhere, food for the amazing Swift.  I was really hoping a Hobby would not be far away, but not tonight.

The forecast for Sunday on Saturday was rubbish as the morning went on so birding was not going to happen.  However, when I woke up at 06.00, it was dry and the sky was pretty clear.  I decided to head for Belvide for two reasons, a) the recent track record has been excellent, and b) there are always lots of birds here anyway.  I got there just before 07.00 and the drive was in the dry.  that is where it ended though.  As soon as I got my scope on my back and the car locked, it started raining.  I headed straight up to the far western hide (sorry still cant remember the names) and the rain was getting worse as I got there.  Once in, I was stuck in there and stayed until about 09.45.  The weather was rubbish, the rain was torrential along with thunder and lightening and also hail.  However the birding was not too bad.  I noted Coal Tit, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Robin, Wren, Wood Pigeon, Willow warbler, Reed Warbler, Blue Tit, Pheasant, Great Tit, Tree Sparrow, Coot, Great-crested Grebe, swift, Mallard, Mute Swan, Canada geese, Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Teal, Gadwall, Shoveler, Swallow, Carrion Crow, Wigeon, Black-headed Gull, Starling, Little Ringed Plover, House Martin, Pied Wagtail, Common Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Redshank, Yellow Wagtail, Moorhen, Reed Bunting, Stock Dove, Grey Heron, Oystercatcher, Herring Gull, Dunnock, Cormorant, Goldfinch and Chiffchaff.  With the rubbish weather, I settled down and watched the grand prix and then flicked between the twenty20 cricket and golf in Wales.  I am not a cricket fan but this twenty20 is very good.  Checking the pager every now and again I was hardly suprised to find a summer plumaged Spotted Redshank had turned up at Belvide.  Thats pretty typical of the luck I am having this year.  Never mind.

 

 

After sitting around for most of the evening, after watching the England innings, I decided to go for a walk and Whitemoor is as good as anywhere so I loaded the dogs and my kit.  We walked the two mile square walk before visiting the quarry pool.  Around the walk I noted Swallow, Swift, Corn Bunting, Carrion Crow, Shelduck, Wren, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Linnet, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Skylark, Mallard, Yellowhammer, Kestrel, Starling, lapwing, Greenfinch, Common Whitethroat, Reed Bunting, Magpie, Song Thrush, Pheasant, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Jackdaw and Stock Dove.  Over to the quarry pool on the way home and I added Gadwall, Redshank, Tufted Duck, Greylag Geese, Canada Geese, Pied Wagtail, Garden Warbler, Mute swan and Ringed Plover.

With the rain set in for most of the day I decided to chill out untill it stopped.  It finally stopped about 15.30 and decided to head out for a bit.  The Red-necked Phalarope at Belvide was very tempting but it had not been seen since mid morning so I was not going to go on negative news.  I opted for Branston GP.  I put on my wellies diue to the rain we had and the clay soil I was going toi have to walk over.  Crossing the stile I realised I had a problem, the wellies wern't much help.  This field is planted with rape and the footpath is never looked after.  The rape is about six foot high and soaking wet, and the path was waist high grass which was also soaking.  I got about 100 feet then decided to turn around and try another entrance I knew about.  around here though, I noted Magpie, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Wood Pigeon, Black-headed Gull, Common Whitethroat, Skylark, Goldfinch, and Swift.  Off to the new entrance and it had changed since I last went there and , basically it has disappeared.  The path through the field and around the wood has been dug out as part of the quarry so there is no real access unless you are in to tresspassing which I am not.  I added Buzzard and Yellowhammer but dissapointed I could not get to the pits.  I also watched a Red Fox which was sniffing around the area for some time. Anyone who wants to go, either take an all in one, waterproof suit or a strimmer.  I shall be contacting the council.

 

 

I was struggling where to go.  Nothing had come through on my pager and I was not too sure on the rain staying off.  I decided to stay local and hoped that the dog walkers had been put off with the rain.  At Croxall, there was only one other car and this turned out to be another birder.  I had a pleasant, slow stroll around the reserve and noted Swift (there was loads of em flying around, joined by the next three birds on the list), Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, Garden Warbler, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit*, Great Tit, Common Whitethroat, Coot, Mallard*, Black-headed Gull*, Tufted Duck, Great-crested Grebe, Canada Geese*, Willow Warbler, Dunnock*, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Common Tern*, Mute Swan, Reed Bunting, Skylark, Grey Heron, Lapwing*, Wood Pigeon, Stock Dove, Starling, Blackbird, Redshank, Ringed Plover*, Gadwall, Pied Wagtail*, Cormorant, Shelduck, Dunlin, Wren, Common Sandpiper, Rook, Moorhen and Bullfinch. I have put the *mark after the birds I saw with juveniles.  The Blue Tits seemed to have a successful breeding year with loads of juveniles around.

 

 

Thought I would finish up at the quarry pool.  I noted Carrion Crow, swift, Starling, Lapwing, Canada Geese, Goldfinch, Mallard, Gadwall, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Linnet, Common Tern, Greenfinch, Chiffchaff, Wood Pigeon, Magpie and Swallow.  I had a bit of time to drive around the area and added Wren, Corn Bunting, Skylark, Chaffinch, yellowhammer and Dunnock.  Recently around the area there has been a lot of shooting.  I am not against shooting but was curious as to what they were shooting, considering they were there most evenings.  One of my friends is a shooter and his dogs carried back the remains of a Greylag Goose.  Canada Geese can be shot as they are vermin, but he said Greylags cannot.  he said he also saw one being shot on the ground as it ran away.  I am going to send some emails to relative organisations to see what is what, but I thought shooters had seasons!!!!!  

Fed up of sitting around every evening, trying to rest, so i decided to walk the dogs .  On the way round I saw Carrion Crow, Magpie, Wood Pigeon, Chaffinch, Wren, Skylark, Black-headed Gull, Swift, Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer, Tree Sparrow, Robin, Common Whitethroat, Linnet, Blackbird, Starling, Lapwing, Mallard, Kestrel, Canada Geese, Greylag Geese, Pheasant, Reed Bunting, Stock Dove, Blue Tit, Swallow, Song Thrush, Dunnock and Mute Swan.  These birds were seen around the rough track and it was quite hard birding.  Not much calling now as breeding and raising chicks is well under way.  I was hoping for the call of a Quail to make an appearance but alas, it did not occur.  Since the introduction of oil-seed rape instead of cereal crop, I believe the chances of Quail at Whitemoor is very, very slim.  On the way home I stopped off at the quarry pool and added Ringed Plover, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Tufted Duck, Willow Warbler (a well known water bird in this area!!!), and a Little Ringed Plover which bought a nice ending to this pleasant, chilled out walk.

My pager has not been recieving much info of late, and I am writing this blog on Friday as the computer decided not to work last night.  I was gutted when I got the computer working this morning (Friday), and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper had turned up at Attenborough.  A, I like Attenborough, it has lots too offer but full of people and B, I haven't seen a Buff-breasted Sandpiper for a couple of years so one this year would be nice.  I was golfing today but had the pager on and the bird has gone.  Yet another one I have missed.  this year is turning into a anus horribilus (I think that is what Queenie said).  

A few of us a meant to be meeting on Cannock Chase tonight to see Nightjars but the forecast is rubbish so I am "resting".  Not sure on the weekend due to the forecast being rubbish.  Fingers crossed.