At last, a dry evening.  I had been sorting my shed and fishing tackle out, got it done and decided to go and have a rare oppurtunity birding at the quarry pool.........and what a waste of time it was.  I sat by the pool and there was not a single duck or a single wader to be seen.  I managed to locate one Carrion Crow which was standing four foot away from the bank.  Then I had a surge of birds.  A Blackbird gave its usual call as it flew off. Two Linnets flew overhead. A Rook flew over the pool. Two Pied Wagtails were sitting on the piles of sand in the quarry.  Two Jackdaws were near. Lots of Swifts were flying over the pool which was out of view from the road. A Stock Dove flew over the pool. And a Dunnock gave a high pitch call from the little wood behind.  That was as good as it got on the pool.  I decided to take a drive around the rough track to see if I could pick anything else up.  I did manage to add Swallow, Goldfinch, Grey Heron, Magpie, Kestrel, Yellowhammer, Common whitethroat and Corn Bunting.  One to forget I think.

Due to various things such as village shows, fishing matches, beer (little bits only though!), and rain, time for birding is very much at a minimum.  Having said that, next weekend is totally free so will see what is around mid-week onwards.  I will also try and get some evening birding in to.  I have recently booked myself a week in Norfolk (good news), and am staying in a pub (bad news).  We have a big national fishing match and I am trying to get in the team. The match in at the start of September and we are going to have a few practice matches at the venue, the Ouse at Ely in Cambridgeshire.  Thats some travelling to catch a few fish.  I am also going to Scotland on the 4th of August.  This is a works h=golfing holiday, playing Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  My plan is to go up Tuesday, do a bit birding, play, and then travel home Saturday, do some birding on the way and relax Sunday.  This has now been blown out of the water as the first practice match in Cambridgeshire is on the Sunday.  So now I will be travelling straight home on the Saturday to get ready for the Sunday, althoughI might sneek in somewhere.  Thats me for the next few weeks, please bear with me as it is the Autumn soon, my favorite birding season. 

Back down to earth now, and back to work.  A female Red-crested Pochard has made gailey resevoir its home for the time being.  Gailey resevoir is next to the A5 at junction 12 of the M6 and it is owned by British Waterways as a header lake (store water to fill up canals when they have not got enough water).  Fortunately for me I was meeting a colleague at a small office we have at Gailey locks.  I arrived early and within minutes located the Red-crested Pochard.  Other birds in this short session included Canada Geese, Mute Swan, Coot, Common Tern, Great-crested Grebe, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Reed Warbler, Turnstone, sand Martin, Swift, Moorhen, House Martin, Ruddy Duck, Reed Bunting, Swallow and Chaffinch.  With the forecast not looking bad for this evening, hopefully I will get to Whitemoor to check the lake.  

Terek Sandpiper up in Heswall on the Wirral.  Unfortunately I have the village show this weekend.

 

 

As mentioned earlier, the weather was forecast good this evening, and they got it right, so I popped down for an hour to see what was around and on the lake.  I noted Carrion Crow, Mallard, Black-headed Gull, Grey Heron, Yellowhammer, Jackdaw, Greylag Geese, Wood Pigeon, Rook, Linnet, Swift, Pheasant, Lapwing, Swallow, Kestrel, Pied Wagtail, Peregrine, Wren, Garden Warbler, Goldfinch, Common Sandpiper, Redshank, Common Tern, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dunnock, Blackbird.  The birding seemed to be a struggle tonight but livened up when a adult male Peregrine came whizzing over my head, through a couple of Swallows that got out of its way before the Peregrine first upset some Jackdaws before lifting a load of Black-headed Gulls.  I later saw the bird being chased or followed by 3 noisy Common Terns.

 

 

I pulled up on the drive at home and looked up to see a few Swallows being rather noisy.  Then above them I saw a Hobby flying over the village in the Whitemoor Haye direction.  Why can't a Honey Buzzard, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Quail  and Pectoral Sandpiper be as obliging. 

The weather from now up to the weekend looks nothing short of horrendous.  Saturday, for ten hours, I am standing on the edge of the A513 and Daisy lane on the outskirts of Alrewas, diverting traffic and pedestrians for the village show.  I have easily banked 100+ hours for any community service I get.  Gis a pip on the horn if you are passing the show, I will be looking sad, lonely and very, very wet on the junction.  Sunday is not looking too good either.  the Terek Sandpiper might be tempting if it stays and the weather improves.

I am now a record breaker.  People who know me, you now know an official record breaker.  Most people will know I was diagnosed with the horrible disease Multiple Sclirosis (MS).  About the time I was diagnosed, an article on Midlands Today was on about an attenmpt for the world record for number of drums playing a sequence of notes simultaneoulsy and the money raised would go to MS.  Today I was in the NIA in Birmingham to take part in the attempt, and at around 15.35, we tried and conquered.  I have only been playing the drums for about one and a half years, I am pretty rubbish, but I am a world record holder.  YIPEEEEEEEEEE.  I have been getting sponsership of various people and have raised a bit of money for MS but I am always looking for more.  If anyone would like to donate £1, £2, £5, or whatever, contact me as I have to send my sponsership sheet in soon, but dont feel you have too!!!  Once again, I AM A RECORD HOLDER, YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

P.S. If you want to see more, look at www.stickittoms.com or go on you tube and a few people videod themselves playing.  Type in drumming MS or something., it will get you there.

No birding for me on Saturday (11th) as I had a fishing match for British Waterways.  It was a national competition.  We had one bloke who had a nine hour drive to compete in it.  I was thinking he had had a wasted journey when people on our side of the pool caught anything between two and fouteen pound (I caught ten pound of Bream).  Fortunately, it was better fishing around the corner and the chap in question came second overall.  Then another nine hours home!!!!!!! I was gutted with the peg I drew because I was confident today in catching fish.  I was confident the other day when I attended this months British Waterways golf society match (we have six in a year).  Confident that was until I went onto the putting green to practice and as I leaned forward to put, my back went.  I struggled to the car where I had some painkillers, anti-inflammatories, and a back strap.  With all of these in place I amazingly managed to play a round of golf a did not do too bad, 27 points for those who know. 

To todays birding and and county and year tick were the order of the day in the form of a Turtle Dove.  They are incredibly rare in Staffs, and declining over everywhere else.  They have been seen and heard here all summer.  After nearly an hours drive I parked in a little lane and then walked over some meadows.  These were full of Meadow Browns, Large whites and Tortoiseshells.  The ground was also covered with tiny frogs.  Not wanting to kill any, I walked carefully over the damp meadow to the hide.  I sat in there for a while before heading home.  Birds noted were Swallow, Wren, Chiffchaff, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, House Martin, Common Whitethroat, Wood Pigeon, Reed Bunting, Chaffinch, Pheasant, Willow Warbler, Swift, Sedge Warbler, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Coot, Mallard, Mute Swan, Black-headed Gull, Great-crested Grebe, Tufted Duck, Canada Geese, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Buzzard, Great Tit, Moorhen, Reed Warbler, Turtle Dove, Kingfisher and Goldfinch.  Very much made up with the Turtle Dove, I headed home to watch the grand prix and the golf. for an afternoons rest.

 

 

After tea and with my drum kit loaded in the car ready for Mondays record braking attempt, I decided to pop to Whitemoor and scan the pool.  Birds noted were Magpie, Blackbird, Wood Pigeon, Canada Geese, Lapwing, Carrion Crow, Black-headed Gull, Common Sandpiper (4), Redshank, Greylag Geese, Starling, Stock Dove, Mallard, Ringed Plover, Tufted Duck, Goldfinch, Swift, Dunnock, Rook, Jackdaw, Swallow, Linnet, Chaffinch and Yellowhammer.

I am going to start with and apology although I am not apologising.  I had to go and get some tablets as I have been suffering from sciatica for the last couple of days.  On the way home I thought I would pop in to Whitemoor Haye.  I am apologising for going to Whitemoor again as it is the only place I have been for a while but I am not apologising because, if you have not been there, anything can pop in and I think it is well worth a look around the pool.  Birds noted were Swallow, Carrion Crow, Yellowhammer, Canada Geese, Swift, Blackbird, Garden Warbler, Greylag Geese, Lapwing, Wood Pigeon, Black-headed Gull, Mallard, Wren, Ringed Plover, Starling, Cormorant, Magpie, and Common Sandpiper. 

After the weekends shambles, I needed to get out during the week and get back to birding.  The rain this evening was never ending, but it eased of about 20.00.  I then had a decision, watch Holby City, watch th Micheal Jackson tribute, eat my own arm, or go birding.  No contest.  The arm was not too tasty so I decided to pop down to the quarry pool at Whitemoor to see if anything was around.  I was immediately rewarded with two Garganey.  I was made up with this.  Two females were distant but definate.  I got my digi-scoping kit on but they were a bit too distant.  They are nothing like a spring male but it was a year tick all the same.  Other bird noted were Magpie, Swallow, Swift, Yellowhammer, Common Whitethroat, Skylark, Wood Pigeon, Carrion Crow, Grey Heron, Garden Warbler, Common Sandpiper, Mallard, Redshank, Linnet, Jackdaw, Wren, Blackbird, Lapwing, Sand Martin, Yellow Wagtail and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

I was looking forward to getting out and doing a mornings birding.  With the dog and the gear in the car, I set off, and as I rounded the island for the National Arboretum, to drive into Whitemoor Haye, I spotted a Hobby chasing some hirundines.  A cracking start to the morning.  I parked up the car, but in a different place, and me and the dog set off.  If you think of the walk at Whitemoor as a square, I was mostly down the first side when a load of guns started firing.  My dog is terrified of any bangs and so she legged it.  I called her back but she was not going to come back to the scene of the bangs.  Having done this before I was not too worried because she runs and hides near the car.  Not this time.  As I parked in a different place, she was no where to be seen.  She also knows the way home as we walk that most nights, and between Whitemoor Haye and home is the busy A38.  She would have no chance on there.  I raced the car down to the A38 but couldn't find her, called my mom who came to help but still no sightings.  Eventually I sent my mom home in case Jess had managed to get over the road and back to the house, whilst I kept looking around Whitemoor.    After a while I thought I would look by the quarry where I look over the pool, and as I drove up, a very scared black and white collie was hiding in the hedge.  I was very relieved to find her but that put payed to the mornings birding, instead I decided to queue up to take some rubbish to the tip.  Havn't people got better things to do!!!!!!!!!!!  However, I did manage to see some birds before the incident.  Hobby, Swallow, Tree Sparrow, Carrion Crow, Swift, Skylark, Yellowhammer, Corn Bunting, Black-headed Gull, Dunnock, Common Whitethroat, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Magpie, Lapwing, Great Tit, and Common Sandpiper where all noted this morning. 

With my job comes various hazards.  I work on the canals and my phone fell in last week.  I did not get it back but, amazingly, I was due for an upgrade, visited an orange shop, and got another phone and new sim card there and then.  Mr Yapp and Kay, could you send me any rubbish text saying it is you as I didn't write your numbers down antwhere.  Don't want you to miss out on the mega around Whitemoor Haye (even though Martyn will be there before me anyway).  Cheers guys.  Another day out needed soon I think.  Good news is I am just off to walk the dog around Whitemoor then I'm thinking of popping somewhere else, before more urgent jobs to do at home.

As I said in the last inatallment, I am not a fan on the heat.  The hot weather can lead to MS symptoms.  These are called pseudoexacerbations.  It is not a true relapse, and the symptoms disappear once the body has cooled down.  Hence why I am hiding inside during the heat wave.  Saturday morning was looking ok but last night I was asked to do a job in the morning, and then the afternoon forecast is not good.   11the July I have a big fishing match and then 18th July is Alrewas Show.  See www.alrewasshow.co.uk for any info.  I work on the top road, diverting traffic and seperating traffic from car park and show ground.  Good fun, have been doing it for several years.  On 13th July I am at the NIA in Birmingham taking part in the world record attempt fo mass drumming.  600 of us are rthrashing out a din on our drum kits.  This is all for MS.  Should be fun.  All of the above means very limited birding oppurtunities, so I apologise for the lack of content.  This Autumn though I will be everywhere. Anyone who wants anymore info on MS go to www.ms.about.com or find MS society, not sure on address.

Im afraid no birding this weekend as I had a fishing match on the Saturday and was out on the Sunday.  I am also hiding from the heat .  It is too hot for me at the moment, I am even starting early and finishing early so I am not out in the afternoon sun.  Hopefully the weekend coming I shall venture out.