Tuesday March 25

Today I went for a wander around Blackwell Golf Course near Tutnall on a pleasantly mild, mostly cloudy morning. There are no scarce birds to report, but the camera was employed as a lovely male Sparrowhawk perched in the trees above me, and later on a Mistle Thrush proved irresistible.

I was of course hunting for migrants, but only recorded the numerous Chiffchaffs which are now just about everywhere.

Yesterday I tried Mappleborough Green for the first time this year, but apart from 53 Teal, a Shoveler, and a Shelduck I had not much to show for it. Disappointingly it appears that Lapwings have now abandoned the site.

Fortunately, this morning a quick stop at Cobley Hill (looking for Wheatears) produced three breeding pairs of Lapwings, while the Wheatear quest got me an actual year tick when I paused to look at a promising ploughed field half way along Grange Lane. The Peregrine, which was flying steadily towards Alvechurch, filled a gaping hole in my year-list. It was somewhat unexpected here.

I'm having more issues with Blogspot. So if there are no more posts, that'll be why.

Sunday March 23 - Mostly Morton Bagot

 Today began with an opportunity for a dawn visit to another Little Owl site, this time in the Weatheroak area. Once again I arrived at the tree and failed to see any Little Owls. This particular trail may be cold, I had sussed out the spot earlier this year with the help of another informant. Unfortunately no-one seems to have seen the bird this year. I'm afraid that the local Little Owl population, once perfectly healthy, seems to have declined to the point that it may not be sustainable.

This morning's plan was to also visit Earlswood, given the overnight rain. Unfortunately I hadn't banked on thick fog, so I diverted to Morton Bagot to renew my acquaintance with the local ringing group. I arrived shortly after they had set up and in time to watch them capture a Chiffchaff which they had last detained in 2023.

Unfortunately I had to head home after thirty minutes and neatly missed a Great White Egret which they all saw flying towards Studley.

Time to draw a line.

I returned to Morton Bagot for 09.00 and was joined by Dave. The ringers were still present but planning to pack up their stuff. Dave and I left them and walked straight into a female Hawfinch sitting on the top of a hedge 100 metres beyond where the ringers were trapping.

I dutifully texted them and returned to see if anyone wanted to see it. Unfortunately Dave reported it had flown off just as I reached them. Also present in the field were a pair of Common Toads caught in the act, as it were.

The weather remained misty and murky, the wind a light north-easterly. Things looked very promising as we made our way to the flash field. A Little Egret and a flock of at least 53 Meadow Pipits distracted us before we got there.

Once in position we immediately saw the six Avocets counted by John Chidwick yesterday as well as at least 19 Teal, several displaying Lapwings, and a Green Sandpiper. I had seen a Sparrowhawk flying across the field behind us and it may have been that which caused all the birds to fly around in panic. In amongst the melee I spotted a Swallow which Dave also managed to get on before it disappeared. This was about a week earlier than my previous earliest, although I notice that Earlswood has also recorded one this morning. Spring really is getting earlier.

As we made our way back we found more evidence of birds pausing their migration. A flock of 180 Starlings and at least 28 Fieldfares, 15 Redpolls and 25 Goldfinches. It is likely that all were in the early stages of a return to the north-east.

Today's weather has been responsible for the arrival of Kittiwakes, Sandwich Terns, and maybe much more on Midland reservoirs today. I've just heard that an Osprey has flown over Earlswood, but you can't be everywhere.

Quite a day.

Saturday March 22 - The new approach still going...just

 I'm still managing to get out early, but am starting to realise I'm not twenty-five anymore. I can get up alright, but six hours later all I want to do is sleep. Poor old soul.

Anyway, I made it to a site near Alvechurch early yesterday morning, and successfully ticked off a pair of Oystercatchers which have returned again for another breeding season. This is the only place I can guarantee seeing them, although they often wander and I may well bump into them at one of my other sites.

After that I set off for some more exploring. This time it was an area of farmland just north of Tardebigge. The highlight was a superb field of rough grassland which hosted at least ten singing Skylarks, plus a few Reed Buntings and Meadow Pipits. I only hope the developers don't decide to build houses on it. 

Most "green" fields around Redditch are either sheep pasture, horse paddocks, or intensively farmed arable, all of which have limited wildlife value but seem to be protected for their agricultural worth. The places which need to be kept are the less economically valuable fields like the one described above.

Moth-trapping also requires an early start. In our garden my careful neglect of the ivy and honeysuckle flowing over the shed has at last reaped the reward of a pair of Blackbirds building a nest in it. Unfortunately it is right next to where I site my moth trap. Consequently I was up early this morning trying to process the trap quickly enough that I didn't disturb the Blackbird too much, whilst at the same time trying to avoid my trap becoming the Blackbird version of bed and breakfast.

It had been another mild night with just a little rain, and that resulted in a catch of 33 moths of seven species. The best of the bunch was the garden's first Shoulder Stripe. This is apparently a fairly common moth associated with wild roses. We only have the domesticated variety which maybe why I'd never seen one before.

Shoulder Stripe

The majority of the moths were the usual Common Quakers, but also included Small Quakers, an Oak Nycteoline, Brindled Pug, and my first Early Thorn for four years.

Early Thorn

But now it's time for my next nap.

Wednesday March 19 - A new dawn

 Today I trialed a new approach. My birding is very much centred around my caring responsibilities but after a typically underwhelming bit of birding/exploring from mid to late morning yesterday (Web Heath being about as unproductive as you might expect), I had the opportunity to do something different today.

I was out in the field at dawn and back home for breakfast. I know it doesn't sound a big deal but I've missed early starts and a slight change in Lyn's routine now gives me that opportunity.

I even had a plan. That was to travel to the only place I have seen a Little Owl locally in the last three years, tick it off, and come home. The only snag was that the Owl didn't know what was expected of it. I didn't see it....again.

However, the morning was salvaged when I decided on a detour. Last month I had visited the pool at Kinwarton Dovecote hoping to see Little Grebe and Cetti's Warbler. They had been absent (or maybe not showing). This morning it was different.

The Little Grebe swam into view, and then disappeared as they do. While I patiently waited for it to reappear, a Cetti's Warbler announced its presence with a single burst of song. There was little prospect of seeing it, and it didn't even sing again, but I'd got what I needed and went home content.

Morton Bagot - Sunday March 16

 The cold weather persists, and a visit to Morton Bagot was pretty quiet.

The nearest thing to a highlight came on the drive there. I spotted a pair of Red Kites landing in a sheep field.

But at least the blog has let me upload a photograph of one of them.

Dave joined me and we met Mike Holley who was just leaving, have been present since 06.30. He hadn't seen much and said that the flashes had been frozen. This probably explains the absence of the pair of Avocets and Shelducks seen by John Chidwick yesterday.

Mike had seen a couple of Stonechats, and we went on to see one of them, plus two Green Sandpipers. a few Snipe, Lapwings and Teal.

I'm pleased to report we saw two Lesser Black-backed Gulls and three Black-headed Gulls. Nothing too taxing.

Earlswood Lakes - Friday March 14

 Sometimes birding can be really challenging no matter how many years of experience you can claim. Today I resolved to return to Earlswood to sort out this Herring/Yellow-legged Gull once and for all. The plan was to see and photograph it in flight, and if possible see what colour legs it had. 

It was a bit of a rollercoaster. To start with I established that the two Herring type Gulls on Engine Pool were the same as the birds I had focussed on earlier in the week. They insisted on swimming around for at least half an hour, offering me nothing that would help. If anything the difference between the mantle colour of the two birds looked just as minimal.

Finally they took off, one after another, and I got some shots. The first thing I noticed was that the wing-tip on the potential Yellow-legged Gull did not show enough white in it to support the argentatus theory which I was quite sold on. Depressingly it looked more like argenteus, the British race of Herring Gull.

After about another hour I was walking back to the Malthouse carpark pretty much convinced I had messed it up, and it was just a slightly darker than usual Herring Gull which inexplicably had a more pinkish-red orbital ring than it should have. 

Then I seemed to get a break. The other Gull was standing on the little rubble island, and as I edged forward the "Yellow-legged Gull" swam in and started to paddle. Its legs were definitely yellow (ok a rather greenish yellow) but bang on for Yellow-legged Gull. I admit I was elated. Problem solved, it was indeed a Yellow-legged Gull.

But there was a fly in the ointment. The amount of black visible on my admittedly distant photographs was too little. When I got home I read everything I could but everything  said that Yellow-legged Gull should always have a black band on P5 (the fifth primary counting outwards from the secondaries) and as far as I could tell my gull didn't have that.

Would you believe, my computer has chosen this moment to stop loading any more photos. 

So I'll sign off by saying birding is very difficult and I don't know what I've seen today. I'll post some photos onto my BlueSky account.

@mortonbagotbirder.bsky.social

I now have an answer. I had more or less come to the same conclusion but Alan Dean replied to my request for his input and has confirmed it was a Herring Gull with yellow legs. The critical features were the pattern of P5, the size of the white spots on the closed primaries (too large for Y L Gull), and the extent of red on the gonys (not bleeding onto the upper mandible.) It's been a very interesting and instructive event.

Herring Gull with straw yellow legs (not a Yellow-legged Gull)

Earlswood Lakes - March 11

 The weather has turned cold, and all thoughts of spring shelved. Having been to see my sister in Tidbury Green (hoping her Ring-necked Parakeets might put in an appearance) I was well placed to visit Earlswood.

By the time I'd got about half way around Engine Pool I had nothing much to show for the decision. I had noticed that a "pair" of Herring Gulls which had landed on the water on the other side of the lake seemed to be slightly different in the shade of their upperparts, but not enough to interest me more than that. But later I would get a second chance.

In the meantime I walked around Terry's Pool where I noticed a moth struggling in the water of the moat surrounding the pool. I gallantly grabbed a small stick and managed to rescue what turned out to be a Small Quaker. 

Also present around the lake was the pair of Wigeon on Mereside Pool (it will be interesting to see whether the female remains loyal to what I assume is the resident male come the summer), a couple of duelling Kingfishers, I didn't see them well enough to determine whether they were the same sex, and a singing Treecreeper.

Back at Engine Pool I found that the two large Gulls I'd seen earlier were still present. After a lot of deliberation and no opportunity to see their leg colour, I concluded they were an adult Yellow-legged Gull and a fourth calendar year Herring Gull.

It may be that the former will later land on a raft and prove to have pink legs. The size of the white primary tips did worry me a bit. But here is how I plumped for Yellow-legged Gull:

Seen against the light it looked almost like a LBBGull

The same bird (on the left) with the light behind me looks hardly darker than the Herring Gull

The eye-ring was red. Supposedly eliminating Herring Gull

Another shot of the eyering.

Back-lit shot of the two together, YLGull on right this time.

PS: I am grateful to Mike Wakeman for correctly pointing out that argentatus Herring Gull, that is the Scandinavian race of Herring Gull, can also show a red orbital ring. This calls the identification into question so I plan to return to Earlswood on Friday to try to relocate the bird and this time see it in flight or get a view of its legs to resolve the issue. I have withdrawn the identification of it as a Yellow-legged Gull pending the chance of a better view.