Friday August 14

After a night of heavy rain showers the morning dawned grey with a steady drizzle and a very light north-easterly. Ideal conditions for birding at Midland reservoirs in autumn, but less appealing at Morton Bagot. Nevertheless I was secretly optimistic.

After an hour of trudging round, looking at soggy Red-legged Partridges and the like, I could have been forgiven for giving up and heading home. But I was more determined than that, and chose to do a second circuit. I'm glad I did.

On reaching the chat field for the second time, a scan revealed a single distant Whinchat. The first passage migrant of the day.

The Whinchat

Encouraged, I headed to the Flash field for a second instalment. It contained 13 Green Sandpipers (I later saw a 14th at the dragonfly pools), six Snipe, and two Teal, while a single Sand Martin was hunting insects above the nearest flash.

I then turned my attention to the hedgeline on the other side of the footpath gate. I quickly spotted a Redstart just as the rain intensified. There followed a rather magical half hour in driving rain as I witnessed a feeding frenzy of small passerines catching tiny insects in the lee of the hedge. As well as the Redstart, there were three Spotted Flycatchers, two Lesser Whitethroats, three Willow Warblers, 10 Chiffchaffs, a Goldcrest, numerous Swallows, and plenty of Robins, Dunnocks, Wrens, tits, and finches.

adult Spotted Flycatcher

juvenile Spotted Flycatcher

After the deluge, the rain subsided and I got some shots of the Spotted Flycatchers, although the Redstart had disappeared up the hedge.

The walk back was less entertaining and I was thoroughly sodden, not unlike this character.

Tame, damp, Red-legged Partridge

As predicted my pager tells me the main reservoirs have plenty of waders and terns, like Bar-tailed Godwits and Black Terns. Its a different world, but Morton Bagot still holds its charms.