Problems

 I'm having more problems loading photos onto my blog. I'm not sure how to resolve this, but in the meantime I'll post updates here @mortonbagotbirder.bsky.social

I'll still be updating my lists on this blog.

PS: The link should now work.

Sunday January 12 - Morton Bagot

 It's been a pretty good weekend. Even yesterday in dense freezing fog I managed three year-ticks; a Siskin at Matchborough when I went to pick up a prescription from the pharmacy, a male Blackcap in the garden, and a calling Redpoll when I made a brief attempt (unsuccessful) to see six Hawfinches which Andy Gooding had seen in the churchyard at Studley.

I needn't have worried about Hawfinch because this morning Dave and I found one at Morton Bagot, the first here this year. Our initial sighting was a bird flying out of view behind a hedge, but a couple of hours later we located what was probably the same bird at the far end of the dragonfly pool field. This time it perched up and proved to be a splendid male.

Thanks to the presence of birds at Studley, this was not my first this year, but walking around the still frozen site we managed to add seven species to my year list.

The first was a Tawny Owl, which showed very well as usual. Less auspicious additions followed; a flock of a dozen Snipe in flight, a party of 14 Lapwings heading west, a very brief view of a Stonechat in flight, a Little Egret, and a Reed Bunting. 

The one I've missed out was arguably the best of the day. Unfortunately it was also the most distant, a drake Goosander which flew south-west. It was my first here since 2018.

The ringers were on site, and while we were with them we had a Yellowhammer fly over at considerable height. A noteworthy site record these days.

Although there didn't appear to be any Teal, Moorhens or other water birds present, as soon as the pools thaw they should return.

Friday January 10 - Frozen

 The current freezing weather is not really doing my style of random square bashing any favours. The two I picked this week were Kite Green (just east of Henley) on Tuesday, and Rough Hill Wood (just south of Redditch) today. Neither locality gave me a great deal. The first produced over 100 Redwings just before the temperature really plummeted, while today I at least added Sparrowhawk to the year-list.

Fortunately other birders had been more successful locally, giving me the opportunity on Thursday morning to revisit a churchyard near Studley on the trail of a pair of Hawfinches.

I found them quite easily on arrival, although I did have to wait about half an hour to get the above image. The birds were feeding on Yews among a flock of at least 16 Greenfinches, but unfortunately I couldn't get a clear view when they were actually in the Yews.

I suspect these might be the birds which haunted Morton Bagot, about two kilometres away, during November, although I must admit this is pure conjecture.

Saturday January 4 - Morton Bagot

 My first visit to the patch this year was in some ways a triumph, and in others frustrating. I had switched from Sunday after seeing the weather forecast, although it seems by no means certain that tomorrow will be unbirdable.

Morton Bagot was frozen solid as expected. The ringers were on site but had chosen a different spot, so I found myself alone with no one in view when the bird of the day (or annoyance of the day) flew over. I had been alerted by an alarm call from a crow and looked up to see a largish accipiter flying above treetop height and directly across two fields to disappear into Bannams Wood. It had white undertail coverts which would make it an adult or at least sub-adult, but I didn't get much more on the plumage except to say it looked steely grey as it headed away. It felt enough like a Goshawk for me to count it as such after a period of deliberation. I think it must have been a male because it was not Buzzard sized.

I reached the ringers, but none of them had seen it. They reported having walked through the marsh for Snipe this morning, and had also seen a Barn Owl shortly after arriving. As I was chatting to Tony I heard a Stonechat call, but he told me they had put a tape on after seeing one in the chat field. It seems I had heard the tape and not the bird. 

After failing to locate the actual bird, a volley of gunshots opened up from the direction of Castle Farm, and presently several flocks of geese appeared and flew on. They were mostly Greylags. Several Mallard also appeared, but finding the flashes totally frozen, they carried on too. It was all a bit frustrating.

Some of the Greylags

A few easy year-ticks, Grey Heron and Ravens flew over, but I decided I might as well head back.

Back at the dragonfly pools I had a good idea. I decided to skirt the smaller pool where I had previously flushed a Jack Snipe, and sure enough one got up from under my feet, flipping back over the bank of the other pool where it disappeared, as they do.

It wasn't really a day for the camera, but I couldn't resist a perched Common Buzzard before I climbed into my car.

Thursday January 2 - New year, new resolutions

 Happy New Year everyone. On the first day of the year we woke up to heavy rain, which was a bit disappointing to say the least.

I have made a couple of resolutions which may seem contradictory. Firstly I intend to be more dedicated to exploring random tracts of land within ten kilometres of the house. Usually I start off quite well but as soon as spring arrives I cannot resist regular visits to watery sites like Morton Bagot, Earlswood, and Mappleborough Green Flash. I'll keep up weekly visits to Morton Bagot this year, but other birding will be more random. We'll see whether I can keep that up through the summer.

My second plan is to be a bit more relaxed about birding just beyond my self-imposed 10 km circle, extending it to 20 k just for twitching birds I'm unlikely to see in the core area. I still have care-related time constraints so it'll probably be a case of tick and run.

In fact I spent the afternoon of New Year's Day attempting just that. I went to Upper Bittell Reservoir, where a Caspian Gull had been seen a few days earlier. Unfortunately this was a case of dip and run because it didn't appear to be there. 

This morning I took myself off the Kemp's Green, an area of farmland between Umberslade and Ullenhall. The year list got a bit of a boost, but the species on offer were fairly modest. My best discoveries were a Golden Plover and a Yellowhammer, both of which were ticked audibly and not visually.

As it was sunny I was hoping to photograph something, but the only birds which came close enough were a small party of Long-tailed Tits.

Oh, one more thing. I've rejoined the world of social media by signing up to BlueSkySocial. My account currently has seven followers and no posts. Hopefully I'll eventually see something worth reporting.

Sunday December 29 - Morton Bagot

 What a gloomy, foggy week it's been. I did get out a couple of times over Christmas but my stumbling around in the fog didn't amount to much and was totally eclipsed by an excellent visit to Morton Bagot today.

The day began with a nice surprise. Dave's brother Paul, who used to put us up on our regular visits to Filey in the 1990s, was visiting from Yorkshire. It was only his second visit to our patch and I felt I needed to warn him it would probably be a waste of time. I needn't have worried though.

The Tawny Owl was showing well, and was quite oblivious to the three sets of bins grilling it. A good start.

We carried on, probably intending to walk across the marsh in the hope of kicking up a Jack Snipe or two. However, we were distracted by three ducks flying towards the flash field. They were distant, but appeared to be two Mallard and a Mandarin. The latter would be a patch year-tick, so I persuaded the others to cut out the marsh and head for the flash.

On the way we flushed a Little Egret and a Green Sandpiper, and on arrival discovered a small flock of Lapwings on the furthest flash. There seemed to be more small gulls than usual on the nearest flash so we headed for the first viewing point. From here Dave quickly alerted us to the presence of a drake Pintail, a drake Shoveler, and the drake Mandarin. The Pintail was my first in the 10 k circle this year, and possibly only the third adult drake I have ever seen here. I was ecstatic.

Also present were at least 15 Teal, 44 Black-headed Gulls and beyond the flash about 40 to 50 Greylag Geese, while a Mute Swan flew over. 

We ended up walking straight back to the car, but still added a fly-over Yellowhammer, three Snipe, and a Stonechat before we were done.

We were at pains to impress upon Paul that this was a good visit, and he certainly enjoyed our enthusiasm.

PS: John Chidwick twitched the birds in the late afternoon and discovered a female Pintail and a Wigeon in addition to the birds we'd seen. Perhaps we weren't as thorough as we thought.

This will probably be my last visit this year so I suppose I should reflect on the year just gone. Today's Pintail brought my circle total to 137, which is the lowest since I've been doing it. Previous years have tallied above 140. 

However there have been some belters this year.

Highlights were the party of six Common Cranes at Morton Bagot in early April, a Yellow-browed Warbler at Earlswood in October, and a Cattle Egret at Arrow Valley lake and Mappleborough Green in April.

Although I totally missed out on the Waxwing influx last winter, I cashed in on the mini Hawfinch invasion this autumn, seeing birds at both Morton Bagot and from my garden at Winyates East. Also new for the garden was a party of migrating Whooper Swans in late October, with a further eleven in November.

Water-levels were high for much of the year making it exceptionally poor for waders. I failed to see any Black-tailed Godwits, Redshank, Ringed Plovers, or Whimbrels for example, and only managed one Dunlin (over Earlswood), and one Greenshank (Middle Spernal). 

Earlswood's birders turned up a decent spread of less regular gulls and terns, most of which I twitched. I did miss a Knot there (it had nowhere to land), and also migrating Osprey and Marsh Harrier. Next year maybe.

Roll on 2025.

Sunday December 22 - A splash of colour

 On a cold and breezy Sunday morning, with rain in the forecast I didn't fancy Morton Bagot, so opted for Earlswood Lakes which I reasoned might host something storm-blown, and therefore rare.

An hour after my arrival reality had set in, and the best birds on show were five Goosander at the far end of Terry's, and a calling Chiffchaff from bushes on the east side of Engine. 

Luckily, my sister had invited me for a coffee at nearby Tidbury Green so I was able to spend the last half-hour sitting in the warm watching her bird feeders. Previously I had missed the regularly visiting pair of Ring-necked Parakeets, but today my timing was spot-on.

The male

The female

This wasn't all either. A partially leucistic Jackdaw was followed by a much finer corvid. The Jay is generally a nightmare to photograph. When I'm wandering around the countryside they spot you a mile off and rarely allow anything more than a rubbish record shot as they prepare to disappear.

From the comfort of a sitting room on the other hand, this particular Jay was practically posing and irresistible. 

I doubt I'll ever beat that.