Sunday March 8 - Morton Bagot

A cloudy morning, with low cloud covering the top of Bannams. I had heard that John C had seen four Avocets here yesterday, so we were pretty confident of at least one year-tick.

It didn't take long before we heard the first of four Chiffchaffs singing en route to the flash field. The first here this year, but not unexpected. In the first flush of optimism we found ourselves scanning the grassland for an early Wheatear, notwithstanding that we saw none here last year. Predictably, none were present, but one of the ever dwindling numbers of breeding Skylarks posed nicely.

Scanning over towards the flash field we found that the Avocets had indeed returned. A bonus came in the form of a fly-over Grey Wagtail, another one that was new for the year here.

Counting Avocets at Morton Bagot is not as straightforward as it should be. The rushes surrounding the nearest flash constantly obscured birds. We had agreed on six Avocets, until one of my scans produced seven. Bizarrely every attempt to repeat the count failed, and I was left wondering whether I had inadvertently included one of the pair of Black-headed Gulls which was sharing the flash. 

There was plenty of other interest too. At least 32 Teal, 12 Lapwings, two or three Snipe, a Little Egret, a Grey Heron, and two Green Sandpipers shared the flash. Strangely the Shelducks seemed to have gone.

Green Sandpiper

Noticeably absent were any Stonechats. In previous years there has usually been a spike in numbers reflecting the presence of passage migrants, but we haven't seen any here since the last of the winterer's departed in February.

A single immature Peregrine provided a good end to an already excellent visit.

As a postscript I will just mention that the Garden Moth Survey began again on Friday night. I dutifully put my trap out and caught 24 moths of five species. As usual the majority were Common Quakers, backed up by three Small Quakers, three Hebrew Characters, a Clouded Drab, and an Early Thorn. If I get anything unusual or new, I will be showing them on this platform.

Friday March 6 - Earlswood Lakes

 A grey, cold day was ideal for a visit to Earlswood. This may seem a strange statement, but I think events showed I was correct.

Shortly after arrival, as I concluded an attempt to count the Snipe on one of Engine Pool's rafts (19 for the record), I looked up just in time to see two Shelducks heading over the causeway between Engine and Terry's Pool. This was actually quite a coup for Earlswood where they are barely annual, and I think it was only my second site record. Unfortunately my camera was tucked away in my bag, and I'd have struggled anyway.

I retraced my steps in case they had landed, but as expected, they had not. A single drake Goosander was the only bird remotely Shelduck-like on view. Further signs of early spring came with a singing Chiffchaff (I'd heard another along Springbrook Lane), and many of the Black-headed Gulls being black (well brown) headed.

I made my way towards the causeway between Engine and Windmill Pool. Standing around on the causeway can be surprisingly productive, and after about fifteen minutes I found an early Sand Martin flitting around the centre of Windmill. This was the species I'd been hoping for (it might even be my earliest ever). I typed its details into Whatsapp, but on looking up found that it had disappeared. 

Around the same time a Red Kite flew over, which at last gave me the chance to photograph something. 

I decided to walk back via Engine and Terry's Pools. 

The resident drake Wigeon still think's its a Mallard

Back on the other causeway I heard a singing Blackcap, maybe a summer visitor but more likely a wintering bird which has started singing before trekking back to central Europe. Many of the wintering Redwings are also now singing prior to departure. I wonder whether this is more common nowadays because I don't remember noticing it so often twenty years or so ago.

For the walk around Terry's I was joined by Tony P. When we reached the stump feeder he produced a bag of bird food, and the local Tits surrounded him. He's like a modern day St Francis of Assisi. I left him tending to his flock and headed home.

PS: The Sand Martin was my equal earliest, the other being at Upton Warren in 2002.

Tuesday March 3 - Spernal STW

 Well you know what they say. It's not what you know, but who you know that matters. I have the good fortune to be friends with Tony and the Redditch Ringing Group, and they had the wherewithal to gain official access to Spernal STW.

So this morning I had the opportunity to spend a pleasant hour or so in their company within the hallowed ground of the sewage treatment works. 

While the ringers got on with what they do best, I spent my time trying to boost my year list. The first of at least two Cetti's Warblers piped up almost immediately. I scanned the small lagoon which is hard to see from outside the fence and counted 15 Teal, a few Mallard, three Moorhens, and eventually one of at least two Water Rails whose squeals had been heard.

A new highlight was two pairs of Mandarins which flew over, unfortunately wrong-footing me camera-wise. Actually I didn't manage decent photos of anything before I had to leave. A single Chiffchaff was singing, and at least three Reed Buntings were no doubt preparing for the breeding season.

Chiffchaff in the early morning light

Reed Bunting

I wish I could have spent longer there, but Cetti's Warbler and Mandarin were added to the year-list so it was mission accomplished.

I've since heard from Tony that they caught 39 birds of 13 species as follows:

Blue Tit 15 (5)

Great Tit 3

Long-tailed Tit (2)

Chiffchaff 1

Goldcrest 2

Wren 1

Treecreeper 1

Robin 2

Dunnock 1

Chaffinch 1

Greenfinch 4

Goldfinch 5

Reed Bunting 1

Although they didn't catch a Cetti's Warbler today, they estimated four were present and they did catch one on their previous visit on February 28.

Cetti's Warbler - per Tony Kelly

Morton Bagot - Sunday March 1

Another month, the same old story. Dave and I went to Morton Bagot and saw pretty much the same birds as we saw last time. Shelducks, Teal, and Lapwings remain at the flash field. There are still plenty of Fieldfares and Redwings. Not much sign of spring.

Grasping at straws, a party of 16 Herring Gulls and nine Lesser Black-backed Gulls was probably our highlight, although I suppose seeing three different Red Kites and at least seven Buzzards was also better than usual.

Herring Gulls with Lapwings in the background

My garden has produced heightened levels of interest this week with a Wren building a cock's nest in a bird box on the side of our house, and both Robin and Blackbird being seen carrying nesting material.

March is always a waiting game and its a pretty safe bet that things will improve.

Thursday February 26 - Austy Wood and Morton Bagot

 I woke before dawn, and decided a pre-breakfast birdwatch would be in order. This is getting to be a habit. My destination was Austy Wood on the south-eastern edge of the Circle. 

As dawn approached, it became apparent that it would be a cloudy and breezy morning. Not ideal. I walked along a very muddy footpath from opposite Wootton Pool, up a steady slope until I reached the eastern edge of the wood. 

Most of the wood is private, and managed for shooting. The only part in my Circle which is available is a tiny section visible from the footpath.

So a lot of effort, but there was a small reward. A weedy field just before I got to the woodland was alive with 150+ Chaffinches, plus two Bramblings and 20 Goldfinches. It's really satisfying to find a good finch flock. The wood itself was busy with birds but I saw nothing scarcer than a Marsh Tit.

Scroll forward to the post-breakfast element. I slogged around Morton Bagot, failing once again to locate a single Coal Tit (needed for my PWC2026 3k list). Eventually I reached the flash field with its obligatory Teal, Lapwings, Shelducks, and Mallard. A single Snipe looked like it would be the only added variety.

However, persistence paid off as a wader appeared from behind the sedge which largely obscures any shoreline on the nearest flash.

I've never been so pleased to see a Green Sandpiper, the first of the year.

Tuesday February 24 - Morton Bagot and Spernal STW

It just so happened that I awoke at 05:00 and remembered I had bought a thermal imager. Time to creep out of the house and try the patch for owls. 

Without the imager I was blind, but with it I could immediately see Rabbits, Hares and an Owl. It was sitting on a post, but beyond that I couldn't be certain of the species. Then it took off and flew away. My strong hunch that it was a Barn Owl was confirmed when it gave the classic rasping call.

I could also hear Tawny Owls in the woods some way off, but identifying the white blobs in the fields was rather tricky. Fortunately most of them were calling and were Red-legged Partridges, the smaller dots eventually revealing themselves as Skylarks.

Once it got light, I dashed home for breakfast.

Part two of the morning involved a trip to the sewage works at Spernal. Neither of my two main targets, Mandarin and Cetti's Warbler, was present (or in the latter case maybe just not singing), but there was some compensation. A Goosander flew north, and after hearing at least one Chiffchaff singing from within the compound of the works, I located two more along the footpath on the way back.

Sadly, but unsurprisingly, no wing-bars were seen apart from on the several Goldcrests which were also feasting on the numerous gnats. One day maybe.

Morton Bagot - Sunday February 22

 A pleasantly mild, and mostly sunny morning. Lots of birds singing and even a few insects on the wing.

Wintering birds included at least 80 Redwings, 42 Lapwings, and a couple of Stonechats. There were plenty of photo opportunities.

I'm in a much better mood today.

Earlier this week I twitched a Brambling in my sister's garden at Tidbury Green, and saw a Goosander from our kitchen window as it flew over the garden. 

I've also seen one of these this week:-

Boom!