Bad weather birding and wild Swans

The problem with the weather forecast nowadays is that it's so flippin' accurate. This morning I stayed dry for about 30 minutes before the rain duly arrived and intensified.

Dave had elected to head for Flamborough to bird with our old friend Craig, and a call from him last night confirmed what a fantastic time he was having. Rustic Bunting, Leach's Petrels, and a variety of other good seabirds. He even had two Gannets flying inland, as he stared from the train on his way up, somewhere near the Humber Estuary.

Gannets. Jon Yardley texted me on Friday night. He had seen a juvenile Gannet flying over his house in Studley late on Friday afternoon. It had headed vaguely in the direction of Morton Bagot, about two miles away as the Gannet flies.

This morning there were no Gannets on offer (although another juvenile has been seen over Upton Warren this morning), and in the half hour of dry I recorded a couple of Chiffchaffs and six Redwings.

As the rain set in I scanned across flash and pool, sifting through rafts of Mallard, about 40 Teal and 10 Wigeon in the hope of seeing something different. The Little Grebe was still present, but there was nothing new.

The soggy trudge back did produce new arrivals though. I heard a Brambling calling as it flew over unseen, then found two new Stonechats. If you have ever wondered what a Stonechat looks like through a rain splattered, misty telescope, wonder no more.

Finally, another new autumn bird flew over. Actually there were two of them, adult Common Gulls.

OK, I'll admit it, Flamborough has the edge on Morton Bagot.

However, by 3.00pm the rain was clearing and I decided to venture out again. The flashes now contained 127 Teal and 13 Wigeon. I suspect they may have been there earlier, but they were now on the nearest flash where they could at least be seen without grass etc in the way.

I met John Chidwick and we exchanged phone numbers. A thrash across the field produced 25 Meadow Pipits and 50 Goldfinches. I saw John heading off, and could find no sign of this morning's Stonechats.

Eventually I reached the road, and the sun was finally shining. As I walked along I saw three Swans flying high, heading north-west. A quick look threw the bins through me into panic mode. Wild Swans, surely Whoopers. I managed to get the scope off my back and onto my tripod, and to my relief found that the birds had turned and were heading back south-east. I got onto them, and concluded that the yellow at the base of the bills was blunt and quite restricted. Another look through the bins and I felt their necks weren't all that long. They disappeared over Bannams Wood, and I decided that they were Bewick's. They were two adults and an immature.

Since then I have started to worry about them. The date is rather early for Bewick's. There are none at Slimbridge yet. Whatever they were it's a first for Morton Bagot. I suppose I should be influenced by what I saw and thought at the time, and not by the date. But I'll feel a lot better if some Bewick's turn up at Slimbridge tomorrow.