Blackminster - Waxwing

On the afternoon of my last posting I checked Twitter and found that a Waxwing had been found at Blackminster. The place didn't mean anything to me, but minimal research revealed it was near Evesham, and therefore near me.

I resisted the urge to go and look at it for two days, but this morning, with the sun out, I cracked.

It proved very easy to see. Drive into Blackminster, spot half a dozen birders grilling the bird with scopes and cameras, find somewhere to park. The latter problem was solved by the presence of a convenient car-park behind a small trading estate.

Waxwing

They are just stunning birds. This one is the only one in the West Midlands at the moment, and had found some nice juicy white berries to feed on. It remained in the same position for the whole time I was there.

It's been a poor to moderate winter for Waxwings, and this bird was attracting a steady trickle of admirers.

The only other birds of note were a flock of at least 21 Linnets twittering away in the car-park.

Thursday February 27

A cold morning began with showers and ended mostly sunny with a fresh north-westerly.

A stomp around the patch produced little to warm the cockles. Two Siskins flew over near Netherstead, but after that things seemed pretty quiet. I had a little surge of optimism as I neared the flash field where I could hear gulls calling. Most flew off as I approached but I counted 60 Black-headed Gulls, 37 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and two Herring Gulls.

Making a sharp exit

Once the gulls had gone I settled down to count the wildfowl, almost all on the furthest flash. There were 37 Teal, a Little Egret, 35 Mallard, and six Lapwings.

Little Egret and Teal

And I'm afraid that was about it. A few Fieldfares and Starlings flew over, and there are still about 40 Linnets in the strip field.

I did have a lifer at Netherstead though.

Indonesian chicken

Upton Warren - Glaucous Gull again

Twitching has a habit of kicking you in the teeth. Last night I was chuffed to have seen the Glaucous Gull. Then this morning I checked Twitter and discovered that the following morning had dawned to reveal both the Glaucous Gull and an Iceland Gull.

Thank goodness I'm not a twitcher. So being a non-twitcher, I went again this evening. I arrived an hour earlier in the hope of getting better photographs of the Glaucous Gull. On entering the hide I discovered I was not alone, in fact there was nowhere to sit. So I went to the bottom tier, which was empty.

I counted the Black-headed Gulls (1020), and noticed a Common Gull which flew through. I counted the Avocets (nine), and waited. Another birder joined me, and then John Belsey popped his head in for a chat. I got the camera out.

Avocets

Occasionally the gulls got up in a panic, one particularly large one allowed me to count 18 Snipe which had also been disturbed (I'm guessing Sparrowhawk, but I didn't see whatever it was). One of the Black-headed Gulls was colour-ringed - White 4HO - I'll look it up on the BTO site for reporting rings later. (It turns out I must have read the ring wrong as there were not enough digits). - Thanks to Mike Wakeman for the information that this bird was ringed as a nestling at Cotswold Water Park in 2013, and has been seen most years at Upton Warren since. (see comments).

By 17.45 there were still very few large gulls. It was getting very gloomy, so I decided to nip upstairs to chat to Mike and anyone else I recognised. It turned out the hide was even fuller, so after a brief exchange of pleasantries I announced I was going back downstairs. Gert decided to follow me down.

Almost as soon as I got back downstairs my other companion was announcing an arrival of large gulls. Ten minutes later, still no white-wingers. Gert spotted the Barn Owl. Cracking. Then at last the Glaucous Gull flew in and landed pretty much where it had roosted the night before.

I decided to try for some shots despite the light, with the camera set to auto.

Glaucous Gull

It's bill was clean this time, and I'm pretty happy with this image given the light.

Everyone stayed until about 18.20 as more large gulls were arriving, but there was no sign of the Iceland Gull. It'll probably be there again tomorrow morning, but I won't be looking at it cos I'm not a twitcher.

Upton Warren - Glaucous Gull

Last evening an immature Glaucous Gull had roosted at Upton Warren, while Lyn and I were enjoying the hospitality of friends in Moseley. This morning I was spark out at dawn, and it was raining heavily, so I didn't go.

This afternoon I decided to give it a go, but couldn't get away until late afternoon. I arrived at the hide at 17.45 fully expecting to be greeted with news that it had not come in.

But it had. A huge white gull in front of the hide was the Glaucous Gull, my first large white-winged gull at Upton Warren. It was almost too dark for the camera, but not quite. It's surprisingly dark-based bill is thought to be due to soil, photos of it from this morning show a perfectly normal pink base.

Glaucous Gull and Curlew

About 500 Black-headed Gulls and a handful of Herrings and Lessers were also present, but I confess  I didn't make any attempt to count them. Even worse, I had to ask where the Avocets were. There was a little group of them beyond the gulls.

I waited until the Barn Owl came out of roost before strolling back. It was very nice to chat to some familiar faces; John Ridley, Des Jennings, and Andy Warr, and also meet new ones: Gert Corfield.

I should do this more often.

Sunday February 23

After a heavy shower the weather settled down to mostly cloudy with a brief sunny interval. It was also blowing a south-westerly gale.

The birds on offer were pretty much the usual fare; a pair of Stonechats, three Wigeon, a few Teal, five Lapwings, and a Little Egret in the flash field.

Little white blob (Egret)

Wigeon

In contrast to my last visit there were no gulls, apart from a single Herring Gull, but we did hear a very clear "hweet" call several times which had to be a Chiffchaff, the first in February here. The bird was somewhere in the depths of Stapenhill Wood but it was too much effort to go in to try to see it.

A Peregrine was chasing corvids around in a half-hearted attempt to catch its lunch.

Three Roe Deer were unaware of our presence thanks to the gale force wind blowing from them towards us.

Roe Deer

A flock of about 150 Redwings and a few Fieldfares were on the horse paddocks, but they flew off as I started to unpack the tripod.

Wednesday February 19

As my last visit was a bit of a wash out I decided to give it another go this morning. It was cloudy, but dry, for about two hours. Then the drizzle started, convincing me to leave at 11.00. I later returned for reasons which will become apparent.

A sign at the start of the road implied that the road was blocked so I parked at the church. I was later able to walk back from Netherstead along the road, and found no obstacles.

Down at the flash field three Shelducks were in residence, and also three Wigeon, and 19 Teal.

Shelducks

The walk to Netherstead took me past the pool, still pretty full of water, and got the Coot count up to eight. A Fox was nosing around on the lookout for rodents. Some time spent around garden feeders at Netherstead got me a year-tick, but the Greenfinch was only heard twittering several times despite my best efforts to see it.

As you will probably have gathered, February is not the most exciting month in the wildlife calendar. No insects are flying, and few birds are migrating. But there can be one saving grace here. It is the only time of the year when there is a chance of good numbers of small gulls. There is a Mediterranean Gull-shaped hole in the Morton Bagot list, and I hope one day to fill it. As I topped the ridge I noticed  a lot of white dots on the ploughed field beyond Stapenhill Wood. Could this be the day? Annoyingly, ten minutes later, as I was reaching a point where I thought I stood a chance, the whole lot were flying off. I estimated 540 gulls, and silently cursed as they disappeared and the rain began to fall.

This is why I returned at 14.00. I parked at Netherstead and marched to the spot. To my relief the flock had returned. They were too distant to go through with any confidence, so I decided to sneak beyond my boundary to where I stood a chance.

Two-fifths of the flock

Spoiler alert. For anyone hoping for a happy ending, there isn't one. The whole flippin' lot were Black-headed Gulls (apart from a couple of LBB Gulls). There wasn't even a Common Gull. I did at least manage to count them accurately, and found there were 513 present. This is the biggest flock for several years, but not the site record, which remains at circa 700.

There's always next year.

Sunday February 16

Wet. I think that is the word which sums up this mornings visit. Windy might also sneak into the description. Also flooded, which the whole area certainly was. In fact I only got as far as High Field Farm before I decided the next bend looked impassable. Several cars later proved me wrong, but only just.

The pool was back. The water level was actually above the island, something I cannot recall even when the pool was a permanent feature.

There should be an island in the middle of the pool

Anyway, what about birds? Well I did get a couple of patch year-ticks. A Yellowhammer flew in and perched above me before flying off. I then flushed three Tufted Ducks from the pool behind the flash field, where they then ended up. I don't have any photos of either event because of the rain and incompetence.

Other birds occupying the flash field were three Wigeon, two Shelduck, six Coot, two Lapwings, and eight Teal. It could have been worse.

As I was preparing to leave six Herring Gulls flew along the line of the Morton Brook, so I decided it could be worth checking the large field between the patch and Studley Castle. The weather worsened and by the time I got into position I was able to count 80 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and 10 Herring Gulls. There was a Herring Gull type with a darker grey mantle, but I couldn't see its legs and I was so wet I decided I couldn't care less.

I trudged home.

The garden moth season gets underway at last

Last night the temperature only dipped to a balmy 10 degrees, and this coincided with GMS winter moth survey evening, so I was optimistic for some live moth action. I was not to be disappointed.

Storm Dennis held off just long enough for me to step outside and immediately find a new moth for the garden. The March Moth clinging to the brickwork around the back door is not a rare moth, although it is a rapidly declining species. This, and the fact that I haven't systematically trapped in winter before, may account for the fact it has taken me just over two years to see one.

March Moth

Unfortunately, as it got lighter, so it also got wetter. So the photograph isn't great.

I then went on to find three moths in the trap; Acleris literana (one record last year), Chestnut (alive this time), and Common Quaker.

Acleris literana

Up and running.

PS: Another moth found, this time on the shed. A rather fine, and maybe quite early, Hebrew Character.

Hebrew Character

Shortwood Roughs

My first attempt to search for Willow Tits this year was, it has to be said, a bit of a shambles.

I had picked out an area where I definitely recorded a Willow Tit, and indeed Marsh Tit,  whilst doing a BBS square in 1995. Steve Payne duly sent me a map of the square and asked me to get on with it.

So this morning, having failed to locate the relevant OS map I headed to where I had carried out the BBS survey 25 years ago. I felt sure that my route had followed footpaths.

The first obvious difference was that the field bordering the wood was no longer sheep pasture, but was a muddy maize field.

An hour later I had recorded no Willow Tits (as expected), but had added some species to my 1990s list, namely Buzzard, Greylag Goose, Kestrel, Siskin, and Black-headed Gull. The area was every bit as dull as I remembered it.

The most interesting ornithology was the presence of a large flock of winter thrushes. I estimated 150 Fieldfares, and 70 Redwings. I had not bothered to pack my scope, something I now regretted.

Mostly Fieldfares

I was also pleased that at least five Skylarks were singing.

On returning to the road a concerned citizen greeted me with "are you lost ?" Uh oh ! It turned out that there was not a public footpath where I was walking, and Mr Neighbourhood-Watch was sure that the farmer would be displeased by my presence there. I was able to find out from him who did own the land and set off to find him. Eventually I tracked down the owner's son, Adam, and he readily gave me permission.

The final irony on returning home was that most of Shortwood Roughs' woodland falls in a neighbouring square, so I was actually looking in the wrong place. That woodland, Mr "I think all Buzzards should be shot" Neighbourhood-Watch told me was owned by "some eco-warriors".

As I said, a bit of a shambles.

Moth news

Despite putting my trap out, in the garden, every Friday this winter as part of the Winter Garden Moth Survey I have not managed to catch a single moth since before Christmas.

It is therefore somewhat ironic that, on entering the garden this morning to top up the feeders, I noticed that a spider beneath our kitchen window had been rather more successful.

Chestnut - deceased

Presumably this unfortunate moth was attracted to the kitchen lights some time since Saturday morning, when it definitely wasn't there.

I believe it is a Chestnut, but it is very worn by the ravages of wind, rain, frost, and spider venom.

Upton Warren - Monday February 10

I fancied a visit to somewhere with hides this morning, and my old patch seemed just the ticket.

The morning began sunny, but I ended the visit holed up in the main hide at the flashes as a long sleet and rain shower hammered down onto a flock of soggy Lapwings.

Wet Lapwings

Lady luck was not with me this morning. I had begun at the North Moors in glorious sunshine. I heard a Water Rail squeal, and the few birds present were showing well.

A pair of Gadwall

Moving on to the main hide overlooking Amy's Marsh and the whole Moors Pool, I diligently counted what was in front of me, including eight Shelduck to add to the pair on the North Moors, two Oystercatchers, two female Pochard, a Great Crested Grebe, and a Little Grebe. Then a Sparrowhawk charged through flushing everything, including 18 Common Snipe.

One of the other occupants of the hide mentioned that a Mediterranean Gull was at the flashes, so I abandoned the 211 Black-headed Gulls in front of me and headed back to the car. My tally of singing Cetti's Warblers had reached three by then, but none was showing.

As the cloud increased I made it to the main hide at the flashes, and was disappointed to learn that the Med Gull was long gone. There were also no Avocets present, and as the deluge began I realised I would be there for quite a long time.

Teal

The back of the middle flash was carpeted in Jackdaws and also 10 Curlew. This species was always a feature of Upton Warren, but the Midland population has been nose-diving for several decades as these long-lived waders fail to breed successfully due to "improvements" in agriculture robbing them of suitable habitat. Its all very sad.

Curlews in the gloom

I hate to say it, but even this small number may become a thing of the past in the next decade. On a lighter note, a pair of Stonechats could just be seen in the same area.

As the rain abated I headed for home, but I'm sure I'll be back before long.

Saturday February 8

Back on the patch to experience the calm before the storm. Sunny intervals and a light south-westerly.

The calm related both to the weather and to the birds. At least one Peregrine and a male Stonechat were in evidence, and I counted 204 Redwings and 21 Fieldfares mostly in the paddocks at Netherstead.

I bumped into Mark Islip who was escaping a disruptive event at his Arrow Valley Lake patch. He had seen the Tawny Owl, and had flushed a Jack Snipe, and a few Common Snipe from the marsh.

We proceeded to the flash field. It contained a pair of Wigeon, six Teal, a pair of Shelducks, and eventually 23 Greylag Geese, a Grey Heron, and 25 Lapwings, all of which flew in while we were there.

After we parted company I ambled back along Morton Brook to Stapenhill Wood, where I saw a couple of Siskins, a Marsh Tit, and several displaying Buzzards, and Ravens.

Common Buzzard

Its that time of year.

PS Someone has kindly let me know that they flushed eight Jack Snipe and a Snipe from the Marsh. See comments.

Brandon Marsh - Great White Egret (and gulls)

This morning I had a culinary crisis. I suffer from gluten intolerance (the doc says I'm coeliac) and so I am constantly buying and freezing gluten free bread. This morning the cupboard and freezer were bare, and for purely selfish reasons I didn't want to head to a supermarket to stock-up when I could be out birding. So I hatched a plan.

After visiting Spernal STW to try to see the Cetti's Warbler (see previous post), I would head for Brandon where I knew there was a glorious combination of a cafe, and a Great White Egret.

Great White Egret

As soon as I 'd stuffed my face I headed to the most likely hide, and opened the flap in time to see the egret fly across and land in front of me. Easy-peasy.

During the course of the visit I heard three Cetti's Warblers, and briefly saw one of them, while also noting down Oystercatcher, an array of common ducks, at least four Little Egrets, and a couple of squealing Water Rails. All very typical of the locality, and relaxing.

Then I found myself drawn to the gulls. There were a lot of Black-headed Gulls, a sprinkling of Common Gulls, and a full suite of large gulls. Back in the day, there were just three large gulls (excluding white-wingers) Herring, Lesser Black-backed, and Great Black-backed. The adults were easy, and they were all common, so the immatures got scant attention. From me anyway.

After I stopped attending gull roosts things started to get complicated. Herring Gulls came in many races, Yellow-legged Gulls for example. Then the Yellow-legged Gulls were split, into Caspian Gull and Yellow-legged Gull (and I won't even mention the eastern sub-species). Then someone decided they were species, not races. I was playing catch-up.

Which brings us to today, and this gull.

It looked rather Caspian-like, but the more I looked at it, the more confused I got. The bill looked a bit chunky, the undertail area was rather heavily speckled. Could it be a hybrid? I spent ages trying to see its spread wing, and when I did it looked Yellow-legged Gullish.

Here are some more shots.

There are plenty more in the camera, but I'll spare you.

On getting home I got my books out, checked the web, and tentatively concluded it was a Yellow-legged Gull, with a fall back position that it might be a hybrid Caspian X Herring. 

Then I sent a tweet.

Meanwhile, here's something I can identify.

PS: The Gull's identity has been confirmed as a Yellow-legged Gull by an array of Gull experts on Twitter.

Spernal STW - Cetti's Warbler

A tip off from Neil convinced me to make a return visit to Spernal sewage works. He had heard a Cetti's Warbler their over the weekend. The directions suggested that my previous visit had been to completely the wrong side of the site.

This time I walked along the River Arrow from the south. It was very muddy, and was on the "wrong" side of the Arrow, but there was no alternative if I wanted to view the reedbed and pool (who knew?) inside the site. So Tuesday proved very difficult; my camera ran out of battery almost as soon as I started birding. I did at least hear the Cetti's Warbler when it gave two bursts of song during the hour I was there.

Other good birds were a small party of Mandarin, a Chiffchaff, about 19 Teal, and a Little Egret. a small flock of Meadow Pipits also kept me interested.

This morning in sunnier and stiller conditions, and with the battery now recharged, I returned. This time I walked down the river from Studley church. A substantial flock of Fieldfares and Starlings, with smaller numbers of Redwings had me scoping straight away.

Ironically, despite the better conditions I recorded neither the warbler nor the egret. The area is very popular with dog-walkers so disturbance may have accounted for the lack of the latter. I also didn't see a Stonechat which Mark had photographed.

What I did see were eight Mandarins which I inadvertently flushed from the river, and managed a shot of three of them as they flew back.

Mandarins

I also found two Chiffchaffs and several Goldcrests flycatching in the riverside vegetation.

Chiffchaff (zoom in to see the flies)

So this place has a lot going for it, the potential for some decent birds. It is also very hard to work, and therefore frustrating.

I will probably stick to Morton Bagot.

Sunday February 2

This very mild winter got even milder today, but the benign conditions seemed unlikely to benefit our chances of finding anything good.

We picked our way through the marsh, flushing 10 Jack Snipe and five Common Snipe, none of which was spotted on the ground. Its the first time we've counted more Jacks than Commons. The flash field was disappointing, 12 Teal flew to a marshy area we cannot see, and we were just left with a few Mallard and 80 Greylag Geese to look at. A "hueet "call from the hedgerow may have been a Chiffchaff, but we didn't see it and decided to leave it as unconfirmed.

A Cormorant flew over, but I seem to have recorded one here already this year. We reached the raptor watch point and discovered a flock of 180 Black-headed Gulls on a distant ploughed field. I had at least remembered to bring my scope, but was unable to find any other species of gull with them.

Back at the cars we glimpsed 80 or so Redwings, and saw a party of 19 Lapwings, before counting 23 Meadow Pipits.

Meadow Pipit

One of them was bathing in the slurry/water next to the manure heap. Delightful.