Tuesday March 30 - that's more like it

A warm sunny morning with hardly a breath of wind. I opened my car door and heard the gentle refrain of my first Willow Warbler of the year. Spring has arrived. The warbler was very mobile and I only saw it once in a 15 minute period when it always seemed to be singing three trees further on! Eventually I returned to get my stuff from the car and looked up to see it fly past, give a clear "hooeet" call and then dash off down a hedge before being chased by another warbler (presumably a Chiffchaff). It continued away, and I never saw it again.

Further encouraging signs were four Blackcaps (including a female), and 14 Chiffchaffs as I walked around the site. The star attractions were waiting for me at the flash field, a pair of Avocets. They also seemed to fly off before I could get my camera out, but I found them again back on the nearest flash.

Avocets

They were sharing the flashes with 18 Teal, seven Mallard, three Shelducks, four Lapwings, two Black-headed Gulls, and five Lesser Black-backed Gulls. It seems strange that no other waders have turned up yet. (In fact Dave twitched the Avocets during the afternoon and as well as confirming they were still present, also found two Little Ringed Plovers lurking in the grass surrounding the furthest flash, flushed a Snipe from the pool field marsh, and counted 19 Teal).

Lesser Black-backed Gulls

The only disappointment on a thoroughly uplifting morning was that there is still no Wheatear habitat. I photographed this Skylark peeking over the weeds in the field which used to be ploughed each year.

Skylark

But Skylarks are nice birds too. A single Yellowhammer flew high overhead, a further reminder of times past.

Bees, bee-flies, and butterflies were well in evidence. I saw four species of the latter; Brimstone (six), Comma, Small Tortoiseshells, and Peacocks. 

Peacock

The Peacock experienced a terrible season last year, so I'd like to think that the three I saw this morning is a good portent.

The moth trap will be out tonight, to be continued...

36 moths attracted to the garden as follows:

Beautiful Plume    -    1 (nfy)

Double-striped Pug    -    2 (nfy)

Brindled Pug    -    2 (nfy)

Early Thorn    -    1 (nfy)

Chestnut    -    1

Early Grey    -    2

Clouded Drab    -   1

Small Quaker    -    13

Common Quaker    -    11

Hebrew Character    -    2

Brindled Pug

Sunday March 28

 An overcast morning with a fresh to strong south-westerly, not my favourite conditions. The best chance seemed to be offered by the flash field, but not for the first time, it failed to deliver.

The three Shelduck were back, but Teal were down to nine, Coot still stuck on one, and not a single wader. Even the Lapwings have disappeared.

With the wind affecting the visibility of passerines, the morning had no feel good factor whatever. At least one of the six Chiffchaffs accrued on the circuit allowed the prospect of a photograph.

Chiffchaff

By this time last year several species of wader were occupying a flash with a muddy fringe, and things looked far more positive than they do now.

But then I had to stop visiting for six weeks. I wonder what I missed.

Tuesday March 23 - A day of reflection

 Although the winds have swung into the south-west, it was still a chilly and cloudy morning.

I chose to take the long route, walking along the road initially, which gave me plenty of time to reflect on birding at Morton Bagot. Twelve months ago I was about to throw in the towel and spend six months holed up in the house, as was (nearly) everyone. 

By this time last year I wasn't doing a great deal better here than I am this year. The first LRP had turned up, but apart from that spring seemed just as elusive. Nevertheless this spring does seem further behind, and today I could do no better than a slightly improved Chiffchaff count (seven, all singing).

Chiffchaff

The flash field remains dire; nine Teal, two Lapwings, four Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and a few geese and Mallard.

A few plants are starting to flower, so I took a few photos of what might be Goat Willow, and Primrose. 

Meanwhile a few more irecord notifications have resulted in a reshuffle of my moth list. I have lost a Chamomile Shark which I had thought I had correctly identified at the end of May 2018 (it was a Shark), but have regained Spruce Carpet (which I had correctly identified, and was supported by JS) in May 2018, before I subsequently lost confidence in the identification. It turns out it really was one, and is restored to the list.

Last night the micro Agonopterix heracliana/ciliella returned to the kitchen window which allowed me to recapture and retain it as a specimen for confirmation. 

The moth trap went out over the night 23/24 March, but all I caught was:

Common Quaker    -    6

Small Quaker        -    1

The prospects for GMS night on Friday look even worse.

Saturday March 20 - grasping at straws

 The moth trap didn't delay me very long (see last post), so I was in the field in time to experience the last of the morning's light drizzle.

This year it feels as though I'm swimming against the tide. The water levels in the flash field are remaining stubbornly high, and there is no sign that the ridge field is to be ploughed (so no Wheatears). 

I needed reasons to be cheerful, and it was a chat which was the first bird to lift my spirits. A male Stonechat in the chat field was the first since the end of February, and was a clear sign that birds are on the move.

Stonechat

Further encouragement came from three singing Chiffchaffs about the site, and a party of northward bound Meadow Pipits.

I could hear Lapwings calling before I reached the flash field, but no other waders were there. In fact, things were looking pretty grim until a large party of previously unseen Teal suddenly emerged from the marshy area between the two flashes. My final tally was 33 Teal, 16 Mallard, a drake Wigeon, five Lapwings, a few geese, a Grey Heron, and a Little Egret which was disturbed by farming activity behind the furthest flash.

Wigeon

The highlight though was the Meadow Pipit flock. I was vaguely aware that a handful of birds were in the field, but something disturbed them and the whole lot got up. They kept landing in the single oak tree before returning to the field. With each eruption of calling birds my estimate increased and I ended up with a minimum count of 62 Meadow Pipits. There may well have been many more.

The walk back added little, although a flock of 22 Lesser Redpolls and a single fly-over Yellowhammer were worthy of note.

I'm aching for spring to get going properly, but until it does I'll just have to be grasping at straws.

Friday March 19 - Checking it out

 I got a taste of my old birding life today. A text from SMW, did I know anything about a Little Gull at Arrow Valley Lake? The answer was no, but the sub-text was clear. It has been a while (I'd rather not say how long) since I last saw a Little Gull, so yes I'll go and have a look.

Although the lake is only five minutes from our house, I haven't been there at all this year. The sight of crowds of people wandering around it reminded me why.

The upshot was that I walked at a brisk pace, regularly scanning the 30 or so Black-headed Gulls, but I could not see a Little Gull. I did see two female Goosanders, three Tufted Ducks, several Great Crested Grebes, and a Little Egret, but nothing that would be likely to encourage SMW or anyone else to make a special visit.

Goosanders

As I was completing my circuit, four Sand Martins appeared out of the greyness of the clouds. My first this year and just enough of a boost to lift the visit out of the ordinary.

As it was GMS night the trap went out. I caught 10 moths, none of which was new for the year. They were:

Early Grey     -    1

Common Quaker    -     6

Small Quaker     -    1

Hebrew Character    -     2

Wednesday March 17 - still in limbo

 The weather has calmed down, but is still a little on the cool side. I was tempted to put my garden moth-trap out, and there will be more of that later. In the meantime I headed to the patch in a further search for spring.

I parked at the church and walked down to the flash field where I was disappointed to find that the Shelducks had gone, and nothing new had arrived. Still, 22 Teal, a drake Wigeon, three Snipe, two Lapwings, 10 Canada Geese, five Greylag Geese, and 12 Mallard were currently in residence.

The remainder of the site needed to step up to the plate, and Stapenhill Wood did just that. I chose to pick my way through the understory now that it is relatively open, and flushed a Woodcock from an impenetrable jungle in the centre of the wood. This was my first this year, although Neil D had one a month ago.

Some time later I was nearing the bee-hives when I spotted a Peregrine heading for the pylons, where it duly landed. Interestingly, it seemed to be soaking wet, so I would guess it had been bathing somewhere. That would have been quite a sight.

Peregrine

At the dragonfly ponds all the bulrushes are seeding, and a mat of seeds floating in the largest pond was supporting a female Reed Bunting as it systematically plucked the seeds forming its raft.

Reed Bunting

The walk up to the road was enlivened by a flock of about 90 Linnets, which alternated between the hedge and the broad strip before the birch trees.

Linnets

Back at the car I finally heard a singing Chiffchaff, and for good measure a singing Blackcap. However the only bird which came close enough for a photo was the classic little brown job, a Dunnock.

Dunnock

As it was quite quiet, I found myself photographing plants.

Blossom

Alder catkins

Hazel catkins

The only thing missing was the sun.

Almost missing last night was the moon (it was a new crescent moon). This was all the encouragement I needed to put the trap out, and I was rewarded with a new moth for the garden. I say rewarded, it was actually the moth equivalent of the little brown job, an Agonopterix heracliana, later confirmed by recorder.

Agonopterix heracliana

Shortly after releasing it for a nice photo I discovered it is a species that cannot safely be distinguished from its sister species without a good look at the underwing (for which you would need a dead moth). On the other hand its small size pointed to heracliana which is in any case the commoner of the two.

In total I caught 10 moths as follows:

Agonopterix heracliana (confirmed by gen det)      -    1 (nfg)

Dotted Border    -    1

Early Grey    -    1 (nfy)

Clouded Drab    -    1 (nfy)

Common Quaker    -    4

Small Quaker     -    2 (nfy)

Although Early Grey is one of my favourite moths (being attractively patterned), I chose to photograph the Dotted Border on the grounds that it was only the second I have seen, and that they vary a bit.

Dotted Border

It was certainly better marked than the one in February.

Saturday March 13 - winter bites back

 T'was a dark and stormy night, so naturally I put my moth trap out ! The GMS prefers participants to trap on every Friday night from March to the end of October, regardless of the weather. I caught absolutely nothing. 

The wind remained strong and just north of west this morning, but despite that I went birding. It was perishing and I had a strong feeling that I was just going through the motions. But there's usually something to catch your eye, and this morning it was a Lesser Redpoll fluffed up against the cold, sitting quietly in the middle of a blackthorn bush.

Lesser Redpoll

Any thoughts that this bird may have come from the arctic or scandinavia were scuppered by the streaked undertail coverts, the whispy flank streaks, and the buffy ear-coverts.

Moving on to the flash field, the only positive change was an extra Shelduck. So that's three Shelducks, one Wigeon, 15 Teal, seven Mallard, two Mute Swans, and two Lapwings.

I walked back across the weedy field reflecting that if it didn't get ploughed my chances of any Wheatears this spring would be diminished. A few Skylarks, five Snipe, and a Meadow Pipit were all I got for my troubles.

Back at the horse paddocks a few Redwings served to emphasise the winter is yet to depart.

Redwing

One final word on moths. The ghosts of my past (well 2018 anyway) have been coming back to haunt me recently. Any moth experts who had been ploughing through my "moths in my garden" gallery may have been quietly chortling under their breathes over the last year, because it contained some errors.

In my defence it was a steep learning curve, and I do try to get them right. To that end I had elicited the help of moth-trapping friends and various internet forums, but it seems some errors slipped through. I know this because I also submitted some moths to an on-line service called irecord. Last week I got some feedback from Nigel Stone, the Warks moth recorder. Most of my identifications were endorsed, but I have had to change a few captions.

So for the record, my first Middle-barred Minor was not a Tawny Barred Minor (nor a Marbled Minor ag as I was advised to record it), and predates the first I correctly identified by two years. Also, my first Clouded Drab was actually a Chestnut.

The gallery has been updated.

Tuesday March 9 - the calm before the storm

 Today seemed likely to be the last chance to get out before the stormy weather which is due tomorrow, so I headed for the patch.

My main target was Chiffchaff. Just about every birder I know seems to have seen one this year, so the apparent blank at Morton Bagot was a bit galling. Anyway, I didn't have to wait long as a calling Chiffchaff appeared briefly in the plantation opposite the beehives. and later another was fly-catching from the hedge behind the nearest flash. Unfortunately neither was singing and there was no photographic opportunity.

Chaffinch

A male Chaffinch was more obliging.

I headed towards the flash field, observing that the pool has shrunken back to puddle status. A single Grey Heron would have been underwater last month.

Grey Heron

A handful of Teal did flush from the dregs, and headed for the flash field. The final count there was 22 Teal, seven Mallard, two Shelducks, a Snipe, and four Lapwings.

HOEF volunteers were working in the ridge field, and I wondered whether they too looked up on hearing a croaking Raven, as I did. Should they have done so they may have seen that it was mobbing a Red Kite. From my position by Morton Brook the aerial activity took place high above me and in the direction of the sun which was still shining through the clouds.

Red Kite (a heavily cropped image)

This was my first here this year, but I did see one over my house about a month ago which rather spoils its credentials as a sign of spring.

I'll be battening down the hatches until the weekend.

Sunday March 7 - Back in cold storage

 All the spring-like optimism at the end of February seems rather misplaced at the moment. It's been cold all week, and this morning was no exception. Largely cloudy with a faint whiff of southerly, but a cold one.

A text message from the ringers, who were operating at Middle Spernal today, informed me they had caught a Chiffchaff. Unfortunately I was not able to match that. The flashes all had a veneer of ice although they still supported 34 Teal, three Wigeon, 12 Mallard, a pair of Shelduck, and five Lapwings.

Back at home my walk to the paper shop took me past two singing Blackcaps, and half a dozen singing Redwings, but at Morton Bagot all was quiet, and the only Redwings I saw were too busy feeding to burst into song.

This Redwing was cocking an ear to listen to Wren alarm calls in the bushes above

Shortly after failing to discover what was causing some mobbing activity in a corner of the plantation, I flushed 24 Meadow Pipits from a corner of the ridge field. They were the nearest I came to observing the passage of migrating birds.

Meadow Pipit

Mammals don't get too much of a look-in as they rarely do anything interesting, but for the benefit of posterity I should record that a herd of eight Roe Deer which scampered off across the ridge field represented my largest count here to date.

Given all this mediocrity I was wondering what I had to write about this week. Thank goodness for the ringers. They had been trapping at Morton Bagot yesterday, and kindly sent me their results.

Common Snipe 1

Blue Tit 2

Great Tit 3

Long-tailed Tit 2

Treecreeper 1

Song Thrush 1

Dunnock 2 (inc 1 re-trap)

Linnet 4

Common Snipe - Tony & Leigh Kelly

It was too cold for insects this morning, and I was expecting that the same would be true of Friday night when I put my moth trap out in the garden for the first official Garden Moth Survey session of the year. But despite sub-zero temperatures I peered into the trap on Saturday morning and found three Common Quakers resting there.

Common Quakers

These rather plain patterned moths are among the first to emerge in spring, and although they were not my first this year, I was amazed that they were able to fly when it was so cold. I left them in peace and they had all departed by 21.00 on Saturday night.

Wednesday March 3 - Misty and murky

 In complete contrast to the end of February this morning's first March visit was a misty and murky affair. 

The nearest I came to an unusual bird flew over shortly after I took the above photograph. A Golden Plover was calling from high in the sky. It then called again and unlike with my previous sighting this year I managed to see it. (I also took a photo as it flew over my head, but even heavily cropped I would struggle to call it a record shot, so I'm not posting it).

I eventually reached the flash field, but there was little new to be seen. Pairs of Wigeon and Shelducks, 21 Teal, and 13 Lapwings were mostly hanging around the furthest flash.

Five species in this shot

Along the hedge I first heard a singing Treecreeper, and then a singing Goldcrest. The latter species is extremely challenging to photograph, and I eventually gave up. However, I was tempted to try for a bit of film. The way it darts about neatly demonstrates why I haven't photographed too many of them.

The song is very high-pitched and the species is often given as an example of one of the first birds you will lose as your higher pitch hearing declines.

Hopefully this close one is coming through loud and clear.