Thursday November 25 - He shoots, he scores!

 This morning I set out on my latest exploration of a part of the 10km circle around our house. I chose a 1km square just west of Lowsonford purely because it was 10kms directly east of our house. 

The area looked like pretty ordinary farmland, the fields consisting of improved grassland and containing just a handful of Meadow Pipits. There were a few conifer shelter belts, a stream with a wooded edge, and one or two plantations. These yielded the expected Siskins, Redwings, and other common birds. I had no great expectations and was thoroughly enjoying the walk before I reached a collection of farm buildings called Coppice Corner Farm.

I always check the roofs of farms, and on this occasion a distant grey passerine was standing on the apex of one of the barns. It could have been a Dunnock, but I knew enough to make sure. To my delight it proved to be a Black Redstart. I edged closer, and after several periods when the bird would disappear before alighting on a neighbouring roof, I got a series of record shots. The best (by far), is shown below.

Black Redstart

I couldn't see any issues about releasing the news. The bird was visible from a footpath, and they're not that rare, so I sent a tweet.

Astonishingly, Mark Clarke turned up before I'd even got back to the car. 

Yesterday was rather less exciting. I decided to call into Earlswood Lakes on my way back from my Mum's. There had been some Goosanders, some Snipe, and a possible Yellow-legged Gull lately, so it seemed worth a look. I have rather missed the boat because the work on the dam has been completed and the lakes are back to normal. Lots of water, and no edge. Also no Goosanders etc. But at least I bumped into first John Sirrett, and then Jim Winsper, so there was plenty of time for a catch up.

John directed me to the stump, a place where seed had been put down so that photographers could get images of common woodland birds. This gave me the opportunity to take my best ever shot of a Marsh Tit, one of two which were regularly visiting.

Marsh Tit

When I came to put the record onto Birdtrack I surprised to be asked for a description. However, this was only because the lakes are right next to the West Midlands county border (but are actually in Warwickshire). I must have been a millimetre out when I set the site up on Birdtrack all those years ago. This woodland tit avoids the conurbation if it can.

Other birds seen while I was there were two Grey Wagtails, a Little Egret, 13 Tufted Ducks, and 18 Great Crested Grebes. I see from Birdtrack that John S counted 16 Tufted Ducks, and 26 Great Crested Grebes as well as 70 Mallard, a few Canada Geese and a couple of Greylags. Nice one John.

Earlswood Lakes are worth a look in poor weather and is very well watched, but Wednesday's visit was entirely typical of my experience.