Tuesday January 4 - making the best of it

 Well, as I'd feared, Lyn's fall has tweaked an ankle muscle, and she needs plenty of hands on care. So I'm grounded for a day or two, or nearly so.

Yesterday, Josh Toogood, whose own Circle intersects the north end of mine, messaged me with news that he had seen a male Merlin off Brockhill Lane just north-west of Redditch, and within my own area. I was now not only stuck, but potentially dipping on a good bird.

So last night, ignoring falling temperatures, I put my moth trap out to try to bring the wildlife to me. This morning I was pleased to find I'd attracted a moth. The Pale Brindled Beauty isn't much to look at, but its only the second I have caught, mainly because I don't bother much in the winter.

Pale Brindled Beauty

This is not a rare moth, but is one of the earliest non-hibernators to fly. The males are out seeking the flightless females, and are clearly not deterred by low temperatures. Actually I'm planning to do less mothing this year. We'll see how that pans out.

By late morning Lyn and I formulate a plan which gives me a one hour window to go and look for the Merlin. I have no real hope that this is long enough to get lucky, but at least I'll be able to see the habitat in an area with which I am unfamiliar. I even got a year-tick on the way, as one of the local Grey Herons was standing on its favourite post as I drove past Ipsley Alders.

The fields north of Brockhill Lane turn out to look ideal for a wintering Merlin, and I can well imagine seeing one here.

Big sky, big field, no Merlin

The field shown above contains 158 Woodpigeons, and 42 Fieldfares. If I'd had time to explore properly there is every chance of seeing more raptors than the Buzzard and Kestrel which I did spot.

Two of the Fieldfares

Never mind, as several Local Big Year Challenge birders have commented, it's a marathon not a sprint.