Sunday April 30 - It should have been today!

 Earlier this spring the competitors in the annual WestMidsAlldayer were balloted about whether it should take place on the last weekend of April or the first weekend of May. My preference was for the April date, but I was outvoted. Was I right?

This morning started pretty disastrously. I had gambled on a dry morning, but it soon became clear it was going to rain. Then we got latched onto by the dog, Chips, which was clearly going to follow us round. I cashed in my chips and went home to get my coat, leaving Dave to walk the dog.

By the time I returned Dave could report having heard a Cuckoo (I did too later), and that he hadn't shaken the dog. So from this soggy, depressing start things could only get better. Fortunately they did.

The flashes are now being anxiously scanned for signs that the "important" birds will still be here next weekend, and we duly added an Avocet, three Teal, two Black-headed Gulls, and three Shelducks. A brief shower drew in all three hirundines, albeit in small numbers.

The Avocet

There is still barely any edge, but there was just enough for a Little Ringed Plover. I took some zoomed-in shots of it, and was surprised to see that it had at least one colour-ring on its left leg. Unfortunately neither Dave nor I were carrying scopes, so we couldn't be sure of the exact colour combination.

The Little Ringed Plover

Behind us, the field with the plastic tree rings contained the five Wheatears and female Whinchat which Andy had seen on Thursday. The Wheatears were two males and three females, and had we known it, one was likely to have been the female Greenland Wheatear which Tony had caught and measured (103mm wing-length, and a weight of 40.3g) on Friday night. Unfortunately I only photographed the males so I can't say whether any of the females had been carrying a ring. They were the more distant birds.

The female Whinchat

One of the male Wheatears

The other one (look at those wings)

Tony's latest Greenland Wheatear

We plodded on and as we approached Stapenhill Wood I spotted a Hobby as it took flight and flew behind the trees. We hastened to the raptor watchpoint where Dave spotted it again in the distance. It eventually disappeared over the plantation at Castle Farm. 

We tried to tot up the warblers we had heard and came up with four Lesser Whitethroats, eight Common Whitethroats, three Sedge Warblers, a Grasshopper Warbler, four+ Blackcaps, and eight+ Chiffchaffs, but no Reed Warblers or Willow Warblers.

Back at Netherstead we found a male Whinchat, and a Red Kite.

The male Whinchat

An excellent end to a morning with a total of 58 species, when we knew there was plenty more to find if only we had put in more time.

This weekend will be a hard act to follow.

Saturday April 29 - mostly moths

 Before all the birders avert their eyes, there is a little Morton Bagot bird news from yesterday. Andy G saw a Whinchat and five Wheatears among the plastic tree-collars.

However, my activity was confined to moth-trapping in the garden last night. I caught 29 moths of 14 species including nine Brindled Pugs, five Oak-tree Pugs, and four Brindled Beautys (they seem to be having a strong year).

I had five new for the year, and one new for the garden. The latter was a micro called Epinotia immundana and was photographed next to the strip light before promptly disappearing. Obsidentify wasn't much use, so I've had to use the old method of comparing my shots with the book/internet images. However, I also ran it passed MothIDUK, and eventually got the thumbs up.

Common Birch Bell - Epinotia immundana

The pick of the nfy moths were Frosted Green (second for garden, previous one being in 2019), Acleris literana (first since 2020, third for garden), and Tawny-barred Angle (almost annual, but not seen last year). 

Frosted Green

Lichen Button - Acleris literana

Tawny-barred Angle

The others which were new for the year were a Shuttle-shaped Dart and an Iron Prominent.

I am pleased to say that my garden moth list has now topped 400 species. Not bad for five and half years trapping in suburban Redditch. This includes micros, the macro list something like 234.

Thursday April 27

In this relatively chilly spring I have been distracted by family business, leaving me less purposeful than usual. 

For instance I was aware that a Grasshopper Warbler had been singing just half a kilometre from our front door at Ipsley Alders, but when I finally chose to visit early on Wednesday morning the cupboard was bare. No Gropper, and not a lot else. A Willow Warbler and a fly-over Redpoll hardly made the early start worthwhile.

This morning my plan was to head for Mappleborough Green Flash, and eventually I did so. But it was more of the same; Willow Warblers, two Little Ringed Plovers, Whitethroats (heard), Lesser Whitethroat (heard), and the resident Cetti's Warbler, which I at least saw (naked eye) as it flew from where it had just shouted into my earhole.

Willow Warbler

Little Ringed Plover

Sandwiched between the visits to these two localities was a year-tick at Earlswood. Not the Bar-tailed Godwit nor the Whimbrel, both of which I learned had been spotted by John Oates as they flew over this morning. It was a Mediterranean Gull he found on the West Midlands County side of the border which runs along Wood Lane next to Engine Pool. A stonking summer plumaged adult no less. Why is it so low, one might say buried, in this post? 

Well I arrived in good time, strolled out of the Wood Lane carpark, spotted the bird in the horse paddocks and attempted a record shot. Unfortunately the paddocks were divided by lines of tape popular with equestrian types, and the gull was behind several rows of the stuff. So I got a blurred image. I tried again, with a similar result. Then, just as I pondered what to do, it took off and headed north-east leaving me with this:

Fuzzy Med Gull

I shouldn't complain. At least I saw it. But it was a splendid bird and the shot does it no justice at all.

Also present was at least one Whitethroat, and over the reservoir the usual hirundines and Common Terns. However I didn't have time to walk around even one lake, so I headed to Mappleborough Green (see above).

Sunday April 23 - Morton Bagot

 Cloudy at first, then sunny intervals and a very light north-easterly breeze. What's not to like? Dave and I set off from Netherstead and had found a female Stonechat, and heard Grasshopper Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, and Whitethroat before we met up with Andy coming from the opposite direction reporting Wheatears, Avocets and Sedge Warbler. Time to get the camera out.

Andy and I approached the reeling Grasshopper Warbler from one side of a hedge, with Dave on the other, and before long it showed extremely well.

Grasshopper Warbler

With that in the bag, I headed towards the largest scrape in the pool field where a Sedge Warbler was showing well and sporting some bling, probably from the previous year's ringing effort.

Sedge Warbler

Andy had to leave early, but Dave and I headed for a field containing some Wheatears. We found five (two males and three females) and later added another pair on the other side of the ridge.

Male Wheatear

Female Wheatear

None of the Wheatears were wearing rings, so they were certainly new birds. 

Arriving at the flash field we found just the usual four Avocets, and 21 Teal. Hirundines included five Sand Martins, several House Martins, and a few Swallows. By now the sun was coming out and we started seeing butterflies including my first Meadow Brown of the year.

Speckled Wood

The walk back added further singing Willow Warblers, Whitethroats and Lesser Whitethroats, logging three or four of each in all. One of the Whitethroats appeared to be nest building already.

Whitethroat

The only thing missing was a year tick, but as we approached Netherstead we put that right when a Yellow Wagtail flew over calling.

That's what I call a good day.

Friday April 21 - the prediction game

 I suspect a lot of birders know this one. It is tempting to predict a particular species you are going to see (and I don't mean Robin), you just cannot help yourself. I try to steer clear of this game because the second I say Bar-tailed Godwit, or Hoopoe, or Bee-eater I know that even if the country is full of them, I won't see one.

No, the best game is to try to pick a day when "its all happening". Because its true that a particularly grotty day at the end of April, or a day of strong north-easterlies on the east coast should produce good birding.

Yesterday, the local social media was in a bit of a frenzy. Today would be the day.

It wasn't.

The rain arrived maybe a little too late, just after dawn. By the time I emerged, cocooned against the deluge, the results were starting to seep in. Nothing at Bittell. No change at Earlswood. I rolled the dice and went to Mappleborough Green Flash. Where better than a large puddle just beyond the Redditch frontier to find something good?

As a matter of fact I had two Mappleborough Green Flash ticks, but I should point out its a very low bar. The first was a pair of Gadwall. Woohoo. I wasn't completely sure I hadn't seen one there before, but it was a Birdtrack write-in, so I can't have.

Gadwalls in the rain

All was not lost. The second tick was a wader, and a year tick, and it showed well. A Common Sandpiper. There was one last year, but I dipped. Pay back time.

Common Sandpiper

Living the dream!

My reason for visiting Mappleborough Green ahead of Morton Bagot is wader habitat. Map has it, Morton B doesn't (yet). I also saw three Little Ringed Plovers, and a Lapwing. So that was two more waders than I was due to find at my "proper" patch. 

But Morton Bagot is not all about waders, fortunately. As I arrived there, the rain was starting to ease, and the wind was very light. True, it was blooming cold, but could this be the day for a fall of passerines?

Well not exactly, but it wasn't bad. It's just a shame that they were all hiding away, singing from dense bushes or impenetrable rushy areas. The best find was a Grasshopper Warbler. Now we're talking. It was singing from somewhere in the Chat Field, possibly. I thought about devoting half an hour to trying to pin it down, but that would be wasting valuable wader finding time, so I made a mental note to check it out later....when it had stopped singing (good plan).

Also singing out were Lesser Whitethroat (probably two), and Sedge Warbler (definitely two). But they didn't show. I got to the flash field to find no Avocets. Instead there was a Little Egret, 14 Teal, and four Lapwings. At least the cold damp weather had dropped a few (nine) Swallows and three House Martins down to eye-level.

Continuing along the brook I wasn't surprised to find the Wheatears had gone (no one likes being woken up in the night, then weighed and measured, even for some new bling). I ventured into Stapenhill Wood where several Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps flicked about, and I eventually found a rather nice Willow Warbler. The almost obligatory Red Kites flew over.

Arguably my best find came in the ridge field where I photographed a dot on a distant sapling suspecting correctly that it was a Stonechat. The first since early March, it soon disappeared but could mean we'll have some fledglings later this spring.

My second attempt to hear/see the Grasshopper Warbler did have one happy consequence. A Common Whitethroat piped up from a dense blackthorn, my third year-tick of the day. It largely remained out of sight.

Back at Netherstead with no decent photos for the blog I pointed my camera at the pair of Tufted Ducks I first saw last week.

Tufted Ducks

Just a fortnight to the all-dayer, I need these guys to stay.

Wednesday April 19 - tricky stuff

The wind continues to blow from the east, but less fiercely. Today was a much better day.

To begin with there was news of an adult Little Gull and an Arctic Tern at Earlswood, so that was to be the destination. The great thing about these mini-twitches is that you get to see plenty other birders and often a smattering of old friends. I arrived to find John S and Paul on the causeway, and later on got chatting to Mike Inskip before other familiar faces turned up on the twitching trail.

Although John put me onto the Arctic Tern in his scope, it was miles away so after getting reasonable views of the Little Gull, I set off to try getting closer. A certain amount of confusion was caused by other Commic Terns and my own view was that we ended up with four Common Terns, and just one Arctic Tern. I should say that one of the Commons was quite Arctic-like, with a long tail and limited grey on the outer wing, and there was a school of thought that there were actually two Arctics present. All very tricky.

Little Gull with Black-headed Gull in hot pursuit

The undisputed Arctic Tern

Talking of tricky stuff, there were some interesting developments at Morton Bagot overnight. The "bright" Wheatears seen yesterday had been destined to remain just that, even though I was wondering whether they could have been of the Greenland race.

This morning Tony let me know he had caught four Wheatears using his thermal imaging kit and a big anglers net on a long pole. So that was all four I had seen yesterday. I rang him to ask what the wing measurements were. This was an opportunity to finally nail a definite Greenland Wheatear on biometrics.

Tony kindly sent me the following wing lengths: 100mm, 103mm, 103.5mm, and 104mm. A look at BWP confirmed that the three largest were definitely outside the range of "British" Northern Wheatear. He also sent some photos.

Greenland Wheatear - per Tony K

Greenland Wheatear - per Tony K

It strikes me that technology (the thermal imaging monocular) could revolutionise the status of Greenland Wheatear. I suspect that a large number of the passage Wheatears in the Midlands from mid April or even earlier will turn out to be Greenland bound.

Tuesday April 18 - when east is least

A lot of birders, myself included, buy into the theory that you can't really go wrong when the wind goes easterly. Anything migrating north will be deflected westwards into Britain, even to the Midlands. 

So with the wind a brisk north-easterly this morning I was quite optimistic. Which made it all the more disappointing when, despite telling myself I would try extra hard, I ended the morning having seen less at Morton Bagot than I did on Sunday.

I suspect the wind was just a bit too fresh, suppressing song, and maybe its still a bit too early in the year. Anyway I failed to hear Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, or Sedge Warbler, all of which were present last time.

The Wheatear count was lower, now just four birds, all splendidly bright males. Out of about 15 Chiffchaffs, 10 were singing, and I also heard seven singing Blackcaps. About three Swallows, and two Sand Martins were still around.

One of the Wheatears

The flash field contained four Avocets, a Green Sandpiper, 17 Teal and at least one Shelduck. The West Midlands Alldayer is now three weeks away so I spent some time looking for tricky species and found a Mistle Thrush and Nuthatch in Bannams Wood. 

At least a few butterflies appeared in the sunshine including my first Orange-tip of the year.

Orange-tip

I've written the day off as a blip!

Sunday April 16 - Morton Bagot

 This morning I joined Dave and Andy G at Morton Bagot. It was cloudy, but there was no wind and the last shower fell as we arrived. 

By the time Dave and I met up with Andy near the scrape field things were already looking up. 

There was a Peregrine on the pylons for one thing, my first at Morton Bagot this year.

Peregrine

A Lesser Whitethroat was singing from the hedgerow, and we later concluded there were two. Hearing them's one thing, seeing them quite another. We did eventually succeed, it sounded as though Andy had had the best view. My record shot was very much just that.

Lesser Whitethroat demonstrating its skulking nature

Andy had seen two House Martins and two Wheatears. We duly saw the latter, but not before hearing our first Sedge Warbler of the year, and an equally unco-operative Willow Warbler.

The flash field was pretty disappointing. Just one Avocet was in residence (there had been five yesterday) and we counted 13 Teal, and a pair of Shelducks. After a bit of wandering along the footpath west of the Morton Brook, we returned in time to see a pair of Red Kites circling in the distance, and for me to see a Green Sandpiper flying in and disappearing somewhere around the flash field.

Then we started to see Wheatears, lots of them. They were in their favoured part of the field apparently unconcerned by all the plastic tree guards, which they occasionally perched on. We counted seven, and decided they were different from the two we had seen earlier, giving a grand total of nine. Not quite the site record. They were too distant to photograph, so here's one I took earlier.

Wheatear on Thursday

Yes I was here on Thursday, but my visit was blighted by the presence of the lurcher from Netherstead Hall which latched on to me for walkies for the whole morning. I just couldn't shake it off. At least a female Wheatear was showing well. I also saw a pair of Tufted Ducks on the Dragonfly Pools, which I think might be the first here this year.

Anyway, back to today. A single Sand Martin flew north, allowing me to pull another one back on Dave who had seen one last Sunday. My visit was cut short well Lyn rang to say she needed help, but on the route march out I did see a Redwing in the ridge field, maybe my last of the spring.

Moth-trapping overnight gave me a new micro for the garden, and five new for the year. My total of 18 moths of 12 species was a bit disappointing.

The new micro was Mompha jurassicella aka Scarce Mompha. On seeing it on the windowsill it vaguely reminded me of a Diamond-back Moth, but not quite. Being lazy I pointed the Obsidentify ap at it and it was 100% certain it was M jurassicella. I then most of the morning trying to cobble some photos together while not letting it escape. From these I decided it had to be that species.

Mompha jurassicella

The other ones new for the year were Brindled Pug, Oak-tree Pug (probably my earliest ever), Pale Mottled Willow, Ruddy Streak, and Twenty-plume Moth.

The Mompha has now been liberated.

Tuesday April 11 - Earlswood again

 Following another trip to my sister's to see my mum I took the opportunity to walk around Engine and Terry's Pools in drizzle and a cold westerly wind. Lovely. I seem to be becoming a regular there.

On this occasion I saw just one Common Tern, about 60 Sand Martins and about 50 Swallows plus three or four House Martins. The Marsh Tit put in an appearance at the stump, and I took an opportunity to get a shot of a singing Willow Warbler.

 Willow Warbler

Two other birders were on site, John and Joe, and they alerted me to the presence of a third -winter Yellow-legged Gull which I saw in flight but didn't attempt to photograph.

It seems that grotty weather doesn't always produce the goods at Earlswood.

Monday April 10 - By the skin of my teeth

 Before I get onto today's efforts, yesterday deserves a mention. I didn't go to Morton Bagot, but its seems everyone else did. There was a record attendance in my absence, with at least four birders present. I'll try not to take it personally. 

Dave and Andy G spent the morning there, and John C and Gary J the afternoon. Their most notable records were at least seven (and probably nine) Avocets, two Wheatears, a Willow Warbler, a Little Ringed Plover, a Red Kite, a Green Sandpiper, two Shelduck, and three Sand Martins.

This morning it was pretty wet, so I had decided to go to Earlswood even before I learned that a pair of Common Scoters had dropped in. I didn't exactly hurry to get there, so I was pretty lucky when at approximately 09.00 John O and Joe O pointed to where the pair were swimming and as I looked at them they promptly took off. They headed to the far end of Windmill Pool before banking and returning to fly low over our heads, the male calling just audibly, before more circling saw them gaining height and heading off north. There was no time to get my camera out, but I am grateful I saw them at all.

Also present were two Common Terns, and approximately 110 hirundines which I logged as 80 Sand Martins and 30 Swallows. 

Some of the hirundines perched on foliage on the rafts

Common Tern

I decided to walk to Terry's Pool, the highlight being a first winter/summer Common Gull which I'm embarrassed to say was another year-tick.

Common Gull

The rain slowly eased and the hirundines departed. Plenty of breeding activity was evident including sitting Carrion Crow , two sitting Grey Herons, with Greylag Goose, Coot, and Great Crested Grebe also incubating. A pair of Mallard had a brood of chicks.

I returned to the causeway where there was now quite a gaggle of birders. They had seen a Red Kite but not much else that was new. I decided to go and see how my mum was doing before heading home via Mappleborough Green Flash.

This last venue brought me my last year tick of the day, a singing Cetti's Warbler, and a personal site record count of four Little Egrets. Sadly no waders had dropped in, so it was just the usual three Little Ringed Plovers and twenty Teal.

Saturday April 8 - Bannams Wood and Morton Bagot

 This morning I was out early (for me) to join Tony and the ringers in Bannams Wood. They had been ringing for an hour and a half when I turned up. It was a beautiful sunny morning and we were surrounding by singing Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. They had caught a couple of Marsh Tits before my arrival, but I was able to watch them ring a few birds including Coal Tit, and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Great Spotted Woodpecker - male

Coal Tit

After about an hour I bid them farewell and walked towards Morton Bagot. A Green Sandpiper flushed from the scrapes before I spotted it, and several Reed Buntings were in good voice. Then just as I reached the edge of the scrape field two passerines flew over me and disappeared behind the hedge. Then one of them reappeared briefly sporting an orangey tail. I hurried to the other side of the hedge where I was able to confirm it was a male Redstart. It then flew to the long hedge and a slow pursuit ensued while I tried to get a record shot. It was impossible to get near, and I had to settle for a pretty long-distance effort.

Redstart

On returning to the scrape field I found Martin W who had just seen a Wheatear. He thought it had hopped into the scrape field, so we proceeded on that side of the hedge flushing three Common Snipe in the process. Eventually we found it in the Red-backed Shrike field, and after checking the flashes I doubled back to get some shots.

Wheatear - male

The flashes had contained two Avocets, a Shoveler, two Shelducks, and six Teal. Unfortunately I felt I had to leave without covering the remainder of the patch. On my walk back I saw a Brimstone and three Peacocks.

Peacock

Despite it being a moonlit night I put the moth trap out and duly caught 27 moths of eight species. New for the year were Early Grey, Hebrew Character, and Beautiful Plume. 

Beautiful Plume

I suppose the only micro caught, the Beautiful Plume, was the pick of the bunch. Although they are not rare, I missed the species last year and its my fourth record in six years of trapping.

Thursday April 6 - Earlswood Lakes

 I missed a trick yesterday. My Mum is now at my sister's on the outskirts of the Earlswood recording area, and I am on standby for any cover/assistance she needs. So I spent much of a wet afternoon there, and on leaving, decided to have a quick scan of Engine Pool. This proved reasonably successful as I ticked  House Martin for the year, there was at least one and probably two flying around with over a dozen Swallows and some Sand Martins.

I also noticed that one of the Black-headed Gulls had a BTO ring which I tried to read. I managed all the digits but neither of the letters, although it is probable that it was ?A50446. 

The ringed Black-headed Gull

What I didn't do (and wished I had) was walk down the side of Engine Pool. Had I done so I may have seen a Common Sandpiper and a bright male Yellow Wagtail which Andy Gooding later reported on the rafts.

So this morning after another visit to see my Mum I resolved to actually walk around the lakes (well two of them). It was a classic case of "you should have been here yesterday". Hirundines were down to a handful of Swallows and Sand Martins, and all the good stuff had moved on. At least I heard and saw a Willow Warbler for the first time this year, and counted nine singing Chiffchaffs and five singing Blackcaps as I walked around Engine Pool and Windmill Pool. A Little Egret was down the bottom end of the latter, and a Lapwing flew over.

I identified a couple of common flowers; Green Alkanet and Marsh Marigold. But it was too chilly for insects to be on the wing.

Green Alkanet

PS: At 17.49 an Osprey left Abbots Salford Pool just south of my recording area heading West North-west. I tried to go to Arrow Valley Lake hoping to intercept it if it veered from that course but was thwarted by the police blocking access to the road by the entrance. An hour later one was seen at Earlswood over Engine Pool (same bird?). 

PPS: Some diligent research from Mike Wakeman came up with a likely ring number of EA50446 for the Black-headed Gull suggesting it had been ringed at Marsh Lane GP on 07 June 2022 as a chick. Sadly I have also heard from Matt Griffiths that it now appears to be ill. It is probably suffering from the bird flu which has now killed an adult bird which I had thought was showing signs of the virus as it swam in circles by the dam at Engine Pool on Wednesday afternoon.

Tuesday April 4 - Shelfield area

 I managed to snatch a couple of hours birding this morning in perfect sunny conditions.

About twenty years ago I got involved with a tetrad atlas organised by Jon Bowley as part of a Warwickshire Avifauna which he was intending to produce. On recently meeting him again I discovered that the project was reaching its conclusion, but that there were still a number of tetrads that had received little or no coverage, and would I like to help? I readily agreed and thus found myself exploring Tetrad K in SP16, which had virtually no records.

The area in question is from Shelfield northwards to beyond Stoopers Wood. It was a relief to be out in the field again, and nice to see that Chiffchaffs were everywhere, and also record both singing Blackcap, and Yellowhammer. This last species was a lot commoner around here when Jon first asked for Tetrad coverage.

Yellowhammer

I also helped myself to a couple of year-ticks today. A Brambling was calling from within Stoopers Wood (in an area that is out of bounds), and later in the morning I spotted a Peregrine on a Communications Mast just north of Redditch as Lyn and I drove once again to Heartlands Hospital where my poor Mum was still being cared for.

This evening she has been discharged and is en route to my sister's, but I'm afraid this is for palliative care. It's been a tough few weeks.

Sunday April 2

 I regret to say that I haven't been out birding over the weekend.

However, Dave went Morton Bagot and reports that he saw a Peregrine, six Avocets, four Shelducks, two Shovelers and a Green Sandpiper.

I also have news from Earlswood where a pair of Oystercatchers would have been new for my year, as would several Willow Warblers. A brief Kittiwake was part of a considerable movement over the north Midlands in particular.

Tony K has been ringing near Studley and has heard his first Willow Warbler and saw a Swallow.

I expect to be playing catch-up before too long.