Monday August 21 - Morton Bagot

 Although I chose to spend the weekend watching sport, the lionesses roar being too loud to ignore, Morton Bagot was not far from my mind and I felt compelled to pay it a visit this morning. Apart from anything else, the World Cup defeat was a bit of a downer, so I needed a pick-me-up.

I enjoy documenting what I see with photographs but would always describe myself as a birder first and foremost. This has the disadvantage, for this blog, that when I do see something noteworthy my first reaction is to look at it properly, and only then do I reach for the camera.

This is a roundabout way of admitting that I had an excellent view of first a Spotted Flycatcher and then a Grasshopper Warbler, without being able to get a shot of either. The flycatcher flew into a small plantation next to the ringers' favoured spot and perched up slightly obscured by leaves before flying out of view, while the Gropper flew up from long grass into a small bush in the Chat Field before edging to the other side of said bush and then flying into a hedge where it disappeared.

There was at least one bird I knew I would get a shot of, if it was still here. John C had found a Greenshank on the flash field on Saturday and I was optimistic that it would stick. And sure enough it had.

Greenshank and Green Sandpiper

The nearest flash continues to look excellent, and I was joined in the gallery by Dennis and Marion S. The farmer unwittingly benefitted us by driving his quad-bike around the field flushing the contents of the furthest flash onto the nearest. We were thus able to count 40 Teal, two Shovelers, and a Little Egret which may otherwise have been out of sight.

Two eclipse drake Shovelers (and Teal)

The Green Sandpiper count was just three, and Lapwings were on 24, suggesting that others remained unseen.

The rest of the morning was just a matter of searching the bushes for warblers and their ilk.

Lesser Whitethroat

Common Whitethroat

As for insects, I noticed quite a few Small Heath butterflies on the wing which suggests a new summer brood, and several Brown Hawkers and Southern Hawkers none of which posed. 

I'm technically only keeping a Circle bird list this year and not a Morton Bagot year-list, but as I log everything into Birdtrack I can quickly see where I'm at. It turns out that I'm on 108 species for the patch. I've made 49 visits so far this year and only three species are on every single list: Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, and Wren. One particularly shocking discovery is that I've only seen one Yellowhammer here this year, and that was on January 1. 

PS: I've just heard from Marion that they saw and photographed a Whinchat on their walk back. I went a slightly different route, so that might be why I didn't see it.

Juv Whinchat moulting into 1st winter - per Dennis Stinton

This is quite an unusual plumage to see in the Midlands. Like Stonechats they can migrate before they fully moult their head, mantle and breast feathers. I would love to know where it came from.