Sunday March 3 - Back in the field at last.

 I'm hoping this won't be a flash in the pan, but today I actually went birding to Morton Bagot, and even had a good bird.

The background to all this is that Lyn has required more assistance than usual, and I am her sole carer. Well that was until Friday when a long-standing friend of hers agreed to stay with us for a few days to allow me time to get out. Thanks Carol. 

I had arranged to attend the Warwickshire Biological Recorders meeting near Wellesbourne on Saturday, and was keen to attend. More of that later. But there was a fly in the ointment. During the course of Friday I realised I was coming down with a stinker of a cold. I even took a covid test before attending the meeting (negative fortunately), but I really suffered throughout the next day and apologise to any of the other attendees I may have given it to.

So this morning, still under the weather, I joined Dave at Morton Bagot for a much needed bit of birding. The weather was fine and sunny, though cold. Too early for any summer migrants (though I did hear there was a Sand Martin at Upper Bittell on Saturday). There were some encouraging signs, in particular a grand total of seven Stonechats. One was the colour-ringed bird and I made another attempt to read its ring, but another male showed fantastically (but was unfortunately unringed).

Stonechat (unringed)

Colour-ringed Stonechat

There was also plenty of Reed Bunting activity in the bulrushes bordering a small pool in the scrape field.

Reed Bunting

We reckoned there were about eight birds present, setting themselves up for the forthcoming breeding season.

I wish all birds showed this well. The morning's highlight was at the other end of the scale. After seeing a reasonably close Red Kite, Dave shouted that he had just seen a broad-winged accipiter flying through a flock of panicking Jackdaws. I missed it completely, but a few minutes later we saw what was almost certainly the same bird high and distant above Bannams Wood. From its shape we could tell it was a Goshawk. We watched it for about five minutes as it briefly threatened to come closer before heading off north-westwards in the direction of Gorcott Hill. At no point could any plumage details be seen, but we are starting to get to grips with the distinctive shape of a Gos, and were in no doubt about it.

There was nothing else seen which could match this bird's rarity value, but it was nice to see four Coots, 26 Teal, and a Lapwing on the flash field.

So back to last week.Stuck indoors my only hope was moths. Unfortunately the nights were generally cold and frosty and there was just one evening when I was tempted to put the trap out. The night of February 28 was also wet in parts, but I managed to catch 11 Common Quakers and three Clouded Drabs.

Clouded Drab

On the subject of moths its worth saying that since the start of the year it has been mild enough to encourage me to do a lot more mothing. Previous years' pre-March efforts have been zero days trapping in 2018, three in 2019, three in 2020, three in 2021, two in 2022, and two in 2023. This year I have attempted to catch moths on seven occasions. My results are nil in 2018, 30 of six species in 2019, five of five in 2020, nine of seven in 2021, three of two in 2022, and 17 of five in 2023.

This year I've caught 82 moths of 10 species, a massive increase.

Going back to the Recorders meeting. It was well attended, maybe sixty or so attendees, of which only five had any real interest in birds (and most of them were also experts in other fields). There were presentations on butterflies, moths, mammals plants, fungi, and bryophytes, and I just love seeing how much knowledge these diverse people had. It's hard to beat a lady interested in fungi who discovered an as yet unnamed small brown toadstool new to science in a graveyard in the county. (Mind you it had to be DNA sequenced to get the identification).

While I was unable to get out last week, other birders were finding a Mediterranean Gull at Earlswood, and confirming the continued presence of the Tundra Bean Goose, now back at a field near Shortwood Roughs, south of Alvechurch.

Tony has had a ringing tick at Morton Bagot, successfully catching a Stock Dove overnight on March 1. A common bird here, but you're not likely to catch one in a mist-net.

Stock Dove in the hand

I'm not sure what the coming week has in store. Carol has gone home, but I'm hopeful that I'll be birding again by mid-week.