Sunday May 5 - Morton Bagot

 The third part of my long weekend of local birding came with a return to Morton Bagot. My plan was to boost the list of birds seen this weekend. 

I had parked by the church to await Dave's arrival, and heard a distant Cuckoo before he arrived. We drove the short distance to Netherstead and then headed back down the access road where we first heard and then saw two male Cuckoos approaching slowly, calling at each other the whole time. An ideal photographic opportunity, but there was just one problem. I'd accidentally left my camera in the car. What a numpty.

Once reunited with my camera very little came in range within the next hour. It was nice to see that some House Martins had arrived, although it seems they are more interested in Clowse Wood Farm than their tradition spots at the barn conversions.

Dave thought he heard a Grasshopper Warbler reel briefly, and later saw a pair of Shelducks heading off, but I contrived to miss both. 

The most unexpected sighting came as we reached the scrape field. We both heard a Curlew calling. We scanned about, and Dave picked up five Curlews heading north somewhere over the flash field. I erected the scope in record time but was too late to get on them. Every year I think this will be the last time we see one here, but this sighting is the highest ever count here. Shortly afterwards we spotted a male Stonechat. There can be little doubt that they are breeding here again.

At the flash field there was again no sign of any Lapwings or Avocets, so it was left to a Little Egret to try to save the day.

Little Egret and curious Mute Swan

The warm weather was coaxing butterflies onto the wing, and we saw our first Small Tortoiseshells of the year, and several Brimstones, Orange-tips, and Peacocks. Also our first damselfly, a Beautiful Demoiselle, fluttered up into a hedge.

The main talking point of the latter half of the walk was a Wheatear we found on the tree-collars near Stapenhill Wood. We established it was a male, and probably a first-summer male because most of the wing feathers were dark brown rather than black. It was probably of the leucorhoa race also known as the Greenland Wheatear.

In this image the flanks look pale which is not so good for Greenland

It looked a better Greenland candidate when facing you, but I didn't get a shot of it doing that. To be absolutely sure one way or another it is best to catch and measure it. Hopefully it will still be here in the early hours when Tony tries to ring it.

Morton Bagot has a much smaller recording area than Earlswood. Its not quite as good for a species count, but the two sites (and Mappleborough Green in spring) compliment each other and make for a decent extended local "patch".