Saturday May 2 - Morton Bagot (West Midlands Alldayer)

 Today saw the return of Morton Bagot to the friendly competition known as the West Midlands Alldayer. We last took part in 2023, and as a result of our below par performance that day I rather lost the enthusiasm to do it again. We had managed only 61 species, and I saw it as part of a general decline from the zenith of 2015 (72 species).

But I missed it; the getting up stupidly early, the staggering around in late afternoon trying to add one more species. So this morning the same team reassembled: Myself, a team of ringers headed by Tony and Leigh Kelly, Martin Wheeler, Gary Jilks, and finally Sam MacVie who was combining an afternoon shift with counting butterflies.

When I said stupidly early I wasn't kidding. I was birding by 03:45 and Tony wasn't far behind me. The first bird of the day was Pheasant, while the second was a Cuckoo. That was the first since my fluke early bird on April 9. The reason I'd arrived so early was that I was hoping for a Barn Owl, but the first and only owl of the day was a Tawny Owl which was actually the thirteenth bird on the list. Several locals confirmed that a Barn Owl had been around, but unfortunately it eluded the team today.

The first three hours was spent prioritising the "better" birds ticked off over the last few days. Lesser Whitethroat was fifth on the list, it's rattling call heard well before dawn. It was light enough to see birds by 05:15, and Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler (which was later ringed), and the singing Water Rail all got added. Down at the flash field the news was mixed. Cetti's Warbler and Sedge Warbler were still singing, but there was little else bar Lapwings, Greylag and Canada Geese, and Mallard.

On Thursday a dress rehearsal had picked up Little Ringed Plover, Herring Gull and Grey Heron, but today the latter two failed to show up at all. 

By the time I had to take time out to help Lyn (07:30 to 08:30) the full compliment of the morning team were on site. By lunchtime everyone had contributed species to the cause. Particularly useful additions of tricky to find species included Nuthatch, Treecreeper and Mistle Thrush courtesy of Gary, Jay and Sparrowhawk (Tony), Coal Tit (Leigh), and Bullfinch, Little Egret, and Red Kite.

Completely absent was any sense of birds passing through. It looked like it would just be a case of trying to see all the local breeders.

The afternoon can sometimes be rather dispiriting, but mine got off to an absolute flier when I picked up three Mute Swans heading south. I later learnt that Gary saw them heading back north.

I was on a mission to check out the rarely visited fields at the south end of the patch, hoping that the Barn Owl might be occupying one of the owl boxes in the old Curlew Field. I didn't find any, but my time wasn't wasted as I heard a Yellow Wagtail call three times on the opposite side of a high hedge. By the time I reached a gate it had evidently moved on. It was still my first this year.

By now it was quite warm and I was being distracted by several butterflies which were new for the year. These were the no longer common Small Tortoiseshell, at least three Small Coppers, Small Heath, and arguably best of all two migrant Painted Ladies.

On previous occasions when I've seen lots in May, they've gone on to have an excellent immigration so I'm hoping these are the forerunners of a great season.

Anyway, back to birds. I headed the length of the patch to get back to the flash field. Surely the emerging mud would host a wader. Well it did. The Little Ringed Plover was now visible and became the 64th bird for the day. (I should admit there was a bit of a recording cock-up involving me missing Carrion Crow off the list, so the LRP was ticked as bird 63.)

Gary Jilks reappeared, while Sam headed to Bannams Wood. I had to go home, but the day was not over. Sam found a Marsh Tit in the wood, while Gary located a pair of Mandarin on the Kingfisher Pool bringing the final total to a very respectable 66 species.

In terms of the other teams competing, our total will not challenge the big beasts. Reservoirs and nature reserves in Staffordshire and North Warwickshire will have recorded well over ninety, maybe even a hundred species. Our near neighbours Earlswood ended up on 73 species, close to their best performance.

The important thing is that everyone enjoyed the day, and maybe we'll be back next year to try again.

Tuesday April 28 - Mappleborough Green and Morton Bagot...and Earlswood

 Who doesn't like a grey morning with a belting easterly at the end of April? Well I do anyway. I fancied my chances, so got up early for a pre-breakfast visit to Mappleborough Green. The main scrape looks decent, with plenty of mud. It even hosted a migrant wader on passage, but it was just a Common Sandpiper. A single Little Ringed Plover was also occupying the scrape.

The other scrape has dried up completely so all I saw was a startled Roe Deer.

After breakfast I set out for Earlswood, convinced that there would be Terns. I got about 100 yards when my phone rang. Thinking it would be Lyn telling me I'd forgotten something, I pulled over.

In fact it was Mike Lane letting me know he'd just found a Marsh Harrier at Morton Bagot and he thought it had landed in the scrape field. Time for a change of plan.

I arrived in record time and hurried to where he had seen it. Mike joined me and as we started to skirt the outside of the field it got up and started quartering the bulrush pool.

I dashed off a quick record shot before it disappeared.

On reaching the footpath gate we were delighted to discover it was sitting among the bulrushes. So although I was basically looking through a hedge, it was possible to get much better views.

I'd alerted a few people, so rather than risk flushing it, I left to go and see if the flash field held anything. Maybe the Black-winged Stilts which had been at Upton Warren yesterday might have relocated? 

Obviously they hadn't come here, and actually the field was pretty hopeless. Just Lapwings, and a few Mallard and geese. The Cetti's Warbler was singing in the distance.

I decided to retrace my steps and surprised the Marsh Harrier again. I suspect it was on the look out for Moorhen and Lapwing chicks. I managed one last photo before it took off and apparently disappeared.

Thirty minutes later I was left to conclude it had gone, although I didn't check the flash field again.

Other birds heard included the Garden Warbler, and new Sedge Warbler and Grasshopper Warbler. I emphasise heard because with the wind remaining strong almost everything was hunkering down, and staying out of sight.

This was the first Marsh Harrier here since 2021, hence my excitement.

And now for a postscript. During the afternoon, while comfortably settled in at home, there came a ping on my phone. What a surprise, Arctic Terns at Earlswood.

Although these may not be the last, they could be. I had to go. John Oates had found them, and as I drove to the lakes his estimate of numbers steadily increased. On arrival it was nine Arctics and four Common Terns. 

Counting Terns as they jink around a lake is hard enough when there aren't two very similar species involved. I had concluded John was right at nine and four, but by the time I reached the gaggle of birders watching them the figure had crept up to a possible 10 Arctics.

The other thing I find very difficult is photographing flying birds, and this afternoon I was particularly hopeless at it. This is my best shot.

Arctic Terns

Several terns landed on buoys and poles, but every one of these helpful birds was a Common Tern. Two were ringed and at least two were unringed (possibly plus a fifth), so that helped with the count. Basically, the Arctic Terns remained in flight throughout.

Thus concludes a very entertaining day.

Sunday April 26 - Morton Bagot

 I made a comparatively early start, getting to the patch by 08:15. Not as early as Tony who had arrived at 04:00 with his thermal imager and had caught two Grasshopper Warblers and seen the Water Rail in flight. Interestingly he had originally ringed one of the Groppers on April 27 2024, retrapped it on April 11 2025, and again today. Clearly this bird really likes Morton Bagot and is not unduly put off by the indignity of being handled each year.

Also arriving before me was Andy G, although he only arrived 15 minutes before I did. We soon met up and birded together for most of the morning. It wasn't long before we added a new singing Sedge Warbler at the pond where the ringers normally set up, and then a singing Garden Warbler about 100 metres further on. As this was my first of the year I wanted to photograph it, but this proved quite challenging. My best effort can probably be described as barely a record shot.

We also heard the two Grasshopper Warblers and the first of five Lesser Whitethroats. Andy had seen one well sometime before we met up, but I didn't set eyes on any all day.

We made our way to the scrape field and approached the pond favoured by the Water Rail. To our delight it was singing well. The song accords well to the description of the female's, which is different to that of a male. 

At approximately the same time I commented to Andy that there was no chance of hearing a Reed Warbler today as the habitat wasn't quite right. Almost immediately one started singing in what I consider to be a deliberate attempt to make me look foolish. Not that I care, a patch year tick trumps everything. It seemed rather distant and may have been either in the bulrushes surrounding the largest pond, or even in the hedge beyond. With Lapwings in the area I was loathe to go any further, so it went unseen.

It was all going so well, there was bound to be a disappointment. This came when we couldn't find any Avocets or Teal on the flash pools. However, John C had seen a pair of the former yesterday, so there's still a chance they'll be available for next Saturday's alldayer. We also got a nice surprise when a Little Ringed Plover walked out from behind a bank of rushes in the corner of the nearest flash.

If it stays dry next week there may be a little more of a shoreline on offer for passing waders.

Shortly afterwards I flushed a Tawny Owl from a hedge, but our attempts to relocate it were unsuccessful. You could tell from the angry Blackbird calls that the local birds definitely knew where it was.

Looking back across the field with the tree guards Andy spotted what would be the bird of the day. A silhouetted chat was extremely likely to be a Whinchat and when we circled around to get the sun more behind us it did indeed prove to be a fine male.

A fitting conclusion to an excellent morning.

I totted up 54 species, which is not bad in three hours. I am hopeful we will break the 60 barrier next Saturday.

Friday April 24 - Spernal STW and Morton Bagot

 I was able to get up early this morning to Join Tony and Greg at the local sewage works where they were ringing. This April seems to be chugging along unremarkably, and today was no different.

While the lads set the nets up, I roamed around trying to see or hear anything unusual. The best I could come up with was a Sand Martin perched on wires with four Swallows, two singing Cetti's Warblers, plenty of Sedge Warblers and Reed Warblers, and a fly over drake Mandarin. All a little pedestrian, but nice to record anyway.

Sand Martin is likely to be tricky at Morton Bagot again

The ringers were also having an off day and I gather they only caught six birds, most of which were re-traps. However, one of those was a Reed Warbler originally ringed as a female here on June 4 2024. So to Africa and back twice since it was first ringed.

Reed Warbler, now rather scarce up the road at Morton Bagot

Other birds seen included three Grey Wagtails, while a male Cuckoo could just be heard from the direction of Morgrove Coppice.

After breakfast I headed for Morton Bagot for part two of the morning.

If I was hoping for an upturn in migrant rarity I was to be disappointed. Nevertheless two Swifts were my earliest for the patch. They were not, however, the earliest there. That accolade went to Mike Holley who saw one here on 14 April 2024. I only know this because my West Midlands Bird Club Report arrived a few days ago. It's worth joining the WMBC for their excellent annual report alone.

Other birds present today included two Grasshopper Warblers (I even glimpsed one as it dived into a grassy field), three Lesser Whitethroats, and 18 Common Whitethroats.

Common Whitethroat

With one eye on the WestMidsAlldayer a week on Saturday I checked out Bannams Wood, noting a Nuthatch and a Coal Tit. You wouldn't believe the trouble I've had spotting those two on previous Alldayers.

Down at the scrape field I had to watch a dog-walker allowing her dog to run all over habitat which Heart of England Forest is maintaining for Lapwings. Just eight distressed birds were visible, and the Water Rail was silent (or departed). 

Fortunately the Flash field is spared such disturbance, but it still appears that the Avocets have gone, while just three Teal remain.

I reckon anything over sixty species will be a result. Just 51 today.

Tuesday April 21 - Morton Bagot and Earlswood

 If someone was to ask me for my favourite date on which to go birding, today's would be right up there. Throw in a hint of easterly and its fair to say that expectations were high. Maybe too high.

I started at Morton Bagot at 06:20, but by the time I had to return for breakfast no new species had been seen, and one, Avocet, was conspicuous by its absence. On the plus side a Water Rail squealed, at least four singing Lesser Whitethroats including one I got a decent look at, the Cetti's Warbler and at least one Grasshopper Warbler was still singing, and I finally got a shot, albeit a ropey one, of a Whitethroat.

With the West Midlands Alldayer just over the horizon (Sat May 2) I was also dismayed, but not surprised, to find that only one Teal was briefly visible.

After breakfast I returned to my original plan, which had been to stake Earlswood out. I was hoping the easterlies, which by then were pepping up, might have blown in a Little Gull. Sadly, it was not to be. However, I quickly spotted my first Swift of the year over Malthouse Lane carpark, and also heard a Redpoll flying over.

I only had time to cover Engine Pool, but soon added the Yellow-legged Gull, at least one Common Sandpiper, a fly over Siskin, and a Little Egret. Looking forward to May 2, Earlswood always fairs better than Morton Bagot, and it looks as though this year will be no exception. I'd like to think it could be close though.

A family of 10 goslings

Yellow-legged Gull (the usual one)

A true record shot of one of three Swifts seen today

The week ending Sunday April 19 - Mostly Morton Bagot

The last four days have been reasonably productive without ever warranting a post of their own. I suppose I should tell the story in chronological order, so let's start with Thursday.

Earlswood  was the destination, and things started really well as I spotted a Wheatear, my third this year, in a horse paddock off Springbrook Lane. Unfortunately the bird saw me first, so I only really had flight views as it flew over my head to pause briefly in the top of an oak before disappearing never to be seen again. After that the morning settled down, and the  highlights were photographing a Common Sandpiper on the stoney island which is now visible at the edge of Engine Pool, and estimating/counting at least 96 Sand Martins accompanied by only a handful of Swallows and House Martins.

On Saturday, after emptying my moth trap (just six moths of five species in the end), I found I had time to make a quick trip to the patch. I'll come back to the mothing later.

Morton Bagot looked splendid in the sunshine all weekend, and I was able to hear my first Sedge Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat of the year on that first visit. The highlight for me though was hearing the singing Water Rail again (this time in the flesh) although there was no realistic chance of actually seeing it. What I didn't realise until today was that the song was being uttered by the female bird. I would like to think that a male is also present, and if left undisturbed they may successfully breed.

The main surprise was the reappearance of Janet's Mute Swan, a second calendar year bird which looks remarkably similar to the one which flew over in January.

This morning I was joined by Andy Gooding and Dave. Andy had already established that there were three Grasshopper Warblers singing, and we set out to relocate them. We also heard three Lesser Whitethroats and probably double-figures of Whitethroats. The Cetti's Warbler which I'd heard quite well on Saturday was now only singing distantly from the back of the flash field. Avocets had dropped from four to two, and Teal to five. A single Green Sandpiper was visible on the back flash both days. The big frustration was when Dave thought he heard a Yellow Wagtail call, which Andy and I missed. It was filed under 'maybe". Hearing birds was generally a lot easier than seeing them, but at the end of the morning I spotted the first House Martin here this year, and a male Pied Wagtail took pity and posed for the camera.

We were more successful with insects. At least six butterfly species were seen including Holly Blues and Orange-tips. We also spotted a nice male Large Red Damselfly to kick off the odonata season. It was probably my earliest ever, but I don't have very good records to fall back on.

Going back to the garden moth trapping on Friday night, although a Streamer seen on the side of the trap late in the evening was absent by morning, a small moth on the fence turned out to be my first ever Currant Pug. 

I had lazily dismissed it as the more likely Brindled Pug, but when I actually looked at it properly the identification was hastily corrected. Currant Pugs are not usually on the wing until May or June, so this garden first was especially unexpected.

I also had a near calamity when carrying a cardboard box containing egg boxes with moths down the side of the house. I keep them in the shade of the front porch before releasing them the following evening. Somehow, by pure good fortune, I stepped over an unseen Hedgehog which had understandably rolled into a ball when it saw me coming.

 Ten minutes later it was legging it through the front gate. 

The following evening I heard grunting noises coming from the end of the back garden so I grabbed my thermal imager and discovered the presence of two Hedgehogs sounding each other out.

I'm hoping they will stay and control our slugs and snails.

Tuesday April 14 - Morton Bagot

 On a morning with a light southerly breeze with a hint of sunshine I was back at Morton Bagot hoping to build on Sunday's effort. 

The main gain was a singing Grasshopper Warbler, although I didn't have time to track it down beyond establishing that it was somewhere at the back of the Chat Field. This equals my earliest date for the site (2024). I was also pleased to hear the Cetti's Warbler again in the general area of the Morton Brook, although once again I got nowhere near seeing it.

Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, and Whitethroats were again present in good numbers, and four Willow Warblers was another strong showing for that species.

Willow Warbler

One thing the day lacked was any sense that passage migrants were around. The flash field contained the usual Avocets (seven), Lapwings (three) and Teal (eight).

I only saw one butterfly, a Speckled Wood, but to be fair the weather has not warmed back up after the false dawn of a few weeks ago.

One surprise was the daytime hoot of a Tawny Owl coming from somewhere in the direction of the road.

I'm still puzzled by the absence of Coot on the patch. Most of the pools are still the same as they were when I used to see over a dozen without difficulty. Interestingly the latest British Birds magazine contains an article in the My Patch series where a guy in Yorkshire, who had been birding at Malham Tarn for many years, has experienced a similar decline in Coot and other breeding waterbirds. He linked it to an increase in Otters, which will take Coot chicks.

Now it should be said that I've only seen Otter twice at the patch, but on the other hand I'm not typically here at night. It seems conceivable that they might be making their way up the Morton Brook from the Arrow after dark to harvest the waterfowl. 

This is pure speculation on my part, and other land based predators are available.

Sunday April 12 - Morton Bagot

The run-up to this morning's birding had been somewhat inauspicious, visits to Mappleborough Green and Earlswood merely confirming the presence of a Little Ringed Plover at the former, and lots of hirundines at the latter. There was however a significant moth in my garden trap on Saturday morning, which I'll come to later.

So this morning, in the teeth of a fresh south-westerly, I met Dave at Morton Bagot with relatively little optimism. Oh ye of little faith. 

We started reasonably well, soon hearing our first Whitethroat of what turned out to be a tally of five. A couple showed quite well but not for long enough for my camera to be deployed. Blackcaps and Willow Warblers were also evident, and I logged eleven of the former and five of the latter. A Peregrine was seen a couple of times.

The first good bird of the day was seen as a result of a bit of fieldcraft when we realised that the more sheltered side of the hedges might be better. Thus, along the footpath down from the church I caught sight of a male Redstart, a bird to warm the cockles of any heart.

Experience told us that attempting to approach the bird would be likely to lead to disappointment, so I settled for a record shot.

On the other side of the hedge lay the flash field, and it was populated by a remarkable number of Brown Hares. At least eight were charging around the field, tempting me to get the camera out once more.

The flash pools hosted at least seven Avocets but only four Teal. I'm intending to re-enter the West Midlands spring alldayer at Morton Bagot at the beginning of May this year, and as usual birds such as Teal are starting to disappear. The Coot was also nowhere to be seen.

Moving down the Morton Brook we could hear nothing of the Cetti's Warbler (perhaps also gone) but a scan of the ploughed strip on the other side of the stream produced a single male Wheatear, too distant for a photo.

Neither Redstart nor Wheatear were found at Morton Bagot last year. 

Dave had to depart early, so I was left to spend a little time in Stapenhill Wood where a Great Spotted Woodpecker showed well.

News of a Spotted Crake at Upton Warren might have of upset the balance, but I envisaged a long wait in a cramped hide (or more likely outside it queuing to get in) so I wasn't tempted.

Instead my final noteworthy sighting as I was preparing to leave was a party of three Little Egrets which flew in and landed at Clowse Farm.

Anyway, back to the moth. With only eight moths in the trap it could have been a forgettable experience, but the eighth moth was something a bit special. The Silver Cloud is described as a Nationally scarce category A species. Normally this would mean there would be no chance of ever catching one, but the reason for its status is its limited distribution. Almost the entire British population is confined to the lower Severn/Avon valleys in Gloucestershire/Worcestershire and to some extent south Warwickshire, so I've always thought I had a slight chance of seeing one.

OK I admit they are not much to look at, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I was delighted to see it. A great start to the 2026 moth season.

Thursday April 9 - Morton Bagot and Earlswood

Before I get on to today's excellent birding, I need to mention that yesterday Janet from Earlswood paid a visit to Morton Bagot and made a recording on her phone of a bird she didn't recognise. It turned out to be the song of a Water Rail. Yes that's right song. I can only recall hearing its actual song once, at Upton Warren years ago. I would describe it as a gentle "poop poop poop purrrr" An extraordinary sound. The call was coming from exactly the same spot I'd heard one calling at the end of March, and could well mean that the species will become a new addition to the site's breeding list. Janet also saw a "Swan" flying over, presumably a Mute Swan, but only the second this year.

Anyway, back to this morning. I had decided on a quick pre-breakfast dash around the northern end of the site. Yesterday's warmth and sunshine had been replaced by cloud and a distinct chill. I started by heading for the Water Rail spot, but sadly there was only silence.

Of course the patch was anything but silent. At least two Willow Warblers, and four Blackcaps were singing amidst a chorus of resident species. The buzzing calls of Redpolls were heard as odd birds flew over. I thought for a second I heard a Whitethroat call, and some time later managed to see it, albeit distantly. This turned out to be my earliest ever, by one day.

The flash field contained the usual Avocets, though just four, plus 16 Teal, two Shelducks, and a Snipe. Then I detected the big one.

No, not the Coot, although I was pretty pleased to see it occupying the Kingfisher Pool, so presumably different from the one on the Dragonfly Pool. The big surprise was my earliest ever, by a long way, Cuckoo which called from somewhere a little beyond the pool occupied by the Coot. Although it sounded quite close, I had a hedge in the way and no further calls followed. My guess is it was just passing through.

Earlswood. 

After breakfast I opted for Earlswood, in no small way because Matt had Whatsapp'd a juicy list of migrants headed by a Swift. It would have been great to see one so early in April, but although there was still about 80 Sand Martins and smaller numbers of Swallows and House Martins present, the Swift had disappeared by the time I arrived.

However I was just in time to see the Shelduck Matt had found just as it was flying off.

Surprisingly my second record for the site this year. 

I then discovered a newly arrived Common Tern, Earlswood's first of the year.

I joined Matt on the causeway as a first-winter Common Gull flew in. We chatted for a while, Matt commiserating with me on my failure to see his Swift. He could however point me in the direction of a Common Sandpiper which I saw but couldn't photograph, and an Oystercatcher which proved more co-operative. But was also asleep.

I just love April. Every day brings new birds, and although nothing seen or heard today was rare, it's really great ticking them off as they return for the summer.

Tuesday April 7 - Tardebigge Reservoir

 With the weather now set fair, for at least two days, I decided to take a bit of a punt on Tardebigge Reservoir. It sits near the top of a hill with views stretching as far as the Malverns to the south and Clee Hill to the north-west, Upton Warren seems but a stones throw away. 

Maybe some hill-top specialists might have paused for a while? Perhaps an Osprey might glide north? Or maybe not.

I did have one passage bird en route to the hills, but it was just a male Wheatear occupying the middle of a ploughed field below the famous canal locks.

I stood around for nearly an hour watching almost nothing passing overhead. A couple of Swallows which looked suspiciously like local birds on a feeding sortie, six Black-headed Gulls presumably from Upton, and a pair of Mute Swans on a day out.

Eventually some raptors got up, and among the circling Buzzards was a single Red Kite. But they're not quite the novelty they once were.

I was struck by how many Chaffinches were singing, double-figures compared to the ones and twos I now hear at Morton Bagot. At least one, probably two, Willow Warblers were present, with a similar count of singing Blackcaps. But the main warbler on show was the Chiffchaff, with at least nine present.

Chiffchaff eyeing me suspiciously

So I suppose the plan was unsuccessful, but I still enjoyed the morning.

Sunday April 5 - Morton Bagot

With a howling gale overnight, and a brisk southerly this morning, the obvious move would have been to go to Earlswood. But Dave and I stuck to our guns and paid another visit to the patch.

The early signs were promising. A single Meadow Pipit and a newly arrived male Stonechat at least hinted at passage. A couple of Swallows headed north, barely stopping to feed. The Chiffchaff and Blackcap count rose steadily to totals of eight and four respectively.

But what we really wanted was something new, and that was supplied when we tracked down a singing Willow Warbler to the hedge bordering the Morton Brook where it showed well in one of the few sheltered spots.

Once a common sight, the Willow Warbler is becoming more like a passage migrant in the Midlands as global warming shifts the breeding areas ever northwards.

We also heard the Cetti's Warbler again, and I predict this species will soon become just another tick in the notebook as they establish themselves here. Mind you, we were still no nearer to actually seeing it, let alone getting a photograph.

We counted six Avocets, 14 Teal, a Lapwing, a few geese, and a very distant Green Sandpiper on the flash field. My first Speckled Wood of the year fluttered by, but defied my attempts for a record shot.

It feels like game on for spring.

Saturday April 4

 The last few days have felt like a waiting game. I've been birding each day, often with a plan in mind, but have seen little to inspire.

On Thursday, with the weather still distinctly chilly, I sky-watched from the causeway at Earlswood for a couple of hours. I was hoping to get lucky with a fly-over Osprey, but as usual I had bought the wrong lottery ticket. Instead I saw nine Sand Martins two Swallows, Sparrowhawk, Red Kite, and three Buzzards. 

The plan wasn't entirely stupid because this is exactly the time of year the Scottish birds are returning from Africa, and indeed one had flown over Blackwell Golf Course at the edge of my Circle the day before, and another over the Birders Store in Worcester on the day of my vigil. I have a lousy record with Ospreys; 29 in forty-five years but only about five were not twitched, and four of those were in autumn.

On Friday morning I paid an early morning visit to Mappleborough Green, but it was pretty dire. Even the Little Ringed Plovers seemed to have gone.

This morning my moth trap contained just five moths, three of which were Brindled Beautys, so at least new for the year.

With the mothing over so quickly, I had time for a dash to Spernal STW to join Tony and his team who were ringing there. Cetti's Warblers seemed to be singing everywhere, and I even saw one of them in the field. Tony reckons there are six or seven on site.

I'd been hoping for a Willow Warbler or something like that, but the only migrants were a couple of Swallows, Chiffchaffs, and Blackcaps. Less regularly seen birds included a Kingfisher, and a pair of Shelducks.

The weather is predicted to warm up over the next few days, so things can only get better.

Tuesday March 31 - Mappleborough Green

The plan for this morning was to go to Mappleborough Green with the intention of seeing some waders, and then try Cobley Hill in the hope of locating a Wheatear. 

Part one went well, but not in the way I'd expected. The left hand flash produced a Green Sandpiper, a Snipe, and a Little Ringed Plover along with 21 Teal. Despite trying my best to keep out of sight, the ever alert Teal soon flew up and although some returned, I knew any on the right hand flash might include some of them. Further adding to the confusion, the Little Ringed Plover also took off, and appeared to head away towards Redditch.

I reached the right hand flash, saw a few Teal and noticed that the Little Ringed Plover there now had a friend. And they were getting on very well.

I scanned the field and didn't see anything else. But on checking the images at the back of my camera I found I wasn't keen on the photos I'd taken, so I thought I'd turn around and take a couple more. Just as well!

My initial scan couldn't have been as thorough as I'd thought, because this time I got straight onto a male Wheatear.

Earlier, I'd also seen six Fieldfares and a couple of Meadow Pipits.

It was tempting not to bother with Cobley Hill, but other hilltop migrants might occur. In the event I was pleased to see two pairs of Lapwings breeding, while migration was limited to a single Meadow Pipit heading north.

Sunday March 29 - Morton Bagot

 This post covers two days, Saturday and Sunday. So yesterday morning my moth trap contained just five moths, none of them even new for the year. Having got up early I decided to pay an early morning visit to the patch. In the bright sunshine I thought I should at least photograph something.

The highlights were a new record count of 13 Avocets (11 on the nearest flash and two on the furthest), a distant Peregrine which flew in from the north before turning tail, the drake Shoveler, and a pair of Shelducks which I noticed could only be seen distantly from the road and were invisible on the furthest flash from the usual watchpoints.

The white dots are Avocets (and a LBBGull). Not much of a group photo.

This morning was cloudy and cold, but was far more productive for birds.

Dave joined me as usual, and we quickly established we could see four Red Kites, a pair over Bannams and another pair to the west, another record count for the site. Rather less satisfactorily the Avocets numbers had dropped, although we did eventually tally ten.

But this was to be a day for site ticks. As we approached the Kingfisher Pool Dave said "Did you hear that?" I'd heard nothing, so was surprised to be told he'd thought he'd heard a distant Cetti's. After about 15 minutes of silence, Dave was starting to doubt himself, blaming his woolly hat and maybe a Blackbird. We settled down to count the Avocets, but while drinking his coffee Dave suddenly leapt to his feet and shouted Swallow. Fortunately for me it briefly reappeared and I duly added it to my patch year list. Seconds later, a bona fide Cetti's Warbler blasted its song into our ear. Almost certainly the bird the ringers caught last week, it was nevertheless a patch tick for us both. Trying to see singing Cetti's Warblers is very challenging, and it didn't help that this one didn't sing, or even call, again. Around this time we also witnessed a Kestrel making a successful kill. It emerged from the grass with a Vole in its talons and proceeded to eat it while perched on a tree guard.

Two more patch year ticks were to follow. The first was a Feral Pigeon which flew across the field behind us. It's actually quite hard to get an untainted one here, as racing pigeons sometimes fly over, and occasionally one of the farms releases some from a loft. As far as I know, neither issue applied with this bird.

Finally, and I mean finally, a bird I'd just about given up on this year appeared. A Coot was back on the dragonfly pond where it had nested last year. We used to find them all over the site, but only this one pool (the only one with a bit of reed surrounding it) is suitable. It normally turns up in February, so I was more than pleased to see it.

The hunt for a Wheatear goes on, and this year I've noticed even Meadow Pipits are in short supply. I have no explanation for that.

Friday March 27

 There was nothing wrong with today's plan, it just didn't pay off. The morning dawned grey and drizzly, so I reckoned Earlswood would be the best bet. I was dreaming of Kittiwakes, Little Gulls etc and indeed the former were well represented at the West Midland's larger reservoirs.

I had an inkling of what to expect when an early morning Whatsapp from Joe mentioned a Mandarin and later a Swallow. By the time I got there neither remained, but eventually things did pick up.

Two Sand Martins were the first I'd seen since my very early one three weeks ago, and finally two Swallows appeared, along with at least one more Sand Martin. They were not my earliest Swallows, but I'm always slightly relieved when the first ones make it back from their incredible journey the southern Africa.

Swallow

The Yellow-legged Gull was still present, but otherwise it was just a case of checking out the regulars.

Tufted Ducks

Yellow-legged Gull 5cy (on right)

On Tuesday I went to Morton Bagot. It only gets second billing because I didn't take any photographs. The highlight was a further increase in Avocets to ten birds (eight on the nearest flash and two on the furthest). The Egyptian Geese seemed to have gone, while Teal numbers were down, but the drake Shoveler and the Shelducks were still there.

Before going home on Tuesday, I paid a very quick visit to Lower Bittell, peering at fields of sheep. A Cattle Egret had been seen there on Sunday (along with the wintering Great White Egret). Sadly I only saw the latter.

It looks like being a cold night so I'm not expecting much from the garden moths, but anything interesting turns up I'll add it to this post.