Sunday May 10 - Morton Bagot

This morning was cloudy with a cold fresh north-easterly. It was tempting to turn over and go back to sleep, but that wouldn't do.

Instead I joined Dave for another crack at Morton Bagot. Yesterday, Gary had discovered that the Avocets which had let the team down on bird race day had reappeared, probably chortling to themselves for messing us about.

We made our way to the flash field and sure enough they were back in residence. A Cetti's Warbler sang briefly in the distance, but there was no sign of either Reed or Sedge. The lack of Sedge Warblers in the scrape field this year is somewhat mystifying as the habitat seems unchanged.

Although the chilly wind may have been reducing the volume of birdsong this morning, we did at least hear a Lesser Whitethroat, a Garden Warbler, and a Willow Warbler back in the general area of Netherstead.

Best of all was a singing Grasshopper Warbler, probably an unmated male, paying no heed to the weather. It has helpfully adopted a small bramble patch to sing from. Although it disappears into the bush when approached too closely, reasonable views can be had from the gate between the ridge field and the dragonfly pool field looking back to the right of the footpath.

It certainly brightened up an otherwise dull day.

Going back to the WestMidlandsAlldayer, Phil Andrews has kindly supplied the league table of entrants. Morton Bagot came fifteenth out of twenty teams. Although this might seem disappointing, I actually think our total was pretty good considering our lack of significant wetland, or arable farmland. For a small, largely woodland patch our 66 species included almost all the birds known to be breeding on site.

102 Middleton Lakes (Staffs)

101 Branston GPs (Staffs)    

101 Ladywalk (Warks)                 

99 Blithfield Reservoir (Staffs)    

96 Grimley (Worcs)                      

90 Clifton Pits (Worcs)   

88 Belvide Reservoir (Staffs)     

83 Sandwell Valley (West Midlands)      

81 Upton Warren (Worcs)          

80 Smestow Valley (Staffs)      

77 Chasewater and Cuckoo Bank (Staffs)

75 Doxey Marshes (Staffs)

73 Earlswood Lakes (Warks)

68 Bartley Reservoir (West Midlands)

66 Morton Bagot (Warks)

65 Whitemoor Haye (Staffs)

65 Tuckesholme Quarry (Staffs)

62 Saltwells and Fens Pools (West Midlands)

59 Puxton Marsh (Worcs)

59 Edgbaston Reservoir (West Midlands)

I notice that one team (Clifton Pits) was allowed to compete on Bank Holiday Monday. Perhaps this means that for future events any day of the bank holiday can be utilised?