Sunday June 7 - Earlswood Lakes and Morton Bagot

 I was just in the middle of posting something, basically moaning about how rubbish June was for birding when my Whatsapp ping'd. Spoonbill at Earlswood ! I was out of the house in seconds, and I'm pleased to say I got there in time.

The bird had been found by Yvonne Heward who'd photographed it after spotting it from her car as she drove across Engine Pool Causeway.

I arrived somewhat hot and bothered having run down Malthouse Lane. 

Phew. The first view as I arrived.

The news was that the bird was colour-ringed so the first task was to read it. We established it was ringed in Holland, and no doubt fuller details will emerge in due course.

Adult summer plumaged Spoonbill. What a bird.

Initially the bird was content to walk around Engine Spit and all the local birders managed to arrive in time for great views. After about fifteen minutes it flew away down Engine, but landed again at the far end before later returning to the little bit of mud in front of the Wood Lane car-park. Unfortunately I had to leave, and on getting home heard it had flown off over New Fallings Coppice.

This is the first record for Earlswood. It's also a 10k Circle tick for me.

Now, back to the original post. June is the close season for birds blah blah blah. But with birding anything can happen.

At Morton Bagot this morning very little was happening. Dave and I slogged round and were quite pleased to find the first returning Green Sandpiper at the back of the nearest flash. The Cetti's Warbler which I hadn't heard for a couple of visits announced its continued presence very loudly (but we still didn't see it), before giving a further burst of song from bushes a long way off.

As it was fairly cool there weren't all that many insects to see, but the first Meadow Browns of the year were out and about, along with a Darter with yellowish inner wings. Unfortunately there have been no Yellow-winged Darters seen in Britain this year, so I guess it was just a Ruddy Darter. They can show some yellowish wing venations. 

Presumed Ruddy Darter

Female Blue-tailed Damselfly (the orange torso variant)

Earlier this week I'd wandered around Arrow Valley Lake counting the local Canada and Greylag Geese and their numerous offspring. I also noticed that the Little Egret colony was now more visible and there were several young Egrets which had recently fledged.

Recently fledged Little Egret

Also during the week I had been tempted to twitch a Privet Hawk-moth which John Oates had caught in his garden trap.

Privet Hawk-moth

My own trapping on Friday night was rather less successful. The forty moths caught included an Elephant Hawk-moth (impressive but regular) and a Cypress Carpet which was only my second, following my first last year. They are another example of a moth which was once very rare in Warwickshire, but is now tolerably widespread.

Cypress Carpet

I now need to consider whether to return to the patch, the Spoonbill having flown off south-west. It probably isn't there, but you never know.