Earlswood Lakes - Saturday September 5

 I have to confess that I feel a bit guilty for spending the WestMidsAllDayer helping the Earlswood team instead of gritting my teeth and trying to eek out what I could from Morton Bagot.

The ringing team were at Morton Bagot and caught 80 birds, and although the species total is likely to be quite low the catch included 10 Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat (at the time of writing neither species had been found at Earlswood), and 20 Blackcaps (The Earlswood team struggling to detect a handful).

Meanwhile, at Earlswood the team got off to a splendid start when Matt located the Barn Owl which had been seen a couple of days ago. I understand this was the first they had found on an alldayer.

I arrived on site half an hour after the event and chose to start at the Scrublands. Here I found a Pheasant (possibly the only one found today), a Rook, and a Shoveler flying off with Mallard. That, or another was seen at Terry's Pool late in the afternoon by Matt. I reached the bottom of Windmill Pool where I found seven Teal, a Kingfisher, and a Common Sandpiper. Apart from a Snipe (which I didn't see) the Common Sandpiper was the only wader seen all day.

I joined John Oates, and then John Sirrett as I approached the causeway. A Yellow Wagtail had been seen, and fortunately it was still there when I arrived. My only previous record this year was a (heard only) record from Morton Bagot on the spring alldayer.

While John O and I were watching the Yellow Wag John S shouted for us to look up, as a Hobby was twisting and turning after Swallows overhead. We stood around on the causeway for about thirty minutes adding several common species, such as five Ravens and a Collared Dove. 

Eventually I had to leave for breakfast, but I still managed to add a distant Red Kite to the day list as I got to the car. 

Late morning saw me parking at Malthouse Car-park and making a circuit of Terry's Pool. By now most of the easy stuff had been ticked off, so I was pleased to add a juvenile Little Grebe to the team's total.

I got to Field House by which time I was largely paying catch up. All the same a single Song Thrush was a tricky one which was new for the total. I again joined John O, and we saw a Sparrowhawk, before walking to the fields by the Craft Centre where the Wheatear was still present.

The regular Yellow-legged Gull was located on Engine Pool before I again went home.

The afternoon was less productive. The nearest I came to adding anything was when John O and I deliberated about a likely Peregrine which we decided was too distant the count. My last birds were Meadow Pipit and Blackcap giving me a personal total of 63 species.

Meanwhile Matt was ploughing on. He added a Little Egret, some Skylarks, and a Reed Bunting bringing the total up to 73 species. 

Meanwhile at least eight Clouded Yellows were found, and with John O's help I added a number of plants to my still rather small flora life list.