Just a little quiet...

Okay, time for an update! I know it’s not like me to go for so long without blogging but there really hasn’t been anything to blog about plus, I’ve been way too busy! Sounds kind of daft that doesn’t it... nothing to blog, way too busy! Make your mind up Rich!

The cycling is becoming more and more enjoyable since I purchased the new bike and I’ve been steadily clocking up the miles each week. I’ve also taken up a keen interest in the weather forecasts since the Cannondale arrived - if there is even the smallest chance of rain the old bike is fetched out of the garage for the day! So far I’ve managed a total of 415 rain-free miles on the new Bad Boy! My total distance for the year has now reached 1455 miles, so I’m well on target to reach my goal of 2500 miles by the end of the year. As well as cycling to work and back each day I’ve also been out for three longer rides since my last blog post. The first ride was a steady 20 miles, the second a more respectable 30 miles and then, last Sunday, I got a bit carried away and rode for 60 miles! As you can tell, I’m getting on rather well with the Cannondale!

A couple of weeks ago Lynda and I decided at the last minute to go and see The Bad Shepherds play in Derby. I’d never seen them before, only heard one track of theirs (via the internet) and didn’t really know what to expect. What a choice of gig for a Friday night! In fact, a great choice for ANY night! The Bad Shepherds are Andy Dinan (fiddle), Troy Donockley (Uillean pipes, cittern, whistles, vocals), Maartin Allcock (twelve string guitar, bass, vocals) and Adrian Edmondson (vocals and “trash mandolin”). The first three may not be too well known to many readers of this blog but Adrian Edmondson most certainly will be, as the violent punk rocker Vyvian in the 1980’s comedy series The Young Ones.

The Young Ones.

The band play a set that is made up of cover songs, almost entirely 70’s and 80’s punk songs. The twist - they play them all in a “folk music” style! Yes, it sounds strange, crazy even, BUT it works! The gig was brilliant and I’m already making plans to go and see The Bad Shepherds again soon!

The Bad Shepherds.

My birding has run out of fuel somewhat and I’ve “hit the wall”! Since we returned from the RSPB long weekend away I’ve only been out with my ’bins and ’scope twice within my 10-mile zone. The dreaded “been there, done that” syndrome I suffered with a few years ago has returned. I just can’t seem to get excited about chasing around after birds at the moment. I have added five more ticks to the year list though... Common Scoter at Foremark Reservoir on May 1st. Garden Warbler and Turtle Dove, again at Foremark but on May 24th and then later on the same day I added Garganey and Hobby at Willington. The “10-Mile List” now stands at 130 species. All I need to do over the next 6 months is find another 7 new species and I’ll have bettered last year's total. Sounds easy when you look at it like that but I reckon it’s going to be rather more challenging!

Bempton cliffs.

Flamborough Head.

Yesterday, Lynda and I went with the Derby RSPB Group to Bempton and also Flamborough. The number of birds seen wasn’t too impressive but I didn’t mind because I got to see Puffins! No matter what level you enjoy birds at Puffins can never fail to make your day better, they’re THE comics of the bird world I reckon. I just love ’em!

Puffins.

A combination of the excellent viewing facilities and also the use of my ’scope meant that photos of the sea birds were reasonably easy to obtain. The results could have been even better if the weather had been kinder to us. Cloud and occasional rain showers tried to dampen things down a little.

Razorbills.

Kittiwake.

Gannet.

Later in the week I’ll try and post a few photos from around the garden... just so Sarah can see what we’ve been up to out there so far this year! If I’m not too busy that is!

RSPB Long weekend...

Last weekend was our annual long weekend away with the Derby RSPB Group, we were based in Bournemouth and visited the RSPB reserves at Arne and Radipole, Portland Bill and also Durlston Country Park. As a group we saw or heard a total of 107 species with Lynda and myself managing a list amounting to 76 species. The number of birds was down a little on past years but the weekend itself was, as usual, of very high quality.

On Saturday we visited RSPB Arne, a reserve with a mixed habitat of heathland, mature woodland and also tidal marsh. Birds of note here included Little Egret, Spoonbill, Whimbrel, Curlew, Stonechat and a pair of friendly Wheatear that gave us some very close views. Large numbers of Sika deer were also seen during our walk around the reserve.

RSPB Arne.

Wheatear.

At 4:45PM we left Arne and headed for the Riviera Hotel in Bournemouth. As with all the previous long weekend trips we’ve been on with the group, the non-birding side of the break is equally important - good food and a bar are as important as the birds! This year’s hotel provided us with superb food, both at breakfast and the evening meal, and also had plenty of space to relax with friends over a few drinks at night.

My birding started just before breakfast on Sunday when I took a stroll down to the sea front. Although I didn’t take my ‘bins with me I was still able to add Sandwich Tern to my trip list with numerous birds fishing just off the shoreline. Once back at the hotel a full cooked breakfast set me up for the day.

Bournemouth view.

Our first stop off on Sunday was RSPB Radipole in the centre of Weymouth. Despite it’s urban location this reserve is still rather scenic and also provided the group with some great birds. Great Crested Grebe, Shelduck, Gadwall, Teal and Tufted Duck were all present as was the somewhat dubious Hooded Merganser that has been on the reserve for some while now. I’ve recorded my sighting of this bird but reckon that it’s almost certain to fail the “wild or not” test of the BOU!

RSPB Radipole.

Other birds of note at Radipole included Marsh Harrier, Swift, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Cetti’s Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler and Blackcap. We also managed to get a couple of views of Bearded Tit as they flew, very quickly, over the reed beds!

From Radipole it was just a short coach ride to Portland Bill where we spent the rest of the afternoon. Portland could have been the perfect location for a few hours of birding if only the weather wasn’t so nice! The morning had started off dull and misty with one or two heavy rain showers. The wind was also rather strong and coming in off the sea, great for a bit of sea-watching. The problem was the rain cleared away, the sun came out and the bird movement suffered as a result. I did manage a count of around 320 Manx Shearwater in a little over an hour but failed to see any skuas at all.

Portland Bill.

Gannet, Shag, Turnstone, Guillemot, Razorbill and Rock Pipit were all seen at Portland along with a single Whimbrel that was wandering around the cliff top rocks. I would imagine the Whimbrel was a recent arrival on this side of the Channel and was resting up before continuing its journey north. Our birding for the day came to and end at 4:30PM when we set off on the return journey to the hotel. The evening was spent relaxing over another great meal and a few more drinks.

Turnstone.

Monday was our last day of the trip and unfortunately the weather took a turn for the worse. It was raining heavily as we ate breakfast and continued to do so as the coach drove to Durlston Country Park. We spent four hours at the Country Park and the rain persisted for much of that time. By far the most welcome sighting here was the Lookout Cafe where we enjoyed getting dry whilst having a bite to eat!

The Lookout Cafe.

What birding we did do resulted in sightings of Fulmar, Gannet, Peregrine, Guillemot, Razorbill, Stonechat, Whitethroat and, surprisingly, our first two Great Tits of the weekend! At just after 2:30PM our coach started the long journey home, just as the rain started to pour down again. It wasn’t the ideal end to the weekend but it certainly didn’t ruin it either.

As we headed north along the A34 towards Oxford a Red Kite flew low alongside the road and gave most people on the coach one last new species for the weekend - those that weren’t fast asleep that is! I was lucky enough to be awake at that moment!

Thetford Forest...

The trip to Thetford Forest yesterday produced the goods once again - some great birds and also some reasonably good weather too. The day also started off a lot more relaxed than last month’s RSPB trip; we remembered to set the alarm on Saturday night and didn’t have to rush to catch the coach! The rain that had been forecast for much of the morning started to fall just as we left the house, but had stopped by the time we reached Derby. From then on it was a dry and bright day. Once again, whilst waiting for the coach, we had good views of the Derby Cathedral Peregrines.

Derby Cathedral.

Santon Downham was our first stop of the day and provided us with a total of 33 species, which, spookily enough, is exactly the same as last year’s trip! Woodlark is always the main target bird for us at this location and, after a bit of searching, we struck it lucky once again. At least two larks were seen and in the end they gave great views to everyone on the trip. Whilst watching the Woodlark, and making sure everyone else got to see them, I also picked up Buzzard, Green Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush, Yellowhammer, numerous Siskin and a Jay. March 14 and this is the first Jay I’ve seen all year! Where are they all?

A little further along the path from the Woodlark Lynda and I caught up with a small group of our party that said they had found something of interest - it turned out to be an Adder! They said it was a way of thanking me for finding the Woodlark. Little did they know, if there’s one thing I HATE its snakes! I did manage to build up enough nerve to get a quick photo but came out in a cold sweat in the process! I was not a happy bunny at this point and moved swiftly on!

Want a better photo? Take your own!

The walk back to the coach, along the river path, was a little quieter than usual but we did manage to see a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a pair of Grey Wagtail, a small flock of Redwing and a Goldcrest. A Water Rail provided many of us with outstanding views as it fed on the riverbank. The bird spent long periods of time out in the open and was not in the least worried about people passing by on the path, most unusual for this species.

Our second site of the day was Lynford Arboretum, just a short drive away. The arboretum, and nearby lakes, were rather quiet compared with previous visits with just 32 species being seen by Lynda and I. We have no complaints about the quality of birding here though as we got to see Hawfinch, a site speciality, and also a group of 12 Crossbill. The Crossbill gave themselves away by calling loudly as they approached us through the woods and then settled in the top of a tree right in front of us. We got great views of the birds but unfortunately only one other member of our group was close by at the time, the other 45 or so missed out! Maybe in future they’ll not be so keen to show me snakes in return for Woodlarks!

Other birds here included Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted and also Green Woodpecker, Song and Mistle Thrush, Treecreeper and Siskin. Two albino Pheasants were also seen. As we walked back to the coach at the end of the afternoon we came across a rather nice carving that had been created on a broken tree trunk - I don’t think I’d fancy meeting this guy in the dark!

Not the best week...

After a rather long run of birding blogs it’s time to catch up a little on the cycling - and one bit of birding too!

So far this year I’ve covered just over 440 miles on the bike on my daily commute to and from work. Apart from the run of snowy weather a couple of weeks ago I’ve also managed to stay dry for most of the 90 rides I’ve completed - that all changed on Tuesday! On the ride home from work I got well and truly soaked! Not only did it pour down with rain but it was very, very windy and at times there was also a fair amount of sleet in with the rain. I got wet, the sleet stung my face and, to cap it all off, I could hardly make any forward progress due to the headwind! Not the most enjoyable of rides.

Wednesday morning’s ride in to work was equally enjoyable - I suffered yet another rear wheel puncture. And, to add insult to injury, it was on the same section of cycle path that all my other recent deflations have occurred. This left me with the option of either stripping the rear wheel and tyre out of the bike and repairing the flat at the side of the road or walking the last 1½ miles to work. I chose the latter and now wish I hadn’t. Walking at a much higher pace than I would normally, in shoes I use purely for cycling, left me with a badly blistered right foot! Next time I’ll go for the roadside repair!

Having had time to reflect on the latest puncture whilst repairing it at work and also riding back home at night I decided it was time to take action... I’ve written to the local council about the amount of glass and general road debris that is on the cycle path and have asked if “urgent consideration can be given to “road sweeping” the cycle path”. I await a reply.

Straight after work yesterday afternoon Lynda and I went out for a short walk along the river Derwent at Ambaston. Not only did this add another 2½ miles to Lynda’s walking mileage - I cycle as much as I can; Lynda walks as often as she can - but it also added another bird species to my “10-Mile List”, a Whooper Swan. The Whooper has been in the area for a while now and I thought it was high time I went and tracked it down. In the end it was easy enough to locate the bird but walking for 2½ miles with a badly blistered foot was somewhat painful. As a result of the bad foot, and the rather dodgy weather forecast for today, that has been the only birding I’ve done this weekend. Next weekend we’re off to Thetford Forest with our RSPB Group so it’s fingers crossed for good weather and good birds again.

My “10-Mile List” now stands at 98 species.

Too much information...

Web sites and e-mails. Mobile phones and text messages. Pagers! Are they, along with binoculars and a telescope, the essential tools of the modern birder or do they just add to the chaotic lifestyles we find ourselves being subjected to? Birding to my way of thinking should be about taking time out to clear one’s head, to escape from the day-to-day grind of the workplace and to generally slow down. So why doesn’t it happen that way? I blame information technology!

Yesterday started off quiet enough for me - I hadn’t switched on my mobile phone or my PC - and I spent the first hour of my morning recording all the birds seen in or around the garden as part of the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch. By 9:30AM I’d recorded a total of 15 species, nine of which qualified for the Big Garden Birdwatch by actually landing in my recording area. The nine were Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Greenfinch, House Sparrow, Starling and Magpie.

The six flyover sightings were Teal, Sparrowhawk, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Jackdaw and Carrion Crow. The big surprise was the Teal - quite why a single Teal was flying over such a built up area as this I don’t know! The LBB Gull was also a new species for my “10-Mile List”, so that alone made it worth staring out of the bedroom window for an hour.

It was after the garden birding that things started to get a little more hectic - I turned on my mobile phone and my PC. A quick check of the Birdguides news page and it was clear that the Waxwing flock in nearby Ilkeston had not yet been reported on Sunday morning, but they had been seen during the previous afternoon. As there was nothing else of note nearby I decided to chance my luck and go and try for the Waxwings anyway. Just as I was walking out of the door my mobile went off, a text message from my birding friend Mike, he had located a couple of drake Pintail at Willington Gravel Pits.

I now had a problem... should I go for the Pintail and be more or less guaranteed another bird for my “10-Mile List” or should I stick with trying for the Waxwing flock. Lynda’s input on the subject had me heading for Willington! “Go for the easy tick!”

The Pintail proved to be very easy to locate. They were swimming up and down the Gull Pit and gave great views from platform 3 at the end of the lane. Other birds out on the water included 229 Wigeon (my highest ever count here), 8 Gadwall, 6 Teal, 43 Pochard and a female Goldeneye. A single Buzzard was seen briefly as it soared over Canal Scrape and a Great Black-backed Gull over the new workings gave me yet another new bird for the ever-growing “10-Mile List”. The pick of the birds seen in the lane included Sparrowhawk, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Greenfinch and Bullfinch.

At 11:15AM technology dictated the pace and venue of my morning’s birding once more. Another text message arrived on my phone and, after a quick return call to confirm the details, I was leaving Willington in a hurry and heading to Ilkeston. The Waxwing flock had shown up! As I jumped into the car it suddenly dawned on me - I had no map and no way of finding my way through the new housing estate the birds had been seen in! Yet another phone call, this time to home, and Lynda was able to send directions back to me via yet another text message.

It was on the drive to Ilkeston that my “10-Mile List” came very close to literally hitting species number 75 when a pair of Grey Partridge flew across the road just feet in front of the car. I managed to get very close, if brief, views of the birds but it didn’t do much for my heart rate. I reckon it must have been close to 200 beats a minute! Oh, and the brakes on the car work okay too!

The Waxwings hadn’t been seen for around 15 minutes when I arrived but, after a further half-hour or so, a small group of them did return to the trees right next to where I was stood. If the light had been better then they would have been in a great position to photograph. As it was, my camera was unable to focus properly through my ‘scope and the chance was missed. That aside, it was great to be able to watch the Waxwings at close quarters and also to hear their trilling calls so well. If only these birds would expand their summer range and take up residence in the UK.

So, with the help and/or hindrance of the latest information technology I was able to add a further 5 new species to my “10-Mile List” yesterday bringing the current total to 76 species. I must admit that I was more than happy to have seen the Pintail, Grey Partridge and Waxwing but, as I sat and updated my records last night, I couldn’t help but think that a day out just looking for and watching my own birds may well have been even more enjoyable.

Your thoughts on the growing use of I.T. in birdwatching would be more than welcome!

Suffering with the wind...

Once again, the weather Gods looked after us on Saturday and the rain that had been forecast for the Humber area stayed away. In its place we had strong winds, very strong winds! I spent much of the day trying to make sure the wind didn’t whip my baseball cap off my head - if it had, then I’m sure it wouldn’t have landed until it reached Holland!

Far Ings Nature Reserve was our first port of call and in the three hours spent there Lynda and I located a total of 42 species. It wasn’t a huge species count but it was certainly worked for - the near gale force winds meant that most of the birds were tucked away well out of sight. The more (fool) hardy birds that did show well included 16 Shelduck, c100 Wigeon and 14 Common Redshank out on the Humber Estuary. The more sheltered pools held 3 Little Grebe, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 14 Gadwall, 24 Teal, 14 Shoveler, 35 Pochard, 8 Goldeneye and 1 male Goosander. A male Sparrowhawk caused panic amongst the wildfowl on a number of occasions as it made low level passes over the water.

Four species of gull were seen as we battled our way along the riverside path, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull and Black-headed Gull. The two reserve feeding stations provided the best/easiest birding of the morning due to their location being such that it kept much of the wind off the birds. A total of 12 different species could be seen on or around the bird feeders with Willow Tit, Reed Bunting, Goldfinch and Tree Sparrow being the pick of the bunch. The very last bird to be added to our site list was Curlew; a single bird flew low over the road just as our coach was pulling out of the car park. A pleasant enough morning’s birding but it could have been much better, and warmer, without the mini-hurricane blowing!

A little under an hour after leaving Far Ings and we arrived at Blacktoft Sands RSPB Reserve. Far Ings may have been a little quiet but, on Saturday, Blacktoft was positively sleepy. Having just loaded all of the birds seen onto my sightings database I think it would be more fitting to say that Blacktoft had fallen into a coma! In total Lynda and I came up with the grand total of just 28 species.

Even on such a quiet day there is always going to be at least one high point and on Saturday it had to be the Marsh Harriers. At least 5 harriers could be seen at any one time and on numerous occasions up to 3 birds were to be seen very close to the hides. During the rare moments that the harriers weren’t close at hand then the 3 Black-tailed Godwits that were feeding in front of Singleton Hide kept us entertained.

Other than the harriers and the godwits there really wasn’t much else to write home about... 5 Shelduck, 7 Wigeon, 8 Shoveler and 1 Common Snipe. With the aid of a ‘scope, Lapwing and Golden Plover could also be seen but they were in flight and a long, long way away. Much farther away and they could have joined my wind-blown cap in Holland!

By 4:00PM Lynda and I, and a number of others in the group, decided that the excitement was all just a little too much and we headed back to the relative warmth of the coach. In true birding fashion, the best bird of the day put in an appearance minutes after we left the hide - a superb male Hen Harrier (so I’m told!) was seen flying over the reed bed by the few brave souls that stayed in the hide until just before the coach left for home!

The plan for this weekend is to get back out in my 10-Mile zone for some real birding. Weather permitting that is!

WELSH RARE BITS

I was right about RSPB Conwy - we didn’t see too many birds there yesterday. We did see some quality birds though! In the 2½ hours that we spent on the reserve Lynda & I recorded a total of 40 species. The weather, though very cold, was also great for birding. The light was superb, there was little or no wind and as a result the birds we did see tended to show well.

Conwy Castle & RSPB Reserve.

We arrived at Conwy at just before 11:00am and were met by a reserve warden who handed out maps, reserve passes and also informed us that the Firecrest I was so keen to see hadn’t been seen all day. It wasn’t the news I wanted to hear and, with all due respect to said warden, I didn’t take too much notice of it anyway. My feelings towards wardens are, I’m sad to say, a little tainted at times after I found a Great Northern Diver at Cley NWT reserve many years ago. I reported it to the warden on duty only to be told “You must be wrong. We don’t get those here.” - the bird was reported a number of times, by other birders, over the coming days! Birds can, and will, turn up anywhere.

After moving off from the coach, and onto the reserve, the Firecrest took around 10 minutes to locate. At first I was aware of it calling, then I got a very brief view of what I thought was the bird in flight, shortly after that the little beauty was feeding just feet away from us. Firecrests are always colourful little things but yesterday’s bird was possibly the best I’ve ever seen, maybe due to the quality of the light. The only minor complaint I have is that the bird was so full of energy that I had no chance of getting any photos! It just never stopped moving!

Whilst looking for, and watching, the Firecrest we also located a Wren, a number of Dunnock, a couple of Goldcrest, 6 Long-tailed Tit, numerous Blue Tit, 3 Reed Bunting, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, 2 Siskin and also 6 Goldfinch. The Siskin stayed still for a little longer than the Firecrest and so I was able to get my ‘scope and camera trained on them long enough for a few quick photos.

Siskin.

Visits to the hides and a walk around the perimeter path of the reserve gave good views of the two lakes and also the Conwy estuary. Birds of note here included 4 Little Grebe, 2 Little Egret, 10 Shelduck, c60 Teal, 7 Shoveler, 2 female Goldeneye, 4 Red-breasted Merganser, 1 Water Rail and 55 Lapwing. A group of 10 Black-tailed Godwit flew onto the reserve from the estuary and a single Kingfisher was seen perched on the edge of the reed bed. I also managed a count of 60 Snipe on one of the small islands near to one of the hides.

View over Conwy RSPB reserve.

After arriving back at the reserve shop and café at the end of our walk I decided that I had just enough time to try for one more look at the Firecrest before our coach moved on to Llanfairfechan. The Firecrest showed well but I had to move on quicker than I thought - another bird had been located that I wanted to see, Siberian Chiffchaff. Now, I don’t claim to be an expert (far from it!) on the various “splits” of Chiffchaff but I have to say that the bird we saw yesterday certainly did seem to fit well with the “tristis” form. As with all birding - you make your own rules about what, and how, you list such birds. I have this down as “Chiffchaff - probable tristis.”

Llanfairfechan was even quieter in terms of the number of species seen, just 28, but again it was the quality of birding that made the long trip worth while. The sheltered bay, and calm sea, made it reasonably easy to pick up Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Slavonian Grebe and Red-breasted Merganser. Oystercatcher, Redshank, Turnstone and Purple Sandpiper were all seen within just a few yards of the sea wall as the tide came in.

Oystercatcher.

A couple of Common Gull were fighting for bread amongst the Herring and Black-headed Gulls that were being fed on the lake in the park, where Mute Swan and Mallard were also noted. A walk along the sea wall added Redwing, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush and Greenfinch to our list. A little time sat scanning the sea also provided me with a single Black Guillemot as it flew by. Walking back to the coach as the sun set turned up what was, for me, an unexpected bird when we spotted a Dipper feeding in a small river just a few feet from the car park and only around 100yds from the sea. Unexpected it may have been but it was a rather nice way to end the day.

Llanfairfechan view.

10-MILE LIST

Today, even though I really should have stayed home in the warm to try and shake off the remnants of my MAN FLU, I took a drive over to Belper in search of Waxwings. A group of 5 birds have been feeding in a car park in the town for the past couple of days and the possibility of adding this species to my “10-Mile List” was just too tempting.

I stood around in the freezing cold for almost an hour before a couple of Waxwing came to feed. They stayed for around three or four minutes before flying off again. They didn’t return during the following hour so I came home again! Yes, I would have liked to have watched the birds for longer but at least this time I did get to see them.

Whilst stood around waiting for the Waxwings I also noted a further 21 species - not bad for a car park in the middle of town. The most unexpected bird was a male Blackcap that was feeding in the same tree as the Waxwings. No doubt this little warbler was none too happy with the temperature this morning, still below freezing at 10:30am, and was wishing it had chosen to move on to warmer climes at the end of the summer!

Waxwing takes my “10-Mile List” count to 136 species for the year. Will this prove to be the final new species of the year?

At last, the weekend...

It’s Friday, and I’m more than happy to see the weekend arrive! Apart from the snow and ice that have made my cycling rather dangerous or, even worse, nonexistent I’ve had to battle through the dreaded MAN FLU! It all started on Tuesday afternoon, the day the snow first hit, and has slowly gotten worse - I’m sure that it is only my clean-living, healthy lifestyle that has enabled me to pull through. The extra couple of sausage, bacon, egg and mushroom sandwiches I had at work may have helped too! The half a bottle of whisky I’ve got through, in coffee or hot lemonade at night, was purely medicinal I must add!

Tomorrow, for the first time in almost three months, Lynda and I are on an RSPB coach trip - we’re crossing the border and heading into North Wales. We’ll be visiting Llanfairfechan (no, my keyboard isn’t acting up. That IS a place name!) and also RSPB Conwy. It will be the first time we’ve visited Llanfairfechan so I’m not too sure what we will see there. RSPB Conwy I have visited before, many many years ago, and as I remember it, we didn’t see too much! That said, I am keeping my fingers crossed that the Firecrest that has been reported from Conwy for much of this week will hang around until after I’ve seen it tomorrow!

Whilst getting my camera ready for tomorrow I came across some photos I meant to post in the week - the man flu must have affected my memory, I forgot! They were taken last Sunday afternoon, leaning out of the bedroom window trying to avoid getting too many houses and cars in shot! We may not have the nicest of views at home but every now and again nature sends us a little treat. All the photos are straight off the camera - no enhancing or altering of exposure.

Back out birding...

Yesterday, after a three-week break, I finally picked up my binoculars again and went birding. I’ve not bothered to check the exact distance but I guess I was just a little outside my “10-Mile zone” - I was in Filey, North Yorkshire with the Derby RSPB Group.

The day started off a lot better than the weather forecast had predicted with plenty of sunshine, very little in the way of cloud and only a light breeze. I had been expecting rain so I was more than happy as we headed north. A stop at the motorway services en route lifted the spirits just a little more... or at least the bacon sandwich did!

The coach pulled into Filey Country Park at just before 11:00AM and, as usual, everyone set off in their quest to locate the birds. Lynda and I chose to head for the area know as “Top Scrub” which is basically a long thin line of small trees and brambles. It was also very, very muddy yesterday! The slip sliding in the mud was worth it as we were rewarded with great views of three Whinchat and also a Spotted Flycatcher. The flycatcher was my first of the year so it was good to see - pity it wasn’t about 90 miles closer to home though.

From Top Scrub we headed to the coastal path and a spot of sea-watching. On the way we came across a couple more Whinchat, numerous Linnet, Goldfinch, and a single Coal Tit. By now the wind has started to pick up just a little and it was also coming in off the sea - just what we needed, an easterly wind to bring any passage seabirds closer to land.

Views of the cliffs at Filey.

Once at the cliff tops it quickly become clear that there was a large movement of Gannets heading south. There were groups of six or eight or more passing every couple of minutes or so, often quite close in. Sandwich Terns were also heading south but in much smaller numbers. Overhead, a number of Swallows flew back and forth as they contemplated the long journey ahead of them this autumn.

After spending a short time looking out over the cliffs Lynda and I took the coastal path towards Filey Brigg, the main area for sea-watching. The walk to the Brigg provided us with views of Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Cormorant, Oystercatcher and Fulmar. A single Wheatear was flying around no doubt eager to be heading to warmer parts of the world. As we approached the Brigg we were alerted to what was possibly the most unexpected sighting of the day, a Pied Flycatcher.

Pied Flycatcher.

A Pied Fly at Filey, in September, isn’t all that unusual but seeing one feeding out in the open, some distance from any trees, on the coast path was a little different! The bird was more than happy to continue feeding as we stood and watched.

Once at the Brigg the sea-watching started in earnest. The wind had picked up some more and the birds were stating to show; Common Scoter, Common Gull, Black-headed Gull, Kittiwake, Teal and Wigeon were all passing in good numbers whilst out on the Brigg itself Redshank, Turnstone and Dunlin were roosting. Out in Filey Bay we located a couple of Guillemot and a single Shag lingered just off the end of the Brigg.

Filey Brigg - in the sun.

By early afternoon the wind had increased but unfortunately it also brought with it a rather heavy sea mist. At first the mist meant we lost view of any distant birds, later it meant the vision was down to less than 200 feet! This was not what we needed! Lynda and I stuck it out for around an hour and did manage to see both Arctic Skua and Great Skua before finally admitting defeat and heading back inland a little.

The mist rolls in!

Back in the Country Park things weren’t much better and the last couple of hours of the day were more of a gentle stroll around the area than serious birding. We did manage to find a male Eider Duck in Filey Bay, when the mist lifted for a moment, and also came across numerous Speckled Wood butterflies in a sheltered area of brambles. As we walked back to the coach a quick check of a hedgerow by the car park turned up probably the most colourful bird of the day, a stunning male Redstart. Again, this was another year tick for me and again I would much rather have seen it closer to home!

Speckled Wood.

By the end of the day we had recorded a total of 43 species. It wasn’t my best ever day-list by a long way but it was still an enjoyable day out and it didn’t rain!

The RSPB weekend away...

Well, the long weekend away with the RSPB is over for another year but this was one I’ll remember for a while - it was a great weekend from the moment we left home right up until we arrived back home. One of the highlights was the weather; it was dry, very sunny and hot for all three days, a total contrast to last year’s constant rain I can tell you!

Before we left I posted here that I was hoping to see around 120 species. I didn’t quite manage that total but there were some great birds in amongst the 101 different species I did get to see, or hear. So, how did I manage to get over the ton? Here goes...

Our taxi arrived to take us to the coach pickup point at just after 6:00AM. By 6:30AM I had my first bird of the weekend, one of the Derby Cathedral Peregrines was sitting out in the early morning sun watching our group of birders waiting for the coach to arrive. At just before 7:00AM we were all loaded onto the coach and on our way to Lackford Lakes. A stop was made on the way to Lackford, to comply with the legalities of the coach driver’s rest breaks, which gave Lynda and I the chance to become Hobbits for a while and take “second breakfast”. Bacon and egg muffins, hash browns and coffee isn’t a bad way to prepare for a day’s birding!

Once at Lackford the birding started in earnest. In just over 2½ hours Lynda and I located a total of 55 species. For the first 10 minutes or so I wondered whether I would even reach double figures as I just could not get my eye in when it came to spotting birds! There were warblers singing all around the car park but I just didn’t seem able to pinpoint them amongst the leaves and brambles - maybe it was jet lag from the journey! Then, almost as if someone had switched my brain on, things started to come together. First it was a Common Whitethroat, then came Garden Warbler, Linnet, an Egyptian Goose in flight and a distant Common Buzzard.

It's not easy finding warblers in cover this thick!

Whilst we were ticking off the birds around the car park a Nightingale had been singing, on and off, somewhere close by. Many of our group had already given up on finding the Nightingale, a bird not known for showing too well, and had moved off to other parts of the reserve. I managed to find the bird almost straight away - maybe, just maybe, I was starting to wake up. In the end the Nightingale sat out in the open singing for around two or three minutes, plenty long enough for me to show a few other members of our group the bird through my ‘scope. The second I tried to photograph it, it flew back into cover.

Other birds of note at Lackford included Oystercatcher, Little Ringed Plover, Common Tern, Kingfisher and Treecreeper. Butterflies were very active around the reserve with Speckled Wood, Orange-tip, Peacock and Red Admiral all being seen. At 1:00PM we all loaded back onto the coach, thankfully with the air conditioning working overtime, and headed to Lakenheath RSPB Reserve.

By the time we arrived at Lakenheath the temperature was starting to get a little overpowering, it was now well into the 80’s out in the sun. The thought of walking right around the reserve really didn’t appeal to Lynda and I, so we settled for a stroll along the river bank where what breeze there was might have been a little cooling. The breeze didn’t cool us down at all and we ended up walking right around the reserve anyway!

Views at Lakenheath RSPB Reserve.

When we arrived back at the visitor centre, after a walk of more than 2 hours, we had a list of 36 species. It wasn’t a long list, but it did have some top quality birds on it. Once again I had my brain in gear, and my ears open, and located a superb male Garganey as it called briefly from the reed bed. A quick scan with my binoculars and I had the bird in sight, and also managed to get a small number of our group onto it too. As soon as I reached for my camera it was gone. A feeling of déja vu crept over me.

At least five Marsh Harriers were flying around, a Water Rail was heard, a handful of Common Tern were diving into the river in search of fish whilst all around, the reed beds were alive with the song of both Reed and Sedge Warblers. Summer had arrived in Suffolk.

It was at the far end of the reserve that we witnessed what was, for me, possibly the highlight of the weekend; a group of 20 Hobby were all up in the air together hawking for dragonflies and other prey. Seeing just one Hobby at Willington a few weeks ago was exciting enough but the sight of 20 of these gorgeous little falcons in the air at the same time was something else.

After the Hobbies I would have been happy to return to the coach without seeing another bird but it didn’t quite work out that way. Within the space of just a few hundred yards we added two more Lakenheath specialities - Bearded Tit and Golden Oriole. The Bearded Tits gave their location away by calling from deep in the reeds just before they flew across the path in front of us, and then they turned around and gave us another flypast. Moments later we were stood watching a pair of Golden Orioles flying around high in the treetops of one of the plantations. Deep joy is a phrase that springs to mind!

From Lakenheath the coach took us to our hotel in Great Yarmouth and the chance to relax over a pint or two of beer and a much-needed evening meal. Our room was on the top floor of the hotel and looked out over the beach and the sea. Our evening meal, which was very good, was washed down by the beers I’d been looking forward to all day.

The view from our room in the hotel.

Sunday was spent at what is possibly the best RSPB reserve in the country, Minsmere. This proved to be a great day’s birding and, after all the rushing around the day before, very relaxing too. It was so relaxing that I didn’t even worry too much when I discovered that I had lost my mobile phone somewhere on the vast reserve during the morning! Within minutes of realising I had “misplaced” the phone I had it back in my possession. I went to the visitor’s centre to let them know that if anyone did happen to hand in a phone I would come back at the end of the day to collect it - the phone was already there waiting for me! Deep joy, again!

The count for the day was 79 species with the highlights being Little Egret, Bittern (heard only), another Garganey (again, found by me!), numerous Marsh Harriers, a single Hobby, large numbers of Avocet, two summer plumage Grey Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Dunlin and around 20 Little Tern. A male Stonechat was seen by the path along the beach and a Cetti’s Warbler flew past us as we walked along one of the paths through the reed beds.

A couple of attempts at digi-scoping showed just how hit and miss this technique can be when it comes to taking bird photos. Shots of a male Pheasant worked really well; shots of a female Cuckoo were not so good!

The good...

The not so good!

At 4:45PM we were all on the coach and heading back to the hotel. It had been a long day out in the sun but it had also been a very enjoyable day’s birding too. Once back at the hotel there was plenty of time for a much-needed cool shower before we went down for our evening meal. Again, the food was great, the beer even better.

Our final day of the trip was spent walking around the village of Thorpeness, the surrounding fields and woodland and back along the seashore. The species count here was 61 and once again I managed to find one or two of the best birds of the day. I really was on a roll over the weekend.

The boating lake at Thorpeness.

We started by checking the birds on and around the boating lake in the village before heading off on a three-hour stroll that provided us with yet more new birds for the weekend. The first “find” of the day was a Mediterranean Gull that gave itself away as it called whilst flying over head. If it hadn’t been for that single call we may well have missed the only Med. Gull of the weekend - it pays to use your ears whilst birding you know!

Further along the walk I spotted an Adder - one find I would much rather NOT have seen - then we came across a couple of Curlew. A Yellowhammer was heard, but not seen, and a Marsh Harrier gave us good views as it hunted over a distant reed bed. A single Little Egret was located along with a couple of Gadwall, a Green Woodpecker and 2 Skylark. We then spent a short while sea-watching but quickly gave up when it became clear that what we were doing was just that, watching the sea! There was no seabird passage whatsoever.

Pointing out the Marsh Harrier.

Once back at the lake in the village I came up with my final “find” of the weekend, a Roseate Tern. To say I was just a little surprised would be something of an understatement - I was gob-smacked! It wasn’t the best example of a Roseate but the bird did spend a fair amount of time perched on a buoy in the lake so almost everyone on the coach was able to get good views of it. Deep joy, yet again.

At 3:30PM we set off on the long journey back to Derby, tired but happy after three great days of birding. At 7:00PM I added species 101 to my trip list when a Red Kite flew alongside the A14 just outside Thrapston. It may have fallen a little short of my expected total for the three days but I was happy, very happy.