Yeah, I know it doesn't look like it, but I have been out birding the last week a few times, but I simply couldn't make a worth while blog entry!!... (Except one morning I did have a full summer pl. Bar-tailed Godwit!!! - is this the same bird that's been hanging round??... No idea, could easily be a new bird as it had disappeared by 9am!!)...
Several visits to VP resulted in not a single note-worthy bird, a visit to the Wrekin did at least result in 1 female Redstart & 1 Wood Warbler!! (both year ticks), then yesterday I scored a surprise year tick with a lone Turlte Dove at Raebrook valley en route shopping with Mand!!
So, with still a few day's still left in May I'm on 152 species ( a full 11 species ahead of my 2008 county year list by this time!!), on my county year list with at least 2 ticks still to get (Mandarin & Spotted Flycatcher), plus then some summer & early autumn birds, ie: Nightjar (hopefully!!), Blackwit, Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Med. Gull... etc. Still aint had a Little Owl yet either!!! Need to try & grip back Black Tern in autumn too!!... So, 160 is well on, but I'll need at least 10 more seriously good ticks on top of these to reach my hoped target of 170!!!
It's been hard to keep to my 'no twitching' rule for this year, I have now turned down multiple offers of lifts to see amazing birds like Subalpine Warbler, Collared Flycatcher, Crested Lark, Black-winged Pratincole, Collared Pratincole & Squacco Heron - all lifers for me!!!
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
Thursday, 14 May 2009
More Stuff at Mire!!!
Bloody annoying to miss a Black Tern that flew into Mire last night around 7pm, remained for a short while before flying off, probably never to be seen again!!... In Shropshire, at least!!...
However, I was up at 5am this morning & off to VP to check if anything had dropped in... It hadn't!!! 'Crap' is the only word to describe VP at the moment!!
So, a quick dash to Mire lake where I joined ze Guru, Mike & Big V, where another year tick awaited, not a Black Tern, but a Common Tern!! The summer pl. Knot was still present & was feeding along with 6 Dunlin & 3 LRP's!! A Cuckoo did a brief fly thru & then began calling at the east end of the pool. A very showy Sedge Warbler was in the hedge behind us.
Sadly, the morning resulted in little else... But at least now I am 'knocking on the door of 150' also!!!...
** More Latest News!! **
Okay, okay... I take it back, well a bit anyway, VP isn't totally crap!!.... As just before midday I had a stonker full summer pl. Sanderling drop in!!! After a 3hr wait, sadly no Black Tern today! I now have to go fetch my daughter from school... Besides, it's been a long time since 5am this morning!!!
However, I was up at 5am this morning & off to VP to check if anything had dropped in... It hadn't!!! 'Crap' is the only word to describe VP at the moment!!
So, a quick dash to Mire lake where I joined ze Guru, Mike & Big V, where another year tick awaited, not a Black Tern, but a Common Tern!! The summer pl. Knot was still present & was feeding along with 6 Dunlin & 3 LRP's!! A Cuckoo did a brief fly thru & then began calling at the east end of the pool. A very showy Sedge Warbler was in the hedge behind us.
Sadly, the morning resulted in little else... But at least now I am 'knocking on the door of 150' also!!!...
** More Latest News!! **
Okay, okay... I take it back, well a bit anyway, VP isn't totally crap!!.... As just before midday I had a stonker full summer pl. Sanderling drop in!!! After a 3hr wait, sadly no Black Tern today! I now have to go fetch my daughter from school... Besides, it's been a long time since 5am this morning!!!
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Pied Swift's Invade Shropshire!!!
Sorry for a 'gap' in my posting's, not done much birding in the last week, mainly due to trapping a nerve in my ribcage last week, coupled with catching a virus which made me feel totally shite, plus some family & Mandy time!!!
First off, a year tick today, with just 1 Reed Warbler at VP!! This is without doubt the latest I've ever scored this bird on a year list!!! Migrants seem very poor & slow to arrive this year... or is it just me?...
However, I had a Swift at Mire & 2 more at VP today, all showing white area's to the plumage. The Mire bird was certainly the most striking, with a neat white rump (a fleeting thought of Pacific raced through my mind....). The VP bird's were more patchy, with white flecks on the back & one bird had a white underside. Now I know Swift's can show white area's, but I've never encountered 3 in one day!!! Unusual? I have no idea?...
Need to do a bit of catching up now as I know for certain Jim & Andy have extended a lead over my county year list!! Still several easy ticks to nail though...
This last week I've missed out on a Common Tern at Mire & a Greenshank at VP, but both birds were brief & more importantly, should be relatively easily gripped back!! (I hope!!)
Redstart, Wood Warbler, Hobby & Mandarin are my target 4 over the next few days...
**LATEST IN!!**
Just got back from a mad dash to Mire (with Erin in tow!), to tick my 4th county Knot!!! A fab. summer pl. jobbie, too! This came with the added bonus of a Hobby that flew over the western edge of the pool!! Sadly, no time to chat with ze Guru, Paul or Dave as myself & Erin had to get home in time for 'Britania High'!!!...
First off, a year tick today, with just 1 Reed Warbler at VP!! This is without doubt the latest I've ever scored this bird on a year list!!! Migrants seem very poor & slow to arrive this year... or is it just me?...
However, I had a Swift at Mire & 2 more at VP today, all showing white area's to the plumage. The Mire bird was certainly the most striking, with a neat white rump (a fleeting thought of Pacific raced through my mind....). The VP bird's were more patchy, with white flecks on the back & one bird had a white underside. Now I know Swift's can show white area's, but I've never encountered 3 in one day!!! Unusual? I have no idea?...
Need to do a bit of catching up now as I know for certain Jim & Andy have extended a lead over my county year list!! Still several easy ticks to nail though...
This last week I've missed out on a Common Tern at Mire & a Greenshank at VP, but both birds were brief & more importantly, should be relatively easily gripped back!! (I hope!!)
Redstart, Wood Warbler, Hobby & Mandarin are my target 4 over the next few days...
**LATEST IN!!**
Just got back from a mad dash to Mire (with Erin in tow!), to tick my 4th county Knot!!! A fab. summer pl. jobbie, too! This came with the added bonus of a Hobby that flew over the western edge of the pool!! Sadly, no time to chat with ze Guru, Paul or Dave as myself & Erin had to get home in time for 'Britania High'!!!...
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
Bank Holiday Birding...
Working night's meant yet again I missed out on a twitch, this time with Damo & Andy for a Pallid Swift in Cheshire!!
However, I did nail a Ringed Plover at VP in the afternoon & a text from Helen saw myself & Andy head off south to Hyssington, nr. Churchstoke!! Sure enough, exactly to the spot where Helen said it would be was a Little Egret!! A good bird to grip back, & now with a week off I hope to catch up on a few more ticks!! County yearlist now up to 144 species!!!...
However, I did nail a Ringed Plover at VP in the afternoon & a text from Helen saw myself & Andy head off south to Hyssington, nr. Churchstoke!! Sure enough, exactly to the spot where Helen said it would be was a Little Egret!! A good bird to grip back, & now with a week off I hope to catch up on a few more ticks!! County yearlist now up to 144 species!!!...
Friday, 1 May 2009
Missing out on Mega's!!!
A Collared Flycatcher & a Crested Lark, one at Portland the other at Dunge!! I had a chance to leave very early this morning to go for these bird's with my birding mate Paul Barker! Sadly, as I was working last night & I aint got enough holiday to span the year to justify booking it off, coupled with a birthday bash later today, I had to very sadly, for the second time in a week, turn down Paul's kind offer!! (I had a chance to join him for the Gwent Subalpine Warbler too!!! - No doubt soon I shall go on a twitch this year with Paul!!)...
With not much time today to bird & quite a few 'ticks' still to nail I decided to check out VP (as usual), en route home from work. I did manage a surprise year tick on the way though, a lone Cuckoo in flight across the fields just past the Riverside Inn!! Now, I failed to see Cuckoo last year in Shrops., so it was great to get the bird this year, it also becomes the 14th species on my 2009 county year list that I didn't see on my county list last year!!! That in itself is quite impressive!... Well, I think so anyway...
Not a great deal at VP, a few Sedge Warbler now singingm plus a Garden Warbler in song, but little else... I'm quite pissed off at missing out on two major UK mega's today, but my twitching fate was sealed last year pretty much! I promised myself no sacrifices just 'for a bird'!! So, at least I'm sticking to it & very strangely for me, I'm being sensible... if only a little bit!! ;~)
With not much time today to bird & quite a few 'ticks' still to nail I decided to check out VP (as usual), en route home from work. I did manage a surprise year tick on the way though, a lone Cuckoo in flight across the fields just past the Riverside Inn!! Now, I failed to see Cuckoo last year in Shrops., so it was great to get the bird this year, it also becomes the 14th species on my 2009 county year list that I didn't see on my county list last year!!! That in itself is quite impressive!... Well, I think so anyway...
Not a great deal at VP, a few Sedge Warbler now singingm plus a Garden Warbler in song, but little else... I'm quite pissed off at missing out on two major UK mega's today, but my twitching fate was sealed last year pretty much! I promised myself no sacrifices just 'for a bird'!! So, at least I'm sticking to it & very strangely for me, I'm being sensible... if only a little bit!! ;~)
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