Shimmering Plover and Skulking Loco

An early finish for the bank holiday weekend gave time for a trip out to try for the White-tailed Plover at Seaforth and despite restricted viewing and a terrible heat haze the bird duely obliged, the lucky few with access to the reserve hide must have got some crippling views as from time to time it wandered to within 20ft of it. Thankfully Ticker got a shot of one in Oman, shown here.

The Savis Warbler at Old Moor near Barnsley was a different challenge, frustratingly singing its head off about 30ft right in front of us it allowed just fleeting glimpses and then not of all the bird, after about an hour and a half and in rapidly failing light I decided to head for the chip shop and home, thanks to the RSPB for arranging special out of hours access to the site. I think this will need the BVD (better view desired) suffix on my list.

Scores Update

Uncle Birdy 209, Trondelag Ticker 153

Just Like the Med

What a scorcher and good birds to boot. I had a delivery to Leicester on Friday morning so an early start saw me nearing Ilkeston where the Great Reed Warbler was in fine voice and put on a great show from the reeds in its adopted home. Sorry about the crap picture but I was meant to be working.

The delivery made I turned for home and accidently found myself at Potteric Carr where another southern stray had made home this time Iberian Chiffchaff, all I can say about it is it was an addition to my life list but like a lot of others I am really glad it was singing. I had arranged to visit an old friend over near Scarborough on Friday evening so after a shower and a bite to eat Kes and me set off, the good Dr was on fine form and after setting the moth trap and watching the last Ashes to Ashes we headed out into the forest where we were rewarded with a fine male Nightjar which performed brilliantly.

An early start on Saturday to empty the moth trap produced a few nice moffs the best of which was undoubtedly a Broad Barred White, which unfortunately would not sit for its picture so an Elephant Hawk Moth will have to do.

We decided to have a quick trip round the local site where we were lucky to bump into one of the local sages who put us onto a site for Dingy Skipper, Mother Shipton and Burnet Companion so without any further delay we struck out for the site with high hopes, what a brilliant site all three species of Lepidoptera as promised and some stunning views of Broad-bodied Chaser, Four-spotted Chaser and Great Crested Newt, not to forget Speckled Wood and a Cuckoo with larynjitis.

After these exploits ringing on Sunday was probably not going to have much to offer but 35 species of moff and only our second ever Turtle Dove caught, with the added bonus of a fly over Great White Egret which headed north west at 11:00 and an Osprey which flew south at 11:40 rounded off a fantastic couple of days, a snooze in the afternoon sunshine, followed by a dinner at the Smiths Arms with Colin and Ali was well earned and much needed.

A taste of the Orient

After seeing a fine picture of the Dotterel on Pendle Hill I decided that I would try and get a picture of my own, so on a glorious sunny morning Kes and me were off and heading in the direction of Lancashire. After a chat with one of the locals we started our assent and were soon rewarded with some cracking Green Hairstreak butterflies, I counted at least nine, one even allowing a close-up picture.

On arrival at the summit, somewhat out of breath I soon spotted a couple of guys watching something very close in front of them and I was amazed to see the two Dotterel walking about just 10 feet away. I rapidly put on my telephoto lense and leaving Kes in charge of my bag and coffee I inched forward to join the "crowd" and soon had some more than respectable pictures, 80 shots and an hour later I was well pleased and retreated back to Kes and we started our decent pausing in a sheltered spot for a coffee and a share of a biscuit and more Green Hairstreaks.

As I was already out and it was still relitively early and flush with success I decided to call round by Rother Country Park to pick up the Red Rumped Swallow. This proved to be a bridge too far and despite covering a lot of ground and spending 3 hours looking I "Dipped" and the onset of a rain shower persuaded me to head for home.

On arriving home a page came through of a Collared Pratincole at Frampton Marsh a bird which I managed to see at Swillington last year so I settled down to watch the end of the GP and some late lunch, then out of the airwaves the Collared turned into an Oriental Pratincole and my thoughts of what I would have off the chinees menue for dinner turned to a mad dash southward towards Boston. I am glad to report my luck held and a stunning bird put on a fantastic show strutting about right in front of its appreciative crowd, in good light I managed to get some pictures as well though a little distant.

This gem coupled with a first summer Little Gull and two Curlew Sandpipers put me onto 202 equal already with last year, ticker had a better weekend as well but is still floundering on 127.

Too late home for a chinky but still had the best taste of the Orient I have ever had and the first lifer in the UK for some time.

Global Warming my Arse !!

What a bloody cold wind, cuts right through to the bone, however its the weekend so a birding trip was on the cards. Having seen a report on a walk round Tunstall Reservoir in Weardale on the web I decided to go out and stretch my legs.

What a fantastic place, still had the cold wind to contend with but the walk took me round the sheltered side of the res. There was a nice mixture of old Oaks, Birches and Beech,s which proved to be ideal for Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers and a real bonus was a fine singing male Wood Warbler. Willow Warblers were also very common singing from almost every bush. Siskins overhead and Common Sandpipers on the rocks made for a very enjoyable morning.

I came home via Teeside which proved to be very hard work, I walked right round South Gare beach and bushes and only managed to find four Wheatears and a White Wagtail. On the rocks there was a small selection of waders made up mainly of Sanderling, but two Knot and 33 "tundre" Ringed Plovers were all nice to see as were the 30 Sandwich Tern and five Little Terns.

Strange grey thing update

Hi, the Moff Dr has made his diagnosis and the moth is a May Highflyer.

Mid week Moffing

With the weather looking like cooling down even more at the weekend I decided to run the trap last night firsts for the year were Buff Ermine and Shuttle-shaped Dart and a strange looking Grey thing that will have to go to the Moff Dr for his consideration. Feeders at the Ings were checked and filled last night, bird numbers were as expected down but the Grasshopper Warbler and the Turtle Doves were again singing away happily.

White arse

A walk round the Ings this evening produced the usual list of suspects and no sign of any of the Cranes that seem to be everywhere but where I am. I was however rewarded with a fine Wheatear which is the first for the site this spring.

A Blue Sunday

The balmy temperatures that brought about some half decent Moffing on Tuesday night have faded fast leaving a damn cold and breezy bank holiday weekend. The Herald and Purple Thorn were in the trap on Wednesday morning and a welcome addition to the dawn chorus was the Turtle Dove pictured.

Sunday morning saw Kes and me on the Long Nab headland at Scarborough along with four other members of Scarborough birders trying our best to keep warm and find hidden reserves of

enthusiasum for sea watching, as it turned out all our enthusiasum was miss placed and after a couple of hours it was off for some bush bashing, three Lesser Whitethroats a Garden Warbler and a Chiffchaff were just enough to keep me interested but alas they were all that showed.

Whilst sat in the van enjoying a much needed warm coffee the pager alerted me to a Blue Winged Teal near Northallerton, which with some creative driving I could hopefully collect on the way home. After a frustrating 20 mins when I could see the lake the bird had been reported from but not the way in, a friendly local pointed me in the right direction and there it was in its full glory a male Blue Winged Teal. A blue end to a day most brass monkies will be glad is over.