Pintail

After Max had seen and captured some lovely shots of a black redstart over at Draycote Water, I hoped on the following day (Saturday) that it would have stayed around for some more shots.

Alas it had decided to fly elsewhere, despite several birders searching, and I was left with the option of looking for the (now) resident scaup. Did I find it? No.

However, all was not lost. Walking around the edge I spotted a brownish bird perched on the rocks near the channels at the Overflow... A kestrel. And a fine looking male at that. Fairly approachable too.


He soon moved when I strayed that bit too close, but only to a nearby concrete wall, where he had a bit of scratch and preen, before zipping off, up and over the road, and off into the fields beyond. It's a good spot for kestrels actually, and I've often found myself photographing them instead of the rareties on the lake!

Further round the lake, along Barn Bank, I spotted a different looking duck come into land, but being ignorant, I didn't realise what it was... until Dave and Rich arrived, and informed me that there was a female pintail around. "Ah. So that's what it is!" I thought.

With decent light and a very accommodating pintail, the day was rounded off with a selection of shots of a new species for my collection. Would have been nicer had it been the male, in terms of a more colourful bird, but nonetheless, a great new addition to my gallery.



Sunday was forecast to be wet, so I had a lie in for once. I do love listening to the pitter-patter of rain when wrapped up warm in bed. Once the rain cleared though and the first shards of sunlight hit my windows, I was up and out as fast as possible. Make hay and all that.

Upton Warren was the target, and I was soon sat in the Bittern Hide with Bob, chatting about what he'd seen that week. I do envy the retired photographers! Apparently, he'd managed to get some cracking shots of the bittern out in the open near the hide and also witnessed a mink attack, drown and drag off a heron! The traps had best be set up now before this vicious sod gets a taste for bitterns.

Bob left when it was getting gloomier and left me to look for the bitterns. Took a while and the light was almost gone when one showed its head. Only for a couple of moments, but was still great to see.


Fireworks party this weekend, so I'm not sure if I'll get any bird photography done at all. Pity, as the forecast isn't too bad, and the short-eared owls are increasing in numbers all the time.

Quiet Times

Well, I have been slacking off with the old blog lately, despite doing quite a bit. After the fine trip to the Wirral, noted below, I tried again and it all went wrong. The forecast promised sunshine, and there was blanket cloud, I managed to mistime the tide, so all the waders had moved and then when I moved to where they were, the high pressure meant the water didn't come up as high as expected, so everything was miles off, and then over at Inner Marsh, the long-billed dowitchers resolutely refused to come anywhere near the hide.
Rubbish.

Did see quite a bit, along with the dowitchers, we saw the hen harrier and also a female merlin, plus a curlew sandpiper, but given the light and the distance, nothing came out worth keeping.
So the last weekend was spent locally, mooching around Upton Warren, hoping to see something good. In short I didn't. Quite a few usual suspects, and I was rewarded for a 3 hour wait with a 3 minute view of the bittern over on the North Moors pool.

There was also a pink-footed goose, but that favours an island near the centre of the pool, so massive crops were applied to get shots of that worth airing (record only).

I think it's perhaps too early for the woodland birds to be massing by the Flashes feeding station, so that will have to wait a bit. All the redwings I saw were flying overhead, so no chance of any shots, though I did see a couple in the gloom at the back of the bushes behind the North Moors pool, but was way too dark for a shot. An incoming sparrowhawk provided a very brief moment of excitement, but the light was all wrong and it was a miracle anything could be recovered from the shots taken.


The real stars I guess were the curlews, as they fed in the fields between the lakes and the road, and as they took flight. Managed some half decent shots, showing off the intricate details under their wings.

Oh, and old faithful, Little Grump didn't disappoint either. With the leaves from his oak falling away, finding him is getting easier by the day. He didn't even mind the burble of the Scooby's exhaust, as I parked a bit closer to get more detailed shots.

I wonder when the first fieldfares will start rolling in? Love trying for shots of these birds.

Wirral Seal Tour

A few weeks ago I ignored the hatred of the M6 motorway and headed to the Wirral area for a look around the birding sites recommended to me by a friend. They showed real promise, and I vowed to go again, only this time I would have a personal tour guide!

Steve Seal is one of the best and most dedicated bird photographers I have had the pleasure of meeting. Always enthusiastic, knowledgeable and entertaining, he's about as good as it gets for someone to show you the best spots for bird photography, how to work them and what to look out for.

Arriving at Meols, I parked up, a little earlier than the arranged meeting time, but it's a small price to pay when avoiding the traffic on that hateful road. After a quick look over at the waders on the beach, I was forced to take shelter in the car when a squally shower rolled in from the sea.

Fortunately I didn't have too long to wait, and Steve (and Chris) kindly brought the sunshine with him. Walking around the front we spotted some redshank (well, I say "some" but truthfully there were hundreds!), turnstones, little egrets, curlews, various gulls, knots, grey plovers, sanderlings, dunlins and a fair few carrot-beaks too (oystercatchers).

Just along the coast from here is a spot called Leasowe, and it can be reached simply by walking along the sea defences, but we drove around the back roads and parked near the lighthouse. The sloping concrete defences allow access to the beach, but it was a treacherous walk as in the early morning gloom, the surface hadn't had chance to dry out and was like sheet ice!

Down near the seaweed line, crouched down, I managed to get some shots of redshanks, oystercatchers and curlew, as these had ventured fairly close. Looks like a fine spot to get shots of waders though, and perhaps a fold-out stool might be wise next time, to make it a tad more comfortable when waiting for the birds to approach.

Hopping a bit further down the coast again, we arrived at a beach area, near a golf course. Steve and Chris were somewhat surprised in their car when a buzzard flew alongside it, showing off exactly how large these birds are! From here, Steve and I headed out on to the sands, to the immense flocks of waders, some feeding and others snoozing in the early sunshine.

Approaching them was a crouched, scurry and stop affair, but with a bit more practise, I'm sure I'd have gotten closer than I managed. The size of the flocks was amazing though. Thousands of birds, like a blanket across the sand. Black-tailed godwits, knots, grey plovers, sanderlings, dunlins and closer to the water's edge, a black sea of oystercatchers. Spoilt for choice, though the flip side is that it is rather tricky to get shots of individual birds.

The northern corner of the Wirral is a place called New Brighton, and the beach areas are good spots to photograph flocks of sanderling, especially as they're usually fewer in number so getting individuals is easier. Being a Saturday though, much of the beach was disturbed by families and their pets, enjoying late season sunshine.

However, along the beach Steve located a suitable flock, and we set about getting some pics. It was rather a game of cat and mouse, as the tide pushed the birds towards us, only for them to change location when they were spooked by something. With the sunshine behind, I can see this place being a great spot, and Steve's pics from sunnier days are more proof of this!

Also at New Brighton is a pool that attracts all manner of sea birds during the winter months, so I shall be keeping an eye out for this, to add perhaps some new species to my photo collection.

Ending the day, we headed to Parkgate for the raptors, hoping to get as close a view of the local barn owl as Steve had managed during the week, but alas, the owl decided to keep its distance. Got a record shot as it carried off a vole perhaps, but the light was fading quickly and shots became more and more noisy.


Also around were kestrels, a pair of hen harriers, a short-eared owl and a peregrine, though all were really too far away for my equipment.

With a high tide forecast for this weekend though, I may well be heading back again for another go. Fingers crossed the clouds keep away this time though!

Jack Snipe

Last weekend was another one spent locally, with trips to see Little Grump and a mooch around Upton Warren. The undoubted star of the weekend was on Saturday, when in the company of Stuart, I managed my first half decent shots of a jack snipe, from the Bittern Hide.

A strange little bird that bobs as it feeds. Striking colours on it though, and when I saw a second later on, next to a common snipe, the size difference was rather apparent.

Aside from the snipes, I also spotted the bittern, well, one of a pair resident now. Saw it land in the North Moors, but then waited 4 hours for it to show again. I'm losing my marbles I think.


Didn't get anything particularly good after all that!

Local Delights

Quick entry for last weekend's trips. Didn't fancy anything too far afield, as I've spent a lot of time driving lately and preferred a local trip instead. Hence, it was a couple of very short drives to see Little Grump, the local little owl, and an afternoon spent at Upton Warren.

Little Grump keeps changing his (I don't know if it's a he or she, to be honest) perch in the tree, so finding him is tricky, though with winter approaching, and the leaves of the oak falling off, he'll soon be easy to locate.

Was good to watch him preen and stretch, and while the light wasn't great (when is it?!), I still managed a few decent shots. I do like going to see him first thing, as it can be a good start to a day's photography.

Upton Warren is usually fairly quiet at this time of year, but there has been a bittern resident over the summer, which adds an extra incentive to stay that bit longer. After seeing the bittern fly across to Amy's Marsh at about lunchtime, I relocated to the hide on the East side, to try for a better look.

Problem is, the very different angles from the hides makes it very difficult to work out where you were looking at from the other side, and it's not like a bittern is easy to see even when you know where it is!

Apart from the widgeon, a couple of snipes and a few teals, there wasn't much to see. I did get a distant view of a green woodpecker, and a sparrowhawk flew over the hide, but appeared black on the shots I took, on account of the poor light.

However, as I was about to give up, I spotted the bittern making a return flight, and yelled out that it was visible, much to the delight of a family of birders also in the hide. Made their day I think, as they'd not seen it before.


As before, I failed to relocate the bittern after it had landed, so I headed home. I hear now though, that there are 2 bitterns around, so it sounds like the wintering birds are returning. I can see hours being spent staring at reeds again, numb fingers and occasional moments of excitement as I spot these elusive birds.

Dee Estuary

Normally when I use the M6 it's chock-a-block with trucks, reps hogging the outside lane and the odd middle-lane-moron blocking that path, making it a nightmare to use, so I was pleasantly surprised to find it so quiet on Saturday morning. Then again, it was only 7am! I was off on another trip out somewhere new, this time around the Dee Estuary.

After speaking with Steve Seal who is based around there now, I was full of ideas and places to try (cheers Steve!), starting first with a place called Meols. This spot looks promising (note to self: return when the sun is out!), with plenty of sand and mud along the front attracting lots of varieties of waders, gulls plus herons and little egrets. Behind the esplanade, is an area of scrub / dunes / farmland which held stonechats when I was there, and I suspect a great deal more, had there not have been so many mozzies around that morning.

The idea of the day, from another friend Rob Smith, was to witness a high tide, forcing the birds out of the nearby marshes, which would be good for pics of them, plus the additional prospect of the raptors hunting these flushed birds. Problem was, as we later found out from a member of the RSPB staff, that the water wasn't high enough, nor the weather conditions suitable for such an event, so we would never get to see such a spectacle that day. Nevermind.

With Steve's info though, I started at Meols and wandered along the front to Leasowe, watching the waders more than photographing them, as the light was dreadful. I think next time I go, I'll have more idea of where to stand for the birds as the tide comes in, as I walked a bit far back towards Meols, and missed a fair few, but I did get some iffy shots of turnstones and little egrets as they took advantage of the incoming waters.

Once the sands had vanished, I took a couple of pics of the now floating fishing boats in some brief sunshine, before zipping along the coast to Hoylake. Again, I was a bit caught out at the speed of things here, as the tide seemed miles away when I arrived. Opting for a walk around the back of the marshes there, I was rather surprised to find the tide almost in literally minutes later!

The marshes held a few warblers and reed buntings, plus I heard a water rail squealing nearby. But the tide brought in huge flocks of oystercatchers, which took flight, forming dark clouds in front of Hilbre Island.

Down to Parkgate next, where Rob had opted to aim for. By then he had worked out that the tide wouldn't be high enough, both from the lack of water and lack of other birders! Oops. Oh well, we headed south instead to the RSPB reserve of Inner Marsh Farm. The little bit of sun that had been around had now gone again, and from the hide we could see various waders, including godwits and ruff. The highlight of this visit came after about an hour, when Rob clocked a hen harrier quartering the marshes. And as usual with poor light, my camera failed to focus on it, and within moments it had gone. Gutter!

Fortunately, it returned on a surprise attack later, and I managed a few record shots of it, as it few away from us. A great looking bird - I've only seen one before, at dusk in January, when I was in Norfolk.


With the light failing further, I had a quick walk around the marshes down the road, by a rifle range, but by then I was starting to feel the effects of the early start, and whilst Rob headed back to Gayton (where he saw a one-eyed barn owl), I set off home, down a more normal-looking M6.

Definitely an area I want to explore more though...

Pectoral Sandpiper

Having walked all around Worcestershire on Saturday and photographed almost nothing, the news that a pectoral sandpiper had been spotted at Draycote Water was a relief.

I didn't get there particularly early and as I walked up towards the lake, I spotted Dave Hutton loading his kit back into his car. He'd been there early, and judging by his pics, he'd enjoyed some cracking views of the bird.

Dave had to head home to grab some hours kip before work, but he mentioned that Steve Seal was around too. He was, munching on some rolls when I caught up with him. Always a pleasure to chat to Steve - so enthusiastic and entertaining. Another one of the early risers, he'd also managed to get some cracking shots... annoying as the fishermen had scared the bird away by the time I had almost got close to it.

All was not lost though, as whilst I trudged back to the car park, I spotted one of the dunlins that had been with the pectoral sandpiper, and yes, it was still with it. Didn't take long for other photographers to clock on to me and join in, photographing it, as it pottered around on the shoreline.

I managed a few shots with other birds in shot, such as the ringed plover, dunlin and a young mallard.

As the chill from Draycote cut through my fleece, I opted to head off, accompanied by Di Stone, who had also felt the cold! There was one surprise left though, as on the walk back, I spotted a weasel, peeking out from between the rocks on the bank of the lake. Cheeky, inquisitive little character! Rather cute too, and a brilliant subject to photograph. It'll be appearing on my Wildlife Gallery very soon.


After seeing a pectoral sandpiper in Cley this week, albeit at somewhat of a distance, it was lovely to get the chance to photo one closer up - a fine addition to the gallery, and a good day catching up with friends.