Fieldfares and Redwings

After getting up early, I was informed that the flight my brother was coming back to the UK on from Canada, had been delayed, so suddenly I found myself over at the Flashes on a sunny morning. The sun shines on the hedges around the feeder hide in the morning, so I headed that way. On the sailing pool was a kingfisher, which zipped off when it saw me, and over the field at the back, a kestrel hovered.

From the hide, I could see the usual blue and great tits, but I could also hear the calls of fieldfare. It took about an hour for them to arrive, but when they did, it was in force! Seemed to be hundreds of them, along with redwings, scoffing down the berries in the trees. Needless to say, I took my opportunity and a bag full of shots. Lovely to see their colours in the sunshine.

In addition to these winter visitors, there was the local gs woodie, and a few bullfinches, though only the female came close enough for a shot.

Over at the Moors, I couldn’t locate either of the bitterns, but whilst driving down to the car park, I spotted something scuttling along the ground. A red legged partridge.

Not seen one of those since one legged it along the road in front of my car down at the Chilterns. Amusing looking birds, and they can certainly shift! Let’s hope it stays local... maybe I can get a shot of it in a pear tree, for Christmas!

Divers

An embarrassing gap in my collection, considering the fact that these birds often winter near me, was divers. So hearing that some had arrived at Draycote was good news, though Kay reminded me that one has been at Chasewater for weeks. Oops.

Anyway, blasting over to Draycote is always a hoot, with the good roads that way, and even better when I spotted a buzzard sat in a roadside tree. For once, when I turned back, parked and started taking pics, it didn’t fly away! Well, not immediately...

At the reservoir, it didn’t take long to spot one of the divers, a great northern diver, right in by the sailing club, and I was soon filling the memory card up. Walking along the bank, I also managed to locate the red necked grebe, and got some pics of that too, though they weren’t as good as my previous efforts on another bird back in January.

Back to the diver, I discovered that another one had joined it, and I managed to get some shots of them having a squabble, and then meeting up with a shag.
So the gallery has been updated, and there’s one less embarrassing gap in it! And I also managed to get pics of a little grebe and a carrion crow.

Day off

Having booked a day off work to prepare the house and garden for Saturday’s firework night party, I was hoping for a rainy day, but the weather tempted me away from my chores, and over to Upton Warren instead.

At the feeder hide at the Flashes, I bumped into Stuart again, who was still grinning ear-to-ear with his new 100-400mm lens, and we set about photographing whatever came into view, the highlights being a female sparrowhawk, a wren, a great spotted woodpecker and a few lesser redpoll. We also saw a bittern fly by, and drop down into the Hen Pool.



Over at the Moors, the car park was almost full, though most were in the East Hide viewing. I aimed for the West Hide, and from there saw another gs woodie, and more surprisingly, a tree sparrow. Alas it took off before I could swap my bins for my camera.

A quick view of the North Moors before leaving, provided some entertainment as a cormorant spooked a heron by fishing beneath its legs under the water, causing a few feathers to fly!

2 Bitterns

Despite it being technically warmer today than earlier this week (snow, in October!) it didn’t feel it, and the walk to the hide at Upton Warren was a chilly affair. Still, I got a warm reception as my ‘tog friends Ian and Ken were sat inside, hoping for luck with the bittern.

Within moments, Ian spotted it flying from right to left, towards the car park end, and we watched it crash down into the reeds. Then, rather surprisingly, a second one headed that way too. So there are 2 bitterns on the reserve! Splendid.

The kingfisher made the odd appearance, but not much else was around, unfortunately. Until, that is, I spotted the pair of bitterns chasing each other. Up and over the road, and down into the North Moors pool. Chancing it, I decided to jog (yes, me jogging – a daft sight!) down to the other pool, to try my luck down there.

Moments after getting there, one of the bitterns headed across the water, and into the reeds opposite the hide, and vanished in the blink of an eye. Try as I might, I couldn’t see it, and was about to give up when out of the corner of my eye, I spotted something against the reeds in the other corner. Yep, the other one had come out to play, and sat on some reeds, stretching its neck, and looking around.

Joined by another birder, we both observed the bittern, glancing occasionally across to see if the other had come out, and I took a few shots. Alas, I made the mistake of looking at the camera, to check the images, and when I returned my attention to the bird, it had vanished.

Let’s hope I can get to see one of them when the sun is out – would be nice to see the colours in a good light. Fingers crossed...

Too early for Ladywalk & Whitacre

After the excitement of seeing the bittern yesterday, I thought I’d try somewhere a bit different today. I headed for Ladywalk, which also has bitterns over winter (though none yet, as far as I know), but has got a decent feeder hide set up, which I aimed for upon arrival.

Walking down the main path, I saw a few redwings and fieldfares (I think, as I was looking into the sun, somewhat), but they were gone before I could raise the lens.

From the hide, alas there wasn’t much around, well, nothing special anyway. Marsh (or Willow; I ought to work these out soon) tits, blue, great, long-tailed tits, gold and greenfinches, a few wrens, chaffinches, a robin, some reed buntings and the occasional visit from a great spotted woodpecker.

However, with a shriek of alarm from the birds, the star of the show arrived, and for once, perched for a moment for me to get some shots. A male sparrowhawk, with gorgeous bright yellow eyes. I managed a couple of shots before he took flight, swooping low over the ground, and then off across to the lake behind, to scare the wildfowl.


I waited for about an hour in the hope that he’d return, and he did... but this time only for a second, whizzing through the area, causing a disturbance, and off again into the woods. Time to leave, I thought.

Being up that way, I drove over to Whitacre Heath, but after donning the wellies and plodding out to the woodland hide, I discovered that it was a) too dark for photography (still too many leaves on the trees) and b) the feeders weren’t stocked up.


After chatting to the only other person on the reserve, I shall try to remember to bring some seed next time, as it’s down to the deep pockets of the members to keep the feeders filled, because the Trust doesn’t assist. Bit of a poor show from them, if you ask me!


I'll leave it a while before heading back to either - they're definitely places to head to in the winter... no mozzies either!

Once Bittern...

With the forecast for Saturday being half sunny (morning) and then rain later, I dragged myself out of bed, and opted to head to Upton Warren, as Kay & Max said they’d likely be there, searching for the Shore Lark.

Walking along the path to the hide, a green woodpecker zipped along the tops of the reeds, and off into the distance (like they always do!). As expected, Kay & Max were indeed in the hide, though after spending an hour searching, they’d decided that the lark was either having a lie in, or had gone.

I squeezed in on to the bench, and had a quick look, but to no avail, but we did manage to see the lesser spotted Fritz, who was out for the day, after having battled with public transport down to the reserve.

With Kay shivering, and no sign of the lark, we all decided it to head over to the Moors instead – perhaps the bittern would make an appearance! We weren’t disappointed – within minutes of getting into the West Hide, I managed to make out the bird amongst the reeds near the sluice gate, and apart from Kay, we all had a good view of it, as it crept along the channel.

Staring at the reeds for a while, Kay, Max and Fritz decided that they’d rather go over to the other side to see if they could spot the jack snipe reported recently, leaving me in the hide, hoping for a better, clearer view of the bittern.

If only they’d stayed for 10 more minutes. Out it came, and posed on some cut down reeds, for almost 5 minutes! I’ve never seen one out in the open before, and filled the card with shots of it! Super stuff! It mooched around, seemed to peck at something small and consume it, before flying back into the reeds.


Moments later, it launched out, and flew over to the other side, so everyone got a good view of it.

After wandering over to the East Hide to join the others, we all saw it again take flight, this time pursued by black-headed gulls, across to the car-park corner, where it dived into the reeds, and disappeared from view.



All the bittern images (including a couple with a water rail in the reeds behind it) are now on my gallery.

Belvide and a pair at Upton

I've typed this in once, so alas it's going to be short this time. Maybe that's for the best!

Saturday was never going to be an early start, after sampling the delights of the Black Country Ale Festival, at the Coach & Horses, the night before. Keen to get my money's worth from my WMBC membership, I aimed for Belvide, which unlike Blithfield and Ladywalk, offers something decent for photographers.

It was a bit too cloudy for shots at the woodland feeders, so I headed to the feeder hide by the water, and was pleased to see nuthatches, marsh?, long-tailed, blue and great tits, chaffinches, a wren, a robin, pheasants, tree sparrows and a sparrowhawk making occasional sorties.



Down at the new hide, I could see the flock of golden plovers, but they were too far for anything other than a record shot. New bird for me though.


Heading back, I opted to drop into UW, and was pleased to be told that there was a Shore Lark over at the Flashes. I hot-footed it over, and found the hide as busy as when the Wilson's Phalarope was there - like a scrum!

Soon located the bird, and it was accompanied by a rock pipit - another rarity for the area. Unfortunately, the lark was too far for a decent shot, though Rob Smith with his 1600mm set up managed some good shots.

So in terms of new birds, I'd got 2 for the day, though in terms of images, the shots of the nuthatch had made my day. The gallery will be updated over this week, work permitting. I'll probably add some images in here too...