2 Breaks

Apologies to anyone wondering if I'd vanished off the face of the earth - I've had 2 breaks lately, of sorts. Firstly, I had a planned break to Lanzarote (last week) and had been trying to decide what camera to take along. The 40D was favourite but a risk if there was no safe in the room.

Then the 40D made the decision for me, whilst out on a walk alongside Coton Lakes with Max, when it came up with the dreaded Err 99 message and failed. Great. Break number 2.

I'll post a quick report from Lanzarote later, though it wasn't a "birding" holiday. I did see a few birds around, even some with feathers!

With the 40D broken though, I haven't been taking much of anything. Got some more little owl shots with the old 350D (how did I ever manage with this!! It's so small) plus a few from around the Flashes at UW.

As Arnie occasionally said though, "I'll be back".

Peregrines

With a vertical band of cloud dividing the country, it was logical that I head west in search of sunshine and of course some feathery friends. Last year I discovered a good spot for birding over in Shropshire, on and around Clee Hill, so that was where I headed.

Normally on the hill, the weather is changeable and the winds, even in the summer, chilly, so I opted for thermals... bad move. Never seen the place so still and warm! I suppose it was a little early for all the good stuff to be back, but the usuals were around, and it didn't stop a male kestrel from performing a magic trick for me.

Perched in glorious light on the top of a telegraph pole as I drove by. Stayed there as I turned around and parked up with the sun behind me. Stayed put as I opened the window and turned off the engine... then in the split second between picking up the camera and pointing it out of the window it had vanished. Keyser Soze, eat your heart out.

On the hill, bobbing about were pied wagtails. One male tried to court a female, by dancing around her, spreading his wings and tail - quite a sight. Not to her though, as she promptly pecked him on the head, sending him away in a flash. Romance eh?

A few wheatears were also around, along with linnets, pipits and more robins than I remember from last year.

The main reason for heading up though wasn't the little birds, but for the fastest animal on the planet... the peregrine falcon. They made me wait for them, but when they did appear, it was certainly worthwhile.

Screeches and wails, swoops and dives, going like a bat out of hell they were, appearing seemingly out of nowhere to hurtle by. I'll never tire of these wonderful hunters.

I do wish they'd fly around more though, as the gaps between action were rather long, and as you don't want to take your eyes off where they appear, with the sun being out, I ended up looking like Batman's villain, Two Face... half my face red from sunburn!

I had wanted to seek out the ring ouzels up there but before I knew it, the day was gone, and they would have to wait for another day. Well, so long as the falcons weren't around!

Green-Winged, Red-Necked But Distant!

A bit late for me but what the hell! Saturday was limited for birding as I played golf for the first time in the year (over at Tidbury Green) early morning and the afternoon was spent watching Worcester Warriors ensuring Guinness Premiership survival against the Saracens.

I had a window of 2 hours available so zipped over to Upton Warren to see if I could spot the mealy redpoll at the Moors. I didn't! But, I did get to see a fine-looking blackcap (male) in great singing voice, though he wouldn't come out for a clear shot.

For Sunday I'd decided to try for the red-necked grebe in summer plumage over at Draycote, and also if it was still around, the rare green-winged teal. I have to admit I didn't know what the latter looked like as from the pics I'd seen it seemed rather similar to the normal teals. Me being unobservant probably!

The walk from the visitor centre to the hide was pretty uneventful, though I did get to see a rook quite close up, and there were a few great crested grebes fishing (and fighting) near the shore. However, with the still conditions, the air was filled with yet more flies. Horrid things that seem to float along next to you as you walk. Must get some different aftershave...


In the hide, I found someone at the window by the feeders and was about to consider where to sit to get shots from, when the birder turned around. It was Reg! He'd been trying for the teal for a while, though his dad had opted to take a walk around the corner to see if he could see it from there. Always good to see Reg, and he quickly pointed out the grebe... which then proceeded to go to sleep. With the lake busy with fishermen, the birds seemed trapped in Toft Bay though they refused to come close to the hide.


Growing as impatient as his dad, Reg opted to take a walk to see if he could locate the teal, leaving me to watch the sleeping grebe. He refused my requests of taking steps to encouraging the grebe to wake up too. I don't know, you just can't get the staff anymore...


About 15 mins later though, he returned and promptly pointed out the teal. When someone explains the difference it's like night and day. Well, like a horizontal and vertical white stripe, at any rate. Though like the grebe, it was miles away from me.


Reg and his dad then opted to head onwards to Brandon Marsh, leaving me in the hide alone, praying the grebe would wake up and come over. I wasn't alone long though, as after some more thundering steps down the boardwalk (can they find anything louder to line that walk with??) came Dave Hutton and Rich Dawkins. Both after pics of the 2 birds I was trying for.

Having told Reg that I'd wait for no more than half an hour for the grebe to do something, I ended up being in there for hours. The grebe did wake up, and came a little closer, though I only really managed "record" shots of it. The teal also flew towards us, but stayed near the edge amongst trees, and far enough away for Dave to complain, even when he's shooting with an 800mm lens!

Dave's great hearing also picked out a willow warbler, which we promptly located in the trees behind the hide. First of the year for me.

On the way home I tried again for the local little owl, which kindly hopped around on a branch for me. I also spoke to a local birder who gave me some ideas for places closer to home to explore... watch this space!

Rutland But No Ospreys

If Saturday was Winter, Sunday was Spring. The winds had dropped and the sun was shining, though when I left the house I had to de-ice the car's windscreen. After the disappointment of missing the osprey at Draycote, I had decided to go see some at Rutland, as apparently 3 were already back.

The path to the hides was still showing the signs of the wet day before, though it was drying out in the morning sunshine, but the air was filled with midges and mozzies. Horrid things and there were billions of them. Huge clouds of the vampiric beasties. No wonder the swallows have already returned - yes, what a welcome sight that was. A pair, buzzing around making the most of the early season flies.

Along the path was what turned out to be one of the volunteers for the reserve and he'd clocked a lone osprey miles up in the sky with his scope. With hindsight I should have been more nosey and asked for a view...

From the hide the lake was like a mill pond, and I had some really good views of Egyptian geese and also some decent views of shelducks, which seemed to be laughing at each other with their strange warning calls. One of the Egyptian geese had also taken a shine to the osprey nest, and was peering out of it. Not sure what the osprey will think of that when it decides to move back in! Also around were gadwell, various gulls, pied wagtails, a little egret, wigeon and some goosanders.

In a way it was good that the ospreys didn't show, as it encouraged me to visit the other side to explore the rest of the reserve. There has been some significant work done there too, with new lakes and hides constructed. Making the most of the mounds of earth left from this, was a pair of wheatear. Lovely to see in the sunshine, posing on the top and keeping a watchful eye on my movements.
In the older lagoons, I managed to see teals, redshanks, little ringed plovers, grey herons, a lone female goosander, swans and the other usual stuff like moorhens and coots. At the visitor centre I managed to spot some goldfinches, tree sparrows and a lone siskin, though it didn't return when I had got the camera rigged up for it.

Arriving home for the Sunday roast, I was slightly miffed to see on the internet that a female osprey had returned to the nest at 4:50pm. Typical. Oh well, there's always next time...

Return Of Winter

Saturday started badly and went downhill from there. Up early I was down at Harbury to get my car serviced. Unfortunately, the garage had managed to lose my booking so it was a wasted trip. Not what is needed on a cold and windy day when staying tucked up in bed would have been perfect.

Being in the area, I headed over to Draycote (why is anyone's guess as it's always cold and windier there) and wandered / was blown along the path to the hide. Sat inside, at least I was out of the wind, though not much was about. No sign of the red necked grebe which was what I had hoped to see. Remember I said it got worse? Well, in came another birder who asked if I'd seen it. Seen what? Oh, there was an osprey over here earlier. Argh!! What a gutter.

Back to the visitor centre I thought I spotted the grebe, larking about in amongst the breakers, but by the time I got close enough for a shot, it had vanished off into the choppy waters. I cursed my luck and headed home for some lunch.

The afternoon brought another birding trip, this time to Marsh Lane near B'ham airport. With the clouds gathering, I opted to head to the Oak Hide, as it offers views of the feeders, the marsh and also one of the lakes. On the feeders were masses of chaffinches, a few greenfinches and pleasantly a few tree sparrows. One of these days I'll attempt to rig up some perches by these feeders as at the moment, photo opportunities aren't great.

On the lake there were shelducks, redshanks, teals, gadwells, mute and black swans and a few little ringed plovers, scampering about. At the back of the marsh I could see snipe mooching about too. Not bad... Then I looked at the sky to the north. Black. Oh dear.


The temperature plummetted as the storm clouds moved in, and within moments the hide was being battered by a horrendous hail shower, so heavy that it obscured the railway line behind the lake. I had to close the hide hatch on the one side, as it was blasting in, and suddenly Draycote seemed warm! A pair of shelduck faced the hail head on, and seemed to be eating the ice as it fell. Some teals tried to fly off and were forced to make emergency landings just past the marsh as it was impossible to fly in!

Fortunately it was over in 10 mins, and the sunshine returned to melt the layer of ice on everything. A lone snipe appeared in front of the hide, giving me a chance for a couple of shots, whilst it surveyed the icy ground. As the sun got warmer, the marsh got busier, with more snipes creeping out of the reeds, poking about in the waters.

A glance to the once more darkening skies twisted my arm into heading back to the car, and home to a warm mug of tea. Not a very enjoyable day out!

A Mooch Round Upton Warren

Just a quick entry to say I popped over to Upton Warren on Sunday to see the Avocets. Must have heard I was coming because they stayed about as far away as possible on the Flashes. Plenty of time to see them over the coming months though. Did get some reasonable views of a little ringed plover and redshank, and there were a few oystercatchers going back and forth from the fields to the lakes.

Not a lot on the Moors at the mo. Met up with Pam and the gang (again!!) and we watched a wren building a nest, occasionally pausing to sing his heart out. Heard a Cetti's but didn't see one.

Then on the way home I detoured to see the little owl, which gave me its usual glare before flying off across the field. Irritable Owl Syndrome, I believe it's called...

Dipper Country

One of my targets for this year was to get some shots of dippers in better light. To date, all shots had been taken in the gloomiest of conditions, under the shadow of overhanging trees and foliage, with the birds usually keeping a fair distance from me. And with either tall, steep banks or very muddy ones, getting to the right angle to get anything decent has been nigh on impossible.

Derbyshire had been suggested to me on numerous occasions by those in the know, and a couple of emails later (thanks Dave & Robert), I was sure of the spot to aim for, at a location called Lathkill Dale. A fair distance away, but the forecast for Saturday looked very promising, so another early start was in order, and by 8:30am, I was walking down the steep road to the riverside.

Following the directions suggested to me, I had a very pleasant wander alongside the river, with the first birds of note for the day being a pair of mandarin ducks, which didn't like the look of me and flew off before I could get close enough for a shot. Shame, such vibrantly coloured birds.

Various tits and finches were zipping and bobbing amongst the trees, and the hearty calls of wrens filled the air with their song. As with all such beauty spots, there were the inevitable dog walkers, but not that many at the time of the morning, fortunately. It is also one of those places where having eyes like a chameleon would help. Keep one eye on the river for birds, and the other on the path, so you don't stumble over. I tried to keep my eyes on the river as much as possible and soon spotted the first dipper.

Calling out, a blur of dark brown and white rocketed past, a few feet above the water. And it wasn't long before I could see another, stood on the opposite bank, its white bib reflecting in the mirror-like water. Bobbing, it gave me one or two looks before belting off downstream. Continuing my walk, I encountered a pair of grey wagtails, floating across the water, in their own distinctive style, landing on a scree, to potter about in search of small grubs.

At the waterfall though, I had better luck. There was a pair of dippers and they kept leaving and returning, allowing the folks there to get some decent shots of them. I initially followed them upstream, which led to the similar conditions as I'm used to, though these birds weren't shy, and I was at one point less than 15 feet from them, in full view too. They just bobbed, dipped and went about their business. Great birds to observe.

Returning to the falls, I decided to wait and see if they'd come for a show. The light was starting to go (the high, wooded valley sides don't help!) so it had to be soon. They didn't disappoint, with one landing right on the edge of the falls, to mooch about in the moss and weeds. They must have terrific grip and balance not to be washed away, given the currents and their size, but they take it all in their stride.

With the shade from the trees and the increasingly cold breeze blowing up, I opted to call it a day, and stroll back to the car. The camera hanging from my neck got the usual attention from other folks, one telling me about a slow-worm he'd just been observing. What an inappropriate name. They move like lightning and aren't worms. Wish I'd seen one - not seen any for donkey's years. What I did see though, were more dippers, one sat only a few feet from a couple enjoying a picnic on the riverside.

If only the ones in Somerset were so bold! Still, a great day out in beautiful scenery, and another mission accomplished.