It's Stubbers Time!

The nights are closing in, it's getting cold and with the spectre of Christmas now looming you have to find something to keep your spirits up. What finer way to do so, than by standing by a pond in Walsall on a Saturday morning, waiting for the gulls to roll in from the tip, have a bath, before they nap on the shore. Yes, it can only be Stubber's Green.

Joking aside, I seriously love this place. For close-up views of gulls, it can't be beaten in the region. I was here again with Reg the Birder and his father Ray, particularly looking for a Caspian Gull. Following our experience here in December 08 with the controversial gull (larophobics look away now!), we were keen to see a 100% cast-iron Caspo this time.

Despite a three and a half hour grilling of the gulls, neither of the two Caspians that have been visiting in recent weeks showed up. The highlight was 3 Yellow-legged Gulls, like this one below (picture courtesy of Reg).

Yellow-legged Gull

Also present 2 Great Black Backed Gulls and a few Common Gulls, amongst the larger numbers of Herring, Lesser Black Backed and Black Headed Gulls. Lapwing flock and a Kestrel also noted.

A proposed trip to Fisher's Mill to look for Glossy Ibis was aborted, although this turned out to be the right decision, as the bird hasn't been seen since Friday evening. Finally, I was pleased to see a Buzzard flying very low over a suburban area of Shirley at about 4.00pm.

I'm still here!

Rumours of my retirement from birding are unfounded, although it's true I've been away from the field and therefore the birding blogosphere for the past month or so. I've recently returned from a short birding break in one of my favourite parts of the world, the North West Norfolk coast.

Highlights are as follows:

Cley Marshes on Saturday turned up a few goodies. A juv Curlew Sandpiper on Arnold's marsh was a year tick, a Red-throated Diver moulting from summer plumage preened close offshore and best of all, the recently discovered Spotted Crake pottered in full view yards from the Bishop Hide at dusk. My second ever sighting of this intriguing species. Knot and manky Gypo Geese provided further year ticks. Passerine activity included Bearded Tits, two Stonechats, Cetti's Warbler and Reed Warbler. Four Marsh Harriers were noted and a Barn Owl was seen that evening.

A seawatch from Holkham Gap on Sunday provided excitement when upon spotting a grebe not far out, it soon became apparent I had located a Red Necked Grebe! This has to go down as one of the best, if not my best self-found bird. Chuffed to bits, the birding gods were still smiling on me on my walk back through the pines when a Firecrest showed with the tit/crest flock. Chiffchaff also noted here. Its not Holkham without Pinkies of course, the numbers are building up nicely now for the winter.

A visit to Titchwell that afternoon and although as you can see there is much upheaval afoot as the sea defences are moved back and the main marsh is drying up a good selection of waders were still present; many Ruff, a couple of Avocets, Grey and Golden Plover, Black and Bar Tailed Godwit, Dunlin, with Sanderling and Ringed Plover on the beach. The usual Gannets, Eider, Scoter etc offshore.

On the beach ruins this single Snow Bunting was very confiding...

And this Gannet was even more confiding...

Poor thing. At least it had a good send-off with this shell based memorial (and no that wasn't me that did that!).

A further visit to Cley on Monday and now 4 Spotted Redshanks present along with 3 Greenshank and the Curlew Sandpiper still. A ringtail Hen Harrier flushed everything on Arnold's Marsh and a Water Rail was heard squealing.

Finally Tuesday was spent around Burnham Overy and Titchwell and although it was an enjoyable day there wasn't anything new to report. My only complaint about the trip was that the winds didn't turn easterly during my trip, causing some disappointment on the rare migrant passerine front.

Butterflies and Bugs

A selection of butterflies and bugs from the last few weeks.

Painted Lady

Pellucid Hoverfly

Pellucid Hoverfly


Small Tortoiseshell


Painted Lady and Peacock


Peacock


Painted Lady

Peacock


Painted Lady

Ryally Good

Just a brief post today. No birding planned over the coming weekend as we'll be celebrating the holy occasion of Max's birthday by drinking plenty of wine and eating Italian food. However, as I had the day off I persuaded Max to finish work early for a visit to Ryall GPs.

Green Sandpiper numbers had now swelled to nine, two Common Sandpipers were still present and five Common Snipe were new arrivals. There was a large gathering of hirundines near the gravel extracting machinery; mainly Sand Martins and there were also several juv Pied Wagtails around.

Plenty of Painted Lady butterflies on the wing....

Along with the usual Common Darters...



And making our day, this baby Toad.

More Worcestershire

Yellowhammers are supposed to say 'a little bit of bread and no cheese' and Quails say 'wet my lips'. To my mind, Yellowhammer song sounds more like a cross between a rusty gate and someone having an asthma attack, but at least the Quail song resembles its mnemonic. This was the soundtrack on Sunday morning as we had another bash at Quail, this time with Martyn at Chaddersely Corbett in Worcs.

It was never going to be an easy one to see. But with the good year we've had for Quails, it's been well worth spending plenty of time in the field (quite literally), just to hear them, even with the slenderest of chances that one might actually show. The Quails (at least two here) were very vocal and after three hours and ten minutes we were lucky enough to see a Quail take flight and whizz across the field (lifer 260).

Job done, Worcestershire was our oyster for the rest of the day. Next up Ryall GPs. Things had picked up from the previous day with now 3 Green Sandpipers and 2 Common Sandpipers present on the main pit. Also a Hobby, a superb Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Sedge Warbler were spotted.

Silly me, I forgot my camera, but here are some butterflies/dragons from a previous visit.

Common Blue Butterfly

Common Darter

Black Tailed Skimmer

Just back up the A38 is Clifton GP. Some Black Terns had been reported there earlier in the day but had departed by the time we arrived. However we did see this...

Spot the plastic - A Blurred Birding exclusive preview

If you squint and look towards the back, you can make out the red bill of an eclipse Red-crested Pochard. Martyn was suitably cynical of this dubious visitor.

Moving swiftly on, a visit to Grimley New Workings where we had 1 Little Egret, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Oystercatcher, 10+ Common Terns, including several juvs and a female Shoveler.

Little Egret - photo courtesy of Martyn Yapp

A visit to Upton Warren Flashes brought the day to a close. An impressive 11 Green Sandpipers were knocking about, along with 2 Common Sandpipers, 15 Curlew, 1 Common Snipe and 5 Teal.

It was interesting to learn that the Bittern that has unusually turned up at the Warren this time of year has been very mobile, putting in appearances at The Flashes and the Hen Pool as well as the Moors Pool.

Summer Gravel Pit Tour

I've been a little quiet on the blogging front of late, but I haven't packed in the birding for the summer. Recent outings have been characterized by listening out for Quails in cereal fields. We haven't glimpsed one yet but we've heard them at Swindon in the Black Country and Chaddersley Corbett in Worcs, where three singing males have been present.

You can never rest on your laurels in the old birding game, even this time of year, as Local Birder Richard found when he stumbled across a Spoonbill on a routine visit to his local patch last week. Waders are already starting to trickle back through the region so with this in mind we set off on a day out in Worcestershire with Mr Powell, hoping he might bring a bit of the Spoonbill-finding magic to the county.

First up Kemerton Lake where we saw a few mildly interesting wooden sculptures. Not too much to write home about, although a drake Pochard, GS and Green Woodpecker and a Herring Gull were noted.

Then there was Gwen Finch where we struggled to find the correct path down to the actual reserve but we could observe most of it from the roadside. Blackcap, Grey Wagtail and Yellowhammer here as well as some close flying Buzzards. Thankfully the Buzzards in Worcestershire are much friendlier than those from Cornwall.

Things picked up at Ryall GP; a proper gravel pit with machinery and a wader-friendly looking pit with mud and shingle islands - now we were rocking! A Hobby hawked Dragonflies, plus three Ravens and a Redshank here. Definitely a place to visit again.

Ryall GP - a bit of excavation, now that's what we like to see!

Max's digi-scoped Hobby shot

We then popped into Grimley New Workings where we saw two Little Egrets. Our final stop of the day was Holt to look for the local Spotted Flycatcher which showed well in the gardens opposite the church.

Throughout the day there was also a good array of Butterflies which included Peacock, Gatekeeper, Small Tortoiseshell, Small Blue, Meadow Brown, Painted Lady and Small Copper and some white ones which I haven't learned the names of as yet. Many Common Darters were on the wing at Ryall GP.

Enter the Dragon

Mainly pics this time. Apart from trying and failing to net a year tick (Spotted Flycatcher) and a lifer (Quail) this past week, these little fellas have been keeping me amused and giving me the chance to practice my photography.

Male Banded Damoiselle

Male Banded Damoiselle

Female Banded Damoiselle

Southern Hawker

Southern Hawker

Southern Hawker


Ringlet

Comma

A couple of the more notable bird sightings from the last few days included a Tree Pipit at Cannock Chase in the Seven Springs area on Sunday and a Hobby north of Evesham yesterday.

Glastonbury Festival 2009

Just a few pics from the weekend's festivities...

Trash City

Trash City



A sea of flags at the legendary Pyramid Stage



Madness - a bit dad-ska - The Specials were so much better



Campsites and Stone Circle



Chillaxing on the filthy floor

An emotional Blur close the festival - you could feel the love!

Birds noted on site included Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat and Wrens all singing away in the mornings despite all the disturbance, loads of Lesser Black Backed Gulls circling for festival fodder scraps and the usual Somerset Buzzards, one of them enjoying a bit of Dizzee Rascal, as it thermalled lazily over the crowd.