WET MY LIPS...

Finally tracked down a calling Quail this morning the one thats had four different sets of OS.Co-ords for its location at Farndon, Cheshire. Could be theres four different birds or maybe the same one doing a tour anyway its whapped for the year.

Two visits to Neumann's today with the evening visit coming up trumps again with a flyover LITTLE EGRET that appeared from DHM at 9.35pm and headed towards Northwich. Definately in the right place at the right time and a damn good patch year tick. Wader wise there was a new flock of 7 Blackwits in with the big Curlew gathering, 2 Common Sand and 2 Oycs.

One Speckled Wood showed well by Bund Hide so I gathered the image as one does.

MCP YL 132
CHESHIRE YL 182
UK YL 228

BLUE IS THE COLOUR...SPENDING IS THEIR GAME

I've heard on the grapevine that City have some choice signings lined up after they've captured Mr Terry....

Scooby Doo and Shaggy will bolster the mid field...

The Jolly Green Giant one of two new centrebacks...

William 'The Fridge' Perry will replace Richard Dunne...

The agile and vastly intelligent(more than your average City Fan) friendly dolphin...Flipper will go in goal.
To make all this seem credible Mr Hughes (top man Sparky you waste the Blues money) has enlisted the services of a major western power to quell any uprisings in the board room when City fail to make Europe next season...

Unfortunately no one told Mr Obama whos now got to move his soldiers from the Oil rich enclaves of the Middle East to the impoverished dump thats called Eastlands, we wish him well.

WADERFEST CONTINUES

With the weather not seeming to know if it was Summer or Autumn the wet/windy/sunny/humid/dry/showery conditions that have prevailed over the passed few days continue. This I think has bowed well for dropping in several earlyish passage waders onto the patch (usually Neumann's) and this afternoon another 2 Blackwits had appeared this time on No.1 with the still present 4 Green Sandpipers.

The best I could do in the windy conditions (oh for a DSLR!). Not much else doing and as its now raining I won't be out checking the evening gathering tonight (you never know what might come into roost with the waders and gulls).

I did have one pleasant surprise this afternoon and that was bumping into Sid Ashton from Altrincham apparently he's an avid Pod's World reader...what a top bloke and we'll hopefully be seeing more of him down at Neumann's from now on (the more eyes the better).

REMEMBER THE PATCH

Bugger me with all this countrywide dashing about in top notch quality cars dipping other peoples birds left right and centre, it was good to have a sorte around Neumann's Flash t'other night whilst also doing my pooch walking duties. What a veritable bird fest it was....
2 DUNLIN
2 REDSHANK
2 OYSTERCATCHER
6 LRP (including 2 young)
70 CURLEW
1 COMMON SANDPIPER
80+ LBB GULLS
300+ BH GULLS
60+ MOULTING DUCKS OF VARIOUS SPECIES (got to be careful DEFRA is watching)
30 MUTE SWANS
2 BLACK SWANS
plus nearby 2 young well fledged TAWNY OWLS hissing for food.
Its looking good for a wader or three especially with Frodders having Wood Sand and of course the Wizzal Derek the Terek.

God bless the web and greetings to my new readers in BRAZIL and OZ...spread the word chaps.

ttfn

LITTLE BITTERN OFF MORE THAN I CAN CHEW VALLEY

A trip down to Dorset gave me the chance to nip in and try and grip the Little Bittern that was still being reported from Walton Heath RSVP reserve. Arriving in the wee hours I walked along the famous Ham Wall to the required viewing spot, all sorts of noises and squeaks were being made by the various inhabitants of the vast reed bed complex. Non though sounded like a 'singing' Little Bittern although some of the local frogs did a good impression (could be the Somerset accent oooh-arrr). Nearly three hours later rather wet after several unpredicted (take note Metcheck) downpours I called it a day and headed south at 7.30am, I did manage to see 2 Hobby, several Kingfishers and hear lots of Cettis but scant consolation for my efforts really. On arriving at my first port of call for the day I checked the pager and yes you guessed the Little Blighter was seen at 9.05am....rats arse! as Mr Walters used to say.

A bittern free zone somewhere near Glastonbury. Not one to give up easily I called in en route north and spoke to the guy who'd seen the LB earlier. In a brief half hours bird spotting after breakfast no less he'd seen Great Bittern, Little Bittern! and Great White Egret!!....theres no justice in this world is there?. Hope and a nice sunny afternoon was still at hand so I high tailed it over to nearby Chew Valley Res. where the Fudge Duck was on show from Herriot's Bridge god bless it, whap! day saved and the list keeps on moving up wards. Tomoz I'm in Jockland so fingers crossed for something at Musselborough.

The Tor at Glastonbury from Hams Wall, picturesque what.

UK YL 227

BUFFY SLAYED

Just got back from a weeks 'holiday' in Norfolk, what a great place it is. While the rest of the Country struggles to provide one decent bird good old reliable Norfolk comes up trumps yet again with Caspo Tern (elastic boundary), WWBTern, Buffy Breast and Temminck's. Staying at the delightful No.2 Red Lion Cottage, Stiffkey (pronounced Stukey) Debs, Mia and I spent a pleasant week roaming the North Norfolk coast in search of birds, beer and dog friendly beaches.

En route down we had the obligatory Red Kite fly over this time on the A14 near Kettering (I'm getting good at these with all the M40 practice). Later on after two hours of searching I eventually got five seconds worth of a male Golden Oriole at Lakenheath, the young having now fledged the nest. To round the day off a quick nip upto the mozzy infested heath at Salthouse produced two calling Nightjars time for a swift pint in The Pale Bovine Liquor Dispensary.

Having already been to Norfolk several times this year I'd already whapped a few of the regular goodies so it was a case of Dyson the rest (or so I thought). The pager had been updating the birding fraternity on every move the Swanton Novers Honey Buzzards were making so a quick in and whap was all that was required.....NOT!!!!!....5 yes 5 visits later plus 3 at nearby Great Ryburgh failed to produce even a Great Orme's view of a possible Honey Buzz....bugger!! The Sunday visit was typical....loads of Common Buzzards and a displaying Goshawk (found by yours truly) plus endless Wood Pigeons but no Honeys. As is Sunday the dudes were out in force and a group from Brummie land had set up camp (deck chairs, folding table, flasks and sandwiches) plus the odd scope pointing in the general direction of the required wood. A rather loud female of the picnicking group claimed most aerial things as a Honey Buzz.



Big strapping Brummie lady..''is that a Honey Buzzard?''



Pleasant helpful Cheshire chap..''no its a Common the wing shapes all wrong''



Spouse domineering big Brummie wench..''thats one surely Richard?''



Becoming annoyed Cheshire chap..''no, its a Wood Pigeon''



Out of her depth Sunday dude (from B'ham)..''theres one now, its got to be a Honey Buzzard''



Incredulous Cheshire chap..''thats a light aircraft''


...yes you guessed I left the scene only for the pager to report 2 Honey Buzzards showing well from Swanton Novers raptor watchpoint exactly when I'd been there. I wonder if the caller had a brummie accent? There must be another watchpoint!!


Monday and Pod (I'm in third person mode) stands on the East Bank, yes he's an East Banker!! points to North Hide scrape where a Buff Breasted Sandpiper has just been found jammy t**t. Entering North Hide Pod sees Cley's premier birder and spouse namely Mr & Mrs S Gauntlet erecting the biggest photo lens thing money can buy. Making a sound like a German machine gunner in a WW2 bunker Mr S rattles off a plethoral of captured images of Buffy for his monthly birding magazine Cley World. Pod whips out his tackle (Mrs S faints) no its his compact digital image gatherer and proceeds to return fire...click!
The image that you won't see in Cley World. Its the little brown job next to the Crab Plover.
Later that night a stealth visit to North Hide had me gripping the Wood Sandpiper that was on show plus 15 other species of wader...what a place.
Wednesday and a White-winged Black Tern turned up (ha ha!) at Cley to grace Billy's Wash for the afternoon. No piccies this time but a smart bird to see (check out Surfbirds) a welcome addition to the year list and a Norfolk tick. A chance to celebrate and what better way than with a selection of Norfolk's premier real ales.

All care of that peach of a place 'THE REAL ALE SHOP' on the Fakenham to Wells road, I was like a kid in a sweet shop, 65+ different bottles to choose from so I plummed for the 6 pack selection special...sorted. Didn't add any more year ticks despite searching everywhere for Golden Pheasant and Quail. Did come across yet another new reserve for me (how I've missed this place in all the years gone by heaven knows) namely Sculthorpe Moor. A fabulous place for birds, butterflies, dragaonflies etc and Bank Voles, you should try it some time and its free(ish).



NORFOLK TRIP LIST 118

NORFOLK LIFE LIST 298

UK YL 226 (FP229)

HOTMOOR

The 1st July had me visiting Otmoor once again and what a warbler fest it produced. Top of the fest list was the very showy Marsh Warbler sitting atop a reed impersonating Nightingale, Blackbird, Sedge and Reed Warbler with convincing ease. Also heard/seen Gropper, Whitethroat, Chiffy, Willow, Sedge, Reed. Second best was a Turtle Dove sat in full view five yards from the perimeter path, oh for a decent camera I could have murdered them both (image gatherer speak for getting crippling shots).

Travelling back along the M40 counting Red Kites to keep me awake a distant plume of smoke turned out to be a burning car transporter, the top car exploding as I passed...awesome!

Action shot at 69mph (honest officer)

At a secret location later I located two singing Tree Pipits unfortunately just over the Cheshire border in neighbouring Staffordshire. Still a good year tick padder (cheers Nick).

UK YL 221 (FP 224)