Little Stint, cricket, cider & music

Video from Pophills

Little Stint & Ringed Plover

Best shot in dreadful light

Relections

Straight drive at Stourport

Dusty looking clearly shocked at his new opening partner

Nesting Lesser Black-backed Gull

Hobby

Close up House Martin

Look I'm busy

Group shot

Oddfest in full swing on way home

An extended weekend with the bonus of a Bank Holiday, was a good job given the agenda of plans. Saturday mornings visit resulted in both the main pit & Pophills being very quiet. After passing the old workings I found a group of House Martins collecting mud so I sat myself down and just waited for the birds. I had a great hour enjoying these birds at close quarters that nest in Dunnington. As I watched the birds, an alarm call prompted me to look up where I could see our first Hobby of the year. In the afternoon we headed to Stourport to watch the lads open the batting together for Feckenham in their Worcester league game. The lads had a 75 partnership with Dusty cracking 65, his second fifty in four games. The game finished in a amazing tie with Gussy taking a very important ninth wicket & then running out the last man. 

Jon did the honours on Sunday but didn't record anything other than the normal but recorded 10 Lapwing, 7 pairs of Meadow Pipits, Grey Wagtail, 5 singing Sedge Warblers, 3 Cuckoo's,  of butterflies included Painted Lady, two Brown Argus & a Grizzled Skipper, first for several years. 

I didn't return until Monday morning where I was pretty hopeful of a wader of some type given the bad weather. I wanted to see how our pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls were progressing and evidence suggests they could be incubating eggs which would be a unique record away from the colonies in the big cities. 

After setting up my scope I picked up two Ringed Plovers on one of the islands & then our first Little Stint (our 127th species of the year after Terry recorded two Grey Partridges & Little Egret earlier in the morning). After sending a group text out the three birds took off but thankfully landed on Pophills were the Squire found them, Mike Inskip also joined us. 

Other sightings from last week included 4 Little Ringed Plover, a Ringed Plover on Tuesday (Mike Inskip). The Squire found a reeling Grasshopper Warbler by the river in Alcester, Andy Woodward found two Garden Warblers at Abbots Salford & three Mandarin ducks remain in the area.

A walk in the Wyre

 Dipper

 Tree Pipet Bench

 Knowles Mill

Wyre

Moors Pool (Upton Warren)

Swallows at Arrow Valley Lake

It was off to the Wye Forest on Sunday morning for a spring walk despite there being a sharp cold breeze. Parking at the end of Dry Mill Lane I headed down the railway line where Willow Warblers and Chiffchafs were calling. 

The usual Pipet field on the left of the patch delivered instantly as I observed a Tree Pipit land and then call. Tree Pipit are always difficult birds to find so it was good to get a good view even if it was fleeting. 

Dropping down towards Knowles Mill I picked up a pair of Wood Warbler calling and clearing enjoying themselves. 

When reaching Knowles Mill I noticed a Dipper feeding only to be flushed by a loose dog ! Some people have no idea. Once the carless dog owners had moved on I got treated by a flyover by the same Dipper and some views of Grey Wagtail. Further along the river I re-located the Dipper and managed to get some video footage.

After a quick coffee at Webbs I spent a few hours at the Moors, Upton Warren. Two Arctic Tern had passed through earlier in the morning but no more appeared. A good selection of Warblers were busy on the East path whilst other sighting included Teal, Shelduck 10, Gadwall, Tufties, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Sedge & Reed Warbler and good numbers of Swallows & Sand martins.  

As the weather worsened during afternoon I dropped down to Arrow Valley in case a Tern or Little Gull had dropped in. Whilst there was no superstars 30+ Swallows were feeding joined by my first Sand martins and House martins.