Terns and Gulls at Salford Priors

Salford Priors reference map

Pophills wader scrape

Two Little Egret on Oystercatcher Island

The site continues to attract good numbers of both Common & Green Sandpipers

Pophills early on Sunday morning

Old Workings Lagoon

Juvenile Mediterranean Gull

Main Pit in evening light

The time spent at the gravel pits this year has really reaped dividends in terms of species count and enjoyment. With four of us now visiting site regularly we are benefiting from more coverage. This was highlighted last weekend where we shared each others finds to see some great birds.

Friday afternoon started the flow when Mike had seen eight Common Terns land briefly before heading south. Thankfully I got on site before the final bird left to record another point in the Patchwork Challenge.

Saturday's treat was a male adult Peregrine hunting the main pit for breakfast and taking passing swipes at the Coot as it was frustrated to miss out on a Common Sandpiper.

The drake eclipse Garganey was present up to and including Sunday, a stay of 16 days. A great record for the site. Sunday sightings included a Hobby, six Common Sandpiper, 11 Green Sandpiper, calling Redstart, Turtle Dove, Stock Dove, five returning Teal and Sand Martins passing through.

An after work visit on Monday produced my first Gravel Pit Mediterranean Gull on the wader scrape among the Black-headed Gulls. The bird was juvenile and is a 2 point bird on the patch challenge. The following night I met up with Paul in the hope of a repeat appearance but we had to settle of a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull and some superb views of one of the Little Egret.

Upton Warren Alldayer

Upton Warren - The Moors

The list in full flow

Common Sandpiper

Digiscoping mid afternoon at Hanbury

Avocet

Mediterranean Gull

Lapwing

Stock Dove

After a quick recharge of the batteries I headed over to Upton Warren to support the All Day challenge against similar reserves.

I did two different visits either side of a trip to Hanbury to watch my youngest have his first innings in senior cricket (batting very well). As always there was great comradeir around the reserve and in the hides. Days like this remind you that there are still plenty of genuine nice people in the world. 

My own highlights was three Dunlin, Med Gull,a very showy Common Sandpiper and of course the Avocet. These are the all birds recorded on the day :-

Waterfowl(16)
Mute swan, Greylag, Canada Geese, Shelduck, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Coot, Moorhen, Water Rail, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Grey Heron

Waders (10) 
Avocet, Oystercatcher, LRP, Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Dunlin, Snipe, Jack snipe, Curlew, Common Sandpiper

Raptors(7)
Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Kestrel, Hobby, Peregrine, Tawny owl,

Gulls/terns(5)
Med Gull, BHG, Herring Gull, LBBG, Common Tern

Non passerines(10)
Pheasant, Collared dove, Stock Dove, Feral Pigeon, Wood Pigeon, Cuckoo, Swift, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker.

some passers (13)
Skylark, Sand Martin, Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, 

Warblers (9)
Cettis Warbler, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler

Final scores was Upton Warren 91, Belvide 91, Grimley 88, Sandwell 85, Marsh Lane 82, Middleton 73

Mild weekend bring May to a close

 Avocets

Mediterranean Gull 

Common Tern

Mallards

Despite having the week off for Whitsun to spend with the boys there was very little change to the birds locally. We just don't seem to have had the normal passage in recent weeks in Worcestershire, so it's been time to just enjoy the regulars.

I spent an enjoyable few hours at Upton Warren on Saturday where the Avocets chicks stole the show. You could really see how just a few days makes a difference between the chicks. A first summer Mediterranean gull also allowed great views whilst the Little Ringed Plover chicks had just hatched. Lets just hope they get some peace from the Gulls.

My Sunday walk took me across to Earlswood again and I walked the perimeter of all three lakes including Terrys Pool. The highlights were 11 Common Terns and the low flying Swallows right in front of us.

My current year list is 224 on UK 400 only one behind my total score for the whole of 2013. On Birdtrack I stand  5th on 222, not bad considering how tough its been in the Midlands.

I've got a trip away to the Farne Islands in June which I'm very much looking forward to. Should the weather be kind I should see Rosette Terns for the first time in addition to thousands of Puffins, Arctic + Common Terns, Eiders, Shags, Cormorants, Kittiwakes. I'm also hoping to get down to the Forest of Dean on a warm evening to see Nightjar, Woodcock and perhaps a Wild Boar !