Quick start to February at the Pits

Yellowhammer

Pied Wagtail

Fieldfare

Yellow-legged Gull 

Oystercatcher on Pophills

  Sleeping Pintail

Salford Priors Church

Dunnock

Heavy rain and wind has once again battered Salford Priors this week causing the nearby River Arrow to break it's banks. A midweek meeting about the pits restoration took place with representatives of CEMEX, RSPB, Warwickshire County Council, West Midland Bird Club and three of the regular recorders which I'll do a separate blog about as soon as I can. 

My abdomen woes have continued but I've definitely had some improvement. Patch visits have been time limited but I've still managed to record three patch year ticks.

Chris Lane had recorded a Yellow-legged Gull in January but I'd not managed to see it myself. Thankfully I found what we think was the same bird early in the week on the main pit keeping company with two Herring Gulls. Three Lesser Blacked Backed Gulls were also recorded on a midweek visit.

When recording the impressive count of seven Green Sandpipers on Pophills, our annual Oystercatcher flew onto the island for it's visit of the year. Reading the other blogs and reports, they seem to be returning to their breeding grounds everywhere this week. Shelduck numbers increased to a maximum of four birds however only two were present on Sunday. Skylarks were singing high above the fields in three different locations.

Both Paul and I have been searching hard to try and find a Brambling in with the finch flocks around the orchards. Whilst no Bramblings were located, the orchards contained good numbers of Yellowhammer, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Fieldfare and Redwing. 

Three birds outstanding on the patch list at the ends of January were Nuthatch, Tawny Owl and Little Owl so I've been trying every crevice possible within the boundary to find these birds. Thankfully I finally managed to see a Nuthatch in the Salford Priors church yard. Tawny & Little Owl next week ………….

Oystercatchers pair up & Little Owls relocated

Oystercatchers pairing up

A very poor photo with phone of Little Owl on hedgerow

A second Oystercatcher joined our first arrival on Saturday and the pair looked to be prospecting for a suitable nest site.

Over at Pophills the Skylarks were in good voice again. I managed to flush four Jack Snipes which I got within inches of. The first bird flushing didn't effect the others and it wasn't until I got close to each bird in turn they revealed themselves. Shelduck numbers had increased to four whilst Teal and Tufted Duck numbers remain the same.

I was over at Upton Warren on Sunday (more of that on next blog) but Jon reported 140 Teal, three Shoveler, an adult male Merlin hunting in the snipe meadow, pair of Peregrines , five Water Rail, six Jack Snipe, 75 Common Snipe, an exceptional flock of 36 Curlews which flew through to north-east,  Green Sandpiper, Common sandpiper, adult Great Black-backed Gull went through with the other four common species , an influx of 50 Meadow Pipits, Chiffchaff still in plantation in addition to 10 Fallow and 6 Roe Deer!

On Monday evening I called past the gravel pits as I headed to Evesham on the hope of seeing the Barn Owl. Passing one of pit signs I picked up a Little Owl on the corner which then took flight. When heading back on the same route two hours later I picked up two Little Owls sat on top of the hedge looking straight back at us in the car. Whilst one of the birds flushed the other one stared back at us allowing me to take a very rough photograph through the windscreen. Very encouraging sighting given none of us had seen a Little Owl since November. As it was a pair we can hope they have found a new home and will breed this spring.

From there we headed down to Pophills were our timing was perfect as the Barn Owl came out of the field to cross the road and then flew right past us and then back across into the Pophills field. As we headed home the bird treated us to another fly past. 

A very good start to March.

Midweek at the Pits

An early finish at work enabled me to get an hours birding in at Salford Priors late afternoon on Thursday.

As I parked up I could see a large flock of Greylag feeding at Pophills so I thought I'd try this area first. As I walked along the hedgerow I flushed a number of Yellowhammers whilst there were Sky Larks in good voice again.

Sadly I couldn't see any rare geese among the 95 Greylag who were in company of a single Shelduck and 25 Canada Geese. On the pit shingle Sundays Oystercatcher had been joined by another two Shelduck, Common Sandpiper and a first winter Dunlin. Whilst the light wasn't great I did get a couple of record shots. 

As I headed towards the road I came across 2 Jack Snipe and 5 Snipe in the Pophills field.

Over on main pit a Lesser Black-backed Gull was keeping the Black Headed company. A Dunlin was on the main pit however it looked to be the bird from Pophills. Diving duck numbers were very low as I only counted 24 Tufted Duck and one Pochard.

Oystercatcher returns to Salford Priors

Oystercatcher on Pophills Pit

Patchwork Midlands Mini League

I was pleased with our standing of 12th out of 30 in the Patchwork Midlands Mini League at the end of January. We certainly haven't got the habitat that a couple of sites have that entered. It was interesting we scored the same number of species as @earlswoodbirds but our two 2 pointers (Jack Snipe and Scaup) pushed us up a couple of places and Morton Bagot recorded 64 species. 

After yesterdays excitement up north it was more regulation birding today. Spring is edging closer as the Oystercatcher had returned to Pophills Pit. There was also a single Shelduck and two Wigeon to accompany the regulars. The Skylarks and Yellowhammers were both in good voice with the Skylarks showing very well. 

I didn't pick up anything new in the plantation despite a good walk round.The Teal on the main pit were showing well for a change but the Pochard and Tufted Duck numbers were lower than normal.

I headed over to the hidden pools on the hope of locating a Water Rail but had to settle for one Jack Snipe, 10 Snipe, 115 Teal, Reed Bunting and a flock of 45 Golden Plover which flew over at 10.00am. 

I finished off with a walk around Dunnington and Hillers (great for sausage sandwich and coffee) where the highlights were 2 Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, large flock of Chaffiches and a Long-tailed Tit which had been outstanding on the patch year list ! Phew ! Roll on next week.

Laughing Gull at New Brighton

Laughing Gull on pontoon

Fly past

New Brighton location

Marine Lake, New Brighton

Laughing Gull getting involved in corporate advertising

On his own on the pontoon

An idea for any birders heading this way

I do love a light house

With a reported Laughing Gull (first reported on 3rd February) within 25 minutes of Burton Mere Wetlands I thought it was well worth a try and I'd never seen one before. In all honesty I was expecting it could be hard work however within two minutes from getting out of car I picked the Gull up flying from the beach area to the Marine lake. 

In all honesty the bird is never going to win any beauty contests however it was interesting to note the contrast between the white rump and black tail. I was impressed with how the bird didn't want to associate with any of the other Gulls. Some of us just like our space at times.

This first winter Laughing Gull was the first seen in Cheshire since 2001 and has travelled from the arctic. There were plenty of birders and photographers of which I did notice a couple trying to bribe the bird to come closer with some chips and bread ! It was interesting a second winter bird was recorded across the Irish Sea.

With it being low tide there were no Purple Sandpipers around which was a shame but I did pick up a couple of year ticks with Oystercatcher and Turnstone.