26-9-11, Updates.

Apologies for a lack of recent updates but, for several reasons, I have been umming and arring as to whether to carry on with this blog, however, I have mentioned my quitting to a few folk and they wanted me to carry on. Hmmm, its still in the balance as to whether I carry on or not but for now I will give you an update on my recent birding.

17-9-11, Whitemoor Haye. A visit to the pool and of note were 9 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Common Sandpiper and 1 Greenshank.
18-9-11, Whitemoor Haye. This time it was the whole place and birds of note were 18 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Little Egret, 1 Greenshank, a couple of Chiffchaffs in the trees near the lake, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Garden Warbler and 8 Grey Partridge.
19-9-11, Whitemoor Haye (again). The pool again and of note were 2 Dunlin, 1 Greenshank and 2 Little Egret. I must point out that if I did post a message for todays birding I was going to go on about hoping to get my first Phalacrocorax aristotelis for Staffordshire and this would stop any childish remarks, must keep this blog clean. Proberbly lost in time now.
19-9-11, Croxall GP. Of note, 1 Willow Tit, a few Chiffchaffs, 1 Snipe and 1 Redshank.
21-9-11, Whitemoor Haye. On and around the pool, 5 Great Crested Grebe.
23-9-11, Whitemoor Haye. All around and of note 4 Teal, 8 Great Crested Grebe, 8 Grey Partridge and 1 Sparrowhawk.
24-9-11, Croxall GP. Of note was 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Common Whitethroat, 2 Little Egret, 1 Snipe and several Chiffchaff.
24-9-11, Whitemoor Haye, all around and of note 16 Great Crested Grebe and 9 Grey Partridge.
24-9-11, Branston GP. Birds of note were lots of Dabchick, 5 Little Egret, 1 Ringed Plover, 14 Curlew, 3 Snipe, 9 Green Sandpiper, 1 Water Rail, 1 Peregrine and a single Black-tailed Godwit.
25-9-11, Alrewas GP, National Arboretum and Junction pit all produced nothing of note bar 3 Greenshank, 1 Snipe and 2 Green Sandpipers at Alrewas gravel pits.
25-9-11, Whitemoor Haye. The main highlight was finding 3 Black Terns on the main lake, my second time I've seen these gorgeous marsh terns here, also 1 Greenshank.
26-9-11, Croxall GP and of note, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, a few Chiffchaff, 2 Little Egrets and a cracking juvenile Arctic Tern which appeared for a few minutes before heading off up the river.
26-9-11, Whitemoor Haye and Branston Water Park, nothing of great note.

There, up to date now.

9-9-11, Whitemoor Haye.

The weekends birding was looking bleak due to fishing matches and work so I headed out tonight to see what was around the pool area. Birds noted were Carrion Crow, Grey Heron, Robin, 2 Common Sandpipers, 1 Ringed Plover, 6 Greenshank, Great Crested Grebe, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Canada Geese, Black Headed Gull, Stock Dove, Magpie, Pochard, Linnet, Swallow, Woodpigeon, Tree Sparrow, Starling, Kestrel, Blackcap, Lesser Black-backed Gull and a nice adult Arctic Tern.

8-9-11, Belvide Reservoir.

News filtered through on Wednesday of a Sabine's Gull found at Belvide. This is, in my opinion, proberbly the prettiest gulls we see on our shores (or to be precise, off our shores), closely followed by the Little Gull. They are rarely seen inland but with th correct weather can turn up anywhere. I couldnt make the Wednesday night and reading my WMBC book, most birds hung around for a day only so I was very suprised and excited to see the bird found on the Thursday and promised myself I would head out after work if still present. It was and I was on site by 5pm watching my first Staffs Sabine's Gull and whasr a cracker it was. Steve Nuttall and Martyn Yapp had posted some fantastic pictures on their own blogs but the photo I thought was cracking was one taken by Steve Seal where the bird was flying and the tricolor colours looked fantastic. Although it was Belvide, I was not bothered about any other birds, just feasting on this amazing gull although I did see a juvenile Arctic Tern plus the odd Sand Martin. Cracking.

4-9-11, Whitemoor Haye (am)

Its another mad time at the moment at work so birding is patchy at the moment. Saturday 3rd was WICAC day (waterways industry course angling championships). British Waterways came 4th from 12 teams so not too bad, I was 27th out of 50+ entries so, again, not bad. I should have been going to Chatsworth today for the annual game fair but I was knackered and even had a lie in but I got down to Whitemoor eventually and had a walk around. Birds noted at the quarry pool were 10 Great Crested Grebe, Swallow, 28 Tufted Duck, Robin, Mallard, Pied Wagtail, 4 Greenshank, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wren, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, 3 Common Sandpiper and Woodpigeon. Whooppee. Onto the lanes and I added Stock Dove, Tree Sparrow, Moorhen, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting, Kestrel, Little Owl, Buzzard, Dunnock, Yellowhammer, Starling, Blue Tit, Skylark, Wheatear, Great Tit, Collared Dove, Rook, Canada Geese, Magpie, Pheasant, Blackbird, Grey Partridge and Goldfinch.

4-9-11, Whitemoor Haye (pm).

The one visit was going to be it for me for the day and I sat down to crack open a bottle of beer when the pager alerted me to 2 Curlew Sandpipers at Whitemoor. Hot off the heels of the Black-necked Grebe, this would be another site list. I put my opened beer bottle down, grabbed the dog and headed for the quarry pool. The Tame Valley birder was on site and had found the 2 birds and within seconds of arriving had added Curlew Sandpiper to the Whitemoor Haye site list (well done Tom). Other birds noted were 7 Greenshank, Canada Geese, Black Headed Gull, 3 Ringed Plover, Swallow, Mallard, 13 Great Crested Grebe, kestrel, Tufted Duck, 4 Common Sandpiper, Woodpigeon, Yellow Wagtail, 2 Sparrowhawks, 1 Ruff, Goldfinch, Tree Sparrow, 1 Ruddy Duck, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Buzzard, Magpie, Pochard, Mute Swan, House Martin, 1 (although 2 had been seen earlier) Dunlin, Lapwing, Linnet and Magpie.