Monday 17 February 2014

16-2-14

What a change, what a morning.  Blue skies, little wind and best of all no rain.  I was at Whitemoor Haye by 07.30.
Whitemoor Haye.
500+ Lapwing, 2 Tufties, 19 Coot, 42 Wigeon, 9 Mute Swan, 2 Oystercatchers (welcome back), 1 Goldeneye, 2 Mallard, 20+ Tree Sparrow, and 1 Grey Partridge.  That does not say a lot but it was a great morning with 20+ Skylark in full song and every other bird in full song posing to the opposite sex.
National Arboretum.
This place is not happening this year (see recent posts) but two Goldeneye on the river were rather pleasant and still good numbers of Redwings feeding under the trees.  Still no Redpoll or Brambling.
Alrewas GP.
Very high water levels still here but not many wildfowl per square metre,  shame as it is a pretty undisturbed lake bar the A38 and the nearby helipad.
Birds noted were 6 Gadwall, 54 Tufties, 32 Coot, 1 Long-tailed Duck, 4 Mute Swan, 6 Wigeon, 1 female Scaup, 6 Goldeneye, 6+ Chiffchaff and the probable Siberian Chiffchaff.  No sign of the redhead Smew but with water levels high there was plenty of trees that were submerged providing lots of cover.  Great fun here today.

2 comments:

  1. Would you be able to tell me how to get to the GP from the Arboretum car park please?

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  2. Hi Geebes. From the arboretum car park make your way to the river, various ways. Once at the river walk downstream and look for an s shape dry stone wall, near an old pill box. Turn ninety degrees and there is a strip of land with no trees there (a gas pipe runs underground). Walk up there until you comr to a gate. Through the gate and you will see a white fence, this is the railway crossing. Ove there and you have Alrewas pit in front of you.

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