9-6-11, Whitemoor Haye.

Before I go onto tonights gentle walk around Whitemoor Haye, this weekend I was planning to pop up th A1(M) (I think) to Harlepool to catch up with the mega that is a White-throated Robin however I popped into work this morning and was begged (well almost) to cover on call for a week. Mmmmm, what do I do? Hartlepool or some half decent money for my holiday to Lesbos next year? It was a difficult decision but I plumped for the on-call, thinking that maybe the bird would not stay around. Theres always next weekend!!!!


Onto tonights birding and me and the dog went for a walk around the lanes and noted Woodpigeon, Swift, Wren, Corn Bunting, Tree Sparrow, Swallow, Starling, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Rook, Stock Dove, House Martin, Oystercatcher, Grey Heron, Skylark, Common Whitethroat, Kestrel, Yellowhammer, Black Headed Gull, Buzzard, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Skylark, Goldfinch, Linnet, Yellow Wagtail, Blackbird, Greenfinch, Garden Warbler, Magpie, Robin, Lapwing and Mallard. A look at the pool and around the adjacent trees and I added Tufted Duck, Canada Geese, Song Thrush, Shelduck (which had about eight chicks with it), Sand Martin, Great Crested Grebe, Dunnock, Blackcap, Great Tit, Collared Dove, Jackdaw and Pied Wagtail.

There has been lots of, lets say, discussion on what birds can be mentioned on blogs due to recent activity on birdforum regarding Pied Flycatchers. It has now been decided that bloggers should not mentio any catagory A birds during breeding season in the hope that eggers will not get any news on breeding cat A birds. I understand why these rules have come in but I think it has gone a tad too far. Soon we will be reporting about the odd Blue Tit, Great Tit and maybe a Mallard. There was also the night I went to find the Wryneck on Cannock Chase. Four birders were very vocal about Dartford Warblers in Staffs (cannot mention where cause of eggers). I was about forty feet away from these people as the openly and quite loudly talked about exactly where they had been watching the birds. They did not know me from Adam. Yes there has to be some control of pictures and blogs but banning people from mentioning the birds is, in my opinion, a bit too far. However I have removed one bird from tonights list that I have seen and is on the cat 1 list.