Well not a bad weekend for various reasons. On Friday after a crap day at work I dragged myself around the usual patch, Whitemoor Haye. It was bloody windy and with that the birds kept down. I did note 12 Mute Swan, 1 Grey Heron, 27 Mallard, 3 Yellow Wags, 1 Common Tern, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Common Sands and a few Tree Sparrows. On the Saturday I took my mom to Birdfair at Rutland Water and it was good fun, met Alan Davies from The Biggest Twitch who I know from living in Wales and birding at Conwy RSPB a fair bit, brushing shoulders with Bill Oddie, Simon King, Jonny Kingdom and Nick Baker as well. As just enjoying everything associated with birding. I really enjoy Birdfair as it usually gets me excited for the coming months however I am already raring to bird. Before we enjoyed the delights of Birdfair we went and watched the Ospreys for a bit to add to my year list.
Returning from Birdfair I had to partake in a cracking cup of Yorkshire tea and then I popped down to Whitemoor Haye. A tad windy but no rain and I was not expecting much. Birds notes were 16 Mute Swan, 3 Common Tern, 1 Common Sandpiper (there was obviously a lot of people present at the centre looking at the car park and I reckon the birds had been pushed out of sight), 3 Mallard and 1 Lapwing. A bonus bird though was a single Greenshank that drooped in whilst I was there. The first Greenshank for a couple of years.
Saturday evening meant no beer as I wanted to be up early or a trip for another lifer. A family of Two-barred Crossbills had been resident at Broomhead reservoir in South Yorkshire for a few days and I just had to go. I arrived on site by 07.15 and was soon standing in the clearing by the feeders. An adult was seen at 06.40 but none since and I hung around until about 11.30 with no other sighting. I did enjoy well over 100 Common Crossbills and a Spotted Flycatcher which I am delighted to add to my year list but no Two-barred Crossbill. A nice trip but a little disappointing. On the way home I popped in the guess where, yep, Whitemoor Haye to see what was around. 1 Greenshank, 6 Common Tern including 2 juveniles and a couple of Tree Sparrow were all I old muster. Rubbish.
The afternoon I went to a local car show at Orgreave on my bike and then went tto buy a wife at a local Thai Festival. Good fun was had and good beer drunk. You will be glad to know no wife was purchased but good food was.
Now I am going to cheer on the Europeans in the Solheim Cup after an amazing afternoons golf yesterday which put our girls in a 10.5 to 5.5 lead. For those of you who don't know the Europeans need 14 to retain the Solheim Cup and 14.5 to win it out right. Come on Europe.
No comments:
Post a Comment