March 2022 Stand by for Arrivals..

It’s a compliment to be asked to lead a bird group walk once again for the Bird Watching for beginners event at Carsington. It was January 2006, 16 years ago, that I started BwB and it still continues 16 years later.

I joined the March 2022 walk, with Amanda having a good group of 16 birders. Still has it’s Firsts and excitements. On this walk we had close ups of Goldcrests, the good old Great Northern Diver, and a first for the BwB life list a pair of Red Kites which no one could miss.

Amanda is away for the next 2 walks visiting her family in the US and asked me to help, so it’s clean up the bins and go prepared on April 3^rd. I will have the help of Keith and Garry, Keith having been with me almost since day 1.

Right, Birdy bits!!

A good article in the Daily Telegraph at the start of March about Dunnocks being a good first sign of spring. The name comes from the Old English for “little brown” and they were also known as the “flutterer in the hedges” – pretty good link to the name Hedge Sparrows. The article also refers to their outrageous mating rituals, or let’s say “partner swapping” to avoid the lurid details!! (I know what those lurid details are!!!)

My birding trip with Chris and Gill at the start of March to Sherwood Forest being abortive, Mary and I decided we would give it another try. Using a slightly different route of North to South (including a free parking facility v £5) we saw nothing different on the journey to the visitor centre, but after a good snack on the return walk we found the seed that I had put on a feeding station brought the reward of a Marsh Tit.

Later in the month, not only did I get a better view of the Great Northern Diver at Carsington, but two Common Scoter bobbing on the water off Stones Island was a nice tick.

Finally whilst birding was very relaxed whilst we were in Exmouth, a walk round Seaton Marshes ticked a Greenshank, and even more pleasurable, a Robin taking seed from my hand.   

So it’s 118 to date (59% sounds better!)

Not much for March, but roll on April - the serious arrival time.

Happy birding

 

February 2022 Slow progress until the Summer migrants arrive.

 

Let’s start with a couple of bits of birding news that you may have missed!!

 

1.In the Swedish city of Sodertalje environmentalists are training crows to pick up cigarette butts, and when they drop them in a receptacle they get rewarded with a snack. (I can think of some UK pubs where rewards would be so plentiful as to make them obese within a week!!)  

2.Conversely, in Brighton immature Herring Gulls have been seen picking parking tickets off the windscreens of cars!   Pity the motorist that tries to justify to the authorities that they  DID buy a parking ticket. The traffic warden will have photos of the (absence of-) tickets on the windscreens, leaving the poor motorist with no defence,. … and no chance. 

3.That reminded me of the lady who went to the reception at Carsington and asked the staff what we were going to do about the wasp that stung her. The lady argued that it was a Severn Trent problem as it was at a Severn Trent reservoir so “it was a Severn Trent wasp”.  Sadly the receptionist was so taken aback that she omitted to say “Madam, if you can point out the wasp to me, I will have it seen to!!!”

My getting back into birdwatching is taking off at a good pace. By the end of 2021 (having started on 3^rd November 2021) I was on 92… and now on March 2, I’m on 115.  

In January and February I had several visits to Attenborough adding 3 species, in particular a Stonechat.  It took me 3 visits to find a male close to the sewage works and the railway line. The cold quiet day had the best result.   One Attenborough visit was special seeing a Little Egret and a Great White Egret in my bins at the same time… what a contrast.

5.My patience at Cromford on January 13, standing on the bridge over the Derwent, was rewarded by a Dipper landing on a nearby branch and then joined by another. Both Dippers were diving and searching for food together, and then I watched  the male displaying as the mate watched on a nearby branch – Fabulous.

6.16^th February (the calm weather day between the 15^th and 17^th stormy days!) included a trip with Christine to Slimbridge. Very rewarding with the expected Bewicks, Cranes and White Fronted Geese, and also a Snow Goose, Ross’s Goose (3) and a Grey Wagtail.. a rewarding addition of 6, some compensation for a traumatic journey – both ways, coming to a 15 minute highway closure on the road down to Slimbridge. Some consolation as we waited was to see through the hedge a huge number of Redwings and Fieldfares.

7.A Red Necked Grebe, and the Great Northern Diver at Carsington 21 were good contributions to the year to date.

8. Tuesday 2^nd March, Christine, Gill and I did a 15,000 step, 5-mile walk in Sherwood Forest  and the awful wet weather produced Nil points, apart from a nice close up of a friendly Tree Creeper.   A return in better weather is called for.

Current news is that Little Ring Plovers, sand Martins and Wheatears have been reported on the south coast, so I expect March and April to start adding Summer visitors to my year list. Bring it on!!

Happy Birding