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