A Painful black backed experience

Tuesday 5^th April or for those who care (now) the last date to make your plans for your 2015/16 ISA allowance. Being one who didn’t care, and couldn’t get excited about getting 1.25% interest on my £2,000, I persuaded friend Chris to have a day at Carsington and we would hopefully tick off some birds we had not seen, and also some summer arrivals.

Stones Island has been a popular bird watching point in recent weeks as a good place to see the Great Northern Divers, and when we walked there last week with my bird walk, 5-6 people with scopes were scanning the water. In April, as well as the Divers it is a good spot to see any Ospreys passing through and by the time I write this, I know that one has been spotted (more news next week).

So Chris and I meandered round Stones and spotted Sand Martins, House Martins and Swallows (too early for the Swifts).  Chiffchaffs were well in attendance, and a single Willow Warbler with a very soft song, was spotted.   Despite the crowds in the restaurant, we managed to get a snack quickly in the courtyard tea room, and then went to see how the Volunteers were doing in the Wildlife Centre. Word was that a Jack Snipe had been seen in Shiningford Creek, but despite grabbing a scope and a walk closer up the path, we missed out.

A visit to Paul Stanley hide was abortive, but the Sheepwash hide did produce a Little Ringed Plover. We had a considerable debate about 2 small golden fronted and streaked birds, probing away at seed amongst the reeds. Without a field guide, various ideas were put forward, all of which were dashed when an expert with high power optics came in and pronounced them as juvenile Chaffinches. Reluctantly we agreed, with some muttering and chuntering.

Wed 6^th...nothing

Thurs 7^th...Doc..in agony with a bad back

Fri 8^th   ...Doc still with back agony, rash and bright red

Sat 9^th.....Visit to NHS walk in centre. My Markeaton led bird walk – delegated to someone more ablebodied

Sunday 10^th  Bonus bird walk for beginners, lead by Keith and aided by Amanda. I’m pain-killer drugged up looking at the sunshine.

What an exciting week.

Anyway, it was nice that my 9 year old Grandson Leo dropped in on Saturday, and we had a chat about birds while his Grandma was giving him a necessary bath after playing in his football team. HE knew about the Derby Peregrines having 3 eggs.

This is what he was like at 3 years old, and I just hope I can maintain his enthusiasm.... football and computers do tend to dominate.   I’ve often think if computers, i-pads, mobile phones etc are so important to teenagers (and younger!!), what can we do with bird watching to make it fit the IT image. Leo is doing the 72 English football grounds with his Dad, and we keep details on my laptop. He likes the spreadsheet where the data can be sorted in anything from the highest gate, to the highest score.  Maybe I can do something similar birdwise. Reminiscent of the days when I collected train numbers, but all I did was tick them off in an Ian Allan book. (Step forward those who remember them!)

Right – move on – now for something better.

Stand by for visitors!

Some weeks have highlights, and some weeks don’t – this one didn’t!

Wednesday 30^th and Mary and I are walking down Putney hill (for the non-residents, a busy bus route, bordered by £1mill+ properties, and full of Chelsea tractors), and just above our head a foraging Goldcrest. It puts things in perspective.

Moving on, and we are on the 31^st March, and I’ve achieved another record – 142 species year to date, and that’s 8 better than I’ve ever done before at that date. Now it’s how to maintain that momentum. Let’s have a prediction, an ambitious one... 160 by the end of April.. that would be another record....in my dreams!

So that you are not bored with me quoting year to date figures constantly, I’m changing things. If (and when) I have an addition, it be in italics... and in red!!...plus any periodic milestones.

Friday 1^st April,  10.30am ...and I’ve decided to have part of the day in the wildlife centre at Carsington. The forecast is good, the schools are on half term, so we should see a few visitors, and with a bit of luck some migrant visitors too.

14.30, well the birds were OK, even if the public was absent.. Started well with a nice male Red Crested Pochard, albeit right over in Shiningford Creek North, and then disturbed by a fishing boat.  A nice calling chiffchaff was outside the centre, followed by a pair of Swallows.  A brief (-cold-) stroll round Stones Island added 2 House Martins, but although reported there were no sign of the Sand Martins or the Little Ringed Plover. 

Sunday 3^rd April, and this is the first of the 2 walks when I hope we may have an Osprey fly through. We’ve done well on April 1 in previous years so the precedent is good. I’ve also added another walk the following Sunday, the 10^th, to give us 2 chances. 

My publicity must be good.. 29 people turned up for the walk! Not the number I usually get, but Amanda joined Keith and Gary so between the 4 of us we were able to look after this large group. 22 of the party were people who had been on the walk before, and some of them bring scopes, so the 7 “Newbie’s” have plenty of people willing to help them id the birds.

Plenty of singing Chiffchaffs were about, and no one missed seeing or hearing this charismatic bird, so it was not surprising that Chiffchaff was the Bird of the Day. 2 nest boxes each had a Tree Sparrow sitting in front of the hole, as if on guard, and the Great Northern Diver was visible although closer to the far shore. Sadly no Hirundines (until after the walk was over!!), nor Osprey, although an Osprey had been reported flying through last Friday, AFTER I had gone home – nothing changes there.

As my bird walk is free, I have a collection box for anyone who would like to make a small completely voluntary contribution to our ongoing costs of maintaining the Osprey nests, and the group this morning gave a very generous £19. What kind people. 

Luckily, some of the group just heard and saw their first Willow Warbler for 2016.

As it’s a bit of a no news week, I thought I might end on W-o-W experience No.2.

A birder I know had a memorable experience on the Lincolnshire coast in June 2013. A Red Kite was spotted drifting over the saltmarsh, undoubtedly looking for food. After a Hobby gave the Kite a close look and then moved away, the Kite rose up over the grass bank to be immediately harassed by eight Avocets, prompting it to head back the way it had come, but faster. The Avocets were protecting their families of Avocet chicks, any one of which would have made a meal for the Red Kite. A truly Wow moment.