How close can you get to Gannets?

Turned out to be a nice month, May 2022 so here goes.

Friday 29^th, I went to  a village near Repton, ostensibly to see Yellow Hammers. Wrong!!...BUT, as I walked across a grassed field, Yipeee  A lovely Skylark took to the sky singing joyfully. After it landed, another one did the same.  All worth while!

Despite being not properly dressed in a weekend break in Palma, Majorca (no bins!!) I ticked off a couple of world wide birds during our stay.  Swifts, of course, but great to see a nice Eleonora’s Falcon loafing  above as we sat outside a bar by the Cathedral and you can't miss Audouin's Gulls, even the one drinking from the pool next to which we were having a liquid lunch!!

May 15, during a 15,000 paces walk in Allestree, close to our old house in West Bank Rd,  we were buzzed by a pair of Swifts, as they explored houses near No 68!

May has actually been quite a good month for ticking off birds here or there and I have added 10 in this way.

During the BwB walk on 1^st May, which Keith and I covered whilst Amanda was still away, and Garry was in a Bird club walk, Garden warbler was found on Stones Island. Whilst on the tip of Stones, Simon Roddis, the Carsington expert called Arctic Tern and most of the group were able to see a pair flying south down the reservoir.

I decided to have a day at Old Moor on the 2^nd May and was surprised to see all the changes that have been made to the site with the Lottery grant. Bird wise it was disappointing, but just before I left, from the Bittern Hide I caught site of a lovely male Garganey.

I went again a fortnight later, and met up with Amanda on duty. We had good views of a Marsh Harrier, seen from the Wader Scrape hide. After lunch I popped into the tower hide at Broomhill Flash and managed to pick up the Black Necked Grebes, lurking amongst the reeds.

Sunday May 22^nd was the 30^th anniversary of the Queen opening Carsington Reservoir, so there were a lot of activities going on and a lot of people. Based on a tip, again from Simon, I went to Millfelds and with my scope picked up the Mediterranean Gull on Millfields island.

I had a nice couple of additions on a wet trip to Padley Gorge, starting from the top, going down the gorge and then a circuitous route back to the car…. Where and when IT RAINED.

I was wondering what I was going to find in the gorge, but my slow walking finally spotted a lovely male Pied Flycatcher (and another).  Talking to a couple of fellow birders, they pointed to a derelict ice building not far away, telling me that they had the very clear song from a Wood Warbler.  I went to the brick shelter and not being sure of the song, played it on my phone. In seconds, the Warbler was jumping round the branches above my head (looking for the mate??). I turned the sound off quickly and could see the lovely yellow chest of the little bird, together with it’s trembling as it sang it’s shivering trill, and which I now recognise.

Only two for the trip, but cracking birds.

Just got in a final birding trip on May 31 with a visit to Bempton. A Black-browed albatross had been around for a few days, but despite visiting the cliffs end to end, sadly by 2pm no sightings had been reported. 

Corn Bunting was another dip, but all 6 of the regular cliff birds were there, proving very popular for the large attendance.   These are two photographs I took at the southern end of the cliffs, where the nesting birds are nearest to the footpath.  Superb

 

And so end-of-May YTD is 149.  I’m thinking 51 more for the year is a huge target, but we’ll see. Majorca will not count…or?? 

Happy Birding

David

April 2022 - The Migrants arrive

Here we have report number 5 covering April, and the great swap of the Winter bird departures and the Spring arrivals is a thrill to all birders

I have been known to make references to birding items that get reported in the Daily Telegraph, and this one challenges use of the English language.

The article refers to an Osprey returning again to a nest in a Scottish forest, and it reports that the bird has been a popular sighting “…..settling on a nest with a newly installed camera.” I hope it knows how to adjust the focus.

Wed April 13.  Birding friend Chris having generously been past the Covid infection by her husband John, meant that she was unfortunately not able to join Marion, Paul and I when we had a morning at Willington GP. Clearly we were well into migration time and I was able to add 3 species to my year list, with the 3 Hirundines, and also Blackcap, Willow Warbler (first for 2022) and a couple of Blackcaps.  It absolutely teemed down mid-morning so it was a dash for the hide but at least we had some rewards.

Good to hear that after 5 years waiting, the Ospreys at Poole harbour have laid their first egg; no doubt there will be a constant vigil to keep an eye on the egg and maybe another one or two eggs. I’ll try and keep you posted.

Chris and I had a day at Whisby on the 26^th, hoping to spot/hear a Nightingale. Sadly the trip was abortive, in fact nothing even reported in the visitors book although they have been reported on the south coast this week; the DOS has a group trip to Whisby on Sunday May 1 so hopefully they will have arrived by then. I could not join that trip as it is the same day that I am standing in for Amanda for the Carsington bird walk so hopefully the DOS walk will be more fruitful.

On the way back  from Whisby, following good advice from Mac a Carsington volunteer, I dropped in at Bramcote cemetery. Albeit Mac lives close to some woods near Ilkeston said to be good for all 3 peckers, he told me that the Bramcoat cemetery was a dead cert (!!!) for Green Peckers, so at 15.55 walking round the cemetery…. Jackpot, a nice male prospecting the grass.  How would a layman know of the location?   He is an undertaker, and clearly has time to loiter whilst funeral services are taking place. I was respectful… I did not walk round with my bins.

Wed 27^th a morning at Attenborough ( a venue you know I visit regularly) was very productive migrant-wise.

Loads of Sand Martins going in the Sand Martin bank non-stop, plus prospecting on the ground in front of the viewing hide, giving superb views of their colours. Common Terns were around and we added Blackcaps, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Sedge Warblers plus one Cetti W.

So it’s 132 to date, for the first 6 months of MY year.  Now it gets harder!!

Happy birding