Since I’ve become an octogenarian, I don’t think I quite
fire on all cylinders the way I have in previous year. In the last 4 weeks, I have had 2 occasions
when I thought about where to go birding, like Padley, Frampton, Rutland or
Attenborough, but after my full English I decided I had not got the necessary
tiger in the tank, so I cut the lawn instead. Perhaps it was the fact that I
would have been birding solo that curbed the enthusiasm.
I like company when I go out, both for the company, and to increase
the number of observation eyes. I have always been a firm believer in the
saying that it is not what you know but who you know, and some of those “Who’s”
have been a great help in my birding
Anyway, thanks to the info providers, this week has
reinvigorated the juices ( Ed; I think you’ve
got some mixed metaphors there.) and I’ve found some cracking birds that’s Amanda. Eh?
Sorry.. …cracking birds thanks Amanda!!!
Tuesday 4th June, Chris and I met up at Broomhill Flash, and with nothing
notable there we headed over to Old Moor. Amanda was on duty and gave us the SP
on what was around. Everywhere seemed
very overgrown and there was little at the feeding station, although a Yellow
Hammer was reported but not whilst we were there.
The first
goody was a Mediterranean Gull nesting on it’s regular (for years!) island in
front of the family hide, and we had a very clear view such that we could
contrast the black head with the chocolate coloured heads on the many Black
Headed Gulls.
A pair of
Shelduck with 9 youngsters was spectacular and one can but hope they will all
survive.
The Wader
scrape triangle was worthy of our loitering, ticking off a lovely continuous
song from a Garden Warbler, and then a silent Sedge Warbler. An observant young
lady in the hide called a Bittern, and we all watched it fly left all along the tree line, until it
dropped down in the reed bed near the A6195, and in front of the private hide,
an area where 3 Bitterns nested last year.
I do comment on catering when I can and give credit when it
is due. Sadly, I don’t think the Old Moor catering is what it was. There used
to be a choice of ¾ hot meals, and you could look smell and select from the hot
table, like casserole, skins, strog etc. Alas a fixed menu now of bacon
butties, pasta and jackets are the limit.
After lunch, with a mental route map courtesy again of
Amanda we went to the Bittern hide, and very soon picked up Bearded Tits. 2 or 3 bird were very active in the reed beds
and were entertaining as they gripped reeds which promptly bent to lower them
gracefully deeper down into the reeds. Difficult to describe.. you just had to be
there to see it!!
They are in here!!!
With some enjoyable sightings, and 2 on my year list (= 167)
we decamped shortly after 4pm, just as it started to rain – hard.
I don’t get a great variety of birds in my garden, but
currently a pair of Blackbirds are very regular collecting food from the lawn
presumably for a hidden nest and their young, I assume. As I sit now at my
desk, looking to the left there is a high fence, and I repeatedly see one
Dunnock just sitting there. Another pair are making whoopee (as Dunnocks do),
but I suspect that Billy no-mates is keeping tabs on a nest… which is why his
inactivity is so out of character.
Thursday 6th June,
I managed to
squeeze what turned out to be 50% successful, another morning at Padley Gorge.
With no school holidays (although 2 minibuses full turned up later!), and no
weekend walkers I was able to park at the head of the gorge and work my way down
the path to the money tree. Being so quiet I had only just gone through the top
gate when I had my first of 3 Pied Flycatchers, including 2 cracking males. Add
to that I spotted one Pied Flycatcher, and a couple of Tree Creepers, one only
just missing me as it slammed against a trunk.
I made my way up through the
gate to the open area, and almost immediately I was watching active Redstarts followed by a second group further
along the top. A distant Cuckoo was also nice to hear.
Sadly, no
sign of Wood Warbler, so it was back to the car and up to Burbage. No Whinchat,
but soon after the crude bench of the right, I picked up a male Ring Ouzel high on the rocks near the single
tree. Just time to see the white chest in my scope before he dived away, but
that was good enough for me.
You can argue about whether it should be on your list, and
it is NOT on the BTO list, but I did see a lovely white plumaged Muscovy Duck at Buxton, on the way home.
With a current count of 170 species (or 85%) now to
non-avian matters!
I have been looking for a long time for a walking cane with
a leg shaped handle to add to my Microtibialist collection, and I picked this one up at a huge antique fair at
Newark. A lady’s walking cane made in
bronze. It just won’t fit in my display box!!
Good news that the Volunteers at Carsington Water are planning
to add manning the wildlife centre on a Thursday to their present duties of
Tuesday and Sunday. They do a great job in helping the public, and a Thursday
is likely to embrace more school parties, which is hopefully how and where a
birding interest is born.
Oh goody!!!! A birding QI item! On Sunday it will be 85 years since Donald
Duck first appeared on screen, in The Wise Little Hen…….. go on google it, and
see what animation was like nearly 100 years ago!!
A bit early this week, but all will be revealed.
Happy Birding
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