Avez-Vous un Cuppa?

Over the last couple of days I have tried to see a Red-footed Falcon which was reported at Rutland Water but seemingly didn't show to the majority of the local birders and I think a piece of string was involved?! However I did see a couple of year ticks in the form of a lovely Wood Sandpiper on Lagoon 4 and a Hobby over Lagoon 3 (or was it a distant Red footed Falcon?;-]). Following this I return to familiar surroundings and back to the local patch and three good year ticks. The first was a Hobby hunting over Watermead CP North on the 28th. Then yesterday I found a corking Black Tern feeding over King Lear's lake, Watermead CP North briefly mid afternoon and then moving on to Cossington Meadows to see if any migrants had dropped in due to the weather conditions? Although most of the reserve was quiet, Hobley Lake was a little gold mine when it came to migrants. Over a period of an hour and half I saw a brief Sandwich Tern flying through the valley, another Black Tern ...

As some of you would know, I have been on nights at the General Hospital for the last few days. So finishing my last shift yesterday morning and a few hours kip I got a text message from Roger Brett to let me know that a male Whinchat was in the large field next to Worcester Lake down at Watermead CP Birstall  section. So after some food and a shower it was off to the country park. I was soon scanning the field and thinking maybe I should have got out of bed as I couldn't find the Whinchat! Walking further around the enclosed field I finally picked up the bird as it flitted around the fence posts and nearby vegetation. Get In!(126 for Soar Valley challenge). Watching the bird I noted it was a corking female and must admit Whinchat's are lovely looking birds! Phoning out the news about the bird I also took a few record shots of the bird which you can see above. After taking some shots of the Whinchat I then took a circular walk around the rest of the northern section of ...

With a few days off before my nights start I have been down the Soar Valley most of the time. So over the last few days I have added more species to my Soar Valley year list, which now stands at 125 species for the year. These have come in the form of a Common Tern on King Lear's Lake at Watermead CP North on the 17th, a "reeling" Grasshopper Warbler on Barber's rough at Cossington Meadows on the 18th, and five year ticks on the 19th! A Lesser Whitethroat and Swift at Watermead CP South, a summer plumaged Dunlin on Wanlip Meadows, a nice male Yellow Wagtail in horse paddocks by Cossington Village and a Common Sandpiper on Hobley's Lake , Cossington Meadows. On the 20th, and probably the highlight of the week, Pete Jessop let me know that a Willow Tit was showing well from the Kingfisher Hide feeding station, so it was a good thing I was just around the corner from the hide and connected with the bird within a couple of minutes. Too put this sighting i...

Common Scoter Watermead CP North (Water-ski Pit) taken by John Hague. Although it felt cold in the morning with maybe something to do with the recent volcanic ash cloud? I noticed at Watermead CP South that more spring migrants had arrived over the last few days. I noted that at least ten Blackcaps were singing around the southern section of the park, but the highlight here was three Arctic Terns seen briefly over the pits before flying north up the valley. Moving on to Watermead CP North and Birstall section, sightings seen included a nice looking drake Common Scoter on the waterski pit, a large female Peregrine being mobbed by a couple of LBB Gulls and a newly arrived Sedge Warbler singing by the key lakes. After getting a text from Andy Mackay about a Whitethroat at Cossington Meadows and a quick lunch break I checked out Cossington Meadows. After about an hour on being on the reserve and not much to report except for the singing Reed Warbler on Moor Pool, it was back to W...

Over the last few days I have seen a few more spring migrants arrive in the valley and around the county. These included another Ring Ouzel and four Tree Pipits at Beacon Hill CP on the 10th. A nice looking male Redstart at Thornton Reservoir and a singing Reed Warbler (112 species!) at Cossington Meadows LRWT both on the 11th. Search Amazon.com for Leicestershire avifauna

I have been very busy at work lately so sorry for the lack of postings.... You may notice that I have started a link with Amazon and before you ask I haven't sold out to the capitalist world, but I thought if I'm going to link my blog and earn a little cash Amazon was probably the best website to do this?

As I noticed on my pager that good numbers of Ring Ouzels had reported this morning I decided to check out the usual sites in Leicestershire for this scarce migrant bird. At the first site (Warren Hills) I drew a blank so I then moved on to Beacon Hill CP. On route to Beacon Hill I noted a couple of Curlews in the nearby fields and hopefully there will breed again in the Charnwood forest area. Parking in the upper car park I did the circular walk around the top fields of the hill. Just before reaching car park again I suddenly noted a dark thrush sitting in the nearby trees which splits one of the fields. Scoping the bird I realised straight away that I was looking at a corking female Ring Ouzel !! More to follow soon.........

Distant shots of the Pallid Swift With my first big twitch of the year, myself, John Hague, Beast (Colin Towe) and Neil Hagley drove down to Suffolk for the Lesser Kestrel which had been near Minsmere RSPB for the last couple of days. Arriving on site around 8.30am, we just missed the bird as it did it's first fly-by of the day and then had to wait for another 45 minutes when finally the group picked up the bird hunting over the nearby heathland. Get In!!! (437 BOU tick). Although the bird was a bit distant at times you could clearly pick up the distinctive features of this lovely looking Male Lesser Kestrel as it perched on the fence posts. With the weather being pants for most of the time we were at Westleton Heath , the group was happy with the views of bird and decided on speedy retreat back to the car and then on to Kessingland for another British tick for John in the form of a Pallid Swift, which had been feeding over the local sewage works for a few days. Waiting for a sho...