Avez-Vous un Cuppa?

Here is a few shots of the adult Caspian Gull I found this morning at Watermead CP South. This is probably a first for the Soar Valley!

As it says above this week I have been listening to classic tunes from my student days! One of my favourites was this tune by the superband Electronic "Get the Message" Enjoy!

Following news on Saturday evening of a Laughing Gull at Foremark Reservoir in nearby Derbyshire, I decided to check out Albert Village Lake, as the bird might drop in to this site the next day?! So over a couple of hours looking at the gulls, there was no sign of the Laughing Gull but I did find 2 Adult Caspian Gulls and a single Adult Yellow-legged Gull . Trying to digiscope the gulls I had forgotten to put my flashcard back into the camera, so no photos of the birds! Bugger!!, and as I know that Caspian Gull is a description species for Leicestershire the best I could do was try and film them with my mobile phone!! So below is my efforts! Walking back to the car I noticed a flock of birds land in nearby trees and then the unmistakeable sounds of Waxwings calling! Get In!! Watching the flock by the main road I noted at least 13 birds feeding on the nearby Rowan bushes before there moved off again towards the village. On this note I called it a day and drove...

As the statement says above Bearded Tit on my fooking list! So after my third attempt of trying to see the bleeding things I finally connected yesterday morning, as the group of three males and two females flew across the moor pool reed bed at Cossington Meadows LRWT . Looking at the Soar Valley Year list, the beardies now puts me on 145 species. I added Waxwing to the list the previous Sunday, when I had four birds calling over the reed bed at Watermead CP North. So with a few weeks left until the end of the year, I might just added a couple of species to the year list, here's hoping?

Last night, myself, John and his lovely wife Leigh went to see John Bishop at De Montfort Hall, Leicester. All I can say is that he was BRILLIANT!, and I haven't laughed so much for ages! Although it wasn't "At The Apollo",you get my drift from the video above!

With the weather looking good for some Vis-migging on the Wednesday, as usual I positioned myself on the Mammoth viewpoint from 7.30am. It was bloody cold and after two hours of watching I called it a day for probably my last vis-mig session of the autumn. No major highlights down the valley and a bit of a quiet end to the season! The full results can be seen at the trektellen site here:  http://www.trektellen.nl/trektelling.asp?telpost=810&land=5&site=0&datum=20101110&taal=2

Just a quick note, American Bittern OMFL!! Myself, John Hague and Dave Mack went down to Cornwall last Friday to see the bird and in due course we saw the bird. Please see the link of some great footage taken by John on-site of the Bittern! Link:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rec-F1t5eps

More experiments with my mobile phone! This time some footage of the recent Leicester Tigers v Australia match at Welford Road.

Here is my first attempt of un cuppa tv of the Grey Phalarope myself and John Hague saw at Rutland Water dam today! If this doesn't work try the link below: http://www.youtube.com/user/davidearlgray?feature=mhum#p/a/u/0/GSZn9y0mLXg

With the last count of the month, Vis-migging from the Mammoth watch point was actually very quiet and not much was moving. The only highlight of the morning was an Little Egret flying north @ around 7.50am. The full details for the watch can be found here:  http://www.trektellen.nl/trektelling.asp?telpost=810&site=0&land=5&taal=2&datum=20101031 Due to an adult Franklin's Gull dodging the county border in nearby Derbyshire and roosting at Foremark Reservoir for a few nights, I checked out Albert Village Lake (AVL) again in the hope that the gull would appear here? However the gull had other ideas and at the moment still refuses to cross the county boundary! So the two days I was at AVL last week I found a 1st winter Med Gull ,an adult Caspian Gull and at least two adult Yellow-legged Gulls in the large gull flock. A couple shots of the adult Caspian Gull at AVL.