Avez-Vous un Cuppa?

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...

Hi all, check out a couple of sites this morning and saw at least three Green Sandpipers on the scrape with the other usual waders at Wanlip Meadows .The only other noteworthy sighting I had in the morning was in the form of a female Common Scoter on Watermead CP South next to the island.

Red-rumped Swallow twitch. Yesterday Morning at around 8.15am I got a phone call from Rob Gill who was at Watermead CP North and he had found a Red-rumped Swallow in the mobile hirundine flock. At this point, panic struck in as I knew that I couldn't get out of work until mid-afternoon at the earliest, so I thought, bugger, shite, stuck at work!! I phoned and sent text messages around to let my birding mates of the discovery of the Red-rumped and then got back to dealing with the day job. Checking my Birdnet pager and Birdguides on the ward computer at regular occasions, to make sure the bird was still there, it wasn't until after three pm, that I finally left the hospital. As Watermead CP is not that far from the General Hospital, I finally arrived at the "Pec Pit" opposite the Hope and Anchor pub just after 3.20pm. It took me a few minutes to locate the bird as it flew over the gravel pit feeding with the other hirundines, but was relieved that the bird was still ...