Avez-Vous un Cuppa?

Here is a quick video of the mobile Glossy Ibis at Wanlip Meadows LRWT in May 2014.

Here's a roundup of some of the stuff I've seen down the local patch in the Soar Valley over the last month. These have included the long-staying Glossy Ibis at Wanlip Meadows LRWT , the one day twitchable Great White Egret at Cossington Meadows LRWT.  A nice looking 2 winter Yellow-legged Gull,  and a  Juvenile type Black Tern  at Watermead CP South . 2nd Winter Yellow-legged Gull at Watermead CP South Another shot of the Yellow-legged Gull at Watermead CP South. Record shot of the Great White Egret at Cossington Meadows LRWT. Juvenile Black Tern at Watermead CP South. A sleeping Glossy Ibis at Wanlip Meadows LRWT.  

Here is a couple of digishots of the Temminck's Stint at Wanlip Meadows LRWT I saw yesterday. I think this is the eighth bird to be recorded on the scrape at Wanlip in the last ten years, so you can say Wanlip Meadows has a bit of a track record for attracting these little waders!! Record shot of the Temminck's at Wanlip! Better record shot of the Temminck's Stint at Wanlip Meadows LRWT!

Well over the last week and since returning from Biscay I have finally added Wryneck  to my county list when I saw the long staying bird at Great Glen on the Sunday. After that I found a couple of good birds down the Soar Valley which pushed me past 140 target mark. These included a juvenile Marsh Harrier flying over Cossington Meadows LRWT, which John Hague just about twitched from London!?!, a nice looking adult winter Black Tern at Watermead CP South  and a "dodgy?" Cape Shelduck on Wanlip Meadows LRWT which was a Soar Valley tick for me! The Wryneck at Great Glen and the Cape Shelduck at Wanlip Meadows.

Here is a list of sightings I counted yesterday at Watermead CP North: Great Crested Grebe:39, Cormorant:13, Grey Heron:14, Mute Swan:39, Canada Goose:72, Wigeon: 21, Gadwall:18, Teal:62, Mallard:85, Shoveler:36, Pochard:23, Tufted Duck:133, Little Grebe:7, Goosander:7, Smew:1,Moorhen: 27,Coot: 119, Water Rail:1, Kingfisher:1, Lapwing:2, Buzzard:3, RED KITE:1, Kestrel:1, Sparrowhawk:2, and one Weasel! I also checked out Watermead South and Birstall meadows later in the day and had another year tick in the form of a Redshank feeding on the Birstall Meadows (No.98).

Hi all, here is a list of sightings I saw yesterday down the Soar Valley. Wanlip Meadows LRWT: Most of the sightings were on the scrape (except for the Hobby!) 1 Juvenile Wood Sandpiper 1 Greenshank 4 Green Sandpipers 6+ Snipe 1 Hobby Watermead CP North: 1 Juvenile Sandwich Tern seen on King Lear's Lake between 16.10 and 17.45pm when it flew off low east. 8 Common Terns (including 3 juveniles) over King's Lear's Lake. So looking at the sightings I had a pretty good afternoon down the valley finding a Wood Sand on the scrape and then putting the icing on the cake by the sighting of the Juv Sandwich Tern flying around King Lear's Lake!! Some times local patch working does have it rewards.

Hi all, check out a few sites in the valley yesterday, although there wasn't much to report!?Probably the highlight of the day was seeing 3 Little Egrets and 1 Yellow Wagtail on the Hobley Pool/Upper Marsh section of Cossington Meadows . Other sightings included the long staying drake Red crested Pochard and good numbers of Swifts (20+) at Watermead CP South . Strangly for the time of the year Wanlip Meadows was very quiet with only a Common Sandpiper and 3 Common Terns the only noteworthy sightings. Hopefully with the weekend looking good weather wise we should get some more unusal sightings or probably I'm just tempting fate?!

Avocet at Wanlip Meadows!! Hi all, I checked a couple of sites this morning in the Soar Valley. At Cossington Meadows this morning sightings I saw included a Grasshopper Warbler "reeling" on the Lower marsh section, but there was no sign of the previous day's Avocets on Hobley Pool. Other spring migrants seen included Whitethroat , Sedge Warbler and good numbers of Swallows , House Martins , and Sand Martins . At Wanlip Meadows I re found one of the Avocets feeding on the scrape and other waders seen included 2 Green Sandpipers , a couple of Dunlins , an Oystercatcher and the other usual waders. Other spring migrants recorded on the scrape included 3 Yellow Wagtails and small numbers of Martins and Swallows.

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.