Avez-Vous un Cuppa?

Day off from work yesterday and I checked out a few sites in Rutland for some orchids and unusual flowers for most of the day (See the next post). However in the evening I found 6 Black-tailed Godwits feeding at Birstall Meadows !GET IN!!another tick for the city list. With these birds I am now on 106 for the year.

Here is the latest update on the city year list: Spotted Redshank OMFL!!  With the morning off before work in the afternoon, I checked out the usual Soar Valley sites. Sightings included the Temminck's Stint and Wood Sandpiper at Wanlip Meadows LRWT and a mobile Black Tern at Watermead CP North. It wasn't until I got to Birstall Meadows that I struck gold, when I found a Spotted Redshank feeding on the floods! GET IN! 103 for the city year list! As usual I sent a few texts around and phoned John Hague about the bird. This was only the second time I had seen Spotted Redshank down the Soar Valley, so really a bit of mega for the site! With a few more easy ticks to come, I am now targeting to get at least 115 species for my year list!?!

Off from work today, so it was down the valley again. I checked out Watermead CP South and Birstall Meadows first. The highlights I saw included finally seeing the elusive male Pintail which was flying around the site following a large flock of wigeon until it settled on the flooded waters on Birstall Meadows. Ok you say what so special about the Pintail, well its a bit of a Mega in the Soar Valley as usually we only get a record once every five years. I let John Hague know about it as I think he still needs Pintail for his Soar Valley list? As the winter chill has finally release its grip it was also good to note a couple of calling Chiffchaff in the surrounding vegetation. Moving on to Wanlip North Lakes, and walking a short distance from the car I noticed the Geese flock next to the horse paddocks. Scanning the flock I noticed straight away that it contained a smart looking Pink-footed Goose , Get In!! So another bird on the Soar Valley list, I slowly moved closer to get a record ...