Birdfair and Rutland Water

Managed to limit myself to a single purchase at Birdfair, picked up the moth guide for 20 quid, a bargain. Good to see friends and grab a couple of tarts ticks in the shape of King and Packham. Cant deny their passion is inspiring. Jonny Kingdom lumbered past, I was suprised to even spot him since he was bedecked in camo. Camped, so was able to attend the friday night bat walk. Common and Soprano Pips, one Noctule and a possible Whiskered. Something I would like to do more of. What happened to the saturday night entertainment?! Had to resort to sitting at the campsite drinking CIDER and adding to 'The Campsite List' which by sunday included Yellowhammer and Osprey. The onsite security was pretty hot this year; always questioned upon leaving the campsite to enter the fair in the evening. "Where are you going?" "Why are you here?" "How big is your list?".

Went to the Lyndon reserve on sunday, Tree Sparrow from the centre and Osprey from the Shallow Water hide the highlights. Juv Yellow Wag, Egyptian Goose and a few Blackwits made up the numbers. Stunning day weatherwise in a very English part of the country that I rarely visit.

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Grey Phalarope- a new patch bird

The 7th of April was another bitterly cold Spring day, hats and gloves in prime position on pegs and in bags ready to be deployed. A few brave Garganey have been reported north of the river, but it was a bird from the north itself that had me rushing for the thermals and the telescope late in the day. I was thankful for the local Whatsapp group who were quick to report that a Grey Phalarope had been seen on Rockland Broad. This tiny Wader would have come in on the northerlies over the last few days, although to grace one of the broads is a real surprise, since most stick pretty close to the coast before moving on. Indeed, my experience of the birds has usually been on a sea watch in the Autumn, waves crashing and foam flying, my eyes straining to pick them out as they fly low just above the surf. They are fantastic birds, and now one was here on the patch. I had a brief panic when I realised my scope was in my car at the garage (thankfully I do have a much older spare) but once th...

A weekend to live long in the memory

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Claxton-on-sea!

Although it was not quite the Christmas we wanted here in the valley, the rain has bought its own gift. A grim vision of the future, perhaps. But right now, the patch is peaking and is alive with birds, and for that I am thankful. On Christmas eve, it was a job to navigate away from the village due to standing water that had left abandoned cars and undelivered presents in its wake. The rain had been persistent and unforgiving, the ground, saturated. Over on the marsh, where there had once been a muddy puddle amongst the pasture, a city had sprung from the leak, with a plethora of new occupants noisily laying claim to a patch of sodden marsh. Wigeon and Black-headed Gulls in their thousands now wheeled and whistled over and amongst the newly formed pools, accompanied by smaller numbers of Teal and Shoveler. A flock of two hundred-strong Lapwing enjoyed feeding on the less damp spots where green grass was still exposed, and thrown in for good measure have been a couple of Ruff, the ...

Notes from the valley

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