Trittiford Update - Spring

Not much about at Trittiford even most of the Gulls have gone but still had a few enjoyable walks around it is lovely at this time of year, watching birds build nests and pairing up with each other the birds just pop up and start singing It's wonderful.
New in are Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers, as soon as you enter Trittiford all you can here is Willow Warbler :) Two Shovelers Male and Female were still present at the start of April.
Also we have beautiful Treecreepers building nests and Long-tailed tits, and Great Spotted Woodpeckers drilling. Also 2 Swallows on the 19th of April.
No sign of any Swans this week hopefully she has gone of to find a partner lol
Also saw my first ever Mink so pretty hard to believe how vicious they can be :(
The Little Egrets were still present at the Old Mill Pond at the end of March but no sign in April.

Iberian Chiffchaff - Granville Country Park, Telford Shropshire

A nice sunny Sunday morning we decided to head to Telford for the Iberian Chiffchaff, We pulled up got out of the car and Dave heard him straightaway I was so pleased thought we would have to wait hours, we walked into the woody area and saw him straightway a lifer for me so was over the moon and I always get so nervous because I struggle to see them in the trees but soon located him :)
Felt so lucky to be able to see him straightway as one birdwatcher had waited over two hours the day before. He sung his little heart out most of the time we were there i'm not very good with bird songs but it sounded completely different to Chiffchaff more energetic lovely song, the Collins guide lists a few differences but very hard to see them on this bird the one thing that stands out is there's alot more yellow on him more like a Willow Warbler very pretty as all warblers are :) got a few record shots of him when we first got there in the tree, but then the photography mode sets in ;) had great views of him at one point he was right in front of us but my camera wouldn't focus he just kept moving to branch to branch and I think I get anxious when there that close because I know I have limited time and I think stressing makes me not take time with taking photos but was very tricky I know others have struggled too, and it's never about the photos but at the time when your spending such a long time there trying to photograph it becomes gutting when you don't get anything :( but even though I moan and get upset I still love it, love the birds to bits and love photography and so happy to of least got a record shot :) and so grateful to Dave for taking me for this bird and all the beautiful birds I have seen don't know how he puts up with me some times. (sorry for being a moaning cow lol )
Dave got a beautiful photo so clear and you can see all the detail of the bird :)

Dave's photo

Taken by Dave Hutton

My Record Shots

The Iberian Chiffchaff was in the woody area of the Granville country park a lovely woods, with a canal at the back and you walk through some trees and come to some ruins which were old Lodge Furnaces and an Old winding House reading about the place it has quite a bit of history to it love places like this :) 

Black-necked Grebe, Common Scoter and Migrants

With News coming through on the Wednesday of a Black-necked Grebe at Shustoke, was gutted because I had work and Dave was going to work, was hoping it would still be there the next day Dave was on nights so he said if news comes through its still there message him at eleven, I was in Morrisons when the twitter alert came through it was there I was so excited but it was still early so waited till eleven then messaged Dave, then of I went to met Dave at Shustoke a new driving adventure not helped by a road closure and a phone directions that take forever to reroute but I got there in the end it was very distant but still lovely to see such beautiful birds and very happy to have him on my year list :) and so nice to see one at Shustoke, I got an extremely distant record shot can just make him out lol :)
He was still there on the Friday but was playing hide and seek he was really close to the edge on the other side so Me and Dave walked round there and then no sign of him at all vanished and Dave went back later on in the evening and he did the same again lol would of been nice to photograph him but just so glad I got to see him and feels like a proper warwickshire tick being at Shustoke.

On the Saturday we headed to Cannock Chase it was very quite there heard a distant Cuckoo and it wasn't until the walk back we saw Tree Pipit had lovely views so made it worth while :)

Whilst at Cannock Chase news had come on Twitter that there was a Common Scoter at Shustoke lol (hmmm the amount of times Me and Dave walk round there and don't find anything) lol

We headed back Went to Middleton Lakes first and picked up Common Whitethroat and heard Lesser Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler, we then headed to Shustoke for the Common Scoter I was so excited we arrived and Tom and other birders were there, they said it's distant over the other side, Dave went to get scope but stoped to talk to some birders which seemed like forever I was dying to see the Scoter lol  Dave got him in the scope for me and a big smile appeared on my face, gorgeous bird, we then decided to walk round as it seemed quite close on the other side but by the time we got round there it had gone slightly more out but looked like it was coming closer again so we went up the bank had my best views ever but hard to photograph light kept changing but got a couple of record shots :) 

On the Sunday we went back to Middleton Lakes on the evening and we saw Lesser Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler this time but gained another two heard only lol Reed Warbler and 

Grasshopper Warbler, hopefully we won't have to wait to long before we see them lol

It has been a really enjoyable couple of day's looking for migrants is so exciting and the

Black-necked Grebe and Common Scoter was a very welcome added Bonus and even the Common birds at Middleton Lakes are beautiful Robins flying and landing next to you and a very showy Dunnock I love them all :) Oh and a very big Turtle at Middleton looked massive with a yellowy shell lol 

Also got a Moth Lifer this weekend Common Quaker only the one Moth but still nice and this morning Dave found a little mirco on the wall outside which was also a new one for me Eriocrania Subpurpurella beautiful goldy shiny colour but couldn't get a photo he flew of before I clicked camera grrrr such tricky little things lmao :)

  

      

Draycote Water and Summer Migrants

Had a nice weekend at Draycote Water spending two days there walking round all of it both times and dipping on the Slav Grebe again, would of been lovely to see him as it would of been a Warwickshire tick, but it was still a nice couple of days, so enjoyable getting migrants, we got to see the beautiful Yellow Wagtails stunning birds, and also White Wagtail which Dave spent time explaining the differences between White and Pied after getting the chance to study them through bins you can clearly see the White Wagtail has a much cleaner look appearance very pale grey and paler wing pattern and looks more cleaner whiter underneath on the sides and a neater black bib whearas on the pied the bib extends more scruffy looking. I think hopefully in this plumage I would be able to pick one out now it's really nice learning I sometimes get frustrated because I don't see what Dave sees i'm like but the look the same but he makes sure I get there in the end and it's all part of the fun of bird watching being able to learn all the time and enjoy every minute of it as well :)
Never got a photo of the White Wagtail but can clearly see the image of him in my head and did get some photos of a Pied Wagtail which was nice with being able to see how different the pied Looks to the White Wagtail :)
Also got a record shot of the Great Northern Diver lol I know I know but i'm going to say it again I just love them lol just something about them :)

Monday Morning Dave took his car in for MOT, so we went for a nice walk round Seeswood had Wheatear and are first summer Common Sandpiper which was really nice.

Then news come through of Little Gulls and an Arctic Tern at Shustoke so we headed there in my car there was 3 Little Gulls which I just couldn't get onto in flight but then they were on the water so had lovely scope views they are so much smaller and the black head really stands out annoying that I couldn't pick one out in flight again I will get there the more bird I see the more I will get use to them and be able to pick them out. The Arctic Tern was still there got to see him sitting on the ball in the water and in flight stunning bird with those long tail streamers year tick for us both and another migrant a very enjoyable morning ( think Daves still recovering from my driving ) lmao 

Easter Week Birding !!! Bird Lifer and Moth Lifer's

A great week off work for Me and Dave lot's of birding but also just chilling out :)
We went to Farmoor for the Red-necked Grebe but he wasn't showing as well as last year but think that was down to a few plonkers there ;) but still lovely to see and got a couple of record shots.
Also we picked up are first Willow Warbler of the year and Common Tern which was great to get them in March and got to see the Great Northern Diver I just love them :)

1st of April we went to Draycote Water to try and get the Slav Grebe but it wasn't there I was very disappointed as it would of been lifer for me, so Dave took me to Rutland we saw the Osprey's which was amazing to be able to see the two Ospreys I had been watching on the camera online was brilliant also there was a Pergrine Falcon which was nice, then we saw a Red-necked Grebe then Dave was looking in the Scope and said I have a summer plumage Slav Grebe it was so stunning that bright orangy neck stands out even at a distant and the beautiful red eye and long ear coverts I was over the moon too distant for photos but so happy to of seen him love him :)

Also we saw lot's of Red kites which was a year tick for me, you could see all the detail on them flying quite low great to see :) 

The Next couple of Days were spent at Marsh Lane Nature Reserve got some photos of Lapwing which is nice as I hadn't really got any also got a record shot of Common Snipe.

The Highlight was an Osprey in flight Dave was looking in his bins then shouted Osprey Osprey it was so exciting to be able to watch one local in flight distant but still stunning feel very lucky two Osprey's at Rutland then the next day This one in flight as Marsh Lane just awesome :) 

Also over the Week I got two new Moths one that Dave found at Draycote on the wall Twin-spotted Quaker a new one for us both stunning Moth.

Then at Dave's We put the trap on and got Brindled Pug a new one for me, just love my Moths can't wait till I can get a Moth Trap.