23rd April 2012

Had a trip out to Highgate Common,Staffs today with good friend John Liggins hoping for some pics of Tree Pipit had fairly good views but the light was always a pain!! headed over to Cannock chase afterwards for some year ticks with Common Redstart,Pied Flycatcher & Cuckoo (heard only) made the mistake of leaving the camera in the car at the Chase despite Liggo telling me i'd regret it (Yep he was right!!) Walking up the track to seven springs when a Tree Pipit decided to come down & bathe followed by a male Crossbill with the Tree Pipit being less than 25ft from us!!! After an enjoyable few hrs with a few Year ticks headed for home stopping off at Baxterley for the Ring Ouzel with both male & female present in the roadside field but again no pics!!!

22nd April 2012

Headed down to Titterstone Clee,Shropshire Sunday morning hoping for some shots of the Ring Ouzels (No such look) only saw them briefly before they flew out of site so had to comfort myself with getting some shots of the Northern Wheatears with a few males still displaying & allowing me to get quite close!!

21st April 2012

Popped over to Draycote Water to have a go at getting some White Wagtail shots as there has been a small fall in the last few days with 10+ along Farborough bank after about 3hrs managed some shots to be happy off also had at least 5 Northern Wheatear before departing for Brandon Marsh where i was soon year ticking a very elusive Nightingale which was briefly glimpsed but sang well also picked up Sedge Warbler,Reed Warbler & Common Whitethroat for the year!!

6/4/12 - 9/4/12

Out & about looking for migrants with both Yellow Wagtail & House Martin & a Ruff at Draycote Water on the 6th 6 Swallow & 12 Sand Martin on Seeswood with 30+ Fieldfare on the 7th Common Sandpiper & Little Ringed Plover at Shustoke on the 8th & my 1st returning Common Tern on Seeswood this morning (9th) which was seen Yesterday by Maddo etc
A call from Tom Perrins alerting me to a Rock/Water Pipit at Shustoke had me packing me gear & making the short journey where i was soon rewarded with good views of a Scandinavian Rock Pipit (found by Pete Forbes) also seen Sand Martin,Swallow,1 Northern Wheatear & 2 Grey Wagtail

3rd April 2012

A walk around the pool this morning produced a single Swallow (my 1st on the pool this year) & missed a Red Kite which floated over the back fields about 20 mins before!! (Only the 2nd or 3rd record) After that decided to head to Coton Lakes looking for migrants with at least 2 Swallow & 50+ Sand Martin,Chiffchaff & 2 Blackcap before having a quick check from the hide where 1st bird i saw was a Whooper Swan (prob my 1st Warks record for at least 20years) Popped into Kingsbury where i was rewarded with great views of Treecreeper nest building!!

SEESWOOD POOL PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT

Over the past Week i've received a cpl of emails regarding Seeswood Pool & a proposed Development around the pool! It seems the landed gentry are wanting to put a few more beans in their bank account by offering their land for development!! Arbury Estate Owner Lord Daventry has i'm told offered the land around the pool & all the way upto Robinsons End!! This will totally destroy Seeswood & its habitat!!

email from K.Greenway  we spoke to the farmer he has been notified by Lord Daventry and will be compensated! Will not say how much notice he has.Seeswood & Bermuda are the only sites for 5000 houses that have plans submitted with Seeswood taking the majority 3220. It was Lord Daventry who approached the council with access to his land

Anyone on Facebook can sign up to the action group at seeswood pool seeswood pool
Below a map of the proposed site (When i say proposed it sounds like a done deal if the farmer has been given notice & compensation agreed??)

31st March 2012

Took a trip down to Titterstone Clee,Shropshire this morning for the Ring Ouzels,the weather was fine when i set out but within minutes of arriving on the clee the hill mist dropped making it cold & with visibility down to about 150ft making viewing difficult! I managed some distant shots of the pair of Ring Ouzel & also had about 10 Northern Wheatear & a Stoat made a brief appearance before i gave up & headed for home with a small diversion to Shustoke where i picked up my 1st Swallow & Willow Warbler of the year!!!