24th April - 29th April 2014

Most of the last week spent in the Tame Valley looking for migrants with the best being Little Tern at Shustoke & 2 different Black Terns with 1 still present today (29/4) also a small passage of Arctics thru along with a Wood Sandpiper at Middleton Lakes & the Glossy Ibis which even did the decent thing & flew into Warks!! Also spent a cpl of hours up on Cannock Chase on the 28th catching up with 2 Wood Warbler,Common Redstart,Tree Pipit & a cpl of calling Cuckoo............

Little Tern

Black Tern

Common Tern

Arctic Tern

Wood Warbler

13th April-22nd April 2014

The last week or so has been mainly chasing after Summer migrants with just the one twitch out of the area for a mega 'Crag Martin' at Flamborough,Yorkshire on the 13/4/14 where we were lucky enough to relocate it & have cracking views for several minutes whilst the main crowd were chasing after a Tawny Pipit (Talk about wrong priorities??) We also had good views of the Pipit later

The rest of the week in between work was just in the Tame Valley etc picking up Common migrants with Cuckoo,Swift,Grasshopper Warbler,Arctic Tern being the best bits along with a Glossy Ibis at Middleton Lakes,Staffs...

On the 21st Bobby D found a female/1st Winter male Black Redstart in Mancetter before I got a call from John Judge at Draycote with a probable RR Swallow over so made the trip over to have a look,no Swallow but did get a Warks tick of Fulmar (Thanks to Tim Marlow) & JJ for the call as the bird didn't hang around more than about 20mins also picked up several Little Gull & 2 Common Scoter.... 22nd had me back in the Tame Valley at Shustoke & found a nice Drake Garganey & Common Sandpiper along with 2 Common Tern,4 Arctic Tern & Swift over........

15th March -30th March 2014

With the start of the migration under way my main aim has been trying to find as many early migrants as possible! Finding my 1st true migrant whilst walking the dog on the 15th a cracking male Northern Wheatear followed by a few singing Chiffchaff with Sand Martins,Blackcap,Willow Warbler & Little Ringed Plover all added before the months end....... Some good local birds inbetween comprising of a male Firecrest a dodgy bit of wildfowl in the shape of a hybrid duck resembling  a female Scaup (& reported as such) Until I managed some shots proving otherwise & the Glossy Ibis at Brownhills,W.Mids which reappeared after going missing for a few weeks............... & the month ending with 2 Taiga Bean Geese in Worcs