23rd December 2019 - 27th December 2019

A pre Christmas amble up Seeswood Pool on the 23rd had me checking the Tufted Duck with 40+ birds (high numbers going on the last few years) when my eyes were drawn to a brighter slightly smaller duck with a noticeable white eye! I convinced myself it wasn't going to be a Ferruginous Duck but it was niggling me so decided to head home for the scope to obtain better views!!! Sure enough it was but the hybrid doubts were at the back of my mind especially as the bill nail seemed to have more black than I'd expect?? at the time I was thinking adult but after a cpl of discussions with a few Warks birders we came to the fact that its an advanced 1st Winter male!! No rings seen & very skittish & still present on the evening of the 27th..............

15th December 2019

Not done much over the last few months apart from local stuff with nothing really to report so when i received a call of Adam Archer asking if i was interested in going for the Black-throated Thrush at Whipsnade, Bedfordshire I jumped at the chance..... Only my 2nd in Britain with my last being way back in 1996 at Webheath, Redditch

27th April 2019

Shustoke Reservoir..Had to have another crack at this particularly confiding Little Ringed Plover early morning before all the disturbance with the added bonus of Arctic Tern.

25th April 2019

Went back to Middleton Lakes RSPB where after a few hours the Bar-tailed & Black-tailed Godwits came a little closer............

24th April 2019

A few hours wandering around several sites inc Shustoke Reservoir, Middleton Lakes RSPB & Dosthill Ski lake with great views of several Grasshopper Warbler, Little Ringed Plover, Bar & Black-tailed Godwit & a Curlew Sandpiper.........

23rd April 2019

Spent a few hours at Middleton Lakes RSPB watching a distant Little Tern but kept myself occupied watching the Avocets making the most of the Spring like weather......

18th April 2019

A cpl of hrs around Shustoke Reservoir on the 17th & 18th April produced some migrant activity with a cracking male Greenland Wheatear,Lesser Whitethroat & goood numbers of Swallows,Sand & House Martins also a Dunlin on the south shore which was actually singing & when i got home we'd had a small emergence of female Hairy-footed flower bees........

 

6th April 2019

A visit to Middleton Lakes RSPB looking for early Summer migrants resulted in hearing my 1st Grasshopper Warbler of the year, still 4 Pink-footed Geese & a cpl of Eygptian Goose on the reserve alongside the usual bits & bobs, I was just getting ready to leave when a msg from Phil Andrews alerted me to the fact a Cattle Egret had been found up near Fisher's Mill Bridge a little distant but a good Warks year tick........