26th May 2014

A late start this morning with the weather not looking brilliant,a quick phone call to Tom Perrins & Jules Allen & the decision was made ad Long Tailed Skua at Hatfield Moors,S.Yorks directions not the best & onsite bloody awful (Unless your local) After walking the wrong way for at least 1 1/2 hrs & 1 birder who'd seen the bird but couldn't/wouldn't give us directions....... we eventually caught up with the bird which gave reasonable views although a little distant for the camera (But my 1st ad so well happy!!)

17th & 18th May 2014

Very quiet nationally so spent the weekend around the Tame valley & Middleton lakes picking up Hobby new for the Year also 2 stunning male Ruff at Middleton Lakes &  ad Pectoral Sandpiper on the 19th my 2nd in the Tame,showed well but to distant for photographs so had to settle for a confiding Yellow Wagtail which I spent a good few hrs with over the weekend & brief views of a Grasshopper Warbler in fading light on the Sun evening..........

1st May 2014

A quick check at Shustoke produced very little apart from 6 Swift! when a txt from Nick Barlow had Steve Haynes & myself running for the cars ad Bonaparte's Gull Marsh Lane, after a leisurely drive thru the lanes we were soon watching this stunning gull from carpark hide my 2nd for the region after the Kenilworth bird way back in 1990 & only my 4th ever............

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

15th March 2014

Out & about early this morning with a great start with Northern Wheatear (male) whilst walking the dog (My earliest ever) Then headed over to Shustoke Reservoir picking up several Chiffchaff (migrants? or dispersing winter birds?) Then onto Coton lakes where I had a Chiffchaff which ticked all the boxes yet again for Sibe Chiff (Tristis) even the song was different but recorded & sonogrammed & bird is a mixed singer!! (What is going on out there??) Sonogram below for those who ain't fell asleep!!

1st & 2nd March 2014

Spent the weekend in the midlands at various sites inc Alrewas,Staffs,Upper Longdon,Staffs,Hams Hall,Warks & Sutton Park,W.Mids A good variety of birds with Chiffchaff, 20+Crossbills the long staying Hume's Leaf Warbler,Scaup & Long-tailed Duck! Spent more time at Alrewas as the reported Siberian Chiffchaff was still present & I was determined to try & record it! finally managing to get the bird & the Sonogram (Thanks Alan) came back as  standard Collybita/Abietinus.......... Pics of the birds & copy of the sonogram below..............................