19th May 2013

After being on nights all week & being too knackered to drive to Kent for the Dusky Thrush on the Sat decided that the bird would probably do a bunk so headed for Gilfach Farm,Powys instead meeting up with Pete Walkden & Iain Leach etc with Common Redstart the target along with Pied Flycatcher!! both birds performed well which is more than can be said of the new camera (Good job i had me backup with me) also had Dipper & Whinchat nearby!!! A good day & well worth a visit.........

More Photos Here

15th May 2013

A txt from John Judge this morning woke me up to the fact there seemed to be a passage of Seabirds going thru Draycote Water with the highlight being Arctic Skua (1 which i needed for Warks) Should of checked the txt though as it happened that the birds were being seen thru a special pair of Bins (Potters Bins) so ended up with just 6 Black Tern & a few Arctic Tern along with a 1000+ Swift (Thanks to JJ as always though for the news) Headed for home when a txt from Tom saying Black Tern + Kittiwake at Shustoke so headed over! ended up with 3 Black Tern several Arctic Tern,Common Tern & the 1st summer Kittiwake also an obliging Orange Tip butterfly..........

7th May 2013

A trip up to Cannock Chase looking for summer migrants with Garden Warblers,3 Wood Warbler,Common Redstarts at least 4 Pied Flycatchers,Tree Pipits & several Cuckoo with the highlight being a showy male Wood Warbler

                                                                More Photos Here

6th May 2013

The week ended with a bang with both John Judge & Dog texting me with news of a Woodchat Shrike at Brandon  on the 2nd (Typical i was at work) so a long wait & slight detour on the way home had the bird in the bag a Warks tick (Cheers lads) With a few days off & nothing really of note which took my fancy I decided on a trip to Titterstone Clee Hill in Shropshire for Northern Wheatears!! They must be late risers as for the 1st hour nothing then they started to appear here there & everywhere

30th April 2013

Up in Lincs again today initially to photograph Nightingales at Whisby!! On site bumped into Dean.E, Glyn.S, John D etc who were all doin the same before being joined by old mate Tricky Dawkins etc yet again they refused to play ball but all was not lost as nearby a stunning (SP) Black-necked Grebe was showing well allowing some nice photos

                                                           
                                                              More Photos Here

26th April 2013

With a few days off work & the chance of a Brit tick up in Yorks (Rock Thrush) or the chance of photographing Nightingales in Lincs I opted for the latter (whilst the Rock Thrush is a cracking bird it was reported as distant & I for one would rather photograph birds than just add a tick in a book!!!)  Arrived at Whisby a little late in the day & a quick txt to Dean Eades had me pointing in the right direction (Cheers mate) After a 3hr wait the 1 bird jumped out of the undergrowth for about 20secs! I think an early morning visit will be on the cards when they seem to sing & show better!!

14th April 2013

Back over at Shustoke this morning hoping for more migrants found another Arctic Tern (Different bird to Yesterday with a different head pattern & a notch in its left wing!! but again some black in the bill) also 2nd winter Kittiwake still with plenty of Sand Martin & Swallow going over

13th April 2013

Over in the Tame valley this morning looking for migrants! 1st stop Coton lakes where at least 3 Willow Warbler were singing also a single House Martin over the hide,then down to Shustoke picking up 1 Common Tern & a  Arctic Tern which still had a little black in the bill photo below alongside the Common for comparison showing the subtle differences....

12th April 2013

With a long weekend after a week of nights the chance to get out & about looking for newly returned migrants soon had me over at Shustoke Reservoir searching the 2nd winter Kittiwake was still showing at the west end...

Whilst a walk round the reservoir added a single Sand Martin & 2 Swallow before being alerted to the fact a Black Tern was gracing Draycote Water, 1/2 hr later myself & Bobby D were soon watching it a nice find & early considering how late everything else seems to be!!! I soon moved on with 2 Yellow Wagtail,1 White Wagtail,2 House Martin,Sand Martin & several Swallow along the bank with a Peregrine overhead!!

7th April 2013

With a family christening in the afternoon,It was just a few hours in the Tame Valley planned looking for migrants! 1st stop Shustoke where the 2nd Winter Kittiwake was showing incredibly well!! I see on BF gobby has put it down as a 2nd summer or 3rd calendar Yr but the wing pattern doesn't look as advanced with still a lot of black traces certainly more than would be expected of a 2nd Summer also still some black in the bill!! Anyway back to the birding met up with Adam 'Archie' Archer when news of a Killdeer in Lancs broke!! Oh dear a lifer for me 10 mins later after securing Archies motor somewhere safer we were on our way with a quick phone call explaining I might just miss the christening ( Unrepeatable words back down the phone but hey ho!!) Long & short of it we dipped but whilst parked up Archie received  a call alerting him to the fact a female Bearded Tit had been found by Martyn Yapp & Kay D at Dosthill Lake,Warks & even worse it was showing very well!! Just over 2hrs later we were on site having superb views!! Thanks To Martyn & Kay also Tom for the updates on route..... & yes i'm still in the doghouse for missing the christening......

More Photos Here

6th April 2013

Call me mad but when the news came out that the Garganey were again on Cannop Ponds,Gloucs I just had to try again!! This time good mate Andy Jones was in the passenger seat & a quick 200 mile round trip for probably the best views I've ever had of wild Garganey........