Two recent local trips.

On Monday morning I dashed over to Brandon Marsh as the weather was warm and sunny for a change.

I struggled all morning for something to point the camera at all the birds were keeping a low profile so I had to entertain myself with trying to get some flight shots of the very flighty Cuckoo.

The only other bird of interest was I could point the camera at was my first Kingfisher of the year mind you it was so far away that it might have been at another reserve.The days are long gone when you could walk into the Carlton hide and have at least one KF posing for pics.

On Tuesday morning I went on my first trip of the year to Cannock Chase.Parked at the Seven Springs CP at 10.00AM and did my usual walk to the Stepping Stones with my main target to get some Redstart shots.

I arrived at the Stepping Stones not having taken one shot.I had seen quite a few birds but they were a long way off and things didn't improve here either because,although I found 3 Redstarts,the swine all sang from the top of trees that were nearly as tall as the Eifel Tower.Perhaps I was too early to see them lower down???

Did better on the return journey to the CP when I saw a couple of Tree Pipits but I couldn't get close enough for a decent shot.

Best of all,not far from the CP,I heard and tracked down a Wood Warbler.I was very chuffed as I'd only seen one before in the Wyre forest.There was a problem though the chap I had found was in a coppice that was so gloomy that I'm pretty sure it was the woodland were the Blair Witch Project was filmed so pics not too good.