A Trip to Shustoke.

After some early morning shopping and a couple of household chores the sun came out on Friday morning so I thought I must go out birding but where to go?My first thoughts were a visit to Brandon as I hadn't been for ages but the call of a Great Northern Diver still wearing some summer clothing at Shustoke won the day.

Got there at 10.00AM and joined a few birders in the car park.The juvenile had been showing well but the adult was spending most of the time diving both a long way off though.

I then made a mistake I have made before at Shustoke I thought the birds were closer to the far shore so along with Lee Johnson and John I walked round to the far shore.Of course when you get there both birds were a bit nearer but still a long way off and worst of all the sun was glaring badly off the water and you couldn't see much at all.

Got some so so shots of the juvenile but shots of the adult which was the one I was after were very poor and to make matters worse a Great White Egret was on show at Brandon!!!!!

At last I find a decent bird.

It had to happen sometime and at last it was me who found a decent bird and was able to tell everyone about it.I always go and see a rare bird that someone else has found so I was very chuffed on Friday when it was me who first spotted one.

I got to Draycote Water Friday morning and decided to give the Farborough Bank a miss and to walk to the inlet instead.I had seen very little until I walked along the jetty at the overflow and saw 4 smallish waders on the beach there which turned out to be Dunlin

It wasn't until I'd taken a few shots of the Dunlin that I noticed another wader that was with them.I rattled off a few shots and then tried to work out what it was.I thought Purple Sandpiper but was not certain so I walked round to the inlet where I knew Bob Hazell and Francoise were.Bob was interested enough in my shots to hurry to the jetty where he confirmed my ID.

What surprised me was how rare they are inland and what a good find it was at Draycote and therefore Warwickshire.More important it was me who found it.Fame at last!!!!!

Some pics above but not good ones as the light was very poor.Well that's my excuse.

A decent day's birding locally at last.

Having had a pretty bad run with the camera at all my local patches lately when the weatherman said that Friday "would be the last day of the sunny warm weather" I was not confident of a good day with the camera as I set off early for Draycote Water.

It was a bad start because it was not sunny and not warm.A visit to Toft produced nothing of interest at all and even the walk to the outlet where you usually can count on some Grey Wagtails on the way to show themselves was very poor.

After a picnic at the outlet I met up with Bob and Francoise and things perked up a lot when on the way back to the centre we found the Lesser Scaup just off the Hensborough bank.I was pleased to see it again as I had not seen it for some time.It must have been out all night at a disco because it was asleep most of the time and you had to be lucky to get a shot with it's head up.

As we approached the sailing club we noticed some birds on the roof and soon spotted some Meadow Pipits and a couple of Pied Wagtails but then suddenly another bird suddenly appeared.It had a red tail!!!!! A Black Redstart!!!!! I'm claiming I found it but Bob was the first to shout out and I was the one who text Birdguides.I haven't done that often.

It was much paler than the two I'd seen before and it was having a bad hair day but just like the one at Coleshill last year it was happy to pose for shots.

A Trip to Norfolk.

Last Monday the weatherman told me it would be fine weather in Norfolk all week so on Wednesday morning I left early for a couple of days birding.The weatherman got it wrong of course it was gloomy and damp so not good for getting decent shots.Mind you it was not cold and not windy well it wasn't till Friday morning.

Went to Cley first on Wednesday.The usual suspects could be seen from the hides but nothing special seen.A walk down the East bank and along the shingle banks produced very little except for a couple of Stonechats.

After lunch I couldn't resist the sightings coming through on the bird text alert so I shot over to West Runton to try and see a Short-toed Lark,a Barred Warbler and a Richards Pipit.Eventually found the right spot but the birds were so far away/mobile that I had poor views even through another birders scope.So poor in fact I'm not claiming any ticks.

Thursday morning I went to Wells Woods a place I'd not been to before.It was an impressive place but the car park fee was so expensive I thought the price might include lunch at the beach cafe.Soon found the place where the Yellow Browed Warbler had been seen the day before in some willows but in the next couple of hours I only had very brief views as it hopped around often calling out but usually well hidden.So no shots!!!!Other birds seen in the Dell area included a Firecrest,several common Warblers and some Redwings.

After lunch in the beach cafe (which was not free!!!!!) and which was as good as my view of the Yellow Browed Warbler : crap I had a quick look on the beach where Curlews,Turnstones,Bar-tailed Godwits,Grey Plovers and hundreds of Brent Geese were showing.

I then went to the shingle banks at Cley to try for the Snow Buntings that had been seen earlier but after a long search I had seen no sign of them but I did see a Greenland Wheatear and a Black Redstart.

Friday morning started very wet and very windy but I decided to have a look at Titchwell to break up the journey home.Turned out to be a wise move despite the weather because there was a Grey Phalarope showing from the Island hide,a Little Stint and a distant Jack Snipe.The wind was so strong on the beach that the sand was being blown up so whilst I still had some skin left I very quickly retreated back down the path.On the way back a couple showed me a pair of Shore Larks on the brackish marsh but they were a long was off.

Grey Wagtails and Rock Pipits shots.

Bit late in posting this blog as I've been to Norfolk again.

Went to Draycote Water last Monday morning to take advantage of a sunny day.Didn't see anything at all in the Toft area but had better luck on the shore area just past where the last boat is parked past the sailing club.There were 2 juvenile Ringed Plovers and 3 Grey Wagtails the latter were zooming around and were a challenge to get some shots.

At the same spot just after lunch some Pipits turned up and at last I was able to get some Rock Pipit shots.

A visit to Brandon Marsh.

Shot over to Brandon Marsh on Saturday morning.It was warm and sunny when I got there just right for getting some decent shots then.

Well to do that you have to have some birds to take shots of but they were very thin on the ground.There was very little about and if it hadn't been for meeting up with several friends I think I would have left earlier than I did.Wasn't all gloomy though a Kingfisher showed up briefly from the Carlton hide so I got to use the camera.

Later on walking in the area just before the Old Hare Covert with Jeff Rankin he was delighted to find a Clouded Yellow butterfly which is pretty rare at Brandon apparently.

Another go at the Lesser Scaup.

It was a fine morning on Thursday so I shot off to Draycote Water again as it remains the only local patch that has got any decent birds present.

Went straight to Toft Bay to search for the Lesser Scaup and soon found it amongst the Tufties but as I waited for it to get in camera range one of the 15 fishing boats in the bay area moved too close and up went the flock to land right across the pond.

About an hour later the Tufties flew back and landed in front of the Toft picnic area but just as I began to look for the LS 2 fishing boats decided to move in and of course nearly all of them took to the air again.There were no more than a dozen birds left but blow me down one of them was the LS and I rattled off a few shots before they flew off to join their mates.

After lunch I was told there was a Caspian Gull showing well by the inlet so,as |I had never seen one before, I trudged all the way over there and I still haven't seen one as it turned out to be a Yellow Legged Gull.Can't win them all!!!!!