I've been a little quiet on the blogging front of late, but I haven't packed in the birding for the summer. Recent outings have been characterized by listening out for Quails in cereal fields. We haven't glimpsed one yet but we've heard them at Swindon in the Black Country and Chaddersley Corbett in Worcs, where three singing males have been present.
You can never rest on your laurels in the old birding game, even this time of year, as Local Birder Richard found when he stumbled across a Spoonbill on a routine visit to his local patch last week. Waders are already starting to trickle back through the region so with this in mind we set off on a day out in Worcestershire with Mr Powell, hoping he might bring a bit of the Spoonbill-finding magic to the county.
First up Kemerton Lake where we saw a few mildly interesting wooden sculptures. Not too much to write home about, although a drake Pochard, GS and Green Woodpecker and a Herring Gull were noted.
Then there was Gwen Finch where we struggled to find the correct path down to the actual reserve but we could observe most of it from the roadside. Blackcap, Grey Wagtail and Yellowhammer here as well as some close flying Buzzards. Thankfully the Buzzards in Worcestershire are much friendlier than those from Cornwall.
Things picked up at Ryall GP; a proper gravel pit with machinery and a wader-friendly looking pit with mud and shingle islands - now we were rocking! A Hobby hawked Dragonflies, plus three Ravens and a Redshank here. Definitely a place to visit again.
Ryall GP - a bit of excavation, now that's what we like to see!
Max's digi-scoped Hobby shot
We then popped into Grimley New Workings where we saw two Little Egrets. Our final stop of the day was Holt to look for the local Spotted Flycatcher which showed well in the gardens opposite the church.
Throughout the day there was also a good array of Butterflies which included Peacock, Gatekeeper, Small Tortoiseshell, Small Blue, Meadow Brown, Painted Lady and Small Copper and some white ones which I haven't learned the names of as yet. Many Common Darters were on the wing at Ryall GP.
4 comments:
It certainly was a most enjoyable day's birding. As for Ryall, don't bother, it's rubbish. Know what I mean, nudge, nudge, wink, wink????
Tell me more about these small blue butterflies - are you sure they weren't common blues?
My Collins book does show a little blue, but not a small blue. I thought little blues were a bit scarce though?
As you know, I'm new to this so I could be talking nonsense.
Haha Richard! Yes move along, nothing to see, nothing to see! ;-)
Hmm Reg...I hope I haven't got this wrong, I'm new to it myself. It was only the one presumed Small Blue (cupido minimus) I saw and this was at Ryall Pits. I assumed it was one as it was much smaller than Holly Blue and Common Blue which I've seen before. It was really tiny! If I'd known it was rare I would have tried harder to get a firm ID. I will have to keep an eye out next time.
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