Stubbers and Staffs

A day out with Martyn, the not-so Blurred Birder and Richard P. Starting at Stubber's Green at first light, our luck was in with the third-winter Caspian Gull. It isn't exactly classic Casp, but not too difficult to separate from the Herring Gulls with it's pear-shaped head, long parallel bill and black eye as well as the diagnostic primary pattern.

Caspian Gull - old school Blurred Birder stylee

Also present here were around 6 Goosander, Pochard, Redwing and a flyover Redpoll (let's assume Lesser..) as well as the expected array of Gulls. We watched for a while as numbers of the big guys rolled in, but with no Glaucous Gulls forthcoming, we decided to try our luck at Chasewater, where two had lingered the previous morning.

The visibility wasn't too great at Chasewater, but it was clear there were no Glaucs around. Richard located the drake Smew in the south-west corner, along with a small party of Goosander and a Cormorant (must be good fishing in that corner).

Smew - courtesy of the Local Birder

We were then drawn northwards by the magnetic pull of the Mighty Blithers (Blithfield Reservoir) where we spent a fair proportion of our day. The water levels were very high and we did well for ducks in Blithe and Tad Bays including a fine drake Pintail, one Shelduck, 61 Pochard, Goosander, Shoveler and plenty of Teal. A grey-backed aretha duck in Tad Bay caused at first mild excitement, followed by slight panic when it showed a peaked crown, however this was identified as a hybrid (we think probably Tufted x Pochard).

As I haven't managed to get out much yet this year, the year ticks kept coming aplenty, including this Pink-footed Geese we spotted feeding with the Greylag flock.

Pinky with the lags by Richard Powell

A Linnet flock mixed in with Chaffinch and Goldfinch also contained a few Brambling, two of which (a male and female) showed really well under the feeders shortly after. At the feeders also Marsh Tit (plus Willow Tit heard), Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Nuthatch.

Not much else to see at the deep end, apart from a flock of Fieldfare and Redwing. We soon started to get twitchy for Glaucous Gull and sped back to Chasewater for an early start at the gull roost. Worst decision of the day; c30 minutes later news of a Glauc came through from Blithers!

The roost was somewhat of a struggle with the bad light making it difficult to pick out Yellow-legged Gull from mantle colour (got one that I was reasonably happy with). Scanning up to a million BH Gull for a Med in the freezing cold was without reward and the Glaucs never showed up.

On the bright side we did see Alrewas Birder there and a Tawny Owl at an undisclosed location was a particularly pleasing year tick.