Level Best

I went to Arcot Pond yesterday afternoon since I hadn’t been there in a while. Amongst the increasing number of Mallard and Teal at the back of the pond were two Wigeon.
I had been standing at the front of the pond for about a minute watching the pond when a Cormorant surfaced, its amazing how long they can be hidden under water for.

I then went to the back of the pond and checked the hedgerows bordering the golf course. Despite Great, Blue and Coal Tit calling I couldn’t find any Willow Tit, if I had then I would have reached the magic total of 120 on the patch. There is still time and a few birds I need to catch up with so hopefully I will reach this target.

Also yesterday I had a fly over garden tick as I was going through the front door, 30 Canada Geese flew west.

Below is a photo of the Wryneck myself and LMcD had at West Hartford in April; I have been meaning to upload it for months now.

118 – Cormorant

119 – Wigeon

Sunday

Strated off with the Webs count at Castle Island, not much there to note apart from 4 Goosander and a Cormorant on the middle island with probably the worst injury I have ever seen to a bird.
one of its wings was hanging off with the bone sticking out at an angle, I think both the gulls and Otters will be keeping a close eye on it.

On our way down the track to the hide at Cresswell Pond we were told that a Yellow Browed Warbler was in the trees to the left of the track. It soon appeared along with a Reed Warbler. The Warbler called a few times from different areas of the trees before climbing up the bare branches at the back.
There wasn't much on the pond either apart from 2 Ruff and a lone Pale Bellied Brent Goose.
Back at West Hartford a juvenile and an adult GBB Gull were amongst the flock on the main flash.

Early evening I went back to Prestwick Carr with Cain and a few others. 7 Short Eared Owls showed and at least one Long Eared Owl.

SEO and LEO

I went along to Prestwick Carr with Holywell Birder last night for a look at the Short Eared Owls. After locating the crowd PF pointed out a juvenile SEO sitting on a fence post in the field in front of us. It sat there preening for the whole time we were there, go to Cain’s blog to see a video of it doing just that.

Whilst another group of birders checked the field to out right, a pair of very noisy Willow Tit chased each other up and down the hedgerow. A few Bullfinch were also moving down the hedge.
Not long after we were signalled to come down to the next field. Thinking that a hunting SEO had been spotted, I was surprised to look through ADMc scope and see a Long Eared Owl well camouflaged in tree.
When I looked away from the scope I was expecting the LEO to be deep in cover and almost impossible to see with the naked eye, like the birds at Saltholme in the winter, but instead its was quite easy to pick out once you got onto it. The orange eyes gave it away really.

It was a shame we had to leave before the owls began hunting but at least now I can say I have seen both SEO and LEO together.

Ruff Revisited

''On our way back we called into West Hartford. 3 Snipe and a Greenshank were on the main pool and another unidentified wader flew through. I’m sure from what I briefly saw of it that it was a Ruff but like the probable Osprey earlier in the week, I will have to just forget about it.
As we were heading back a flock of 30 Redpoll flew south towards the industrial estate''.

Shortly after writing the above on saturday I got a call from DMcK saying that he had a Ruff at WH.
I arrived a short time after with LMcD just in time to see it fly off.


117 - Ruff

Great and Green

I hadn’t planned to do any birding today but when I got a call from DMcK and offered a lift by LMcD to Arcot Pond , it seemed rude not to.

As soon as we arrived at the pond our target bird, a juvenile Great Crested Grebe was showing well in the middle of the pond with some Tufted Duck.
Soon after a Green Woodpecker began yaffling from the trees near the SW corner of the pond.

On our way back we called into West Hartford. 3 Snipe and a Greenshank were on the main pool and another unidentified wader flew through. I’m sure from what I briefly saw of it that it was a Ruff but like the probable Osprey earlier in the week, I will have to just forget about it.
As we were heading back a flock of 30 Redpoll flew south towards the industrial estate.

115 – Great Crested Grebe

116 – Green Woodpecker

Grey Start

This morning I set off early for West Hartford and arrived there by 6:30. On my way I had been listening out for the Green Woodpecker GM had on the Northburn estate yesterday morning at a similar time, but no sign this morning.

Yesterday I went to WH in search of the Little Gull GB had found. When I arrived there were no gulls on either of the pools. It was probably the same Little Gull myself and SH had fly over nearly two weeks ago.
As I was leaving LMcD arrived and after watching 4 Buzzards soaring over the fields in the distance I noticed another raptor heading towards us. It headed down the river but as we watched the sun distorted its appearance and we couldn’t pick out any colour.
Its appearance fitted that of an Osprey especially when it hovered over the river but we just didn’t see enough key features to clinch an ID so left it at a probable.

As I arrived at the entrance of West Hartford this morning, a Grey Wagtail flew over calling. Nothing was on the main pool but on the smaller one there were 40 sleeping Mallard and 2 Teal.
I spent the next hour checking all the rows of bushes and scrub behind and around the substation; in total I found 6 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Whitethroat and 1 Goldcrest.

Instead of going back the usual way I went through the fields leading to East Hartford. As I was approaching East Hartford village a Grey Wagtail flew over in the direction of the Horton Burn.
I walked back following the burn and just west of the main road bridge over the burn I ended up flushing 4 Grey wags. They landed on some rocks in the burn a few meters away and were then joined by another. Before today the most I have seen together on the burn was 3.

114 – Grey Wagtail