SUNDAY. Jon Lloyd
I didn't make it to the hide till later on Sunday. I am afraid the usual English pastime of gardening took precident. Three Buzzards flew over the house displaying as if to remind me just how lucky I am to live here in the country. A Chiffchaff sang from a neighbours tree as it (or perhaps its offsrping) has done every year since I moved here. I was lucky enough to get Spotted Flycatcher in the garden last year for the first time in 10 years. Lets hope it returns.
SEEING DOUBLE?
Meanwhile back at the farm things had been hotting up for those Wall Farm Migrant Medals!!! When I arrived I bumped into Mark Tarry who had just seen 4 Sand Martins pass through and he informed me that yesterday Pete had also seen 4 late on in the day. (there goes Gold and Silver grrrrrrrrrrrrr) Well you never know!
Todays highlight apart from what comes later was a pair of Tufted Duck. Now to us Wall Farm Birders this is pretty unusual. The water here is not really deep enough for Tufties, but there we are and there they were, floating around, like headless chickens (I mean ducks of course) in the open water, sound a sleep. This they continued to do for the remains of my visit despite every effort of a pair of voraciously courting Mallard who spared no effort in splashing and crash landing in their vicinty.
Coot , Moorhen, Teal and 2 male Shoveler on the wetland with a couple of stalking Grey Herons hoping for a frog snack! All gulls away to roost so peace and quiet for all. Thought I would just sneak a photo in jusat in case you missed them!
I watched.....my 2nd migrant this year at Wall Farm??.......Yes not 4 but three Sand Martins came in from the west flew round and round the wetland area feeding well and then climbed high into the sky and flew away north in much the same fashion described by the previous medal winners. Oh well I musn't complain at bronze but I will endeavour to do better next time. I have a nice little Blackcap spot to watch for the next few weeks.......I'll get em.
Also seen: Grey Partridge, Buzzard, Meadow Pipit, Stock Dove, Snipe, Curlew, Song Thrush, Long Tailed Tit
MONDAY -
Pete Jordan 8.30-11.00:
110
Black-headed Gulls, 2 male Shoveler, 3 Grey
Heron, a Snipe, 2 Buzzards, a Chiff Chaff, 14 Lapwings on the marsh,
Little
Owl, Reed Bunting,2 Little Grebe and Meadow Pipit.
Martin Grant -Mid-day
At mid-day I walked down the hawthorn paddock where I recorded a flock of 15 Meadow Pipits with 6 Yellow Hammers and 10 Goldfinch, in the trees were at least 20 Fieldfare. The Little Owl was in its usual place on the fence post and a Curlew was in the field to the left of the footpath to the hide. On the marsh were at least 15 Teal, 8 Lapwings, Little Grebe and a Tortoiseshell Butterfly was on the ground in front of the hide.
David
Holloway 25/03/03 14.45
From the Hide this afternoon:Coot, Moorhen, Heron, Buzzard, Starling, Reed Bunting, Gt Tit, Wren,Teal, Mallard, Dabchick, 1male Shoveler, BHGull, LBBGull, Wood Pigeon, Pheasant, 1 Curlew, Mallard, 1 Redshank, Lapwing, Canada Geese, Carrion Crow.
TUESDAY -
David Holloway
1 Redshank, Curlew, Little Grebe, 8 Coot, 2 male and 1 female Shoveler.
WEDNESDAY
Martin Grant
I walked down the Dukes drive from Kynnersley towards the Buttery Reservoir, 2 Chiff Chaffs were in the wood at the end of the drive. In the field to the left were 59 Mute Swans, I recorded 4 ring numbers from a small group close to the lane.
Pete Jordan
14 Sand Martins at 6.00pm
THURSDAY
Martin Grant
I took the chance to travel to work through Kynnersley so that I could check for Blackcap, no luck, the only summer visitor were Chiff Chaffs singing.A hare ran along the road in front of the car it looked enormous. No sign of Fieldfares it looks as though they may have gone. Yellowhammer were singing and 3 single Song thrush were a good sign of possible breeding also 5 Buzzard. At mid-day a flock of 10 Goldfinch were near the hide plus 2 more on the feeders.On the marsh were a pair of Mute Swans, 3 pairs of Little Grebe, 2 male Shoveler, a dozen or so Teal, 20 Lapwing, 25 Black-headed Gulls and a Grey Heron.
Jon Lloyd - Pete Jordan 5.00pm - Dark
Great day and a beautiful warm evening. Two Great Crested Grebes on Tibberton Grange Pool and a few Coot. The Goldfinches still coming into the roost.The eatern fields were fairly quiet except for a pair of Canadian Geese out in the centre of the field adjacent to the ditch. A Chiffchaff sang from the small copse in the corner of the field here.
Met Pete on the farm drive. We had both had the same idea, perhaps a early Swallow with the Sand Martins now on dailey passage over the wetland. No sign of the Little Owl as we walked down to the hide but a couple of Tree Sparrows chirped in the hedge on route.
Not much happening on the pools tonight, A male Shoveler, Little Grebe and usual ducks. The white fronted Buzzard sat on a distant fence post and a male Sparrowhawk dashed past the hide window.As it got darker beyong 6.00 pm 7 Sand Martins came in from the west, hunted over the wetland very briefly and then climbed high and set of North again. No Swallows!
We left at almost dark hearing Tawny in the distance and hoping for Barn Owl but nothing doing tonight.
FRIDAY -
SATURDAY.