Novembers highlight must be the coming of the Waxwing, these eruptions are always something to look forward to and my home area of Newcastle-U-Lyme/Stoke-on-Trent always plays host to usually good numbers of these fantastic looking birds. This year was no exception and as always they choose the best places around the city, this year it was near festival park around the Gala Bingo and Burger King drive through!

 

The start of the month though found me gricing rather than birding, heading off to Barrow Hill in Derbyshire with the hope of photographing the GBRf and plain white 20 No 3 aka 20906 (the plain white one destined for La Farge cement works in the Hope Valley).

The 11th found me and Gemma staking out the Gala Bingo car park for the for mentioned Waxwing. On turning up I as ever was told they had just left and we spent the next 30 minutes watching the Thrushes attack the Mountain Ash berries. As charming as these birds are they are no Waxwing. Well after some wait and chatting to other birders the stars of the show appeared.
The light was rather rubbish now although a brief window of sun allowed to grab a few shots before we had to head home as feeding time for Gemma was fast approaching.

I did try again on the 16th but was met with wind and rain, although seeing them the camera stayed in the boot.

The 18th saw us heading down the M6 to see the Black Necked Grebe at Gailey we found the bird on the far side of the reservoir in good light although to far away for anything more than a record shot.

At least you can tell what it is (well just), the afternoon had me back on the Waxwing hunt at Gala Bingo again bumping into Steve Seal.

 

October Up Date

October was a quite month birding wish in the Rowley house hold with only local areas been visited.

On the 14th I suggested a gentle stroll along the canal at Chedelton, with a sly visit to the Churnet Valley Railway in my head to get a shot of the now bandit style livery applied to 33021 in the same style as applied to 33012 back in the day.
In the flooded fields between the canal and the river quite a few wild fowl were noted plus a few Snipe hiding in the longer areas of grass.

The Void was the port of call for a nice local stroll with my daughter on the 21st this place usually is a void of anything when I visit but I did have a spot of luck seeing a nice Grey Wagtail feeding along the pools edge, with a Meadow Pipit for company although the Wagtail never liked it getting too close.
A nice scene of a adult Coot feeding its chick made also for pleasant viewing with quite a few Lesser Black Gulls starting to fill the pools open water to finish off the visit.

 

On the 24th we all headed for a well earned day out to Conwy, although the tide was out thus most stuff was on the river estuary it still had for a pleasant walk and quite a few birds were seen on our stroll. Although as expected most activity was seen when walking along the river bank.

From the first hide we got great views of a Little Egret although nothing rather these days was good to watch one fishing before taking flight.

 

On reaching the river we came across a large group of Meadow Pipits feeding in the grass and as we approached along the path and they took flight a Snipe shot up out of the grass as well,

On the river itself another group of Pipits were feeding although upon closer inspection they turned out to be Rock Pipit one more for the year list.
Out on the exposed mud were Redshank, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Shelduck, Cormorant and a single Knot mixed in with the Redshank.

Come the 26th we finally decide to go along and see the Scaup that had decided to make Westport Lake its home, Steve Seal pointed out the bird for us which made our life much easier in finding the bird although it was in a spot that didn't really lend itself to grabbing a shot. We couldn't really hang around as we had a date with the play area for our daughter to wear herself out on. We did though get a front line seat for a couple of Coots really battling it out which made for interesting watching.

 

September Catch Up Time

Well what feels like years not months I thought I had best to write a few words and try to get things back up to date. I will give a month by month up date starting with September.

Up to recently not too much birding has been done although the odd mission  has taken place, but my success rate has dropped off quite shapely. Thinking of changing my alias to Dipper rather than Gronk.

Back in September (yes its been that long since I wrote anything) I was successfully not seeing the Semipalmated Sandpiper over the boarder in Cheshire although it was a nice spot that I was pointed in the direction of (as per usual the bird had done a bunk by the weekend when I could go), manged to pick up a few year ticks in the shape of Grey Plover, Knot, Curlew Sandpiper and Sandling. One ting was sure it wasn't half windy there.

The weekend after we were back on the Wirral this time heading for Burton Mere, no real target just somewhere to spend a pleasant family day out. Good number of birds were seen around the reserve, the visitor centre is a love it or hate it place, not helped with people taking up camp there all day so taking over the place rather than letting new arrivals a chance to see whats on offer, so you tend to be looking over peoples shoulders all of the time. From the hide which faces over Io Inner Marsh it's sister reserve we manged to watch a Grey Heron in the process of catching a fish always a pleasure to watch.

Anglesey Visit

Paid a visit to Anglesey on the 03 Jul, its one of those places that always produces the goods and leaves you with some great memories.

Arriving at Holy Head harbour in drizzle the day was looking to be a bit of wet fish. But the rain came and went so I managed to watch for about 30 minutes the comings and going of the Black Guillemots around the harbour although never that close in for any decent shots.
On a more sad note I found a dead Black Guillemot which had become entangled in fishing line and have reported the ring number to the BTO.

As South Stack was under a shroud of mist I gave it a miss and instead headed for Cemlyn Bay to see the Tern colony there.

Getting there the tide was still in thus making it a bit more tricky than usual to get to the shingle beach from the Holyhead end but was easy enough.
As always it was fantasic watching the Terns coming and going with the adults bring in plenty of what looked like Sand Eels, some birds took a quick break just off shore before making the final dash to the colony.

Heading back to the car there was a White Throat singing in the shrubs by the old buildings and a pair of Ringed Plover in the now exposed pool.

Strike 2

Well as is the usual form of recent weeks being in charge of my 9 month daughter I can't really just pop on to the web and check whats about crawling babies can get up to all sorts if you don't keep your eye on them.

This though has cursed me in terms of missing some great birds. Firstly was the Blue Throat at Doxey, where was I walking around Coombes (don't get me wrong a great place) but I could have gone and seen the said bird but didn't get to here of it till Monday when I finally at work I could quickly check the web.

Worse happen today checking the bird forum and other blogs I have missed a Red Backed Shrike at Silverdale! I even live in Silverdale!! Oh well that's two birds I have now missed, I suppose it's the way it goes when you don't know any other birders really and have a pager.

On the plus side my garden is attracting in a regular Stock Dove which is another bird for the garden list.

Attenborough Visit

Headed over to Attenborough today in sunny Notts always a great reserve to visit what ever the time of year, and has a great cafe to boot, the Chicken, Bacon and Cheese door stop sandwitches are a true manwitch!

Driving into the reserve we straight away picked up two year ticks with Swift and Common Tern flying over the road, always a good start to the day. Around the car park the Brambles and Scrub Willow held Sedge and Garden Warbler. With Common White Throat by the by the bridge.

Walking down to the King Fisher hide (where some bird decided to take a crap on Lesley which I told her would bring her good luck) we soon added Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher in the Wheatear paddock with the trees/shrubs along the way holding numerous Black Cap and Common White Throat again.

From the King Fisher hide we saw another Sedge Warbler, Tree Sparrow, Little and Great Crested Grebe plus plenty more Terns, the high light though was the singing Cetti's Warbler which was calling from the right of the hide I didn't manage to pick this bird up but Lesley did get a close up view (told being crapped on by a bird would bring her luck) while I was getting a shot of a Common White Throat, I am just never in the right place these days. Around here I did also add Linnet to the list. After stacking this area and only managing to hear the Cetti's call I gave up and carried on walking up past the Tower hide towards the river. Hear I did manage to see a Cetti's Warbler through and dense patch of twigs not the best view but they all count!

Along the river nothing really else was added to our list apart from a Green Finch that was seen along with a pair of Goldfinch.

Coombes Valley

Paid a visit with Gemma to Coombes this morning actually felt like spring which of recent weeks it really hasn't so was good to be out and feel the Sun on our faces.

Walking down from the visitor centre we picked up the usual warbler suspects of Willow, Garden and Blackcap, even managing to get shots of all three which for me is good going, OK they wont win any prize but I am happy with them.

Down by the bridge area you could hear plenty of Pied Flycatchers calling, managed to see a pair using one of the boxes in the area and help a few folk get on to the birds.

By the pond area again Pied Flycatchers could be heard and saw a male briefly over by the river.

Up the rather muddy Woodcock walk I managed to pick up Tree Pipit which were displaying, in a style not far removed from Wood Lark. Still have not seen Redstart here this year, although having seen a pair at last week in Wales there is no rush or great need to.

Well I have had this week off so the birds have come at a steady stream rather than a one off weekend rush.

The week started off with a trip to Coombes up near Leek, this can be a great place to see Pied Flycatcher and Redstart, I say can be as you are not always guaranteed those killer views that you get at other reserves but its fairly local so its worth an odd visit.

Walking down to the bridge over the river we picked up Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff plus Goldcrest, we did get a brief view of a Pied Flycatcher by the bridge but only a really brief view the high light being a pair of Great Spotted woodpecker that are nesting right in front of the bridge a made for great viewing.

Not too much birding was done till latter in the week although a visit to the Peaks firstly at Magpie Mines near Bakewell did produce Meadow Pipit and Sky Lark.

On the way back home we firstly called in at Dane Bower Quarry still no Wheater around here, I am just unlucky or is this bad weather holding them back? Any way cutting across Axe Edge there were plenty of Red Grouse including a couple of single females hanging around.

On Thursday we headed off North firstly calling into Martin Mere having their toddler Thursday, a free half bag of seed if you have a nipper! Here we were really lucky and managed to see a Curlew Sandpiper in near Summer plumage! up to now we have only seen the more drab Autumn plumaged birds so this was a real bonus. Other birds sighted were Dunlin, Ruff again in near breeding plumage, Black Tailed Godwit, Avocet, Ringed Plover, Stock Dove plus the other usual suspects for this time of year there.

Calling in at Marshside on the way home (which everyone else seemed to be doing, we saw 4 other people we had seen at Martin Mere there) not much else was seen, the high water levels there wont have helped looks like a few Avocet nests have been washed out. Did see a pair of randy Black Headed Gulls though.

Lastly comes today, and our annual pilgrimage to Lake Vyrnwy this is a great place for birding and the only place I know of a 100% chance of seeing Wood Warbler, Pied Flycatcher and Redstart, and this year was no exception with all three been bagged, in fact we were tripping over Pied Flycatcher again Lesley had one right in front of a hide I though was outside the hide bugger!! We did also bag Peregrine, Willow Warbler, Dipper, Buzzard, Raven, Siskin and Blackcap.