Down by the bridge a pair of Pied Flycatchers were using the traditional box giving good views although due to a bird club being on site the place was rather packed and rather ruined the atmosphere.
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
Coombe Valley
We headed off to what turned out to be a rather brief walk around Coombes Valley as we arrived the weather was starting to turn to we headed off any way.
Down by the bridge a pair of Pied Flycatchers were using the traditional box giving good views although due to a bird club being on site the place was rather packed and rather ruined the atmosphere.
Again for the second year running a rather brown looking male is using the box, maybe it makes a good first time home for these young families?
Down by the bridge a pair of Pied Flycatchers were using the traditional box giving good views although due to a bird club being on site the place was rather packed and rather ruined the atmosphere.
Wednesday, 7 May 2014
Doxey Marsh
With the weather being fine and the fact we had the joy of the super market shop to look forward to we just stayed nice and local and headed for Doxey Marsh near Stafford.
From the car park we could hear Sedge Warbler and even a Grasshopper could be heard calling which I got the briefest of views (but a tick is a tick), as we walked along past Creswell Flash we picked more Sedge Warbler plus a single Common White Throat.
On a train front I managed to pick up 37706 dragging 47760 South and 66425 light engine south.
By the first pool in the main body of the reserve we had Common Tern, Swift and House Martin plus Reed Warbler calling although we never got a glimpse of any birds.
From the Tin hide we noted that the water levels is still quite high and probably explained why we saw no waders around apart from a single Lapwing, in fact there was no much of note at all.
Train wise I saw 90034 in DRS being dragged back down to Willesden, 86501 on a south bound liner and 66129 on a south bound liner.
From where the former viewing platform was we picked up Shelduck and another Lapwing plus a Little Egret took flight.
Just leaving the reserve a final freight was noted in the form of 66708 on a south bound biomass train I am assuming the Ellesmere Port - Ironbridge working.
From the car park we could hear Sedge Warbler and even a Grasshopper could be heard calling which I got the briefest of views (but a tick is a tick), as we walked along past Creswell Flash we picked more Sedge Warbler plus a single Common White Throat.
On a train front I managed to pick up 37706 dragging 47760 South and 66425 light engine south.
By the first pool in the main body of the reserve we had Common Tern, Swift and House Martin plus Reed Warbler calling although we never got a glimpse of any birds.
From the Tin hide we noted that the water levels is still quite high and probably explained why we saw no waders around apart from a single Lapwing, in fact there was no much of note at all.
Train wise I saw 90034 in DRS being dragged back down to Willesden, 86501 on a south bound liner and 66129 on a south bound liner.
From where the former viewing platform was we picked up Shelduck and another Lapwing plus a Little Egret took flight.
Just leaving the reserve a final freight was noted in the form of 66708 on a south bound biomass train I am assuming the Ellesmere Port - Ironbridge working.
Tuesday, 6 May 2014
Lake Vyrnwy
On the Bank Holiday Monday we headed off for our annual visit to Lake Vyrnwy as we are a pair of old romantics as it was here we got engaged and it was our seventh wedding anniversary (it also holds some great bird species), our targets today were Common Redstart, Pied Flycatcher and Wood Warbler.
Usually we have no problem in finding these birds around the "Yellow Walk" just below the dam, but this year we struggled to locate any of our target birds although we did eventually find Common Redstart and Pied Flycatcher, plus Goldcrest and Treecreeper.
We then headed off to the moors along the road to Dinas Mawddwy just by the turn off from the lake we picked up our missing Wood Warbler and then another about 10m further along the road.
The moors themselves held for us Meadow Pipit, Stonechat and Wheatear. We couldn't find any Winchat which are along this road and we had no better luck along the road to Bala.
At the Centenary Hide we had been tipped off by someone I met earlier on the moors about Pied Flycatchers using a nest box near the hide and sure enough we soon the birds nice and close in.
We then headed off back to the visitor centre to report in our sightings and get the usual close up views of Siskin.
Usually we have no problem in finding these birds around the "Yellow Walk" just below the dam, but this year we struggled to locate any of our target birds although we did eventually find Common Redstart and Pied Flycatcher, plus Goldcrest and Treecreeper.
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| Treecreeper at Lake Vyrnwy |
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| Stonechat |
At the Centenary Hide we had been tipped off by someone I met earlier on the moors about Pied Flycatchers using a nest box near the hide and sure enough we soon the birds nice and close in.
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| Female Pied Flycatcher |
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| Male Pied Flycatcher |
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| Male Pied Flycatcher |
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| Male Pied Pied Flycatcher |
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