#indoorstoomuch

To go on news? no, he who dares paid off on Saturday morning.  We had a good trip, we were in the services just the other side of the seven bridge in a couple of hours but were still waiting on the first news of the day from Pwll-Du. Luckily, my insistence to the other two paid off re cracking on regardless, and the pager beeped away. So rather than a slow breakfast, food was taken to go and we headed to the valleys. After a fair old walk we found the 150 odd birders already on the scene who had located the bird for us. I must admit to getting a little agitated at this point, Martin had ticked, Dan had ticked, all be it briefly but i was still faffing about trying to get a vantage point. Everyone was moaning about others coming along and standing in front of them, i could see naff all apart from a rock. I backed up and scanned, there was a hole in the crowd, nobody else seemed to have noticed or more than likely i was the only one there who could see bugger al...

Today started with plans of trotting off to Languard for the Red Throated Pipit. This seem to have done a bunk from late yesterday afternoon as such i stayed at home and cracked on with some over due small bits of DIY Later, after lunch, i headed back to the Red Necked Grebe at Roding Valley Meadows. The bird was less mobile than last week, floating about the middle, be pushed about by the wind. The rest of the wildfowl seemed to be congregating up the other end and as such the Grebe was getting less hassle as well. I sat, i waited, i sat, i waited and eventually it came closer, finally moving between one of the small islands and the bank. It was close, the closest I've seen it. Light though was a shocker here. The bird was under the over hanging bots of willow and whatever else was there. So i clicked away and got a few more shots.

Well, like the rest of the world i managed a bit of time over at Roding Valley Meadows this morning, shame i cant get the hang of this photography properly yet as i am wasting opportunities on some smart birds. Some of mine below.......

A Spotted Crake over the Valley showing well.......... and i'm in Minsmere after a Citrine Wagtail. It holds so i'm over there Sunday - a nice patch Tick!

Birders........So cynical of the Citrine news from yesterday now as today it cant be found so they start to question previous sightings. It cant have gone today, it must have gone a few days ago and all yesterdays were wrong.......i cant have missed it by a day..........Rightly so? So Saturdays sighting on RBA/Bird Guides were one at 8.30am North Hide, 2.00pm North Hide, 3.30pm East Hide, 4.30 Beach behind East Hide. There were a lot of people looking for this bird on Saturday afternoon at RSPB Minsmere, in fact from North Hide at 1.30-3.00pm you could see that all other hides were full. I make no comment on sighting 1 & 4 however the 2pm was rather amusing. A full hide, one guy shouts i'm on it (this guy is latterly the only other guy who stayed with me in North Hide). Everyone is now on a potential Citrine Wagtail . Actually that's a lie there was a couple arguing amongst all of this about if he was looking at a Lapwing Yep, i was on it as well and ca...

Just back from a week on the Isle of Wight and i haven't been for well over 35 years. So the IOW what did i make of it? Some of the more affluent rural areas were quite frankly stunning however the towns seemed a little lacking shall we say, not in amenities but in up keep. Possibly people moving off the island and coming to the mainland for employment. Then again the amount of residential building going on was vast but all at the 4 bedroom plus end and not in the towns (from what i saw) - IE houses for the more wealthy and rental accommodation. That suited us to the ground then - more choice of accommodation and we wouldn't have to mix with the riff raf. We were staying at Seaview, a small yachting community with its own little club, a couple of decent gastro-pubs and lovely stretch of beech. Blue and white stripped tops were everywhere along with the non accent types - that accent that people obtain at uni.........the nothing one......you know somebody who has it i'...

Well finally, after many cant do that date conversations/moments, we were on the road heading to East Leake for the nesting Bee-eaters . We consisted this time of Monkey, me and Dan Barrett. Leaving just after lunch we headed north and up the M1. I was looking forward to this one - Bee-eaters, a bird that could seen from a mile away due to its over the top colour scheme. With its blues and yellows predominately screeching at you. After parking at the....... we made our way around to the viewing area. Now, i was a little disappointed to be honest. I appreciate that this was a special thing going on - breeding Bee-eaters but come on. they we're nesting in the quarry and it looked as if this was to the back by the footpath bridge. The footpath that had plenty of walkers and horse riders going along it. So why then we we situated as far back as we were. I'm not one of these that wants to be on top of the bird and cause it distress but we could have easily been a bit cl...

So, i've been reading some old posts on here from back in 2013; nothing much on here really content wise and photos are either borrowed.....erherm or taken by me. However its a great little diary of my birding and although i don't like doing it as much as i used to (the blog not the birding) i think i'll perceive, you never know i may actually find something decent one day. For now though i'll just have to go and see other peoples finds. This time it was the turn of a Marsh Sandpiper  at Cliffe Pools in Kent. A juvenile bird that's been hanging around with the Black Winged Stilts  that successfully breed this year. So on Sunday evening i head down at 6.30pm. A nice easy journey and the post code provided by RBA took me straight to the site car park. Upon arrival i asked two birders where the Sandpiper could be found and got told to head straight round this path until i get to the 2nd viewing area. So far so good. Then one of the old boys states that they we...

Squacco's don't seem to come up that much, so when this bird, which was relatively local at Dunge arrived, it was something i wanted to see. After work last night i was on route mid rush hour and the traffic was Ok, i arrived just gone 6pm and parked up along by Sprinfield Bridge. I slowly made my way round the path ways but no sign. Eventually arriving at the viewing mound. I stayed here for a while hoping i may catch the bird in flight but still nothing. Back to Denge Marsh Hide, viewing from the hide was right into the sun and useless. Slowly again making my way around i picked up a couple of Hobbies, Marsh Harrier, numerous Tern's. Warblers in the form of Sedge, Reed, Whitethroat and Blackcap could be seen in close proximity. A family of Bearded Tit rushed about the reeds within feet of me but always buried and no camera action to be had. I was still looking for the heron and it was looking like a dip; I made a decision to slowly head back to the car. Fi...

So we hatched a plan to go Friday; but no news till late at Hayling Island - too late for us. Us being me and Monkey. We decided on Friday to go today.......the afternoon would be best. Not because of any birding intellect. We were both busy because we have lives. We would go on News as well. So today arrives.......what the heck lets go regardless because we thought we have lives but clearly we dont. On route by 1pm and News south of the river....... the birds at Pagham Harbour; Church Norton. I've been there once before it was double MEGA tick day. Hudsionian Whimbrel (although this will be short lived) and Greater Yellow Legs, Titchfield. Was this a good omen?? Sat Nat reprogrammed.....more news came in. Bird flew southwest strongly. Decision time....... Hayling Island? West Wittering just opposite East Point Hayling Island....clever huh? or stick it out at Church Norton. Church Norton it was. About 60 odd birders still there, chilling, relaxing, up to no good.......W...

So, its coming to the end of the half-term and as such a final little afternoon out found us in Southend, Gunners Park initially but the kids didn't like it. As such we headed to chavsville and all that Southend had to offer - arcades, candy floss, ice cream, tattoos, more tattoos, extremely expensive parking, flashing lights during the day and the smell of dodgy burgers.  One thing that does take your mind of the surroundings are the Med Gulls and today there were lots, every stretch of the coast line had them. Finally a trip to the end of the pier, by train of course, and it gave me a few minutes to practice the flight photography - to say i am pleased is an under statement. I know there's better but for me this felt like a break through with the DSLR.

Quite late in the evening, 8.30pm ish

I has a day over at Dunwich & Minsmere on Tuesday; unbelievably apart from a Cliff Swallow twitch its the first time I've been. A good day with 87 species listed; my highlight been extremely good views of Woodlark, albeit from the car. Nothing but the usual suspects and local specialities such as Dartford Warbler. Three Bittern through the day providing my best views of this species to date. Two pairs of Little Tern , frequented the scrape viewed from East Hide and proper little stunners they were too. Wheatear, Knot (in summer plumage), Bar Tailed Godwit (also looking good).

NEW to the garden; initially thought Poplar Kitten as the trap is directly below a Poplar however there are Willows and Sallows very close

A nice and welcomed visitor to the Synergetic trap over the weekend was a Toadflax Brocade. Once a rare moth restricted to Dunge it is now rapidly expanding, its now in Essex and i get a few records a year at the moment however you only have to go a little further north in the County and there not to be found yet but other parts of the country are slowly being colonized. Only two years ago, the first for Wales was trapped by Mel Oxford.

I'm still getting used to the camera and finding it very enjoyable and frustrating at the same time. I'm keeping it in manual mode at all times, just so i can learn more about the exposure triangle. It does help, I've learnt more since having this one than any other time with a point and shot or my bridge camera. A Wheatear from the bay from last weekend. I suppose it's personal preference but it was mentioned to me to look at a vertical crop rather than my original horizontal. Both added below Some varied crops: They are all getting too grainy, pulled back and changed the view

The two traps were out last night, we seem to have hit that lul period between the Quakers and the Prominents, however so new for the year moths were pulled in by both light sets. The MV caught 14 moths covering 8 species; NFY here were Oak-tree Pug (2) and Seraphim (1). The Actinic caught 9 moths covering 7 species; NFY here was a single Shuttle-shaped Dart. Seraphim

I got to the office on Monday and after telling a couple of guys i had been to Vange on Sunday they answered " Vange, wtf'ing hell did you go there for ". The answer was Two Black-winged stilts and Adder that went for my foot as i nearly trod on it and a very polite attempted mugging . With beautiful weather i headed off to Bowers Marsh - nothing there. So i went to Vange. With a handful of Gypo's at the site racing motor bikes, generally beering it up it made for an altogether peaceful birding experience. I had Heath with me and as we wandered down towards the Stilts we heard a hiss , looking down an Adder struck out for my right foot; it was close but didn't connect. I don't think it would have made it through my leather boots any how. It slithered off into the longer grass leaving Heath aghast that he had just seen his first wild snake and that it had just gone for us. Cracking experience, although i suppose could have been different if...

So yesterday i headed out with Dave Darrell-Lambert, Adrian Webb & David Campbell . Dave had answered my request in finding me Goshawks and Willow Ticks  for the list. We headed to Surrey to pick up David and then ventured on to Combe Wood in Berkshire to what seems like a last surviving area for the Willow Tit  down south. What a place! I loved it here and will certainly try for another visit - hopefully the Willow Tits will still be around. A leisurely stroll up hill surrounded by an amazing view. The first thing of note was the kronk of a Raven.  Not to be seen at this moment but it was close. On a little further and we were treated to superb eye view  Red Kites in the adjacent field. Then they were there......from each direction Ravens. We counted 10  but they were mobile in and out of the woodland and behind out of view this figure could easily be more. Slowly we made our way towards the woodland when we heard a Bullfinch,  we looked and ...

So with the girls at dancing i headed to Harrow Lodge for the Waxwings , strangely i parked up and didn't even bother . I decided to head to the main lake and use the camera for the first time on Manual Mode. All the usual suspects to be found.