Easiest Twitch?

200 yards for scope views of the 1st summer King Eider just off our campsite at West Runton!

Draycote Water

Egyptian Goose

An early morning visit to Draycote Water, arriving and parking in Thurlaston at 0615, hoping for something good, but again being disappointed, with the exception of a Black Tailed Godwit, briefly, in Toft Shallows. The Godwit was seen by myself and Frances F before taking flight. Bob H was diligently searching the area so I hope it is relocated. An adult Yellow Legged Gull hogged a buoy off Draycote Bank with an adult Grey Wagtail flitting along the shoreline. Two Little Egret's graced the Biggin Bay area and six Common Sandpiper's were seen around the perimeter. I managed to catch up with the long staying Egyptian Goose in Toft (a bird which has eluded me on previous visits!). Sightings list at end of post.

OK don't laugh! My first attempt at "phonescoping"! Record shot of Black Tailed Godwit. (and if I knew it was about to take flight I would have used my DSLR, but it was rather distant!)

Fish Breakfast - Carrion Crow

Pied Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

Egyptian Goose

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Whitethroat

Whitethroat

(As always, more images on my website - see link opposite)

Todays Sightings (0615 - 1030):

Swallow; Blackbird; Wood Pigeon; House Sparrow; Starling; House Martin; Jackdaw; Carrion Crow; Green Woodpecker; Goldfinch; Magpie; Wren; Mallard; Chaffinch; Rook; Canada Goose; Cormorant; Tufted Duck; Blue Tit; Coot; Black Headed Gull; Greenfinch; Great Crested Grebe; Moorhen; LBB Gull; Dabchick; Mute Swan; Great Tit; Long Tailed Tit; Dunnock; Song Thrush; Blackcap; Grey Heron; Yellow Legged Gull; Pied Wagtail; Grey Wagtail; Stock Dove; Willow Warbler; Whitethroat; Common Sandpiper; Skylark; Yellowhammer; Lapwing; Robin; Little Egret; Black Tailed Godwit; Kestrel; Swift; Egyptian Goose.

Barn Owls

It was really nice to see two individual Barn Owls down to a few yards of my response car last night on the A45 between Rugby and Coventry. I just had to stop and enjoy them. First one was at Ryton on Dunsmore, the second one near the Little Chef at Thurlaston. They certainly made up for the "crap" (emergency?) calls forced upon me by the great (uneducated) public!


On a separate note, my employing service has just been awarded Ambulance Service of the Year 2010 - CONGRATULATIONS.

Here is my award -

Roll on retirement!

Mobile Test

Just to see if this works!


And it does! I can now send posts from my mobile! Being an old fashioned "technophobe", such discoveries equate to events not dissimilar to early explorers dicovering the "New World Countries"! If anyone can let me know of other useful ("legal") functions of my android, I would be pleased to know. And yes I could read the manual - but I am male!!!

Draycote Water (Even Wetter!)

When I set out from the car park, the sun was shining and I felt a little overdressed but all was soon to change. Today was to be a short visit with my intention to walk as far as the valve tower and back. As I approached Rainbow Corner, the sky blackened, the wind increased and I was drenched before my waterproofs saw light of day! The only consolation was a group of female joggers giving a good wet t-shirt display as they bounced through the deluge!

I did not expect anything special to be on show and was pleased to get views of a flyover Hobby above Hensborough Bank. As I approached the Outlet, a solitary Little Egret flitted between here and Rainbow Corner before heading off towards Birdingbury and a single Common Sandpiper took flight. As the rain became heavier, I chickened out and made my way back to the car. A quick look over the pontoons saw two Common Tern and my attention was drawn to a number of large gulls off Farborough Bank. Amongst the Black Headed and Lesser Black Backed Gulls were two adult Yellow Legged Gulls.

Tufted Duck

Little Egret

Little Egret

Little Egret

Little Egret

Little Egret

Little Egret

Carrion Crow

Black Headed Gull

Mute Swan (Doing a good impression of a NHS manager!!!)

Tufted Duck

(More Images on my website - see link opposite)

Todays Sightings (1430 - 1645):

Wood Pigeon; Chaffinch; Carrion Crow; Blue Tit; House Martin; Coot; Cormorant; Mallard; Moorhen; Common Tern; Black Headed Gull; Pied Wagtail; LBB Gull; Goldfinch; Mute Swan; Swallow; Blackbird; Tufted Duck; Great Crested Grebe; Hobby; Lapwing; Swift; Little Egret; Skylark; Magpie; Canada Goose; Common Sandpiper; Yellowhammer; Kestrel; Green Woodpecker; Pheasant; Dunnock; Yellow Legged Gull; Chiffchaff; Rook.

Draycote Water (the gloom returns!)

Due to working additional shifts, I have not been out birding for over two weeks and desperately needed to get out into the fresh air. Choosing Draycote Water as my destination I arrived at 0800 at the same time as the light rain increased. Determined (or stupid), I plugged on around the perimeter, hoping that something special might appear - I must say now that it did not!

At least five Common Sandpipers were mobile around the banks with two Little Egrets being equally mobile, eventually favouring Biggen Bay. A single Yellow Legged Gull took up post on a bouy just outside Toft Shallows with a Grey Wagtail in Toft Shallows. A juvenile Little Ringed Plover showed well off Draycote Bank near the Inlet, while three juvenile Chavs sent up everything in Rainbow Corner while they posed for photos on the bank.

A full list of sightings at the end of post.

Great Crested Grebe Family

Rook

Black Headed Gull & Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Little Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plover

Pied Wagtail

? Chiffchaff

? Chiffchaff

(More Images on my website - see link opposite)

Todays Sightings (0800 - 1215):

Wren; Wood Pigeon; Carrion Crow; Rook; Blackbird; Dunnock; Blue Tit; House Martin; Swift; Great Crested Grebe; Mallard; Cormorant; Tufted Duck; Whitethroat; Coot; Black Headed Gull; Pied Wagtail; Little Egret; Chiffchaff; Mute Swan; Magpie; Robin; Common Sandpiper; LBB Gull; Moorhen; Yellow Legged Gull; Green Woodpecker; Long Tailed Tit; Great Tit; Willow Warbler; Jackdaw; Chaffinch; Lapwing; Greenfinch; Song Thrush; Blackcap; Goldfinch; Coal Tit; Grey Wagtail; Little Ringed Plover; Yellowhammer; Skylark; Pheasant; Swallow; Sand Martin.

Thoroughly P****d Off!

I have to say that I am thoroughly p****d off with work, the NHS, the Country, the World - in fact just about everything! Being so p****d off a short while ago, I remember being sent the following weblink - http://www.urinal.net/  - it made me smile (slightly) at the thought that people actually go out and photograph this subject (and risk arrest?)! Slightly less p****d off now but if I don't get out birding again soon I will go crazy - Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!!!!


Confirmed - I am crazy!!!