Life Threatened Gull Watching!

Shawell Tip and balancing lakes are only five minutes away from where I live, but a place I rarely visit. With an hour to spare after shopping, I decided to give it a go. The lake next to the tip and quarry on Shawell Lane looked good, but by the time I had parked and got my scope, a man in a bright orange overall had forced the gulls over towards the A5 pools. Retracing, I parked in Newton Lane, got my gear and headed to the A5 viewing area. To get to this viewing area, you take your life in your hands. There is no path, the verges are overgrown with bushes, the road is narrow and large lorries pass at speed within inches of you. It is the only birding place that I feel really unsafe and very vulnerable. Arriving at the unofficial viewing area, it looked good with masses of gulls present and I was confident that I would find something "special". Suddenly, everything took off and the view was like a snowstorm of gulls! The cause? - the man in orange had arrived to repair the pipeline on a tractor! Eventually the gulls returned where I was able to identify the usual suspects including at least two Yellow Legged Gulls, my first this year. The orange clad man reappeared and once again everything was away. I decided to give upand head back to the car for a coffee. I felt like I was trapped, being unable to safely get back onto the road as convoys of lorries hurtled by. Eventually I made it for a well deserved coffee! Should anyone wish to view this area, ensure that your life insurance is up to date! Will I be brave enough to return?

Its snowing gulls!

Not quite a mad March Hare!

While at Eyebrook Reservoir a good number of Brown Hares were chasing through the adjoining fields. Managed to get images of a few.

Eyebrook Reservoir

I am not impressed with the frustratingly mobile Green Winged Teal at Eyebrook Reservoir! My fourth visit and still no joy. I did, however, obtain intimate knowledge of every other Teal on the water! I think I may give up on this quest!

Eyebrook held most of the usual suspects including a good number of Pintails. First for the year included Little Egret, Red Kite and Common Snipe. A drake Smew was in front of the hide with a very flighty Redhead Smew off Stoke Dry car park.

Photographic opportunities are not good at Eyebrook but I managed a few from the hide.

Goldfinch



 Little Egret

Pheasant

Duck Goldeneye

Todays Sightings:

Great Crested Grebe; Cormorant; Little Egret; Grey Heron; Mute Swan; Canada Goose; Greylag Goose; Shelduck; Wigeon; Mallard; Gadwall; Pintail; Teal; Pochard; Tufted Duck; Smew; Goldeneye; Red Kite; Buzzard; Kestrel; Pheasant; Red Legged Partridge; Coot; Moorhen; Redshank; Lapwing; Snipe; Black Headed Gull; Common Gull; Herring Gull; LBB Gull; Wood Pigeon; Green Woodpecker; Great Spotted Woodpecker; Skylark; Pied Wagtail; Dunnock; Wren; Robin; Blackbird; Fieldfare; Redwing; Long Tailed Tit; Blue Tit; Great Tit; Starling; Magpie; Jackdaw; Carrion Crow; Rook; House Sparrow; Tree Sparrow; Chaffinch; Greenfinch; Goldfinch; Linnet; Yellowhammer.

Bewicks Swan - Ravensthorpe Reservoir

The private side of Ravensthorpe Reservoir is almost dry, save a small stream of water! My aim for this water was the Bewicks Swan (year tick) that had been reported for several days. The small car park near the causeway is closed for the winter, so I went around to the fishermans car park on the dam side. This enabled me to walk the perimeter which was rather muddy. Apart from the very vocal Bewicks Swan, very little else was seen.

Draycote Water

Female Goosander

A rare day off on a sunny, cool, frosty morning had me arriving at Draycote Water before the crowds arrived, for a walk to Toft Shallows and back. Bird wise, nothing exceptional but good to see the wildfowl close in and in good numbers on the now rising water levels. It was not until I arrived in Toft that I was able to add Siskin to my year list. The waters edge was still iced over, but the motion of the water and rising temperatures provided a very unusual tinkling sound as it began to crack. Very little else to report, I offer up a few images and a day list can be found at the end of this post.

Great Crested Grebes

Pochard

Pochard

Wigeon

Tufted Duck

Tufted Duck

Tufted Duck

Teal

Gadwall

Gadwall

 A collection of Siskin

Todays Sightings:

Magpie; Robin; Rook; Wood Pigeon; Greenfinch; Blackbird; Fieldfare; Redwing; Carrion Crow; Black Headed Gull; Great Tit; Chaffinch; Blue Tit; Dunnock; Coot; Tufted Duck; Wigeon; Mallard; Goosander; LBB Gull; Pochard; Great Crested Grebe; Teal; Gadwall; Lapwing; Pied Wagtail; Canada Goose; Goldeneye; Cormorant; GBB Gull; Common Gull; Herring Gull; Green Woodpecker; Grey Heron; Jackdaw; Siskin; Goldfinch; Greylag Goose; Grey Wagtail; Dabchick; Kestrel; Song Thrush; Buzzard.

A Few Garden Birds

Well, snow stops play! My late shift last night should have finished at 1200, but due to the horrible snowy conditions, it did not end until 0200. With the roads still rather treacherous, I stayed at home (day off!) and in a moment of boredom, had a go at some garden birds.