Grimley and Holt (3 Viewers)

[Isaac2]

Cold and windy day with blustery showers increase in chiffchaffs with 3 seen and heard goldeneyes present at camp lane . Sling pool nice drake pintail new bird for the year and not a common accurance for me so well chuffed.

 

[Isaac2]

Thursday evening, vehiclular activityare sling pool so moved on to camp lane shoveler probably the commonest bird with 5 main feeding groups scattered over the area. Little ringed plover and redshank were new in with the later sporting a bad leg. A oystercatcher also seems to be afflicted with the same problem.

 

[Isaac2]

Reading back the last post my English and spelling are appaling.

 

[Brian Stretch]

Thursday evening, vehiclular activityare sling pool so moved on to camp lane shoveler probably the commonest bird with 5 main feeding groups scattered over the area. Little ringed plover and redshank were new in with the later sporting a bad leg. A oystercatcher also seems to be afflicted with the same problem.

Shoveler numbers have been high this past week with 166 counted at Camp Lane Pits on Monday with a few more probably hiding out of view along the east shore. There was an LRP there on Wednesday too - the first to be reported in Worcs so far this spring.

Brian
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Worcester Birding

 

[Brian Stretch]

The first-winter female American Wigeon was still on Wagon Wheel Lane Pits with the Wigeon flock yesterday evening and the three G.Scaup were still present. Two Marsh Tits were also along the woodland edge there.

Also the 3 female Goldeneye remain at Camp Lane Pits.

Pic of the Am.Wigeon in fading light yesterday.

Brian
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Worcester Birding

 

[Brian Stretch]

3 Garganey (2 drakes) new in at Camp Lane Pits this morning (per Liz & Rob Clipson).

The first-winter female American Wigeon is still on Wagon Wheel Lane Pits with the Wigeon flock this morning and two G.Scaup still present - the adult drake has returned to Westwood.

If the Goldeneye are still at CLP there are potentially 12 species of duck on site today.

Brian
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Worcester Birding

 

[IvanS]

Goldeneye were still there at Camp Lane this afternoon. Our first visit to the pits (definitely won't be our last) had the yankee wigeon in the bag after 2 minutes, the garganey trio gave us a bit of a runaround (thanks to all who we bumped into who helped us out) but clocked them briefly after they flew back onto the main pits and then disappeared into the vegetation. Picked up a bonus LRP and a chiffchaff as well...

 

[Brian Stretch]

The 3 Garganey were settled at Camp Lane Pits this evening with the 2 drakes displaying and calling to the female. Earlier all three had been on Church Farm Pits. Also 5 Sand Martins there this evening.

The first-winter female American Wigeon was still on Wagon Wheel Lane Pits on the north pit at dusk as well as the two G.Scaup.

Brian
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Worcester Birding

 

[Brian Stretch]

Plenty of migrants on the patch today:

A male Wheatear in the rough field just to the north-west of the Church Farm Pits late morning and still present late afternoon - maybe the same bird present near the church yesterday.

A few Sand Martins heading north throughout the day and the number of singing Chiffchaffs has increased after the first arrivals a week ago - at least 9 singing birds heard today.

A male Stonechat was in the set-a-side field at Holt this afternoon.

Two Dunlin and two Redshank were at Camp lane Pits and Shoveler numbers remain high there but no sign of the three Garganey since Saturday.

The female American Wigeon arrived back on Wagon Wheel Lane Pits at c11am apparently after some observers had already left having 'ticked' it there! It became increasingly restless this afternoon and finally departed high to the south at c4.15pm. It couldn't be found at either Camp Lane or Church Farm Pits so whether it is seen again remains to be seen. The two Scaup remain but the last of the wintering Goldeneye appears to have departed.

Brian
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Worcester Birding

 

[Isaac2]

On arriving at sling pool, a male peregrine was just leaving the first I've seen in the grimley area for over a year . Three hours later just up river of the lock I saw another one. This one with a feather missing. 58 species for the day 2 of each little ringed plover, oystercatcher, redshank and scaup. Kingfisher along the the river , brown hare and badger also seen.

 

[Brian Stretch]

A female Common Scoter remains on Wagon Wheel Lane Pits for its second day and the two Greater Scaup remain.

The female American Wigeon was still at Holt yesterday evening having relocated there on Saturday.

It's been an amazing year so far for rare and scarce ducks at Grimley with American Wigeon, Common Scoter, 4 Greater Scaup, 4 Garganey and 4+ Goldeneye!

Brian
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Worcester Birding

 

[Isaac2]

The common scoter still present at 6.00pm and settled down for a kip on a very windy evening.

 

[Isaac2]

Sling pool,a single swallow and green sandpiper new for the year,redshank,little egret. Lapwing appear to be on nests here and at camp lane pits so please don't disturb. Camp lane fairly quiet but 2 redshank an increase in mallard numbers ,decrease in shovellor,400+sand Martin over the south end. Around 8:00pm tawny owl along river Severn.

 

[Isaac2]

Early morning, noticed at the dawn chorus only the resident birds were singing ,blackcap, chiffchaffs and willow warbler, didn't start to sing until full light an hour later. Common sandpiper at camp lane but mobile and a wheatear at sling pool on sand and gravel tumps new for the year.

 

[Isaac2]

Ruff, green sandpiper and redshank with an increase of blackcap and willow warbler at sling pool . Numerous swallows now and a pair of mistle thrush building a nest. Grimley pits reed warblers new for the year another mistle thrush pair on occupied nest, and two brown hare along the river and a common sandpiper.

 

[Brian Stretch]

Today's flock of 49 Black-tailed Godwits at Camp Lane Pits was the 2nd largest flock to be recorded in the county. The highest count is 69 at Upton Warren on April 12th 2013.

There were also single Dunlins at Camp Lane Pits and Holt.

The female Scaup remains at Wagon Wheel Lane Pits and the Jack Snipe remains at Holt on Sling Pool.

Terry Norledge also had 3 Wheatears at Church Farm Pits.

Brian
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Worcester Birding

 

[Isaac2]

A cold,5c, windy evening my first house Martin of the year amongst hundreds of sand martins although very few insects seen . Waders included common sand,redshank and Dublin. A pair of shelduck were new for me this year.

 

[Brian Stretch]

An Avocet at Camp Lane Pits found by JHWR this afternoon was still present this evening - just the 7th record for Grimley. The female Scaup remains on Wagon Wheel Lane Pits.

Brian
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Worcester Birding

 

[Isaac2]

A quick visit to sling pool on route to clp ,3 yellow wagtail on second flash seen at distance from the road , there may have been more . Avocet at clp landed 40m away by gate on north shore,shelduck pair still present increase in redshank. Sedge warbler and a pair of mandarin along the river. Female scaup wagon wheel pit and a cuckoo calling grimley side of top barn buildings.

 

[Isaac2]

Early morning sling pool 2 ruff 4 yellow wagtails ,shelduck . White throat and lesser whitethroat new for me and 2 common tern over. Camp lane pits 1 black tern north end around 8:30 and 2 ringed plover with 6 Dublin. Kingfisher and 2 yellow wags also seen .9:18 south end 9 black terns possibly 11 for half hour and still 6 when I returned at 1:30.