Leicestershire and Rutland Birding/Local Patches (1 Viewer)

Adey Baker

Member

• Mar 15, 2009

• #81

A very interesting and informative posting, Neil. A distinctive bird like this one certainly gives a good indication of how gulls move around during the winter (I see from Birdguides that it's got itself onto the Warwickshire list as well today).

I should have added that an adult Caspian was at the tip yesterday.

Incidentally, looking back through some of the old 'Stanford Resr Bird Reports' from the late 70s/ early 80s, this site was worked by the Stanford Ringing group when it was a working pit and the star bird must have been the Marsh Warbler trapped there May 18th 1982.

 

Neil Hagley

Well-known member

• Mar 19, 2009

• #82

Both the Kumlien's and a new 1stW Iceland (found on Monday by John Judge from Draycote) were still present yesterday. Although Gull numbers have tended to increase through the working week peaking on Fridays there were distinctly fewer than previous mid week totals. There were definitely fewer BHG's, GBBG's and Herrring Gulls so the pre-breeding dispersal seems to be underway.

 

D

davidearlgray

davidearlgray

• Mar 19, 2009

• #83

Checked out Shawell tip and Balancing pool again today. The Kumlien's Gull at times showed very well on the Balancing Pool and Tip for most of the afternoon.
I last saw the Kumlien's over the tip at around 4.15pm.
The 1st winter Iceland Gull was on the Balancing Pool until about 2.00pm.
The only other noteworthy Gull was an adult Caspian Gull seen well on the balancing pool mid afternoon.

 

D

davidearlgray

davidearlgray

• Mar 19, 2009

• #84

Changing the subject slightly looking at the recent records for the fieldnotes for the LROS newsletter. I noted that maybe at least 9 Iceland Gulls were reported in February 2009, with possible up to 14 birds seen since the start of the year!!

 

Neil Hagley

Well-known member

• Mar 20, 2009

• #85

Kumlien's still present today and giving fantastic views from the embankment (although the sun was so bright and giving cross light I found it difficult to photograph). See how different it looks in this shot compared to the one above, far more 'Iceland-like', not so butch. At one point it was really close and I could see features I'd not logged before including some sandy brown in the tertials and a pale nail to the bill. Also present a stunning adult Yellow-legged Gull, but no sign of the Iceland. Following my previous post gull numbers were at their highest this week (typical Friday) but still down on the peak of a few weeks ago.

 

Attachments

• 
  kum-1.jpg

  64.6 KB · Views: 78
• 
  YELL-1.jpg

  93.5 KB · Views: 72
• 
  Yell-2.jpg

  39.8 KB · Views: 75

Last edited: Mar 21, 2009

N

Nottingham Panther

Active member

• Mar 31, 2009

• #86

Afternoon !!

Can anybody tell me the best way to 'attack' Charnwood Lodge please ? I fancy some early Ouzeling or maybe a Wheatear or two over the weekend but have only been to this site once and felt i was only scratching the surface. I previously parked on the Whitwick to Copt Oak road and walked up through a field and then north alongside a drystone wall and that was it. Looking at the LRWT website there seems to be more to the area ?

Any help please ?

Steve

 

D

davidearlgray

davidearlgray

• Apr 1, 2009

• #87

Hi Steve, the best place to park is the Whitwick to Copt Oak road, and you did go the right way to check the fields out for Ouzels and Wheatears.
This area is actually called Warren Hills and is not Charnwood Lodge.
Charnwood Lodge reserve is actually further down the valley which is past the fields. There is a footpath which runs north down the valley to Charnwood Lodge from Warren Hills.
Hope this helps?
Dave.
Ps A male Wheatear was seen in Warren Hills last week.

 

N

Nottingham Panther

Active member

• Apr 2, 2009

• #88

Hi Dave

Thank you for the reply, thats put me right now - i knew i had heard the name Warren Hills when i saw it in your reply and realised i got the areas mixed up !! Will hopefully be up there Saturday and try and do Bardon Hill and Beacon Hill as well - pleasant day for Friday day then there's a nice band of rain and murk forecast overnight Friday into Saturday which might bring something good down with it. Black Redstart would be good with an Ouzel or two, fingers crossed.

Just checked the LROS Gallery and there's a picture of a Ring Ouzel at Warren Hills on there which seems a good omen !!

Thanks again

Steve

 

Adey Baker

Member

• Apr 2, 2009

• #89

Good luck to all 'Rouzellers' in the county this weekend though I reckon it might be a week early for the best chance of turning up one. I'm going into work for a couple of hours on Saturday morning but I hope to check out a likely spot on Sunday. With more folks searching for these in the last few years it's being proved to be not quite the county rarity that earlier records would suggest.

 

Adey Baker

Member

• Apr 4, 2009

• #90

Ring Ouzel reported from Warren Hills this morning. Did you get it, Steve, Dave?

 

D

davidearlgray

davidearlgray

• Apr 4, 2009

• #91

Hi Adey, yep I saw the male Ring Ouzel this afternoon after my shift at the general hospital.
The bird was a bit elusive but did show in the fields at the bottom of the valley were the cattle normally graze.
Also saw a good flock of 50+ fieldfares and a Raven in the surrounding fields.

 

Adey Baker

Member

• Apr 5, 2009

• #92

Well done, Sir! I just had time for a quick look around Croft Quarry area but nothing there - haven't had a single wheatear even this year so far. Will try again in the morning.

 

N

Nottingham Panther

Active member

• Apr 6, 2009

• #93

Hi Dave and Adey,

Must have been a birding premonition !! I got up there late morning and a birder who i found out was Jim Graham was scanning the fields and had only just arrived and had seen nothing yet. Had a quick chat and left him to scan the field and went to check the other fields along the wall, lifted the binoculars up and there he was, a very smart male. Whistled Jim over and we both had good views and Jim took a few digiscoped pics. A couple of other birders came up after a txt from Jim, one being Andy Cliff who had been on the hills that morning but had been thwarted by the mist and hadn't seen anything.

Went up again yesterday hoping for a repeat performance but was not to be. A smart male Wheatear was in the big field at the bottom of the hill though so birds are constantly coming and going. Will be up there again in the next couple of weeks !!

Thanks again for confirming i was going to the right place when i posed the question.

Best Wishes

Steve

 

Last edited: Apr 6, 2009

Adey Baker

Member

• Apr 6, 2009

• #94

Well done, Steve, a great bit of predictive work!

Incidentally, looking at last year's LROS newsletter for May (I haven't seen the full list yet), the first county Ouzel last year was also on April 4th but there wasn't another one until the 13th. Could be a good Easter project this year.

 

D

davidearlgray

davidearlgray

• Apr 7, 2009

• #95

Checked out Warren Hills this morning and nothing much to report except for a singing Willow Warbler and a fly-by Raven in the area.

 

R

RICHARD DAWKINS

Well-known member

• Apr 9, 2009

• #96

Hi all
I was at Rutland Water yesterday with some migrants in with lots of Willow Warbler,Osprey & 4 Common Tern came through and the new lagoon that as been built looks quite impressive which had Common Sandpiper & Dunlin on the islands hope the Ospreys use the new nest sites on here next year,anyway a good day here last time i visited was for the Marsh Sandpiper last year.
Here's a few shots more on my website below

 

Attachments

• 
  108.jpg

  196.5 KB · Views: 56
• 
  018.jpg

  198.5 KB · Views: 57
• 
  145.jpg

  198.8 KB · Views: 48

D

davidearlgray

davidearlgray

• Apr 10, 2009

• #97

3 Sandwich Terns reported off the Dam this morning at Rutland Water+ Great Northern Diver and Scaup.
Also looks like a few spring migrants have been reported in the last few days (Reed and Sedge Warbler)at a number of sites in the county.
Cheers,
Dave.
http://davidearlgray.blogspot.com/

 

Adey Baker

Member

• Apr 10, 2009

• #98

Red-rumped Swallow reported from Frolesworth Manor Lake early evening. Seen for about 20 minutes at close range on a couple of occasions. Observer had to go home to phone out by which time the bird had moved on. It may still be around so will be looked for first thing tomorrow.

 

John Hague

aka The Drunkbirder

• Apr 11, 2009

• #99

Adey Baker said:

Red-rumped Swallow reported from Frolesworth Manor Lake early evening. Seen for about 20 minutes at close range on a couple of occasions. Observer had to go home to phone out by which time the bird had moved on. It may still be around so will be looked for first thing tomorrow.

Click to expand...

Who did he phone Adey? The message wasn't out on RBA/Birdnet and I only saw it on the LROS site this morning. I've got a fair few numbers in my phone of people sharing news, Carl is on so if you want adding and you would probably be the last I can add due to cost I will put you on my groups list.

I usually text out news, at my own expense, of rarities or firsts for the year. If I'm at work and at the computer, I can put out a message via a mail server which saves a bit of time and money. I'm happy to put out news once and then people have to rely on phoning updates to Birdguides/RBA/Birdnet etc.

 

Adey Baker

Member

• Apr 11, 2009

• #100

Jack Haggis said:

Who did he phone Adey? The message wasn't out on RBA/Birdnet and I only saw it on the LROS site this morning. I've got a fair few numbers in my phone of people sharing news, Carl is on so if you want adding and you would probably be the last I can add due to cost I will put you on my groups list.

I usually text out news, at my own expense, of rarities or firsts for the year. If I'm at work and at the computer, I can put out a message via a mail server which saves a bit of time and money. I'm happy to put out news once and then people have to rely on phoning updates to Birdguides/RBA/Birdnet etc.

Click to expand...

He phoned Carl who phoned me, but as he wasn't at the site at the time he made the call we hesitated to put it out any farther until we'd checked it out - just as well as it turned out. No disrespect to the finder but this isolated site does pick up good birds but is not big enough to 'hold' them for long. It went onto the LROS website last night after 10:00pm (with the info that it had not been relocated) so the other services obviously didn't pick up on it or think it worth reporting.

No sign this morning but then the news came through of it (or a different bird?) at Watermead several miles farther down the Soar valley.

Carl usually lets me know if there's anything being 'texted' around and I also subscribe to Birdguides so I get to know of most things and if I find anything 'reportable' I put it out as soon as practicable.