Withymoor - Amblecote, Stourbridge..... (4 Viewers)

Postcard from Alcocete..........

A bit of both Steve, at least a 3-4 hour walk 6-10 first thing and then a 2-3 hour one at the end of the day 5-8 and sometimes inbetween altho it has been, generally, too hot during the 12-5 period when there is not much moving anyway.

I always wear the bins much as i do back in Blighty only here at least there is a reason:eek!:

Sun 12th May.................

Final view of Mertola, whilst waiting for the bus to Lisbon - at least they are directo on Sabado! Should only take about 3 hours.

A clutch of characteristic species a a final memory of a nice, relaxed visit -

Blue Rock Thrush
Golden Oriole
Bee Eater
White Stork
Crag Martin

The coach journey in, what i have to say, a very comfortable coach on superb roads. The Portugese government have, at least, invested EU funds in a network of roads linking the regions with the more affluent coastal-based centres of commerce. Greece take note!

Species were, as expected, more of the same - Iberian and Woodchat Shrikes here and there on wires and posts, Bee Eaters etc. The only new bird of the trip was a single Red Kite hawking over some fields.

Alcochete

Situated on the shore of the South side of the Tagus. It's reputation and fortune was built on the production of Sallt - the, still commercially but only partly-worked, remnants are still here and have now assumed an importance for a range of breeding birds and as a notable migration stopover.

A quick 2 hour jaunt was a good 'surface-scratching' exercise. Apart from making the aquaintance of a local dog (a must-do i'm afraid, being an owner of a couple of Staffies). The avifauna has now radically changed to species expected on saltmarsh/pans and a flat agricultural landscape. Waders should now be the norm and are eagerly anticipated............

Little Tern - literally dozens of pair nesting on raised shingle pathways over the saltpans!
Black Winged Stilt - i would estimate several hundred pairs on the same habitat.
Little Ringed Plover - odd pairs as above.
Kentish Plover - again, dozens of pairs on the small area that i looked at, the total number of breeding pairs must be significant?
KP was new for the trip, other 'newbies' were -
Curlew Sandpiper - 50+
Dunlin - 100's roosting.
Ringed Plover

Mon 13th May...........

Last full day in Portugal

A 3 1/2 hour walk taking in a larger area of the 'Salinas'. Starting @ 0600 and with a quick visit to my new 'friend' with some scraps from last nights meal.

Plenty of the same from last night, i would be interested to know just how many Black-Winged Stilts there actually are, it must be hundreds?

Sanderling, Sand Martin, Greenshank, Little Egret and Whimbrel all new species for the trip.

Bird of the morning was to be Black-Shouldered Kite, a pair of juveniles were picked up perching in a conifer but i also managed several flight veiws of at least 1, probably 2 Great White Egrets of indeterminate age as full leg and bill colour could not be ascertained. I don't know whether they are infrequent enough to be a description species in Portugal but you don't have to go much further than Lesser Whitethroat - which is! How many UK birders would bother submitting a description for LesserThroat? You would think that Iberia, particularly the coast would be an ideal route through which to migrate perhaps the lack of records reflect the paucity of birders? Either way i do not know.

I have also added 'Italian' Sparrow to the trip list as it is considered a 'seperate' species by the guide that i use.

Just off for a final walk, pics and birds later.

Laurie :t:

Alcochete and postcript....................

Well, all good things have to come to an end otherwise they would'nt be called holidays would they? I prefer to call them trips as they take a bit of organising and certainly involve no lying around by a pool at any stage - we prefer to move about and see a bit of the region/country that has been chosen, that way you are using local transport travelling with the locals and stopping at family run digs.

NO all-inclusive here.

Does'nt seem that i have missed much, the weather was not too bad over the Bank Hols by the looks of it but there has been a bit of 'wet' and the temperatures are more like end-March than mid-May. The only rain i had was landing back in Bristol where it was heavy, puddles everywhere and a cool 5C:eek!: - a bit of a shock to the system after the blistering 2 weeks previously but not entirely unexpected. The landscape on the coach trip from Bristol to Brum was very 'Green'.

Birdwise, the Goldfish Bowl had a good batch of waders last week with Turnstones, Sanderlings, Greenshank and a supporting cast of Whimbrel/Curlew, Barwit/Blackwit depending on who was looking at what

YamYam continues to catch interesting birds with a Marsh Harrier to add to the growing list...........There might be something lurking down at Withymoor but i have'nt summoned up the enthusiasm yet altho Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs are in evidence during the walk into Stourhole.

Alchochete - last birds for the trip............

An interesting area to say the least, several times bigger than either Minsmere or Cley Marshes and not 'micro-managed' for birds as such but there is a system of sluices and culverts to balance the water levels for breeding and migrant birds with several 'blinds' and towers to view things but it's not a 'Nature Reserve' as such.

The previous evening produce a goodie that i re-aquainted with after about 30 years from Hickling Broad namely a.........Savi's Warbler, i think i heard one at UW either late 70's or early 80's as well but i ca'nt recal the details, i think it had been found by the late, great, Arthur Jacobs? This bird was 'singing' (if you can call it that) in an area of lush Bamboo and Reeds and altho i spent half an hour it still did'nt show itself to me.

The final mornings' walk included taking my new friend off of her chain and around the marshes - i took the liberty of leaving a note in Portugese with regard to her lovely demeanour and that she needs company and more walks, she was obviously well-fed and in good condition but............

More good birds and the evocative sounds of marsh birds and a handful of new species for the trip.....

Oystercatcher - single on the shore
Spoonbill - a single sub-adult type
Black Tailed Godwit - single non-summer plumaged bird
Avocet - a feeding party of 75+ birds, no young with them
Yellow Wagtail - finally some 'iberiae' about half a dozen males 'schreeping'
Greater Flamingo - about 150 birds strung out in a flight over the Tagus but no young seen
Med Gull - a first-Summer bird over on the Lisbon side

supporting cast included - Black Kite, Marsh Harrier, Bee Eater, Hoopoe, Pallid Swift, BWStilt, Kentish Plover, Sardinian Warbler and adult Black Winged Kite.

All in all a great fortnights birding - all the sort of stuff that you would expect. I did'nt push the boundaries of WPal birding, no extralimital breeding or distribution records and no mega-rarities found (no, i did'nt see a Lesser Whitethroat) for that you will have to go to Maroc in the style of the Punkbirders........link below.

http://www.freewebs.com/punkbirder/sahara2010.htm

How regular GWEgret is in Portugal i really do'nt know?

I did'nt expect Black Vulture or an outside chance of Spanish Imp but wandering non-breeding birds are always a possibility, i might have been a tad early for both Roller and Bushchat? No show for either Tawny Pipit, Orphean Warbler or Subalp - probably not in the right habitat.

However, all done by coach and shank's pony without a brace of 'Gosneys', no reserves, wardens or permits or hassle from local landowners. Looking forward to the next one, either Batumi on Georgias' Black Sea coast (day count of 1 million Honey Buzzards last year:eek!:

http://www.batumiraptorcount.org/blog/one-million-raptors

Or back to Maroc (me) or Istanbul and the Bos (the bride) - depends on flights etc but EasyJet fly to Istanbul and TelAviv whereas RyanAir do'nt alto i would rather fly with this lot.............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaCffNMFxZc

Below - some final images.

Laurie:t:

Hi all,had nice surprise on Wednesday Evening had Hobby over near Withymoor School.
Today had common Whitethroat by Stables delph locks.

rollingthunder said:

The previous evening produce a goodie that i re-aquainted with after about 30 years from Hickling Broad namely a.........Savi's Warbler, i think i heard one at UW either late 70's or early 80's as well but i ca'nt recal the details, i think it had been found by the late, great, Arthur Jacobs?

Click to expand...

Hi Laurie - there have been two Savi's at Upton, the one you are probably referring to was a very vociferous and obliging male, being present at the north end of the Moors Pool for over a week (11th to 19th May 1985). It was generally seen perched on the top of a small bush by the water’s edge, reeling almost continuously and was found by Steve Whitehouse and Rob Howell. The reserve's second record also came from the Moors Pool on the 11th and 12th May 1994

Paul Allan Legge said:

Hi all,had nice surprise on Wednesday Evening had Hobby over near Withymoor School.
Today had common Whitethroat by Stables delph locks.

Click to expand...

There has been one calling most of this week from the vegetation down the delph. There hasn't been many Willow Warblers so far this year anywhere along the canal between the delph and Brettell Lane, I think Ive had one in the past three weeks. Blackcaps seem to be doing okay though.

Thanks Phil - somehow i knew that you would have the details, being 'StatMan'.

I saw the '85 bird and yes it was vociferous, i had seen, briefly, a bird on the Broads a couple of years prior to that so the UW bird was very welcome and local to boot. I think i got confused with the finder as i remember having a chat with Arthur and he said that he knew it was Savi's as, due to his age and declining aural sensitivity he knew he could no longer hear either Goldcrest or Gropper but knew he could still hear the lower-pitched Savi's:eek!:

ATB - Laurie:t:

Dusky Thrush in Kent......and Ive got to make do with work and Brierley bloody Hill.......and I bet its gone on Tuesday when I'm next off grrrr

A nice find, thought to be a 'funny' Redwing, it'll be on one or two lucky buggers lists by now............but not mine:C

Hope you get it -

Laurie:t:

Sat 18th May...............

With all the excitement of being 'back' and assuming that things had been 'quiet' i find that there was a 1st for Worcestshire, namely a Great Reed Warbler @ Grimley:eek!: - a good find for one lucky birder!

Just out of interest how long did it stop and where was it seen/singing?

Locally, Blackcaps are much in evidence and one or two Chiffchaffs, Withymoor produced only 3 Tufties (2m1f) and a lone Swift hawking for food.

The 'Dusky' Thrush @ Margate seems to be a source of much fretting. It does'nt fit the field guides, apparantley, and is being touted as a poss Dusky x Naumanns hybrid or a variant on one or two other species. It does make me laugh that whenever something does'nt fit the 'guides' a hybrid theory is suggested. Now i'm no expert but some of the species that turn up here are incredibly rare and a hybrid would be even rarer imo?

It is important to bear in mind that 'guides' are precisely that......guides. They are not the definitive article, birds are individuals within a specific group and variations in plumage and behaviour will and do occur just look at the variation in the White area around the base of the bills of female Tufted Ducks?

I remember when the first Eastern Crowned Warbler turned up a couple of years ago, i did'nt go i do not have any transport, somebody suggested that it could have been another closely related species had it been feeding higher in the tree canopy (Sycamores in this case) because the two species concerned feed at different levels in the rain forest areas where they Winter in South East Asia. Suffice to say because it was feeding at a certain level in wind-stunted Sycamores thousands of miles away from where it should be makes it one species and not the other?

Words fail me.

For anybody going, look at the bird and make up your own mind why it is NOT a Dusky Thrush and work from there. There is plenty of info outside of the field guides to entertain you prior to committing foot to pedal.

Below is a pasted comment in the BF thread from somebody constuctively criticising the headless chickens that are already bemoaning a possible wasted visit due to possible uncertainty of the creatures racial purity

QUOTE
And in certain lights this totally looks like a faded out Leucistic Redwing, Cornwall Varied Thrush anyone?

Ranting out in the ether here but why don't ALL Twitchers

1. Throw away your lists and stop this whining anguish voice when you don't get another bona vide tick, Boohoo.
2. If you still chose to twitch, as a result (1) i.e, not having the crippling pressure of having one less mark in your book than your neighbor, begin to understand that twitches are great social events and the unusualness and subtly of the twitched bird can make for a spiffing day out.
3. In regard to (2) understand that the greatest joy experienced in relation to this bird was felt by the finder.
4. By fully understanding (3) simply return to your patches, chill out and begin to appreciate the wonderful surprises that come from encountering even the most commonplace creatures that can turn up in your local area. Let alone the thrill of stumbling across something much more unusual.
5 As a consequence of (4) you are all massively reducing your petrol costs, contributing to SAVING THE PLANET, will be able to spend more time with friends and loved ones and hopefully eventually begin to understand that thoughts create things.

call me a troll or whatever but you have ALL LOST THE PLOT!!! haha
Love and Chi, Songkhran
UNQUOTE

Below - a picture of the enigma......

Might venture further afield to Bittel tda.

Laurie:t:

Seems to be a couple of Green Woodpeckers knocking around Brierley Hill. I get regular sightings in the Brettell Lane area around the canal; and yesterday one flew over the Merry Hill centre, though this was probably from Saltwells wood.

Sun 19th May...............

A stonker of a day, i was nearly back in Portugal..........sort of, ish.

Down @ Withymoor at 0700 with the dogs, pleasant enuff but nowt about. There does seem to be a lot of Blackcaps about? Tufties down to a pair and that's about it. With regard to Green Woodpecker they are freqent enough either feeding on the ground on the grassy areas or, more likely, calling from the embankment.

Paid a quick trip to The Bittells early afternoon, plenty of boats on Upper which means plenty of Grebes on the Lower! Pair of Tufties and a couple of Ravens in primary moult and 4 spp of Warbler (the 4 you would expect, i'll leave you to work it out).

Back to ze Heimat!

I had to take my back-up 'bins to Portugal, the ones i had bought for my ex-wife 25 years ago namely a good, solid, pair of Zeiss 8x30B's. Excellent quality optics and a compromise between weight, bulk, magnification and light-gathering. Following the 5:1 ratio an 8x should be a minimum of 40mm objective lens so this configuration give you 25% less light and correspondingly a more limited field of view but they are lovely to use and i made sure they did not depart with the ex (she would have only sold them anyway).

They performed very well in the excellent lighting conditions found in Portugal and indeed anywhere away from the British Isles...........

The reason being - after 30+ years of uninterrupted faithfull service my trusty 7x42's let in a minute amount of rain a couple of months ago:C. Now i have taken apart cheaper sets of bins in the past but was faced with a dilemma and musing on what to do i put them to one side, emailed Zeiss and they said to send them or hand deliver them down to somewhere in the Home Counties and they would have them cleaned and seals replaced free of charge. I happened to be in my local pub shortly afterwards and a bloke i know commented on the quality 8x30's i had around my neck and said that he worked for a subsidiary of Zeiss in Brum (finally Brummies have a use)!

Cut to the chase and he got all the details and history, serial number, etc and they will be winging their way back to Oberkochen this week, my own little tribute to the 70th anniversary of The Dambusters They will clean and replace the seals, replace the perished eyecaps and hopefully the perished rainguard and all FOC:eek!:. They go by a dedicated carrier so i do not have to post them etc.

Nice things happen to nice people as they say

My brother has just paid about 1800 quid for the latest equivalent. They are lighter, filled with an inert gas and focus down to 5' but they have'nt seen the stuff that i have with mine.

A link to BBC iplayer for the 'Dambusters' special and a pic of a pair of 7x42's

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01sjtzt/The_Dambusters_70_Years_On/

Laurie:t:

Mon 20th May................

Withymoor - quiet, no hirundines hawking about which is a surprise there would normally be the odd handful of House Martins at this time of year i wonder if it is weather-related? Blackcaps and Chiffchaff on the way over but again no Willow Warblers singing, perhaps they've stopped or are just not there?

Water level higher than of late so i removed some built-up detritus, that shouldincrease the flow and produce a bit more 'edge'. 2 Coot nests perched high on some vegetation but not as newsworthy as these......

http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=3776

Personally, i'm inclined to agree with the reader comments.

'Bins Away............

Delivered to my mate and should be winging their way more DHL than RAF back to their spirtual homeland.

Laurie:t:

rollingthunder said:

Mon 20th May................

Withymoor - quiet, no hirundines hawking about which is a surprise there would normally be the odd handful of House Martins at this time of year i wonder if it is weather-related? Blackcaps and Chiffchaff on the way over but again no Willow Warblers singing, perhaps they've stopped or are just not there?

Water level higher than of late so i removed some built-up detritus, that shouldincrease the flow and produce a bit more 'edge'. 2 Coot nests perched high on some vegetation but not as newsworthy as these......

http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=3776

Personally, i'm inclined to agree with the reader comments.

'Bins Away............

Delivered to my mate and should be winging their way more DHL than RAF back to their spirtual homeland.

Laurie:t:

Click to expand...

Yes I'm with them as well.....I put this on the Bumble Hole thread yesterday about the Kites....."Don't get me started on all these "foreign" Kites coming over here and eating Welsh butchers meat !!"...as said in the Crane comments ...all the stuff below the Kites in the order of things are just as important - if not more so. If the habitat for the Kites is so brilliant now why wasn't it a few years back when they dreamed up the Kite scheme. I have said before that the Buzzard has spread from the same heartland of the Kites without introduction...in fact they are being persecuted by some if we believe the headlines.
It seems strange that the species they choose to protect are the ones that have the potential to decimate the ones that are struggling as much as the introduced ones were.
I don't know the history of the Cranes but just like the Bustards they seem a bit large to be a viable long term scheme.......it just seems to me that the country in this century is a bit small for them.

Keith

Large areas of contiguous suitable habitat is being created particularly in Somerset, new species of Egret have colonised and bred hopefully Cranes will follow. I am in agreement with the Red KItes, it's a Red Data bird and is only found in Europe - the problem with the Welsh birds is that they all seemed to be related to 3 or 4 birds, from what i've read. I think the reasoning behind that was fine. The same with Sea Eagles and Ospreys, just giving them a helping hand.

I'm glad the 'idea' of introducing WTSEagle into East Anglia was quietly shelved.

I would like my Curlews, Snipe and Lapwings back locally, you can walk miles around here and not see a Peewit:C

Laurie:t:

rollingthunder said:

Large areas of contiguous suitable habitat is being created particularly in Somerset, new species of Egret have colonised and bred hopefully Cranes will follow. I am in agreement with the Red KItes, it's a Red Data bird and is only found in Europe - the problem with the Welsh birds is that they all seemed to be related to 3 or 4 birds, from what i've read. I think the reasoning behind that was fine. The same with Sea Eagles and Ospreys, just giving them a helping hand.

I'm glad the 'idea' of introducing WTSEagle into East Anglia was quietly shelved.

I would like my Curlews, Snipe and Lapwings back locally, you can walk miles around here and not see a Peewit:C

Laurie:t:

Click to expand...

Just get someone to get another hair-brain scheme going to get them back.....I can breed a few Lapwing in my aviary if it helps......lol


Keith :t:

Wed 22 May..................

Not quite back in the saddle yet, 2 weeks of superb weather and associated birding makes it difficult to summon up the enthusiasm:C

Blackcaps and Chiffchaff outside the house but i hav'nt clicked with Willow Warbler or Whitethroat by the railway line a few hundred yards away and either Common Sandpiper or Reed Warbler down at Withymoor Pool which have both been recorded in the first half of May over the last 3 years.

I suppose i could have cancelled the trip just in case they turned up - it was a difficult choice.........

The coldest Spring since 1979 does'nt help, things might perk up over the weekend but only by a couple of degrees - Sat looks Sunny but 5c below seasonal average!

It is timely that it coincides with a 'first' for Britain - namely the eagerly anticipated but totally predictable multi-conservaton-organistion State of Nature report.

No surprises, for me, here. I doubt if anyone with an interest in British wildlife will be surprised at this report. There may be successes, mainly in reserves, but the constant drip, drip wearing away of habitats is a major factor in the decline of a widespread range of species across the spectrum and not just birds. You only have to go abroad and not that far to see what grows, crawls and flits about in a countryside that is less crowded and less intensively farmed. The habitat @ Castro Verde was like steppe-ing back in time. It's not just about people, space and finance. It also says something about US (not me and you, the others!).

The brits, despite their indomitable spirit and inventive nature are too tidy - far too tidy. Their is a machine or a bit of kit in everybodys shed and farms posess them on an industrial scale to mow, spray, dig, weed etc all the wildlife interest around peoples houses as well as the greater countryside. Chemicals to 'green' your grass, tools for removing dandelions etc etc etc.

How can anybody expect anything to survive in anything like reasonable numbers and variety? My nearest farmland @ West Hagley is more or less a Green 'desert'. To a lot of the dog-walkers etc it's 'countryside' coz it 'aint bin built on innit?

I have said before, nature reserves are needed particularly in our crowded and small island and elsewhere but it is rapidly approaching the time when to see anything of interest whether it be plant, butterfly or bird you need to visit a nature reserve and sit in a hide etc etc - not for me. There has even been hair-brained schemes to dig up flower-rich meadows and relocate them in a quid pro quo arrangement with yet another branch of Tesco's - it does'nt work, like most artificial Sand Martin burrows!

Rant over.

Below - link to the report, logo and beware 'Tescoland'.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/science/stateofnature/index.aspx

Laurie :t:

Fri 24th May..................

Brrrrrrrrr:C

Coldest Spring, yes Spring (the last 3 months) since 1979 - allegedly!

This follows on from a crap Winter and mixed Autumn. It will be interesting to see the breeding success of both resident and migrant birds this year.

Yesterday was just far too breezy and cold to venture far, unless you are on the coast or sitting in a hide somewhere birding would have been very uncomfortble and probably unproductive indeed.

The Goldfish Bowl had upto 6 Arctic Terns, blown in or down, from somewhere. This species can migrate overland in considerable numbers and turn up at reservoirs virtually falling out of the sky. I remember 500+ being reported from Chasewater a few years ago. So you never know?

Another, much rarer, species that tracks to the West of its Scandinavian breeding grounds is the Long Tailed Skua. The Outer Hebrides usually records them in some numbers most Springs. Indeed there has been a couple of thousand over the last few days with a 2+ hour count of over 1000 this week! Pretty impressive but ones and twos are recorded well inland as they re-orientate themselves, birds are now being widely reported off the North East coast of England so it's eyes peeled for a slim, Tern-like Skua with a bouyant flight NB there is only a hint of White 'flash' in the upperwing as this feature is restricted to 2 of the outer-primary shafts...........Somebody has to find them:eek!:

One or two sites have reported large numbers of Swifts feeding, i have noticed more low-flying birds around Stourhole over the last few days and i put this down to insect food being at lower levels due to cooler weather and windier conditions?

A quick visit to Mary Stevens Park only produced a Summer-plumaged adult Lesser Black Backed Gull.

Today and tomorrow should be brighter and warmer so i will make the most of it and try and get out and about before the weather front on Monday. These conditions are ideal for finding wind-blown 'wrecked' birds.

Laurie:t:

Below - 2 shots of North Uist LTSkuas, a party of about 80 and a full adult, now that would be a nice find in the BDT........

Sat 25th May................

A pleasant enuff day, tmrw should be more of the same i quite fancy a mooch over to Grimley with a couple of pints of cider and a cob at the Camp House'B

Withymoor

Fairly quiet, as expected - i am surprised at the lack of hirundines, there are usually some House Martins but i have only had a couple all told altho there are feeding Swifts higher up, a couple taking the time and trouble to stoop at a passing Buzzard.

LBBGull - 3 adults and a first summer bird
Tufted Duck - pair present
Coot - still 2 birds on nests
Blackcap - several birds singing along the railway line and embankment
Willow Warbler - single male singing in a clump of Willows by the pool

Things seem relatively quiet regionally but there is continuing arrival of good birds elsewhere including -

Roller in Hampshire
Terek Sandpiper and Black Stork in Sussex
Eastern Subalpine Warbler in Shetland (along with other good stuff)

Long Tailed Skuas are still moving and re-orientating themselves below is a picture of some birds from North Ronaldsay possibly sheltering from winds?

Laurie :t:

Sun 26th May..............

Withymoor 0700

Pleasant enuff weather and just got better and better.

Total of 4 Blackcaps from railway line to the pool, Tufties gone, single Willow Warbler now on embankments plus a singing Chiffchaff.

4 x LBB's dropped in and they were the same age mix as the 4 from ystday.

Large number of Swifts appeared about 0730 hawking at medium height, nothing notable in itself but Denmark has just registered its' 2nd record of Fork-Tailed Swift (Pacific) so, always worth checking:eek!:

There have been 4 records for Britain since one was picked up off of a gas rig in the Humber Sea Area and released @ Spurn in 1981 - not all coastal, there was a 1995 record from Northamptonshire so.........eyes peeled!

Spent a couple of hours @ Grimley, nothing of note so hav'nt reported elsewhere:C

Elswhere Belvide has turned up a stonking Summer-plumaged Spotted Sandpiper:eek!: - never seen one in nuptial plumage before, if yr going don't forget your permit

Below - a montage of this smart-looking species currently entertaining Danish birders plus 'the boy' @ Belvide, pic by Steve Nuttall.

Laurie :t:

Mon 27th May.............

Spring continues to dissapoint, there are only a few days left for it to pull its' socks up but do'nt hold your breath!

Withymoor 0800-0900

Quiet, a couple of Blackcaps and a Chiffchaff plus the odd LBB Gull floating over.

Talking of the latter, they are often the smartest looking bird down there but not everybody shares my taste in 'smart looking birds' (apologies to Carolyn).

Nobody more so than the Abbeystead Estate 'oop North' and their friends @ English Nature! - OK the issues are a few years old but birds are still being 'controlled' - quite who is sleeping with who? When the Government organisation tasked with advising said government with regard to conservation interests i.e. the natural biodiversity of the nation allows vested, financial, sporting interests to cull an 'Amber-listed' species on a SSSI then it is time to take the gloves off and start slapping a few heads together?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/may/23/conservation-agency-approved-cull-endangered-birds

FFS what is going on? Do EN issue shooting licences for everything but artificially-reared gamebirds? The phrases piss-up and brewery spring to mind in addition to @rse and elbow! They are far too cosy imo with commercial bodies. Locally over @ Wyre Forest EN entered an agreement with Forest Enterprise or whatever the Forestry Commission is called these days resulting in NO formal presence on site now altho i believe the ex-warden is an advisory retainer. This sort of thing just waters down the responsibility and accountability of the organisation and its staff. How long before National Nature Reserves 'the Jewels in the Crown' are formerly privatised and people have to pay again for the privelige of accessing these areas?

I have already banged on about only being able to see interesting stuff on reserves, it could get worse. A large % of SSSI's undergo seasonal and long-term damage due to poor management agreements never mind prats with shotguns in the Bowland area.

BTW EN there is an ongoing problem with the killing of the last English Hen Harriers in, oh where is it now? The name escapes me? Oh yes, the Forest of Bowland!

Pull your finger out and get something done.

The Abbeystead Estate would not comment on the current arrangement - i suppose it's a bit difficult to talk with all that shooting going on:C

Below - another snippet regarding our 'protecters' @ English Nature oops sorry they are now called Natural England - different name same faces and the same appeasing to the lobbying of Tory landowners after having had a word with their Tory MP's and their muckers in the unelected House of Lords.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/40...nd-eggs-destroyed-to-increase-pheasant-shoots

Elsewhere a passage of Sanderling thru the region ystda. I cleared the outflow at Withymoor on Saturday and this has bought the water level down to about as low as it can go resulting in good strips of mud that are being utilised by all the crakes and rails. I am just waiting for a roaming Spotted Sandpiper now

On a lighter note Scilly had only its 3rd Spring record of Red Breasted Flycatcher, a nice female which upon being rung stayed in the warmth of the hand pic below.......

Laurie :t: