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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Grimley and Holt (4 Viewers)

He found it late afternoon and its ID was confirmed by JHWR just after 6pm. Where ever it came from I'm just grateful we managed to see it. Even during the mid-summer doldrums, you never know what we might be missing.....

Brian
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Birding Today

What a splendid little wader. Only the second I've ever seen - the first one was at Minsmere (in company with a Baird's Sandpiper) on September 19th 2004. The flooded area around the pits certainly looks favourable for something to drop in and I am thinking of making another visit after work tomorrow afternoon.

I have also seen Mark Peacock's excellent photo of a Red-veined dragonfly seen at Camp Lane pits. I had no joy on Friday afternoon when I looked around there but, if the sun is shining, I may have another look tomorrow.

Have there been any sightings of Turtle Dove around the Grimley/Holt area this year?
 
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What a splendid little wader. Only the second I've ever seen - the first one was at Minsmere (in company with a Baird's Sandpiper) on September 19th 2004. The flooded area around the pits certainly looks favourable for something to drop in and I am thinking of making another visit after work tomorrow afternoon.

I have also seen Mark Peacock's excellent photo of a Red-veined dragonfly seen at Camp Lane pits. I had no joy on Friday afternoon when I looked around there but, if the sun is shining, I may have another look tomorrow.

Have there been any sightings of Turtle Dove around the Grimley/Holt area this year?

Hi Andy,

No reports of any Turtle Doves so far. I hope this does not become our first year without them but the prospects look bleak after only one bird last year.

Wagon Wheel Lane floods certainly do look good and the water level has risen again so it should remain considerably damp for the next week or so.

A bit of extra coverage over the past 48 hours has produced a brief Wood Sandpiper and an adult Mediterranean Gull.

Brian
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Birding Today
 
For the second successive visit the North end produced stonking views of Hobby yesterday. The good Hirundine numbers and rich variety and high numbers of Odonata make this place Hobby paradise I would imagine.

There was a Little Egret present, a year tick for me. Nice to see the white butterflies in some numbers at last, as well a Small Tortoiseshell. Loads of Common Darter now emerged and good numbers of Black tailed Skimmer.
No sign of the Red Veined Darters

Just a couple of pics.
 

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For those who are interested, please find a link to the agent's marketing website for Camp Lane Pits - http://www.smithsgore.co.uk/property-for-sale-grimley-2813901 - which includes the sales brochure.

What are the chance of the Worcs Wildlife Trust or perhaps the West Midland Bird Club (no foothold in Worcs :C) sticking their hand in their pocket and pulling out £250k?

There was some discussion along those lines between the birders there this morning. One would hope if someone were building a property to overlook the site, they would want to preserve the outlook, and that could be facillitated by a body such as the Trust, although ultimately such an arrangement could be messy.
It would be a crying shame to lose this site to yet another fishing pool development or the like. It would be nice if some momentum could be gathered to do whatever can be to preserve and manage it. It gets great birds and has a fantastic biodiversity already :-C
 
For those who are interested, please find a link to the agent's marketing website for Camp Lane Pits - http://www.smithsgore.co.uk/property-for-sale-grimley-2813901 - which includes the sales brochure.

What are the chance of the Worcs Wildlife Trust or perhaps the West Midland Bird Club (no foothold in Worcs :C) sticking their hand in their pocket and pulling out £250k?
I should think the RSPB or the the Worcs. WT will be rushing in to buy the lot if they know about it, lets hope they do.
Geoff
 
The relevant conservation organisations knew about this site long before it went up for sale and things are in hand, now that it is on the market.

It is a bit more than £250k though. The four lots that are available total £725k which seems very high when the considerably larger Pope's Marsh at Cley is on for £1m although the Grimley site does include a building plot for £250k.

Brian
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Birding Today
 
Some more pictures of the Great White Egret now online here.

Plenty of other birds noted today including Greenshank, 10+ Green Sands, 2 Common Sandpipers, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, male Redstart, Yellow Wagtail, first Pochard of the autumn and plenty of Lesser Whitethroats in the hedgerows.

Brian
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Birding Today
 
Some more pictures of the Great White Egret now online here.

Plenty of other birds noted today including Greenshank, 10+ Green Sands, 2 Common Sandpipers, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, male Redstart, Yellow Wagtail, first Pochard of the autumn and plenty of Lesser Whitethroats in the hedgerows.

Brian
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Birding Today

Hi Brian - were all these birds at Camp Lane Pits or across "Greater Grimley"?
 
Had a good morning down at Grimley - cheers for the directions Brian. I did, at one point think I'd scared the GWE off, as I approached down one side, despite it not batting an eyelid at a couple walking 2 dogs along the same path.

But thankfully the bird returned.

Loads of dragonflies too, and the hobby put on an amazing show. Wish I'd gone down earlier. Storms ended play far too early!

Keep an eye on my Flickr page for more from today.
 

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Hi Brian - were all these birds at Camp Lane Pits or across "Greater Grimley"?

Hi Phil,

Where is this 'Greater Grimley'? Is it like Greater London but without all the buildings, roads, tubes and people but with slightly more sheep ;)

It was split between WWL Pits, CL Pits and some new diggings by the A443. Would have made a good day list with more time and effort.

Brian
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Birding Today
 
Had a good morning down at Grimley - cheers for the directions Brian. I did, at one point think I'd scared the GWE off, as I approached down one side, despite it not batting an eyelid at a couple walking 2 dogs along the same path.

But thankfully the bird returned.

Loads of dragonflies too, and the hobby put on an amazing show. Wish I'd gone down earlier. Storms ended play far too early!

Keep an eye on my Flickr page for more from today.

No problem Pete, glad you found it. Great shots and that dragonfly shot is incredible!

Interesting to see that the Hobby is ringed on its right leg.

Brian
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Birding Today
 
GW Egret still at Grimley today. There seems to have been some confusion as to where the bird is. It is favouring the Camp Lane Pits (formerly known as the 'new workings'). This name was dropped as they haven't been worked for 3 years and there are more now more recent workings here and here while the 'old workings' are now largely out of bounds.

Wagon Wheel Lane Pits are here and the adjacent field which floods is here. There were 4 Black-tailed Godwits here today and a Little Egret arrived at Camp Lane Pits yesterday.

Brian
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Birding Today
 

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