Twitching - The Final Post

Well I decided to go for the Black Grouse, the Surf Scoter and Long-tailed Tit as first considered. I was up at 06:00 with a little help from the missus, made a flask and set off for Worlds End. The journey up was painless enough, I suppose I missed the morning commuter traffic and managed to arrive for around 09:15. I travelled along the moor road from Minera towards Worlds End as far as the Offa's Dyke Path but failed to see anything even though I'd painstakingly scrutinised every lekking ground. On the 2 return trip I decided to stop and just scan the area with the binos instead of checking the lekking ground with the scope. Whilst scanning I caught a glimpse of a Buzzard flying low, his presence put up a Grouse which I followed to ground. It sat out in relative open and excitedly I got the scope out but it turned out to be a Red Grouse, still a good find as I needed one for the year list.

130. Red Grouse

The Buzzard continued surveying the area so I followed him, he put another Grouse up which I followed noting the main features, the most obvious of which was the white bars across the top of the wings. I was unsure if this was a red or black at this time but on consulting Collins realised it must have been a Black Grouse, this was sufficient for me though as Black Grouse is a lifer for me so I wouldn't count it unless I could positively identify it. Luckily whilst scanning again a male rose up and flew toward me, he landed on the edge of a clearing and although still about 1km away I could clearly identify him as a male Black Grouse. I attempted to get some phone-scoped photos but the wind was too strong to hold the telescope still, this is the best I could manage so won't be counting it for the Big Bird Race.

Black Grouse

 

Happy with my find I could have stayed longer to look for more but I wanted to get up to Pensarn to look for the Surf Scoter. I pulled up at the beach car park and was blown away by the number of off-shore windmills, there must have been over 100. Now I knew that finding the Surf Scoter would not be easy to find being out to sea but I lost all hope of success when I took my first look through the binos. There were loads of ducks, all Common Scoter, I estimated there to be about 2500, so real needle in a haystack time plus I didn't really know what I was looking form other than from the bill and white neck but had no idea what would be obvious from this distance.  After some painstaking searching and some guidance to some local birders, I managed to get on to 2 Surf Scoters. They were quite obvious once you'd seen them and then relatively easy to pick our. I took loads of phone-scoped photos but again there was a strong wind and the Scoters were about 1.2kms out so the shots were not good, I took loads of the area where the Surf Scoter were but they do not show up.

 

129. Common Scoter

129. Common Scoter

129. Common Scoter

 

I had a number of Oystercatcher and a few Ringed Plover.

 

 Ringed Plover

 

On the route home I checked Bird Guides and saw the news of a Ruddy Shelduck at Doxey Marsh in Staffordshire which I need for the year. I arrived at the Doxey but the skies had opened up and I couldn't be bothered with walking round and getting soaked so I made the decision to go for the Long-tailed Duck at Sutton Park as I could swing by on the way back without too much impact to the time. It took a while to get through Walsall but I got there in the end, as I pulled up to park I could see the Long-tailed Duck about 20m out! Great views through the binos but the light wasn't that great for photos as it was now about 16:30 and the sun was low and I was facing it. I still managed a couple of shots though.

 

131. Long-tailed Duck

131. Long-tailed Duck

131. Long-tailed Duck

 

So I guess that's it for the Big Bird Race 2013 as I won't get out between now and Friday as I'll be back at work. I managed to photograph 131 species that can be identified in the photo. I have had other but not so you can identify like the Black Grouse above. I think the aim of the race has partly paid off as I do understand the settings of the camera a little but I've not been out enough or had chance to play with the camera enough. I've not even looked at photo editing software but will eventually get round to it. It's been a good year as it's made me think more about what I'm seeing and has forced me back into note taking which I had given up on. I will have to rename the blog next week as I'm not going to start another, nothing worse than coming across a blog via Google only to find it finished over a year ago.

 

I saw 22 new species in the UK during the course of the Big Bird Race, of which I've managed to photograph 19 so not too bad, those missing are Black Grouse, Rough-legged Buzzard and Goshawk.

 

Well, adieu for now, see you again next week under a different title of which I will have to have a think.



 



Final Week

So today is the start of the final week of the Big Bird Race 2013, what to do for the last week to bolster numbers? I have a long weekend off work as we have relatives visiting and I've managed to convince the missus to let me out geeking for one of the days. I decided that I should really make the effort to go see the long staying Myrtle Warbler, so it was decided I fired up Bird Guides to check the exact location only to find that it hadn't been seen since the 17th! Worse still that it was thought to have been taken by a Sparrowhawk!! Gutted........!

So where to visit then? I should really work out what I need to photograph and establish how best to get the greatest numbers out of one day but I'm actually more tempted to spend the day looking for Black Grouse, a lifer for me. A friend of mine counts them form the BTO and saw a group of 15 last weekend at Worlds End, a site I've tried twice with no result.  As luck would have it the weather is also forecast to be 'not that great'.

On a brighter note, the Siskin count in the garden has risen from 4 to 7, with the 6 Chaffinch continuing to visit so it's quite busy around the feeders with the Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Blue Tits, Great Tits, House Sparrows, Robins, Dunnocks and Blackbirds all squabbling.

Best get on with some research and figure out where best to visit.

Testing Day

So I was allowed out geeking today whilst the misses spent the day talking wedding plans and hen night with friends.

I thought I'd have a great day being on the south coast and was spoilt for choice as to where to go. I settled on Farlington Marsh which should provide me with waders and sea ducks and hopefully Short-eared Owl. When I arrived though, the tide was so far out that the bay was dry and devoid of bird life, the marsh itself was buzzing with dog walkers so I decided to forget the idea and head to Titchfield Haven. Before I left I had a quick scan of the channel with the telescope and picked out Curlew, Oystercatcher and a nice pair of Red-breasted Mergansers.

I arrived a Titchfield, the area quite busy. I parked up and scanned the Solent first but nothing on the sea as it was so rough, the wind was very blustery and blew my tripod over whilst I was getting my telescope, this has bent the arm which controls the head :o(

There were a few Herring Gull and Cormorant out on a spit and some Oystercatchers very close in affording a great opportunity to get some shots.

Oystercatcher

 

I then locked up the car and turned to head over to Titchfield Haven only to find it was closed, today was not turning out to be my day.....

 

As time was running out I decided to head to Stanwick Lakes as it was on the way back to our friends. I arrived on site and low and behold it too was shut, it was still accessible by foot though so I just parked up on the feeder road.

 

The woods are extremely wet and boggy making it difficult to walk round, certain paths are closed off and others completely flooded. The woods were alive with Blue Tit and Great Tit but no Coal. I saw a couple of Goldfinch which I don't really recall seeing much in woodland. I got some great views of a pair of Lesser Redpoll feeding.

 

Lesser Redpoll

Lesser Redpoll

 

I also saw plenty of Woodpigeon, a Goldcrest, 2 Redwing, a Song Thrush and a Treecreeper but this was it for the smaller birds. I continued round passed the Study Centre lake on the way back to the car. I had a quick scan, present were Mallard, Gadwall, Coot, Moorhen, a Little Grebe tucked up in the reeds and then my first Kingfisher of the year.



Mallard

Gadwall

 

128. Kingfisher

Quick Twitch

We were booked in to visit friends today down in Southampton, the misses said I could have tomorrow to go geeking while she chatted wedding stuff with our friends. I really wanted to take the chance to see the Red-flanked Bluetail in Marshfield as it's not far from my house, I couldn't really go Sunday though as it's the opposite direction to London, where we would be travelling back to. So I pushed my luck with the misses and suggested I check it out on the way to our friends, it should only add 30 mins to the journey.....

I followed the directions as posted on Bird Guides and pulled up to quite a number of cars as expected. I followed the directions to the exact location, taking the footpath along the valley, wellies would have been a good idea but I never thought that far ahead so I got my shoes extremely muddy.

When I arrived the birders were all stood around waiting for the bird to show back up, they informed me that it hadn't been showing all that well. I had a couple of low fly-over Raven which were cronking away, always great to see these massive corvids doing so well. One of the birders was pointing to the closest bush, I scanned it and there it was, Red-flanked Bluetail, tucked away in the ivy.

After some half decent views, made possible due to the sun being behind us, I decided to set off as we were due at our friends. I started to leave and the bird flushed, it was quickly relocated having moved to another bush, however this time it was right out at the front putting on a great show. It was posturing towards all the birders watching, flicking it's tail, quite funny. It enabled me to get a few decent shots which I'm quite happy with for a change.

127. Red-flanked Bluetail

127. Red-flanked Bluetail

127. Red-flanked Bluetail

127. Red-flanked Bluetail

127. Red-flanked Bluetail

127. Red-flanked Bluetail