APRIL 19th PATCHTASTIC

What a day, I was up in the eastern hills gripping Rouzels and Cuckoos and thought I was doing well when Boom! a tweet from Malc had me twitching with excitement.
He'd been down to Neumann's and found - Little Gull (actually seen yesterday and put out on the Manc Bird forum but nowhere else...thanks for nothing!), a drake Garganey roosting on Scrapyard island, a Gropper reeling by the same hide and several Whitethroats plus a big influx of Reed Warblers.
Take that and party as the saying goes, what a haul of spring goodies.

Returning to the office via Neumann's of course (lunch hour) I managed to acquire the ones I needed.

the moulting first summer Little Gull over the flashes

Back at home after work I looked up to see 4 Buzzards circling the house, more like Vultures than Buteos I could only wish they were about to feast on the dead carcass of the farmer next door who's cut down the row of trees by our house the bastard.

TTFN

WOOD WARBLER

As you may know I found the Wood Warbler at Marbury this April and its proving a very popular year tick for many Cheshire and further beyond year listers. Its been present for three days now but last night Friday 19th the skies were as clear as could be, so maybe its done one? no reports yet today Saturday.

here's a piccy by new patch birder Jeff Wood (how appropriate)...

surprisingly it looks like the deforestation that's taken place near the boat shed has actually created potential Wood Warbler habitat.
That's my forth on the patch but it still remains a rare passage bird. (unless it finds a mate and starts breeding that is)

Patch Year List now upto 117 that is top of the league form

TTFN

DO THE DAVID SHEPHERD

Patch has been a buzzing these past few days. Now that goddam easterly airflow has abated and the southerlies have arrived, its been a year tick fest. So much so that I've now reached the dizzy heights of 111.
So in the tradition of one of England's great test umpires namely David Shepherd we'll all do a quick hop as was his quirk when a score reached 111 otherwise known as a Nelson.
Anyway enough of that bollocks here's what's been happening since my last post.

Patch

A late night party of garden flyover Whoopers and an awesome juvenile Glaucous Gull were rather nice finds. The big G my first for 20 odd years since the old tip at Ashton's ceased working.
The rest your usual summer migrants and a grip back Med (another bird found on call) more of the same please.

Med Gull and BH gull

One of the three Arctics found by Malc with a Sand Martin below (looks like a Common Sand what?)

The pair of LRPs have been prospecting every bit of muddy water around the patch but this takes the biscuit...

Gonna get a bit crowded me thinks? I've actually seen the Redshanks on here as well.

First few butterflies have started appearing as well with Peacock in the garden and on the patch plus a Small Tortoiseshell on Neumann's last night.

Keep'em commin' that's what I say.

TTFN

TILERY WOOD CROSSBILLS

I've been working up on Teesside a lot recently and have been passing this place en route to the A19/A1M and not really paid much attention to it.There's also a rather excellent golden arches restaurant just down the road for my daily latte...nice!
Just off the A689 East of Sedgefield is where Tilery Woods lie. 100yds down the track from the car park a flock of very obliging Common Crossbills, the males out numbering the females 2-1 have been showing well for ages apparently. Also a good place to see Willow and Marsh Tit in the same wood.

some very different slightly photoshopped! and cropped photos 

and some video from 'Shakin' Pod himself

a nice addition to the stalled year list


TTFN

Twitch on at the Patch

The early texts and tweets were flying around this morning as patch insomniac Gregsy unearthed a bus load of year ticks for the regulars. Taking centre stage was a drake Scaup on the frozen mere the first one since 2009. Over on the purple patch of Kid Brook fields LRP, Redshank, Jack Snipe!!! and 2 Grey Wags had some of the regulars taking to the new board walk through Coward's Wood for a look.
Typically I'm walking in t'other direction eastwards along the mere as Groucho and Malc find a calling Crossbill (patch lifer for me) at the pines by the garden centre. I legged it over in record time but to no avail it had done one unfortunately.

seems to spend most of its time asleep 

Patch Year Tick no.97 after Marsh Harrier and Rock Pipit what a storming end to March.

TTFN

TAKE THAT AND PARTY

Being on the other side of the country when all the rest of the patchers are soaking up crippling views of a patch lifer for me is some what annoying to say the least.
A male Marsh Harrier had been spotted by one of the rangers over Ashton's. Now that's a real rarity one of the rangers actually out of their comfort zone and out of their office.
It did what no other harrier has done before and stayed all day and the next.
Late on the second day I roll up and try my luck. Not one other birder is on the patch. After finding all those buggers a patch lifer (Rock Pipit) you'd think someone would be out giving me a hand...no! (Jeff did arrive later god bless him)
To cut a long story short I didn't find one but TWO!! the male and a juvenile, what a classic grip back. sshhh..ting!!

Male

Juvenile 

Marsh Harrier over the Flashes patch lifer no.198

TTFN

THE PATCH PIPIT

I had the pleasure or maybe misfortune to find this the other day rummaging about on the sand spit where Kid Brook enters Budworth Mere.
Its one of those confusing 'pipits' that could be one of several species - Rock, Water, Scandinavian Rock or even a hybrid!
Lots has already been said on the FocalPoint forum and twitter with most I think leaning towards the Water Pipit camp.
This evening along with the Doc and Malc I took some photos that I admit aren't the best but have now got me scratching my head again.

see what you think (I've not altered them in any way, the first one had a cloud passing over)...

from what I observed this afternoon I ascertained that the bird showed the following features -

1.an obvious big wider (flared) behind the eye off white, I actually said at one point ''buff'' supercilium
this at once rules out Rock Pipit (I think?)

2.a brown faintly streaked back

3. two obvious pale wing bars, which in some lights appeared white in others pale creamy buff

4. a creamy buff not white upper belly and flanks that were heavily streaked. lower belly/undertail coverts white-ish but hard to tell on the views obtained

5. stonking big all dark bill

6. in flight the bird appeared dark all over with no contrast between back and rump. The outer tail feathers were off white but not as striking as in Meadow Pipit.

If I do it the layman's way and pick up Collin's then my eyes go straight to 'summer' plumaged littoralis Rock Pipit. But summer??
Looking at all the available photos of littoralis that are present now in the UK they all show grey tinged birds especially on the head and back with some confusingly having a pinky wash to the upper breast.
This is why I hate bloody pipits!!!!
See one bird get three ticks.
Anyway with so much possible variation in both Water and Scandinavian Rock Pipits I just might wait till Mr Garner is back from his Arctic adventure and ask him what he thinks.

TTFN