This Week's Birding

As spring continues to “spring”, time spent on birding has increased. I commenced the week with a visit to Brandon Marsh on Sunday, accompanied by the Capt, and although the rain was lashing down, we managed to see many Swallow and Sand Martin and one House Martin and a beautiful male Blackcap singing his heart out to a nearby potential mate.

A couple of times this week I have taken my usual lunchtime stroll along the River Leam, the wood is full of Chiff Chaff and Blackcap song, but still no Willow Warblers yet. In the evenings, myself and my birders wife have a walk we do, near where we live and again the trees seem to be full of Chiff Chaffs chiff chaffing and sometime chaff chiffing!

During the day yesterday, news broke of a Black Winged Stilt at Standlake in Oxfordshire, it seemed to be settled on Pit 60 in the area, so myself and my birders wife decided on the spur of the moment to drive down on a twitch straight after work. It seemed to be a race against time with dusk descending, but we managed to arrive at the site at about 6.45pm, only to find the viewing hide locked. Fortunately, a friendly local birder behind us had a key and let us in and we were immediately presented with views of the bird about 30 yards away. A fantastic bird and one of my all time favourites, I managed this record shot on my phone through my binoculars, . As we were watching the bird, it became quite flighty, flying round the pit a couple of times before rising higher and higher and then appeared to fly off southwards, but changed its mind and settled back down again. We took this opportunity to take our leave and made a mad dash to Farmoor Reservoir, only to find the gates locked – Oh well, you can’t have everything!

To make up to my birders wife for dragging her out and using up the petrol in her car, I took her out for a meal at a nearby recommended pub, the Boot Inn in Barnard Gate. Highly recommended, the mussels in thai curry sauce were amazing.