April in Sandwell Valley...

I have been making the most of the last couple of weeks freedom and managed to get over to the Valley on a number occasions to try to catch as much of the migration action as possible. Alas with the weather being as it has, migration has been but a trickle and I know just as the wind shifts and a possible torrent of migrants hit the country I will then be busy. That said, the 'trickle' has provided a few year ticks and some nice views of birds sitting soaking wet regretting the decision to make that effort to get over here. This chap for example.

Whinchat - Sandwell Valley - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

The advantage of this weather lies in the smaller number of people out around the 'country park' and therefore less disturbance. It means that a little patience is rewarded because the birds would eventually work their way towards you.

Whinchat - Sandwell Valley - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

The best example of this was the common sandpipers which started a long way down the newly profiled bank from the RSPB hide. I managed to fire dozens of photos as foot-by-foot they scampered towards us; eventually getting so close that you couldn't see them below the windows without standing.

Common Sandpiper - RSPB Sandwell Valley - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

The hide has proved good for a migrant or two despite the weather. The aforementioned common sandpipers have reached at least 3 chasing each other around. Of course because of the chasing it's proved almost impossible to be definitive about numbers with thoughts of up to 5 of them being around. Wagtails have been putting on a good show with yellow wagtails being seen on a number of occasions along with the regular pied around the farm and grey on the river. I have unfortunately missed the best photographic opportunities, today being greeted with "you should have been here 5 minutes ago, they were right next to the hide!".

Yellow Wagtail - RSPB Sandwell Valley - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

There was also the briefest of visits from a trio of 'white' wagtails. They came, they ate, they left, all within about 2 minutes. Fortunately I was there, unfortunately the light wasn't and the windows were closed so the photos weren't brilliant.

'White' Wagtails - RSPB Sandwell Valley - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

Little ringed plovers have been putting in sporadic appearances around the lake with one individual staying for about a week.

Little Ringed Plover - RSPB Sandwell Valley - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

An annual passage visitor around the Valley is the Northern wheatear and they haven't disappointed this year. A number have been seen at various times with a peak count of 5 in a field just off Salters Lane.

Wheatears - Sandwell Valley - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

A welcome returnee was the common terns which were started posturing to each other within a few days of their first appearance - a promising sign of further breeding attempts hopefully.

Common Tern - RSPB Sandwell Valley
- Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

Away from the water other migrants have been arriving slowly but surely. Chiffchaffs were followed by blackcaps, who in turn were followed by willow warblers.

Willow Warbler - RSPB Sandwell Valley - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

There are now small numbers of reed warblers (being heard, seems a bit cold for them to be showing themselves) and whitethroats appearing, but they seem to have been somewhat held up by the adverse weather - still waiting for my first sedge warbler! I'm also 70% sure that I heard a garden warbler today, sounded like a slightly subdued blackcap which was singing for an awfully long time from deep, low cover. Unfortunately it flew off when one of the local canines took an interest in the bushes.

The final group of migrants worth mentioning are the hirundines and swifts. Not much to say here except they have all arrived! High numbers of both swallows and house martins have been feeding around the lake over the past week or so but sand martin numbers have dropped away a little after good numbers earlier in the month. First swifts were seen this week and there was a least 15 pass through today.

Swallows - RSPB Sandwell Valley - Apr.2012 - Mike Ixer

Swallow - RSPB Sandwell Valley - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

I guess the only way to conclude this would be with an 'awwwww' moment.

Lapwing Chick - RSPB Sandwell Valley - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

I know it's a horribly enhanced photo, but it was obviously taken at a distance. Was fantastic (and terrifying when the gulls were circling overhead) to see 3 of these little guys running around the Island today - fingers crossed for plenty more of them.

Lapwing Brooding Chick - RSPB Sandwell Valley - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

(Very Local) Patch birding...

I have before written that the closest I have to a birding 'patch' is probably Sandwell Valley. The problem with this is that it is a 15-20 minute drive from where I live in Birmingham City Centre. Don't get me wrong, I do love the place and really enjoy my visits there - it's just not quite the patch within walking distance of my flat. I guess this is an inherant problem with living in the middle of a city. With this in mind - I decided to explore the area around my flat which does have some greenery to offer.

Area Around My Flat - Google Maps

As soon as I walked out of the building I was greeted by the familiar aggravated chattering of the resident mistle thrushes. I know this species breed in this area and seem to be doing very well for themselves - I saw at least 4 adults with juveniles in-tow. This family in particular were very obliging and came to within 6 foot.

Mistle Thrush Family - Birmingham City Centre - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

They were so close that the lens on my camera would only get this much of them in frame.

Mistle Thrush - Birmingham City Centre - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

I have seen these birds feeding off McDonald's chips at peoples feet with the local feral pigeon population. Whilst they were nesting outside the window I watched one adult see off a group of six pigeons and two magpies to get it's share of some spilt Saturday night chips - pretty tough birds! The juveniles are certainly well looked after.

Juvenile Mistle Thrush - Birmingham City Centre - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

The other highlights from this little stroll came in the form of this female blackcap.

Female Blackcap - Birmingham City Centre - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

A few days ago I heard a male singing outside, but not for a the last couple of days, so perhaps he was just passing.

Other birds in the area were a chiffchaff, blackbirds, greenfinches, goldfinches, blue tits, great tits, wren, dunnock, woodpigeons, magpies, crows and flyover gulls.

Of course, the real stars of the city centre show weren't viewable from ground level, but from my flat with the aid of a telescope they can sometimes be seen perching.

Peregrine Falcon - Birmingham City Centre - Mike Ixer

Am I a 'proper' birder now? ...

My time at home during the Easter holidays would not be complete without at least one trip to the RSPB's Minsmere reserve seeing as it is only a 35 minute drive from home. Alas with the weather predicted to take a turn for the worse, and other plans filling what remained of the good weather, I was forced to become a real birdwatcher and leave the house before sunrise on a Sunday.

So the normally mundane journey up the joyless stretch of road which is known only by the designation A12 began. It seems to be true what they say about the birds being more confiding and generally more active at dawn and as the sun rose to my right I saw pheasants by the bucket load, the silhouette of a heron heaving it's self through the sky, corvids leaving their night time roosts and the sublime sight of a barn owl carrying off an unwitting rodent from the roadside verge.

I arrived at Minsmere at about 6:30 and managed to negotiate my way around the outside of the new visitors centre (which looks lovely) and onto the reserve. After a stop in North hide I headed across the recently rebuilt North Wall when suddenly the redshank and lapwing population screeched into action drawing my attention to the Peregrine which was speeding over the Scrape. After everything settled I continued to East Hide where I was confronted by plenty of waterfowl and a bewildering array of gulls.

Wigeon - RSPB Minsmere - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

Having had a good 'whistle' at me, this male wigeon decided to pose quite nicely for a photo.

Wigeon - RSPB Minsmere - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

Having searched through the relatively easy to identify waterfowl my gaze turned to the masses of gulls. The vast majority were black-headed who were all either engaged in scrapping or making amorous advances - it seems to be a subtle line between the two. In amongst the black-headed gulls were handfulls of both common gulls and the truly black-headed members of the Minsmere gull family, the Mediterranean gulls.

Spot the Med. - RSPB Minsmere - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

Of the larger gulls the adult herring and lesser black-backed were easy to spot and the comparatively huge juvenile great black-backed gull stood out. The final gull species which I'm pretty sure was present was an adult caspian gull, though this is stretching my gull i.d. too it's limit - a limit which was pushed to breaking point by the numerous large 2nd calendar year birds. But I guess you can't complain at seven gull species from one hide!

Other birds worth mention from this hide would be the not so numerous waders who still seemed to be pretty lethargic at this early hour. A couple of groups of avocets were balancing on one leg whilst still kipping, as were two spotted redshanks until one was good enough to raise it's head to allow me to i.d. it. The three ruff were the exception to the general wader lethargy as they were busy feeding the whole time I watched.

The walk around the rest of the scrape provided very few highlights from the hides, however whilst looking over the flooded area where the Konik Ponies often are I heard a rustling over my shoulder in the reeds. Without turning around (for fear of disturbing the unknown rustler) I peered over my shoulder to see a stunning male bearded tit sat the the top of the reed no more than 3ft behind me. It was one of those glorious and awful moments where you can look and appreciate a perfectly contented bird knowing full well that the slightest hint of you turning around, either to ease the discomfort of peering over your shoulder or to photograph it, will send it diving deep into the reeds. Further around the path when I was between South and West Hides a usually elusive Cetti's warbler decided to perch all to briefly in front of me - what a missed photographic opportunity!

I entered the woodland to continue my early morning stomp by heading towards Bittern Hide and promptly got distracted by that rarest of birds - a pheasant. It is not the greatest of pictures, but I think it shows both the stunning markings on the birds and it's pearlescent colourings.

Pheasant - RSPB Minsmere - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

I arrived in Bittern Hide at about 9:45 and saw one other birder in there - the first time I had shared a hide this trip! The first thing to catch anyone's eye when they arrived was not a bird, it was these four.

Red Deer - RSPB Minsmere - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

Shortly after my arrival one of Minsmere's volunteers arrived and started chatting to the birder who had already taken up residence. "Seen much this morning?" the volunteer asked.
"There were 3 bitterns wandering around in the open earlier" said the birder.
"Wow! What time did you get here?" the volunteer exclaimed, at which point I was feeling smug thinking I did the proper birders thing this morning by getting here at 6:30.
"I was sat in here at 5 this morning." said the birder.
"DAMN, I'm still not a proper birder!" I thought. Oh well...

The sun was not in the best of positions so I ended up with plenty of silhouetted shots, like this one.

Water Rail - RSPB Minsmere - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

And this one.

Female Marsh Harrier - RSPB Minsmere - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

Then came the chance to make up for the frustrations of missing out on the earlier Cetti's warbler when this obliging individual made his way through the undergrowth below the hide and then sat and sang for us!

Cetti's Warbler - RSPB Minsmere - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

I waited a bit longer for one of these three bitterns to reappear, or possibly the return of one of the otters he had also seen that morning, but eventually, as time was pressing, I decided to move on towards Island Mere and met this chap on the way.

Muntjac Deer - RSPB Minsmere - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

Island Mere was more busy and there were some seriously large camera lenses pointed out the window - but no sign of anything unusual, especially bitterns. After a while of people shooting hundreds of shots of marsh harriers, I saw this silhouette circling overhead.

Glossy Ibis - RSPB Minsmere - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

I put out the shout to the hide (a nerve-racking experience in it's self) that there was a glossy ibis overhead. Everyone picked it up and watched as it circled around a number of times before coming to rest out in front of the hide. By this time the sun had moved (or the Earth had moved so the sun appeared to have moved Mr Science Teacher) so that everything in front of the hide was pretty silhouetted. I did however manage to get these pictures which were definitely better than nothing!

Glossy Ibis - RSPB Minsmere - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

Glossy Ibis - RSPB Minsmere - Apr. 2012 - Mike Ixer

Eventually, still bittern'less but richer thanks to the ibis, I had to leave to get back home with the bird still parading around.

It was well worth the 5:30 get up and I would recommend it to all!

Funky Chiffchaff...

Went to RSPB Minsmere today and I will write a proper blog for that soon. But until then, here is a recording I made of a proper funky chiffchaff I heard today.