Wonderful Worcestershire birding and a little beyond, Wood Warbler, Nightingale, Sanderling, Spotted Redshank and Red-necked Phalarope

This is my first spring in our new home so I’m still finding my birding feet in and around Worcestershire. In contrast it had become very comfortable for me birding in and around my Oxfordshire home. If, for example, you asked me at this time of year where the nearest Garden Warbler was from my Standlake home I would take you on the short walk to Standlake Common and be very confident of showing you one but I don’t yet have a scooby do if and where they are in Pirton! So I’m still finding out exciting new things about birding locally from Pirton aided by a lot of friendly Worcestershire birders.

 

The cold spring seems to have delayed migration by around 2 weeks with many migrants still setting up territories in the local hedgerows. In the past week I have found several new in Common Whitethroat establishing territories with males hammering out their brief scratchy song. The Collared Doves from the nest in our barn have fledged and the very confiding juveniles are out and about on the estate. I wonder how and when they learn to be more weary? I would have guessed that evolution would have breed this trait into them from birth rather than it being something that they have to learn.

 

More new life has appeared on the largest of our ponds with 5 tiny black fluff balls following their proud Moorhen parents around. I was about to take down a wall planter by the front door to take out the winter pansies and replant it when a wren flew out of it. Closer inspection revealed an exquisite little nest with 5 tiny eggs. We will have to wait a little longer to replace the pansies!

 

The Wrens Nest

Tuffys on the pond

New life on the pond

A week or so ago I set out on the short drive to Wyre forest to look for one of my favourite returning spring migrants, the Wood Warbler. I missed out on seeing them at my normally reliable spot in Wales earlier in May because in my enthusiasm to see then I went too early. I grabbed the last parking spot in the small car park and, armed with some local intel, set off to look for them. With many paths to choose from I spent a rather frustrating 2 hours searching in vain and decided to return to my car for a coffee and a bit of a rethink. As I was slurping my coffee a dog walker walked over and, looking at my scope and camera, asked me what I was I hoping to see. I explained that I was hoping to see Wood Warblers and he asked me what they looked like. I gave him a rough description to which he replied “ah – I think I have seen one” He gave me directions to the location he though he had seen one and I set off, I have to say more in hope than expectation that he might have been right. A 20 minute or so walk from the car park took me to the spot and as I arrived I heard the unmistakable and very welcome song of a Wood Warbler whose song is often likened to a spinning coin, a rather high-pitched fluid metallic trill.

 

The Wood Warbler is one of the largest Phylloscopus warblers with striking bright yellow upper parts, throat, and upper chest and white under parts. It is widespread in deciduous European forests but in the UK it is mainly limited to the ancient oak woods of Wales and the west midlands. Mainly eating insects and spiders it is strongly migratory spending the winter in tropical Africa.

 

Wood Warbler

There were at least 3 males signing in close proximity to the footpath and so I sat down on the edge of the path with my bins and camera and watched and waited. After an hour or so of watching and listening I was rewarded with excellent views of a singing male. The bird was ringed but none of my photographs showed enough detail for me to find out where and when.

 

I was absolutely amazed and very excited to learn from talking to another friendly Worcestershire birder that there were Nightingales within walking distant at the Croome estate. In fact, I have walked by their location on a somewhat unpromising wooded lane several times as I explored my local area without actually turning and walking on the lane. If I had I would have soon seen one of the many signs the estate have put up to warn dogwalkers that ground nesting Nightingales are present and to keep your dog on a short lead.

 

Better late than never I set off one evening last week and, as I walked up the lane, I heard the unmistakable melody of a Nightingale in full song. In the UK they are increasingly scarce and rather sulky birds preferring nothing more than hiding in deep undergrowth while signing their fast succession of high, low, and rich notes. Strangely, they are said to be much more confiding and easier to see in Europe. The exact opposite of out Robin, a very confiding bird in the UK but said to be a very secretive and elusive bird in central european forests. A little bit further down the lane I met two ringers with mist nets and a lure hoping to catch and ring the Nightingales. One was eventual pulled in by the lure and I had the opportunity to see the bird in hand.  I returned yesterday hoping to get a few photos and located 3 males singing from deep within the scrub. Through the bins I only had obscured views so no photos again! I checked with my Oxfordshire birding mate Nick and at the location he goes to they do show out in the open in early May. I guess I’m either too late or the local habitat does not lend itself well to photography.

 

On last Friday I was in two minds whether to venture out birding as the weather was truly horrid with rain and strong winds but a report of three Sanderling, one in full summer plumage, at my very local Clifton pits swung it for me. On arrival after the short 4 mile drive the weather had deteriorated further but I donned the waterproofs and set off on the short walk to the north pit where the Sanderling were reported with my bins, camera, and scope. It was quite exposed on the footpath overlooking the lake and it was nigh on impossible to hold the bins still in the howling wind and keep them clear enough of rain to be able to see anything. To my amazement two other birders arrived, we are not easily put off by the elements, and one spotted a large wader hunkered down on the far side of the island behind some vegetation. The call was probably Spotted Redshank so I set up my scope and managed to keep it still and dry enough to confirm it was indeed a smart looking Spotted Redshank in its black summer plumage. It was much too far away in the conditions for any hope of photography. It quickly got disturbed by something did a loop of the lake and settled back in the same spot. It then disappeared and we saw a large wader flying off into the dense rain, presumably the Spotted Redshank. The other 2 birders wisely departed and I set off back for the car keeping an eye on the shoreline for the Sanderling. 

 

Sanderling

I found them in the company of a few Dunlin and, amazingly, the rain stoped just long enough for me to grab a few photos. One stunning individual was in full summer plumage. 

 

 

Last Sunday RBA reported a summer plumage female Red-necked Phalarope just 30 minutes drive over the county border into Gloucestershire at Coombe Hill Meadows nature reserve. So off I went again. The small car park was full but I grabbed the spot of someone who was just leaving. The local wildlife trust had set up a recruitment booth and the friendly representative gave me directions to the hide. To say the path was muddy would be an understatement but 30 minutes later I was in the hide getting fairly distant but good scope views of the stunning Phalarope. I last saw Red-necked Phalarope on my trip to Uist with Jeremy some 2 years ago so it was very nice to renew my acquittance with this attractive and hyperactive little bird. It is migratory and, amazingly for such a tiny bird, winters at sea in tropical oceans.

 

The typical sex roles are reversed in Phalaropes. Females are larger and more brightly coloured than males. The females pursue and fight over males and will even defend their mate from other females until the clutch is complete and the male begins incubation. The males perform all incubation and chick-rearing activities, while the females attempt to find another mate!

 

Distant record shot of Red-necked Pharalope

Also present was a distant Wood Sandpiper. Here are photos of one I took a while back at Frampton RSPB.

 

Wood Sandpiper

On Monday morning RBA reported that a Thrush Nightingale had been found at Flamborough head in Yorkshire. I set out walking the dogs thinking that it was too late and too far to twitch today. But my little devil soon appeared on my shoulder whispering in my ear again.

 

“You haven’t seen a Thrush Nightingale have you?”

 

“I bet you want to go really – there might not be another one for a long time”

 

“They usual only stay one day so if you don’t go today….”

 

“Go on it’s only a 3 hours drive!”

 

When I got home I begged forgiveness from my ever-suffering wife and set off!

 

The Thrush Nightingale is the continental counterpart or our common Nightingale and is only subtlety different in appearance. Its song does not have that bird's loud whistling crescendo but is still quite distinctive with a range of whistles, trills and clicks.

 

On arrival I checked RBA and *****! “no further sign of Thrush Nightingale at Flamborough”! I walked to the scrub by the golf course and as I walked up to a small group of intent birders I heard the bird sing – phew!!! Over the next 4 hours I saw the bird in brief flight twice, had a number of views of the bird in the back of a bush and heard it sing again a number of times. So again, no photos! A 2/10 bird view but still a UK tick!

 

 

   Footnote – my blogs are posted with sometimes rather imaginative spelling and grammar due to my extreme dyslexia!