Saturday, May 01, 2021

Mixenden Reservoir and Hunter Hill area.........

 What a lovely morning to be out and about in good time. Cool but bright and dry

The reservoir was quiet - rough weather seems to turn up the birds.
1 Great Crested Grebe still - the other two have gone - but they might be back !
2 Sand Martins, 2 Swallows and 1 House Martin - maybe more soon but the weather needs to warm up for them.
Blackcap, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs in the plantation along with a noisy Nuthatch and the usual species.

Elsewhere - 1 Snipe, 1 Curlew, Jay, Nuthatch and a distant Buzzard drifting high >S. 
Thanks to NK's tip-off - I found the spot for the recently arrived Grasshopper Warbler. Elusive creatures with a distinctive reeling song if you have good hearing !!!. Surprise there for me... - and showing on and off after sitting still on the grass banking looking for it. Nearly gave up hope but even managed a few record shots eventually. 




Yesterday I even manged a few shots of some Fieldfares in Crimsworth Dean - 23 there along with 10+ Wheatear nearby. They will be heading over to northern Europe anytime now but it was nice to see them before they leave here for the northern summer. They probably think it's still winter here !
Fieldfare


Wheatear - also on their way further north from their wintering areas in Africa

1 comment:

Steve Blacksmith said...

Fine photos Dave. You were patient to get those of the Grasshopper Warbler. We had one on Saturday 1st May but our only sighting was a fleeting one as a Meadow Pipit bombed it making it fly up briefly. No chance of a shot.