September 17th 2008

WARNING - My computer screen is playing up - keeps blanking out so if I go off ether for a while I'm on the streets saving for a new one so be patient.
REDSTART UPDATE - Yesterdays bird in my garden returned that evening and appeared to go to roost in my neighbours holly tree.

Did not go out early hoping the Redstart would appear but no luck. Arrived at Draycote Water just after eight and there were four Kingfishers in toft shallows and the female Common Scoter was in toft bay amongst the Tufted Duck but flew off when fisherman's boats arrived but returned later in day. Ringed Plover 2 and Common Sandpiper 2 also in toft bay. Had a good look at the sewage farm and managed a migrant Sedge Warbler (local population have left) and a couple of Chiffchaff. Goosander's 5 were between valve tower and inlet while the Shags 3 were on the rocks off draycote bank and the Pintail's which I missed yesterday were off hensborough bank. They are worth an identification look being a female and a partial eclipse male.
After coffee I practiced what I preach and searched the high ground in the country park and hit the jackpot with a Wood Warbler in the small clump of trees by the top car park but it flew off down the hill and as I was searching for it managed to stumble across a Redstart(my 12th record here and second of the year) so put the news out and Bob Hazell arrived but it was elusive and over the next two hours only showed fleetingly. The Wood warbler was my sixth record of this species at Draycote Water but never did see it again. Couple of Vapourer moths flying around here.
Other birds dotted around the reservoir were Great-spotted Woodpecker 2, Green Woodpecker 3, Yellow-legged Gull adult, Spotted Flycatcher in sailing club lower car park, Wigeon 30, Meadow Pipit 9, Yellow Wagtail 6 including a very yellow adult and as I was leaving one of the first winter Little Gulls was in biggen bay.
Plenty of birdwatchers about today so its pretty shameful that they don't put there records in the log book - especially as they look at it before going around (end of gripe).

Richard