March 13th 2010

Hi all – computer buried under thousands of dust sheets so only sporadic updates till I get to grips with this decorating malarkey.

March 11th 2010
I spent some of the day searching between Priors Hardwick and Wormleighton concentrating on the ridge hoping for early migrants but apart from a Stonechat near the site of the old medieval village of Stoneton on the county boundary with Northamptonshire which was probably passing through not a sniff of summer yet. In the area were single Raven and Grey Partridge plus 4 Buzzard, 8 Red-legged Partridge, 3 Mistle Thrush, 140 Fieldfare, 30 Redwing and a Sparrowhawk.
Wormleighton Reservoir was quiet apart from 9 Goldfinch, 5 Bullfinch, 6 Reed Bunting and a female Goldeneye while nearby there were 2 Corn Bunting, 3 Coal Tit, Marsh Tit and 12 Tree Sparrow among the Yellowhammer and Chaffinch.
Draycote Water is still quiet with 2 Great-northern Diver, Green Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, Snipe although a female Pintail flying in to toft bay did brightened up things and a wait till dark to see the ISS go over was a waste of time as cloud cover built up 30 minutes before it was due. Damn – second night in a row this has happened.
Although my own trap is not producing much variety the Oak Beauty found on the walls of one of the cottages at Priors Hardwick shows that other spring species are starting to emerge.

March 12th 2010
A break from decorating watching the sky over my garden produced a steady passage of Lesser Black-backed Gulls heading north with 249 counted over in 20 minutes mid morning.
I had not seen Dave all week so met up with him this afternoon for coffee and cake at Brandon Marsh along with Colin and Terry then a brief look at the reserve, 18 Snipe, Grey Wagtail, 2 Water Rail, 46 Shoveler and 2 Shelduck for our efforts.
There were at least 50 Golden Plover and 90 Wigeon in fields between Church Lawford and Bretford.

March 13th 2010
Coming back from Sainsbury’s early morning 8 swans were spotted flying high overhead heading west which motivated me down to the pond but whatever they were they gave it a miss. Unfortunately the place was heaving with crockels and looks like a training camp for wanna be skinnies or a refuge for the rest to take there MP3s for a walk so lost interest pretty quickly. I managed 2 female Goosander, female Shoveler, 2 Great-northern Diver, Grey Wagtail, Green Woodpecker and 4 Golden Plover before seeking solitude.
Luckily Napton Reservoir was more tranquil with a migrating Rock Pipit calling as it went over and a distant Red Kite being mobbed by 4 Raven as it headed in to Northamptonshire. Both good finds for this locality and also around were 200+ Common Gulls, Water Rail, Snipe, 2 Gadwall, female Shoveler, female Pochard, 4 Bullfinch and 14 Fieldfare. Fishermen reported that two Barn owls were seen together in the week.

Richard