Friday 18 March 2011

March 18th 2011

This blog’s a biggy but I just love it when my interests start coming together and it won’t be long before the Dragonfly’s and Orchids join in.

Clouded over in the night so another decent number of moths in my trap this morning including my first record of the tortrix Acleris literana so soon had Bob and April round to take photos then it was off to the pond.

Acleris literana

Draycote was windless with the cloud slow to burn off and because we had to be at Fenny Compton later we just worked farborough bank for an hour and it paid off with a mobile Rock Pipit on farborough bank and 7 Sand Martin feeding higher than expected over reservoir. Continuous scanning finally located the first summer male Scaup some distance away towards rainbow corner and the male Smew off hensborough bank. Other bird seen included 3 Buzzard, 20+ Wigeon, 6 Goosander, 20+ Goldeneye, 6 Pochard and a Chiffchaff in the country park.

After brunch in Southam we made our way to Fenny Compton joined by some over affectionate heifers taking an interest in Bob as we waited for Tangmere. This week has seen a steam engine fest in our area and this beauty had no intention of letting us down as she passed Alan between Leamington Spa and Warwick then chugged past us slow and smoky coming to a stop near the old station waiting for right of way then continued towards Wormleighton where Terry captured her picking up speed.

Alan Anscomb

Me

Terry Southgate

As Bob and April arrived home these hooligans were eating their house


Waxwing by Bob Hazell - at least 40 still in around Cawston estate

The moon will be nearest the Earth tomorrow night and this evening as she climbed above the horizon I tried to get an image but failed so luckily John managed to capture a lot more detail than I even saw.

John Judge

Finally regulars will have spotted that being Friday I haven’t mentioned buddy Dave – he’s working in China poor thing but managed to get Long-tailed Shrike from his office window and hopes to do a bit of birding this weekend.

Thanks to Bob, Alan, Terry and John for pictures

Richard

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