A weekend of local birding – Having found a female Common Scoter on Friday at my local patch, I decided to get up early Saturday (14th) morning before having to sort out domestics. Staunton Harold Reservoir has held good numbers of birds in recent days with nearly 1000 geese and 600 Black-headed Gulls being present. So Saturday morning, the female Common Scoter was still present, also a Little Egret, Greenshank and the regular adult Yellow-legged Gull, this bird is now in immaculate plumage. A real "Goose Fest" is currently taking place with 333 Grey Lags & 275 Canada Geese, the noise was incredible as they moved between stubble fields and the reservoir, but not the numbers I had on the 12th, with c500 Grey Lags and c400 Canada's, quiet a remarkable sight. A single Sand Martin and 9 Swallow but no sign of the 80 odd House Martin present on the morning of the 12th.
Sunday 15th and a visit to Blithfield Reservoir with my good friend Barrie. An adult Common Crane had been discovered on Friday 13th but wasn't present at Tad Bay early morning. It eventually flew back into the bay around 1:30 and we caught a glimpse of it as it flew back out of Tad Bay and headed off East. A nice year tick was a juvenile Little Stint in Blithe Bay. Also here 2 Ruff and a Greenshank, about 20+ Dunlin & 20+ Ringed Plover, 4 Common Tern and about 40 Yellow Wagtail. Later in Tad Bay 2 Little Egret. So an unexpected year tick, moving the year list on to 226.
Female Common Scoter – Staunton Harold Reservoir – 14th September 2013 – Tony Davison©
A small part of the Staunton Harold "Goose Fest" – Tony Davison©
Juvenile Ringed Plover – Blithfield Reservoir, Staffordshire – Tony Davison©
Adult Yellow Wagtail – Blithfield Reservoir, Staffordshire – Tony Davison© – at least 40 along the shorline in Blithe Bay
Above two images – adult Lesser Black-backed Gull – Dam Wall, Blithfield Reservoir, Staffordshire – Tony Davison©
3rd year Yellow-legged Gull – Dam Wall Blithfield Reservoir, Staffordshire – Tony Davison©
