Friday April 20

I was up early this morning, a man with a plan. The idea was to stroll over to Ipsley Alders to tick off a Grasshopper Warbler. The only problem was that there weren't any there.

In fact it was rather misty, and my first interesting creature was actually a mammal.

Roe Deer

Walking around the reserve I saw and heard six Blackcaps, two Willow Warblers, and four Chiffchaffs, but no new migrants.

The most significant bird was Pheasant, not just the adult male, but also a harem of two females.

Pheasant - male

Pheasant - female

Apart from that it was just the usual species singing away. I did have one more surprise in store though. What appeared to be a pensioners tea-party taking place in a scrubby area of the reserve was in fact my first encounter with the Redditch ringing group. I say encounter, the second I spotted them they got up from the trestle table they were sat around and headed purposefully towards a mist-net before disappearing into the woodland like an undiscovered New Guinea tribe.

I'd like to think it was nothing personal. I considered chasing after them and asking if they would mind if I photographed the Blue Tits and Robins as they released them, but that seemed a bit too sad, even for me, so I left them to it.

And that is how I didn't see the first Subalpine Warbler to be caught in the West Midlands.....just kidding...I hope.

By mid-morning I was back out, this time to Arrow Valley Lake. The mist was disappearing as I arrived and so I walked around in bright sunshine. Eight singing Blackcaps, seven singing Chiffchaffs, and four singing Willow Warblers were typical summer migrants.

I was then pleased to see a couple of Common Sandpipers in front of the sailing club and a single Lesser Whitethroat which paused briefly with two Chiffchaffs which were disputing a territory vociferously while a presumed female looked on, calling regularly. The Lesser Whitethroat flew on and gave a brief rattle to confirm its identity.

The Common Sandpipers

I counted three singing Reed Buntings around the lake before I left.

Reed Bunting