Thursday December 27

A cloudy mild morning.

 I visited Ipsley Alders where I didn't see a soul, but didn't see any unusual birds either. The best was a Pheasant and a handful of Siskins.

So I went to Arrow Valley Lake where I saw hundreds of people and a good many birders twitching the Black-throated Diver, Among them were Paul Hyde and Des Jennings, so it was very nice to have a catch-up chat with them.

The Black-throated Diver was still showing well.

Goldeneye

Tufted Duck

The Goldeneye has been joined by three Tufted Ducks. I learned, from chatting to various birders, that I had missed some Pochard on a frosty day last winter, and a Pink-footed Goose this week.

The site has never been so popular.

Monday December 24

Sunny with hardly a breeze.

A rare event: Lyn came birding with me. We were of course twitching the Black-throated Diver, and it was late afternoon. The bird couldn't have been more co-operative. It was swimming around off the visitor centre and we were able to view from the opposite bank.

Black-throated Diver

It was diving frequently but on one occasion popped up right in front of us.

A nice by-product of twitches is that you often get to see birders you know. This afternoon, Nick Barlow from Marsh Lane Gravel Pit had been unable to resist making his second ever visit to Arrow Valley Lake. It was good to catch up.

Saturday December 22 - Black-throated Diver

Earlier today I got a text to say there was a Black-throated Diver at Lower Bittell, a very rare bird in a Worcs context. By midday I was wondering whether I might persuade Lyn that we could go to Hillers via Bittell (ten miles in the wrong direction), so I checked t'internet and found the message that it had flown south early afternoon. Well it was only 12.25 when I saw the message, so I thought I had missed it.

Then I thought I could just check Arrow Valley Lake before we went to Hillers. So I arrived to see a familiar shape striding ahead of me, Gavin Peplow. He had obviously had the same idea. I caught up with him as he was scanning. He turned to me and said "its here!"

Neither of us could believe our luck.

Black-throated Diver

Looking into the sun (with Cormorant)

Wing-flapping

Needless to say, the first for the locality.

Much phoning and texting followed, and others soon arrived to enjoy the spectacle.

Just wow.

I didn't take much notice of the other birds on the lake, but did see that the Goldeneye was still present.

One last thing. Back from the shops in the afternoon I found a small Ichneumon wasp sp on its last legs on the draining board in the kitchen. It soon expired and I photographed it in the hope I can find an expert who can identify it.

Tromatoria lineata

I know there are a very great number of possible species and it may require a microscope (which I don't possess). I have retained the specimen. If I do find out what it was, I will update the blog.

This is the update. An expert has identified it as the 44th British record of Tromatoria lineata an obscure ichneumon wasp.

Friday December 14

I decided to take advantage of the brief cold snap hoping that Arrow Valley Lake might be partly frozen. In fact it was ice free, but sunny and cold.

So no new diving ducks, but there was an increase in dabblers. A pair of Teal were new, and there are now 34 Shovelers feeding around the two islands.

Teal

Any fishermen present today would have been dismayed at the sight of 26 Cormorants arriving for their breakfast, while three Grey Herons, a drake Goosander, and the female Goldeneye were no doubt accounting for the smaller fish.

Cormorants in flight, fishermen's fright

A Kingfisher was also present, but although I heard it several times I failed to see it.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, a Fieldfare has started to strip the berries on our cotoneaster, while at least one Redwing has joined the Blackbirds chomping on the apples in the back garden.

Fieldfare

Monday December 10

Sunny intervals and a light north-westerly. Still fairly mild.

I decided on a stroll around Arrow Valley Lake. This produced pretty much the same as always, the only noteworthy bird being a Little Egret, my first since the spring.

Little Egret

Other than that, the Goldeneye was still present, Shoveler numbers have dropped to 11, and there were about eight Siskins and a few Redwings representing winter.

Back home I had a brief view of a male Blackcap on fat balls in the garden. I didn't see any last autumn.

Thursday 6 December

The recent run of mild nights encouraged me to put the trap out, maybe for the last time this year. It was starting to irk me that I hadn't recorded a particular species in the garden. Happily this morning, despite the gloom and rain, a single Winter Moth was sitting on the fence. Job done.

Winter Moth

Not the most spectacular moth, and worryingly similar to a species called Northern Winter Moth which I think would show a white underwing poking out from the skirt of its upper wing. I used to see what I took to be Winter Moths regularly on the front door of the flats Lyn and I lived in in Birmingham 15 years ago (the foyer had a light on all night). But I had never seen one here before......correction, I recorded one in 2009 according to some previous notes I had made.

I also attracted three Light Brown Apple Moths, the first for about two months. This adventive species seems to breed throughout the year, and was not too much of a surprise.