Bagworth Heath and Woods - 18/06/17

Graham brilliantly led us on a stunning walk on Sunday morning.

Firstly we set off to go up towards the quarry. We found it quite hard

to see the birds in the dense foliage, however, we witnessed

incredible singing with competitions between the blackcap and garden

warbler, chiff chaff, wren, blackbird and song thrush. Later we had

excellent views of a garden warbler in a group of silver birches and a

goldcrest flitting across the path from pine to pine. Although we

shouldn't forget the young toad, sitting in the middle of the path in

the wet grass, stolidly refusing to move away from our trampling feet

and any passing heron.

Down by the small lake the house martins with their firstborn gave us

a wonderfully acrobatic, aerial display. Feeding parents flew back and

forth to nests in their specially built wall. A pied wagtail

diligently fed its two young on the lake bank with mallard mothers'

proudly showing off their young before leading them into the shade of

overhanging willow.

It was two and a half hours well spent on a very hot Sunday morning.

Several of us learnt new birdsong and recalled other songs previously

learnt with the help of Graham and Dave and each other - a real

collaborative effort. Thank you to those nine members who were able to

turn out on Fathers' Day, some suffering from hayfever.

Let's enjoy the summer,

Madeleine

Photos by Lee Loveridge

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Coombes Valley RSPB & Carsington Water

Hi Everyone,

What a day we had on Sunday! The extra drive and time proved to be well worth it.

Ten of us set off at 07.30am in three cars for Coombes Valley RSPB Reserve, two from Sapcote and one from north Leicestershire.

I had forgotten how beautiful that part of England is, especially in the sunshine with its rolling hills and dry stone walls.

As previously described, this site is an absolute little gem.

We were met by Murray, who described what we were likely to find and where - pied and spotted flycatchers, redstarts displaying and many warblers including willow and garden. The site is set in a lovely valley, organised into zones to accommodate all users. Nearest to the small centre are accessible areas with families in mind. Lots of activities to encourage children to explore the environment. But for those who would like more peace and quiet to observe the birds you don't have to go very far to the zones beyond.

Down into the wooded valley we walked passing hedgerows, steeply wooded slopes, meandering streams and meadows full of flowers; birds were calling from every direction and in spite of the abundant foliage we soon began to spot them. Good views of both species of flycatcher were had - 2 male pied and a female and a pair of spotted, five species of warbler, a pair of redstarts and swifts. Thirty species in all were seen. (Full lists available on meetings and talks page) After a short lunch break it was decided on the advice of the staff to go onto Carsington Water for the afternoon.

Carsington Water was busy as expected, but less so in the area of the hide and further on. Here we added the sedge warbler to our tally of warblers for the day. A real treat were six whimbrel on the far bank who then did a fly past and, to our surprise, two barnacle geese and a pink-footed goose. It was thought that the latter three were likely to be non-breeders this year. Thirty-five species were seen at Carsington. (List also on meetings and talk page)

A huge thanks to those who helped to organise the day Nev, Graham and Angie and to the car drivers.

Madeleine.

Ceiriog Valley, Shropshire

My Lovely wife and I took a few days away in the beautiful countryside of Shropshire staying in the Ceiriog Valley to the West of Chirk from May 2nd until 5th, 2017.

Breaking our Journey mid-morning for a coffee in Shrewsbury’s park and gardens in the “Quarry” and to my surprise a number of fellow birders, "I’ll have to check this out" I said and there on an Island in the middle of a small lake a Night Heron. Unfortunately he was just disappearing into the shrubs for a quiet moment to digest his breakfast, so didn’t get any good Pictures but a yearly tic all the same, so not all bad…

After checking into our Hotel we took a walk around the quiet country lanes of Llwynmawr, just single track access with steep stone and soil banks on either side covered in wild flowers, Bee’s and Butterfly’s, the only sound in the late afternoon sunshine of bird calls, Buzzard, Robin, Wren, Chaffinch, Chiff Chaff, Willow Warbler and numerous Corvids.

The Following Day we drive further up into the Mountains through the tinny village of Llanrhaeadr and Pistyll Rhaeadr Waterfalls, a stunningly beautiful place where the river tumbles 80 mtrs to the pools below.

We sat just watching the waters flow over the moss and plant life covered rocks as a Dipper fly’s past us and navigates its way in stages up the entire height of the falls picking up its food on the way, closely followed by a Grey Wagtail doing just the same. We travelled onto Lake Vyrnwy, the afternoon temperature rising so a welcome ice cream from the Artisans cafe before a wonder around the woods, the bird feeders from the hide never disappoint, numerous Siskin, Chaffinch, Greater Spotted Woodecker, Coal Tit, Nuthatch etc.

A disappointing though was not finding any of the summer migrants, Pied or Spotted Fly, Redstart or Wood Warbler, calling in at the RSPB centre I was told the surveys so far have only registered one Pied Fly. So maybe or hopefully the weather patterns have held them up and they turn up soon.

So a couple of lovely days in North Wales, glorious wall to wall sunny and warm weather and beautiful countryside, a real treat.

Well worth a visit.

Neville Weston.

Siskin at Vyrnwy

The Quarry in Shrewsbury

Green-Veined White

A Nosey Neighbour

The Llanrhaead Falls

GSW at Vrynwy

Orange tip female

A shy Night Heron