Utch 31/1/10 0750-1100.

Woke up this mornin' to find a everywhere white over with a skitterin' of snow. The plan was to head for Stubbers but with the snow still fallin' and the cart tracks around Cheesedale still white over i decided to cut me losses and head for Utch.

When i got there it was still snowin' and bloody freezin, a complete contrast to yesterday. A quick scan through the assembled divin' ducks revealed the female Scaup that had originally turned up around crimbo but had since been the "Scaup in residence" at nearby Brookers alongside Fergal the Fudge Duck. Where is he now? All was pretty quiet until 1000am when i picked up two wild swans flyin' along the dove. Whoppers! Two of 'em! They looked to be droppin' over the other side of the A50 so i headed off in pursuit, playin' chicken with various irate car owners as i crossed the busy dual carriageway. Sadly despite my best efforts i couldn't relocate them so i headed back along the River Tean.

Havin' two daughters who were both horse mad as kids, had lessons for ten years and even owned two couldn't have prepared me for what waited in the field alongside the river. It was HUGE! It must have been at least seventeen hands when it was a foal! Like the swans this horse was a WHOPPER and a bit to friendly for my likin' seein' as i was between it and icy cold water. Luckily i had a couple of Granny Smiths in me pocket, so i chucked 'em at Trigger and hurdled the fence like an olympic athlete.

Whooper Swan 2, ad' and juv' flew along the River Dove headin' west

Scaup 1, female

Pinky 1

Goosander 13

Pintail 1, drake

Tufty 90

Pochard 7

Teal 34

Wigeon 175

Mallard 220

Fielfare, flocks of 35 and 40 are the first for a few weeks.

A quick call in at the JCB Lakes at Rocester on the way home produced seven Goosander and the chance to unleash my NIKKI NAKKI 500 SLR on the unsuspectin' captive wildfowl and Blockheads.

A quick call in at Barker Towers for a bowl of gruel and to pick up the hounds meant we were at Hawksmoor NT for half one. With the recent revelation that Mad Malc' was makin' a serious assault on my Cheesedale 100 Club title i decided to hit Hawks' lookin' for a couple of Cheesedale blockers. Crossbill in particular can be to say the least tricky, Woodcock not so but it would have been nice to get it safely UTB without waitin 'til the spring for displayin' birds. Failed miserably with the 'cocks but came up trumps with a callin' Crossbill in pines near to Eastwall Farm!

After that high it was steadily downhill, a return visit to Utch produced Zippo as did a last minute decision to do the roost at Blithers. Bumped into old Manty though who was decidedly chipper considerin' the lack of birds. Then again he did say he's off to The Philippines next week! How the other 'arf live eh? Earlier today i had a call off top Salop birder and best mucker Mr Magoo to tell me he's off to Brazil in March! Needless to say i'll be at Utch thinkin' of them.

Not a bad weekend really, Little Egret, 2 Whoopers, Scaup and a Cheesedale blocker with the Crosser at Hawksmoor!

That's all folks.

Utch 30/1/10 0830-1040.

A little over indulgence last night on the old Strongbow meant a late start at Utch this mornin'. Still very cold with this north wind makin' it feel even colder but a lovely, sunny, winter mornin' for a couple of hours round Utch.No sign of yesterdays Little Egret but new in were a single Redshank and a Pink-footed Goose with the Canadas and Greylags.

Pinky 1
Goosander 7
Pintail 1
Wigeon 164
Tufty 62
Pochard 4
Teal 24
Gadwall 1
Mallard 110
Redshank 1
Snipe 1.

Managed to get out for the last hour before dark around Cheesedale and it proved highly productive. A pair of Tawny Owls were perched side by side at their daytime roost close to their traditional nest site, nearby two Peregrines showed well and finally 6 Teal were a nice find as they roosted on the ice on Sandy Lane Pool. A quick check for Barn Owls at a regular site again proved unproductive. Hopefully they've survived the severe weather we've had this last few weeks.

I'm off to Stubbers in the mornin' to hopefully have another look at a Caspo and a 2nd winter Iceland gull that's been droppin' in there.

Thats all folks.

Utch 29/1/10 1350-1550.

Managed a bonus visit to Utch this a'noon after cadgin' a lift with former World Pipe Smokin' Champion George Bowker and his canine companion Tufty! Cheers pa.

It was cold and sunny when i got there with a bitter north wind blowin' off the Weaver Hills. Highlights were a single Little Egret and a record count of 58 Cormorants.

A blizzard at around half three finally put paid to any chance of a crack at the Goosander roost so i headed off to catch the bus in nearby Spath.

Little Egret 1
Cormorant 58
Goosander 14
Pintail 1
Gadwall 5
Wigeon c210
Teal c50
Mallard 200
Tufty 50

Off to the pub now so that's all folks.

Elderly Teutonic Rockers Call It A Day.

Hey up folks, put ya flags at half mast and get ya black armbands out! The SCORPIONS http://www.the-scorpions.com/english/ have announced that after the release of their latest album "Sting In The Tail" and the world tour to follow, that they will be retiring!!! Apparently old Klause and the boys can feel the wind of change and are ready for a holiday. Well on behalf of all Scorp's fans in the Kingdom of Cheesedale and beyond i'd just like to say there's no one like you ,so hopefully i'm goin' mad.

One of the funniest things that happened last year was when me and me old mucker Norbert were crammed into the tiny hide at Inner Marsh Farm RSPB with a load of Robin Strokers and Chicken Scoffers. As usual the 'strokers and 'scoffers were chattin' about everything possible apart from birds and not even lookin' for the two Long-billed Dowitchers that had been around for a while when my phone went off to the tune of "Rock You Like A Hurricane" ! Full blast! The looks i got were worth every single second as i tried to find my phone in my coat of many pockets. Not long after that two gigantic scoffers entered the hide and in fear of bein' eaten if we didn't let them have our seats we beat a hasty retreat. Funny though.

On another musical note, AC/DC have been confirmed as headliners at Download http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/ this year. Rumour as it that they are considerin' playin' BACK IN BLACK in full. Whether jolly old Brians voice could take it nowadays i'm not sure but i'm sure our Soph' will take great delight in tellin' the old man all about it when she gets back! Back In Black is my all time number one album. Not a single bad tune on there and not a single ballad either. Just 41 minutes and 57 seconds of pure rock n roll. Right from the kick off with Hells Bells through to Back In Black and finishin' with Rock n Roll Ain't Noise Pollution, every tunes a Rock Classic!

Here's a little poser for ya, what's the link between AC/DC and Stunning Canadian Warbler Shania Twain? Answers on a post card please.

That's All Folks.

"seen any Siskins or Nuthatch's pal"?

Yep strange title i know, but that's exactly what somebody asked me as i was tryin' to find somewhere for a sneaky pee in the Elan Valley while we waited for the doors to open at Gigrin Farm, where there's been a juv' Black Kite(Milvus migrans) among the hundreds of Red's(kites, not united fans) for a couple of weeks now. I'm sorry, but i'm not in the habit of travellin' 250 miles along narrow country lanes, riddled with terrified sheep to look for something i can see quite easily round home!!! I can only assume this chap was a fully paid up member of the STROKER CLAN!












The kite was a lifer for my mate Mad Malc' so with him unable to sleep we were on the road just after seven. A quick foray into the outskirts of the potteries to pick up The Nobster and we were back on route for 0720. The early start meant we were in sheep country for around 1030. The zoo didn't open 'til one so we decided to have a tootle round the picturesque Elan Valley. Stunning scenery but very few birds. The only birds of note were a single kite, 3 Ravens and an adult Peregrine.

















While we were parked up i managed to get onto a couple of extras from Last Of The Summer Wine dressed as birders! One of 'em does bare an uncanny resemblance to Stoke Citys Tony Pullis.








Finally openin' time arrived and we parked up with several kites already millin' around overhead. As soon as we got out of the motor we had to dive for cover as one of the WMBC's Chapter of The Asbo's, Steve "The Snapper" Richards roared into the carpark with Mrs Snapper lookin' a Whiter Shade Of Pale. A few deep breaths later and Snapper had calmed down so we all strolled up to the "mound" which overlooks the feedin' area. After a couple of minutes The Snappers headed off to have a look around, it doesn't take long at Gigrin.








Almost as soon as they had gone, i got onto the Black Kite as it circled over the feedin' site with several Red Kites. As i got onto the bird i yelled out "kites here"!! What a wally, there was loads of 'em, but only one black un. Within seconds we were surrounded by several other mid's birders includin' top mid's lister Julian Allen havin' a day off from his mid's listin' attempt and Master Blogger and Top Asbo, Archie Archer. Readin Archies blog i'd no idea how painfully shy he is. Nice to see ya pal. I hate hides as well owd duck.





After the first show, the kite disappeared for around an hour before reappearin and performin' superbly in front of the assembled throng. Cripplin' views of a bostin' bird. When Malc' had decided he'd had enough we headed back to the car where we bumped into Mr and Mrs Snapper again. They'd planned to finish the day at nearby Tregaron Bog(marsh not toilet) but hunger had got the better of them and the promise of a carvery was all to much for Mrs Snapper and she bundled young Steven into the car. As he fell into the car he kept muttering about gettin' plenty of meat. Hope you had a nice meal folks.





If you've never been to Gigrin it's well worth the four quid entrance fee. The sheer spectacle of so many kites, ravens and buzzards all swarmin' around the feedin' area is incredible.








Needless to say it will be toasted in the traditional fashion.





That's all folks.

Spurs 2 v 2 Leeds United.

Ohhhhhh Yes!!!!! Two-one down and into the fifth minute of injury time. what happens next? Ref' Alan Wiley points to the spot after JB gets clattered by Spurs Michael Dawson and Jan(the missus) jumped a mile after my screams for a penalty. JB steps up and hits it high into the back of the net, GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!! Tottingham 2 v 2 Leeds. Back to Elland Rd we go.

Utch 1525-1700

Goosander 40

Gadwall 7

Pintail 1 bostin' drake

Eurasian Wigeon c300

Eurasian Teal 11

That's all folks.

Sheffield here we come!

Hey up folks, absolutely zilch on the bird front this week as you can tell with my last post witterin' on about Journey. Well nothin's changed apart from the fact that Captain Carlsberg has got his wicked way and i am now the ecstatic owner of two tickets for KISS at Sheffield on the 1/5/2010! Just me and the little un(she's 17), for me it's like takin' ya lad to a wembley final. Don't hold ya breath though, Leeds have got Spurs on Saturday a'noon so it could be a double whammy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Andy

Sacrilege!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey up folks, anyone who knows me will confirm that i'm not a lover of the charts. But even i've noticed that the all time classic "Don't stop believin'" by San Francisco's finest, the mighty JOURNEY is actually in the UK singles chart. And it's currently at number six! Does this mean the music world is finally comin' to it's sense's? I doubt it very much seein' that at number five is a group of numpties from some naff US tv soap singin', wait for it. DON'T STOP BELIEVIN'!!!Originally by Journey, who are at number six with the original version!!!!!!!

You couldn't make it up, could you?

Don't stop believin' was on the album Escape, which along with the Foreigner 4 album laid the foundations for the rest of my life as far as music goe's. Both classic albums with classic tunes like Juke box hero, Urgent, Waitin' for a girl like you, Who's cryin' now, Escape, Open arms and of course DON'T STOP BELIEVIN'.

Funnily enough "Don't stop believin" could be the local patch workers anthem. Keep at it long enough and that one really good bird will eventually turn up !

Early finish tomorrow and no car. Despite my best efforts i've been unable to cadge a lift to Utch so the rest of the Blithers brents will have to remain undiscovered.

Have a good un folks.

Andy.

17/1/10, Fergals Gone!

Utch 0830-1040

Goldeneye 2

Pintail 1

Gadwall 2

Wigeon 35

Teal 31

Goosander 18

Mallard 200

Pochard 1

Tufty 8

Snipe 5

Lapwing c50

After yesterdays rain, the fields nearest the River Dove are flooded in parts and good numbers of geese were feeding there this mornin'. No sign of anything remotely "wild" though.

Several Skylarks were on the move overhead in the improved conditions, something that was also noticeable later at Brookers and Croxden.

Brookers 1100-1120

Scaup 1

Mandarin 1

Tufty 8

Mallard 246

After yesterdays recce and the reappearance of Fergal the Fudge Duck, hopes were high of a good first Webs count. How wrong can you be?

Oh well, back to the snooker.

Have a good un folks.

Fergal's Back!

Utch 0810-1000





Hey up folks, well the snow's finally gone but i'd rather have the snow than the non-stop rain we had this mornin'. I was freezin' and soaked to the soddin' skin after an hour! All four pits are still almost completely frozen despite the rapid thaw and overnight disappearance of the white stuff.





First birds i clapped me mince pies on were four Red-crested Pochard, three drakes and a female as they touched down on the frozen main pit, after flyin' in straight from the Black sea. Yes, fully winged and unringed!! Or they could have travelled the two miles from the JCB collection at nearby Rocester, who knows? Never the less a site tick pour moi!!!!!! Plastic or not. They soon realised there was no bread to be had though and headed off along the River Dove.





Also on site were:





Wigeon 52


Goosander 7


Tufty 3


Pochard 1


Teal 7


Mad Malc' 1 rather soggy lookin' individual carryin' "The Lurgy" and even worse! Admittin' to goin' to watch Stoke v liverpool at The Brit'.That's no way for a follower of LUFC to behave owd duck!





A quick call in at the JCB Lakes produced cripplin' views of the resident Yank Wigeon and Baikal Teal, what a little corker the teal is. Who said there's owt wrong with plastic?





Next stop Brookers, on a reccee for my debut tomorrow as a Webs Counter.





Brookers 1040-1120





I arrived at Brookers to find the lake 95% frozen but good numbers of wildfowl crammed onto the small area of open water. As soon as they clapped eyes on me though most of the buggers took off. A quick check through what was left turned up the female Scaup and Fergal the Fudge Duck, just when we thought he'd gone. When RP checked last weekend there was no sign of our ferruginous friend. At one point the Scaup and Fergal were on the ice standin' side by side doin' a Posh and Becks as if sayin' "look at us, we're the best birds on here".





Then me old mate RP turned up, this time fully mobile after his problems with a spot of gout durin the festivities. As we stood chopsin' a Peregrine went over carryin' what looked like a small duck, probably one of the Mandarins that were now circlin' overhead.





Hopefully Fergal and the Scaup will be there tomorrow, what a way to make me debut!





Ferruginous Duck 1


Scaup 1


Mandarin c30


Peregrine 1





Have a good un folks, i'm off to watch the snooker. What a match this afternoon! O'sullivan 6v5 Williams.

A Tale Of Two Rails.

Sunday 10/1/2010

Utch 0805-0905

Bitterly cold again today with this easterly wind making it feel even colder. All three pits still frozen apart from the "garden pond" in the main pit. The imm' male Scaup still present and the only other bird of note was an adult Peregrine standing on the ice snackin' on a Starling! One sorry lookin' Redwing showed to within six feet as it tried to shelter among the weeds by the footpath, poor sod's probably brown bread now.

So few birds at Utch meant i was on the road to Cannock and Kingswood Lakeside just after nine.

Kingswood Lakeside 0945-1145

I spent the next couple of hours at this great spot for watchin' gulls, a fishin' lake right next door to a rubbish tip! Brilliant! The views are certainly as good as those you get at Stubbers a few miles up the road. No sign of any Caspian gulls but i did manage a trio of YLG's, 2 ad's and a 2nd winter bird. It's just a pity it's a sixty mile round trip otherwise i'd be there every day.

After a quick brew in the car it was time to head back to Utch to check the "pond".

Utch 1240-1320

Nothin' new on the "pond" but the young male Scaup was right out on the ice, well away from the other ducks and not lookin' to chipper.

Then a text message from the Weston Coyney Branch of CBA told me that the Water Rail and Jack Snipe were still showing well below the outlet on Park Hall Lake. Tempted by good views of what can be two difficult species to see i hit the A50 and headed for the smoke.

Park Hall Lake 1400-20

Park Hall Lake is what could be a great little local patch and would probably turn up far more than it does if it was watched regularly. Today it held the usual suspects Canadas, Tufties and various hybrid Mallard type thingies. As soon as i set foot on the bridge that runs over the outlet, out shot the 'Rail and off down the stream never to be seen again. No sign of the 'Snipe despite extensive searchin' for at least ten minutes.Then another text message, this time from the Teanford Branch of CBA with news of what is still officially a Cheesdale Mega!

Hales Hall Pool 1440-1510

Now yesterday i mentioned i'd been at Hales Hall Pool lookin' for Water Rails, well so had someone else and guess what the message said? Yes you guessed it, "WATER RAIL @ Hales Hall"!! A quick text back to the sorcerers apprentice told me that the 'Rail had crossed the new footbridge and a stakeout had already started. Back in the car and onto the A50, ten minutes later i spun into the brand new £250,000 carpark and quickly parked up the old punto. RP the finder of the rail was waitin' patiently on the bridge and beaming from ear to ear. "Cheesedale tick for me" he said "yes,yes ok where is it "? i asked " in there" he said as he pointed at the snow covered tussocks and reeds. A quick check from the north shore turned up a Snipe but no sign of the rail. Then as if by magic, just like Mr Benn, up popped Mad Malc and ten minutes later so did the rail as it flew across the stream that runs into the pool!! Another couple of glimpses as it fed among the reeds meant we all went home happy, especially RP and Malc it was a Cheesdale Lifer for them!!!

Have a good un folks.

Utch 0825-1025.

Hey up folks, the arctic conditions must be taking a heavy toll on our bird life at the moment. It's certainly cleared out the quarry. Last weekend there was nearly two hundred Eurasian Wigeon on site, today there was just four!

Apart from a small area of open water no bigger than a large garden pond, all three pits are frozen solid.

The 1st winter drake Scaup was still present this mornin' on the garden pond among the Mallards.

Greater Scaup, 1st winter male

Goosander 1

Eurasian Wigeon 4

Eurasian Teal 3

Mallard 30

Common Gull 2

BHG 7

Lapwing c300, almost all lying flat on the ice trying to conserve valuable energy

Common Snipe 2




On the way back home i called in at Hales Hall Pool a local hot spot, and good for Water Rail in these conditions. Again the water was almost completely frozen apart from a small area where the feeder stream comes in. No joy with the rails but i did manage a skein of c150 Pinkies flying over the town heading n/nw. There's been a movement of Pinkies again today through the area, several flocks have been seen over nearby Alton and the potteries.


Weather permitting' i'll be at Kingswood again in the mornin' for another look at the fine selection of Caspo's on offer.

Have a good un.

Eddle Preddle 75 Today.

Hey up folks, you probably all know but Elvis Aaron Presley, The King Of Rock n Roll, would have been 75 today! With out him there would be no Rock n Roll, Heavy Metal, Classic Rock ................ Nothing!

I can still remember being down at the old Cheesedale Festival Site when i heard "Elvis is dead"! I was only eleven but even then the man had made a huge impression on me.

TOPMAN.

Pesky Peregrines.

Hey up folks, what's your favourite bird? There can't be many birders that haven't been asked that by a non-birder at some time or other, or popped that question on the way back from a twitch.

Ever since i was a lad i've always, like many people i suppose, had a soft spot for raptors. But the one bird that really caught my imagination was the Peregrine Falcon(Falco Peregrinus).

I didn't see my first until i finally passed my driving test in my early twenties and started visiting Blithfield Reservoir in Staffordshire. I chuckle about it now, me and me old mate Nobby were walking up Blithe bay when i saw something drop onto the mud quite a distance away. A quick glance through the bins and it was in the bag, my first ever Peregrine sitting on the mud as if it owned the place! We then stalked the bird as if it were a mega rarity, crawlin' up the bay commando style before it finally took off and moved further up the bay.

Since that first time i've been lucky enough to actually study these stunning birds at very close quarters and never fail to be impressed by the power and beauty of these birds. Despite their speed and power it always surprises me how many times you see a bird or birds fail to catch their prey. They seem to have a poor success rate for the amount of time they spend on the wing and waste a lot of valuable energy . I once watched a pair chasing a Curlew(Numenius arquata) and despite their best efforts the curlew easily out manoeuvred the pair. Yet on another occasion i was watchin' a female perched on a cliff face, suddenly she sprang into action and sped low and flat into what was obviously a hunt. As she powered towards me a small flock of feral pigeons came into view, the female came up from underneath in typical fashion but missed! The male then suddenly stooped into the flock and also missed but then the female reappeared from underneath and this time took out one of the pigeons. She then took the pigeon back to her perch. All this lasted around thirty seconds! That's what you call fast food!!!

Have a good un.

Manchester United 0 v 1 Leeds United!

Jermaine Beckford couldn't lace the boots of my childhood hero Peter Lorimer but after that goal today he will be a legend for at least 24 hours, topman.

Oh yeh birdwise, i finally made the effort and picked up a Caspo today. A monstrous 2nd winter bird among the loafing gulls at the Kingswood lakes in Cannock. If we had somewhere similar around here i'd be there everyday. I'm lucky if i see half a dozen immature Herrings a year around Cheesedale. Many thanks to The Snapper for directions, cheers pal.

Have a good un folks.

"Flush" The Magic Camera man!

Hey up folks, managed to blag a ride with my mate Mad Malc' today for a days local birdin' .We started with a couple of roostin' Tawny Owls only a mile from home, not the best views as they sat side by side near the top of a pine but a good start none the less.





Next stop was Brookers for another look at RP's latest feathered find Fergal the Fudge Duck. Walkin' down to the now almost completely frozen lake we spotted The Not So Blurred Birder toting his super new NIKKI NAKKI 5oo slr and pointing it menacingly at the ground as he muttered something about iso's and f stops under his breath. After a hefty new year handshake we put the birdin' world to rights while enjoying crackin' views of Fergal and the female Scaup. Then limpin' out of the trees appeared jolly old RP apparently struggling with a spot of gout after enjoyin' the festivities a little to well. After a quick natter with the lad, the Mad One and moi headed for The Weaver Hills in search of a Red Kite that as been around since the beginning of December. On route to the weaves we picked up 10 Ravens feedin' around the free range chicken sheds and also bumped into a tired lookin' Brian and Lynn Carthy who'd been drivin' round for nearly three weeks after ringing me for directions to Brookers when we were smashin' the staffs Mandarin record, Sorry folks.









Almost as soon as we left the motor on the top of the weavers, a blizzard set in and we beat a hasty retreat back down the hill for a brew. The only birds of note were seven Common Gulls, typical cold weather birds around here.



Any days local birdin' as to include at least one visit to Utch, so that was where we headed next. As we reached the main pit all the geese erupted into a "boilin' mass of avian froth"! "What's put them up"? We asked ourselves, and then we spotted him standing on top of one of the grass banks, camera in hand enjoying the spectacle. It was none other than old "Flush" himself! Despite this we still bagged a GBBG. I only saw one at Utch all last year!



Next stop was Stalag 17 for the Green-winged Teal, Smew and GND. A stop at the feedin' station gave us two year ticks, Marsh Tit and a rather hirsute Richard Berry .Easy peasy. lemon squeazy. With in five minutes of settin' up the 'scope we were on the 'Teal as it slept on the ice among it's eurasian cousins in Tad Bay. Not the best views but good enough to send Malc into a Beth Tweddle, gold medal winnin', style somersault of celebration. It was a lifer for the lad, topman. After bravin' another blizzard we(the Cheesedale Amigos) hit Blithe Bay for the redhead Smew. Once again we hit bullseye almost straight away as the Smew fed to the right of the hide , and then flew round before disappearin' behind the willows. All that was left was the diver but despite a lengthy five minute search of the deeps there was no sign of what can be a difficult species to connect with particually if they are feeding.









Cannock tomorrow, for Caspo hopefully


Have a good un.