That Bloody Greenhouse and Cotton Dell BBS.

Hey up folks for the third weekend runnin' I've failed to even get a sniff of Utch because of this bloody greenhouse business! It's become a huge job involvin' a lot of work pour moi and to say I'm not happy is an understatement but the light at the end of the tunnel is insight now and hopefully I should be back in the saddle by next weekend.

Rumours of me bein' so fed up with it all that I chucked meself off the top of the garden wall are completely unfounded. I actually fell off and have the cuts and bruises to prove it, ouch!! Worse still as I landed by the side of the old punto I noticed we'd got a flat tyre caused by one of the felt tacks I'd been usin' earlier, double ouch!!!

Despite all this work I did manage to get out for a dawn start on a Breeding Bird Survey at Cotton Dell for the Staffs Wildlife Trust. The dell is one of my favourite places round here, not really a "hot spot" but always good for Dipper along the brook and woodland goodies like Wood Wobbler, Pied Fly' and Redstart.

The highlight of this mornin's visit was not one but two pairs of Mandarins involved in courtship flights through the trees of the dell. Yes I know they're considered "plastic" by the serious listers but I love to see these stunnin' little tree nestin' ducks. At one point one of the females landed in a large Beech tree about thirty feet up, above my head.

Other "real" birds included a pair of Dippers who showed superbly and a rather dashing male Grey Wagtail singing his heart out as he perched above the brook. Nuthatchs were very vocal with three male birds all havin' a go at the same time at my last survey point. At least three pairs of Stock Doves were in the fields above the dell. Two Chiffchaffs were my first of the spring.

I couldn't help takin' a few shots with the old Muggimakki, despite it being the start of spring and the place not yet being at its best it's still a nice place to spend an hour or two.

That's all folks.

Midas Mad Malc's Mammalian Mega!!!!!

A text from the mad lad this mornin' while I was at work, building high quality yellow tractors made me drop me spanner! The text read, in Malc's typically understated fashion "MUNTJAC @ POXEY THIS MORNIN". F####in' hell he's done me again!!!!! Once again working shifts at the crisp factory has paid off for me aging mucker. I've known that these collie sized deer are around locally for several years now and despite spending thousands of hours at Poxey I've still not seen one of the little buggas! Several of the locals have gripped me off in the past with tails of local Munties and now Malc' has joined the select band of local "Muntcateers".











Well done pal(he says through gritted teeth).







Apart from a single White Wag' at work it's been another completely bird less week pour moi as the "Greenhouse Gate" scandal continues but hopefully by the end of play tomorrow after another full day "dans le jardin" I should be ok to hit Utch on Sunday, fingers crossed on that one.









That's all folks.

Really Wild Barnie?

Hey up folks yet another Utchless weekend pour moi!!!! A hoped for visit this afternoon with Malc' was scuppered by this bloody greenhouse business! Anyway it's not been a complete loss this weekend bird wise. The two LRP's that RP found at Poxey yesterday were still present this mornin' and Malc' "found" a Barnacular Goose among the Can's at Hales Hall. This was a new bird for the Goose Mecca that is Hales Hall so it was a perfect reason for me to down tools and go chase the goose. Two minutes after I got there the goose was UTB as it fed among the Can's in the field above the pool.










Now normally I'd have just dismissed this bird as one of the local feral birds but earlier news on the pager of a "really wild" colour ringed Barnie at nearby Carsington Water left me with no choice but to try and get a poo sample from Malc's bird. After ten minutes crawling on all fours towards the goose flock I finally got a sample of poo and better still a primary feather!!!! So one way or another after DNA and stable isotope tests we'll know if the Barnie spent the winter at Utch or somewhere slightly wilder. If it's wild the mad lad owes me another pint!







That's all folks.

Greenhouse Gas!!!

Well I thought I'd had a crap week 'til I turned on the news and saw what's happened in Japan. After seein' that I feel a bit of a knob after lettin' a couple of narrow minded neighbours spoil the grand unveiling of our Jan's little greenhouse!!!! Any way here is said greenhouse and if you are readin' this Mr and Mrs T. Watt and Mrs S. Hitehouse I hope you're happy!!!

Well that's got that off me chest so back to birds eh. I haven't managed a single visit to Utch this weekend and as you can see I started this post on Saturday evening. Saturday saw me and old Norbert racin' around to make sure the Webs count was done so that on Sunday me and Jan could get off to the doggie "Download" festival , Crufts at The NEC.

Highlights of the Webs count were the drake Gadwall still at Poxey, a Green Sand' over the North Lake at Rocester and most surprisin' of all a Woodcock flyin' up Earls Rock Lake at Dimmings Dale. All three were new birds for each Webs list. A single Sand Martin flyin' south over the South Lake at Rocester was the first migrant of the spring pour moi and nice to see.

While I was at Rocester I unleashed the old Muggimakki on some of the rubber ducks in residence on the duck pond, well it makes a change from Google Images.

Crufts was as usual a celebration of everything dog with everything imaginable for sale from doggie socks to doggie bog roll, I kid you not!!. It's a crackin' day out for us dog lovers and this year me and our Jan decided to book early for "Best in Show" the culmination of the four days competition. The problem with these televised events though is that you've got a good chance of bein' caught on camera, and we were!! I got off lightly, I was just pointin' at the screen in a mongy fashion, our Jan' though was tippin' a bottle down her neck like one of the 'anley Park wino's. It was diet coke but you can't see that on the screen, oooophs!

Here's the Flat Coated Retreiver that won, I went for the little Basset that came second which just about sums me up, the nearly man.

That's all folks.

Oh my Gad'!!!!!

A text from Mad Malc' today while I was at work left me clock watchin' for the rest of the day. The lad had only gone and found my Holy Grail on the Sandy Lane pool at Croxden!!!!! A drake GADWALL.

As soon as Jan' got home I was straight in the motor and off up Croxden. By 1715 I was out the car and running up to the pool, a minute later and Anas Strepera was UTB and on the list for Croxden!!!! Yes I know it's only a Gadwall and I can see any number at Belvide or over towards Burton but it's the first one for moi at Croxden so it might as well be a lifer.

That's all folks.

Utch 6/3/11, 1630-1820, sunny and cold, wind light easterly.

A late visit to Utch this afternoon after spendin' the day catchin' up with a few jobs outside which with no sign of any rain even I couldn't get out of!!!








This evenin's highlight was not one but two Barn Owls in view at the same time! The first time I've actually had two in view at the same time at Utch. Still plenty of Curlews around but the best I could muster was 41 still a very good count but nowhere near the new site record of 65 set last night by the birder currently known as Steve Turner while me and RP were at Blithers for the Great White. The Goosander roost had 53 birds in it when I left, only the second time I've managed over 50 this year. No sign of yesterdays Dipper.








Barn Owl 2, Goosander 53, Pochard 6, Teal 13, Wigeon 27, Tufty 15, Great Crested Grebe 5, Curlew 41, Lapwing 114, Oystercatcher 6.








First thing this mornin' a quick nip round a normally bird less Croxden turned into a bit of a "duckfest" with 5 Teal, 3 Goosander and a Shelduck which as been present since Thursday.








That's all folks.

The Dipper's back...........

A quick visit to Utch this mornin' while I waited for our Schnauzer to get his barnet done produced nothin' apart from 37 Goosander on the main pit.



Another visit this afternoon however, with RP, left me momentarily speechless when a call from young Fair Isle with news that the Dipper was back on the River Tean 200 yards up from where we'd just left the lad sent RP into a panic and he set off along the river like a young Billy Beaumont in his prime tearin' through the French forward line!!!!! In the whole time I've known the lad he's never even broke into a trot before but the Dipper was a patch tick for the lad and he wasn't goin' to risk it flyin' off before he got there. Classic behaviour of an ardent patch watcher, suddenly a bird that he's seen many times before turns up on his local patch and if he hasn't seen it there before it might as well be a first for Britain!!!

After the Utch Mega the Great White at Blithers was a bit of an anti-climax as it flew into roost at 1800hrs but if it turns up at Utch in the mornin' I'll be one very happy birder.

That's all folks.