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.
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