Hey up folks, as soon as i stepped out of the back door this mornin' two Ravens went tumblin' low over the garden callin' loudly as i chucked Old Mol' in the Punto. Not a bad start to the day and then a Siskin flew over callin' as it headed for me neighbours feeders. "Oooh, let me at 'em" i thought as i hit the road for Utch," could be in for a good mornin' 'ere owd duck".
Change of routine today, instead of parkin' at Spath i parked near to the River Tean after i realised i'd forgot Mol's lead. She's a good birdin' dog but can be a bit unpredictable around traffic off the lead so i didn't fancy crossin' the busy road with her off the lead.
First bird i clapped me mince pies on was a Little Egret roostin' with BHG's and Lappies on Cottonmill Fm pool. At this rate Little Egret will be replacin' Green Sand' as Birdwatchin' Mag's target bird next time Utch hits the national press. New in today were a flyover Peregrine and the female Scaup reappeared among the divin' ducks alongside yesterdays aytha hybrid. No sign of the six Pinkies from yesterday.
Around nine o'clock c120 Pinkies went over headin', yes you've guessed it n/nw as they headed towards their stagin' post on the Lancashire mosses around Martin Mere. At nine forty five i picked up another 200 as they headed north over Uttoxeter town centre. Then at five past ten as i was scannin' the local geese i heard the nasal calls of Pink-footed Geese comin' from close behind me! I turned round to find 13 Pinkies loosin' height rapidly and flyin' straight towards me at head height low over the field as they headed for the main pool before pullin' up and circlin' overhead.
Had they spotted me earlier? And decided to turn the tables and get their own back on me for reportin' their movements to RBA, who knows but for a minute or two i could have sworn they were huntin' me as they circled low overhead for several minutes before eventually headin' north.
Another good movement of Pinkies today with 100 over Blithers, 250 over Ipstones Edge and several flocks over the potteries. Several flocks also seen over the darkside(Derbyshire).
Pinkie, flocks of c120, c200 and 13 over between 0905 and 1005
Scaup 1
Goosander 18
Tufty 104
Pochard 27
Scaupxtufty 1
Wigeon 96
Teal 6
Peregrine 1
Sprawk 1
Little Egret 1
Oyst' 3
Curlew 3
Back home later after a shoppin' trip with Jan and our Ellie, i had a Cheesedale Mega Alert waitin' for me from MAD MALC' on me phone" LESSER-SPOT' with a tit flock along Sandy Lane"! In Cheesedale terms Lesser-spot' is a real blocker and could be the difference between us at the end of the year. Then another text from the mad one, this time "TREE SPARROW on me mothers bird table"! At this point i began to wonder if the lad had been on the pop a bit earlier than normal or perhaps he'd been on the smarties! I can see i'm goin' to have me work cut out to defend me title. This is what happens when you show someone your secret sites but things will come to a grindin' halt for the lad when May's over. That's when local listin' becomes a true test of stamina and determination here in the birdless depths of Staffordshire.
That's all folks.
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