Utch 2/4/10 1500-1650 "a bit wet owd duck".

Hey up folks, when's the sun goin' to come out? Absolutely terrible conditions this afternoon until around half four. Constant rain and bitterly cold to boot. I don't think I've been that cold all winter.







A quick call in at the JCB Lakes at Rocester produced half a dozen Swallows and Sand Martins feeding low over the north lake and a brood of nine goslings for a pair of Gypo Geese! Nearby on the south lake last weekends brood of Gypos had reduced to five.







Me and Mol' arrived at Utch already soaked and just in time to see two very wet lookin' birders headin' back to their cars with heads down lookin' at the ground. Bit of a tip there folks, you wont see owt lookin' at the floor







Despite the conditions there was still birds to be had including 2 White Wag's and the first Northern Wheatear of the spring on the bank above Leasowes fm pit.







Northern Wheatear 1, White Wag' 2, Swallow c20, Sand Martin c20, Chiffchaff 1, Little Richard's 3, Green Sand' 2, Oyst' 4, Goosander 11, Gadwall 2, Common Shelduck 2, Eurasian Teal 6, Greater Scaup 1, Wigeon 1.







After being completely drenched i thought i can't get any wetter so i might as well head up the A50, pick up me old mucker Norber and have a quick shufty at the two Ring Ouzels on Spurnyhill (Berryhill Fields LNR)deep in the heart of the potteries(bandit country).







After a short while we eventually had good views of the Ouzels as they fed in one of the fields below the masts despite some confusion over their "exact location".

Berryhill is fast gainin' a reputation for pickin' up good birds durin' spring and autumn migration and is becomin' known locally as the inland Spurn, and that is down to a group of dedicated birders who work their way through the run of the mill stuff and every now and then comin' up trumps. Keep it up lads the biggie can't be far away.










That's all folks.