Utch 27/2/11 1455-1805, cloudy and cool, wind light n/w.

Hey up folks, I finally managed get to Utch this afternoon for the first time since last Sunday after spending yesterday in Chippers and Old Basing but the finer details of that little jolly will have to wait 'til later. This afternoons visit though was yet another example of just why I love ploddin' round me local patch far more than twitchin' nowadays even if yesterdays trip was a good un.





Amazingly news of a Great White at Blithers got out before dark but it couldn't pull me away from Utch and just as I was beginnin' to nod off while I waited to count the Goosander comin' into roost I picked up a large flock of Curlews droppin' into fields north of the main pit, my instant reaction was "bloody hell there must be hundreds of the buggers comin' in!!" A quick spot of hedge hoppin' and the flock was in front of me just long enough for me to flush 'em, "shit,shit and double shit!" Quick rough count as they flew off, 75! Almost straight away they landed in fields by the Dove, several counts produced figures of 64,66,64, 63 and 64 again so I settled on 64 as the final total!!!! Ten minutes after landin' they were off again heading n/w. A crackin' count and probably the biggest count I've ever had in the whole of Staffs never mind Utch.





Over the last couple of years we've managed some crackin' wader counts with highlights being 45 LRP's, 55 Dunlin, 13 Green Sand's, 18 Oyst's, 15 Blackwits and now 64 Curlew! Constant effort will eventually be rewarded I'm sure with a proper crippler but don't expect me to find it!!!





A Shelduck and flyover Grey Wag' were new additions to the old year list. Goosander peaked at 37 and a Barn Owl was showin' from 1725.





Curlew 64, Oyst' 4, Goosander 37, Wigeon 40, Gadwall 1, Shelduck 1, Teal 34, Pochard 10, Tufty 21, Mallard 122, Willow Tit 1, M'ipit 26, Barn Owl 1.





That's all folks.

"fake tan my arse!"

Hey up folks a completely unbird related post but I've got to ask the question. WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MEN TODAY???????

A bit of light hearted banter at work about male grooming and the use of MOISTURISERS left me completely gobsmacked! One of the lads whose identity I will not reveal but his surname ryhymes with Cadbury, revealed that before a night out he pops on a drop of the old FAKE TAN, for f###s sake if you were meant to be orange, you'd be orange!!!!! Not only this but he also waxes his back, gets the scissors out to give the old tickle tackle a bit of a trim, dyes his balding pate and even mentioned about gettin' his nails done!!!!! How long all this takes I don't know but after all that I can only assume he drinks f###in' Babycham!!!!!! Unsurprisingly the same lad is a Westlife and Take That fan, say no more!

I must confess though I've had to get the old scissors out on me bushy'brows over the last couple of years, I was gettin' compared to a Long-eared Owl. And me nasal hair was gettin' so long that I could plait it but even trimmin' that isn't as bad as FAKE TAN!!!!!

That's all folks.

Utch 20/2/11 1435-1735, overcast, cold, wind light s/e.

Despite a later than planned start after our Ellie stopped again( I must try and make her visits less enjoyable) and the miserable conditions, today's visit was one of the best so far this year with the highlight being a near record count of twenty nine Curlew coming into roost. Goosander were still coming into roost as I left with the total on forty seven at 1730. Oystercatchers are now up to four.

One thing that struck me is how much energy Lappies waste! During the whole time I was there the Lappies spent almost the entire afternoon flying aimlessly around despite the complete lack of disturbance. I never saw a soul all afternoon!!!! And probably never will 'til some one puts up a hide and makes a car park.

Wigeon 187, Goosander 47, Teal 24, Gadwall 2, Shoveler 2, Pochard 14, Curlew 29, Oystercatcher 4, Green Sand' 1, Willow Tit 1, Barn Owl 1.

Earlier this afternoon a text from RP helped me to pick up Oik for the old Cheesedale list and a quick shufty at Poxey produced 6 Goosander, four on the old lagoon and two on the lagoon below the VP.


That's all folks.

Utch 19/2/11 0830-1030, constant rain, wind light s/e

A very wet visit to Utch this morning found the birdin' godz in a good mood and perhaps feelin' more than a bit sorry pour moi after my groans last night over missing the chance to go for the dove and gull.





One last check of Leasowes pit produced a nice, partial summer plumaged Med' Gull standing on the mud among the Blockheads, get in there!!! A real Brucie Bonus and only my third at Utch. Almost as soon as I got onto it the whole flock took off and I had to make do with flight views as the birds moved off south towards Blithers. Yet another example of the number of good birds that use the site briefly as they move along the Dove Valley, only half an before I'd checked the same pit with only a flock of c120 Lappies on the mud.





The Med' and a pair of Shoveler on the main pit brought my 2011 Utch 120 year list upto 65.





Med' Gull 1 ad', Wigeon 172, Goosander 11, Pochard 14, Teal 29, Tufty 20, Oystercatcher 2.





That's all folks.

The Dove and Gull.

Hey up folks I was hoping to finally be in either Chipping Norton, Rainham or even better both this weekend but once again the birdin' gods have "pissed on me chips"!!! Not a single regular first team member is available for selection this weekend and with the old finances due to take a battering in the next couple of weeks I can't really run to a solo trip so the dove and gull will have to wait a little longer before they can grace me notebook. This bostin' photie of the dove by Roger Wyatt which I acquired from good old google images(and wasn't covered by copy wright) just adds a bit of salt to the old wounds in a masochistic sort of way!

I suppose if I was really desperate I could put a message on the pager with the offer of a lift but knowin' my luck I'd end up with some psychotic wierdo from the planet zog carrying a large lens and bulging wallet. No Thanks, I'll take a couple of hours at Utch instead.

To make things worse I'm on taxi driving duty tonight so I can't even drown me sorrows in a bath of Holsten Pils. But you never know it could be Lady Lucks way of setting me up for the biggie at Utch tomorrow morning, dafter things have happened.

That's all folks.

Gurneys Pitta or Oik?????

Well after my all clear from the doctor and consent to start bloggin' again' this isn't how it was supposed to be!!!!! Yesterdays Winter Atlas and Webs counts was enough to put me off birdin' for life with the highlight's being a single Oystercatcher at the JCB Lakes at Rocester and a chance meeting with the birder formerly known as "Fair Isle", ' castles very own Steven Turner who was countin' ducks at Utch.

Today's been one of those very rare days indeed! A completely birdless day. With our Ellie stoppin' last night, rain early on this mornin' which didn't stop all day and then our Theo(the newborn babe) needing looking after this afternoon I gave up in the end and decided to try and sort out my "man flu" once the kids had gone home with a drop or two of twelve year old malt from Speyside(Crested Tits etc.....). It seems to be workin' but it didn't stop me feelin' more than a tad envious after a call to me old mucker Andy "######" Latham who's just got back from Thailand!!! His tales of Spoon-billed Sand's, White-faced Plovers............ and Gurneys Pittas put yesterdays Oik well and truely in its place!!!!!!

That's all folks.

Clean Bill of Health!!!!!

Hey up folks, well after my sudden early retirement before crimbo due to certain medical problems related to blogging I can now announce that after a two month rest with just the odd word or two on my attempt at serious bloggin' "Birding Cheadle", which was pretty dour stuff to be honest, that I'm back!! And as you can see from this piccie of moi pedalling to work there were no serious after effects and I'm still looking in superb condition for my advancing years!!!

So hopefully at least over the next couple of months I can entertain you before I get to busy birdin' at Utch and around home.

That's all folks.