Utch 27/8/10 1505-1650.

A poor show at Utch this afternoon with two adult Dunlin being the highlight! An adult Common Gull was among the blockheads.

Dunlin 2, Common Sand' 1, LRP 2, Common Gull 1, Shelduck 3, Teal 13, Shoveler 1, Goosander 1, Mandarin 1.

A call in at Croxden on the way home producd the "bird of the day" a Common Sand'! Yes it's a bit over the top but wader wise this year at Croxden, Common Sand' is more than welcome. This next three weeks at Croxden "normally" turn something of note up, something of note could mean something as common as a Little Egret but it's still a MEGA up here. Anyway hope it's a good un but not when I'm in Portugal!!

That's all folks.

Ellie Grace Big Four Today!!

Our beautiful little granddaughter is four years old today "Happy Birthday El'" from Nana Jan and Grandad xxxx.

Utch 25/8/10 1830-1920.

I was torn tonight between nippin' up the M6 for a buchas at the Long-billed Dowitcher in Northwich or another visit to Utch. In the end Utch won and I'm glad it did because the dowitcher flew off at around 1810 when I would have been "half way there....... livin' on a prayer" by then!



Five Black'wits were the highlight tonight. They flew in over Cotonmill fm at c1900 and immediately turned round and flew of again! Other than that there was very little on show apart from the four Shelduck from last night.



Black'wit 5, Green Sand' 1, Common Sand' 1, LRP 2, Shelduck 4.



That's all folks.

Utch 24/8/10 1830-2010.

A quick tour of North East Staffordshire's top birder less hotspot this evenin' again failed to turn up anything decent. The last decent bird was RP's Wood Sand nearly two months ago! It's bird less times like this that test even the most ardent of local patchers. What I'd have given tonight for summat like a Knot, Kittiwake or Little Gull all of which were only eight miles away at Blithers this evenin'.

A single Ringed Plover and a flyover Greenshank were the "highlights" this evenin'.

Ringed Plover 1, LRP 9, Greenshank 1, Common Sand' 2, Green Sand' 2, Shelduck 4 juv's, Yellow Wag' 2, Peregrine 1.

That's all folks.

Utch 22/8/10 1820-2010.

Still no quality at Utch this evenin'. A crackin' evenin' for a stroll though, we'd better make the most of 'em cos the nights are closin' in quickly and before we know it we'll be stuck inside night after night! God I hate dark nights!!!


Greenshank 4, Green Sand' 6, Common Sand' 3, Dunlin 2, LRP 2, Snipe 1, Goosander 2, Shelduck 1, Teal 13, Yellow Wag' 13.


That's all folks.

Utch 21/8/10 1240-1540.

Naked Birdin' seems to be the latest thing if you look at Martin Garners excellent new blog "Birding Frontiers" it's all about birdin' without optics and all the other paraphernalia we carry around nowadays. Well today I was semi naked! No don't worry I haven't been wanderin' around Utch with the old crown jewels hangin' out, nothin' of the sort but I did feel rather lost and nervy with NO PAGER! Yes me pager has died and I can't seem to get through to anyone at RBA so I'm relyin' on The Alkborough Two to keep me up to date until I can get it sorted.



Nothin' of any real interest today infact the only real talkin' point was the fact that I didn't have a coat when the heavens opened and I had to dash for shelter under a hedge



Greenshank 3, Green Sand' 6, LRP 6, Common Sand' 5, Dunlin 1, Snipe 1, Shelduck 2 juv's, Yellow Wag' 7, Redstart 2, Sedge Warb' 1, L'throat 2.



That's all folks.

"watch where ya treadin' owd duck!"

Hey up folks, let me tell you a little story about something that happened at work today. Every detail is for once sadly and completely true!

Earlier this mornin' my team leader Dogtanian said I was wanted outside in the kittin' shed but he didn't know why. "Where's the kittin' shed?" I said "I'll show you" said Dogtanian who obviously thought he was missin' out on something, how he would later regret bein' so nosey! So after donnin' the compulsory Hi-vis vests we trooped of outside to see what was occurin' ?

As we walked into the shed through a large roller shutter door two Swallows flew out and almost knocked me block off! From over at the far end of the shed one of the lads shouted "you've just trod on that bird!!! "WHAT BIRD?" We both asked as we turned round to see a juv' Swallow doin' the dyin' fly spinnin' around on its back. " Oh shit that bird" I quickly rushed across and picked it up as the poor little sod drew it's last breath! How unlucky was that? If they'd only said that they needed me to move a bird then Dogtanian probably woudn't have come with me and the poor little sod would have been still alive tonight and dreamin' of spendin' the winter in the sun!!!

So you can say that old Dogtanian really put his foot in it this time!!!!!!

That's all folks.