PODS WORLD

NUTS OUT

2009-11-08T04:10:00.000-08:00

Its that time of the year when Christmas is just round the corner the Autumn rarity season is over and theres geese and Arctic Swans coming in from Russia. Flock of 67 Pinkfeet over Neumann's this morning.

Being a good citizen I've got me 'nuts out' and brushed off the bird table ready for the winter garden bird fest. The House Sparrows that roost in the hedge we share with our neighbour are down to three but hopefully their numbers will pick up once word goes around theres food out. Along with the spuggies I counted one Wren and one Dunnock, truly riveting stuff. A calling Goldcrest two doors down stayed in its favoured Pine tree (do they like nuts?).

Up North near Norway it looks like our Shetland correspondent after finding yet another cracker on his local patch (Dusky Warbler) is heading south for a few weeks..must be missing the Manchester weather.

My garden Wren that could pass for a dude Dusky!...

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GLOSSY DUO

2009-11-07T07:31:00.001-08:00

If you squint hard enough and use a bit of imagination theres two Glossy Ibis at the back of the pool....honest. Called in en route to Bristol (actually a Sat Nav short cut) to Catcott Lows Nature Reserve on the Somerset Levels. The two Ibis were easily seen feeding at the edge of the pool by the road in the pouring rain, I didn't even get out of the car.

Another species for the year list that's in serious doubt of reaching 260 never mind 300 (no chance).

UK YL 256

OBC BASH

2009-11-01T10:43:00.000-08:00

A wet weekend in Norfolk and Debs and I are attending the Oriental Bird Clubs 25 yrs celebration at a very posh hotel in Hunstanton. And brewed especially for the occasion much to the surprise of The Bare-faced Birders (check out the blog) was the real ale as advertised above. Seriously strong with a thin head and a good body.....sounds like someone I know ? it went down a treat. I managed to miss all the talks cos being in Norfolk I took the chance to do some well earned birding with great views of 3 Shore Larks at Holme plus 5 Whooper Swans looking well out of place on the beach!

Over at the new construction site of Titchwell the feeders were certainly pulling in the birds....

and the Muntjac deer...

One new bird for the year list was all I could manage as the lure of Bare-faced Real Ale was overpowering, so I dipped out on Green winged Teal (yawn!), Lapland Bunting, Pale bellied Brent Goose? and Snow Goose. Back to the bash for some oriental nosh and a boogie to support a well organised volunteer run club that does great things out east, you should try it some time...www.orientalbirdclub.org

UK YL 255

REMEMBER THE PATCH 3

2009-10-29T10:16:00.000-07:00

Got an early finish for once at work so made the most of it with a brisk walk from Comberbach through Marbury CP to Neumann's, No.1 and back.

I managed 46 species, nothing unusual apart from the returning Black Swans (their 3rd winter if I'm correct) plus over 500 Teal (no Green-winged yet!) and 20 Golden Plover.

Absolutely trillions of winter Thrushes pouring in from up North, many heard flying over the house late last night in the clear Autumn moonlight.

Looks like this Autumn has quietly (apart from the obvious South Shields blocker) sneaked by unseen. No Ryan Air ticks or Scilly double mortgage jobs as yet. Wonder if November which starts this Sunday has anything up its sleeve.....

Pod's Predictions till the end of 2009....

Purple Martin....over Whalsay

Long-tailed Shrike....grip back

Fox Sparrow....bloody Seaforth

American Great Egret yawn!

Yellow-browed Bunting....Northumberland

some South Coast Tesco car park long staying Yank warbler eg. CERULEAN

and maybe a misidentified Greenish Warbler in Cornwall...........bugger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you heard it hear first chaps.

Whilst undertaking the above my research uncovered a rather embarrassing place in far off Newfoundland....

Should be good for finding that difficult to come by 'bush warbler'....?...or the never to be seen muff diver of darkest Ontario.....comments welcome.....!

and totally unrelated to anything but my its funny...tryhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQeHVpgmrrE&feature=related....I must be getting old or sad or both or senile!!

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BEMPTON BANKERS!!!

2009-10-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

A day out to the RSVP Gannet reserve at Bempton, Yoooorrrkshirrre with Groucho and the Wizzalmeister had us laughing at the antics of the Sunday Spotters. Having spent several hours surrounding the last viewing of the still present BLUETAIL near the bird feeding station, most of the Spotters stood around talking as loudly as possible instead of spreadingout and searching for this Eastern delight. How on earth do these dudes expect to see anything??
The Bluetail was a 100yards away up the lane and after several brief glimpses by Groucho then Wizzalmeister I finally had stonkin views as it hopped nonchalantly passed me in the roadside vegetation ..sorted! (my 3rd in Britain). Too slow once again with the new camera all I could manage image wise was a well watched local rat under the bird table at the feeding station.

Isn't it nice to know that all that hard earned donated dosh the RSVP collect off one and all, goes on supporting Yorkshire rats!!!!.......give me a gun someone please.

Just up the coast and within scoping distance from outside the reserve toilet block a 1st winter Red backed Shrike showed well to the Sunday Spotters, us included.

UK YL 254

GEORDIE WARBLER

2009-10-24T14:59:00.000-07:00

EASTERN CROWNED WARBLER

WAE'AYE MAN its OML NFI!!!.............this little beauty was so nearly another Amur Falcon jobby thank god our North East friends were more on the ball than those dosy Yorkshire puddings further south. This is one of THE birds I've fantasised about finding for ages but my dreams have now been shattered for this particular species (my 4th this year after 3 in Laos) but as Malc said today theres loads more Asian warblers still probably to come...fingers crossed for that statement. If that Durham dude hadn't of taken his piccy of the 'Yellow-browed' we'd all be ECW less. Its now the longest staying ECW anywhere in the WesternPal and even the 'B' team have whapped it on....theres no justice for the 1st day boys. Cracking bird though what.

The birding posse encircle Trow Quarry awaiting tickable views of the latest 1st for Britain and 5th for the WesternPal. A Yellow browed Warbler (year tick) is also on show plus a pair of Blackcaps what a mega little haven this is.

Whilst out doing my job a minor detour into Draycote Water, Warwickshire (not litterally) boosted the yearlist with the very confiding Lesser Scaup thats been there on and off for ages...my 8th one in Britain.

UK YL 252

BRITISH LIFE LIST 508

ENGLISH LIFE LIST 467

WESTERNPAL 676

LATEST MERSEYSIDE SPOT THE BALL RESULT

2009-10-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

A Mr Reina of Kirkby was our biggest loser of the week. He wrongly predicted the ball to be right of the man in yellow when actually its to the left as we all can see. We have sent him a consolation prize of a free eye test with Specsavers and a CD single 99 Luftballoon by Nena.

Our biggest winner of the week was this French chap from Lyon called Gonads, he correctly slotted home the winning goal in our mid-week match and gets free drinks all night in any Manchester pub of his choice.

The two events above have given this Spanish dago cause for concern as his job is now hanging by a thread but we praise his efforts and our Mancunia branch hope he continues the good work he's doing.

DIDCOT DIP

2009-10-21T10:45:00.001-07:00

The Oxfordshire gull mecca of Didcot was an Azorean/Baltic/Yellow-legged free zone when I popped in at dinnertime this Tuesday. On show though was that ancient English scavenger Red Kite and several of these majestic birds were harassing the local gulls. Crippling views of a class raptor, I managed to digibin the one below. A tour along the M40 corridor produced my highest count ever with over 50 Kites seen...amazing! these bloody Southerners are truly spoilt.

FORGOTTEN PASTURES

2009-10-18T12:38:00.000-07:00

My first vist to Moss Side (Old Mecca and stomping ground) since early August and an easy couple of padders were soon whapped on.......Common Sandpiper on the Manchester Ship Canal and a Dunlin in with the roosting Lapwing flock on the Mersey.
Back at home to update the list on Birder's Diary I noticed that I've missed/dipped/forgotten about some surely easy year ticks eg LRP, Ringed Plover, Whimbrel,Cuckoo!!!!, SE Owl still time, Mipit what!!!, Lesser Throat, Whinchat, Ruff, Blackwit, Greenshank, any Tern!, Yellow Wag and RL Partridge.
Just goes to show one patch is tough, doing two is a bit ridiculous but it would still have been nice to compare Moss Side Mecca with Marbury CP. If I'd of spent the same amount of time down MSM as at MCP the scores on the doors would be very similar I think. The magic 150 barrier a tough line to cross but hey theres always next year (looks like the towel has just been chucked in for MCP).
As for Marbury the usually regular birds that I've not seen/missed/or there simply hasn't been any are - Barny, Common Scoter, 2 Partridges, BN Grebe, Knot, Sanderling, L.Stint, Turnstone, YL Gull, Arctic Tern (that's a first), Barn and Little Owl, Yellowhammer.
With that lot I'd still be three short of 150 so it shows this year that started so well has turned pooh over the summer and Autumn has passed by (first returning Goldeneye this week).
Chin up Pod.

UK YL 249
MARBURY YL 133
MOSS SIDE YL 115

OLD GIT

2009-10-16T11:43:00.001-07:00

Time to order a Scopac me thinks!

BROWN JOBBY

2009-10-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

Early finish at work for once meant a flying visit to Neumann's was in order. Loads of waders on the exposed mud around Nf island - one juv Dunlin, 15 Golden Plover with the Lapwings but no transatlantic waifs unfortunately. Plenty of ducks in various stages of moult had one newcomer to Bund Hide scratching his head and wondering why non of the birds on show were in his field guide!! but at least he could ID the Mute Swans wink wink!

This beast was flushed by Mia (our faithful hound) from the undergrowth by the path and nearly came a cropper as it glided Capercaille like through the adjacent trees.

A southern sojourn around the M25 t'other day had me within spitting distance of a first for Surrey namely the Brown Shike that some lucky bar steward found on their local patch. So a quick dash across the Staines Moor meadow had me whapping my 3rd Browny for the UK (you never know it might get split, again?). This place was more Asia like than the Surrey field I had pictured with flocks of Ring-necked Parakeets squawking overhead, Little Egrets on the river and herds of wandering cattle (plus heaps of shit everywhere) it was definitely a reminder of India.

With no scope to hand I managed the naff shot below (through bins) and the even worse pale blob in a bush shot above. No Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards for me what! Still at least its OML.

UK YL 249

WELCOME TO YORKSHIRE!

2009-10-12T12:07:00.000-07:00

The sign that greets fellow birders as they roll up to Spurn. Our Yorkshire cousins certainly know how to extend a welcome (where's the tosser in the yellow coat), obviously been taking tips from the West Midland Bird Club!
Having left my wheels in the local pub car park there was no chance of me being mugged. Three squid for a Black Redstart I think not. The migrant fest of yesterday was reduced for me anyway to a no show Barred Warbler, a non existent Firecrest and no Yellow-broweds at all anywhere despite the rumours. The Raddes at Sammy's Point along with 6 YBW and 5 Firecrests had all done one over night....arse!!! Flocks of incoming wintering Redwing were not much compensation.

At the hot spot of Kilnsea Church yard I thought I had at last tracked down a calling Firecrest and stood there listening to a bird call constantly and rather repetitively for ten minutes. Only to discover it was a ringers tape machine placed below a mist net...f***ers!!!

A fresh in Redwing evades the nets and causes a nano second of excitement as I glimpse its 'orangey flanks' then a big off white eye-brow. Thoughts of finding Blue-tails and rare thrushes are what keeps one going at times like these but with the wind now in the west and the sun blazing down its more like summer so a cool Guinness is called for in The Crown and Anchor.

It does the trick, theres birds to be had at Flannelboro just up the coast so northwards I head. Arriving at yet another 'Pay or Else' car park I inadvertently miss the ticket machine and join the small throng bush watching.

Twenty minutes later I've scored awesome views of a very confiding Radde's Warbler and gripped a passing Firecrest to boot...sorted I head off home stopping for some of the best fish and chips I've ever had (the 149 on Manton Rd)...thank heavens for pagers. (cheers for the update Mike)

UK YL 248

ps. If you fancy a gripping read go see Olof Jonsson's blog http://corvo2009.blogspot.com what a patch.

CHESHIRE LIFER WHAT?

2009-10-05T13:53:00.000-07:00

With the pager in melt down mode due to the unbelievable horde of avian goodies on those far away Jock Islands, Pod (thats me) is reduced to a brief sojourn out onto the Wizzal in an attempt to boost the flagging Cheshire Year List. Wouldn't it be great just to be able to take a month off and go birding, pick a remote island or headland and thrash it till it coughs up a blocker. Its been long predicted that Orkney should be getting the stuff Shetland gets and whap in one Autumn its had more megas than Scilly has in the past five...and their still coming.

Back to reality and its a Curlew Sandpiper at IMF plus a Razorbill off Leasowe that will have to suffice for now. My attempt at a seawatch was thwarted by a non existent northwesterly, hence no Leach's Petrels or Bonxies just rain and a flat calm sea...bugger!

CHESHIRE YL 185
CHESHIRE LIFE 260 (Razorbill a lifer !!! how embarrassing)
UK YL 246

REMEMBER THE PATCH 2

2009-10-03T05:28:00.000-07:00

At last something to blog about...a patch year tick in the shape of a juvenile RUFF on Neumann's this morning. Also with it 2 Dunlin, 16 Golden Plover and a female Pintail. A good selection of birds mostly moulting duck and Lapwing but at least theres something to look at.
Shetland/Orkney have their birding magnets switched on at the mo with flocks of Veerys, Buff-bellied Pipits and Red eyed Vireos everywhere...no doubt Scillies/Cornwall will reply in the coming weeks...please please can we have a cheap October!

PATCH YEARLIST 133 thats 96.4% of total

TRUE TO FORM...

2009-10-01T11:01:00.000-07:00

Yes it had to happen sooner or later, having just immortalised himself by scoring the winner in the GREATEST DERBY EVER!!! United's scumville geordie reject goes and 'pulls' his groin...tosser! Good job he's on a pay per play contract. Something tells me I told you so....

B TEAM ON TOUR...

2009-09-29T10:55:00.001-07:00

NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ALL GOOD THINGS COME IN TWOS

2009-09-28T14:31:00.001-07:00

You beauties, a double dose of Dowitcher of the Long-billed variety as two of these Yanky waders grace IMF over the weekend. That doubles my Cheshire tally of LB Dowitchers to 4.
Great to have something decent in the Northwest for a change now if they could just relocate with the adjacent Black-tailed Godwit flock to Neumann's.....

CHESHIRE YL 183
UK YL 245

BACK WITH A BANG

2009-09-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

Having returned from my exploits with the Bare-faced Birders (Gregsy and I) in Laos and Thailand it was back to business with a twitch up North to Orkney and play catch up with of all people the bloody 'B' Team. Having suffered a bombardment of OML NFI texts during the past week whats left of the 'A' Team (Fred saw the 1991 job) plus Doc and Robbo (Sandbach's finest) caught the Pentland Ferry from Gill's Bay over to South Ronaldsway for Britain's third SANDHILL CRANE.

The beast of a boat makes the crossing in one hour...sorted! oh for such a vessel between Penzance and Scilly. No Albatrosses of Tufted Puffins!! on our crossing just a bacon bap and a coffee showing well or should I say going down well. We were first onto the island but nearly last to the bird, some dodgy pager directions and a wrong turn had ten cars all going down some deadend farm track whacky race style...wheres that camera crew when they want to film a twitch in action. We gave this MEGA! all of 5 minutes then jumped in the car and back onto the ferry...now thats what I call The 'A' Team.

OML NFI..............SANDHILL CRANE....grip back!

BRITISH LIFE LIST 506 (if of course it gets accepted?)

STILL OUT TO LUNCH...

2009-09-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

TUFTED PUFFIN!!!! more like a cardboard cutout.

A NICE 'TERN' OF EVENTS...

2009-09-01T15:05:00.000-07:00

The good looks and cheesy grin, it can only be one person namely Ellesmere Port's top twitcher Big Al. Having just whapped on a potential/probable/maybe in a few years USA Black Tern that was associating luckily with an EEC Black Tern and a White-winged Black Tern (all juvs cos its that time of the year) Al adopts a familiar pose....sorted, time for a fag.

As the terns were miles away I took solice in photographing this local Double Crested Cormorant that had gone unticked in all the excitement another first for Oxfordshire.

En route home we nipped into West Port lake, Stoke (well not literally) and gripped the very showy and extremely tatty eclipse drake Ring-necked Duck that has taken up residence here.

UK Year List 243(ish)

Me and Gregs are off to Laos for a two week twitchathon so follow our exploits via

http://barefacedbirders.blogspot.com/ cheers.

A BRIDGE TO FAR...

2009-09-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

The weekend before bank holiday and a gang of us arrive at the stunning Bridges of Ross, Co.Clare, Ireland to celebrate Mr 'Insomniac' Gregs 50th birthday plus Jono's imminent departure to Le France and do a bit of sea watching when we're sober enough.

The celebrations are well under way as the gathered throng of revellers watch Jono's British List go up in smoke.

Several of the 'A' Team get down to business with some of Ireland's finest and the UK's up and coming heroes.

Our delightful residence for the week and what a view from the kitchen window.

A garden visitor even Mr Whalsays not had yet!

How the place gets its name, this spectacular natural arch over the raging Atlantic.

The other excuse to come here, truly the finest pub in Ireland and the nearest to New York so they say. Within sight of this hostelry theres been such megas as Canada Warbler and Red-eyed Vireo....what will this year bring?

oh yes the birdies nearly forgot...over the week we had...

All 4 Skuas on two seperate days

Great Shearwater

100+ Sootys

4 Balearics

40+ Sabines Gulls

30+ Grey Phals

2 WILSON'S PETRELS

5+ Leach's Petrels, 50+ Stormies

Great Northern Diver

uncountable numbers of Manxies

and 2 Puffins.

Trip List 76

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SAME OLD STUFF BLAH BLAH BLAH...

2009-08-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

The local patch (Marbury/Neumann's Flash area) just ticks along with nothing to report of late. This Great Spot near Haydn's Pool showed of its new ring, they've had a good year with ten plus pairs on the patch. Haydn's still held a good selection of waders but not a Woody, Stint, Ruff or Knot in sight even though the water level is ideal.

The juvenile LRP still present usually at the back of the island.

Two Green Sandpipers remain one of which was freaking out and having a splashing fit!

The two Dunlin are hanging on in there, the juv looking nothing like a Baird's Sand..doh!

Off to the Emerald Isle for a weeks seawatching, Guinness sampling and Gregs's 50th Birthday celebrations so hopefully I'll be blogging later with tails of pterodromas and shearwaters sp.

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FUB GOES TO FRANCE SACREU BLEU!

2009-08-14T11:17:00.000-07:00

As the 'A Team' prepares for life without their No.1 statistician..Jono (how on earth are we going to keep track of what we've seen and where and when and with whom and at what time and what we ate and drank etc etc) Le Fub, to his newly acquired garlic crunching pals, has already it seams got some guys interested in forming a twitching team..

Theres Le General who'll replace Gregsy because like a fine wine he's ageing, got an airport named after him(Gregs has two) and wears a Scopac. Larry White will fill in for Fred as both are tall, good looking babe magnets with big noses (well you know what they say about big feet)

Inspector Clouseau will attempt to replace moi as he's a cool, witty, likeable chap but thats enough of Peter Sellers and I don't wear driving gloves.

We wish Jono and his team well in the coming Autumnal months, hopefully he'll see some rarities through his bins rather than on a plate.

Moss Side update
A sojourn down the old stomping ground last night produced a calling Little Owl sat atop the north barn at Upper Moss Side.

MOSS SIDE YL 113

ITS A FUNNY OLD GAME

2009-08-09T07:43:00.000-07:00

The Cheshire string squad were in fine form today (Sunday). I was down the bend again and walked upto a couple who were scanning the waders. ''anything about''...''yes theres a few Curlew Sandpipers on show''...excellent me thinks. After scoping the Weaver Bend mud for a good five minutes not a few, not even one but none. ''have you found the Curlew Sandpiper yet?''...''err no''. ''goodbye we're off for a sandwich''.
I spent the next half an hour scanning the wader flock on the Bend and yes you guessed no CSand. There was 80+ Blackwits (two of which were colour ringed) and a Reeve on the far bank. It looks good for a yank or two or even a Curlew Sandpiper, we shall see.

A seawatch later on at Red Rocks for the high tide produced one Arctic Skua, Common Scoter, loads of Sarny, Little and Commic Terns. I'd hoped for a Cheshire Arctic Tern but they were just too distant to positively ID.
I get home and a pager message informs me of a juvenile Roseate Tern and 5 Arctics at West Kirby on the high tide....unbelievable!! funny old game this birding.

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ON A BENDER...

2009-08-09T00:36:00.000-07:00

A call from Groucho (cheers mate) had me visiting the Weaver Bend for the first time in ages. A Curlew Sandpiper had joined the Dunlin flock and was showing well. After hacking my way through the jungle like vegetation along the so called path (I remember the days this path was like a motorway) Mia and I eventually made it to the old ICI tank (I remember the days this place was a Yanky wader hotspot) that looks over the bend. The sun was waning behind the picturesque chimneys of Jono's soon to be former work place thus wader ID was a little bit tricky. Not a Curlew Sand in sight but a good showing of 40+ Dunlin, 30+ Redshank, 7 Blackwit, 2 Common Sand plus various Gulls and Ducks in moult.

An interesting Dunlin did though catch my eye see above. Not as Buffy as a Buff breast or as white as an albino but somewhere in between, it certainly had a whitish rump?? just like a Curlew Sand wink wink! (I remember the days this place was awash with flocks of Curlew Sands). The bugs were out in force with Horse Flys, Midges etc biting me all over so we made a hasty retreat and I will certainly bring the Jungle Formula next time.

Sunset over the Bend

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