Heavens To Murgatroyd!

Friday 10th July, Uttoxeter Quarry, 19:00 - 20:45.

As mentioned previously, I do like my cricket. However, one summer sport I've never been a fan of is golf. One thing I do know about golf is that the South African golfer, Gary Player, is famous for the quote "The more I practice, the luckier I get". It's true with birding as well you know.

I'll say the Snagglepuss catchphrase again, Heavens to Murgatroyd!



Or, Sufferin' Succotash! (see Sylvester the Cat)



Or, Blistering Barnacles! (see Captain Pugwash)



Yep, it's a Spoonbill. The news was duly put out on the information networks. Then came a heart stopping moment. A few minutes before anyone else arrived, the Spoonbill decided to take flight. "Oh no, don't do this to me now!" I thought. Thankfully it just circled the quarry a couple of times and landed back in the same place, and I gave a huge sigh of relief!

For the rest of the time the bird was feeding away constantly. It certainly wasn't a juvenile, as there were no black tips on the primaries as it was in flight. Perhaps a sub-adult? There was a patch of yellow on the end of the bill, and a little bit of a crest on the back of the head.

A Spoonbill in Staffordshire takes me back to the memorable summer of 1995. Reasons for it being memorable? One, it was really hot. Two, that stupid, media-hyped "Blur v Oasis" battle (which incidentally featured one each of both band's worst songs). Three, the Spoonbill in Tad Bay at Blithfield, which seemed to sleep all summer! It did nothing compared with this one.

Eve of The Ashes, Come on England!

No birding done last weekend. Never mind Wimbledon (despite Andy Murray doing rather well this year. Don't worry, he'll do even better next year, or maybe even in the US Open in September), this summer is all about The Ashes! Starting with the first test in Cardiff on Wednesday.

Thankfully I once heard Jonathan Agnew say "we've removed the 2006/07 5-0 whitewash out of Wisden", so that's good enough for me. I'm more than happy to wax lyrical about the 2005 series. Even the Sooty Tern on Anglesey couldn't tempt me away from the telly back then. Even now watching replays of that second test at Edgbaston, where England won by two runs, still sets my heart running.

As like 2005, I'm sure it'll be a great sporting contest as well as toughly fought on both sides. It would be a cheap shot to go on about the usual stereotypical phrase "Aussies are bunch of convicts". But no, I can do better than that. Lest not forget what the Aussies are capable of, in particular the "Underarm Incident" of 1981 here. Ending in some wise words from the great Richie Benaud.

By the way, I've haven't a clue who's going to win this time. In a way it was worth the humiliation of a 5-0 whitewash just to see the back of messrs Warne, McGrath and Langer. And of course since then Gilchrist and Hayden have retired.

Don't Stop Till You Get Enough

You see, even the late Michael Jackson had a song with a message for birders in mind (apart from Rockin' Robin of course). Unfortunately though, in late June it doesn't take very long until you have had enough. In fact, one could Say Say Say that birding at this time of year is Bad. It's enough to drive you Off The Wall, but we keep trying.

Thursday 25th June, Uttoxeter Quarry, 19:15 - 20:15

Just an hour spent, but a pleasing sight was two Green Sandpipers.

Saturday 27th June, Blithfield Reservoir, 11:15 - 14:20.

Apart from an Osprey perched in a dead tree in Tad Bay, very little out of the ordinary.

Uttoxeter Quarry, 14:40 - 16:30.

Rather quiet here as well, although loads of Meadow Brown butterflies. There was one adult gull sat asleep in amongst the Lesser Black-Backed's. The wing colour looked good enough for Yellow-Legged. That is until it stood up and showed it's pink legs, Herring Gull.

It's either my slight colour blindness, or there are slight variations in colour. Sometimes the colour on LBBG's can look different depending on the light. Just like Thursday night's Green Sandpipers, it was time for me to Beat It.


By the way, I can't claim to be a fan of Michael Jackson's music, but there's a respect for some of his and Quincy Jones' work. That being the albums "Off The Wall" and "Thriller".

I can fit one more song in, especially due to living near Stoke-on-Trent. That song is Smooth Criminal. This is due to the lyric where Jacko says "Annie get you oatcake". By a strange coincidence, there is an oatcake shop in Fenton called "Oatcake Annies"!

Havin' a Quail of a time!

Sunday 21st June. Berry Hill Fields, 13:15 - 15:20.

A lazy, birding-free, pollen-avoiding, weekend was duly interrupted by the report of a Quail at Berry Hill in Stoke, which showed well. This had to be investigated. So off I went, giving a lift to Andy and Mad Malc.

When arriving at the Longton end of the "fabled hill of the potteries", Russell Toon and Nick Pomiankowski were soon found. Unfortunately the Quail had disappeared into long grass by he time we got there.



After waiting a while, with Hanley (aka Up 'Anley Duck) in the background, we were treated to a Quail calling literally a few feet away at the bottom of this slope. Surely we would then be guaranteed a view? Nope, not even a rustle of grass, how do they do it?

Almost immediately after, another Quail was heard more distantly. It must've been two different birds. Russell had also heard one calling at the Fenton end, so three birds is quite possible.



It's in there somewhere! The more distant Quail was towards the back, behind the paddock where the Lapland Bunting was last year. Surprisingly hay fever hadn't taken hold whilst here, but that all changed when driving home.

A Question of Hides, Part 3

While I'm stuck indoors keeping away from hay fever, time to bring back an old favourite. As we all know, whether we like it or not, the world of celebrity is the "in thing" these days. I see Celebrity Masterchef is back on the telly, with some more "exceptional plates of food".

So lets attach some more celebrities to the names of bird hides. Many thanks to some suggestions earlier this year, which were:



Paul Stanley, front man of KISS (Carsington Water).



Valerie Singleton (Blacktoft Sands).



Stuart Pearce (Gosforth Park).

Since then I have thought of some more. Would you believe:



George Harrison (the quiet Beatle, as if you didn't know who he was!) once "drove" his livestock through Stodmarsh? Must've been during the seventies, between the Beatles and his collaborations with Jeff Lynne/Travelling Wilburys.



Gareth "Not Norman Pace" Hale (Martin Mere).



The Pioneers (Summer Leys). Classic ska band, who did "Long Shot Kick De Bucket", covered here by The Specials.

To end with this particular episode of "A Question of Hides", there's a "Williams hide" at Hickling Broad. Oh eck, there's loads to choose from:



Venus?



Serena?

Nope, I'm going with Mark Williams:



No not that one, this one:



Him from the Fast Show and those adverts where he says "We wanna be together!".

The birder's fear of the pollen count

Friday 12th June, Cannock Chase, 20:30 - 23:15.

A birding blog-based gathering this evening, on Cannock Chase to look for Nightjars. Which included myself, Kay and Max from the Brightside, Stuart the Alrewas Birder, Archie Archer and Tom and Julian of Tame Valley fame!

We had excellent views of a Grasshopper Warbler reeling away, best view I've had for many years actually. Other than that it was a bit of a struggle. By the time we got anywhere near to a churring Nightjar it was very nearly pitch-dark, so not much chance of seeing the bird.

Then as we were all leaving it was very kind of one driver in the car park who switched their headlights on, so we could all see each other. I can't think of any other reason why the person in the car would want to do this.

Saturday 13th June, Aqualate Mere, 10:45 - 14:00.

Inevitably, spring migration draws to a close and things start to quieten down for the summer. So why not do some exploring? Somewhere in my home county I have never been to before is Aqualate Mere, between Stafford and Newport, just over the border into Shropshire.





An impressive selection of 39 different species here, including a good selection of warblers, Shelduck, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and this Cuckoo.



But perhaps the most impressive sighting at Aqualate was this Hornet. That's something you don't see every day. Absolutely huge it was, like a Jasper on steroids!



As for the most exasperating sight from my trip to Aqualate. Well, it has to be one of these:



Someone in the hide decided to put their binoculars down and started doing a Sudoku puzzle! Nothing against Sudoku, but if I were to do that in a hide then you can guarantee every rare bird under the sun would fly past or appear out of the reeds. Recimiscent of this old Kit Kat advert!

Seven Springs, 14:30 - 15:45.

Battling through the traffic in Stafford and onto the Seven Springs area of Cannock Chase. I haven't been round here for ages. It was worth it though for a short time, as I managed a good view of a Spotted Flycatcher and still a Wood Warbler singing away.

Uttoxeter Quarry, 18:15 - 20:15.

A couple of hours with Andy over at the quarry. Which was rather quiet really, but still a solitary Dunlin with 3 Ringed Plovers, 1 Curlew, 5 Goosander and a pair of Shoveler. Hay fever really took it's toll on me at this point, with constant sneezing, runny nose and puffed up eyes.

I fear that if the weather stays dry and warm, I'll have to go into my temporary summer retirement for the next couple of weeks or so, until we get into July. Even at the time of writing it's getting a little unbearable.

I'll see how it goes, but it may be the end of birding (but not necessarily blogging) for a short while. Unless something turns up of course, in 1996 the Doxey River Warbler was found in late June. Something like that would get me out!

Do I not like Orange........

Saturday 6th June. Uttoxeter Quarry, 14:50 - 17:30.

........and not just because of England losing to Holland in the World Twenty20! As they say on the news just before giving the football results, look away now!



There, that was harmless wasn't it? Oh eck, who let these Ruddy Shelduck out? The bird's name that is, not using a mild swear word just to describe Shelduck! In any case, whether they've flown from JCB's collection at Rocester, or feral birds from continental Europe. It's just not the same after watching them at Bharatpur, somewhere they belong.

Also around the quarry were 4 Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin, 1 Dead-Legged Partridge and 5 Buzzards.

Sunday 7th June, Belvide Reservoir, 12:45 - 14:15.

What a wet morning! Although it does have it's advantages, keeping the pollen down mainly. And it can bring the odd bird down somewhere. In particular today at Belvide, where a splendid summer-plumaged Spotted Redshank appeared.



Bit distant for my scope, but at least you can make out it's a classy summer-plumaged bird. It was also good to chat with Steve Nuttall and Bernie Smith whilst in the west end hide.

Uttoxeter Quarry, 15:00 - 17:20.

It stopped raining at Belvide, so time to head towards home. Andy had found 15 Black-Tailed Godwits at the quarry in the morning, so I wanted to visit at some point during the day. Thankfully they were still around in the afternoon, along with 17 Ringed Plovers and 3 Dunlin.



Orange isn't so bad after all, it just depends what bird it's on.