Ian Moore

The good start to Aug in the 10k was followed by two ‘dips’ (after work walks for birds seen earlier) in two days, so was pleased not to make it a hatrick early am with another attempt at Dipper proving successful with this 1cy bird showing well before work. 111 now for the 10k year #ukbirding

August has started well in the 10k with overdue addition of Green Sand (2/8) & first Tree Pipit (3/8) taking total to 110. First garden Hobby of year over yday too. Love or loath them Wolverhampton’s Parakeets have had a good season with flocks of up to 11 noted at sev sites in late July #ukbirding

My first gulling session of summer in West Park, Wolverhampton yday anoon produced a single (smallish fem?) Juv Yellow-legged Gull amongst 100+ LBBG. Bright sunlight & fact they’d been well fed already hampered decent photos. An imm male Redstart locally on 25/7 was a 10k year ✅ (108) #ukbirding

Finally put a ✅ against a butterfly bogey species today with 2 White-letter Hairstreak at Baggeridge Country Park this afternoon. Also 1+ Silver-washed Fritillary bombing around the meadow amongst a host of the commoner species

Unfortunately the westerly winds at Flamborough at end May weren’t productive for migrants but, as way evidenced 9 days later when a singing Song Sparrow turned up in the same small cove I’d checked every morning, all I really needed was the right container ship to be passing 🫣 #ukbirding

Finally got round to checking my photos from our trip to Flamborough 26th-30th May. Seabirds were the obvious highlight for any landlocked birder with the auks, as always, particularly oblidging and entertaining #ukbirding

June has been relatively quiet but 3 x local additions, included a welcome first singing Cuckoo for many years, took the 10k circle year up to 107 (cf 108 in 2024 & 110 in 2023). Still plenty of gaps in the list inc some that should hopefully start moving through soon on their return migration 🙏

Cigar-billed Gull!

Spent 26-30/5 at Thornwick Bay, Flamborough as a post-birthday break but the constant west winds led to none existent migrants. Still so much to enjoy inc all the seabirds (photos still to be sorted!) & quality farmland birds inc Barn Owls, Tree Sparrows with young & singing Corn Buntings #ukbirding

A busy last couple of weeks included a quick dash to Doxey on 17/5 to add the Woodchat Shrike to my Staffs List (288) plus a couple of 10k year list additions, this fem Mandarin on the canal at Bentley Bridge on 19/5 & an Oystercatcher over Pool Hall Fishery on 22/5 : 104 for 10k year #ukbirding

Walks in the Pool Hall / Trescott area over wkend produced two 10k year ✅’s: 2 Hobby & a singing Sedge Warbler taking the total up to 102 for the year. Also noted was this smart Yellow Wag plus Corn Bunting, Red Kite, Lesser Whitethroat & Little Egret @birdergaz.bsky.social #ukbirding

This singing Corn Bunting on west edge of Smestow Valley was the only #westmidsalldayer sighting. Doing ok west of Wolves due to friendly farming this one field left free of crops also held 3 Yellow Wag, numerous Skylark, Whitethroats etc. How it should be done. #ukbirding @andles4forks.bsky.social

So the curse of bird race day #westmidsalldayer continued yday with 5 species seen at & near home, without going birding, that I didn’t get on Sat : Peregrine, Cormorant, 3 Swift, Pied Wag & 3 Goldcrest! In fact the first two weren’t seen by the whole team on Sat in Smestow Valley 🫣

A personal total of 57 species for #westmidsalldayer in Smestow Valley inc 3x 10k yr ✅ to reach 100 for yr: Garden Warbler, Yellow Wag (3) & Tawny Owl. 2 Cetti’s, Lesserthroat, singing Corn Bunt & Kingfisher the best of the rest from 17.5km / 22k steps walked. Team total on 70 by 18:30 #ukbirding

Finished April on 96 species for my local 10k circle, a couple down on previous years. Like clockwork the calendar turned to May & the first local Swift (3) appeared yday. Hoping to eek out a few missing species for the year during #westmidsalldayer on Sat for team Smestow Valley 🤞

Smestow Valley walks yday am & this pm produced singing warbler totals of: 2 Cetti’s, 1 Lesser & 4 Common Whitethroat, 8 Blackcap & 16 Chiffchaff. Still no Sedge, Garden or Gropper so far this year. This Pale Tussock was found earlier by Mrs M & was a garden ✅ #UKbirding #moths

April had been v quiet for me in my 10k so far until a Whimbrel on the bank of the farm pool at Furnace Grange, Trescott this am; a real bonus 10k lifer! It hung around for over 2hrs, enabling a mini local twitch 😊 also 5 Wheatear (3m,2f) & 4 male Whitethoat #UKbirding @staffsbirdnews.bsky.social

As it was 20 years ago today that Sir Roger of Ingestre found us a Belted Kingfisher on a canal in Staffs, I thought it only right to walk my local canal after work down to Pool Hall Fishery…my reward was a Gt C Grebe & 16 Tufties 🥴 Lightening didn’t strike twice this April Fool’s Day #UKbirding

I’m trying to let them come to me this year & it’s generally working well…although I still need Reed Bunting (not sure how!), Bullfinch, RL Partridge & Tawny Owl plus several species I’ve normally had by now like Cetti’s, Green Sand. It just shows what good stuff we have had already in the 10k!

The first post-work evening walk of the year failed to add anything to the 10k year list, so a male Wheatear near Trescott on 29/3 took the 10k up to 86 species by the end March: 2 more than in 2023 (when I was 10k year listing) & 2024 (when I was trying not to!) @birdergaz.bsky.social #UKbirding

Pool Hall Fishery this am produced my first Sand Martin of year with 6 present & this smart singing Grey Wag. Bhylls Pools on way home for this male Brambling (photos @chrisvaghela.bsky.social) my first in 10k for 15 months! 10k year up to 85 #staffsbirds #UKbirding @staffsbirdnews.bsky.social

A walk in the Pool Hall Fishery area for 2nd Sat morn running was less eventful but 4-5 singing Chiffchaff & Treecreeper (finally!) added to the 10k year. A Little Egret strolling across a field should have been rarer. Always a good day when Yellowhammers & Skylarks singing #UKbirding #staffsbirds

A walk near Pool Hall Fishery this am & last thing I expected to see when my wife said “What’s that on the track?” was a Grey Partridge fly up - a proper local mega these days! Luckily it only nipped over the hedge & was twitched by many locals 😊 @staffsbirdnews.bsky.social #UKbirding #staffsbirds

Quick stop as driving past to work and a single Hawfinch was in the tallest deciduous tree on the edge of Wergs Hall, near Codsall viewed from Wergs Hall Road 07:50-07:54 before dropping down into the hall grounds. 2 seen by N.Moss c08:15 & again this PM @staffsbirdnews.bsky.social #staffsbirds

No sign of the 2 Tundra Bean Geese at Patshull Great Pool late anoon just 9 Greylags over. 1+ Great Egret in flight. Please view only from the road @staffsbirdnews.bsky.social #staffsbirds

After a venture just into Staffs for the Hawfinch at Wergs Hall early am it was back to Wolvo: no sign of 1w Caspian Gull in West Park 11:00-12:00 but 7 Shoveler (4 drake) & 35 Tufties. Red Kite over Bantock Park at 10:25. 2 Redpoll & c20 Siskin at Compton Wetlands #UKbirding @birdergaz.bsky.social

Hawfinch showed well at Wergs Hall, near Codsall in top of the tallest deciduous tree viewed from Wergs Hall Rd 07:58-08:08 @staffsbirdnews.bsky.social #staffsbirds

The Hawfinch in flight at Wergs Hall near Codsall today at 14:10 @staffsbirdnews.bsky.social & a Grey Wag were both 10k year ✅’s. The first house Red Kite of the year was over Finchfield on 7/2 at 14:40, distracting me from a work call @birdergaz.bsky.social

Marsh Tit at Himley Plantation on the feeders by the car park at 12:15. Seen from the car as I pulled up…if only all birding was that simple 🤔 @staffsbirdnews.bsky.social

Ended Jan with 65 species in the 10k after 2 Raven over the house while working today the last addition. Down on the 74 (2024) & 73 (2023) but it has been quality over quantity with Black Red, Caspo and Yellow-legged Gull & 2 Water Rail the highlights #UKbirding @birdergaz.bsky.social