Getting Out

With the recent lessening of lockdown regulations I've been able to get out a bit more in the last week and explore some local sites.

With university exams I haven't been getting out as much as I'd like. But I've only able to walk from home for 8 weeks now so in the few trips recently I've seen many birds I haven't seen in several months!

Last Thursday I visited a new site for me - Tucklesholme Quarry - just over the border into Staffordshire. This site was only very recently established and shows great potential. It appears to be reasonably reliable for Temminck's Stint each spring already! The hope is that this site might one day bring Bittern back to Staffordshire where it formerly bred. At the moment, the reeedbeds certainly aren't well enough established but that didn't stop me logging 8 species of warbler on my visit (missing only Reed and Willow Warbler).

Record shot - testing out my Nikon P900 on fast-moving targets!
There was no sign of a stint when I went, but I got a big list of 58 species which is pretty impressive for an inland site in its infancy. Highlights were my first Sedge Warblers of the year, having not got a site for them within walking distance of my house, and Common Tern and Common Sandpiper were also added to the year list. Lapwing, Oystercatcher and 8 Ringed Plover were the rest of the wader offering.


Grasshopper and Cetti's Warbler, Kingfisher and Shelduck were also great to see early on in the morning before the lake got busier.

Tucklesholme has a huge variety of habitats - river, woodland, wetland and hopefully one day reedbed!
On Saturday, I went for an evening walk at Beacon Hill in Charnwood. This is a reliable site for Tree Pipit and sure enough a nice singing bird posed in a tree over the path that runs down from the summit, just a few hundred metres from the upper car park. Lots of singing Yellowhammers too - it seems to be a good year for them locally.

Perfect Tree Pipit habitat!
You can just about make out the short hindclaw!
A short walk at Staunton Harold Garden Centre on Tuesday offered a Grey Wagtail and lots of hirundines.

I'm looking forward to after exams when I can make the most of what remains of spring birding!


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