100 CLUB AND COUNTING

Bank Holiday produced a cracker of a find, not by me unfortunately but Groucho Payne who heard then saw a TREE PIPIT fly-in and perch up near the Witton Brook vp. A couple of other patchers were able to get onto it before it flew down towards Witton Brook.
I was just leaving Old Hide so legged it over to be greeted by three smug faces...rats bottom!
Tape in hand I ventured off #PWC patch (what!!) and whapped out the call of Tripit...zap in it flew to a tree by the car park. I legged it a second time back onto #PWC patch and repeated the call...zap in it flew again right above me calling like a goodan. OML what a prize and the first ever I've seen/heard not flying over. A measly one point ( #PWC rules) for such a patch crippler just not fair. Also in a couple of Sedge Warblers on Ashton's flash below the vp.

Mid week and a Common Sandpiper on Neumann's flash was most welcome.

Saturday and its weekend again, patchers out in force and I'm lounging in bed chimping away on my mobile. I get two calls about a Tern sp. on Ashton's, surely it's an Arctic Tern and yes it is with possibly two before they depart rapidly in the improving weather. Just timed it right whap! 100 up for the year and it's not yet May!

More avian delight was to come as I'm chatting to the boss (of Avian Ecology no less) in Bund Hide, Fred locates a flying over Little Egret...get in what a bonus. Two egrets in the same year (Little and Large).

Rain from the east but not much else to show for it with no new passerines in...where's the groppers and whinchats?

no patch gold at the end of this rainbow from Old Hide

#PWC  101 species   115 points (2 each for Arctic Tern and Little Egret)

TTFN

JACK SNIPE

In the words of the great man himself Fluff Freeman...''well pop pickers, down to number 9 goes Podster550'' and so it comes to pass as new players come into the top ten down goes moi.

#PWC2014 March Inland North League Table

Understandably though and I'm clutching at straws here, March is a pretty naff month for birds with hardly anything of note added to the list except of course the pair of
Bearded Tits on the 1st. A new patch bird and all I get is a lousy 2 points, still we're in April now and things are going smoothly..Great White Egret for a start.
Padders so far after the lone Whimbrel have been in order of appearence:-
Dunlin a fly through flock of 5
Barn Swallow
House Martin
Little Ringed Plover

Common Whitethroat

Reed Warbler

but without doubt the highlight of the week has been the very showy (at times) Jack Snipe that I found on Ashton's Flash last Thursday 17th. As I write this Sunday night the bouncer is still doing his thing just out from the bench on the bund. There was even a crowd there this afternoon 7 birders no less.

But and there's always a but!! Saturday was a proverbial nightmare...having decided to have a leisurely mornings breakfast before patching I missed 2 flyover Goosanders and worse still a patch lifer...RED KITE!!! found by part time patcher Fred. What a blow but that's patching I suppose. Just shows what's passing through when we get some decent coverage (and decent birders) on patch.
Fingers crossed at the mo as Arctic Terns seem to be on the move and there's over night rain with constant easterlies....bring it on...

#PWC  96 species    108 points

TTFN

GWE...BOOMMMMM!!!!

For once right place right time and my first scan with the bins over Ashton's Flash produces a rather stonking big white job...GREAT WHITE EGRET!!! wow what a MEGA!! patch birding at it's best.
What a great (excuse the pun) addition to the #PWC year list. 6 big fat points (3 for the bird and 3 for finding it) take that Brockholes!

Phone-scoped 'record' shots of Granville II my 2nd for the Marbury Patch area after the legendary Granville of  07/01/2002.

Next day and no big white jobbies but the first Whimbrel of the year found skulking in the undergrowth around Ashton's puddle. Also there 2 Redshank and a Snipe. Over on Neumann's the pair of Pintail were back. Things beginning to hot up and Ashton's Flash sure looking like THE place to be watching at the mo especially with the bloody maggot danglers who now seem to live on Kid Brook spit over on Budworth Mere flushing everything in sight. Roll on....

#PWC  90 species   102 points (6 GWE + 2 Whimbrel)

TTFN 

BRING ON THE MIGRANTS...

Just before March ended there was one last flurry of activity with a splendid flock of 10 Black-tailed Godwits gracing Neumann's Flash in the channel by Stilt Island.

Also in the photo two of the three Wigeon that were still present. We're down to one lone drake now.

So in comes April but nothing is foolish enough to show on the 1st and it's the weekend that starts to bring in a few of the summer migrants. South Easterly winds with rain over night and bang...Willow Warblers are suddenly in, with 3 (one bund, 2 Witton car park). Also new in a Blackcap was in song by the Linnet roost brambles. The first Skylark for the flashes year list flew over Ashton's on the 6th and a group of Rooks were scope-able from the Bund.

That's it for now. The Osprey over Budworth Mere at the weekend never made it to the flashes and the reported Bittern??? seen to land in the sw corner of Neumann's on the 8th never showed.

spit action...Shelducks, Teal, Coot, Lapwing.. more trimming me thinks required in front of the Old Hide.

I've done quite a bit but if anyone out there's got a petrol strimmer I'd love to borrow it.

The reedbed in front of Scrapyard certainly needs a short back and sides.

The Grey Heron that can regularly be seen at the foot of the waterfall in Butterfinch valley.

The birds that usually nest on North Island have had no luck so far as the water level has risen once again. 

The Oycs, Canada Geese and Lapwing have all attempted to start nesting but to no avail. Its gonna be a bit crowded when we do get a dry spell.

#PWC  88 species   94 points

TTFN