Farmland Birds - Birdless Farms

Just back from leading another bird walk around one of our local farms (did the same a couple of weeks ago). Neither was well attended by the public - the farm didn't seem to do a good enough job of spreading the word though it was entirely their idea and part of a series of summer evening events. Maybe the fact that these were summer evening events and the weather is more akin to late autumn had something to do with it.

Anyway, always good to get into some otherwise off-limits habitat though in the main all it confirmed for me was that there was precious little around in terms of traditional farmland birds. In fact, the only highlights were unusual and unexpected.

On the first walk around, when we got to a really good looking pond that the farm created a couple of years ago, swimming about in the middle of it was a female Tufted complete with brood. She was still there today with brood intact and growing well. The other highlight was today, when a small group of Swallows came over. Moments later, a falcon came into view and after a second glance it started chasing the Swallows and it became clear that it was a Hobby. Excellent.

Otherwise, a handful of Yellowhammers, Bullfinches, and Chiffchaffs were the only relatively interesting birds, though there seemed to be good numbers of singing Song Thrushes about.

S.A.M.

The garden traps went out last night for the first time in over a week. The catch was pants and there was nothing exciting to redeem the situation. Can't believe that once again we are in the midst of a shite July with cool overnight temps and rain. The traps should be bulging to the point of being hard to get sorted in time for work at this time of year.

Think I am suffering from an unusually virulent form of S.A.M. (Seasonally Affected Moth-recording). It's getting so autumnal I may have to get the bins out and go birding again.

Inconsiderate Spotty Bastard

Spotted Sand.

Back on 9th May 1998, four blokes in VC55 were busily bird racing and building up what would turn out to be a then record day list for Leicestershire (109 species, excluding Rutland and any dodgy ferals and hybrids). The four blokes were racing under the Leicester Llamas name, and were Andy Mackay, Richard Fray, Dave Gray and myself. The day was made all the better when, happily, the first Spotted Sandpiper for VC55 conveniently dropped in to the Leics. side of Eyebrook Res whilst we were over that way. Superb - and in true birding style it was all the sweeter as a few other county listers were busily poncing about on holiday including the then County recorder Rob Fray. So, a county day list record including a VC first that the county recorder missed, and undoubtedly a blocker for future county listers for years to come. Superb.

Or at least it was for 13 years until last Wednesday when one popped up at Rutland Water. Even worse, the inconsiderate spotty bastard is still there today. I know we should all be less churlish when it comes to birding, but come on! Next thing I know there'll be a bloody Crag Martin lazily flitting about over the bird fair .........

No - I haven't been to see it, or done any mothing. I've been watching Darren Clarke win the Open instead.

A right bloody racket ...

.. from a brilliant album that I still like listening to. Whack the volume right up.

Lesser Stag Beetle

Another new one for the garden, found loitering around the same trap that brought in the Privet Hawk on Monday night. Always nice to find interesting non-lepidopteran things in and around the traps - that excludes Cockchafers and burying beetles covered in mites!