The Drunkbirder™

Going To The Chapel

thedrunkbirder — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:47:53 +0000

And we’re gonna get Hawfinch.

Up early this morning Leigh and headed out first to Clumber Park. Arriving just after sunrise the Chapel looks pretty damned gorgeous in the early morning light.

Chapel Of Our Lady

Our main quarry here were the bloody elusive Hawfinch. Numbers seem to be in decline with only ones and twos getting reported but thankfully it didn’t take too much searching to pick up this one. Sadly it never showed out in the open.

Hawfinch

We moved back down the road looking for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker but despite plenty of other sightings we were always behind, the best we had was one flying between trees that I promptly lost again.

It was now time to head to a site I’d been tipped off about for Long-eared Owl. A couple of wrong turns and we finally found the site entrance and headed in to the site. We soon found the general area but my directions made me wonder, the place I’d been told to look seemed to have been part-cleared so a quick call into ASBO HQ and I was soon in possession of a number for Rich Collis. He soon had us in the right spot and I quickly for the birds. How many birds can you find? All the birds are in the photo.

Long-eared Owl

A Leo Scoping LEO

Our final destination was RSPB Blacktoft Sands for the raptor roost. Plenty of Tree Sparrow around the feeders. A conservative estimate of roosting Marsh Harrier was 30 birds with two female Hen Harrier and at least one Barn Owl.

Tree Sparrow

Pochard

Cumulonimbus

Leicester Beer Festival 2012

thedrunkbirder — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:31:59 +0000

The CAMRA Leicester Beer Festival takes place at the Charotar Patidar Samaj from Wednesday 7 March to Saturday 10 March.

As usual The Drunkbirder will be there on Wednesday night and most likely Thursday night as well.

Beer Festival 2012

Details can be found here.

‘Ello ‘Ello ‘Ello… What’s Going On ‘Ere Eh?

thedrunkbirder — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:06:39 +0000

The Pager Goes Off

‘Get your clothes on luv… you, you’re nicked sunshine, we’re the Sweeney and this is the Conference Calls.’

Get yer clothes on luv!

A conference call Guv?… move along now sonny, nothing to see hear. Go home and listen to the Conference Calls withe Devon and Cornwall Police Wildlife Officer Josh Marshall.

Talking Naturally

Download the podcast here.

Tits

thedrunkbirder — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:27:10 +0000

I dropped in at Kelham Bridge in my lunch break today. On my way we had an almighty snow storm that had thankfully cleared as I got there. I’d taken the DSLR but the feeders close by the hide were empty and so I was between a rock and a hard place.

The Willow Tits were in and out like lightening and all the photos are really heavy crops.

Willow Tit

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Not a Tit and not even a bird but the Brown Rats are always entertaining.

Brown Rat

Mustang Sally

thedrunkbirder — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:29:51 +0000

Met up with Sally Pepper from East Midlands Today at Cossington Meadows this afternoon to do some filming for Sally Goes Wild. We had arranged to film the Short-eared Owls on the reserve but in her main role as a weather presenter, I’d had an email yesterday warning of rain.

Undeterred Dave and I had met reserve warden Chris Hill at 12.00. We were soon joined by Sally and her team, producer Lydia and cameraman Adam. I don’t think we could believe our luck when Dave picked up the first of probably four but maybe even five or six Owls at 12.40. Adam got cracking on securing some good footage of the birds while we chatted and enjoyed the birds.

Short-eared Owl

All too soon we were doing walk-by bits to camera and loads of stuff I’d never considered would go into a two and a half minute slot.

Sally and Dave

Action!

I must admit that it’s pretty hard not to mug the camera when you know you’re being filmed as we did loads of takes looking at the birds, the Collins Bird Guide and even pretending to be looking at birds…

I also didn’t realise just how tight the crew have to be when recording trailers and teasers.

Tease me

Well a good day was had by all… a big thanks to Chris for allowing the crew to drive up the main track. The feature should go out at 18.30 this Thursday BBC1 East Midlands Today.

Sally and me

I always like a bit of music… so here’s a bit of classic Wilson Pickett with Mustang Sally.

A Load Of Bull

thedrunkbirder — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:14:39 +0000

A bit windy this morning but I did manage a few hours out including an hour on the patch where I added Bullfinch and Grey Wagtail to the year list. Met up with Beth Hull too who is recently back from a year with Birdlife Malta.

We moved on to Watermead North where it was pretty quiet, the wind not helping much. The new Plover Scrape is finished and looks good for Spring migration though I think it might need a bit of screening.

Plover Scrape

The feeders by the Canal were pulling in the birds with up to five Bullfinch showing well… digiscoping them was a different matter. This is my best shot of a painfully shy species.

Bullfinch

I did finally break my Reed Bunting duck for the year with a cracking male and a few females. Ken Goodrich noted that he’s seen a worrying decline this winter in this species and with our usually noisy Cetti’s Warblers.

Fatbirder

thedrunkbirder — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:29:53 +0000

And for once I’m not talking about myself here but our guest on the Conference Calls last Tuesday Bo Beolens aka The Fatbirder. and The Grumpy Old Birder… damn that man, he’s got there before me again.

Fatbirder

While we intended to just talk about what 2012 might bring, we also dipped in and out of HS2, Ruddy Duck culls, Badger baiting and hunting, Spanish Sparrow, ask whether Jonny Rankin could replace David Attenborough on the BBC, and why the Brit birding scene is a little unfriendly…and all in 45 mins!

Download the podcast here.

Muhammad Ali – 70 Today

thedrunkbirder — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:54:59 +0000

Probably the greatest boxer of all time and one the World’s greatest sportsman turns 70 today.

Frozen

thedrunkbirder — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:58:44 +0000

A pretty easy WeBS count this morning as once again Birstall Meadows was 99% frozen. Still it was, shockingly, the first time I’d been on the patch this year.

Birstall Meadows

A little later, Leigh and I went for a walk around Watermead Country Park South. A fair bit about but too many walkers for a great number of species. Most significant things were birds we didn’t see… no Chaffinch but worryingly I have yet to see a Reed Bunting this year.

Robin

Tufted Duck

Being Watched

thedrunkbirder — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:51:52 +0000

Yesterday Dave and I had the pleasure of trying to inspire some of tomorrow’s birders as we had agreed to lead a walk for the LRWT Wildlife Watch group. Before we met the group we tried to follow up reports of a ‘funny’ Redpoll with lots of white in the wing. At the usual spot we failed to locate any Redpoll let alone any funny ones.

There had been a very good Hoar Frost though.

Watermead Country Park

Teasel

Bramble

Common Reed

The kids were a pretty good and enthusiastic lot who loved looking at birds through the telescope. I doubt their parents would be so enthusiastic about shelling out on a Kowa 883 though.