Saturday 1 May 2010

200 and beyond!

Well! What a day! had a lie in this morning til about ten. I got up and headed to my Local patch, RSPB Saltholme. When I got there, I heard that a rare race of the Yellow Wagtail, a Black Headed Wagtail, had been seen. Whats more it's my favourite race! I sped of to where it had been seen earlier, and stood for abot half an hour before going to get lunch. I headed back, and soon picked up a darker yellow wagtail, which looked like the black headed wagtail, but I couldn't be 100% sure. When I looked for something to tell the others where it had gone, it flew off!
I then headed down to the Saltholme pools hide with one of my mates. Another one of my mates who was down there put me on to my first of five year ticks today, a stunning LITTLE RINGED PLOVER showing well. Turned around and what at first i thought was a Tern, proved to be a beautiful LITTLE GULL, before it quickly dissapeared. On the way home I stoppeded at a small reserve called COWPEN BEWLEY and another next to it, FAITH WOOD. Not yet out of the car park, the beatiful song of a WHITETHROAT rang out, and I quickly picked it up singing from the top of a hawthorn. My 200th SPECIES in 2010!!! As I walked more sung, with the accompanying song of Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Chaffinches, Wrens and Blackbirds, and as i got to the lake, a LESSER WHITETHROAT too. I scanned for it when it flew over me and landed in the bush right behind me and sung once more! Suddenly, a Common WHitethroat dived in and chased it away. I continued my walk, getting lost for quite a while before returning to the car park. I then headed to look for Grasshopper Warblers. No luck, so i decided to head home. As I turned, a GARDEN WARBLER dived into the bushes, before quickly being raplaced by a Male and Female blackcaps!
A magical day, with my 200 hundreth bird species this year!!!!