In early 2014 I began to take my local birding a lot more seriously, to fill the weekends where there was nothing to twitch, or I had no birding trips else where planned. What happened quite surprised me as I found an under-watched (although, most of Warwickshire is under-watched) spot just outside my town, which I have become quite attached too. I now try to visit the patch, known as "The Puddle", at least twice a week and I get withdrawal symptoms if I leave it too long!
May
May
31/05/2014 – 1st trip to Clifton Lakes, Lesser Whitethroat, Reed and Sedge warblers singing
June
22/06/2014 – Discovered The Puddle, 1st Little Ringed Plover (1) and Green Sandpiper (2)
23/06/2014- 1st Lapwing (34)
July
05/07/2014 – Little Egret, first locally scarce bird, also
Oystercatcher and Common Sandpiper, 5 species of wader in 2 weeks was giving me some hope for a decent autumn passage. Male and Female Redstart by
M6/bog were the first decent migrant passerines.
08/07/2014 – Kingfisher 1st of only 2 records for 2014, a regular spot has since been found.
09/07/2014 – 1st Snipe (1),
10/07/2014 – Hobby, only record for 2014
18/07/2014 – Little Ringed Plover (5), 2 Adult 3 Juv, probably from Shawell quarry/tip,
where multiple pairs breed.
19/07/2014 – Black-tailed Godwit in full breeding plumage, a very welcome 7th species of wader. Bird is asleep in the centre of the photo!
August
15/08/2014 – First Dunlin, later a group of 3 and two more singles.
21/08/2014 - Greenshank, another good Wader with very few records in Warwickshire annually, 9th
species of Wader for the puddle. Also a male Whinchat, first of 4 records, photo shows one of two birds seen on 07/09/2014. A high count of 27 Pied Wagtails around pool.
22/08/2014 – c300 Goldfinch feeding on thistles
23/08/2014 – Peregrine, only record of 2014, flew through
and briefly chased a lapwing
26/08/2014 – Tree Pipit with first Meadow Pipits seen on visible migration.
28/08/2014 – First Teal (3)
September
September
02/09/2014 – First Wigeon (2), Local birder Tim Marlow assured me that these were the first of a wintering flock of around 200
07/09/2014 – 1st and only Wheatear on fence by puddle, also two Whinchats
feeding in long vegetation/thistles
09/09/2014 – 1st Shoveler, 4 species of
wildfowl…. 38 Meadow Pipits feeding around pool edge
16/09/2014 – Ruff with c200 Lapwing, present for around 10 days, also the Puddles 10th species of wader!
October
09/10/2014 – Golden Plover flock c30, 11th wader
species, photo shows a group on the hill above the Puddle, taken in 2015.
13/10/2014 – Fly over tufted duck, not much deep water so a
good record, presumably from Shawell Silt Lagoons.
17/10/2014 – 1st Grey Heron finally after months of Little Egret
being the only Heron on the list.
21/10/2014 - 11 Snipe flushed from long grass around pool, high count.
21/10/2014 - 11 Snipe flushed from long grass around pool, high count.
22/10/2014 – Jack Snipe flushed from Marsh, Curlew heard then seen at dusk coming to roost at pool, the 12th species of Wader, surely the last of the year? 182 Golden Plover was the highest count for 2014.
26/10/2014 – A Barnacle Goose in with the feral Canada Geese was quite exciting although almost certainly from a feral flock itself.
30/10/2014 – Gulls really built up, often c200 large white
headed gulls, including 1st Yellow-legged Gull, hoping for Caspian (regular
c1 mile away at Shawell) and white-winged Gulls down the line!
November
02/11/2014 – Adult Mediterranean Gull in with Blackheads c200, metal ring on left leg but too distant to see any more than that.
05/11/2014 – Highest count of Lapwing – 236!
13/11/2014 – 1st Caspian Gull, an adult sporting a yellow colour ring, perhaps PADZ, seen at Shawell 22nd Oct, but I could not read the letters with my now replaced old scope.
24/11/2014 – Woodcock flushed from wooded edge of Great Central Way – 13th species of wader, not bad for 8 months and c75 visits!
24/11/2014 – Woodcock flushed from wooded edge of Great Central Way – 13th species of wader, not bad for 8 months and c75 visits!
29/11/2014 – 31 Teal – High Count
December
December
26/12/2014 – Highest count of Wigeon – 284!
Other Highlights
It appears to have been a great year for Marbled Whites and I was pleasantly surprised to see up to 15 flying around the fields at once.
There is a lot of Fox activity in the area and I regularly saw this individual who enjoys the odd staring contest.
Green Woodpeckers bred very near by, perhaps as many as 3 pairs around the village. One of a few juveniles I encountered pictured below.
Raptors are seen on almost every visit, and this Sparrowhawk has a regular perch, just out of sight of the feeders in the gardens.
Ospreys were present at Clifton Lakes in late summer, but somehow I failed to see a single one, so heres hoping for 2015!
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