Coton was quiet again today. No Martins but did get Chiff Chaff, Cettis Warbler, Green Woodpecker, Kingfisher, Gadwall and Tufted Duck. Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Greylag Goose and Black-headed Gulls.
   Shustoke also Quiet. Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Buzzard, Kestrel, Cormorant, Pied Wagtail, Greenfinch and Chaffinch also more Chiff Chaff. A few small Tortoiseshell Butterflies and Peackocks and one or two small brown things that I never got close to.

    A wander around some of the local sites today. Had Jackdaw Stock Dove, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel and Mistle Thrush en-route.
   Coton had a Bullfinch and several singing Chiff Chaff but only got on to one of them. Kingfisher flew over the path near the hide. Mute Swan Great Crested Grebe, Tufted Duck and Gadwall, Loads of Black-headed Gulls and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

   Kingsbury Had Mallard, Shoverler, Teal, Canada and Greylag Geese, Oystercatcher and Redshank, Wren Chiff Chaff, Chaffinch and Great Tit Blue Tit and Long-tailed Tit. Cormorant, Heron, loads of Black-headed Gulls again 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull and several Reed Buntings.

   Shustoke Had very Little but I only stayed near the Car Park.did get close to Great Crested Grebe and had 1 Pied Wagtail, Sparrowhawk, Canadas and Mallard. with the warm clear weather I was supprised to get just one Buzzard.  

   A field trip with the Bird club to Newport Wetlands produced a few good Year tick, Avocet, Bearded Tit, Cettis Warbler, Spotted Redshank and a Greenshank. Also Curlew and Shelduck out on the Marsh as well as Chiff Chaff.
  A lake on the way to New Fancy View in the Forest of Dean had us dip Hawfinch by Minutes but we did get Mandarin.
   A very Distant Goshawk was found perched half way up a pine tree. another look for Hawfinch failed but had loads of Song Thrush's Nuthatch, Great Spotted and Green Woodpecker.

   Another Saturday Bird Club Trip 15 Waxwings over Whittleford Park while i waited for Mark to pick me up then all 3 of us headed out to Focus Optics 1st stop. Siskin and Great Spotted Woodpecker on the Feeder. A run behind Dawmill Pit on the way to Whiticare Heath produced
2 Red-legged Partridge.
   Whitacre Heath Failed to produce Lesser-spotted Woodpecker but did produce Lesser and Mealy Redpoll. also the first Singing Chiff Chaff of the year.

   Attenbourgh Pits Nottinghamshire today on the first Saturday Bird Club Trip. Loads of Water Fowl and Tourists. Not so Many Birders apart from a grumpy old  so and so in one of the Hides.
   Stock Dove, Egyptian Goose, Tree Sparrow and A Pair of Red-crested Pochard for the Year list. Also the expected water fowl along with Goosander, 3 Buzzards, Bullfinch, Brown Rat, Grey Squirrel and Stoat.

   Bird Club trip to Frampton Marsh Lincolnshire. the new birdin fashion was as numerous as the birds with Coats and Trousers in all colours of the Rainbow. all except for Green. the majority of birders were in Browns and dull dark colours but some were in Pink, Orange, Red, every colour you could imagine and as for keeping quiet not a chance. one of the noisiest birdin trips I have been on. the birds however were

   Brent, Barnacle, Canada and White-fronted Geese. Wigeon, Teal, Poachard, Tufted Duck, Scaup, Pintail, Goldeneye, Gadwall and Mallard. Redshank,Golden Plover, Ruff, Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel and Dunlin, Peregrine, Buzzard, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk. Skylark, Twite, and Reed Bunting.

Just to mention a few.

   The First Twitch of 2011 and well worth it.
Misty conditions and distant views of the Oriental (  Rufous ) Turtle Dove. Showed in the ash tree for about 10 minutes before being bullied off by a Jackdaw. also of note Brambling.