Is that Reeling I Hear?

Hi readers, this week somewhere different for you to read about, but still an RSPB reserve, yes Middleton Lakes was on the agenda today so we spent the best part of the day around the place enjoying the birding. Plenty of things we still didn't see on leaving there were some Ringed Plovers apparently around but only Little Rings came into view, throughout the morning we heard countless Cettis Warblers calling, however as I'm sure you know they are extremely elusive you could even be looking at the bird but you wouldn't see it, there were at least three of those calling throughout our visit.   Common Terns were plentiful and as we were on the walk back to the car apparently an Arctic made an appearance mid afternoon. At least two Redshank were around all morning as well as 3 Oystercatcher as well. A single Little Egret also flew over mid morning. No sign of spotted Redshank or Wood Sand at all which are two species I haven't seen as of yet.

A nice year tick in the form if 3 Shellduck also was something nice to see during our visit. On our walk around I heard the call of a species that has eluded me for the years I have been birding, I have stared at a bush with the bird calling in it but could not make it out, yes the call of a Grasshopper Walbler on our walk towards the lookout (which we had no idea existed at the time) I heard the distinctive reeling of a Gropper, we began staring to the area in which it was calling with no success, after about twenty minutes we gave up and moved on, we did get Sedge Warbler at this point as well as Blackcap and Whitethroat. This Gropper story does not end so continue reading to find out more. I also caught a great view if a flying over Cuckoo while looking for the Gropper, the bird began calling shortly afterwards. 

The lookout was a great example of a hide, so many windows, and so many stools, a great hide that I'm sure will fit a lot of birders. Anyway after we were done with the hide we began moving back for a final look for the Gropper, a few birders were there and had heard it ten minutes before we returned so after they moved off we decided to stick around, and then suddenly something darted out if the reeds closest to us into the bush where the Gropper was calling earlier. 

So things were looking promising and this increased when the bird began to call, I could just about see a brown shape in the bushes, and the quick view I got seemed promising but not enough for me to say  that's the bird. It continued to call constantly and we continued staring at the bush hoping it would appear. I then happened to look slightly left of the bush and guess what was sitting out in the open clearly calling in my scope yes a clear view of my first Grasshopper Warbler calling as well, a great bird to see, we watched it for ten minutes or so until it darted off. That bird is what most birders would call a "tart" for me, the amount of times I have stared into shrubbery listening to one calling and still not seen it is unreal, but this time listening for the reeling paid off and it was a great lifer for me. 

So hearing multiple Cettis on the way we made our way back to the car and headed off for something to eat. We decided we would drop into Chasewater on our way back to look at some more Arctic Terns. On arrival we were instantly on some Terns, clearly there were quite a few Arctic Terns showing at a distance they had all the features you would look for, there were at least 8 Terns flying around at once, I know for sure some were Arctic but I'm not sure if all of the 8 birds were Arctic, some may have been Common but they were quite difficult to stay onto one bird at a time with them moving around quite quickly. Certainly there were at least 4 Arctic Terns and it is likely there would have been more in the 8 Terns all together. 

So another great days birding similar to last weekend very successful, the Gropper is a big birding highlight for me this year something I have been trying to see for a good few years but finally the effort has paid off with great views of today's bird. Plenty of good yearticks to, Cuckoo being one of these, something you don't see to often lately. 

I'm sure most of you have see the recent campaign started by Chris Packham regarding the Malta Massacre on Migration, many endangered species are being shot down out of the skies over Malta and it is something we really need to stamp out as soon as possible, I know that Malta is well known for this, I think it is now that people have began to become fed up with the situation and have realised it is time for us as part of the birding community to work towards stopping the crimes that are being committed against many birds across the spring migration period. I know the campaign has reached the £50,000 it aimed to make which is great news, and is a real step in the right direction in stopping the illegal hunting of endangered and other birds over Malta during migration specifically.

Anyway next week there should be a post as normal If not before, I wonder what species will turn up by next Sunday? I may add some pictures from today on Twitter in the week sometime, at the moment my Camera is low on Battery which seems o stop it being able to connect with my Laptop so a few pictures in the week on Twitter sometime. 

Thanks for reading and enjoy the week all- WMBB