Rare and Scarce Birds in Warwickshire (2 Viewers)

[Phil Andrews]

Spent almost 5 hours at Earlswood Lakes this morning, and despite a few other birders looking, no sign of the heron. However yesterday the bird showed better during the evening and I think it could still be around, so should be worth checking from 7:00 pm onwards. Unfortunately I have to be at a meeting at 7:30 pm this evening, so it could be missed if no-one else has a go. As the bird was found and re-found from the white railings of the causeway in-between Engine and Windmill Pools, I recommend searching for it from there.

Cheers John, hope Upton is being well-covered atm with this stunner around.

Matt

Hi Matt - any news of the Night Heron today? UW could only manage a Spoonbill this afternoon :-C

 

[Matt Griffiths]

Hi Matt - any news of the Night Heron today? UW could only manage a Spoonbill this afternoon :-C

Hi Phil,
As far as I know no-one's seen it today. I put another 2.5 hours in late afternoon, with another birder keeping watch until I returned late evening, when about a dozen other pair of eyes were at the causeway, and I stayed at Terry's Pool for 45 minutes until it was too dark to see - so the lakes have been well-covered today. I'll put the news on BirdGuides quickly if I see it again. The Stratford canal nearby might well be worth checking as there was a Purple Heron along there in 1956, and an escaped White Stork was reported along there in 2005 - heron hotspot?!

If anyone has a permit, Olton Mere in Solihull might also be worth a look as it is almost completely surrounded by trees, has little disturbance, and has a heronry.

Matt

 

[Matt Griffiths]

Night Heron at Earlswood Lakes, 17/05/2011

Saw the Night Heron fly over Earlswood Lakes from the northeast (probably from the canal), over the Malthouse Lane causeway then fly down to Terry's Pool at 10:05 am today. This is the 3rd time I've located it from the white railings at that causeway, so clearly the place to go if anyone's interested. Maybe best to get there 7:00 pm or earlier, as on Sunday evening the bird appeared at 7:20 pm. Fingers crossed...
Matt

 

[Duck_Pond]

Cheers for the info Matt. Might try tomorrow evening, if I can get over there. Has anyone managed any photos of it yet?

 

[Matt Griffiths]

Night Heron reappeared over Engine Pool much earlier than expected at 5:50 pm today, but I must say I feel quite annoyed that the bird was flushed at about 6:15 pm before I and another could see it perched, especially as there seems to have been no subsequent definite sighting after it flew over Windmill Pool. I saw it fly down into the valley below the dam and was waiting for more birders (including a few already around the lakes) to arrive before going down the steps to check it (in case I flushed it). Two guys arrived, and as I'd told them where I'd seen it go I went with them to check it out. One of them rushed on ahead and flushed it, apparently having great views even without bins :C Probably over 30 birders left disappointed. Really hope no-one finds where it's roosting.

The bird may be a second-summer, but definitely has the long head plumes.

Cheers for the info Matt. Might try tomorrow evening, if I can get over there. Has anyone managed any photos of it yet?

Nope, but I brought my camera with me and might've got a decent record shot/video if...

Matt

 

[Duck_Pond]

Did the muppet who flushed it, see where it went to?

 

[wheatearlp]

I spoke to Chris Tomson last night after I got home and found a missed call from him. He had located the Night Heron beyond the southern end of Windmill Pool just before 9.00 perched up on a hawthorn. He called the three birders who were watching from the southern shore (several watching from the causeway saw them running - perhaps we should have run as well) and he tried to phone a few he knew were on site to let them know. However the causeway seems to be a mobile phone blackspot :-C

Mike

 

[RegTelescope]

Most of the causeway birders disappeared just after 9.00pm. It's a real shame the message didn't get through that the bird had been found.

I'm going to pop up again at about 5.00pm and can afford to spend a couple of hours looking for it. Let's all behave responsibly if it's found, and all do our best to get as many birders onto it as possible, with minimal disturbance to the bird.

 

[Matt Griffiths]

Night Heron

No sign so far today, but definitely worth checking from now onwards. On my way now!

 

[RegTelescope]

Night Heron

The bird was flushed from alders south of Windmill Pool at about 6.15pm tonight. It showed very well for a short period at the south end of the pool, then took off and flew in the direction of Springbrook Lane. It was relocated south of Springbrook Lane at around 7.30pm, I think.

 

[DaveN]

Diver showing very well at the east end of Shustoke today (despite the sailing), often only a few feet from the shoreline

Interesting you mention it being only a few feet from the shoreline. Today presumably the same BT Diver which left Shustoke turned up at Carsington Water here in Derbyshire. At first it was in deep water but then made its way into a small bay where it was feeding only a few feet from the shorline. In fact, most of the time it was like it was surface feeding like a dabbling duck.

Not a great photo but here's one I took today.

 

[Matt Griffiths]

Great afternoon! Night Heron was refound late afternoon by Mike Doughty in roughly the same area of the scrubland where it was last seen perched yesterday late evening. After visiting Windmill Pool it flew off, where by an amazing stroke of luck it was seen flying over Springbrook Lane by Richard Harbird as he was driving along there! He located it in a tree at a large pond, where I finally managed to get a brilliant view of it perched, and Dave Hutton got some smashing shots (now on web). The bird then relocated to around a wooded marlpit at Springbrook Farm (Terry's Green), where patient birders waiting at the gate near the junction of Malthouse Lane and Small Lane eventually were rewarded with a couple of decent flight views, last seen flushed by a crow and seemed to fly down to the area near the two bridges along Springbrook Lane (near where Mike first had it), sometime around 8 pm. This is the last definite sighting I know of.

Many of the birders who've put the hours in have been rewarded now. Over 30 people have seen it so far. I hope more see it, but please keep disturbance at the scrubland to a minimum (breeding birds) - try scanning trees next to water from paths. I still think the causeway is worth staking out too, though the bird is covering a large area (at least 1 x 2 km).

Everyone who's thought about the age of the bird agrees it's an adult (just that one person who put doubts in my mind!).

Matt

 

[Matt Griffiths]

One more thing, I think it was a fisherman who came over to us at the causeway saying he'd seen the Night Heron but it proved to be a Grey (thanks Dave for checking), so beware!

 

[Dave Hutton]

Good views from South of Springbrook lane last night! seems like it showed well there several times!!

 

[Duck_Pond]

Cracking set of shots Dave, and a great find for you Matt on your patch. I'm going to try to get over there this evening, though knowing my luck, it'll have left!

Where's the best place to park?

 

[Kevin Groocock]

Great images, Dave and well done for the find, Matt :t: The bird will need to stay beyond Sat for me to have a chance :-C

 

[andy hale]

Does anyone know anything about this sighting reported on RBA at Kenilworth Abbey, yesterday but no sign today?

I take it as no one has replied nothing further is known?

 

[Matt Griffiths]

Where's the best place to park?

Maybe Valley Road car park as it's nearest the causeway, but limited spaces. The car park along Wood Lane near the engine house is slightly further away but you can stay there very late as there's a one-way ramp for people exiting when the gate's closed. The Malthouse Lane car park closes I think at 8:30 pm (says at entrance). There's space for one or two cars at the entrance to the scrubland in-between the two bridges along Springbrook Lane, but wouldn't recommend more than a few cars parking further along there (not the widest of lanes) unless the bird is confirmed to be still in that area.

I take it there's no news today? I haven't been able to get to Earlswood yet as I'm completely knackered - too many hours in the field and too little sleep during the past few days! Will probably be down later to confirm it's still around.

Thanks Andy for letting me look through you're scope btw - will treasure that view especially forever.

Matt

 

[Duck_Pond]

Cheers Matt. Hope it's still around... never seen one before.

 

[Duck_Pond]

Dipped on it tonight... not sure if it showed after I left. Hardly a consolation, but did get some shots of a ringed plover on the shore, from the causeway.

Matt - you can use any of them on your blog if you want. Cheers for the help today - maybe try again tomorrow, if I have time.