A quick round up!

Apart from our last trip to Norfolk, we have also undertaken short visits to Sandwell Valley RSPB, Upton Warren NR, Middleton Lakes RSPB and most recently Attenborough NR to meet our good friends Wendy & Tim for the day.

We had a great time at all these especially meeting up with Wendy & Tim who we first met in Sri Lanka. From a birding viewpoint nothing exciting just what tou would expect for Autumn and early Winter.

Sandwell Valley 16th October:
The highlight being this Great Spotted Woodpecker

and Stonechats over by Swan Pool.

Middelton Lakes 22nd October:
Nice to get a close up of a Jay:

 and yet another GSW!

Nothing much to report otherwise, plenty of Teal, Wigeon, Tufted Duck and Little Egret about in addition to the usual waterfowl.

Upton Warren 30th November:
A lovely couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon with Jo & Jimmy, just spent time at the Moors hoping to see lots of Snipe, but they had all disappeared, we eventually found one hiding. The best sightings here were a a Green Woodpecker and a Grey Wagtail hopping along the shoreline.
However this Shoveler came reasonably close:

 and whilst all his mates were in a field near the A38 this Curlew waited for us before eventually setting out to find his friends:

 Over the other side of the moors there were plenty of smaller birds visiting the feeders, some Reed Buntings feeding up:

 and plenty of Greenfinch about too:

Attenborough NR 3rd December:
We had fantastic weather for an afternoon here, there were plenty of Fieldfare & Redwing about:

and lots of Great Crested Grebe:

Sadly on entering one of the hides it appeared we had just missed a Bittern! That's life! But plenty of Lapwing sunning themselves (It was still a tad cold though!)

 To make up for the Bittern, being a bit of an Aircraft Anorak this Chinook came by the hide and landed somewhere near Attenborough village!

 Tufted duck are always a pleasure:

 as are Egyptian Geese, there were at least 6 about the reserve, this one came to see us when we stopped for a coffee at a picnic bench:

 The day was finished off by a glorious sunset.