Monday 18 August 2008 - Alvecote Pools SSSI - 18/08/2008

Monday 18th August 2008

Alvecote Pools SSSI

After a long time away from 'the patch' it was nice to get down to Alvecote late this afternoon despite the breezy conditions.  Last week I was enjoying 40oC heat in the deserts of Fuerteventura watching Cream-coloured Coursers and Black-bellied Sandgrouse, this week I'll be freezing my 'nads off in rural North Warwickshire..... and seeing bugger all!

The highlight today was a Green Sandpiper feeding on Anker Flashes along with an impressive roosting flock of 118 Northern Lapwing, a good gathering indeed for Alvecote.  Down on Mill Pool there were 6 Sand Martin and 6 Barn Swallows feeding up in preparation for their long journey south to Africa.  Also nice to see were 2 juvenile Great Crested Grebes (a species that has had a terrible breeding season down here this year) and 4 Tufted Duck ducklings with their doting mother (a scarce breeding species at Alvecote).  The only other wildfowl of note was a single Northern Shoveler and 8 Gadwall.  Some weird behaviour was also witnessed with a juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker being mobbed by a Carrion Crow!  What's that all about?

Over into Staffordshire around Pretty Pigs Pool there were 11 Greylag Geese amongst the 180 Canada Geese, a single Northern Shoveler, 8 Tufted Duck, 12 Great Crested Grebes, 22 House Martins and around 50 Pied Wagtails.  The escaped eclipse Hooded Merganser was also reported.