Avez-Vous un Cuppa?

Since returning from Slovenia last week, I have been checking out the Soar Valley for more ticks to my city list. So from the previous weekend before Slovenia I have added the 8 Garganey , Shelduck , Whitethroat , Sedge and Reed Warbler at Watermead CP South. Then added Green Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plover at an undisclosed site in the city boundaries. This followed with Swallow , Common Sandpiper and Common Tern a couple of days later at Watermead South. Then yesterday checking out Birstall Meadows I found a corking Male Wheatear feeding in the fields near the shoreline! So with these sightings I'm now on 90 species for my City list!!

With my gull observations on the back burner for a few days, I have been concentrating on my Soar Valley year list. So over the last few days I have added Ringed Plover , Little Ringed Plover ,a nice male Wheatear at Cossington, three Swallows at two sites and slightly unexpected a Raven flying over Mountsorrel Meadows LRWT today to bring my total up to 107 species. Although it wasn't a year tick I also saw today one of the Red Kites again as it flew low over Cossington Meadows.

Gloucester v Ospreys Gloucester v Ospreys again! Cardiff Blues practicing tackling! Drake Scaup at Swithland Res Grey Heron at Cossington Meadows Well over the weekend I celebrated my 40th birthday, watched a bit of rugby and did some birding on the Sunday. Firstly on the Friday night I spent a few good hours in The Orange Tree celebrating my birthday and would like to thank my friends for all the cards and presents I received. On the Saturday in the morning I felt like death warmed up!! and was in two minds if I should go to the EDF semi finals in Coventry due to me feeling so ill. But after have a bit of breakfast which didn't come straight back up I decided that I might be OK to go. So in the afternoon I joined the good numbers of different supporters at the Ricoh Arena. The first match of the day was Gloucester v Ospreys and I must admit it was a rubbish game, loads of handling errors, defences cancelling each other out, and a number of injuries to players who might be going on...