Belvide Res and Chasewater, Staffardshire and Humphreston Lane, Shropshire.

A few hours birding with good friends.

Not my Phtographs.

Surf Scoter (Negrón Careto / Melanitta perspicillata).

On my way to Belvide I got a tad lost so I pulled into a gateway and sorted out on Google Maps, whilst there I herd and saw Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula) and Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus).

Surf Scoter (Negrón Careto / Melanitta perspicillata) with 3 Common Scoters (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra).

I met my friends at the car park and we walked on to the reserve through the woodland picking up Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla) and out on the water as we came out of the woods were Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), masses of Common Swifts (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), House (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Sand Martins (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia) and Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).

Surf Scoter (Negrón Careto / Melanitta perspicillata) with 3 Common Scoters (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra).

As we walked along the track we heard several Reed Warblers (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and saw Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus), Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus),Common Tern (Charrán Común / Sterna hirudo), Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Greylag (Ansar Común / Anser anser) and Canada Geese (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus) and a Hobby (Alcotán Europeo / Falco subbuteo) which was sat in a tree but I only saw it in flight as it disappeared.

Surf Scoter (Negrón Careto / Melanitta perspicillata) with 3 Common Scoters (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra).

Further around the track we went into the Gazzebo hide and scanned the far shore where we found the Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica) which had been around for a few days as well as 4x Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone) and further down the res Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna).

Surf Scoter (Negrón Careto / Melanitta perspicillata) with 3 Common Scoters (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra).

Closer to us on the bushes in front of the hide we saw Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major).

One of my friends then got a phone call to say that there was a Surf Scoter (Negrón Careto / Melanitta perspicillata) just along the A5 at Chasewater so we walked back to our cars and head off. A short while later we were stood in the wind and rain watching 3x Common Scoters (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra) and a stunning male Surf Scoter.

Surf Scoter (Negrón Careto / Melanitta perspicillata) with 3 Common Scoters (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra).

After a while I headed back to Albrighton and waited for the rain to stop, on the way I added Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Rook (Graja /  Corvus frugilegus) and Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea)-

Once the rain stopped I went out for a walk up Humphreston Lane which was nice and quiet. During the walk I added Bullfinch (Camachuelo Común / Pyrrhula pyrrhula), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Green (Pito Real / Picus viridis) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), European Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus) and Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis).