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Monday 29 June 2020

Belvide Res, Staffordshire and Green Lane, Albrighton, Shropshire.

A very nice evening with very good friends and some good birding.

Blackcaps (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla).
I arrived at the car park where there were quite a few cars and birders already looking for the 2nd summer Laughing Gull (Gaviota Guanaguanare / Larus atricilla) which was found the day before by Steve Nutall @belvidebirding
Blackcaps (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla).
I arrived about 10 minutes ahead of Sharon and John so I took a slow walk out towards the Gazibo Hide, on the way I watched hundreds of Common Swifts (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Greylag (Ansar Común / Anser anser) and Canada Geese (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Common Tern (Charrán Común / Sterna hirudo).
Blackcaps (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla).
I spent some time checking the bushes aon the way as well hearing and seeing Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis)  Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Long-tailed (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Sedge Warbler (Carricerin Común / Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and a family of Blackcaps (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), the 4 juv's stayed on a branch in a rose bush long enough for me to take a few photo's.
Laughing Gull (Gaviota Guanaguanare / Larus atricilla).
Just at this point Sharon and John turned up and after looking at the Blackcaps we walked down to the Gazibo hide where we had a look for the Gull but could not see it, however we did find Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula) and over on the far shore a single Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).
Laughing Gull (Gaviota Guanaguanare / Larus atricilla).
We moved on around towards the West hide as the bird was meant to have move but just a few yards along the track we found some birders who were watching it so we had good views but the light was bad so my photographs are rubbish. 
Laughing Gull (Gaviota Guanaguanare / Larus atricilla).
After watching the bird for a good while we went back to the Hide for a coffee and a chat but also had good views of the Laughing Gull again in flight. Other species seen included Goldeneye (Porrón Osculado /Bucephala clangula), Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus), Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus), Stock Dove (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) and as we walked down to the Spill Way Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) which was heard calling in the woods.
Laughing Gull (Gaviota Guanaguanare / Larus atricilla).
We returned to John and Sharons car where John cracked open a couple of bottles of Beer, the one Shropshire Lad was nice but the second a Ruby beer was not to my taste but it was nice to just stand and chat for a while and whilst we did a Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) few into a field on the other side of the road.
Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus).
We went to a second site back in the village of Albrighton, we stopped at the end of Green Lane and walked up to the other end, on the way I pointed out the Territories of the Corn Buntings (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) I had been seeing and quite unexpectidly the pair right at the furtherst point showed very well for us. As we walked we also saw Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).
Stock Dove (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas).
We had a walk across the fields to the Irrigation lake and recorded Great Crested and Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Mallard, Eurasian Coot but nothing else so we retraced our step back to the car again seeing the Corn Buntings on the way. Once at the car John and Sharon headed back and I went back to the house after a really good evening in good company.
Stock Dove (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas).

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