The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Freddy,
Whilst your out and about, there's a brood of four on Market Stainton village green which we ringed on Saturday.
Stuart

3 July 2011
Pair found at back of large garden just south of South Farm during LNU field meeting to Thurlby (SW of Lincoln).
Cheers
Brian

Re Mike Harrison's Sp Fly in Woodhall Spa - Sun 3 July :

I arrived at the "Dower House Hotel" in Woodhall Spa at 10.30 today (Mon) and spent a good half- hour there. No staff were around at Reception so I walked round to the Terrace facing the lawn with the tall Weeping Willow. Within 5 minutes not just one, but two. Spotted Flycatchers appeared, flycatching in the sun over the lawn from the Oak and Sycamore Trees to the left of the Terrace ( the Willow was still in the shade). At one stage both birds came to within 10-12 feet of me.

I then re-entered the Hotel, and returned to the Terrace with a refreshing cold drink to continue watching the Sp Flys......very relaxing and a most enjoyable visit.
Thanks, Mike, for the tip-off.


Thanks, Stuart, for the Market Stainton Sp Fly info....... I shall visit 'ere long.

Freddy

Yet another Spotted Flycatcher tour - Tuesday 5 July....after Sunday's trip.

Further to Stuart Britton's post of Sun 3 July (recently ringed Sp Fly chicks in nest on Market Stainton Village Green - N of Baumber off the A158 ) and to Brian Hedley's post of Mon 4 July (Sp Flys in Thurlby- near Lincoln ), I roped my (visiting) son, Alex, into "the cause" and we left BBH this morning (Tue) not long after 9.00.

We arrived at the Village Green in Market Stainton (totally deserted) before 10.00 and further to Stuart's excellent location details we were able to park only 10 -15 yards from the Sp Fly nest and facing it......it was about 4 feet from the ground where a branch had broken away from the trunk on a sp Acer Tree.

The adult Sp Flys were soon in evidence and made repeated visits to the nest while we remained nearby. The area was plagued with flies so no problems flycatching ! Thanks, Stuart, for the info plus detailed instructions. ( I'm sure you are now enjoying your 10-day holiday !)

I had considered the second Sp Fly location more difficult to negotiate but all worked out well......in the end. We duly arrived outside the large Thurlby detached house in question and it was immediately clear that to observe 'the tennis court location at the rear' we would have to climb over a gate and enter a large field......one small snag...... on another nearby gate to the same field there was just one word in capitals : " BULL ". Anyway, there's nothing like a challenge when out birding even though I can't run as fast as I used to (on second thoughts, I can't run at all ). Constantly using our binoculars to scan around, and having successfully reached the tennis court area without mishap... two further snags : one, the house/garden owner was pottering around in his garden ( and we would have looked suspicious with our binoculars, loitering around ) AND he had a (yappy ??) dog with him..BUT the man didn't catch sight of us and although his dog did, it was too interested chasing a ball in the opposite direction to bother with us;..... also, there was nothing in view for at least 15 minutes...(.would the BULL arrive or not ?).....except for eye-catching House Martins....and yet more eye-catching House Martins.

However, then there was another eye-catching movement on the far top boundary netting....and there it was, one Spotted Flycatcher. It didn't feed over the tennis court or the house garden but along a row of Hawthorns to the right and towards a derelict farm building. Only one Sp Fly appeared although Brian had seen a pair. Thanks, Brian, for the info and the spot-on location details....and we never did see the BULL.

So, Alex returns to London tomorrow having helped his ' old Dad ' to achieve two more Spotted Flycatcher sightings in Lincolnshire 2011.

Freddy

Found a Spotted Fly hot spot this afternoon at Swinhope near Binbrook, one pair feeding young in the copse on the left side of the short lane down towards the church and another pair in the churchyard and adjacent rectory garden about 100 yards away.

Hi, last saturday I had a 16 mile walk around the wolds and hoped to find some spotted flycatchers along the route. I found a pair at farforth church yard and a single at oxcombe. Glorious day and I saw very few other people other than a few birders after the eagle at ruckland. Is this an underwatched area?
Danny

Full Day Spotted Flycatcher Tour - Wednesday 6 July

In view of the miserable weather forecast for the next 4 or 5 days, I decided to follow up some Sp Fly leads today (Wed) while there was still some sunny weather around and therefore to do a full day tour.....alone, as my son had returned to London. I left home just after 10.00am and returned about 6.00pm.

There were several stakeout leads to follow up plus a Churchyard visit to fit in. I was optimistic about the stakeouts now after recent experience....they are all fresh leads and as Sp Flys are nesting at this time, they should still be around the reported site.

1. Tealby Churchyard : visited 'on spec' as I was passing, but nothing to report (NTR) despite its seeming to be an ideal habitat.

2. Swinhope near Binbrook. (2 stakeouts) - further to Phil Espin's post of Tue 5 July.
I arrived soon after midday and parked at the entrance to the Copse and the Lane leading down to the Old Rectory and the Church.
a. Old Rectory and Churchyard
As soon as I arrived at the Old Rectory I saw a Sp Fly performing from the boundary trees over some recently mown grass. It was later joined by a second bird c. 20 yards distant. It wasn't long before I was spotted by the house's two Yorkshire Terriers but they were harmless enough. I visited the tiny and very old Church as it was open but NTR re the Churchyard....the pair of Sp Flys were still at the Old Rectory.
b. Small Copse along the approach Lane
On my way back to the car along the Lane. I soon noticed a Sp Fly flycatching across the Lane and returning to a dead sapling at the edge of the Copse near a small clearing. I had seen nothing there earlier on my way from the car. I left the area at c. 1.30pm.
Thanks (again!) Phil for 2 successful leads.

3. Beesby Wood (TF 2696) near Wold Newton. (2 stakeouts) - further to Andrew Henderson's post of Mon 27 June. I had left the A18 and had gone along one narrow approach road only to be met by an even narrower approach road/track.....so, sorry, Andrew, I just gave up and went back.......the memsahib takes a pride in our (new) car and I didn't want to risk any 'trouble'.

Two Stakeouts - further to Danny Walsh's post of Tue 5 July
a. Farforth Churchyard near Burwell off the A16.
I arrived soon after 2.00pm and scoured the Churchyard stakeout thoroughly but NTR. I moved around but soon discovered (= was told) that the nearby farmyard was 'private property' - anyway, nothing there. However, beyond the lone house next to the Churchyard, there is a large paddock and a Sp Fly was performing well there. So, clearly it, or its mate, must visit the Churchyard occasionally.
b. Oxcombe
Although I had no specific stakeout to go on from Danny's post, as I was only a mile or so from Oxcombe I thought it worth visiting....via an extremely narrow road again. I arrived there soon after 3.00pm as the heavens opened.....for some 20 minutes. Oxcombe is even smaller than the proverbial 'postage stamp' sized village, about 4 or 5 houses and where the metalled road runs out and a hiking track develops. Just above the road/track junction are some telegraph wires and what should appear there in due course after the rain but a Sp Fly. It then flew down to a 5 bar-gate/barbed wire fence along the track for its frequent flycatching forays. With a full beak, it flew up onto a branch of a nearby Beech Tree where a real Spotted Flycatcher (ie. a young bird with spots on its chest .....the adult just having a few streaks ) was waiting to be fed.
Thanks, Danny, for those 2 super leads.

As it was now getting on for 4 o'clock and I'd had nothing to eat or drink since breakfast, I thought I'd find an open and welcoming 'hostelry' .....that's a joke, at that time in the afternoon The first three were all closed including "The Bluebell Inn" at Belchford ( probably just as well with a village name like that). Another on the Horncastle road, tightly shut and bolted, declared that the joint owners wouldn't be back 'until November' (I don't mind waiting a few minutes to opening time but certainly not until November). No wonder the trade is in trouble.

Anyway, entering Horncastle I had the bright idea of making a bee-line for our AGM locale, "The Admiral Rodney Hotel". No problem at all and I was soon tucking into Deep Fried Scampi, Side Salad, Chips, etc : civilisation reached at last. Incidentally, I was informed that the notice on the pub re 'closed until November' was quite correct : that's when the joint owners will be released from Her Majesty's Pleasure......more evidence of the ups and downs of the trade.

I had driven from BBH via Market Rasen and Tealby and returned via Louth, Horncastle and Woodhall Spa.....another interesting (and successful) tour of the Lincolnshire Wolds.

Freddy

Revisit to Tealby Churchyard (near Market Rasen) - Sat 9 July.

Yesterday I received info that a Sp Fly was indeed around the area of Tealby Churchyard despite my having drawn a blank there on Wed 6 July.

I arrived back at the Churchyard just before midday today (Sat) and although I spent nearly an hour there wandering about, I drew another blank........no wonder,, for as I was preparing to leave, a 'signature movement' across the road caught my eye : a Sp Fly was performing from a garden boundary fence opposite the Churchyard. Success, but NOT in the Churchyard itself ( yet again ).

I called in (again) at the entrance area to Linwood Warren (near Market Rasen) but despite Sp Flys having been reported there recently, there was nothing to report today.

Freddy