Radford Meadows

So close to 250 I was in a very twitchy mood and as such I decided to go for the Green Winged Teal at Radford Meadows just outside Stafford. Sadly, in the 3 hours I waited, I failed to see the bird and it has not been seen since my visit, so I guess the 250th will have to wait.

There were a few nice birds around; there were at least 5 Little Ringed Plovers on the distant scrape, as well as 2 Dunlin. On the near scrape there were a pair of Shelduck and there was a Common Buzzard roosted in a tree. Behind me and over the canal there were a few spring migrants singing, though the only one I saw was a Whitethroat, which was a yeartick for me. As the afternoon wore on there also dropped in a couple Yellow Wagtails. One dropped very close to the viewing area but only briefly and then flew off onto the far scrape. It was then joined by another and a few Pieds.

-Yellow Wagtail

As the afternoon wore on the weather got poorer and poorer until it was full on pelting it down. It was at that point that I decided I'd had enough and left for the train. I was a little early for the train so went for a walk round the park nearby, as I had seen they had something of a little aviary.

The aviary was mainly gamebirds but there was a superb male Lady Amherst Pheasant, of all things. If only the Lidlington bird had shown like this...

-Lady Amherst's Pheasant

Species List:
Radford Meadows: Mallard, Gadwall, Shelduck, Canada Goose, Graylag Goose, Mute Swan, Grey Heron, Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Moorhen, Coot, Pied Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Whitethroat, Reed Bunting, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Dunlin, Little Ringed Plover,