A birthday bird to enjoy

Yes, today's its my birthday and after much thought on how to treat myself I eventually ended up at Doxey Marshes after being too indecisive!  Star species was my first holly blue of the year near the memorial, just a few feet away from where I saw my first speckled wood a couple of days ago.  Following the recent rain the scrape is now too full for waders, although the pair of little-ringed plover and lapwings were still present.  The grasshopper warbler was also still reeling around the Oxbow Pool.

I moved on to Thorswood nature reserve in the hope of finding early purple orchids, a species I shamefully haven't yet seen.  Despite a good search around the area I was out of luck, although the first mountain pansies of the year are flowering along with a curiously placed wood anemone in the middle of the field on the side of a spoil heap.

My long meander home took me via the Ceiley Brook LNR in Cheadle, home to one of Staffordshire's few remaining water vole colonies.  Without any effort, the first 'ratty' was waiting for me next to the car park.  There was plenty of signs of activity along the brook so hopefully the population remains healthy.

My last stop was Blithfield Reservoir, initially for an ice cream.  As I checked across the reservoir a group of terns held a black tern, probably my favourite tern species and one that has been lacking in the last few years.  Although distant the bird was great to see, and definitely a birthday bird to enjoy!