Highlights- Kestrels and Whinchat

8/07/12

Patch

Butterflies had emerged, so i went up and checked Moorhall meadow, and luckilly enough, i quickly spotted my target, the Marbled Whites had emerged. I got a total count of 11, which after the horrible spring/summer isnt a bad count! A single Common Blue, 5 Small Tortoiseshell and loads of Ringlet were the only other notables.

11/07/12

Sheepwash Urban park.

A very quiet visit birdise, with 5 Common Tern the only birds of note. Insect wise however, there was tons. 3 Male Black-Tailed Skimmer were around the site, as were 2 Brown Hawkers. 3 Red-eyed Damselflies were on the same pool as last time, and Azure, Common blue and Blue tailed were in abundance.

14/07/12

Patch again.

A much more birdy patch visit. Soon upon reaching the river, i located 2 Kestrels, one of which was showing very well from the footpath, where i was able to get some decent photos as it perched on a hawthorn hedge.

A great experiance to have a Bird of prey so close, one which in my birding is quite rare, as there usually on the opposite side of the field or in the air.

I also soon relocated the male MANDARIN DUCK, now in full eclipse plumage, with red bill indicating its true sex despite its female like plumage. And soon after that, i once again relocated the female Mandarin, which again, only had one chick in tow, but the remaining chcik was now almost fully grown, with only its flight feathers to develop.

 

20/07/12

Shenstone

A quick stop into Shenstone to try and find the Whinchat which had been found was rewarded with decent views of this moulting male bird as it fed in a flowery field, In habitat that you should see a migrant Whinchat in. So therefore there is no suprise that this field produced two birds in a space of a few days.

For me, Male Whinchat is one of the better looking british birds, that striking white supercillium and peach tinge to the upper breast just look so stunning.

The bird perched preening for much of the time we were there, atop one of the many ragwort plants in this field.

We decided to stop on the roadside and view as we didnt have much time, and didnt want to desturb the bird, however, we were still treated to very reasonable scope views.

It was also nice to see 6 YELLOWHAMMER, including a couple singing birds, which was a nice change, as we never get them on any of my local patches!

Weirdly, a G S woodpecker flushed from a tree as we walked back, in an area with very few trees in it.

MB

More Pied Flycatcher's

23/05/12

Me and the 'Gornal birder once agian decided to check out our 'secret' South Staffs site in the vain hope of finding LesserPeckers, however, in 4 hours within the wood, we failed to even come close to finding one, despite checking all the 'regular' area's.
However, we quickly located a Great-Spotted Woodpecker nest, and one of the young was showing well at the nest enterance, constantly calling to its parents.
The advantages of having a scope truily reveal themselves when watching a nest, as it allows you to get good views and photos from a sensible distance away!






















A check at the Owly roosts gave us a single Little Owl, however, the Tawney Owl was off its perch, so therefore (as expected) in a nest somewhere.

However, we were suprised when i heard a familiar song from one of the area's we dont usually 'work', and soon after, i had found the source of the singing.
A stunning male PIED FLYCATCHER!
I have never seen one (nor heard of one) at this location before, so it was a great suprise, in what is, and area i do with semi-regularity!

The bird was initially singing from the canopy, but soon dropped down into head height bushes, giving great views, it even stayed still long enough for me to get some Footage and photos.

























As said, the bird spent alot of its time in the canopy, where it would sit motionless, untill suddenly taking flight in a short loop to catch a fly in standard Flycatcher behaviour



At the points it was high in the tree it was quite awkward to view from the track, and sometimes the bird became elusive as it moved between the leaves which are now emerging thickly in trees, but occasionally it would appear on a perch in view, and we were able to see this stunnning pied summer visitor.



While on our journey through the wood, we also found many Nuthatch nest, a few of which had chicks calling inside.
MB

Last few weeks of the year!

19/02/11
Sheepwash
A single Drake Goosander was on the Main pool with 30+ Pochard and 11 Teal, 30+ lesser Redpoll were in the birches around the lake and an unknown amount of Siskin were heard!

Sheepwash 23/12
A female SHOVELER was on the marshy pools adjacent to the river before switching to the main lake, we failed to get any photo's or videos of this personal site first.
A flock of 9 Goosander was also on the main pool, with 20 Pochard and 11 Teal, 20 Redpoll were still in the Birches around the Pool



Blackstone (Patch) 27/12
my dads car had broken down, so we had to walk to his home from my nans in Bewdley, we decided to walk there via the patch, At Blackstone, a Drake and duck MANDARIN DUCK was on the river, which was very high and fast flowing, the first time ive seen a drake in a long time, and i didnt have my scope with me :(
Also showing well at blackstone was 2 Jay, which i would've had some amazing footage of, if i had taken my scope, but i didnt fancy it on a 10 mile round jorney!
40c Redpoll were at various locations between Blackstone and Lickhill!

Chelmarsh Res 28/12
Checked the Gull roost, Only 2 Yellow legged gulls came in, as well as a few GBBG and Herring Gull, the other 4000 Gulls consisted of LBBG and BHG, 19 Goosander were on the main lake as was a Wigeon, on the Marsh were 3 Teal.
Somehow we missed the Red-throated Diver!

Upton Warren 29/12
West hide at the Moors, spent most of the time watching the feeders.
10c Reed Bunting
1 Bullfinch
1 GS woodpecker
17 Curlew in A38 Field
1 Pochard and 50 Teal on the Pool