Its been a long time!

It really has been such a long time since my last post, and am just dropping by to say that posting will again commence from now onwards as i am now mostly done towards my coursework, which has been one of my biggest inhibiting factors. Having just returned from a birthday weekend away with 'The Girlfriend' it seems like a good time to fill in the gaps of the last month!

21/02/12

Talking about the Girlfriend, all the way back in February we went for a walk at Arrow Valley Lake as i knew that Goosanders had been seen there recently, and we quickly located 13 of these stunning ducks, including 7 drakes. 15 Tufted Duck were also around the lake, and a Reed Bunting was seen near the visitor center. We were also able to get some great close up views of BHG's, including a few nicely marked 1w birds!

A couple of Tufties were showing very closely nearby!

27/02/13

I again went for a walk to look for LSW in a woodland to no reward, i'm really struggling to catch up with them this year! A stunning male BRAMBLING was still showing, starting too acquire some aspects of summer plumage.

2 Green Woodpecker were showing well on some short cut grass.

 And i was happy to see that both of the resident pair of Tawney Owl were out on top of their stump.

28/02/13

A visit to sheepwash was fairly productive, 37 Goosanders was a very good count, one of my highest of the winter infact, as was 47 Pochard. 8 Shoveler were still present, and the Tuftie flock numbered 20. 30 Linnet were still up on the 'mound' proving as flighty as always. 5 Lesser Redpoll were showing well in the wooded bits.

1/03/13

Roost birding at Bartley revealed a Yellow-legged Gull, but i manadged to miss the Caspian that was being watched from the dam.

2/03/13

A quick twitchy stop into Bittel reveled that the stunning adult drake SMEW was still present, choosing to reside in the furthest corner possible from the viewpoint on the Bittel farm Causeway. The Smew was keeping company with a single female Goldeneye, while a flock of 10 Goosanders were also present.

3/03/13

A patch visit was fairly uneventful bar 2 Snipe which flew over my head at Blackstone.

6/03/13

Another visit for LesserPecker and again drew a blank. I have been spending regular 3-4 hours in this woodland frequently and still am failing to see them. 4 BRAMBLING were still around, as was a Peregrine and the Tawney Owl was perched up on the top of the tree in beautiful sunlight, highlighting those gorgeous rufous tones.

A Nuthatch was showing down to 6ft on some food that had been put out.

13/03/13

Another failure to find LSW. A male and a female BRAMBLING were still near to the feeders. The Tawney was still out, and the Peregrine was still in residence. A small flock of 10 Siskin were flighty.

14/03/13

Sheepwash was doing well at retaining the Shoveler flock, as there was now 9 birds, including 3 birds showing very well adjacent to the path. 13 Goosanders were widely spread across the pool, but the Pochard flock had halved to 20 birds. A Kingfisher did a flypast along the river.

15/03/13

I do love my roosts. Again i visited Bartley as a Med Gull had been roosting regularly  Neil Duggan was also in the area and dropped in also. It was like a big birders meet up as 8 birders were present, the most i have ever seen at the location. Eventually the stunner of an adult MEDITERRANEAN GULL was located while suffering the freezing wind. For me however, the highlight goes to a pair of Peregrine which shown very well off the dam, apparently a very rare bird at Bartley, as they hunted the roosting Gulls. A Curlew flew off as the Peregrines entered.

16/03/13

I have a fondness for Grimely due to its superb looking habitat, and with waders starting on the move it seemed like a logical choice. We first dropped into the Holt flashes, where a flock of 75+ Wigeon were feeding, along with a fair few Lapwing and two Oystercatchers. I picked up two GREEN SANDPIPERS which were either migrants or some of the wintering birds. Moving onto the Camp lane pits we added a drake Pintail and a small flock of 6 Curlew, 2 Redshank were on the flooded middle section as were 2 Oystercatcher.

Following this we dropped into Upton Warren where i quickly got the 14 Avocet. 3 OYC flew north and 1 Curlew was showing. 3 Chiffchaffs were my first 'spring' birds and 2 Water Rail shown. A single 1w Common Gull dropped in among the roosting Gulls.

17/03/13

I struck lucky on patch with 2 Greylag Goose, an insane patch rarity. I have only previously had fly overs but these two birds were 'decked' and were showing on the Lickhill pool.

  (You can see both birds in this photo, even if only a tiny portion of the 2nd birds head)

And now i can get into the more 'juicy' recent birds in my posts following this,

MB

A bit of Woodland watching- A few year ticks!

6/02/13

A walk in a local woodland was fairly rewarding, however my true target species failed to appear, but they are fairly elusive at this site, but with spare time every Wednesday, i've been making regular visits to this woodland.
At one of the most famous locations withing the woodland, i was treated to awesome views of this Robin, as it decided to perch on a tree a mere 5 foot away! At one point, the bird even tried to walk over my boots it was that confiding!

Why is the site famous i hear you say? Well the tree above where i was standing is often frequented by a roosting TAWNEY OWL. This bird often just sits on one of the broken tree trunks in the wood, giving close intimate views of this usually elusive resident.

After a few hours searching likely spots for the resident pair of LesserPeckers drew a blank, i headed towards the feeding area, and i soon picked up a female BRAMBLING perched on the edge of the adjacent hawthorn, quickly followed by a stunning male!

I sat down on the bench adjacent to the feeders, and after some time, i witnessed 4 BRAMBLING (3 males) perched in the tree next to me at the same time.

I was hoping the birds would join the flock of Chaffinch and 2 Reed Bunting, but the birds didn't.

However, one of the male birds perched on a close Hawthorn bush not far away, and i was able to take some digi-binned pictures of it as it perched there.

A stunning Scandinavian finch, and one that i don't see enough of, so it was great to get a small flock at a local site, and being able to get decent views of them!

MB

The BIG Worcs day

With the year drawing to a close, we decided to do some 'mopping up' of the missing species from our lists in a tour around some north Worcester sites.
23/12/12

Starting with an early morning walk around a very flooded patch revealed a surprising drake Goosander present on one of the floods, despite it only being a couple of feet deep! A walk further revealed a nice female Blackcap and 3+ Redpoll (With an extra 2 on our feeders).

After a period of watching our feeders, we got onto the car, stopping off near the floods so i could show my dad the Drake Goosander. However, while just driving along, i saw a smaller bird perched up adjacent to a Starling on their regular tree, and the smaller bird was attacked and flew down onto a hedge next to the car. I shouted WAXWING!

And before the car had stopped i had gotten my bins and jumped out, and i was able to confirm the presence of a superb WAXWING! Just about scraping onto the patch, as the tree it was perched in is on the patch side of the road. We were able to watch the bird for a short period, in which i took a couple of Digi-binned shots. As i was setting my scope up, the bird took flight, and flew to another nearby tree, before flying off into Lickhill Estate, and despite having a drive around the estate, the bird wasn't seen again! A good bit of luck there as the bird was only present for a couple of minutes. A little bit later and we wouldn't have seen it!

Next stop was Hartlebury trading estate, and a drive around didn't reveal the hoped for Waxwing flock, as the rowen had been completely raided. However, a Fieldfare was feeding on the Connaster.

So, we went for the short journey down the road to Shenstone, which turned out to be very productive. As soon as i stepped out of the car, i could hear the song of many Corn Buntings, and quickly scanning around revealed a good flock of 30c perched in a tree. We walked the footpath to the 'usual' hedge, and this is where we spent over an hour stood watching, as we were treated to a marvelous overall total of 64 Corn Buntings! While mixed in with the flcok was 3 Yellowhammer, 30c Linnet, 50c Chaffinch and a single Reed Bunting. Not a bad list of farmland passerines there. The ivy covered tree's along the path help 5+ Goldcrest, including some which gave superb views!

While just walking back to the car, a small falcon flushed for within the ivy covered ground/Bushes next to us, and on getting on it with my bins, we were treated to superb views of a female MERLIN as it hurtled back towards the road, before briefly alighting in a tree, and then flying out of sight.

At this time the Shenstone Birder arrived, and it was while he was walking along the track that i again spotted the MERLIN as it flew very low across the ground in the short cut field behind us. We decided to follow Jason up the path in the hope of refinding the bird, however it drew a blank.

We parted ways, as we headed towards Upton Warren in the hope of a big brown heron.

We had failed to see the bird the previous evening, so it was back with vengeance tonight, and we stuck in the hide for a good 2 1/2 hours. While in the hours of daylight, we were treated to views of Water Rail, and the usual array of feeder species. A male Bullfinch shown very well!

Hope was dwindling by 4pm, however, at 4:05pm, i picked up a brown shape in the reeds, hardly recognizable in the gloom, and on getting my scope onto it, i confirmed that i had the BITTERN! It was somewhat a relief as since they stopped visiting UW regularly, they have became a bogey bird for me, and i haven't managed to connect with one for over two years! We then spent the remaining 15 minutes watching the bird until it was too dark to see. What a way to end the day!

Who says midlands birding is rubbish?

MB

Garden.

22/01/12
Yes, Yes i know, Garden birds again!
But we had this stunning male Lesser Redpoll on our feeders!

Also, we are still getting visits from a smart Female Lesser Redpoll.

However, we have still to note a single Siskin on the Feeders! But there was an increase of them on the patch today, with around 20 seen, also the same number for Redpoll's, and a small flock of 4 Reed Bunting was at the Gadwall lake.

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

Chelmarsh Res.

25/10/11
Like i explained when the Arctic skua was around here, i found this place for the first time and i quickly thought it could become one of 'my' birding haunts, and without knowledge on any good birds we headed over there to have a look, and hopefully see a few 'winter' ducks.
Saying that, i was actually quite saddened that only tufted duck and 4 WIGEON were the only birds that represented this type, i had also hoped that the large greylaf flock would harber a 'wild' goose, but the entire goose flock had gone!
30 odd lapwing were on the dam. there wasnt much doing on the water, so we walked the hedges, untill be struck gold, a particualr strech of bush held lots of birds. 5 YELLOWHAMMER including one gorgeous male was showing



As this is usually a bird i always seem to miss, was quite happy to see them, the birds associated with 10+ Reed Buntings, as well as a multitude of finches, including a flock of 40+ flighty Linnet, 5 Redpoll sp flew over, and 5 Siskin was in the small birch trees near the hide at the north end, it was quite odd to hear skylark singing on such a cold, despite bright and sunny day.
2 Marsh tit were seen along the enterance road to the sailing club as was 2 Treecreeper in a mixed tit flock.
The large flock of roosting gulls that was present just before we left was looking into the sun, so, other than a quick look through, i didnt really 'grill' them.
On the roads coming away i spotted a very large flock of gulls in a roadside field, we pulled over and i had a scan through them.
400 odd Gulls, all every single one was either a LBBG or a BHG, not even a herring!
However, in the same field, was also c30 Pheasant, and 6 RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE.



MB

Patch update...

As regular readers of this blog will know is that a place that is very party of my birding lifestyle is my local patch,it is an area of habitats that include wet woodland,grassland,farmland,woodland,marsh,reedbed,small lakes, a small area of urbanness, and a few generally scrubby area's, that despite being well off the birding radar oftern has its supprises, that over the 8 years i have been birding the place i have clocked 1000+ hours here, Recording 127 Species of bird, the last 2 years being particually noteworthy due to me 'working' the site more,
The patch has gradually increases in size, from a single woodland to a whole strech of the river severn, to include a wider range of habitats, this has lead to my current sized patch to take nearly 5 hours to work thourghly, but i have many 'short walks' where i decided to walk to a certain area, check it out, then walk back.
In the 2nd half of 2010 the patch was very much abandonned, so the usual warbler counts i do never took place. the only day i have for patching is sunday, and when year 11 hit me, it was full of homework and coursework, and most of the time i was generally too tired to get out. but when i finally got back to the patch in mid december, i was immidiatly overtook by patch birding, finding a WHOOPER SWAN on the river, a self found bird, quickly followed by a stunning drake SMEW, which amazingly i also found, the supporting cast here though was amazing, 6+ Goldeneye, 30+ goosander, at least 15 tufted duck (an amazing patch rarity ( only 6 birds previous(2 records), a flock of 5 little grebe, common gull and a pair of Dipper, 4 patch firsts in 2 weeks!!!!, even though i had neglected the patch for almost 6 months!!!!
Unfortunatly, i wont be able to work the patch as much as i used to for many reasons, but have promised to myself that i will get down to the patch every 2 weeks, even if to only visit one location, just to see what is about, Patch birding is THE most furfilling type of birding, finding an odd bird on your patch means more than traverling 400 miles to twitch a gull (no matter how manky it is), finding a decent bird on your doorstep is just so much better, even if it is common 10 miles away, Patch birding always has the edge..
So my most recent patch exploit.
30/01/11
I decided to walk to the Gadwall lake, just to see if the bird for which this lake has this name had returned, but when getting to the lake it was frozen over, so no chance, but i was soon standing there scopeing the Reed bunting, i must say, a bird i overlook elsewhere, but due to being on the patch i decided to stop and watch. the light was stunning, and i got lost in time, and 1 1/2 hours later, i had realised i had watch a bird for that long, well tbh it wasnt one bird, it was 12, and with reed bunting being unusual on the patch (despite in the last 2 years having 30+ flocks and potential breeding birds), it has became a lot more common in the last 2 years, possibly due to the fact of the patch size increase.

Needless to say, i actually have never really spent time just watching a single type of bird (unless it is particuarly special), but i was engrosed in the Buntings behaiour, watching mutual preening, and even at one point a male and a female bird perched on opposite stems, and touched beaks, almosts as if the birds were giving a kiss, i certainly had never seen this before but i found them quite charming birds, they have gone up a few levels in my 'good' birds list!!!

After this long stint watching the buntings i headed home, but it was only when i got too the Moorhall Wood (aka balckcap wood), i quickly found a flock of 20 Lesser redpoll, and on sifting through the birds, One jumped out at me, Larger and frostier, white wing bars and only a brown tinge on the back, MEALY!!!

4th patch record. i dropped the legs on my tripod, and quickly aimed my scope at the birds, and without thinking i ripped back the velcro so i could access the focousing wheel, and the birds all took flight, flying towards the birch wood further along, but despite looking i never found the flock again..
Highlights:

1 MEALY REDPOLL

20 Lesser redpoll

13 REED BUNTING

8 Coal tit

1 Marsh tit

1 Kingfisher

1 Blackcap

3 Siskin

1 Treecreeper

it was also quite nice to see that both Wren and Goldcrest have survived the cold spell in numbers, with decent numbers noted of each...

Happy Patching

MB

LOCAL PATCH (south)

16/05/10
did the southern area of the patch today from lickhill, i was amazed to see that the gadwall had been reoppened to the public and was now a nature reserve(of that sort of type, but not propper nature reserve), as expected the gadwall had left, but it had been repalced by a pair of REED BUNTING, the male showing well at the edge of the reeds, 5 reed warbler were singing in the surrounding reeds with 3 sedges seen( but none heard singing).

i continued my journey and at lincomb lock the common terns were still there but there was also another pair, which were quickly ousted out by the other pair of terns. 2 LBBG still loafting around on the boyds.


and as a general question to anybody around the country, has anybody also noticed the distinct lack of raptors about, expesially buzzard, which on the motorway to earlswood i usually see about 10 in summer but last saturday only one was seen the entire journey, any news from anywhere else??????????
MB