Birding and Guitars

3/01/14

Finding myself in Edgbaston  to pick up my new guitar, it would have been rude not to drive the couple of miles up the road to admire the Great-Northern Diver that had (Somewhat ridiculously) taken up temporary residence on the Swan Pool in Sandwell valley!

So, with my Les Paul Studio sitting on the back seat, it was a short drive through the back streets of Edgbaston and Smethwick to our destination. A quick walk out to the lake edge and the GREAT-NORTHERN DIVER was showing on the far side of the pool.

Having seen around 40 the previous day, i chose not to walk around to the other side to get a closer look, and after a short time, decided to cross the road to Forge Mill Lake. Sadly, the amazingly close views of the previous day, and with them seeming almost 'common' i was left somewhat with a glazed look in my eyes. Around 20 Goosander were feeding there, as were very good numbers of Pochard. Moving around the the partially rebuilt RSPB center, i looked over the feeders, and soon found my main target. WILLOW TIT.

Sadly, this is a species that has all but disappeared from my home county, and it is hard to believe that i once had both Willow Tit and Tree Sparrow visiting my garden! Within a few seconds through, the bird had flicked onto the feeder, collected its seed and flew off to eat/stash it away somewhere, and i didn't see it again.

Somewhere nearby, i found myself watching a party of RING-NECKED PARAKEETS, as they flew around calling, and eventually settling on tree's in someones back garden, where i was able to scope them through a hedgeline, 2 metal fences and across a school playing field! Thankfully, being the school holidays, there were no issues with doing so!

4/01/14

Having such a great start to the year was made even better when Neil Duggan offered me a day out, collecting a local rarity and then heading down to Slimbridge for their spectacular wintering flocks!

The TWO-BARRED CROSSBILLS were being as elusive as ever, but were tracked down in a stand of pines as they called incessantly for a while before flying out and disappearing altogether! As i had hoped,the Two-Bars became my 100th species for the year. A good number of Common Crossbill were also showing, some landing in trees adjacent to the path!

With short winter days, time was limited, so we then started towards Slimbridge, but a spur of the moment trip had us dropping into Lineholt, were other than a distant flock of 10c Redpoll sp (Associating with Goldfinch on the Golf course) nothing was seen. Interestingly, one or two looked fairly pale, but with the light and distance they were hard to ID with certainty.

Our arrival at the car-park at Slimbridge was greeted by masses of circling Lapwing and Golden Plover over the tack piece, and it was here where we first headed. Bewick's Swan were dotted along the flooded fields, surrounded by thousands of Lapwing, Golden Plover, and hundreds of Black-Tailed Godwit!

It was clear though, that the most activity was from the Holden tower, as following a very high tide, a large layer of silt created ideal feeding opportunities for thousands of birds. And i mean THOUSANDS! Around 3000 each of Lapwing and Golden Plover, nearing 2000 Dunlin (The most i have ever personally seen here in winter) and similar numbers of both Wigeon and Teal, it was immense!

This is surely the meaning of birding in a British wintertime!

Despite these massive numbers of birds, numbers of White-Fronted Goose and Bewick Swan were seemingly well down, with only 170 White fronts and only 30 Bewicks! The reasons for this are clear though just by walking outside and looking at the sky. A very mild winter (and hence the almost no-stop rain) means our northern and eastern visitors have no need to venture so far west to find sufficient food, so they are currently feeding somewhere in Germany or the like. Certainly not in the UK!

While scanning Teal and the very far edge of the Dumbles however i was surprised to find a female GOOSANDER sitting in with them just off an area of floodwater, well back from the estuary edge! Certainly not a bird i exactly associate with flood water!The resident BRENT GOOSE was showing fairly well on the Dumbles edge.

The Zeiss hide was very quiet in comparison. But 4 Avocet made up for the lack of birds as they roosted on the somewhat flooded flash. A Cetti's warbler was showing stunningly well on the edge of the reeds, which was a real privilege!

With the light fading, and after a quick check of the 'south finger' we decided to look for Egrets at Court lake at Frampton. A Kingfisher, 6 Little Grebe, 10 Pochard and very good numbers of Tufted Duck were noted, but we failed to see any Egrets.

MB

Bi-county Twitching

15/02/12

AS readers may know, i like seeing 'rare' birds, so, although primarily being a patch birder, i do like to visit odd locations for out of range birds.
And there happened to be one quite close by, a Firecrest had been found near Penn in south Staffs, so with a day free, we decided for a look!
The 2 'crest' species being particular favorites of mine, so i was enthusisatic, as i had heard both were showing side by side in the small woodland.

And here we were.


After about an hour looking, we finally clocked onto a stunning FIRECREST darting about between Holly, and adjacent Tree's, we were treated to great views of this stunning crest at about 30ft range.
I must say, it was great to catch up with this species again!
After about 20 Minuites watching the bird, we left for another site, Sandwell Valley RSPB

As i didnt get any photos, here is a drawing of the FIRECREST (Life sized)



So onwards and upwards, Sandwell Valley RSPB had been holding a redhead Smew for the last few days so we decided to head off there.
On arrival at the lakeside hide, we were treated to views of a stunning drake PINTAIL feeding within the reeds, a great bird to see anywhere, never mind at an urban reserve!





However, the lack of Smew got me edgy, i was informed it flew out 5 minuites before, so decided to stick around, and forfit the visit to Stubbers Green after.
I was kept entertained by a female GOLDENEYE and a decent flock of Goosander. I picked out a adult Common Gull in the gull flock.



However, a good time later, i finally heard the sound was hoping for as someone spotted the SMEW!












Although there was debate as to the age/sex of this bird, i am quite confident that this bird is an adult female despite the small amout of white feathers on the brown 'hood'. The lores were black, and the belly was white (would be grey in 1st win drk).

As the hide closed soon after the bird returned, we headed to the feeders, where i soon got onto a WILLOW TIT. i even manadged a crap photo!





We then headed into a nearby wood, where we saw a single female RING-NECKED PARAKEET

With 5 year ticks, i can say that it was a good day!
MB

Sandwell valley RSPB

7/10/11
A couple of hours spent slowly wandering the paths around forge mill lake, It was quite quiet, but as i havent been to the valley for almost 4 years! i felt like a visit was in order.
In fact i owe alot to Sandwell valley, i picked up almost all the ducks i have seen for the 1st time, i still remember the day when a scopeview (not my scope may i add) had 3 lifers, Shoveler, Teal and Goosander! Yes, that bad!
However, for all the 'Common' lifers i saw, i was extremly happy on my first visit one august day many moons ago, to see a Black-tailed Godwit feeding in the marsh with 5 Green sandpipers, I thought it was a mega!, But saying that, i ticked Godwit and sandpipers before i had a Lapwing!
How far i have come!
But anyways:
Like i said, birdwise it was quiet, so i took a few video's of a few commons around the lake, including some bird i ticked here years ago:

A Shoveler, still a gorgeous duck:

And a Lapwing: however quite common, i still end up watching them, particuarly when their flying around on a freezing winters day 'wheezing' with there huge flappy wings!;

We walked around to the remains of the old visitor centre, such a shame to see it in the state it was, maybe the price to pay for having an urban reserve which is so open to the public?

However, he is the view looking from where the visitor centre once stood:

Highlight of the visit was hearing a WILLOW TIT, however, a repeat visit is needed to get this on the year list!

7 female/Juv GOOSANDER were on the river, A pair of Gadwall were on the lake, as was c10 Shoveler and the same amount of Teal, as we were leaving we noted the flock of Goosander roosting on the lake.

MB