After a week at work, the latest session of my Smestow Valley and Beyond Foot It challenge saw me heading out from home before 7.15am with everything still covered in yesterday's snow.
The Staffs & Worcs Canal was free of ice, with single Dabchick both above and below Compton. A male Kestrel was perched near to Wightwick Mill Lock, but a pattering of feet on the canal below the lock revealed a redhead Goosander heading towards the southwest - species number 66 for the month. A pair of adult Mute Swan and a total of 31 Mallard were on the canal at Wightwick, whilst a Sparrowhawk flew across Wightwick Fields.
At Pool Hall, probably the same redhead Goosander was sat with four male and a female Shoveler, 25 Coot and three immature Mute Swan on the only patch of open water. An immature Common Gull (species 67) briefly joined its Black-headed cousins, a Great Spotted Woodpecker called from neaby trees and a flock of nine Skylark flew over.
Further along the canal near Ebstree Lock, some 20 Goldfinch fed in an Alder tree and two GS Woodpecker chased each other through the trees.
Back at Wightwick Fields, at least 20 Fieldfare, nine Yellowhammer and a Kestrel were present and a flock of some 40 Lapwing flew distantly towards the southwest (species 68). A Green Woodpecker (species 69) spent several minutes in a tree by Pool Hall track before flying towards Lower Penn; shortly afterwards, presumably a second bird flew over the fields.
Whilst walking back home along the canal towpath, a flock of three adult and two immature Cormorant (species 70) came from the east before turning above Wightwick Mill Lock and departing northwards. Another pair of GS Woodpecker were in trees at the Dell. Finally, another Dabchick was on the canal by Newbridge Wood.
My original target was 70 species, which I have now reached, but I later revised it to 79 of which I have seen 89%.
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