Monday saw me continue with my Foot It challenge to record as many species as possible during January without using any means of transport whatsoever.
Starting at West Park, 15 Tufted Duck constituted a new species for the month (number 71). Other counts included an impressive 16 Shoveler, 12 Greylag and 355 Canada Geese, 126 Mallard, 45 Coot, 16 Moorhen, 255 Moorhen and single Chinese Goose and Muscovy Duck.
Back in Smestow Valley, there were 37 Mallard, 13 Moorhen, two Coot and two Dabchick along the Staffs & Worcs Canal between Hordern Road and Autherley Junction.
A Black Swan at Autherley Lock was an unexpected addition to the exotica list for the day, whilst presumably the same Chiffchaff seen a few days ago fed along the edge of the Shropshire Union Canal through Pendeford. Also present were a drake Teal, 73 Mallard, four Moorhen and two Dabchick.
Fields north of Pendeford were unsurprisingly unproductive given the amount of snow, though a female Gadwall on the canal near Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve and an overflying adult Cormorant provided some interest.
A stubble field off Jubilee Walks between i54 and the M54 was relatively full of birds. Foraging by hundreds of corvids and Starlings had cleared much of the snow, enabling a flock of some 210 smaller passerines to feed: Chaffinch dominated, with 50-60 Yellowhammer, c20 Reed Bunting, half a dozen or so Tree Sparrow (species no.72) and one or two Skylark. Also present were three Lapwing, a Raven flew over and a Sparowhawk scattered everything!
The return walk yielded a female Yellowhammer and a flock of some 45 Greenfinch by Oxley Marine and a Skylark flying southwards over Aldersley Junction.
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