Wednesday 16th January 2013.

Walk from Dimmingsdale bridge to Newbridge following the Staff & Worcs Canal and the Smestow brook.

Calm, very cold, hard overnight frost, misty, dull, clearing to high cloud, 10.30 to 13.15.

Frost covering everything, grass, hedges and trees, pictureque, a taste of winter proper.  Possibility of winter waders and visiting ducks, possibly a rail, along the brook, but perhaps more days of intense cold needed for these species to appear.  A Great Spotted Woodepecker flew over an ice-free canal just north of Dimmingsdale bridge, but Pool Hall lakes were frozen solid, with the exception of a small area near the dam, kept clear by the movements of 26 Coot, by now territorially aggressive and forced into close proximity on the only open section.  Swimming, bathing and preening were c.90 Black-headed Gull, with four male and two female Wigeon standing nearby on the ice asleep.  The chatter of c.30 passage Monarchs Way ramblers broke the silence and the ducks departed towards the north east.  The walkers continued towards Trescott, and I followed them for s short distance to the edge of frozen fields stretching towards the Bridgnorth Road.  Suddenly birds were everywhere, foraging on the stubble and on root-crop areas now grazed by sheep, a flock of 100-plus winter thrushes, mainly Redwing with Fieldfare, in addition to Starling (150-plus), Skylark (30-plus), Crow (20-plus) Jackdaw (30-plus), and small numbers of Pied Wagtail, Yellowhammer, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch and a single Lapwing.  From the canal towpath north of Mopps Farm bridge at least 300 Woodpigeon could be seen feeding near the brook south of Perton Mill farm, and as I approached Castlecroft bridge a Common Buzzard flew low from a tree towards the brook, flushing five Red-legged Partridge foraging among the crop.  A male Kingfisher twice plunged into the canal from the Pool Hall lane side (very probably the bird on winter station along the brook), and a lone Mistle Thrush perched on phone wires over Wightwick fields.  A trek through frozen grass alongside the Smestow provided only a Grey Heron flapping off towards Windmill Lane, with two Common Buzzard flying low, one to perch on a phone pole and the other landing close by in trees in a Sabrina Road garden.  As I left the grass fields to cross Windmill Lane, 18 Goldfinch fed at the top of a tree opposite Wightwick canal wharf, and walkers fed a family of Mute Swan (two adults and three immatures from Pool Hall) by the canal bridge.  Two Moorhen grazed on a bungalow lawn  just north of the bridge, and two adult Lesser Black-backed Gull stood with their black-headed relatives on Smestow School playingfields. Checks of the brook between Compton and Newbridge proved fruitless, but three Little Grebe were on the canal (one by Compton allotment, two above Compton lock) and at least 14 Mallard were in a noisy group on the Staffs & Worcs below Tettenhall Road.  Just time to check Newbridge wood, but very mid-dayish now, only a flock of 14-plus Long-tailed Tit, with Blue Tit, Great Tit and a calling Coal Tit.

Worse weather (better for birders?) is forecast.  We shall see . . .