A lovely sunny morning

10th April 16            morning                south section

sunny & warm, 6-12°c,   1007 mb,  SE 8-13 mph

But nothing special bird wise.  Plenty of buzzards soaring everywhere, Kestrel and a singing skylark was good to see. Not many small songsters noted. Pool Hall res only viewed from dam. No little owl ( or tree pipit, white wag ,red kite or peregrine that Gazz had yesterday ).

Great Crested Grebe	2	Pool Hall
Grey Heron	1	Perton Mill Fields
Canada Goose	3	Pool Hall
Mallard	few	Pool Hall
Tufted Duck	c10	Pool Hall
Buzzard	plenty	South Staffs area
Kestrel	1♀ over	Perton Mill Fields
Coot	1+	Pool Hall
Lapwing	1	Bridgenorth Rd fields
Lesser Black Backed Gull	odds over	South Staffs area
Green Woodpecker	Calls	Wightwick Fields
Skylark	1 singing	Pool Hall
Pied Wagtail	2♂	Perton Mill Fields
Wren	song	Wightwick Fields
Dunnock	song	Wightwick Fields
Chiffchaff	song	Wightwick Fields
Jackdaw	few	Perton Mill Fields
Raven	2	Perton Mill Fields
House Sparrow	few	Small Holdings
Chaffinch	song	Wightwick Fields
Greenfinch	song	Wightwick Fields

Recent Sightings and Sunshine Forecast for Sunday's Walk!!

Highlights of recent visits to the Barleyfield:

17/10/13

Skywatch:

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 5 adults South
Woodpigeon - still no significant movements over the mid-section of the reserve - 18 South and 12 West on direct flight paths.
Skylark - 1 South over Barleyfield and one heard over Meccano Bridge area later
Meadow Pipit - 8 South
Redwing - 12 West and 18 moving locally

Other highlights:
Pied Wagtail - 25 on Meccano Bridge Playingfields.
Goldfinch - 10 around Lower Alders

19/10/13 - Overcast, light overnight rain, moderate Southerlies

Skywatch

Canada Goose - 24 SW
Woodpigeon - 33 South
Collared Dove - 1 low SW and 1 South
Pied Wagtail - 14 South/SW
Meadow Pipit - 5 South
Redwing - 73 South/SW
Fieldfare - 58 SW , largest groups of 25 and 21
Mistle Thrush - 7 South
Starling - 55 South/SW
Chaffinch - 1 SE
Linnet - 1 South and 1 SW
Siskin - 1st 2 of the Autumn NE
Greenfinch  - 4 North

Other highlights:
Tawny Owl - calling near the Crossings, just after dawn
Sparrowhawk - Male over Henwood Road area

29/10/13 - Light Westerlies after storms had hit South coast. Clearing

An excellent morning with 2 Brambling (Male and probable female) rising from the Western Border at dawn heading South and another Yellowhammer record with two females seen soon after flying out from the Crossings area to the centre of the field and then onto the Hawthorn in the Central Scrub area. They rested briefly before both leaving to the South calling. This is further evidence that the extended field margins and other un-cut areas appear to be bringing passing birds down, with the valley offering safe roosting opportunities during Autumn movements.

Skywatch:

2 propable Greylag Geese - Heading South down the valley. Only doubt came from the fact that they didn't appear to be showing any distinctive wing-pattern. Weren't vocal, which didn't help.
Fieldfare - 45 SW - largest group of 20
Redwing - 27 South with 30+ local birds along the railway line.
Starling - 9 South
Chaffinch - 5 South

30+ Goldfinch on Compton Park just SW of the tennis courts was the largest flock of the Autumn so far.

"Wild Walk" this Sunday 10th November 2013

Just a reminder that our informal skywatch and tour of the mid-section of the reserve between Compton and Newbridge is still on this Sunday.(See previous post).

We will be meeting at the top of the Barleyfield, by "Geoff's Bench" at 08:00.

The weather forecast is now looking better so it looks like we can cancel the Mac's and Umbrellas!! (Hope I didn't think that too loud!!).

Look forward to seeing everyone there.

Thank you

Patchy Vismigs, 2nd Wader Species attracted to Compton Park Wetlands and Work in the Valley

Unlike last year, when I had more time in September, this years vismigs (visible migration watches), from the Barleyfield, were rather hit and miss. This led to my missing the main hirundine (Swallow and Martin) passage, which occurred in the region on 15/9 19/9 on favourable South-westerlies.

22/9/13 Dead calm and mild, overcast Light SW 6:45 - 8;45am

Canada Goose - 65 SW
Mallard - 7 South
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 4 South
Black-headed Gull - 97 SW
Woodpigeon - only 6 SW
Swallow - 42 South
Tree Pipit - 2 separate individuals South calling
Meadow Pipit - 64+ South
Grey Wagtail - 2 South
Pied Wagtail - 8 South
Starling - 3 SW
Greenfinch - 3 South with 6 local at top of Barleyfield
Goldfinch - 1 East and 20+ local around Compton Park

Other sightings: Adult and Juv Buzzard calling from Tettenhall ridge, 1 Stock Dove on Barleyfield
4 Mistle Thrush on playingfield by Meccano Bridge, Dunnocks becoming more active with 3 calling at the South end of the Barleyfield, Chiffchaffs singing from top of Barleyfield and Western border, 2+ Coal Tit calling from the Western Border Annex.

22/9/13 7:00 till 7:30 Top of Barleyfield

A rare dusk visit paid dividends. 2 Common Sandpipers, headed low over the Barleyfield in a direct line Southwards from over the Lower Alders!! Whether they had actually visited the wetlands or not was unknown, but they were certainly attracted down to it as darkness was approaching.

This is the second wader species at this new site now, after a Little Ringed Plover was found there, again before dusk in the Spring.

23/9/13 1:00 am Junction of Compton Road and Richmond Road

Tawny Owl hooting there.

23/9/13 Vismig top of Barleyfield Misty overcast, drizzle, Light South

Autumnal weather produced the first vocal Song Thrush at Compton Hill Drive.

Canada Goose - 31 SW
Mallard - 4 South
Skylark - 3 very early birds, headed South together, briefly dropping onto the Barleyfield, producing a moment, which represented a flash-back in time to when large flocks were seen on the deck at this site. Excitement was therefore mixed with sadness.
Swallow - 91 South with the largest group holding 45 birds
Meadow Pipit - 24 South
Pied Wagtail - 19 South
Jackdaw - 11 South
Starling - 11 South 1 NE and 40+ feeding on the playing field by Meccano Bridge in the damp conditions.

Other sightings:Great Spotted Woodpecker at top of Barleyfield, 2 Chiffchaff singing from western border and middle scrub. There was also a fall at Eddy's Alders, with c10 Chiffchaff, 2+ Willow Warbler and 3+ Blackcap present there. Commitments prevented a tour of the patch to see other landings, which wasn't half frustrating!!! 5+ Song Thrush were also feeding in Elders there.

25/9/13  vismig abandoned as conditions worsened from dawn,  but a high count of 112 Canada Geese was notable.

26/9/13 vismig again abandoned, as forecast easterlies, turned out to be brisk NE, which just kills passage at this time of year, though the sturdier Woodpigeons will love such conditions, when they start to move in numbers next month. Another Song Thrush, was uttering short bursts of song near Meccano Bridge.

With 40+ Magpies heading between West and North-east at dawn, the total roost, must now be well over 60 birds. A Sparrowhawk was over Tettenhall College and 2 Grey Wagtail headed West off the wetland.

27/9/13 vismig 07:00 - 08:00 Light SE, dry, 70% cloud cover

What seemed to be highly favorable conditions, failed to fully materialise, although anything would have beaten the previous two watches!!

Canada Goose - 35 SW 2 NE
Mallard - 12 South
Swallow - 25 South in 3 groups
Meadow Pipit - 3 South
Pied Wagtail - 25 South
Jackdaw - 5 South ex roost
Starling - 34 SW from off the floodlights at the Academy

Conservation Works

The woodland edge and meadow has now been crafted by Compton Lock, and similar works will take place at the Paddocks, near the ranger station at Newbridge. This will result in an increase in biodiversity (the range of wildlife) and will benefit walkers, as the new method of management will reduce vegetation encroaching onto the footpaths.

The next Smestow Valley Advisory Group Meeting will be held on Tuesday 8/10/13. I have already raised the issue of Contractors sticking to their agreements, with regard to the emptying of dog bins and the carrying out of work to order, in areas of importance to wildlife. The ranger services have been superb, as always in sorting these issues.

Also the Autumn and Winter work program is on the agenda, in an effort to increase the information available to us ahead of any works commencing in the valley.

At a time, when staff and resources are already scarce, new government plans to protect the economic and social value of nature, which involve new ranger and leisure services work at recently designated Local Green Spaces and Local Wildlife Sites, are adding to workloads.

 I feel that it is right, therefore to say that the council are doing a superb job, given the present circumstances and wish to thank them for taking on every issue which I have raised on behalf of local residents and dealing with them effectively.

Please email me at smestowsightings@gmail.com if you have any issues that you would like me to raise at this meeting.

Moving Mountains Nature Network

A new article "Local" is the Word to Halt the Decline of Wildlife in the UK - BUT only with National Coordination , has been posted on the network site. This focuses on the importance of local wildlife clubs, local recorders and local recording offices (LRC's), and the creation of local partnerships that engage local communities and support the tireless work of local council biodiversity officers, wardens and volunteer patch watchers and bloggers across the country.

The item also highlights the need for coordination in terms of the creation of distribution and status data, and also national campaigns, which encourage children to become naturalists, and which provide information points in all green spaces, sign-posting the public towards, their local wildlife clubs, societies and volunteer groups.

The network now has 165 sites registered, so if you support this initiative please add a link to your blogs and spread the word. Member issues have already been taken on and we are, after less than two months, a third of the way towards a target membership, where we can gain national recognition and march on towards the ambitious goal of halting the decline in the UK's wildlife.

Thank you.

News Round Up

Brief Highlights of recent visits to the valley (vis mig info is from top of Barleyfield):

21/8/13 - Calm dry overcast light SW

24 Greenfinch SW
1 Swallow
9 Swift
Collared Dove South
2 Stock Dove Barleyfield
5 Adult and 2 Juv Pied Wagtail Meccano Bridge Playingfields
Nuthatch Graisley Culvert
Willow Warbler singing SW corner Barleyfield
Blackcap fledged at top of Barleyfield, as had Common Whitethroats but apparently left nest site area immediately
31 Jackdaw S. Peters Playingfields

22/8/13 Dry calm morning, light Southerlies

57 Canada Geese SW
14 Greenfinch SW with 6 local birds at top of Barleyfield
FEMALE/JUVENILE REDSTART, seen briefly as it moved up the Western Border of the Barleyfield. It then flew off South over Compton Hill Drive
5+ young Bullfinch Graisley Culvert area
6 Swallow feeding high over the Barleyfield for over half hour in the warm calm conditions
2+ Coal Tit at Prefab Weir
Common Whitethroat calling Graisley Culvert

Painted Lady sunbathing near Compton Lock

29/8/13 Cool calm, dry clear Light SW increasing

89 Canada Geese SW
23 Greenfinch SW
2 Swallow South
3 Swift South plus 1 South over The Paddocks later
2 Starling SW
Adult and Juvenile Nuthatch Western Border of Barleyfield (dispersal birds, since Nuthatch have been scarce/absent in mid-section this Spring and Summer)
3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers around South end of Barleyfield
Female Sparrowhawk over top Barleyfield
3+ Blackcap at The Barleyfield Crossings and 2+ at Hanging Gardens
Common Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Juvenile Chiffchaff at Graisley Culvert area
3 Chiffchaff singing at The Crossings
1+ Chiffchaff singing 2+ juvenile Blackcap, Juvenile Willow Warbler and Juvenile Common Whitethroat in main Paddock
Chiffchaff singing at Tennis Club
Painted Lady in Canopy near Station
Small Copper near The Crossings

1+ Coal Tit at Compton Lock
Kingfisher off the Brook and over Compton Lock with 2+ Goldcrest nearby.
11 Pied Wagtail, mainly juveniles at Artificial Pitch and track at The Academy

31/8/13 Dry, clear cool Light Westerlies

18 Greenfinch South with 6+ local
1 Swallow South
2 Starling SW
Green Woodpecker
Male Sparrowhawk East over top of Barleyfield
Presumed family group of 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers together just SW of Barleyfield, where feeding trips were recorded earlier in the year, with another female calling at the same time at the top of The Barleyfield
3 Grey Wagtail, at least one of which was a juvenile, dropped into Graisley Culvert then SW.
5+ young Bullfinch and 3+ Juvenile Goldfinch at Graisley Culvert with a Coal Tit calling there and a Collared Dove over East
Devil's Coach Beetle under log on Railway walk by Crossings
2 Chiffchaff singing, 2+ young Blackcap, Common Whitethroat and 2 Jays at Hanging Gardens

1/9/13 Calm, dry, light cloud cover, light SW increasing

28 Lesser Black-backed Gull SW
Grey Wagtail NE just after dawn
Green Woodpecker Western Border
243 Woodpigeon SW, numbers increasing presumably as more fields are harvested in South Staffs. Birds consistently fly West to meet the valley then turn SW down the valley and can be seen doing this as far as the bins allow to the North.
Sub-adult Herring Gull SW
19 Greenfinch South with 6+ local birds
Pipit Species SW
Male and Female Sparrowhawk briefly in the air together over the Western border
Nuthatch calling from Eastern Border
13 Goldfinch, over half of which were juveniles at last!!
10 adult and 14 Juvenile Moorhen on canal
1+ Coal Tit calling at Meccano Bridge and 1+ at The Academy
Wasp nests just South of Meccano Bridge on canal towpath and another opposite Tennis Club
Warblers in Paddock as per Ian Phillips update and Nuthatch calling there
Meadow Pipit lifted off Barleyfield then South West
Coal Tit calling SW corner of Barleyfield
11 House Martin South
16 Pied Wagtail and 14 Starling on Meccano Bridge Playingfields
2 Stock Dove at Compton Park Wetland

Welcome back to Gareth Clements who provided this update:

"5th sept at dunstall park , 6 teal, 8 snipe, skylark, 1 prob white wag, 1 yellow wag , 1 grey wag, 35 pied wag, 3 shoveler, 1 on lake plus 14 sw cormorant, kestrel, 51  lbb gull, 200 bh gull, 1 green sand, otherwise quiet
Gareth and angus"

The Valley Produces Again - Quality and Quantity!!

Wednesday 3rd April 2013

Dry, freezing cold still. Heavy overnight frost but overcast for an hour after dawn. Light NE, increasing to moderate/strong.

Mid Section of reserve: Compton to Newbridge including Barleyfield and Compton Park

Every so often nature has a habit of producing something to take your breath away. Today was perfection in terms of the number, variety and quality of the birds. Truly one to remember and arguably the best morning I have had in the Valley.

38 Magpie around the Winter roost area at Compton Park, was significant for this late date.

I arrived at the top of the Barleyfield to start my sky watch with a Song thrush singing it’s heart out, behind geoff’s bench, to keep me company.

The fact that the light wind was blowing perfectly down the valley made me quietly optimistic. Smestow Valley runs from the brook’s source at fallings Park, South-west to Wightwick, meaning that birds are channelled along it on migration. This is emphasised by the fact that Wolverhampton lies at the West end of the West Midlands Conurbation. Birds don’t like flying over built up areas so in a similar way to Lutley Wedge, birds fly around the edge of the conurbation, and hence numbers passing through tend to swell. However the belief that birds simply fly North and South each year on migration is too simplistic. Birds also utilise the winds and so will fly across rather than along the valley, when the winds run in such directions.

Another odd fact is that a lot of birds prefer to fly into the wind, rather than with it. This is due to the design of the wing, and appears to be especially important to smaller species. (numbers of Wood Pigeon heading South last Autumn peaked when they actually had North winds pushing behind them. Nature has very few set rules.)

Anyway enough of the Science and Geography……the next two hours (06:30-08:30) produced a superb range of birds, including what I believe to be a first for the Barleyfield:

Canada goose- 5SW

Black-headed gull – 23 SW

Lesser Black-backed Gull – 2SW

Stock Dove – 1 North

Wood Pigeon – 62 East to North

Skylark – 3 North

Meadow Pipit – 66 NE to North

Grey Wagtail – presumably a local bird heading North along the line of the canal.

WAXWING – 5 birds flew low NE over the Barleyfield at 07:00aring over Compton Park, heading straight at St Judes Church, showing beautifully in the emerging sunlight.

Redwing – 14 North, 2 NE and 2 East

Mistle Thrush – 2 NW, 2 East and 1 West

Fieldfare – 10 NE, 4 North and 1 SW

Rook – a single flew East over.

Brambling – a single NE over at 07:30

Greenfinch – 10 East

Siskin – 1 South

I then had a text from Geoff to say that he had found a Chiffchaff in the station Paddock. As if by magic a Chiffchaff started singing in the South-west corner of the Barleyfield. At last they have arrived!!! I rang Geoff and shared the news. In traditional fashion though the bird was slowly making it’s way North along the railway line, but it was replaced by another bird that started singing in the Barleyfield Annex. This was confirmed when both birds were heard singing at the same time, the first having reached Graisley Culvert by this time. This again shows the importance of Wolverhampton’s linear Nature Reserve. Birds not only fly over the valley in significant numbers, they also move along it, feeding and replacing valuable energy along the way.

Having had such a good start to the day, I decided to cover the patch and see how many species I could Knock up. In addition to the sky watch, I had already added Grey Heron, 2 Green Woodpecker, 4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers (3 chasing each other on the eastern Border whilst a female sat watching the affair from the top of the barleyfield), Long-tailed Tit, Jay and 4+ Bullfinch to the day’s list.

At Compton Lock, the Goldcrest was picked up, with 2 Long-tailed Tits. A Coal Tit was calling as it moved along the tree tops at Prefab Weir.

The area just North of Meccano Bridge has been productive lately (where Ian had the first Chiffchaff of the year). A Little Grebe was present on the canal and a Treecreeper was making it’s way up one of the Alders. 2 long-tailed Tits were calling and 7 Siskin were calling and passing between the trees on both sides of the canal by the south end of the Paddocks.

At Newbridge, House Sparrow was added to the day’s list. I was conscious of time so I forfeited the search for the chiffchaff that Geoff had found at the old station, so I retraced my steps along the canal.

Everything was performing for me today, and the moment I got to the border between the Tennis Club and The Academy, the resident Nuthatch started singing. I had commented to Geoff that I could do with Cormorant and Goosander today, and I nearly fell in the canal when an adult and immature Cormorant passed West overhead. Everything was on cue!!

I started to try and guess how many species I had seen and became aware that I hadn’t had a bird of prey. So it was over to Compton Park at the North end of the Barleyfield to play the waiting game.

Mother Nature was really playing with me today. No sooner had I got myself positioned with a good view of the sky by Eddy’s Alders, when a pair of Linnet flew out of the hawthorn, only my second sighting of the year.....amazing. I spent 10 minutes watching and waiting, during which time, 3 more single Meadow Pipits, fighting against the now strong wind, headed North, being forced to fly just metres above the ground.

This prompted me to reflect on Kevin Clements’s posting at the weekend. I have this theory that might explain why the autumn migration appears to involve masses of birds, compared to much smaller numbers on the spring return….hormones!!!

In Autumn, most species tend to join feeding flocks, which I suppose has the added advantage of protecting the youngsters through safety in numbers. So when the birds do take to the air, their numbers are impressive. In Spring however, if you use say Little Grebe as a good example (for hormones, rather than migration), we see through both the plumage and leaving dates, that birds get the urge to move at different times. Only in the past few weeks, we have had full Winter-plumaged birds that have no intention of thinking of breeding along-side splendid full Summer-plumaged birds that were ready to jump on anything!!!! Black-headed gulls also demonstrate this variation, showing the various stages that their dark hoods are in.

Spring birds aren’t held back or needing to protect young either in Spring, so they are quite literally free as a bird to fly off to breeding grounds as soon as they get the urge. In Autumn it seems that by 9am it’s virtually a waste of time looking to the skies for moving birds, as most have shifted in the first hour and a half after dawn.

In Spring However I have seen Meadow Pipits, Wood Pigeons and Winter thrushes on the move at any time of day, although granted it still peaks about an hour after dawn.

I don’t really have time to read books on bird behaviour and migration much as a single working parent with my own business to run so please understand, these are only my thoughts. I am sure someone out there has the answers, so if you have, then please, please share. The best way to learn is through sharing and making mistakes!!!

Food for thought??…………more to the point!! How great is our Valley?? Within a mile of the City centre, and here I was, just about to tick off my last three birds that meant a grand total of 50 for the morning, and all wrapped up by 9:30 (and all seen within a linear section of the reserve, less than one mile long).

Just as I was about to give up, a  male Sparrowhawk flew into the lower Alders, and after a few minutes I decided I was happy without having to wait for a Buzzard to turn up so I headed off home across Compton park. A male Pied Wagtail was feeding under the foot-bridge at the wetland and after almost tripping over through looking back for a Buzzard as I walked, one kindly obliged, drifting up from the South and then circling overhead to make sure I had seen it!!!

Governments continue to ignore global warming, favouring profits, and vast swathes of the planet continue to vanish beneath the bulldozer, but for all those people who have profiled, created, managed, protected and enjoyed Smestow Valley, please please feel proud when you read these words. For Mother Nature was dancing this morning and showing her beauty up and down, on and over the jewel that is…..Wolverhampton’s only Local Nature reserve…..Smestow valley.

Mother Nature is powerful….but she can’t do it all now that there are billions of us around. She needs YOU!!!!!

This blog is linked to many other sites and also signposts you to organisations that protect our beautiful world. If you aren't already, then please get involved....the more the merrier and the safer our world will be!!

Is this a sightings list for Christmas or Easter?????

Saturday 30^th March 2013

Cold, Heavy Frost, Sunny intervals, Moderate NE

Mid-section of reserve:Compton to Newbridge including Barleyfield and Compton Park

Still no let up on the biting winds and it's official - coldest Easter in my life-time....

Grey Heron – 1 West over Barleyfield

Canada Goose –Spring is here, believe it or not and at this time of year pairs drop onto the canals to feed and prospect for nest sites. 2 were on the canal by Newbridge Tennis Club.

Buzzard – 1 around Henwood Ridge, The Barleyfield and Compton Park

Sparrowhawk – male and female over the Barleyfield

Black-headed Gull – 14 over the Barleyfield and Compton Park and a further 30+ circling high over Compton Park – exceptional numbers for late March, when birds have normally left to breeding grounds.

Green Woodpecker – one calling from the Eastern Border of the Barleyfield and 1 NW from Graisley Culvert later.

Great Spotted Woodpecker – a female in the Poplars by Newbridge Tennis Club, one in Poplar South of Meccano Bridge and one drumming from Henwood Ridge opposite Prefab Weir.

Skylark – One North over Compton Park early on.

Meadow Pipit – singles North over Compton Park and over the Barleyfield.

Grey Wagtail – one seen heading West over The Paddocks

Redwing – 7 seen heading North over the Railway Walk. A further c10 were around the Barleyfield for a while, before also heading North over the Lower Alders.

Mistle Thrush – One singing at Compton Hill Drive SW of the Barleyfield. Another was heard from Prefab Weir singing on Henwood Ridge. Surprisingly, it appears that this is the bird that has been singing from the Poplars by Newbridge Tennis Club, as it was seen flying between the two sites and singing at both, suggesting a large territory.

Coal Tit – singles at Compton Lock and The Academy by the canal.

Chaffinch – pairs at Compton Park (with a singing male), Compton lock and the south end of The Paddocks.

Goldfinch – 2+ at Compton Lock and 3 at Newbridge.

Greenfinch – one over Compton Rough and two singing at the top of the Barleyfield.

Siskin – 2 NW out of Eddy’s Alders and perhaps the same pair at The Academy by the canal. One over Newbridge and another SE over the top of the barleyfield.

Bullfinch – 2+ at The Crossings and 2+ in the main paddock.

Census:

Mallard: 9 male and 5 female

Moorhen: 7

Dunnock: 12 (10 singing)

Song Thrush: 4 (singing at Top of Barleyfield and at Newbridge)

Long-tailed tit: 8 (pairs at Compton Lock, Newbridge, The Crossings and top of Barleyfield)

Great Tit: 16

Total species: 36

Spring VisMig

In recent years I have spent several autumn mornings stood on Castlecroft Bridge on the Staffs & Worcs Canal. At several coastal and inland locations across Britain and Europe, birders are monitoring visible migration - I happen to do so in Smestow Valley. Further details at www.vismig.org.

Birds fly across or are funnelled through the valley, reaching maximum numbers during the first hour or so after dawn. The migration urge is strong and birds move in most weathers, though not in persistent rain, whilst fog certainly tests one's knowledge of calls!

Some VisMigs are quiet, but on other occasions it is very rewarding, wishing the last Swallows safe passage to southern Africa, listening and watching for the first Fieldfares and Redwings to arrive or standing in awe and trying desparately to count wave after wave of Wood Pigeons each in their hundreds.

The extra special days are far less regular, but they do make up for the quiet sessions and are just reward for the time spent - more than 51 hours over 35 days in 2011. Highlights include juvenile Marsh Harrier last year that was almost certainly the same bird seen flying through Lutley Wedge some 30 minutes earlier, ringtail Hen Harrier in 2011, occasional Crossbills (once a flock of 14 birds) and frequent Bramblings.

Today, I did my first ever spring VisMig, which was long overdue. It was a good start, for as soon as I reached the bridge, two Brambling flew southeastwards, calling. Totals of other species were as follows:

Chaffinch        12 SE & 1 N
Fieldfare         1 W
Redwing         4 N
Meadow Pipit 15 N
Pied Wagtail   7 SW & 3 NE
Wood Pigeon  31 SW & 46 NE
Stock Dove     5 W
Starling           13 SW

Also noted were a single Raven flying southwards, singing Skylark and Yellowhammer, a female Kestrel and single Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers.

Counts were not as high as in autumn, but whether that is typical or down to the current weather, time will tell.

chiffy

Well Angus there was actually a Chiffchaff within sight of barleyfield at 11am today.  It flew low over the canal and very much hugged the ground and sayed silent.  Well would you sing from the top of a tree in this weather.
Otherwise very little to report.
11 Greenfinches at Newbridge wharf was my best count in the valley for a while on 19th Mar.
c40 Redwings were flying around over rececourse on 22nd.
The little group of Siskin around the Smestow at back of double pennant have remained all month.
Otherwise only a Skylark over the Water Bridge on the 17th.

I had been avidly watching Toads being very active in my garden pond (Newbridge) at the beginning of the month counting up to 29 individuals engaging in mating and producing toad spawn.  The book said hatch in a week! Dont think so I now have masses of frozen spawn wonder whether it is in suspended animation which would seem plausible given they are amphibians.

Monday 21st January 2013

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.