into summer

the seeming jump from winter to summer has had varying effects on our wildlife.
there is a distinct lack of butterflies at the moment presumably down to the timing of the cold snap. so the new season larger butterflies such as peacock and comma and not showing (yet?). these species overwinter as hibernating adults and produce a fresh generation in early summer but so far only one fresh small tortoisehell. Otherwise a couple of large skippers probably the best.
Similarly with dragon/damselflies with a very poor showing so far just the odd banded demoiselle and a few common blues with nothing on the increasingly overgrown wetland.
Birds are still just about singing with a garden warbler on Compton rough today (and one in paddocks 10 days ago; 2 chaffinches and rather subdued chiffchaff (3) and a blackcap.
on the canal mallard seem to have had a very good year with fresh broods still appearing (a brood of nine this morning. The pale duck which had a broken wing last year has 5 nearly full grown juveniles all normal darker plumage. The white necked female with the dark male type plumage has three young with same plumage as her and a normal juvenile,
By contrast not a good year for moorhens with 4 fully grown young by MS centre being the only good news. The complete lack of any birds between paddock view and aldersly junction is a surprise and only 4 between the junction and newbridge apparently with no young.
House martins seem to be back in good numbers eventually but not sure about swifts both species over a week late. black headed gulls have already returned to the fields and mingle with the mixed age lesser black backs.
Finally for the 3rd year running a loan adult common tern at pool hall.

Last and first.

it is not unusual for winter and summer visitors to overlap. but not this year in the valley.
The wintering little grebes left at the beginning of march and were outstayed by the 3 water rail at the wetland which stayed until mid march.
the frozen fields were deserted by winter thrushes which presumably went further south and west. A handful of redwing on 28 march at the wetland seem to have been the last.
So with thanks to Angus, Gareth,Geoff and Kevin I will try and summarise our summer visitors many of which were just passing through. In general birds were between 7 and 19 days late at the start but generally have caught up since, which reflects t6he weather.
first on the patch was a silent chiffchaff on the 27 march but it was only on 30th that songsters were heard.
3rd of april saw the first three swallows at pool hall and 4th bought the first wheatear at the racecourse and a blackcap mumbling at the orchard at aldersley junction. the 4th also saw the first willow warbler by the station but again silent. it was not until the 14th that 4 were heard but all seem to have been passage birds.
First house martins were two amongst 20plus sand martins at pool hall but they did not appear around their street nesting areas until the 26th and only yesterday showed interest in nesting with the bulk of birds still to arrive. swifts are expected any day now.
A lesser whitethroat sang by the station on the 16th (and 25th) and first common whitethroat was the lupin field on the 19th. the lesser have gone but commons have set up 2 territories on barleyfield .
Also on passage were common sandpipers at wightwick fields on 20th and the canal at newbridge on the 26th.
the only garden warbler was a songster by lock 17 on 11th of may and I think the only redstart was a brief bird at Compton lock today.
Resident birds are also running a bit late but the first mallard brood appeared on 23 april and the first moorhens today at Compton lock. Of note is an increase in the local jay population.
two scarceties have been a red kite at wightwick on 30 march and a calling woodlark over racecourse on 16 april.

Ogre better

So tomorrow is the first day of spring by some authorities!!??
This is a post covering winter and hiliting records additional to those mentioned by Angus.
Little grebe, not a good winter for a valley regular. Always difficult to assess numbers but we tend to assume once birds arrive they stick. It was the end of the year before 3 were seen on same day all quite colourful. A very grey, juvenile?, bird was therefore number 4 and it frequented the southern half of the valley. A dead bird mostly eaten was found on the towpath by the pre fans in early January. The report o otter traces the previous week at Compton suggested this could be the killer. Otters have left signs both at pool hall and on the pink at pendeford recently and it certainly wasn't a raptor kill.

Goosander, scarce this winter so 18 (4 male) at pool hall today was a surprise. Also good to see 2 pairs of great crested grebe there.

Water rail, a calling bird was noted at the wetland around start of December. Not sure of exact date due to new phone and losing access to last year's records.
It remained throughout December  and we began to suspect two birds. However last saturday geofff and I confirmed 3 were present.

Parakeet, occasional reports suggesting still around coming from gardens on he nwood road, old hill and person rd. My only sighting was 7 in early January over the paddock. All would seem to on same vector from west park.

Kingfisher, only 2 sighting in the north, lock 19 in early Jan and today at Oxley viaduct.

Grey wagtail, a regular bird at the Water bridge and another ranging between Compton and Newbridge.

Red poll, scarce this year with the odd bird at the wetland but one in  My garden today was a surprise and could herald an influx as natural food sources will be exhausted.

Siskin, better numbers regular at wetland all winter (max30) and latterly by double pennant.

Rambling a bird by lock 17 in early December was a nice surprise.

Newbridge, January 17^th 2018

Year ended on a high

The new year's under way, so let's round off the old one with some notable sighting from December, a month which reflected one of the Smestow Valleys' best-ever 12 months for records of resident and visiting birds . . .

The cold snap mid-month was perhaps too short to produce any discernible bird movements into the valley, but the subsequent thaw meant that melting snow and a few days of rain did raise water levels at Dunstall Park lake. Single Goosander were visitors on 19^th and 22nd, three Jack Snipe were recorded on 16^th, and the last day of the year saw counts of 40 Teal, 12 Snipe and two Lapwing. Green Sandpiper records of two birds flying south westwards over the racecourse on 1^st and a bird at the lake on 31^st showed once more how the valley has become an annual wintering passage area for the species. Three Shoveler flew south westwards over the racecourse on 17^th, three Skylark went northwards over the same site on 16^th and a Mute Swan pair swam in thin ice on the lake on 28^th. Other Dunstall Park records included 28 Greylag geese foraging on the central grass area on 16^th, two Grey Heron at the lake on 31^st, nine foraging Rook on 31^st, and c.50 Crow on the last day of the year, some of which kept watch on a light-plumaged Buzzard perched near the school perimeter fence.

Elsewhere along the valley the cold snap brought Goldcrest and Nuthatch into a Newbridge garden, a Treecreeper was in Newbridge wood on 9^th, Bullfinch were recorded at Newbridge and Compton Park, a Raven flew low over Castlecroft Lane on 30^th, Jay were reported from Newbridge, Compton and the racecourse, and the winter's largest Siskin flock was seen on 6^th when c.30 birds fed in alders on the edge of Compton Park. Records from the southern end on the valley included a male Shoveler on the dam lake at Pool Hall on 3^rd, a Little Owl perched near Mops Farm on 30^th, a Kestrel hovering north of Mops Farm on 3^rd, and 40-plus Stock Dove foraging on fields north east of Mops Farm on 30^th (a bird displayed over Newbridge wood on 6^th). A mixed flock of foraging birds on fields near the Smestow brook north of Mops Farm on 30^th included at least 60 Redwing, 30-plus Fieldfare and 100-plus Starling.

The valley's run of wintering warblers continued, with a Chiffchaff caught at Dunstall Park on 2^nd found to have been ringed previously in Belgium. Other single Chiffchaff were at the racecourse lake on 1^st and 16^th, another was seen there on 28^th, and one foraged on the racecourse bank of the Staffs & Worcs Canal in freezing weather on 12th. At least two Little Grebe were on the canal between Compton and Aldersley throughout the month, a Grey Wagtail foraged along the Smestow brook by Aldersley stadium on 12^th, a Mistle Thrush sang at Newbridge on 24^th, eight Collared Dove were in a tree near Castlecroft canal bridge on 3^rd, a Tawny Owl called by Newbridge playingfield on the night of 28^th and a Mute Swan pair with three youngsters was on the canal at Newbridge on 9^th.

(Dunstall Park is a restricted commercial site.  Access is strictly controlled.)

Newbridge, December 24th 2017

Finch feast, plus new 

'first' feeding in a field

The last of the ice has melted, it's dark soon after four, and we're into calm, dull days after the first real snowfall for some years. It's a quiet time for birds, but the first winter visitors have been with us for weeks following an excellent autumn run of local records, including a “first” for the valley and an invasion by a species last recorded locally more than two decades ago . . .

It's the country bus adage, none for ages then two at once. Except that this year we've done even better, with no less than three new species recorded in the Smestow Valley, the first, as reported earlier, a Cetti's Warbler in August, then an Egyptian Goose in September, and the third a totally unexpected CATTLE EGRET seen on October 18^th foraging with cows and sheep in a field by the Smestow brook just north of Mops Farm. The bird was found around mid-day and was present for at least 90 minutes before disappearing. Another was reported at exactly the same time at Doxey Marshes near Stafford, and there's the distinct possibility both birds had dispersed from Alvecote pools north of Tamworth where at least three had been reported the previous week. This rare visitor to the UK is now appearing more and more regularly, with reports of breeding, and this year communal roosts of 30-plus birds seen in the South West.

Winter invasions by species from Continental Europe moving westwards as their food sources dry up are not uncommon (last year it was again the turn of Waxwings) but the latest irruptive behaviour involved a species not seen locally for more than two decades. The UK reports began in mid-October, and since then an unprecedented number of Hawfinch records have poured in from across the country, with the Smestow Valley enjoying its fair share. A flock of nine flew south westwards over Wightwick fields on 24/10, and subsequent sightings have totalled 15 birds, not a huge total, but astonishingly the first of their kind seen locally for 27 years. Other autumn and winter finch records include at least 11 Redpoll over Wightwick fields on 16/11, a flock of 30-plus Siskin in alders by the Compton barleyfield on 6/12, at least 12 Goldfinch over Wightwick fields on 16/10, seven-plus Bullfinch at Dunstall Park on 9/10, no less than 100 Linnet foraging on fields by the Smestow brook west of Wightwick on 27/10, two Brambling over Wightwick fields on 26/10, four Greenfinch by Newbridge canal wharf on 16/12, and at least 80 Chaffinch over Castlecroft canal bridge on 26/10. 

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Low water levels at Dunstall Park lake have restricted wildfowl counts, but at least 20 wintering Teal have visited the site, with 80 Mallard recorded there at dusk on 5/9. Other lake records include 16 Lapwing on 22/10, thirty Snipe on 15/11, three Jack Snipe on 16/12 and a Water Rail seen throughout November. Three Shoveler flew northwards over the racecourse on 17/12, two Green Sandpiper went south westwards over the lake on 1/12, and two Cormorant flew north westwards over the same site on 4/11. Other racecourse records included passage Redstart, Whinchat and Wheatear, four Rose-ringed Parakeet on 10/10, four Rook on 17/10, twenty-plus Skylark moving south westwards on 6/10, and three Buzzard on 13/12. A Grey Wagtail foraged along the Smestow brook by Aldersley stadium in icy conditions on 12/12, (one was regular autumn visitor to a Wightwick garden), four Grey Heron were near the Smestow brook west of Wightwick in freezing weather on 12/11, and two female Pheasant were flushed in the same area on 27/10. At least 30 Stock Dove were on fields west of Wightwick on 27/10, eight Collared Dove were in a tree by horse fields near Castlecroft canal bridge on 3/12, where a dawn migration watch on 26/10 produced the astonishing total of 2,900 Wood Pigeon. A group of up to 28 Greylag geese have been foraging on the racecourse, where more than 500 Black-headed Gull were seen resting and preening on 22/10. A family of Mute Swan (possibly the birds which bred at Dunstall Park lake this year) were on the Staffs & Worcs Canal at Newbridge on 29/11, at least two Little Grebe have been wintering along the canal, a Great Crested Grebe was at Pool Hall lakes on 4/11, where three male and a female Tufted Duck were present on 12/11.

Wintering thrush records have centred on Dunstall Park, where more than 280 Redwing have been caught and ringed already this year (a total of 764 birds were seen during a dawn watch at Castlecroft canal bridge on 26/10). Other species ringed at the racecourse this autumn and early winter include Stonechat, Green Sandpiper, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Dunnock, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Treecreeper and Meadow Pipit. Among a run of passage or wintering Chiffchaff visiting the racecourse lake during the last two months was a greyish-plumaged bird caught and ringed on 2/11, a member of the Siberian tristis sub-species, the first record of its kind for the valley. A wintering Chiffchaff was seen by Aldersley stadium along the canal towpath on 12/12, and a female Blackcap was on a garden feeder by Newbridge playingfield on 1/12.
Records from elsewhere along the valley include singing Mistle Thrush by Newbridge playingfield in mid-November, eight Raven over Wightwick fields on 27/11, a Kestrel on phone wires near Mops Farm on 27/10, a Jay bathing in the Smestow brook at Newbridge on 2/12, a male Sparrowhawk flying through St.Michael's churchyard, Tettenhall, on 2/12, Stock Dove display flight and Dunnock wing-waving courtship at Newbridge, two Little Owl together near Mops Farm on 12/11, two Nuthatch in Newbridge wood on 19/12, and 20-plus Yellowhammer along hedges near Mops Farm on 18/10.
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Flying fierce and free . . . but only for a week

An addition to the Smestow Valley's list of exotic / escaped birds came with the sighting one night in the late summer of an Eagle Owl in a tree in a Tettenhall Wood cul-de-sac. This huge bird, the largest owl in Europe, had disappeared by the next day, but reports then came in of it having been seen in trees in the Finchfield Hill area. Around a week after the Tettenhall Wood sighting the bird was relocated in trees in the grounds of the Mount Hotel on Tettenhall ridge, was captured and returned to its owner in Compton. Local cat owners could breathe again.
The southern end of the valley has over the years been a something of a hotspot for escaped raptors. A female Lanner Falcon was returned to her home at the Hagley Falconry Centre after being found exhausted and hungry in a garden in Henwood Road on 15/3/1990, and in September 1993 a female Harris's Hawk being flown in Wightwick fields disappeared into Peasley Wood chasing a Wood Pigeon. The hawk was free for three days before suddenly appearing near Wightwick canal lock and flying down to land on the gloved fist of her relieved owner as he walked along the towpath in search of her.   

Breeding season part 2

Apologies for delay of this post and thanks to everyone who has given me info, especially angus and Gareth for comments on part 1.
So to start with update on species covered in part 1;
Little Grebe, a juvenile at the racecourse may well have been raised there.
Sparrowhawk, almost as soon as had published part 1 young were heard and then seen at the northern end of the reserve.
Parakeet; a sudden upsurge in records with several double figure reports in early autumn suggests they bred locally.
Green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker and nuthatch all successfully reared young.
Swift swallow and house martin were rare in the central part of the reserve and were sustained by crowther rd, the racecourse and farndale/racecourse respectively.
Warblers also had mixed fortunes the hilite being the successful breeding of reed warblers on the racecourse. But willow warbler and garden warbler seemingly failed to nest and common whitethroat were thin on the ground with the lupin field producing the only family parties of local nesters. Chiffchaff  and blackcap nested in good numbers but lesser whitethroat were probably restricted to passage birds.
Treecreeper; the only known nest failed due to predation (possibly due to the weasel seen in the paddocks) but were regular in newbridge wood and probably bred elsewhere.
All the common tits did ok with great being the most successful but a lack of the usual mixed flocks in late summer suggests it was not a good year.
Whereas thrushes especially song and blackbirds had a good year as did robins.
Grey wagtails were successful at the prefabs and on the racecourse raising at least 5 young but their pied cousins were very lacking apart from on the racecourse.
Linnet; two pairs on lupin field outcome unknown.
Goldfinches had another good year judging by the flock of 30 plus at the end of August at the wetland and both bullfinch and greenfinch bred on barleyfield successfully but chaffinch were scarce.

Newbridge, October 2nd 2017

A superb summer ends

with two new species

Officially it's now autumn, most of our summer breeding migrant birds are leaving or have left us, and the first of the winter visitors are starting to arrive. As the leaves start to turn and the nights draw in, it's a good time to survey what's been an excellent summer, including a couple of local “firsts” and an addition to the Smestow Valley's list of breeding species . . .

Spring and early summer migrants provided Dunstall Park with a good run of Whinchat, Northern and Greenland Wheatear, plus Yellow Wagtail, Sand Martin, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Common Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper. An Oystercatcher flew from the racecourse lake on 2/5, a female Pintail was at the lake from 1/5 to 13/5, fifteen Greylag geese were on Dunstall Park on 25/5 and a male Pheasant was at the same site on 13/4. Migrant species seen elsewhere in the valley included two Common Tern at Pool Hall on 1/5, and a single bird of the same species flying up the 21 canal locks by the racecourse on 27/6. Breeding warblers seemed to have had a good summer along the valley, with Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Whitethroat numbers on or above average, while Dunstall Park provided the first local record of nesting Reed Warbler. At least four of these migrant birds had appeared suddenly at the lake in June last year, possibly as a result of traditional nest sites in the region being flooded out, and although two were seen mating, there was no proof of nesting. This summer, most likely one of last year's males was heard singing at the lake in late April, and by mid-July a pair had produced at least two fledged youngsters. The species is known for its site fidelity, so hopes are high birds will return to the racecourse in 2018. Other Dunstall Park breeding species included Pied Wagtail, House Sparrow, House Martin, Swallow, Rook, Grey Wagtail, Coot and Little Grebe. Blue Tit and Great Tit successfully fledged from nest boxes put up along the western side of the racecourse, juveniles made up the vast majority of 60-plus visiting Jackdaw, seen and heard in trees along the same boundary on 19/6, and a young Green Woodpecker was seen feeding on Dunstall Park in July and August. Young Linnet from nests on the sloping grass fields just north of the Birmingham Canal locks foraged along drainage ditches on the racecourse in June, and juvenile Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Bullfinch and Goldfinch were seen in the north west corner of the site near Aldersley canal junction. The racecourse was visited by a Kingfisher throughout July, and in early August the lake provided a touch of Africa with the appearance of a Village Weaver, the second record for the species on the valley's list of aviary escapes.

                                        Pick of the raptors

Elsewhere along the valley a mild winter and damp spring boosted Goldcrest, Song Thrush and Blackbird numbers, with other breeding species including Moorhen, Mallard, Woodpigeon, Stock Dove, Swift, Mistle Thrush, Starling, Jay, Crow, Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Treecreeper. A pair of Great Crested Grebe raised three youngsters at Pool Hall lakes, single singing Reed Bunting were heard near the towpath east of Mopps Farm canal bridge in April and at Dunstall Park lake in early May, and two Corn Bunting were on phone wires near Mopps Farm on 16/5. The valley's first proof of attempted breeding by Rose-ringed Parakeet came when a pair were seen mating and attending a nest hole from February until early April. The female was fed in the hole by the male, but he disappeared in late March, and his mate deserted the site soon afterwards.

Tawny Owl were heard calling at traditional nesting areas, Buzzard pairs maintained valley territories, their young heard and seen daily in August during their first tentative flights over nesting sites (eight birds were seen from the racecourse circling together over Oxley/Pendeford on 19/8), and Sparrowhawk juveniles sparred with Magpie and other corvids, twisting and turning low over the trees in late summer as they honed their flying skills. Kestrel records were intermittent, but single birds were seen near Mopps Farm and over Aldersley and the racecourse in April, and over the Compton barleyfield in May, and a Peregrine flew north eastwards over Aldersley/Oxley on 3/5. Pick of the raptor reports involved a Red Kite seen from Newbridge circling with a Buzzard over Lower Street/Lower Green in a cloudless sky on the afternoon of 17/6, then moving south westwards and disappearing. There have been sporadic local reports of this charismatic species since the valley's first sighting, a Welsh-tagged bird over Newbridge on 5/5/1996. Pairs are now nesting in Shropshire, and it can be only a matter of time before birds move into South Staffordshire, as the species continues to spread eastwards.

Mid and late-summer movements brought Lapwing to Dunstall Park, with numbers peaking at 28 on 10/7, and a run of Little Ringed Plover to the racecourse lake (two adults and two juveniles were seen on 1/7). Other lake records included adult and juvenile Grey Heron, a male Tufted Duck on 10/7, a small number of Shoveler in mid-August, with Teal numbers building to 13 on 25/9 and 15-plus Snipe present on the same date. A pair of Gadwall visited the lake on 10/9, a Greenshank circled the site before leaving south westwards on 1/9, and at least 90 Meadow Pipit flew over the racecourse in the same direction on 14/9. Two Sedge Warbler were at the lake on 1/9, a migrating Hobby was seen from Dunstall Park catching a herundine over the Farndale housing estate on 28/8, eight Cormorant moved northwards over the racecourse on 28/8, and a Tree Pipit was seen by the lake on 22/8.

                                  Chance of nesting

Two of the valley's top sightings of the year so far came with a Little Egret seen briefly at the racecourse lake on 7/7, only the second-ever record for the site, and a single Curlew flying north westwards from the central grass area of the racecourse on 9/8. Both of these records came from Gareth Clements, who then surpassed them by finding two new species for the Smestow Valley in ten days, both at Dunstall Park. The first, a bird more often heard than seen, was watched at the lake on the morning of 26/8, flying to and from the island. The valley's first CETTI'S WARBLER was harassed constantly by a Reed Warbler before it eventually disappeared into what has become perfect habitat for its furtive lifestyle, and was not seen again. Vegetation around the lake now provides it with good breeding conditions, and with the spread of the species across the region in recent years, there's a chance of nesting in the future. Species number 183 for the valley, an EGYPTIAN GOOSE, flew on to the central grass area from the west on 5/9, to join a group of Greylag. It was seen visiting the site for the next week with presumably the same group of geese.

The central grass area of the racecourse attracts gulls in late summer and throughout the autumn and winter, sometimes to forage but mostly to preen and rest. Good numbers of juveniles are among Lesser Black-backed Gulls which have bred in the city, and these, combined with visitors of the same species from other urban breeding sites and elsewhere, combined to produce counts of more than 200 birds on 6/9. Other records included c.360 Black headed Gull on 27/8 and 14 Herring Gull on 6/9. The racecourse was visited by a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull through July, August and September, and an adult was noted there on 6/9. Mediterranean Gull are now annual visitors to Dunstall Park, with at least two adults and an immature seen throughout the late summer this year. Other birds seen foraging on the central grass included 38 Mistle Thrush on 8/8, with Greylag totals reaching 24 on 4/9, and 264 Canada Goose counted on the same day.

Recent records have included a sub-song surprise from a Skylark over Dunstall Park on 9/8 (the species nested on the site before its redevelopment in the 1990s) and three chat species on the morning of 25/9 at the racecourse: a juvenile Redstart on the lake fence alongside a Whinchat and near to a Wheatear foraging on the central grass.

(Dunstall Park is a restricted commercial site. Access is strictly controlled.)

Mute family moves in a mysterious way  . . .

Last year witnessed the sad demise of Mute Swan youngsters at Dunstall Park as the adult pair abandoned the site following predation of cygnets, possibly by foxes. Presumably the same breeding pair reappeared at the lake in March this year, and by late June five youngsters were feeding on the lake with the adults. Falling water levels were giving cause for concern, and plans were drawn up for experts to try to catch the birds and transfer them to the neighbouring canal. However, nature took its own course, and on either 16/7or 17/7 the adults and all five non-fledged cygnets somehow made their way from the lake to the safety of the canal where they were seen happily feeding between Newbridge and Compton. How they navigated their way through hedges and security fences remains a mystery.

Butterflies feature in a year of 'firsts'

The Smestow Valley's invertebrates list increased this year when two new species of butterfly were recorded in late summer. The first, a Marbled White, was seen on 8/7 and 9/7 on a grass slope by the Smestow brook culvert at Dunstall Park lake. The second, a White-letter Hairstreak, was watched feeding on a budleia bush in a garden by Newbridge playingfield on 25/7. No fewer than 14 butterfly species were recorded on 18/7 at the racecourse and along the Staffs & Worcs Canal.

breeding season part 1

Great crested grebe:  After false starts finally young birds at pool hall, so no repeat of last years double brooding and seemingly a poor year regionally, predation or weather?
Little grebe:  attempted to breed at Dunstall Park but probably unsuccessful.
Mute swan:  Pair at Dunstall successfully translocated their 5 young to the canal at the end of last month.  Coincidentally a pair at west park with 5 similar sized young disappeared from their natal area at the same time. both pairs were being monitored so we know the group which appeared by MS centre were the dunstall birds which then moved to Compton and I suspect went south.  The report this week of the family of swans around the dead fish at autherley junction could therefore be the west park birds. The mystery is how they get from the lakes to the canal. ABC taxis maybe airial bird carriers.
Mallard:  Disastrous breeding season with almost all of the many hatchlings predated within days. Lesser black back gulls and herons are the main culprits, but wonder if large pike or even carp attack from below.  The one brood which prospered was at Compton lock where 7 survived for several weeks and five have made it to full size.
Moorhen: Very similar to previous species. young did not appear until early june when pairs elsewhere were hatching second broods. Few survived long but Compton again fared better with 5 (out of initial 6) lasting over a month and 3 still around and fully grown. Speculation as to why relates to nearby haven of smestow brook, presence of long term moorings and better cover unaffected by last autumns bank repairs.

RAPTORS

Not a good year.  No reports of any kestrel breeding attempts and the species is becoming a rare sight in the valley.  More surprisingly no reports yet of young sparrowhawks which normally have at least two nests and still waiting to see pristine young buzzards sharing the skies with their dishevelled parents. could the weather be the explanation?

Parakeets: Hopes were raised early in spring by prospecting in newbridge wood but it came to nothing and sightings dropped off.  A sudden surge in sightings at the end of july with up to three birds flying between west park and tettenhall ridge raises the possibility they bred on the ridge somewhere.
Kingfisher:  Only occasional records in spring but in a manner which suggested possible breeding.  An upsurge in reports from june including 2 at the meccano suggests this probably happened.

If you have any info on the swans or the birds covered so far please use the comment facility.

Early thoughts on migration

The current spells of high pressure and northerly winds have led to a subdued spring migration thus far.
Chiffchaff, traditionally the first arrival and true to form this year with all birds seeming to arrive in one go in the 3rd week of March. Nine singers in middle and north sections and nesting now well underway.
Blackcap, always interesting to see the gap between departing winter birds heading for central Europe and spring arrivals from Iberia and North Africa. We had 1 or 2 males giving a desultory song in the 3rd week of March and I had a female in my garden on the with. Also was on the south coast of Devon for the last weekend of March and had about 10 songstress on the coast. None were visible and the contrast with the arrivals from the 3rd of April, full song and showing well was stark. 8 in the middle and 8 in the north on that day with females appearing around 5 days later. Much contact calling now  in evidence and numbers swelled by further arrivals this week. I wonder if the Devon birds had spent the winter on the coast or were preparing to cross the channel.
Willow warbler, thin on the ground in the valley with 1 or 2 birds for the last 10 days either end of the paddocks probably passing through and a contrast to good numbers on Cannock Chase.
Swallow passage birds on one or two days (max3) and returning pair to racecourse last Sunday.
Sand Martin 2 flew south also last Sunday.
Wheatear .Also the same day 2 on racecourse a male which was ringed (by a licensed ringer) and found to be a Greenland bird by wing measurement accompanied by a female, 2 having been seen on the 14th.
The southern section has given Angus both lesser and common whitethroat but they don't seem to have reached the rest of the valley.
In terms of resident birds the first brood of Mallard today 11 at the water bridge.
Grey wagtail around dunstall park (could they be the pair which were regular at lock 21 before moving through disturbance) and around prefab weir.
A kingfisher carrying material in its beak was only the second report of the year.
A singing reed Bunning was a one day wonder on the 3rd April also single red poll and siskin in the 2nd week all 3 presumably on passage.
Finally twice in the last week 2 herons flying north over the paddocks early doors, a spcies we seem to see far less often these days.

Postscript

Further to the Angus post yesterday, I went early to aldersley stadium this morning and was surprised to see a waxing fly up into the trees by the old railway at the far end. This was followed by 2 groups of about ten and all birds departed in the direction of claregate.
Other additions are a pair of grey wagtail around lock 20, two linens at the top of the Lupton field and the singing chiffie by the same lock. All seen both Sunday and today the chiffie being a surprisingly pale buff bird.
Additionally on Sunday we had a woodcock flying along parallel to the railway towards the Lupton field and a very brief view of a kestrel by lock 19.
Some wintering birds lingered into March with a dozen fieldfare at the southern end last Friday and half a dozen redwing by the wetland on Saturday. A very wintry looking little green remained south of Compton to at least the ninth of March.
The bright weather on the 1st had produced a singing blackcap yards from the old bridge, it sang quite well which is unusual but was back to a more normal chunter a few days later. However on Monday it was quite loud from the station laurel, we assume this is a wintering bird testing its vocal chords before heading off to its breeding grounds in central Europe.
Finally Saturday afternoon gave me an encounter with a presumed goshawk which flew across my view as I was checking out a perched buzzard. The bird perched twice and generally only showed rear views but I was able to study its head and see two clear eyestripes of a rather off white colour. The tail was very dark and contrasted with the blue grey back.  I did not get a view of the underparts which would have clinched it but dont see what else it could have been.

Newbridge,  14^th March  2017

 

Chiffies are singing

so spring has sprung

 

The daffs are out on the playingfield, celandines are brightening the towpaths, hedgerows are white with blackthorn and queen wasps and bumble bees are flying . . . it might as well be spring (meteorologically it already is).  March is the month of change along the Smestow Valley for birds, with winter visitors departing, the first passage and breeding migrants arriving, and resident species paired, defending territories and looking for nest sites.  Late-winter weather conditions have again been relatively benign, despite last month’s brief cold snaps and the damaging winds of Storm Doris.  So, as the sun rises higher and the days lengthen it’s time to take a look back at bird activity locally over the last ten weeks or so

 

FIRST THINGS FIRST . . . our migrants are arriving!  A Chiffchaff singing yesterday along the track between Castlecroft Lane and Pool Hall (Ian and Geoff listed a singing bird at Aldersley on Sunday) followed reports of many appearing across the West Midlands at the weekend.  Chiffchaff return dates for the valley are on average earlier now than when our records began in the late 1980s, with March 29^th the latest date for the first singing bird, and March 5^th the earliest date for one being heard.

One obvious sign that the seasons are changing has been the sound of Greater Spotted Woodpeckers marking out territories in the still leafless trees.  Both sexes are involved, with at least four birds heard calling and drumming between Newbridge and Aldersley on 12/3.  Green Woodpeckers have been vocal in the last week or so after months of absence, and Nuthatch continue to maintain territories.  A Treecreeper was in Newbridge wood on 11/3, Mistle Thrush are singing and nest-prospecting, and Stock Dove are display-flying low over the trees.  Resident passerines in full song include Blackbird, Song Thrush and Dunnock.  There have been few winter finch records, but at least eight Siskin, some of them singing, were at a garden feeding station by the old railway south of Hordern Road on 5/2, a Redpoll was at Dunstall Park on 4/2, the same day as a Linnet was reported from the same site.   Resident finches have enjoyed the relatively mild conditions, with Chaffinch now in full song and Greenfinch males producing their wheezing song from the tops of playingfield trees.  Wintering Goldfinch flocks were reported early in the year (at least 20 birds were in the Dunstall Park oak copse on 22/1) and Bullfinch pairs have been evident along the old railway between Newbridge and Aldersley.  Blue Tit, Great Tit and Coal Tit are now paired, Long-tailed Tit have been seen carrying nest material, and a pair of courting Goldcrest were watched flaring their crown feathers by the canal towpath north of Hordern Road on 2/3.  Wintering thrush records include c.30 Redwing at Dunstall Park on 19/1 and at least 20 by the old railway north of Aldersley stadium on 2/3, and a single Fieldfare at Newbridge on 5/1.  A wintering female Blackcap first seen in a garden by Newbridge playingfield on 28/1 was still a daily visitor at the start of this month.  Despite some warm bright mornings in recent weeks soaring Buzzard records have been sporadic, but three were circling together over Wightwick yesterday, and pairs have been reported over Compton and Aldersley.  A female Kestrel was hunting last month at Wightwick fields south of Windmill Lane, and Sparrowhawks of both sexes are becoming more obvious as the breeding season starts, with two birds soaring high over Wightwick yesterday.  Records of Grey Wagtail along the Smestow brook include singles by Aldersley stadium and between Tettenhall Road and Hordern Road throughout February, and a pair by the open culvert at Dunstall Park on 10/3.  A Tawny Owl called from the edge of Newbridge playingfield in early January, a Little Owl was seen at the south end of the valley yesterday, and there have been regular reports of at least two Rose-ringed Parakeets locally since the beginning of the year.  A pair of Great Crested Grebe were in courtship display at Pool Hall lakes yesterday, a site which produced records of a male Goosander on 17/1 a pair of Tufted Duck on 18/2 and a juvenile Mute Swan on 13/3.  At least two Skylark were over fields between Pool Hall and Wightwick on 18/2, a flock of 17 Lapwing were in the same area, also on 18/2, and single Grey Heron were by the Smestow at Wightwick fields on 18/2 and at Dunstall Park lake on 4/2.

                                                                  Impressive species

Corvids have been at the centre of activity at Dunstall Park racecourse in recent weeks, with an unexpected and unprecedented influx of Ravens taking centre stage.  Up to four birds have been seen regularly since mid-February, with records involving individuals flying low over the central grass in various directions, and at least one pair foraging on the lake’s grass banks.  This impressive species is spreading eastwards nationally and regionally, and was found to be breeding locally a decade ago.  The racecourse Rook colony had built at least ten nests by 12/3, and other corvid records from the site include more than 100 Jackdaw on the central grass on 11/1, twenty-plus Magpie on 10/3 and more than 40 Crow on 24/2.  At least two Little Grebe pairs are defending territories on the racecourse lake, where up to 15 Coot have been seen this month.  Other lake records include an impressive total of 52 Snipe counted on 1/3, four Jack Snipe flying from the island on 18/2, a male Goosander on 8/3, twenty-plus Teal on 25/2, seven Tufted Duck on 8/3, a male Shoveler on 17/2 and a pair of Gadwall on 3/2 and 18/2.  More than 170 Canada Geese were at the racecourse on 8/3, two Greylag were present on 10/3, and two Cormorant flew south westwards over the site on 17/2.  Gull numbers are now falling away, but 900-plus Black-headed Gull were on the racecourse on 4/2, thirty six Lesser Black-backed Gull were counted there on 29/1, and six Herring Gull were present on 4/1.  Other racecourse records include 17 Stock Dove on 9/1, a flock of c.60 foraging Starling on 25/2, and a Reed Bunting at the lake on 14/2.

 

(Dunstall Park is a restricted commercial site.  Access is strictly controlled.)

 

A couple of important recent additions to this year’s valley list:   At least one of two Stonechat found by Geoff and Ian on 26/2 on the rough grass slopes between the canal locks and the railway carriageworks at Aldersley/Oxley was still present last Sunday, and there was a report yesterday of c.20 Waxwing in a garden by the Bridgnorth Road between Compton and Wightwick.  Everywhere else in the UK seems to have enjoyed these exotic visitors this winter (birds have been seen in Codsall, Wolverhampton, Penkridge and Brownhills since Christmas), so it’s nice to have our own at last!