Newbridge,   January 30^th  2015

All-colour show by

the beaky blinders

A damp, cold end to a quiet January along the valley, sleet and snow showers swept in by a bitter north westerly, the ground, when not frozen, sodden with a mat of decaying leaves, the floor of the wood littered with twigs and branches brought down by gale force winds earlier in the month.  Migrant finch flocks are all but absent, winter thrushes are few and far between, but as the daffodils begin to push up through the playingfield grass and the days begin to lengthen there are already signs of change in the world of birds.  Territories are defended, pair-bonds are established and confirmed, and an exotic species is bringing a splash of colour to dull mid-winter days . . .
 

(Yes Ian, your birds did land !)
 
It’s January 22^nd, the weather is calm, the wood dull and dripping.  Crow, Magpie, Stock Dove, Nuthatch and Great Spotted Woodpecker call intermittently, Blue Tit and Great Tit chase and scold, when suddenly there’s a screeching call from above.  Nothing seen at first, but then, against the flat mid-morning sky there’s a bright green shape, then two, close together, high in the trees.  One bird is preening, the other pecking at the base of buds on the topmost branches, their slim yellowish green bodies, long tails and bright red bills in stark contrast to the greys and browns of a winter woodland.  These exotic visitors are the two Rose-ringed Parakeets seen by Ian earlier in the morning flying towards the wood, birds which have been reported in West Park and at garden feeding stations in Whitmore Reans, Newbridge and along the Tettenhall Road since late summer.  The species, which now nests in the West Midlands and which is firmly established in the South East of the UK, originated in central and north eastern Africa and in southern Asia.  There have been captive birds in Great Britain since the mid 1880s, and in the 1930s small numbers were seen flying free in Epping Forest north east of London.  Breeding was reported near Rochester in Kent in 1969, and by the late 1970s there were small nesting colonies in Kent and Surrey.  Since then, as BBC television “Winterwatch” viewers will have seen recently, numbers in Greater London have risen dramatically, with thousands now roosting communally in parkland and at other green spaces.  Small numbers have been reported in the West Midlands for decades, and in recent years nesting has been reported from the Sandwell Valley.  There have been a handful of sightings involving single birds along the Smestow Valley since the 1980s, but this is the first time two have been recorded together locally.  The effects nationally this species may have on native breeding birds is at present being investigated by Defra.  Rose-ringed Parakeets are tree nesters, so woodpeckers, nuthatches and other species could be adversely affected.  Certainly a Mistle Thrush that encountered our two birds in its breeding territory seemed uncertain how to react, approaching gingerly along a branch, then retreating as soon as the visitors squawked a warning.  No wonder.  It’s odds-on this was the first time the two species had ever come face to face locally.  Watch this space!

Mid-winter reports from Dunstall Park lake have included a pair of Gadwall throughout the month (up to four birds have been seen there most winters since the early 2000s), up to seven Shoveler with a similar number of Teal, a pair of Mute Swan, at least eight Coot, with three or more Moorhen, up to three Snipe, a Grey Heron on 18^th and a 1^st-winter Grey Wagtail a daily visitor to the open Smestow brook culvert.  Elsewhere on the racecourse up to 140 Canada Geese have been grazing on the central grass area, with three Greylag and a single albino of the same species, and 45 Lesser Black-backed Gull and more than 270 Black-headed Gull were present on 18^th.  At least one Common Buzzard visited regularly, a Great Spotted Woodpecker drummed from the oak copse near Tunstall Water Bridge from c.25^th, and two Raven flew eastwards over the site on 18^th.  Two Nuthatch were with a Long-tailed Tit flock on 27^th, and a Pied Wagtail pair were at their nesting territory in the hotel area on 4^th and 27^th.

Sightings from elsewhere along the valley included a Treecreeper in Newbridge wood on 16^th, an immature male Kestrel perched by the Compton barleyfield on 22^nd, and two Little Grebe (starting to show their summer plumage) on the canal by Newbridge wood on 29^th.  A Green Woodpecker called from the bottom of the barleyfield on 22^nd, twenty three Redwing foraged on the school playingfield next to Newbridge wood on 27^th, and a Bullfinch pair were on garden feeders by the old railway south of Hordern Road on 29^th, the same day as a Coot was with Mallard and Moorhen on the canal by the Wildside Centre.

NB   Dunstall Park is a restricted commercial site.  Access is strictly controlled.

keep yours eyes and ears open......

This morning at 9.30 as I turned the corner to walk towards town from crowther road I heard a shriek and looked up to see the pair of Rose-ringed parakeets (also known as ring-necked) flying from the direction of west park.  they flew overhead and over the crowther road allotments towards newbridge wood.  Could not tell if they landed there or carried on, but certainly there are trees there which would be similar to the plain trees they favour in the park.
Otherwise little to report, 2 coot and 2 little grebe on canal near water bridge. 30+greenfinch at the stadium is good these days and alongside about a dozen at wildside, but still no siskin/redpoll .

.... continue from yesterday

up to 4 little grebe have been on the canal generally north of newbridge, one today at Compton.
siskin and redpoll seem scarce this year I have not seen any redpoll and only one small flock of siskin at wildside on new years day. anybody out there had better luck.
Rooks were active at their rookery by racecourse on new yrs day with at least 10 birds hanging around the nests, though I suspect the cold snap will have pushed them away now. however in the bright sunshine this morning there was plenty of song with dunnock, robin, song thrush and great tit all in good voice. One of the last mentioned was giving a chiff chiff chiff song which reflects the variability of this species.

...and into the new year

Not much to report in first two weeks of Jan.
A Kingfisher has been seen on the Smestow brook north of Hordern rd which showed an all black bill which means male as opposed to the female usually seen south of the meccano around the spill weir.
A grey wagtail remains faithful to this latter sight as does one at the waterbridge, a third bird is regular in my garden.
very few winter thrushes with just 4 on the football pitches, all redwing,
and no sightings of the barleyfield kestrel(s).
Just outside of the valley the local paper has reported the ring-necked parakeets from west park. A pair were around the boating lake this morning and their are rumours of more than this.
Also just outside the valley ,and belatedly, a little egret fed in the field on the corner of wobaston rd and pendeford hall lane in mid December.

Wednesday  December 31^st  2014

Winter welcome for

a wonderful warbler

 The last post for 2014, the last day of the year, on a slowly thawing Dunstall Park, beech branches dripping on to silver-fringed frosted grass, a watery morning sun low behind bare hawthorns, high thin grey cloud, the cracking of ice as a narrowboat inches into a lock at the bottom  of the Wolverhampton 21 flight.  There’s little or no sign of birdlife along the northern and western edges of the racecourse, no winter passerine flocks, just the occasional corvid call and the sound of joggers huffing their way along the towpath towards Aldersley.  The lake is still frozen, save a stretch of water kept open by ducks and other species.  This first cold spell of the winter marks the end of a relatively quiet year along the Smestow Valley, but the last two months have not been without interest . . .

 So, let’s start with the bird of the year for 2014, and for that matter for the last few years.  Gareth Clements tells how on November 18^th late in the afternoon at Dunstall Park lake he found a real gem, the valley’s third Yellow-browed Warbler.

 “I was hoping for a Mandarin to drop in with roosting ducks, when I realised a large tit flock was going around the lake.  I was pleased to pick out a Chiffchaff, and was thinking how I missed the days when there were Willow Tits in these flocks.  Soon after 4 o’clock I decided to walk around the lake again, and could hear a Coal Tit. It was going frantic, and then I then realised it wasn't a Coal Tit but a Yellow-browed.  I messaged Dad, saying: ‘I’ve got a Yellow-browed, but I can't see it’.  Then I did manage to see it briefly as it came high enough in a bush for it to be visible over the bank.  I was expecting a dull bird, but it was very well marked and had very clear double wing bars.  Afterwards I counted the tits as they went from bush to bush, in total 52 Long-tailed Tits and two Blue Tits.  I looked for the Yellow-browed later, but there was no sign of it.”

 Gareth’s bird, which was not seen again despite a search next morning by local birders, was in a typical waterside sallows habitat, just as was the valley’s first Yellow-browed found by David Jackson next to the Smestow brook just south of the old Tettenhall railway station on October 25^th 1998.  Jacko’s bird was the first ever Yellow-browed record for the West Midlands.  Gareth found the valley’s second bird in towpath bushes near lock 4 of the Birmingham Canal above Stafford Road next to Wolverhampton Science Park on the afternoon of October 4^th 2008 (this was a Smestow Valley record, as the brook flows under the science park grounds via Fowlers Park from its source in Park Village).  Yellow-broweds are still regarded as a relatively rare migrant species across inland Britain, with only around 16 records for the whole of the area encompassing Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands.  In that context, not a bad end to our birding year.  Is Gareth on a hat trick . . ?

 
Early winter reports from Dunstall Park lake included a pair of Mute Swan first seen on 28/12 (the male was seen ice-breaking  to reach feeding areas, followed along the narrow open channel by two enterprising Coot), a Grey Heron on 7/12, single Little Grebe on 5/11 and 20/12, eighteen-plus Teal on 19/11, seven male and three female Shoveler on 15/11, two female Tufted Duck on 15/11, a male Gadwall on 18/12, and the female Ringed Teal on 28/11.  Three Chiffchaff were by the lake on 28/11, nine Snipe were reported there on 5/11 (with minimal mud margins and freezing weather, none were seen after 20/12), a Water Rail was recorded on 28/11, a female Reed Bunting was seen on 30/11 with a male reported on 14/12, a first-winter Grey Wagtail fed along the Smestow brook open culvert on 14/12 and 31/12, and two Pied Wagtail were on the racecourse hotel roof on 30/11.  At least ten House Sparrow were daily visitors to the lake island, 20-plus Starling were in island bushes on 28/12, twenty six Crow were on the lake fences and grass on 14/12, and at least six Rook chasing and calling around the oak copse rookery nests in calm bright weather on 28/12 gave a hint of spring to come.  Three Stock Dove were in the oak copse on 28/12, a Nuthatch was on what is now a traditional nest tree on 19/11, and on the central grass area, a Canada Goose flock totalling up to 130 birds were joined by five Greylag from early December, and by an albino Greylag from mid-November.  Gull numbers peaked at 350-plus Black-headed Gull on 30/11, at least 100 Lesser Black-backed Gull on 30/11 and nine Herring Gull (four immatures) on 15/11.

Elsewhere along the valley there were regular reports of Jackdaw, Jay and Common Buzzard, single Goldcrest were seen along the old railway by the Compton barleyfield and south of Hordern Road, two female Bullfinch were by the old railway near the barleyfield on 26/12, eight Goldfinch (one bird was singing) were in a canalside bush near Compton lock on 26/12, and Coal Tit was seen and heard at Newbridge and by the old Tettenhall railway station.

On 19/11 a male Blackcap was in a garden by Newbridge playingfield (very probably the same bird was seen there on 4/12).  Also on 19/11 Gareth found his Yellow-browed and a Common Chiffchaff.  Three winter warbler species in the valley on one day . . .

West Midland county bird recorder Kevin Clements continued his dawn migration watches from Castlecroft canal bridge at the southern end of the Smestow Valley into the early winter.  On 31/10 he saw one Common Gull,  909 Redwing and 504 Starling,  on 1/11 eleven Linnet and a total of 2,575 Woodpigeon,  on 4/11 eleven Goosander,   on 5/11 four Siskin,  on 9/11 five Goosander,  281 Fieldfare and 13 Redpoll,  on 10/11 fourteen Greenfinch,  and on 13/11 two Goosander and 63 Jackdaw.

NB.   Dunstall Park is a restricted commercial site.  Access is strictly controlled.

Corvid roosts

In the early days of this blog I did a post about the winter crow roosts in the dunstall park area. Time for an update courtesy of a report from those two stalwarts Lord Angus of Dunstall and Sir Geoffrey de Barleyfield. It appears that the number of roosting Jackdaws has reached 4 figures . this is more than double what I observed two years ago.  there is some speculation as to whether this is at the expense of the southern end of the reserve with the birds seemingly no longer regularly using Peasley wood.
It may also be at the expense of another species.  Magpies regularly numbered 150 on the derelict land towards Oxley. However on a recent visit (on a race meeting night) this area had largely been taken over by jackdaws with only 50 Magpies present.  Meanwhile the Magpies seem to have moved in part to the new training facility at Compton with about 100 there.
Other flocking behaviour has been the goldfinches which currently number about 40 around the new water feature but at the beginning of the month were in a very tight flock of at least 70.
Talking of roosting flocks was amazed at the Pied Wagtails in Lichfield yesterday evening with 200+ crossing the street.
Other news was a flock of fieldfare of 25 whilst talking to Bob at the barleyfield and bemoaning the fact that we hadn't seen any this winter.  Interestingly he has been regularly seeing the kestrel and saw two birds on one occasion so it seems we have male and female which perhaps have differing hunting times with the immature male favouring late in the day. Finally managed to get good enough views of the Kingfisher by the spill weir to see the orange on its bill and identify it as a female which is a step towards working out how many winterers we have.

November round up

Kingfisher
We have a minimum of three wintering birds (1each in north middle and south of the valley) all seen regularly throughout the month.  the heavy rains have washed away the nesting site so we will have to see what happens next year.
Kestrel
Regular sightings over the Barleyfield particularly at dusk. currently the bird is missing 2 tail feathers on its left side.  It is showing signs of being an immature male but light can be tricky and it is possible another birds is also present .
Redwing
A single bird was present for the first half of the month on the barleyfield but may now have joined a small flock which were seen at6 the end of the month. still very few winter thrushes reflecting lack of berries perhaps partly caused by the successful resident birds eating them all.
Goldcrest
numbers declined during the month suggesting the double figures of early Nov included passage birds.
Grey wagtail
still up to 6 birds present along the valley

THE SWIFTS MAY BE LONG GONE

BUT THEY'RE NOT FORGOTTEN . . .

Hopefully not a Freudian slip by Ian at the start of his October 20^th post, but, even if we’re now down to an appreciation society numbering just one, please accept apologies for months of silence.  Seems like an age since House Martins were setting up at Dunstall Park, Kingfishers were feeding young in a Smestow brook nest hole and Whitethroats were displaying over the grass slopes at Aldersley.  So, with autumn leaves carpeting the ground and with the nights drawing in, a seasonal catch-up for the valley is in order. 

 

Firstly, back to the Kingfishers.  As Ian reported in July, a nest hole was found by the Smestow brook, and soon afterwards a pair were seen taking fish to the chicks hidden inside.  Great to have these beautiful birds back as a Smestow Valley breeding species.  Fingers crossed they’ll nest next year.  Another breeding success for water birds came at Dunstall Park lake, where a pair of Little Grebe raised two broods totalling four fledged youngsters.  At least two young Grey Heron almost certainly from the Pendeford Mill nesting colony visited the lake with adults in July and August, four adult Mute Swan were on the lake on June 6^th, and 17 Greylag fed with 27 Canada Geese on the racecourse on 16/9 (a skein of 60-plus Canadas went over Newbridge on 1/10).  A pair of Moorhen bred at the lake, and there was success there for at least four pairs of Coot.  Passage records at the lake in what was a quiet season for waders across the West Midlands included single Green Sandpipers on 24/8 and 18/9 and a Little Ringed Plover on 6/7.  A young Hobby was seen over the racecourse on 2/9, two migrating Yellow Wagtail went over the same site on 31/8, a Tree Pipit flew from the banked grass fields north of the Birmingham Canal on 14/9 and 56 Meadow Pipit were reported from Dunstall Park on 16/9.  Passage passerines included two Wheatear on Dunstall Park on 2/10 (one was present on 16/10), two first-winter Stonechat (the first found by Geoff Russon at the Compton barleyfield on 21/9, the second reported at Dunstall Park lake on 22/10), and an unusually late singing Sedge Warbler at Dunstall Park lake on 16/9.  This bird was seen the next day, and may have been the one reported there on 29/9.  Three Spotted Flycatcher by the barleyfield on 2/9 were shadowed, as is often the case, by at least two Common Whitethroat, and hirundine records included 85-plus House Martin at Dunstall Park on 31/8 and c.200 passage Barn Swallow at the same site on 1/9.  At least 20 Swift were screeching over their Newbridge nest site on 21/7, with 15-plus birds migrating over the same area in rainy conditions on 5/8.  Raptor records included a Sparrowhawk pair high over Newbridge on 29/9, a young Kestrel on a Dunstall Park floodlight pylon on 20/7, eight Buzzard together over the barleyfield on 21/9 (twelve were seen from Dunstall Park on 2/9) and a Peregrine low over Newbridge on 25/9.

Late summer witnessed as usual Lapwing stopping over at Dunstall Park with a flock of c.50 seen on 20/7 and 65 on 27/7. Gull flocks were late in returning to the racecourse, but numbers increased during early autumn.  At least 130 Lesser Black-backed Gull were present on 14/9, more than 350 Black-headed Gull were seen on 26/10, Herring Gull totalled 11 on 26/10, a second-year Yellow-legged Gull was found by Gareth Clements on 14/9, and an adult Common Gull on 31/8 was followed by a first-winter bird on 22/10.  Foraging corvids at Dunstall Park included 30-plus Rook on 20/7 (a good summer at the racecourse rookery with at least 18 nests occupied), and 30 Crow on 26/10, with at least 40 Jackdaw flying low over Newbridge towards the racecourse on 4/11.  Jay were seen burying acorns at the barleyfield, Dunstall Park and elsewhere, and two Raven were together circling north of Aldersley on 7/9.  At least 200 Starling foraged on Dunstall Park on 8/9, a flock of House Sparrow were daily visitors to the island at Dunstall Park lake through the late summer, 12 Stock Dove were by the lake on 26/10, nine Collared Dove perched together on a TV camera platform at the racecourse on 20/9, and 14 Mistle Thrush were on floodlight pylons at the same site on 1/10.  Duck numbers at Dunstall Park lake were slow to build in relatively mild weather, but 12 Shoveler were seen on 5/10, at least three Tufted Duck visited in late summer/early autumn, and among at least 30 Teal present on 29/9 was a new bird for the Smestow Valley, a female RINGED TEAL, bringing to 199 the number of species seen locally since the early 1980s.  Snipe totals at Dunstall Park lake have as yet only reached nine birds on 31/10, but a Jack Snipe flew in on 14/10, the first local sighting since December 2010.

Other records include a Tawny Owl calling from Newbridge wood on 19/8, a Reed Bunting at Dunstall Park on 31/8, two Grey Wagtail over Smestow School playingfields on 12/10, at least 21 Pied Wagtail on Dunstall Park on 20/7, single Treecreeper and Nuthatch at Dunstall Park on 14/9, c.10 Goldfinch at Dunstall Park on 20/9, a Linnet over Dunstall Park lake on 20/9 and a Rose-ringed Parakeet flying from a canalside tree next to Compton Park playingfields on 2/9, the seventh local record for this colourful species which now breeds in the Sandwell Valley.

A migration watch at Castlecroft canal bridge by West Midland Bird Club recorder Kevin Clements on 3/10 produced only the second Woodlark record for the Smestow Valley (the first was of a bird at Turner’s fields, Wightwick, on 29/3/1998). Other records from Kevin’s dawn vigils on the bridge by Wightwick fields this autumn include a Little Owl on 13/9 and 27/9, ten Goosander on 17/9 (two on 16/10), one Goldcrest on 17/9 and 26/9, three Pheasant on 20/9 and 27/9, two Green Sandpiper on 27/9 (one on 20/10), a Peregrine on 30/9, two Gadwall on 2/10, a Mandarin on 10/10, a total of 232 Starling on 16/10, a Lesser Redpoll on 16/10, a total of 2,086 Redwing on 17/10, twenty four Greenfinch on 17/10, a Siskin on 17/10, four Yellowhammer on 17 /10, twenty five Linnet on 17/10, a Brambling on 18/10, four Raven on 19/10, a total of 4,050 Woodpigeon on 22/10, two Cormorant on 25/10 and a Chiffchaff on 27/10.

which do you want first

the good news
our reader may remember a post a couple of months ago alerting them to the licensing of the vulture/raptor killed drug diclofenac for use in Europe.  following quite a widespread outcry its use has now been referred to the European medicines agency with the potential for a ban to be in place by the end of this month.
the bad news
in the same post I highlighted issues around the killing of migrant birds in malta. so it comes as a bit of a shock to learn that the likely next European commissioner for the environment is a maltese MP.

Barely awake

That's how the valley felt this morning in the cold and fog, but actually the reference is to a canal barge.  when there are no birds around one tends to notice the boats and the often original names they have such as the aforementioned.
Anyway as the weak November sun penetrated the fog so things gradually came to life and a circular walk between the water bridge and the meccano became very pleasant.
sometimes you can walk past something many times before you take it in properly. such is the case with me and the Oak tree opposite the MS centre which really is a magnificent tree but is also supporting a huge amount of Ivy. I wonder if it is any threat to the tree.
Birdwise many blackbirds clearly local birds supplemented by Scandinavian visitors but de4spite flyovers still only single Redwing and for me no Fieldfare yet in the valley.  have seen large groups of both in the Shropshire Wealds.  not sure whether will be any berries left for them certainly the good numbers of  local thrushes have already polished off  many of the local supply.  Also good numbers of jays and long tailed tits.  3 goldcrest today was not as good as 7 last weekend but clearly they have done well.  4 great spotted woodpeckers and 2 nuthatches also seen. 3 little grebe were by the boats.
Only one grey wagtail seen today on the smestow but last weekend had 3 at the spill weir two engaged in a territorial dispute whilst a juvenile fed in the culvert, and no kingfisher today having seen one on three consecutive days at the start of the month. the regular bird between meccano and newbridge and then probably a different bird at aldersley junction and possibly the same bird at Oxley sewage works.  Also at Oxley were two grey wags so with a regular bird in my garden we seem to have at least 7 winterers.
finally butterflies just made it into November with a presumed red admiral on the 2nd after several on the barleyfield at the end of October.

Winter territories

Many apologies to our reader for the lack of recent posts.  Now that our summer visitors have departed interest turns to the winter residents and arrivals and their interactions with each other.
Some species maintain and defend winter territories, such as robins, and fiercely defend them like the squabbling moorhens on the canal this morning who seem to remain in pairs and still have late youngsters hanging around despite being fully grown.
Others ,such as redwing and fieldfare flock and feed en masse.  I have only seen the odd redwing so far perhaps due to the mild conditions in Scandinavia. In contrast song thrushes keep to themselves so it felt unusual to have 6 together in the paddocks at end September.
On the canal a kingfisher is regularly seen just south of newbridge and may remain all winter.
grey wagtails having been absent all summer appeared in good numbers at the end of September with at least 6 in the valley (Aldersly junction, water bridge, newbridge 2 , meccano 2)  I suspect some were passing thru but one remains by double pennant and at least one at newbridge.  Unless we have a very harsh winter both species should remain.
A taacing blackcap was by the smestow near st michaels school( a regular wintering spot) today and belatedly I should report one in song, albeit subdued, in mid September.
Nuthatches were very vocal and seem to have had a good year . 2 little grebe were on the canal on 1st October but none today altho they can be elusive. A red admiral butterfly was still around yesterday which made me wonder if any clouded yellows made it this far north there were many on the Cornish coast.

weekend round up

A fairly quiet week with high pressure dominating. A few warblers still around mainly blackcap and chiffchaff with lesser whitethroat on Friday and common on Saturday. The western border being the place to be.
Otherwise ten cormorant of uniform appearance (maybe none-breeding sub adults, not sure) flying in formation early Friday morning, just after 7am heading north along the valley; and mistle thrushes flying in to feed around the mercano. On Friday 29 came in from the direction of the new houses in groups of 4/5 (one group accompanied by the usual small starling flock). On Saturday 20 came in together from the direction of Tettenhall ridge.  Grey wagtail by the spill weir and goldcrest in the paddock and that's about your lot..

weekend update buzzard convention

Two contrasting days. On Saturday all the activity was from a mobile flock of about 45 birds which ranged from the station at Tettenhall to the Meccano bridge.  Most were Tits but there were also Chiffchaff and willow  warbler.  Amazingly there were also two Pied Flycatcher.  Fortuntely my first encounter was in the relatively open tree on the smestow opposite the apple just south of the style which was heaving with birds as I arrived.  They then moved to the top of the much denser sycamores and became frustratingly elusive. I suspect there were others unidentified in the flock.
Anyway back to the pieds; one was a female which had almost a reddish tinge to its head and the other was what I took to be a young male with very prominent charcoal primary wing coverts.
Sunday was very different with most of the action in the air. star event was a gathering of 9 common buzzards high in the sky over wulfrun campus. at the same time there were two behind us over tettenhall college making 11 from the same spot.  as I walked back across newbridge pub car park 3 of the birds had drifted back towards aldersley and were greeted by another which may have been one of the two on the ridge.  these interactions are well documented and form part of the establishment of wintering territories.  other raptors were male and female sparrowhawk and a presumed female kestrel hunting the barleyfield for the third time in a week.
Also in the sky were 6+swifts drifting slowly south and maybe 10 swallows moving rapidly south accompanied by two sand martins and many house martins(of which many were also circling).
On the ground ,or to be more accurate in trees were 16 mistle thrush, 14 long tailed tit, 3 whitethroat and one garden warbler.
A kingfisher was reported between meccano and old bridge and again this morning.  Also today 2 skylark circling low on barleyfield, whitethroat, gre ywagtail on house roof near MS ce4ntre, and 13 Greylags flying north above canal.

A week on the barleyfield.

after the excitement of last Saturday a fairly quiet week. 
Geoff  had also been over last Saturday but about an hour earlier. It was interesting when we finally compared notes on Wednesday to see he had several willow warblers but only one whitethroat whereas I had the reverse.
This was born out this morning when on my way up one elderberry bush was replete with birds but they had all gone when I returned. Two whitethroat four willow warbler chaffinch bullfinch blue tit robin and blackbird were making short work of the fruit.
Talking of fruit which is early this year set me wondering how much will be left when the winter thrushes arrive, not sure I have seen blackbirds feasting on rowan berries in August before.
Geoff had had flock of 17 mistle thush at the weekend and I saw 8/9 flying south this morning. suspect they are the family parties assossiated with the three breeding pairs on the northwern bit of turners field just south of Compton.
Wednesday produced 6 swift and a raven over meccano/tettenhall college.
Monday a kingfisher on the canal by the tennis club.
Today 5/6 chiffchaff including a singing bird at the southern emd of the paddock.
Finally Geoff had picked up on an odd warbler on Saturday which briefly I had seen on Monday and Tuesday (and perhaps very fleetingly today.  We independently both reached the conclusion that it was a particularly grey garden warber, presumably juvenile but it also seemed unusually lethargic.

The barleyfield strikes back

After a quiet few days this morning produced a good crop of migrants.  As I approached the bottom of the barleyfield 2 common whitethroat were sitting in a hawthorn bush and a swift flew south.
several other common whitethroat were seen giving a minimum count of 7 plus single lesser wthroat and willow warbler. 3/4 chiffchaff accompanied 9 or so blackcap in 2 group one in the hole at the top right and the other near the crossroads.
Highlight tho was the spotted flycatcher feeding by the crossroads which was a juvenile followed by  pristine female pied flycatcher which perched briefly on a dead bit of the oak towards the top of the field.
It was pleasing to also see a female kestrel hovering over the lower part of the field-far less common than in years gone by.  I had also seen a bird hovering over the lupin field at the beginning of the week.
resident birds were several jays a female grey wagtail at the water bridge several nuthatch and green woodpecker. the latter I had also seen earlier in the week with juvenile at meccano.
Also earler in the week 3 great spotted woodpeckers inc juvenile at tettenhall station.

addendum to previous post

Given the wind direction not too much to add in terms of migrants.
3 swift over paddocks yesterday was good and a lesser white throat in north west corner of barleyfield feeding sedately low down.
the southern section produced swallow and house and sand martins the latter I suspect on migration but the others could have been local birds as certainly was the recently fledged whitethroat with a nervous parent.

as to resident birds kingfisher at wightwick and a juvenile buzzard with with 2 adults over Compton; seen again today with one parent over barleyfield and settling around ash hill. wonder where they bred? Otherwise lots of blackbirds which seem to have had a good year but no sign of the brood of 5 moorhen near meccano . hope they were hiding not predated.

Late item for last week was calling grey wagtail by meccano my first in valley for 4 months

today a solitary chiffchaff in paddocks in pristine condition

breeding and migration round up

Buzzard; seem to be two different juveniles in the north end of the reserve.
Sparrowhawk; judging by the mewling calls successful nesting as per last few yeaers in hawthorn wood
Moorhen; as often with this species a protracted breeding season, currently a brood of 5 near meccano with a brood of 2(maybe3) close by. Shortly we may see first brood birds feeding chicks.
had been disappointed in numbers reared so far but looking better now.  High rates of predation seem to occur is it rats or gulls or even something from underwater? Also are birds at the north end being pushed out by coots which seem to be spreading from town centre.
Swift; our birds seemed to leave about 24 July not sure about breeding success but numbers reduced on 5 years ago. Odd birds drifted through up till end of last week.
Migrant Warblers; picked up in the last few days the hot spot being the lower western boundary of barleyfield.  Plenty of common whitethroat, few blackcap, willow warbler in ones and twos and chiffchaff. Highlight this morning was a superb juvenile lesser whitethroat from same spot.
Waders; none as far as I know in the valley, just outside on the i54 pool off wobaston rd a green sandpiper in mid july and a wood sandpiper on the last day of july.
finally a common blue butterfly on the barleyfield was a nice spot this morning,

emperor indeed

Just a quick update and apologies to Dave there was indeed an emperor dragonfly at the new pond. It was assertively patrolling up and down as is the habit of this species.  don't think it will have been locally bred because they take couple of years to mature.
It is about time we worked out a name for this pond (morgans folly and the pathetic puddle are past their sell by dates) it also needs a serious clean up and not just from the litter.
otherwise a few small skipper on the barleyfield and single large at turners. worth looking closely at the little skippers because Essex skippers were present at poolhall.
Finally the amount of Japanese knotweed and himalayan balsam is a worry anyone any ideas on eradication?

return of the halcyon

notes from weekend walks around the barleyfield and down to pool hall

Still some singing birds with about 6 each of blackcap, whitethroat and chiffchaff and single willow warbler at pool hall.  2 singing song thrush competing with each other in the paddock and 2 more south of meccano.

evidence of breeding success for whitethroat, blackcap, dunnock, bullfinch, greenfinch, goldfinch and 2 almost fully grown gt crested grebe at pool hall.
plenty of feeding house martin and swift with a single swallow over the barleyfield.

Sighting of kingfisher near smestow school which prompts us to now reveal that after a ten year gap this little jewel has returned as a nesting species.  In order not to compromise the nest no attempt was made to confirm breeding, This was very pleasing though given the number of april sightings not surprising; indeed single birds have been seen in other parts of the valley suggesting perhaps a summering bird or even a second pair.  In contrast apart from angus's bird on the racecourse no sightings apparently of grey wagtail which has bred intermittently.

Picking up on Dave's post plenty of butterfly activity and very noticeable how many ringlets are around this seems to be a species doing especially well and far outnumbering meadow browns. didn't pick up any skippers and expect gatekeepers soon. Plenty of small tortoiseshell and on sunday lots of newly emerged comma.  I saw both common hawker and brown hawker perhaps the former was the possible emperor as it was a blue male

Summer insects: damselflies, dragonflies, butterflies

Wetland Pool is attracting an increasing population of insects despite the growing accumulation of plastic bottles left by lads after their lunch breaks from the nearby school. Whirlygig Beetles whiz around the surface with their peculiar spinning movements. There are smaller numbers of Water Boatmen.

The most visibly abundant insects have been damselflies, especially the Common Blue Damselfly. On June 18th there were over 300 of these crowding over the water, probably newly emerged. Numbers had dropped below 100 by the next day, and gradually declined ever since. The sky blue and black banding of the abdomens of the males was clearly visible when they rested in the sun on the decking, the pond vegetation or even the surface of the water.

In among the common blue damselflies were smaller numbers of Blue-tailed Damselflies. The males of this species are a similar shade of sky-blue, but only on the head and the far end of the abdomen. Females of both species are a lot less conspicuous than the males and look, to my eyes at least, very similar to each other.

A few Common Blues have  been flying at the Turner's Field pond.

There have also been two species of dragonfly in residence at Wetland Pool in the last couple of weeks. There have been as many as half a dozen Broad-bodied Darters at any one time. The males - blue abdomen again, this time with yellow spots - stake out territories on one cove of the pond. They they spend their time patrolling or resting on a preferred perch, ready to see off any competing male, very aggressively. The females are again harder to spot. Their abdomens are yellowish brown, somewhat paler than the head and thorax. They too have preferred perches: the ones I noticed seemed to be a bit further from the water.

A second dragonfly species was represented by one individual which was around for a few days. Yet again blue, it flew fast with frequent, random-seeming changes of direction without ever pausing to land for rest. So I couldn't get a good enough look for identification.

There have also been plenty of butterflies around, though not (yet at least) the huge numbers there were last summer. Some of the nettles have had groups of Peacock caterpillars, their bodies covered in black hairs and spikes to deter would-be predators.

What has surpised me is the number of Ringlets. I don't remember ever noticing them in the Smestow Valley before. That might be because of the way they look. Unless there is a chance to inspect closely, they seem to be a dull greyish brown all over. They rarely give a chance for an inspection, settling on a perch a lot more rarely than allied species like meadow browns and gatekeepers.

But the last few days they seem to have been present in some numbers in all the open meadows in the middle section of the reserve: from Barley Field and Compton Rough, through Sandfields/Dell Field, and the more open areas of Turner's Field.

UPDATE: 6th July. I was back at the pond earlier today, and managed to get a slightly better look at the second dragonfly, just enough to see that the head and perhaps thorax were greenish, the abdomen blue. Tentative identification: Emperor Dragonfly.