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.

HOTEL'S HOME AS HOUSE MARTIN 

CHECK IN FOR THE SUMMER . . . 

A month's absence, so time to shake sand from the travelling bags and see how green is our valley as mid-summer approaches.  At home, a pair of Robins are feeding a second brood in their nest behind a screen of ivy, young Blue Tit and Great Tit are passing through the garden, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush and Blackbird are still singing sporadically, Nuthatch call from Newbridge wood, and Wood Pigeon, Crow and Magpie forage on the playingfield.   They were late, but two Swift pairs have set up in eaves of houses opposite, and the road's only House Martin pair are again in residence.

 

Down at  Dunstall Park,  at least two Blackcap and two Chiffchaff are still in voice,  Chaffinch sing in canalside trees and young Rook fledged from the site's oak copse colony feed with their parents on the central grass area, near to a flock of 25 Canada Geese and a single Greylag.  At the lake, brief glimpses of a stripe-necked juvenile Little Grebe on June 1st  show that nesting has been successful here for the first time since the year 2000 (at least three adults were present on June 6th), five adult Mute Swan were seen on June 1st  (almost certainly some of the 12 birds which were present on May 11th), with four still there on June 6th, and at least 14 scruffy-looking moulting Mallard are sleeping on the island.  Four pairs of Coot are feeding youngsters some of which are now nearly adult size, at least one adult Moorhen is present,  an adult Grey Heron was by the lake on June 1st, and on June 6th a Grey Wagtail foraged on the concrete run-off apron from the Smestow brook culvert.  Lakeside bushes are attracting House Sparrow, Greenfinch and Dunnock, with adult and juvenile Starling sunning themselves on the banks of island brambles.  The racecourse ground staff report that three Barn Swallow pairs are breeding in the stables, that a Pied Wagtail pair have sucessfully fledged young, and that, best of all, House Martins have taken up residence on the hotel building, their three nests tucked in under the roof overhang, safe and dry, away from the weather.  This engaging migrant has for decades nested in numbers at the nearby Farndale housing estate, but this is the first time they have bred on the racecourse site itself.

 

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

                          

no title

First walk in the valley since return from far north of Scotland, still the odd singing warbler; chiffchaff blackcap and garden warbler.  On walk from newbridge to town via the 21 locks biggest surprise was lack of moorhens, only saw 1 brood of 3 by lock 19.  by contrast there were more coot at the town end single under viaduct followed by pair with 2 young under railway drive and pair with 5/6 young at horsley fields. (note I cut across from Stafford rd to carvers so missed about half a mile).
No sign of common tern that had seen a few years ago fishing the canal by horsley fields (always wiondered where it came from ?? clayhanger seems a long way but do they breed closer it was end june).
Notable in Scotland was the number of singing Sedge warblers on the north coast but not that many willows.  both species seem to me to be scarce in England this year.

Robins join the hit list & back in the valley having an Owl of a time!

A few challenges in the health department followed by a backlog of commitments has kept me so near yet so far from Geoff's seat at TheBarleyfield!!

However I did manage to get down for the first time at the start of the month and boy did it feel good!

Nature has an amazing habit of creating a bond with you and the more you spend time enjoying the beauty and wildlife on a patch, the stronger this bond becomes. On Sunday 4th May I took a journey South from Compton Park down to Castlecroft canal bridge on a beautiful evening. It felt so intoxicating and everything felt magnified as I was drawn to all that moved or caught the eye as I got back up to speed with the valley.

At Graisley culvert 2 Chiffchaff were singing along with a Whitethroat and a Blackcap.

"Compton Rough" near the lock was looking all the better for the scalping last year and it was great to see a Whitethroat performing it's display song flight from the Globe Buddleja there. A pair of Goldfinch were nearby.

South of Compton Road there were plenty more Common Whitethroat with birds singing at The Sandfields, Turners Field and Wightwick Fields. Pheasant seem to have drifted North into the Nature Reserve this year with birds calling from Wightwick Lock, Wightwick Fields and the paddocks just North of Castlecroft canal bridge.

The highlight just had to be a stunning Little Owl on the West midlands side of the border

The Little Owl breaks away from the mould by being active by day,
but is often most obvious during twilight hours.

Other highlights were:

21 Magpie and 100 Woodpigeon on Smestow playing fields, together with a pre-roost Buzzard worming.

1 Grey Wagtail South over Wightwick lock.

Male Yellowhammer singing at Castlecroft canal bridge.

The following morning, I was still intoxicated so wrapped up for a dawn circuit of the mid-section from Compton to Newbridge, taking in Compton Park and the Barleyfield.

I was rewarded with a singing Garden warbler which, though distant, allowed me to get a poor shot (they all are! - only just worked out which way round to point the camera!) as it sang beautifully from the top of the Barleyfield.

Other highlights were:

A Willow Warbler singing from the Eastern border

4 singing Common Whitethroat around the Barleyfield and also one still present on Compton Rough. What looked like a pair were in the scrub in the SW corner of the upper playingfields by Meccano Bridge

Adult Mute Swan SW over Meccano Bridge

Grey Heron at Compton Park wetland.

Goldcrest at top of Barleyfield.

2 Stock Dove at Compton Park wetland

3 Swallow low South over the Barleyfield.

A female Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard over the college on the ridge.

Petitions:

As Ian pointed out in his last posting there are a mountain of issues which have petitions. Most of these can be seen on the Twitter feed attached to this blog.

There is one that is really close to home though, which is bound to shock you all!

Please read this article by Patrick Barkham on The Guardian Comment entitled "What do robins, buzzards and badgers have in common? They're all on the Tories' kill list" - speaks for itself really

Comment: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/26/robins-badgers-buzzards-tory-kill-list

If you just happen to care for our beautiful robin, which to most is our national bird, then you may just wish to sign this petition to "STOP NATURAL ENGLAND FROM GIVING PEOPLE THE RIGHT TO KILL ROBINS AND DESTROY THEIR NESTS AND EGGS"

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/877/675/729/dont-let-them-kill-the-birds-and-destroy-their-eggs/

Last but not least, and to complete my re acquaintance with the valley I shall be attending the SMESTOW VALLEY ADVISORY GROUP MEETING TONIGHT, and will be providing an update over the next few days. I will also be collating records for the valley now that the transition from paper reporting to online is almost complete. Thank you to all who have submitted records over the past months via e-mail. the year list will get some TLC at the weekend.

Thank you to all blog readers. We have crossed 20,000 page views, which isn't bad after just 17 months!

GREAT TO BE BACK!!

beyond belief

Our reader may be aware of the catastrophic decline in vulture populations in India.  The cause has been identified as an anti-inflammatory drug used by vetenarians on cattle called diclofenac. It has now been banned over there but unbelievably it has recently been licensed by the EU authorities for use in southern Europe where several, already endangered vulture species breed.
To register your opposition please follow the following link; www.change.org/petitions/european-union-diclofenac-the-vulture-killing-drug-is-now-available-on-eu-market
Whilst on ethical issues, I suspect our reader is already aware of the continuing slaughter of spring migrants in Malta.  Let the Maltese government know why you wont consider going there for a holiday and pressure your newly elected MEPs to challenge the derogation which allows them to shoot turtle doves and ortolans amongst others.
Meanwhile back in the valley things are quietening down altho the willow warbler is still singing forlornly in the barleyfield accompanied by garden warbler. the Little owl is also frequenting castle croft bridge.

the swifts are back

round up of other reports for first half of May

Greylag Geese
3 flying SE on 3rd
and today a single flying towards town over Newbridge and then 9 in single file going northwest over wightwick (the seventh bird in the chain was a bit odd).  Suspect6 they may be from the Chillington flock.

Moorhen
today had my first young of the year on canal-3 at wightwick Mill
this is a month earlier than last6 year and two earlier than after the bad winter of 2009.
altho had a week old bird at Perton at end April.

Coot
nesting pair under Dunstall viaduct

Kingfisher
By Meccano today

Swift
3 birds at Wightwick on 10th drifting north and over the house and in Reans from Wednesday

Common Whitethroat

good numbers in southern half of valley

Lesser Whitethroat

Singing bird at newbridge on 3rd and bird seen at south end of Turners field on 10th but none today

Garden warbler
1 maybe 2 on 10th at smallholdings still there on 15th
Today birds on barley and turners field also smestow bank

AT LONG LAST, A LONE SEDGE WARBLER JUST SINGING, JUST SINGING IN THE RAIN . . .

ALDERSLEY/OXLEY,   SUNDAY  MAY 11th.

It's blustery, wet and cool, but worth trying another trip to the valley's northern end to see what, if anything, has touched down on passage.  A pretty poor year so far for migrants, and we're running out of time, for the best weeks in the valley are usually the last in April and the first in May.  So, shoulders hunched, bins covered against the rain, and it's a somewhat squelchy slog under the Jones Road railway viaduct and on to the canal towpath past the last few of the Wolverhampton 21 locks.  Despite the weather there's song from a Song Thrush, three Blackcap, at least four Chiffchaff and churring calls from Whitethroat in brambles and bushes around the sloped grass field leading up to the railway carriageworks.  A male Reed Bunting sings from the edge of thicket and copse close to lock 20,  and nearby a male Greenfinch's weezing notes bring a response from another bird the other side of the canal.  A female Mallard guards her brood of five duckling as they swim in and out of bankside vegetation, a single Swallow skims the surface and flicks back over the hedge towards its racecourse nest site, it seems that's all of note, so back towards the Stafford Road and the car.  It's raining again, brief  squalls ruffling the water, when, just audible, there come scritching, scratching, chattering notes from the base of bushes just below lock 18, the song at first subdued but then increasing in intesity.  Nothing to see at first, but then a movement just above the water line, the shape small, round-tailed and brown-rumped, the broad white stripe above the eye clear against the semi-darkness at the base of the bushes, our first recorded Sedge Warbler for the year, moving among the stems and picking insects from the base of the leaves.  This stretch of the canal has been a favoured by these diminutive migrants for decades, but last year none were reported from anywhere in the valley.  Nowadays they are only with us for a short time, but in the 1990s they nested successfully by the Staffs & Worcs Canal at Wightwick and at Compton, the earliest return date so far being April 15th in 2011.  Today's bird continues to sing sporadically, never ascending more than a few feet above the base of the bushes and eventually disappearing into the gloom.  The weather's lifting somewhat, so let's give the racecourse a go . . .

 

 

DUNSTALL PARK,    MONDAY MAY 11th.    

 

It's a story of mystery appearances and disappearances at the Dunstall Park.  Firstly, a mass swan invasion, and secondly, a breeding calamity for geese.  Ten Mute Swan were seen on the lake on May 3rd, and today there are 12.   At least seven are immature birds, and their grouping with a handful of adults suggests families may be involved.  Quite where they have come from is a mystery, and the size of the flock is only equalled by six adults and six youngsters which flew in on November 2nd 2008.  As for the Canada Geese, at least six pairs were sitting on the lake island, but by mid-April all nests were empty.  Quite what forced the birds to quit is a mystery, as there was no sign of broken eggs or of dead goslings.  Weather conditions were not harsh, so some kind of predation may have taken place.  Lesser Black-backed Gulls have almost certainly taken Coot chicks this year, and Mink have been seen along the nearby canals in the past.  The Little Grebe pair are still present, but  no youngsters have been seen, so maybe nesting has failed.  A pair of Barn Swallow appear to be setting up inside the Smestow brook culvert pipe by the lake (a pair nested there in 1998), and at least two pairs are breeding in the stables at the other end of the site.

                   

Recent racecourse records include the Gadwall pair still at the lake on April 26th, a nesting Goldfinch near the parade ring,  a singing Lesser Whitethroat on the western edge on April 26th, a Pheasant calling from the oak copse on April 26th, and a male Wheatear on April 29th.  Elsewhere along the valley,  Geoff reports that a Garden Warbler first heard at the top of the Compton barleyfield on May 4th was still present on 11th,  and Gary Christianson from the Pool Hall lane smallholding reported an Oystercatcher flying low along the canal towards Windmill Lane on May 5th, and a group of Swift moving northwards on May 8th, the first local record this year.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

               

weekend composite

This post is a combination of three reports having bumped into both Angus and Geoff .
Kingfisher; couple of sightings in the southern half along the canal
sand Martin one over lupin field
Whitethroat scattered throughout valley10+
Skylark displaying bird between castlecroft and pool hall
Linnet pair just south castlecroft bridge
Lesser Whitethroat both Geoff and Angus  heard, barleyfield and lupin field respectively maybe also one at wightwick
Yellow wagtail calling bird over the rough ground between pines and dell
Reed Buntings mating birds on the lupin field confounding angus who was lamenting their disappearance.
Thrushes; pair of mistles at Compton and several Songs suggesting much better year for both.
Finally more Chiffchaff song than blackcap today reversing events of recent days