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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

sheepwash urban park (1 Viewer)

A pub review site says.....

The pub itself is Victorian. It is mainly in undressed brick, but has moulding around the Romanesque. It has three Gothic roofed gables and a couple of bay windows.

'Them bay bay windows bin 'em?'

This review was from 2013 after it had re-opened as a Real-Ale pub, the previous review from 2012 was short and to the point. Looks like some cracking ales. I'll enquire as to any visa restrictions or border control problems;)

Laurie:t:
 
Time For The Wellies

Hi wash watchers & a warm welcome to all. Fridays weather made observations difficult & with the Johns Lane tunnel flooded another shingle pool visit was cancelled out. The only birds of note that I could see were as follows, Teal x 2, Shoveler x 6, redheaded Goosander x 1 plus the usual amount of Cormorant completed the lunch time fare on the main pools. 30 Fieldfare flying over before the heavens opened were a welcome sight, GSW, Grey Wag, Buzzard & a Kingfisher were also noted before I headed back to work. About 4 o-clock the weather cleared a little & both Peregrine & Kestrel flew towards the Wash. Today I had intended a good few hours but again the inclement weather made birding not a pleasant past time :-C saying that the sun came out at 13-20 but a sad soaking wet birder gave up :smoke: Shoveler have increased up to 9, Teal x 11 with 6 on php & 5 on the Rose Lane pool, Goosander x 5 one being the 1st drake of this winter the only other birds of note were Buzzard, Jay, Kingfisher, Green Woodie & Grey Wag. With the river high & the both tunnels flooded a drive round to the shingle pool & tip was made :eek!: with only 9 Meadow Pipits on the tip it seemed scant reward for a miserable morning birding :smoke: but on a good note there will be no problem parking should there ever be a twitch 3:) Cheers & Happy Birding B :) its my Spanish trip starting tomorrow so I will be handing the baton over to Dave Waite :t:B :)
 
Jolly Boys Outing

Hi Laurie the title says it all I arranged it for my brothers birthday to celebrate his 60th but the tight arse will not be there 3:)B :)
 
Back & Still Boozing

Hi wash watchers & a warm welcome or not so warm to all now I have returned from my Benidorm jollies. A quick stroll around the wash today not including the Shingle Pool due to both tunnels being flooded. Cormorants x 17, Goosander x 8, Pochard x 10, Teal x 6 & Shoveler x 2. Just a reminder for those interested we will be meeting for a drink or two at the Rising Sun tonight ( check previous posts ) Cheers & Happy Birding B :).
 
Hope u had a nice break Mark - did you start a 'from the bar window list' or what? - could'nt make last nite due to other committments but if u are planning a Xmas beer a bit closer to the time or something between Xmas Eve and NYEve i will pull out all the stops.....

Laurie:t:
 
Rising Sun Repeated

Hi Laurie, yes we will be getting together before Xmas :t: I will leave the dates to Geoff & Dave :smoke: Cheers to Craig & Hughie for turning up booze & birds are always a good recipe for a party ;) no matter what your age:-O B :)
 
Baggieshep said:
Hi Laurie, yes we will be getting together before Xmas :t: I will leave the dates to Geoff & Dave :smoke: Cheers to Craig & Hughie for turning up booze & birds are always a good recipe for a party ;) no matter what your age:-O B :)
Click to expand...

Hi Mark

Leave the date to Geoff and Dave. As it will be near Christmas, could you provide some music in the form of Chas and Dave? Oh darlin', there ain't no foolin you.... Altogether, Now I ain't goin to be made a fool no more......B :):king:

Will try and make it if I can.

GavinB :)3:)
 
To Much To Swallow

Hi Wash watchers & a warm welcome to all. Wigeon x 3 yesterday on php were new & a welcome sight & the odd Goldcrest & Coal Tit around the school hedge were also nice to see. A Heron tried its best for about 10mins to swallow a Drake Tufted before giving up :eat: & I can only presume this lucky fellow managed to dive & make its escape to freedom :t:. Little Grebes continue to be present in good numbers on the Wash & another 3 were on the shingle pool along with a single G C Grebe. Cormorant numbers usually vary between 12 - 20, php being favoured but both Johns Lane & the Shingle Pool along with the canal are also took advantage of. Teal x 11 & Shoveler x 3 can usually be found in the Rose Lane pools but the river & most pools on the reserve are also used when trying to count Teal :smoke: & about 10 Pochard are dotted around the main pool. Goosander peaked today at 8 with 6 being redheads in the battle of the sexes that seems to be the census in the county atm ;). Peregrine enjoyed Sunday lunch on a pylon, SparrowHawk caused panic on the railway embankment & a Kestrel hunted over the tip. Other birds of note Kingfisher, G S Woodie, Grey Wags, Jay & a single Meadow Pipit on the tip keep the enthusiasm alive as well as bumping into a Sheepwash rarity in the shape of a Tipton couple ( Mark & Jill ) nice to meet you :t:. Cheers & Happy Birding B :)
 
Mark,

Was the Tufty alive and healthy, or dead and the heron tried to eat it and just gave up? Did the Tufty just then sink below the surface? Whatever the scenario, it is quite an interesting observation. herons are known too try and eat a wide variety of things, I'll have too Google and see what range of items they have attempted. I would have thought the bill would have been difficult to digest and pass?

Gavin
 
Alive & Kicking

Hi Gavin the Tufted was very much alive. When I first noticed the Heron my initial thought was it had caught a large fish then I realised it was a bird. A Little Grebe perhaps? but on closer viewing I was astonished to witness the Drake Tuftie with its wings flapping ten to the dozen, several times the Heron held it under the water & each time tried to position the duck head first for swallowing but with the wings still flapping this made it impossible & I would think very tiring for the Heron. After the Heron released the Tuftie I waited to see what the outcome would be but the Heron seemed to have lost interest but I could not be sure either way of the Tufties survival. I have witnessed Goslings, Ducklings & the odd rodent taken many times even a dead rat played with on the river like a cat may do & then left. It will be interesting to read what other birders have witnessed, this was a first for me.
 
I saw one spear a rat in Mary Stevens Park, Stourbridge, a couple of years ago. It thrust its bill straight thru the middle if then walked off and shook its head until the rodent fell off then swallowed it.....

Laurie:t:
 
Rouge Heron

Hi Wash watchers & a warm all be it a bit fresh welcome to all :t: Today again I was a witness to maybe the same Heron again trying to swallow a Tufted Duck :eek!: this time the bird was lifeless & again after several attempts the Heron was unable to swallow the deceased duck :smoke: Geoff was on the reserve so I phoned him but due to prior commitments he had not got the time to back track. The duck was abandoned in the water wedged between rocks, I had wondered if it was the same victim as the other day ? but Magpies being what they are dragged it to the islands edge & proceeded to pluck it & after about 30 mins it was time to head off back to work:-C. Other species noted, Peregrine, Kestrel, Goosander, Teal, Shoveler, Pochard, Grey Wags & both resident species of the larger Woodies. Cheers & Happy Birding B :).
 

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