• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Coney Meadow and Adjoining Areas (4 Viewers)

Male Yellow Wagtail over Coney circled low and landed briefly in field on the opposite side of the canal then flew over again calling and headed west.
 
A fairly productive weekend - full round-up below:

Mandarin (pair), Tufted Duck (drake), Gadwall (4+, 3 drakes), Coots, Moorhens, Mallards, Canada Geese, Greylag, Grey Herons, Cormorant, Barn Owl, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Buzzards, Ravens, Starlings, Swallows widespread, House Martins (2 over Salwape and 2 Porter's Mill), Sand Martins (several small flocks over but no significant roost at Coney), Willow warblers (9), Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtails, Pied wagtails (50+ roosted at Coney), Lesser Whitethroat (1 Copcut yesterday and 1 near Salwarpe this morning), Common Whitethroat (present all days including this morning at Coney), Reed Warbler near Mildenham, 2 Sedge Warblers near Tapenhall, Reed Buntings, Yellowhammer, still a few Meadow Pipits about in various places, Linnets (two flocks of ~50 at Copcut), Snipe at Coney, Kingfisher, a few Black-headed Gulls and lots of LBB and Herrings, Coal Tits, Nuthatch, Treecreepers (singing), Chiffchaffs now abundant and Blackcaps increasingly common, Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, singing Mistle Thrushes, Skylarks, Song Thrushes, Long-tailed Tits, Bullfinches, Goldcrests and all the other commoner species.

Butterflies included several Small Tortoiseshells and a Peacock.
 
Two Barn Owls together at Coney this evening - perching in trees and calling to each other and showing well in the eastern part of the meadow.

Tawny Owl calling also from High Park area.

Reed Warbler singing from in front of the screen.
 
Cuckoo at Tapenhhall this morning.

Plus Sedge Warbler, 3 Gadwall, 4 Coot and Whitethroat.

Willow Warbler at Porter's Mill.

Lesser Whitethroat at Ladywood.
 
Last edited:
Three species of Owls this evening:

A Little Owl along Copcut Lane, 2 Barn Owls Coney Meadow again around 9 pm and, as I was leaving, a Tawny Owl flew along the canal.

A few Sand Martins over.
A Reed Warbler singing from the reedbed.
Common Whitethroat.

A couple of bats flying about.
 
A quick drive around this morning:

2 Little Owls seen - 1 at Ladywood, 1 between Egg Lane and Jacob's Ladder.
Cuckoo Tapenhall again plus 3 Gadwall. Sedge Warbler also
2 Yellowhammers - Egg Lane area and sand Martin over.
2 Coots on New Mill floods and 3+ around Tapenhall
Common Whitethroat Coney Meadow.
 
Coney Meadow this morning: 2 Sedge Warblers, Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Common Whitethroat and 2 Greylags over.

Ladywood: 1 Little Owl

Tapenhall: 3 Sedge Warblers, 3 Gadwall, Swallows

Copcut Lane: 1 Common Whitethroat

Yesterday evening: 1 Barn Owl, 30+ Sand Martins, Reed Warbler, 1 House Martin, Common Whitethroat, 2 Ravens, 30+ Pied Wagtails.
 
This Morning:

Coney Meadow: Barn Owl, 3 Common Whitethroats, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Pied Wags.

Ladywood: Cuckoo (between L'wood and Salwarpe), Sparrowhawk, G S Woodpecker.

Porter's Mill: Cuckoo, Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Reed Warbler.

Tapenhall: Sedge Warbler, Swallows, Grey Heron, Jays making strange calls I've not heard before.
 
This morning on the patch:

2 Yellow Wagtails between Tapenhall and Chatley
1 Mandarin drake over Tapenhall
6 Willow Wablers around Mildenham plus another at Porter's Mill
6 Sedge Warblers between Tapenhall and Hawford, 1 at Porter's Mill and 3 at Coney Meadow
8 Common Whitethroats on circular walk Tapenhall - Hawford -Chatley - Tapenhall plus 3 Coney Meadow and 2 along Copcut Lane.
Lesser Whitethroat at Coney plus 4 on circular walk
Reed Warblers along canal between Porter's Mill and Hawford (3+ but incomplete coverage of all habitat)
Cuckoo at Tapenhall
Little Owl between Hawford and Chatley (1st I've seen in that location)

3+ Gadwall, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Swalllows, Sand Martin, Skylarks, Meadow Pipit, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, strange Chiffchaff at Porter's Mill (possible Willow-Chiff hybrid), many Blackcaps, House Sparrows, Coal Tits.

A late Redpoll flew over Copcut Lane yesterday morning.
 
Oystercatcher at Tapenhall - new for the year.

Yellow Wagtail Egg Lane

Female Redstart Jacob's Ladder.

Two Cuckoos Coney Meadow first thing plus further birds at Porter's Mill to Mildenham.
 
How has the habitat recovered from last year's fire Dave?

Superficially, the reedbed has recovered to the extent that it now looks pretty much the same as it did before the fire. Ecologically, I think it may take longer to recover - especially for some of the invertebrates to get back to the same levels as before - that may be why the early Gropper didn't linger. Also, the reedbed is being kept much wetter than previously, in order to restrict any future fires from spreading. We're certainly not out of the woods yet this year - I reckon it will take about another month until the new reed growth is established sufficiently. Until then, the reedbed is still worryingly vulnerable to arson attack - especially if there are prolonged periods of dry weather.

Further birds recorded today:

Little Owl at Ladywood
Kestrels at Ladywood, Tapenhall, Jacob's Ladder, Copcut Lane and Coney Meadow (2)
Willow Warblers at Porter's Mill, Mildenham, Ladywood, Droitwich Community Woods and Salwarpe/Coney (3)
Lesser Whitethroats at Jacob's Ladder, Tapenhall, Porter's Mill, Copcut Rise and Droitwich Community Woods.
Common Whitethroats widespread and increasingly common
Snipe Coney Meadow at dusk
Ravens at Tapenhall and Jacob's Ladder plus Salwarpe area
2 Gadwall Tapenhall
Hirundines widespread with some sizeable concentrations, especially over New Mill floods - c150 total (30+ each of House Martins and Swallows, rest Sand Martins)
3 Yellowhammers around Egg Lane / Jacob's Ladder
Female Cetti's Warbler called from Coney reedbed
A couple of Meadow Pipits in the Tapenhall area
Grey Wagtail + 3 well-grown nestlings close to fledging
Tufted Duck at Porter's Mill

Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Coal Tits, Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers, Goldcrests, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Mistle Thrushes, Coots, Skylarks, Kingfisher, Mallards with ducklings, GSW and Green Woodpeckers, Collared Doves, House Sparrows, Starlings, Buzzards, Sparrowhawk, Grey Herons etc.

Muntjac at High Park.
 
Last edited:
Further species recorded today:

Cuckoo Tapenhall
Little Owl between Hawford and Chatley
2 Tufted Ducks Hawford + 1 Porter's Mill
3 Grey Wagtail juveniles have now fledged at Salwarpe and are being fed along the canal by their parents.
Willow Warblers at Salwarpe, Porter's Mill (2+) and Mildenham (2)

3+ Gadwall, Kestrels, Mistle Thrushes, Reed and Sedge Warblers, Lesser and Common Whitethroats, Treecreepers, hirundines, Grey Herons, 2 Kingfishers, 2 Yellowhammers, Reed Buntings, Sparrowhawks, Buzzards, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Green Woodpeckers, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Stock Doves, Ravens at Porter's Mill and Salwarpe.
 
Common Sandpiper on New Mill floods plus lots of hirundines.

Hepatic phase Cuckoo along river between Tapenhall and Mildenham this morning.

Two Gadwall over Salwarpe plus 2+ earlier at Tapenhall.

Orange Tip and Green-veined White butterflies plus Small Tortoiseshell.
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top