West Midlands/Warwickshire local patches. (1 Viewer)

[rollingthunder]

I am just surprised that a flock of that size has not been reported elsewhere in the Midlands region, or has it?

Leasowes - i remember it well, i used to be based there for some courses i taught on, my best find was a Winter Dipper up by Beeches Pool on the golf course.....

Laurie:t:

 

[shhh]

I am just surprised that a flock of that size has not been reported elsewhere in the Midlands region, or has it?

Leasowes - i remember it well, i used to be based there for some courses i taught on, my best find was a Winter Dipper up by Beeches Pool on the golf course.....

Laurie:t:

i'm keeping an eye out but no sign yet apart from kayd's sighting on this thread

i've had a couple of suggestions that they are probably feral birds, but i'm not aware of any populations locally that could account for that many birds - i'd be interested to hear other's opinions on whether they might be 'wild' or not

either way they're going on my local patch list

dipper is something i'm hoping for but no luck yet - good to know it's been seen there before

B

jon

 

[yamyam]

i'm keeping an eye out but no sign yet apart from kayd's sighting on this thread

i've had a couple of suggestions that they are probably feral birds, but i'm not aware of any populations locally that could account for that many birds - i'd be interested to hear other's opinions on whether they might be 'wild' or not

either way they're going on my local patch list

dipper is something i'm hoping for but no luck yet - good to know it's been seen there before

B

jon

Hi Jon, Nowhere near the size of your flock but I had 23 Barnacles over Sandwell Valley today but we know that they are the Edgebaston pool birds. There is no reason that your birds where not wild there have been large flocks seen in the past with 53 birds over Branston 13th November 1987 and 120 birds at Bittel on the 15th November 1987, with a bit of luck there will be other sighting of your birds and we can track there movements.
Good Birding YAMYAM

 

[shhh]

Hi Jon, Nowhere near the size of your flock but I had 23 Barnacles over Sandwell Valley today but we know that they are the Edgebaston pool birds. There is no reason that your birds where not wild there have been large flocks seen in the past with 53 birds over Branston 13th November 1987 and 120 birds at Bittel on the 15th November 1987, with a bit of luck there will be other sighting of your birds and we can track there movements.
Good Birding YAMYAM

thanks for the info yamyam - much appreciated

:t:

 

[timmyjones]

i thought they were canadas at first - here's a crop of the front of the flock - looking again there may be some canadas in there

jon

eta: having had a good look at the original images they all look like barnacles to me (maybe 1 canada) - there are c80 birds in the picture and there were maybe a dozen or so that i didn't capture in the image

have you got any other pics showing the 2 geese in the top of the cropped pic at different angles? Look like Canada Geese and surprisingly small when compared to Barnacle Geese! 'Normal' Canada should be significantly bigger whereas these birds appear to only be slightly bigger! An interesting record nonetheless!

 

[shhh]

have you got any other pics showing the 2 geese in the top of the cropped pic at different angles? Look like Canada Geese and surprisingly small when compared to Barnacle Geese! 'Normal' Canada should be significantly bigger whereas these birds appear to only be slightly bigger! An interesting record nonetheless!

i only got two pics

these were the birds i was unsure of initially - looking at both the original pics they are definitely barnacles for me

the face patterns are much clearer in the picture not posted

attached is a crop from both pictures (only adjustment exp comp)

any thoughts on whether they are 'proper wild'? - i'm pretty sure they're not local

jon

 

[timmyjones]

i only got two pics

these were the birds i was unsure of initially - looking at both the original pics they are definitely barnacles for me

the face patterns are much clearer in the picture not posted

attached is a crop from both pictures (only adjustment exp comp)

any thoughts on whether they are 'proper wild'? - i'm pretty sure they're not local

jon

Thanks for your reply, I'd agree Barnacles as well, too pale on upperwing for Canada

Didn't there used to be a regular wintering flock at Bittell Reservoirs in Worcs?

 

[shhh]

Thanks for your reply, I'd agree Barnacles as well, too pale on upperwing for Canada

Didn't there used to be a regular wintering flock at Bittell Reservoirs in Worcs?

'new birds of the west midlands' states that the flock peaked at 146 in 1988 but in 1989 only six birds arrived and nothing after that - but it only covers up to 2001

B

 

[Phil Andrews]

ALPINE SWIFT over Wolverhampton University this afternoon

 

[rollingthunder]

That's some record, they're not even back in Morocco this early?:eek!:

Laurie:t:

 

[Brian Stretch]

Another fantastic find by Craig, @midlandsbirder

Brian
_________________
Worcester Birding

 

[Kevin Clements]

flock of around 100 barnacle geese over halesowen this morning at about 10.00am heading north

jon

Jon,

Record accepted. An exceptional flock of Barnacle Geese for the West Midlands whatever their origin.

Kevin

 

[steve_zodiac]

Jon,

Record accepted. An exceptional flock of Barnacle Geese for the West Midlands whatever their origin.

Kevin

Possibly some of the Slimbridge flock heading back north.

 

[wolfbirder]

Anyone know if the Alpine Swift roosted, or did it fancy a night at a more salubrious joint?

 

[rollingthunder]

Possibily Handsworth, where it'll be guaranteed one

Laurie:t:

 

[shhh]

Jon,

Record accepted. An exceptional flock of Barnacle Geese for the West Midlands whatever their origin.

Kevin

thanks kevin

Possibly some of the Slimbridge flock heading back north.

could well be

:t:

 

[andyr]

Anyone know if the Alpine Swift roosted, or did it fancy a night at a more salubrious joint?

Hi Nick

An (the ?) Alpine Swift was reported in Hertfordshire today.

Cheers
Andy R.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Black-necked Grebe at Stubbers Mill

 

[Phil Andrews]

Yellow-browed Warbler at Hays Mills today; site description sounded like the perimeter fence of Tyseley Waste Disposal plant :eek!: