Had a good morning weather wise at Sandwell this morning, had a good look round took my time to see what was around got there around 7.40am weather was sunny but a chilly wind blew across the reserve.
First port of call was the screen at the bottom of the little coppice just over the railway bridge on the left, not much to see down here at the moment the river was quite high for the time of year and very fast running. They have now made a little path through the coppice and added a couple of steps so be careful as there are no signs or suggestions that there are steps on the path, at the bottom of the coppice just to the right of the screen we have more steps taking you down to the river side this is now a overgrown scrub place with a small path through the scrub.
Next we approach the marsh and reed beds this has been newly refurbished this year and is now starting to look good unfortunately again the water levels seemed a lilt high but the general use of the area is now much more bird orientated only problem could do with a seat by the screen or something to rest your baggage on.
Walking round to the band stand was a very useful area what with the marsh and reeds to the one side and the river and open area to the other leading to the trees on both sides many species could be heard in this area from warblers to starlings.
Looking from the Band Stand across the pool was a little disappointing as they have taken out the reeds from just in front of the screen this used to be a great area to watch Warblers and Reed Buntings in the past but today you could hear them but no sightings in this area.
The walk along the rest of the reserve was very pleasant with the pool and the river providing some common species and a surprise or two (green woodpecker drinking from the river & a rook trying to chase a house sparrow on the footpath in front of me).
Outside of the reserve we have the second Island this as now started to grow back with a small amount of undergrowth starting to form on the island quite surprised to see 3 Little Ringed Plover on here though.
Now for the hide with island directly in front of the hide a little over grown it was hard to see anything on there but did see a Oystercatcher family there is only one chick as far as I could see but to the left of the hide on the pebbled area they have a sitting Little Ringed Plover, they also have a Common Tern and one chick on the raft just to the left of the island in front of the hide.
On to the feeding station now by the old centre again this proved to provide the regular garden birds and the regular Grey Squirrels in abundance many Finches and Tits in this area.
Will be putting some of the photographs of the views around the reserve on my flickr page from 15/06/2012 eventually left the reserve around 1.45pm.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/1963adrian/
Here follows my list for today 14/06/2012
Dunnock, Magpie, Wood Pigeon, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Coot, Kingfisher, Lapwing, Carrion Crow, Moorhen, Mute Swan & 4 Cygnets, Canada Goose, Common Tern & 1chick, Reed Bunting, Blackbird, Green Woodpecker, Reed Warbler, Jay, Black Headed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Kestrel, Oystercatcher, House Sparrow, Rook, Little Ringed Plover, Peregrine Falcon, Starling, Collared Dove, Stock Dove, Song Thrush, Blue Tit, Bull Finch, Common Whitethroat, Robin, Wren, Great Tit, Chaffinch & Green Finch