Withymoor - Amblecote, Stourbridge..... (2 Viewers)

rollingthunder · Apr 10, 2013

Tue 9th April..................

Withymoor ca1315

A quick stroll down pulled in a hunting female Sparrowhawk whilst on the pool itself were 9 pairs of Tufted Duck, the most i have recorded there since the Autumn. Gulls were thin on the ground with the ca10 BHG's being joined by another 25 or so, LBB's were represented by 3 adults and a 3rd Winter-type. In addition a solitary Fieldfare flew over calling.

During th lull i happend to be looking at a Police helicopter hovering somewhere over Brierley Hill (i think it would make more sense to base it around here, it's where it seems to spend an inordinate amount of time). Adjacent to it i saw a couple of birds, one looked Buzzard-sized the other a crow-type, this was with the naked eye. A quick raising of the 'bins revealed a Red Kite being mobbed by a Carrion Crow!

Now, a tick from the 'patch' is not the same as one either on or over the patch. This was at about 1347 and 2-3 mins later the pair had drifted towards the railway line and then over the pool, well inside the BirdDenudedTriangle.

This was possibly the same individual that has been seen both @ Warrens Hall and FensPools recently? Plumage details might establish this. The bird i saw looked an 'immature' type with the underside of the wings not as contrasty as a full adult imo. This must be a wandering non-breeder from wherever? As more sightings of this species occur and the breeding comes ever closer, at present pairs are in Clun/Herefordshire/Shropshire so it won't be long before Worcs/Staffs have breeding pairs if not already.

Leo Smith is co-ordinating records of breeding etc and his details can be found on the Internet by searching, below is a background info link also the Wiki page on RK. It's hard to believe that there is an estimated 2,000 breeding pairs in the UK and we are now 'exporting' them back to the areas where we had them from at the start of the scheme!

http://gigrin.co.uk/welshkitetrust/leosmith.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Kite

Laurie:t:

Below - a couple of pics from ystda. OK i know they will not win any prizes but they are from an Iphone, the lens' is made for close shots and landscapes. Distant or mid-distance objects always look much smaller.

Paul Allan Legge · Apr 10, 2013

Did Ounty John this morning with my Grandaughter. Weather dull,the sun did try to come out. Had my 1st Wheatear of Year(Male) on top of Mud by where they are laying pipes down towards County Lane. Also 100+Fieldfares Green Woodpecker+another calling. Num Skylarks,dunnocks&Mistle Thrushs.

steve_zodiac · Apr 10, 2013

Raven still appearing most mornings over Brierley Hill town centre (Marsh park) usually flying towards Wordsley. Saw it a couple of mornings last week, again yesterday morning, but not today.

rollingthunder · Apr 11, 2013

Wed Mar 10th..............

Milder, much milder and quite pleasant......for a change but there's always something to moan about, fortunately - very little sun!

A 2 hour bimble around the general Withymoor area failed to produce any migrants. The pool itself was quiet with a noisy party of about a dozen LBB's, mainly adults but also a couple of sub-ad included. Tufted Duck had increased from 9 pairs with the addition of another male.

West Hagley Fields ca 15-1630

Very quiet but congrats to Paul on the first posted Wheatear of the 'Spring'. There are ample fields for feeding, it will be interesting to see if anything uses the 'flash' water feature and to see how long this lasts. There certainly does'nt appear to be much work going on as far as the pipe laying is concerned altho there are people tinkering about with infrastructure at the pumping station?

I only recorded a single Buzzard and a distant, calling, Green Woodpecker, it was probably mocking me for not getting a Wheatear yet:C I did have several interesting sightings of my shadow which means the sun had put in an appearance

I made my way down past the 'pool' to the junction with County Lane and was about to swing right on my pushbike and back to Stourhole. My attention was drawn to the continuing pipeline and the next field as i heard the rattle of some Fieldfares. A lot of the field is hidden by the soil that has been banked up prior to pipe-laying. A wander over and up onto the bund revealed a field crawling with a wide range of birds!

I would estimate in excess of 1000 easily. Several hundred corvids, groups of Yellowhammers and Skylarks, mixed Wood Pigeons and Stock Doves and the most numerous about 500+ Fieldfares/Redwings with about 350 of the former. Easily the largest party i have had this Winter. This field has recently had manure spread on it so i assume this is the attraction? There were a couple of tractors harrowing on the usual fields. The light was very hazy and i only had bins but i will re-visit this afternoon to have a closer scrutiny.

With Spring in mind.......In Blighty we are eagerly awaiting the harbingers of Summer altho the situation is NOT the same in a couple of notable Mediterranean islands, namely Malta and Cyprus - 2 i will not visit until the situation improves altho i am glad some birders make an effort to disrupt some of the local 'sportsmen'. The situation in Cyprus is a bit more sinister with widespread trapping taking place in order to provide much-needed delecacies for the table! There is evidence that organised crime is now involved and that large areas of British Crown land around military bases are being used.

A German birding organisation has been actively involved in local 'enlightenment' for a number of years and have, again this year, dispatched a hardy crew. Given the current disdain in which most Germans are viewed in Cyprus at present their arrival might just give the local shooters an alternative target if migration is a bit quiet!

Link below.......

http://www.komitee.de/en/projects/cyprus

Laurie:t:

rollingthunder · Apr 12, 2013

Thur 11th Mar.............

The change to milder, warmer weather is going to be slow and subtle, by the looks of it, with a bit of wet and (for Sunday) Windy conditions. This should bring forth a torrent of Summer visitors to comb for next week.....hopefully.

Despite this, there has been a sprinkling of migrants with record numbers of Avocet and few hirundines at UW, a couple of Ospreys thru locally, Ring Ouzels reported in this part of The Black Country. It's all down to coverage and then reporting the stuff.The birds are where the birders are, if nobody gets out and find them then they don't exist - if you get my drift.

There was even a Lapland Bunting reported @ Berryhill, late-Winter bird or a migrant 'drifted' over on the current run of Easterlies? Who can tell. I remember opening the door to the Lighthouse on Blakeney Point one brilliant early-May morning to see a full Summer-plumaged male Lapland Bunting sitting in a Gorse bush about 25 yards away! The bird then proceeded to sing. Almost certainly a 'drift' migrant!

Withymoor ca1130

Tufted Duck down to 6 males and 5 females
LBBGulls - half a dozen around the pool.

Nothing else of note.

I decided to start visiting a relatively 'new' site.........Ridge Hill @ Wordsley.

I have paid the odd visit before but nothing regular. For those of you who don't know of the site i will give a little detail. It is situated behind Wordsley Church and rises to what looks like about the same height, once you have walked to the summit. The OS gives the height at 181metres that is about 380' - not that high really? It's main attraction, for me, is that it is isolated. Both Clent to the SE and Kinver to the W are along way off. It is certainly a good vantage point for looking over this part of the Black Country. Habitat-wise if you approach thru the Churchyard and Cemetery it consists of grassland and scrub with isolated bushes, several acres of it. Once on the summit there is a steep scarp with mixed Birch woodland. Adjacent is the very large site of the old Wordsley Hospital and former Workhouse.

It is also a fairly quiet place to set up with a tripod and scope for an hour or so. Yesterday was quiet with only the local Woodies bombing about, a few LBB's, a couple of Buzzards and a Green Woodpecker. I shall be checking this area far more regularly for passage birds and general 'viz-mig', it is about 10 mins up the road on my pushbike and can be added to the list of 'local' sites and within the dreaded BDT - you have been warned

Below - an ariel view of Ridge Hill and surrounding area and a Photoshop panorama from the summit taken by me yesterday. It is about 150degrees.

Laurie:t:

Laurie:t:

g.h.1 · Apr 12, 2013

Managed a walk around Hagley Fields / Brakemill area yesterday morning (11.April) no luck on any passage birds only ( summer ) visitors noted were 3/4 Chiffchaff and 3 ( winter visiting ) female Goosander still holding on at the pool, and also still a good sprinkleing of winter thrushes. Nice to catch up with one of the more resident birds though - Treecreeper. ( Can be a tricky one to connect with at times. )
Glenn

rollingthunder · Apr 12, 2013

Not a good start to page 6, Glenn.......I shall have a boot around the fields this afternoon providing it isn't persisting down! - Hopefully there will be something to post and things should be different next week.

Laurie:t:

steve_zodiac · Apr 12, 2013

5 Avocets on Grove pool, on the Fens nature reserve this morning.

steve_zodiac · Apr 12, 2013

rollingthunder said:
Thur 11th Mar.............

The change to milder, warmer weather is going to be slow and subtle, by the looks of it, with a bit of wet and (for Sunday) Windy conditions. This should bring forth a torrent of Summer visitors to comb for next week.....hopefully.

Despite this, there has been a sprinkling of migrants with record numbers of Avocet and few hirundines at UW, a couple of Ospreys thru locally, Ring Ouzels reported in this part of The Black Country. It's all down to coverage and then reporting the stuff.The birds are where the birders are, if nobody gets out and find them then they don't exist - if you get my drift.

There was even a Lapland Bunting reported @ Berryhill, late-Winter bird or a migrant 'drifted' over on the current run of Easterlies? Who can tell. I remember opening the door to the Lighthouse on Blakeney Point one brilliant early-May morning to see a full Summer-plumaged male Lapland Bunting sitting in a Gorse bush about 25 yards away! The bird then proceeded to sing. Almost certainly a 'drift' migrant!

Withymoor ca1130

Tufted Duck down to 6 males and 5 females
LBBGulls - half a dozen around the pool.

Nothing else of note.

I decided to start visiting a relatively 'new' site.........Ridge Hill @ Wordsley.

I have paid the odd visit before but nothing regular. For those of you who don't know of the site i will give a little detail. It is situated behind Wordsley Church and rises to what looks like about the same height, once you have walked to the summit. The OS gives the height at 181metres that is about 380' - not that high really? It's main attraction, for me, is that it is isolated. Both Clent to the SE and Kinver to the W are along way off. It is certainly a good vantage point for looking over this part of the Black Country. Habitat-wise if you approach thru the Churchyard and Cemetery it consists of grassland and scrub with isolated bushes, several acres of it. Once on the summit there is a steep scarp with mixed Birch woodland. Adjacent is the very large site of the old Wordsley Hospital and former Workhouse.

It is also a fairly quiet place to set up with a tripod and scope for an hour or so. Yesterday was quiet with only the local Woodies bombing about, a few LBB's, a couple of Buzzards and a Green Woodpecker. I shall be checking this area far more regularly for passage birds and general 'viz-mig', it is about 10 mins up the road on my pushbike and can be added to the list of 'local' sites and within the dreaded BDT - you have been warned

Below - an ariel view of Ridge Hill and surrounding area and a Photoshop panorama from the summit taken by me yesterday. It is about 150degrees.

Laurie:t:

Laurie:t:

Lighthouse on Blakeney Point?? Where?

Pam_m · Apr 12, 2013

g.h.1 said:
Managed a walk around Hagley Fields / Brakemill area yesterday morning (11.April) no luck on any passage birds only ( summer ) visitors noted were 3/4 Chiffchaff and 3 ( winter visiting ) female Goosander still holding on at the pool, and also still a good sprinkleing of winter thrushes. Nice to catch up with one of the more resident birds though - Treecreeper. ( Can be a tricky one to connect with at times. )
Glenn

Nice one with the Treecreeper Glenn. I normally see one on the trees in one of the gardens.
I had a walk down Brake Lane and around Brake Mill on Wednesday. A few Fieldfare, a couple of Mistle Thrush and a GSW were the pick of the bunch at Brake Lane. At Brake Mill the highlight was the Redwings as I was returning to my car, they were foraging in the leaves along with a couple of Blackbirds in the wooded area at the back of the house that is on the corner opposite the barn conversions. The Redwings suddenly started to sing..I thought it was a Siskin flock at first! A lovely sound that I have not heard from Redwings before.
I have only seen one of the Adult Swans at the Pool for the last few visits, I hope the other adult is ok. I haven't seen anyone local to ask if they know of it's whereabouts.

g.h.1 · Apr 12, 2013

Pam_m said:
Nice one with the Treecreeper Glenn. I normally see one on the trees in of the gardens.
I had a walk down Brake Lane and around Brake Mill on Wednesday. A few Fieldfare, a couple of Mistle Thrush and a GSW were the pick of the bunch at Brake Lane. At Brake Mill the highlight was the Redwings as I was returning to my car, they were foraging in the leaves along with a couple of Blackbirds in the wooded area at the back of the house that is on the corner opposite the barn conversions. The Redwings suddenly started to sing..I thought it was a Siskin flock at first! A lovely sound that I have not heard from Redwings before.
I have only seen one of the Adult Swans at the Pool for the last few visits, I hope the other adult is ok. I haven't seen anyone local to ask if they know of it's whereabouts.

Hi Pam
Seen both Mute Swans there yesterday on my visit ( They looked sound to me. ) I too had Redwing singing at the local patch this morning ( I know what you mean about the song, a few years back I spent ages trying to track down an unfamiliar sub song coming from a Hawthorn thicket ( they seem to have the ability to be able to throw there voice which doesnt help ! ) finally managed to "nail" the culprit down - Redwing ) And about Treecreeper, just could not catch up with one this year till yesterdays visit, then this morning picked a second one up locally -two in two day's !
See you out there soon
Cheers Glenn

g.h.1 · Apr 12, 2013

rollingthunder said:
Not a good start to page 6, Glenn.......I shall have a boot around the fields this afternoon providing it isn't persisting down! - Hopefully there will be something to post and things should be different next week.

Laurie:t:

Go find one out Laurie, any migrant will do! ( will be visiting the high fields as regular as poss. from next week. )
Let's hope things improve for next week , saying that though did see a good number of Swallows and Sand Martins feeding on the Moors at U.W. in the drizzle yesterday.

rollingthunder · Apr 13, 2013

UW - turned up a few migrant bits and bobs ystda, notably 67:eek!: Blackwits and at least 5 poss 6 Little Gulls!

Re: The 'Lighthouse' on BP - a bit confusing, sorry about that. It was the Lifeboat station - the service runs on an inflatable from Blakeney now. In years gone by there used to be a lamp from that little room on top of the building. This was used during periods of bad weather both as a warning of the dangerous sand (which shifts seasonally) but also used in conjuction with several large White metal triangles situated in the dunes could be used to line up the entrance to Blakeney channel to get you around to a safe mooring. The little wooden 'shed' attached to the rear was the 'old' lifeboat house now used by students doing botanical and salt/freshwater habitat accretion IIRC.

Halycon days...........

Pic below.

Laurie:t:

rollingthunder · Apr 13, 2013

Fri 12th April..............

Things seem to be livening up with ystda producing bits and bobs all over the place and FensPools taking pride of place with 5 Avocets and a Marsh Harrier. Red Kite also picked up locally @ Clent.

Withymoor ca1330

Green Woodpecker
Tufted Duck - 3 pairs
Buzzard x2
Herring Gull - single adult with a 'dangly' leg
LBBGull - 3/4 adults and a 3rd Winter-type
Sparrowhawk - hunting female

West Hagley Fields ca1530

Bugger all 'cept some Skylarks

Mary Stevens Park ca1730

Goosander, quite surprised to see 6 females after a run of blank days
Tufted Duck - single male and female
LBBGulls - 2 adults.

Not a single migrant noted.

Below - looking for migrants in the BDT

Laurie:t:

Ste-gull · Apr 13, 2013

tip please

Just popped on bird guides and found a certain type of black chat recorded in sbridge. if someone could pm me any info i know these birds are a sensative one sometimes. thank you in advance if anyone can help.

rollingthunder · Apr 14, 2013

Saturday 13th April...........

Overall after a reasonably mild and bright(ish) start to the day things turned unsettled and wet which put the mockers on my planned afternoons birding!

There now seems to be a good scattering of a wider range of species in the area with more warblers being reported altho i would have thought that numbers are lighter than expected. I, personally, hav'nt had a sniff of a singing Warbler at the locations that i visit.........yet.

Locally UW had a good range of birds with lots of hirundines over the pools and flashes. I always find UW a good barometer during the Spring for what is moving thru the region due to it's wide range of habitats and the large numbers of birders visiting and posting sightings. Let's hope the Avocets do better this year and possibly Cetti's re-colonises?

A Spotted Crake was a good find for some lucky blighter at Doxey:eek!:

Withymoor ca 0900-1030

LBBGull - several over the pool
Tufted Duck - still 3 pairs
Swallow - after drawing a blank for migrants, a single along the railway line on the way back only a few yards from where i had the couple about 10 days ago.

Mary Stevens Park ca1630

A quick visit in-between showers produced.......

LBBGull - single adult
Tufted Duck - a pair still present
Goosander - the six from ystda have now increased to the 'magnificent' 8, 7 females and what must be a 2nd Winter/3rd Calender Year male.

The only day i did'nt pop in to MSP this week and it looked like there had been a Barnacle Goose from the description that a dog-walker gave me:C

Below a link to what has been about nationally the previous week.

http://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/weeklyroundup2013no15.aspx?s_id=381706955

Belated news of a Stone Curlew in the Lichfield area on Friday reminds me that despite the 'arrival' of migrants some species have been trying to survive the atrocious weather of late. The isolated patches of suitable Stone Curlew habitat in the East of England and the Berkshire downs makes them relatively easy to census. Consequently a number of early-arriving Stone Curlews have been found dead having been unable to feed and build up their body weight:C I have been fortunate to have seen good numbers of these birds on Spring migration in Morocco ( i've found that village tips are good places for them altho it can be hard to ascertain where the village ends and the tip begins in some places

) and Southern Spain and it's sad that they make the effort to get here only to succumb to the vagaries of the weather. Link below.......

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22087292

My day was brightened up as i made repairs to pushbike. I heard a 'finchy' trilling and looked up to see a Canary-type perching on the edge of the house. I thought, ah well it'll be used to people if it's just escaped. At that it flew straight down and onto my head! and then onto the upturned bike before flitting off and chirruping right next to a singing male Greenfinch on a nearby conifer. Don't think i will be submitting the record but it brightened up an increasingly duller and wetter day!

Laurie:t:

Pam_m · Apr 14, 2013

Swan update Brake Mill Pool. 13th April.

I enquired about the 'missing' Swan yesterday as there is still only one adult and one of their three offsprings from last year at the pool. The Pen was found to have a leg infection and has been taken to a Sanctuary for treatment. Hopefully she makes a full recovery and returns soon. I saw the Cob last week repairing the nest and yesterday morning sitting on the nest, I thought it was the Pen Swan!

The most notable sightings were a pair of Goosander on the water, Buzzard x3 and the first sighting here for a while of a Green Woodpecker...though heard on almost every visit!

greg_evans · Apr 14, 2013

SJHALL said:
Just popped on bird guides and found a certain type of black chat recorded in sbridge. if someone could pm me any info i know these birds are a sensative one sometimes. thank you in advance if anyone can help.

This was my record, been back this morning for an hour but there is no sign of the bird. Given how obvious and showy it was yesterday I can only assume it has moved on.

rollingthunder · Apr 14, 2013

Greg, just out of interest, where was this? I am only local and can have a mooch....

Laurie:t:

g.h.1 · Apr 14, 2013

Pam_m said:
Swan update Brake Mill Pool. 13th April.

I enquired about the 'missing' Swan yesterday as there is still only one adult and one of their three offsprings from last year at the pool. The Pen was found to have a leg infection and has been taken to a Sanctuary for treatment. Hopefully she makes a full recovery and returns soon. I saw the Cob last week repairing the nest and yesterday morning sitting on the nest, I thought it was the Pen Swan!

Hi Pam
Sorry for giving you the wrong info. on that one, after posting the news thought if the second bird could have been one of the youngsters (theres no hope with I.D. ing a scarce / rare bird if I cannot get the age right for a Mute Swan a few feet away from me ! )
Cheers Glenn

Withymoor - Amblecote, Stourbridge..... (2 Viewers)

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Attachments

Risegeterd Uesr

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Similar threads

Users who are viewing this thread