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Arrow Valley Lake and Park (Redditch) (1 Viewer)

Neil Duggan

Well-known member
Thought it was a shame that no one posted from the Lake given Redditch has some good birders so to give us an additional Worcestershire thread I thought I'd post when ever I can.

They was an old thread that I couldn't reply to.

The Lake is very popular these days but I was stuck local today so thought I'd try is for an hour of so.

Would be interesting what else is seen and what species count is recorded over 12 months.

7 Goosander (5 Male 2 Female), 10 Mute Swan, 19 Coot, 9 Magpie, 128 Black Headed Gull, 2 Lesser Black Backed Gulls, 35 Canada Geese, 7 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Blackbird, 3 Blue Tits, 13 Wood Pigeon, 2 Grey Heron, 4 Cormorants, 6 Moorhen, 2 Gadwell, 4 Goldfinch, 1 Dunnock, 2 Carrion Crow, 5 Tufted Duck, 3 Greylag

Certainly not Upton but not a bad start.............
 
Hi Neil - cos I am such a nice chap (and still basking in the warmth of a grosbeak glow), here is a list of sightings since 2001 reported to Rare Bird Alert. Of course there is no guarantee that these sightings were submitted to / accepted by the County Recorder where appropriate:

- Red Kite 22/04/2009, 26/05/2009
- Hobby 08/07/2007
- Mediterranean Gull 11/02/2006
- Kittiwake 13/01/2007
- Little Gull 26/12/2008
- Black Tern 08/06/2009>10/06/2009
- Arctic Tern 17/04/2009
- Sandwich Tern 2 on 05/05/2005
- Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 2 on 02/04/2005, 1 on 28/02/2008
- Mealy Redpoll 13/03/2009

You could trawl through every report written by the West Midland Bird Club and its predecessor bodies. You could also see what records might exist on BirdTrack.

Some of the more established birders in Redditch - Dave Jackson, John Belsey, Mike Wakeman, Richard Harbird etc - may also be able to advise what they have seen / are aware of that have been recorded.
 
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Thanks Phil. Your summary is just what I was after. You clearly know how to navigate round the RBA site better than most.

Will be interesting is what the most established may be able to add.
 
From a personal point of view the best sighting by far is the Eider (2001 IIRC). Other than that Goosander on a few occasions & Lesser Spot (many years ago) are the only notables - but I didn't go too often to be honest, too much activity going on. Other irregular sightings from my visits have been Common Sandpiper flying down-river, Oystercatcher and Water Rail, plus both singng Cetti's Warbler and Nightingale around Ipsley Mill Pool to the south of the main lake.

Kingfisher is (or was) fairly regular along the river, Common Terns visit on passage and one or two scarcer ducks can be seen in cold weather snaps, but waders suffer from a lack of habitat. You should be able to get most of the commoner passerines, both resident and seasonal visitors. Gropper has been noted but not for probably 10+ years and Willow Tits used to occur. On passage I guess anything is possible if you get there before the joggers, cyclists and dog-walkers.

Other historic sightings that I have been told about (but aren't necessarily 'accepted') are Red-necked Grebe, Little Egret, Grey Palarope, Short-eared Owl and Wryneck.

I also guess Mark Islip will have seen a few decent birds around the lake & park.

Cheers
Mike
 
Thanks for your reply. Sound like superstars will be very limited but will give it a go all the same.

I lived in Ipsley for many years and used to regular head down to the river and the small lake as we called it.

Never posted a photo before. This post will hopefully a image I took yesterday.

Travellers had moved into one of fields as I drove past tonight.
 

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Flying visit after work in fading freezing light after Craig kindly text me 14 Goosander were on the lake.

14 Goosander (6 Male 6 Female - 1 1st winter), 7 Mute Swan, 40 Mallard, 6 Coot, 2 Magpie, 19 Canada Geese, 11 Great Crested Grebes, 8 Wood Pigeon, 1 Grey Heron, 4 Cormorants, 7 Moorhen, 2 Dunnock, 4 Carrion Crow, 16 Tufted Duck, 71 Greylag (Flock of 68 landed for around 20 minutes before flying off to be followed by all Goosander), 1 Wren, 1 Song Thrush

Species Count for year - 22. Will try and do an early morning next.

Craig - Please feel free to add any additions.
 
Flying visit after work in fading freezing light after Craig kindly text me 14 Goosander were on the lake.

14 Goosander (6 Male 6 Female - 1 1st winter), 7 Mute Swan, 40 Mallard, 6 Coot, 2 Magpie, 19 Canada Geese, 11 Great Crested Grebes, 8 Wood Pigeon, 1 Grey Heron, 4 Cormorants, 7 Moorhen, 2 Dunnock, 4 Carrion Crow, 16 Tufted Duck, 71 Greylag (Flock of 68 landed for around 20 minutes before flying off to be followed by all Goosander), 1 Wren, 1 Song Thrush

Species Count for year - 22. Will try and do an early morning next.

Craig - Please feel free to add any additions.

Hi Doug.
In the early days the lake was very'open', but in the last 30 years or so the thick tree line has precluded many scarce waterfowl.
 
Managed a good circuit this morning a first light.

21 Goosander (6 Male 21 Female - 1 1st winter), 10 Mute Swan, 32 Mallard, 4 Coot, 8 Magpie, 26 Canada Geese, 8 Great Crested Grebes, 11 Wood Pigeon, 1 Grey Heron, 4 Cormorants, 7 Moorhen, 8 Dunnock, 3 Carrion Crow, 10 Tufted Duck, 1 Greylag, 3 Wren, 11 Blue Tits, 14 Blackbird, 6 Black headed Gull (Many over)

New species for year for site today :- 3 Long Tailed Tits, 3 Robin, 1 Greater Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Chaffinch, 8 Great Tits, 4 Bullfinch, 8 Siskin, 2 Collard Dove, 2 Coal Tit

Year Count - 31......Steady progress. Much nicer that early.
 
Cheers Matt. From chatting last week with you I can see the interest with keeping a close eye on something very close to home. Not expecting many superstars but you never know.

Will try and make it over your way and you can give me the official tour.
 
Cheers Matt. From chatting last week with you I can see the interest with keeping a close eye on something very close to home. Not expecting many superstars but you never know.

Will try and make it over your way and you can give me the official tour.

Cheers Neil, I'd be up for that. Late Spring might be best when the Arctic Terns pass through.
Matt
 
Hi Neil,
Good to read your reports for Arrow Valley, especially as it's quite close to Earlswood. Keep up the good work :t:
A quick look at BirdTrack reveals Bittern, several waders, Iceland and YL Gull, and Crossbill are amongst other species reported there. See http://www.birdguides.com/sites/area.asp?a=40&Go=Go (scroll down)
Kind regards,
Matt

Have just looked at the records of the more interesting species for the last two years that the WMBC annual report have been published (2009 and 2010) and would comment as follows:

White-fronted Goose (2009) - not reported
Iceland Gull - adult seen on 1st Feb 2009
Arctic Tern (2009) - not reported
Common / Mealy Redpoll - 13th March 2010

I am not aware of a Smew being reported there this year?
 
Phil - I'm not myself, thanks

Decided to try different area of the park today as was an hour later and wanted to avoid the masses at the lake. Weather very cold and overcast.

Ipsley Mill Pool - 1 Pochard, 2 Robin, 10 Mallard, 3 Black Headed Gulls, 6 Blue Tits, 3 Bullfich, 2 Goldfinch, 1 Long Tailed Tit, 3 Moorhen, 1 Dunnock, 8 Wood Pigeon, 1 Coot, 2 Blackbird, 1 Song Thursh, 2 Great Tit, 1 Greater Spotted Woodpecker.

The Rookery :- 7 Jackdaw, 11 Wood Pigeon, 4 Blue Tit, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Greater Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Song Thursh, 3 Blackbird, 2 Magpie, 2 Long Tailed Tits

Pikers Pool (Looks like an ideal place for small birds but given the Council deem the area for conservation it needs a bit of care and attention. It's seems the main lake gets all the attention) - 1 Wren, 2 Great Tit, 2 Blackbird

New species for year for site today :pochard, Jackdaw, Green Woodpecker

Year Total now :- 34. Not the most productive of sessions but quickly called into main Lake to see if Goosander were still about but there were only two. Sailing had started.
 
Flying visit after work in fading freezing light after Craig kindly text me 14 Goosander were on the lake.

14 Goosander (6 Male 6 Female - 1 1st winter), 7 Mute Swan, 40 Mallard, 6 Coot, 2 Magpie, 19 Canada Geese, 11 Great Crested Grebes, 8 Wood Pigeon, 1 Grey Heron, 4 Cormorants, 7 Moorhen, 2 Dunnock, 4 Carrion Crow, 16 Tufted Duck, 71 Greylag (Flock of 68 landed for around 20 minutes before flying off to be followed by all Goosander), 1 Wren, 1 Song Thrush

Species Count for year - 22. Will try and do an early morning next.

Craig - Please feel free to add any additions.

Been offline for nearly a week!
Nothing really to add. I drop in occasionally for a walk with the Girlfriend. Too many people for my liking tbh. As Neil already said, there was 14 Goosander, but very few Greylag when i was there in the late morning. (Presumably at Morton Baggot?).
Have seen Little Egret there last year, and also had Common Tern, but nothing great so far. Urban sites have a reputation for producing the unexpected sometimes, so keep looking and it will repay! :t:

Phil- A pair of Smew (drk and fem) were 'reported' nearly a week later after being reported on 1st feb
MB
 
21 Goosander (6 Male 21 Female - 1 1st winter), 6 Mute Swan, 30 Mallard, 4 Coot, 6 Magpie, 34 Canada Geese, 6 Great Crested Grebes, 12 Wood Pigeon, 5 Grey Heron (in to roost, 5 Cormorants, 5 Moorhen, 1 Dunnock, 4 Carrion Crow, 7 Tufted Duck, 1 Greylag, 6 Blue Tits, 8 Great Tit, 1 Blackbird, 130 Black headed Gull, 2 Collared Dove, 3 Bullfinch, 2 Common Buzzard

New species for year for site today :-Common Buzzard

Year Total now :- 35

Met an amazing old boy (Keith from Redditch) been round the world watching birds and wildlife. Great banter.
 
Good walk at first light this morning.

16 Goosander (7 Male 9 Female ), 11 Mute Swan, 19 Mallard, 5 Coot, 15 Magpie, 27 Canada Geese, 7 Great Crested Grebes, 35 Wood Pigeon, 2 Grey Heron (showing interest in nests), 1 Cormorants, 3 Moorhen, 2 Dunnock, 7 Carrion Crow, 3 Tufted Duck, 2 Greylag, 10 Blue Tits, 8 Great Tit, 16 Blackbird, 40 Black headed Gull, 1 Goldcrest, 9 Robin, 1 Mistle Thursh, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Pochard (First time on main Lake), 9 Long Tailed Tits, 3 Siskin

New species for year for site today :- Goldcrest, Mistle Thursh,

Year Total now :- 38....after checking Bird Track, must have missed one off previously
 
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Hi Neil,

I spent most of the eighties and early nineties living close to Arrow Valley Lake and regularly worked the plot. In those days there were not many people around and to be honest people feared "perverts and rapists" .

For Arrow Valley Lake the following stand out.

Osprey (once during passage), Red Necked Grebe(stayed a few weeks), Tree Sparrow, Hawfinch (arboretum), Green Sandpiper (island), Hobby, Black Tern (3), loads of warblers. Marsh Tit.

Cuckoo and GHoppers were common and used to breed.Best place used to be the area between Winyates and the lake (scrub). You should get Treecreeper in the Arboretum wood.

Winyates Mountain, the hill close to Morrisons is good for vis mig.

Ipsley Alders Marsh turned up Snipe, red legged partridge, woodcock, water rail (rescue bird) , Redstart (passage Male), little grebe, Barn Owl, Reed Bunting, kingfisher.

There was rumour in the seventies of a Golden Oriole at Oakenshaw woods or a few days. I had Wood Warbler in those woods.

Trench Woods outside Redditch brought Nightingale every year, does it still ?

And the Black Breasted Thrush at Upper Bentley was a cracking bird (Merlin too) Finally I have had Nightjar at Upper Bentley and also Upton in the early nineties.

Hope this helps, the area was quiter in those days but Passage could throw up something.

Keep us all informed on this thread, thanks.
 

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