• 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.

Arrow Valley Lake and Park (Redditch) (3 Viewers)

Further records for Arrow Valley Lake from my RSPB Birdwatchers Log Book.

Tree Pipit
Spotted Flycatcher
Lesser Whitethroat
Gadwall
Grey Wagtail
 
Thanks for the reply. Very interesting to read what you have seen years ago. I'm guessing you have moved away now. There is a lot of land on that side of the park for sure and could well throw a few gems up. Would be handy to find a way to get other sightings. Have been debating setting up a simple blog as a record.

I dropped in this afternoon and walked up the Mountain but it's quite over grown from how I remember it some 20 years ago ! From this afternoons visit I think its better keeping to first light visits or late thing as the late was full of walkers, runners, bikers and dogs !

No real notable sightings different to yesterday but obviously a lot less.

There is a sightings board inside the Visitor Centre recorded by Arrow Vale Wildlife Watch. The board seems to just list the very common species for the walkers.
 
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.

Presuming you mean the Black-throated Thrush in '96 around Webheath?

Be interested in the Nightjar record at Upton. Did you submit this as I don't recall seeing it in any WMBC report for the '90s?

Cheers
Mike
 
I have moved away from Redditch, I used to work the scrub regularly, Reed Bunting and Tree Sparrow flocks (c30)were not unknown in the mid-eighties. A couple of late records from another Log Book, Ringed Plover (around island), Little Owl, Linnet (on beach edge), Siskin.

Mike, Yes it was the Black Throated Thrush in the fields between Webheath and Bentley. I cycled across Redditch in very cold onditions to get good views.

I had a friend who lived in Upper Bentley in the eighties. He had a nightjar over his garden for 3 days in 88. He was a good birder for 16 and had seen many Nightjars in Norfolk. That year we had a Day Watch between Bentley and Upton. I was in a small hide on stilts at Dusk and we saw a bird patrolling around the scrubby area to the left (lower end of flashes). Leaving the hide for further (close at times) it was clearly a Nightjar, I seem to remember it landing on dead trees a few times and oddly it did not go far over the water. (no churring though).

There was no Logbook in the hide and at 15/16 years of age and cycling Redditch to Upton every few weeks we did not record it on subsequent visits. it was 1988, so if you look at records for that year someone else may have noted the bird.

I always hoped for a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Arrow Valley, but to this day I have still not seen one there or anywhere else.
 
I have moved away from Redditch, I used to work the scrub regularly, Reed Bunting and Tree Sparrow flocks (c30)were not unknown in the mid-eighties. A couple of late records from another Log Book, Ringed Plover (around island), Little Owl, Linnet (on beach edge), Siskin.

Mike, Yes it was the Black Throated Thrush in the fields between Webheath and Bentley. I cycled across Redditch in very cold onditions to get good views.

I had a friend who lived in Upper Bentley in the eighties. He had a nightjar over his garden for 3 days in 88. He was a good birder for 16 and had seen many Nightjars in Norfolk. That year we had a Day Watch between Bentley and Upton. I was in a small hide on stilts at Dusk and we saw a bird patrolling around the scrubby area to the left (lower end of flashes). Leaving the hide for further (close at times) it was clearly a Nightjar, I seem to remember it landing on dead trees a few times and oddly it did not go far over the water. (no churring though).

There was no Logbook in the hide and at 15/16 years of age and cycling Redditch to Upton every few weeks we did not record it on subsequent visits. it was 1988, so if you look at records for that year someone else may have noted the bird.

I always hoped for a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Arrow Valley, but to this day I have still not seen one there or anywhere else.

Re Nightjar, thanks for confirming the year. Don't think anyone else reported it as it doesn't appear in any of the Upton reports either. With no other reports before or since Nightjar isn't on the Upton list.

Re LS Woody, I have had a couple of records in the northern part of Arrow Valley, both around '91/'92 - one by Beoley Mill Pools and one further up by where the bus route crosses over the pathways,
 
Re Nightjar, thanks for confirming the year. Don't think anyone else reported it as it doesn't appear in any of the Upton reports either. With no other reports before or since Nightjar isn't on the Upton list.

Re LS Woody, I have had a couple of records in the northern part of Arrow Valley, both around '91/'92 - one by Beoley Mill Pools and one further up by where the bus route crosses over the pathways,

Hi Mike it might be worth linking this to the Upton thread ,,if just for posterity:t:john
 
Mighty cold this morning. Managed to complete a good circuit in 2 hours.

18 Goosander (7 Male 11 Female ), 10 Mute Swan, 46 Mallard, 5 Coot, 14 Magpie, 41 Canada Geese, 9 Great Crested Grebes, 41 Wood Pigeon, 3 Grey Heron (2 mating in nests), 4 Cormorants, 4 Moorhen, 1 Dunnock, 2 Carrion Crow, 5 Greylag, 16 Blue Tits, 8 Great Tit, 19 Blackbird, 130 Black headed Gull, 5 Robin, 1 Song Thursh, 2 Greater Spotted Woodpecker, 8 Long Tailed Tits, 1 Oystercatcher (in front of sailing club), 1 Coal Tit, 1 Rook, 2 Commom Gull, 1 Common Buzzard, 2 Wren

New species for year for site today :- Oystercatcher, Rook, Common Gull

Year Total now :- 41
 
Morning Neil.
Have just joined this site. I visit the lake every morning hoping for a rarity. This morning around 09.00 I was bemoaning the fact that there were just the usual suspects around when I heard a very loud whistle from the big island. A 'duck' then flew off over the lake in the direction of Winyates. This was a species that I have not seen before. On questioning a fellow walker he told me he had been told it was a Smew. The colouring and call seem to point to this being accurate. Apparently a pair had been positively identified on the lake 2 days ago.
 
Cheers Dave, thats great to hear. I scoped the island closely this morning......typical.

Please feel free to add any sightings, more the merrier, an extra pair of eyes would really help.

I did chat a chat to another birder this morning and showed him some scope views of the Heron. I don't think this was you. If you happen to gone to NEW college many years ago I think I would recognise you as I was a year under you (if thats the case)

Year total at site now :- 42 !
 
Morning Neil.
Have just joined this site. I visit the lake every morning hoping for a rarity. This morning around 09.00 I was bemoaning the fact that there were just the usual suspects around when I heard a very loud whistle from the big island. A 'duck' then flew off over the lake in the direction of Winyates. This was a species that I have not seen before. On questioning a fellow walker he told me he had been told it was a Smew. The colouring and call seem to point to this being accurate. Apparently a pair had been positively identified on the lake 2 days ago.

Dave,

Please could you submit your sighting (a written description) to the county recorder, Steven Payne. His contact details can be found here.

An adult drake and a redhead were reported at AVL via Birdtrack on Feb 1st and I guess this could be the drake currently present at Bittell. Was the bird you saw a drake or redhead? I'm also curious about the call as Smew are usually silent and I'm not aware of them making a loud whistling sound. Was the call similar to a Wigeon?

Smew are rare in Worcs and although it has been a better than average winter in the county, they are still worthy of a formal submission.

Thanks in advance.

Brian
 
Visited after work this evening but not much about sadly. Highlights were :- 5 Grey Herons were roosting, 7 Goosander (2 Drakes) whilst the Cormorants were sadly depleted to just 1. Two Herrings were about and three Pied Wagtails roosted in the reeds.

New species for year for site today :- Herring Gull, Pied Wagtail

Year Total now :- 44
 

Attachments

  • photo.jpg
    photo.jpg
    320.8 KB · Views: 120
Last edited:
Mighty cold this morning. Managed to complete a good circuit in 2 hours.

18 Goosander (7 Male 11 Female ), 10 Mute Swan, 46 Mallard, 5 Coot, 14 Magpie, 41 Canada Geese, 9 Great Crested Grebes, 41 Wood Pigeon, 3 Grey Heron (2 mating in nests), 4 Cormorants, 4 Moorhen, 1 Dunnock, 2 Carrion Crow, 5 Greylag, 16 Blue Tits, 8 Great Tit, 19 Blackbird, 130 Black headed Gull, 5 Robin, 1 Song Thursh, 2 Greater Spotted Woodpecker, 8 Long Tailed Tits, 1 Oystercatcher (in front of sailing club), 1 Coal Tit, 1 Rook, 2 Commom Gull, 1 Common Buzzard, 2 Wren

New species for year for site today :- Oystercatcher, Rook, Common Gull

Year Total now :- 41

Thats what patch birding is about, the grippy ones that the other person doesnt have on their patch list ;) Haha Nice find, wouldnt expect one with the limited shoreline
MB
 
As newby to birding I am reluctant to report this as a definite sighting. I will quiz the experienced birder who positively identified the pair next time I see him. If he is 100% sure I will ask him to pass this sighting on.

Dave.
 
Opted to head to Upton first thing as there is some cover from rain. After a good couple of hours headed to Lake and also explored north area of park.

No Tufted ducks which was odd. My record count of Goosander 25 (5 Drakes)

New species for year for site today :- Jay, Pheasant

Year Total now :- 46
 
Walked the east side of the lake at 7.30 this morning; nothing really of note. 8 Goosander in flight. Herons now appear to be on 2 nests. 2 Cormorants. Plenty of Chaffinches and a couple of Bullfinches out by the meadow.
 
Very cold and bleak this morning. Did bump into Dave for the first time on the east path.

Dave - You was right about the Goldfinch, there was a flock on 20 on the car park on the Winyates side.

For the first time at the Lake this year I saw Fieldfare (over) and Redwing which was good. Goosander numbers and dropped to just 10(all female), no Tufted Ducks again.

New species for year for site today :- Redwing, Fieldfare

Year Total now :- 48
 

Attachments

  • photo copy 3.JPG
    photo copy 3.JPG
    187.1 KB · Views: 75

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top