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Cookley & Caunsall (1 Viewer)

Quiet on the birding front today, but did manage to pick up a few Butterfly species for the year : Brimstone (1) Green-veined White (2) ( photo. ) and good numbers of Orange-tip,Peacocks and Small Torts.
 

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21/4/15

An evening walk for an hour paid dividends as I (finally) managed to find 2 Wheatears in the horse paddocks closer, to the Sion Hill side than Cookley though. I think both were female.

Also of note were 2 Pied Wagtail, 2 separate Grey Wagtail, 3-4 Skylarks having a singing battle, lots of woodpeckers and 2 Mistle Thrush.

Cheers :t:
 

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26/4/14

39 species for today and a new one for the patch list as I had a male Linnet singing in the valley before Island Pool where there were also 2 Canada Geese. Lots of Blackcaps around including a pair going into a nest. Otherwise no signs of any hirundines other than Swallows and no other migrants but still all of spring and summer left to find them!!

Cheers :t:
 
Picked up 12+ House Martins feeding high over the Whittington Lock area briefly early morning but no sign of any Sand Martins or an early Swift.
 
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With yesterday's bird and today's count have had a total of 4 singing Whitethroat along the section of the valley that I cover. Besides the established breeding birds no other summer migrants noted on passage.
 
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Had a quick walk around for an hour late this afternoon to get the little lad off for a nap in his pram. Added House Martin to the year list with 10 or so flying around over the canal, but not a lot of anything else, no Whitethroats and still only the two Willow Warbler heard so far this year. Hoping for a longer and more productive walk at some point tomorrow.

Cheers :t:
 
The path and pools, altho silted, @ Ismere(Island Pool) are worth taking in for warblers etc. Tree Sparrows used to be regular at the top by the house in the hedges?

Laurie:t:
 
17/5/15

Very early walk this morning but nothing out of the ordinary seen. 41 species including Whitethroat which was new for the list. Not been able to get out as much as i would have liked in recent weeks with new house and 14 month old in tow, lots of jobs to do and things to get straight!!

I did have a juvenile Robin which seemed a bit early but maybe not, it was very tame, thought it was going to perch on my head at one point. Things were generally quiet with barely a Willow Warbler or Whitethroat around but plenty of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs. The valley from Ismere to Island Pool was the most productive area, lots of finches and warblers, thought I heard a Garden Warbler but not sure so need to read up on the songs a bit more. Also thought i'd glimpsed a Redstart but it dissappeared into a bush and refused to come out until i had gone so another that i'll have to put behind me. Mallards and Canadas had broods of 4 and 3 respectively with some Blue Tits using one of the many nest boxes along the canal. Might have to try a walk a little later maybe when things are warmer and there is more food available. A man i bump into now and then said he had an Otter on the Stour last week near the Lock Inn.

In other news i paid a brief visit to Fairy Glen in the week, a beautiful place, only the one path through but so many bluebells!! Also plenty of old Oak trees, seems like it has been there for a while so will be popping back periodically to see if anything drops in as it is quite high up relative to the ground around it.

Additionally, we had a walk around Bunkers Hill Wood on Saturday, another stunning place but not a lot of bird life when we were there. Also went to Hartlebury Common in the morning where we were delighted to hear a calling Cuckoo briefly for about 30 seconds. Also I think Cookley is devoid of Willow Warblers as they'd all gone to the common, absolutely loads of them.

4 day weekend for me next week so fingers crossed for another good scour of the patch.

Good birding everyone!! :t:
 
Dave - i don't know how familiar you are with the area? but local birder and naturalist Brett Westwood, who lives in Stourbridge, works for the Beeb at that Bristol place in the Natural History Unit. He recently presented a series of 5 15-minute programmes culled from his bird diaries running over the last 40 years. He compares the change in fortunes of both habitat and species during this period.

A fascinating insight into a patch birder with an eye for detail and all still available on BBC Iplayer - miss it at your peril.....;)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04ynnmn/episodes/player

ATB Laurie:t:
 
Dave - i don't know how familiar you are with the area? but local birder and naturalist Brett Westwood, who lives in Stourbridge, works for the Beeb at that Bristol place in the Natural History Unit. He recently presented a series of 5 15-minute programmes culled from his bird diaries running over the last 40 years. He compares the change in fortunes of both habitat and species during this period.

A fascinating insight into a patch birder with an eye for detail and all still available on BBC Iplayer - miss it at your peril.....;)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04ynnmn/episodes/player

ATB Laurie:t:

Thanks Laurie

I had already listened to them a couple of months back and is the only reason I considered taking a look around Fairy Glen as he mentions visiting there in one of them. It was an interesting listen, remarkable how much we have lost though too.

Cheers :t:
 
Just thought it worth a mention Dave, things have changed but i won't dwell on it;) He's a really nice, helpful, knowledgeable bloke. Google Image him and you will recognise him if you bump into Brett on your travels.

Just on your border, you might be interested in this if you see any young birds in your locale.

http://www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk/lapwingsurvey

Eric Phillips had a calling Quail @ Whittington ystda, not sure of exact location.

Lauire:t:
 
25/5/15

An hour this morning pushing a sleeping boy around in his pram. Didn't venture too far but did have a new bird for the patch list for the year, a calling Cuckoo was heard from the horse paddocks, most likely coming from the woodland to the east of Lea Lane. Only heard it call 3-4 times before it presumably moved on but it is a good bird to catch up with here. There were loads of them when we visited the Wyre Forest on Friday but wasn't expecting to hear another so soon!!

Other birds noted were a Mistle Thrush and gorgeous Kestrel hunting around the back of the school playing fields.

Thanks Laurie for the info, i will keep an eye out for him assuming he still works the area.

Now of to the Beer festival in Cookley for a bit of music and Cider.B :)

Cheers :t:
 
30/5/15

3 hours wondering around the patch this morning, nothing new of note but plenty of nests in full flow now, several chicks seen on the canal and a few birds which i don't regularly see on the patch so still a good day.

38 species seen with the highlight being a very obliging Grey Heron wondering down the towpath looking for his breakfast. Some of the regulars were missing in action today including Greenfinch, Green Woodpecker, Nuthatch and Mistle Thrush. Still remarkably have not encountered a Coal Tit yet this year on the patch, and i am still awaiting several of some more expected migrants such as Garden Warbler, Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, Sand Martin, Lesser Whitethroat and Yellow Wagtail.

Some pics attached if anyone is interested. The juvenile i am guessing is a Blackcap but confirmation would be appreciated.

Cheers :t:
 

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Certainly look like one Dave, i am surprised at how early? Birds have been in and singing for a while but i wouldn't have expected young for another 10 days or so...

Laurie:t:
 
Hi

Had a nice morning walk on Sunday morning in the glorious sunshine, i also bumped into Glenn so very nice to put a face to the name. Neither of us saw too much although after continuing i did spot what i thought might be a Lesser Whitethroat skulking around in the grass on the opposite side of the canal. Despite watching for several moments it refused to sing and stayed well hidden so not sure enough it was one to tick it!

Not a lot more seen however i did manage to add a bird from bed!

A couple of nights this week around dusk we have started to hear a calling Tawny Owl!! Whether it is a female calling from a nest or hunting i have no idea but very nice to hear.

Cheers :t:
 
Though quiet on the bird front yesterday (bar one or two youngsters calling for food) nice to get out and connect with some warm and sunny weather good numbers of the common species of Butterflies were noted a few Damselflies (Banded,Blue tailed and Common) but only one Dragonfly (Common Darter) good to see the bankside vegitation is growing back between Cookley and Kinver after the total decimation of it by the contractors in spring and early summer ( was told by the Canal Trust that this was through a lack of communication between the contractors and themselves before the cutting work began ! ) A Skipper shot from yesterday :
 

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Spoke to soon about the regrowth of the bankside vegitation on my last post, visited the same area a day or two ago and found it totally trashed again, managed to speak to a Canal Trust worker who is under the impression that this is the new policy to cut the bankside growth right down to allow easy inspection of the canal edge (will be making a call to there main office to confirm this next week) not just having a rant here but letting anyone out there who enjoys walking there local canal for its habitat and wildlife be warned ! - Oh well another nail in natures coffin. Photo. below of uptill early spring of the this year was the most productive wildlife habitat along the length of canal I visit :
 

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Just a few invert. shots from the last month or so along the more vegitated area's ( for now! ) of the patch : Marbled White, Ringlet, Small Tort. Beautifull Dem. and B-T Damselfly.
 

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