Withymoor - Amblecote, Stourbridge..... (1 Viewer)

Mon 16th March

1400-1730

A few hours bimbling around yesterday afternoon altho not unpleasant proved fruitless as far as migrant birds were concerned. I generally (for historical purposes) start looking for Wheatears from the 26th Feb onwards but due to a knee injury falling off my bike caused by a car driver taking a bend wide i have not had full use and have done little extensive birding locally.....

Seeing Craigs Male Wheatear posted ystda was just the impetus i needed.

I bumped into Paul Legge on Sunday down at Withymoor and it was nice to have a chat with the only other birder that i bump into locally. 3 adult LBB's and 2 pairs of Tufties were present plus a Grey Wagtail - the sole Little Grebe does not appear to be present now.

Popped into Mary Stevens Park, i shall be glad when the cut stumps start re-growing as the place looks a bit bare. c100 BHG's were present and a few larger ones for a change. 2xAdult LBB, 1x1w LBB and 2x1w Herring. Plenty of stuff singing including Nuthatch, Goldcrest and Coal Tit.

Onwards to the paddocks around Stourbridge Tennis Club. A solitary female-type Green Woodpecker and a handful of Redwings noted. There is a very freshly ploughed field further up which held loads of feeding female pheasant, a few Skylarks and several Stock Doves. The dark soil contrasts nicely with anything feeding.

Finally, up to the West Hagley Fields. A number of them are starting to 'Green up' but a couple around the pumping station and several over at the railway line have been tilled and should be the ones to look in for early migrants imo altho all will suffice. The newly-turned fields present a challenge as there is no end of pebbles of all shapes and sizes to check. I walked 50 yards into one of the fields ystda in an effort to confirm, or not in this case, the presence of a female Wheatear! Nothing of note save a Buzzard, not even a Yellowhammer seen or heard.

For those on minimum wage the rate goes up by 20p (in Oct of course) and you have the next six months to decide how to spend it! In between there is, of course.....an election:eek!:

I am not going to post again until i see or hear a migrant species.

Don't forget the partial solar-eclipse on Friday (weather permitting, forecast not brilliant) about 9.30 in the West Midlands. Somebody did ask me if it was 9.30 in the morning? You've either got it or you haven't - intelligence that is

Laurie:t:

Below - the last one in 1999, this series of images were taken in Australia the next one will not be for 90 years.....

Nice to have my 1st Wheatear of year today.
Ounty John Lane. Seen nr Rugby pitches. Then flew towards railway Bridge. Also 2 Male Yellow Hammer's , small
flock of Linnets, couple of Buzzards.

I did'nt click with the Wheatear the day Paul found it despite turning my phone on at 3PM upon my arrival at the West Hagley Fields for my 3rd afternoon visit of the week! The record fits nicely with the arrival period of 18th-21st March since i have been regularly visiting the area. Also noted was a reported pair of Stonechats a week or so prior to that:eek!: I haven't had a Stonechat since a pair wintered about 6 years ago so a nice record.

The 2 hour+ visits this week have been decidedly unproductive - i have'nt recorded a single Yellowhammer:C a species that is usually around in small groups or a party of 30+ birds and the males very prominent at this time of year singing from sections of hedge.....

A number of fields have now been 'tilled' and i think a few more will be before the weekend. These are ideal for passage Wheatears, Pipits and Wagtails in addition to the local Corvids (Rookery adjacent), Pigeons and Gulls of which a handful of LBB's present ystda.

For my efforts and 4th visit of the week ysterday 3-5 i had a bird flit, briefly, in the same area - no rump but i sat down for 20 mins to wait and look at a pair of displaying Stock Doves and a perched Buzzard and 'the boy' appeared. A nice male Wheatear in exactly the area where Paul had found it, i will look again today to make sure i did'nt hallucinate once my eyes have recovered from the excitment of the #SolarEclipse which was superb - i do feel sorry for those folk in that London place.....NOT..... and all the visitors to the Faroes where superb results wer obtained as long as you were in a plane above 30 thousand feet!

Mary Stevens Park has seen a reduction in Gulls but a few mixed-age LBB's and Herring are around from time to time and a female Goosander on Tuesday afternoon.

Laurie:t:

Attached are some record pics.....

Decided to have a boot about that Sandwell Valley place ystda in excellent light, notes posted elsewhere - clicked with a Little Ringed Plover and quite a few, singing, Chiffchaffs. I did'nt see any Sand Martins during the 2 hour period or any White Wagtails but a few Pied...

Nothing, migrant wise, to report from Withymoor which held 5 adult LBB's and a pair of Tufties.

Cooler than average this week with a weak ridge of high pressure on Wednesday.

A pale-morph Booted Eagle:eek!: was reported from Norfolk (Permit Only) ystda which should give those that are interested something to do. Early birds do occur e.g. Alpine Swift @ Wolverhampton and a timely article on Birdguides is a heads up http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=4921 At this time of year i check the various Gibraltar-linked sites for info.

Laurie:t:

Wed 25th Mar.....

Inspired by the http://www.champions-of-the-flyway.com/ 2015 teams i decided to see what migrant activity there was by visiting a range of birding 'notspots'. Who knows, the COTF had made 100 spp by 10 o'clock, i might make that figure by the end of June:eek!:

I only spent about 4 hours in the field and covered about 8 miles on pushbike, literally spending about 1/2 and hour or so at each site and obviously time spent cycling between them. Not a thorough search nor staking out anywhere but just to take the pulse locally.

A number of factors mitigated against the jaunt being very productive.

It's still quite early with migrants only just arriving in small numbers even at places like Portland.

Inclement, changeable, weather with NW headwinds making onward migration a challenge.

The temperatures are cooler than average for Spring with a corresponding lack in inverterbrate activity. Early-flowering spp like Sallows and Blackthorn have been late and inspecting several yesterday i saw very little insect activity.

1030-1430

Initially cycled over to Saltwells Wood LNR. The wood now has a good system of cycle rides and even at this early hour the air was heavy with the scent of 'skunk' - no, not the mammal The effect of this super-strength drug on the psychosis of the West Midland 'yoof' has yet to be felt, the unemployable will be a burden on what's left of the NHS in years to come! Woodland stuff singing including Nuthatch and Green Woodpecker but onward as i heard no warblers.

Netherton Razzer held a dozen large Gulls, mainly adult LBB's a pair of Tufties and both spp of Grebe - very quiet.

Netherton Hill always looks promising with plenty of 'meadow' habitat, several acres of Gorse and some low-lying wet grassland with shallow pools. A pair of Buzzards talon-grappled and a solitary Raven cronked its way over and that was it.

On to the Fens Pools complex. I did'nt meander around the pool edges but sat down and 'scoped the areas and waited and waited.....An hour spent here yielded nothing more than ca40 large Gulls, mainly LBB's but a few Herring and a few Tufties:C I thought that at least some Sand Martins would be present. I also had my first Common Sandpipers (4) and only local LRP at this site last year at about the same time but not today.....

Back down Brierley Hill high street and thru the land of the salad-dodgers! There is a local bye-law that says if you are caught on camera passing the Bathams "Bull and Bladder" you can be cautioned for not entering As all tired migrants need a watering-hole to refuel what's not to like? A nice Pork Salad French stick and 2 pints of the Amber nectar did the job.

Finished via Withymoor and the less said the better.

As i said, i did'nt expect much but did expect something, not a single migrant species was seen or heard. It is no wonder that my enthusiasm flounders in this area - i honestly don't know for how much longer i can keep it up

Laurie:t: (i could'nt find an upside-down emoticon)

Attached - the most productive site of the day.

Brake Mill Pool: Heard my first of the Spring Chiffchaff this morning whilst feeding the wildfowl, the wildfowl are thin on the ground but not as thin as they are at M S Park!:eek!: Swan pair (pen on nest) and a pair of Tufties being the highlight!

Rain now started, glad I went out early!

I found a 'thumbs down' for you Laurie!o

Hi Pam -

The current run of very changeable, seasonally cool and unfavourable migration conditions is starting to depress me but i suppose, like others, we always want the Spring "yesterday" - having no current holiday plans doesn't help especially with the bride having returned from her annual 1-week jaunt with her 'girly' friends to Berlin!

Todays' run out has been cancelled due to rain etc, i don't suppose i will get many complaints from the dog but it's my only chance to make use of the offer of a car so i might drop back on the bike later on. I am due to get my eyes tested at 3 so probably after that - insert jokes about eyes tested, bird records etc here.

The more unkind might even suggest that it's my girlfriend that needs the test?

A smart Little Gull thru the Goldfish Bowl midweek was a good find and the pictures reflect this. The roosting Med Gull is another goodie, Med Gulls even got a mention on this mornings omnibus edition of "The Archers" cautioning against random shooting! I can't wait for a guest appearance from Chris Packham live from the annual Malta slaughter.....

The Champions of the Flyway bird race @ Eilat looked gud with the brits garnering a good % of the available bling on offer - the winning team scored 168 species:t: One team had 100 spp by ten o'clock, i'll be lucky to make that by the end of May around here:C

The weather forecast is a bit of an unknown for the upcoming month, changeable to say the least initially and it's all down to the usual suspect - say hello to my little friend.....the Jet Stream http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_stream Worth reading, taking in and applying to the birding conditions, it could do with being North of Iceland really. Just look at the weather North America has had this Winter. A Southerly based Jet Stream has played a large part.

Looking thru some pics i took with the modest digital i had a batch of some stuff from Mary Stevens Park. OK it's only a Mallard and a female at that but from a different angle with the Speculum (mirror = to look) on show and it takes on a cryptic beauty all of its' own http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speculum_feathers

Good birding, wherever, whenever -

Laurie:t:

Still far too cold and potentially unproductive to cycle around looking for birds, for me anyway, looks better at the weekend with high-pressure re-appearing but for how long? We are at the mercy of the Jet Stream as usual:C

Stimulating, inspiring writing about the natural world is a joy to read, or in this case to listen to. The author and travel writer, Robert Macfarlane http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Macfarlane_(writer) is a joy to listen to. His weaving of history, folk-lore, landscapes, birds, weather and his love of words particularly local colloquialisms is a learning curve.

BBC Radio4's 'Book of the Week' is "Landmarks" 5 x 15 minute abridged vignettes of different aspects of the above and the people he has met and/or been inspired by http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05pn3sy They will all be worth listening to but yesterdays episode had a particular relevance to my own meanderings thus far. It concerns the author J.A.Baker, who? most might ask! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._A._Baker He wrote the classic "The Peregrine" and his life and this work is covered, with reverence, in this short programme. The book might be in the local library, i got it out of mine, in South-East London, some 40+ years ago:eek!: His other and in my opinion much-underrated tome was "The Hill of Summer" - a superb essay of an Essex reedbed and the microcosm of species contained.

If you get a chance, treat yourself, listen to this and the other episodes and try and read the books......or else

A link to an interesting New Scientist article on the migration of the Blackpoll Warbler http://www.newscientist.com/article...-days-nonstop-over-atlantic.html#.VRuiYI6-RKp Visitors to the Scillies in the '80s could have told them all that!

Wikipedias' lead article today concerns a little-known species...the Invisible Rail and fascinating read it is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_rail - oh, btw it's April the 1st

Laurie:t:

Attached - the works of JA Baker.

rollingthunder said:

Stimulating, inspiring writing about the natural world is a joy to read, or in this case to listen to. The author and travel writer, Robert Macfarlane http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Macfarlane_(writer) is a joy to listen to. His weaving of history, folk-lore, landscapes, birds, weather and his love of words particularly local colloquialisms is a learning curve.

BBC Radio4's 'Book of the Week' is "Landmarks" 5 x 15 minute abridged vignettes of different aspects of the above and the people he has met and/or been inspired by http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05pn3sy They will all be worth listening to but yesterdays episode had a particular relevance to my own meanderings thus far. It concerns the author J.A.Baker, who? most might ask! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._A._Baker He wrote the classic "The Peregrine" and his life and this work is covered, with reverence, in this short programme. The book might be in the local library, i got it out of mine, in South-East London, some 40+ years ago:eek!: His other and in my opinion much-underrated tome was "The Hill of Summer" - a superb essay of an Essex reedbed and the microcosm of species contained.

If you get a chance, treat yourself, listen to this and the other episodes and try and read the books......or else

Click to expand...

thanks for the link - j.a. baker is probably my favourite writer

on a hunting kestrel: 'He sank slowly down into stubble, lowering like a threaded spider from the web his wings had spun'

i'll have a listen later

B

jon

eta: i spent a bit of time this morning watching a pair of peregrines displaying around a probable nest site in a local town (i've promised not to mention the site for now) - great to see them moving into urban environs

Excellent - glad to share it, who could tire of watching Peregrines.....

Hopefully i'm being picked up tomorrow to check on a few Goshawk territories and 'local' Ravens - a mate knocked on a house having seen one disappearing into a large pine and it would appear that Ravens have been nesting in Wordsley for the previous 2 years:eek!: That's pretty close to Stourbridge!

Laurie:t:

Must get out more, heard my 1st Local Chiffchaff this morning, up Brierley Hill canal.
Nice to see pair Mute Swans on what looks like nest.
Also 2 Sparrowhawks, 1 nr house & 1 nr Lakeside.
Still quite windy & chilly. Hopefully better weather for weekend.

One better this morning, heard my 1st Local patch ChiffChaff Y/Day, managed to see it today.
End of branch feeding in the sunshine. Also Grey Wag on one of the 9 Locks. Buzzard nr Lakeside being
hounded by 5 Lesser Black Backed Gulls. No Black Headed gulls around. Up to 6 Tufted Ducks on Lakeside Pool.

Wed April 1st...

Popped thru Withymoor en-route to Sainsburys and noted 5 adult LBB's (no small gulls) and 7 Tufties, 4m3f. Half an hour later and upon returning a smart Male Goosander was also present:eek!: plus my first singing Chiffchaff locally! Grey Wagtail feeding and both Mute Swan and Coot sitting. The female Swan last year was killed on the nest so let's hope her replacement fairs better.....

Thur April 2nd...

Passed Mary Stevens Park at about 5:30 in a car and noted a pair of Goosander present.

I had an excellent day out ystda checking on nest sites for Dipper and Raven in Shropshire, 5 spp of BOP, Sand Martin on the River Kemp and a passing Swallow:eek!: Whilst i was watching a pair of Buzzards @ Purslow.

I will post some notes about ystdas jaunt tmrw. This weekend should see some migrant movement even around here?

Laurie:t:

Attached - Drake Goosander and nesting Mute Swans @ Withymoor.

rollingthunder said:

A link to an interesting New Scientist article on the migration of the Blackpoll Warbler http://www.newscientist.com/article...-days-nonstop-over-atlantic.html#.VRuiYI6-RKp Visitors to the Scillies in the '80s could have told them all that!

Click to expand...

7 records in the 1970s, 5 in the 1980s, 3 in the 1990s, 4 in the 2000s and 2 from 2010 onwards

Oops, my mistake, perhaps i should have said Phil Andrews could have told them that

Laurie:t:

rollingthunder said:

Oops, my mistake, perhaps i should have said Phil Andrews could have told them that

Laurie:t:

Click to expand...

'Only' seen three Laurie so can't really for an opinion. My first was at the Telegraph Road end of Lower Moors having ticked Paddyfield Warbler at the allotments end of Peninsula Head and Red-throated Pipit on Porth Hellick Down earlier in the same day.

1 more than me mate, so long ago they need re-ticking along with the bulk of the more interesting stuff on my British list:C - last went in 1999 which was a good year after a run of dry ones. Penninis Head IIRC?

Laurie:t:

rollingthunder said:

1 more than me mate, so long ago they need re-ticking along with the bulk of the more interesting stuff on my British list:C - last went in 1999 which was a good year after a run of dry ones. Penninis Head IIRC?

Laurie:t:

Click to expand...

Damm predictive text (although it could have been a lot worse in that instance 3)

Actually, for predictive text it was good. "Penninis" has probably "tumbled down" from "Peninsula" which means "almost an island" i.e. surrounded on 3 sides by land. As opposed to another main feature on St Marys which is the "isthmus" - a thin strip of land connecting 2 larger ones and derives from "neck". The connection, no pun intended, from insula to insular is obvious as is plant names with insularis. There are lots of definitions for Pen, depending on context but the most relevant in this case is Welsh meaning "head". It is no coincidence that some of the little South-West and a lot of Cornish headlands have the word "Pen" in.

Laurie:t:

Attached - the Magic Isles c/w with St Marys "neck" and "dick-head"

Two hours ystda did'nt yield a single migrant but things should change, certainly within the region, over the remainder of the Bank Holiday and with the weather set to get more favourable during the coming week there should be a flood of records.....

Withymoor still held 3 Tufties, 2m 1f, and 5 LBB's. Three adults, 1 x 1w and 1 x 2w. The pair of Mute Swans have now moved from the large mound of vegetation in my posted picture to a smaller nest they are building but this one is a bit more protected and out of reach.....sort of, only time will tell.

Mary Stevens Park was quiet with no Goosander present just a range of LBB's - 2 adults, 1x 1s, 1x 2w and a 3w type. I find aging at this transitional stage challenging so i am hedging with the Winter > Summer. Nuthatch, Goldcrest and a range of Tits.....in song.

Up to the West Hagley Fields for a big fat zilch - depressing when there is actually nothing for your efforts save a couple of singing Skylarks:C I put it down to the weather which should be a bit more fruitfull, we shall see - just a bit of sun will do and it is forecast in the West Midlands later on. Bumped into a mate of Paul Alan-Legges' ystda namely Chris. I have met him before as i recognise his battered 10x50 Zeiss of East German origin, i cut my teeth on a pair of these (not literally) and the 8x30's. The former gave any of their users a distinct Hulk-style neck if used for a couple of seasons.

Proper 'bins for proper blokes

I like to see subsspecies, particularly when i'm abroad, i try and make the effort. Attached is a pic of possible Caspian subspecies of Penduline Tit taken recently in Holland by Willy Herman. I presume it's a male on eye-mask, alongside is a normal male for comparison. Either way a smart bird and if proven, an interesting record?

Laurie:t: