Phil Andrews
It's only Rock and Roller but I like it
Having recently moved to Sutton Coldfield, yesterday afternoon I ventured for the first time to my new local patch, Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve.
Whilst only small (7.5 hectares), the reserve offers a range of habitats. The northern part - between Hill Hook Road and Blake Street - is grassland with scrub and a few larger trees. To the east is a small arable field which is currently stubble; whilst to technically part of the reserve I will be including this area in my updates. The larger portion of the reserve is to the south of Hill Hook Road with exits onto Clarence Road, Sandhurst Road and Netherstone Grove. The open water of Mill Pond is surrounded by mature woodland and alder carr with marshy areas. The reserve is owned by Birmingham City Council and managed by the Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust. Links to the relevant websites are attached below:
http://www.bbcwildlife.org.uk/reserves/hill-hook
http://www.hillhooklnr.org/index.php
Realistically I will probably not being visiting more than once a fortnight and I am not expecting to unearth national or even local rarities. However I have set myself a target to find 100 species for the patch, my best guesses being:
Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Gadwall, Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Goldeneye, Goosander, Coot, Moorhen, Water Rail, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Buzzard, Kestrel, Peregrine, Hobby, Sparrowhawk, Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Common Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Woodcock, Curlew, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Tawny Owl, Little Owl, Barn Owl, Wood Pigeon, Stock Dove, Feral Pigeon, Collared Dove, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Cuckoo, Kingfisher, Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Skylark, Swift, Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Redwing, Dunnock, Wren, Robin, Redstart, Wheatear, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, Marsh Tit, Willow Tit, Chiffchaff, Spotted Flycatcher, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Carrion Crow, Rook, Raven, Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Brambling, Goldfinch, Linnet, Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting
My brief visit in the middle of Sunday afternoon (not the most conducive time and hampered by a pram) produced the following for starters:
1. Wren, 2. Wood Pigeon, 3. Blue Tit, 4. Chaffinch, 5. Blackbird, 6. Great Tit, 7. Goldfinch, 8. Robin, 9. Buzzard, 10. Black-headed Gull, 11. Jackdaw; 12.
Coot, 13. Mallard, 14. Canada Goose, 15. Moorhen, 16. Feral Pigeon, 17. Lesser Black-backed Gull, 18. Meadow Pipit, 19. Stock Dove, 20. Magpie
My next visit will be early morning when hopefully disturbance will be less. In the meantime I would welcome any other sightings from the locality, either current or historic.
Whilst only small (7.5 hectares), the reserve offers a range of habitats. The northern part - between Hill Hook Road and Blake Street - is grassland with scrub and a few larger trees. To the east is a small arable field which is currently stubble; whilst to technically part of the reserve I will be including this area in my updates. The larger portion of the reserve is to the south of Hill Hook Road with exits onto Clarence Road, Sandhurst Road and Netherstone Grove. The open water of Mill Pond is surrounded by mature woodland and alder carr with marshy areas. The reserve is owned by Birmingham City Council and managed by the Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust. Links to the relevant websites are attached below:
http://www.bbcwildlife.org.uk/reserves/hill-hook
http://www.hillhooklnr.org/index.php
Realistically I will probably not being visiting more than once a fortnight and I am not expecting to unearth national or even local rarities. However I have set myself a target to find 100 species for the patch, my best guesses being:
Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Gadwall, Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Goldeneye, Goosander, Coot, Moorhen, Water Rail, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Buzzard, Kestrel, Peregrine, Hobby, Sparrowhawk, Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Common Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Woodcock, Curlew, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Tawny Owl, Little Owl, Barn Owl, Wood Pigeon, Stock Dove, Feral Pigeon, Collared Dove, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Cuckoo, Kingfisher, Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Skylark, Swift, Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Redwing, Dunnock, Wren, Robin, Redstart, Wheatear, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, Marsh Tit, Willow Tit, Chiffchaff, Spotted Flycatcher, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Carrion Crow, Rook, Raven, Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Brambling, Goldfinch, Linnet, Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting
My brief visit in the middle of Sunday afternoon (not the most conducive time and hampered by a pram) produced the following for starters:
1. Wren, 2. Wood Pigeon, 3. Blue Tit, 4. Chaffinch, 5. Blackbird, 6. Great Tit, 7. Goldfinch, 8. Robin, 9. Buzzard, 10. Black-headed Gull, 11. Jackdaw; 12.
Coot, 13. Mallard, 14. Canada Goose, 15. Moorhen, 16. Feral Pigeon, 17. Lesser Black-backed Gull, 18. Meadow Pipit, 19. Stock Dove, 20. Magpie
My next visit will be early morning when hopefully disturbance will be less. In the meantime I would welcome any other sightings from the locality, either current or historic.