Sandwell Valley (6 Viewers)

League Table 28/3/20 Valley list = 235

Pete Hackett adds Common Crane to his list


01. Pete Hackett 215 Common Crane
02. Dave Saunders 210 Yellow Browed Warbler
03. Tim Hextell 205 Yellow Browed warbler
04. Matt Hadlington 197 Marsh Harrier
05. Pete Forbes 188 Mandarin
06. Mel Jones 186 Caspian Gull
07. Hughie King 184 Woodcock
08. Dave Jackson 177 Arctic Tern
09. Dave Waite 177 Yellow Browed warbler
10. John Clarke 176 Yellow Browed Warbler
11. Terry Parker 176 Yellow Browed warbler
12. Simon Edwards 173 Yellow Browed warbler
13. Steve Lilly 165 Red Crested Pochard
14. Steve Hextell 160 Yellow Browed warbler
15. Mike Ixer - 160 Rock Pipit
16. Pete Carless -159 Black Redstart
17. Tracy Saunders 158 Tawny Owl
18. Steve Roper 147 Red Crested Pochard
19. Craig Reed 138 Marsh Harrier
20. Richard Eyres 134 Caspian Gull
21. Wali Taylor 127 Spotted Flycatcher
22. Carl Seabode 127 Yellow Browed Warbler
23. Bob Slater 125 Great Northern Diver
24. Andy Thomas 124 Whooper Swan
25. Richard Davis 121 Red Legged Partridge
26. Jason Davis 121 Wood Sandpiper
27. Richard Baker 117 Red Crested Pochard
28. Gareth Marlow 117 Brambling
29. Matt Gibbs 112 Green Sandpiper
30. Kev Wardlaw 111 Whooper Swan
31. Neil Gadsby 95 Yellow Wagtail
Good Birding YAMYAM

Valley year list on:- 99
Latest:- Crane

Matt Hadlington -83 Sand Martin
Pete Hackett -83 Crane
John Clarke -81 Pheasant
Mike Ixer -80 Pheasant
Richard Baker -79 Sand Martin
Mike Nicklin -79 Peregrine
Terry Parker - 79 Linnet
Steve Lilly - 77 Blackcap
Dave Saunders -76 Hawfinch
Hughie King -76 LRP
Dave Waite -69 Chiffchaff
Gareth Marlow - 69 Chiffchaff
Craig Reed - 68 Chiffchaff
Pete Forbes -67 Brambling
Craig Whitelaw -67 Grey Wagtail
Tim Hextell - 61 Chiffchaff
Steve Hextell -60 Great Crested Grebe
Carl seabode -58 Brambling
Richard Eyres -54 Brambling
Wali Taylor - 46 Jay
Jason Davis -35 Goldfinch
Good Birding YAMYAM

Caspian Gull sub adult on Forge Mill at 17:10 per Mike Ixer
Good Birding YAMYAM

March

Despite the Coronavirus disease putting many people in lock down towards the end of the month we did ok, the month started off with a Pheasant calling from the Colliery Banks / Brown’s area, 5 Goldeneye on Swan Pool, the Pintail where still in the Marsh and 5 Common Gull on the islands including the ringed bird, the first Chiffchaff of the year was at Salters Lane and a male Stonechat near swan pool, on the 2nd 2 Tawny owls where heard, 2 Meadow pipit where in the Stubble fields and a Raven flew over Salters Lane, the 3rd gave us Little Egret, 7 Oystercatcher around Forge Mill and 20+ Linnets at Salters, on the 5th we had 2 Water Rail showing in the Marsh and the Brambling was still present, on the 6th 2 Skylarks where seen by the Maize Field, on the 7th 4 Skylark where in Brownies, 2 Greylag flew over Swan Pool and a Hawfinch flew over the RSPB carpark, the 8th gave us 4 Little Egret and a Chiffchaff was near the entrance to the hide, the 9th saw a male Stonechat on the Fence line near Swan Pool, 2 Coal Tits at Park Farm, a male Pheasant near the Maize Field, a Raven over North island and another Chiffchaff around Forge Mill, the 10th gave us a 2nd winter Yellow legged Gull on the island at Forge Mill. on the 11th we had 2 Stonechat near Swan Pool, the 13th gave us another 2 male Stonechats in Brownies, Raven over Monks Meadow and the Brambling was still under the feeders, the 14th gave us female Stonechat at Salters Lane and a female at Swan Pool, on the 15th we had a pair of Stonechat on the bund, possibly 2 males at Salters and a Rock Pipit flew over North island, the 17th gave us a 3rd calendar year Yellow-legged Gull on the island, the Brambling was still present and female Stonechat was in the the Marsh, on the 18th we had 4 Stonechat at Salters Lane and a Willow tit was found on the Farm Trail at Forge Mill farm, the 19th gave us possibly upto 29 Sand Martin's moveing through Swan pool and 2 Greylag geese flew over, on the 20th there was a single male Stonechat up Salters Lane a Peregrine flew over there and a Barn Owl was seen, the 21st gave us a Pheasant behide the Colliery Banks, a Tawny Owl was seen, a pair of Goldeneye where still on Swan pool and a Red Kite drifted over, the 22nd saw the Brambling still under the Feeders and a Raven flew over, the 23rd gave us our first returning Little Ringed plover, 5 Greylag, 2 Raven flew over and our first migrant Blackcap. on the 24th we had 2 Little Ringed plover on Forge Mill, the 25th gave us our first Wheatear with a female being at the top of Salters Lane also the Ravens where back on their nest site, the 28th was a Red letter day with a first for the Valley when a Common Crane was seen to fly North West from the direction of Ray Hall Sewage Works and carried on Following the Tame Valley canal east-south-east, on the 30th a sub adult Caspian Gull was on Forge Mill only our second record, the last day of the month gave us 3 greylags and a Goldeneye on Forge Mill the later clocking up 162 Goldeneye days in the Valley
some of the best counts being 373 Black Headed Gull, 100+ Fieldfare, 91 Tufted Duck, 53 Linnets, 51 Magpie's, 26 Grey Heron, 14 Wigeon, 14 Goosander, 10 Teal, 6 Chiffchaff, 4 Skylark, 4 Water Rail and 4 Tawny owls,

Good Birding YAMYAM

March max wildfowl counts +

Little Grebe. :- 14
Great Crested Grebe. :- 5
Cormorant. :- 12
Little Egret :- 4
Grey Heron. :-26
Mute Swan. :- 16
Greylag Goose :- 5
Canada Goose. :- 129
Barnacle Goose. :- 9
Shelduck. :-
Wigeon. :- 14
Gadwall. :- 6
Teal :- 10
Mallard :- 82
Pintail. :- 2
Shoveler :- 7
Red Crested Pochard :-
Pochard. :- 6
Tufted Duck :- 91
Goldeneye. :- 5
Goosander.:- 14
Water Rail :- 4
Moorhen :- 12
Coot :- 41
Oystercatcher.:- 7
Lapwing :- 33
Jack Snipe. :-
Snipe :- 20
Black Headed Gull :- 373
Common Gull :- 5
Lesser Black Back :- 14
Herring Gull :- 9
Yellow Legged Gull :- 1
Caspian Gull :- 1

Good Birding YAMYAM

Just had a Short eared Owl flying over the house being mobbed by 3 LBBG's heading towards Sheepwash
Good Birding YAMYAM

Crap phone shot

Sand Martin x5 swan pool per Mike Ixer
Good Birding YAMYAM

Common Sandpiper x 2 Forge Mill per Mike Ixer
Good Birding YAMYAM

Valley year list on:- 101
Latest:- Common Sandpiper


Mike Ixer -88 Common Sandpiper
Matt Hadlington -83 Sand Martin
Pete Hackett -83 Crane
Terry Parker -83 Wheatear
John Clarke -81 Pheasant
Richard Baker -79 Sand Martin
Mike Nicklin -79 Peregrine
Dave Saunders -76 Hawfinch
Hughie King -76 LRP
Steve Lilly -73 Blackcap
Dave Waite -69 Chiffchaff
Gareth Marlow - 69 Chiffchaff
Craig Reed - 68 Chiffchaff
Pete Forbes -67 Brambling
Craig Whitelaw -67 Grey Wagtail
Tim Hextell - 61 Chiffchaff
Steve Hextell -60 Great Crested Grebe
Carl seabode -58 Brambling
Richard Eyres -54 Brambling
Wali Taylor - 46 Jay
Jason Davis -35 Goldfinch
Good Birding YAMYAM

Late news yesterday a Red kite was seen
Good Birding YAMYAM

Willow Warbler, 2 Raven, Kingfisher, 21 Chiffchaff Ray Hall per Pete Hackett
Good Birding YAMYAM

Red kite over to the east per Pete Hackett
Good Birding YAMYAM

Swallow over per Pete Hackett
Good Birding YAMYAM

LRP x1 today per Mike Ixer
Good Birding YAMYAM

Willow Warbler c14 around Forge Mill this AM per Mike Ixer
Good Birding YAMYAM

We had out first Whitethroat today with a bird up Salters Lane per Mike Ixer
Good Birding YAMYAM

Late news yesterday House Martin x4 Forge Mill per Mick
Good Birding YAMYAM

Garganey male in the Marsh this AM per Steve Lilly
Good Birding YAMYAM

Garganey by Mike Ixer