FOUR ASHES and District. (1 Viewer)

[keithr]

I now have to travel up the M5/M6 to work at Four Ashes Industrial Park and intend to do a bit of spotting to at least get something out of all the travelling.
There's a canal at the back with fields beyond with Gailey and Belvide a few miles away. I'm sure it's in the West Mids but correct me if it's not.
Just getting used to route to work for now but have had these in the car park area....
Robin
BHGull
Goldfinch
GSWoodpecker
and Kestrels just up the road.....

Keith :t:

 

[Brian Stretch]

I now have to travel up the M5/M6 to work at Four Ashes Industrial Park and intend to do a bit of spotting to at least get something out of all the travelling.
There's a canal at the back with fields beyond with Gailey and Belvide a few miles away. I'm sure it's in the West Mids but correct me if it's not.
Just getting used to route to work for now but have had these in the car park area....
Robin
BHGull
Goldfinch
GSWoodpecker
and Kestrels just up the road.....

Keith :t:

It's in Staffs, Keith. I'm sure the mods can move it for you.

Brian

 

[keithr]

Thanks for moving this to the right place...

Keith :t:

 

[The Moore-hen]

I now have to travel up the M5/M6 to work at Four Ashes Industrial Park and intend to do a bit of spotting to at least get something out of all the travelling.
There's a canal at the back with fields beyond with Gailey and Belvide a few miles away. I'm sure it's in the West Mids but correct me if it's not.
Just getting used to route to work for now but have had these in the car park area....
Robin
BHGull
Goldfinch
GSWoodpecker
and Kestrels just up the road.....

Keith :t:

Hi Keith, You're only about 5mins away from Gailey where you are - well worth popping down at lunchtime or if you get time before / after work. It's getting watched much more regularly now than in the old days and good birds are becoming more regular because of it - 2 White-fronted Geese have been around for over a month and with Spring just around the corner its got a good track record with passage Terns, Little Gull, BN Grebe, Scaup and Common Scoter...or maybe something even better! :t:

 

[keithr]

Thanks....Only just starting to get used to travelling from Longbridge to Four Ashes - 1st day on lates today and got here about 3/4 hour early but was in the middle of a snowstorm so reluctantly went straight into work.
Yes there's a lot of places (on google earth) to investigate around here if I can find the best places to park.

Keith :t:

 

[JackRabbit]

Keith, you could walk the towpath on the adjacent Staffs-Worcs Canal between Four Ashes & Calf Heath area. You can also park near the sewage works on Deepmore Lane off Straight Mile Road & do a circular walk along the canal, past Calf Heath Marina then back along Deepmore Lane.

I visited the area for the BTO Bird Atlas project a couple of years ago. I didn't see much out of the ordinary but it's a pleasant walk if nothing else.

Cheers

Stu

 

[The Snapper]

Hi Keith,

As The Moorehen has pointed out, you are very close to Gailey. I am trying to cover this as often as possible with pre-work visits and now after work visits with the longer daylight. Any decent stuff will be broadcast on the pagers and consequently on BF.

If you find anything you find interesting or just bump into species such as owls, please do let me know. Clearly, species such as owls should be kept off the public forums to avoid attention from those could create harm to them.

Cheers and good birding.

Steve

 

[keithr]

Managed 1/2 hour at Belvide yesterday.....could not find a way in until I spotted a gap in the hedge next to a gate...saw an angler and found out it is by permit through WMBC....thought that was only at Gailey.

Only really had time to walk around the upper pool but obviously could see the lower at one place.Loads of Gulls on lower but no time to investigate.

Looked for the White Fronts but just managed 4 Grey Lag on upper...bet they were on far side of lower...lol
Did see a weasel/stoat dash from the shore into the trees along the main road edge though.

More visits neede...after getting the permit.

Keith

Not White Fronts but 2 of the Grey Lags...better than Canadas though.

 

[Steve Nuttall]

Hi Keith,
Please be aware that access to Belvide is strictly by permit only. If you get a permit for Belvide, it covers you for Gailey. Where did you access Belvide from yesterday? I ask because one of the surrounding land owners is a nasty piece of work, who if he finds trespassers on his land, has been known to send fireworks over the reservoir to frighten the birds off.

Cheers Steve

 

[The Moore-hen]

Hi Keith,
Please be aware that access to Belvide is strictly by permit only. If you get a permit for Belvide, it covers you for Gailey. Where did you access Belvide from yesterday? I ask because one of the surrounding land owners is a nasty piece of work, who if he finds trespassers on his land, has been known to send fireworks over the reservoir to frighten the birds off.

Cheers Steve

Sounds more like he was at Gailey I think mate - looking for White-fronts and talking of Upper and Lower pools - is that right Keith? Keith - White-fronts were getting mainly in field north of the lower pool but now have moved mainly to field north of Upper Resv. Don't worry about permit for Gailey just walk in from by sailing club on Gailey Lea Lane, just make sure you park well off the road (due to heavy farm machinery using narrow lane) and not in fishing or sailing club car parks.

 

[keithr]

OOOPS....apologies to everyone...got my reserve names mixed up......:gh:


It was at Gailey ......I parked in the lane where theres a tiny "passing place" type bay just off the lane and opposite a gate where there was a gap in the hedge next to it.I passed the sailing/fishing car parks when I drove all the way up the lane and back again.I said to the angler that the car park gates were closed and he said theres a little gate next to them that you can use.
PERMIT...he also said he had never really seen a warden come around here....I have looked at the WMBC web site and it seems that membership runs from Jan to Jan ...thought it would not be hard to have 3-6 and 9 months fees on your 1st year but will not hold my breath though....lol

Ah- the white Fronts are in the fields- no wonder I missed them.
Thanks
Keith :t:

 

[The Moore-hen]

Yep no problem to visit Gailey without a permit Keith, there are lots of general public who visit and no wardens or anything so you will be fine, Belvide and Blithfield are not to be visited without permit. Yep the geese are generally in the fields but do pop onto the reservoirs from time to time. Let us know what you see...:t:

 

[The Snapper]

Hi Keith,

Have you been to the Gailey area recently?

Just wondering in you've had anything of interest.

Cheers and good birding.

Steve

 

[keithr]

I put up a nut feeder at the back of the unit just before Easter break so it would be quiet for anything to find it......on my return on Tuesday there were a pair of great Tits "in charge" of it...along with a pair of Blue Tits trying to get in on the act.
I threw some cake on the floor underneath and Dunnocks - Robin -Blackbird took advantage.
2 more unexpected ones were at least one Pied Wagtail and today a pair of Siskin scratching around in the old leaf litter for seeds off the trees.
AS always everything was overseen by a pair of Crows...huge at this close.
Hope the Siskin return tomorrow.
Keith :t:

 

[keithr]

Had a walk around both pools at Gailey around midday.
It was very windy so the water was very choppy.
Full of Tufteds and Coot with about 4 Herons and a few pairs of GCGrebe....but no Black necked Grebe visible.
Also a lack of Gulls as well.
Did spot what I think are the White fronts though .........
Only other things were a couple of Pied Wagtails and some Lapwing and Crows in the field along the lane.
Keith :t:

 

[The Moore-hen]

Yep those are definitely the long staying White-fronts Keith - still present today. The Grebes were one day wonders only but doubt they will be the last of the year, Gailey has an excellent track record for BNG esp in the autumn.

 

[keithr]

Thanks for the Positive I.D....

...another new one at the car park feeder on Friday...a Coal Tit.

Keith :t:

 

[The Snapper]

Hi Keith,

Whereabouts did you place the feeder?

I'll keep an eye on this during my early morning visits.

Cheers

Steve

 

[keithr]

Hi Steve.....it's a bit out of the way for casual viewing...unless you go to the sandwich shop which is adjacent to the unit I work in.
If you look at the area it's no surprise I have had some good visitors as it's right in the middle of the countryside and some good woods next to it.These will be investigated at a later date.
I was told on Friday that the canal throws up some good things as well.....some Kingfishers can be seen now and then.
Keith :t:

EDIT....oops i forgot to put the map on.....:-O

 

[keithr]

While looking for Calf Heath resa some months ago I found a disused canal and wanted to return in better weather....so today I did.

It's at the end of straight Mile and then runs under Oak Lane.

Not the best time to choose as the waterways people were dragging out a lot of weed and dumping it on the edge....smelly in all this heat.
Despite all the disturbance it was a great few hours spent.
Swallows and Martins were all around and skimming the bits of open water.Also saw...
Blackbird,
Starling,
Goldfinch,
Sparrow,
Coot ,
Morehen,
Crow,
Buzzard,
Chiffchaff (singing)
Greenfinch(heard)
Chaffinch(heard)
Lots of others singing but I just could not tell what (can't seem to remember all the different songs)
Non birds...
Skippers (not sure if Large or small)
Red Admiral,
Whites
Tortoiseshell,
Banded Demoiselle
Beautiful Demoiselle
Mating Damsels (too far away)
A large Blue Dragon hawking up and down canal.
The water was really clear in places and you could see a lot of large fish......I asked one of the water people why the canal was flowing like a river and was told its a feeder to the main canal and he mentioned Upper Gailey but not sure if it comes in or out of it.
Could not walk up past Tumbledown farm as the towpath was sodden- the water chap had said the fields had been flooded that was another reason for clearing the weed away.

Will be re-visiting when it settles down again and try and get some perches in to help Kingfishers try for all the fish....

Keith :t:

1...the start
2...the next bridge
3..Nice big fish (8-10 inches ?)
4...last bridge..
5...The view further on ...too wet though.