Grimley and Holt (6 Viewers)

[Isaac2]

Evening ,sunny and warm ,makes a change sling pool ruff still+ 2 Dunlin, lesser whitethroat singing by car park. Camp lane at least 20 swift new for the year at the north end along with bar tailed godwit,drake garganey and first summer common gull. Towards the south end 1 black tailed godwit . All birds were still present on leaving at 8:30 .15 species of duck seen so far at grimley this year .

 

[Isaac2]

The day just gets better on arriving home hobby flew over the house.

 

[Patch67]

Hi Isaac2 - good evening that. Glad to hear both godwits still there last night.

I don't know if you use Twitter at all but Brian Stretch has set up an account for Grimley & Holt sightings - just tag @GrimleyBirding in your tweet and news will get around the Grimley regulars pretty fast.

This Saturday is the day of the Spring All Day birdwatch if you are around............

Patch

 

[Isaac2]

Thank you Patch, I can only get to grimley in the evening on saturday , probably around 6:00pm .

 

[Patch67]

Thank you Patch, I can only get to grimley in the evening on saturday , probably around 6:00pm .

No worries. We are currently on 93 at midday, but neither Little or Tawny Owl so an evening visit may be a great help!

 

[Isaac2]

After an internet problem sat and Sunday sighting Saturday evening ruff sling . Wood sandpiper , 2 greenshank new for me around 7:00pm with ringed plover and black tailed godwit cl pits.No owls unfortunately..
Sunday morning ,sling ruff still peregrine over. Camp lane 2 wheatear on sub soiled field opposite race track, 11:30 wood sand still with single black tern. No sign of elusive little egret at any location.

 

[Isaac2]

Same visit as previous first lapwing chick and little grebe chicks seen today at camp lane. The later several days old.

 

[Brass Monkey]

No worries. We are currently on 93 at midday, but neither Little or Tawny Owl so an evening visit may be a great help!

93! What was final tally and is there a list anywhere?

 

[Patch67]

Great stuff Isaac2. Greenshank was new for the day.

Final total was 96 - I'm sure the list will be posted shortly

 

[Patch67]

Spring All-Dayer list for Grimley as follows......

Mute Swan
Canada Goose
Greylag Goose
Mallard
Gadwall
Shoveler
Teal
Mandarin
Tufted Duck
Pochard
Goosander
Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Grey Heron
Cormorant
Coot
Moorhen
Buzzard
Sparrowhawk
Kestrel
Pheasant
Red-legged Partridge
Grey Partridge
Lapwing
Little Ringed Plover
Ringed Plover
Oystercatcher
Redshank
Greenshank
Ruff
Black-tailed Godwit
Snipe
Dunlin
Common Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Arctic Tern
Common Tern
Tawny Owl
Cuckoo
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Green Woodpecker
Wood Pigeon
Stock Dove
Collared Dove
Feral Pigeon
Kingfisher
Swift
Skylark
Pied Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail
House Martin
Sand Martin
Swallow
Stonechat
Wheatear
Blackbird
Mistle Thrush
Song Thrush
Dunnock
Robin
Wren
Reed Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Lesser Whitethroat
Common Whitethroat
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Blackcap
Garden Warbler
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Coal Tit
Marsh Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Goldcrest
Treecreeper
Nuthatch
Starling
Jay
Magpie
Jackdaw
Rook
Carrion Crow
Raven
Chaffinch
Bullfinch
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Linnet
House Sparrow
Yellowhammer
Reed Bunting

Total 96

Cheers to all who took part, and special mention to Rob Clipson for once again going beyond the call of duty in the provision of bacon sarnies and tea when it was needed most!

 

[Patch67]

Purely out of interest these are the species that have been seen at least once in the previous 3 Spring All-Dayers that we didn't get this time, together with the number of times recorded in the previous 3...

Shelduck 1 / 3
Little Egret 1 / 3
Peregrine 1 / 3
Hobby 1 / 3
Curlew 3 / 3
Whimbrel 1 / 3
Bar-tailed Godwit 1 / 3
Common Gull 1 / 3
Little Owl 2 / 3
Barn Owl 1 / 3
Meadow Pipit 1 / 3
Whinchat 1 / 3
Grasshopper Warbler 1 / 3
Spotted Flycatcher 1 / 3

Quite surprised that a few of those have only been recorded once, but sadly not surprised that Curlew was absent for the first time this year......

 

[Isaac2]

Sling pool evening failed to see ruff but may have been hidden from view ,3 buzzards circling. Highlight though was spotted flycatcher in trees along lane,seems early but had very good views.

 

[Phil Andrews]

A summary of sightings across the various sites that participated in the West Midlands All-Day Birdwatch on the 6th May.

 

[Isaac2]

Not much movement over the last couple of weeks the highlight on the 15th ,2 grey partridge the first I've seen at grimley,and 17 years since the last sighting anywhere. A bit of a fledgling night at camp lane pits with grey lag and Canada goose with 5 each ,the lapwing chick doing well as were 2 oystercatcher chicks . Mallard are the only species of duck I've Seen with young the highest amount 14 chicks on hippo pool.Moorhen and coot have multiple broods with more waiting to hatch,little grebe with 1 well grown chick and great crested grebe incubating.

 

[Isaac2]

Again grimley quiet but at this time of year with dense leaf cover and the contact calling ,and less singing much harder to locate .Missed the little gulls as birding in north Wales for the week(92 species 17 new for the year) but I noticed something interesting . Having spent 6 months walking grimley without sight or sound of a curlew , Wales is a banker for this species being probably the most abundant. It took all week to find 4 where usually you could add two noughts to that figure . Rather alarming . Let's hope there up in the hills breeding. Butterflies seen tortoishell,meadow brown ,ringlet and marbled white with scarlet tiger moths along the river.

 

[Isaac2]

Pair of redshank at camp lane pits with 3 very young chicks in attendance. Also mute swan with 7 cygnets and at least 3 broods of fresh mallard ducklings.

 

[Isaac2]

Sunday morning camp lane pits common sandpiper 2 and 5 little egrets no redshanks seen or heard. Still have not seen a hobby at grimley this year and again drew a blank. Lesser whitethroat singing along river but the star bird was in the hedge as you come through grimley church yard and into the field, a male redstart.

 

[Isaac2]

Thursday evening,sling pool black tailed godwit and 4 egrets. Later at camp lane pits 4 egrets dropped in to roost joining the 6 already there. Stunning yellow wagtail in onlon field calling from metal frame.

 

[Isaac2]

Sunday morning 2 yellow wags in onion field along with 50+ pickers. Reed warblers in abundance along with a garden warbler southern causeway. Redstart family party of 5 and several treecreepers and a nuthatch just upriver of B.A.A. water.

 

[Isaac2]

Camp lane pits 8-10pm, 19 common sandpipers ,11 on hippo pool 8 on north end of main lake east shore, the most I've ever seen anywhere . I was surprised how they seemed to gather together as the 8 took off flew round for about 5mins before returning to original place . I thought they were solitary ,although these were probably getting ready to roost. 7 black -tailed godwits flew in from the north circled the complex twice ,then flew off south. A lone male pochard was on the southern most pool ,my first of the ,dare I say autumn. 10 egrets were roosting in a tree by the fence line that crosses the lake .