Grimley and Holt (3 Viewers)

[Isaac2]

Tuesday evening Camp Lane 2 black-tailed godwits , kingfisher , hobby. The gulls that were there left early around 6:00pm amongst them a juvenile common gull the first I’ve seen since last winter ,all heading East.
At 7:00pm agreat white Egret flew in from the South landed opposite me on the East shore ,then onto the pool adjacent to hippo ,where I couldn’t see it for 20 mins. Flushed by a walker on the causeway it then flew and landed 3/4 down NE shore main pit. It roosted with the other 5 Egrets at 7:50 and was still there when I left at 8:10.

 

[Isaac2]

Before I start on to-nights update I would like to say a big thank-you to those at the Birder Store, St. John's, Worcs. , and HAWKE for a great conclusion to a binocular disaster whilst on holiday.
On arriving at Camp Lane Pits a bird which I suspected was in the egret roost but couldn't confirm from Tuesday night, was sat in one of the dead trees in Camp Lane main pit Cattle Egret . It stayed there for !/2 hour before going to roost , quite early , with another 4 little egrets and still present at 8:00 p.m.
2 Black-tailed Godwits also present but mobile. swallows passing through and still a large flock of goldfinches [ C200 Tuesday night ] in chicory, Church Farm meadows.

 

[Isaac2]

Sunday morning, a quiet morning , no sign of the black tailed godwits. 2 green sandpiper and 3 Little Egrets North end . A group of 7 wigeon were the first of the Autumn along with an increase of shovellor and teal . A group of 7 dunnocks were feeding under a hedgerow oak making the most of the overnight rain , after a long dry period.

 

[Isaac2]

Tuesday evening very overcast , poor light 10 Male pochard South end and 4 little Egrets roosted.

 

[Isaac2]

From Thursday evening Church Farm meadows first stonechat of the Autumn and 8 little grebes on the pools.
Wagon Wheel , North Pit absolutely nothing , South Pit 20 tufted duck, L. Egret, Heron and Kingfisher.
CLP's quite windy couldn't see anything new in , green woodpecker on North bank, 3 Little Egrets roosted .

 

[Isaac2]

2 stonechat Church Farm meadows .
CLP’s water rail calling , house martins and pipits over throughout the morning. Jays feeding on acorns. 39 grey-lag geese west shore with a single wigeon and 9 snipe.
Sling/Holt Green Sand, and kingfisher .

 

[Isaac2]

Not much to report from last week ,but 104 cormorants on Tuesday night was impressive, thankfully they don't all feed at Grimley.
Sunday morning Wagon Wheel river flash although now on the way down Gull numbers beyond count and all the normal duck species present along with several hundred Canada geese. Right on the far side a common gull and on the fence posts [tied with red string] a first winter med gull. 4 little Egrets present.

 

[Isaac2]

Tuesday evening CLP’s , Common Gull with 40+ black headed Gulls, kingfisher, water rail calling. 2 Stonechats North causeway. 5 Redwing over high calling, N.W. , first of the autumn.
Wagon Wheel flash , I arrived here a bit late and light not good but 5 Little Egrets , 4 Heron , Wigeon, Shovellor , teal and mallard .

 

[Isaac2]

Sunday morning early , raining heavy so bins only with high viz jacket not the best . CLP water level very high ,no muddy shoreline and quite an extensive algae bloom ( 3 dead adult mute swans over the last couple of weeks — maybe a connection ). Snipe seemed to be enjoying the conditions with 67 counted in the air . Wigeon numbers up to 35 which flew in from the North 9:00 am.
Crossing through the Willow tunnel which is the Southern causeway meet a kestrel flying low carrying a rodent ,,very close encounter . The day then ramped up , it stopped raining 9:30 ,a the East end of the South causeway birds were alarming and I had stunning views of a Barn Owl first drying its wings in one of the dead trees and the hunting the East fields .

 

[Isaac2]

Just a quick comment on last Sunday , if you read it I referred to a high viz jacket i was wearing due to heavy rain . Todays visit normal attire and the only reaction of the birds present , shoveller took off and moved away from me as normal, everything else stayed put. Last week with high viz on the swans stayed put but everything else moved away and was alert , and as stated last week over 60 snipe took to the air from 100 yards upwards from many locations and went down the south west end . It surprised me the disturbance it had , ---- you get a lot of people either workmen or out for recreation with probably no idea of the effect on the wildlife .
Back to Sunday morning which started badly misidentifying 2 juvenile Mute swans which I at first, thought, were juv . Whoppers. Derrr. It then picked up with a very dark female /juv Marsh Harrier which was seen to land in the shoreline vegetation at the South East end of CLP. Kingfisher was seen several times and 2 Stonechats were in the bulrushes SW end.
Checking the Yew trees on the way round mistle thrush, Song thrush, Greenfinch, Jackdaws and Tits feeding on berries nothing more exotic yet. Green Sand pool behind village , and another at Holt along with 1 stonechat.

 

[Isaac2]

I will start on a sad note, my friend and birding companion for 13.5 years, Harlie, my black Lab is no longer with me and will be sorely missed .
Sling/Holt my first siskin of the autumn and a stonechat . At 9:10 a Great White Egret flew in from the North circled twice then headed South towards CLP but was not seen again at any location.
Camp Lane female Goldeneye and 3 Water Rail, South end 1 seen ,2 calling.
Wagon wheel Cetti's Warbler in rushes seen and heard , sounds like a young male --subdued song with parts (notes) missing . First winter Common Gull WW flood.

 

[Patch67]

So sorry to hear about Harlie mate. A birder's dog through and through. RIP

 

[Isaac2]

Sunday morning calm clear but cold, Sling /Holt still only the one Siskin with C 30 goldfinch . Redwings feeding on yew berries.
CLP Cetti’s warbler North end seen and heard , probably a female as no attempt at song but calling frequently. Kingfisher on fence posts and at C 10:30 female type Marsh Harrier, mobbed by jackdaws flew over the South end E>>>W.
Church Farm goosander over S>>>N and later 2 Egyptian Geese North pit.
Probably my hardest resident species to find , 2 Marsh Tits along a flooded Grimley Brooke .

 

[Isaac2]

Sunday morning calm and overcast , Sling/Holt 58 Grey-Lag geese , Shelduck and green sandpiper. Flushed a Woodcock from wooded area and Grey wagtail also seen.
Camp Lane pits quiet with only a female Goldeneye of note. River flooded , just see the top of the footpath gate.
Church Farm good numbers of birds on the courgette fields ,Meadow pipit ,Linnit, Chaffinch , pied wagtail and a covey of 6 Red-Legged partridge.

 

[Isaac2]

Sunday morning overwintering blackcap in village and a Male goldeneye has joined the long staying female on CLP.
Godwit seen briefly at at Holt flash but couldn’t relocate a few minutes later when in a better viewing spot. 55 species seen

 

[Isaac2]

From Sunday morning kingfisher grebe pool , Holt. Bullfinches seen at Holt and Grimley ,a bird that has been absent , for me for 4 months. Female goldeneye CLP, and a grey wagtail Wagon Wheel.

 

[Isaac2]

I have been visiting Grimley but have had little to mention mainly due to the high water levels, the Severn flooding multiple times making vast areas an option for water loving birds.
Camp lane 200+ lapwing present at this location with more at wagon Wheel and Holt. A male and female Goosander South end, water rail calling from reeds.
Church Farm a covey of 7 Red-Legged Partridge and a further possible 3 along the river an hour later.
Wagon Wheel flood over 100 wigeon at the furthest shoreline but due to poor visibility hard to say if anything else was with them.
To finish a friendly Robin down to a metre. 51 species seen.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Drake Green-winged Teal at Camp Lane Pits early afternoon as per Gary Palmer.

 

[Isaac2]

Tuesday morning , had an unsuccessful look for the Green-Winged Teal as did several other birders, although I wouldn't be surprised if it was still lurking somewhere around the margins.
A quick review of 2019 saw 6 new species for me , Water pipit ,Golden Plover, Alpine Swift, Ring-Necked duck, cetti's warbler and Mediterranean Gull. 128 species for the year out of 149, that I know too, which is the same numerical total as last year .
As a whole I found that the birds passing through literally did just that and very few stuck around to be seen again . This especially applied to waders, even the common ones , and those that tried to breed either didn't bother, or gave up early. Reasons why, not idea weather at critical times and a lot of human disturbance .
Tomorrow I look forward to starting a 2020 list of over 100 birds, if possible , and a happy New Year to you all.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Think Patch has calculated the year list to be 152 species.