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Sandwell Valley (1 Viewer)

yamyam

Well-known member
Mandarin

The first documented record was in 1985 when a female was found on Forge mill but the bird departed the same day before many of the regulars could get down the Valley to see the bird, we had to wait six years for our second record in 1991, a male which alternated between Red House Park and Forge Mill. This was the bird that put Mandarin on to my Valley List. Our third record was a male seen in 1999 for one day only in October; we had a male in 2008 from March till the end of November. A bird was recorded in September 2010 for one day and again in 2013 a bird for one day in November.
Good Birding YAMYAM
 
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yamyam

Well-known member
Birds seen in December

Great Northern Diver
Slavonian Grebe
Brent Goose
Scaup
Long Tailed Duck
Common Scoter
Velvet Scoter
Smew
Red Breasted Merganser
Merlin
Mediterranean Gull
Yellow-Legged Gull
Long Eared Owl
Firecrest
Waxwing
Water Pipit
Twite
Crossbill
Hawfinch

Good Birding YAMYAM
 
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Dick-E-Dipper

Well-known member
MANDARINS

Re your records on Mandarins, this one was photographed on Forge Mill lake on 21st Nov. 2007. Some believed it could have been an escapee! Have you any records of this?

Richard
 

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Abbeybirder

Well-known member
no it was only when it flew that you could see the white edge to the feathers when standing their was no sign of the white in the wings at all, The pics are very interesting as I saw one very similar to that at Dudley Zoo with a few more Carrion Crows in the castle court yard earlier this year
 

yamyam

Well-known member
Swan pool
Goldeneye x2 female, Tufted Duck x56, Coot c 164, Great Crested Grebe & Little Grebe
Good Birding YAMYAM
 

rollingthunder

Well-known member
An hour each around both pools ystda was pleasant enough. I had forgotton just how striking male Goldeneye are:eek!: A single male on Forge Mill stood out from its dowdier and drabber cousins like a dick on a dog! I have'nt seen a Goldeneye for 3 years, perhaps that says more about me;) Goosander nudged into double figures and an overflying Parakeet.....

I believe i said hello to Matt Gibbs and his girlfriend - we were the two blokes with the dogs sitting on the bench.

Laurie:t:
 

yamyam

Well-known member
Forge Mill

Pochard c30, Wigeon x9, Goosander x12, Goldeneye x2 (male & female), Shoveler, Gadwall, Teal, Snipe c28, Lapwing x45, Cormorant x3, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Grey Wagtail and Willow Tit x2.
Good Birding YAMYAM
 

yamyam

Well-known member
MANDARINS

Re your records on Mandarins, this one was photographed on Forge Mill lake on 21st Nov. 2007. Some believed it could have been an escapee! Have you any records of this?

Richard

Cheers Richard i had not got any details on this bird.
Good Birding YAMYAM
 

mattgibbs

Well-known member
Just updated my blog with a review of my visit and a complete species seen list - http://www.birding.uk.com/forum/blogs/adrian-k/546-sandwell-valley-rspb-visit-29-11-2014.html

Hi, we saw the white winged crow on 25th November on the bank near the Marsh.

Re the scrub on the banks - personally I think it's better this way than before. You get loads of warblers here in the spring and I saw Long Tailed tits with nesting material in there. I remember prior to scrub on the banks in the early/mid 1990's- birds were constantly scared away by dogs swimming in the lake. For me the small inconvenience of not being able to see the island the whole way round is a small price to pay. :t:
 

mattgibbs

Well-known member
An hour each around both pools ystda was pleasant enough. I had forgotton just how striking male Goldeneye are:eek!: A single male on Forge Mill stood out from its dowdier and drabber cousins like a dick on a dog! I have'nt seen a Goldeneye for 3 years, perhaps that says more about me;) Goosander nudged into double figures and an overflying Parakeet.....

I believe i said hello to Matt Gibbs and his girlfriend - we were the two blokes with the dogs sitting on the bench.

Laurie:t:

Hi Laurie if it was yesterday then it wasn't us. The last time me and the wife were at Sandwell was last Tuesday ;). Frightening to think we may have a double though o:D
 

Abbeybirder

Well-known member
Hi Laurie I understand your point but a small clearing about half way across would be a slight improvement didn't realise dogs used to swim in the pool from this area I can only imagine what disruption that used to have on the bird species around the edge of the pool.
I must admit I would be surprised to hear of a mega being seen soon around Sandwell Valley RSPB as it has everything going for it.
 

rollingthunder

Well-known member
This is all a bit confusing -i obviously did'nt see Matt who, in turn, commented about the scrub habitat which has been attributed to me by Abbeybirder;)

Laurie:t:
 

mattgibbs

Well-known member
Hi Laurie I understand your point but a small clearing about half way across would be a slight improvement didn't realise dogs used to swim in the pool from this area I can only imagine what disruption that used to have on the bird species around the edge of the pool.
I must admit I would be surprised to hear of a mega being seen soon around Sandwell Valley RSPB as it has everything going for it.

I think they have cleared a little recently so it wouldn't surprise me to see a little more cleared. Yes a little clearance wouldn't really harm things I suppose, and things can quickly turn from scrub to semi woodland.

From an admittably hazy memory I'm sure that at one time in the early/mid 90's you could see the lake nearly all the way round it. Now it's just at isolated pockets though some has also been cleared recently at the end away from the RSPB reserve. I'd be interested to know if more will be cleared.:t:
 

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