sheepwash urban park (1 Viewer)

[yamyam]

Hi Craig it would have been about 05:45
Good Birding YAMYAM

 

[Baggieshep]

Hiya sheepwahers, excellent bird yamyam and I do believe it could well be a 1st for the wash but the stalwarts of sheepwash will confirm and put us right:t:. Only managed peregrine and a party of greenfinch myself:-C. Where is your allotment yamyam my sons got one at Bromford Lane on the lyng. Hiya Laurie I remember the pylon incident well but my bet is they will choose a nearby chimney stack next year. Cheers and happy birdingB .

 

[midlands birder]

Good find Yam
I too had a Peregrine, but this one only overflew the Wash. Otherwhys it was just butterflys/ Dragonflys, of which there was nothing 'out of the ordinary'
MB

 

[Phil Andrews]

Hi Baggieshep
I had a Avocet fly over this AM. Not sure if this is a first for Sheepwash? Also Common Sand, Kingfisher & Peregrine.
Good Birding YAMYAM

Last sighting at Upton Warren was on Tuesday so it may be one of "our" birds passing through?

 

[geoffw1946]

Hiya sheepwahers, excellent bird yamyam and I do believe it could well be a 1st for the wash but the stalwarts of sheepwash will confirm and put us right:t:. Only managed peregrine and a party of greenfinch myself:-C. Where is your allotment yamyam my sons got one at Bromford Lane on the lyng. Hiya Laurie I remember the pylon incident well but my bet is they will choose a nearby chimney stack next year. Cheers and happy birdingB .

Hi Mark and Yam, Just checked the records and I believe Avocet is a new species for SUP so the list goes up to 190. Still a chance of 200 in the next 10 years.
Geoff

 

[Baggieshep]

Hiya sheepwashers, there you have it yamyam a 1st for sheepwash :t: cheers Geoff and Dave for clarifying my first thoughts. Im sure yamyam is aware and no doubt will approveB a long standing traditionB of sheepwash regarding the finders of any speciesB classified as 1st for the washB they must stand a round of drinks in the Tame Bridge on the last sunday of the month. Todays sightings include a very nervous imm shoveler, imm green woody, a couple of views of kingfisher around both bridges, peregrine was on a chimney stack not far away, sprawk was seen again even though I forgot to mention it yesterday:eek!:, 4 stock doves were good to see. Cheers and happy birdingB .

 

[geoffw1946]

I see in the Sandwell Chronicle that the Friends of Stony Lane Park (Smethwick Hall Park) have banned feeding birds there and managed to get rid of the ducks and geese and they now have pedalos on the pool. Perhaps it's something that could happen at Sheepwash, good idea eh?
Geoff

 

[Baggieshep]

Hiya sheepwashers, Geoff over my dead body will I see pedlos over the wash im pissed off with poles ATM so I would not stand for it being turned into a theme park:C. At least 2 peregrines were on the pylon and the shoveler was present this morning. GSP and green woody were about today and kingfisher flew over php. Also noted were blackcap, willow warbler and reed warbler. Ive seen my 1st tufted youngster today thou Craig aka midlands birder saw his weeks ago, preditation may be the reason why:eat:. Cheers and happy birdingB ,

 

[rollingthunder]

Maybe Sheepwash could get a 'celebrity' endorsement?

Laurie:t:

 

[yamyam]

Hi Geoff
Can you give us a list of the birds recorded at Sheepwash. Many Thanks.
Good Birding YAMYAM

 

[Phil Andrews]

Hi Mark and Yam, Just checked the records and I believe Avocet is a new species for SUP so the list goes up to 190. Still a chance of 200 in the next 10 years.
Geoff

Preumably Avocet is still a submission species for the West Mids county?

 

[Baggieshep]

Hiya sheepwashers. Ive not spent as much time as I would have liked at the wash the last few days:eek!eregrine was on usual pylon, spawk chased a house martin and a buzzard spooked the gulls of which numbered a ca 100 mainly LBB tonight. Little grebe continue to do well with another 3 new chicks tonight, 2 GC Grebe graced the pool sunday as did a male and female birding couple. Hiya Phil any bird at sheepwash is subject to a committee these days be it official or non official:smoke: next time I see you on the wash lets chew the cud on birding politics you wouldn't believe the stuff that dosnt get submitted probably due to its non acceptance. Cheers and happy birding I hope Ive got the energy tomorrow lolB .

 

[rollingthunder]

It's just what you need is'nt it? You spend countless hours on a thankless birding task trying to find something decent in a relatively unproductive habitat and when you see one of the UK's most easily identifiable birds you have to have the record subjected to people who never visit the damn place.....

I did'nt submit anything for the Purple Sandpiper :eek!:that i found that put the place on the map and loads of people saw it (The Peoples Sandpiper?). I doubt whether anybody submitted any notes but i think it was accepted?

I do'nt know and i do'nt care. Records are important but i think a lot of interesting stuff just is'nt submitted in the West Mids, people just do'nt bother they've more important things to be getting on with.

Like a lot of people, i bird for my own pleasure and if i find or see something i'll put it out and if it's still there then fine. If it was a rarity or something scarce then notes and relevant experience with the species would be mentioned but anything like an Avo - forget about it.

Nothing personal just my thoughts..........as usual

NB - no photographs or feelings were hurt in the posting of these comments.

Laurie:t:

I would think that Kevin trawls the forums for record but a lot must get mentioned just as 'reports'.

 

[Phil Andrews]

It's just what you need is'nt it? You spend countless hours on a thankless birding task trying to find something decent in a relatively unproductive habitat and when you see one of the UK's most easily identifiable birds you have to have the record subjected to people who never visit the damn place.....

I did'nt submit anything for the Purple Sandpiper :eek!:that i found that put the place on the map and loads of people saw it (The Peoples Sandpiper?). I doubt whether anybody submitted any notes but i think it was accepted?

I do'nt know and i do'nt care. Records are important but i think a lot of interesting stuff just is'nt submitted in the West Mids, people just do'nt bother they've more important things to be getting on with.

Like a lot of people, i bird for my own pleasure and if i find or see something i'll put it out and if it's still there then fine. If it was a rarity or something scarce then notes and relevant experience with the species would be mentioned but anything like an Avo - forget about it.

Nothing personal just my thoughts..........as usual

NB - no photographs or feelings were hurt in the posting of these comments.

Laurie:t:

I would think that Kevin trawls the forums for record but a lot must get mentioned just as 'reports'.

Hi Laurie - where did I comment on the record; I was just seeking clarification on the status of Avocet in the West Midlands which is important in understanding the movement of the significant Worcestershire breeding population.

Personally I believe that a local site list should only include birds accepted by the relevant body, whether than be the County Recorder or the BBRC) otherwise there is a disparity between the two (but clearly thats for the list coordinator to decide). This is the approach I take at Upton Warren, albeit there is an 12 month timelag between the reserve's annual report and the WMBC annual report being published so I include an addendum which shows the "fate" of those submission species reported the previous year(s).

 

[rollingthunder]

I agree with everything you say Phil and i am glad that somebody, such as yourself, is willing to put in the, not inconsiderable, time and effort to gather and present statistics and records. I am just making the point that it is not everybodys interest or priorities, that's all. I also think that the 'fuller' the records submitted the better the overall picture of records and trends. When i worked as a professional birder for the National Trust it was very important particularly on such a renowned site (still no reply from Norwich Castle Museum with regard to my Kentish Plover clutch despite saying they would get the details, so much for records) as Blakeney Point.

The downgrading of BB rarities has not helped despite the re-introduction of the 'scarcities' report.

I for one would not submit notes for an Avocet, Willow Tit, Nightingale and a whole host of other rare species in the West Midlands. In the unlikely event that i ever find anything locally hopefully it will hang around to be grilled by the 'grockles'.............Come to think of it i have'nt submitted any formal records for some interesting stuff i've found in Maroc some of us just do'nt bother i'm afraid. The records are obviously poorer for this approach but that's just the way it is.

ATB Laurie:t:

 

[Phil Andrews]

Clearly its the County Recorder's call what to do when receiving reports of Submission Species without any supporting notes and I dont envy Kevin in such circumstances.

Personally I belive that records of declining species such as Willow Tit and Nightingale should be fully documented so the national picture and trend for these vulnerable species can be established and maintained.

 

[rollingthunder]

Phil - i actually agree with your 2nd paragraph insofar as these records are 'noted' but i'm afraid the level of detail that 'some' people are willing to go to is an individual decision. I would love to hear a Nightingale around Stourbridge and it was a very familiar species when i lived down South in the 70's - i spent quite a few weekends coppicing Hazel in the Kentish countryside just for that species (and the associated Chalk flora) and i see and hear no end of them in Iberia and Maroc.

I personally do not feel the need to go into detail in the submission of records over this sort of thing but that is my choice, if i am fortunate enough to see and hear one i will post accordingly and that is the same for Willow Tit or anything else that gets the local birders/photographers rushing about and wetting themselves as if the Dodo has been re-discovered

Laurie:t:

 

[Phil Andrews]

Phil - i actually agree with your 2nd paragraph insofar as these records are 'noted' but i'm afraid the level of detail that 'some' people are willing to go to is an individual decision. I would love to hear a Nightingale around Stourbridge and it was a very familiar species when i lived down South in the 70's - i spent quite a few weekends coppicing Hazel in the Kentish countryside just for that species (and the associated Chalk flora) and i see and hear no end of them in Iberia and Maroc.

I personally do not feel the need to go into detail in the submission of records over this sort of thing but that is my choice, if i am fortunate enough to see and hear one i will post accordingly and that is the same for Willow Tit or anything else that gets the local birders/photographers rushing about and wetting themselves as if the Dodo has been re-discovered

Laurie:t:

The regulars (and newcomers) at Upton Warren are rightly excited about the return of an enagmatic species thought to be lost to the site (and nearly the whole county of Worcestershire). You might term it "wetting themselves"; I would call it passionate about what the site can produce and pround of the response to targeted scrub management work.

 

[rollingthunder]

I would rather have seen the Marsh Tit that JK found

Enigmatic means "difficult to understand because it is mysterious, puzzling or ambiguous" - must make the field notes and record acceptance difficult?

Sorry to be a pedant, just a bit of banter:t:

Laurie:t:

 

[Phil Andrews]

I think we all would have wanted someone to see a Marsh Tit at Upton