sheepwash urban park (1 Viewer)

[Phil Andrews]

If only Rolling Thunder could make peace with the Uptonites :flowers: they may gives us a pair of Avocets :t:.

Would quite happily trade-off a few pairs of Avocet if it would guarantee the return of successfully breeding Lapwing and LRP :-C

 

[rollingthunder]

'Uptonite' - sounds like a gay version of Kryptonite

The pants are nothing to do with me, Mark, the only thing that is pants is birding around Stourhole:C

Do'nt forget, you still have a hat of mine?

You get those waders breeding and i'll knock you up a medal from Unobtanium:t:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unobtanium

ATB Laurie:t:

 

[Baggieshep]

Spotted Flycatcher

Hi wash watchers & a warm welcome to all. My 1st Spotted Flycatcher of the year was found on the canal side of the Johns Lane tunnel on my way to the old A/W pool. This pool as really captured my imagination & is best viewed from the pathway next to what used to be Autobase & not from the top of the old tip as I have been doing ( easy access from Sedgely Rd East ). 3 Common Tern have been present the last few days 1 being a Juvenile still dependant on its parents. A couple of weeks ago the odd BHG was noted but they are now being noted between 40 - 50 complete with begging Juveniles still being fed. Other birds of note around this location the last few days are Skylark, Kestrel, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Little Grebe, Sprawk, Stock Dove & Bullfinch along with many of the usual species. Back on the wash side the Greylag is almost now a resident :smoke: nice to see are a pair of G C Grebe along with several Little Grebes, Cormorants still drop in & the Swan pairs have a combined number of 6 well developed cygnets. Both common species of Woodpecker have bred successfully. Cheers & Happy Birding B .

 

[Baggieshep]

Correction A/w Pool

Sorry folks its Tipton Road & I once worked there:gn:

 

[Baggieshep]

Pesky Returns

Hi wash watchers & a warm welcome to all. Yesterday a work mate told me a falcon type bird had flew over causing havoc amongst the pigeons & sure enough the female Peregrine perched upon Robinsons chimney stack making several sorties through out the day. The last two days as provided me with the now regular Greylag, Buzzard, Common Tern x 3, Kingfisher, Green & G S Woodpecker, Grasshopper Warbler & Grey Wagtail. Cheers & Happy Birding B .

 

[geoffw1946]

Has there been any Marbled Whites this year yet?
Geoff

 

[Baggieshep]

Butterfly Chasing

Hi wash watchers & a warm welcome to all. After reading Geoffs post I decided to go chasing butterflies on my Thursday lunch hour as it was such a nice day. A very tiring exercise it proved to be chasing any white butterfly that happened to pass :smoke:, sadly I can not confirm or deny the presence of Marbled White but if I should be so lucky & one should land at my feet I will duly post the fact on here :t:. On the birding front there as been nothing new:-C 5 Common Terns was as good as it got . Cheers & Happy Birding B .

 

[Baggieshep]

Butterflys & Waders

Hi wash watchers & a warm welcome to all. Today was most rewarding with the first Lapwing of the year observed feeding around the old chemical pool at lunchtime. Another first were a couple of Marbled Whites flitting around the canal embankment at the end of the Johns Lane tunnel, this area was destroyed by fire during the spring bank holiday, so the local youth understand the importance of conservation by slash & burn . Tonight I was lucky enough to chalk up a single Common Sandpiper on the PHP island this being only the second recording of the year. My third first of the year came in the shape of a Buzzard not the bird its self but the fact it was carrying prey :eek!:. Cheers & Happy Birding B .

 

[Baggieshep]

Another Gem

Hi wash watchers & a warm welcome to all. Following yesterdays excitement I was itching to get back & check out the old chemical pool & it didn't disappoint this time producing a Ringed Plover in the exact spot where yesterdays Lapwing was feeding. This being my first record since my return to birding at the wash about three years ago :t:. The new look pool is surrounded by large shingle & a sandy causeway in between two pools one being much smaller but still attracting G C & Little Grebe, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard & Tufted Duck, Grey & Pied Wagtail. The causeway attracts a large number of Gulls, BHG, LBB, Herring the odd GBB & no doubt the gull enthusiasts could find the odd rarity & Common Terns also favour this area. Waxing lyrical about this new made habitat as given me great belief that a goodie is inevitable :smoke: it may not be in the boundaries of the park but it as always featured in the reports . Well that's the advertisement over so back to the birds, Skylark on the tip, first Tufted broods this week, Spawk & a possible Cuckoo, Greylag still, both common Woodies & Stock Dove. Cheers & Happy Birding B .

 

[Baggieshep]

Chemical Pool Again Turns Up Trumps

Hi wash watchers & a warm welcome to all. The 3 Common Terns continue to thrill & perform & the Greylag now seems to be almost resident. A single Common Sandpiper on Thursday made it the third sighting of the year & a Pheasant was still calling on the tip. A pair of Sprawk, female Kestrel & Buzzard make up a welcome trio of raptors. Today at lunch time produced a Kingfisher around PHP & 2 Common Sandpipers 1 on the PHP island the other on the chemical pool :t:. Waders are slowly becoming the main feature around this pool :smoke: again the favoured area being the corner by the pathway nearest Autobase . Another first for me since my return was the frog I encountered in the Johns Lane tunnel :eek!: I wont tell you who jumped the highest (WIMP). Cheers & Happy Birding B .

 

[Baggieshep]

Treasure Hunt

Hi wash watchers & a warm welcome to all. Todays lunch time visit proved to be very rewarding with a single Common Sandpiper again showing both on the island & scrape & 2 Common Tern performed well around PHP. BHG numbers had increased so with Med Gulls in the area I spent a little more time than usual perusing the pool with no luck. I was now itching to check the chemical pool for potential waders, a kronking Raven on the railway embankment failed to show its self so a little more time had passed by. It had now become a race to get to the chemical pool & I felt like the camera man following Anneka Rice in treasure hunt. A quick hop & jump & I was over the brook via the stepping stone & heading under the Johns Lane tunnel, the puddles & mud were quickly navigated & all that was left was the overgrown path to negotiate behind Autobase & I would be at the new Mecca (chemical pool) . Scanning the causeway for waders or terns I noticed a gull with what looked like a full hood, a few yards further along & I was able to view this beauty & what a profile, blood red drooping bill with legs to match & full black hood. A quick txt to Dave Waite & Craig Reed, due to the white smudges around the eye I believed this to be a juvenile Med Gull but any pointers about this species would be appreciated. Other sightings around the wash included 2 G C Grebe, 4 Cormorant, 1 Greylag Goose, Buzzard, both common Woodies, Skylark & Grey Wag. Cheers & Happy Birding B .

 

[Phil Andrews]

Hi BS - if it has a full black hood then it can only be a full adult or a second summer Med. The key is to look at the wing tips; second summer birds have black markings that are noticeable when the bird is flying or stationery although occasionally these can be grey rather than black and therefore more difficult to pick out. Adults will have clean white wing tips.

 

[Baggieshep]

Med Gull

Cheers for the tips Phil, I have just looked at the pic of the Upton bird & the Med at the wash differed greatly in bill & leg colouring being much redder & a full hood. The wing tips I failed to notice which in hindsight is embarrassing but live & learn my first note books all say pay attention to detail lol B .

 

[rollingthunder]

It's nice when a hunch pays off Mark. It's a spp that i expect even around here but not thus far Meds look different 'cos they are, OK not technically helpful but it's the 'jizz' factor. They look chunkier and meaner than BHG's. There is a size difference and leg length that is not always obvious depending on light and stance.

Below is a photo from Spain altho there is a BHG standing adjacent that looks like it has been genetically-modified i think it is standing on a bit of raised mud. The 'look' is apparant as is the extent of the all-Black head as opposed to the chocolate-Brown 'hood' of it's congeners. Also a link to all things MedGull.

http://www.gull-research.org/melanos/med01cy.html

I shall make the pool a priority on future visits.

ATB Laurie:t:

 

[midlands birder]

Hi Mark. As Phil said, if it had a black hood it could only have been either a 2nd summer, 3rd summer or adult summer. Their distinctive shape and impression that Laurie talks about really is obvious once you get to know them, they are generally a larger bird, with more chunky proportions, larger bill, head, wings etc. The legs are also longer which makes the bird stand out from a standing flock.

Juvenile's are much browner and show a very neat (and somewhat attractive' scaly pattern on the upperwings.
1st winter/summer is always the hardest to ID, with varying hood markings in each individual, the 'scaps' are moulted off so only the juv type coverts are left, making it look fairly similar to a BHG.
2nd winter summer pretty much resembles an adult, apart from the alternating black and white pattern on the primarys.
Adult Meds and very distinctive, with pearly grey upperparts, silky grey underparts and wingtips and the jet black hood constrasting to the large 'clown eyelids' and blood red bill
Photo's should show 2 juv's, a 1st summer, a 2nd summer and 2 adults and a 1st summer.










Happy gulling :t:
MB

 

[Woodchat]

A few years back (probably 10 years ago now) we did have a first summer Med Gull with an almost full black hood - I first found it in fields near Grafton Flyford and it then ended up at Upton Warren in the roost. The hood was near complete but with just a few white feathers. I remember SMW commenting that he'd only seen a couple of 1s Meds with so much black in the hood before. I would say that extent of black on the hood is less reliable than primaries / wing-tips for ageing - but what do I know? 8-P

I might even have a photo of it somewhere.

 

[Sedgley Birder]

Cheers for the tips Phil, I have just looked at the pic of the Upton bird & the Med at the wash differed greatly in bill & leg colouring being much redder & a full hood. The wing tips I failed to notice which in hindsight is embarrassing but live & learn my first note books all say pay attention to detail lol B .

Mark
This might be a 1st for Sheepwash? Hopefully Geoff could clarify.

Gavin

 

[Brian Stretch]

A few years back (probably 10 years ago now) we did have a first summer Med Gull with an almost full black hood - I first found it in fields near Grafton Flyford and it then ended up at Upton Warren in the roost. The hood was near complete but with just a few white feathers. I remember SMW commenting that he'd only seen a couple of 1s Meds with so much black in the hood before. I would say that extent of black on the hood is less reliable than primaries / wing-tips for ageing - but what do I know? 8-P

I might even have a photo of it somewhere.

I remember that bird Dave. I've also seen first-summers in Norfolk and Kent with almost complete black hoods.

Brian
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[midlands birder]

A few years back (probably 10 years ago now) we did have a first summer Med Gull with an almost full black hood - I first found it in fields near Grafton Flyford and it then ended up at Upton Warren in the roost. The hood was near complete but with just a few white feathers. I remember SMW commenting that he'd only seen a couple of 1s Meds with so much black in the hood before. I would say that extent of black on the hood is less reliable than primaries / wing-tips for ageing - but what do I know? 8-P

I might even have a photo of it somewhere.

Yeah, I've seen and heard of this before, hence the comment regarding the 'varying hood markings'. Guess I just tried to over simplify the differences between the age groups :t:
Would agree RE IDing based on primarys/wing, as well as the rest of the plumage, its just hard to talk about Gull wings patterns without getting overly 'wordy' :-O
MB

 

[midlands birder]

Mark
This might be a 1st for Sheepwash? Hopefully Geoff could clarify.

Gavin

HI Gavin
I had a 1st summer a few years back which flew through Pumphouse Pool :t:
MB