sheepwash urban park (1 Viewer)

[Baggieshep]

Playin The Prat

Hi Wash watchers & a warm welcome to all. The title should read Playa de Prat that is the name of the road running along the front of Son Bou Gardens in Menorca. This was not a total birding holiday but it would have been easy to make it into one :smoke:. The reed bed & marsh area here is massive & even at a brisk pace will take you two hours. The first thing to hit you are the numbers of Willow Warblers, Chiffies & Spotted Flycatchers in the reeds that run along the path side of the Playa de Prat. A walk along the Dunes & its Stonechats galore, a mixture of Mallard & cross bred domestic duck was disappointing only the Red Crested Pochard was note worthy where the brackish water from the reed bed forms a pool on the beach. Audouins Gulls line the beach & 3 sported metal rings & 2 white plastic with black numbers AW01 & AWO4. Looking at pics on here it would seem a fair few get ringed so if anyone can enlighten me it would be appreciated :t:. Waders were hard to come by Kentish Plovers & Marsh Sandpiper being the best to accompany Green & Common Sand with Greenshank. Raptors & Warblers left me scratching my head time & time again but the ones I did manage to ID are as follows, Osprey, Red & Black Kite, Booted Eagle, Egyptian Vulture, Marsh & Hen Harrier & Kestrel. The Eagles & Buzzards were either to high or to brief by the time I had got my field book out tbh :-C the same can be said for the Harriers. In the next post I will tackle the Warblers & list the Egrets & farmland birds 3. Yes I felt a prat lol. Cheers & Happy Birding B .

 

[gaddypaid]

sounds like you was in your element over there. Did you get any pics to post up mate. You had a nice variety of birds well worth it by the sounds of things. catch you later just off for a stroll round the wash.

 

[Baggieshep]

Son Bou Part Two

Hi Wash watchers & a warm welcome to all. As promised I will now attempt to share with you my other sightings at Son Bou Menorca & give you a feel of the place. It took me a few days to get to grips with the area but a circuit following the bridle path to Sant Thomas seemed the best bet finishing where I could finish with a browse thru the dunes or a paddle on the nudist beach . The bridle path takes in such habitats as reed bed, marsh, farmland, woodland, scrub & rock face so most bases are covered & tbh. The first thing that hits you are the amount of Cattle Egrets & like a fool valuable time was wasted trying to count them :smoke: but they were the best indicator for Raptor alert. As I have stated the reed bed is massive but also very frustrating great for birds but viewing is infuriating as I seemed to hear more than could be seen & Wood Pigeons alert every thing to your presence in other areas. The list, Grey Heron, GWE, Little Egret, Bittern, Quail, Common Crane, Water Rail, Turtle Dove, Swift, House & Sand Martin, Swallow, Hoopoe, Kingfisher, Tree, Meadow & Tawny Pipit, various Yellow Wags, Warblers were a real nightmare due to very brief views both Reed & Great Reed Savis, Sedge, Cettis, Moustached, Fan Tailed, Marsh, Whitethroat & Lesser, Blackcap & the easiest of all Sardinian & 1 or 2 was not 100% with :-C. There were loads of Spotted fly but only a few Pied. The dunes were full of Stonechat & the same could be said of Whinchat in the surrounding farm fields that some days held falls of Wheatear & Yellow Wags. Redstart, Robin, Blackbird, Reed Bunting, Goldfinches galore, House, Tree & Spanish Sparrow, Starlings roosting in the reeds & a incredible number of Corn Buntings. Well I hope I have managed to share my Son Bou experience with you just in case any of you fancy it, would I go again? definitely but would spend more time birding & do more homework :t:. If any of you should go do not make the same mistake as me |^| I saw a couple I know from Dudlay & called out their names " ooh Dick & Fanny " then realised I was on the nudist beach 3. Cheers & Happy Birding B .

 

[Baggieshep]

Autumns Tit Bits

Hi Wash watchers & a warm welcome to all. Well I have been back a week & Dave Waite informs me of good numbers of Mipits, Goldcrest & Coal Tits over. Teal are now starting to drift in now with the odd 1 or 2 & 7 noted today equalled Craigs count. Only 1 or 2 Pochard but I expect this to increase by the end of the month. Its nice to see Coal Tits away from their favoured area around the school as they flit around the park with LTT & a few Chiffchaff & the odd Blackcap make up the busy flock. Visits to the chemical pool are now restricted to weekends due to the time factor so a female Pheasant seen around the pools edge was good. Little Grebes continue to feed young as does the GCG albeit a single. Other birds of note were Kingfisher, Jays, Peregrines, Buzzard x 3, Sparrowhawk, both species of common Woodpecker, R N Parakeet & Bullfinches. Now calling my old mate Gary the serious photographer :t: Son Bou was good but far from being in my element the first four days I felt out of my depth :smoke: & as for photos the gear some of you guys carry adds up to a holiday or two including beer tokens hope to see you soon. Cheers & Happy Birding B .

 

[gaddypaid]

morning walk

Went for a walk around today nothing much different seems the egret had gone didnt get chance to see it. Gold,green and chaffinches , buzzard,green woodpecker,blue tit,great tit and long tailed tits. Sparrowhawk and Peregrine spotted on pylon been mobbed by magpies.

There was a juvenile swan on its own no parents to be seen at all looked very frail and weak.
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[yamyam]

Raven x4 over this AM per Matt Hadlington
Good Birding YAMYAM

 

[keithr]

Hi there everyone in the Black Country......to save making a new thread would it be O.K. to put any sightings I see on this one.
I cannot use a car now for health reasons and have just started work again but back at the depot I was at for 17 years before going to Four Ashes.
I can only get here by trains from Longbridge to Sandwell and Dudley and when I walk from there to the factory beside the canal where Albion Road joins Oldbury Road I see a few things.

On the Station I have had a pair of BUZZARDS being mobbed by CROWS and a KESTREL just up the line by DPD depot.

Could be same Buzzard but always one around the waste ground behind the Council House.

A Pair of KESTREL are around the canal everyday so far.
Resident pair COOT and a few Mallard on canal.

Nothing exciting but it keeps me going while plodding to and from work...only doing 3 days for 5 hours at a time while I get back to it.
When weather improves hope to take camera/bins but so heavy to carry for long.
If not O.K. to post here I will put new thread on.
Cheers. :t:

 

[keithr]

4 Goosanders flew down canal and off over to Sheepwash..10.30 this morning.

 

[keithr]

March 1st...4.15pm......2 Cormorant flying what looked like from Sheepwash to Sandwell Valley.

 

[rollingthunder]

Popped in for an hour or so on Sunday - no other birders seen but a worthwhile visit on a very pleasant, Spring-like, day.....

To my surprise, having heard a distinct Raven cackle, there was a bird busily dismantling an old nest/drey and flying off to one of the Pylons. It's smaller swarthy relatives were not best pleased but Ravens are a decent size and should be able to take on all-comers.

The resident corvids need to know - there is a new Sherrif in town. If they breed that will be an amazing record for the Black Country:eek!:

As a parent i wish them luck:t:

37 Goosander was the most i have ever seen down there, they looked like a naval flotilla on manoeuvres off Stokes Bay. There have been 44 at peak count so i have been told. Ca 15 Cormorants were present including a distinctive 'Continental' type individual. Little Grebes displaying made a pleasant audio backdrop. No Peregrine seen but soaring Sparrowhawk, hovering Kestrel and a pair of Buzzards were seen.

The water level is high but will hopefully drop in the next few weeks.

Good birding, Laurie:t:

 

[yamyam]

Little Egret, Chiffchaff and Raven per Dave Waite
Good Birding YAMYAM

 

[JHollier]

Lunch break walk with Baggieshep today: Little Egret still present with the addition of two Oystercatchers
All the Best Jez

 

[JHollier]

My first Blackcap of the year on Monday. Plenty of Chiffchaff around.

 

[yamyam]

Redstart male wader island per Dave Waite
Good Birding YAMYAM

 

[yamyam]

Common Sandpiper and Goosander x3 per Dave Waite
Good Birding YAMYAM

 

[gaddypaid]

Peregrine spotted by railway,and a male pheasant thought it was a fox at first but then flew off and identified , couple of kestrels being mobbed by crows too.

 

[Sedgley Birder]

Baggieshep

What's happened to you Mark? You have not posted for a while. Hope you are keeping well.

Gavin - Sedgley Birder:t:

 

[midlands birder]

Peregrine spotted by railway,and a male pheasant thought it was a fox at first but then flew off and identified , couple of kestrels being mobbed by crows too.
View attachment 582294

View attachment 582295

Any more photos?
Particularly showing the leg ring?
Thanks

 

[gaddypaid]

you have the best of them but the birds had a ring on each leg a red as you can see and a yellow/grey on the other i can't quite make it out sorry but here are the others.

 

[yamyam]

Swift x6, Goosander x3 and a Common Sandpiper per Dave Waite
Good Birding YAMYAM