West Midlands/Warwickshire local patches. (1 Viewer)

[senatore]

Reported yesterday in our area:-

For Draycote Water see Paulboy post above.

For Kempsey SW see Wolfbirder post above.

Dark Bellied Brent Goose seen in Hockley Heath.

Black Redstart at Holt Grange.

2 Little Egrets (flyover) at Kingsbury Water Park.

Glaucus Gull at Bartley Res.

Max.

 

[senatore]

Reported yesterday :-

Great Skua,Great Northern Diver,2 Med. Gulls,3 Caspian Gulls and 7 Yellow Legged Gulls at Draycote Water.

Black Redstart at Holt Grange.

Smew at Stubbers Green.

Glaucus Gull and 2 Yellow Legged Gulls at Bartley Res..

The Chiffchaffs still at Kempsey SW.

Max.

 

[Duck_Pond]

I spotted 2 water rails at Upton Warren today... they both appeared as the monsoon moved in, and it became too dark to take photographic evidence of them!

Apparently there are several goosanders there too. I didn't see them though. The kingfisher was busy though, and there were a few fieldfares and redwings about.

Got some good views of the goldeneye up at Brandon Marsh earlier, when it was a little drier!

 

[Duck_Pond]

Steve Seal (I keep an eye on his Fotopic site) has photographed a Snow Bunting at Chasewater. I hope he doesn't mind me mentioning his latest success

 

[senatore]

As the monsoon abated for a while I popped down to Marsh Lane for a couple of hours on Saturday morning.The following birds were there in varying numbers:-

Blach Headed Gulls,Common Gulls,Lesser BB Gulls,Cormorants(66),Mallards,Tufted Ducks,Pochards,Gadwalls,Shovellers,Wigeons,Teal,Shellducks,Greylag Geese,Canada Geese,Mute Swans,a Great Spotted Woodpecker,Bluetits,Great Tits,Chaffinches,Dunnocks,House Sparrows,Greenfiches,a Goldcrest,a Common Snipe,Lapwings,Fieldfares,Redwings,Crows,Rooks,Jackdaws,Magpies,Blackbirds,a Song Thrush,Starlings and Pheasants.Two Ravens flew over and the Peregrine Falcon thats been visiting regularly flew across the front of the Railway hide.

Reported yesterday elsewhere in our area:-

Smew at Stubbers Green.

The Great Skua and the Great Northern Divers still ar Draycote Water.

7 Bewick Swans at Bredons Hardwick.

Max.

 

[senatore]

Reported yesterday :-

The Great Skua and the Great Northern Divers still at Dracote Water.

The Black Redstart still at Holt Grange.

Cetti's Warbler and Little Gull at Napton Reservoir.

2 Bitterns at Upton Warren.

Max.

 

[KayD]

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!!!

Liked your picture of the Bittern Duckpond

Well I finally got a glimpse of a Bittern through somebody else's (better) scope than ours, at Upton Warren on NYE. It was well hidden in the reeds though and I could only see two inches of its back so it just dipped out on my year list Oh well at least I cracked the bogey so hopefully a satisfactory sighting soon.

Apart from this the usual suspects at UW Moors Pool were; reed bunting, chaffinch, bullfinch, dunnock, fieldfare, pheasants, little & gc grebe, pochard, grey heron, cormorant, LBB & BH Gull and a sparrowhawk.

 

[Duck_Pond]

I was there for a while on NYE, shivering in the smaller hide, the one with the corregated roof. Trying to get a photo of the blasted water rail... and only managing to see it, and photograph it, after the clouds had rolled in and I'd had to whack up the ISO setting. So mission still not accomplished on that bird. Ah well, I'll try my luck with another bird I think - one less troublesome.

I did see the kingfisher though, but even that refused to play ball, and only chose to land on the reeds either side of the hide, making the task of photo'ing it, rather hard.

Typically, today as I'm sitting at work, the sun is shining, and the water rail is probably dancing along the grass infront of the hide, doing the can-can...

 

[KayD]

I was there for a while on NYE, shivering in the smaller hide, the one with the corregated roof. Trying to get a photo of the blasted water rail... and only managing to see it, and photograph it, after the clouds had rolled in and I'd had to whack up the ISO setting. So mission still not accomplished on that bird. Ah well, I'll try my luck with another bird I think - one less troublesome.

I did see the kingfisher though, but even that refused to play ball, and only chose to land on the reeds either side of the hide, making the task of photo'ing it, rather hard.

Typically, today as I'm sitting at work, the sun is shining, and the water rail is probably dancing along the grass infront of the hide, doing the can-can...

The weather did turn quite horrendous on NYE and we got stuck in the hide over the other side in the storm, it was swaying in the wind and the rain was beating down really hard on the roof. Not the way I'd choose to end my year of birding (saw a w rail briefly from that side).

Stick with the water rails DP, they have been really showy, especially from that hide, you've just been unlucky with the weather and they come really close to that hide. Sometimes its sods law with birding, apparently just before we arrived on NYE both Bitterns had shown and one had walked (or even can-caned along the fence!)

 

[Duck_Pond]

Oh I saw it, several times. It scoots along at a right pace too - swims quickly too. There were 2 of them visible at the point just as the heavens had opened. Too dark to take a photo though, and they'd have been blurred anyway.

I think my next aim will be to see an owl in the wild. I've seen one once, years ago fly across the road in front of my car as I was driving, and there used to be a pair of little owls at the business park near Warwick, where I used to work. I hear there is a barn owl at Napton, so when the evenings are a little bit lighter, I'll take a diversion over that way in the way home from the office.

 

[senatore]

Reported in the last couple of days in our area:-

Kittiwake at Marsh Lane.

Med. Gull,Gt. Skua and 2 Gt. N. Divers at Draycote Water.

2 Bitterns and 2 Cettis Warblers at Upton Warren.

Med. Gull at Napton Res.

Knot at Kingsbury Water Park.

Garganey at Lower Bittell Res.

Mandarin Duck at Smestow Valley LNR

Max.

 

[xFritzx]

I counted 21 species at Edgbaston Reservoir today, my alltime best! too bad they are all very easy birds, but not a bad start to the year list

 

[senatore]

Reported yesterday :-

Gt. Skua still at Draycote Water.

Glaucus Gull at Bartley Res.

6 Yellow Legged Gulls at Westwood Pool.

Max.

 

[xFritzx]

At Edgbaston reservoir today- 5 Cormorant, Large flocks of Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Chaffinch, 2 GS Woodpeckers, Nuthatch (my first!), Goldcrest (ditto), Pied and Gray Wagtail and the usual Gulls and fowl. that is a very good day for the site!

 

[senatore]

Reported yesterday :-

The Gt. N/Divers and the Gt. Skua still at Draycote Water.

Glaucus Gull at Bartley Res.

2 Bitterns at Upton Warren.

Max.

 

[Mary]

Does anyone know where the unofficial Brandon website has gone, please?

 

[d.steeley]

Hi Mary, it's still where it always has been for me, although the site has been redesigned. I have it on my favourites list. The address is http://www.brandonbirding.co.uk/news/news_item.asp?NewsID=16

Dave

 

[senatore]

I planned to go out birding this morning but yet again it's wet and dull.Since I love to take birding pics and it would be too dull to take a remotely decent pic. I've abandonned the trip.We certainly have had a bad run of crappy weather in our area.

Reported yesterday in our area :-

The Great Skua and the Great Northern divers are still at Draycote Water.

Whooper Swan at Upton on Severn.

Glaucus and Icelandic Gulls at Bartley Res.

Med. Gull at Bredons Hardwick.

Max.

 

[Mary]

Hi Mary, it's still where it always has been for me, although the site has been redesigned. I have it on my favourites list. The address is http://www.brandonbirding.co.uk/news/news_item.asp?NewsID=16

Dave

Thanks,Dave. I was getting 'page not found'.

 

[senatore]

Seen yesterday :-

Gt.Skua,Gt. Northern Diver,Icelandic Gull,Med. Gull and Yellow Legged Gull at Draycote Water.

Whooper Swan at Upton upon Severn.

Glaucus Gull at Bartley Res.

Med. Gull at Bredons Hardwick.

Garganey at Lower Bittell Res.

Bittern at Upton Warren.

Caspian Gull at Coton Lake.

Knot at Kingsbury Water Park.

Max.