West Midlands/Warwickshire local patches. (1 Viewer)

[Upland Birder]

Nice to see you Dean and nice to meet your Mum as well.

Did you see any Tree Sparrows Dean? I forgot to mention that I saw one by the Sailing Club on my way back round.

Hi Kay,

I did not see any Tree Sparrows but I do recall you mentioning them to me earlier in the morning on the path up to the Black Necked Grebe. The last time I saw any Tree Sparrow's was in Marton, Cheshire a while ago. Its good to know that they are at Shustoke given that they have been in decline for some time. This species has hotspots in Cheshire. I think Jim Morris had one in his garden up in Forsebrook a while ago and I understand that they have been seen around Waterhouses (not far from where I live). On my way back along the path I got side tracked and was taking photo's of a Gatekeeper Butterfly.

I will visit Shustoke again soon and keep an eye out for them. Last time I visited there was about 5 years ago!!

I have had a look at your blog and considering that you were unsure what all the buttons did on Steve and Pete's camera the photo's are excellent and sharp!! Well done. You should upload them on here.

Dean:t::t:

 

[KayD]

Hi Kay,

I did not see any Tree Sparrows but I do recall you mentioning them to me earlier in the morning on the path up to the Black Necked Grebe. The last time I saw any Tree Sparrow's was in Marton, Cheshire a while ago. Its good to know that they are at Shustoke given that they have been in decline for some time. This species has hotspots in Cheshire. I think Jim Morris had one in his garden up in Forsebrook a while ago and I understand that they have been seen around Waterhouses (not far from where I live). On my way back along the path I got side tracked and was taking photo's of a Gatekeeper Butterfly.

I will visit Shustoke again soon and keep an eye out for them. Last time I visited there was about 5 years ago!!

I have had a look at your blog and considering that you were unsure what all the buttons did on Steve and Pete's camera the photo's are excellent and sharp!! Well done. You should upload them on here.

Dean:t::t:

Dean, I think theres only a very small number of Tree Sparrows at Shustoke, Steve will know more about the numbers. I always see lots of them at Belvide, they seem to be doing well there.

Thanks for your comment about the pics. I've put three of the gull pics on my BF gallery.

 

[Steve Seal]

Dean
There are at least two pairs of Tree Sparrows in one area , and i have counted at least 15 youngsters last week .
Steve...........

 

[Lee J]

Max, hope you managed to catch up with the grebe today. I saw you by the car park from the other side of the res but by the time i got around the pool you had left. If you did finaly catch up with it did you manage to get any shots? It proved to be rather illusive when i was there, but spent most of the time half way between the sailing club and the eastern end

 

[senatore]

Max, hope you managed to catch up with the grebe today. I saw you by the car park from the other side of the res but by the time i got around the pool you had left. If you did finaly catch up with it did you manage to get any shots? It proved to be rather illusive when i was there, but spent most of the time half way between the sailing club and the eastern end

Hi Lee,
No I failed again probably because there weren't any other birders there.I think I need a guide . I might try again tomorrow but I think it's hiding from me.

Called in briefly at Marsh Lane on the way home.A couple of Common Sandpipers were the best spot and a pair of Whitethroats were feeding young at the back of the Railway hide.

Max.

 

[Lee J]

Many thanks! Hope it's still there tomorrow, as it would be a first for me.
:t:

Hi Matt,

If you've not been down to Earlswood yet today there was no sign of the Turnstone this afternoon. The pools were very busy and as a result 5 Common Tern and 3 Herring Gulls were about the best I could manage.


Max, the grebe tends to stick to the southern shoreline about half way from the saling club to the east end, although it sometimes wonders into the south eastern corner. I will be down there late morning tomorrow so might see you if your going again

 

[gareth_blockley]

Briefly there for me too

Very nice shot Jeff :t:

 

[jeff]

Please tell me that's Dave H Steve :-O:-O:-O Have I missed much?

afraid not Nick, try again, they're much younger legs than Dave's

Cheers Gareth Not too bad for my little point and squirt camera

Max, the grebe was easy, just turned up and it was a few yards away waiting to be photographed, i think the sun even came out

And thanks Steve/Tom the wood sand was just as easy

 

[Matt Griffiths]

Hi Matt,

If you've not been down to Earlswood yet today there was no sign of the Turnstone this afternoon. The pools were very busy and as a result 5 Common Tern and 3 Herring Gulls were about the best I could manage.

Thanks Lee. No sign of it this morning either, and a birder I talked to thought it must've gone during the night. I did see a Common Sandpiper and a Kingfisher at the southern end of Windmill Pool around midday, but only saw 3 Common Terns, 1 of which was a juvenile that I saw being fed by an adult. Did you see it?

Seems unlikely, but does anyone know if Common Terns might have bred at Earlswood this year? I think it's been a few months since I last did a thorough search of the lakes.

Matt

 

[Duck_Pond]

and I have now seen Pete without his hat on!!

Hmmmm... wish I had worn it. Head resembled a polished cricket ball last night, and I'm still afraid to pull any expressions in case my skin cracks and falls off. :C

Bl**dy weather. :C :-O

 

[Periwinkle]

Earlswood Turnstone pic here by Bobby D:

http://bobduckhouse.fotopic.net/p52449342.html

 

[senatore]

Hi Matt,

If you've not been down to Earlswood yet today there was no sign of the Turnstone this afternoon. The pools were very busy and as a result 5 Common Tern and 3 Herring Gulls were about the best I could manage.


Max, the grebe tends to stick to the southern shoreline about half way from the saling club to the east end, although it sometimes wonders into the south eastern corner. I will be down there late morning tomorrow so might see you if your going again

Lee.I'll look out for you.

Max.

 

[Lee J]

only saw 3 Common Terns, 1 of which was a juvenile that I saw being fed by an adult. Did you see it?

Seems unlikely, but does anyone know if Common Terns might have bred at Earlswood this year? I think it's been a few months since I last did a thorough search of the lakes.

Matt

Yesterday was the second time i had visited Earlswood this summer and on both occasions I had noticed an increase in Tern numbers compared to the same period of time (July and August) in previous years. Yesterday i noted two juv's, with 5 juv's (if my memory is correct) a few weeks ago. As far as i know Marsh Lane is the closest site to Earlswood for breeding terns. It seems likley that the increse is due to the Kingsbury tern colony almost entirley moving to Marsh Lane. Post breeding birds in previous years (from Kingsbury) seem to stick to the Tame valley. Whereas now the colony has moved further south, Earlswood is closer than before, and as a result many of this years post breeding adults and juv's seem to have ended up there.

 

[Matt Griffiths]

Cheers for the info, Lee. Good to know that you've seen more terns at Earlswood this year.
And thanks for the link, Periwinkle.
:t: :t:

Matt

 

[senatore]

Went down to Shustoke late morning and luckily for me met up with Lee Johnson in the car park.

Lucky because due to the strong wind and the difficult light the BNG was very hard to find.Lee got it but it wouldn't come close in despite hiding behind the fence.Only a few record purposes only shots taken.

Lee : Robert and I found it in the afternoon but it was even further away then we saw it fly across towards buoy 1L but then lost it completely.I hope it hasn't gone?

My best but poor shot attached.Not to worry another life tick.

Max.

 

[Steve Seal]

Went down to Shustoke late morning and luckily for me met up with Lee Johnson in the car park.

Lucky because due to the strong wind and the difficult light the BNG was very hard to find.Lee got it but it wouldn't come close in despite hiding behind the fence.Only a few record purposes only shots taken.

Lee : Robert and I found it in the afternoon but it was even further away then we saw it fly across towards buoy 1L but then lost it completely.I hope it hasn't gone?

My best but poor shot attached.Not to worry another life tick.

Max.

Max
Just had a text from Nick Troman its still there, and with a bit of persistence and little patience it does show well. The problem is getting the light right.
Also you should be pleased with your shot, some have tried and failed :eek!::eek!::eek!:

 

[Duck_Pond]

Is the attached just a common sandpiper, or a wood sandpiper? Seen at (some distance) Bittell this evening. It's just a common isn't it :C

 

[Steve Seal]

No takers on the Legs then, mind you i wouldnt take them either.:-C:-C:-C

 

[Duck_Pond]

While I'm on a roll of naff IDs, can anyone tell me if this is a buzzard or a marsh harrier - was taken last year at Titchwell Marsh?

Cheers for the confirmation on the last one Steve - knew it wasn't worth climbing into that holly bush...

 

[Steve Seal]

Is the attached just a common sandpiper, or a wood sandpiper? Seen at (some distance) Bittell this evening. It's just a common isn't it :C

Just a Common mate...........:t: