Sunday 31st December 2017

1045 - 1220 light cloud, SW wind, 8c : Little Egret, Heron 2, Cormorant 13, GC Grebe, Mute Swan 4, Wigeon 7, Shoveler 4, Tufted 29, Teal 12 at brickworks flood, Lapwing 169, Yellow-legged Gull adult, Common Gull 4, Bh Gull 250, a few LBb, Herring & GBb Gulls, Pied Wagtail, Long-tailed Tit 4, Redwing 4, Greenfinch 6, Goldfinch 8, Siskin 3, Lesser Redpoll 2, Buzzard.
Plus usual Mallard/Canada Geese/Coot/Moorhen/Wood Pigeon/Blackbird/Wren/Dunnock/Robin/Blue Tit/Great Tit/Starling 50+.

Wednesday 27th December 2017

1100 - 1130 lightly overcast, 2c, cold NW wind, water levels high : Pochard 2, Goosander 5, Teal 3, Shoveler 3, Tufted 35, Common Gull 3, a few larger gulls, Cormorant 6, Lapwing 120+, etc.

Sunday 24th December 2017

1030 - 1200 cloudy, strong SW winds, 9c : Little Egret, Yellow-legged Gull adult, Common Gull 2, Bh Gull 250+, Herring & LBb Gull 20, GBb Gull 7, Shoveler 4 drakes, Wigeon pair, Pochard 8, Goosander 4, Teal 9, Tufted 32, Cormorant 10, Mute Swan 4, Lapwing 120+, Starling 100+, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, + usuals.

This will be the last post until mid/late week (unless a mega drops in!).  Seasons greetings to all.

                           Robins & Sparrowhawk on 10th December (at Rushall)

Thursday 21st December 2017

1415 - 1515 cloudy, 11c : Common Gull 6, Yellow-legged Gull adult, Pochard 9, Goosander 5, Teal 5, Cormorant 10, M.Swan 5, Heron 2, Lapwing 80+, Pied Wagtail 2, Starling with white rump, Redwing 3, Bullfinch pair, Sparrowhawk m, etc.

Blackcap in the garden on 10th December

Tuesday 19th December 2017

1400 - 1430 light cloud, 6c : Little Grebe, Heron, Teal 6, Common Gull 3, Mute Swan 5, Stock Dove 2, Lapwing 100+, etc.

Pair Goosander yesterday.

Monday 18th December 2017

1130 - 1250 fog cleared, some sun but still damp, 4 - 5c : Goosander 2, Teal 2, Tufted 8, Little Grebe, Cormorant 4, Heron 3, Mute Swan 5, Lapwing 121, Common Gull 2, GBb Gull 25, Sparrowhawk, Pied Wagtail, Skylark over, Green Woodpecker, Goldcrest, etc.

Swan today.

Wednesday 13th December 2017

1200 - 1230 overcast & damp, snow receding, 4c : of waterfowl only Canada Geese 2, Mallard 4, Mute Swan 5 and a few coots & moorhens present, Heron, Lapwing 50+, GBb Gull 29, Herring & LBb Gull 150, Bh Gull 200+, Pied Wagtail, Buzzard. Raven over to NW earlier.

Great Black-backed Gull

Thursday 7th December 2017

1345 sunny breaks, breezy, 7c : Little Egret 2 over Barns Ln pursued by Heron, Shoveler 6, Pochard 8, GBb Gull 12, etc.

Wednesday 6th December 2017

1330 - 1420 sunny breaks, cold Westerly breeze, 9c : Pochard 8, Shoveler 3, Teal 20 on flooded field, Little Egret, Cormorant 11, Heron 4, large gulls 200+, Bh Gull 250+. Lapwing 100+.

Tuesday 5th December 2017

1430 : 2 Yellow-legged Gull adults present amongst 100+ large gulls. Also GC Grebe & Sparrowhawk.

Sparrowhawk at Rushall yesterday

Monday 4th December 2017

0950 - 1100 fairly cloudy, 8c : Shoveler 2m, Pochard 6, Wigeon pair, Teal 4, Tufted 25, Mallard 35, Coot 25, Moorhen 12, Little Egret, Heron 2, Cormorant 13, M Swan 2, Common Gull 3, GBb Gull 8, large gulls 100, Bh Gull 220, Lapwing 141, Pied Wagtail 2, Mistle Thrush, Redwing 15, Blackbird 7, Wren 2, Dunnock, Robin, Great Tit 2, Goldfinch 3, Collared Dove 2, Sparrowhawk f, Jay, C Crow/Jackdaw/Magpie/W Pigeon/C Geese/Starling.

Swan juvenile today

Thursday 30th November 2017

1340 - 1430 sunny 2c, bitter NW breeze : Goldeneye f, Wigeon 4, Tufted 12, Teal 2, Little Egret, Mute Swan 4, Yellow-legged Gull adult, Common Gull 2, large gulls 100+, Long-tailed Tit 8, no Lapwing but 55 flew north over Daw End canal earlier, also at Rushall were Nuthatch, Lesser Redpoll f & Brambling m, all in garden.

Railway Fox at Aldridge

Tuesday 28th November 2017

1340 - 1420 sunny, northerly wind, 4c : Little Egret 2, Cormorant 5, M.Swan, Heron 3, GC Grebe, Pochard 5, Teal 6, Lapwing 110, GBb Gull 16, Common Gull 3, Mistle Thrush, Buzzard.

Herring Gull with dark mantle on 21st Nov.

Saturday 25th November 2017

1330 - 1345, showery, cold 5c : little of interest, Sparrowhawk through, Common Gull, Goosander f, Teal 4, GBb Gull 5, Cormorant 6, Lapwing 100, etc.

Yellow-legged on 20th Nov.

Tuesday 21st November 2017

1315 - 1430 overcast, drizzly, 11c : Goosander f, Pochard 6, Teal 12, Tufted 16, GC Grebe 2, Little Egret, Kingfisher, Cormorant 15 + 9 over, Yellow-legged Gull adult, Common Gull 2, GBb Gull 12, Lapwing 101, Sparrowhawk, etc.

Monday 20th November 2017

1015 - 1100 showery, 11c : Little Egret, Pochard 7, Teal 9, Tufted 24, Yellow-legged Gull adult, Common Gull, GBb Gull 21, Cormorant 10, Lapwing 100+, etc. Kestrel 2 & Sparrowhawk at Vigo landfill, Coppice Lane.

More shots of yesterday's GWE

Sunday 19th November 2017

1000 - 1145 fairly sunny, 5c : Great White Egret seen over flooded field by Ibstock brickworks and then over The Swag twice, chased off by a Grey Heron, Little Egret, Cormorant 9, Mute Swan, GC Grebe 2, Shoveler 2, Teal 5, Pochard 6, Tufted 24, Lapwing 123, GBb Gull 10, Pied Wagtail 2, Mistle Thrush 2, Fieldfare 4, Blackbird 5, etc.

Big thanks to Tina for today's GW Egret flight shot.

Tuesday 14th November 2017

1000 - 1100 cloud breaking, 10c : Peregrine, Buzzard, Kingfisher, Little Egret, Cormorant 15, Heron 4, Goosander f, Teal 6, Pochard 5, Tufted 26, Lapwing 100+, Common Gull 3, GBb Gull 24, Herring & LBb Gull 200+, Pied Wagtail 3, Collared Dove 2, Goldfinch 25.

Distant Kingfisher & Little Egret on 11th Nov.

Saturday 11th November 2017

1015 - 1200 overcast / sunny breaks, 8c : Kingfisher, Little Egret, Dunlin, Lapwing 100+, Cormorant 6, Heron 3, GC Grebe 2, Goosander, Teal 14, Pochard 5, Shoveler 3, Tufted 32, Common Gull 2, GBb Gull 11, Pied Wagtail, Sparrowhawk, Goldcrest 3, Lt Tit 5, Blackbird 6, Red Fox, etc.

Goldcrests today.

Thursday 9th November 2017

Generally cloudy, 10c : pretty much as yesterday with the addition of Grey Wagtail, Little Egret, Common Gull and Caspian Gull 2nd w. Small numbers of Blackbirds in the hawthorn hedges feeding on berries.

Dunlin 8th November.

Wednesday 8th November 2017

0945 - 1115 frosty but sunny, 2 - 5c : Green Sandpiper, Lapwing 120+, Teal 12, Wigeon pair, Pochard 4, Shoveler 3, Goosander 5, Tufted 34, Moorhen 11, Coot 17, GC Grebe 2, Cormorant 16, Mute Swan 2, Heron 2, Pied Wagtail 3, GBb Gull 9, Skylark 4 over, Goldcrest 2, Long-tailed Tit 4, etc. Redwing 3 over Rushall earlier.

An adult Caspian Gull & Dunlin were present during the early afternoon (GE).

Common Gull & Little Egret 2nd November

Monday 6th November 2017

1100 - 1300 fairly sunny, 4 - 9c : Little Grebe, GC Grebe 3, Shoveler 3, Teal 12, Tufted 34, Goosander 3, Pochard 4, Heron 4, Mute Swan 6, GBb Gull 4, Cormorant 9, Pied Wagtail 2, Green Woodpecker, Goldcrest 2, Long-tailed Tit 11, Buzzard 3, Sparrowhawk, Greenfinch, Chaffinch 2m, Lesser Redpoll, Linnet, Goldfinch 9, the usual gulls & lapwings etc.  Fieldfare 4 over Rushall 0930.

Also a late Red Admiral flew past and a Red Fox was on the southern horse pastures.

Peregrine & Raven battle it out in the skies above the quarry on Saturday afternoon.

Saturday 4th November 2017

1315 - 1500 fairly sunny but NW breeze, 10c : Peregrine mobbed by Ravens over quarry, Sparrowhawk, Raven 2, Little Egret, Cormorant 13, Heron 4, Mute Swan, Pochard 4, Goosander f, Wigeon 2, Teal 4, Tufted 10, GC Grebe 5, Common Gull, GBb Gull 7, Lapwing 100+, Blackcap f, Chiffchaff calling but not seen, Chaffinch m, Bullfinch 2, Lt Tit 6, Red Fox, etc.

Ravens today (and with a crow for comparison)

Thursday 2nd November 2017

1200 - 1320 generally cloudy, 9c : Mandarin drake circled then flew NW, possibly flushed by egret on Swan Pool, Wigeon 2, Pochard f, Shoveler f, Teal 8, Tufted 18, Mallard 51, GC Grebe 3 (photo), Little Egret, Heron 2, Cormorant 9, Mute Swan, Lapwing 100+, Common Gull, GBb Gull 7, LBb / Herring Gull 200+, Bh Gull 200+, Collared Dove 8, Song Thrush, Lt Tit 11, Skylark over, etc.

Also, a Red Fox was seen in Smiths field (opposite Yachting Club).   (GR)

Tuesday 31st October 2017

Linley Wood 1400 - 1515 : Nuthatch 2, Jay, Bullfinch 2, Greenfinch 2, Goldfinch 5, Chaffinch m, Blackbird 2, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit 10+, Sparrowhawk, Pied Wagtail over, Cormorant over. Fieldfare 25 over Rushall.

 

Nuthatch on 4th October.

Monday 30th October 2017

1015 - 1130 fairly sunny after frost, 6c : Peregrine stooped at Lapwings, Little Egret, Wigeon 6, Teal 7, GBb Gull 3, Skylark, etc.

Caspian-like Herring Gull?

Sunday 29th October 2017

0915 - 1130 fairly sunny, NW breeze, 11 - 12c : Little Egret 2, Heron 3, Mute Swan 2, GC Grebe 3, Cormorant 10, Wigeon 6, Shoveler 2, Teal 7, Tufted 34, Moorhen 8, Coot 15+, GBb Gull 4, Herring & LBb Gull 100, Common Gull, Bh Gull 200+, Lapwing 120, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail 3, Meadow Pipit, Skylark over, Fieldfare & Redwing 60 in 3 flocks, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird 4, Green Woodpecker, GS Woodpecker 2, Stock Dove, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard 2, Collared Dove 3, Lt Tit 20+, Lesser Redpoll 5, Siskin 12, Chaffinch/Goldfinch/Great Tit/Robin/Wren/Dunnock/Starling/Wood Pigeon/Carrion Crow/Jackdaw/Magpie/Canada Geese/Mallard. (47 sp.).

Also a crow chasing and trying to catch a butterfly in mid air (probably Red Admiral), and a Hawker species of dragonfly along Barns Lane by Yachting Club.

Blackbird today.

Wednesday 25th October 2017

1100, fairly sunny, 14c ; little of interest aside from Herring & LBb Gulls 200, GC Grebe 5, Siskin 3, Redpoll 2.

                                         Double rainbow on 11th October

Monday 23rd October 2017

0945 - 1045 cloudy, 14c : Skylark 4 over, Pied Wagtail 6, Grey Wagtail, Lesser Redpoll & Siskin mixed flock of 90+ at Alders, Goldfinch 25+, Redwing & Fieldfare mixed flock of 26, Blackbird 3, Common Gull, Little Egret, GC Grebe 6, a few large gulls, lapwings & cormorants also present. At 1600 a pale Yellow-legged (photo) and possible Caspian Gull adult were on site before flying east & north.

Saturday 21st October 2017

0930 - 1100 stormy  & windblown, 11c : Little Egret, Little Grebe, GC Grebe 5, Pochard, Teal 11, Shoveler 2, Tufted 20, Heron 3, Cormorant 17, GBb Gull 4, Herring / LBb Gull 213, Bh Gull 200+, Lapwing 100+, Starling 200+, Pied Wagtail 2, Blackbird 6, Redwing 3, Collared Dove, etc.

                                         Goldcrests on 19th September.

Friday 20th October 2017

1140 - 1200 drizzly, 12c : little of interest, just the usual Lapwings, Cormorant 16, GC Grebe 5 and the 3 common species of large gull. A few migrant Blackbirds about (picture) and 35 Redwings at Rushall.

Wednesday 18th October 2017

1100 - 1215 overcast, 11c : Common Gull, GBb Gull 2, Herring / LBb Gull 70+, Little Egret, Cormorant 16, Mute Swan 9 (4 adults), Heron 3, GC Grebe 4, Coot 17, Moorhen 13, Teal 16, Tufted 28, Lapwing 80+, Pied Wagtail 2, Meadow Pipit, Collared Dove, Redwing 2. Fieldfare 25 over Rushall early morning.

                                 Common Gull & some of the swans today.

Monday 16th October 2017

1015 - 1115 overcast but mild, SE wind, 17c : Skylark to S., Lesser Redpoll 3 to W., Bullfinch 2 to E., Chaffinch 8 to E., Goldfinch flocks up to 25, Redwing 12 to SW., GS Woodpecker, Teal 6, Tufted 23, GC Grebe 4, Cormorant 26, Heron 5, etc. Also Vapourer moth & Common or Southern Hawker dragonfly (distant).

 

Not the moon but the sun breaking through mid morning

Sunday 15th October 2017

1115 - 1230 becoming cloudy, 16c : as yesterday with the addition of House Martin 4, Skylark 2, Pied Wagtail 2, Stock Dove, Collared Dove 3, Lapwing 155, Mute Swan 2 juvs, Teal 11 on Swan Pool.        
                                                                                                 

                       Something of a stand-off....