Thursday 20th October 2016

1130 - 1230 : Little Grebe, Cormorant 14, Heron 4, M.Swan 4, Goosander f, Shoveler 14, Wigeon 4, Teal 8, Mallard 30+, Tufted 18, Lapwing 107, GBb Gull, LBb Gull 33, Herring Gull 10, Common Gull, Bh Gull 200+, Moorhen 8, Grey Wagtail 2, Pied Wagtail 6, Skylark over, Redwing 2, Chaffinch m.

More beetlemania.

Wednesday 19th October 2016

1030 - 1200 fairly sunny, brisk NW wind, 12c : Fieldfare & Redwing mixed flock of 45, Blackbird 3, Robin 2, Dunnock, Wren 3, Starling 20, House Sparrow 2, Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Goldfinch 6, Pied Wagtail 6, Meadow Pipit 8, Skylark 4 over, Chiffchaff 3, 1 still in song, Long-tailed Tit 6, Blue Tit, Great Tit 3, Goldcrest 2, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Kingfisher, Cormorant 13, Heron 4, Mute Swan 6, Canada Geese 60+, Mallard 50, Tufted 31, Teal 7, Great Crested Grebe, Coot 28, Moorhen 10, Lapwing 77, Common Gull, Herring & LBb Gull 35, Bh Gull 150+, Wood Pigeon 10+, Feral Pigeon 3, Magpie 10+, Jackdaw 5, Carrion Crow 6, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk. (44 sp.).

An invasion of ladybirds on the bridge near Linley Wood today, at least four dozen seen, probably Harlequin types. Also a Red Admiral here.

Friday 14th October 2016

1525 generally cloudy, 12c : Kingfisher, Cormorant 5, Heron 2, Teal 6, Tufted 21, Lapwing 30, Pied Wagtail 3, LBb / Herring / Bh Gull 150+, Buzzard. Redwing 2 over Rushall.

Snapshots of Kingfisher across Swan Pool today.

Thursday 13th October 2016

1600, sunny/showers 11c : Little Grebe, Cormorant 10, Heron, Mute Swan 4, Tufted 16, Lapwing 63, Buzzard, Pied Wagtail 3, etc. Siskin 3 & Redwing 3 over Rushall.

Tuesday 11th October 2016

1330 - 1400 sunny breaks, 12c : Little Grebe, Common Gull, Teal 6, Shoveler 4, Tufted 19, Heron 2, Cormorant 10, Snipe, Lapwing 16, Pied Wagtail 5, Kingfisher around Swan Pool, Goldfinch, Chaffinch 2, Buzzard, etc. Common or Southern Hawker dragonfly.

Cormorants 3rd October.

Saturday 8th October 2016

1030 - 1130 cloudy, 12c : Meadow Pipit 2, Pied Wagtail 3, Goldfinch 16, Redpoll, Lapwing 25, Teal 12, Tufted 16, Cormorant 12, Mute Swan juv, Heron 2, Raven low over, Buzzard, Mistle Thrush. Redwing 3 calls from overflying birds at Rushall 2320 last night.

Thursday 6th October 2016

1130 - 1145 breezy, 12c : Yellow-legged Gull, Herring Gull 20, LBb Gull 80+, Snipe, Lapwing 25 & 100+ at brickworks field, Shoveler 2, Teal 18, Tufted 14, Cormorant 5, Heron 2, Swan 4, Meadow Pipit 2, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail 5, Chiffchaff still in song.

Wednesday 5th October 2016

1015 - 1130 sunny, 12-15c : Little Grebe, Snipe, Common Gull, Lapwing 45, Cormorant 12, Teal 6, Shoveler, Tufted 12, Chiffchaff in song, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail 3, etc. Small Tort or Red Admiral flew past.

Common Gull 1st winter, and Snipe today.

Tuesday 4th October 2016

1015 - 1200 sunny breaks, 12c : Cormorant 16, Heron 4, Mute Swan 4, Great Crested Grebe, Tufted 13, Shoveler, Teal 10, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail 3, Meadow Pipit, Snipe at Swan Pool, Lapwing 28, A few larger gulls, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock 2, Wren, Starling 50+, etc.

Snipe and yellow-ringed Black-headed Gull K749 today.

Monday 3rd October 2016

1000 - 1120 sunny, 9c : Cormorant 9, Mute Swan 5, Heron 2, Tufted 11, Teal 5, Coot 25, Moorhen 6, Lapwing 33, Pied Wagtail 6, Meadow Pipit 2, Goldfinch 4, Collared Dove. Also Small Tortoiseshell. At 1430, sunny, 18c : Buzzard 2, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, LBb / Herring Gull 98, Meadow Pipit 5 to south, Long-tailed Tit 5, Red Admiral, Common Hawker 2.

Male Blackcap feeding on honeysuckle berries at Rushall this afternoon.

Sunday 2nd October 2016

1645 - 1715 fairly sunny, 14c : Lapwing 122, Cormorant 3, Skylark 2 over, Chiffchaff 2, Heron 3, Tufted 6, Teal 2, etc.

Grey Wagtail & Kingfisher yesterday.

Saturday 1st October 2016

0915 - 1100 overcast/rainy, 11c : Dunlin, Com Sandpiper, Lapwing 46, Meadow Pipit 2, Skylark over, Siskin over, Grey Wagtail 2, Pied Wagtail 6, Kingfisher, Shoveler 6, Teal 2, Wigeon 2, Tufted 9, Mute Swan 8 (6 juvs), Cormorant 9, Heron 2, Coot 21, Moorhen 7, Starling 130+, Collared Dove 3, LBb / Herring Gull 40, Long-tailed Tit 9, Goldcrest, House Martin 2.

Dunlin & Meadow Pipit today.

Thursday 29th September 2016

1115 - 1200, blustery, 14c : fairly quiet, only House Martin 2, Swallow, Chiffchaff in song, Cormorant 9, Teal 2 & Sparrowhawk of note. Also Red Admiral. At the large Winterley Lane ivy bush a Comma & 3 Red Admirals were seen.

Buzzard & Raven on 27th Sept.

Wednesday 28th September 2016

Brickworks field early morning, sunny : Wigeon 6, Teal 107, Shoveler 12, Snipe 10+, Kingfisher, Common Sandpiper on Swag, (KMC)... The Swag etc 1145 - 1315, cloudy 16c : Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Kestrel, Pied Wagtail 7, Cormorant 9, Mute Swan 3, Heron 3, Teal 8, Tufted 5, Lapwing 101, Common Sandpiper, Yellow-legged Gull, LBb / Herring Gull 100+, House Martin 2, Dunnock, Jackdaw 12, Starling 80+, Red Admiral at Rushall... Linley Wood 1430 - 1530 : Nuthatch 2, Coal Tit, Grey Wagtail 2, Pied Wagtail, Rook over, Chaffinch 2, House Martin 2, Buzzard. (GWR)

Kestrel today, distant Buzzard & fox yesterday.

Tuesday 27th September 2016

Flooded field near Ibstock brickworks : Latest consensus would appear to be that the possible American Wigeon still present today is a dark-headed form of Eurasian Wigeon....

Also at the brickworks floods 1020 - 1110 (overcast, 14c): Snipe 6, Lapwing 60, Teal 50+, Shoveler 12, Wigeon 4, Heron, Mute Swan juv, Raven over, Buzzard, Swallow 2, Red Fox.

At The Swag 1130 - 1200 : Yellow-legged Gull adult, Herring Gull 31, Greylag, Cormorant 5, Tufted 3, Teal 4, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail 3, possible White Wagtail, a Raven mobbed a Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, House Martin 2, Goldfinch 6, Vapourer moth.

Monday 26th September 2016

0930 - 1120 drizzle, 12c : Pied Wagtail 10, Grey Wagtail, Meadow Pipit 3 over, House Sparrow 12, Starling 70+, Goldfinch 10, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Common Sandpiper, Lapwing 48, Mute Swan 4, Heron, Cormorant 9, Teal 6, Tufted 3, Moorhen 6, Coot 15, a few Herring. LBb & Bh Gulls, Sparrowhawk,etc. Kingfisher across Swan Pool at 1525. Brickworks field - possible American Wigeon again, Snipe 3, Lapwing 26, Heron, Wigeon 8, Teal 60+, Shoveler 4, Long-tailed Tit small flock, Pied Wagtail, Robin.

Snipe this morning.

Sunday 25th September 2016

0940 - 1130 sunny/showers/cool breeze, 14c : Possible American Wigeon on Brickworks field. Cormorant 8, Mute Swan 3, Heron, Greylag 2 over, Lapwing 94, Teal 6, Shoveler, Tufted 2, LBb Gull 20, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail 7, House Martin 2, Blackcap f, Chiffchaff 3, Willow Warbler, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tit 2, Goldfinch 2, Blackbird, etc. Also Comma 2, Speckled Wood 4, Common Darter 2. At the brickworks field floods : possible American Wigeon or hybrid Eurasian, Little Egret, Shoveler 4, Wigeon 6, Teal 20, Gadwall 2, Swallow 2, Buzzard 2.

Little Egret, female Blackcap & possible American Wigeon (on right of pic) today.

Saturday 24th September 2016

0950 - 1115 fairly cloudy, 16c : Com. Sandpiper, Lapwing 39, Wigeon, Shoveler 2, Teal 4, Tufted 4, Moorhen 6, Cormorant 8, Mute Swan 3, Heron 2, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail 5, Meadow Pipit to s., Starling 47, House Martin 4, Chiffchaff 2 in song, Goldfinch 10, Buzzard 2, Sparrowhawk, Collared Dove 2, etc. Swallow 3 at Aldridge Fri. 23rd Sept.

Common Sandpiper & Wigeon today.

Thursday 22nd September 2016

1000 - 1115 sunny, 17c, full list : Common Sandpiper, Lapwing 36, Cormorant 9, Heron, Mute Swan 4, Canada Geese 150+, Teal 4, Shoveler, Tufted 6, Mallard 50+, Coot 16, Moorhen 7, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail 7, Chiffchaff 3 (2 in song), Jackdaw 2, Magpie 4, C Crow 4, Wood Pigeon 20+, Stock Dove, Collared Dove, Meadow Pipit 2 over, Goldfinch, Long-tailed Tit small flock, LBb Gull 37, Herring Gull 7, Bh Gull 100+, Robin 2, Dunnock, Wren, Blackbird, Starling 10, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk. Also Red Fox, Speckled Wood & Common Darter dragonflies 2. At Linley Wood at least one Tawny Owl was calling at 2300.

Starling & Carrion Crow.

Monday 19th September 2016

1230 - 1330 overcast after rain, 14c : Common Sandpiper, Lapwing 28, Cormorant 9, Heron, Mute Swan 3, Tufted 4, Moorhen 5, LBb Gull 80, Herring Gull 18, Pied Wagtail 4, Starling 70+, Chiffchaff 2, 1 still in song, Goldfinch 4, Jackdaw 6, etc

Naturalised Orange Balsalm (impatiens sp.).

Tuesday 13th September 2016

1130 - 1230 hazy sun, 23c : Swallow 15+, House Martin 12 at Rushall, Chiffchaff / Willow Warbler 6, Bullfinch 2, Greenfinch, Goldfinch 4, Linnet, Pied Wagtail 2, Lapwing 20, Cormorant 6, Heron 2, Mute Swan 3, Greylag, Teal 3, Collared Dove 2, Buzzard 2, etc. Comma 2, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood 7, Small White 3, Common Hawker 2, Common Darter 5.

Comma and mating pair of Common Darters today.

Saturday 10th September 2016

1645 - 1700 drizzly, 14c : very quiet, only 8 geese! - Mute Swan 4, Lapwing 46, Swallow 12, Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit 9, & a few larger gulls... a raptor put the lapwings & gulls up but we were unable to locate it.

5th September.

Friday 9th September 2016

1300- 1330 cloudy, 17c : Cormorant 5, Greylag 3, Canada Geese 570, Lapwing 40, Yellow-legged Gull 2 adults, LBb Gull 250, Herring Gull 70, Bh Gull 310. (KMC)

Greylag geese etc on 7th Sept.

Wednesday 7th September 2016

1130 - 1230 cloudy but warm, 21c : Raven 4 over to south-east, Greylag 4, Cormorant 6, Heron, Mute Swan 2, Teal 3, Tufted 2, Lapwing 22, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail 4, Swallow 20+, House Martin 6, Hobby chasing House Martin briefly, Chiffchaff 3, LBb / Herring Gull 60, Collared Dove 4, Buzzard 2. Also seen - Comma (photo's), Speckled Wood 6, Small White 2, Vapourer moth.

Linley Wood 1430 - 1500 overcast 20c : Tawny Owl giving several calls, Buzzard, Nuthatch 2, Raven & Rook over, Swallow & House Martins 10, Long-tailed Tit foraging flocks, Chiffchaff 2, Speckled Wood 3, Sycamore moth caterpillar (photo).

Monday 5th September 2016

1430 - 1520 generally overcast, warm breeze, 18c : Greylag, Cormorant 6, Heron 2, Mute Swan 4, Gadwall pair, Tufted, Moorhen 6, Lapwing 31, Raven, Swallows & House Martins 25+, Pied Wagtail 2, Buzzard, usual gulls etc. Also seen : Speckled Wood 2, Small White 3, Brown Hawker.

Young crows today.

Saturday 3rd September 2016

1700 - 1800 rain stopped, breezy, 16c : Common Sandpiper, Lapwing 4, Cormorant 5, Tufted 5, Pied Wagtail 4, Heron, House Martin 12, Swallow 20+, Chiffchaff, LBb Gull 80+, Herring Gull 14. At Rushall a mixed flock of Long-tailed Tit 15, Great Tit 4, Blue Tit 10+, Chiffchaff 2 & Great Spotted Woodpecker, Lapwing 2 & Rook over.

Friday 2nd September 2016

1630 - 1700 sunny, breezy, 17c : Lapwing 88, Cormorant 5, Heron, Greylag, Tufted 6, Moorhen 6, Herring Gull 8, LBb Gull 80, Pied Wagtail 4, Swallow 2, House Martin 5, Chiffchaff.

Dark form of LBb Gull (poss. Baltic?).