Friday 21st February 2020

1030 - 1230 overcast, windy, 7c : Stonechat pair, Snipe 11, Lapwing 12, Teal 16, Goosander 13, Pochard 2, Little Egret, Cormorant 21, Heron 2, Common Gull 2, GBb Gull 12, Bh Gull c250, Sparrowhawk f, Buzzard, Raven 2, Stock Dove 2, Redwing 2, Song Thrush 2, Goldcrest, Greenfinch 2, etc.  (GR/RP)

Stonechats today (GR)

Tuesday 18th February 2020

1030 - 1230 showery, 8c : Teal 2, Goosander 11, Wigeon m, Tufted 39, Pochard 3, Heron 2, Cormorant 9, Lapwing 68, Common Gull 3, Bh Gull c250, Col. Dove 2, Mistle Thrush in song, Redwing 8, House Sparrow 15, etc.  (RP / GR)

Pair Goosander yesterday (GR)

Monday 17th February 2020

1130 - 1300 showery, 8c : Goosander 7, Pochard 4, Shoveler f, Tufted 26, Mute Swan 2, Lapwing 71, GBb Gull 17, Bh Gull c250, Common Gull 2, Coot 25, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Magpie 22, Stock Dove 2, Song Thrush 2 in song, Chaffinch in song, etc.  Red fox 1.  (GR)

cornus mas in flower this morning

Sunday 16th February 2020

0950 - 1030 rainy, and water levels high after all-night rain & storms, 7 - 5c : Mute Swan 2, Pochard f, Shoveler m, Teal 2, Tufted 24, Little Grebe, Cormorant 14, Heron, GBb Gull 16, Bh Gull 150, Herring Gull 8, LBb Gull 5, Pied Wagtail, Song Thrush and a bedraggled-looking red fox!  (GR)

Little Grebe this morning

Friday 14th February 2020

1015 - 1200 light cloud, 6c : Goosander 13, Wigeon 7, Teal 5, Tufted 33, Shoveler 5, Little Grebe, Cormorant 12, Heron 2, Lapwing 110, Common Gull 4, Bh Gull c250, GBb Gull 5, Buzzard 2, Goldcrest, Blackbird 10, Greenfinch 2.  (RP / GR)

Goldcrest & gulls today (GR)

Monday 10th February 2020

1030 - 1130 cloudy, cold wind, 7c : Little Egret 2 (photo), Lapwing 40, Teal 7, Shoveler 2, Pochard 3, Goosander 6, Cormorant 14, Greylag, Mute Swan 2, Common Gull 3, Bh Gull c150, Redwing 2, Stock Dove, Goldfinch 30.  (GR)

Saturday 8th February 2020

1215 - 1345 sunny intervals, 8c : Jack Snipe 2, Common Snipe 33, Lapwing 137, Teal 35, Goosander 6, Tufted 38, Wigeon 3, Pochard 3, Cormorant 13, Heron, Buzzard 4, Stonechat 2.  (RP)  An Iceland Gull juv was present at 1400.

 

Jack Snipe, Common Snipe & female Stonechat today  (RP)

Wednesday 5th February 2020

1010 - 1130 fairly sunny, 7c : Little Egret, Wigeon 4 (photo of 3), Goosander 9, Tufted 24, Shoveler m, Pochard 4, Teal 5, Little Grebe, Cormorant 12, Common Gull 3, Lapwing 65, Raven, Buzzard 2, Redwing, Chaffinch in song, etc.  (RP / GR)

Monday 3rd February 2020

1120 - 1240 fairly sunny/breezy, 9c : Snipe 65, Lapwing 58, Oystercatcher, Little Egret, Teal 24, Pochard 4, Goosander 6, Shoveler m, Stonechat m & f, Buzzard 2, Heron, Bh Gull c200, Greenfinch 2, etc.  (GR)

A Short-eared Owl was at Rushall/Goscote - Ryecroft, and also Raven 4, Mistle Thrush 2 (1 in song), Meadow Pipit, Linnet 50, Moorhen 12 & Cormorant over.  (RP / GR)

Raven this afternoon (GR)

Sunday 2nd February 2020

1020 - 1100 8c : Goosander 16, Shoveler m, Pochard 3, Teal 18, Tufted 24, Cormorant 20, Lapwing 9, Common Gull 2, Pied Wagtail m,  (RP)

                 Frogs & newts are out and about! (GR)

Friday 31st January 2020

1000 - 1120 becoming rainy, 10c : Oystercatcher, Common Gull 3, Bh Gull c200, Cormorant 13, Wigeon 7, Goosander 2, Sparrowhawk, Pied Wagtail.  (RP)  Jackdaw 75 to north at 1635.  (GR)

A returning Oystercatcher today (GR)

Tuesday 28th January 2020

1045 - 1150 fairly sunny/windy, 4c : Teal 2, Wigeon 4, Goosander 4, Lapwing 11, Mute Swan 2, Common Gull 2, Bh Gull 300+ incl. 1 ringed, Pied Wagtail 2,  Jackdaw 65 over, Raven, Sparrowhawk, Redwing 6, Chaffinch 10, Goldcrest.  (GR)

View of the BT Tower at Pye Green, Cannock Chase this morning (approx 10 miles distant) taken from Rushall looking across Shelfield. The white building on the right is Pye Green Water Tower.

Sunday 26th January 2020

1020 - 1220 rain, 7c : Goosander 6, Wigeon 9, Teal 24, Pochard 4, Tufted 24, Little Grebe, Cormorant 12, Lapwing 5, Common Gull 3, Bh Gull 250+, GBb Gull c40, Pied Wagtail, Buzzard 2, Raven, GS Woodpecker, Stock Dove 5, Redwing, Goldcrest, and a lame Red Fox.   (RP / GR)

Sparrowhawk male @ Rushall (GR)

Friday 24th January 2020

1015 - 1130 cloudy, 7c : Goosander 12, Teal 2, Shoveler 3, Wigeon 6, Pochard 5, Tufted 30, Little Egret over, Cormorant 12, Common Gull, Raven, Redwing, Song Thrush 2 in song, Chaffinch 6, Bullfinch, etc.   (RP)

Robin in song on 22nd Jan.

Wednesday 22nd January 2020

Cloudy, 9c : Goosander 12, Teal 12, Pochard 2, Tufted 24, Wigeon 4, Cormorant 10 (photo), Heron, Lapwing 3, Common Gull.  (RP)

Monday 20th January 2020

1010 - 1145 sunny after frost, 3c : Goosander 15, Wigeon 2, Pochard 2, Teal 3, Heron 2, Cormorant 5, Common Gull 5, Bh Gull c250, Lapwing 45, Jay, Buzzard, Redwing, Reed Bunting f.  (RP / GR)

Chaffinch 15th Jan (GR)

Wednesday 15th January 2020

1130 - 1230 sunny/windy 7c : Little Egret (photo), Cormorant 6, Pochard 5, Goosander f, Teal 8, Common Gull 3, Buzzard, Raven.  (GR)

Monday 13th January 2020

1100 - 1130 becoming rainy, 6c : Cormorant 12, GC Grebe (photo), Heron 2, Goosander 12, GBb Gull 107, Common Gull, Lapwing 5, Pied Wagtail, Redwing 4, etc.   (GR)

Sunday 12th January 2020

1030 - 1215 generally cloudy/windy 8c : Goosander 11, Teal 14, Pochard 5, Cormorant 15, Kestrel m, Buzzard, Meadow Pipit 2, Stonechat 2, Raven 2, good numbers of the usual gull species.  (GR)

Jackdaw 70 to north late afternoon.

Pipit & Stonechat today (GR)

Friday 10th January 2020

1030 - 1200 light cloud, 5c : Greylag, Goosander 19, Pochard 11, Teal 9, Cormorant 15, Little Grebe 2, GBb Gull 210, Herring/LBb Gull c100, Common Gull 2, Pied Wagtail, Lapwing 50, Stock Dove 3, Col.Dove 4, Buzzard 2, Greenfinch 3, etc.  (GR/RP)

Greylag geese on 7th Jan (GR)

Wednesday 8th January 2020

1000 - 1200 9c, light cloud : Goosander 19, Pochard 9, Tufted 41, Teal 2, Cormorant 13, Little Grebe 2, Common Gull 4, GBb Gull c60, Lapwing 45, Jay, Fieldfare 8, Song Thrush, Chaffinch c20, Bullfinch 2, etc.  (RP / GR)

poss Silky Pinkgill fungi 5th Jan.

Velvet Shank fungi 1st Jan.(GR)

Tuesday 7th January 2020

1220, rain, 8c : Greylag Geese 8, Teal 12 at floods, Cormorant 14, GBb Gull 60, Common Gull, Raven, etc.

Large flocks (100+) of Chaffinch & Linnets near Park Lime Pits/Daw End canal, and 2 Ring-necked Parakeets.  (GR)

Fieldfare & Fox, 5th Jan. (GR)

Sunday 5th January 2020

0945 - 1120 cloudy, 7c : Wigeon pair, Pochard 7m, Goosander 13, Teal 4, Little Grebe 2, Cormorant 17, Common Gull 2, Lapwing 20, Sparrowhawk, GS Woodpecker, Fieldfare 9, Greenfinch 3, Goldcrest, etc.

Goosander & Pochard 1st Jan.

Friday 3rd January 2020

1045 - 1220 sunny, breezy, 6c : Goosander 11, Shoveler, Teal 8, Pochard 4, Cormorant 11, GBb Gull 55, Common Gull, Lapwing 125, Sparrowhawk f, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Pied Wagtail 3, Bullfinch, Chaffinch 7, House Sparrow 4.  (GR)

Pied Wagtails this morning

Wednesday 1st January 2020

0940 - 1240 overcast, 5c : Mute Swan 2, Canada Geese c50, Shoveler m, Tufted 31, Goosander 18, Teal 18, Pochard 3, Mallard c30, Little Grebe 3, Coot, Moorhen, Cormorant 9, Heron 3, Snipe 3, Lapwing 74, Common Gull 2, GBb Gull c40, Herring Gull 10, LBb Gull 20, Bh Gull c200, Pied Wagtail 2, GS Woodpecker 2, Raven 2, Jay, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Buzzard 2, Collared Dove 8, Wood Pigeon, Stonechat m&f, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush 2, Redwing 2, Wren 5, Dunnock, Starling, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit 6, Chaffinch, Bullfinch m, Goldfinch c20, Linnet.  (45 sp.)  Also a Red Fox, and a vole (or shrew) glimpsed.  (GR / RP)

Stonechat today (GR)

Tuesday 31st Dec 2019

1015 - 1145 dry but cloudy, 7c : Goosander 17, Teal 20, Tufted 28, Pochard 5, Shoveler m, Little Grebe 2, Cormorant 12, Lapwing 153, Common Gull 2, Raven 2, Sparrowhawk.  (RP)

Ravens today (RP)

Monday 30th December 2019

1140 - 1315 bright & sunny 6 - 9c : Goosander 17, Teal 2, Pochard 2, Tufted 32, Cormorant 12, Common Gull, GBb Gull 40, Bh Gulls c250, Carrion Crow 44 basking in sunshine at quarry, Raven, Buzzard, Collared Dove, Chaffinch 8, Greenfinch 3, Bullfinch.  Red Fox.   (GWR)

   Buzzards have become a common sight during the last twenty years.

Sunday 29th December 2019

Light cloud, 8c : Goosander 11, Tufted 37, Cormorant 14, GBb Gull 16, GS Woodpecker, Fieldfare, Greenfinch etc.  (RS)

Blackcap female minus tail at Rushall (photo).

Friday 27th December 2019

1015 - 1115 overcast, dull, 6c : Goosander 11, Pochard 5, Tufted 39, Teal 7, Little Grebe 2, Cormorant 9, Heron 3, Lapwing 38, Common Gull, etc.  (RP)

11 Goosander today (RP)

Sunday 22nd December 2019

1000 - 1300 sunny breaks, 6c : Goosander 10, Teal 22, Pochard 3, Shoveler 4, Tufted 44, Mute Swan 5, Cormorant 15, Little Grebe 2, Common Gull 2, GBb Gull c50, Pied Wagtail 4, Stonechat f, Buzzard 2, Raven, Jay, GS Woodpecker, Bullfinch 2, Lt Tit 12.  Also Red Deer 3 & a fox.  (RP / RS / GWR)

Red Deer today (GWR)