Wednesday 12th December 2012 - Winter Update

There hasn't been a blog written for a few months as it's been so quiet and there hasn't been much to report I'm afraid.

The only noteable thing is the pond on the motorway side was very high a few weeks back or so.  It was nearly encroaching over the wall the water level was so high.  Unfortunately when the water level came down to its normal level, there was a lot of debris left on the path around the pond that has still to be cleared up.  

Talking about clear up, the council were out last week trimming and pruning by the ponds and lower pathways to open up things a little. This has made a significant improvement and makes things a bit tidier.  3x Collard Doves seemed not to be bothered by the noise of machinery between the ponds.

The outdoor Gym is up and running with some fun pieces of equipment to have a go on, like lifting your own body weight or walking/skiing type machines.

Back in October Wigeon and a Gadwall were seen on the ponds but soon moved on, but the Wigeon at least appear to be back. 1 x male and 2 x female. Mistle Thrushes are seen on a regular basis generally o the football fields as of late surrounded by a flock of 57 x Starlings on 4th December.

All around the park the sound of small chirps of Long Talied Tits can be heard regularly if you listen hard enough, and a Nuthatch has been vocal this last week and seen flying from one side of the park to another  providing a fantastic view on 10th December at the end of Hill Lane.

I had a brilliant view of a male and female Great Spotted Woodpecker along the woodland walk together.  If you look you can see a tree peppered with woodpecker holes in that area.

A Grey Wagtail was spotted on several occasions during October and a few times in November but nothing since.  No Redwings or Fieldfare have been noted yet which is unusual, but there seems to be loads of Magpies around.  I think their numbers have increased quite a lot over the breeding season.

Regulars like the Blackbird, Blue Tit, Great Tit, , Robin, Wren, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Tufted Duck (although their numbers seems to have diminished), Chaffinch (Goldfinch and Greenfinch not so much), Wood Pigeon, Crow and Jackdaw can be seen almost all the time.

The weather has gotten a lot colder this last week and the ponds have frozen over so spotting the water birds is easier as they are easiliy found in little pockets of water that hasn't frozen over.  Just remember to take a pocket of bird seed in a sandwich bag or something out when you have a walk just to drop a handful here and there in the woodland areas where all birds can benefit.  If your patient, you'll probably see a Robin come over and take advantage of your offerings.

Wednesday 10th October 2012 - Summer Update

Well, I've not been around for a while due to working and other commitments so I've not been able to have a good walk around the park to clock up any reasionable sightings.  Although I pace walk in the mornings around the park I don't stop, listen and look around to see what is happening.  Far from this I'm listening to radio 1 and working at getting around in less than 21 and a half minutes.

Over the summer we visited various places not too far away including Upton Warren where we saw an Osprey which was the highlight and a female Manadarin Duck in Sutton Park which was a suprise sighting and best we've had in Sutton Park.

Talking about the weather, the water level in one of the ponds about 2 weeks ago flooded onto the path and there is still debris and silt left from when the level got back to normal. 

It was quite funny to see ducks and geese swimming where I'd normally walk round.

Notable sightings start this morning when I was driving past the car park near the Red House itself and saw a Jay.  My first seen at the park. There was a Little Grebe seen regularly about a month ago for a week or so and a sighting I challenge anyone to equal was on 16th September in the woodland walk a Nuthatch and a Treecreeper spotted on the same tree either side of the trunk.

I mentioned earlier that I walk around the park in the mornings.  On 22nd September I nearly bumped into a Green Woodpecker on the play area next to the tennis courts amongst half a dozen pigeons.  The swans have done well again and there are some late juvenile coots and moorhens around.  A regular that I've noticed near the Grove Vale end is a Grey Wagtail.  He's been seen flying off to the island as I speed around in the mornings.

Weather permitting I'll get around to have a propper birding session in the next week so hopefully there will be some winter migrant news as they are starting to come in around the place.  Sandwell Valley has boasted Teal for some weeks now.  Shoveler and Goosander have also been recorded down there along with Wigeon and Pochard.

Tuesday 24th April

I now can post blogs from my phone. Technology eh!

Sunday 22nd April

The bluebells and blossom have been taking a battering with the April showers and as a result the interludes between showers have brought out pairs od birds gathering nesting material.  In particular, there are a pair of Mistle Thrushes near the steps between the ponds that have made a nest in the top of a willow tree and were collecting moss from the surrounding area at  every opportunity.

Green is everywhere now and it is only a matter of time when the foilage is too dense to see into the undergrowth to look for nests or to spot those Chiffchaffs singing away in the top most branches of trees.  It seems that the amount of Blackbirds, Wrens, and Robins around suggest that bushes provide adequate protection from predators, particularly brambles are really starting to grow and encompass ground vegetation.

After the Sunday football classes had finished I went for a walk and it started off very quiet seeing only half a dozen species before I got to the ponds where the usual Mallards, Canada Geese, Swans, Tufted Ducks Moorhens and Coots were out.  It wasn't until it was decided to go round a second time that a lot more was seen, 27 species in total plus a fat rat at the ponds the area I call Squirrel Alley.

A Nuthatch was heard as I walked down the path towards the ponds on the Newton Road side.  It was singing over the top of the Blue tits and Great Tits and was spotted in a back garden.  I was thinking that I hadn't seen a Woodpecker in a while and as I got to the ponds near the back of the flats in Woodland walk I followed with my binoculars something of Thrush size.  When it settled on a tree I saw that it was a female Great Spotted Woodpecker. I was quite exited.  Near to where the Thrushes were seen, a lone Little Grebe seemed to be spending most of its time under water, only occasionally coming up for air. Along Squirrel Alley a female Blackcap was singing away and seen which was nice as you tend to see the males generally.

Sightings:

Wren                                      Mistle Thrush

Coal Tit                                  Chaffinch

Blue Tit                                   Great Tit

Robin                                      Lesser Black Back Gull

Black Headed Gull                 House Sparrow

Nuthatch                                 Blackbird

Little Grebe                            Mallard

Swan                                      Great Spotted Woodpecker

Canada Geese                      Tufted

Coot                                       Moorhen

Magpie                                   Pigeon

Crow                                      Jackdaw

Chiffchaff                               Dunnock

Blackcap

Monday 2nd April 2012 - Spring Update

I've not written a blog for a while so thought it was about time I provided an update of what has been seen and what is happening around the park.

Well, spring is definitely here with the dafs in full bloom (although some are looking worse for wear after last week with the warm weather).  Crocuses have been and gone, and the buds are out with a lot of greenery on the trees and shrubs.

Yesterday, (Yes I know it was 1st April) I had a fantastic view of a Rose Necked Parakeet near the memorial feeding off catkins, and as well as a Great Spotted Woodpecker, I managed to see 3 x Nuthatches.  2 x were in the area I like to call Squirrel Alley near the pools, looking as if they were searching for an appropriate nesting site.  My first Coal Tit in the Park was spotted yesterday also, so quite a good day for sightings.

I saw a Little Grebe on 4th and 27th March which was a nice spot, and the winter visitors seem to have all migrated as the last time I saw a Redwing in the park was 21st February.  There are still 8 x Swans on the pool with a nest on the central island.  

Mistle Thrushes are a regular sighting and you can't seem to walk through the park without seeing at least half a dozen Blackbirds.

Tuesday 21st February

Well, Spring is certainly on it's way, if not here already.  The cacophony of bird song as you walk through the park is fantastic, with the Robin's, Great and Blue Tits, and Blackbirds seeming to be at the higher decibel range followed closely by the finches.

Just the usuals were around today but seen in greater number as all species seemed to be flying around chasing their potential mates.  I could have spent ages out in the park just listening to the avian orchestra.  The highlight of my walk was watching an adult Swan chasing one of the signets around the pond in quite a threatening manner.  Let's hope that last years signets soon move on so that their parents can concentrate on getting the next generation on the way.

I also did see over a dozen Goldfinches today and over 20 Redwing flying around with the Starlings.

Thursday 16th February

Half term and the sunny weather (although cold) brought out the families and therefore the birds up the top end of the park were keeping themselves to themselves.

Just on the edge of the park saw a flock of Long Tailed Tits chasing each other as they do from tree to tree being watched, and probably voacally being moved on by a couple of Great Tits.

The main path through the park only held Starlings in their usual trees near the Newton Road end and the usual scattered BHG's and Crows on the football fields. Down the path on the Newton Road side I spotted a Nuthatch and Goldfinches in the back gardens before I stopped and sat on the bench where I observed quite a gathering of birds at the top of the path through the woodland walk.  There were 2 x Mistle Thrush, Redwing, Chaffinches, a Blackbird and a Song Thrush.

Through the woods themselves I paused to watch a Great Spotted Woodpecker and Robin singing away before carrying on to the ponds.  The usual suspects were on the water with a suprising count of 6 x male Shoveler and 1 x female Shoveler along with 3 x pairs of Gadwall.

Near the back of the houses on the Grove Vale estate I saw a pair of Mistle Thrushes again (could these have been the ones I saw earlier), Redwing, Blackbirds and another flock of Long Tailed Tits were also seen.