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.

Sandwell Valley and Norfolk February 2012

Since my last blog I've done quite a few trips around Sandwell Valley, in particular Priory Woods and the fields off Salters Lane.

Off Salters Lane last week I saw 123+ (yes, I counted them) mixed Fieldfare and Redwing in a field as well as 3 x Green Woodpeckers down the Valley.

In Priory Woods;  2 x Treecreepers, a Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, and Great Spotted Woodpecker were spotted all in the same day.  To top it all, Marsh and Willow Tits were happily busy feasting of the feeding Station at the old Visitors Cente at the RSPB whilst dodging Bullfinches.

Last Saturday brought on a Trip to Norfolk where over 70 species were see.  You can read about this:

http://ixerbirding.blogspot.com/2012/02/no-folk-like-norfolk-part-1-rspb.html

http://ixerbirding.blogspot.com/2012/02/no-folk-like-norfolk-part-2-salthouse.html