May 28th.

A very wet day today but Brian managed a quick visit , 1x Black Tern, 7 x Common Tern, 1500+ Swift, 300+ House Martin and 2 x Red-legged Partridge. (B Kington).

May 25th.

Cold wet and very windy, 1600 Swift, 200 House Martins and 3 Common Terns, also the Mute Swans have hatched and have 4 cygnets. (B Kington).

May 24th.

Not much to report today, with a lunch time visit and the sailing boats out the main pool it was very quite. Only 6 Common Terns, around 150 Swift and a handfull of Swallows were the only birds around. Four Whitethroats and two Garden Warblers along the lane, and two pairs of Gadwall on the small pool. Great Spotted and Green Woodies were both heard but not seen, and three Buzzards battling against the strong breeze.
Butterflies noted included 2 Holy Blues, 5 Commas, 3 Speckled Woods, 4 Orange-tips and several Small Whites.
S Seal....

May 23rd.

At the pool this afternoon, Common Tern, Common Sandpiper and Cuckoo calling. (J Harris).

May 18th.

Red-legged Partridge.

Well after trying over the last few months to get a reasonable shot of a Red-legged Partridge in the fields that surround the pool, it was a nice supprise at 7-20 this morning with one sitting on the car park gate. Only viewed from the car park the pool looked very quite, just 5 Common Terns and around 200 Swift and a handfull of House Martins.
S Seal.

May 16th.

A quick visit this afternoon, viewed from the car park, light drizzle. Around 300 Swift could be seen hawking over the pool, also 150 Swallow, 30 House and 3 Sand Martins. Three Common Terns were sitting on the rescue boat, and a Common Sandpiper was noted in front of the sailing club.
(S Seal, B Kington).

May 15th.

Very quite at the pool just a Common Sandpiper and 4 Common Terns.
(B Kington).

May 11th.

A flying visit this evening, viewed from the car park. Common Sandpiper x2, Common Tern x5 and Hobby over the northern tree line.
S Seal........

May 10th.

Mallard.

Not much around this morning, yesterdays Black Terns had moved on but still 5 Common Terns present.2 pairs of Gadwall noted, several Whitethroat and a couple of Garden Warblers in song. Tree Sparrows were in their usuall place and a Buzzard over.
Butterflies.
Comma x2
Holy Blue x1
Speckeled Wood x2
Brimstone x1.

S Seal....

May 9th.

Black Tern.

A visit to the pool this afternoon produced, 4 Black Terns, 7 Common Terns , Common Sandpiper and 8 Whitethroat. The Black Terns staying mainly down the eastern end of the pool.
Butterflies.
Speckled Wood x2
Comma x1
Red Admiral x3
Brimstone x1
Small Tortoiseshell x1
Green-veined White x1
Orange-tip x4
(S Seal).

May 8th.

Common Sandpiper .
(J Harris)

May 4th.

Black Tern..........Photo by (L Johnson).

Black Tern..........Photo by (P Goode).

A Black Tern day today, with many Black Terns being reported passing through the Midlands it was only a matter of time before they dropped onto the pool. Myself and D Hutton decided to have a look at the pool first thing but nothing, only 3 Common Terns and a Common Sand. So onto nearby Kingsbury were we found our first Black. A phone call a couple of hours later from T Perrins to say he had 5 Black Terns on the pool. So back over we came and sure enough 5 had dropped in hawking over the pool. Back home for a bite to eat and another call this time from L Johnson saying it was now 9 Blacks at the pool, so of we set again. Nice to see so many of our friends again, and thanks to Paul and Lee for the photos, Cheers lads.
At 18-30 this evening only 3 Blacks remained.
Butterflies......Holy Blue noted in car park.
S Seal.

Whinchat Dates.

Whinchat
Occasional passage migrant.
A good spring passage during 1996 through the Midlands resulted in 3 birds being found during April of that year.A returning bird noted on 22nd Sept 96, a male on 24th Sept 04, another male on 13th May 06, and fridays bird another male 02nd May 08. The hedgerow along the south side of the reservoir seems to be their favorite location. Whinchats are summer visitors that spend the winter in sub-Saharan Africa and return to the UK during the last week in April, first week in May.

May 3rd.

Great Crested Grebes (displaying).

Common Buzzard.

Weather clear skies, dry with light southerly breeze. A 7-00 o,clock start this morning in hope that yesterdays Whinchat was still around, it soon became apparrent that it had moved on. It proved to be a good morning with 3 Garden Warblers new in, and still 5 Whitethroats, 2 Yellowhammers, 2 Tree Sparrows, Mistle Thrush, and both Willow Warblers and Chiffchaff in full song. Around 60+ Swift were over the pool and a smaller number of Swallows, 3 Buzzards soared gracefully overhead and 1 Common Sand could be found along the shore. A Grey Wagtail was along the stream and a pair of Gadwall on the main pool, a Common Tern dropped in breifly before moving off west. On the main pool 3 Mallard broods were noted and many Great Crested Grebes were displaying. Both Green and Great Spotted Woodies were around the small pool and Treecreepers were along the stream, 4 R L Partridge were along the lane. I thaught i heard a brief song of a Lesser Whitethroat this morning, but thats one for another day.
Butterflies.
Peacock x3, Orange-tip x2, Small Tortoiseshell x1, Small White x4,
S Seal.

May 2nd.

Whinchat (male)........

Theirs not been much at the pool recently so i thaught i would give it a good go this afternoon as i finish work early on fridays. As i entered the car park i saw a friend who had just been round and he said it was quite but there was a Whitethroat showing well by the gate at the back of the sailing club. Not one to miss a photo oppertunity i quickly set my camera gear up a made my way around to the gate. Two Tree Sparrows were soon noted, but no Whitethroat. Twenty minutes later still no Whitethroat so i decided to walk the lane in search of one. A Yellowhammer was feeding along the lane with 2 Linnets, then scratchy song , yes Whitethroat my first here this year. I then noticed something fly catching on the edge of the ploughed field it was a male Whinchat but to distant for a photo. As i approached closer it was very flighty settling on the hedgerow then back into the field, i managed a few distant record shots nothing what i would have liked,(win some loose some). Also noted a Cuckoo over flying the pool heading south, 14 Swift , and 4 Common Terns hawking over the water. Two Buzzards were up high, and 2 Sparrowhawks passed overhead. 5 Whitethroats were found along the lane, and 1 R L Partridge .Along the south shore there were 2 Common Sands and 1 Grey Wagtail,and Sedge Warbler all in all not a bad couple of hours. The Whinchat is the 100th species recorded at the pool this year.
Butterflies.
Brimstone x2, Peacock x1, Orange-tip x1.
S Seal.