Thursday 31st March

Have been to the Reservoir for the last two evenings but it has been rather quiet. The Goosander numbers dropped from 23 yesterday to 1 tonight. However, I did manage a new species for the year with an LRP on the south shore. And I finally had another Swallow albeit nearly three weeks after the first! There was still at least one Brambling present in the roost behind the sailing club. April tomorrow so it should start to hot up a touch.

Tuesday 29th March

After a long weekend in France with friends I was up at 5.15am French time for the drive back to the UK. After a short sleep when I got home it was dull and overcast when I awoke. Perfect so I went to get some fresh air around the Res.

Unfortunately there was very little around I had a couple of singing Chiffchaff, 9 Gadwall and 3 Goosander but little else of note.

There was a Little Gull over the weekend and SC had a group of 3 Swallow at some point yesterday but I didn’t connect with them.

I did a little birding in Normandy, France when I was there and it was good, but very much the same birds as in the UK apart that is from White Stork. We visited various sites on Contantin and there were a couple of really good sites. They haven’t really had much in the way of migrants through with Chiffchaff everywhere (the same as us) but there were a good number of Garganey at couple of sites we visited and two groups of four Spoonbill. We also had a distant male harrier which through the heat haze looked like a probable Monties and three ringtail that looked to be the same species, although it seems a touch early even for France!

Thursday 24th March

On a roll – second visit in two days, but still only Chiffchaff of the summer migrants on the site. However, the Good Captain and I had a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in the Pines by the railway before it flew off north landing in the large tree on the footpath towards the Tamworth Road.

There was not a lot else apart from a Redshank – I think the weather has been too good we need a bit of rain to drop stuff in.

1 Goosander, 4 Pochard, 6 Gadwall, 2 Treecreeper, 4 Chiffchaff, 6 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Nuthatch and a Green Woodpecker.

Wednesday 23rd March

This highlight of the week so far was the record of 3 Grey Partridge (Steve Cawthray) this is a species that is difficult to connect with Wishaw about the only reliable site in the area. It also follows hot on the heels of a record at Ladywalk on the 12 March also SC.

Work commitments have hampered my visits recently, but with a dentist appointment at 10am I used the opportunity to get around early. The weather was stunning as it has been for a while now and I struggle to remember the last significant rainfall that we had. It must be one of the driest March’s on record! So no doubt it will now turn out to be one of the wettest summers!

I though that with seeing both Swallow and Sand Martin on the 13/3 it would be a good start to the migration season but apart from four singing Chiffchaffs I saw nothing of note today. A pair of Gt Spotted Woodpeckers copulating was a highlight – well it was for them! Most of the wildfowl have moved on now with singles of both Pochard and Wigeon, five Goosander and four Gadwall the sum totals.

A small group of Redwing were a reminder that winter hasn’t quite left yet, so lets see how it goes.

I added another species to my garden list with distant flight views of a Little Egret.

Saturday 19th March

After a day in Wales on business yesterday and birding on the way home I made a point of getting over the Reservoir today. I was up reasonably early but the car park was still full when I arrived. It turned out to be not a bad day adding four species to yearly total.

Firstly I had two pairs of Gadwall and Captain Daylate’s Goldeneye was still present. The eastern woods held two Chiffchaff but no Lesser Spotted Woodpecker as last weekend. There was also a singing male Reed Bunting present at Warbler Corner in the patch of reeds that surround a hidden pond. Apart from that it was generally quite. Hopefully with a front moving through there might be a few hirundines around tomorrow.

For those interested my day in Wales produced Glaucous Gull, Chough, Black Grouse and a stunning Dartford Warbler (see below). Not surprisingly (as the good Captainn was with me) we dipped on Bonies  and Iceland Gull.  But the Dartford Warbler gave stunning views.

Dartford Warbler, World’s End, Denbighshire

Dartford Warbler, World’s End, Denbighshire

Thursday 17th March

I haven’t been able to get over to Shustoke this week due to work commitments – role on the weekend!

46 Goosander and a Redshank tonight at Shustoke (per Steve Cawthray) and on Tuesday Captain Daylate had a Goldeneye which was new for the year.

Sunday 13 March

It was BTO survey day and I had a bit on (watching Rugby) so I went over at 9am instead of the usual 11ish. Straight away the visit proved worthwhile when I picked up an hirundine – Sand Martin I thought, I picked up my bins and was surprised to see a Swallow, my earliest record by 18 days. However, there was also Sand Martin – eight and a further Swallow but by the time I had walked around and got back to the car park they had gone.

That was not the end of the excitement! By the small pool I heard Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in the same area that SC heard them last week. I hung around then picked up a female then five minutes later I saw a male but never saw both birds together.

I went over later trying to locate the birds again so my wife could see them but drew a blank. But there was a Tawny Owl calling again. The gull roost has dwindled to very little at the moment but there were a couple of Common Gull. On the BTO count this morning I only managed 4 Goosander but this evening there were 35 birds.

Coleshill Quarry
I have made a couple of trips over the weekend with Saturday being the most productive with 4 Goosander, Stonechat, Peregrine, 2 Oystercatcher, Snipe and Meadow Pipit. Today, was a lot quieter so I assume that someone got there before me.

Also yesterday I spent the morning with Captain Daylate at Ladywalk which has improved beyond all recognition. The wardens and the volunteers deserve hearty praise for the improvement in this NR.

Redpoll (possible Mealy), Ladywalk NR,

Peregrine, from Coleshill Quarry but the bird was a mile away near Ladywalk

Stonechat at 400 yards Coleshill Quarry

11 March 2011

Spent the morning on Cannock Chase trying to get fit for the Hillwalking season which will soon be upon me, we took the dog and hardly saw a sole all day. The Great Grey Shrike appeared before us and put on a great show (see below).

In the afternoon I spent two hours at the reservoir and it was quiet. The wildfowl numbers are staring to dwindle, which Pochard around 60, 12 Goosander and 12 Wigeon. It was rather windy and I struggled with passerines – at first. The small pool woodland still held a few Siskin but little else apart from a small party of around a dozen Redwing. The strangest happening was a calling Tawny Owl near to the Fishing Lodge, try as I might I couldn’t locate the bird, I had heard the same bird calling about two weeks ago as well! I then made my way back to the car park and the highlight was a part of seven Brambling in the same area as a few weeks ago, they are obviously roosting in the general area.

Great Grey Shrike, Cannock Chase

Wednesday 9th March

I haven’t been able to get over to Shustoke this week yet but I have had a couple of interesting birds in the garden. There was a Tawny Owl on Monday evening calling in the garden. I have had up to 5 Tree Sparrows, a Reed Bunting and a Brambling in the garden in the last few days.

However, the best bird was this morning when I had a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker which is my third record in nine years. I will try to get over before the weekend and see what the Reservoir holds as things should start to heat up soon.

Sunday 6th February

I did go over the weekend but saw very little, in fact it probably the quietest I can remember. I can’t think of a memorable bird the whole weekend but with sailing going on and lots of people out walking it was hardly surprising.

There must have been 40 people walking dogs around the reservoir on Sunday, I assume there must have been an organised walk as they were all in the carpark at the same time. And I am pleased to add that every dog I saw without exception was on a lead!

Wednesday 2nd March

Well Thank God February is finished – the older I get the longer winter seems to last! Anyway I managed to get around early today and avoid the crowds –which I managed successfully with few people around today and less dogs than I have seen in ages. Remarkably the Doggy Soccer score today was Dirty Dog Heads 1 v 2 Leeds.

The numbers and variety of the species of wildfowl so far this year have remained remarkably static, I still haven’t recorded: Teal, Shelduck, Gadwall, Ruddy Duck and Goldeneye so far this year and Northern Shoveler haven’t been seen for nearly four weeks!

Anyway today I had a bit of a surprise with a Dunlin at the east end it seemed rather settled but wasn’t there when I returned from the small pool but may well have relocated elsewhere on the reservoir. Warbler corner held 40 Siskin and after a ten week absence 2 Lesser Redpoll. It was cold today with a bit of east in the wind so hopefully the first migrants should be through within a couple of weeks.

Goldfinch, on my feeders

Red-legged Partridge, under my feeders

Red-legged Partridge, under my feeders

Tree Sparrow, Under the feeders

Redpoll, Shustoke

Yellowhammer one of around 100 present in the Moat House Lane area.

Well Thank God February is finished – the older I get the longer winter seems to last! Anyway I managed to get around early today and avoid the crowds –which I managed successfully with few people around today and less dogs than I have seen in ages. Remarkably the Doggy Soccer score today was Dirty Dog Heads 1 v 2 Leeds.

The numbers and variety of the species of wildfowl so far this year have remained remarkably static, I still haven’t recorded: Teal, Shelduck, Gadwall, Ruddy Duck and Goldeneye so far this year and Northern Shoveler haven’t been seen for nearly four weeks!

Anyway today I had a bit of a surprise with a Dunlin at the east end it seemed rather settled but wasn’t there when I returned from the small pool but may well have relocated elsewhere on the reservoir. Warbler corner held 40 Siskin and after a ten week absence 2 Lesser Redpoll. It was cold today with a bit of east in the wind so hopefully the first migrants should be through within a couple of weeks.