Tuesday 4th December

This year has been a strange and exciting one for me on a professional and personal level. Joy and I became grandparents for the first time. I also took up a job part-time as a Porter at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield. As a result the blog has suffered somewhat, to a certain extent I find it quicker and easier to put news out via Twitter. But this “My Diary” has gone to pot!

However, this morning it was nice and bright so I though I would give the Reservoir a couple of hours and it payed off.

I completed a reasonably complete count of the species which included this years first Wigeon and Red-legged Partridge. Also and perhaps more importantly I saw my first Tawny Owl for the Reservoir, a shocking admission. I have heard plenty and have never spent a lot of time searching as they have always called from private land. So todays was a welcome sighting.

Counts:
8      Mute Swan
62    Canada Goose
1      Wigeon
11    Gadwall
1      Teal
34    Mallard
13    Pochard
170  Tufted Duck
6      Goosander
26    Little Grebe
30    Great Crested Grebe
9      Moorhen
300  Coot

I saw a good selection of passerines including Raven, c.110 Fieldfare, c52 Redwing, Bullfinch, Coal Tit, Meadow Pipit, Skylark and Goldcrest.

Tawny Owl, taken on my phone