Priory Fields (1 Viewer)

[Rob Williams]

My patch just got bigger! I have lived here for 18 years and never knew that 10 minutes walk away there was a Warwickshire Wildlife Trust reserve. Found it by accident at the start of the week and have visited it twice. It is in a suburban area, just on the border between Birmingham and Solihull. Absolutely teeming with birds. All tits and finches, blackbirds (so that's where all of mine have gone to), jays, willow warblers, GS woodpeckers, goldcrests (first time I've seen juveniles), kestrel, robins. Is a summer home to whitethroat but think I've missed them.

Think I'm going to be a regular visitor. Will be back there on Monday and maybe even tomorrow. There is a pool owned by anglers on the edge of it, a canal along one side and a stream running through the middle. Lots of hawthorn, oak, apple trees, elderberry, brambles. Excellent.


Rob

 

[Nina P]

Sounds like a good spot to find treecreepers too, and possible kingfisher, keep the postings on the same thread as I'm definately interested to hear what you get in your new local spot. Remember to listen too as I find more from hearing them than I ever see!

 

[Rob Williams]

Nina,

Today was mostly Jays. There being lots of oak trees means lots of acorns. Must have seen at least 7 or 8 Jays flying around, probably more. Female Blackcap popped up just as I was leaving. Also a couple of swallows, much to my surprise as I thought they would have left by now.

I do hear things but I am useless at identifying song.


Rob

 

[Nina P]

I am still learning bird songs and sightings, and I am now expanding my field as I have a friend who is coming with me to have a look over the local harbour, so I am about to find out more about sea and marsh birds.
Hosemartins are still here and the odd Barn Swallow seen quartering the fields with cows in it. Last night I saw a flock of about fifteen housemartins, and a report from the place I'm going says there are huge flocks of Swallows over the harbour heading.... west? I suppose they are calling the troops for the big migration in large numbers.
Jays and Magpies here were having a ding dong shouting match yesterday as there was a raptor hanging about, and a big black corvid decided to dissappear after the hawks appearance. Keep us posted, as I'm interested too.

 

[Rob Williams]

Went back there this afternoon to show my wife, but as I feared very quiet. Jays, Blue/Great Tits, Goldfinches, heard lots of Robins (I know that one), Blackbirds, Swallows. As we were leaving got a lovely view of a Kestrel overhead. We then walked back home along another green corridor. Small stream surrounded by mature deciduous trees and willows, hawthorn bushes and lots of scrub land inaccessible to us. There, in a spot that swarmed with Long Tailed Tits yesterday, was my first view of a Marsh/Willow Tit. He never made a sound, but I incline towards a Marsh Tit from my books, but who knows? Finally, a GS Woodpecker. Not bad in the end, for late afternoon.

Glad to see you had an eventful day.


Rob

 

[Nina P]

Sounds like you missed out as the kestrel was around, I find that when the local kestrel ( I refer to her as the little madam) the other birds vanish, go very quiet and seems like they hold their breath too! But green corridors are wonderful places to investigate, Marsh/willow tits are so difficult to differentiate I tend to say / is the safest way, that way you aren't wrong. GSW's are rather interesting to watch, but the greens are funnier, as when they are startled they seem to snap their beaks into the air and have the expression of "I'm not here jack" or "you can't see me now" all over their faces, when you are perfectly able to see them from the side profile.
If you are heading that way in the colder weather you stand a good chance of seeing either fieldfare or redwing as they love hawthorn scrubland, and eat all the food they can find, here it happens when the NE wind blows and arctic conditions apply over Russia, then I start to watch out for them, but I am making the most of the Hirundines that are left as they seem to be gathering themselves up for the big migration which must be getting very close now.
Glad your wife is enjoying this with you, it makes more fun having someone with you on the expeditions, also helps to see some of the lesser seen with two pairs of eyes watching.
Nina

 

[Rob Williams]

Went back today after a fortnight away. After a week of early shifts I wanted to stay in bed, but made myself get up early. The place was teeming with Blackbirds, everywhere I looked. This gave me hope of another find, and before long I got it...my first Redwings of the autumn. All the finches and tits were there, as well as Robin and Wren, Jay, Magpie, Crow. No birds of prey. Am 99% sure that I also saw a female Brambling in with some Chaffinch.

Might get up early again tomorrow, before I start nights!


Rob

 

[Nina P]

That is very interesting Rob, I was lucky enough to get a fleeting glimpse of brambling a couple of weeks ago but haven't seen them since. Seems like the autumnal weather is coming on apace, perhaps that is the reason.

 

[Rob Williams]

On my way to the area yesterday I decided to go by a slightly different route. This was simply a case of going along the other river bank. As I got to the ford which is about 200 yards from my house I was rewarded with four glimpses of a kingfisher. These gave me what are probably the best views of one that I have ever had.

I have also decided to submit my sightings from this area to birdtrack. Going through my diary I have been visiting the reserve for a month and have now seen 28 different species in that time. I was very happy with that. Submitting my data has given me a real purpose now, even if I keep seeing the same birds. Yesterday I was rewarded with seeing a flock of about 30 Goldfinches. All in all, I came back from my walk with a very big spring in my step, feeling that the day had got off to a terrific start.


Rob

 

[Nina P]

Great feeling eh, Rob? I have started to go with a friend to Christchurch Harbour, but we saw a bird that we are unable to get a decent ID for! Are you any good on waders? This is some sort of Egret, but no one seems to be certain, it was about three feet tall, grey bill possibly yellow near face, black legs and bright yellow large non webbed feet, it had a smaller one later and that was definately half the size, approximately eighteen inches tall but same description apart from much smaller feet. I was hoping to see them last weekend but the tide was fully in when we got there so had missed the chance, will have to try again next weekend, and perhaps get the hour before high tide and lets hope, I always reckoned I'd get to see a rare one when I didn't have the camera, so now it's broken and in for repair it's happened!
You have struck lucky with the kingfisher, they are possibly one of my real favourites, but not easily spotted, they dart so fast and that's just when I usually spot them, as when still they seem to melt into the water, or hide in the foliage, well done.

 

[Rob Williams]

Nina,

The black legs and yellow feet suggest Little Egret to me.


Rob

 

[Richard D]

Nina,

The black legs and yellow feet suggest Little Egret to me.


Rob

Me too - and they're one of those birds whose size is quite difficult to judge depending on posture.

Richard

 

[Rob Williams]

I have now been visiting this patch for about 7 weeks and thought I would update you all on what I have seen so far:

Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long-Tailed Tit
Coal Tit
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Bullfinch
Chaffinch
Brambling
Robin
Wren
Dunnock
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Redwing
Fieldfare
Crow
Magpie
Jay
Woodpigeon
Kestrel
Sparrowhawk
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Goldcrest
Blackcap
Grey Heron
Swallow
Canada Goose
Mallard
Black Headed Gull
GS Woodpecker
Tree Pipit

I make that 33 species in all, so far. I am really looking forward to seeing how this site develops over the course of a full 12 months. My most controversial sighting has to be today's, of a Tree Pipit, which is know is late for them. However, the sun was shining very nicely and the pipit looked as though it was sunbathing! I got to judge it's size nicely when it was disturbed by a blackbird, and overall, I watched it for nearly 10 minutes, seeing it front, back and side view. I came home believing it was a pipit, but not knowing which type. My RSPB book has a superb picture of an autumn plumage tree pipit which matches exactly what I saw. I am very confident in my sighting, even though entering it into BTO Bird Track caused it be highlighted as out of season.

I'll keep you updated.

Rob

B

 

[Nina P]

NIce one Rob, seems like there are a lot of unusually late birds hanging around, so why not your tree pipit? If Swallows and Housemartins are still lingering all over the country I believe it is more likely right, I get the same thing with BTO garden birdwatch, when I have six Green woodpeckers loitering around my garden, and 4 Tawny owls calling from the trees out here, I say at leas 4 but there could well be more! I can distiguish them by their calls, I have one very distinctive hooter, sounds like he's got a sore throat, but I haven't heard him for about three months, and yet they are very vociferous at the moment, but I have a new caller a very young voice has joined the night time chorus.

 

[Rob Williams]

Well, as we are now seeing the first real signs of Spring I thought I would update you on what has happened in my patch over the winter. The total number of species seen here since the middle of September has risen to 44. Over the winter Redwing and Fieldfare visited, and are still there, and Redpoll and a very few Brambling have also put in some appearances. Goldcrest have been visible throughout the winter, up to 5 at a time, with occasional sightings of Treecreeper. Kestrel and Sparrowhawk are regulars, though creating surprisingly little reaction amongst the other birds. From the middle of December I have regularly seen Grey Wagtail. There is certainly one pair of GS Woodpecker.

below are listed all 44 species seen so far:

Blackbird
Black Headed Gull
Blackcap
Blue Tit
Brambling
Bullfinch
Canada Goose
Carrion Crow
Chaffinch
Chiffchaff
Coal Tit
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Fieldfare
Goldcrest
Goldfinch
GS Woodpecker
Great Tit
Greenfinch
Grey Wagtail
Grey Heron
House Sparrow
Jackdaw
Jay
Kestrel
Lesser Black-Backed Gull
Long Tailed Tit
Magpie
Mallard
Mistle Thrush
Mute Swan
Redpoll
Redwing
Robin
Song Thrush
Sparrowhawk
Starling
Stock Dove
Swallow
Treecreeper
Tree Pipit
Willow Warbler
Woodpigeon
Wren

In the same vicinity as the above patch are two other areas that I keep an eye on, one a piece of woodland with a small river running through it, the other a large pool, formerly serving a mill, now providing a home to birds, fish, mink, anglers. So, three areas, all quite different. The total number of species in all 3 areas is 59, with the following being the additions:

Common Gull
Coot
Great Crested Grebe
Green Woodpecker
Greylag Goose
Kingfisher
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Moorhen
Nuthatch
Pied Wagtail
Pochard
Siskin
Tufted Duck
Water Rail
Willow Tit

I have thoroughly enjoyed this winter. being my first year of serious and sustained birding I have found the time has gone very quickly, with so much to look forward to. Roll on spring and the arrival of many more new 'friends'!


Rob