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Birmingham City Centre (1 Viewer)

Ste-gull

Risegeterd Uesr
Hi all.
I've been keeping a thread going for the Fort Dunlop area of Birmingham since starting work there last summer. Loving the peregrines and everything else thats passed through, however the office is due to move to Digbeth this spring (if you can call it spring) and I noticed there's no specific thread for the centre.

There's definitely plenty to see. There's always a good number of Gulls to keep an eye on including Yellow-legged being seen by others. I also regularly have a large number of passerines with Blue Tits, House Sparrows, Starlings, Robins and a fair number of Thrushes along with the usual city Corvids. And I'm sure plenty of others have had many great sightings here over the years.

This morning I had one of the city's Kestrels overhead as well as a suprise Canada Goose which hopped off one of the building's rooves on Jennens Rd. Bit of an odd sight.

Anyway, if anyone is in town, let us know what you see and hopefully we'll get a good thread going for Brum.
 
Great, glad someone has started a thread for the city. Don't see much from my office but do see the BT peregrines on my walk to and from work. Will note on here when I see them from now on
 
Nice to see a thread like this start up!

I work in Birmingham city centre too but sadly don't get out to see much at lunchtime as I barely leave my desk.

I haven't seen anything too out of the ordinary in the 6 years I have been working there. Pied Wagtails can be found right outside the council house and can often see them calling between flying over buildings by new street. A lot of gulls and feral pigeons around new street too. I have seen plenty of Crows and Magpies around the centre but Starlings are becoming much less common.

I have noted Blue Tit, Robin, Dunnock, Long-Tailed Tit and Woodpigeon around the ICC whilst a Mistle Thrush is regularly seen around the back of the new Library. I have also seen Mallard and Canada Geese by Alpha Tower and Grey Wagtail by the canal along with Moorhen.

Then of course there are the Peregrines at BT tower, amazing.

I have also seem some escaped birds in the form of a Red-Tailed Hawk causing havoc at New St station and a Wood Duck on the canal a few years back but were certainly escapes.

Having just read that back i might have to try and keep an eye out more often on my journeys to work and back, at least it might be an opportunity to improve my non-existent gull ID skills!!

Cheers :t:
 
Glad we've got some posts already. Good start, and good to see people think it a good idea. Dunnock is one I forgot to mention and Goldfinch. I'm sure there's loads more to see too.

On the train back home today there were 2 Mandarins (male and female) just before Bourneville station so I'm sure there's chance for them to make their way into the more central canals too.
 
I work near Aston University and I regularly see Kestrels around the derelict building next to Millennium Point car park, Mistle Thrushes on the campus and an occasional YLG on the grassed central reservation of Jennens Way.
 
Quite a number of Mallards overhead today in the centre this morning around 7am. Max group of 7 with c30 overall.

Nice to hear about the peregrines - hopefully when my office moves from Fort Dunlop to Digbeth I'll still be able to see Peregrines in the form of the BT birds.
 
Peregrines seen on BT tower on Tuesday evening then saw courtship displays on way home yesterday (Wed 5ish) Male passed 'something' to female who flew off with it whilst he went to sit on the tower. Fingers crossed we will have breeding peregrines in town this year.
 
Had my first tester of the digbeth branch canal today. Office has moved nearby so I had a quick walk down there at lunch. A few species around. looks like a good area for getting a good number of inner city species. Had Mallard, Moorhen, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Feral Pig., LBBG, 1 Great Tit and about 10 Long tailed. Also heard Wren, Robin and Blue Tit. Not bad and Im sure theres room for more down this area of the canal alongsode Fazeley St.
 
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I did a double-take, at first glance, 'feral pig':t: - before i realised;)

Laurie:t:

One of those an' all. Haha.
Popped down again today. Only addition was Herring Gull and Collared Dove. I at minimum heard all species from yesterdays little walk on top.
 
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I've worked in Brindleyplace for the last 15 years. Haven't seen too much in that general area that hasn't been mentioned in previous posts, in fact I'm struggling to think of anything to add apart from the Barn Owl I saw one evening flying along Tennant Street (parallel to Broad Street) as I reached the car park in Bishopsgate Street. I carried on for a closer look but, having seen it fly into a tree, it was then flushed by the siren of a passing fire engine!

I have heard Goldcrest on one or two occasions when I escape the office and go for a walk along the canals.

I saw the escaped Wood Duck on several occasions as it was on the canal between the Sea Life Centre and the NIA. Mistle Thrush, Goldfinch, Pied Wagtail, Blue Tit, Magpie and Carrion Crow have all graced the estate along with over-flying Herring, Lesser Black-backed and Black-headed Gulls. Mallard and Canada Geese also on the canal.

Years ago I used to park in Horsefair and walk up to the office, which did give me fly-over Cormorant, Buzzard and Sparrowhawk plus Coots on the canal.
 
I work in BrindleyPlace and in addition to the others mentioned I've seen House Martin, Swift and 2 Grey Herons along the canal walking away from the ICC by the factories.
 
Common Whitethroat singing in the hedge of the university car park adjoining Jennens Way most of the past week.
 
Common Whitethroat singing in the hedge of the university car park adjoining Jennens Way most of the past week.

Has now switched sides of Jennens Way and is now lurking in the planting around Millennium Point multi-storey car park.

Also had a Black Redstart in town for the first time in about 5 years :t:
 
I used to work at Aston Cross until twelve months ago and had Little ringed Plover on the site of the demolished HP sauce factory, and a Sedge Warbler of all things singing in a bush at the compound where I worked in Park Lane. Had several Buzzards over there as well, and once had a Buzzard over Digbeth near the Custard Factory.
 

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