30th September - Sightings

Ladywalk - Spotted Crake still in New Bay (per RBA)
Kingsbury - Green Sandpiper Cliff Pool (K Sargent)

29th September - Sightings

Ladywalk - Spotted Crake still till dusk, 2 Goosander, Common Sandpiper (Many Obs)
Bassett - 3 Little Egret, 3 Pintail (S Haynes) 12 Golden Plover over (J Harris)
Kingsbury - 3 Green Sandpiper Cliff Pool (K Sargent)

28th September - Sightings

Ladywalk - Spotted Crake still present in New Bay though generally elusive (per RBA)
Shustoke - 2 Arctic Tern (juvs), 3rd Win Yellow-Legged Gull (per RBA)

As I am now back, normal service can be resumed. Many thanks to the Dawg for updating the blog in my absence.

24 September - Sightings

Ladywalk Nature Reserve - the Spotted Crake showed well in the bay from the Riverwalk hide from 6.30pm onwards. (P Sofley) WMBC permits holders FREE - Non-permit holders please donate generously

Kingsbury Water Park - on Cliff Pool today there were 3 x Green Sandpiper, 2 x Eurasian Wigeon & a single Common Pochard. (K Sargent)

23 September - Sightings

Ladywalk Nature Reserve - the Spotted Crake was spotted briefly again today flying to the main reedbed at dusk. Also 3 x Water Rail, 2 x Eurasian Curlew & 6 x Common Snipe. (S Cawthray)

22nd September - Sightings

Kingsbury Water Park - 2 x Green Sandpipers were present on Cliff Pool this afternoon (K Sargent)

Drayton Bassett Pits - 2 x Northern Pintail on the North Pit and 2 x Little Egrets on the South Pit Section (J Harris).

Ladywalk Nature Reserve - Little Egret but no sign of the Spotted Crake (J Harris).

21st September - Sightings

Ladywalk Nature Reserve - the elusive Spotted Crake was still present this during the early part of this evening (as per RBA) *WMBC Permit holders FREE - Non-permit holders please donate generously *

Drayton Bassett Pits - Garganey (2 birds) and Northern Pintail on the North Pit (J Oates).

Fishers Mill Pit - Little Egret (J Oates).

Kingsbury Water Park - Green Sandpiper on Cliff Pool (J Oates).

20th September - Sightings

Ladywalk Nature Reserve - the elusive Spotted Crake was spotted again from 5.30pm to 5.33pm today (as per RBA).

Lea Marston/Coton - a Hobby and a Cetti's Warbler were present in the area today (as per RBA).

Whilst Tom is ooooop north I would be grateful if any 'Tame Valley Birders' could text me their sightings on 0773 465 2582. All the very best - Arch x

19th September - Sightings

Ladywalk Nature Reserve - the Spotted Crake was present again at 9.10am then again from 6.00pm to 6.15pm. Also 3 Water Rails. WMBC Permit Holders - Non-Permit Holders please donate generously (S Cawthray et al).

Alvecote Pools SSSI - a Red Kite flew north west over Shuttington at 10.20am and a male Common Redstart was along Teal Pool Hedge (A Archer).

18th September - Sightings

Ladywalk - Spotted Crake in New Bay to right of Riverwalk Hide till c7pm at least (S Cawthray et al)

Myself and Julian are away till 27th September in Shetland. In the meantime feel free to email me any news and I will update then. However there is a rumour of a guest editor for the next week.......

PS Don't find anything too good. Last time I was away there was a Cattle Egret!

17th September - Sightings

Ladywalk - Marsh Harrier(juv) 12.10pm, Little Egret, Common Sandpiper, 150 House Martin (S Cawthray). The Harrier was also reported Tuesday.
Whitacre Heath NR - Marsh Harrier 12.25pm (per RBA)
Bassett North - 4 Pintail, Ruff, 2 Dunlin, 2 Little Egret, Hobby (J Oates, G WIlliams)

16th September - Sightings

Bassett North - 4 Pintail, 40 Wigeon, 2 Little Egret, 2 Hobby, 3 Dunlin, Reed Warbler (J Harris, S Haynes, G Williams)
Bassett South - Yellow Wagtail over (J Harris)

15th September - Sightings

Kingsbury - Med Gull (ad - unringed) Cliff Pool (J Oates) Greenshank (L Maquire per J Harris)
Dosthill NR - Marsh Harrier (juv) at 9.50am (J Oates)
Bassett North - 3 Juv Gannet high west at 12.55pm (S Haynes) Curlew Sandpiper (juv) again, 4 Dunlin, Green Sand, Greenshank, Ruff, Garganey, 2 Pintail, 69 Wigeon, Little Egret, Hobby (J Oates, G Williams, S Haynes, J Harris et al)

14th September - Sightings

Bassett North - Garganey, 6 Dunlin, 3 Ringed Plover, Hobby, Common Gull, 21 Wigeon (P Sofley, J Harris)
Alvecote - Report of poss juv Ferruginous Duck (A Fantasist) referred to an eclipse drake Pochard (TP).

13th September - Sightings

Fisher's Mill - Little Egret (M Pollock)
Bassett North - Green Sandpiper, Dunlin, Ringed Plover (M Pollock et al) Marsh Harrier (imm) (P Hyde per J Harris)
Bassett South - Wheatear (M Pollock)
Kingsbury - Little Egret, 2 Green Sandpiper (J Allen)

12th September - Sightings

Bassett North - Garganey, Ruff, 2 Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper, Little Egret, Peregrine, Hobby this morning (TP) Curlew Sand (juv) again early afternoon (J Harris, J Fincham)
Wishaw - Wheatear Blindpit Lane (TP)

11th September - Sightings

Bassett North - Curlew Sandpiper (juv), 2 Ruff (per RBA) Curlew Sand present till dusk with 4 Dunlin (juv), 2 Ruff, Yellow-Legged Gull (ad) (TP, C Cook) Also today a very early Stonechat, Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper, Hobby (J Harris, C Cook)

10th September - Sightings

Bassett North - Marsh Harrier 11.45am (per J Oates) Ruff, 2 Redshank, 2 Ringed Plover, Little Egret (L Johnson)
Kingsbury - Shag (juv) still Broomey Croft Pool. 3 Green Sandpiper, Hobby Cliff Pool (L Johnson et al)
Shustoke - Yellow Wagtail over (L Johnson)
Lea Marston - Presumed Pochard x Ferruginous hybrid (f) on Balancing Lake (J Oates)
Fisher's Mill - Garganey (per RBA)
Alvecote - Whinchat, Redstart, 2 Spotted Flycatcher between village and Mill Pool in hedges (per RBA)

9th September - Sightings

Kingsbury - 2 Black-Tailed Godwit, Green Sandpiper Cliff Pool (Bobby D, J Harris) Shag (juv) still Broomey Croft Pool (J Harris)
Bassett North - 3 Little Egret, 2 Redshank, Wigeon (J Harris)

8th September - Sightings

Bassett North - 2 Curlew Sandpipers (both juv) on North Pit (J Harris) 1 Curlew Sandpiper till dusk (J Allen et al) Also today Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, Redshank (J Harris, J Allen) 3 Little Egret in area (J Harris)
Ladywalk - Osprey, Hobby, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper (S Cawthray)
Kingsbury - Shag (juv), Little Egret (S Cawthray)

7th September - Sightings

Shag - Kingsbury (K Sargent)

Kingsbury - Shag (juv) still Broomey Croft pool. Later on Canal Pool (K Sargent, J Allen et al) 3 Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Common Tern (ad), 5 Little Egret roosted Cliff Pool (K Sargent, J Allen) Barn Owl Richard's Meadow this evening (J Allen)
Coleshill - 2 Greenshank, 2 Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin, 2 Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper on Quarry (WMBC)

6th September - Sightings

Whinchat - Whitacre Heath Flashes (J Wesson)

Whitacre Heath - Whinchat on the flashes (J Wesson)
Bassett North - Greenshank, 3 Redshank, Common Sandpiper (TP) Garganey (per RBA) Little Egret, 2 Swift (M Yapp, R Powell)
Kingsbury - 2 Barn Owl this evening over Richard's Meadow (Z Pollock) Shag (juv) again Broomey Croft Pool on Pontoon (WJ Egmont per J Harris) The Shag was also seen late evening on Cliff Pool on 03/09 and 05/09 on the Horseshoe Island (WJE)

5th September - Sightings

Coleshill - 2 Greenshank, 3 Dunlin, 3 Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper on Quarry (P Forbes)
Shustoke - Black Tern (juv), 2 Common Tern, 2 Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, Spotted Flycatcher (L Johnson, P Forbes et al)
Alvecote - Unconfirmed report of Osprey in dead tree by Mill Stream (per RBA) WMBC has this bird at Alrewas so presumably some chinese whispers here?

4th September - Sightings

Fisher's Mill - 8 Little Egret (P Hyde per J Harris)
Bassett North - 4 Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Yellow Wagtail (J Harris)

3rd September - Sightings

Fisher's Mill - 5 Little Egret, Hobby (G Williams)

2nd September - Sightings

Kingsbury - Marsh Harrier over Cliff Pool/Otter Pool at 2.15pm towards Fisher's Mill. Also 2 Green Sandpiper, Wigeon (K Sargent)
Bassett North - 1 juv. Little Ringed Plover, 3 Ringed Plover, 8 Dunlin, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 juv. Ruff, 1 Greenshank and 1 Green Sandpiper. (G Williams)

1st September - Sightings

Middleton - Greenshank, 2 Green Sand on Hall Lake (A Ward per J Harris)
Dosthill - Little Egret over (J Harris)
Fisher's Mill - 2 Little Egret (J Harris)
Bassett North - 2 Black-Tailed Godwit, Ruff (Juv), Greenshank, 2 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Redshank, Shelduck, Shelduck hybrid (J Harris)
Kingsbury - Green Sandpiper Cliff Pool. Barn Owl Richard's Meadow (M Pollock)