31st October - Sightings

RSPB - Merlin North Pit (J Allen) Also 300 Golden Plover, c5000 Starling, Stonechat. Brambling Dosthill NR (S Pick) probable Water Pipit in flight by river near bridge (J Allen, S Cawthray)

28th October - Sightings

Ladywalk -  Tree Sparrow flew over feeding station at hide A around midday. First record in a number of years. Also 7 Water Rail, Green Sandpiper,2 Little Egret,50+ Redpoll/Siskin, Marsh Tit, 2 Ad Peregrine (ads) (per P Sofley)
Hams Hall  Blackcap,2 Chiffchaff,4 Goldcrest,Treecreeper,8 Siskin,Redpoll,18 Bullfinch (per P Sofley)

27th October - Sightings

RSPB - 2 Bearded Tit still this morning at Dosthill NR but flew across river later (to main part of reserve). 15 Golden Plover, 15 Snipe Jubilee Wetlands. 4 Goldeneye Dosthill Main Pit but no sign of Short-Eared Owl (G Williams)

If anybody would like to provide a description of the Bearded Tits I will pass it on to the Staffs/Warks County recorders or send it directly!

26th October - Sightings

RSPB - 2 Bearded Tit viewable from East Screen towards Fisher's Mill c12.00pm later flew to North End of Jubilee Wetlands (G A Williams et al) Short-Eared Owl in flight along edge of Dosthill Main Pit 4.50pm and later seen on High ground near Dosthill Village (Dosthill Tip?) (J Morgan) Also 40+ Golden Plover, 120+ Lapwaing, 2 Stonechat, 2 Goosander (per RSPB)

25th October - Sightings

RSPB - Bittern again in morning (per J Allen) Also Ruff, Redshank (J Allen)
Ladywalk - Brambling on feeders (Mick Smith)

24th October - Sightings

RSPB - Bittern flew across New Reedbed Pit c4.15pm (S Pick) Also Green Sandpiper, Ruff, Stonechat, Goosander. 1000+ Starling roosted (S Pick)
Kingsbury - 26 Little Egret roosted Otter Pool (J Allen) Some of the egret now appearing to be using the Middleton Heronry to roost as they have done in previous winters.

23rd October - Sightings

Ladywalk - Pintail, 2 Goosander, 2 Water Rail, Green Sandpiper, Snipe (J&J Morris)

22nd October - Sightings

Ladywalk - Pintail, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Snipe (per P Sofley)

21st October - Sightings

RSPB - 2 Green Sandpiper North Pit (S Atkinson)

20th October - Sightings

Shustoke - Common Sandpiper, Swallow (P Forbes)
Kingsbury - Peregrine Cliff Pool (Bobby D) 43 Little Egret roosted Otter Pool (S Pick, W Eley)
RSPB - Ruff still Jubilee Wetlands (S Pick)

19th October - Sightings

RSPB -156 Lapwing, 178 Gadwall, 108 Wigeon 184 Teal, 237 Coot, 142 Mallard, 115 Shoveler, Ruff, 4 Snipe (per RSPB) Also 5 Chiffchaff, 2 Green Sandpiper, 12 Golden Plover (P Forbes)
Alvecote - 3 Stonechat still Mill Pool (Bobby D)

18th October - Sightings

Ladywalk - Little Egret, Green Sandpiper, 3 Snipe, Pintail, 95 Teal, 89 Mallard, 83 Wigeon, 79 Shoveler, 65 Gadwall, 2 Goosander, 2 Water Rail (B Eaton et al)
RSPB - 8 Siskin,3 Lesser Redpoll, Brambling (1 on feeders), 77 Redwing in several flocks, 4 Fieldfare, 36 Skylark over, 5 Meadow Pipit, 2 Green Sandpiper, 3 Snipe (G Robinson)

17th October - Sightings

RSPB - Brambling (fem) still on feeders (TP)
Kingsbury - A record 41 Little Egret roosted tonight (W Eley per S Haynes)

16th October - Sightings

RSPB - Brambling, Redpoll, Siskin feeders. 14 Golden Plover Jubilee Wetlands (S Pick)
Ladywalk - Woodcock, Green Sandpiper, 2 Pintail (P Sofley)
Alvecote - 3 Stonechat (Bobby D)

A request from Keith Wimbush on behalf of WMBC

The West Midland Bird Club is organising a new survey of the Black Redstart in 2016. The survey will be conducted throughout the whole of the West Midland Bird Club area.

The aim of the survey is, primarily, to establish the current status of the species within the area and then to correlate the collected data to the previous survey conducted 30 years ago. I will then be producing a paper on the findings of the survey.

I have been nominated as one of the organisers of the survey and, without the help of volunteers, the whole potential of this survey cannot be achieved.

Would you please be kind enough to post an appropriate request for help on the TVB blog in an attempt to generate some interest. A previous request posted in the West Midland Bird club magazine did not produce much of a response. If candidates would initially contact me by way of email (wimbo_473@tiscali.co.uk), I can then include them within the survey framework and allocate survey areas accordingly.

Many thanks in  anticipation of your kind help.

14th October - Sightings

Ladywalk - Pintail still (K Bentley)
Wishaw - 15 Grey Partridge Curdworth Lane (C Hiles) Yesterday Merlin(fem) Wishaw Lane (S Haynes)
RSPB - Bittern still. Also Brambling feeders. 3+ Stonechat, 10+ Snipe Jubilee Wetlands (per RSPB)

12th October - Sightings

RSPB - Stonechat, 10 Golden Plover, Siskin, Redpoll, Meadow Pipit, Snow Goose (G Williams)
Whitacre Heath NR - Willow Tit on Woodland Hide feeders (H Miller)
Alvecote - 2 Stonechat Mill Pool/Teal Pool (J Morgan)

11th October - Sightings

Spoonbills - Jon Morgan

Knot - Mark Priest

RSPB - 3 Spoonbill until c8.20pm then flew to North East (J Morgan et al) Knot Jubilee Wetlands mid afternoon at least (J Allen et al) The Spoonbills arrived at Conwy RSPB, Wales at 1.50pm!
Kingsbury - 27 Little Egret roosted Otter Pool. Also Green Sandpiper (J Allen)

The history for the Colour-Ringed Spoonbill is as below:

Ringing Date: 10-6-2015 Ringing site: Vlissingen, Sloegebied, The Netherlands 51,47N 3,68E Ageclass: pullus

9-7-2015 Borssele, Sloebos 51,43N 3,73E The Netherlands 5 km Peter Boelee
14-7-2015 Breskens, Nummer Een 51,38N 3,60E The Netherlands 11 km Jaap Poortvliet
20-7-2015 Borssele, Sloebos 51,43N 3,73E The Netherlands 5 km Kees Vliet Vlieland
27-8-2015 Oostburg, Sophiapolder 51,30N 3,33E The Netherlands 31 km Geert van Hulle
10-10-2015 Staffordshire, Middleton RSPB 52,59N -1,70E United Kingdom 390 km Steven Pick

10th October - Sightings

Spoonbills - Steve Pick

Snow Goose - Steve Pick

RSPB - 3 Spoonbill (all Juv) c5.15pm flew over Fisher's Mill and landed on Jubilee Wetlands where they stayed till dusk. One bird was colour ringed (S Pick, J Allen, TP) Also 2 Golden Plover, Ruff, Snow Goose Jubilee Wetlands. Green Sandpiper Hall Lake (J Allen et al) The Snow Goose (blue morph) is a presumed escape and that seen recently at Marsh Lane.

Late News Yesterday

RSPB - Spotted Flycatcher again along Canal. Also 4 Stonechat (P Forbes)

8th October - Sightings

Ruff - Karl Sargent

RSPB - 2 Ruff, Wheatear, 7 Skylark, 2 Fieldfare, 5 Stonechat, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper  (Bobby D, K Sargent, A Archer)
Ladywalk - Pintail, 2 Goosander, 2 Little Egret (per P Sofley)

7th October - Sightings

RSPB - Bittern Fisher's Mill from bench 2.15pm (S Atkinson) Great-White Egret Jubilee Wetlands 3.30pm but flew south late afternoon. Also Ruff, Dunlin Jubilee Wetlands. 3 Green Sandpiper North Pit. Siskin on feeder. 2 Green Sandpiper Hall Lake (S Atkinson, S Pick)
Ladywalk - Grey Plover over 1.20pm. Also 3 Black-Tailed Godwit over. Also Green Sandpiper, Pintail, 10+ House Martin/Swallow, 5 Meadow Pipit, 3 Redpoll, 3 Siskin, 2 Chiffchaff, Marsh Tit, 2 Redwing (per P Sofley et al)
Kingsbury - Great-White Egret in evening on Cliff Pool North but didn't roost here (W Eley)

Late News - 6th October

RSPB - Great-White Egret, Garganey, Ruff, 12 Little Egret, 20+ Snipe (C Cook)

5th October - Sightings

Ladywalk - 6 Siskin, 5 Redpoll, 3 Grey Wagtail, 30 Pied Wagtail, Redwing, 2 Green Sandpiper, 5 Snipe, Pintail, 3 Goosander, Wheatear, 2 Swallow (per P Sofley)

4th October - Sightings

Great-White Egret - Steve Pick

RSPB - Great-White Egret still this morning but commuting to Tameside NR. Also Spotted Flycatcher by Fisher's Mill Bridge. Also Dunlin (S Pick et al)
Tamworth - Great-White Egret Tameside NR (Many Obs)
Ladywalk - Pintail, 2 Goosander, Green Sandpiper, Peregrine (P Lichfield)
Kingsbury South - Peregrine(imm) (P Gurney)