Tuesday 29 March 2016

29th March - Sightings

Shustoke - Merlin, Red Kite (S Cawthray) 160 Sand Martin, 2 Swallow (S Haynes)
Ladywalk - Black-Tailed Godwit, 3 Snipe, Green Sandpiper (P Sofley et al)
RSPB - 2 Avocet, 25 Goldeneye, Goosander, 3 Water Rail, Snipe, Jack Snipe, Common Gull, 5 Sand Martin, 3 Chiffchaff (G Williams)

Monday 28 March 2016

28th March - Sightings

Alvecote - report of Goshawk from Laundry Lane (T Barter) Also reported in area in recent weeks.
RSPB - 3 Avocet, 5 Black-Tailed Godwit, 3 LRP,  Ringed Plover,2 Dunlin, 50 Golden Plover, 10 Little Egret, Mediterranean Gull, Common Gull, 6 Chiffchaff, 2 Redpoll, Swallow (J Hollier, S Atkinson, G Williams)
Ladywalk - Green Sandpiper, 2 Swallow, 9 Goosander (P Sofley)

Sunday 27 March 2016

27th March - Sightings



Avocet - Alvecote - Adam Archer

Alvecote - Avocet Teal Pool/Railway Pool  - photoed (R Smith et al) "White" Wagtail reported Alvecote village near play area (R Smith) White Wagtail Mill Pool (A Archer)
RSPB - Wheatear, 5 Avocet, 10 Black-Tailed Godwit (The 4 joined by another 6 in afternoon), Dunlin, 6 LRP, Ringed Plover, Curlew, 60 Golden Plover, Pink-Footed Goose, Mediterranean Gull (ad ringed), Common Gull (1st Sum), 10+ Sand Martin (Many Obs) 3 House Martin reported likely to refer to Sand Martin.
Wishaw - 30 Golden Plover Blindpit Lane (TP, J Allen)

The Red colour ringed Mediterranean Gull has been confirmed as H9A4 which was ringed as a chick in Hungary in 2013. It has been previosuly seen at Shawell, Leics this month and in Devon in 2014. See here and here. Thanks to Steve Pick for the detective work.

Saturday 26 March 2016

26th March - Sightings

Coton - House Martin, 8+ Swallow, 100+ Sand Martin (D Hutton, D Mallon, TP)
Shustoke - 50+ Sand Martin (S Haynes et al)
Tamworth - 12 Sand Martin Borrowpit Lake (S Allison)
RSPB - 3 Black-Tailed Godwit, 3 LRP, 3 Avocet (D Hutton et al) 13 Golden Plover (S Pick)
Wishaw - 30 Golden Plover Blindpit Lane (D Baker)
Kingsbury - 5 Sand Martin, 15 Snipe, 4 Little Egret (S Pick)
Alvecote - 7 Swallow Mill Pool (R Smith)

Friday 25 March 2016

25th March - SIghtings

Kingsbury - Curlew, 10 Goosander, 4 Little Egret Cliff Pool (S Pick)
RSPB - Mediterranean Gull (ad), Pink-Footed Goose, 6 LRP, 3 Ringed Plover, 8 Golden Plover, 3 Black-Tailed Godwit (new birds), 8 Redshank, 3 Avocet, Curlew, 22 Shelduck, 7 Goosander, 10 Goldeneye around reserve. 2 Redpoll Feeders (A Archer, J Allen)

Thursday 24 March 2016

24th March - Sightings

RSPB - 4 Black-Tailed Godwit, 4 LRP, 3 Dunlin, 3 Avocet, 7 Ringed Plover, 3 Redshank, Curlew Jubilee Wetlands. Mediterranean Gull (ringed ad), 15 Goosander North Pit (S Pick) Sand Martin(s) Fisher's Mill (per RSPB)
Shustoke - Swallow (S Haynes) 8 Brambling, Redshank (Bobby D)
Ladywalk - Swallow, 4 Sand Martin (P Sofley)
Alvecote - Jack Snipe, 15 Snipe, 7 Shelduck, 4 Goosander, Willow Tit Mill Pool (A Archer)

Wednesday 23 March 2016

23rd March - Sightings

RSPB - Great-White Egret flew up river. Also 2 Mediterranean Gull, 3 Avocet, 4 Dunlin, 7 Ringed Plover, LRP, 11 Redshank (K Sargent)
Wishaw - Wheatear Blindpit Lane by Bee Hives (J Galletly)

Tuesday 22 March 2016

22nd March - Sightings

Wishaw - Wheatear, Stonechat by S Bend Wishaw Lane (C Hiles, D Baker)
Shustoke - 6 Sand Martin through (S Haynes)
RSPB - 2 Black tailed Godwit, 2 Dunlin, 5 Redshank, 4 Ringed Plover Jubilee Wetlands. Pink footed Goose, Mediterranean Gull, 3  Avocet North Pit. 4 Lesser Redpoll Feeders (M Pollock)

Sunday 20 March 2016

20th March - Sightings



Bearded Tit - Russell Phillips




Whooper Swan and Pink-Footed Goose - Mark Priest

RSPB - Bearded Tit(fem) again 07.30-08.15 am in reeds just before canal Screen (Russell Phillips) Also Great-White Egret in heronry roost early am and in evening. 3 Avocet on reserve (R Phillips et al) Whooper Swan(imm) and Pink-Footed Goose on the potatoes still (M Priest et al) Mediterranean Gull(ad colour ringed) North Pit still. c8000 Starling roosted Silt Pool(S Pick)

19th March - Sightings



Whooper Swan - Dave Hutton

RSPB - Whooper Swan(imm) still North End on Potato Field. Mediterranean Gull (ad) North Pit. Also 3 Avocet, 20 Golden Plover, 8 Dunlin, 6 Ringed Plover, LRP. 5 Redshank Jubilee/North Pit. 38 Goldeneye Dosthill NR/Dosthill. Great-White Egret in heronry roost. 4 Redpoll, Water Rail feeders (TP, J Allen, S Atkinson et al)
Shustoke - Peregrine, 2 Oystercatcher, Chiffchaff (D Hutton)
Ladywalk - Great-White Egret 10.25am (per Facebook)

Friday 18 March 2016

18th March - Sightings

RSPB - Bearded Tit (f) in reeds behing Canal Screen 8.30am but not later (K Thorpe) Mediterranean Gull 11.50am North Pit (S Wood) Great-White Egret, 29 Little Egret left roost 6.30am (K Thorpe) Also 3 Avocet, Whooper Swan, Pink-Footed Goose, c100 Golden Plover,  LRP, 5 Ringed Plover, 6 Dunlin, Green Sandpiper, hybrid Aythya (K Sargent et al) Brambling Feeders (per G Williams) c10,000 Starling roosted Silt Pool (S Pick)
Ladywalk - Ringed Plover, Dunlin, 2 Redshank, Curlew, 3 Little Egret (Bobby D)

Thursday 17 March 2016

17th March - Sightings

RSPB - Little Ringed Plover, 3 Avocet, Whooper Swan, Pink-footed Goose (per RSPB et al) Also Black-Tailed Godwit, 2 Ringed Plover, 2 Redshank, 6 Goosander (G Williams)
Alvecote - Whooper Swan again Pretty Pigs Pool at West End - photoed (R Smith)

Wednesday 16 March 2016

16th March - Sightings

RSPB - Black-tailed Godwit, 32 Golden Plover, 5 Ringed Plover, Redshank, 4 Dunlin Jubilee Wetlands. Chiffchaff Mill Plantation (G Williams)
Ladywalk - Dunlin, 3 Redshank (per P Sofley)

15th March - Sightings

Ladywalk - Bittern still (J & J Morris)
RSPB - 300 Golden Plover Jubilee Wetlands. 8000 Starling roosted Silt Pool (S Pick)

Monday 14 March 2016

14th March - Sightings

Alvecote - Sand Martin reported Mill Pool early am (R Smith)
Ladywalk - Bittern still. Also 2 Redshank, Woodcock (P Sofley)
RSPB - Red Kite flew North over Jubilee Wetlands. Also101 Mute Swan, 29 Shelduck, 246 Teal, 104 Tufted Duck, 84 Coot, 686 Black-Headed Gull, 6 Ringed Plover, 5 Dunlin, 8 Oystercatcher, 84 Golden Plover (per RSPB)

Sunday 13 March 2016

13th March - Sightings

Alvecote - Kittiwake (ad) Mill Pool - Photoed (R Smith)
RSPB - 20 Shelduck, 2 Goldeneye, 8 Little Egret, 2 Water Rail, 122 Golden Plover, 2 Ringed Plover, 4 Oystercatcher, 3 Redshank, 2 Dunlin, Stonechat. Great-White Egret again at 5.55pm (A Archer)
Ladywalk - Bittern, Little Egret, 14 Snipe, 25 Lapwing, 14 Goosander, 114 Teal, 91 Tufted Duck, 74 Mallard, 48 Wigeon, 36 Gadwall, 27 Shoveler, 3 Pochard (B Eaton)

Saturday 12 March 2016

12th March - Sightings

RSPB - 350 Golden Plover, Curlew, 2 Ringed Plover, Stonechat Jubilee Wetlands (J Allen) c5500 Starling roosted (S Pick)

Friday 11 March 2016

11th March - Sightings

RSPB - 2 Avocet North Pit (K Sargent, M Parnell et al) Short-Eared Owl (A Russell) Stonechat, 300 Golden Plover Jubilee Wetlands. c5000+ Starling Silt Pool (S Pick)

Wednesday 9 March 2016

9th March - Sightings

Lea Marston - Great-White Egret at back of pool (TP)
RSPB - 16 Little Egret, 24 Shelduck and large flock of Golden Plover (S Atkinson)

Tuesday 8 March 2016

8th March - Sightings

Whitacre Heath - Short-Eared Owl still Birmingham Road (M Pollock)
Alvecote - Whooper Swan again Pretty Pigs Pool. Also hybrid Whooper/Mute still (R Smith) The hybrid is into its 17th year in area (per A Archer)!

7th March - Sightings


Starlings - Middleton - Andy Russell

Whitacre Heath - Short-Eared Owl Birmingham Road (M Pollock)
RSPB - Great-White Egret still Hall Lake in morning (per RSPB) 2 Curlew Jubilee Wetlands (S Hollyoake) Short-Eared Owl Dosthill NR. 2 Barn Owl Dosthill/Dosthill NR (A Russell)
Ladywalk - 2 Short-Eared Owl (P Sofley)

Sunday 6 March 2016

6th March - Sightings

RSPB - Avocet Jubilee Wetlands/North Pit (S Atkinson et al) Also Dunlin, 10 Ringed Plover, Pink-footed Goose, Egyptian Goose,4 Stonechat on reserve. 2 Barn Owl Fisher's Mill. 4 Redpoll Feeders (S Atkinson et al) Short-Eared Owl, 32 Goldeneye "Dosthill" (J Whitehurst)
Ladywalk - Bittern, Short-Eared Owl, Siberian Chiffchaff (D Baker, S Cawthray et al)

For a map of the RSPB reserve see here. Note Dosthill NR is incorrectly labelled Dosthill Lake. Dosthill Lake is the water ski pit which is not part of the official reserve.

Saturday 5 March 2016

5th March - Sightings

RSPB - Great-White Egret roosted. 3 Redpoll, Water Rail on Feeders. Egyptian Goose, Pink-Footed Goose, c800 Golden Plover, 2 Ringed Plover, 5 Goosander, Barn Owl on reserve (J Allen et al) Short-Eared Owl reported (per J Allen) 13 Goldeneye Dosthill NR. 2700 Starling roosted Silt Pool (S Pick)
Hams Hall - Common Sandpiper on river (D Hutton)
Ladywalk - Siberian Chiffchaff still (D Hutton)

4th March - Sightings

Ladywalk - 2 Bittern, Short-Eared Owl,Water Rail, Willow & Marsh Tit all from B- pools. 9 Goosander, c40 Wigeon Main Pool (P Lichfield)

Thursday 3 March 2016

3rd March - Sightings

RSPB - Great-White Egret Silt Pool and later in roost (P Forbes, S Pick) Short-Eared Owl, Barn Owl Fisher's Mill. Another Short-Eared Owl Play Meadow. 8 Oystercatcher, 2 Curlew, 5 Ringed Plover, 991 Golden Plover Jubilee Wetlands. Egyptian Goose, Pink-Footed Goose on West Side of North Pit still. 8 Goosander North Pit. 2250 Starling roosted Silt Pool (S Pick)
Ladywalk - 3 Bittern again (2 "B" Pools, 1 Main Pool). 2 Curlew flew over (P Sofley)
Lea Marston - 2 Curlew from Railway Bridge could be the same as RSPB and Ladywalk (S Cawthray)

Wednesday 2 March 2016

2nd March - Sightings

Ladywalk - Bittern still (J Morgan et al)
RSPB - Great-White Egret Hall Lake. Green Sandpiper in Horse Paddock opposite Car Park. 2 Curlew, 400 Golden Plover Jubilee Wetlands. 20 Goosander on river (S Pick, RSPB et al) 5 Dunlin yesterday (G Williams)