Monday 13th February

LADYWALK NR

The hard-working team at Ladywalk NR have designed a new Blog for the purposes of passing on news of the birds and wildlife there and also the ongoing management plans and updates on dates for work parties. The Blog is brand new and so extra content will be added as soon as possible.

Please read the Blog, linked below, as often as possible to show your support. Thanks.

www.ladywalknature.wordpress.com

I have also linked this from the blog.

Kingsbury WP
Today's WEBS count showed unsurprisingly that birds have greatly reduced since last month. The main species was very much Shoveler, with good numbers still at Cliffe and Otter Pool. 351 were present there and 25 were at the south end.
Other species of some note: Goldeneye 15, Great Crested Grebe 43, Gadwall (only) 25, Wigeon (only) 25, Tufted Duck 93, Oystercatcher 2 (Bodymoor Heath Water).

Ladywalk NR
Highlight today was an Egyptian Goose (yes, really). Also a pair of Mandarins on the river and two Oystercatchers (James Kenny, Pete Sofley).

Middleton RSPB
Staffs: Two Great White Egrets still present and a White-fronted Goose, maybe the same as last week, flew in from the south (Birdforum). WEBS highlights were 135 Shoveler, 14 Goldeneye, 195 Lapwing, 126 Coot, ten Shelduck and 13 Little Egrets. I will try and get these into a recordable format for the respective counties.

Shustoke Res
At dusk, ten Goosanders. No Gull roost apart from a few Black-headed.


WARNING
An escaped Red-breasted Meadowlark (aka Red-breasted Blackbird, I believe) on the Kingsbury edge of Dosthill may cause an ID problem some day soon. One was apparently photographed in a garden on Saturday.