Wednesday November 9th

Alvecote Pools
Warks: 2 Great White Egrets and 4 Stonechats (Roy Smith)

Ladywalk NR
Overnight flooding has brought water levels back up to more normal winter levels. 5 Goosander, 34 Mute Swans, Green Sandpiper, Woodcock and a Brambling were present (Pete Sofley).

Shustoke Res
The rain, and further north and east, snow, assisted in the arrival of a Knot and a Redshank. The former is a real rarity here and the latter very unusual at this time of year. The Knot could not be found late am.

Knot by Steve H

Also today 91 Tufted Duck, 29 Pochard, 88 Coot, 7 Goldeneye, the Common Sandpiper (which may be the regular wintering bird), 52 Lapwings and 50 Goldfinch (the small pool alders).    

Wishaw
525 Golden Plover and 10 Fieldfare (Carl Hiles).    

On November 9th 1986 a Hawfinch was in Church Pool Covert at Lea Marston. This wood is overlooked by most birders and can be visited with a WMBC permit. Its frontage to the Tame and a stream and small pool provide some interesting opportunities for adding woodland species in this part of the Valley.    

I would like to thank Dean Baker who has agreed to survey Shustoke Res for the monthly WEBS count. Any volunteers for Alvecote and Kingsbury WP please get in touch                                                                          

Tuesday November 8th

Kingsbury WP
Coot 163, Shovelor 48, Teal 25, Wigeon 72, Gadwall 180, Goldeneye 7. The majority of the Gadwall were again on Swann Pool.

Ladywalk NR
4 Water Rails at B Hide and a Peregrine over. Also 4 Brambling were at the feeders (and on 5th) and 8 Bullfinch and 3 Chiffchaffs also today (Pete Sofley). 20 Lesser Redpoll and 28 Fieldfare were near the Carpark (John Harris).

Middleton RSPB
Staffs: 2 Dunlin.

Wishaw
Golden Plover 367, a further increase in numbers (Carl Hiles).

This weekend is the monthly Wildfowl count (WEBS) which has been organised by the BTO since 1947. We now have regular counters at RSPB Middleton, Coton Lakes, Dosthill Lake and Ladywalk NR but Shustoke Res and Kingsbury WP are currently not being counted as part of the scheme. I forgot to enquire about Alvecote Pools ! If you would like to help, please get in touch for further guidance. It's good to put something back and it is only once a month. Thanks.

Monday November 7th

Alvecote Pools
Warks: A Marsh Harrier drifted north at Railway Pool. The Great White Egret was still on Mill Pool.
Staffs: A Woodcock was at The Orchard (Roy Smith).

Ladywalk NR
3 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Marsh Tits. 2 Stonechat (near Bittern hide) and 2 Chiffchaffs (Pete Sofley).

Middleton RSPB
Staffs: A female Marsh Harrier was seen over Dosthill NR (Mark Priest) and at North Pit, flying towards the A5 road (RSPB on Twitter). Also 30+ Little Egrets roosted at Jubilee willows by 1630hrs (RSPB Twitter) and 5 Dunlins were also seen.
Warks: 1,200 Starlings roosted at Fisher's Mill.

Shustoke Res
90 Cormorants, 1 Common Sandpiper, a Little Egret and 3 Goldeneye plus "the usual suspects" (uncounted)  (Pete Forbes).

Wishaw
Golden Plovers are increasing here, although on several fields; a total of 224 were counted with 92 Lapwing and a Raven (Carl Hiles).

Marsh Harrier records have been much more frequent this year in our Region (WMBC recording area). At RSPB Middleton especially, there have been numerous sightings and in August, they were often seen daily. One observer witnessed three different birds together with a probable fourth also present that day. This weekend's birds extend this impressive year for the species.

Marsh Harrier today (Mark Priest)

Today sees the anniversary of a very unusual arrival but don't look too hard for a repeat. A female Eider was found late into the afternoon, at Lea Marston on Nov 7th 1993. It was still present the next day right up by the concrete dredging plant at the south end. There have been no other records in the Tame Valley to my knowledge.

Sunday November 6th

Middleton RSPB
Staffs: Great White Egret on east side of North Pit this morning with 3 Stonechat, 2 Shelduck and 4 Dunlin on Jubilee Wetlands (Karl Sargent).
Later, two Great White Egrets roosted in the willows on the east side of Jubilee Wetlands, with 40 Little Egrets. In addition to this morning's birds 60 Golden Plovers were also present (Steven Pick)
Warks: ca.1000 Starling roosted at Fisher's Mill  (Steven Pick) and in the South Meadow a Harrier sp was briefly seen above the hedge line as observed from the Cliffe Pool hide at KWP. It flushed a Jack Snipe before disappearing (Steve Cawthray).

Saturday November 5th

Coton Lakes
COOTS are taking full advantage of a food source and 1105 were present today with many more presumably underwater at the time of the count. In the current century, the only sites in our Region to exceed today's count are Aqualate Mere (Staffs) and occasionally Draycote Water (Warks).
Also, surface feeders are tending to gather on Lake 1B where there must be a shallow strip caused by silting up. 52 Mallard were present here. Also one Goosander,  Cetti's Warbler and just one Chiffchaff.

Kingsbury WP
Along the Canal,  Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (per RSPB sightings board)
Swann Pool , Coot 74, Goldeneye 8, Gadwall 74 and a Black Swan.

Ladywalk NR
Cormorant 118 (Steven Pick)

Middleton RSPB
Warks: A Marsh Harrier was seen, presumably from the entrance road, near the AVFC training ground (per sightings board-no further details) If you saw this bird please get in touch to enable the record to be formally published in the WMBC Report. Thanks.
Also Cetti's Warbler at the Silt Pool and at Fisher's Mill.
Staffs: Four Dunlin and a Stonechat were the only noteworthy reports. A report of 4 Knot probably related to the Dunlins

Shustoke Res
Scaup , Goldeneye 1, Pochard 57, Tufted 57.

Friday November 4th

Alvecote Pools

Warks: Great White Egret still at Mill Pool (present since Aug 7th per Roy Smith)

Staffs:  The near resident Mute x Whooper Swan hybrid again.

Hams Hall 

Only one Chiffchaff along the Tame. Very quiet.

Ladywalk NR

Still good numbers of Shovelor(120plus) but a count not possible.

Three Cetti's Warblers at dusk with two Marsh Tit, One Chiffchaff at Angling Pools but no sign of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker there after two recent (early morning) records. 

Middleton RSPB

Warks: Barn Owl (also going into Staffs), Water Rail.

Staffs; Golden Plover 68, Dunlin 6, Little Egret 27, Starling ca. 2,000, Stonechat 2  (All records from Steven Pick).

Shustoke Res

Scaup ; the immature male was with the Pochard off the carpark. This is the same bird as seen previously but it is certainly elusive and may be commuting to Coton Lakes with the sizeable flock of Pochard.

Pochard : 61 today reflects the increasing attraction of this species to the site, which often holds more birds now than the usual stronghold at nearby Coton Lakes.

Also Common Sandpiper and three Grey Wagtails. A Kingfisher is frequently showing within photo range on rocks by the carpark and for the first time in a while there is a small muddy fringe, just waiting for a Purple Sandpiper or maybe just a Dunlin.

Wishaw

Warks: 50 Skylark and a Raven (Chris Doyle on Twitter).

Thursday November 3

Shustoke
20 Pochard, 1 Goldeneye. No sign of Mergansers since Tuesday.
News for November 2nd.....  a Common Sandpiper was on the sailing club shoreline (John Harris)

Coleshill GP
Chiffchaff . There is no obvious standing water here now.

Alvecote Pools (Warks)
Short-eared Owl, Stonechat (Roy Smith)


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