Tuesday February 28th

Another blustery day with heavy rain midday and few birders out in the field.

Middleton RSPB
Staffs: Great White Egrets were on Dosthill NR and also North Pit. On Jubilee a Ringed Plover and two Stonechats (Geoff Williams).
Warks: A Great White Egret roosted and ten Little Egrets were in the farm paddocks early evening. At the Silt Pool, 883 Starlings were counted (Steven Pick).

Wishaw
West Mids: Same Stonechat and Little Egret on Wishaw Lane, with the Egret now on the football pitch (Carl Hiles).

A Sand Martin was seen at Rutland Water today, one of four in the country over the past seven days. So maybe one in our area by the end of the week.

Monday February 27th

Middleton RSPB
Warks: A Bittern was seen flying from Fisher's Mill to the reed pool just to the north this morning (RSPB).

Wishaw
West Mids: A Little Egret along Wishaw Lane mid-afternoon (Carl Hiles).

Sunday February 26th

Kingsbury WP
A Curlew, four Oystercatchers, 277 Shoveler, four Goldeneye and two Shelducks were on Cliffe and Otter Pools (Steve Cawthray).

Middleton RSPB
Staffs: Great White Egret, 13 Shelduck, 22 Lesser Black-backs and seven Stonechats on Jubilee Wetlands. Eight Goldeneye on Dosthill NR with five Goosanders on the river (Karl Sargent, Geoff Williams).
Warks: A Starling roost is beginning to assemble at the Silt Pool. At least 1,000 were present tonight and if past events are repeated we should see an increase to 10,000 in March (Steven Pick). These are migrants returning north and re-fuelling in our area.

Tamworth - Old Warwickshire Moor
Four Stonechats (three males) With thanks to Sean Allison & P Malys (?).

Whitacre Heath
A Stonechat present there too today (Katherine White).

Wishaw
West Mids: The regular Stonechat still at the muck pile (Carl Hiles).

Saturday February 25th

Ladywalk NR
A drake Pintail, five Shelduck, three Goosander, 59 Shoveler, 72 Wigeon, 56 Gadwall and two Oystercatchers. Also a Willow Tit (Adam Archer).

RSPB Middleton
Staffs: Great White Egret on Jubilee Wetlands with two Little Egrets, 15 Shelduck, seven Oystercatchers, three Cetti's Warblers and four Stonechats. Chiffchaff at Dosthill NR and Egyptian Goose still north of North Pit with a Black Swan (Steve Atkinson).

I'm still hearing about new Stonechats arriving throughout various parts of Warks and West Mids at the moment. An early migrant ahead of the more obvious summer arrivals due in a week or two. I think there was at least one House Martin in the country yesterday; they get earlier each year.

Friday February 24th

Alvecote
Warks: The two Barnacle geese were still on Mill Pool today (Jon Morgan).

Middleton RSPB
Staffs: Great White Egret at Dosthill NR and a Chiffchaff by the river bridge (RSPB).
Warks: The heronry held 41 Little Egrets and two Great White Egrets this morning, the latter flying out at 0638hrs. Also two Ravens flew over (Steven Pick). At Dosthill Lake, Egyptian Goose and eight Oystercatchers (Tom Perrins).

Wishaw
West Mids: A Stonechat remains at the muck pile on Wishaw Lane (Carl Hiles).

Tuesday February 21st

Kingsbury WP
Two Oystercatchers at Broomey Croft.

Middleton RSPB
Staffs: The Greenland White-front continues to wow at the north end but other species remain under-recorded. There were five Stonechats on site but no details as to where (per Birdforum).

The County Bird Recorders consult the information on the Blog in the absence of information sent in to them via traditional means, be that record cards or letters, phone calls, email/Twitter or more recently BTO Birdtrack. In the case of Middleton RSPB, we currently (unfortunately) have birds which fall into either of the two counties of Staffs and Warks (the reserve boundaries cover both counties with Warks having about two thirds of the reserve area). Unless the county is made known to us, records cannot be used for any purpose other than for the Blog and for RSPB internal planning; birds will be un-recordable and lost to the respective county databases. This seems a shame.

As well as the county recorders the RSPB too, appreciate knowledge of where birds are seen so may I make a plea for more information so that all parties can benefit. If anyone needs more information about the county boundaries give me a call or email/tweet. Thanks.

POSTSCRIPT: Thank you to Stu C who replied to my request for more info and we can now use his data. The five Stonechats were in Staffs.

..

Monday February 19th

Ladywalk NR
The Bittern re-appeared today at Hide B (Carl Seebode).

Middleton RSPB
Staffs: The Greenland White-front and Egyptian Goose were still at the north end (Brian Stretch).
Yesterdays Black-headed Gull marked TENA was ringed as a nestling in Poland in June 2011. It has been seen at Kingsbury WP too and has also been seen near the ringing site again in June 2015. So coming up to its 6th birthday and seen 1380km from the ringing site. Thanks Steve Pick and quick work by the ringers in Poland.