26/12/2010 Local Patch

On a short morning walk around my local patch today I saw- Blackbird, Chaffinch, Grey Heron, Black-headed Gull, Mute Swan, Moorhen, Coot, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Teal, Lapwing, Jay, Magpie, Collared Dove, Wood Pigeon, Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Crow, House Sparrow, not a lot bird wise, but I enjoyed the walk in the cold fresh air.  The other pool is completely frozen, so no bird life on there. 

Heron and Gulls

Christmas Greetings 24/12/2010

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and a Happy Birding New Year.

18/12/2010 In the garden

A Buzzard sat in one of the trees in my garden for a few minutes today until a Magpie saw it off! I've seen them flying over the garden , but never had one actually land before.  Also a Reed Bunting was on the bird table.  That's one good thing about the snow it can bring different species in to a garden.  I managed to get a few photos digiscoping through the window.

Buzzard

06/12/2010 Cannock Chase

This morning the bird group met on Cannock Chase to look for Waxwings, Hawfinch, Great Grey Shrike etc.  When I left home just a few miles form the Chase it was thick freezing fog, I thought we won't see anything in this! but when I reached the Whitehouse car park the sun was shining and there were blue skies, (see photo)

though other areas of the Chase we visited were still shrouded in thick fog. We had no sightings of the birds we had hoped to see, but we did see Blackbird, Raven, Crow, Magpie, Jay, Redwing, Fieldfare, Bullfinch, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Stock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Robin, Buzzard, Chaffinch, Rook, Greenfinch.  After a hot drink I drove home again in thick freezing fog!!

29/11/2010 Waxwings Cannock Chase

On our way to Cannock Chase yesterday we saw a Buzzard flying low over Longford House.  On Cannock Chase we saw a large flock of Waxwings100+, Great Grey Shrike, Redwing, Fieldfare, Woodcock, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Crow, Rook, Magpie, Jay, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Blue Tit, Greenfinch, Nuthatch, Wood Pigeon, Chaffinch.  We also saw lots of Fallow deer. Just got to find the elusive Hawfinch now!!!

Wawing Flock

Garden News 27/11/2010

The Bullfinches are back in my garden 2 males and 2 females.

22/11/2010 Belvide Reservoir

Today the bird group met up at Belvide Reservoir for a morning’s bird watching we saw- Blue Tit, Great Tit, Treecreeper, Willow Tit, Goldeneye, Great-crested Grebe, Mallard, Wigeon, Teal, Shovler, Lapwing, Lesser black-backed Gull, Great black-backed Gull, Pheasant, Pochard, redhead Smew, Black-headed Gull, Robin, Greenfinch, Reed Bunting, Great spotted Woodpecker, Tree Sparrow, Dunnock, Long-tailed Tit, Lapwing, Blackbird, Wren, Pied Wagtail, Redwing, Fieldfare, Canada Geese, Linnet, Greylag Geese, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Dunlin, Snipe, Starling, Coot, Peregrine, Wood Pigeon, Magpie, Crow.

After lunch my friend and I headed over to Cannock Chase in search of Waxwings, Great Grey Shrike and Hawfinch unfortunately we had no luck with any of them!!! But we did see Bullfinch, Nuthatch and Buzzard plus flocks of Redwing and Fieldfare.

10/11/2010 Whitemoor Haye

At Whitemoor Hay we saw - Magpie, Crow, Wood pigeon, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Pochard, Great-crested Grebe, Redshank, Blue Tit, Black-headed Gull, Fieldfare, Lapwing, and a Whooper swan was amongst the flock of Mute Swans.   

After Lunch my mate and I went over to the Arboretum and saw - Pied Wagtail, Cormorant, Canada Geese, Greylag Geese, Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Teal, Wigeon, Robin, Long-tailed Tits, Crow, Great-crested Grebe, Coot, Chaffinch, Kingfisher, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Magpie, Black-headed Gull, Redshank, Jay. 

08/11/2010 Ladywalk Reservoir

This morning the group met up at Ladywalk Reservoir we saw - Blackbird, Goldfinch, Pheasant, Reed Bunting, Dunnock, Willow Tit, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Tufted Duck, Cormorant, Teal, Coot, Mallard, Lesser black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Shovler, Pochard, Gadwall, Canada Geese, Crow, Greenfinch, Robin, Grey Heron, Magpie, Moorhen, Starling, Chaffinch, Mute Swan, Water Rail, Snipe, Little Grebe, Grey Wagtail, Wren and Wigeon.  It was very wet, muddy and cold, but enjoyable, well they say birders must be slightly mad!!

05/11/2010 Belvide Reservoir

Today we spent a wet afternoon at Belvide and saw-Black-headed Gull, Lesser black-backed Gull, Starling, Greylag Geese, Pied Wagtail, Mallard, Pochard, Cormorant, Goldeneye, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Willow Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Pheasant, Lapwing, Cormorant, Great-crested Grebe, Mandarin Duck, Common Scoter, Shovler, Teal, Redshank, Grey Heron, Canada Geese, Mute Swan, Crow, Rook, Tawny Owl, Goldfinch, Long-tailed Tit, Wigeon, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Wood pigeon, Blackbird, Magpie.  Then the rain and visibility got worse so it was time for home.

29/10/2010 Cannock Chase

An afternoon visit to Cannock Chase today in search of Waxwings no luck with them but a Great Grey Shrike (photo) made up for any disappointment!!!!!

We also saw – Blackbird, Redwing, Fieldfare, Robin, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Magpie, Wood Pigeon, Buzzard, Linnet and Crow.

Middleton Lakes (Bird Group) 25/10/2010

We all met up at Middleton Lakes for a morning’s birding, we saw -Great Tit, Buzzard, Wood Pigeon, Bullfinch, Collared Dove, Wigeon, Grey Heron, Coot, Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Great-crested Grebe, Shovler, Gadwall, Magpie, Lapwing, Cormorant, Lesser black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Teal, Moorhen, Little Grebe, Crow, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Wren, Jay, Jackdaw, Rook, Nuthatch, Robin, Chaffinch, Pied Wagtail, Mistle Thrush, we also heard a Pheasant and Great-spotted Woodpecker.

After lunch my mate and I went over to Kingsbury Water Park where we saw –Shovler, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Cormorant, Lapwing, Teal, Coot, Black-headed Gull, Gadwall, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Pied Wagtail, Mallard, Moorhen, Kingfisher, Wigeon, Herring Gull, Pheasant, Wood Pigeon, Snipe, Dunnock, Blackbird, Canada Geese, Crow, Jackdaw, Robin, Chaffinch and Bluetit.

Chasewater 22/10/2010

A short visit to Chasewater this afternoon in search of the recently sighted ‘Leach's Storm-petrel’ well there was no sign of it but we did see the following - Linnet, Goldfinch, Great-crested Grebe, Tufted Duck, Cormorant, Mute Swan, Crow, Coot, Moorhen, Wood pigeon, Canada Geese, Mallard, Buzzard, Kestrel, Magpie, Pied Wagtail. 

Day out to Martin Mere WWT 20/10/2010

Today I went to Martin Mere WWT for the day and saw - Whooper Swan, Pink-footed Geese, Greylag Geese, Wigeon, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Lapwing, Shellduck, Sparrowhawk, Teal, Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, Grey Heron, Ruff, Pintail, Canada Geese, Snipe, Cormorant, Black-headed Gull, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Magpie, Blackbird, Mute Swan, Pheasant, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Jackdaw, Starling, Lesser black-backed Gull, Chaffinch, Tree Sparrow, Greenfinch, Crow, Robin. It was wonderful to watch all the Pink-footed Geese 36,000 were reported the day before, there were reports of a White-fronted Goose among them, but talk about a needle in a haystack!! 

                                                                                      Pink Footed Geese

                        

                        Whooper Swans

My Local Patch 18/10/2010

On an afternoon’s walk around my Local Patch this afternoon I saw –Great-crested Grebe 1, Grey Heron 2, Mute Swan 4 (two adults and two cygnets), Mallard 41, Tufted Duck 10, Buzzard 1, Moorhen 6, Coot 9, Black-headed Gull 14, Wood Pigeon, 7, Kingfisher 1, Jay 3, Great Tit 2 Magpie 3, Crow 6, House Sparrow 7, There was also at 3 large flocks of Long-tailed Tits which were hard to see but very vocal!

Attenborough Nature Reserve 11/10/2010

Attenborough

Today the bird group met at Attenborough Nature Reserve Nottingham for a days birding and this was my first visit to the reserve. We saw – Canada Geese, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Cormorant, Great-crested Grebe, Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Lesser black-backed Gull, Mute Swan, Coot, Wigeon, Shovler, Gadwall, Grey Heron, Snipe, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Pochard, Egyptian Geese, Starling, Tree Sparrow, Greenfinch, Reed Bunting, Pheasant, Wood pigeon, Robin, Collared Dove, Goldfinch, Greylag Geese, Magpie, Crow, Long-tailed Tit, Teal, Moorhen, Shellduck, Red-crested Pochard, Rock Pipit.