28/01/2012 My Big Garden Birdwatch

I took part in 'The Big Garden Birdwatch' this morning in my garden, I saw - 3 Blackbird, 3 Blue Tit, 5 Bullfinch, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Collared Dove, 4 Dunnock, 6 Goldfinch, 4 Great Tit, 2 Greenfinch, 10 House Sparrow, 2 Magpie, 1 Robin, 2 Wood pigeon, 1 Wren.      

23/01/2012 Blithfield Reservoir

Today we all met at Blithfield and we saw -

Mallard, Greylag Geese, Canada Geese, Lapwing, Wigeon, Pochard, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Robin, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Goldfinch, Great spotted Woodpecker, Cormorant, Mute Swan, Pintail, Great black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Teal, Grey Heron, Tufted Duck, Coot, Buzzard, Crow, Shovler, Blackbird, Magpie, Goldeneye, Great crested Grebe, Gadwall, Pheasant, Goosander, Wren, Dunnock, Long-tailed Tit, Moorhen, Coal Tit, Rook, Starling, Pied Wagtail,  and a possible Caspian Gull!

16/01/2011 Branston, Whitemoor Haye, Upper Longdon and The Chase

Today we all met at Branston Water Park for a morning's birdwatching and we saw - Canada Geese, Greylag Geese, Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Black-headed Gull, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Blackbird, Treecreeper, Blue Tit, Redwing, Fieldfare, Wigeon, Pochard, Little Grebe, Shellduck, Lesser black-backed Gull, Magpie, Song Thrush, Wood Pigeon, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Crow, Cormorant, Great crested Grebe, Dunnock, Bullfinch, Long-tailed Tit and Lapwing.

Branston Water Park

Branston Water Park

Then after lunch my mate and I decided to go and try to see the GG Shrike at Longdon ,but first we stopped off at Whitemoor Haye and saw - Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Tree Sparrow, Lapwing, Fieldfare, Stock Dove, Black-headed Gull, Buzzard, Starling, Crow and Collared Dove.

Then at Upper Longdon we were lucky enough to see the Great grey Shrike, plus Brambling, Chaffinch, Redwing and Magpie.

Great Grey Shrike

On a drive through Cannock Chase on our way home we saw -

Rook, Treecreeper, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Nuthatch, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Willow tit, Chaffinch, Jackdaw, and Yellowhammer.

14/01/2012 Hatherton Reservoir

This morning on a walk around the Raz I saw - 6 Goosanders, Mallard, Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Coot, Moorhen, Black-headed Gull, Grey Heron, Blackbird, Wood Pigeon, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Great spotted Woodpecker, Magpie, Treecreeper and I heard a Green Woodpecker.

07/01/2012 Hatherton Reservoir

On a  short walk around the Raz today I saw - Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wood Pigeon, Redwing, Blackbird, Jay, Magpie, 100+ Black headed Gulls, and in amongst them was a lone immature Lesser black-backed Gull, Mallard, Coot, Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Grey Heron, Moorhen, and Crow also a Cormorant flew over.

02/01/2012 Gailey and Belvide Reservoirs

We set off for a mornings birding at Belvide but on the way we visited Gailey to look for the Black Redstart that had been around for a while we saw - Grey Heron, Goldeneye, Black-headed Gull, Great-crested Grebe, Cormorant, Coot, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Wood Pigeon, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Lapwing and Mute Swan and the Black Redstart.  Which was a good start to 2012's birding!


Then on to Belvide Reservoir where we saw - Goldfinch, Blue Tit, Pheasant, Greenfinch, Great Tit, Robin, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Long-tailed Tit, Nuthatch, Blackbird, Dunnock, Coal Tit, Marsh Tit, Great spotted Woodpecker, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Coot, Mallard, Shovler, Goldeneye, Great crested Grebe, Grey Heron, Canada Geese, Mute Swan, Teal, Wigeon, Greylag Geese, Buzzard, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Gadwall, Lapwing, Great black-backed Gull, Reed Bunting, Crow, Starling, Wood pigeon, Kestrel, Black-headed Gull, Moorhen, Magpie and Fieldfare.

On quick visit to Cannock Chase on our way home we added Yellowhammer to the days list

01/01/2012 My Garden

A small flock of Redwings feeding on the Hawthorn berries in my garden this morning, only usually get them during a very cold spell!