West Midland Bird Club

ROTTON PARK RESERVOIR, EDGBASTON [1].

By W. E. GROVES.

Notes on this Reservoir have appeared in the 1936, 1939 and 1941 Reports. Since the last named year it has undergone various vicissitudes which have very materially affected the bird life to be seen there.

Conditions changed very much for the worse in 1944. The ground was badly trodden by grazing cattle and probably few of the nesting birds were able to bring off young. Most of the -cover for Snipe as well as the seeding plants were flattened.

A further disaster befell the ground-nesting birds in the Summer, when the Reservoir was opened in the afternoons free, and the "amusement park " became active again. The crowds - particularly at holiday times - spread over and picnicked on the grass and the small numbers of Yellow Wagtails which remained - then busy with their nests - had a very bad time. 

In the mornings, before the public were admitted, Lesser Black Backed Gulls were frequent visitors, and with the closing of the grounds in the Autumn there was some recovery in the bird life. Herons for the first time became regular visitors; a few Mallard and Wigeon were usually present and there were also flocks of Green Plover. The number of Blackheaded Gulls greatly increased- parties up to seventy being seen at the end of the year. Sandpipers have been noted, twice only and Wheat- ears on three days. The note in the 1941 Report (referred to above) mentioned that the number of species seen at the Reservoir was fifty-eight. This figure has now been increased to sixty-five. Although some recapitulation is involved it may be of interest to give the following complete list of the birds observed within the boundaries of the Reservoir during the last nine years :-

Carrion crow, rook, magpie, starling, greenfinch, goldfinch, house sparrow, chaffinch, linnet, bullfinch, reed bunting, skylark, white wagtail, pied wagtail, grey wagtail, yellow wagtail, meadow pipit, great tit, coal tit, blue tit, spotted flycatcher, lesser whitethroat, chiffchaff, willow warbler, mistle thrush, song thrush, redwing, fieldfare, blackbird, robin, wheatear, hedgesparrow [2], wren, swallow, pied woodpecker [3], swift, sparrowhawk, kestrel, mallard, teal, wigeon, pochard, scaup, tufted duck, goldeneye, heron, common snipe, jack snipe, purple sandpiper, dunlin, redshank, green sandpiper, common sandpiper, ringed plover, green plover, common gull herring gull, lesser black backed gull, black headed gull, common/arctic tern, great crested grebe, little grebe, moorhen, coot, ringdove [4].