Unless otherwise stated, reports on this page are anecdotal, and have not been verified by the relevant country recorder or rarities committee.
For the scientific names of these birds, and their local status, see our county lists.
There were no updates from Arpil – December 2006.
The main highlight in March was the female American Wigeon which finally departed on the 28th.
Two Barn Owls performed superbly throughout the month.
A Red Kite flew through on the 10th. A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was seen on the 11th. An adult Mediterraenean Gull roosted on the 15th-16th. A Short-eared Owl was present on the 29th and a fine drake Garganey on the 31st.
First migrant arrival dates were Little Ringed Plover 21st, Chiffchaff, Swallow and Sand Martin all on the 25th, and Willow Warbler on the 30th.
Waders seen were Knot on the 1st, up to 7 Oystercatcher on the 9th, Ringed Plover and 6 Dunlin on the 12th, Black Tailed Godwit on 13th–14th, Curlew peaked at 13 on the 22nd, 4 Little Ringed Plover on the 23rd, A Grey Plover flew through on the 24th. Redshank peaked at 5 on the 29th and finally a Green Sandpiper 27th-30th.
Wildfowl counts were 177 Wigeon, 30 Gadwall, 132 Teal, 255 Coot, 5 Goosander, 125 Tufted Duck, 46 Pochard, 8 Shoveler, 92 Goldeneye.
The main highlight during this period was a female American Wigeon, that probably arrived on the 9th and was present into March. This was the second record for the reserve, following a drake in April 1994.
Two Red-necked Grebes on the 12th were the Alrewas birds and the first ones for nearly 8 years. A male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker on the 6th, with both Great Spotted Woodecker and Green Woodpecker on the same day, was a welcome sight. A second-winter Caspian Gull dropped in briefly on the 11th.
Waders seen were a Knot on the 7th and another 20th-28th at least, plus a Green Sandpiper (9th), an impressive 1,268 Lapwing (13th), up to 4 Oystercatcher and 1 Curlew (28th).
2 adult Mediterranean Gulls have been picked up in the gull roosts 17th-18th and 24th, also up to 5 Yellow-legged Gulls and an excellent total of 4,500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls have roosted.
A female Merlin flew through on the 25th and a Barn Owl 25-26th was the first record for several years.
100 species have been seen at Belvide so far in 2006.
A pair of Stonechat was present all month, a Woodcock was flushed on the 1st, 44 Siskin on the 3rd was a good count, 2 immature male Scaup and 2 adult Little Gulls on the 11th were good finds, a Pink-footed Goose joined the Greylag flock 12th-28th and a readhead Smew on the 14th was the first for 2 years.
A female Merlin on the 15th and an excellent 1,685 Lapwing were present on the north shore on the 19th. A single Knot and 2 Dunlin were seen on the 25th. 3 Bewick's Swan flew to the west on the 27th also the first Oystercatcher of the year and a pair of Pintail on the same day.
Finally up to 3 different Peregrines were seen throughout the month.
Reports by Steve Nuttall.
Belvide Reservoir Nature Reserve is situated near Brewood, Staffordshire, England, seven miles north-west of Wolverhampton, at grid reference SJ870099.
Ornithology in Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire & the West Midlands county, since 1929.
Fetched from http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/belvide/latest-2006 on Thursday 09 February 2012 13:22:28
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