West Midland Bird Club
Belvide Reserve Latest News
Unless otherwise stated, reports on this page are anecdotal, and have not been verified by the relevant country recorder or rarities committee.
For the scientfic names of these birds, and their local status, see our county lists.
The latest update covers January–February 2008.
Can you help? The Club is looking for a second hand shed, to be a used as a store on the reserve, to free up the use of the current 'Munns' Hide. Ideally it would be at least 10ft×8ft in size, sectional, and in reasonable condition. It can be dismantled and collected, anywhere in the club's region. Please let us know if you can help.
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April 2009
- 30: 2 Little Tern, 2 Whimbrel and a drake Garganey.
- 28: 20 Buzzard and 1 Hobby — first of the year. 1 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Garden Warblers and 7 Whitethroats. 1 Goldeneye and 5 Common Terns.
- 27: 3 Yellow Wagtail and 1 White Wagtail on the north shore. 40 Swift, 100 Swallows, 1 Arctic and 3 Common Terns. 1 female Wheatear on the north shore and 1 Tawny Owl roosting in the scrub.
- 26: 1 Bar Tailed Godwit and 1 Grey Plover flew through, along with 3 Whimbrel. 1 Little Ringed Plover and 1 Common Sandpiper. 3 Shelduck, 1 Goldeneye and 1 Wigeon. 10 Sedge Warbler, 4 Reed Warbler, 2 Willow Warbler and 1 Garden Warbler. 6 Whitethroats and 40 Swift.
- 25: 5 Wheatear, 1 Whinchat, 1 Turtle Dove, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Fieldfare and a Yellow Wagtail. 1 Dunlin and 3 Common Sandpiper were present.
- 24: 2 Common, 1 Arctic and 1 Little Tern. 1 female Marsh Harrier. 1 Little Ringed Plover, 7 Common Sandpipers and 3 Goldeneye.
- 23: The first Reed Warbler and Garden Warbler of the year. Wheatear, 1 Yellow Wagtail and 9 Lesser Redpoll. 9 Teal, 1 Wigeon, 3 Goldeneye and 3 Pochard. 1 Common Gull.
- 22: 1 Yellow-legged Gull. 1 Little Ringed Plover, 4 Common Sandpiper and 3 Yellow Wagtail. 8 Meadow Pipits and 1 White Wagtail.
- 21: 1 Garganey, 1 Wigeon. 3 Common Terns.
- 19: 2 Whimbrel flew through. 3 Common Sandpiper, 6 Redpoll, 2 Siskin, 2 Brambling and 5 Sedge Warbler. 19 Teal, 1 Wigeon, 40 Gadwall, 5 Shoveler, 158 Tufted Duck, 1 Little Grebe and 18 Great Crested Grebes and 2 Kingfishers.
- 18: 10 Blackcap, 3 Whitethroats, 3 Sedge Warblers. 80 Swallows, 6 Swift, 20 House and 10 Sand Martin. 3 Goosander, 3 Little Ringed Plover and 3 Common Sandpipers.
- 17: 2 Sandwich, 6 Arctic and 3 Common Tern. 1 female Marsh Harrier. 2 Dunlin, 3 Common Sandpiper, 1 Ringed Plover and 2 Little Ringed Plover. 1 Lesser Whitethroat and 1 immature Peregrine.
- 16: 3 Little Gull, 1 Arctic Tern, 4 Common Tern, and 1 Whimbrel. 150 Swallows, 2 Swift, 50 House Martins and 10 Sand Martin. 40 Brambling in two flocks.
- 15: 1 Great Northern Diver circled but did not land! 25 Goldeneye, 1 Wigeon and 1 Little Ringed Plover.
- 14: 1 male Marsh Harrier and 1 Tawny Owl. 3 Sedge and 2 Willow Warblers. 2 Brambling and 1 Whitethroat. 1 Whimbrel flew through.
- 13: 1 Yellow and 1 White Wagtail. 10 Brambling, 5 Swallows, 16 Sand Martin, 4 House Martins and 3 Willow Warblers. 3 Wigeon and 2 Shelduck.
- 12: 6 Oystercatcher, 3 Redshank, 1 Yellow Wagtail and 1 White Wagtail. 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers.
- 11: 1 Ruff, 1 Peregrine, 27 Teal, 10 Shoveler and 3 Wigeon. 8 Willow Warbler, 1 Brambling and the first Sedge Warbler of the year.
- 10: 25 Sand Martin, 60 Swallows and 15 House Martins. 7 Willow Warblers and 2 Whitethroats. 1 Redwing.
- 9: 1 Redwing, 2 Redshank and 4 Oystercatchers. 1 Common and 1 Herring Gull flew through.
- 8: 1 Black Necked Grebe, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Curlew and 2 Little Ringed Plover. 59 Goldeneye and 1 Peregrine.
- 6: 25 Snipe on the north shore. 1 Whimbrel and 100 Sand Martin. 2 Shelduck joined 25 Teal.
- 5: 130 Tufted Duck, 78 Goldeneye and 5 Pochard. 12 Sand Martins and 3 Brambling. 9 Chiffchaff and 4 Blackcap.
- 4: 77 Sand Martin, 10 Swallow and the first House Martin of the year. 1 Peregrine and 20 Buzzards. 3 Blackcap and 1 Fieldfare.
- 3: 1 Osprey seen in the morning, also 1 Green Woodpecker. 6 Oystercatchers, 2 Redshank and 1 Curlew.
- 1: 1 Red Kite and 1 Osprey. 2 Little Owl and the first Blackcap of the year. 21 Shoveler, 13 Wigeon and 4 Redshank. 39 Fieldfare and 2 Redwing were seen.
March 2009
- 31: A fly-through Great White Egret at 7.30am was the first for the reserve. 5 Curlew and 20 Golden Plover flew west. 10 Sand Martin and 2 Swallow were present.
- 30: A Hen Harrier was in the southern perimeter fields early evening and an Osprey flew through early afternoon. 2 Goosander flew through.
- 29: 2 Wheatear, 3 Redshank, 19 Shoveler were noted.
- 28: A Peregrine was over the Rookery and a pair of Pintail was present. 9 Swallow and 2 Sand Martin were present and the first Wheatear of the year arrived.
- 27: 1 male Goshawk and 1 Peregrine were seen. 4 Brambling were at the gazebo feeders. 3 Redshank and 3 Curlew were noted.
- 25: 107 Meadow Pipit were in the car park field, along with 3 Redwing. 3 Sand Martin were present and 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls roosted.
- 24: A Glaucous Gull roosted, along with 2 Herring Gulls and 50 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. 5 Brambling, 2 Red-legged Partridge, 2 Shelduck, 2 Redshank and 1 Curlew were seen.
- 23: 2 Summer-plumaged Black-necked Grebes were new in. 1 White Wagtail, 26 Pied Wagtail and 80 Meadow Pipit were counted.
- 22: 1 White Wagtail, 18 Sand Martin and 1 Swallow were present. An immature Peregrine flew through. 3 Redshank were noted and 1 pair of Brambling were at the Gazebo feeders.
- 21: 7 Sand Martin, 5 Chiffchaff, 2 Brambling and 16 Buzzard were counted. 2 Curlew and 18 Shoveler were present.
- 20: 12 Redwing were seen. 21 Wigeon were present and 4 Chiffchaff were singing.
- 18: 3 Shelduck, 5 Chiffchaff and 27 Sand Martin were counted. 1 Swallow and 1 Curlew were present briefly.
- 17: The first Swallow of the year arrived and joined 7 Sand Martin. 24 Meadow Pipit were on the north shore and 8 Yellowhammer occupied the West Marsh. 7 Chiffchaff and 2 Brambling were seen. 3 Shelduck and 1 Goosander were present.
- 16: Wildfowl included 30 Teal, 54 Wigeon, 45 Gadwall, 6 Shoveler, 5 Pochard, 112 Tufted Duck, 76 Goldeneye, 11 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Little Grebe, 150 Coot and 12 Mute Swan. 700 Black-headed Gulls roosted.
- 15: An adult Iceland Gull roosted. 4 Sand Martin, 4 Shelduck, 1 Curlew, 1 Chiffchaff and 2 Red-legged Partridge were noted.
- 14: 100 Golden Plover were north of the reserve. 7 Lesser Redpoll, 100 Redwing and Fieldfare were counted along the Gazebo bay area. A first-winter Caspian Gull roosted.
- 13: A juvenile Glaucous Gull and Yellow-legged Gull were in the roost. 2 Pintail, 6 Oystercatcher, 2 Curlew, 1 Redshank, 3 Brambling and 53 Goldeneye were counted. 3 Sand Martin were new in.
- 12: A pair of Little Owl were on the field nest box. 5 Oystercatcher, 1 Redshank and 1 Curlew were noted. A juvenile Glaucous Gull roosted.
- 11: 1 Mealy Redpoll was with 7 Redpoll. A Water Rail was in front of the Scott Hide.
- 10: 5000 Black-headed Gulls were joined by 1 Yellow-legged Gull and 1 Glaucous Gull. 1 pair of Brambling were at the feeders. 1 Redshank and 4 Oystercatcher were noted.
- 9: 5 Curlew and 4 Oystercatcher were on the north shore. 23 Great Crested Grebe were noted.
- 7: A female Goshawk circled over the reserve, causing great consternation in the Rookery. An immature Peregrine flew through. 46 Wigeon were counted and a juvenile Glaucous Gull roosted.
- 6: Wildfowl included 1 Shelduck, 1 Goosander, 3 Little Grebe, 18 Great Crested Grebe and 39 Gadwall. 6 Siskin, 1 Mealy Redpoll and the main Redpoll flock were along Gazebo Bay.
- 4: 1 Mealy Redpoll, 12 Redpoll, 2 Brambling, 10 Wigeon and 14 Teal were counted. A first-winter Caspian Gull and juvenile Glaucous Gull roosted.
- 2: A second-winter Iceland Gull and 3 Yellow-legged Gulls joined the roost. 7 Shoveler, 7 Pochard, 30 Gadwall, 2 Ruddy Duck and 16 Great Crested Grebe were counted.
- 1: 2 Iceland Gulls (one second-winter; one juvenile) and a juvenile Glaucous Gull roosted. In addition an all-white and a melanistic Black-headed Gull were present. A female Pintail was present and 2 female Brambling were at the Gazebo feeders.
February 2009
- 28: 1 Mealy Redpoll, 14 Lesser Redpoll, 6 Siskin, 4 Brambling were noted. 7 Curlew, 4 Oystercatcher and 1 female Pintail.
- 27: An immature Peregrine was over the reserve. The Gull roost held amongst other 2 Iceland Gulls, 1 Glaucous Gull and 1 Yellow-legged Gull.
- 26: 3 Raven were over the reserve. 6 Oystercatcher and 8 Curlew were seen. A juvenile Iceland Gull roosted along with a 1st-winter Caspian Gull and 3 Yellow-legged Gulls.
- 25: A large Gull roost included 1 juvenile Glaucous Gull, 1 juvenile Iceland Gull, 1 1st-winter Caspian Gull and 1 adult and 1 4th-winter Yellow-legged Gull.
- 23: 3 Curlew and 5 Oystercatcher roosted on the shingle islands. 2 female Brambling were at the Gazebo feeding station. A Peregrine flew through. The gull roost held 2 Iceland Gulls and 4 Yellow-legged Gulls.
- 22: Wildfowl included 80 Wigeon, 33 Teal, 30 Mallard, 33 Gadwall, 124 Tufted Duck, 15 Shoveler, 12 Pochard, 6 Ruddy Duck, 67 Goldeneye, 8 Great Crested Grebe and 86 Coot. 2 Pairs of Brambling were at the feeding station and 6 Lesser Redpoll were seen. The Gull roost held 1 adult Mediterranean Gull, a new Iceland Gull and 3 Yellow-legged Gulls. A single Dunlin flew through.
- 20: A first for Belvide, in the shape of a 2nd winter Kumlien's Gull which came into roost at 5pm. A female Goosander dropped in and a Little Grebe was in front of the Scott hide.
- 19: A juvenile Glaucous Gull showed well all afternoon and was joined by a juvenile Iceland Gull in the roost. An Egyptian Goose roosted on the shingle island. 4 Brambling, 12 Lesser Redpoll and 1 Mealy Redpoll were seen.
- 18: 3 Oystercatcher and 22 Snipe were present. Single Dunlin and Curlew flew through. 3 Pintail were new in. 2 Brambling and 14 Reed Bunting were at the Gazebo feeders.
- 16: A pair of Little Owl was on the nest box, in the plantation field and a Barn Owl was seen over the west marsh. 2 Great Black-backed Gulls caused mayhem in the roost. A drake Pintail was new in.
- 15: 2 Green Sandpiper and 120 Fieldfare flew through. Over 40 Tree Sparrows and 3 female Brambling were at the Gazebo feeders.
- 13: 3 Yellow-legged Gull and 1 Iceland Gull roosted. 71 Wigeon were counted and 2 Oystercatcher were present. 11 Lesser Redpoll and 1 Mealy Redpoll were in Gazebo Bay.
- 10: The gull roost held 1 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Glaucous Gull and an all white Black-headed Gull. 71 Pochard were counted.
- 8: 2 Golden Plover flew through and 2 Oystercatcher were present. A 4th winter Yellow-legged Gull stood on the ice. Wildfowl included 62 Pochard, 109 Tufted Duck, 208 Mallard, 25 Gadwall, 98 Teal, 40 Wigeon, 16 Great Crested Grebe and 133 Canada Geese.
- 7: The first Oystercatcher of the year returned and a Peregrine was around the reserve. The all white Black-headed Gull was seen.
- 6: 4000 large gulls in the roost included, 3 Yellow-legged Gulls and a Glaucous/Herring Gull hybrid. 5 Red-legged Partridge were seen.
- 4: A juvenile Iceland Gull roosted, coming in at 4.45pm. A Jack Snipe was caught in car headlights in the lane, on the approach to the reserve.
- 3: 10 Snipe were on the north shore. 39 Wigeon were counted and 2 Little Owl was adjacent to the reserve. A male Brambling was at the woodland feeding station.
- 1: A Woodcock flew through the plantation and 1 Mealy Redpoll, 5 Lesser Redpoll, 7 Bullfinch and 2 Brambling were near the Gazebo hide.
January 2009
- 30: A Peregrine was over the reserve and 1 Mealy Redpoll was with the 15 Lesser Redpolls. 2 Yellow-legged Gulls were in the roost.
- 29: An impressive 98 Goldeneye were present and 4 Shelduck were new in. The Lesser Redpoll flock stood at 35 and 7 Bullfinch were also counted.
- 27: A Little Owl was seen. 56 Pochard and 112 Tufted Duck were counted. A Yellow-legged Gull roosted.
- 25: A single Raven was over the reserve and a Green Woodpecker was observed. 2 Goosander flew in and the all white Black-headed Gull was present.
- 24: A 2nd winter Mediterranean Gull was in the roost and the Little Owl was seen.
- 23: Wildfowl included 3 Shoveler, 1 Shelduck, 26 Gadwall, 65 Teal, 76 Goldeneye and 118 Wigeon. A female Brambling was at the Gazebo Hide feeding station. The gull roost held amongst others a Juvenile Iceland Gull and 4 Yellow-legged Gulls.
- 21: A juvenile Glaucous Gull roosted. 6 Lesser Redpoll and a single Green Woodpecker were seen.
- 19: An adult Kittiwake was present in the early afternoon. The gull roost held 6 Yellow-legged Gull and one Caspian Gull. A Goosander was new in.
- 18: 2 Mealy Redpoll were with 13 Lesser Redpoll. Wildfowl included 2 Pintail, 20 Gadwall, 131 Mallard, 3 Shoveler, 60 Wigeon, 177 Teal, 51 Tufted Duck, 21 Pochard, 90 Goldeneye, 129 Coot, 4 Great Crested Grebe, and 2 Greylag Geese.
- 16: 12 Lesser Redpoll and 1 Mealy Redpoll were noted. A Peregrine was over the reserve. The Gull roost held an impressive 20 Great Black-backed Gulls and 2 Yellow-legged Gulls.
- 15: A juvenile Glaucous Gull was present in the early morning, A Green Woodpecker was feeding along the southern path, and 3 Goosander and 90 Goldeneye were counted at dusk.
- 14: A juvenile Glaucous Gull came in to roost at 4:30pm. 12 Siskin and 17 Lesser Redpoll were along Gazebo Bay.
- 13: An adult Mediterranean Gull roosted, along with 3 Yellow-legged Gulls. 2 Little Owl were seen.
- 11: A Peregrine stood forlornly on the ice, in the morning. 2 Meally Redpoll were with the flock of 15 Lesser Redpoll. 3 female Goosander and a single Mediterranean Gull were noted.
- 10: Wildfowl included 7 Pintail, 6 Goosander, 63 Tufted Duck and 12 Mute Swan. The Gull roost held and impressive 47 Greater Black-backed Gulls.
- 7: A juvenile Iceland Gull roosted along with 2 Yellow-legged Gulls and 25 Great Black-backed Gulls. 412 Canada Geese were counted. A Little Owl was seen. Just east of the reserve there was single Waxwing and 100 Fieldfare.
- 6: A male Brambling was at the Woodland feeding station. 2 Mealy Redpoll and 11 Lesser Redpoll were observed.
- 5: A Woodcock was seen at dusk and a female Brambling was at the gazebo feeding station. 3 Yellow-legged Gulls roosted.
- 4: 3 Kingfisher and 3 Water Rail were along the southern ditch. Over 50 Carrion Crow were on the ice. 25 Siskin were seen. Wildfowl on the Ice included 4 Goosander, 77 Goldeneye, 66 Gadwall, 421 Mallard and 217 Coot.
- 2: a Little Egret called in and remained until early afternoon. 2 immature Peregrine sparred over the reserve, then stood on the ice. 2 Water Rail and an impressive 50 Siskin were in Gazebo bay. The all white Black-headed Gull was present.
- 1: Early morning, 1 Tawny Owl and 2 Woodcock were seen. Also observed were 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 30 Siskin, 60 Linnet, 6 Brambling, 2 Mealy Redpoll and 8 Lesser Redpoll.
Further information
Reports by Rob Swift.
Belvide Reservoir Nature Reserve is situated near Brewood, Staffordshire, England, seven miles north-west of Wolverhampton, at grid reference SJ870099.
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