West Midland Bird Club: Ladywalk Reserve

Eurasian Bitterns, (Botaurus stellaris, also known as Great Bittern) have over-wintered at our Ladywalk Reserve in most of the years since we took on its management, with as many as four present at a time.

Recent reports may not have been verified by the Warwickshire county recorder, to whom news of further sightings should please be sent.

[Link to large version of picture of Bittern]

2010/2011

First record on 1 November 2010.
One on 24 December.
1 or 2 birds present to 8 February at least.

2009/2010

First bird on 5 October 2009.
Also single bird seen on 19 & 23 October and 9 & 15 November.
2 Birds present 25 December to 6 January 2010.
Single bird seen on 22 January, 22 February.
Final record 15 March 2010.

2008/2009

No sightings in 2008.
Only sighting on 9 January 2009.

2007/2008

First bird on 1 October 2007.
Last sighting on 21 November 2007.
No sightings in 2008.

2006/2007

First bird on 14 October 2006.
Last sighting on 16 February 2007.

2005/2006

First bird on 14 October 2005.
Second bird on 2 & 3 March 2006.
Last sighting on 9 March 2006.

2004/2005

First bird on 18 October 2004, present until 16 December.

2003/2004

First bird on 3 October 2003.
Second bird on 14 November.
Third bird on 18 November.
Fourth bird on 28 December.
Four birds present until 27 February.
Two birds present until 6 March.
One bird until 12 March 2004 (last sighting).

2002/2003

First bird on 13 October 2002.
Second bird from 14 November.
Third bird from 28 November.
Fourth bird from 19 December.
One present until 21 March 2003 (latest ever sighting).

2001/2002

First bird on 30 September 2001.
Second bird arrived October.
Third bird from 21 November.
Four birds present 16 January – 18 March 2002.

2000/2001

First bird on 30 September 2000.
Second bird (radio tagged [1]) from 12 November.
Third bird arrived in February.
Last sighting on 4 March 2001.

[Link to large version of picture of Bittern (5 February 2003)]

1999/2000

Three birds present 11 September – 4 March.

1998/1999

Four birds present 10 September (earliest ever sighting) – 28 February.

1997/1998

Three birds present 11 November – 7 March.

1996/1997

One bird present 4 January – 22 March.

1995/1996

One bird present 31 December – 18 January.

1993/1994

One bird present 23 December – 1 March.

1992/1993

One bird present on 23 February.

1988/1989

One bird present 22 – 26 October.

1987/1988

One bird present 21 November – 4 March.

1983

One record on 7 December.

1982

One record on 7 January.

1979

One record on 3 January.

[1^] The RSPB's ‘Bittern Monitoring Group’ visited Ladywalk twice during the 200/2001 winter, but could not pick up the signal from the tagged bird's radio transmitter, which, presumably, had stopped working. They said it was most probably a tagged bird from Minsmere or Leighton Moss, the former being favourite as most Bitterns are tagged there.

Ladywalk Nature Reserve lies on the site of the old Hams Hall power station, situated in the valley of the River Tame, in the borough of North Warwickshire, England, some ten miles from Birmingham city centre, at grid reference SP212917

West Midland Bird Club

Ladywalk Reserve Wintering Bitterns