West Midland Bird Club

December 2009

The month's highlight was the Glossy Ibis, present throughout, on the river marsh at Holt Fleet. In the same location was a Green Sandpiper, also throughout the month. A Willow Tit was also there.

The Pink-footed Goose remaned at the new workings with very high numbers of Canada Geese. A brief sighting of 2 Whooper Swan at the new workings was the first sighting since 2003. On the 7th, 8 Goosander flew over. In the later part of the month the weather turned very cold and the pools became ice bound, so a lot of birds moved to the nearby river Severn. 170+ Wigeon at the Wagon Wheel Lane Pool on the 3rd was a record count. Other sightings of interest were Greylag Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Stonechat and Redpoll.

The number of species recorded this year, 140, was slightly down. Thanks to all the people who made that total possible, not forgetting the land owners, David Harper, Tarmac and The Church Commission.

November 2009

A very low key month up until the 20th when we had one of the best sightings of the year: a Glossy Ibis briefly over the new workings. two days later it was relocated, two miles away at an area known as Sholton. From there, the bird moved to the Severn at Holt Fleet in the last few days of November. This was the very first recorded sighting for this bird in the area.

In the fist week of the month a Rock Pipit showed well at the new workings. Unusual for this time of the year was a single Redshank, Snipe, Pochard and Shoveler were present in good numbers. A Pink-footed Goose stayed most of the month, in a large flock of Canada Geese. Raptors included Sparrowhawk, Pink-footed Goose, Merlin, Kestrel and Buzzard. A Willow Tit was seen; a relevantly rare bird for the area. Other sightings included Grey Wagtail, Green Sandpiper, Stonechat, Little Egret, Greylag Goose, Pintail, Goosander, and a Goldeneye.

October 2009

A bit of a disappointing month, due again the low water level on the pools, as the month was very mild and dry. There were two or three sightings of Rock Pipit and a very brief sighting of two Common Gull. A Pink-footed Goose showed from the 6th–16th. A Bar-headed Goose showed well from the 3rd–6th, at the new workings. The Little Egret what was present all month. Common Snipe numbers werer very good, peaking at 14. The sight of over 20 Little Grebe on the pools was very encouraging and by the last week the numbers of Shoveler had risen to 39 and Pochard to 25. There were pleasingly high numbers of Meadow Pipit and Skylark in the surrounding meadows. Fieldfare and Redwing had started to arrive near the end of the month, as was a single Brambling. Jack Snipe showed well with 5 on the 24th. Other sightings of note inlcuded Green Sandpiper, Merlin, a very late Sand Martin, Kingfisher, Sparrowhawk, Stonechat, Treecreeper, Blackcap, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Golden Plover, and Water Rail.

September 2009

A very dry month with very little rain, so the water level on the pools at the new workings was very low. This can be ideal for autumn passage waders and for the Snipe that were very plentiful in the latter part of the month.

August's Black Tern and Greenshank remained present well into the month, but sadly the Greenshank was found dead on the 9th, by the side of the main pool; cause unknown. By the middle of the month, wintering duck ha started to return, including Pochard, Teal, Shoveler, Wigeon and 2 Ruddy Duck. The main sightings of the month were 2 Spotted Redshank on the 25th. Sadly it wasn't long before they flew off.

Other good birds were a Ruff on the 6th, Redstart, Wheatear, and Spotted Flycatcher at Holt and the new workings. By the last week of the month there was not a single Swallow or House Martin to be seen over the pools and only a single Little Egret. A Barn Owl roosted regularly. A pure white (albino) Sand Martin was over the new workings. Other species noted included Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Whinchat, Stonechat, Gadwall, Dunlin, Merlin and Yellowhammer.

August 2009

By the middle of the month the autumnal evenings and heavy early morning dew in the meadows, saw the last of the Swifts migrating to warmer shores. Througout the month there were good numbers of Sand Martin and Swallow, with a few House Martin still lingering on into late August, the majority of these birds being juveniles as the adults had already left.

In the last week of the month the breeding pair of Oystercatcher also left with their one offspring. One of the most notable birds this month was a Black-tailed Godwit on the 5th. Sadly, this made only a very brief stay, untill the 11th. A Greenshank spent 3 weeks on the new workings, and was also seen on Wagon Wheel Lane on the 12th. 6 Little Egret on the new workings was a record number.

A very encouraging sight on the 16th was the first Whinchat of 2009 and 2 early autumn Wheatear. However the bird of the month was a Black Tern that stayed well into September. On the 29th another new sighting for the year was a Redstart. Common Snipe were seen again. Green Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper showed exceptionally well throughout the month and there were Turtle Doves in two locations north of the pools.

July 2009

The month produced three new sightings for the year; the first was a Little Egret on the 10th, at the new workings. On the following day a Spotted Flycatcher was at Holt. The best sighting of the month was of a Grey Partridge, east of the pools, off Wagon Wheel Lane. This was the first recorded sighting for this species since 2001. Another very encouraging sighting was of a Grasshopper Warbler at Holt Prairie: the same place as earlier on in the year.

The water level on the pools dropped slowly throughout the month, producing good feeding margins ideal for waders such as Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, and Oystercatcher; plus Little Egret. A bird that is becoming very scarse is the Turtle Dove, but pleasingly a single bird showed well north of the pools throughout the month. A second was reported very close by most days towards the end of the month.

Breeidng waders included 4 broods of Little Ringed Plover, 3 of Lapwing and one of Oystercatcher. Disappointingly, the two pairs of Redshank failed to breed. Two or three young Kingfisher could be seen skimming low over the pools.

June 2009

An exceptionally quiet month not just at Grimley but nationally. This was partly due to the very low numbers of summer migrants such as warblers, Spotted Flycatcher, Turtle Dove and Cuckoo: a species that has shown a remarkable decline the last few years; the bird that everybody connects with the coming of Summer. The most notable bird this month was a Turtle Dove at Grimley Triangle on the 19th, with regular sighting in the same area throughout the month.

The start of the month brought a Greenshank but sadly it was a very brief visitor. A new sighting for 2009 was a Red-legged Partridge, north of the new workings. Another was a Willow Tit, also on the 19th. The main success story was of the three pairs of Common Tern producing 3 broods and 7 chicks. Frustratingly, the pair of Oystercatchers that have returned to breed successfully for 4 years had their nest site ravaged many times, but happily in the end all came well and they produced one chick. Other species which bred successfully on the pools were Little Ringed Plover, Mute Swan, Lapwing, Mallard, Gadwall, Coot, Moorhen and Little Grebe. Swift showed well this year in large numbers. Other species recorded this month included Dunlin, Hobby, Sparrowhawk, Snipe, Raven, Kingfisher, Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting.