West Midland Bird Club

December 2007

Yet another year closed, after a very low key month, with no new sightings. The highlight was the Water Pipit that showed through the month, though it was very elusive, frequenting very regularly the damp marshy area on the north-west channel and in the same location on the 15th. 12 Jack Snipe were a new record count for Grimley. Two unusual sightings for December were an Oystercatcher (flew over) and two Redshank, at the north end of the pools throughout the month. This was very unusual for December as these 2 species are usually Spring and Summer visitors to these parts.

The numbers of wintering duck were good in 2007, partly due to the good water level on the pools and there were still at least one pair of Stonechat on the perimeter of the pools, and a Chiffchaff on the causeway. At one time this bird was only recognised as a summer visitor, but over the years more and more over-winter here as the weather has got milder.

There were exceptionally good numbers of Siskin on the riverside, feeding on the seeds of the Alders adjacent to the pools.

Other species that showed well throughout the month included Green Sandpiper, Ruddy Duck, Little Grebe, Snipe and on the adjoining meadow Redpoll and Brambling.

2007 surpassed all records, with a total of 153 species recorded. Included in this total are 5 species new to Grimley: Cetti's Warbler, Great White Egret, Lapland Bunting, Richard's Pipit and Water Pipit . Thank you to all the people who contributed their sightings, enabling the compilation of these monthly reports.

November 2007

November was quite a contrast to the two previous months, with very few new sightings at the pools, the most notable bird being a Water Pipit which was first sighted at Grimley New Workings on the 9th, and presnt until the 13th. This elusive bird was the first of the species for Grimley.

Continued hIgh water levels produced good numbers of ducks including Mallard, Teal, Pochard and Shoveler, but Gadwall numbers were quite low. The numbers of Coot and Moorhen remained high. Male and female Goldeneye showed well all month both (1–4), likewise Ruddy Duck numbers were well above average, peaking at 10.

With a freshly ploughed meadow adjoining the pool there were large flocks of Lapwing present. On a couple occasions there was the unusual sighting for this time of the year, a Redshank. The pair of Stonechat and a Green Sandpiper around the pools most of the month seemed to be wintering well on the pools, and there were regular sightings of Brambling, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll amongst finch flocks feeding on the seed heads. The numbers of Snipe dropped, partly due to the fact the high water level covering their feeding margins.

Other sightings of interest included Kingfisher, Red-crested Pochard, Barn Owl, Peregrine, Herring Gull, Yellowhammer, Wigeon, Pintail, Grey Wagtail, Dunlin, Sparrowhawk, Scaup, and Water Rail.

October 2007

What a month October has been, with a Richards Pipit, not recorded at Grimley for a decade! At the new workings, the following morning there was a very rare sighting of a Lapland Bunting; this was a first for Grimley. There were also numerous sightings through-out the month of Rock Pipits in among the flocks of Meadow Pipits.

On the "wind surfing pool" at Holt there was a sighting of a Red-crested Pochard and two sightings of Little Stint on the 7th and 15th. Snipe numbers have been exceptionally good in 2007, with the added bonus one morning of 6 Jack Snipe.

A late-Autumn Ruff lingered on at the pool for at least 10 days. There was a brief sighting of a Scaup and an Arctic Tern passed through. Up to three Green Sandpipers showed well throughout the month. Regular sightings of 1-5 Stonechat north of the pools were very encouraging.

With the autumn days coming to a close, and with an exceptionally large berry harvest, the numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing increased dramatically! The flocks also included good numbers of Mistle Thrush.

Other sightings of interest included Brambling, Grey Wagtail, Dunlin, Kingfisher (4), Merlin, Ruddy Duck (7), Water Rail, Sparrowhawk, Barn Owl and, on the very last day of the month, a female Goldeneye.

September 2007

September was a month to be remembered with the first ever sighting of a Great White Egret at the new workings Grimley. The second sighting for Worcestershire, unfortunately it was only present for half a day. Another rare visitor was a female Scaup on the pool at the new workings for 7 days: the last recorded sighting was in 2005. Yet another rarity was a Common Scoter, last recorded here in 2005. A Cetti's Warbler was reported calling at the old Workings which, if confirmed, would be a first for Grimley.

There were brief sightings of a Great Black-backed Gull and a Ferruginous Duck, possibly a hybrid cross with a Pochard.

Regular sightings throughout the month were at least two each of Curlew Sandpipers and Ruff; the latter showed well at the new workings and were also seen at Holt prairie, on the flooded sling pool.

Towards the end of the month, the number of Little Egret dwindled to ones and twos, likewise the last of the Swallows and Martins. As one season ended another started, and the last few days of the month saw sightings of 5 Redwing on their winter migration south from Northern Europe. Also spotted were 3 Redpoll.

Common Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper were very prominent throughout the month as were Whinchat and Stonechat. Other sightings of interest were Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Sparrowhawk, Yellow Wagtail, Hobby, Jay, Shelduck, Golden Plover, Wigeon, Ruddy Duck.

August 2007

August was a good month for migrant waders; two locations proved ideal after the high floodwater of the previous month. The highlights included a juvenile Ruff, and 5 Greenshank, along with 4 Ringed Plover, and 2 Gargeney at Holt.

At the New Workings at Grimley there were three separate sightings of a Wood Sandpiper. The number of visiting Little Egrets peaked at a record 10. Green Sandpiper & Common Sandpiper showed well, with the latter peaking at 10 on the 28th. Another good sighting albeit brief, for Holt was of a Turnstone.

The number of Swift and "Hirundinidae" i.e. Swallow, Sand Martin & House Martin, were very depleted as they were leaving for their long migration to the warmer shores of South Africa.

Other sightings included Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart, Ruddy Duck, Common Gull, Hobby, and Whinchat.

As we approached the end of the month there was an Autumnal feel to the pools with the arrival of the wintering species of duck: Shoveler, Pochard, Teal, and the odd Widgeon, not forgetting the wintering Snipe.

July 2007

What a month July was — the wettest for many years, with torrential rain day after day and once again the River Severn was thrown into serious flood, from Bewdley in the north all the way down to Gloucester with many areas experiencing flash floods. Our thoughts go out to the homeowners and farmers situated on the flood plane where the floods caused thousands of pounds' worth of damage to property and crops. That said, all was not doom and gloom, for as the floods subsided, they left small in-land pools on the river meadows producing some rare sightings. These included a Black Tern that stayed 1 day at the new workings on the 21st, and on the same day a Wood Sandpiper and a brief sighting of a Ruff.

A number of different gull species visited the semi-flooded meadows, incuding Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Common Gull, Yellow-legged Gull and a Little Gull. Green Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper also showed well on the floods, with the numbers of Green Sandpiper peaking at 8.

Grey Heron feed in large numbers, on the trapped fish in small lagoons, as did the Little Egrets, with a county record number of 6.

Away from the pools, there was a calling Quail in very rough mature meadows north of the pools. The last reported record of this bird to Grimley was in 1999. Other good sightings from the surrounding meadows were of 2 Whinchat, Redstart and two sightings of Spotted Flycatcher at the New Workings and close to Holt church.

Three Barn Owl chicks fledged and left the nest site.

Other sightings of interest included: Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Green Sandpiper, Little Owl, Sparrowhawk, Hobby, Kestrel, Peregrine, Redshank, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover and regular sightings of at least 2 Corn Buntings at Holt Prairie.

Unusually for the time of the year, at least 5 Shoveler were on the pools at Holt and tere were ocasinoal sightings of Teal and Pochard.

The total number of species sighted in 2007 rose to 142.

June 2007

June was a very low key month compared to May, with very few sightings of interest. The best sighting was of a Wood Sandpiper which arrived on the pools on the 18th, sadly staying only for one day. A pair of Garganey also stayed for one day.

There were regular sightings of a Turtle Dove from the New Workings and also many frequent sightings of one- to two- Corn Buntings in the Holt Prairie area. Other sightings of interest were Green Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper, Spotted Flycatcher, Water Rail, Greylag Geese, Ruddy Duck, Little Ringed Plover, Redshank, Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler, also Reed Bunting, with numbers increasing over the last 2–3 years due to the reed beds maturing.

Raven still occured in good numbers, as did Sand Martins and House Martins. There was a notable increase, this year, in the numbers of Swifts feeding over the pools. 2007 has also been a very good year for breeding species in the area, with Common Tern, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Little Ringed Plover and Tufted Duck. The pair of Barn Owls who have nested for a third year in succession in the same nest have reared 3 young that fledged in the last few days of the month.

May 2007

What a brilliant month for new sightings to the pools and surrounding area! With the main highlight being the arrival at Retreat Farm Pool on the 29th, of two male Red-crested Pochards, in full summer plumage. They remained settled until the 1st of June and were reported from Belvide Reservoir on the following day.

At the beginning of the month there was a sighing of a Marsh Harrier passing through, and a Whistling Duck, almost certainly an escapee. A good sighting was a Temminck's Stint. To top it all, there was a Turnstone on the 24th — the last recorded at Grimley was in 2005. Another first for the year was a Sanderling on the 25th, also last recorded in 2005. Two more Sanderling were seen on the 30th. An Arctic Tern was seen briefly, once again the first sighting since 2005.

A male Gargany was seen at the beginning of the month. On the 11th, a Yellow-legged-Gull was present. On the 27th, 17 Ringed Plover were seen, late in the evening. An Osprey was a rare visitor on the 29th.

Two species on the endangered list for this area have reappeared: Turtle Dove, and good sightings of a small number Corn Bunting, which was thought lost to the area, having last been reported in 2004.

Other recordings for the month include: Dunlin, Yellow Wagtail, Garden Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Raven, Whimbrel, Redshank, Little Ringed Plover, Curlew, Common Tern, Little Owl, Ruddy Duck, Gadwall, Shelduck, Hobby, Sand Martin, House Martin, Swallow and Swift.

Breeding has been very successful, with 4 broods of Lapwing, 1 brood of Redshank, 2 of Great Crested Grebe, 2 of Little Grebe and 1 of Common Tern.

April 2007

April went down in the record books as being the warmest since records began, 3 degrees above the average temperature. Two Black-tailed Godwit were found on the 4th, and stayed to the 12th. By the second week the House Martins had arrived in small number to take up residence in the near by village, followed in the next week by the Swifts that gracefully screamed over the pools. We had to wait until the 20th for the familiar call of the Cuckoo telling us that Summer has come. By the middle of the month, the Common Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat had arrived and could be seen and heard in the hedgerows, as could the melodious Willow Warbler, in the young plantation south of the pools.

Yellow Wagtail showed well all month, starting in small numbers at the beginning and peaking at 18 on the 24th. This pretty little wagtail was best viewed late afternoon and by early evening in the sheep meadow could have been mistaken for bright yellow Dandelions, and not forgetting the good number of White Wagtail mixing amongst the small groups of Pied Wagtail. Another very encouraging sighting was that of a Corn Bunting, the first recorded sighting since 2004. 15 years ago this bird was seen in many locations throughout the county, but sadly, partly due to the changes in farming practices, the bird has dropped into decline. In the last few days of the month 3 Common Tern arrived to take up summer residence.

Other sightings of interest were Dunlin, Wheatear, Redshank, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Peregrine, Green and Common Sandpiper, Ruddy Duck, Red-legged Partridge, Oystercatcher, Barnacle Geese and Greylag Geese. Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler. Finally a Whimbrel stayed for 2 days.

March 2007

The main birds of interest in March were the Spring arrivals. The first to arrive were a few Sand Martins on the 10th, with more over the next few days, and much later on the 29th the first Swallow was over the pools, and a female Wheatear was recorded on fresh top-soil under the cliff-face by the new workings.

There is still one pair of Oystercatcher regularly sighted around the pools, but no sign of them nesting. Numerous pairs of Lapwing were starting to sit. Not forgetting the resident species that have already started to nest, Coot, Moorhen and Mallard. There was a brief sighting of a male Mandarin duck on the new workings on the 21st.

At the month the Goldeneye had moved on to their breeding grounds. Towards the end of the month the numbers of Pochard had dropped considerably, however in contrast the number of Wintering Teal, and Shoveller remained quite high. There were still regular sightings of Green Sandpiper, Great Crested Grebe, (2 pairs), Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Buzzard and 1 sighting of a Peregrine Falcon, Ruddy Duck, Greylag Goose, Raven, Chiffchaff, Reed Bunting, Stock Dove, Red-legged Partridge, Curlew, Little Owl, Dunlin, Yellow Hammer, Common Sandpiper, Snipe and Grey Wagtail.

February 2007

February produced the highest rain fall for many years, with the water level on the pools well above the seasonal average and still rising, but that did not deter some early Spring and Summer migrants.

Early arrivals were of 3 Oystercatcher, 3 Redshank, and a brief sighting of a very early Ringed Plover.

By the second week of the month nesting had already started for the Grey Heron, the earliest species to nest. Their well established nesting site is a woodland, very close to the River Severn north of Worcester known as The Old Brick Pits or, aptly, Heronry Wood. This site has recorded over the last few years up to 25 breeding pairs making it one of the largest heronries in Worcestershire.

Back at the New Workings the numbers of Gadwall and Pochard were constant, with the numbers of Tufted Duck fluctuating as they constantly returned to the nearby river.

Great Crested Grebe were evident on the pools with 1–2 pairs performing their ritual mating display. The Little Grebes also showed well. Mute Swan numbers increased at the beginning of the month, but they were mainly juveniles, very soon driven off by the dominant breeding pair.

Sadly over the last 2 decades there has been, nationally, a dramatic decline in Skylark numbers, due to loss of habitat, with the main cause being the change in farming practices, changing from grazing pastures to arable but, happily, within the boundaries of Grimley and Holt the species has very healthy numbers.

Other sighting for the month included Green Sandpiper, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Chiffchaff, Yellowhammer, Sparrowhawk, Shelduck, Raven, Grey Wagtail.

Little Owl also very vocal in the evenings likewise the Tawny Owl.

January 2007

What a start to the New Year! A Red-breasted Goose was observed on the 25th, at the new workings. This small, ornate goose showed well, amongst a flock of 300-500 Canada Geese until the 28th. Though as the old saying goes “You gain some and you lose some” — by the end of the first week of the there were no more sightings of the Black Redstart at Holt or the Willow Tit on the feeders on the Island Pool at Top Barn Farm.

With the water level going into flood from the river Severn close by the pools, the adjacent land has been dramatically affected, but once the flood water started to recede bird numbers increased dramatically, with so many species using the flooded meadows, especially ducks, peaking at: Gadwall (56), Pochard (62), Tufted Duck (70), Shoveler (20) and brief sightings of 3 male Pintail, plus sightings of 2 or 3 Shelduck. Exceptional numbers of Goldeneye have been regularly spotted, especially males. With the river meadows being semi flooded, they have attracted good numbers of Lapwing and a few Golden Plover to the muddy areas. The odd sighting of 1 or 2 Green Sandpiper in this area have been a bonus, as has a Redshank, which is rather rare in this area at this time of year.

Other sightings of interest included Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Peregrine, Ruddy Duck, Goldcrest, Jack Snipe, Willow Tit and regular sightings of Stonechat at the New and Old Workings. A total of 85 species have been recorded so far this year.