West Midland Bird Club

March 2008

Summer visitors such as Sand Martin and Swallow started to arrive from warmer shores, but the climate on arrival was far from summer-like — it must have been quite a shock to the system! The woods and coppices also came alive to the call of the first Chiffchaff.

The highlight of the month was a Rock Pipit at Grimley New Workings that stayed for 4 days.

In the second week there were arrivals of Wheatear, 4 Little Ringed Plover and 2 Common Gull. A Kittiwake flew over.

Black Redstart and Water Pipit were relocated again.

Towards the end of the month the Old Workings hosted 4 Greylag Geese on the flooded river meadows and a Red-legged Partridge in the Christmas tree plantation.

By the end of the month all but a few of the wintering duck had left the pools, including Pochard, Shoveler, Teal, and the couple of Goldeneye and Ruddy Duck, but Tufted Duck numbers remained very high.

Other recorded sightings of interest included White Wagtail, Green Sandpiper, Redshank, Little Owl, Barn Owl, Peregrine, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, Water Rail, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Shelduck and Redpoll.

February 2008

February was much better for sightings, than the preceeding 2 months. An early sighting, albeit brief was of a Little Egret and a Ringed Plover was on the pools at the New Workings. The breeding pair of Oystercatcher returned to last year's nesting site.

The water level on the pools started to drop quiet dramatically, leaving bare muddy shore margins for the spring waders.

The main best of the month was a Woodcock, in an area known as Grimley Brick Pits. This is a small, semi-flooded, overgrown old willow wood on the banks of the river Severn 1½ miles north of Bevere Locks. It holds the largest Heronry in Worcestershire, with 25 breeding pairs of Grey Heron recorded.

A Black Redstart showed well in the same location most days, north of the pools, under the gravel working cliffs. In the same vicinity there were sightings of a very mobile the Water Pipit, among the small flocks of Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail.

Towards the end of the month the numbers of Goldeneye peaked at 6. Green Sandpiper numbers varied throughout the month, between 1–4, and there was a solitary Redshank.

There were good sightings of Sparrowhawk, Kestrel and, most days, a Peregrine Falcon.

Other sightings included Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Pintail, Stonechat, Barn Owl, Water Rail, and Jack Snipe. In the last days of the month, returning Curlews used the pools and surrounding meadows as an overnight roost.

January 2008

The start of a new year was quiet, with very little movement of new species to the pools and local area, though a Water Pipit was sighted around the “New Workings”, staying for 6 weeks, albeit very elusive!

With the water level being high throughout the month, there were very good numbers of ducks on the pools including Pochard, Gadwall, Teal and Tufted Duck. Male and female Goldeneye numbers fluctuated between 1–6. Another prominent visitor throughout the month was Green Sandpiper, and an unusual visitor at this time of the year was a single Redshank, present close by for at least 5 weeks.

In the area surrounding the pools, 1–3 Stonechat showed well. What was a particularly good was a sighting of a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in Willows close to the river. Numerous Buzzards, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk were seen, plus a Peregrine Falcon, with the added bonus of a Merlin and at dusk a very rare sighting of a Barn Owl. In the surrounding meadows there were good numbers of Skylark and Meadow Pipit. In the woodland close by were Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Redpoll, and Siskin with Fieldfare and Redwing in the adjoining meadows.