Kings Norton Nature Reserve 30/05/16

On Monday I was back at my local patch for what I think will probably be my last visit before we leave Birmingham in a few weeks' time :o( it was a lovely visit though with plenty of cute baby birds! I saw 35 species in all, here are the highlights:

• The first baby birds I encountered were more Long-tailed Tits - I'd gone into Pinehurst Meadow which I don't visit very often, and whilst walking between the large bushes on either side of the path was surrounded by a family of Long-tailed Tits. I even managed to get an OK photo of one of the juveniles!
• In the same area a couple of metres down on the other side of the path was a family of noisy Robins.
• In some trees overhanging the path near Merecroft Pool near the Beaks Hill Road entrance, I eventually spotted (after listening to their high-pitched squeaky calls for a while) an adult Goldcrest feeding juveniles.
• Similar squeaky rackets alerted me to a family of Treecreepers also near Merecroft Pool, and a family of Nuthatches in the Peafields/West Extension. Brilliant!
• Although the reed-fringed pond in the Peafields/West Extension nearest to Wychall Road is difficult to see into, a Moorhen flying into it carrying food alerted me to the presence of more chicks in there! I managed to get a peek of the fluffy black chicks coming out of the reeds to eat.
• Still two juvenile Coots on Merecroft Pool, looking quite big now.
• The Great Spotted Woodpecker nest near Merecroft Pool was silent this week, so I think they have fledged and left the nest.
• Likewise for the Grey Herons - I only saw one adult this week on Wychall Reservoir, so the juveniles are probably out exploring their world. 
• Didn't see so many butterflies this week - just Large White.

I was also once again on the lookout for plants for an Identiplant assignment on the Campion family, and was pleased to find one of them - Ragged-Robin - in the lovely marshy area just north of the Merecroft Pool dam.

Ragged-Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi).

Pinehurst Meadow.

Long-tailed Tit.

Juvenile Long-tailed Tit!

Robin.

Robin.

MORE Speedwell fun! Brooklime (Veronica beccabunga).

Grey Heron on Wychall Reservoir.

Two juvenile Treecreepers!

FULL BIRD LIST

Blackbird	Great Crested Grebe	Mallard
Blackcap	Great Spotted Woodpecker	Moorhen
Blue Tit	Great Tit	Mute Swan
Bullfinch	Greenfinch	Nuthatch
Canada Goose	Grey Heron	Robin
Carrion Crow	Herring Gull	Song Thrush
Chaffinch	House Sparrow	Stock Dove
Chiffchaff	Jackdaw	Treecreeper
Coot	Jay	Whitethroat
Dunnock	Lesser Black-backed Gull	Woodpigeon
Goldcrest	Long-tailed Tit	Wren
Goldfinch	Magpie