Kings Norton Nature Reserve 27/02/16

On Saturday I was back for a wander around my local patch. This time it was with the Friends of Kings Norton Nature Reserve for their monthly guided walk, so there were a few of us. It was good winter birding weather, calm and cold with sunny spells especially later on.

Here are my highlights; I saw a smashing 42 species in all, of which one was a new one for me at this site, so I've now seen 57 species in total at the reserve.

• This week's new species was a Cormorant, which was clearly thinking about landing in Merecroft Pool as it circled around several times overhead, before deciding not to and flying off.
• Mr Mandarin was still there and this time I had the right camera lens! It helped that he also came very close; he's been associating with the Mallards as Mandarins often do, and as we stood on the bank the Mallards approached us no doubt expecting to be fed. The Mandarin was in tow and followed them onto the bank before walking right up to us, albeit looking a bit confused. No sign of any ring on his legs so I think it's safe to say he's a wild bird and not an escapee from a wildfowl collection.
• Wintery vibes with lots of Redwings and Siskins much in evidence across the reserve.
• A Green Woodpecker flew up from the grass as we entered the West Extension from Popes Lane.
• We saw two Buzzards, one being mobbed by gulls over the West Extension and another soaring further off. I also saw a Sparrowhawk hunting near Wychall Reservoir.
• Only one female Goosander on Merecroft Pool this time, but eight Tufted Ducks and also seven Teal on Wychall Reservoir. 
• A Treecreeper in the trees by the River Rea, seen from the footpath leading towards Wychall Lane going towards Merecroft Pool.
• Not a bird, but a fleeting glimpse of a Muntjac Deer disappearing into the undergrowth in the West Extension. I've only seen their hoofprints here previously so it was nice to see the creature responsible!

The Mandarin Duck.

The Mandarin Duck.

I also spotted some Mistletoe growing on the reserve which was slightly unexpected; I didn't get a very good photo of it but as it's not going anywhere I will try and take a better picture next time! Here are a few scenes of the reserve that I did get.

Just behind the dam at the north end of Merecroft Pool. (HDR)

British Waterways Meadow. (HDR)

The River Rea. (HDR)

The River Rea. (HDR)

An ancient and defunct contraption which presumably used to control water levels in the River Rea, seen from Wychall Lane! (HDR)

FULL BIRD LIST

Blackbird	Great Spotted Woodpecker	Mandarin Duck
Black-headed Gull	Great Tit	Moorhen
Blue Tit	Green Woodpecker	Redwing
Bullfinch	Greenfinch	Robin
Buzzard	Grey Heron	Siskin
Carrion Crow	Grey Wagtail	Song Thrush
Chaffinch	Herring Gull	Sparrowhawk
Coal Tit	House Sparrow	Starling
Coot	Jackdaw	Stock Dove
Cormorant	Jay	Teal
Dunnock	Lesser Black-backed Gull	Treecreeper
Goldcrest	Long-tailed Tit	Tufted Duck
Goldfinch	Magpie	Woodpigeon
Goosander	Mallard	Wren

Redditch Starling murmuration photos

Last Friday I left work a bit early to go and check out the Starling murmuration in Redditch, just south of Birmingham. This flock of Starlings has been gathering every evening over the town centre prior to roosting in a stand of Leylandii next to a multi-storey car park. This means that you can get amazing views of the murmuration (along with a generous sprinkling of Starling guano) from the top of the multi-storey car park - it's car park 2 of the Kingfisher shopping centre for anyone interested in visiting. The Starlings started to gather around 17:00, and finally all poured into the Leylandii at around 18:00. I'm no good at counting flocks like this but there were easily thousands of birds there; not the largest flock but I hadn't seen a proper murmuration before so my mind was still fairly blown! There were quite a few people watching too, many of them non-birders - it was great to see everyone getting so excited about this natural spectacle! I took loads of photos; view them full size for the full impact. There are also quite a few videos on YouTube of the roost. The Starlings will start to disperse for the breeding season soon so get down there quicksharp if you want to see them!

Kings Norton Nature Reserve 21/02/16

On Sunday I was very happy to be back at my local patch for the first time in a few weeks - the previous weekend I'd been both ill and not in Birmingham, and the weekend before that the weather had been truly dreadful! I still wasn't feeling 100% recovered from my illness (which I'd decided with the help of Dr Google was probably a chest infection), but I was determined to see what I could find at Kings Norton Nature Reserve. It was a good trip, assuming that none of my sightings were illness-induced hallucinations! I took plenty of (admittedly dreadful) photos of the best one, to be extra sure ;o)

Here are my highlights; I saw 38 species in all, of which one was a new one for me at this site. I've now seen 56 species in total at the reserve. It was a bit of a wildfowl extravaganza this time around....

• 11 Teal on Wychall Reservoir - as far as I could tell. The marshy nooks and crannies of the reservoir make it a bit difficult to count the Teal, but obviously provide them with some nice habitat!
• Four Goosanders and seven Tufted Ducks on Merecroft Pool.
• Also on Merecroft Pool, TWO male Shovelers - I'd only previously had one there.
• My most unexpected and exciting bird of this trip - a lovely male MANDARIN DUCK on Merecroft Pool! Provenance unknown but it sounds like he'd been doing the rounds of various local sites - I bumped into another birder who said a Mandarin had been seen at Upton Warren in the week, and Adrian (a fellow KNNR patch birder!) spotted a Mandarin in Cannon Hill Park on Monday morning. Most likely all the same bird. We may not ever see the Mandarin at KNNR again but I don't know, there are some very nice overhanging branches and secluded spots around the edge of the pool of the type favoured by Mandarins, I think he should come back ;o)
• A pair of Grey Herons building a nest in an Alder on the island in Merecroft Pool.
• A very large flock of Goldfinches in the bushes around the top end of British Waterways Meadow, with a few Siskins interspersed among them. I watched and listened for ages but couldn't find any Redpolls in there.
• A Sparrowhawk flying over the Paddocks.
• A Buzzard over Wychall Reservoir.
• A Treecreeper in trees along the Rea Valley route, not long after I'd entered from Westhill Road.

Sadly I neglected the West Extension once again - I'd pretty much run out of energy by the time I reached Popes Lane, but am looking forward to getting back to KNNR for the guided walk this Saturday, by which time I am sure I'll be 100% recovered.

Here are a couple of scenes of the reserve from my trip:

Path down the side of the paddocks.

Pinehurst Meadow (HDR) - it was a bit windy for HDRs really, some dodgy alignment in there.

Unfortunately I hadn't brought my zoom lens with me, so could only take some truly dreadful record shots of the Mandarin!

View full size to spot the Mandarin!

View full size to spot the Mandarin!

I also took a few photos of the Herons building their nest, again rather far away:

Grey Herons nesting.

Grey Herons nesting.

The reason I'd left my zoom lens behind was to bring my close-up lens instead, to photograph some plants - I've recently started a new course, Identiplant, which will enable me to develop my botanical identification skills to a more advanced level. At the moment I know quite a few common plants, but this course should equip me with the skills to use a floristic key properly and therefore the ability (in theory) to identify any plant! As part of my first assignment I had to find three monocots in flower; not too hard at this time of year, especially with the warm weather we've been having over much of winter. I don't actually have to take photos of the plants I find for my assignments, but I enjoy doing it and it's a good way to keep records. Here's what I found, hopefully my identifications are correct:

Galanthus nivalis (Snowdrop).

Crocus vernus (Spring Crocus).

Muscari armeniacum (Garden Grape Hyacinth). OK so I cheated a bit, I actually took this photo in our neighbour's front garden when I got home!

FULL BIRD LIST

Blackbird	Goosander	Nuthatch
Black-headed Gull	Great Spotted Woodpecker	Robin
Blue Tit	Great Tit	Shoveler
Bullfinch	Greenfinch	Siskin
Buzzard	Grey Heron	Sparrowhawk
Carrion Crow	Herring Gull	Starling
Chaffinch	Jackdaw	Stock Dove
Coal Tit	Lesser Black-backed Gull	Teal
Coot	Long-tailed Tit	Treecreeper
Dunnock	Magpie	Tufted Duck
Feral Pigeon	Mallard	Woodpigeon
Goldcrest	Mandarin Duck	Wren
Goldfinch	Moorhen

Kings Norton Nature Reserve 30/01/16

I was back at my local patch, Kings Norton Nature Reserve, on Saturday for my weekly stroll. Being full of cold I'd eaten an extra-large lunch and put on all my warmest clothes before setting out, however I still wasn't quite feeling on my A-game so may have missed a few birds this time around! However I still saw 38 species so not too shabby :o) Here are the highlights!

• Mr Shoveler was back on Merecroft Pool, feeding furiously!
• A Mistle Thrush hopping around the Paddocks, only my second sighting of this species at KNNR.
• Some very furtive Lesser Redpolls hiding deep in some bushes near British Waterways Meadow.
• A pair of Goosanders on Merecroft Pool.
• A Kingfisher flying east over Wychall Reservoir.
• Redwing feeding unobtrusively in the mud just to the west of Wychall Reservoir.
• Four Stock Doves flying around the Merecroft Pool area.
• A Treecreeper in the fading light in the area (not open to the public) northwest from Wychall Reservoir.
• Just as I was leaving, a small group (6-8) of Pied Wagtails flying overhead to roost somewhere for the night.

Here are a few photos - just scenes of the reserve, as I was wearing my massive duffle coat for extra warmth, I didn't have enough pocket space for my zoom lens as well!

British Waterways Meadow (HDR, a bit windy).

Next to Merecroft Pool (HDR).

Was pleased with this one of Merecroft Pool - a view I hadn't much experienced before due to the extremely muddy path! (HDR).

West of Wychall Reservoir just after sunset (HDR).

FULL BIRD LIST

Blackbird	Great Tit	Pied Wagtail (yarrellii)
Black-headed Gull	Grey Heron	Redwing
Blue Tit	Herring Gull	Robin
Bullfinch	Jackdaw	Shoveler
Carrion Crow	Kingfisher	Song Thrush
Chaffinch	Lesser Black-backed Gull	Starling
Coal Tit	Lesser Redpoll	Stock Dove
Coot	Long-tailed Tit	Teal
Dunnock	Magpie	Treecreeper
Goldcrest	Mallard	Tufted Duck
Goldfinch	Mistle Thrush	Woodpigeon
Goosander	Moorhen	Wren
Great Spotted Woodpecker	Mute Swan

Kings Norton Nature Reserve 23/01/16

On Saturday afternoon I was back for my weekly jaunt around my local patch, Kings Norton Nature Reserve. The weather was warmer than on my two previous visits; would I see more springtime-type activity from the birds as a result?

I saw 33 species, a bit down on my last couple of visits but there were still some lovely sighting nonetheless :o) Here are the highlights!

• Kingfisher! I'd only seen one here once before, on my very first visit, perched in the middle of Wychall Reservoir. Adrian (who has also recently adopted Kings Norton Nature Reserve as his local patch) had had more sightings than me and told me a certain spot to check - the edge of a reed-fringed pool just about visible from the path, west of Wychall Reservoir. I was heading over there from the West Extension, hoping to see a Kingfisher....however before I'd even got that far I saw one (a male) perching on a twig overhanging the River Rea, just past the weir. He flew off after a little while, and I continued on. I soon relocated him in the spot that Adrian had told me about, hurrah!
• I started at the West Extension this time around, and it was pretty productive. I found at least two Lesser Redpolls feeding on the ground upon the seedheads of fallen willowherbs and umbellifers; they were very quiet and unobtrusive and although I only saw two for sure, I think there may have been a few more in there.
• Also in the West Extension, four Stock Doves feeding on the path in the open grassland area, being closely watched by a cat who slunk off after a while.
• Some nice views of Jay this time, in the West Extension again.
• Just two Goosanders on Merecroft Pool this time; no Shoveler or Little Grebe, maybe because the weather had warmed up?
• A pair of Grey Wagtails, one of them very loudly singing, on the shore of Merecroft Pool.
• Seven Teal on Wychall Reservoir.

Four Stock Doves; cat slowly losing interest.

I also met another member of the Friends of Kings Norton Nature Reserve who was walking her dog near Merecroft Pool; it was nice to chat to her about the reserve, and she showed me another part of the reserve that I'd never worked out how to get into before - a field next to the paddocks where there is a bird feeding station, among other things.

Here are a few more photos - HDR is great for making cloudy skies look extra-dramatic!

The West Extension (HDR).

The West Extension (HDR).

The West Extension (HDR).

The West Extension (HDR).

The West Extension (HDR).

FULL BIRD LIST

Blackbird	Great Tit	Magpie
Black-headed Gull	Grey Heron	Mallard
Blue Tit	Grey Wagtail	Moorhen
Bullfinch	Herring Gull	Robin
Carrion Crow	House Sparrow	Song Thrush
Chaffinch	Jackdaw	Starling
Coot	Jay	Stock Dove
Dunnock	Kingfisher	Teal
Goldcrest	Lesser Black-backed Gull	Tufted Duck
Goosander	Lesser Redpoll	Woodpigeon
Great Spotted Woodpecker	Long-tailed Tit	Wren

Kings Norton Nature Reserve 16/01/16

I took my weekly trip to my local patch, Kings Norton Nature Reserve, last Saturday afternoon. This time I saw or heard 40 species, smashing my previous record of 39 on my last visit! Nothing I hadn't already seen here before; here are the highlights:

• Very frustratingly, I heard what I'm 98% certain was a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker drumming several times, and calling once - but I couldn't see it! It was coming from the vicinity of a large Willow next to Merecroft Pool, at the edge of the paddocks. I'm not awfully familiar with the drum and call of LSW having heard it so infrequently, but the drumming was certainly much less deep and resonant than I would expect to hear from a Great Spotted Woodpecker. It matches well with recordings I've listened to subsequently. Plus if it had been a GSW I think I would probably have been able to see it, given that they are so much bigger!
• The male Shoveler was still present on Merecroft Pool.
• Stock Doves were also once again more in evidence than on most previous visits.
• After losing its mate and being AWOL last week, one of the Mute Swans had returned.
• No Goosanders on Merecroft Pool, but I did see three fly over.
• A Little Grebe was still present on Merecroft Pool.
• I caught a very brief glimpse of a Lesser Redpoll, where I have seen them before - eating seeds from the Phragmites seedheads around Wychall Reservoir.
• Four Teal on Wychall Reservoir. 
• I heard a green Woodpecker from Popes Lane.
• Lovely singing Treecreepers in the West Extension.
• Roosting Redwings settling down for the night in the West Extension.
• Another mammal encounter, also in the West Extension - a smashing Fox who regarded me for some time before setting off on a patrol of the reserve perimeter, all the while keeping one eye on me!

Merecroft Pool just visible through the trees (HDR).

Probable location of the drumming Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - the tallest Willow on the right (HDR).

The Shoveler.

This Coot seemed happy to pose for photos.

I nearly missed out the West Extension again as the light was failing and I was getting a bit cold, but I'm very glad I didn't neglect it this time. The Treecreeper sightings were the best I'd had so far here, I think there were two birds and it was lovely to hear them singing. The Fox was great too, he was just sitting there out in the open, watching as I emerged from the trees. He was quite distant and the light was too bad for photos, so I attempted a couple of (slightly shaky) videos instead!

FULL BIRD LIST

Blackbird	Green Woodpecker	Moorhen
Black-headed Gull	Greenfinch	Mute Swan
Blue Tit	Grey Heron	Nuthatch
Bullfinch	Herring Gull	Redwing
Canada Goose	Jackdaw	Robin
Carrion Crow	Jay	Shoveler
Coal Tit	Lesser Black-backed Gull	Siskin
Coot	Lesser Redpoll	Stock Dove
Dunnock	Lesser Spotted Woodpecker	Teal
Goldcrest	Little Grebe	Treecreeper
Goldfinch	Long-tailed Tit	Tufted Duck
Goosander	Magpie	Woodpigeon
Great Spotted Woodpecker	Mallard	Wren
Great Tit