Sunday 6th July 2014

So today wasn't supposed to be a birding day, I had way too much to do to go out. However, after a tweet of a cuckoo being spotted by Daphne's pool, my plans suddenly changed. 

After managing to find the pool - I usually get lost in this part of the reserve, I lucked out on the cuckoo. It was a couple of hours post tweet, so either moved on, or sitting in a tree laughing at me. Probably the second reason. Not all bad luck though, the reed warbler was still calling away quite happily.

So not a full birding outing today, due to lack of time. 

Weather :- cloudy with sunny spells.

Netherton hill :- 2 grey herons - both sitting in trees behind the pools, chiffchaffs - 2 heard, song thrush, swift and a brief view of a whitethroat. 

Canal :- 2 buzzards soaring over, another 2 chiffcahffs. Mallard with 3 ducklings, 2nd mallard with 6 ducklinga and a domestic duck with 5 ducklings. Moorhen with 2 juveniles. 

Daphe's Pool :- reed warbler heard, another chiffchaff and a coot with a juvenile. 

Insects :- lots of ringlet butterflies (50+), brown hawker dragonfly, lots common blue damselflies, small skippers, small tortie and meadow brown butterflies, comma butterflies and 7 marbled white butterflies. 

Flowers include :- buttercups, red and white clover, foxgloves, tufted vetch and spear thistle.

Marbled white butterfly

Monday 16th June 2014

Weather:- Stared off with blue sky and sunny, but soon went cloudy.

Woods:- All the usual, (if quieter now ), blackcaps, bullfinches, chifchaff, green woodpecker. Great tit nest found and adults feeding. 2 buzzards flying low over, scaring off the woodpigeons. 

Canal:- Same as normal, female blackcap, grey heron and chiffchaffs. Mallard female with 6 duckliongs.

Raza:- very quiet, 14 lesser black-backed gulls, great-crested grebe and 6 coots.

Netherton hill:- chiffchaffs, buzzard, greenfich, amongst the usual. 1 wren seen taking food into scrub.

Lots of flowers including - yellow flags, wood-forget-me-not, waterlily, spear thistle, poppies, celerey head buttercups, herb robert, dog rose, hedge woundwort and foxgloves.

Also lots of insect including - ringlet, speckled wood and large skipper butterflies, red and buff tailed bees and tree bees. Lots of common blue damselflies around.

Mammels - few grey squirrels, 2 goats on canal bank and a fox.

Not sure who was more surprised, him or me.

I've waited ages to get good heron photos before, now have loads.

Monday 5th May 2014

Weather :- Cloudy with sunny spells and some wind.

Woods :- Fairly quiet. Jay put up a brief but good show, nuthatches feeding their young, in the same nest as last year.

Raza :- Again quiet. Coots, male mallards, 3 great crested grebes, herring and lesser backed gulls.

Canal :- more male mallards and 1 female, moorhens and 2 Canada geese.

Netherton Hill :- Female kestrel hunting over the hill till she landed, behind a tree. Thought she had caught something so went for a look, but actually landed on nest. Male blackcap singing well and a whitethroat bobbed out of a tree for a couple of seconds. Several linnets displaying over the gorse - at  least 3 pairs. Grey heron on pools.

Flowers :- include bluebells - thousands of them. You can see why it's listed as one of the best places to see them.

Also herb Robert, cow parslay, red Valerian, cowslip, red campion and giant hogweed.

Insects :- orange tip , small white, peacock, speckled wood and small tortoiseshell butterflies. White tailed, red tailed and tree bees. 

One of the many paths you can explore.

Red Valerian .

Monday 14th April 2014

Weather :- Sunny, warm with a light breeze.

Woods :- Usually bunch around. Great tit posing by the old lodge, Chiffchaffs heard around tabletop and Doulton's Clay Pit.

Raza :- Again the usually lot - mallards, coots, great crested grebe and Canada goose.

Canal :- More mallards and moorhens.

Netherton hill :- Buzzard low over the hill, then chased off by sparrowhawk, then a crow and finally the local female kestrel. Male wheatear showing well.

Insects :- include peacock butterfly, orange tip butterfly and small white butterfly. 

Flowers :- include first of the bluebells, common toadflax, dandelions and yellow archangel.

3rd March 2014

Finally a day off that the weather will allow for decent bird spotting.

Weather:- sunny, warm with a light breeze, turning dull.

Woods :- Usually suspects around, most happily singing away. Greater spotted woodpecker drumming.

Canal :- Again the usual suspects, but 7 moorhen, Canada goose, happily following me along the towpath and every little bird singing there little hearts out. So nice to hear.

Netherton Hill :- Female kestrel hovering over the hill, till she disappeared towards Dudley. Buzzard showing off nicely.

Raza :- 18 coots,3 great crested grebes, (hope they breed again this year) and a mute swan, amongst all the gulls.

Primrose's, snowdrops flowering and Hawthorne started to bud. Spring is finally arriving.

 And a little something to keep you amused.

Saturday 11th January 2014

Weather :- blue, sunny skies but cold nip in the air

Woods :- Usually suspects blue/great and long tailed tits, woodpigeons, carrion crows, etc. Moorhen and male mallard on pool in Doulton Clay Pit.

Reservoir :- mallards, coots, mute swan cygnet, great crested grebe, black-headed gulls and a cormorant.

Netherton Hill :- grey heron by pools bottom of hill. Great-spotted woodpecker flew over. Otherwise magpies, carrion crows, 3 buzzards showing well, goldfinch, robin,blackbirds.

Canal :- 9 moorhens (2 of which looked like last year young), mallards. 5 grey squirrels on the opposite bank. And a flash of blue of a kingfisher flying past. Did what they do best and disappeared, spent ages looking, especially on the way back to the woods. Even with 2 of us looking, just didn't re-appear. 

Marshes :- a quick walk down to the marshes, behind the cattle bridge, showed female bullfinch and more dunnock.

First pink flowers appeared, just haven't identified it yet. 

Someone decided that it was too sunny and speak no evil needed a sun hat.

Looks like a hedge, but actually moss on a tree trunk.