Monday 15th November 2010 - Shenstone

I finally got back around the patch today (after my most recent dose of a man cold) and it didn't disappoint. As the morning moved on the mist burnt off leaving clear blue sky and sunshine.

I started at Captains Pool (well... Tony's Cafe to be honest) where the 4 Shoveller (3 drakes) were still present. Also of note on the pool were a Great Crested Grebe and 15 Black-headed Gulls. A tit flock passed through the trees at the edge of the pool and with it was a Goldcrest - not thick on the ground around the patch (I believe last years cold winter didn't help matters).

From Captains pool Tony and I visited the Butts/Back Lane area next. In the large tree next to the pull-in were 2 Corn Buntings looking rather resplendent in the glow of the suns light. C.70 Linnets flew into the same trees as did 2 ♂ Chaffinch and a ♂ Yellowhammer. 25 Skylarks were also noted in this area.

Witch Lane was the next area visited. Whilst traveling down the lane we had a stonking ♂ Sparrowhawk that would perch up on the hedge for a few seconds and then carry on flying low to the road. In the ploughed field were 78 Lapwings, c.300 Starlings, 38 Black-headed Gulls and 2 Common Buzzards. Towards the bottom of Witch Lane, near the former grain store , came the real highlight of today's visit, 5 Corn Buntings perched in one of the trees here. This is the first time I have recorded them in this area of the patch - (in my experience) around Shenstone they tend to be very localised and stick to within a certain radius of the breeding areas pretty much all year long. Needless to say I was pleased with this discovery. Also in the same tree were 3 Yellowhammers (2 ). Seen in the large stubble field opposite were 14 Meadow Pipits, c.20 Linnets, 3 Goldfinch and a number of Skylarks.

Heath lane was almost completely dead with the exception of a single Fieldfare that flew cross the lane and into a Hawthorn. Stanklyn Lane paddocks were also very quiet with the only birds of note being a Rook, 2 Jays and 1 Fieldfare.

The final stop today was as Stanklyn Lane beet field. We undertook a walk around the edge field and recorded C.60 Linnets, 26 Skylarks, 2 Meadow Pipits and 6 Dunnocks. A ♀ Great Spotted Woodpecker was in a tree bordering this field.

All in all it was an enjoyable few hours birding... I just need to find myself that patch Waxwing now!

Shoveller (drake) - Captains Pool, 15th Nov 2010:

Corn Bunting - 15th November 2010:



Linnet - 15th November 2010:



7 comments:

  1. Good to hear about the Corn Buntings Jase.

    So its just me and you that have not had a Waxwing then :-)

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  2. Ha...it appears that way Warren...its only a matter of time.

    The lat time there was a decent invasion year I actually discovered a large flock feeding on the Rowans on the culdesac at the end of our street. There were about 40 birds initially drop in but this increased to 200+ in the following days...so anything is possible!

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  3. Great shot of the Corn Bunting. That is no.3, because I haven't seen any Waxwings either.

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  4. No Waxwings here either, though i've got my eye's on some likely looking trees on my patch. Not that they've ever had a Waxwing on them of course! They should be imminent into West Mids/Worcs in good no.s as they are currently shifting SW as they exhaust berry supplies further N and E. Well thats the theory! And that's if the the Redwings and co. don't see off the berries here first!

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  5. Thanks Bob and welcome to the 'where are these Waxwings?' club.

    Craig, that always is a problem with the thrushes. The biggest offender is the Mistle thrush ...they become feisty and will bully all the other birds away until they have stripped said trees/bushes

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  6. Not wanting to be left out, I haven't had a Waxwing either!
    Nice post Jason, I like the Corn Bunting, another bird I don't see locally.

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  7. Cheers Phil...Welcome to the ever expanding..."No sign yet of these bl**dy Waxwings" club

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