Monday 17th January 2012 - Shenstone, Pirton & Grimley

Today TS and I decided to go out and about in Worcestershire.

We started our rounds at a 3/4 frozen Captains Pool where I picked up a patch year tick in the form of a drake Shoveller.  Later in the day, when I dropped Tony back home, I picked up another...a ♀ Wigeon had decided to visit the pool.  A Jay was also noted in the trees at the back of the pool.

Also of note on our skirt through the patch were 30 Fieldfare and 2 Grey Herons along Witch Lane.  The one Heron was in the middle of a field and the other, rather curiously was stood under a hedgerow. 

♀ Wigeon - Captains Pool

















From the patch we drove just South of Worcester to Pirton Pool.  This is the site where a party of  4 Bewicks Swans stayed for a number of weeks in December and is a very underwatched site.

The pool itself was only about  1/4 frozen and there were good numbers of wildfowl present.  Although there was nothing unusual there it was good to see such  a variety of birds.  These included 3 Shelduck, c.100 Wigeon, c.60 Gadwall, 37 Teal, 1 ♀ Pochard, 46 Mute Swans and 44 Greylag Geese.   A Great Spotted Woodpecker could be heard 'drumming' from the nearby woodland.

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From Pirton we headed back via Grimley.  There was no sign of the Golden Plovers in the fields opposite Top Barn but 40 Lapwing were still present. 

At Wagon Wheel Lane we recorded  2♂ Bullfinch, 1♂ Reed Bunting, c.60 Chaffinch, 3 Goldfinch, c.30 Pied Wagtail, 1 Song Thrush, 2 Lapwing and a Sparrowhawk.  Wagon Wheel pits were not at all frozen yet were almost devoid of birds but for 1♂ Pochard, 1♀ Tufted Duck, 2 Mute Swans, 20 Black-headed Gulls and 4 Pied Wagtails that were bathing near the inlet.

Camp Lane pits were 1/2 frozen but still held 3 Little Grebe, 2 Shoveller (1♂), c.30 Teal, c.30 Wigeon, c.40 Gadwall, 86 Canada Geese, 8 Black-headed Gulls and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.  14 Meadow Pipits were flushed from the field on the East.   

Common Buzzard, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Redwing, Fieldfare, Green Woodpecker, Reed Bunting and 2 flyover Cormorant were also noted from the causeway.

4 comments:

  1. A fair mini tour there Jase, picked up a good selection of what the month has to offer

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  2. I could do with a Wigeon, Jason. Not had a visit from one this winter. Still time though.

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  3. Only ever had one Wigeon on my patch in over ten years Jase, surley one is due again :-)

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  4. Mark - Yeah it was, but there isnt a lot doing at the mo so I thought I would go to a couple of sites for wildfowl.

    Dean - There is always a chance of one

    Warren - This is only the second occasion I have ever recorded Wigeon on my patch. I had a pair on Captains back in 2009. So they certainly arent common on these small fishing pools that we have on our respective patches

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