21st January 2013 - Somewhat out of action....

Just before the recent cold snap hit I had decided to de-silt the pond and do a bit of tidying up around the garden.  Unfortunately I twisted my knee and for the best part of a week it has been fairly painful.  That said yesterday it was feeling a little better and with the roads clearing I decided to drive to Stanklyn Lane and do a short walk across the fields to Captains Pool and back.  I took it steady and was fine...or so I thought.  

On returning home I got out of the car and my knee just buckled causing incredible pain.  Today it is swollen and quite painful so I have decided to rest up for a few days and just do a bit of garden birding.  

Hopefully it will clear over the next few days else a trip to the quacks may be in order...so to keep the posts coming here is yesterday's sightings:

 Monday 21st January 2013 - Shenstone:
On arriving at Stanklyn lane I was greeted by the sight of a sizeable flock of 106 Fieldfares flying over heading SE.  Nearby a Common Buzzard flew across the gallops fields and perched up on an electricity pylon.  2 Fieldfares perched at the edge of the paddocks

Along the footpath to Captains Pool were 4 Fieldfares, 14 Chaffinch, 3 Greenfinch and a handful of Tits (excuse the pun!).  A single Jay and a Dunnock were also noted.

Captains Pool was 3/4 frozen with a small amount of free water near the dam where very Canada Geese and Mallards were the only species noted.  On the ice itself were 46 Black-headed Gulls which went up twice when a ♀ Sparrowhawk flew over the pool.

One of the highlights of the walk was hearing a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming from the adjacent wooded area, the first one I have heard this year.  Also of note in this area were 2 Coal Tits and a Nuthatch.

The Alders that surround Captains Pool were seemingly alive with Goldfinches and Siskins and, in one particular tree I located 3 Lesser Redpolls.  One of which was a stunning adult male!

Heath Lane was very quite and not very easy to drive along due to the ice and compacted snow.  The only bird of note here was a single Goldcrest flitting around in the Holly next to the paddock.

Black-headed Gull - 21st January 2013















Common Buzzard - 21st January 2013


10 comments:

  1. Get better soon Jase. That Buzzard is watching you. My wife saw a flock of "hundreds" of Fieldfare in a tree at the back of us on Monday morning.

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  2. Cheers Mike. There certainly seems a lot of Fieldfares about at the mo!

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  3. Its a shame about your Knee jase. Get well soon!

    I too have noticed large numbers of Fieldfare moving on the weekend, with around 150+ over going south on Saturday morning!
    MB

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  4. Oh dear mate, seems were both in the wars! Nothing more frustrating than a keen birder laid up at home climbing the walls! Get well soon mate!

    Regards

    Keith

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  5. Hope you get your knee sorted Jase.

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  6. Cheers Craig. I'm just gutted because I need Common Crane for my county list and would have gone to Clifton pits if I was up to it! I wwould have prob popped to Grimley after for the Smew too. There has been some good bird movements locally and I've missed out....this time ;-)

    Thanks Keith, I know its bloody frustrating. Hope you are recovering ok? On a positive note at least we aren't laid up during spring migration!!!

    Cheers Deano...I'm sure it will be ok after a few days rest (I hope)...otherwise my garden will be my patch too for a while!

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  7. Ouch! That does sound painful Jason. I hope it gets better soon. I couldn't help thinking when I read the Boatbirder's comment that you couldn't actually 'climb the walls' at the moment even if you wanted to!

    Nice to know you heard the woodpecker drumming. We have more snow again here so it's good to be reminded that Spring isn't too far away.

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  8. Thanks Jan...it feels slightly less painful today so fingers crossed that this resting up malarky is working! Haha...love the walls analagy by the way!

    As for Spring...the sooner the better in my books :-)

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  9. I hope you are well on the mend now Jason and will soon be out and about birding again in pleasanter conditions once the thaw takes hold!

    I had a drive to Brake Mill Pool early in the week, Stakenbridge Road was ok but once on the road to the Pool it was shall we say a little dicey, I turned my car around (cautiously) by the bridge and headed straight for home as the road was like an ice rink!

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  10. Cheers Pam...it seems to be a bit better today spo hpefully on the mend. The rain over coming days should wash away any remaining snow

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