Tuesday 5th January 2021 - Stanklyn and Stone

Today I decided to undertake an exercise walk along Stanklyn Lane and up/back down Heath Lane.  The fields were still had quite a covering of snow and the conditions were quite cold and icy.

Stanklyn Paddocks, 5th January 2021

Surprisingly there was little of note in the fields along Stanklyn Lane but Heath Lane proved to be more productive.  A Fieldfare was feeding on the fallen crab apples along the roadside and along the hedgerow at the model aircraft field there were 2 Corn Buntings and C.60 Linnets present.  Whilst at the aircraft field a cock Pheasant flew in and perched majestically on a snow covered manure pile.  I took a quick photo as, with the backdrop of a distant snow covered Titterstone Clee Hill in the background you could be forgiven for thinking you were somewhere completely different.

Pheasant and a view across to Titterstone Clee Hill

Past the grounds of the Islamic School there was a small number of Carrion Crows feeding in the field.  Along side them was a single Raven.

Raven - Heath Lane, 5th January 2021

Ravens have increased significantly locally and when I was writing posts for Shenstone Birder first time around they were just occasional fly over birds on the patch that I would pick up as they flew over making their trade mark 'kronking' call.  Nowadays there is at least one resident pair their and it's very rare I visit without seeing one or both of them.   I have attached a video below of one of the Ravens perched up kronking away that I took along Heath Lane back in December 2020.

Raven - Heath Lane, 20th December 2020