Saturday 9th October 2010 - Shenstone (patch first!)

On the face of it things seemed to had seemed to have quietened down a little today, but by the end of my visit around Shenstone I ended up feeling more than happy.

I started by checking the Butts Lane/ Back Lane triangle and observed 8 Meadow Pipits flyover heading S. Also present, in one of the stubble fields were c.150 Wood Pigeons.

c.200 Starlings and a gathering of 90 mixed Corvids (Rooks/Jackdaws) were in the gallops field along Stanklyn Lane. 2 Meadow Pipits flew over heading S and 4 Skylarks flew SW. Goldcrests and Long-tailed Tits were heard calling from Stanklyn Wood (privately owned) and c.100 Wood Pigeons were in the stubble next to the beet field. Also of note along Stanklyn Lane were 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 1 Jay and a single Goldfinch.

Heath Lane was pretty much a right off due to the usual weekend disturbances...model aircraft, dog walkers etc. I quickly moved on to Witch Lane.

Witch Lane seemed unbelievably quite not a Gull, Lapwing, Linnet or Pipit in sight, all that was present was 2 Grey Herons and a Kestrel. Then after about 45 minutes I could see 4 reasonably small looking geese coming towards me from the West. As they got closer I could make out their all dark brown heads, short necks and short bills. As they went past I could clearly see the dark underwings and I was treated to a couple of there short fairly high pitched honks, they were Pink-footed Geese - a patch first! The fruits of my local patch labours had paid off again....I had best not get too used to this with all those uneventful cold winter days yet to come.