Friday 19th November 2010 - Shenstone

Having been otherwise engaged the past few days and unable to get around the patch, I decided that regardless of the weather conditions I was gonna have a tour around all the same.

I arrived at Stanklyn Lane late morning and there was some serious mist/fog in the air , needless to say visibility was restricted. I started by walking the paths around the beet field. c.100 Linnets were perched up in the large tree in the centre of the field. c.80 Starlings were in the stubble towards the top of the field as were c.40 Wood Pigeons. Also seen in the beet field area were 14 Long-tailed Tits, 5 Dunnocks, 1 Meadow Pipit and a ♂ Kestrel. Stanklyn Lane paddocks were very quiet with only 2 Mistle Thrush and a single Goldfinch of note.

From Stanklyn I headed over to the Butts Lane/Back Lane triangle. 3 Corn Buntings and a Linnet were perched in one of the trees along Butts Lane. A Common Buzzard was seen perched in its usual spot in the trees behind Stone Manor. The flight call of a Pied Wagtail and those of a number of Skylarks were also heard here. Whilst in this area I decided to scan the berry laden row of Pyracantha at the top end of the triangle - well there could have been a Waxwing! There wasn't of course but perched on a fence post between some of the bushes was a nice Sparrowhawk.

Heath Lane was almost devoid of birds with the exception of a flock of 25 Linnets perched on the telegraph wires next to the paddock. 5 House Sparrows were seen bathing in a puddle at the top of the lane next to The Granary Hotel.

By this time the sun was starting to burn through the mist allowing for a period of clearer skies and better visibility. I popped over to Witch Lane to scan the fields. Only 4 Lapwings were seen in the now seeding up field, along with c.70 Starlings, 6 Black-headed Gulls and a Buzzard. A single Cormorant was also seen flying over and dropping down at the nearby Winterfold Fisheries.

Sparrowhawk - 19th November 2010:

Additional Note: The Shoveller numbers have fluctuated over the past few days at Captains Pool with a drake present on the 17th, 2 drakes and a ♀ on the 18th and a single drake again today (TS).