Tuesday 8th March 2011 - Shenstone

What a morning! I finally connected with the elusive Shenstone Grey Partridges. All will be explained...

I started my tour on this lovely sunny morning at Witch Lane. As with yesterday it was pretty much devoid of birds. I decided to head up to Back Lane (the one at Shenstone village) next and view across the field where I had seen the Curlew last week. All that was of note was 2 Common Buzzards down on the ground and 21 Fieldfare flew over . I then crossed over the road and noticed a brown shape in the winter wheat. My first thought was that it was a Brown Hare sat down but on getting my scope on it I realised it was just some old rubbish or other. I then carried on scanning the field and then presto! I picked up 2 Grey Partridge (1♂ & 1♀). Although they were only showing just above the cover of the crop at times I still managed to get a few photos (I've attached one at the end of this entry). I was overjoyed and relieved...no longer would Grey Partridge be my 2011 patch bogey bird. A single Meadow Pipit also flew over whilst at this location.

Elsewhere on the patch there were c.200 Linnets at the Stanklyn Lane beet field. Stanklyn Lane paddocks held c.40 Chaffinch, 4 Fieldfares, 2 Redwings, 2 Mistle Thrushes and a Song Thrush. 2 Corn Buntings were also singing along the lane. Heath Lane was quiet with only 2 Mistle Thrushes being of note in the paddock.

The Butts Lane/Back Lane area was again productive with 15 Corn Buntings present along with a number of Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings (JK & John Ridley).

Also, at 3pm today, a Raven flew high over Captains Pool heading WSW (TS).

Grey Partridges - 8^th March 2011:

Monday 7th March 2011 - Shenstone & Churchill

This afternoon, TS & I did a whistle stop tour of the patch.

We started at Captains Pool where one of the Great Crested Grebes was sitting on the nest. Great Crested Grebes can have more than one brood a year so fingers crossed this may be a good year for the Captains Pool pair. Also of note were 2 Mute Swans.

Witch lane was pretty much devoid of birds and Heath Lane was much the same, with the only highlight being a single Common Buzzard sat perched on a hedgerow next to the model aircraft field. Earlier today, a Red-legged Partridge had been seen at Heath Lane(TMH).

Thank heavens for the Back Lane/Butts Lane area where a flock of 15 Corn Buntings were feeding in the stubble. 4 Yellowhammers, 4 Linnets and 4 Stock Doves were also seen at this area.

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Prior to visiting Shenstone I had been a few miles up the road checking out an area called Churchill. Whilst here at approx 2:15pm a flock of 7 Golden Plover flew over heading NE towards Hagley.

Friday 4th March 2011 - Shenstone

A fairly quite day around the patch today...or so it seemed on first inspection. For starters I still haven't connected with the elusive patch Grey Partridges and today I didn't see a single Corn Bunting! All was not lost and the Back Lane/Butts Lane area proved top be the most productive area today.

At the Back Lane/Butts Lane triangle there were 16 Yellowhammers and 8 Reed Buntings present. These birds were feeding on the adjacent stubble and then perching up along the hedgerow. As the sun was shining and the wind was calm I managed to get off some nice Reed Bunting photos which was very pleasing. At 1:00 pm, whilst on Back Lane, I had a Goosander (redhead) fly over from the SE heading towards Stone. This may be the same bird that TMH recorded a couple of days back or just another flyover. There certainly have been good numbers of Goosander a few miles up the road at Hagley...so it could be possibly one of those. 5 Skylarks were up singing along Butts Lane.

Also of note around the patch today were: a Goldcrest at the edge of Stanklyn Wood and a single Redwing in trees by college along Heath Lane. A Common Buzzard and a ♀ Kestrel were also along present in this area.

At Stanklyn lane 90 Linnets (a flock of 40 and another of 50) were present (TMH)

Reed Bunting - 4th March 2011:

Thursday 3rd Mar 2011 - Shenstone & Kidderminster

I've had quite a bit of running around to do today so haven't been able to give the patch my full attention. I did however have a quick whistle stop tour around mid-day.

At the Butts Lane/Back Lane area i recorded 16 Yellowhammers and 3 Linnets. 3 Skylarks were up singing. Heath Lane was desperately quiet with a Common Buzzard being the only bird of note. There were c.70 Wood Pigeons in the paddock (its a sign I'm getting desperate when I start counting Wood Pigeons!) Witch lane was equally quiet.

The highlight of Toddy's visit came from a part of the patch I don't watch as often as I should. I pulled up along at Curslow Lane on the eastern edge of my patch and scanned the large sheep field that runs across from the A450 to Back Lane at Shenstone Village (not the stretch of road also known as Back Lane that joins on to Butts Lane - confusing eh!). On scanning this field I picked up a Curlew that was walking along and probing the ground with its long decurved bill for worms. Typically, as I was setting my camera up, a Buzzard flew across the field and flushed it. The Curlew then flew of towards Witch lane. I was pleased to have picked up this bird as it was my first Curlew on the patch for 2011.

The 3 Shoveller returned to Captains Pool today and a Nuthatch was present in a tree nearby (TS)

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Prior to visiting Shenstone I had walked the dog around the block late morning. I live in quite a built up part of Kidderminster consisting of rows of terraced houses but what I found heartening this morning was the sight of 3 Common Buzzards soaring over Wood Street and a further 2 Buzzards which could be seen soaring over the Franche Road. The increase in this species over the past 15 years is amazing and now days you cant drive a mile or so down a country lane in Worcestershire without seeing one. I certainly never tire of seeing them.

Tuesday 1st Mar 2011 - Shenstone

A Goosander (redhead) was seen flying over the Back Lane/Butts Lane triangle just after mid-day (TMH). This is a great record as usually only one or two days a year there are single birds recorded on Captains Pool. Also of note were c.200 Linnets in the Stanklyn Lane beet field (TMH).

I managed to do a quick whistle stop tour of the patch early afternoon and recorded 10 Corn Buntings, 40 Linnets and 1 Yellowhammer at Butts Lane. Also, 3 Mallard flew over. Heath Lane was fairly quiet a ♀ Kestrel was present at the model aircraft field and 3 Corn Buntings were on the wires at the paddock. A further 7 Corn Buntings were seen along Witch Lane. 2 Skylarks were seen having a 'sing off' and 9 Stock Doves were feeding in the stubble.