Shenstone odds & ends

My apologies for not keeping the blog updated over the past week - things have been a little hectic but normal service will now resume. I have a couple of entries that will follow this post but for now, here is a round up of sightings on the patch from fellow local birders:

• A ♂ Siskin was present at Captains Pool on Saturday 12th March (TS)

• A Shoveller was present on Captains Pool on Monday 14th March & a Chiffchaff was heard calling along Heath Lane (TS)

• A Comma butterfly was seen (just off patch) in garden near Captains Pool on Thursday 17th March (TS)

• 2 Curlew were present in a stubble field along Witch Lane in the morning on Saturday 19th March (TMH)

• A Brimstone Butterfly was seen at Captains Pool on Saturday 19th March (TS)

Sunday 13th March 2011 - Shenstone

A somewhat quieter day around the patch today. No sign of any passage Stonechats here as of yet but today did herald the arrival of my first Chiffchaff of the year. With this individual 'wheating' away in the trees next to the Islamic school on Heath Lane. A Pied Wagtail and 2 Mistle Thrushes were on the ploughed section of the model aircraft field.

Winter thrush numbers are still decreasing with no Redwings seen today and only 3 Fieldfares present at Stanklyn Lane paddocks. A flock of c.120 Linnets was still present at the beet field and 12 Chaffinch were also in the area.

8 Corn Buntings were recorded around the patch today with 5 at Butts Lane, 2 at Heath Lane and a singing individual at Stanklyn Lane. 2 Yellowhammers were also seen at Butts Lane.

Skylarks were up singing in many parts of the patch.

No sign of my first butterfly of the spring yet but there certainly seem to be increasing numbers of Bumble Bees about.

Fieldfare - 13^th March 2011:

Saturday 12th Mar 2011 - Shenstone

I started today's visit at Captains Pool. Being a weekend there was a fair number of fishermen here so it was pretty quiet. I did however take the opportunity to take some photos of the Great Crested Grebe sitting on the nest. I would like to thank the owner of a property there who very kindly allowed me to go on his land and take a few shots from the water's edge. Whilst at Captains I could hear a Raven kronking away but couldn't see the bird.

At the Stanklyn Lane paddocks there were 3 Fieldfare, 1 Jay and 2 Common Buzzards. 3 Skylarks were up singing in the gallops field and a Meadow Pipit flew over. Further down the lane, the beet field held 12 Chaffinch, a Song Thrush and a singing Skylark.

The Butts Lane triangle again had the highest concentration of buntings with 11 Corn Buntings and 14 Yellowhammers feeding in the stubble. Another Corn Bunting was perched up in a tree singing on the opposite side of the triangle and I managed to record some video footage of this bird (see video at end of this entry). A flock of 10 Linnets and 2 Common Buzzards were also seen in this area.

Witch Lane was to thrushes what Butts Lane was to buntings with c.80 Fieldfare, 1 Redwing and a Mistle Trush recorded. 20 Starlings were also present.

Great Crested Grebe on nest - Captains Pool:


Corn Bunting singing - Butts Lane:

Thursday 10th March 2011 - Shenstone

I decided to walk a different part of my patch today and took the footpath that runs across the field next to Stanklyn Wood (near the Stone side of Stanklyn Lane). Believe it or not in the 4 or so years that I've regularly been doing this area as my local patch I've never walked this path. On following the path it takes you down to a small brook/gutter and a footbridge the path then heads across another ploughed field to the A448 and the most northern boundary of the patch. I'm glad I did walk it though as I saw my first few Lesser Celandine of the year in flower along the gutter. There was also a flock of 9 Siskins (4♂) in the Alders here and a Grey Heron flew over and dropped in at the nearby Stanklyn Pool.

The next area I visited was the Butts Lane triangle. The bunting numbers were down on yesterday's count, but then the flocks should be disbanding about now as individual birds set up territories. In total I recorded 8 Corn Buntings and 14 Yellowhammers. A ♀ Kestrel was also present.

I then decided to pay a visit to Back Lane (Shenstone Village) to see if there was any sign of Grey Partridge. As with yesterday's visit there were none to be seen. There were however 3 Common Buzzards up soaring and 2 Ravens down on the ground in the large sheep field.

Heath Lane paddock was empty and I didn't fair much better at the model aircraft field with c.300 Wood Pigeons and a single Buzzard being the only birds of note.

My final destination was Stanklyn Lane paddocks where 26 Fieldfare, 1 Redwing, 2 Mistle Thrush, 2 Stock Doves and a ♂ Green Woodpecker were present. Incidentally, if anyone was wondering how to tell the difference between male and female Green Woodpeckers, it is by checking the colour of its malar stripe (the bit that looks like a moustache). In a female this is a solid black stripe and in a male it is red with a black border. That concludes today's lesson ;-)

Green Woodpecker - 10^th March 2011:


Lesser Celandine - 10^th March 2011:

Wednesday 9th March 2011 - Shenstone

I started today's visit at a very quiet Witch Lane. The only birds of note were a pair of Kestrels down the bottom of the lane near the former grain stores. Hopefully they will breed in this area.

My next port of call was the Butts Lane/Back Lane triangle. Again it was Bunting central here with 16 Corn Buntings, 20+ Yellowhammers and 2 Reed Buntings feeding in the stubble. Also seen in this area were 3 Skylarks, 20 Linnets and a ♀ Kestrel.

Heath Lane paddock held 2 Mistle Thrushes, 8 Redwings, 7 Fieldfares and 2 Goldfinch. A single Corn Bunting was on the wires. A Pied Wagtail flew over the model aircraft field heading NE.

There were c.120 Linnets still present at the Stanklyn Lane beet field. The farmer has now started harvesting the beets so the Linnet flock will probably move on. 12 Chaffinches and a Common Buzzard were also seen at this location.

My final stop off was at Stanklyn Lane paddocks where 37 Fieldfare, 3 Redwing, 40 Starlings and a Green Woodpecker were present.