Shenstone Birder

Sunday 28th October 2012 - Grimley

Today Mark P very kindly picked me up so we could do a spot of birding at Grimley. It comes to something when you have to rely on the hospitality of a Wolves supporter, but needs must when you have no transport!

We arrived at the North end of Camp Lane pits mid-morning and began scanning the area. Soon after we picked up a Kingfisher that flew across the lagoon and perched on a part submerged fence post below where we were stood. Also of note here were 12 Wigeon that were feeding on the grass amongst the Canada Geese on the Eastern side. There was a nice mix of ducks present with the following species also recorded: Gadwall, Mallard, Shoveler, Teal and Tufted Duck.

Whilst we were at Camp Lane there were good numbers of Fieldfare almost continually passing through in varying numbers. The largest flocks consisted of 40 and 80 Fieldfare.

Other birds of note at Camp Lane were 8 Lapwing, 16 Cormorant, 4 Little Grebe, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 22 Mute Swans and a single Greylag Goose.

From Camp Lane we headed to Wagon Wheel Lane pits. This was by far the most productive area and on arrival we were met with c.100 Gulls sat on the back pit. Most were Black-headed Gulls (including one with a lovely pink flush to its chest). There were also 6 Herring Gulls (5 imm. and 1 adult) and 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls present. With them were 2 Common Gulls (1 adult and a 1st Winter bird). The latter was a real highlight as they are not actually that common locally away from the main gull roosts.

Also of interest at Wagon Wheel pits were a cracking Peregrine that performed overhead for a short while, a light-morph Common Buzzard and a Green Sandpiper. A single Song Thrush was also noted on the adjacent bushes.

No scarce/rare species were to be found but an enjoyable couple of hours "steady birding" was had all the same.

Common Gull (1st winter):

Click on image to enlarge

Out of action (for a shortwhile)....

In case any readers of this blog were wondering why there has been a tail off in activity it is due to car woes. On Wednesday last week whilst driving home from doing my voluntary work the gearbox went on my motor. Not only is it a very costly repair it also means that I am without transport until middle of next week at the earliest.

So for the next week I will be spending some time at home doing some of those jobs that always keep getting put off. Will also be hoping to get out once or twice with a couple of my birding friends in a bid to prevent myself going stir crazy.

Normal service will resume.....

Sunday 21st October 2012 - Rifle Range/Devil's Spittleful NR

Today I embarked on a fungi foray with the Mark (Doorstep Birding) at the nearby lowland heath reserve of Devils Spittleful and Rifle Range. The morning started fairly misty but soon cleared as the sun burned through.

We were hoping to see Parrot Waxcap fungi today and pre-armed with a bit of info from the Ranger (Adam) we had a good look but it was to no avail. Still Mark and I did manage to see a good variety of species and it was a pleasant walk all the same.

Whilst on the Devil's Spittleful side of the reserve we noted Brick Tuft, Brown Birch Bolette, The Deciever, Penny Bun, Rosy Bonnet, Scarlet Waxcap and The Sickener. On the Rifle Range side we added Birch Polypore, Meadow Waxcap, Parasol Mushroom, Yellow Brain Fungus and Yellow Stagshorn too the list.

A few birds were noted including a flock of 6 Redwings that flew through heading South East, 2 Ravens, 4 Common Buzzards and a ♂ Kestrel.

The only butterfly recorded was a single Small Copper (and no...I don't mean a vertically challenged policeman!)

All in all another enjoyable walk around another of the local area's excellent reserves, with a good mix of species recorded.

Brick Tuft (Hypholoma lateritium)

Rosy Bonnet (Mycena Rosea)

The Sickener (Russula emetica)

Yellow Brain Fungus (Tremella mesenterica)

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)

Friday 19th October 2012 - Springfield Park & Shenstone

On my way out this morning I decided to pop to Springfield Park in Kidderminster to photograph a particular fungi, the Blue Roundhead. I had been given the heads up by a friend, Cass, who had taken some cracking photos of them there the previous week and decided I would go and have a look at them myself.

The Blue Roundheads were growing on wood chippings that were on the ground surrounding some young trees. I took a few photos of these blue/green slimy capped fungi before embarking on a bit of a walk around the area for a general mooch.

In the trees next to the car park were 4 Siskins were flitting about making a racket (in the way only Siskins can). Also of note was the incredible number of Blackbirds that were present on the scrubby bank to the NE of the car park. There were at least 40+ Blackbirds present in this small area busily feeding. Many of which were 1st winter birds with dark bills and most likely new arrivals from Scandinavia.

As time drew on I decided to hit my local patch and boy what a contrast. It was so quite there that I was half expecting a ball of tumbleweed to blow past me like in the old westerns.

Stanklyn Lane was the most productive area where I noted a single Raven on a pylon, 1 Common Buzzard and a Jay. A single Red Admiral was also recorded.

Heath Lane was just as desperate with the only notables being a single Mistle Thrush in the paddock and a solitary Small Tortoiseshell.

The only positive I could take from this part of the day was the fact that I managed to relocate the Lapwing flock, just off patch, at Podmore. There were 78 Lapwings present in total and there is every chance that they will drift back on patch over coming weeks.

Blue Roundhead (Stropharia caerulea)

Thursday 18th October 2012 - Habberley Valley NR

Today I undertook another local walk looking at fungi and the destination was Habberley Valley nature reserve. Habberley valley is an interesting reserve that contains a mosaic of habitats in a relatively small area. These include lowland heath, grassland, woodland and sandstone cliffs.

On arrival at the carpark I was struck by the number of people here walking there dogs and thought twice about continuing but I did and I turned out to be a very productive walk.

I had a bit of a mooch around the first grassy area I came too left of the road between the carpark and the visitors centre and found small numbers of Scarlet Waxcaps.

It was the wooded slopes that were the most productive however as here I found a number of species including Cep, Common Earth Ball, Ochre Brittlegill and a rather yellow looking example of Velvet Shank (they are normally much brighter orange). Also of interest was the bright orange balls of a Slime Mold (Lycogala terrestre), which initially I thought to have been a fungi.

It's funny how though sometimes when you are out walking looking at certain natural subjects you tend to see other things. Today's highlights were two such things and the came in the form of invertebrates. The first was a ♂ Vapourer moth that flew past me and landed on the leaf litter. The other was a Cream-spotted Ladybird that was perched on some fungi. The latter being a new species for me.

All in all a really enjoyable mooch around a local reserve that I have overlooked in the past but will certainly return to in the future!

♂ Vapourer Moth