A date for your diary

The RSPB Solihull Local Group have announced that there will be a morning walk around Earlswood Lakes and the surrounding woods later this year on Saturday 14th November. Meet at Malthouse Lane car park (see map below) at 10:00 am. Contact details and further info can be found at http://www.rspb.org.uk/groups/solihull/events. I'll put a reminder on this blog closer to the time.

Back in late 2002 or early 2003 (before I got into birding properly), my late Dad and I went on one of these walks with the group around the lakes and we enjoyed it, even though I don't think my Dad had a pair of bins and I may only have had my first pair of bins to take at the time, which have hardly any magnification and are made of metal! Anyway, good times!

M.P. Griffiths

10th July 2009

Having noticed that a good number of Quail have been observed in Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire this year, I decided to have a late afternoon cycle around Earlswood, taking in as many of the area's arable fields as I could in the 70 or so minutes I had available. No Quail was heard, but I hope to have another cycle around in case one visits (one did visit nearby Blythe Valley Park for two days in 2004 so it's not impossible!).

Today's best sighting was outside Earlswood in my village, namely a partially leucistic Jackdaw (most of white on primaries) amongst a flock of 220+ of the species.

M.P. Griffiths

7th July 2009

Another late afternoon visit produced little, though along Spring Brook Lane I saw 3 Grey Herons all flying from near the STW, as well as a raptor that I'm pretty sure was a Sparrowhawk (didn't have a great view of it but noted blue-grey upperside, quite thick wings with wingbeats interspersed with glides) - had thought it might've been a Hobby even though the wings suggested otherwise.

However, the wings of another medium-sized raptor that I saw fly over gardens near mine at c. 9:50 pm (just after I got home in late evening) certainly did suggest the falcon, even though I only saw its silhouette for about a second - wings were long and pointed (like a Swift) and so I'm pretty sure it was a Hobby. Surely the time of day and the fact that I've only seen a Kestrel on one occasion in my village ever further helps confirm this ID?

M.P. Griffiths

6th July 2009

A visit to Earlswood during the late afternoon, with rain on-and-off, produced 25+ Common Terns and the 2 Mute Swans at the lakes; as well as 2 Buzzards, 28+ Swallows, and a Linnet along Spring Brook Lane.
M.P. Griffiths

3rd July 2009

Cycled to Earlswood during the early afternoon and remained there 'til the evening. First stop as usual was the lakes. From the causeway, up to 15 Common Terns (inc. 3 juveniles) were seen at a time along with 18+ Black-headed Gulls. The 2 Mute Swans and a singing Reed Warbler remain at Engine Pool. At Terry's Pool, saw a Kingfisher and a Coot brood of 3, and heard a singing Common Whitethroat. At Windmill Pool, the older Coot brood remains but is minus a chick, and I also saw the same or another Kingfisher, 2 Tufted Ducks and a juvenile Great Crested Grebe (recently flown in). A total of 8 Grey Herons were seen.
I then went to the Sewage Treatment Works, and was rewarded with 8 Grey Wagtails (easily the most I've ever seen) and a Reed Bunting (my first here) on the filter beds, as well as a low-flying Buzzard. Elsewhere in the area, possibly saw a Hobby but it flew straight towards the low-lying sun making it very difficult to watch.
M.P. Griffiths

Red Kite alert
A Red Kite has been reported seen near Portway on June 20th and 30th, and now two days ago (July 1st) at Kings Norton Golf Course. All Worcestershire sightings, but very close to Earlswood! Seems to me that a bird could be hanging around the area, and might venture into Earlswood so keep your eyes peeled!

29th June 2009

Highlight of an evening visit today was seeing a Common Sandpiper at Engine Pool. Also at Engine Pool were the usual 2 Mute Swans and singing Reed Warbler. Some Common Terns were present as usual, and I reckon these are birds breeding at Marsh Lane NR and coming to Earlswood for food, as I've seen birds leaving the lakes and heading in the same direction on a number of occasions now, and none seem to stay for the night. Anyway, I stayed at the lakes quite late this evening and was surprised to see that the last 3 Common Terns didn't leave until 10:06 pm! As it was quite dark when I left the lakes, I decided to check out fields along some of Earlswood's "quieter" roads, hoping for a hunting owl, but only encountered morons behind wheels (chavs shouting abuse at me and some idiot with headlights on full beam driving fast towards me). *sighs*
M.P. Griffiths

28th June 2009

Nothing new seen during an evening visit to the lakes on the bike, just the 2 Mute Swans and a singing Reed Warbler at Engine Pool again. Saw a lone Black-headed Gull at Windmill Pool, which I've noted on one or two previous occasions recently.
M.P. Griffiths

27th June 2009

Went birding with John Yardley elsewhere in Warwickshire, and noted the 2 Mute Swans were still at Engine Pool whilst passing along the causeway.
M.P. Griffiths

26th June 2009

During the early afternoon, set out on my bike during some very light rain and no sooner than a minute or so into the journey the precipitation became rather more heavy. I didn't want to turn back and got a really good soaking as a result. For braving the weather being so foolish, I only saw the 2 Mute Swans and usual Common Terns at the lakes.
M.P. Griffiths

25th June 2009

Cycled to Earlswood during the early morning, and left sometime after midday. My first sighting was a Kestrel along Norton Lane at c. 7:10 am. At the lakes, 2 Mute Swans and a singing Reed Warbler were still at Engine Pool, and I was also able to confirm that there is a Coot brood of 5 at Windmill Pool. I then pedalled along some of the roads to the south and east, observing 13+ Collared Doves, 3+ Coal Tits, a Grey Wagtail and a Goldcrest as I did; best sightings though were along Spring Brook Lane where I had 2 Linnets (my first at this part of Earlswood). Lastly, had a look at the Sewage Treatment Works and saw 2 more Grey Wagtails, 3 Pied Wagtails and a Buzzard over, with 2 Stock Doves nearby, but also saw a man in his company van driving away who no doubt had been to check the works and so I might've missed anything more unusual than what I saw.
On my travels in the area, saw what I believe was an adult Hobby; though it was a quite distant and very brief sighting, I thought I saw the characteristic reddish vent.
M.P. Griffiths