6th January 2009

I wasn't sure whether to go to Earlswood or stay at home in the warm today. However, whilst in my Tidbury Green garden I saw 3 adult swans fly over (probably from Edgbaston) heading towards the lakes at c. 12:55 pm, so Earlswood it was. Along Norton Lane, I saw 2 Lapwings in a field near Ambleside Garden Centre and 3+ Goldfinches. At the lakes, I found the 3 swans, which were all Mute Swans, at the only unfrozen part of Windmill Pool. All three had been ringed (orange ALD, orange H29, yellow 8NA) and I'll be reporting them to the BTO later. They left during the late afternoon.

Waterbirds at Windmill Pool (both © M.P. Griffiths)

At c. 2:50 pm, I saw a Kestrel fly over Windmill Pool and then, after briefly hovering, it swooped down on to the grass at the side of the Malthouse Lane causeway and then flew off, I believe with something in its talons. Also at the lakes were 12+ Tufted Ducks, 1 Greylag Goose, 50+ Black-headed Gulls and still just 1 Great Crested Grebe.

Waterbirds at Engine Pool (both © M.P. Griffiths)

Preliminary map of the Earlswood area
I've now replaced the Wigeon photo with an OS map of the area covered by this blog. It's "preliminary" because it doesn't actually show the boundaries of the area, but I've drawn red circles around people's properties that have an Earlswood address to give an idea of the area's extent. I've also added the boundaries of Earlswood Moathouse NR. Earlswood birders are welcome to download/print this map for use in the field, describing where they've seen a bird, etc.

M.P. Griffiths