Well, with the easing of COVID restrictions, this year's Earlswood spring all-day birdwatch went ahead, which was a massive relief after we weren't able to do one last spring due to the first lockdown. The all-dayer took place last Saturday (May 1st), and I'm very pleased to say that we set a new record for the highest number of bird species found during a single day at Earlswood, with a total of 78 bird species found by the team! A fantastic result, and following our highest ever autumn total on patch last year! Our previous highest total ever was 77 species during the all-dayer in spring 2016.
Species totals for previous spring all-dayers have been as follows:
2019 - 64 spp
2018 - 64 spp
2017 - 65 spp
2016 - 77 spp
2015 - 65 spp
Like the autumn all-dayer last year, a large proportion of Earlswood's birders took part. Also, at the lakes, the habitat is excellent at the moment with a lot of exposed shore at all three pools (including Terry's Pool for the first time in living memory), plus there are some path and road closures which appear to have reduced human visitor numbers in general to the area, coupled with the easing of national travel restrictions allowing people to go elsewhere, encouraging birds like waders to stick around. I think these are the main reasons why we got such a brilliant result, despite there being limited signs of bird migration!
The star birds on the day were two long-stayers, both of which had been present for some days: a female Ring Ouzel at Manor Farm and a Greenshank at Engine Pool. Other highlights included a very late flock of 27 Fieldfare at Springbrook Farm, a female Wheatear at Engine Pool, up to 6 Yellow Wagtail at Windmill Pool, and a Hobby over Earlswood Common. Probably for the first time ever on a spring all-dayer, we didn't record Mute Swan as the local pair are nesting outside the patch area. Another miss was Sedge Warbler, one of which had been at Spring Brook Scrubland for some days prior.
A great effort by the team, which comprised John Bishop, Jon Chidwick, Brian Earl, myself, Ash Grove, Yvonne Heward, Bill Ingham, Janet James, Mike Jeeves, Pete Morgan, John Oates, Joe Owen, Tony Philp, John Sirrett and Jim Winsper - thanks to all for their participation in the field. Further thanks to John Sirrett for collating the species list on the day. The full list was as follows:
- Black-headed Gull
- Blackbird
- Blackcap
- Blue Tit
- Bullfinch
- Buzzard
- Canada Goose
- Carrion Crow
- Chaffinch
- Chiffchaff
- Coal Tit
- Collared Dove
- Common Sandpiper
- Common Tern
- Common Whitethroat
- Coot
- Cormorant
- Cuckoo
- Dunnock
- Feral Pigeon
- Fieldfare
- Garden Warbler
- Goldcrest
- Goldfinch
- Great Crested Grebe
- Great Spotted Woodpecker
- Great Tit
- Green Woodpecker
- Greenfinch
- Greenshank
- Grey Heron
- Grey Wagtail
- Greylag Goose
- Herring Gull
- Hobby
- House Martin
- House Sparrow
- Jackdaw
- Jay
- Kestrel
- Kingfisher
- Lapwing
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Lesser Redpoll
- Lesser Whitethroat
- Linnet
- Little Egret
- Little Ringed Plover
- Long-tailed Tit
- Magpie
- Mallard
- Marsh Tit
- Mistle Thrush
- Moorhen
- Nuthatch
- Oystercatcher
- Pheasant
- Pied Wagtail
- Raven
- Reed Bunting
- Ring Ouzel
- Robin
- Rook
- Sand Martin
- Skylark
- Song Thrush
- Sparrowhawk
- Starling
- Stock Dove
- Swallow
- Tawny Owl
- Treecreeper
- Tufted Duck
- Wheatear
- Willow Warbler
- Woodpigeon
- Wren
- Yellow Wagtail
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| Greenshank, Black-headed Gull and Tufted Ducks at Engine Pool, 01/05/2021 (Brian Earl) |
Within the West Midlands as a whole, a total of 33 sites participated in the all-dayer on the same day. Earlswood fared quite well again! Well done to all who took part, and thanks to Phil Andrews who has once again collated the following results:
103 - Branston GP
103 - Ladywalk
101 - Middleton Lakes
97 - Grimley
93 - Belvide
91 - Upton Warren
91 - Chasewater
84 - Marsh Lane
83 - Dairy Farm
81 - Sandwell Valley
81 - Venus Pool
78 - Earlswood
76 - Coney Meadows
76 - Doxey Marshes
75 - Alvecote
75 - Whitemoor Haye
75 - Stoke patches
74 - Coombe CP
73 - Highgate Common
73 - Sutton Park
69 - Coventry patches
67 - Morton Bagot
67 - Puxton Marsh
67 - Salford Priors GP
63 - Wyre Forest
63 - Northwick
62 - Smestow Valley
62 - Edgbaston Reservoir
60 - Halesowen patches
57 - Little Aston
54 - Avon Meadows
50 - Babbs Mill
48 - Kings Norton
Further details for each patch may be posted later on.
Matt
