Monday, 3 May 2021

Earlswood all-dayer - Spring 2021

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:
  1. Black-headed Gull
  2. Blackbird
  3. Blackcap
  4. Blue Tit
  5. Bullfinch
  6. Buzzard
  7. Canada Goose
  8. Carrion Crow
  9. Chaffinch
  10. Chiffchaff
  11. Coal Tit
  12. Collared Dove
  13. Common Sandpiper
  14. Common Tern
  15. Common Whitethroat
  16. Coot
  17. Cormorant
  18. Cuckoo
  19. Dunnock
  20. Feral Pigeon
  21. Fieldfare
  22. Garden Warbler
  23. Goldcrest
  24. Goldfinch
  25. Great Crested Grebe
  26. Great Spotted Woodpecker
  27. Great Tit
  28. Green Woodpecker
  29. Greenfinch
  30. Greenshank
  31. Grey Heron
  32. Grey Wagtail
  33. Greylag Goose
  34. Herring Gull
  35. Hobby
  36. House Martin
  37. House Sparrow
  38. Jackdaw
  39. Jay
  40. Kestrel
  41. Kingfisher
  42. Lapwing
  43. Lesser Black-backed Gull
  44. Lesser Redpoll
  45. Lesser Whitethroat
  46. Linnet
  47. Little Egret
  48. Little Ringed Plover
  49. Long-tailed Tit
  50. Magpie
  51. Mallard
  52. Marsh Tit
  53. Mistle Thrush
  54. Moorhen
  55. Nuthatch
  56. Oystercatcher
  57. Pheasant
  58. Pied Wagtail
  59. Raven
  60. Reed Bunting
  61. Ring Ouzel
  62. Robin
  63. Rook
  64. Sand Martin
  65. Skylark
  66. Song Thrush
  67. Sparrowhawk
  68. Starling
  69. Stock Dove
  70. Swallow
  71. Tawny Owl
  72. Treecreeper
  73. Tufted Duck
  74. Wheatear
  75. Willow Warbler
  76. Woodpigeon
  77. Wren
  78. Yellow Wagtail
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
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