24th-27th November 2010

The last few days have been really cold but also really productive at the lakes, with some cold weather bird movement.

24/11/2010: Heard/saw a Marsh Tit in New Fallings Coppice. 2 Water Rails (!) seen chasing each other at water's edge near southwest corner of Windmill Pool, plus 2 Little Grebes in that area.

25/11/2010: There were 2 male Gadwalls and a male Wigeon at Terry's Pool, plus a Raven over. A Little Grebe was at Windmill Pool in the reeds at the southwest corner.

26/11/2010: Heard/saw a Marsh Tit in New Fallings Coppice again. The male Wigeon was still at Terry's Pool, with 7 Siskins in alders and 2 Ravens over vicinity. A Water Rail (heard), a male Teal and a Little Grebe were at Windmill Pool.
The day got even better as my mom who'd been in Solihull Hospital for a week was alright to come out. Parking my car at the visitor car park, my window was open and I immediately heard Waxwing calls nearby!!! I quickly spotted them at the top of a tall tree at the edge of the car park, next to Grove Road; counted 10 Waxwings there, then they flew over the car park and away, probably to roost. Unfortunately I didn't have my binoculars with me, so definitely want to see more of these erratic winter visitors, which are starting to appear in the midlands in good numbers this winter.

27/11/2010: Another great patch birding day. 2 Mistle Thrushes were along Fulford Hall Road - haven't seen many of these this year. At the lakes, Terry's Pool was completely frozen over, so the other two lakes were hogging everything. Ducks comprised a female Pintail, 2 Goosanders (unusually they landed on Engine Pool briefly but they didn't dive for any fish), 5 Teals, 2 Wigeons, 12 Tufted Ducks and (I counted exactly) 300 Mallards.
Other birds included 3 Lapwings (high over) and 10 Herring Gulls at Engine Pool; plus just 1 first-winter Mute Swan and a Raven (heard overhead) at Windmill Pool, and 6 Stock Doves at one of the Gypsy Lane horse pastures. Highlight though was a Common Snipe, which landed on one of the fishing platforms near the causeway, not far from me and so I was treated to excellent views of it. Made the long walk to Earlswood STW, where saw 2 Meadow Pipits (on filter beds - my first here and long overdue), a Treecreeper and 3 Bullfinches. Walking back along Malthouse Lane saw a flock of c. 20 Lesser Redpolls in trees beside the railway near the bridge (my first decent-sized flock of this species at Earlswood), and 50+ Starlings.

Whilst this weather is proving to be great for bringing waterbirds to Earlswood and concentrates their numbers, making them a little easier to count, I hope it doesn't last too long for their sake.

M.P. Griffiths

16th November 2010

Yesterday evening's talk by Ron Hill was really good, though I was expecting more people to turn up for it.

This afternoon, after many months waiting, finally managed to see more than 2 Kingfishers together today with 4 Kingfishers seen at Terry's Pool - a site record as far as I know. Also present there were 12 Goosanders, and thought I heard a Chiffchaff calling along southwest side but couldn't spot it with my bins. 2 Shovelers at Windmill Pool for second day, along with a Little Grebe.

There was no sign of the Pintail, but Tony Philp saw her yesterday morning, along with 8 Goosanders and about 3 Teals.

M.P. Griffiths

Earlswood wildlife talk

Just remembered I've forgotten to publicise this on here:

Ron Hill, warden of Clowes Wood and New Fallings Coppice, will be giving an illustrated talk entitled “Wild Wonders of Earlswood” at Earlswood village hall on Monday November 15th at 7:30pm. Cost £2.50 (including tea and biscuits).

Unmissable!

13th November 2010

Female Pintail at Terry's Pool this evening, with a Water Rail along southeast side.
M.P. Griffiths

10th November 2010

Redhead Smew at Windmill Pool for a few minutes before flying towards Terry's Pool around 7:50 am.
M.P. Griffiths

20th October 2010

Bingo! New birds at the lakes this morning were both at Terry's Pool, namely a Wigeon, plus an elusive redhead Goosander that might've arrived whilst I was there. A Chiffchaff around Terry's Pool showed well, and there were single Redwings perched around Both Terry's and Windmill Pools. Not much visible migration though.
M.P. Griffiths

Addendum for 19th October 2010

Keith Lovell had a Raven over Windmill Pool during the morning.

16th-19th October 2010

I'll try to keep these posts going!!! Recent highlights:

16/10/2010 = 9 Bullfinches around the lakes was my personal best site count for the species. 1 Wigeon at Terry's Pool and a Lesser Redpoll over Engine Pool. Along the west side of Windmill Pool, I started making whistles like Chiffchaff calls, got a response in one quiet call from amongst the willows and then saw a Phylloscopus warbler, which vanished when I moved my binoculars to my eyes, never to be seen again - late Chiffchaff, I reckoned.

17/10/2010 = Fairly good visible migration in the early morning, with 385+ Woodpigeons, 1 Linnet, up to 3 Rooks, 1 Skylark, 2+ Meadow Pipits, Redwings, and best of all my first definite vis-mig Song Thrush, over in ~90 minutes obervation from the causeway. Moving on to the Springbrook Scrubland, saw a Common Snipe and 60+ Redwings in flight, which were flushed by nearby clay pigeon shooting and dog-walkers. At Terry's Pool, the female Pintail was seen again, plus 3 Teals and 5 Wigeons.

18/10/2010 = Nil of note at the lakes, although I did leave it late visiting.

19/10/2010 = 194+ Starlings at the Hungry Horse field. At the lakes, 5 Mute Swans (family of 4, plus an adult). Just this minute looked out the window and the moon is out, so hopefully something new in at the lakes tomorrow morning... (please!)

M.P. Griffiths

P.S. On the 17th, I checked the canal feeder channel near the engine house, which has been dredged in the last couple of weeks so that now the water and east side are much more open, and much more of the channel can be seen from the gate. I'm quite excited to see how the dredging of the channel will affect lake water levels next year - fingers crossed the water levels will reveal the Engine Pool island for the first time since 2008, and attract some waders. The other feeder channel, easiest to view from Springbrook Lane, was dredged a month ago at least, and already seems to have become more suitable for Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail.
I must thank Tony Philp and Mike Holt who checked Earlswood during the weekend I was away - thank you both. Tony had a Shoveler and 1+ Wigeon at Terry's Pool on the 9th, but these had gone next day; whilst Mike had about 50-60 Redwings in the Springbrook Scrubland (south of Windmill Pool) on the 10th. Some of the photos taken by Tony at the lakes recently:

Wigeons and Mallard, 06/10/2010 (© Tony Philp)

Pochard, 13/10/2010 (© Tony Philp)

15th October 2010

Had a really good morning at the lakes today, with the best sighting being a juvenile Kittiwake (lifer!) at Windmill Pool for several minutes mid-morning, picked out amongst a small group of Black-headed Gulls on the water. Viewed from the sailing club slipway, I last saw it flying to Engine Pool but there was no sign of it by the time I reached the causeway. Also saw a female Pintail at Terry's Pool, and a Dunlin over (viewed from causeway). A Teal was flying around, a Wigeon was heard at Windmill Pool, and a late Swallow and 2 presumed Lesser Redpoll flew over Engine Pool.
M.P. Griffiths

P.S. Kittiwake and Dunlin put me on 111 for my personal 2010 patch year list. Earlswood systematic bird list (link on right) updated.

This Friday & weekend

The weather forecast for this weekend looks really, really good for something unusual turning up at Earlswood, with easterly winds blowing and a little fog in the mornings to ground birds, but can you guess who's not going to be able to cover Earlswood?! Having forgotten that I'd the WeBS to do Sunday, I'd agreed to go camping with a couple of mates in Wales Friday-Sunday and am really worried I'm gonna miss a rarity! I'm even gonna try to sneak half an hour's birding in first light Friday. It would be good if someone could check the lakes this weekend, at least the causeway where Rock Pipit or a tern are possibilities.

Earlswood is long overdue a really good bird, and the last twitchable one was the Grey Phalarope in early October 2007!