At last!
Well you will all be glad to know that after my severe bout of Brummie flu, ive managed to open this years Birding season with a visit outside of the Garden, and into the wilds of the Tame Valley.
Kingsbury and its surrounding area is a special place for me, its where i did a lot of my early birding, and its the place where i found my first Otter. Its a magnificent place with a lot to find, which if you take the trouble to explore, you usually tend to do so.
Theres always something of interest to see, and thats only at the well watched areas. Im sure lots more goes unfound, but its such a large area to cover, with a myriad of differing habitats and footpaths.
Our first port of call was to Coton Water and Lea Marston Balancing lakes. Now if i remmember rightly, you use to be able to access Lea Marston via a public footpath that took you towards the Village and Whitacre Heath. Not any longer it seems, since the PUBLIC footpath that once existed, is no more....well its there, but i guess it now belongs to severn trent, or should i say, they think it does?.
Anyways to the Birds!
Four Scaup were found with great difficulty on the far side of the Balancing lakes, amongst the multitude of Tufted Duck, and a Little Egret flew overhead and landed at Coton.Other than a few Wigeon and Pochard, not a lot could be seen, which is a shame. Next time im going to try that missing footpath...if i can.
Coton was better, and we concentrated our efforts around the hide, to save time. A wisp of around seven Snipe was located at the Waters edge and immeadiatly in front of the Hide.Plenty of Wildfowl around, mostly Tufties, with a few Pochard here and there. A couple of Bullfinches were along the footpath, the male looking really cool in the morning sunlight.
The Water Park proved to be quite interesting, and provided the days star Bird, more on that in a bit!
Parking at Broomey Croft, we made our way towards Cliff Pool. On our way, we found a gorgeous Grey Wagtail foraging along the waters edge of one of the Islands. A Kingfisher was found hiding in cover, in front of the hide.Plenty of Wildfowl included four Goldenye, loads of Teal and a few shoveler.
Lapwings and Cormorants were resting on the Islands, and a Common Buzzard took flight froma nearby tree. A few Fieldfare werepassing through overhead, a couple alighting on top of a distant Tree.
Signs of Otters were found along the Canal and near to the Sita Hide, as were Muntjac Deer tracks. A Kestrel was hunting around Richards meadow, when the days star bird arrived, though very fleetingly, in the shape of a lovely Ring-taled Hen-Harrier which flewin low to roost.
There are rumours of two Birds being present, which is very plausible. Last year, in the same area, we swear there were two differnet birds present, because as the Bird flew over the distant trees after quatering the Meadow, a few seconds later, what appeared to be the same bird, flew in from a different location. For it to get their so quick was strange, but some obsevers swear it was a female and not the imm male that was present seconds earlier. So these rumours are not new.
Anyways, with the weather now closing in, we decided to get back to the Car, witnessing several skeins of Grelags flying overhead.
List for the day.
Little Grebe, Great-crested Grebe, Cormorant, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Greylag Goose,
Mallard, Gadwall, Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler, Shelduck, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Scaup,
Goldeneye, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Moorhen, Coot, Buzzard, Hen-Harrier, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Blk-headed Gull, Les Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Stock Dove, Kingfisher, Pied Wagtail. Grey Wagtail, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin, Mistle Thrush, Fieldfare, Blackbird, Dunnock, Wren, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch,
Bullfinch, Lapwing, Snipe.
Next week is Portland, so things should pick up very sweetly!
