Tuesday 30 October 2012

28-10-12

With autumn coming and the clocks going back I was up at 05.00, a tad early and eager for a bit of sunlight to get out.  Todays plan, Whitemoor Haye and then a few more sites which I would like to put in the away day tab but unable.  If anyone can help then feel free.
Birds noted at Whitemoor haye.
Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Carrion Crow, Canada Geese, Woodpigeon, 226 Lapwing, 8 Mallard, Grey Heron, Wren, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black Headed Gull, 18 Wigeon on the main lake plus another 30 flying over, Chaffinch, 21 Pochard, Pied Wagtail, Magpie, 60+ Linnet around the site, 51+ Redwing, Jackdaw, several Meadow Pipits around, 17 Fieldfare, Great Tit, Starling, 50+ Goldfinch, 25 Stock Dove, a few Tree Sparrow, 37+ Skylarks, Moorhen, Greylag Geese, 57 Mute Swan, 8 Yellowhammer and a few Long-tailed Tits.

Saturday 27 October 2012

27-10-12

16th of October was my 100th visit to Whitemoor Haye this calendar year so during the long autumn nights I have already counted up my sightings as no calculator needed to work out the percentage.  Results are:-
1st - Wren, 94%
2nd - Carrion Crow, 93%
3rd - Woodpigeon, 92%
4th - Robin, 89%
5th - Mute Swan, 86%
6th - Black Headed Gull, 85%
7th - Mallard, 83%
8th - Tree Sparrow, 81%
9th= - Pheasant
9th= - Magpie
9th= - Linnet
9th = Yellowhammer.
13th - Lapwing, 76%

On to todays birding and my plan was to bird between dawn and 11.00 before my flu jab at 11.05 then I was popping off to work for a couple of hours but on the way to Whitemoor Haye I decided to pop to Croxall GP to take a look.  Once I had finished there I had about 30 minutes to kill so i checked out the pool, couldnt look in the small wood on the opposite side of the road as a local shooter was preping the wood to feed up the Pheasants so he can shoot them, then had a quick drive along the rough track, checked out the mound behind Sittles farm then i went home to be jabbed.  Birds noted were about 400 Fieldfare flew over on driving to the pool, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Robin, Magpie, Pheasant, Blackbird, circa 300 Lapwing, Goldfinch, 20+ Skylark, Wren, Meadow Pipit, Dunnock, a single Little Owl, about 100 Mute Swans, 3 Golden Plover, Lesser Black-backed Gull, 9 House Sparrows having a bath by the entrance to Sittles farm, a few Mallard on the old pig field, Long-tailed Tit and a single Stock Dove over.  

Friday 26 October 2012

28-9-12 to 26-10-12

I have been slacking on blog postings recently so I will catch up with a brief write up from each day to present (26-10-12).

28-9-12.
Carrion Crow, Blackbird, 2 Mute Swan, Linnet, 29 Coot, Black Headed Gull, Swallow, 27 Mallard, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 47 Shoveler, Woodpigeon, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Robin, Magpie, Blue Tit, Canada Geese, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wren, Pied Wagtail, 12 Tree Sparrow, 90 Lapwing, 2 Stock Dove, Dunnock, Yellowhammer, Meadow Pipit, Buzzard, Goldfinch, 4 Mistle Thrush, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, Starling, Cormorant, 5 Moorhen, 1 Golden Plover flying over and calling, Pheasant, 1 Jay, small group of Herring Gulls and Greylag Geese.

29-9-12.
Robin, Starling, Carrion Crow, 4 Grey Heron, Blue Tit, 3 Great Crested Grebe, Canada Geese, 8 Mute Swan, 6 Shoveler (as I was setting up a large flock of ducks departed the main lake and headed for the far pit which I guess were more Shoveler and Mallard), Wren, Swallow, 60+ Goldfinch, Great Tit, Blackbird, Skylark, Pied Wagtail, Black Headed Gull, Long-tailed Tit, Dunnock, 2 Sparrowhawk, 31 Lapwing, Woodpigeon, Greylag Geese, Kestrel, 5 Tree Sparrow, 80+ Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Stock Dove, Chaffinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker and a single Moorhen.

12-10-12.
Linnet, Robin, 48 Mute Swan, Long-tailed Tit, Woodpigeon, Great Tit, 78 Mallard, 27 Shoveler, 2 Pochard, 1 Great Crested Grebe, Canada Geese, Greylag Geese, Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Peregrine, Black Headed Gull, 2 Tufted Duck, Meadow Pipit, 355+ Lapwing, 6 Redwing, Wren, Goldfinch, Cormorant, Starling, Blackbird, Skylark, Dunnock, Stock Dove, Moorhen, Chaffinch, 3 Tree Sparrow, 1 Buzzard, Yellowhammer, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Kestrel, Pied Wagtail, Pheasant, Magpie, 2 Jay, 2 Collared Dove, 4 Grey Partridge and Carrion Crow.

14-10-12.
Starling, Blackbird, Dunnock, 50 Lapwing, Skylark, Yellowhammer, 100+ Linnet, Carrion Crow, Wren, Robin, Chaffinch, Magpie, 2 Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Pied Wagtail, Kestrel, Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Grey Heron, 31 Mute Swan, 6 Mallard, Canada Geese, Blue Tit, Great Tit, 2 Jay, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Collared Dove, 3 Corn Bunting, Tree Sparrow, Moorhen and Cormorant.

16-10-12.
96 Mute Swan, 1500+ Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black Headed Gull, Carrion Crow, 13 Lapwing, 36 Mallard, Woodpigeon, Canada Geese, Kestrel, Dunnock, Pheasant, Skylark, Cormorant, Wren, Grey Partridge, Robin, Grey Heron, a single Wigeon heard only, Linnet, Meadow Pipit and Moorhen.

26-10-12.
Pheasant, Carrion Crow, Great Tit, Woodpigeon, 1500+ of Lesser Black-backed and Black Headed Gulls, Blue Tit, Magpie, Blackbird, Canada Geese, 89 Mute Swan, Starling, Robin, 17 Lapwing, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, at least 652 Fieldfare in several areas around the site, 1 Little Owl, 9 Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, 13 Grey Partridge, 1 Green Woodpecker, Wren, 6 Mallard, Pied Wagtail, 3 Skylark and a single Moorhen.

Thats me up to date now and as you can see thnere is not much there due to a very busy work and social schedule and this weekend is my last weekend off as I am working solid up to Christmas!!!!

Recently plans have been on show which are going to have a massive impact on birding in the Trent and Tame valley between Burton Upon trent and Tamworth.  Five new villages plus lots of new leisure facilities are planned to be constructed in the coming years.  I couldnt make it to the national arboretum to see the plans but I have heard there is going to be an olympic rowing centre built at Whitemoor Haye on the second pit.  This along with the Whitemoor Lakes will surely see the end of breeding wader birds along the shorelines and I am currently enjoying the vast numbers of gulls roosting on the second pit, these will no doubt be going elsewhere.  If it was not fot he Grey Partridge, Corn Bunting and other regionally rare birds then this site would be wiped off the list, there is chance yet especially with new villages planned very close and increase in traffic.  Frightening times ahead for this marvellous site.  Dawn is heer so I am off birding before going to work.  Oh yeah, flu jab as well today!!!!!!!!!!!!