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.
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
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.
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!!!!!!!!!!!!
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!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
25-9-12
No birding tonight as the rain was pretty constant however the news of a Long-tailed Skua flying through Belvide reservoir was a bit exciting. What else is flying past this afternoon?????
Anyway down to this post. A few posts ago I mentioned about I keep a record of each visit to Whitemoor Haye and at the end of the year I tally up totals of visits and be a nerd and turn them into percentages of presence and below are the previous five years if anyone is slightly interested!!!!!
2011 103 visits
1 Carrion Crow - 95.1%
2 Black Headed Gull - 87.4%
3= Woodpigeon - 86.4%
3= Mallard - 86.4%
5 Tree Sparrow - 85.4%
2010 87 visits
1 Woodpigeon - 91.1%
2 Carrion Crow - 90%
3 Magpie - 85.3%
4 Black Headed Gull - 81.1%
5 Lapwing 77.7%
2009 64 visits
1 Carrion Crow - 92.2%
2 Magpie - 81.2%
3 Black Headed Gull - 78.1%
4 Wren - 76.6%
5 Woodpigeon - 75%
2008 57 visits
1 Carrion Crow - 94.7%
2= Magpie - 80.7%
2= Woodpigeon 80.7%
4 Black Headed Gull - 77.2%
5 Lapwing - 68.4%
2007 58 visits
1 Carrion Crow - 89.6%
2 Magpie - 77.6%
3 Woodpigeon - 65.5%
4 Mute Swan - 60.3%
5 Lapwing - 56.9%
Something a little bit nerdy!!!!!!!!!
Anyway down to this post. A few posts ago I mentioned about I keep a record of each visit to Whitemoor Haye and at the end of the year I tally up totals of visits and be a nerd and turn them into percentages of presence and below are the previous five years if anyone is slightly interested!!!!!
2011 103 visits
1 Carrion Crow - 95.1%
2 Black Headed Gull - 87.4%
3= Woodpigeon - 86.4%
3= Mallard - 86.4%
5 Tree Sparrow - 85.4%
2010 87 visits
1 Woodpigeon - 91.1%
2 Carrion Crow - 90%
3 Magpie - 85.3%
4 Black Headed Gull - 81.1%
5 Lapwing 77.7%
2009 64 visits
1 Carrion Crow - 92.2%
2 Magpie - 81.2%
3 Black Headed Gull - 78.1%
4 Wren - 76.6%
5 Woodpigeon - 75%
2008 57 visits
1 Carrion Crow - 94.7%
2= Magpie - 80.7%
2= Woodpigeon 80.7%
4 Black Headed Gull - 77.2%
5 Lapwing - 68.4%
2007 58 visits
1 Carrion Crow - 89.6%
2 Magpie - 77.6%
3 Woodpigeon - 65.5%
4 Mute Swan - 60.3%
5 Lapwing - 56.9%
Something a little bit nerdy!!!!!!!!!
Monday, 24 September 2012
24-9-12
Having left work to go home at lunchtime (work from home rather than spread the disease around the office) I decided to get a bit of fresh air once the rain had stopped and had an hour down WH. A hung around the quarry lake but the birding was poor. Birds noted were Magpie, Carrion Crow, Swallow, Dunnock, Woodpigeon, Lesser Black-backed Gull - there was a steady stream of these and Black Headed Gull onto the far lake prior to dusk, these birds must be using here as a roost, 1 Great Crested Grebe, Canada Geese, Robin, Linnet and a Pied Wagtail. A drive around the lanes produced 56 Lapwing, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Sparrowhawks, a few Meadow Pipits, 1 Kestrel, a Pheasant, 1 Buzzard, 1 Tree Sparrow, 1 Tufted Duck and 4 Mallards.
Lots of Swallows were passing through tonight in quite high numbers on their epic trip back to Africa.
Whilst hanging around the pool tonight I couldnt help thinking about the demise of the birding on the pool obviously down to the activity centre. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and this blog really is ten years to late, Alrewas Birder should only just have started and this one just ended. Never mind, I wiull perservere and I will soon get round to adding my away adventures, there have been a few but just cannot remeber how to put them on the seperate tabs.
Lots of Swallows were passing through tonight in quite high numbers on their epic trip back to Africa.
Whilst hanging around the pool tonight I couldnt help thinking about the demise of the birding on the pool obviously down to the activity centre. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and this blog really is ten years to late, Alrewas Birder should only just have started and this one just ended. Never mind, I wiull perservere and I will soon get round to adding my away adventures, there have been a few but just cannot remeber how to put them on the seperate tabs.
23-9-12
With no change in my horrendous man-flu I managed to drag myself off ther couch and pop down to WH to see what was around, especially as the forecasted rain had not yet arrived. Birds noted around the quarry pool area were 2 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Mute Swan, Black Headed Gull, Canada Geese, Mipits, Blackbird, Wren, 2 Grey Heron, Carrion Crow, about 250 Woodpigeons flew over + another 50+ around the site, Starlings, 1 Little Egret, circa 200 Goldfinch, several Robins around, 300+ Linnets - I do not remember these numbers around here before, Stock Dove, 1 Tufted Duck, 4 Mallards and a few Pheasants. On to the lanes and I added around 100 Lapwings, Moorhen, Magpie, a single Jay, Skylarks, Reed Bunting, Great Tit, Jackdaw, Dunnock, Swallow and Long-tailed Tits.
22-9-12
Its been sometime since the last blog post but I have had the audacity to go away on holiday and not a birding holiday either, none of them for me this year. Nuff said on the holiday front, do not want to tell me people of my other sad hobbies. Anyway a nice break was followed by man-flu. Bad or what. Baird's Sandpipers, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Western Sandpipers and Short-billed Dowitchers, all lifers to go on my quite tragic life list, and all I could do is sit at home sniffling, shivering and coughing. I did pop down to the old faithful though and birds noted here were Starling, Woodpigeon, Robin, 3 Mallards, Wren, a single Tufted Duck, 3 Mute Swan, 1 Great Crested Grebe, Magpie, Great Tit, circa 55 Goldfinch, Carrion Crow, several Skylarks, a steady stream of Swallows passing through, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Long-tailed Tits, Pied Wagtail, Blue Tit, Blackbird, a single Treecreeper, circa 250 Linnets, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Buzzards, circa 200 Lapwing, a few Meadow Pipits, a nice bonus in the shape of a female/juvenile Merlin hunting pipits and larks, 3 Grey Herons, Jackdaws and the sound of a Curlew over the far pits but not seen. With my energy levels seriously lacking it was home to sleep, cough, sneeze and whimper.
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