Hi readers, it appears the summer has really kicked n today with all the beautiful grey sky's we have being having and the amazingly beautiful rain that has being making us all wet (No sarcasm involved). After last weeks successful trip to the Wyre forest me and Dad decided to take it easy this week in terms of birding. So we took our usual trip over to RSPB Sandwell Valley. Really the weather didn't turn out to be much of an obstacle sitting in the hide int didn't really bother us. After about 5 or 10 minutes of arriving to the hide we were presented with fly past views of a Kingfisher we again got views of it later on in the morning.
Otherwise things seemed a little quiet as they usually do at this time of the year. There will still be a good few twitches about and I wouldn't be to surprised if something big turned up like the Pacific Swift that was about last week. Anyway back onto the valley and more specifically the breeding Oystercatcher. As per usual there was 4 individuals hanging about 2 adults and 2 chicks but to our surprise another 5th individual arrived and had a little bit of a tustle with the adult birds. We noticed the bird was ringed but it wasn't possible to get a view of the ring number.
The two common terns were still around and we are hopeful of them having eggs on a nest and 4 LRPs were around throughout the morning. The two Great crested Grebes were also around let's hope they hatch a clutch this year. Finally at this current point there are 3 Coot Nests jotted around near the island. some of you may remember me mentioning a nest in which the chicks fledged from the nest from infront of the nest well from what I heard from Bob Bunn today the chicks lasted less than a day before all of them were predated. Also more breeding bird news we noticed a group of Gadwall Ducklings swimming around with a female, I didn't get chance to count them all but there were about 5 to 6.
The Cettis was heard singing and while Dad had a walk around the reserve he saw 5 Parakeets which haven't been reported properly in a little while. Here are our counts for the morning.
RSPB Sandwell Valley- Kingfisher x1, Oystercatcher x5, Lapwing 5+,Cettis Warbler x1 (heard), House Martin x1, Swift 20+, Mute Swan x6, Canada Goose 10+, jay x1, Teal x1, Common Tern x2, Female Gadwall with Ducklings, LRP x4, Grey Heron x1, Coot 5+, Great Crested Grebe x2, Herring Gull x1, Lesser black backed Gull 5+, Ring Necked Parakeet x5.
One of the 4 LRPs flew quite high into the air and appeared to fly towards the Hill top Golf course which was interesting to see seen as they usually stay near the island especially in rainy weather. the Cettis Warbler was calling distantly as it has been lately, but it is still around and as long as the theory of there being only one around is true then it has a very large territory.
I may be going to the valley tomorrow if the weather holds out so keep an eye out for another post tomorrow.
Thanks for reading and enjoy your week all- WMBB
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