Todays birding with recent photos.

Hi readers, as usual on Sundays we got some birding done, we only visited Sandwell Valley today but it turned out to be a very productive morning visit. There is a chance the hide will be closed next week giving us a window to visit a few other places, even so it is likely we still will visit other places after our usual valley visit next week. Any way on to the birding, the morning spent in the hide was very successful. On opening the hide we spent about 15 minutes bird watching before a birder shouted Water Rail the bird was out in the reeds near the number 3 post and was the first I had seen at the valley since the previous winter. We then had a glimpse of a single Kingfisher flying past but later in the morning had stunning views of two Kingfishers to the left of the hide. 

Kingfisher Sandwell Valley today

Along with the Kingfishers we got reasonable close views of a stunning Grey Wagtail throughout the morning. Mid morning a Buzzard flew through and hovered around a quite low height and brought up all the Lapwings and Starling which then stayed up for a good ten minutes or so. A single Snipe was on the end of the island all morning and offered quite good views. There were plenty of wildfowl around including Shoveller, Teal, and Gadwall, and 4 Great crested grebes were also around. A Little Grebe was also feeding near to the hide along with another one feeding behind the island. I have to say it was a good mornings birding, while we were in the hide there was no sign of the Jack Snipe that had been seen yesterday but it shall surely turn up for us sooner or later. Anyway here's the main sightings from the morning,

RSPB Sandwell valley- Water Rail x1, Kingfisher x2, Gadwall 5+, Tufted Duck 20+, Pochard 5+, Black Headed Gull 50+, Lesser black backed Gull x3, Grey Wagtail x1, Pied Wagtail x1, Snipe x1, Lapwing 20+, Little Grebe x2, Great crested Grebe x2, Canada Goose 10+, Mute Swan x1, Moorhen 5+, Coot 20+, Buzzard x1, Starling 5+, Goldfinch x3, Woodpigeon 20+, Carrion Crow 5+.

So as you can see plenty around the area today, and it was a good mornings birding to. Now I know last week I promised a few photos from the last month or so, I managed to look through a few of my best pics that I have taken recently so have a look through and see if you like them.

Buzzard, Clayhanger marsh

Dragonfly (ID?), Clayhanger Marsh

Canada Geese, Doxey Marshes

Coot, RSPB Sandwell Valley

So hope you all like the pics and I should be posting next Sunday as usual, keep an eye on my Twitter account (@WMBB1) in case of any new posts between now and then.

Thanks for reading and have a good week all- WMBB














Cormorant, RSPB Sandwell Valley

Grey Wagtail, RSPB Sandwell Valley