Belvide Res, Staffordshire, UK.

A few hours birding with John in the Midlands.

I said bye to Sharon and John and I headed for Belvide Res to try and see the winter plumage Red-necked Grebe (Somormujo Cuellirrojo / Podiceps grisegena). 

Red-necked Grebe (Somormujo Cuellirrojo / Podiceps grisegena).

We arrived and went through the wood to the first hide and soon found Canada (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis) and Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Goldeneye (Porrón Osculado /Bucephala clangula) and Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus).

We could not see the main target from the hide so we walked to the corner of the Dam where it had been seen most of the time but we did not see it there so we scanned around with Johns scope and eventually I picked it up against the far reed bed so we went back to the hide and had views from there before carrying on around the shore to the next two hides.  

Getting better views of the Red-necked Grebe as well as Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera),

Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos).

From the second hide at the feeders we had good views of Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Marsh (Carbonero Palustre / Parus palustris), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) and Blue Tits (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes) and Tree Sparrows (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus).

On the walk back we added Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) and Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula). 

We returned to the first hide and scanned the reeds and open water again adding Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and back at the car park just as we were leaving the site we had 3 Bullfinches (Camachuelo Común / Pyrrhula pyrrhula).

John then dropped me back in to Albrighton after a brilliant few days birding.