A day out birding with Friends Sharon and John.
Ebird List for Sandwell Valley.
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A nice bit of fencing.
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I met Sharon and John at theirs and we headed out to a local spot that I had not visited before, RSPB Sandwell Valley.
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| Rose-ringed Parakeet (Cotorra de Kramer / Psittacula krameri). |
We parked and went into the Visitor's Center where we viewed the feeders finding
Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula),
Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula),
Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis),
Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis),
Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris),
Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus), the first of several
Rose-ringed Parakeets (Cotorra de Kramer / Psittacula krameri) and a
Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus).
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| Rose-ringed Parakeet (Cotorra de Kramer / Psittacula krameri). |
On the pool below the Center we picked up
Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca),
Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra),
Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus),
Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and the first two
Goosander (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser) of the day but we were to see many more on the larger lake.
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| Rose-ringed Parakeet (Cotorra de Kramer / Psittacula krameri). |
We walked down to the hide over looking the Forge Mill Lake, here we added
Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and
European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus),
Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo),
Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Canada Geese (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis), Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera),
Eurasian Wigeon
(Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope),
Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos),
Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina),
Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula), 3 domestic type
Barnical Geese (Barnacla Cariblanca / Branta leucopsis),
Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and 3x Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).
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| Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor). |
Other species seen between the hide and Swan Pool included Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).
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| Barnical Geese (Barnacla Cariblanca / Branta leucopsis). |
We got to Swan pool but the wind was horrendous so we retreated and completed the circuit of the reserve before returning to the car and heading to another spot which I don't know the name of but we were looking for
Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) but we didn't manage to find them.
However we did pickup more Rose-ringed Parakeets, Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius) and Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), I am sure there were other species but I can't remember them.
We headed back to Sharon and John's and then I headed back to Albrighton.
