Staffordshire, Britain.

Out with the Grandkids.

I spent the day with over near Lichfield with the Family and had a great couple of hours on the park near the house.

Three little Adventurers.

Back up the A38, Staffordshire, Britain.

Out birding again with Sharon and John trying to find a few more birds for the Staffs year list.

Ebird List for Barton Pits.

Ebird List for Princess Wood.

Ebird List for Small Meadows Pits.

Ebird List for Barley Green Lane, White More Haye.

A small part of the Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) flock.

Again John came over to Albrighton to pick me up and took me back to his place where Sharon had got us a very nice sandwich ready for breakfast before we again headed off up the A38.

Today we went straight to the area of Barton Gravel Pits that I think is known as Ashy pits and did a full walk around the area picking up a 65 different species with Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus) x1, Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) x3, Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus) x1 and Common Treecreeper (Agateador Norteño / Certhia familiaris) being new for John's Staffordshire year list.

Lesser Redpoll (Acanthis flammea cabaret / Acanthis cabaret).

On the first pit we picked up Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia), Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata), a single Egyptian Goose (Ganso del Nilo / Alopochen aegyptiaca), Canada Geese (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), a single male Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula), Goosander (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula) and Stock Doves (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas).

Lesser Redpoll (Acanthis flammea cabaret / Acanthis cabaret).

We walked along the track behind us towards the woodlands, along the track we saw Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), European Herring (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus) and in the woodland we saw Goldcrest (Reyezuelo Sencillo / Regulus regulus), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus). 

Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus).

Out on the track at the far side of the wood we picked up a female Bullfinch (Camachuelo Común / Pyrrhula pyrrhula) and then on and around some more pits there we heard or saw Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Eurasian Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, a pair of Goldeneye (Porrón Osculado /Bucephala clangula) and as we walked back towards the car we added Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea) and Common Treecreeper.

As we reached Ashy Pit again we met up with a local birder that John and Sharon knew and he told us that he had seen a couple of Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina) and a Common Redshank in amongst the Northern Lapwings and Golden Plovers so we started to scan the area and after a while we found both species and Sharon also picked up a couple of Common Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago).

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

We walked back to the car and had a sandwich and a drink, whilst we were stood there we saw flocks of Fieldfare (Zorzal Real / Turdus pilaris), Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris) and Rook (Graja / Corvus frugilegus) x2.

Our next stop was in a woodland just along the road hoping to see a European Green Woodpecker (Pito Real euroasiático / Picus viridis) but we didn't find one, however we found 3 more Bullfinches including a nice male and a mixed flock of finches which included Goldfinch, Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) and a few cracking Lesser Redpoll (Acanthis flammea cabaret / Acanthis cabaret) which were the first I have seen in a good many years.

We popped just down the road and had another look at the 2 Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) before we parked a little further along the road and parked before walking down a nearby track to view the Small Meadows Pits where we were looking for Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) which would be John's 100th species for January in Staffs so we were pleased to find 2 along with a flock of Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina).

Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).

We got back on to the A38 for a couple of junctions and came off at Alrewas where we checked the pit along Barley Green Lane getting bad views of a distant diving Slavonian / Horned Grebe (Zampullín Cuellirrojo / Podiceps auritus) before looking around the fields finding 6 Yellowhammers (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella) which included 4 nice males but nothing else new.

By now the light was dropping so we headed back to Sharon and John's and had a nice hot meal before they dropped me back to Albrighton again after a good days birding, thanks to you both yet again.  

Wolverhampton, West Midlands, Britain.

Out for a few Beers with family and a friend.

The Great Western.

I walked around to Julia and Martin's (Jayne's brother), I said hello to my good hairy mate Harry before we headed off up to Wolverhampton where they were going to watch the Wolves beat West Brom 2-0. 

After parking we went down to The George Wallis pub where we met Tom (Martin's Son) and Jim (Jayne's brother), I had a pint here (Thanks Tom) and the headed off to the Great Western near the train station but got rather lost on the way and probably walked at least 4 times the distance actually needed.

Anyway I got there and found the front of the pub was nice and quiet as the TV's were all in the other part of the building, a few minutes late friend Andy arrived and we spent a really nice three hours / 4 pints of Golden Glow (and a cheese and onion crusty cob or 2) chatting and catching up.

About to go shopping (Andy) and to another pub (Me), great to catch up with Andy again.

Later we walked up to the center where Andy headed off to do some shopping and I joined Julia, Martin and Jim in the Lych Gate Tavern for a couple of pints of BFG before we went back to the village, thanks for the lift.