Belvide Reservoir, Staffordshire, Britain.

Back out birding and for the evening with Sharon and John. 

Ebird List for Belvide.

 

Looking towards the North Shore from near the Dam.

Sharon and John picked me up from Mom's, we then headed across country to the car park at Belvide Reservoir where we had a bit of a walk, near the entrance we saw a couple of Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa) and several Common Pheasants (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus).

We first went to the SE end of the Dam where we started the list with Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Spatula clypeata), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Mareca strepera), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).

The Whooper Swans (Cisne Cantor / Cygnus Cygnus) from the Dam.

After a while Sharon said I am sure the group of Swans distantly out on the north shore had yellow bills so we got the scopes on them and she was quite right and after checking them all we recorded 15 Whooper Swans (Cisne Cantor / Cygnus Cygnus) along with a white domestic type Greylag Goose (Ansar Común / Anser anser) and Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Sloes on one of the many Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) bushes.

We moved around past the Scott hide and headed to the next one which got us closer to the Swans and the north shore, on the way we saw Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Long-tailed (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and lots of Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) bushes.

The view towards the North Shore from the second Hide.

From the hide we added Bar-headed (Ánsar indio / Anser indicus), Greylag (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Canada (Barnacla Canadiense / Branta canadensis) and Egyptian Geese (Ganso del Nilo / Alopochen aegyptiaca), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Common (Gaviota Cana / Larus canus), European Herring (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), a Great Egret (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba) but only seen by Sharon before it moved out of sight, Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus canariensis), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis),

Whooper Swans (Cisne Cantor / Cygnus Cygnus), Canada Geese (Barnacla Canadiense / Branta canadensis) and Others.

As the weather was not getting any better we decided to head back to the dam where we caught up with a single Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and just before we left a ♀ type Common Scoter (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra).

Common Scoter (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra) ♀.

We returned to the car and headed over to Sharon and John's house where we had some food, later John drove us over to Minsterly where we were going to take part in a quiz night at The Crown & Sceptre Inn.

It was also great to meet up with other members of their family who I had not seen for a long time, a great evening but I won't comment on where we came in the quiz.

Later we headed back to Albrighton where Sharon and John dropped me off before heading home, thanks for another great day.