Lichfield area, Staffordshire, Britain.

A day with my family.

 

I caught the train to Birmingham New Street and then onto Lichfield City where I was picked up by my son Alan, on the way over I saw Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera).

I spent a very nice few hours with Al, Becki and the three boys, later Al, Finn and I went for a walk out across the ranges and then Al dropped me back to the station and I headed back to Moms and then we all went out to a friends for a few drinks and to play cards. 

Green Lane, Albrighton, Shropshire, Britain.

A walk near the Village taking advantage of a brief bit of sun.

Ebird List for Green Lane.

 

Red Campion (Silene dioica).

After a quiet morning I went for a walk up one of the lanes, Green Lane near the village where I walked to the far end before taking to the fields and checking out the irrigation pool which feeds the Rose's and Shrubs complex.

Ivy (Hedera helix).

During the walk up the lane I recorded Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), Red Campion (Silene dioica) and Ivy (Hedera helix).

White Campion (Silene latifolia).

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria Petiolata).

Out on the fields and around the pool I saw White Campion (Silene latifolia), Garlic Mustard (Alliaria Petiolata), Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Long-tailed (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and the only butterflies I saw during the whole visit 3x Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).

Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus).

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).

Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).

On the walk back along the village I also added a small flock of 5 European Golden Plovers (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia) which flew over and headed towards the Airfield at Cosford.

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. 

Priorslee Flash, Telford, Shropshire, Britain.

Seeing family and a bit of birding in Priorslee, Telford.

 

Albrighton Railway Station.

I caught the train over to Telford, at the station I picked up Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs). 

From the train I only saw Rook (Graja / Corvus frugilegus), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

Goosander (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser) ♂.

Goosander (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser) ♂♀.

Goosander (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser) ♀.

Goosander (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser) ♀.

Goosander (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser) ♀.

I walked up to Priorslee and then spent a while wandering around the Flash where I saw Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Canada Geese (Barnacla Canadiense / Branta canadensis), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Goosander (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser) x18, Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Black-headed and European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), European Robin and several Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis).

Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor).

Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor).

Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor).

Canada Goose (Barnacla Canadiense / Branta canadensis).

I later went for lunch with David and Pauline's and then later Sue and Pete's (Jayne's family) before Sue dropped me back to Albrighton and I chilled for the rest of the day.

Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos).

Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus).

Donington nature reserve, Albrighton, Shropshire, Britain.

A walk at Donington Pool, then up to the Church Yard and then around the reserve at Donington.

Ebird List for the Reserve.

 

Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) ♂.

I started the morning by visiting some of Jayne's family and then around lunch time I went for a walk to the pool at Donington where I saw Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) with both wild looking birds and some obvious domestic type birds, Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).

Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus).

I walked further up the lane to the church yard where I cleaned up Jayne's plaque again and the found her parents plaque eventually which was well buried under a thick coat of leaves, in the church yard I heard and saw Eurasian Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii), Eurasian Wren (Chochin paleártico / Troglodytes troglodytes) and European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis).

European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

I finished the clean up and headed down to the main part of the nature reserve and the walked down to the main meadow area and then followed the track along the stream to the far end of the reserve then back up along the headgerow, as I walked te wooded part of the track I saw European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Marsh (Carbonero Palustre / Poecile palustris), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito Común / Aegithalos caudatus), Eurasian Treecreeper (Agateador Euroasiatico / Certhia familiaris) and Goldcrest (Reyezuelo Sencillo / Regulus regulus).

Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) ♀.

Eurasian Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus).

Along the Hedgerow over looking the surrounding fields I added Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) and a winter plumage Common Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus).

Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos).

Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos).

At the gate I spent a while sat on one of the benches seeing what came into the loaded Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) bushes, species included more Common Blackbirds, Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus) and as I was heading back up to my Moms I had a Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) under the bridge.

Albrighton in Shropshire, Wolverhampton and Blithfield Reservoir in Staffordshire, Britain.

A bit of birding with great friend's Sharon and John.

Ebird List for Blithfield.

I made my way up to Albrighton railway station where I again caught the train up into Wolverhampton, whilst I was waiting for the train I heard and saw Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris) and Common Evening-primrose (Oenothera biennis).

I added Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone) and Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) on my way to Wolves where Sharon and John picked me up near the station, our first stop was at Go Outdoors as I wanted another couple of pairs of walking trousers which I got before we headed back to their house for a chat, coffee and some lunch.

White-rumped Sandpiper (Correlimos Culiblanco / Calidris fuscicollis).

White-rumped Sandpiper (Correlimos Culiblanco / Calidris fuscicollis).

White-rumped Sandpiper (Correlimos Culiblanco / Calidris fuscicollis).

Later as the weather as much better than expected we headed out to Blithfeld Reservoir to have a look for a White-rumped Sandpiper (Correlimos Culiblanco / Calidris fuscicollis) which had been around for a couple of days and was reported from earlier in the morning.

The mini Twitch.

We arrived at the res and walked out onto an area called Admaston Reach where we could see a few people stood on the margin watching the bird, as we walked there we saw Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Tufted Duck (Porrón Moñudo / Aythya fuligula), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Black-headed Gull and when we reached the birders we were soon watching the target White-rumped Sandpiper (thanks to Mike for the use of his photo's).

In the same area we also picked up Greylag (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Canada (Barnacla Canadiense / Branta canadensis) and Egyptian Geese (Ganso del Nilo / Alopochen aegyptiaca), Common Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Mareca penelope), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Common Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), European Herring (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Rook (Graja / Corvus frugilegus), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis) and Common Linnet (Pardillo Común / Linaria cannabina).

Looking back towards the causeway from the Dam.

After a while we walked back to the car and then headed around to the dam at the SE end where we parked and checked the fields down below us from the Dam wall, here we found Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Great (Garceta Grande / Ardea alba) and Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Eurasian Blue (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), European Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis) and Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus). 

John

and Sharon.

We returned to the car and started to head back to Sharon and Johns but stopped at the far end of the dam where we saw several Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus), Common Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Common Chaffinches (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) before leaving the site.

We had a nice meal and chatted back at their house before John kindly dropped me back to Albrighton after a good afternoons birding.