Sedgley Beacon (March 30 2009)

Linnet - first of the year, a pair in flight.

Skylark - bird singing high over the plateau, later a bird flushed from the rough grass.

Goldfinch - 2 in flight.

Grey heron - passed through in flight.

Kestrel - bird hunting over the rough grass.

Collared dove - passed through in flight.

Total for 2009 - 80

Near Kinver (March 29 2009)

Mandarin - male resting alongside River Stour.
Jackdaw - Never seen so many birds. Waves of c. 200, 250, 150, 30, 60, 80, 20, 160, 100, 180, 40, 10 at dusk in flight. A total of c. 1280.
Lapwing - 2 birds in flight, 1 calling briefly.
Mallard - male and female diving on the canal. Staying under for up to 20 seconds.

Total for the year - 79

Sedgley Beacon (March 28 2009)

Skylark - bird singing over plateau, then dropped. Later 3 birds flew from the rough grass.

Goldfinch - 1 in flight.

Dunnock - 1 adult bird and 2 juveniles in bushes. First birds seen this spring that have left the nest.

Total for 2009 - 78

Near Wombourne (March 27 2009)

Carrion crow - nest building in tree over Staffs/Worcs Canal.
Mallard - 3 males on canal.
Great crested grebe - on adjoining pool.
Jackdaw - 2 in flight.
Jay - 1 in flight.
Song thrush - 2 in far bank copse.

Near Wombourne (March 26 2009)

Mute swan - single bird on canal.
Moorhen - bird on nest in reed bed.
Mallard - several male and female birds including a mating pair.
Long tailed tit - regular trips to a spot in the hedge, likely nesting place.
Grey heron - 3 sightings of single bird in flight.
Common buzzard - 2 sightings of single bird in flight.
Lesser black-backed gull - 1 in flight over canal.
Pheasant - male in field behind canal.

Sedgley - backyard birding (March 25 2009)

Grey heron - in flight, being mobbed by a single Lesser black-backed gull.
Lesser black-backed gull. Mobbing the heron.
Dunnock - 2 feeding birds on garden. Suspect a nesting site somewhere along the ivy covered wall.

Sheepwash nature reserve, Tipton (March 24 2009)

Mallard - on River Tame. 3 males, 2 females.
Goosander - 9 females on lake.
Lesser black-backed gull - 2 on lake.
Little grebe - calling birds on lake.
Great crested grebe - nesting pair on lake.

Baggeridge Country Park (March 23 2009)

Lesser black-backed gull - single bird in flight over pit mounds/Whites Wood.

Common buzzard - 3 sightings of single bird.

Tawny owl - Usual bird in usual spot in English oak in Whites Wood.

Jackdaw - several noisy birds in Whites Wood.

Coal tit - single bird in Whites Wood.

Great spotted woodpecker - 2 females together on tree in Whites Wood.

Baggeridge Country Park (March 22 2009)

Yellowhammer - male bird singing in tree on pit mounds. First of the year and a 2009 first for Baggeridge.

Canada goose - another first for Baggeridge, 2 dawn birds in flight over Whites Wood calling.

Chiffchaff - singing bird in Whites Wood. First for Baggeridge.

Tawny owl - usual bird in usual roost spot in Whites Wood.

Great spotted woodpecker - female in Whites Wood.

Stock dove - 3 in flight from Lydiates Hill.

Song thrush - 2 in Whites Wood.

Kestrel - in flight over pit mounds.

Total for 2009 - 77

Total for Baggeridge Country Park - 51

Midlands gravel pit (March 21 2009)

Oystercatcher - 3 resident birds, often heard and seen in noisy flight circling the pit.

Cormorant - in flight.

Bullfinch - male and female in trees.

Midlands gravel pit (March 20 2009)

Chiffchaff - heard bird singing during day but not seen. Finally got to identify a silent bird as it fed in trees later in evening.

Sand martin - c.20 birds feeding very briefly over pit as they passed through at 6.10pm.

Oystercatcher - 3 noisy birds in flight. Resident on pit at the moment.

Greylag goose - 1 bird on water.

Reed bunting - male and female in trees.

Goldeneye - male and female bird on pit.

Total for 2009 - 76

Midlands gravel pit (March 19 2009)

Sand martin - first birds of the year, c.15 feeding briefly over the pit at 6.00pm

Oystercatcher - 3 birds in flight around the pit calling, also single bird.

Mute swan - 2 on pit.

Greylag goose - 2 in flight, landing on pit.

Chiffchaff - first birds of the year, 2 singing. But not seen.

Total for 2009 - 75

Sedgley - backyard birding (March 18 2009)

Herring gull - in flight.
Dunnock - 2 on garden feeding.
Robin - dawn bird singing from the top of a mature sycamore.
Lesser black-backed gull - 3 very noisy birds in circular, lazy flight, passing through.

Sheepwash nature reserve, Tipton (March 17 2009)

Lapwing - 2 in flight overhead.
Lesser black-backed gull - 2 in flight.
Bullfinch - female in bushes.
Kingfisher - 2 calling birds in flight, looking very much like a mating display.
Goosander - female on pool, 16 birds on main lake.
Ruddy duck - male on lake.
Little grebe - 2 on lake, 1 bird calling.
Teal - male feeding on small pond on island on main lake.
Herring gull - 2 in circling flight over lake.

Near Kinver (March 16 2009)

Pheasant - male in field.
Canada goose - 2 on canal.
Jackdaw - several noisy birds in the area.
Great spotted woodpecker - 2 sightings of single bird.
Kingfisher - perched on tree overhanging water.
Grey wagtail - along canal.
Stock dove - calling bird but not seen.

Sedgley - backyard birding (March 15 2009)

Blackbird - male and female around conifer, hopefully a nestimng site.
House sparrow - male and female birds in garden.
Dunnock - 2 feeding on garden.
Collared dove - 2 in garden.
Robin - singing well into dusk from the top of a mature sycamore tree.

Midlands gravel pit (March 14 2009)

Oystercatcher - Bird on shore of island where successful breeding took place last year. At 7.45am, 6 noisy birds in flight around the pit.

Reed bunting - female in tree.

Tufted duck - numerous male and female birds.

Cormorant - several sightings of single bird in flight.

Midlands gravel pit (March 13 2009)

Reed bunting - male singing from waterside tree.
Gadwall - female bird feeding on surface insects.
Mute swan - group of 1 adult and 7 ist winter birds being chased away by the resident pair.
Greylag goose - 2 on pit.
Goldeneye - male on pit.
Oystercatcher - heard several times including aftyer dark in flight around the pit, but not seen.

Total for 2009 - 74

Midlands gravel pit (March 12 2009)

Greylag goose - 2 birds on the pit.

Oystercatcher - Heard bird previously then spotted it low over water calling. Followed a successful breeding clutch last year on this pit.

Mute swan - 2 on pit.

Goldeneye - 1 male and 1 female.

Herring gull - 1 in flight.

Total for 2009 - 72

Sedgley - backyard birding (March 11 2009)

Dunnock - on garden.
Blackbird - male and female around conifers. Hopefully a future nesting site.
Wood pigeon - 1 on bird table.
Collared dove - 2 on garden.
House sparrow - several male and female birds at feeding station.
Blue tit - 1 bird at feeding station.
Wren - in garden.
Carrion crow - 2 calling birds from neighbouring roof.

Sedgley - backyard birding (March 10 2009)

House sparrow - several male and female birds in garden.
Collared dove - 1 bird.
Dunnock - 2 birds feeding on garden.
Robin - singing.
Blackbird - male in garden,

Near Bridgnorth (March 9 2009)

Great black-backed gull - 1 in flight.
Rook - numerous noisy birds in rookery.
Moorhen - 1 on river.
Cormorant - in flight 1, 14, 1, 1.
Common buzzard - 2 in flight.
Goosander - in flight 2, 1.
Gull - distant flock c.200 birds.Either Herring or Lesser black-backed.

Sedgley - backyard birding (March 8 2009)

Fell asleep and by the time I woke up it was late afternoon and dusk was settling in. Unusualm though in that I saw nothing, heard nothing. Not even any visitors to the feeding station all day, the food was still in nice, neat little piles.

Red Lane, Gospel End Village (March 7 2009)

Mallard - 2 males and 1 female on the lane pond. Seen them before but not very often.
Moorhen - 1 bird on lane pond.
Black headed gull - 1 in flight.
Common buzzard - 2 around Penn Brook.
Mistle thrush - in tree alongside Penn Brook.

Near Bridgnorth (March 6 2009)

Little owl - bird perched on rock overhanging River Severn.
Raven - bird calling in flight, later pair circling over wooded hill.
Song thrush - in full song.
Cormorant - 6 in flight.
Rook - numerous noisy birds around nesting site.
Goosander - female low in flight along river course.
Kingfisher - landed on far bank undergrowth.

Sedgley - backyard birding (March 5 2009)

Blackbird - male and female in garden.
House sparrow - several male and female birds.
Dunnock - 2 feeding on garden.
Herring gull - 3 passed overhead in lazy flight.
Black headed gull - 1 in area in flight.

Near Bridgnorth (March 4 2009)

Little owl - perched on rock ledge overhanging River Severn.
Rook - numerous noisy birds around nesting site.
Cormorant - 8 in flight.

Goosander - 1 high overhead in flight. Second sighting of a male at dusk in flight, bank high following river.

Tawny owl - several birds calling after dark but not seen.

Total for 2009 - 70

Sedgley - backyard birding (March 3 2009)

Blackbird - in garden 2 males, 1 female.
Blue tit - at feeding station.
House sparrow - several male and female birds.

Baggeridge Country Park (March 2 2009)

Kestrel - in flight/ gliding high over Whites Wood.
Tawny owl - usual bird in usual spot in Whites Wood.
Jay - 2 separate sightings of single bird in Whites Wood area.
Stock dove - 2 birds in trees by sub-station.

Siskin - several male and female birds by visitor's station, several in wood by sub-station and 2 in flight by Upper Wishing pool.

Coal tit - by Upper Wishing Pool.

Sedgley - backyard birding (March 1 2009)

Blackbird - 3 males in the area.
Dunnock - singing from top of neighbour's conifer.
Robin - singing high at the top of a neighbouring sycamore.
House sparrow - several male and female birds in the area.

Near Bridgnorth (February 28 2009)

Rook - passed rookery at Worfield, another closer to Bridgnorth. First rooks of the year, I live a sheltered life.

Lesser black-backed gull - 12 in flight.

Goosander - on River Severn, 2 males and 4 females.

Great black-backed gull - 1 high in flight.

Total for 2009 - 69