Facebook page

I'm now posting my nature sightings on my new facebook page, combining them with all the other stuff I'm involve with. Just a practical way of bringing everything together.

Hopefully you will join me on there. To reach it, click the words 'Facebook page' in the title of this post. That's the link!

River Severn (Near Bridgnorth) - October 20 2010

Two sightings of a pair of raven in flight.

Sedgley (Backyard) - October 19 2010

Flock of black headed gull around the school. They were low so impossible to count exact numbers but most saw at one time was 5.

Whittington - October 18 2010

A couple of raven sightings (birds calling in flight) in the area by the River Stour.

Tipton - October 17 2010

Going into church this morning and a calling herring gull in flight flew directly overhead.

Wolverhampton - October 16 2010

At Molineux watching Wolves, and not that the game was not interesting or anything like that, but saw a flock of c.40 black headed gulls around the car park beyond the North Bank.

Whittington - October 15 2010

I heard it before I saw it - a raven in flight calling. Later a bird callling regularly from the ridge of trees beyond the River Stour.

River Severn (Hampton Loade) - October 14 2010

Watched a kingfisher on the stretch diving from a number of perches after small fish.

Sedgley (Backyard) - October 12 2010

In decline these days and so I always remind myself that our colony of house sparrow is a great thing to witness as they are a regular feature in the garden. Today counted 16 birds.

Sedgley (Backyard) - October 11 2010

Caught a brief glimpse of a coal tit today on the seed feeder. It's a regular feature and I say 'it' because I haven't seen more than one.

Sedgley (Backyard) - October 10 2010

Today there were three common frog in the pond. They're still going strong, look very contented and I hope we will have spawn for the first time next spring for about 15 years!

Sedgley (Backyard) - October 9 2010

Two common frog sitting in the garden pond.

Near Shrewsbury - October 8 2010

Five common buzzard calling and soaring overhead.

Sedgley (Backyard) - October 7 2010

Two common frog in the garden pond. Blue tit on the seed feeder. At least 12 house sparrow around the feeding station.

Sedgley (Backyard) - October 6 2010

The black headed gull which are a regular feature in the colder months now seem to be back for the winter. Counted c5 of them today, difficult to get accurate reading as they were low and obscured by buildings.

Wombourne sewage works - October 5 2010

Took my wife and mother-in-law to Sainsbury's at Wombourne and went birding while they shopped. Seems good to me.

A kingfisher in flight across the sewage works as well as a single pied wagtail and grey wagtail on site. Saw a pair of pied wagtail on a factory building as well.

Female reed bunting in trees beyond the sewage works and a red admiral out and about enjoying the autumn sunshine.

Sedgley (Backyard) - October 4 2010

The coal tit has been regular in recent days and this morning was no exception. They are so dainty compared to house sparrow - and several of those today as usual pushing it out of the seed feeder.

Whittington - October 3 2010

Single common pipistrelle bat over the River Stour at dusk.

Sedgley (Backyard) - October 2 2010

Working today so plenty of opportunity to spot birds out of my office window. Single coal tit regularly on the seed feeder along with occasional visits from a blue tit and a great tit.

An unusual sighting of a female chaffinch, we don't see many of those. The resident robin took exception though and continually chased her away, ignoring all the numerous house sparrow!

Dudmaston Big pool, Shropshire (October 1 2010)

Regular sightings of a single kingfisher across the pool, sometimes calling. A bird that featured in the recent river watch organised by environmentalists due to its decline, certainly after the very harsh winter we had last toime round.

Sedgley (Backyard) - September 30 2010

All three tit species around the feeding station that we are getting regularly. All single birds, coal tit, great tit, blue tit.

Just the one common frog around the pool.

Whittington - September 29 2010

Several common pipistrelle bats at dusk over River Stour and several tawny owl calling in the area.

Sedgley (Backyard) - September 28 2010

I'm particularly interested of late in the common frog activity around our garden pond and I'm really hoping that we will now see a breeding colony established again, as from next spring. Today there were two in residence.

Sedgley - September 27 2010

Late in the day my wife called me into the kitchen. The bags of shopping that had been on the floor for some time had a baby common frog sitting on top of them. How it got there is a mystery! (Click on the image for a magnification)

Sedgley (Backyard) - September 26 2010

Flock of starling in the area c50 birds. Autumn is well and truly here, we get regular visits from starlings during the colder months.

Sedgley (Backyard) - September 25 2010

Another visit to the garden from a grey squirrel and another opportunity for Twinkle my Bedlington Terrier to claim her territory.

Dudmaston Big pool, Shropshire (September 24 2010)

Two swallow feeding over the pool and adjoining meadow.
Three sightings of goosander in flight over the pool as follows: 5 female / 1 male / 1 female.

Sedgley (Backyard) - September 23 2010

A flock of c.20 black headed gull around the area and one briefly landed on the roof, the first time we've had one, or at least I've seen it.

Also a grey squirrel on the bird feeding station. That gave my Bedlington Terrier Twinkle some excitement as she saw it off.

Dudmaston Big pool, Shropshire (September 22 2010)

Watched a kingfisher in flight with a small fish in its beak, off to find a perch to eat it on. Nothing of note on the pool, but in a month or so then the winter ducks will be arriving. Saw a female smew last winter.

Sedgley (Backyard) - September 21 2010

Lots of tit activity around the feeding station this morning as a coal tit, blue tit and 2 great tit all put in regular appearances. And there were 2 common frog around the garden pond.