Quick start to February at the Pits

Yellowhammer

Pied Wagtail

Fieldfare

Yellow-legged Gull 

Oystercatcher on Pophills

  Sleeping Pintail

Salford Priors Church

Dunnock

Heavy rain and wind has once again battered Salford Priors this week causing the nearby River Arrow to break it's banks. A midweek meeting about the pits restoration took place with representatives of CEMEX, RSPB, Warwickshire County Council, West Midland Bird Club and three of the regular recorders which I'll do a separate blog about as soon as I can. 

My abdomen woes have continued but I've definitely had some improvement. Patch visits have been time limited but I've still managed to record three patch year ticks.

Chris Lane had recorded a Yellow-legged Gull in January but I'd not managed to see it myself. Thankfully I found what we think was the same bird early in the week on the main pit keeping company with two Herring Gulls. Three Lesser Blacked Backed Gulls were also recorded on a midweek visit.

When recording the impressive count of seven Green Sandpipers on Pophills, our annual Oystercatcher flew onto the island for it's visit of the year. Reading the other blogs and reports, they seem to be returning to their breeding grounds everywhere this week. Shelduck numbers increased to a maximum of four birds however only two were present on Sunday. Skylarks were singing high above the fields in three different locations.

Both Paul and I have been searching hard to try and find a Brambling in with the finch flocks around the orchards. Whilst no Bramblings were located, the orchards contained good numbers of Yellowhammer, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Fieldfare and Redwing. 

Three birds outstanding on the patch list at the ends of January were Nuthatch, Tawny Owl and Little Owl so I've been trying every crevice possible within the boundary to find these birds. Thankfully I finally managed to see a Nuthatch in the Salford Priors church yard. Tawny & Little Owl next week ………….