The Kidderminster Black Redstart

Black Redstart showing nicely

Location map

After the weekend success of catching up with two Black Redstarts in Gloucestershire another beauty landed much closer to home in Kidderminster, Worcestershire. After a spot of road rage around Merry Hill I landed in about 40 minutes from work to find Vern with camera looking up at a rather attractive council building, Wyre Forest House. 

The building had a green roof hence the attraction for the Redstart. The bird was observed along the edge above the building entrance and occasionally flying up catching flies on the wooden panels. A county first for myself !

Please note if you are intending to see the bird the Wyre Forest House is a new building so isn't on Google maps. Head for Finepoint Way, DY11 7FB,  west of the A451.  

Black Redstart in Sharpness

 Digiscoped Black Redstart

  Digiscoped Black Redstart from distance

 Distance view

 Pied Wagtail

 Grey Wagtail fly catching

Sharpness Docks, Gloucestershire

In my three years of birding seriously the Black Redstart has been a real bogey bird which has just avoided me where ever I have been. There has been no lack of effort as I even double dipped the species a couple of weeks ago 90 miles apart. 

I didn't need a second invitation when Vern and "Breaking" Phil were going for a drive down the M5 at lunch time. ("Sauntering" Phil was apparently shopping, poor chap) 

The docks looked to be a great location for the bird with a number of flat and vegetated roofs and I'd noted in the British Breeding Atlas a breeding dot was shown in this area. As soon as we parked up I saw a bird drop from the large building in front of us into a tree and then pass us to the top of the nearest house. The flight view showed the red on the  tail and once landed you could see his robin size, domed head and vibrating tail. It's sessions like this you really appreciate having a superb telescope. 

During the session we located two different birds that seemed to be working their way around the docks every 30 minutes. The good light enabled me to get a few digiscoped images however it wasn't easy as the birds were on the move all the time. Vern's image can be seen here. With less than a 100 breeding pairs (RSPB) it was a real pleasure to see such a beautiful bird.

Other birds noted during the visit included Grey & Pied Wagtails feeding in the same location as the Black Redstarts, Wigeon on river, Mute Swans flying downstream, Robin, Wren, Black-headed Gulls and a single Curlew. 

Birding home and away

 Oystercatcher - Southampton Docks

Company at the Gravel Pits

Main Pit at Gravel Pits

A Saturday trip to the south coast to watch my beloved Southampton FC resulted in a low flying Red Kite and an Oystercatcher in the docks being the days highlights.

On Sunday I headed down to the Gravel Pits and caught up with Jon by the wildlife lake. The long staying Common Sandpiper and Green Sandpipers were present once again. The warm sunshine seemed to benefit the birds and the hedge line and there were good numbers of Yellowhammer showing well. Across the road in the orchard 500+ newly arrived Fieldfare were feeding whilst the Redwing were taking advantage of the berries behind the main pit. The new migrants clearly caught the eye of the local Sparrowhawk who was doing his best to clinch an early breakfast.

Star of the morning was a female Goldeneye who was showing well on the main pit. I tried unsuccessfully to get a digiscope - the distance and morning mist made it impossible to get anything of decent quality. Waterfowl numbers were down on the previous week but this may have been as I had arrived early and they had not been displaced from other sites. 

The site has a flourishing Little Grebe population, during this visit I counted 22 on the main pit. 

Salford Prior GP flyover treat

Salford Prior 

Surrounding fields

Main Pit 

Severnside Sunday

This spring I got frustrated with the constant disturbance at Arrow Valley so I thought I'd try another area ten minutes from home just over the border in Warwickshire called Salford Prior Gravel Pits. 

The Gravel pits have been excavated there for many years and the land is now being returned to agricultural use which is a real shame as the site did have some fantastic habitat. There has been some super birds recorded there over the years including Montagu’s Harrier, Hen Harrier, Merlin, Temminck’s Stint, Spotted Redshank,  Grey Phalarope , Turtle Dove, Hoopoe, Richard’s Pipit and Aquatic Warbler to name just a few, mostly all found by Jon Bowler ex-county recorder.

There is no public access to the site as it's still plenty of work going on at the site. In just a few months since I've been visiting some great habitats have gone forever, very depressing on some weeks, as the site would have made an amazing reserve.

Highlight on Saturday was a flyover the main pit by a Great White Egret, 3rd record for site. At first glance I presumed it was a Little Egret but as it got closer I got some nice view in the scope. I did try a few digiscoped images but nothing was of a decent quality. 

Other birds observed were 19 Wigeon (with the flock favouring Pophills Pit, viewable from roadside, Peregrine, 16 Shovellor, Teal, Tufted Duck, 24 Pochard, Water Rail, 10 Little Grebe, Greylag, 6 Mute Swans, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 13 Gadwell 3 Snipe, a Common Sandpiper still, Linnets, Cetti’s Warbler singing, Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Cormorant, Red-legged Partridge and 2 Chiffchaffs. 

Other sightings reported included a Pintail, Jack Snipe, Goldeneye,  Merlin, Med Gull and 2 Goosander.

On Sunday the aim was to finally rid my Black Redstart hoodoo. Well the hoodoo struck once again as first a drive over to Stourport resulted in nothing a feat then repeated down in Bristol. A double dip ! We did call him at New Passage on the way back home but the birds were distant. Sighting included 700+ Wigeon, 10 Golden Plover, 40 Lapwing, 30 Knot, 100+ Black-tailed Godwits, 500+ Dunlin that treated us to some spectacular flying displays. (Please note this was previous weekend)

Snow Buntings on Malvern Beacon

Montage image

 East path

 Digiscoped images from distance

With a sharp exit out of work it was a case of foot on the pedal for 4 junctions south on the M5 to head to the Malvern Hills. I parked at the Brewers Arms pub in West Malvern before setting off up the path towards the Beacon. I had forgot how steep the path was and the stiff wind made it all the more difficult.

After reaching the summit in 25/30 minutes it was then time to start searching, not easy with it blowing a howlie straight in your face however patience paid off when I picked up some movement a good distance down on the east path. On setting up the scope I found two birds feeding. After observing at a distance I edged closer after some dog walkers passed the birds and they barely moved.  This was the first time I'd seen Snow Bunting in Worcestershire and was very different to where I last saw some on Norfolk beaches.

After reporting the birds to Brian Stretch of Worcester birding I opted to drop into Brian's Worcester shop, Birders Store,  to have a look at his tripods as mine had literally been on his last leg for months. A handsome new beast was purchased and at the same time Brian kindly did a running repair on my binoculars which was much appreciated. Just need to save my pennies for a set of these !

Lemon drizzle, coffee and Marsh Harrier at Slimbridge

Not long now for the Bewicks arrival

View from the Ziess

Pintails

Shelduck hybrid 

Wigeon

White-fronted Geese

Marsh Harrier

Captive Crane

Lesser White Fronted

Black-winged Stilt

With the boys indoor cricket season not starting for another week both the wife I set out early for a trip down to Slimbridge. Taking advantage of the early entry for members we were watching the birds on the Rushy pen by 8.20am.

None of the Bewick Swans had arrived which was a shame but a strange Ruddy Shelduck did catch the eye but it seems some type of hybrid. There was 30+ Pintails of which some were very close to the hide.

We then headed straight to the Holden Tower as high tide was approaching. As always there was a great array of birds to been seen. I was good to see the first four of the Lesser-fronted geese had arrived.   Whilst a juvenile Marsh Harrier was hunting along the Dumbles edge. A fantastic spectacle for every one in the hide to observe. Other sighting from the Holden were :- 6 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 3 Little Stint with a flock of 100 Dunlin, 2 Grey Plover, Peregrine, 30 Curlew, 40 Golden Plover, 200 Barnacle Geese and a serious numbers of Wigeon.

Down at the Ziess Hide the Marsh Harrier allowed us closer views, the best attempt at a digiscope is shown above. Teal numbers were 800+, 3 Spotted Redhanks, 1 Greenshank, 8 Avocet !, 12 Dunlin, 30 Redshank, 40 Black-tailed Godwits. Always a great place to watch birds.

We did take in a couple of the enclosures where we watched a pair of Black-winged Stilts very closely in the tropical house before watching the Cranes and Lesser White-fronted Geese.

The morning was finished off nicely with a slice of lemon drizzle and a cappuccino before heading back up the M5.

Stroke of luck with Cuckoo Divert

Friday update from RBA

Autumn walk at Lickey Hills

Last Thursday brought the news a Yellow-billed Cuckoo had been located in Cornwall no doubt swept up the back end of Hurricane Gonzalo. The normal crew were all set for a Saturday early hour twitch only for me to suffer some chronic stomach ache causing a last minute cancellation. The feeling of not being able to go and letting the boys down was not good but it did feel much better when the Cuckoo was not located at all during Saturday or at all again ! Very lucky !

Late afternoon we headed up to the Lickey Hills on the edge of Birmingham for nice woodland walk with the wife. I was hoping to find my first Bramblings of the winter however I had to settle for some very close view of Goldcrests and Treecreeper. 

With the constant south westerly winds the influx of wintering thrushes has yet to really get going. From my 4th floor office I have picked up a few Fieldfare, Redwings and Starlings going over but nothing dramatic. Let's see what next week brings.