Babbs Mill Nature Reserve, Solihull.

Today it was off to Babbs Mill Nature Reserve in Solihull on a very mild Winters day, where the day started off in the car park with a cup of coffee and gingerbread men waiting for it to get light.

To say the water levels were high around the lake and the adjacent River Cole would be an understatement, the lake was approximately six foot closer to the grass than normal, with the newly created and established reeds beds almost completely swamped and the island almost completely under water which is particularly bad news for the poor old Domestic Geese. The River Cole was flowing at a ferocious rate and easily four foot higher than normal, thankfully all this rain isn't occurring during the breeding season when either the eggs would get washed away or worse the young birds separated from the parents in the fast flowing water, something which I've unfortunately witnessed more than once over the years.

Apart from the weather being good for the waterfowl, highlights of the day included seeing a Green Woodpecker, which was once quite a rarity at this location but thankfully is more of a common occurrence now, other highlights were seeing a flock of c.50 Goldfinch foraging in amongst Silver Birch trees also seeing some Bullfinch and Reed Bunting.

Birds seen today were Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Wren, Reed Bunting, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Redwing, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Pied Wagtail, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen, Coot, Goosdander, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Domestic Goose and Canada Goose.

If you read this blog you shouldn't need reminding, either way don't forget it's the RSPB Big Garden Watch next weekend (the 25th and the 26th of January) https://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/