Babbs Mill Nature Reserve, Kingshurst.

Plenty of bird activity to be had at a mild Babbs Mill today where I had a walk around the lake which was mainly unfrozen so it was great to see the waterfowl back on the water where they belong, a walk along a section of the River Cole and a walk around the Yorks Wood which was full of birdsong. Birds spotted were, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Goldfinch, Jay, Redwing, Song Thrush, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Robin, Starling, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Kestrel, Goosander, Pochard, Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Coot, Mallard, Canada Goose, Farmyard Geese, Cormorant and various Gulls including Black Headed Gull with plenty of males now with their dark chocolate brown heads ready for mating around April time. It was great to see a lone Coal Tit in a tree happily singing away. Another highlight was seeing eight Mute Swan on the lake which is a lot for a small lake. It was Magpie city today, the numbers were easily in the hundreds including at least fifty making a right old racket in a tree.