Babbs Mill Natue Reserve, Solihull.

Short two hour visit to Babbs Mill Nature Reserve which included a walk around Yorks Wood. The difference to my last visit was noticeable straight away with the place looking so much greener, which is a pleasant sight too see anyway but it also has the added bonus that it's put a stop to the local chavs setting fire to anything in sight. I never thought I'd be glad that the Himalayan Balsam has reared it's ugly head again but like I said it's kept a lot of the vegetation out of the firebugs way.

Birds seen were Great Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch,  Chiffchaff, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Wren, Robin, Starling, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Collared Dove, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Swift, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Moorhen, Coot, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Greylag Goose, Domestic Goose, Canada Goose as well as the following juveniles, Duckling (6), Coot (3), House Sparrow and Robin. There were also the following nesting birds, Mute Swan (2), Great Crested Grebe (1), Coot (3) and Domestic Goose (1). Not a bad bird count for just shy of two hours.

In the back garden I've had a couple of juvenile Collared Dove turn up as well as plenty of (twenty maybe ?) Starling turning up in the garden on a daily basis, what with them and the adults there can be upwards of forty out there destroying the suet block and coconuts and generally making an all round racket. Unfortunately no sign of juvenile Blackbirds yet so I presume they did lose their nest in my neighbours garden but I did notice a female building a nest yesterday so hopefully I'll still see some Blacbird chicks yet.

I shan't be be out birding for the rest of the week because I'm off to RAF Cosford Air Show on Sunday to see even bigger birds in the sky than normal.