Plantsbrook Nature Reserve.

Small White (Pieris rapae).

Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris).

Great Willowherb (Epilobium hirsutum).

Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare).

First off today it was a trip to Bromford Canal which ended up being largely uneventful bird wise apart from couple of mixed Tit flocks, I did get some photos of the canal, which I shall put up on my Flickr when I get around to it.

So then being as it wasn't as hot as it's been of late, it was off to Plantsbrook Nature Reserve instead where I met a very nice old school Castle Vale Punk Rocker who was enjoying the nature and birding himself. He happened to notice a baby Toad on the floor which was about the size of a penny, which was nice and I then actually noticed some more on the path of the bigger lake when he'd departed.

Being as it was only a quick visit and I was talking for some of that I didn't see too many birds but as ever it's always a pleasure to see the juveniles, the best today being a very healthy Song Thrush foraging in the trees around the waters edge. The two Great Crested Grebe juveniles also look fine and healthy which is great news. There were also four Moorhen chicks which looked only a couple of days old, thankfully they wasn't on the first pool which held four Grey Heron, hopefully their paths don't cross.

Birds seen were Blue Tit, Great Tit, Dunnock, Robin, Jay, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Grey Heron, Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen, Coot, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Canada Goose as well as the following juveniles Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Great Crested Grebe (2), Moorhen (4), Coot (8) and Duckling (4).

Other positive news from today's visit was that the council haven't cut down the meadow again this year, so they were full of wildflowers which of course meant that the area was awash with butterflies and bees. Also the apple trees are all bearing fruit, which is significant because I never saw a single apple at this location last year which meant the Thrushes, Blackbirds, Redwings and Fieldfares went woefully short. When there is a good crop you can see birds in triple numbers feasting on the apples especially when the ground is hard or covered in snow.