Babbs Mill Nature Reserve, Solihull.

Made the trip out to Solihull today for a visit to Babbs Mill Nature Reserve where the highlight of the day was either seeing a flock of Whitethroat including many juveniles who were foraging amongst the bushes in between the lake and the River Cole or seeing a Little Grebe on the nest, something I don't see very often, I couldn't believe how small it was, there was only just enough room for the bird to sit on, let's hope any rainfall doesn't destroy this wonderful little birds nest.

It was also great to see the three Cygnets seen on my visit last month looking fit and healthy.

Birds seen today were Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, House Sparrow, Wren, Robin, Starling, Swift, House Martin, Swallow, Song Thrush, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe,Moorhen, Coot, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Domestic Goose, Canada Goose as well as the following juveniles, Cygnet, Moorhen, Coot, Duckling, Whitethroat and House Sparrow.

On Sunday I was going to Perry Barr Fire Station Open Day so before that I decided to go to the nearby Brookvale Park in Witton were birds spotted were House Sparrow (in the usual large numbers), Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Robin, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Cormorant, Swift, House Martin, Swallow, Mute Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Coot, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Domestic Goose, Domestic/Greylag Goose, Canada Goose as well as the following juveniles, House Sparrow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Robin, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Mallard Ducklings.

I was only there about half an hour and I commented that there were no Cygnets even though there were two separate Mute Swan nests on my last visit and there wasn't any juvenile birds or even birds going into adulthood so I asked a local couple who told me that the Council had left all the nettles and brambles all around the lake to deter any would be 'people' who would do harm to the birds and their eggs but sadly it was to no avail becuase both Mute Swan nests and their eggs were destroyed along with any nests or eggs that could be found, I would personally thow these bastards in the brambles if I caught them and watch them suffer, the only upside was eventually seeing two seperate families of Mallard Ducklings consisting of three in one family and four in another amybe they only avoided the slaughter because it's much harder to find Mallard nests.