Southfields Farm, Coleshill.

Regular readers of this blog probably thought I'd gone away but fear not I'm back again for my first post of 2018, hopefully there will be many more to come as well.

I thought it was only right and proper to start this birding year as I'd finished the last one, namely that of a visit to Southfields Farm in  Coleshill to see all the good work that John does attracting and looking after the wild birds on his farm.

It was nice to see plenty of flocks of birds in good numbers, there were c.200 Linnet, c.200 Redwing, c.100 Starling and c.50 Woodpigeon, the Redwing and Starling flocks were in a field that backs onto houses where there is a lone tree, in that tree there was a very impressive looking Buzzard which kept flying down to the flocks of birds but strangely they moved just a few feet from wherever the Buzzard landed, clearly there was a rich food source that they didn't want to give up, also in among the Redwing and Starling there were Fieldfare but only about twenty or so, the Linnet were in one of the fields where the wild bird seed is sown, there was probably many more but they were flying to a tree and back to the floor again and the Woodpigeon were on a path which I rudely interrupted them from feeding from when I turned around the corner, they all flew into two nearby adjacent trees which made them slightly easier to count.

It goes without saying but there were hundreds of House Sparrow close to the outbuildings, they are always a treat to see and hear, in the tracks where John puts the seed down over the winter there were the usual delights which included, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Robin, Collared Dove and a large amount of Blackbirds.

Birds seen today were, Buzzard, Yellowhammer, Linnet, Reed Bunting, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Robin, Starling, Collared Dove, Redwing, Fieldfare, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Pheasant (cock).

Hopefully you enjoyed reading this blog and all being well there will plenty more to come this year.