RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch.

The next RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch is on Saturday 28th January 2012 and Sunday 29th January 2012, so you know what to do :)

Edgbaston Reservoir.

Birmingham Mail article on the low water levels at Edgbaston Reservoir.

Babs Mill Nature Reserve, Kinghshurst.

Not a great day on the song bird front today, plenty of water fowl and funghi to be seen though, down at Kingshurst, including my first Goosander of the Autumn. Birds seen were, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chaffinch, Wren, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Grey Heron, Goosander (Female), Teal, Great Crested Grebe, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Cygnet (5) and Cormorant. Usually along the River Cole there are scores of Carrion Crow but there was only a handful today, if anything there was plenty of Magpie around. As per usual there were plenty Grey Squirrels about, gathering nuts and chasing each other around trees, as you do.

Edgbaston Reservoir.

Another trip to Edgbaston Reservoir where the water was still low, the only difference being lots more grass and weeds, where it was just sandy on my last visit. Not a great day on the bird count, plenty of great examples of Funghi though. Birds spotted were Jackdaw, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Pied Wagtail, Herring Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen, Mute Swan and Cormorant. Can't beat a bit of Autumnal goodness !

Lady Bradford's, Castle Bromwich.

More of a Funghi spotting day today than a bird spotting one. The dark, damp and wet weather has produced plenty different species of Funghi, I got over 250 photos today whilst trying not to tread on any like I did the other day while taking photos near my house, at least I trod on them by accident. Birds spotted today were, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Blackcap (Male) Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Wren, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush, Dunnock and Starling. We had a great vantage point for spotting the birds (Goldfinches feasting on the many Teasels, the Male Blackcaps hopping about the trees, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thush, Dunnocks, the Tits etc...) when a dog walker came from behind us, so we moved off the path for him, he didn't even give us eye contact, so a 'Thank You' was out of the question from the miserable bastard, anyway he we went in front of us and proceeded to flush all the birds out of the trees and bushes and then it went all quiet, we've seen him before, so we're bound to see him again and then it'll by my turn to ignore him, he'll have to walk around me, the miserable old sod !

Lady Bradford's, Castle Browmwich.

Plenty of Autumnal goodness to be had today at Castle Bromwich. Birds seen today were Buzzard, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Song Thrush, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Goldfinch, Robin, Wren, Starling and Pied Wagtail. There was a noisy flock of approximately sixty Starling and a pair of Pied Wagtail foraging on the grass.

Plantsbrook Nature Reserve.

A trip to a Plantsbrook today on a strangely very mild day. Birds seen today were Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Robin, Jay, Song Thrush, Water Rail, Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen and Tufted Duck. The Chaffinch was seen among a flock of about twenty feeding on the ground, where unfortunately quite a few had very bad swellings on their legs known as Fringilla Papillomavirus, so bad that one of them had lost a foot, but even that didn't seem to inhabit her too much, horrible sight to see all the same. There were a pair of Water Rail today, which was good to see being as I haven't seen them here for a while, saying that they are hard to spot in amongst the reeds. Also, I've had the very first Goldfinch in the back garden this week, time to get a Niger feeder and seed methinks, also seen in the back garden this week was a Blackbird with a black beak which has almost certainly a Scandinavian Blackbird, I get four or five blackbirds in the back garden at any one moment at this time of the year. I've crow barred a picture of the 'Fudge' into this post, being as she's been a bit poorly lately, she was taken to the vets last night but fortunately she only had cystitis, so she didn't come out of the vets in a box like the poor 'Sukie' did :(