Plantsbrook Nature Reserve.

A short visit to Plantsbrook this morning to check on the five Cygnets and they are all doing fine. Birds spotted today were Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Robin, Starling, Song Thrush, Collared Dove, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen, Coot, Mallard, Canada Geese as well as the following chicks, Duckling (19), Coot (15), and the following waterfowl still on the nest, Great Crested Grebe (1) and Coot (9). The only things seen of note today were plenty of Grey Squirrels and a nice Funghi find. I seem to be finding a fair bit of Funghi lately, must be the damp weather we've had of late.

Winterbourne House and Garden, Edgbaston.

While some lucky people were rocking to the likes of the mighty Black Sabbath at Download Festival 2012, yesterday I was pursuing more serene botanical activities at Winterbourne House and Garden in leafy Edgbaston. Today was obviously more about plants and flowers but I'm always on the lookout for our feathered friends wherever I go so needless to say I went armed with my binoculars and camera. It's always to see flowers in full bloom and there are over 6,000 plants species here but there is also a cacti collection, a rock garden, a woodland walk, bee hives, a boggy area, a few wild flower areas, the adjoining Edgbaston Pool and of course an Edwardian House built for John and Margaret Nettlefold, of Guest, Keen & Nettlefold who's traditions go back to the birth of the Industrial Revolution in Birmingham in the 1750's and are better known today simply as GKN, the global automotive and aerospace engineering group. So there was plenty to see and do as well as the aforementioned all important birding, of which the undoubted highlight of the day was seeing a (resident?) flock of sixteen adult Barnacle Geese and two Barnacle Geese Goslings, I think they are possibly resident birds because they've normally migrated by the end of March and they certainly don't normally breed in Britain, I could find only eight pairs that bred in Britain in 2003, so it was a real treat to see them especially with young it's also the first time I've seen them since March 2011, the only downer was seeing one of them with a foot missing, probably down to the chavs with sticks leaving fishing line in the water and one also had a deformed head but it did seem happy and hungry enough though. Birds seen were Chiffchaff, Wren, Blue Tit, Wren, Blackbird, Jay, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Barnacle Goose, Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen, Coot, Tufted Duck, Mallard as well as the following chicks/juveniles, Blackbird (4), Jackdaw (2), Barnacle Goose (2), Great Crested Grebe (1), Moorhen (1) Coot (4) and the following nesting birds, Great Crested Grebe (1), Coot (3) and Mute Swan (1). In the woodland area there were centuries old trees that were home to plenty of Jackdaw, they were everywhere even in the garden grounds. It was also nice to see a few juvenile Rabbits in the same area. I would probably have seen more birds but I was obviously preoccupied with looking at the many plants and flowers on offer but I was still happy with the bird life spotted especially the Barnacle Geese and the many Jackdaw.

Winterbourne House and Garden.

Plants, Flowers and wild Funghi.

Edgbaston Pool.

Barnacle Goose. 

Barnacle Goose Goslings.

Boat Inn (Minworth) Canalside walk.

Had a Bank Holiday amble from the Boat Inn Public House up to Curdworth Locks and back to the Boat again. Birds seen today were, Willow Warbler, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, House Sparrow, Wren, Starling, Song Thrush, Swift, Swallow, Pied Wagtail, Collared Dove, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Moorhen, Coot, Mallard, Canada Goose and the following chicks/juveniles, Blue Tit, Starling, Blackbird and Duckling (9). The Willow Warbler seen today was treating us to some great song on top of a telephone wire on the edge of one of the farmers fields. As usual it was great to see plenty of Starling juveniles, some in amongst a flock of fifty plus Starling. There was also at least four Blue Tit chicks with an adult in an old Oak tree, it was difficult to ascertain how many chicks there were what with the constant movement and also Goldfinch and Chaffinch present in the same tree. Unusually for a long stretch of water there was no Canada Geese present, the only ones seen were a flock of eight flying overhead. The only downer on the day was the three black bin bags of litter we picked up, most of it being discarded crap from the chavs with sticks, fishermen my arse, proper fishermen have respect for themselves, others as well as nature and it's surroundings. I must also say 'thank you' to the proprietors of the Boat Inn, who kindly took the litter of our hands and discarded it for us.