New Hall Mill, Sutton Coldfield.

Nice trip out to Sutton Coldfield yesterday to visit New Hall Mill on their first open day of the year. New Hall Mill is a Grade 2 listed building and is one of only two water mills still surviving in the Birmingham area. The Mill and its meadow field are privately owned and managed by the New Hall Water Mill Preservation Trust.

Highlights of the day was observing two separate pairs of Treecreeeper feeding their young, one pair had young in a dead tree and the other was in a multi trunk tree, they didn't stop coming and going for food during the entirety of my visit. Other nests in the mill was a Grey Wagtail one located in an outhouse (as was the case last year) and a Great Tit nest in another outbuilding, as was the case with the Trrecreeopers they were feeding their young during the whole of my visit. Just outside the grounds in Newhall Valley Country Park it was nice to see Blue Tits feeding juveniles in the trees.

Birds seen today were Treecreeper, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Dunnock, Wren, Robin, Jay, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Grey Wagtail and Canada Goose and Mallard flying overhead.

Butterflies seen were Orange Tip and Small White.

In Friday it was brilliant to see the first of this years House Sparrow juveniles in the back garden, hopefully there's going to be plenty more to follow !

Newhall Valley Country Park, Sutton Coldfield.

I hadn't been to Newhall Valley Country Park since the beginning of December last year so today was the day to visit again where there juvenile birds and nest building aplenty.

A pair of Mallard have had some babies in the exact same spot on the Plants Brook as they do every year, according to a local there initially twelve but there are now only nine and unfortunately one of them had a deformed foot, hard to tell whether it was born that way or it had got the leg trapped in some litter, it didn't look good either way. In the grounds of  New Hall Manor there were eight Goslings, a pair with five juveniles and a pair with three and another Canada Goose on the nest. Birds observed collecting nesting material building were Blackbird (lots of them), Bulfinch (two separate pairs), and Blackcap. Birds observed collecting food for nestlings were Robin and Coal Tit, the Robin was seen furiously collecting insects where the Ducklings were and going back and forth to the adjacent allotments while the Coal Tit was seen taking insects into a crevice in a very old wall in the moat that runs around new Hall Manor.

All the years of going to this location I have heard a Pheasant but never actually seen one, he/they reside in an area not easy accessible to the public and gets very overgrown this time of the year and throughout the Summer and today I actually spotted a male Pheasant through the dense growth, which was nice.

Birds seen today were Kestrel, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chiffchaff, Bullfinch, Blackcap, Wren, Robin, Starling, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush, Jay, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Grey Wagtail, Pheasant (Male), Grey Heron, Moorhen, Mallard, Canada Goose, Ducklings (9), Goslings (8) and one Canada Goose on the nest.

Chester Road Canal, Erdington.

Today was time for another trip down one of Birmingham's many canals, it always amazes me that people don't go to canals to explore the wildlife, apart from the ever present litter, they are great places to visit.

I was hoping to see juvenile birds on the water, I didn't but I did see House Sparrows flying in and out of the eaves on houses clearly feeding nestlings, there was also two holes under the guttering in a factory wall with Starlings coming back and forth with food as they were doing at the exact same spot last year, there was also a Canada Goose on a nest in exactly the same location as this time last year, under the many bridges there were plenty of Feral Pigeon juveniles and is you can you see in the third picture I actually got a photo of some.

Birds seen today were Sparrowhawk, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Robin, Starling, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Collared Dove, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Moorhen, Mallard and Canada Goose.

Sutton Park.

I had another trip to Sutton Park today, primarily to see if the Mandarin Ducks were still present and as you can see the male was but there was no sign of the female, so hopefully she is on the nest. Also in the same area as the Mandarin Duck there were at least two Blue Tits with nests in the trees.

It was nice to see Swifts back again and darting above the waters edge, as was watching a Nuthatch foraging on the forest floor about eight foot in front of me.

Birds seen today were Buzzard, Nuthatch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Chiffcahff, Goldcrest, Wren, Robin, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Grey Wagtail, Swift, Grey Heron, Mandarin Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Coot, Mallard, Domestic Duck, Greylag Goose and Canada Goose.

It was also nice to visit the Donkey Sanctuary which is located in the park for a change and to see them roaming about freely and enjoying the sunshine.

Pype Hayes Park.

Nice trip to Pype Hayes Park this morning, I had planned a trip to Sutton Park but there was a Fulvous whistling duck on Pype Hayes Pool a few days ago alas it had gone by today still this location is always worth a visit.

It was nice to see the Stock Doves are still resident here and I also got some photos of one of them at last. As per usual there were plenty of Tits and Finches around. By the pool there is a large holly tree which appears to home to plenty of Robin and Dunnock, lets hope lots of birds fledge from this tree. On the island on the pool there are now three Coots on the nest and the Muscovy Duck is definitely at home on the pool and she looks quite happy. Along the Plants Brook there were a couple of Grey Wagtail who appeared to be a pair. Other than that it's great to see all the plants, trees and flowers coming into blossom, I didn't see any butterflies but it was quite chilly early in the morning.

Birds seen today were Blue Tit, Great Tit, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chiffchaff, Dunnock, Wren, Robin, Starling, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Collared Dove, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Grey Wagtail, Mute Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen, Coot, Tufted Duck, Muscovy Duck, Mallard and Canada Goose.

Shustoke Reservoir.

Nice trip out to North Warwickshire to visit Shustoke Reservoir where there were plenty of songbirds singing and lots of birds nest building including a pair of Kestrel, Blackbirds, House Sparrows, Wrens, Blue Tits, Great Tits and Woodpigeons.

Highlights included seeing the aforementioned Kestrels nest building in a lone tree that's located in a large open field adjacent to the reservoir, observing a male singing Blackcap, seeing and hearing my first Willow Warbler of the year and seeing my first Sand Martin, Swallow and and Swift of the year. It was also nice to see a Mute Swan and Great Crested Grebe on the nest.

Birds seen today were Kestrel, Blackcap (male), Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed It, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Wren, Robin, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush, Jay, Collared Dove, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Grey Heron, Lapwing, Sand Martin, Swallow, Swift, Mute Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Coot, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Mallard and Canada Goose.

The only downsides of the day were the very low numbers of waterfowl on the reservoir and fly fishers pool, in fact they were the lowest numbers I've ever seen. Worse than that was the bird feeders etc, have been destroyed by chavs who are no doubt also to blame the rising number of litter including many cans, bottles and tissues. Finally it was very sad to find a deceased Great Crested Grebe along the waters edge, at least now it's in a decent resting place.

Cole End Park Local Nature Reserve, Coleshill, Warwickshire.

Today trip was planned for Shustoke Reservoir but with the heavy mist and fog in the air I decided to stop off at Cole End Park in Coleshill instead which was still nice but ironically when I'd finished the mist and fog gave way to bright blue skies and sunshine, oh well I'll go to Shustoke Reservoir next week instead.

Today's lighting conditions were not ideal for birdwatching but it was still nice to see and hear some birds. Highlights were seeing, Nuthatch, House Sparrow, Wren, Dunnock plus plenty of Tits and Finches.

Birds seen today were, Nuthatch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chiffchaff, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Wren, Robin, Starling, Collared Dove, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Moorhen and Mallard.