Annual Report No. 70...Larus armenicus. You will note that they still have Caspian Gull L. a. cachinnans under Herring Gull. We, however, like all other publications are treating it

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The Birds of Staffordshire, Warwickshire,Worcestershire and the West Midlands

2003

Annual Report 70

Editor

D.W. Emley

Published by

West Midland Bird Club

Published by West Midland Bird Club

© West Midland Bird Club

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in aretrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,

mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission of thecopyright owners.

The West Midland Bird Club is a registered charity No. 213311.

Website: http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/

ISSN 1476-2862

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Price £9.00

The Birds of Staffordshire, Warwickshire,Worcestershire and the West Midlands

2003

Annual Report 70

Contents

4 Editorial

6 Submission of Records

7 Birds and Weather in 2003

14 Systematic List

205 Ringing in 2003

211 County Lists

218 Gazetteer

227 List of Contributors

230 Index to Species

Front Cover Photograph: Shore Larks at Upper Bittell Reservoir (Rob Wardle).

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Editorial

The Club has a vast archive of bird records. Unfortunately, most of this is notreadily accessible as it exists mainly on record cards. With the increasing threat toour countryside and wildlife the need for site-based data is becoming extremelyimportant and such data is also financially very valuable too. Whilst our AnnualReports can often be used to tell you where a given species can be found, theycan’t readily tell you what species are to be found at a given locality. Our dataneeds to be computerised.

To this end the Staffordshire Branch of the Club has been trialling a computerdatabase on which to store its records. The software chosen, MapMate, iswidely used and has been adopted by RSPB. Whilst data on record slips hasto be entered into the system by hand, many recorders are now using theirown computers to store their records and this data can be imported readilyinto MapMate. In addition, the BTO has launched its BirdTrack websitehttp://www.bto.org.uk/birdtrack/ where birders can enter their sightings and getpersonalised lists, distribution maps etc at the click of a mouse. More importantlyfor us is the fact that data from this database can be downloaded by CountyRecorders and, in Staffordshire’s case, imported directly into its MapMatedatabase. It really is a win-win situation. Data for compiling the Annual Reportcan then be sorted by date, locality etc, making it easier to write the speciesaccounts. In addition, you can generate first and last dates, lists of localities andrecorders and you can also produce distribution maps too. Some of these appearelsewhere in this report. From a conservation point of view, should a planningenquiry require information on the birdlife of a site, it can be generated quicklyfrom the database. In Staffordshire’s case, all the bird data is fed into the county’sEcological Record Centre (SERC) where it can be combined with data on otherfauna and flora. Sensitive records are, of course, treated as such. Thanks to SERC,an exciting future development will be the ability to view distribution maps of allbird species, except those of a sensitive nature, on-line – of which more in a futureClub Bulletin.

Following Staffordshire’s success, it is hoped to roll this database out across theother counties in due course.

When I first started ringing our “bible” was, and still is, Svensson’s IdentificationGuide to European Passerines. The early editions had no English names so onesoon got to know the Latin or scientific names which, at the time, appeared to befairly stable; but no longer! In 2006 the British Ornithologists Union announceda number of changes. The tits, for so long associated with the genus Parus, havenow been split up. They always were in separate subgenera but these have nowbeen raised to the rank of genus. So, as far as species in our region are concerned,

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Great remains in Parus, Blue is in Cyanistes, Coal is in Periparus and Willow andMarsh are in Poecile. Other changes include Little Tern moving from Sterna toSternula, Caspian Tern from Sterna to Hydroprogne, Red-rumped Swallow fromHirundo to Cecropis and Richard’s Pipit now becomes Anthus richardi. Ofperhaps more interest to birders is that the BOURC have finally split the HerringGull complex into Herring Gull Larus argentatus (including the races argentatus,argenteus and for the time being cachinnans and smithsonianus), Yellow-leggedGull Larus michahellis (with races michahellis and atlantis) and Armenian GullLarus armenicus. You will note that they still have Caspian Gull L. a. cachinnansunder Herring Gull. We, however, like all other publications are treating it as a fullspecies. While dealing with gulls; BBRC will not consider records of ‘Baltic’Gull Larus fuscus fuscus unless they were ringed in a colony of that taxon.

There are two new features in the Report this year. One is the addition of theWetland Bird Survey (WeBS) counts to the tables of selected species. Normallywe just include the maxima for the month but as WeBS counts are done on thesame day, they give a good indication of the population at a given point in time.Secondly, if you’ve ever been frustrated trying to find a particular speciesaccount, then the addition of an index to the bird species will be welcome!

AcknowledgementsI would like to thank all those who helped with this year’s report. I am especiallygrateful to all those who contributed records, especially those sending in valuablecensus data; to Bert Coleman for a fascinating Ringing Report; to Jim Winsperfor his review of the Birds and Weather, to photographers and artists Andy Warr,Alan Dean, John Harris, Phil Jones, Dave Kelsall, Nick Martin, Nick Smith, SteveNutall, Dave Taylor and Rob Wardle for making their work available; and aboveall to the County Recorders and their teams:

Warwickshire: Jonathan BowleyWorcestershire: Andy Warr, Brian Stretch, Terry Hinett, Gavin Peplow and

Steve WhitehouseStaffordshire: Gilly Jones, Neil Carter, Eric Clare, John Gulley, Ray Jennett,

Andy Lawrence, Nick Pomiankowski, Bernard Smith, and BillLow.

West Midlands: Tim Hextell.

I would like to thank Mike Gaydon of Healeys, Jim Winsper, and especially mywife Sue, for their support and help during the compilation of this report.

Distribution maps used in the report have been produced with MapMate® usingDigital Map Data © Bartholomew 2004.

David Emley

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Submission of RecordsAll contributors are asked to follow the guidelines set out in the booklet AChecklist of the Birds of the West Midlands and a Guide to Status and RecordSubmission (second edition 1989). A copy of these can be found on our websitehttp://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com. All records should be sent to the relevantCounty Recorder as soon as possible after observation. Concise, though adequate,field descriptions (including how the species was identified, the circumstances ofthe sighting and the observer’s experience of the species) should accompanyrecords of all species – marked as A in the Details column of the checklist. Anexception to this are geese which are known to be of feral origin. In addition,descriptions are required for all out-of-season migrants, unusual hybrids andscarce sub-species, including Kumlien’s Gull, Scandinavian Rock Pipit, Blue-headed and other flava race wagtails, White Wagtail (autumn only), Black-belliedDipper, Greenland Wheatear and Chiffchaff races. The lack of an acceptabledescription may lead to records being rejected.

Records should be sent to the appropriate County recorder:

Warwickshire JJ Bowley17 Meadow Way, Fenny Compton, Southam, Warwickshire CV47 2WD

Worcestershire A Warr14 Bromsgrove St, Worcester WR3 8AR

Staffordshire Mrs GN Jones4 The Poplars, Lichfield Road, Abbots Bromley, Rugeley, Staffs WS15 3AA

West Midlands TC Hextell39 Windermere Road, Handsworth, Birmingham B21 9RQ

Ringing SecretaryAll ringing recoveries should be sent to:A E Coleman, 67 Park Lane, Bonehill, Tamworth, Staffs B78 3HZ.

Records can be sent electronically as Excel, Word or RTF files or on recordslips. These are available from the Club Secretary, (address inside backcover) at indoor meetings or a copy can be downloaded from our website:http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/. Another alternative that is proving verypopular is the BTO’s BirdTrack website http://www.bto.org.uk/birdtrack/. Dataentered here can be accessed, with permission, by the County Recorder, thusobviating the need to send in slips etc.

D W Emley, 23 Leacroft, Stone, Staffs ST15 8GF

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Birds and Weather in 2003Our growing knowledge of the wild birds that we study, particularly thatconcerning scientific work and the genetics of families, is adding anotherfascinating, yet at times complex, dimension to our everyday birding challenges.

The ability of many amongst us to make positive and therefore criticalidentification of sub-species has opened up a whole new world for many morebirders to pursue this particular aspect of study. This knowledge has resulted inthe splitting of some genera, in particular, Larus gulls, Phylloscopus warblers(the Chiffchaffs) and certain Carduelis finches (the Redpolls). Is this merely thetip of the proverbial iceberg and will our growing knowledge result in the splittingof a wider variety than those previously mentioned? The rate at which ourknowledge grows concerning sub-species would certainly indicate that this ishighly likely. One thing that is certain, our identification ability in the fieldconcerning such birds has lead to an increase in bird records and a new demandupon those who assess and ultimately write up such reports.

2003 saw a total of 235 species; one less than in 2002. In a year that saw thehighest June temperature since 1976 in a memorably warm summer, thenprobably the high note, bird wise, was that of breeding Avocet at Upton Warren,a regional first and a significant UK event. The only addition to the Region’savifauna came in the form of a Common Rosefinch that visited a garden inAlcester. The extremely notable record of Kumlien’s Gull Larus glaucoideskumleini, a vagrant sub-species of Iceland Gull from the North East CanadianArctic, accentuates my forward to this piece. Not one but two Red-backedShrikes occurred in the West Midlands this year; the first county record foralmost 20 years and the only records for this species in our region for 2003. Agreat deal of effort was put into the identification of a juvenile skua when foundat Draycote. This all proved to be extremely worthwhile and resulted in thepositive identification of a Long-tailed Skua – a county first.

January was a month of two facets. The wet weather of December 2002 lingereduntil the 3rd when it was replaced by cold dry conditions that then lasted until the12th. A broad south-westerly flow then dominated with mild wet weather lastinguntil the 29th. This flow then veered northerly and cold wintry conditions werereintroduced.

Smew featured well in this month with a redhead at Upper Bittell Reservoir on1st and a party of up to six birds including three drakes in the middle Tame Valleyfor much of the month. The Great Grey Shrike at Handsacre Flash in 2002remained until the 25th. During the first week a movement of Pink-footed Geesewas noted with skeins of 50 and 160 over Little Stoke and Tittesworth. Up to fourEurasian Bitterns were a feature at Ladywalk for the whole month while a

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Black-necked Grebe lingered at Westwood Pool until the 8th. Iceland Gullsproved a worthy target for the year-list enthusiasts with a long-staying bird atDraycote that was accompanied by a second individual on 8th; a first-winter birdwas located at Lower Moor four days later. A Black Redstart remained atBelvide from 9th to 18th; the first there for 17 years. A Green-winged Teal atGrimley New Workings on 18th was only the second county record while a drakeRed-crested Pochard at Packington on 29th was an excellent find. The noveltybird of the month must be awarded to a Northern Gannet that flew over BrandonMarsh on 3rd.

In the main, February was dry and sunny with the central England temperaturejust 0.1°C below the 1971-2000 mean. Only three of the last 15 February’s –1991, 1994 and 1996 were colder.

Bredons Hardwick produced the highest year count for Eurasian Wigeon duringthis month. Confirmed sightings of Common Redpoll came from HabberleyValley on 5th and Ladywalk on 8th. At Eymoor Wood, Common Crossbillnumbers peaked with 50+ birds there during the first week and a flock of 150+Siskin accompanied these. As expected, Staffordshire produced the highestconcentration of Siskin with Westport recording a flock of 400 on 3rd.Brambling occurred in good numbers in Staffordshire and Worcestershire withflocks in excess of 100 at Newcastle and New Parks. After a spell of sightings inJanuary the Great Grey Shrike reappeared at Priors Marston on 3rd while aFirecrest, after going missing for three weeks, also put in a second appearance atKeele University on 7th and 14th. On the 9th a Merlin was harassed by aPeregrine Falcon at Shustoke while Worcestershire benefited from the presenceof Merlin at several locations during this month and the first winter period as awhole. Two Gannets were seen flying over Doxey Marshes on the 11th. Themonth closed with a herd of 23 Bewick’s Swans visiting Draycote on 27th.

A changeable south-westerly regime saw March get off to an unsettled start afterwhich dry and sunny conditions prevailed. Though mild, the first eleven days ofMarch were wet and windy, a result of south-westerly fronts and troughs crossingthe UK on a daily basis.

Despite gloomy weather conditions the first of our spring migrants, a NorthernWheatear, appeared on 3rd at Doxey Marsh. This bird was followed by a singlebird at Marsh Lane on 12th and from hereon a strong regional passage builtthroughout the month. Marsh Lane held a second visitor on 12th; a ScandinavianRock Pipit. Sand Martins had begun to show with single birds at Draycote on7th, Brandon 8th and Dunston and Belvide on 11th and 14th. A Drake GreaterScaup was located at the Gwen Finch Reserve on 7th. A Cetti’s Warbler put inan appearance at Doxey Marshes on the 16th and was heard later on the 22nd. Thefirst Little Ringed Plover put in an appearance at Shustoke on 10th with a

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broader movement in the last week of the month. Warwickshire held a strong earlypassage of Red Kites with birds at three locations on 9th, 13th and 16th. A similarmovement of Red Kites involving four separate sightings took place inWorcestershire and a single bird was at Marsh Lane, West Midlands, on 26th. Onthe Clent Hills, two Hen Harriers were observed on 23rd and a single MarshHarrier put in an appearance at Ladywalk on 27th. During the second half of themonth Garganey were located at Knightcote and Earlswood Lakes while Belviderecorded its first bird on 27th.

Mostly dry warm and sunny with clear night skies, April proved to be idyllic formoving birds. Temperatures rose to between 18-21°C in the first few days and thismonth proved to be the warmest April since 1987, the driest since 1997 and thesunniest since 1990. Over England and Wales, rainfall averaged 20% belownormal, while sunshine was 20-30% above.

Hawfinches that had frequented the Wyre Forest during the winter monthsremained there until the middle of this month. The Brambling flock at Westlands(Newcastle-under-Lyme) peaked at a wonderful total of 400 birds and departedthe region soon after. With birders thoughts focused upon the arrival of migrantsand, it would be fair to say that the recording of first arrivals holds moresignificance now, with the onset of global warming, than ever. A group of threeRed-necked Grebes was seen at Blithfield on the 7th. Barn Swallows werereported from most suitable locations in the first week throughout the region.Singing Willow Warblers heralded the spring with four birds on Walton Hill andCommon Whitethroats began to show mid-month. The first Reed Warblerswere recorded at Upton Warren and Branston WP on 16th and by the end of themonth Wood Warblers were singing at Dowles Brook, Seven Springs andSandwell Valley. Two Common Cranes flew over Bagots Park on the 14th. On19th a pair of Avocets took up residence on the Flash Pools at Upton Warren andwent on to record the first county and regional breeding of this species by rearingfour young. Sanderling in breeding plumage were another feature at UptonWarren on 24th and along with these birds a Little Stint at Kingsbury WP on 26thsaw the beginning of a wader movement across the region.

A south-westerly regime dominated during the first three weeks of May bringingfrequent showers and some prolonged rain to most areas. High pressure builtacross the UK during the last week bringing settled and warm weather to a ratherchangeable month.

An exceptionally late Jack Snipe was at Marsh Lane on 3rd and a party of 10Whimbrel graced Kingsbury WP on 1st. The first Hoopoe to be seen inStaffordshire since 1996 arrived at Croxall on the 12th while an adult Long-tailedDuck remained at Belvide from 9th to 13th. Wormleighton Reservoir was theplace to be on 15th when Honey-buzzard and Marsh Harrier flew through. If

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these two birds were not sufficient enough to make your day then the sighting, andbird of the day, came in the form of Red-footed Falcon as it too passed throughthe site. Two Dotterel were located on Bredon Hill on 10th but probably the bestbird of the month was located on 29th in Alcester when an excellent summer maleCommon Rosefinch visited a garden feeding station. This bird would prove to bea first for the county and region.

The warm, dry weather that settled in at the end of the previous month continuedthroughout June, which ultimately proved to be the warmest since 1976. Theprovisional Central England Temperature ranked June 2003 as the fifth warmestof the last 100 years, after 1940, 1950, 1970 and 1976, the mean maximumtemperature being second only to that of 1976. Sunshine was around 25% abovethe normal in parts of the Midlands.

A Rose-coloured Starling proved an excellent record from Tenbury Wells on 6th.Red Kites were noted at five locations in Worcestershire throughout the monthand a Montagu’s Harrier circled above Shuckburgh Park on 7th. Red Grousewith young were noted on the North Staffordshire Moors on 14th and 26th andCommon Quail were heard at locations throughout the Region. A brood of sixEurasian Teal were located at Brandon Marsh on 18th and at the same locationa Little Egret on 16th provided records for every month of the year for the regionas a whole.

The hot spell continued into the second week of July and then the weather becameunsettled. A south by south-westerly controlled the weather during the second halfof the month with Atlantic fronts crossing the country bringing frequent spells ofrain, though the temperatures remained fairly high.

Peregrine Falcon was recorded as a breeding species in all four counties andthere was a family group of four Common Ravens in North Worcestershire on4th. July heralds the return of many wading birds that have bred in northernclimes. The sighting then of a Dunlin and a Wood Sandpiper at Dunstall ParkLake on 1st was spot on. Further Wood Sandpipers were located at Belvide on2nd and 6th and Turnstones were recorded at many sites throughout the region.A single Bar-tailed Godwit put in an appearance at Kingsbury WP on 12th andtwo adult Curlew Sandpipers arrived at Draycote on 16th. By now Black-tailedGodwits were appearing throughout the region and the month closed with a singleSanderling at Upton Warren on 25th and two at Upper Bittell on 28th.

The arrival of August saw the return of dry sunny weather and a record-breakingheatwave. High pressure developed over the UK during the first few days andpersisted until the 27th. The provisional Central England Temperature of 18.3°Cplaced this August in 5th place in the 344 year-long record. Just 0.7 mm of rainfell over the UK during the entire month.

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On the 3rd an Alpine Swift was picked out amongst returning Common Swiftsat Merevale. The first Spotted Redshank of the return passage was at GrimleyNew Workings on 15th and birds at Brandon, Upper Bittell, Upton Warren,Blithfield and Sandwell Valley followed this bird during the last week. The lastdeparting Common Cuckoos were at Blithfield on 16th and Sandwell Valley on17th. A Spotted Crake was seen at Belvide on 17th and 18th. A PectoralSandpiper was found at Sandwell Valley on 24th and throughout the month therewas a strong passage of Common Redstarts and Whinchats. The followingrecords of strictly maritime species occurring in the landlocked midlands arewithout doubt the result of Atlantic storms that have driven these birds to such alocation. On the 20th a Manx Shearwater was found in Stratford-upon-Avonwhile the following day the fresh corpse of a European Storm-petrel was foundat Kemerton Court, Worcestershire. An amazing flock of six Common Cranesflying over Belvide on the 30th rounded off the month.

September remained dry, sunny and warm until the last week when a marked coldfront swept across the UK on 22nd Despite the mainly warm days there was now amarked difference between daytime and night temperatures. In central England itwas the warmest September by day since 1959 and the coldest by night since 1993.

The month began with the exceptional sighting of at least 12 Willow Tits in amixed tit flock at Wormleighton Reservoir. This same site also accounted for 11Lesser Whitethroats on 2nd and the same number of this species at PriorsHardwick on 4th matched this observation. Contenders for the best garden ticksof the year are a Wryneck in Great Wolford on 1st and 2nd with another bird inStratford-upon-Avon on 6th. At the same time there were garden visitorsinvolving two birds at Woodcote Green on 1st and Grafton Flyford on 16th and17th. There was a steady trickle of Ring Ouzels moving through Worcestershirethroughout the month and Northern Wheatears of the Greenland Race wereidentified at Draycote on 13th and Packington 15th. Mid-month saw a nationalinflux of Pectoral Sandpipers and there were up to nine seen in our area. Thegreen corridor of Sandwell Valley held a steady movement of NorthernWheatears through the month and there were two autumn records of BlackRedstart during the month at Hollybed Common on 6th and Ryall Southern Piton 7th. A second run of bizarre seabird records occurred with a ManxShearwater near Great Malvern on 18th and a Leach’s Storm-petrel was atDraycote on 24th. As the month closed the first Redwings and Fieldfares for theregion arrived at Draycote on 23rd and 26th respectively.

The cold weather that dominated the close of the previous month continued andOctober remained cold and sunny until the last few days. Fronts swept south-eastwards across the country on 3rd bringing cold winds and blustery showers toall parts. The occasional anticyclone developed over the UK but they were short-lived, though providing contrasting episodes.

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A Great Skua was found injured at Chasewater on the 7th but died later. WestportLake had its second Yellow-browed Warbler on the 17th. A Bearded Tit wasgood record at Napton Reservoir on 20th and just three days later, in the face ofa strong north-easterly, a wind blown Little Auk touched down at Brandon Marshfor a brief spell. On 24th a Spotted Crake made its first appearance atWormleighton Reservoir while at Upper Bittell Reservoir two Shore Larksprovided the first county records since 1996. The pleasing sight of a superb coveyof 19 Grey Partridge at Wishaw dispelled thoughts that this species was nowextinct in the county.

The cold drift of a north-easterly flow subsided and gave way to a south-easterlyregime at the beginning of November, a month that proved to be mild, sunny andmostly dry until the 20th when it became very wet. From the 21st a stationaryfront delivered heavy rain to the south midlands, recording 50-75mm over a twoday period.

Whooper Swans were recorded at several sites during the month with a notableparty of one adult and four immatures at Bredons Hardwick on 3rd. The arrivalof Bewick’s Swans was also widespread during the month with a total of 12 birdsat Whitemoor Haye on 12th being the highest count. A well-watched and verytame Grey Phalarope arrived at Chasewater on the 4th and stayed untilDecember 7th before moving to Belvide. A strong movement of winter thrushesoccurred in Warwickshire during the first week accounting for the highest countof Fieldfare for the year when 2200 birds moved through Wormleighton on 5th.The same site also provided the highest flock count of Redwing with 850 birdson the same date. Also on 5th a Black Redstart visited Draycote while a RockPipit spent the whole of the second week at Westport. A Water Pipit was locatedat Fishers Mill GP on 8th and two Great Grey Shrikes put in appearances atRadway on 12th and Shipston-on-Stour on 15th. A Great Northern Diver arrivedat Chasewater on the 11th and remained until December 15th. A Great GreyShrike arrived in the Sherbrook Valley on 13th and remained for a few days. ASnow Bunting was recorded on Worcester Beacon on 18th, a Spoonbill atBlithfield on the 28th and the month closed with the excellent find of a Yellow-browed Warbler at Upton Warren on 30th.

December was an extremely changeable month with south-westerly and northerlyanticyclones competing for dominance. This resulted in mild wet weather andbright cold days coupled with frosty nights alternating throughout the period. Asthe dominance changed then fog formed a third weather element. The northMidlands faired best with sunshine duration as high as anywhere in the UK.

At Draycote a female Greater Scaup arrived on 2nd while a Long-tailed Duckremained at Westwood until 20th. A small influx of Smew was recorded in thefirst cold spell with four redheads arriving at Belvide on 8th while two males and

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one redhead were at Chasewater on the same date. Merlin still featured in theWishaw area until the year end and a female of this species flew through MarshLane NR on 8th. Two Water Rails were present at Drayton Bassett Pitts on 9thand a Yellow-legged Gull was observed at Dunstall Park on 13th. Pied Wagtailroosts are not uncommon in town centres but one in Newcastle-under-Lyme builtup to an incredible 1300 on the 9th. The scarcer Caspian Gull was also recordedwhen an adult roosted at Westwood from 11th-15th. Up to four Long-earedOwls stayed at Park Hall CP while a Short-eared Owl roosted on Bredon hillfor much of the month. The Brambling flock at Farnborough Park peaked at 50mid-month and the year ended with the fine sight of six Hawfinches at ChaseEnd Wood on 30th.

AcknowledgementsPhilip Eden, Royal Meteorological Society: – Weather Log.

Jim Winsper.

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Systematic ListThe sequence of species and the scientific names follow those of The British List(British Ornithologists’ Union, 2003) with amendments (British Birds Vol. 99:1). TheEnglish names are those published in British Birds (Vol. 86:1), with amendments(Vol. 97:1). Records of distinctive subspecies are listed separately immediately afterthe commonly occurring race, their commonly used English names appearing initalics. All records of species within Categories A-C of ‘The British List’ appear inthe main section, even if suspected of being of captive origin. All other species (i.e.Categories D and E) appear under Exotica; these mainly refer to escapes fromavicultural collections. In the case of hybrids, the species listed first is that deemedby the observer to have contributed the dominant characteristics. Records of Nationalrarities are only published if they have been accepted by the BBRC, with the onlyexceptions being well-documented records which are still being assessed due to latesubmissions.

The status comments are based on current knowledge and must therefore be highlysubjective, although not beyond modification in future reports. The figures in bracketsafter these comments, in species recorded less than annually, are a measure offrequency and refer to the number of calendar years in which they have appearedduring the previous ten years, i.e. not including the current year.

A new addition this year are the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) counts for selectedspecies. As these are done on the same day, they give a snapshot of the total populationat a given time.

A key to the contributors to these notes appears at the back of this Report.

The following status categories have been used:

Very rare fewer than ten records ever.Rare ten or more records, but less than annual (recorded in nine or less

of the last ten years). Breeding less than annually.Scarce fewer than 20 birds occurring per annum or 10 pairs breeding.Uncommon 20-100 birds occurring or 10-50 pairs breeding.Frequent 100-500 birds occurring or 50-250 pairs breeding.Fairly common 500-5000 birds occurring or 250-2500 pairs breeding.Common 5000-20000 birds occurring or 2500-10000 pairs breeding.Very common 20000-50000 birds occurring or 10000-25000 pairs breeding.Abundant 50000+ birds occurring or 25000+ pairs breeding.

The following abbreviations have been used:CBC Common Bird Census NR Nature ReserveCES Constant Effort Site Res ReservoirCP Country Park SF Sewage FarmGC Golf Course STW Sewage Treatment WorksGPs Gravel Pit(s) UP Urban ParkNP Nature Park WP Water Park

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Mute Swan Cygnus olorFairly common and increasing resident.

Monthly maxima at selected sites:J F M A M J J A S O N D

Coombe 2 2 4 6 9 8 12 9 14 9 8 7Dosthill/Kingsbury – – 63 130 – – – – – – – 104Draycote 3 2 2 5 5 14 18 36 47 56 76 21Ladywalk 3 4 10 10 6 5 5 5 4 14 2 3Bittell Reservoir 1 – 2 2 14 11 15 14 2 1 2 5Bredon’s Hardwick 20 46 9 3 26 19 13 3 25 23 17 11Kinsham Lake 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 3 3 14 9 15Pirton Pool 8 2 2 3 3 8 8 8 8 22 37 48Upton Warren 5 4 5 6 4 6 7 4 4 5 2 4Westwood Pool 5 4 4 6 3 5 5 9 1 2 3 2Aqualate 4 – 2 4 17 8 9 8 4 1 1 –Barton 5 11 16 22 23 35 18 18 20 55 31 22Belvide 2 – 9 68 104 114 114 108 17 6 8 15Blithfield – – – 16 26 157 174 136 – 5 – 11Borrowpit Lake – – 37 66 – – – 21 27 – 35 –Chasewater 48 69 68 68 68 62 82 100 98 68 51 47Copmere 2 2 1 2 7 – 6 8 1 2 – 4Croxall 20 5 19 29 23 62 70 90 78 38 12 3Doxey Marshes 15 9 10 13 9 24 15 14 14 23 26 12Elford 277 113 61 10 6 9 12 8 9 11 18 14Hill Ridware 6 4 5 6 3 10 6 14 31 10 9 9Kettlebrook Lakes 12 11 12 7 6 6 7 7 15 13 12 11Kings Bromley 10 7 4 6 8 3 – 6 6 10 6 –River Tame – – 58 19 0 37 – 42 25 – 39 –Rocester Pool 8 5 6 12 12 6 12 – 4 2 – 11Westport 3 5 8 14 9 20 20 14 5 5 1 27Whitemoor Haye 258 262 190 7 17 – 24 24 28 37 306 300Marsh Lane NR 47 17 6 7 7 10 10 8 14 18 6 13Netherton Reservoir 7 7 13 12 9 2 – 1 2 2 1 –Sandwell Valley 49 38 – 37 56 34 – 38 32 – 40 26WeBS 2002 611 568 522 517 379 432 599 651 570 494 706 636WeBS 2003 734 591 606 344 293 536 543 522 425 435 600 568

Warks A disappointing total of only 23 breeding pairs was reported (cf. 31 in 2002and 42 in 2001). These were located at: Barford, Billesley, Birdingbury, Brandon (twosuccessful), Chesterton, Draycote, Earlswood Lakes, Farnborough Park, FennyCompton, Fulready, Kingsbury (two), Ladywalk, Lighthorne (two), Napton Holt,Napton Res, Stoneton Moat (young killed by foxes), Temple Pool, The Somers,Weston Park and Willington. An aggressive cob at The Somers reportedly killed aMallard and two young Greylags, as well as attacking anglers. Unfortunately monthlycounts were not available from Alvecote this year, but up to 70 were feeding nearbyon Station Fields, Polesworth during March-April. Likewise co-ordinated counts wereagain lacking from the Tame Valley, which seems to be the stronghold for winteringbirds in the county at present. Coton was again the principle water in the valley witha staggering 240 counted on March 10th. Another good count was 77 at Shustoke onDecember 7th. Elsewhere, Brandon had a peak of 22 on May 24th and there were 17at Abbots Salford on October 26th.Worcs Breeding pairs reported from Bishampton Vale Pool, Bittell Reservoir,Grimley New Workings, Gwen Finch Wetland, Kinsham Lake, Lower Moor (threepairs), Shernal Green, Strensham Lagoons and Upton Warren (two pairs). Countsmade away from the tabulated localities included 20 at Arrow Valley Lake on January

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15th, then 15 on February 13th, 32 at Holt Prairies on March 13th, eight at Wildenlagoons on April 30th and seven at Strensham Lagoons on December 14th and 27th.Over 100 birds were on the River Severn at Worcester throughout the year.Staffs Breeding occurred at Apedale (one pair), Aqualate (13 cygnets), Baggeridge(seven cygnets), Baswich (six cygnets), Bathpool (two cygnets), Belvide (two broodsof seven and four, the four all died between October 19th and November 1st with lowwater levels being the suspected cause), Brookleys Lake (nine cygnets hatched fivefledged), Chasewater (eight pairs hatched 34 not all of which survived), ColdmeecePools (four cygnets), Copmere (five cygnets), Doxey Marshes (15 cygnets), Ingestre(eight cygnets), Kettlebrook Lakes (three pairs bred with nine cygnets being fledged),Norbury (seven cygnets) and Rocester (one pair). Maximum counts at untabulatedsites include; 170 at Fisherwick on November 16th and 150 on February 2nd, 156 atCroxall on January 18th, 47 at Burston on March 29 and 30th and 39 at Ingestre onDecember 29th.W Mid Breeding pairs were recorded at Amblecote Pool (two pairs), Catshill(Anglesey Branch canal), Coombeswood, Dunstall Park Lake, Perry Hall Park, PoolHayes (Wyrley and Essington canal), Sandwell Valley, Smestow Valley (along theStaffordshire and Worcestershire canal), Stourbridge Canal, Stubbers Green, SuttonPark, Titford Pools, Trittiford Mill and Withymoor Pool (two pairs). Twenty-eight werecounted at Wyken Slough in February. Also reported from Edgbaston Pool.

Bewickʼs Swan Cygnus columbianusFrequent, though declining winter visitor and passage migrant.Warks Most reports came as usual from Draycote, with herds of thirteen onJanuary 6th and 23 on February 27th, followed in the autumn by two on November 1stand again on 10th. Other records involved three at Wormleighton Res on November9th (the first there for many years) and six in flight over Radway on December 5th.Worcs Two records during the first winter period, with a single adult at Bredon’sHardwick on January 16th and 13 at Lower Moor on 27th comprised of seven adultsand five immatures. Better numbers were noted in the second winter period, but allwere single day observations. Eight adults visited Kinsham Lake on November 8th, anadult at Westwood Pool on December 9th, six birds flew over the M5/M50 junction on21st and finally two at Lower Moor on 27th. Staffs Unusually there were no reports from the first winter period, the first birdof the year being noted on October 20th at Blithfield where it was seen to fly off southover the dam. In November, at Whitemoor Haye, four seen on the 8th had increasedto 12 the following day while four were again present on the 12th with three remainingon the 16th. At Blithfield 12 flew south with an immature Whooper Swan onNovember 9th, three were present at Barton on the 16th and Belvide had one onNovember 12th which flew off to the north-west. In December 3 were at Hill Ridwareon the 13th, Whitemoor Haye had seven on the 14th and three on the 30th and atBelvide two adults and three immatures flew west on the 26th.W Mid A pair was at Marsh Lane NR between November 25th and 27th – the firstsite record.

Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnusScarce or uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Also a recent feral visitor.A welcome increase in numbers over the past five years with the species now beingcommoner than Bewick’s Swan. The majority of records come from the Blithfield/Trent-Tame Valley area.

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1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of records 29 30 28 28 76No. of birds 110 79 131 100 244

Warks A good-sized party of 14 at Draycote on December 7th RBR stayed only to0915hrs before departing, while two more were seen at Kingsbury on 16th TP.Worcs Only recorded during the second winter period, with an adult over Broomeon October 19th, one adult and four immatures at Bredon’s Hardwick on November3rd and 4th, 10 flew over Tibberton on 9th and two adults at Grimley New Workingson 12th.Staffs Up to 12 birds that frequented Trent/Tame Valley probably accounted formany of the following sightings: eight at Catholme on January 1st LRH, LJB movedto Croxall GP on January 3rd ESC, seven were there on the 4th GP, PDH and eightagain on the 5th ADG. Meanwhile 12 were at Whitemoor Haye on the 5th DJA, NUand ten at Sittles Farm (Whitemoor Haye) on the 9th ESC. Five were at Catholme onFebruary 1st LRH, LJB, seven at Broadfields/Whitemoor Haye on February 16th DJAand two at Fisherwick/Elford on the same day DJA. Seven at Croxall GP on February20th ESC, NU. Four adults were at Croxall on March 9th MJI and at Sittles Farm onthe 15th PDH, and 20th ESC and at Elford north pit on March 23rd DJA. Elsewherethere were six adults at Blithfield on March 15th GJM, MJI, MPR, PDH. Two adults,both un-ringed and associating with Mute Swans at Westport from May 4th to 6thWJL et al., were fairly approachable so their origin is suspect. During the secondwinter period three flew in from the west at Belvide on November 1st but only stayeda short while SN. Two adults flew over Chasewater on November 6th GJM, MJI, whileone seen flying low over Strawberry Hill on November 9th MG must have been asurprise for the finder! An immature flew over Blithfield heading south with 12Bewick’s on November 9th ESC, GJM, and probably the same bird flew in atWhitemoor Haye and settled in with the Mute Swans and was still present on the 15thPDH. Two adults were seen with Mute Swans at Whitemoor Haye on November 23rdNS. There were three on the River Trent between Handsacre and Kings Bromley onNovember 30th FCG. One was seen heading south over Westport on December 9thWJL, two adults were at Blithfield on December 15th MG, NU and finally three atWhitemoor Haye on December 14th DJA.W Mid Four flew over Forge Mill Lake in Sandwell Valley on November 8th AJ,DS.

Whooper Swan X Mute SwanWarks The only records came from Alvecote, where there was a single bird onNovember 6th and again from December 12th-31st.

Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchusFrequent passage migrant and winter visitor to Staffs, but normally rare further south.Also a scarce feral visitor or escapee.Occurrences of this species are prone to weather conditions but the increase in recordsover the past ten years, due to expanding wintering populations in Norfolk and aroundSouthport, is plain to see.


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Warks The only report of wild birds this year involved a skein of 21 over Dosthillon November 15th RLS. Other sightings of single birds at Kingsbury, Ladywalk andSeeswood Pool during February and March, and at Draycote over much of the year,involved just two or three free flying escapes.Worcs A single adult, probably last year’s individual, arrived at Upton Warren onFebruary 20th and was reported almost daily until March 1st. It was relocated, withCanada Geese, at Grimley New Workings on 8th and remained until April 21st, alsovisited Westwood Pool on April 15th. A flock of 10 was discovered amongst theCanada Geese on field alongside Hollybed Common on September 7th and alsobriefly visiting Golden Valley Lake. The single adult from the first winter periodreturned to Westwood Pool on September 27th and was also noted on the Abbey GolfCourse Pool on November 18th. Finally a new adult was at Lower Moor fromDecember 28th to the years end.Staffs In the early winter period a skein of 50 flew west over Little Stoke and 115headed north-west over Keele University on January 4th, 160 flew south-east overTittesworth on January 5th and on the same day a single bird was seen at Branston GP.The only other records in this period were of single birds noted as follows; February23rd and 25th at Tittesworth Reservoir, March 30th at Whitemoor Haye and DoxeyMarshes at April 25th. A single probably feral bird was at Tittesworth Reservoir onMay 7th. In the late winter period the first record came from Belvide with a singlebird on September 22nd. A month passed before the first large skein was seen when56 flew over Tittesworth Reservoir on October 5th followed by 72 flying over the samesite on October 19th. On November 9th, 56 flew over Tittesworth and two were atBelvide on the same day. December brought 200 flying south-east over TittesworthReservoir on the 4th with next day 120 observed flying west over the same site, thelast record was from Keele University where 100 flew north on the 29th.

Grey GeeseWarks A party of 16 flying north over Ladywalk on October 2nd was consideredpossibly to have been Pink-footed Geese.W Mid A skein of 70-80 grey geese, believed to be either Pink-footed or White-fronted Geese, flew high over Newbridge in Smestow Valley on March 4th.

White-fronted Goose Anser albifronsUncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Also scarce feral visitor or escapee.Wintering numbers appear to have stabilised after the fall in 1989-93.


Warks A flock of 28 tried to touch down in riverside fields in the Charlecote/Wasperton area on February 16th ARD, but after circling for a while eventuallydeparted to the south-west. On November 7th a party of eight, composed of two adultsand six juveniles, flew low to the east over Lighthorne Quarry JJB. Next day an adultwas found with the resident flock of Canada Geese by the Oxford Canal below NaptonHill REH, DJS. It was not seen either before or after this date and so may well havebeen a wild bird. Finally, a juvenile flew into Dosthill Lake during the late afternoonof December 22nd ARD.Worcs The two adults at Bredon’s Hardwick from 2002 remained on site untilJanuary 25th and presumably the same individuals were relocated at Wick on February

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8th. Both frequented the Wick/Lower Moor area on many dates until March 23rd. Asingle adult at Bredon’s Hardwick on February 19th was probably one of this pair, asonly a single was at Wick that same day. A single adult was also at Bredon’s Hardwickon February 23rd and 26th. Grimley New Workings held small groups of three adultson January 21st and six adults from 23rd-March 1st, then a seventh adult on 2nd joinedthem. A single adult, that was associating with Canada Geese in the Grimley/Holt areafrom February 14th-March 11th was believed to be the seventh bird. Back at Bredon’sHardwick an immature bird arrived on March 8th and remained until April 18th.Staffs Two adults and one juvenile at Belvide on December 7th SN spent the daywith the Canada Goose flock. This was the first record for the site since four werepresent in January 1997. One of unknown origin was at Doxey Marshes on December30th per MDB.W Mid Two, of unknown origin, were on Forge Mill Lake in Sandwell Valley onMarch 13th.

White-fronted Goose X Greylag GooseWorcs An immature was at Bredon’s Hardwick from February 19th-April 14th.

Greylag Goose Anser anserFrequent feral resident, mainly to north Warks but increasing and spreadingelsewhere.


Coombe 9 66 22 23 47 3 54 69 73 78 183 98Barton 1 3 3 3 1 2 – 6 2 1 1 1Belvide 53 52 5 3 6 – 24 62 72 33 68 55Blithfield – 7 3 – 3 24 50 31 – – – –Brookleys Lake 28 22 – 2 – – – – – 52 62 44Chillington 52 – 14 16 12 22 12 – – – – –Elford 4 2 8 6 6 7 – 1 – 7 – –Kings Bromley 23 19 – 5 2 5 3 5 – – – 4Marsh Lane NR 250 200 2 4 3 12 109 379 400 381 208 234Smestow Valley – 6 8 9 6 – 1 1 – 1 – –WeBS 2002 165 38 122 58 50 81 128 76 204 314 238 207WeBS 2003 509 216 68 136 187 132 232 414 106 90 302 118

Warks Pairs bred at Brandon (at least five), Kingsbury (three) and The Somers.Further south breeding occurred at Charlecote for the first time, with two broods offour and seven young being reared. These birds were thought to come from theexpanding feral flock at Great Alne. Outside the breeding season there was muchinterchange between Coombe and Brandon, the latter holding maxima of 189 onJanuary 5th and 171 on December 6th; while 220 in August was the best count atKingsbury. There were no counts as usual from the Packington area, but it wasreported to be regular on stubble fields at nearby Maxstoke during the autumn with apeak of 60 on November 8th. In the south of the county, where until recently it was arare visitor, up to 30 were present at Great Alne and 15 in the Avon valley betweenCharlecote and Wasperton, while eight were seen with Canada Geese further down inStratford on August 26th. Other reports from the south, but only involving very smallnumbers, also came from Abbots Salford, Chesterton, Draycote, Edstone, LighthorneQuarry and Wormleighton Res.Worcs Two pairs bred at both Kinsham Lake and Lower Moor. The largest groupsrecorded during the first half of the year comprised a maximum of 18 at Bredon’s

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Hardwick during January, 16 in February, eight in March and five in April. Seven wereat Arrow Valley Lake on January 16th, five at Gwen Finch on 19th and 20th, 16 atLower Moor on February 9th, 14 from 15th-March 2nd and 10 on May 8th. WestwoodPool held six on March 17th. Singles and groups under five were also observed atBeckford Lakes, Grimley New Workings, Naunton Beauchamp and ThrockmortonLagoons during this period. With a successful breeding season, numbers increased atLower Moor from 13 on June 10th to 21 on July 30th, 30 on August 17th and 31 onSeptember 24th. Three visited Westwood Pool on July 12th, Kinsham Lake held six onAugust 17th, followed by eight on 25th and 22 on 26th. Bredon’s Hardwick continuedto attract small flocks, with seven on August 26th, five on 31st, nine on September 7th,21 on October 19th, 10 on November 3rd, seven on 16th and 14 on 26th. Lower Moorheld 18 on October 5th, ten on 20th, seven on December 13th, 25 on 28th and finally26 on 30th. Fourteen arrived at Holt Prairie on December 26th increasing to 15 on 27th.This group also visited Grimley Old Workings that same day.Staffs The only breeding reported came from Trentham Gardens where broods ofsix and seven were seen on April 26th. Recorded at 17 sites across county withuntabulated maxima of 64 at Branston GP on August 17th, 32 at Weaver Hills onSeptember 2nd and 12 at Croxall in January.W Mid A pair attempted to breed at Dunstall Park Lake but was unfortunatelyunsuccessful, this followed an increase in spring records. Singles were present inSandwell Valley on January 10th, February 26th and September 15th. Elsewhere inSmestow Valley, away from Dunstall Park Lake, two flew over on March 30th andthree flew over on May 14th. Two flew over Netherton Reservoir on April 14th. Thecount of 400 at Marsh Lane NR in September was a County and Regional record,beating the 360 recorded here in December 2002.

Greylag Goose X Canada GooseWarks One at Brandon on April 5th.Worcs One at Bredon’s Hardwick on January 4th and 20th.W Mid Presumed Canada x Greylag hybrids were seen in flight at Dunstall Park onMarch 16th and on July 31st.

Snow Goose Anser caerulescensScarce feral visitor or escapee (9/10).Warks The only report was of one consorting with nesting Barnacle Geese at PriorsMarston on June 2nd. This is probably the same bird that has appeared at severalwaters in the south-east during the last two years.Worcs A white morph adult was at Bredon’s Hardwick on September 7th.W Mid A hybrid was noted in Dunstall Park with the Canada Goose flock onSeptember 22nd and 23rd, with presumably the same bird on October 4th, 18th, 19th,25th and 31st.

Canada Goose Branta canadensisCommon and increasing feral resident. Fairly common breeding species


Alvecote 468 – – – – – – 350 – – 500 –Brandon 172 85 110 86 64 151 141 145 74 25 129 130Coombe 24 140 90 79 85 127 159 171 167 175 179 186DMC Kineton 40 – 28 – 28 50 54 254 285 – 81 –Draycote 170 80 41 20 – – – 235 105 60 115 100

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J F M A M J J A S O N DKingsbury 180 370 – – 345 610 585 585 – – – –Ladywalk 4 120 24 20 12 19 18 19 76 28 24 123Bittell Reservoir 54 18 45 36 27 145 147 518 43 142 – 89Bredon’s Hardwick 200 – 16 65 73 107 68 35 183 53 49 189Kinsham Lake – 134 3 12 6 12 19 292 60 – 4 –Pirton Pool 2 116 67 64 8 138 95 182 175 400 107 185Upton Warren 159 62 65 51 70 42 28 256 360 72 76 50Westwood Pool 470 127 5 24 22 94 90 8 205 385 300 30Aqualate 168 0 24 32 59 63 48 0 34 61 2 5Barton 252 110 120 75 108 144 200 477 333 119 220 243Belvide 553 – 129 – – 376 376 410 622 – 349 509Blithfield – – 11 5 4 19 70 756 – 304 190 222Branston – – – 32 34 103 86 233 1 49 – 54Branston Water Park – – – 36 29 211 97 122 31 2 60 55Chasewater 123 85 32 30 47 108 773 174 441 64 125 79Croxall 377 200 96 53 72 285 329 165 257 46 511 438Doxey Marshes 620 500 270 107 151 209 268 163 531 539 459 450Elford 1 17 69 18 22 14 17 12 1 – 7 –Kings Bromley 197 238 218 182 129 712 776 709 214 147 253 344Westport 122 114 112 118 115 184 221 136 61 97 84 66Dunstall Park 2 239 110 88 36 6 53 148 220 290 85 –Marsh Lane NR 40 17 – 5 5 4 25 145 – – – –Netherton Reservoir 28 6 4 14 4 – – – 22 21 – –Sandwell Valley – – – 132 – 310 – 620 673 – – 530WeBS 2002 4145 2617 2261 1129 905 2048 2701 3324 4765 3392 2712 2788WeBS 2003 2456 2409 2111 1436 1249 2260 3338 4658 2945 2650 2862 2546

Warks A reduction in flock size maxima was evident at a number of sites this year.Away from listed waters, flocks of around 100-150 were also reported during the yearfrom Abbots Salford, Bedworth, the Avon Valley between Hampton Lucy andWasperton, Jubilee Pools, on stubble at Maxstoke, at several sites in the Napton area,and at Offchurch Bury and Walton Hall. The largest was 183 at Seeswood Pool onAugust 17th and 300 on the river at Stratford-upon-Avon on 26th.Worcs Breeding pairs were reported from Bittell Reservoir, Bredon’s Hardwick,Broadway Gravel Pits, Grimley New Workings, Strensham Lagoons and UptonWarren, though almost certainly bred on many other water bodies across the county.Flocks reported away from the tabulated localities consisted of 128 at BishamptonVale Pool on January 9th, 109 at Hewell Grange on February 5th, 50 at Arrow ValleyLake on March 31st and 150 at Abberton on September 7th.Staffs Breeding records came from Apedale (two pairs nested one of which had itsnest destroyed by a pair of Mute Swans), Aqualate (35 juveniles were present by June),Chasewater (two pairs were successful), Dimmingsdale (three juveniles), DoxeyMarshes (83 juveniles), River Dove at Norbury (six juveniles), Tittesworth Reservoir(10 goslings) and Trentham Gardens (four goslings). Notable maximum counts awayfrom the tabulated sites include 200 at Rudyard Lake on February 1st, 494 atTittesworth Reservoir on July 16th, the highest count here for at least three years and380 at Whitemoor Haye on October 12th. One showing characteristics of one of thesmaller races was at Burston on January 26th.W Mid Breeding pairs were noted at Catshill (along the Anglesey Branch canal),Dudley No 2 canal (two pairs), Dunstall Park Lake (three), Grapes Pool in Bilston(two), Newtown (along the Anglesey Branch canal), Ocker Hill, Oldbury (two alongthe canal), Parkhead (three pairs), Perry Hall playing fields, Rocket Pool in Bradley(two), Sandwell Valley, Sheepwash UP (in excess of 30 goslings raised), Stubbers

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Green (three), Thimblemill, Titford Pools and Trittiford Mill. A total of 67 were atWyken Slough in February while 73 were at Titford Pools in mid-June. The count of673 made in Sandwell Valley in September was a new record count for the locality.Two birds in Sandwell Valley on January 31st were wearing red rings on their rightlegs BCT and BBY. They were ringed in Sandwell Valley as juveniles on 23rdSeptember 2001 and 1st August 2001 respectively.

Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsisRare winter visitor and passage migrant. Uncommon feral visitor or escapee.

J F M A M J J A S O N DWeBS 2002 34 4 3 3 2 4 3 7 16 27 27 20WeBS 2003 18 19 2 14 3 4 7 39 6 20 4 7

Warks At least four pairs nested at two private waters at Priors Marston, althoughproductivity was again not recorded. This small population seems to be responsible forthe flock which has visited Draycote in recent years. At the latter site there was a partyof 13 on January 6th, with 11 on various dates from then up to February 18th. Thesebirds were often absent during this period for up to several days at a time, but on atleast one of these days, January 14th, they visited Napton Res. Significantly this flockwas seen to depart from here in the direction of Priors Marston. One or two were alsoat Draycote later in the year, on several dates during August, October and December.Elsewhere in the county one or two feral birds continued to be reported from Alvecote,Kingsbury and Brandon during most of the year, with one unmated female at the lattersite actually nesting and producing a clutch of infertile eggs.Worcs Small numbers were recorded at Bredon’s Hardwick with the Canada Geeseflock during the first half of the year. Maximum monthly counts here during thisperiod comprised five on January 19th, four on February 7th, four from March 8th-11th, 12 from April 18th-20th and eight on May 27th. Other group count came fromLower Moor, with four on January 3rd and 4th and three at Kinsham Lake on February16th. All other sightings referred to single individuals at Westwood Pool on January3rd, 6th and February 22nd, Grimley New workings on January 19th, February 16th,March 8th-14th, 23rd and April 1st and 2nd, Beckford Lakes on March 1st and April7th and Bishampton Vale Pool on February 13th, 20th and 23rd. During the autumnand second winter period two were at Kinsham Lake on August 16th and four on 17th,Pirton Pool held singles on 16th, October 7th and November 11th and the usual smallgroups returned to Bredon’s Hardwick, with one on August 17th, five on 24th, four onSeptember 3rd, seven on November 3rd and 4th, six on 11th and eight on December13th. Singles were at Grimley New Workings on August 20th, October 12th and 27th,four were observed on fields alongside Hollybed Common on September 7th, six atClifton Pits on October 12th and one on November 9th, one at Chateau Impney onOctober 27th and singles at Westwood Pool on November 25th and December 30th.Staffs In the first winter period five were recorded at Doxey Marshes in January,with three in February and two in March. One was at Hatherton in January and one atKings Bromley on February 16th, while eight at Chasewater in the early evening ofMarch 21st were seen to fly off to the north-east. Two were at Belvide on April 14th,one at Shugborough on April 23rd and at Westport one was noted in January, Februaryand April. In the summer single birds were seen at Blithfield on May 28th, Westporton May 17th, June 14th and July 20th and at Barton on August 17th. Two were atChasewater on June 9th and four at Rocester on July 21st. At Blithfield 16 arrived on

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August the 3rd and reached a maximum of 35 during the month, 33 remained into theearly part of September, the only other record from Blithfield is of 31 on October24th. At Doxey Marshes two were present from October 12th to the 14th, in Novemberone from the 15th to the 20th and one was also noted in December. Other records wereone at Westport on September 13th, 12 at Rocester Pool on October 13th and atCroxall one on November 16th and two on December 15th.W Mid A flock of 15 birds was noted at Edgbaston Pool during January andFebruary with 16 here in December – though it is not known whether breeding tookplace in the area as it did in 2001 and 2002. Single birds, no doubt from West Park inWolverhampton, were seen in flocks of Canada Geese flying towards the north-eastover Smestow Valley on January 12th, in Dunstall Park on August 12th and September5th and 27th, and in flight over Dunstall Park on November 2nd. Single birds were inSandwell Valley on June 21st and September 15th.

Brent Goose Branta berniclaScarce passage migrant and winter visitor.The decline after the peak in 1989-93 continues.


Warks A single adult of the dark-breasted race which consorted with CanadaGeese at Draycote from October 17th-30th RCM et al., with probably the same birdagain on November 17th-18th and from December 1st-7th many observers, was fairlyapproachable and may have been of captive origin.Staffs Singles at Tittesworth on April 21st WJB and Belvide on November 25th SN.W Mid The juvenile of the dark-bellied race that first appeared at Marsh Lane NRMO on December 26th 2002 was present with the Greylag Goose flock until January7th. A bird of the dark-bellied race was at Dunstall Park on April 5th GAC, KMCet al. – the first locality record.

Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollisStaffs One presumed escape at Blithfield on May 21st (MT).

Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacusRare feral visitor or escape (9/10).Warks An interesting series of records came from Kingsbury, where a pair hadsummered in 2002. They began with single birds consorting with Canada Geese onFebruary 4th and September 21st. Up to five, thought to be a family party, were thenpresent here from November 2nd-18th, with two remaining until at least December8th SLC, JRW et al. There seems a strong possibility that successful breeding tookplace somewhere in the district in 2003.Worcs One was observed at Bredon’s Hardwick from January 3rd-19th RAP et al.Staffs A probable escape was at Blithfield from May 20th-23rd ESC, MT.

Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferrugineaScarce escapee or feral visitor and possible rare vagrant.Worcs Singles reported from Bredon’s Hardwick on April 17th and 18th, on theRiver Avon near Lower Moor on 19th, Abbey Golf Course Pool on October 18th and

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Lower Bittell Reservoir on November 13th. All birds were considered to be of captiveorigin.Staffs Five were at Blithfield on November 12th ESC and were last seen onDecember 27th MPR. These birds were then relocated the next day at Belvide on the28th SN.

Common Shelduck Tadorna tadornaFrequent passage migrant and summer visitor and winter visitor. Scarce oruncommon, but increasing breeding species.


Alvecote 10 30 33 14 6 – – – – – 5 11Brandon 2 – 3 6 5 4 – – 1 1 – 1Dosthill/Kingsbury 4 4 23 8 4 9 18 – – 2 1 4Draycote 2 6 2 5 – – 4 – 8 2 1 1Ladywalk 4 5 6 3 4 – – – – 2 – 2Bredon’s Hardwick 20 9 12 6 7 2 – – – – – 3Gwen Finch Wetland 3 5 6 6 8 – – – – – – 2Kinsham Lake – 2 2 10 – – – – – – – 3Upton Warren 1 3 4 3 3 – 4 1 4 – – 1Aqualate 1 3 16 16 12 – – – – – – –Barton – 12 16 15 18 12 1 2 1 – – –Belvide 2 1 4 5 5 – – 2 2 – – –Branston 14 – – 24 – – – 1 – 3 – 10Whitemoor Haye 2 5 4 20 25 7 5 – – – 2 2WeBS 2002 6 52 44 71 64 51 5 5 3 3 4 4WeBS 2003 24 50 113 88 54 14 12 3 2 3 2 4

Warks No evidence of successful breeding again at Alvecote, but two or three pairsreared broods in the Kingsbury area, and single broods of seven young were reportedfrom both Lea Marston and Shustoke. Away from the Tame Valley where smallnumbers occurred widely, a pair summered again at Brandon and up to four werepresent in Packington Park during the spring, but with no proof of nesting at eithersite. The only record in the south of the county involved a single bird flying north-eastat Bishopton (Stratford) on March 30th.Worcs No confirmed breeding data received this year, but singles and pairs werereported during the breeding season. Away from the tabulated localities one was atLongdon Marsh on January 1st, one at Westwood Pool on February 8th, two on 13thand one on April 14th, a pair at Ryall on February 15th and 16th, then singles onMarch 13th and June 14th. Lower Moor held two on February 16th and March 9th,two were at Strensham Lagoons on 9th, one at Wilden Marsh on April 6th, two atClifton Pits on May 16th, one at Aston Mill East on 18th and one at ThrockmortonLagoons on December 30th.Staffs With no reports of breeding from Aqualate this year the only breedingreport came from Whitemoor Haye where a pair with five ducklings was seen onJune 14th. Maximum counts, not in the tabulated tables, include 16 at Elford GP inMarch, 16 at Handsacre on March 9th, 11 at Hill Ridware in February and 10 atDrayton Bassett Pits on April 3rd. Also reported in small numbers from Alrewas,Blithfield, Chasewater, Coldmeece Pools, Croxall, Doxey Marshes, Gerrard’sBromley, Kings Bromley, Mavesyn Ridware, Norbury Park, Rocester Pool, SilverdaleColliery, Tittesworth Reservoir and Wychnor.

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W Mid At Marsh Lane NR, birds were noted on a regular basis throughout the yearwith up to six noted in March and birds present on and off throughout April and earlyMay and occasionally noted into June but no evidence of any breeding. However, anadult and seven juveniles at Marsh Lane NR on August 10th had no doubt bred locallyat one of the nearby suitable gravel pits. A pair was noted at Minworth SewageTreatment Works on February 2nd. Two were on Ryders Hayes Mere on March 31st.Four adults were at Dunstall Park Lake on May 25th, before they flew off northwards,and one bird flew over Smestow Valley on June 1st. Two flew through Sandwell Valleyon November 7th.

Mandarin Duck Aix galericulataUncommon, but increasing, feral resident and visitor.


Lower Moor 8 14 4 3 6 6 6 6 3 2 – –Belvide 3 1 – 2 2 1 1 2 1 – – –Brookleys Lake 1 1 – – – – – – – 1 1 –Chillington 3 – 2 1 2 3 5 1 2 3 – –

Warks Ladywalk produced a male on February 27th and a female on November14th and 20th. There was also a male at Brandon on November 16th.Worcs Breeding con -firmed at Elmley Castle,with a pair and threechicks noted on May26th and at Lower Moorwhere a pair raised fouryoung. Other breedingseason sightings camefrom Dowles Brook,with a drake and threeducks reported at theend of March, reducingto a pair by early May,then dis appearing withno evi dence of breeding.Pairs were reported fromHinton - on - the - Greendur ing the spring,Woolas Hall on BredonHill on April 6th, theRiver Avon at North Comberton on 8th and a pinioned pair were on the River Severnat Powick Bridge on May 11th. Two drakes frequented Grafton Reservoir on May 3rd,a female at Lenchwick on 10th and six adults on Kinsham Lake on June 6th. Reportsfrom January to mid April were of a drake on the canal in Droitwich on January 1st,2nd and 5th, a pinioned pair on the River Severn, Worcester on 4th, 8th and 9th andone drake and four ducks at Trimpley Reservoir on 11th, 23rd, February 15th, 22ndand 23rd, reducing to a pair on March 19th. A pair was on Grafton Reservoir onJanuary 25th, seven on Kyre Pool on 30th, then up to five between February 1st-23rdand a pair on March 23rd. Single drakes were observed at Upper Strensham Pool on

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Pair of Mandarins, Elmley Castle (Andy Warr)

March 6th, on the Moors Pool at Upton Warren on many dates between 24th and April16th, Gwen Finch Wetland on March 27th and Captain’s Pool on April 1st. A pair wasat Stoke Bliss on March 30th with just the female remaining on April 1st. During theautumn and second winter period a drake was at Bredon’s Hardwick on September23rd and 25th, another drake on Mill Shrub Pool, Bittell from October 26th – earlyNovember and the pinioned pair was seen on the River Severn in Worcester onOctober 28th and November 8th. Seven, including three drakes, were on TrimpleyReservoir on November 23rd, followed by ten on December 7th and 22nd, four on24th and nine on 26th. Kyre Pool held a pair on November 28th and Lower BittellReservoir a female on December 28th.Staffs No breeding records were received this year. Away from the tabulated listrecords include a pair at Bateswood CP on April 14th, a pair at Beresford Dale onMarch 26th, a male at Blithfield in November, one at Branston GP on April 17th, apair at Burston on April 12th, three at Denstone on March 26th and a female at DoxeyMarshes in September. At Drayton Bassett Pits there was a female on March 29th anda single bird on May 4th, a male at Norbury Junction on February 1st and 10th and atTittesworth two females on July 27th, a female on November 2nd and 2 females anda male on November 15th, a male at Lower Penn on February 21st. Although theTrentham Gardens colony seems to be much reduced in numbers, the only record isof a pair there on April 26th. Nearby, at Kingswood Bank, two males and a female onMay 25th and one male and two females at Hanchurch Pools on June 19th showed thatthere is still a viable population in the immediate area.

Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelopeCommon winter visitor, scarce in summer.


Abbots Salford 30 200 156 12 – – – – – – 124 243Alvecote 150 – – – – – – – 3 300 130 –Brandon 26 5 – – – – – 1 26 105 31 23 Charlecote 215 186 117 18 – – – – 16 43 56 110Dosthill/Kingsbury 357 370 300 86 2 6 – 8 66 127 228 200Draycote 640 650 420 10 3 1 1 1 41 198 280 745Ladywalk 100 247 150 – – – – – 203 124 147 200Shustoke 202 190 82 5 – – – – 2 210 200 –Bittell Reservoir 6 – – – – – – – 2 – 4 13Bredon’s Hardwick 1000 1600 1150 60 – – – – 7 90 575 1600Chateau Impney 140 153 114 – – – – – – 2 42 122Gwen Finch Wetland 50 – 90 – – – – – – – – –Kinsham Lake – 14 9 – – – – 2 4 17 54 108Pirton Pool – – – – – – – – – 17 76 5Upton Warren 5 4 6 1 – – – – 9 12 10 6Westwood Pool 116 75 47 – – – – – 6 10 53 41Aqualate 155 151 62 – – – – – – – 16 69Barton 372 645 344 22 – – – – 2 34 173 467Bateswood Lake 39 39 26 – – – – – – – 16 13Belvide 240 195 143 88 3 1 1 1 12 45 47 134Blithfield – 34 527 27 1 1 0 7 68 240 280 802Chasewater 70 17 47 9 – – – – 9 225 – 176Croxall 675 431 493 8 – – 2 – 12 12 44 243Elford 290 260 76 – – – – – 15 30 17 24Kings Bromley 113 127 92 1 – – – – – – 63 92Tittesworth 140 85 3 8 – – – – 1 12 51 –

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J F M A M J J A S O N DWhitemoor Haye 10 52 20 – – – – – – 26 – 98Edgbaston Pool – – – – – – – – 9 70 57 40Marsh Lane NR 100 108 105 37 – – – – 25 109 161 171Sandwell Valley 45 66 60 – – – – – 12 146 150 63WeBS 2002 4399 3110 3198 60 2 3 2 3 154 1281 2173 3481WeBS 2003 3845 2176 2924 88 3 2 1 7 356 645 1822 4768

Warks In addition to the summering birds at Draycote and Kingsbury, a male wasseen at Seeswood Pool on May 9th. Away from listed sites Coombe Abbey had a peakof 12 on December 14th, while in the south maxima included 30 at Hodnell on January5th, 19 at Coombe Slade Pool, Brailes on December 2nd and 21 at Lower Radbourn on14th. Smaller parties of ten or under were also reported from the south of the county at:Chapel Ascote, Chesterton, Compton Verney, Farnborough Park, Knightcote, Light -horne Quarry, Napton Res, Newbold Comyn, Salford Priors GP and Wormleighton Res.Worcs Away from the tabulated localities Upton-upon-Severn Ham held 35 onJanuary 1st, Kempsey Lower Ham 21 on 4th, Lower Moor 26 on 8th and Ryall Pitssix on February 1st. During the autumn one was on Mill Pond, Hollybed Commonon August 3rd, one at Bishampton Vale Pool in September and five at GrimleyNew Workings on September 11th. Second winter period sightings came fromThrock morton Lagoons, with six present on October 12, 19 were at Clifton Pits on12th, followed by 86 on November 9th, 17 at Bishampton Vale Pool during October,27 in November and 18 in December. Oakley Pool held four and Lower Moor six onOctober 19th, a single was on the River Severn in Worcester on 28th and December10th, four at Strensham Lagoons on November 2nd, eight at Grimley New Workingson 21st, then 30 on 26th, 75 at Lower Moor on December 23rd and one at TrimpleyReservoir on 26th.Staffs Maximum counts away from the tabulated sites included 160 at Fisherwickon December 14th, 100 at Burston on March 11th, 70 at Doley Common on March1st and 60 at Little Wyrley on December 6th. Smaller numbers were reported fromAlvecote Pools, Barton Turn Marina, Borrowpit Lake, Branston, Brookleys Lake,Chillington, Copmere, Doxey Marshes, Drayton Bassett, Hill Ridware, KeeleUniversity, Rudyard Lake, Silverdale Colliery, Westport and Wychnor. Summeringrecords were, an injured female at Belvide, one at Blithfield and two at Croxall in July.W Mid Two were present at Sheepwash UP on January 12th with one on October5th and three on November 2nd. The peak count at Clayhanger was 42 in February. AtDunstall Park Lake, a pair was present on February 22nd, with an eclipse male fromAugust 28th to September 14th. One was at Bartley on September 30th and four onDecember 19th while two were on Netherton Reservoir on November 7th and two atStubbers Green on November on 14th. The autumn and second winter period countsfrom Edgbaston Pool were notable, being so close to Birmingham City Centre.

Gadwall Anas streperaFrequent and increasing winter visitor. Uncommon breeding species.


Alvecote 14 – – – – – – – – – 32 –Brandon 17 13 12 9 5 6 3 4 15 37 59 26Dosthill/Kingsbury 28 31 41 20 18 48 8 6 25 38 82 58Draycote 3 – 7 2 1 – 2 9 35 20 55 41Ladywalk 54 83 20 14 15 18 36 76 200 209 130 134

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J F M A M J J A S O N DShustoke – – – 5 – – – – 9 74 – –Bittell Reservoir 1 – 2 – – – – – – – 5 4Bishampton Vale Pool 6 6 – – – – – – – – 10 14Bredon’s Hardwick – 6 3 – – – 3 – – – 2 2Kinsham Lake 9 15 11 – – – – – – 12 6 19Pirton Pool – – – 2 1 1 – 4 – 2 11 18Upton Warren 4 3 5 3 3 1 1 2 4 7 8Westwood Pool 45 44 32 10 – – 3 2 3 4 30 22Aqualate 25 – 2 7 3 – 1 5 4 – – –Barton 20 16 4 5 3 2 – 1 – 11 2 6Belvide 34 20 47 62 38 74 24 70 – 17 56 86Blithfield – – 2 7 13 26 7 38 – 3 3 16Chasewater – 2 4 1 – – – – 2 3 3 7Chillington 26 9 – 6 2 1 16 24 14 18 14 15Croxall 2 – – 4 4 4 – – 4 5 4 7Elford 16 16 6 – – – – – – 1 8 10Marsh Lane NR 18 19 17 6 3 – 5 10 21 36 50 26Sandwell Valley 3 – 5 5 7 11 11 11 7 2 4 11WeBS 2002 189 214 183 98 67 78 28 41 134 247 176 135WeBS 2003 249 218 98 76 73 98 66 94 215 355 275 357

Warks A good breeding season, with broods noted at: Fisher’s Mill GP, KingsburyWP (two), Ladywalk (two), Lea Marston and Salford Priors GP. Numbers were excep -tionally high during the autumn and early winter, with the count of 209 at Ladywalk onOctober 12th PS establishing a new county record. Record counts were also reportedat Brandon and Shustoke, while those at Kingsbury and Draycote were the best for fiveor more years. Other maxima included 14 at Abbots Salford on March 16th and nine atNapton Res on November 10th. Further localities to hold this species during the yearincluded Bermuda, Coombe and Seeswood Pool in the north, and Charlecote GP, DMCKineton, Farnborough Park, Wixford and Wormleighton Res in the south.Worcs The breeding population in the Grimley area continued to thrive, with threebroods on the New Workings and one on the Old Workings. Present at this localitythroughout the year, the only count came from the Old Workings, with 33 on August22nd. Other records away fromthe tabulated localities were ofseven at Lower Moor on January21st, a pair at Wilden Lagoonson February 21st, a pair atLower Moor on April 25th and30th and four at ThrockmortonLagoons on August 29th.Staffs Breeding occurred atBelvide where ten pairs raised 48ducklings. At Blith field therewas a female with a brood ofducklings in Tad Bay on August6th and at Drayton Bassett therewere two broods, of five andtwo, on July 27th. The onlynotable counts away from the tabulated sites were 22 at Branston Water Park onDecember 14th, 12 at Fisherwick on October 12th, 11 at Drayton Bassett on July 27th andten at Hill Ridware on November 15th. Reported from 11 other sites in small numbers.

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Female Gadwall, Westport (Dave Kelsall)

W Mid A pair bred in Sandwell Valley fledging 10 young – this appears to be the firstbreeding record for both the locality and the county. Two were at Fens Pools on January16th and one at Sheepwash UP on April 6th. At Edgbaston Pool, two were noted onFebruary 25th with six counted on August 31st. At Dunstall Park Lake, a female on June13th flew to the adjacent stretch of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal beforeflying off southwards while two males were seen on October 13th and 14th.

Eurasian Teal Anas creccaCommon winter visitor. Uncommon in summer, but a rare breeding species.


Brandon 129 177 173 59 6 26 27 107 157 190 295 315Dosthill/Kingsbury 80 85 56 31 7 4 13 37 40 56 44 38Draycote 176 62 103 4 1 – – 20 85 132 200 181Ladywalk 251 82 30 30 2 2 6 2 100 108 150 100Salford Priors GP – – 70 18 – – – 50 58 – – –Wormleighton Res 29 45 10 4 – – – 5 7 27 26 16Bittell Reservoir 48 8 14 6 – – – 8 18 48 89 172Bredon’s Hardwick 1300 150 150 – – – – 5 15 23 40 300Gwen Finch Wetland 20 300 32 – – – – 16 32 73 58 132Kinsham Lake 48 81 40 27 – – – 9 15 30 12 12Pirton Pool 18 71 4 – – – – – – 14 28 6Strensham Lagoons 100 50 50 10 – – – 11 53 – 62 13Upton Warren 54 61 72 72 1 6 8 103 88 123 95 140Westwood Pool 262 100 43 23 – – 1 14 10 64 170 195Aqualate 432 9 33 3 – – – 8 6 3 3 –Barton 122 250 89 56 – – 12 38 332 221 217 135Belvide 425 280 110 75 24 17 29 101 233 374 481 685Blithfield – – 12 11 1 3 8 505 – 846 516 754Branston – – – 5 – – – 16 29 43 26 217Chasewater 8 12 13 32 – – – 4 22 23 19 11Chillington 86 37 14 – – – – – – 31 44 26Croxall 1286 208 79 40 – – 3 3 22 44 55 266Doley Common 160 – – 24 – – – – – – 6 130Doxey Marshes 370 154 98 36 2 2 4 10 56 127 96 224Hill Ridware – 30 30 4 – – – 1 15 9 37 3Kings Bromley 58 124 29 5 – – – 1 1 8 2 12Tittesworth – 10 – 2 2 – 2 21 45 63 133 151Whitemoor Haye 120 10 – – – – – 15 13 24 – –Goscote Valley 22 12 17 12 – – 1 – – 13 20 10Marsh Lane NR 38 38 35 14 – 4 8 19 34 70 61 40Sandwell Valley – 46 30 28 – 1 – 15 20 40 82 71Sheepwash UP – – – – – – – – – – 25 30WeBS 2002 2082 3836 2478 232 4 10 70 341 1463 1973 2868 2370WeBS 2003 3597 1404 717 299 9 16 53 550 822 2323 2091 3070

Warks Bred for the second year running at Brandon, where a female with six smallducklings were seen on June 18th, this total reducing to five by July 20th. Birds wereagain summering in the Tame Valley, but with no proof of breeding, while three wereseen at Coombe on July 20th. During the early months the regular flock on floodwaterin the Itchen Valley below Knightcote reached a peak of 85 on February 8th. Othermaxima included 58 at Abbots Salford Pool on January 12th, 22 on the River Avon atWasperton on February 14th, 17 on the River Avon at Marlcliff on 20th, 16 at PriorsHardwick on March 18th, 52 at Alvecote on August 24th, 40 at DMC Kineton onOctober 24th and 45 at Charlecote GP on December 16th. Parties of 10-15 were also

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reported from Avon Dassett, Coombe, Farnborough Park, Fenny Compton, LighthorneQuarry, Lower Radbourn and Newfield Pool.Worcs Away from the tabulated localities 16 were at Kempsey Lower Ham, 19 atRyall Pits on January 4th, 280 at Lower Moor on 8th, 100 at Grafton Reservoir on25th, 60 at Ryall on February 1st, 63 on 15th and 17 on March 29th. Six were atWilden Lagoons on February 28th, a drake at Grimley New Workings on May 4th anda drake at Ryall Pits on June 12th. During the autumn and second winter period,Grimley New Workings held 16 on August 14th and 50 on September 12. A leucisticbird was at Lower Moor on November 23rd, four at Huddington Court Pool on 30th,80 at Lower Moor on December 21st, increased to 150 on 23rd.Staffs Breeding was reported from Cannock Chase but no details were suppliedand a report of a possible breeding attempt came from Doxey Marsh; but this was notconfirmed. Notable counts not in the table include 82 at Elford GP in January, 74 atNorbury Park on November 1st and 60 at Little Wyrley on February 12th. Recordedin smaller numbers from a number of sites across the county.W Mid Away from the tabulated sites small numbers, 10 or fewer, were reportedfrom Bartley Reservoir, Dunstall Park Lake, Edgbaston Pool, Fens Pools, NethertonReservoir and Stubbers Green.

Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensisRare vagrant (5/10).Worcs A drake discovered at Grimley New Workings on January 18th BS et al., wasa first for this locality and surprisingly only the second bird ever recorded in thecounty, the other at Bredon’s Hardwick in the winter of 1992/93.

Mallard Anas platyrhynchosCommon resident and very common winter visitor.


Abbots Salford 194 – – – – – – – – – 135 45Brandon 111 95 34 28 56 74 162 234 145 55 110 56 Coombe 136 120 63 42 77 124 225 152 179 187 193 214Draycote 240 67 35 59 – – – 700 365 337 358 371Ladywalk – 126 – – – – 116 – 141 170 – 62Salford Priors GP – – 30 – – – – 275 245 – – –Wormleighton Res 33 21 12 10 11 17 25 37 110 125 78 76Bishampton Vale Pool 67 27 10 9 5 – – – – 90 78 81Bittell Reservoir 159 100 28 36 18 119 200 79 73 – 234Kinsham Lake 10 12 12 10 20 17 10 15 27 33 18 15Bredon’s Hardwick 67 28 33 42 32 75 107 44 212 90 172 141Pirton Pool 44 36 16 18 29 39 28 41 19 124 8 12Strensham Lagoons 30 – – – – 14 – 25 57 – 53 27Upton Warren 207 120 34 38 156 100 187 230 180 163 84 85Westwood Pool 110 32 10 9 8 101 166 146 63 40 40 53Aqualate 131 27 30 48 40 171 460 158 198 44 150 116Barton 483 348 189 138 175 274 228 397 496 364 312 266Belvide 570 281 64 – 92 105 323 463 302 273 355 309Blithfield – – 105 102 196 526 1265 1577 – 426 577 249Branston – – – 13 – 26 49 162 1 13 18 22Branston Water Park 30 – – 12 13 15 18 3 53 33 70 24Brookleys Lake 520 32 22 – – 52 – 310 – 300 162 240Borrowpit Lake – – 21 43 – – – 30 27 – 32 –Chasewater 202 144 107 104 136 190 235 553 441 354 165 186

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J F M A M J J A S O N DChillington 72 35 12 13 13 137 85 35 37 62 67 82Copmere 56 80 6 6 2 90 227 57 16 65 84 134Croxall 509 352 98 107 78 87 64 119 172 313 322 314Doxey Marshes 237 129 35 68 55 255 163 156 159 310 176 338Elford 136 90 74 11 4 19 55 99 15 117 28 23Hill Ridware 126 38 128 127 155 141 266 476 607 487 158 417Kettlebrook Lakes 103 110 107 83 77 130 118 123 127 127 120 136Kings Bromley 457 140 163 74 78 177 73 266 345 368 455 278River Tame – – 39 30 – 32 – 27 23 – 32 –Rocester Pool 112 38 37 28 36 9 19 – 14 98 70 90Westport 69 66 35 51 46 27 62 85 82 84 92 82Marsh Lane NR 30 25 18 11 33 48 70 134 130 145 187 185Netherton Reservoir 41 35 19 10 11 34 42 30 31 42 18 31Sandwell Valley – 162 – – – 100 – 73 – – 190 139WeBS 2002 4215 2541 2058 1173 1478 2352 4059 5347 5102 4496 4200 4094WeBS 2003 4191 2658 2037 1480 1736 3148 4576 5454 4010 4898 4786 4773

Warks A good breeding season was evident, with at least 15 broods hatched atDraycote, 12 at Brandon and seven at both Earlswood Lakes and Napton Res. Awayfrom listed sites most locality maxima was below 100, although data was lackingfrom some of the more important waters. Among the higher counts were: 200 atNapton Res during the cold spell on January 7th, 250 at Kingsbury WP in July, 180at Dingle Pool, Admington on September 29th, 287 at Earlswood Lakes on October26th, 127 at Lower Radbourn on November 16th and 150 at Chesterton Church Poolon December 15th.Worcs Reported to have bred at Abberton, Beoleylade, Bittell Reservoir,Blackpole, Broadway Gravel Pits, Dowles Brook (13 nesting females), Grimley NewWorkings (13 broods), Tibberton (five broods) and Upton Warren. Other counts awayfrom the tabulated localities included, 30 at Arrow Valley Lake in January and March,30 at Wilden on February 21st, 35 at Hadzor on October 15th, 100 at Oakley Pool on19th, 85 at Mill Pond, Hollybed Common on 20th, 73 at Trimpley Reservoir onNovember 30th and 67 at Hanbury Wharf on December 14th.Staffs Breeding reported from Chasewater (seven broods), Doxey Marshes (140ducklings), Elford GP (one brood), Kettlebrook Lake (eight broods), Rudyard Lake(11 ducklings) and Stanley Pool (four broods). Maxima from other sites not in thetabulated list include 130 at Doley Common on January 5th, 200 at Manor ParkGravel Pit on 10th, 200 at Himley Hall on 25th, 224 at Tittesworth Reservoir onNovember 2nd, 60 at Fisherwick on 16th and 50 at Baswich on December 21st.Widely reported from across the county.W Mid Broods were noted at Bilston (Ladymoor Pool), Bradley (Rocket Pool),Brandwood End (two broods), Catshill (along the Anglesey Branch canal),Coombeswood, Daffydingle Pool, Dunstall Park Lake, Fox Hollies Park, HightersHeath (two broods), Marsh Lane NR (five broods), Moxley, New Town (along theAnglesey Branch canal), Ocker Hill, Rowley Regis, Smestow Valley, Stourbridgecanal, Stubbers Green, Swanshurst Park (two broods), Titford Pool, Trittiford Mill,Wednesfield (Steelpark Way) and Wyrley and Essington canal (two broods). Up to103 were counted on Edgbaston Pool in July. Flocks gathered at Dunstall Park Lakein the evenings, peaking at 148 on September 5th while 83 were counted at BowmansHarbour in December.

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Northern Pintail Anas acutaFrequent winter visitor and passage migrant, rare in summer.


Brandon 19 1 2 – – – – – 2 1 2 1Dosthill/Kingsbury 1 – – – – – – – 6 1 1 –Draycote 6 – – – – – – – 7 1 1 12Ladywalk 7 – – 1 – – – – – 2 – 1Belvide 2 2 1 – – – – – 22 5 2 2Blithfield 20 26 7 1 1 – – 7 16 16 21 28

Warks A small influx on January 21st brought 19 to Brandon and seven toLadywalk. The only other double-figure party was one of 12 at Draycote on December31st. In addition to the above, January also produced four at Abbots Salford on 5thwith singles at Middleton Hall Pool on 1st and Napton Res on 30th; while in theautumn there were two at Coombe on September 14th and one on December 14th,with a female at Wormleighton Res on November 2nd and a male at Abbots Salfordon 28th. Seven males were reported at Coton on December 2nd.Worcs Bredon’s Hardwick continued to be the most reliable location for thisspecies, holding 15+ on January 1st, two on 5th, six on 8th, nine on 17th, 16 on 18th,26 on 20th, 16 on 22nd, 41 on 25th, three on 28th, four on February 13th and three onMarch 11th. The floodwaters at Longdon Marsh held the largest flocks, with 250 onJanuary 1st and 60 on 5th. Twelve were at Lower Moor on the 1st, then two there onFebruary 8th, a single at Upton Warren from January 1st-5th, then the 8th and 9th,followed by three on 18th and 19th, one on 31st, two on February 5th, one on 12th andtwo on 22nd. The floodwaters at Kempsey Lower Ham produced four birds on January4th, Westwood Pool held singles on 6th, 7th and 19th, then four on February 5th andtwo on 21st and 22nd. 23 visited Beoleylade on January 19th and one at Grimley NewWorkings on 22nd increased to two, on many dates between 28th and March 6th andwere also noted at Grimley Old Workings on January 31st and Vicarage Pool, Grimleyon February 13th and 23rd. Gwen Finch Wetland held two on January 1st and Wilden,eight on February 20th and four on 21st. Smaller numbers recorded during the secondwinter period, with Bredon’s Hardwick producing one on August 26th, two on October19th, 26th and 31st, one on December 9th, three on 12th, five on 13th, 10 on 14th andfour on 19th, 20th and 27th. Singles were at Upton Warren and Westwood Pool onSeptember 3rd and 4th, with the Upton bird still present on 5th. One was at LowerMoor on August 28th, one at Grimley Old Workings on November 11th, two atWestwood Pool on December 26th and four at Kinsham Lake on 27th.Staffs Another numerically poor year for this species with few birds being observedaway from the main sites of Belvide and Blithfield. Blithfield’s maximum count of 28birds was a substantial reduction from the 38 birds counted in 2002 and also comparespoorly with the previous five-year average maximum of 59 birds for this site. Smallernumbers were noted at 15 other sites throughout the year, with maximum numbers of15 on floods at Rickerscote on January 1st and 10 at Elford and the same number atCroxall, both in January. The last bird of the winter was seen at Blithfield on April 25thalthough a Mallard/Pintail hybrid was noted there on May 18th. Returning birds werefirst observed at Blithfield where a single female was present on August 6th with sixat the same site on the 17th. At Belvide the first record of the autumn was also themaximum count for the site when 22 birds occurred on September 3rd.W Mid In the first winter period, a male was noted at Marsh Lane NR betweenJanuary 20th and 27th and then erratically during February until March 1st, being

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joined by a female on February 21st and March 1st. In the second winter period, threefemale-type birds were noted at Marsh Lane NR on October 16th with two still presenton 17th and one until the 18th.

Pintail X MallardStaffs One at Blithfield on May 18th WJL.

Garganey Anas querquedulaUncommon passage migrant and summer visitor, but rarely breeding. Very rare inwinter.Average dates: April 2nd (60) to October 2nd (59).The first arrivals were two at Knightcote on the early date of March 20th while thelast to depart was seen at Kingsbury on September 29th. The apparent recovery afterthe decline in the 1980s seems to have faltered with numbers down by 50% over thepast five years.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 132 98 235 243 115

Warks A poor spring, with just eight birds reported. The spring began well withrecords from two less usual locations, namely a pair on a flood pool by the RiverItchen below Knightcote on March 20th, and a male next day at Earlswood Lakes.Another male was seen intermittently at Kingsbury during March 23rd-30th and thenat nearby Fishers Mill GP on 31st. Apart from up to three at Alvecote on severalunrecorded dates during the spring, a male at Brandon on May 14th was the only laterbird. Return passage was even worse, with just four recorded. An eclipse male atKingsbury on July 22nd, followed by singles at Draycote on August 25th-26th, and atKingsbury again on September 11th and 29th.Worcs Two spring records, with a pair on the North Moors Pool, Upton Warren onApril 24th and a drake at Grimley New Workings on May 20th. Autumn sightings camefrom Upton Warren, with a female on July 1st and 4th, another female at WestwoodPool on August 7th, an immature drake at Grimley New Workings from 11th-September 22nd and an eclipse drake at Grimley Old Workings from August 13th-15th.Staffs The first bird of the year was a male at Belvide on March 27th. A pair wasnoted at Stramshall on April 12th and also at Belvide on the 16th, these being followedby a single male at Chasewater on April 24th. The species was not noted again untilJune 1st when a pair was at Whitemoor Haye. The first report of returning passagebirds was on July 27th when a single male was at Blithfield, which then hosted birdsregularly until August 24th, with two birds being noted on August 4th until mid-monthand three being present on the 20th. Thereafter, a pair were at Doxey Marshes onAugust 29th; five at Belvide on the 31st, with these dropping to two on September6th; three were again at the same site on September 21st and five on the 23rd. DraytonBassett also held a single bird on both these dates, these concluding an average yearfor the species in Staffordshire.W Mid A male was on Clayhanger Marsh on April 24th.

1998 AddendumWarks An eclipse male was at Seeswood Pool on August 30th.

Garganey X TealWarks A duck closely resembling a female Garganey in structure and plumage, butalso showing one or two Teal features, was seen at Chesterton Church Pool on

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December 9th JJB. In view of its comparative tameness and the unusual date it wasthought to be probably an avicultural escape.

Shoveler Anas clypeataFairly common passage migrant and winter visitor. Rare and decreasing breedingspecies.


Brandon 42 75 50 24 2 2 2 5 35 78 101 91Coombe – – – – – – – 51 83 67 61 34Dosthill/Kingsbury 22 42 25 28 3 2 2 8 40 31 32 20Draycote 2 – 8 2 – – – 6 – 8 8 20Ladywalk 83 43 90 70 1 – 2 14 49 45 39 41Bittell Reservoir – – – – – – – 1 12 6 14 –Bredon’s Hardwick 2 – – – 2 – 1 3 1 8 1 –Gwen Finch Wetland 16 – 26 – – – – – – 8 5 –Kinsham Lake 52 14 – – – – – – 1 4 2 14Pirton Pool – 6 – – – – – – – 1 12 10Upton Warren 8 18 46 43 2 3 1 14 54 32 32 15Westwood Pool 98 83 35 48 – 1 1 7 18 56 67 71Aqualate 16 – 33 21 – 3 – 22 42 – 20 7Barton GP 1 5 2 1 – – – 1 17 4 9 1Belvide 28 6 29 51 5 7 6 63 92 35 68 70Blithfield – – 5 16 1 3 3 108 – 10 2 –Chasewater 4 2 4 2 – – – – 1 3 – –Chillington 12 7 7 – – – – 26 60 7 28 3Copmere – – – – – – – 1 1 52 – 1Doxey Marshes 9 4 2 – 2 1 – 5 8 52 11 10Fisherwick – – – – – – – – – 14 22 –Hill Ridware 2 – 5 – – – – – 14 17 – –Whitemoor Haye 2 – – 3 – – – – 9 – 2 46Bartley Reservoir 1 3 2 – – – – – – – 7 –Marsh Lane NR 9 7 11 12 – – 1 4 16 19 30 62Sandwell Valley 18 86 35 1 – – – 11 24 48 42 70Sheepwash UP – 3 5 – – – – – – – 10 –WeBS 2002 360 342 343 82 2 5 11 170 266 433 293 186WeBS 2003 326 200 223 67 5 7 4 188 303 426 360 327

Warks Despite the presence of a few summering birds there was no repeat of lastyear’s breeding success. It was disappointing not to get count data from eitherAlvecote or Coton, but this was partly made up by the return of Coombe Abbey to thetable where a large autumn flock has been a feature for many years. Away from themain areas, one to five birds were also noted during the year at Bedworth Nook,Charlecote GP, Earlswood Lakes, Farnborough Park, Napton Res, Salford Priors GP,Seeswood Pool, Shustoke and Wormleighton Res.Worcs Away from the tabulated localities, two were on floodwaters at KempseyLower Ham on January 4th, four at Arrow Valley Lake on 13th and 14 on BeckfordLakes on 25th. Counts at Wilden Lagoons were of 30 on January 30th, 10 on February20th, five on 21st, 30 on 23rd, 20 on March 5th, 17 on 6th and 10 on April 10th. UpperStrensham Pool held 32 on March 6th. Summer sightings consisted of a pair was atStrensham Lagoons on May 5th and one at Grimley New Workings on June 30th.During the second year period, 17 were at Grimley New Workings on September 14th,32 on 26th, one at Clifton Pits on November 9th, 17 at Grimley New Workings on13th, 10 at Oakley Pool on 16th and 12 at Hewell Grange on 27th.Staffs No reports of confirmed breeding were submitted in 2003, although birdswere noted at Aqualate, Blithfield and Doxey Marshes during the breeding season,

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and a male was displaying at Croxall GP in late April. The maximum count of 108 atBlithfield (on August 31st) suggests a further decline in numbers when comparedagainst the site’s 1998-2002 average maxima of 286. This reduction is also noted atBelvide where the top count of 92 in September is a further drop in numbers fromprevious years. High double-figure numbers were noted during the October peak atseveral sites, particularly those reed-fringed still-waters in the middle and west of thecounty. Also present in numbers of up to 10 birds at a further 11 untabulated sites.W Mid At Sheepwash UP, up to three were present during February with five onMarch 8th and two on 21st and a peak of 10 in early November. One was at Fens Poolson February 23rd. At Dunstall Park Lake a male on March 21st and four birds brieflyon August 24th. Four were at Stubbers Green on March 25th and two at FrankleyReservoir on April 6th. At Netherton Reservoir, two were present on October 24thwith one on November 7th.One or two birds were occasionally counted at EdgbastonPool during the winter months.

Red-crested Pochard Netta rufinaScarce visitor, with most probably escapees or feral birds.An inexplicable drop in numbers of almost 50% over the past five years.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 21 15 71 75 37

Warks A male at Broadwater, Packington on January 29th NPB was a good record.Otherwise Draycote produced singletons on January 15th LP, PP and September 22ndCHP.Worcs A first-winter drake was seen at Bredon’s Hardwick on many dates betweenFebruary 16th and May 12th AW et al., an eclipse drake at Gwen Finch Wetland onAugust 7th, 8th, 12th and 18th RAP et al., and two immature females at Grimley OldWorkings on August 15th GG et al.Staffs A male was seen at Belvide on February 1st to the 7th and then again on the18th to 21st and finally on March 3rd SN. Two immature/females were at Blithfieldfrom July 27th to August 25th ESC, MPR et al. Two females were at Belvide onAugust 15th SN and male at Brookleys Lake on October 1st NU.

Common Pochard Aythya ferinaCommon winter visitor. Scarce and declined breeding species.


Abbots Salford 80 57 29 3 – – – – – 55 91 73Brandon 23 20 9 3 – 4 – – 6 12 40 12Coombe 17 39 2 4 1 2 3 – – 24 37 43Dosthill 34 8 – – – 1 – 4 2 – 67 86Draycote 57 19 2 – – – – – 9 10 40 44Hodnell 70 45 28 – – – – – – – – –Bishampton Vale Pool 55 47 24 1 – – – – 5 12 15 54Bittell Reservoir 22 33 2 – – – 2 1 1 1 26 21Bredon’s Hardwick 37 36 1 – 1 1 – – 2 5 14 63Kinsham Lake 18 10 3 2 2 2 1 1 9 – 2 24Pirton Pool 58 15 – – – – – – – 2 – 1Upton Warren 25 25 10 – 1 – 1 2 2 6 12 20Westwood Pool 73 66 32 3 2 1 7 3 9 63 59 81Belvide 186 27 23 3 2 3 8 12 42 25 169 156Blithfield – – 5 3 1 15 12 32 – 12 3 35

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J F M A M J J A S O N DBranston – – – – – – 1 3 1 135 16 22Branston WP 3 – – – – – – – – – 50 65Brookleys Lake 24 1 – – – – – – – 4 14 26Chasewater 131 113 29 1 – – – 1 12 75 72 52Chillington 16 – – – – – – 18 18 9 24 18Copmere 7 3 2 – – – – – – – 9 92Croxall GP 20 10 – – – – – 2 4 47 76 27Doxey Marshes 7 28 4 – – – – – – 1 3 1Elford GP 60 15 2 – – – – – – – 1 –Hill Ridware 18 11 1 – – – – – 1 – 13 31Westport 55 18 5 – – – 4 4 10 17 15 21Marsh Lane NR 40 58 33 3 – 3 1 1 4 24 44 43Sandwell Valley 58 35 2 – 1 – 3 6 19 100 56 39Sheepwash UP 10 20 10 – – – – – – 3 15 47WeBS 2002 1966 870 738 11 2 8 17 18 117 390 777 864WeBS 2003 1118 577 71 10 5 18 33 90 72 188 658 852

Warks A pair summered at Kingsbury. No counts at all were received from thecounty stronghold at Coton where numbers are reported to have recently declined, andno substantial counts were reported from Alvecote or Shustoke. Away from the mainsites the only double figure peaks came from Charlecote GP, with 11 on March 4th; andPackington Park, with 64 on the Great Pool on December 30th. Single figure countsalso came from Bermuda, Chesterton, Compton Verney, DMC Kineton, EarlswoodLakes, Ensors Pool, Farnborough Park, Fenny Compton, Ladywalk, Napton Res,Nelson’s Quarry, Salford Priors GP, Seeswood Pool and Wormleighton Res.Worcs Two pairs bred at Kinsham Lake, with broods of four and two, but only asingle fledged. Away from the tabulated localities four were at Throckmorton Lagoonson January 26th, 15 at Blackmore Park in February, three at Wilden Lagoons on 20thand 56 at Lower Moor on 21st. At Gwen Finch Wetland a drake was present fromAugust 10th-18th, Clifton Pits held four on October 4th and two on November 10thand nine were at Hewell Grange on 27th.Staffs No reports of breeding in the county were submitted in 2003 althoughrecords of summering birds came from Belvide and from Blithfield in June. Widelyreported in both winter periods from 23 sites around the county, with the secondwinter period numbers from the main location at Belvide showing little change fromthose of the previous year, whilst the other major site at Chasewater appears to havehosted only half the numbers seen in the 2002-3 winter months. Away from the tabledsites, a further 10 locations held birds, and of these the highest counts came fromDrayton Bassett Pits with 120 on December 9th and from Gailey where 50 birds werepresent on January 24th.W Mid Again no proof of breeding within the county this year, however a male wasnoted at Fens Pools on May 4th and two pairs were in Perry Park on May 18th. Thirty-six were counted at Bradnock’s Marsh in February. Elsewhere small numbers, 10 orfewer, were reported from Edgbaston Pool, Fens Pools, Netherton Reservoir andStubbers Green outside of the breeding season.

Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyrocaScarce winter visitor, some probably being escapees or of feral origin.Worcs A drake discovered on the canal at Tallow Hill, Worcester on October 13thSD et al., remained to the end of the year and was also noted on the River Severn bythe Cathedral on October 28th and December 7th. This bird was considered to be ofcaptive origin as it was very tame and fed on bread with the group of Mallard it

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associated with. A drake at Westwood Pool on October 14th TMH et al., was believedto be a different individual to the captive origin drake, but is still under review by theBBRC at time of writing.

Tufted Duck Aythya fuligulaCommon winter visitor and frequent breeding resident.


Brandon 35 55 44 23 24 28 14 5 15 17 32 39Coombe 12 29 34 28 – 2 9 12 15 21 28 33Dosthill 166 159 64 65 33 50 21 243 73 94 57 42Draycote 310 200 200 112 – 171 – 110 800 610 1251 1128Hodnell 110 70 17 – – 4 – – – – 38 –Ladywalk 60 83 39 38 20 1 49 47 45 9 26 18Napton Res 50 51 39 27 13 10 8 26 22 22 41 56Bishampton Vale Pool 64 30 33 28 11 7 – 30 46 39 72 76Bittell Reservoir 21 34 33 20 15 7 103 95 24 39 36 35Bredon’s Hardwick 33 27 11 11 3 2 4 4 16 68 34 38Clifton Pits – – – 20 – – – – – 40 35 43Kinsham Lake 21 40 20 20 31 15 12 12 12 6 20 16Pirton Pool 45 75 37 20 18 23 18 38 5 2 – 1Upton Warren 12 16 35 38 25 8 12 12 5 18 25 9Westwood Pool 80 59 86 71 15 17 28 53 16 48 70 52Aqualate 77 171 118 70 91 48 60 57 144 63 114 32Barton GP 82 99 86 93 75 76 170 578 474 446 178 231Belvide 150 81 102 125 – 59 94 133 286 145 180 175Blithfield – – 128 86 82 156 107 126 – 12 5 22Branston – – – 20 9 41 62 75 28 22 44 53Branston WP 75 – – 17 5 – – – 15 26 86 47Brookleys Lake 72 4 22 22 16 – – 54 45 40 72 18Chasewater 213 130 75 82 21 69 187 412 890 1204 769 694Chillington 35 32 27 32 22 17 92 42 25 45 62 49Copmere 77 91 85 44 22 40 18 50 96 102 27 43Croxall GP 84 97 62 75 57 41 169 212 126 110 101 92Doxey Marshes 24 19 22 12 11 9 8 6 4 2 4 3Elford GP 87 69 64 5 9 – – 2 2 12 11 18Hill Ridware 55 34 37 22 14 16 27 17 23 38 11 9Kettlebrook Lakes 10 12 9 8 8 2 – – 2 6 6 11Kings Bromley 165 183 29 4 – 4 5 3 26 42 119 173Rocester Pool 8 14 16 10 11 5 2 – 1 – 7 0Westport 58 54 35 41 15 3 38 81 129 66 28 22Whitemoor Haye 8 5 52 39 15 – – – – – – 1Fens Pools 48 59 35 – – – – – – – – –Marsh Lane NR 21 22 46 45 25 40 40 40 10 14 35 26Netherton Reservoir 24 2 6 5 – – 2 1 6 7 9 22Sandwell Valley – 56 – – – 33 – 83 77 118 134 118WeBS 2002 4108 2488 2261 1296 705 752 1192 1284 2639 2380 2966 3318WeBS 2003 2596 1864 1570 1064 671 677 1002 1899 1915 2140 2697 2507

Warks Broods were reported from: Abbots Salford, Billesley, Brandon (only one,cf. six or seven in 2002), Charlecote GP (three), Draycote (at least six), Dunchurch,Frankton, Kingsbury (three), Ladywalk, Napton Res (three), Salford Priors GP(three), Snitterfield, Stoneton Moat (three), Weston Park (three) and Wixford. Anumber of Tame Valley waters went uncounted this year, but casual records included1100 in the Coton/Lea Marston area on March 10th and 380 at Shustoke onSeptember 23rd. Away from the tabulated waters, maxima included 35 at CharlecoteGP on January 17th, 29 at Compton Verney on February 14th, 14 at Farnborough Park

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on 16th, 49 at Abbots Salford on March 16th, 20 at Lower Radbourn on 23rd, 45 atSalford Priors GP on 30th, 20 at Stoneton Moat on August 29th, and 12 atWormleighton Res on September 25th.Worcs Breeding pairs reported from Grimley (nine broods), Gwen Finch Wetland,Kinsham Lake (six broods), Pirton Pool (three broods), Strensham Lagoons, Throck -morton Lagoons, Upton Warren and Westwood Pool. Other notable counts away fromthe tabulated localities were of 52 at Beckford Lakes on January 25th, 25 at Throck -morton Lagoons on 26th, 29 at Beckford Conservation Pit on February 2nd, 20 at HewellGrange on 5th, 20 at Ryall pits on 16th and 101 at Lower Moor on September 18th.Staffs A total of 21 sites reported birds in June and July, although at only six ofthese was breeding confirmed: Alton Towers (on lake by “the Rapids”), Belvide (threebroods), Blithfield, Drayton Bassett Pits (13 broods), Ingestre and Tittesworth.Chasewater was again the main site for this species in the latter part of the year andreported a new county record of 1204 birds on October 1st. This once more qualifiesChasewater as a site of national importance for this species, bringing the five-yearaverage maxima to 931, just over the qualifying level of 900 recently amended by theWetland Bird Survey report. The value of the Trent and Tame valley gravel pits to thisspecies is also demonstrated by the numbers reported from Barton and Croxall wherethe tabulated maxima were reported on the same date of August 17th. A further 12untabulated sites also reported birds with notable counts from Coldmeece Pools wherethere were 53 birds in March.W Mid Broods were noted at Edgbaston Pool, Marsh Lane NR (five), SandwellValley and Stubbers Green. Further reported during the breeding season fromFibbersley, Mary Stevens Park, Trittiford Mill (two pairs) and West Park inWolverhampton. Also present in the breeding season on Dunstall Park Lake but didnot breed. Outside of the breeding season birds were reported from Bartley Reservoir(12 in September), Olton Mere and Smestow Valley (along the Staffordshire andWorcestershire canal).

Greater Scaup Aythya marilaUncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Rare in summer.Warks Another very poor year, with again the majority of records coming fromDraycote. Records from here were of a male on January 21st-22nd, followed in the lateautumn by a female on November 2nd, a first-winter male on 18th and then a femaleagain on 20th-22nd, December 2nd-4th and from 13th-31st. Whether more than twoindividuals were involved in the later series of records is hard to decipher. A singlebird at Dosthill on January 18th was the only other one to be reported.Worcs A drake seen at Bredon’s Hardwick on February 26th was relocated at GwenFinch wetland on March 7th and remained there until April 12th. Grimley OldWorkings held an immature bird on October 2nd and two immature females were atUpper Bittell Reservoir on November 24th.Staffs A small female was reported at Chasewater between January 1st and March9th, its size resulting in some suggestions that a Lesser Scaup was present. A femalewas at Blithfield on February 16th and 20th, and a male was at Chasewater on the25th. Blithfield hosted a duck on the March 22nd and possibly the same bird wasagain reported at this site on the 29th. In the latter part of the year the first report wasof two males at Belvide on August 11th with one bird remaining until the 23rd, afemale was noted at the same site on September 21st, and an immature male was alsopresent between September 26th and October 3rd, this being closely followed by three

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immatures/females on the 5th, one of which stayed until the 23rd of the month. Asingle male was at Chasewater on October 4th and a lone female at Whitemoor Hayeon the 19th. In November a female was at Belvide between the 9th and 16th and afirst-winter male was at Chasewater between November 29th and December 21st, onwhich date two females appeared at Blithfield, both remaining until the 27th with oneremaining until the end of the year. A male was also present on the 28th. An immaturebird noted on the Slurry Pool at Chasewater on December 30th helped conclude agood year for the species in Staffordshire.W Mid A splendid drake was noted at Marsh Lane NR between February 4th and28th commuting between here and the adjacent Bradnock’s Marsh.

Pochard X Ferruginous DuckWorcs One at Lower Moor on April 19th.

Tufted Duck X PochardWarks The usual male was again at Brandon on February 2nd and 8th, from May27th-29th and from September 18th-November 15th. Possibly the same male was alsoreported from Draycote on February 1st, Farnborough Park on 16th and at Kingsburyon June 29th. Staffs Male at Blithfield on May 18th WJL.

Greater Scaup X Tufted DuckStaffs A male at Chasewater on December 31st. In eclipse this bird showedcharac teristics of Lesser Scaup, but not once it entered winter plumage, when itdeveloped a prominent tuft. It was probably also recorded on March 12th when it wasin first-winter plumage

Common Eider Somateria mollissimaRare winter visitor (5/10).Ignoring the exceptional influx in 1993, numbers over the past five years are aboutaverage. There were no records in 2003.


Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalisRare winter visitor with occasional summer records (6/10).Numbers over the past five years are about average for this species.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 16 10 21 3 14

Warks The immature male, first seen in November 2002, stayed at Draycote untilMarch 31st many observers.Worcs The female at Westwood Pool from October 25th 2002 remained untilMarch 1st, a stay of an incredible 127 days. Westwood Pool hosted another femalefrom November 12th-December 20th WD et al. and on that same arrival date anothertwo, this time immature were discovered on the third Flash Pool at Upton Warren RBet al. and stayed until 16th.Staffs An adult at Belvide on May 9th remained until the 13th SN, MT.W Mid A superb male was found on Swan Pool in Sandwell Valley on November8th DS et al. – the second locality record.

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Common Scoter Melanitta nigraUncommon passage migrant and winter visitor, principally in spring, late-summerand autumn.Warks At Draycote, there was a male from March 6th-8th, a party of nine (sixmales) on April 6th, a single male on August 25th, two females on September 9th andone on 28th. A party of three (a probable adult female and two immatures) at Shustokeon October 20th, was the only other record.Staffs A pair was at Blithfield on April 27th and was still present on May 4th. Amale was at Belvide on June 9th and two males were at Tittesworth on July 1st. Thelargest number recorded was 12 at Chasewater on July 8th which consisted of tenmales and two females, and a single male was seen there on August 18th. Finally amale was at Doxey Marshes on September 23rd.

Velvet Scoter Melanitta fuscaRare winter visitor and passage migrant.An average run of records over the past five years.


Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangulaFairly common winter visitor. Rare in summer.


Brandon 5 2 1 2 – – – – – 1 2 3Dosthill/Kingsbury 38 52 49 2 1 1 1 1 – 12 35 24Draycote 73 85 55 1 1 – – – 1 40 70 84Ladywalk 6 3 1 2 – – 1 – – – – –Bittell Reservoir 1 2 – – – – – – – – 2 1Grimley – – 1 – – – – – – 2 3 4Westwood Pool 13 16 16 7 – – – – – 2 4 8Barton GP 3 5 3 1 – – – – – – 8 3Belvide 51 52 60 36 2 – – 1 1 17 53 53Blithfield 7 16 27 26 3 – – – – 12 2 14Chasewater 130 128 121 22 – – – – – 47 108 153Copmere 8 12 6 – 1 – – – – – 1 5Croxall GP 18 25 16 1 – – – – – – 17 42Drayton Bassett Pits – – 62 6 – – – – – 10 – 73Kings Bromley 16 15 1 – – – – – – – 13 –Westport Lake 4 10 – – – – – – – 2 5 3Whitemoor Haye – 5 2 1 – – – – – 2 3 21Bartley Reservoir 5 8 – – – – – – – 2 2 –Sandwell Valley 2 4 5 – – – – – – – – 2WeBS 2002 205 284 239 88 2 0 1 1 1 3 146 210WeBS 2003 155 193 120 31 3 0 0 0 0 4 183 214

Warks Extreme dates concerned singles at Draycote on May 1st and September23rd, apart from a summering male again at Kingsbury, and a female at Ladywalk onthe unusual date of July 20th. It was a very disappointing year at Draycote, where themaximum count of 85 was the lowest since 1986. In addition, there was no count datafrom Coton, and as in recent years only odd birds were seen at Shustoke. Away fromthe main sites, there was an adult female at Napton Res on January 14th and twoimmatures (male and female) at Nelson’s Quarry (Stockton) on 30th. Two were at

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Abbots Salford on February 15th. In the autumn there was a female in PackingtonPark on November 3rd, a male at Wormleighton Res on 29th, and a female at Coombeduring November-December.Worcs Away from the tabulated localities the only other record for the first winterperiod came from Bredon’s Hardwick, with a single drake on January 8th, 9th, 12thand 16th. During the second winter period two were at Upton Warren on October 15th,27th and November 7th, one at Kinsham Lake, two at Lower Moor/ThrockmortonLagoons on October 19th and the Throckmorton two remained until December 3rd,then a single to the years end. Two were at Bishampton Vale Pool on October 25th,then a single intermittently from November 27th to the years end and two at Bredon’sHardwick on November 3rd and 4th, were followed by one on 12th and 14th.Staffs No major change was noted at Chasewater, the county’s main site for thisspecies, where the maximum count of 130 in the first winter period was slightly lowerthan the previous-five-year-average-maximum (currently at 144) for this period,although the 153 birds counted in December suggest a slight increase in the secondwinter period. Belvide and Blithfield hosted numbers slightly above and belowaverage respectively, again confirming that little change in status throughout thecounty. The final birds of the early months were noted at Blithfield on May 18th andat Gailey on the 20th. Belvide held a female from August 18th, although the first trueautumn arrivals did not appear in the county until October 9th when three birds werepresent at Drayton Bassett. A further 10 un-tabled sites also reported birds in numbersup to one dozen.W Mid A male was at Fens Pools on January 16th. Three females were at NethertonReservoir on October 17th.

Smew Mergellus albellusUncommon winter visitor. Very rare in summer.The increase of 1994-98 continues apace but the real possibility of duplication ofrecords means that these totals must be treated with some caution.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 41 107 82 254 491

Warks A small wintering party was again in the Tame Valley during the earlymonths, frequenting the Dosthill Lake, Fishers Mill GP and Kingsbury WP area. Upto six (three males) were generally present during January-February, with four stayingto March 4th, three to 11th and with the last pair on 16th. During this period, Draycoteheld up to two redheads on many dates during January 1st-22nd, with one remaininghere until March 11th. There was also a redhead at Brandon from January 1st-5th. Atthe end of the year a single redhead returned to Dosthill on November 30th, and wasseen again on December 14th and 23rd. Two redheads were at Draycote on December13th, with one staying to 31st.Worcs A good year recorded for this species in the county, starting with a redheadat Upper Bittell Reservoir on January 1st KW. Both Bredon’s Hardwick WFP et al.and Westwood Pool WD et al. held redheads on 16th and had increased to threeredheads at Bredon’s Hardwick by 17th TMH et al., two on 18th, three on 19th, singleson many dates from 22nd-February 8th and two again on 9th and 16th. Two atKinsham Lake on January 25th SMW et al. were probably Bredon’s Hardwick birds.A single record during the second winter period, with a redhead at Lower BittellReservoir on December 13th REH, MJI, GJM.

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Staffs


Barton GP 7 1 3 – – – – – – – – –Belvide 4 – – – – – – – – – – 4Blithfield 4 – – – – – – – – – – 1Branston – 5 – – – – – – – 1 – –Chasewater 1 1 – – – – – – – – 1 3Croxall GP 5 7 4 – – – – – – – 1 5Dosthill Pits 5 2 – – – – – – – – – 5Drayton Bassett Pits – 7 5 – – – – – – – 1 3Whitemoor Haye 1 – 2 – – – – – – – 1 4

The individuals wintering on the gravel pits of the Trent/Tame valleys were widelyreported with singles and groups of birds noted on the waters between Branston andDosthill. Comparison of the dated counts would suggest that probably seven birdswere present during the first winter period, this total comprising three males and fourredheads; with the full contingent noted at Barton GP on January 2nd, at DraytonBassett on February 10th and at Croxall on 21st. Four redheads were at Blithfield onJanuary 12th (no others noted elsewhere that day), and a single male was atChasewater on January 31st and on February 14th. The final reports of the first partof the year came from Croxall where two males were last seen on March 18th andfrom Drayton Bassett where a female was present from March 23rd until the 29th. Thefirst bird of the second winter period was a redhead at Drayton Bassett on October19th, thereafter a single redhead was at Whitemoor Haye on November 9th, Croxallon the 16th and Drayton Bassett on the 17th and the 30th, when a redhead was alsonoted at Chasewater. Cold weather on the 8th December brought four redheads toBelvide and two males and one redhead to Chasewater. A single redhead was reportedat Blithfield on the 21st. Reports from the Trent/Tame gravel Pits in Decembersuggests that up to four redheads and two males were present in this area from the13th, with one dedicated observer noting five birds, including the two males, atWhitemoor Haye on Christmas Day.

Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serratorScarce winter visitor and passage migrant. Probably bred in Staffs in 1994.An average five years for this species.


Warks Single males were seen at Draycote on January 10th RCM and EarlswoodLakes on December 26th-27th JAC, GJM.Staffs The wintering female from 2002 remained at Blithfield until at least April6th PDH on which date another pair was seen at the deep end of the reservoir MPR.A male and three redheads flew low through to the south at Westport on January 30thWJL. During the second winter period a female was at Blithfield on October 3rd NU,two redheads on October 5th HJM and a female on the 9th RCB. An eclipse bird wasat Chasewater on October 14th and spent it time with a Slavonian Grebe GE, also twoimmatures were there on the 11th GE with one on the November 12th MJI, and twoagain on the 15th CM.

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Goosander Mergus merganserFairly common winter visitor. Scarce in summer and rare breeding bird in Staffs andWorcs since 1990.


Alvecote 20 26 2 – – – – – – – 13 42Dosthill/Kingsbury 4 4 2 – – – – 1 – – – 2Draycote 58 40 36 3 1 – – – – – 14 35Ladywalk 10 18 17 2 – – – – – – 5 5Shustoke 4 1 – – – – – – – – – 3Wormleighton Res 6 5 5 – – – – – – 1 1 –Bittell Reservoir 24 35 17 – – – – – – – 6 12Belvide 83 31 16 1 1 – – 17 8 12 40 20Blithfield 54 63 31 4 1 – 2 – – 12 38 61Brookleys Lake 19 5 6 – – – – – – 8 41 47Chasewater 12 14 10 – – – – – – 1 2 14Chillington 30 9 25 – – – – – – 25 25 35Copmere – 7 13 – – – – – – – 3 14Doxey Marshes 21 9 10 – – – 4 – – – 8 23Kings Bromley 5 12 13 – – – – – – – – 7Tittesworth – 2 12 – – – – 17 – 3 – –Goscote Valley 2 3 – 5 – – – – – – – –Marsh Lane NR 2 2 1 1 – – – – – – 1 –Sandwell Valley 77 81 41 2 2 – – – – 4 29 29Sheepwash UP 40 21 7 – – – – – – – 5 –WeBS 2002 210 225 189 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 46 107WeBS 2003 104 134 113 1 0 0 0 0 0 32 87 172

Warks Extreme dates concerned single females at Draycote until May 17th and atWormleighton Res from October 28th. In between there was another female atKingsbury on August 25th. Present in reduced numbers at most sites apart fromAlvecote. Away from tabulated sites, one to three were present irregularly at NaptonRes and Earlswood Lakes during the first quarter, with a small flock building up atthe latter site in March peaking at 19 on 15th. During the period January 4th-23rd,there were also up to five in Farnborough Park, four at DMC Kineton and two atLower Radbourn, while a male flew over Priors Marston on 11th and a female was atUfton Fields on March 14th. At the end of the year a male flew over Packington Parkon December 8th and a female was on the pools there on 30th-31st.Worcs Two records during the breeding season of a drake on the River Severn atRibbesford on June 13th and one on the River Severn at Blackstone, Bewdley on 29th.Away from Bittell Reservoir reports from the first winter period were of two atWestwood Pool on January 5th and March 22nd, then one on May 13th, two atTrimpley Reservoir on January 7th, one on 11th, two on 18th and three on 23rd. A pairwas on the River Severn near Bewdley on January 9th, up to 11 at Kyre Pool between22nd and March 22nd, then nine on 23rd. Nine and three were at Stanford Court Poolon January 19th and 23rd respectively, three at Beoleylade on February 20th, one atUpton warren on 21st, one at Throckmorton Lagoons on 23rd and two at Bredon’sHardwick on March 11th. During the second winter period one was at Powick Mill onOctober 3rd, 23rd, November 7th and 22nd, one at Grimley New Workings on October23rd and five at Kyre Pool on November 25th. In December one was on the RiverSevern in Worcester on 5th, Westwood Pool held two on 7th and singles on 25th, 26thand 29th, one at Bredon’s Hardwick on 13th, one at Arrow Valley Lake on 28th andone on the River Avon, at Lower Moor on 30th

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Staffs No breeding was reported in 2003, although birds were noted on theHockley Brook near Uttoxeter in early May, at Wettonmill on August 6th, in WolfscoteDale on September 7th and at Pethills, where a female and two juveniles were notedon the River Hamps on September 28th. Birds were present in good numbers on thelarger still waters in the early months of the year, with the Belvide maximum count of83 in January being a little above the five-year-average maximum of 68 for this time,and the Blithfield count of 63 being below the five-year average of 82. Birds wereregular on the larger water bodies until April 5th when two were at Drayton Bassett,and a single male was at Blithfield on May 5th. Birds presumably from the breedingpopulation were lightly reported throughout the summer and early autumn and a first-arrival date is becoming difficult to determine for true winter visitors, however threewere at Tittesworth on October 5th and two at Handsacre on the 10th and thereafterreports came regularly from locations throughout the south of the county. A further 26untabulated sites held birds in 2003, with 14 at Manor Park GP on March 19th.W Mid The 81 counted in Sandwell Valley in February was a locality and Countyrecord. Three were noted at Stubbers Green on February 24th and three were onBartley Reservoir on November 10th.

Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensisFairly common resident of feral origin.The ongoing culls are having an effect as can be seen from the WeBS counts.


Brandon – 6 – 2 7 1 1 1 2 – – –Dosthill/Kingsbury 16 28 8 3 3 2 – – – – 12 2Draycote 27 35 18 2 – – – 1 – 2 2 15Bittell Reservoir 3 – 3 4 3 7 8 15 14 11 2 –Kinsham Lake – – 1 2 4 4 2 1 4 – 2 1Pirton Pool – – – 2 3 2 7 16 5 – – –Upton Warren 3 1 9 12 13 6 3 1 1 – 1 –Westwood Pool 57 27 35 20 9 14 22 17 4 2 11 10Aqualate 1 – 11 21 6 3 8 – 2 – – –Belvide 6 4 17 30 14 5 12 4 10 – 25 10Blithfield – 264 147 32 11 11 13 98 0 130 101 149Chasewater 2 11 1 4 5 3 1 2 4 8 6 2Chillington – – – 3 1 – – – – – – –Copmere 1 – – 1 – – – – 2 1 – –Croxall GP – – – – – – – – – – 4 –Doxey Marshes – – – – 3 2 2 1 – – – –Hill Ridware – – 4 2 1 2 4 – – – – –Kings Bromley 2 – – – – – – – – – – –Edgbaston Pool 11 – 7 – – – 18 – – – – –Marsh Lane NR – – – 5 5 4 11 3 2 2 2 1Sandwell Valley 1 3 1 2 – 1 – 1 – 1 1 3WeBS 2002 480 190 156 58 41 35 53 91 130 253 216 280WeBS 2003 183 56 222 75 43 37 58 111 32 147 132 161

Warks Single pairs reared broods at Packington, Stoneton Moat, and probably atLower Radbourn. Following ongoing culling measures there were no reports of anyconsequence from the Coton/Lea Marston group of pools. Away from listed sites, upto four were also reported during the year from Abbots Salford, Bishops Bowl,Coombe, Edstone, Hodnell, Ladywalk, Napton Res, Salford Priors GP, Seeswood andShustoke.

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Worcs Breeding pairs were reported from Bishampton Vale Pool, Bittell Reservoir,Kinsham Lake (two broods), Pirton Pool and Upton Warren. Away from the tabulatedlocalities a male was at Lower Moor from March 22nd-April 4th, 11 at BishamptonVale Pool in September and October and a female at Throckmorton from October 9th-19th.Staffs Very few records of birds present during the breeding season were receivedand these are all tabulated, although confirmation of breeding came only from DoxeyMarshes where a single paired failed to produce any young. Outside the breedingseason flocks were reported from several locations with large numbers only noted atBlithfield where the numbers present in the last three months of the year wouldsuggest only a slight decline from those of the previous year, although still much lowerthan the previous five-year average maximum (of 350). The maximum count of 264in February was on the 8th, and the December maximum occurred on the 21st.W Mid Present in the breeding season at Edgbaston Pool, Marsh Lane NR (up toseven males and two females), Perry Park (one male), Sheepwash UP (two males anda female in late April and a pair in early May), Sandwell Valley (two males and afemale), Stubbers Green (one pair in late April) and West Park in Wolverhampton (twomales and three females in late June). A male was present at Sheepwash UPthroughout the year. Eleven were counted at Edgbaston Pool in January. An immaturebird was at Dunstall Park Lake on August 23rd and 24th, but on the latter date it waslater found dead (cause unknown) – the first record in the Smestow Valley.

Red Grouse Lagopus lagopusUncommon and declining resident on the North Staffs Moors.Staffs The only confirmed breeding records came from Oliver Hill on June 14thwhile several juveniles and a pair with a juvenile were all at Orchard Common on26th. One was seen at Middle Hills and 12 at Knotbury during the breeding season.In the first winter period birds were present at Danebridge, Gib Torr (two), GoldsitchMoss (two), Hen Cloud (one), Knotbury (10), Middle Hills (four), Orchard Common(12), Revidge (six), Roach End (three), Round Knowl Farm (one), Royal Cottage(two)and Swallow Moss (two). In the second winter period birds were seen at BackForest(seven), Boarsgrove (four), Goldsitch Moss (five), Gun Hill (five), OrchardCommon and Swallow Moss (eight).

Black Grouse Tetrao tetrixVery rare and almost certainly extinct as a breeding species on the North Staffs Moors.Staffs A female was seen at Swallow Moss on November 9th MB,WJB. Amazinglythe species hangs on. There may be more sightings given the introduction programmejust over the border in Cheshire.

Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufaCommon resident.Warks Still a fairly common bird in many parts of the county. Four territories werelocated on 300ha of farmland at Stretton-on-Fosse, a probably fairly average densityaway from the sporting estates. Counts of 115 at Ilmington Downs on September 12thand 185 at Salford Priors GP on 21st came from two of the major release areas. Othercounts included two covies totalling 23 at Bidford-on-Avon on February 7th, 11 atFenny Compton on 12th, 28 at Lower Spernall on 18th and 12 at Fulbrook onSeptember 21st, with three covies totalling 24 at Maxstoke on October 26th.

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Worcs No breeding records were received. The largest group counts were of five atAston-under-Hill on January 25th, five at Gwen Finch Wetland on February 7th, sixat Chaddesley Corbett on 14th, 24+ at Aston Mill on March 1st, eight at BishamptonVale Pool on September 6th, 20 at Abberton on October 12th and six at Barnett Brookon 21st. Also reported from Bredon Hill, Cropthorne, Grafton Flyford, Grimley NewWorkings, Kinsham Lake, Oddingley, Shenstone, Tibberton, Upper Arley and WassellGrove.Staffs Three juveniles with 14 adults were seen at Belvide and two pairs bred atWhitmore, one being seen with four chicks. Also seen at Caltonmoor, Nibs End Farm,Pipe Green, Pipehill and Wootton in the breeding season. Elsewhere, reports came from26 other sites with by far the largest count being of 41 at Riley Hill on January 12th.Other double-figure counts comprised 12 at Kings Bromley and 19 at Sittles also onJanuary 12th, 11 at Sandyway on February 8th and 17 at Whitmore on December 17th.W Mid Two pairs were in the vicinity of Marsh Lane NR during the breedingseason. Also reported in the breeding season in Sandwell Valley (four birds noted herein September). Birds were seen in Smestow Valley on March 29th (two), April 6th andMay 19th, and a covey of ten on November 9th. Two were at Ocker Hill on July 4thand two were noted by Foxcote Pond in Lutley Wedge on March 30th. A covey of 12was seen in the Wishaw Lane area of Minworth on October 18th.

Grey Partridge Perdix perdixFairly common, but rapidly declining resident.Warks Pairs in the breeding season were located at Ailstone, Attleborough Fields,Bermuda, Birchmoor, Bridgetown, Clifford Chambers, Coton, DMC Kineton,Draycote, Fenny Compton (where probably bred for the first time since 1997),Grandborough, Ladywalk, Little Compton, Napton Hill, Salford Priors GP, Seeswood,Stretton-on-Fosse, Weston-on-Avon, Whittleford, Wolverton and Wormleighton. Otherrecords included good-sized covies of 16 at Oxhill on January 5th, 14 at Bramcote Hallon 6th and 11 at Dosthill on December 7th, while very small numbers were alsoreported during the year from: Alcester Heath, Arrow, Ilmington, Lower Radbourn,Marston Jabbett, Moreton Morrell, Morton Bagot, Radway, Watergall and WoottonWawen. A bird seen at Brandon on August 22nd was the first on the reserve since 1996.Worcs Very small numbers still clinging on in the county with two at Himbleton onMarch 16th, two at Grafton Flyford on April 8th, five on 9th and two on 11th. Twowere on fields opposite Wassell Wood on 12th, two at Conderton Hill on July 11th,two at Upton Warren on 18th and 19th and one at Kinsham Lake on October 12th. 17at Abberton on October 19th were the first seen since 2001 and nine were at LowerMoor on December 3rd, 4th and 7th.Staffs Again, very few breeding records, with the only juveniles seen at DunstonHeath in a covey of 11 birds on September 5th. Probably also bred at Alsager’s Bank(one pair), Apedale CP (one pair) and Black Bank (two pairs). In the breeding season,adults were seen at Bradley, Chapel Chorlton, Colton, Cuckoo Bank, Derrington(five), Halfpenny Green, Loynton Moss, Malthouse Land and Whitemoor Haye(seven). Much better covey counts outside the breeding season than last year with fiveat Aqualate, eight at Black Bank, 14 at Bradley, 17 at Branston WP, 12 at Caltonmoor,seven at Cuckoo Bank, 10 at Chasewater, 12 at Hazelton Clump, nine at RoddigeFarm, six at Silverdale Colliery, nine at Weston, 11 at Wetleyhay Wood and 10 atWhitemoor Haye. One to four birds recorded at an additional nine sites. Again, nobirds were reported at Belvide.

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W Mid The statement in the 2002 Annual Report suggesting that this species maynow be extinct in the county has been dispelled. A superb covey of 19 was countednorth of Hurst Green Farm (adjacent to Peddimore Lane in the Wishaw area) onOctober 30th. One was reported from Marsh Lane NR on June 14th.

Common Quail Coturnix coturnixSummer visitor in fluctuating numbers, but usually scarce. Very rare in winter.Average dates: May 12th (16) to August 27th (12).The first to be recorded was heard at Northend on June 1st while the last were foundat Gwen Finch on the late date of September 11th.Warks Possibly bred at Grandborough RCM, TM et al., where up to two males werecalling during June-July, and three males were located in the area on July 30th JFCJ.Single males were alsoheard calling from wheatfields at Northend onJune 1st JJB, Kenilworthon July 27th SCHS, andAttleborough Fields onAugust 11th NDBC,where a family party wassuspected.Worcs Single singingmales were heard nearGrafton Wood on June5th, Chaddesley Corbetton 17th and 18th MJI etal. and Woodhouse Farm,Blakedown from July22nd-28th EP et al. Onewas flushed at Gwen finch Wetland on September 11th RAP.Staffs A better year for this species. First to be heard were two at High Offley onJune 18th SAR, with one on the 20th ESC, three on the 22nd FCG, MT, one on the29th ADG, and a rare sight of a one on July 26th ADG. Elsewhere there was one in apotato field at Ingestre, on June 23rd RCB and singles at Blithfield on July 7th MPRand Whitmore on July 7th NDP. W Mid One was flushed in Sandwell Valley on June 28th PMH and DAS on27th

2002 AddendumWarks A male was heard calling near the River Avon between Barford andLongbridge on an unrecorded date in July MRM.

Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicusVery common resident, mainly in rural areas.Warks Numbers continue to increase at DMC Kineton, where a total of 117counted across the MOD lands in May easily beat the previous record count of 66achieved last year. Few other records were submitted, but of interest was a very latebrood of small chicks seen at Lighthorne Quarry on October 9th.Worcs No records received.

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Common Quail (Phil Jones)

Staffs Records of double-figure counts comprised 40 at Bolingbroke Wood onOctober 15th and 13 at Belvide on November 13th.W Mid Reported in the breeding season from Brownhills Common, EdgbastonPool and Sandwell Valley (bred at the latter location – first reported breeding recordsince the 1970s). In the Dunstall Park area, a male that arrived in December 2002stayed until at least late March, with a female noted from January 26th to April 25thand another male from March 16th until June 24th. Elsewhere, in Smestow Valley, amale was present from March 14th to April 1st, with a second male noted fromMarch 9th to 31st, plus a female also on March 19th – on the latter date at least fivebirds were probably present along the Smestow Valley. In the first winter period, upuntil the end of March, birds were reported from Watford Gap (four males near theSutton TV Transmitter), Edgbaston Pool on March 3rd and 15th (one male),Woodgate Valley on March 21st (one male) and Sheepwash UP on April 4th (onemale). Regular at Marsh Lane NR outside of the breeding season with a count of 26made on November 27th.

Golden Pheasant Chrysolophus pictusRare feral visitor or escapee (5/10).Warks A male was seen in a wood near Bramcote Hall on October 12th RLS.Although it could not be found subsequently, it had apparently been seen earlier in themonth by other observers.

Red-throated Diver Gavia stellataRare winter visitor and passage migrant (7/10).The decline continues.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 10 30 19 14 7

Warks A single bird circled Draycote on November 2nd RCM, but was not seen toland.

Black-throated Diver Gavia arcticaRare winter visitor (8/10).Almost the worst total for twenty years, this is the rarest of the divers in our area.There were no records in 2003.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 16 6 2 10 5

Great Northern Diver Gavia immerRare winter visitor (9/10).The best totals for twenty years with some birds staying for considerable periods.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 12 5 18 12 27

Warks At Draycote, the four birds present at the end of 2002 remained until January4th, with three staying to February 2nd, two to March 7th, and the final bird until 29thmany observers.

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Staffs First seen on the November 10th, an immature at Chasewater on 11th ESCet al. stayed until December 15th and was probably the same bird that was atBlithfield on the December 29th MPR, NU.W Mid A first-winter bird appeared at Bartley Reservoir in the late afternoon ofNovember 9th ARD and was still present next morning before flying off to the north-west. Presumably this was the bird that was later located at Chasewater in Staffordshire.

Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollisFairly common resident.


Draycote 38 40 25 2 2 2 5 78 100 85 70 35Ladywalk 15 8 10 6 6 6 9 8 11 8 2 6Kinsham Lake 5 2 3 2 4 2 2 9 8 7 5 5Pirton Pool 2 1 2 3 2 5 10 19 12 10 2 –Upton Warren 2 2 4 6 4 4 4 6 6 6 4 5Westwood Pool 2 1 8 5 6 1 9 9 5 2 3 2Barton 12 13 21 12 11 10 14 22 46 53 23 14Belvide 1 1 4 6 6 0 8 8 5 1 – –Blithfield – – – – – 1 2 5 1 – – –Branston – – – 1 4 1 0 5 3 7 7 5Brookleys Lake 8 10 – – – 6 – – 11 – 6 5Chasewater 1 2 6 6 4 4 5 6 5 6 5 9Kettlebrook Lakes 1 2 3 2 2 2 2 3 5 3 3 2Silverdale Colliery – – 1 – 2 2 3 6 7 2 – –Marsh Lane NR 2 3 5 9 9 10 19 29 24 11 8 9Netherton Reservoir 2 3 1 – – – – – – 1 2 1Sandwell Valley – 7 – – – – – 6 – – 8 –Smestow Valley 6 7 3 2 – 1 1 1 1 4 3 6WeBS 2002 105 135 97 37 27 39 41 101 186 208 157 117WeBS 2003 142 95 92 43 39 37 55 124 180 216 116 95

Warks Confirmed or suspected breeding pairs were reported from: Brandon,Chadshunt, Charlecote GP (three), Coombe, Draycote, Frankton (two), Kingsbury,Ladywalk (three), Lapworth, Lighthorne area (two-three), Lower Radbourn, NaptonRes (five), Newfield Pool, Packington (at least four), Priors Marston, Salford PriorsGP (two), Shuckburgh Park, Stockton Res, Stoneton Moat (four),Temple Pool andWhittleford Park. The autumn flock continues to grow at Draycote, with this year’speak equalling the previous site record set in October 1976. The largest counts awayfrom tabulated sites were of 20 at Dosthill on January 5th, 17 at Stoneton Moat onAugust 29th and 14 at Salford Priors GP on 31st, with parties of up to ten atKingsbury and Shustoke during the autumn.Worcs Successfully breeding pairs recorded at Bishampton Vale Pool, British CampReservoir, Clifton Pits, Grimley New and Old Workings, Holt Fishing Pits, KinshamLake, Pirton Pool, Ryall Pits and Upton Warren. A single bird was noted on Mill Pond,Hollybed Common on May 31st. None breeding season sightings included singles atBredon’s Hardwick on January 5th and March 23rd, four at Strensham Lagoons onJanuary 26th, followed by three on March 9th and two on April 6th. Bittell Reservoirheld four on September 13th and three on October 10th, three were at Kington andtwo at Strensham Lagoons on September 14th, the later also holding four onNovember 2nd and three on December 14th. Five were at Clifton Pits on October 12thand seven on the River Avon at Lower Moor on November 2nd.

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Staffs Breeding occurred at Apedale with two pairs and two juveniles present onMay 15th, at Little Aston Golf Club one pair raised two young but another pair failed,a pair bred at Silverdale Colliery where a female was noted feeding a juvenile onSeptember 1st. Breeding also noted at Cannock Chase and Levedale, three pairsattempted to breed at Belvide but all failed. The 53 at Barton in October is thehighest county total for three decades. Away from the tabulated sites, 16 at BartonTurn Marina on October 14th and 13 at Croxall on October 10th were the onlynotable counts, but widely reported in small numbers from other sites across thecounty.W Mid Confirmed/probable breeding was reported from Amblecote Pool,Edgbaston Pool, Fibbersley, Marsh Lane NR (four pairs), Sandwell Valley, SheepwashUP (two pairs), Titford Pools (two pairs) and Wednesfield (on the Wyrley andEssington canal). Birds passed through Dunstall Park Lake during the breeding seasonbut did not stop to breed. The 29 at Marsh Lane NR in August was a record count forthe site. Also reported from the canal in Oldbury during the breeding season whilefurther reports came from Bartley and Frankley Reservoirs in March.

Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatusFairly common resident and winter visitor.

Monthly maxima from selected sites:J F M A M J J A S O N D

Coombe 5 14 13 14 12 7 11 10 9 15 18 21Draycote 255 118 75 50 100 – 76 125 180 127 150 117Bittell Reservoirs 17 64 26 15 16 13 7 10 11 10 14 17Bredon’s Hardwick 3 10 5 5 1 4 5 9 5 20 13 9Kinsham Lake 5 4 4 2 4 4 2 2 1 1 1 –Upton Warren 6 5 21 17 12 7 6 6 7 6 6 4Westwood Pool 3 6 9 8 11 22 32 42 64 64 23 2Aqualate 3 15 21 21 23 31 32 28 70 29 3 –Barton 8 22 12 15 21 27 15 35 17 30 12 19Belvide 20 7 20 – – 20 13 30 45 84 114 62Blithfield – – 68 98 63 94 202 139 – 126 89 97Chasewater 17 32 17 16 28 28 29 37 12 40 17 40Chillington 14 12 20 10 13 10 14 18 16 17 14 19Rocester – 3 8 6 7 12 6 0 4 5 5 4Westport 1 7 4 4 4 4 4 4 11 13 26 8Netherton Reservoir 2 4 7 2 2 2 1 – 1 1 1 –Sandwell Valley 14 19 10 – – 3 – 9 – 5 13 10WeBS 2002 437 331 442 331 322 362 470 551 493 560 515 567WeBS 2003 419 373 458 376 313 483 599 569 389 638 520 450

Warks Breeding pairs noted at: Abbots Salford, Alvecote, Bidford Grange GC,Brandon (two), Chesterton, Compton Verney (three), Coombe, DMC Kineton,Draycote, Earlswood Lakes (four), Ensors Pool, Farnborough Park, Hodnell,Kingsbury, Ladywalk (three), Lower Radbourn, Middleton Hall, Napton Res (two),Packington (at least seven), Temple Pool, and Wormleighton Res (two). In addition, apair nested on the River Avon at Welford and hatched four young, three of whichsurvived DWH. This appears to be the first documented record of river breeding in thecounty, although this is now well established elsewhere in the UK. At Packington, adependant juvenile was still being fed as late as November. Few counts were receivedfrom non-tabulated sites, but these included 22 at Dosthill on February 16th and 20 atKingsbury WP on September 28th. Earlswood Lakes held maxima of 25 in the spring

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and 17 on October26th, while AbbotsSalford had 12 alsoon the latter date.Worcs Breedingpairs reported fromBishampton ValePool, Bittell Reser -voirs, Bredon’sHardwick, KinshamLake, Lower Moor,Upton Warren(three pairs) andWestwood Pool.Dur ing March,counts were madeof eight at TrimpleyReservoir on 12th,nine at Lower Mooron 26th and 10 at Arrow Valley Lake on 31st. Four were at Hewell Grange onNovember 27th.Staffs Breeding reported from the following sites; Bateswood (two juveniles),Chasewater (14 pairs), Coldmeece Pools (one juvenile), Doxey Marshes (ninejuveniles), Rocester Pools (three juveniles), Rudyard Lake (two juveniles), Tixall(four juveniles) and Fisherwick/Elford (three juveniles). Attempted breeding wasnoted at Aqualate, Chillington, Gailey and Westport. The only notable counts awayfrom the tabulated sites were 18 at Rudyard Lake on May 4th and 17 at TittesworthReservoir on July 16th.W Mid Breeding occurred on the following waters: Cannon Hill Park, EdgbastonPool (five pairs), Edgbaston Reservoir, Netherton Reservoir, Olton Mere, Rocket Poolin Bradley and Trittiford Mill. Also noted at Marsh Lane NR and Swanshurst Parkduring the breeding season while 17 were counted at Edgbaston Pool in late June. Themaximum count at Olton Mere was 10 birds.

Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegenaScarce winter visitor and passage migrant.A poor showing; the worst figures for twenty years.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 30 30 19 35 16

Warks A single bird was at Draycote on November 12th JFCJ, RCM.Staffs Three in breeding plumage at Blithfield on April 7th MPR, ESC, RCB, withan adult in breeding plumage there on June 6th ESC, RCB which stayed until the 29thESC, ADG, NS. The only other report came from Drayton Bassett Pits on October 3rdJH.

Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritusScarce winter visitor and passage migrant.An average showing for this species.

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Great Crested Grebes, Westport (Dave Kelsall)

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 13 24 15 28 23

Warks The two birds present at Draycote at the end of 2002 stayed to at leastJanuary 28th, with one bird lingering there until 31st many observers. An adult inalmost complete breeding plumage at Napton Res on April 8th-9th JJB et al., was anexcellent record for such a small water. On April 10th it was relocated, notunexpectedly, at Draycote JFCJ, and another bird was present there from October15th-November 10th REH et al.Staffs One at Chasewater on October 14th GE.W Mid A moulting bird was on Powells Pool in Sutton Park on March 29th untilApril 1st at least KMC, JVH, HK.

Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollisUncommon passage migrant and summer visitor, which sporadic breeding. Rare inwinter.The continued expansion as a breeding species has no doubt fuelled the increase inrecords over the past ten years.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 22 43 54 81 129

Warks A relatively poor year, with no spring records for the first time since 1991.All records came from Draycote where there was a juvenile on August 6th RCM, anadult in breeding plumageon 11th JJB, a juvenile onSeptember 6th REH, adifferent juvenile from12th-28th JJB et al., afirst-winter from October14th-November 16th REH,LP, PP et al., and a finalbird there on 27th TB.Worcs At WestwoodPool the 2002 individualremained until January8th. With no springrecords, the first of threeautumn birds arrived atUpton Warren on August26th GG et al. and thisbird, a juvenile, remainedon the Flash Pools until September 9th. A moulting adult frequented the outer lagoon atThrockmorton Tip from September 19th-October 1st RAP et al., plus another adult wasat Westwood Pool from September 20th and also departed on October 1st WD et al.Staffs Four at Branston GP on March 22nd ESC and at Newbold Quarry on the23rd RJJ, with two there on the 30th ADG. A pair at Blithfield in summer plumageat Blithfield on April 13th remained until the 16th MPR, ESC et al., and two were atEssington Quarry on May 25th RCB, SAR. At Belvide, what is now a typical arrivalof juveniles in late summer, started with singles on July 25th to 27th, August 18th to30th and finally September 1st to 3rd SN, MT, AL.

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Black-necked Grebe, Throckmorton Lagoon (Andy Warr)

W Mid Two adults were on Pumphouse Pool in Sheepwash UP on April 19th and20th DW et al.

Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinusRare, mainly storm-driven, autumn vagrant (7/10).Warks One was found on a garage roof in Stratford-upon-Avon on the evening ofAugust 20th. After care from the RSPCA it was released successfully in the SevernEstuary on September 23rd per SCD.Worcs A first-winter bird was picked up dead, with neck wounds at Lower HowsellAllotment, Great Malvern on September 18th MW.

European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicusRare, storm-driven vagrant (0/10).Worcs A fresh corpse was discovered in the grounds of Kemerton Court on August21st AD. Last recorded in the county in 1968, this record constitutes the fourth forWorcestershire. The last in the Region was in 1990 at Blithfield.

Leachʼs Storm-petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoaRare, storm-driven vagrant (3/10).Warks A single bird spent the day at Draycote on September 24th TWL et al.,before rather unwisely joining the gull roost at dusk.

Northern Gannet Morus bassanusRare passage migrant and storm-driven vagrant (8/10).A better than average result with most of these being in the last two years.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 5 6 5 6 10

Warks One flew through Brandon in low cloud on January 3rd SAL, a first for thereserve.Staffs Two flew over Doxey Marshes on February 11th MDB and one, which flewover Gailey on October 6th SN, was mobbed by gulls and crows as it headed north.The last time that two or more birds were seen together in the region was in 1983, atWilden in Worcestershire.

Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carboFairly common winter resident and passage migrant.Uncommon breeder.


Abbots Salford 24 39 34 – – – – 7 22 – 42 32Brandon 31 25 14 6 4 4 3 25 30 20 12 43Dosthill/Kingsbury 110 – 24 – – – – 22 – 50 110 47Draycote 50 15 9 5 1 2 9 7 20 35 95 97Ladywalk 208 212 65 65 14 21 36 41 44 163 264 99Bittell Reservoirs 3 25 10 4 1 – – – – 11 8 16Bredon’s Hardwick 17 33 46 3 6 6 5 12 38 88 73 36Gwen Finch Wetland – 6 2 3 2 – – 1 – 2 7 6Upton Warren 14 7 8 3 2 3 5 8 30 20 14 57Westwood Pool 63 56 36 23 2 2 15 24 36 58 60 27

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J F M A M J J A S O N DAqualate 87 30 37 29 82 38 34 28 49 24 60 57Barton 23 42 10 8 5 7 3 7 11 17 12 13Belvide 14 3 4 1 6 – – 40 45 115 132 26Blithfield – – 36 14 15 20 54 76 – 65 44 93Branston – – – 2 2 1 7 21 1 1 6 4Chasewater 41 28 7 5 1 1 1 11 8 14 22 35Chillington 37 43 40 7 1 1 6 9 11 10 21 29Copmere 3 4 3 1 – – 2 3 2 6 6 3Croxall GP 3 7 3 13 6 15 19 9 30 14 24 10Doxey Marshes 9 5 3 2 2 1 3 3 5 8 5 4Hill Ridware 8 9 5 1 2 1 8 19 22 8 8 7Kings Bromley 22 14 35 10 21 18 23 31 35 32 33 21Marsh Lane NR 43 62 79 30 8 6 11 10 10 11 16 23Sandwell Valley 2 – 1 3 – – 3 – 3 8 2 1Sheepwash UP 6 8 7 3 – 4 1 3 1 3 8 11Smestow Valley 1 – 2 – – – 4 – 1 4 1 –Stubbers Green 4 – – – – – – – – 1 – 1WeBS 2002 595 464 390 207 167 171 146 204 358 406 507 497WeBS 2003 665 534 383 193 181 162 268 336 349 600 551 557

Warks Seventeen pairs bred at Coombe. The count of 264 in the Ladywalk roost onNovember 15th was a reserve record, although the majority seem to have left the TameValley by December. In the south of the county, the daytime roost present in the lowerAvon valley at Abbots Salford also regularly visited nearby Salford Priors GP in thelower Arrow valley, so total numbers in this area could well have been higher thanlisted. Additionally, over 20 roosted in Charlecote Park during January-February.Worcs The only significant counts made away from the tabulated sites were atLower Moor, with 11 on January 3rd, 22 on November 15th, 26 on 21st and 40 on25th. Small groups and singles observed at many localities from across the county.Staffs At a site in the west of the county 15 nests were recorded as being occupiedduring April and May although the number of fledge young was not noted. Maximumcounts not in the tabulated list are; 126 at Fisherwick on October 12th, 75 at BranstonWater Park on December 23rd, 30 at Enson in January and 30 at Tittesworth Reservoirin March. Recorded at a total of 34 sites across the county.W Mid Up to 20 were at Frankley Reservoir on March 2nd while one flew overCradley Heath on April 24th. Flyovers were reported from Lutley Wedge on March21st (one), 31st (three), April 2nd (three), 3rd (one), 13th (one) and October 14th(four). Twelve were noted flying over West Bromwich on November 2nd. Regularlyreported from the Brookvale Lake/Witton Lakes area outside of the breeding seasonwith a peak count of 24 in December.

Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelisScarce visitor in all months, with occasional influxes in autumn and winter.An average showing after the exceptional influx in 1992 and 93.


Warks The immature, first seen at Draycote in December 2002, remained untilJanuary 4th JFCJ et al., when it was found dead. Another bird was seen at Draycoteon January 10th RCM.

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Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellarisScarce winter visitor. Rare in summer.An increase in records aided by the species’ improving breeding fortunes.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 12 22 17 26 51

Warks Ladywalk again held several wintering birds at both ends of the year. Up tofour were present during January 1st- February 17th, with three staying to 25th, twoon 26th and then a single bird on several dates up to March 21st. In the autumn, thefirst bird returned here on October 3rd, and was joined by a second from November12th, and a third bird from 18th. All three continued to give good views until the endof the year, and four were seen on December 28th SLC, BLK et al. Away fromLadywalk, the new reedbed atBrandon is already payingdividends, with sightings of asingle bird there on February4th, 23rd and March 2nd, andagain from November 15th-December 31st, with two onDecember 5th and 10th JMR etal. Elsewhere a single bird wasseen to arrive from the north-west at Napton Res on the earlydate of September 19th JJB.After dropping down into theextensive beds of LesserReedmace Typha angustifolia itwas not seen again, althoughanglers claimed sightings laterthat month. Although uncon -firmed, possibly the same birdwas flushed from a reedy ditchby the farmer at Lower Rad -bourn in the first week ofOctober.Worcs One reported on the Flash Pools at Upton Warren on February 17th,observer unknown, was relocated at the Moors Pool on the 19th DJ, IJ et al., oftenshowing very well along the eastern shore, especially during the last hour of daylightand flying over the pool to roost in the northern reedbed. It was reported almost dailyuntil March 19th, when it flew off high to the east. On December 13th and 14th onewas seen again on the Moors Pool PT et al., but with no subsequent sighting madethroughout the rest of December.

Little Egret Egretta garzettaUncommon and increasing visitor.The effects of the phenomenal increase in breeding and wintering birds in the UK areplain to see. Exact numbers are difficult discern as birds roam widely.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 0 1 4 40 165

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Eurasian Bittern, Ladywalk (John Harris)

Warks The Tame Valley has fast established itself as the premier site for thisspecies in the county. During the first quarter there were regular sightings here fromJanuary 1st-April 22nd, with birds visiting most waters from Fisher’s Mill GP southto Coton and Ladywalk. The true total of birds involved is difficult to calculate, butsingle birds only were seen during January-February (presumably the bird presentfrom December 2002) and up to two during March-April. Three were seen atLadywalk on April 18th and four roosted there on 20th-21st. No more were seen inthe county until June 13th when a single bird visited Brandon. Thereafter up to twowere regular at both Fisher’s Mill GP and Kingsbury from July 6th-September 11th,but again as to whether more than two birds were involved it is difficult to judge.Singles at Ladywalk from August 4th-15th and again on September 14th, may alsohave come from there. Elsewhere, the now traditional late summer influx broughtbirds to the other regular sites. The first was a record county group of six at Draycoteon July 15th TB et al. Only one was still present here next day, followed by anothersingleton on August 14th, three birds on 28th and one again on 31st. Three were seenat Alvecote on August 4th, with a single bird at Brandon on August 6th, 10th and 14th,which was also seen by the River Avon at nearby Wolston Bridge on 7th -8th. Aftermid September the only record in the Tame Valley involved a single bird at Kingsburyon October 27th. Further south, one seen flying east over Kenilworth on December22nd may have been the bird that was later flushed from a stream by the Fosse Waynear Moreton Paddox on 25th. The latter was relocated in this area again early in theNew Year.Worcs The first record for the year came from Gwen Finch Wetland, with one onMarch 25th. Just two other spring sightings, with two at Upper Bittell Reservoir onApril 24th and two at Kinsham Lake on May 16th. The majority of subsequent recordscame in July and August, with one briefly with the Black-headed Gull roost at theFlash Pools, Upton Warren on July 20th, two at Bredon’s Hardwick on 23rd, one at theMoors Pool, Upton Warren on 24th, one at Gwen Finch Wetland and Kinsham Lakeon 25th and again at Kinsham on 26th. One flew over the Flash Pools, Upton Warrenon August 9th, one was at the Moors Pool, Upton Warren on 12th and finally a groupof five were also on the Moors Pool on October 14th.Staffs Sightings of this species continue to increase each year and it is almostimpossible to be certain of the numbers of birds involved as some birds appear to roamwidely. Blithfield seems to have become a favoured site for this species with sightingsof single birds on February 7th, March 4th, June 17th. Three on the July 13th was thestart of numerous sightings there, peaking at eight on August 5th and 6th with the lastreport of one on August 30th. Elsewhere sightings came from Belvide on January10th, August 11th, 25th and November 28th, 29th, Chasewater from August 23rd toSeptember 19th, although some days it could not be found which could explain for theappearance of one at Clayhanger Marsh on the 23rd. One was at Coldmeece Pools onAugust 20th, 23rd, 24th, 25th, and September 9th, Doxey Marshes on August 23rd,Drayton Bassett in flight on August 3rd and two on the 10th and at Whitemoor Hayeon July 12th, 13th, two there on August 16th and six on the 25th.W Mid At Marsh Lane NR, single birds were noted on March 31st, two were atJuly on 23rd with a further single on November 15th. One was at Sheepwash UP onAugust 9th AGW. On December 17th, a flock of four birds flew towards the south-west over Wightwick in Smestow Valley and landed briefly by the Smestow Brookbefore continuing on down the valley AR. This is the first record for the SmestowValley.

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Great White Egret Ardea albaVery rare vagrant (5/10).

Staffs First sighted on August 3rd at Blithfield MPR and 4th NS. Then seen onvarious dates at Blithfield throughout August and September and into October. It wasalso seen roosting at Walton-on-Trent on September 6th MPR and at Whitemoor Hayeon October 12th DJA and 19th ESC. This is the second county record and the seventhfor the Region.

2002 AddendumW Mid The record of one at Stubbers Green on November 1st MH, HK, GKNhas been accepted by BBRC is the second county record and the sixth in the Club’sarea.

Grey Heron Ardea cinereaFairly common resident.


Brandon 6 4 4 8 6 10 17 19 16 7 5 6Coombe 67 91 123 137 190 159 11 9 7 8 11 14Bittell Reservoir 9 8 7 9 2 24 3 16 11 5 – –Bredon’s Hardwick 18 3 – – – – – 2 4 – 1 4Gwen Finch Wetland – – – – – – – – – 3 3 2Strensham Lagoons 2 – – – – 9 3 5 – – – –Upton Warren 2 3 5 2 3 7 8 9 14 4 3 2Westwood Pool 5 3 1 2 2 2 22 13 20 41 38 5Marsh Lane NR 8 2 2 5 5 6 9 13 12 3 2 1

57

Great White Egret, Blithfield (Dave Kelsall)

J F M A M J J A S O N DSandwell Valley 20 – – – – 30 – – – – – –Smestow Valley 2 2 3 2 3 4 6 8 7 4 2 2Stubbers Green 1 – – 1 1 1 3 – – – 2 2

Warks The main heronry at Coombe Abbey held a record 61 breeding pairs, witha steady increase noted in recent years despite the competition for nest sites withCormorants. Other heronry counts included six nests at Baddesley Clinton (cf. 11 in2002, 20 in 2000), 25 at Charlecote Park (cf. 22 in 2002, 12 in 2000), five inChesterton Wood, six at Middleton Hall, nine at Warwick Park and three atWormleighton Res. No counts came from other known sites at Grendon or Ragley, andinformation from here would be most useful. The only sporadic site notified this yearwas Debdale Wood at Birdingbury, where a single pair reared young. It is interestingthat Norris (1947) gave a breeding record from this wood for as long ago as 1927.Outside the breeding season and away from established heronries, counts of around10-13 came from Alvecote, Draycote, Packington and Salford Priors GP, while therewere 23 in a field at Dosthill on October 7th. One died after colliding with a car onthe A46 at Warwick on October 30th.Worcs Counts at nesting colonies were of 19 pairs at Bittell Reservoir, 25 pairs atGrimley and 25 pairs at Severn Stoke. At least a couple of pairs also nested at ArrowValley Lake and Hewell Grange.Staffs With each year now bringing an increase in the breeding population inStaffordshire the record now stands at 470-476 occupied nests. Individual site nestcounts were as follows; Aqualate (44), Baggots Wood (65), Checkhill Mill (4),Churnet Valley (14), Eccleshall Castle (18-20), Enville (34), Gailey Lower Pool (51),Hazelstrine (30), Longsdon Wood (18), Pendeford Mill NR (40), RAF Stafford (1),Drayton Manor Park (6), Tamworth (100), Tittesworth Reservoir (12) and TrenthamGardens (33-37).W Mid At least 15 nests were reported from the Heronry on Ice House Lake inSandwell Valley. Regularly reported from Olton Mere outside of the breeding seasonwith a peak of seven in February. Elsewhere, birds were reported from Copt HeathGolf Club (in Solihull), Daphne Pool (in Cinder Bank), Dunstall Park Lake (peak ofeight in August), Frankley (maxima of 14 in November), Marston Green, NethertonHill, Smestow Valley, Sutton Park, Thimblemill (up to three) and Titford Pools (fivein mid-May – possibly birds feeding here from the nearby heronry in SandwellValley).

2002 AddendaWarks There were 58 nests at Coombe and four at Middleton Hall, not as stated.

2001 AddendaWarks There were 56 nests at Coombe, not as stated.

Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodiaRare summer visitor (7/10).An average run of records.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 9 7 5 9 9

Staffs One at Blithfield between 1015hrs and 1045hrs on November 28th EPH.

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Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorusRare passage migrant and summer visitor (9/10). Two 19th century breeding records. Warks An adult drifted north-west over Wormleighton Res on May 15th JJB, anda single bird was seen at Napton Hill on October 12th DJS. In addition, there were twomore probably genuine records in the third week of May and another in July, but untilthe observers in question submit details of these birds they cannot be considered.Staffs An early bird was seen heading west over Cannock Chase on April 26thLRH, LJB and an adult was at Blithfield on August 9th MJI, GJM, DJS, REH.

Red Kite Milvus milvusUncommon and increasing visitor, partly from released stock. Bred until the early 19thCentury.Warks On spring passage, single birds were reported from Honiley on March 9thCL, Willoughby on 13th per SR, Dunnington on 16th REH, over Dodwell on 23rd at09.10 LF and at Ashorne at 12.15 on the same day JJB, at Ettington on April 1st IS,Ilmington on 3rd per SR and over Brandon on 20th JMR et al. One was soaring overEdge Hill on May 17th PD, and another flew over Pailton on June 1st CT. In July therewere single birds over Whitnash on 7th JJ, Priors Marston on 12th HF and nearSambourne on 16th AW, the latter being a wing-tagged adult. The final two records ofthe year involved singles at Little Shrewley on September 26th AWh and DMCKineton on November 1st DCI. Sightings of this always exciting raptor continue toincrease, and with breeding recorded this year just 6km from the county boundary inthe Banbury area, colonisation seems imminent.Worcs Becoming quite regular in the county, with the first sighting at KinshamLake on March 11th FH. One was seen in the Fish Hill/Camden wood area on 13thand 31st MET, Hangman’s Hill on 31st KT, MT and around Bredon Hill, singles wereobserved on April 3rd, May 3rd, 4th, 7th and 11th GB, RAP, SMW et al. Singles alsonoted at Upton Warren on May 5th RJW, Fish Hill on June 7th MT, Midsummer Hillon 7th BT, Astwood Bank on 22nd KC, Hurcott on 23rd TMH and Droitwich on July5th TMH. One was at Feckenham on August 5th AW, Upton Warren on 8th AFJ, twoat Hinton-on-the-Green and Mount Pleasant on October 16th, then one on 17th CD,MET, SMW et al., had a white wing tag. Finally one was at Little Comberton onDecember 27th PFW.Staffs Good number of sightings, at least 16, in the county with all reports beingof single birds. They include: one heading south over the M6 south of junction 16 onFebruary 25th RCB, one at Derrington on April 24th AB, Belvide on June 7th andAugust 27th SN, over Levedale Stafford heading west on June 9th MT, Weaver Hillson July 19th NU, Blithfield on June 22nd ICW, 26th MY and August 10th ICW, MY ,and finally on September 23rd RJJ, just west of Eccleshall on September 22nd NP,Tixall Heath on October 12th RCB, an adult at Blithfield on November 2nd GJM andthe 9th GJM, MJI, Batterly Hall on November 11th SJT, Sherbrook Valley onNovember 15th PDH and on the same day over Oulton Heath SB.W Mid One at Marsh Lane NR on March 26th arrived from the south, circled infront of Siden Hill Wood and then drifted south again towards Bradnock’s Marsh perNPB. This was a first record for the reserve.

Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosusScarce passage migrant.As with Bittern, improving fortunes as a breeding species results in more birdspassing through our area.

59

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 23 19 32 56 96

Warks In spring, an early male was at Ladywalk on March 27th PCa, MO, and afemale spent over an hour there on April 18th per SLC. A male visited Draycote onApril 26th RCM and a female drifted north-east over Wormleighton Res on May 15thJJB. Return passage began with single juveniles at Dunchurch on July 28th CHP andLadywalk on August 11th PS and 12th SMH, GJM. On August 27th a female flew eastat Brandon during the early morning MD, while on 29th there was a juvenile atDraycote JFCJ, RCM and a female at Fisher’s Mill GP GAW, the latter flying off tothe west.Worcs An immature male was observed over the Moors Pool, Upton Warren onApril 13th DREW and a female at Gwen Finch Wetland on May 9th JH.Staffs An immature/female at Belvide on July 29th SN, with another immature/female seen several times on August 15th, 18th, 19th and finally another immaturefemale on September 6th SN. A female type was at Aqualate on August 17th per FCG,an immature at Blithfield on 25th, GJM, MPR, NU, RJJ and again on the 27th RJJand on the 30th FCG, ADG.W Mid A female/immature flew north through Sandwell Valley on April 24th PMH.

Hen Harrier Circus cyaneusScarce passage migrant and winter visitor. Bred in Staffs in 1974-5 and 1979.An average showing after the peak of 1994-98.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 18 23 38 41 33

Warks A ringtail (probably an immature female) at Fisher’s Mill GP on November7th-8th SLC, BLK et al. was also seen in Staffs. Another ringtail was seen at Shipston-on-Stour on November 15th ADW.Worcs A good year recorded for this county rarity, all being ringtails. Two wereseen over Nimmings car park, Clent Hills on March 23rd ICW, MY, one over theAston-under-Hill side of Bredon Hill on May 8th RAP, one over Lower Moor/Fladbury Bank on November 11th RAP and one over Ismere on 9th BW.Staffs The first report was of a ringtail at Essington Quarry during January IC. Amale and a sub-adult male were on Cannock Chase and were seen in the area fromFebruary 2nd ADG, GJM and on various other dates just single birds were seen untilMarch 2nd ADG, WGG, SAR, and a ring-tail was at Tittesworth on March 1st PF. Ajuvenile was at Blithfield on the same day as a Marsh Harrier there on August 25thMPR. A ringtail was at Swallow Moss on October 26th AGJ, and possibly the samebird was also seen at Revidge on November 9th WJB and Back Forest on November23rd DWY. One was at Drayton Bassett Pit on November 7th JH and a bird was seenflying over the A53 at Longdon on December 16th JH.

Montaguʼs Harrier Circus pygargusRare passage migrant, has bred. (5/10).Warks An adult male, watched drifting in circles over Shuckburgh Park on June 7thJJB, eventually departed high to the south-west. This was the seventh county record,with five of them since 1995, all of which were in spring.

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Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilisScarce to uncommon resident and visitor.Warks Pairs were displaying at two potential breeding localities during March-April, one in the north and the other in the south-east. At both sites birds have beenseen in previous years. The only other acceptable record concerned an adult femalenear Ullenhall on February 19th RHu.Worcs Reported from a single locality during the breeding season, where a pairbred successfully.Staffs Breeding reports consisted of seven pairs from across the county. Otherreports were one at Doxey Marshes on January 31st AC per MDB, one at Aqualate onFebruary 16th FCG, a male at Essington Quarry from February 10th to 25th IC, amale on Cannock Chase on March 9th ADG, one at Baggeridge CP on March 25thDJW, one over Tittesworth on April 9th RF, a female at Blithfield on April 12th MPRand a female flew over West End on April 19th NDP and finally one at Enville onNovember 1st SLH.W Mid A displaying male was noted in Sandwell Valley on February 1st and wasagain noted on 21st and 28th PMH.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisusFairly common resident.Warks Breeding pairs were reported from: Brailes, Brandon, Burmington,Chesterton Wood, Compton Verney, Farnborough Park, Fenny Compton, Grand -borough, Kenilworth, Kingsbury WP, Lighthorne Heath, Napton Hill, Norton Lindsey,Snitterfield Bushes, Stoneton, Stretton-on-Fosse, Ufton Fields, Upper Radbourn andWormleighton Res. Multiple sightings included counts of five at Ladywalk onFebruary 28th, and four together at: Newbold Comyn on March 14th, Combrook on31st, Brandon on April 7th, Chesterton Wood on 10th and Draycote on October 30th.Worcs Just one breeding record received this year from Upton Warren, where a pairraised three young, but reported from many localities across the county.Staffs Probably a routine year for a species that is now widely distributedthroughout the county. Breeding was confirmed at Belvide where an adult was seento take a Common Sandpiper on April 21st. Probably three or four pairs frequentedChasewater with calling young very vocal there during August. Breeding was alsoconfirmed in the vicinity of Doxey Marshes with at least one pair in residence. Othernotable records included a pair that may have bred at Pipe Green, a juvenile wasobserved in a Stafford garden from July 12th to 28th and a male caught a Fieldfarenear the dam at Blithfield on December 21st. Elsewhere pairs and singles were notedduring the breeding season at Biddulph Moor, Blithfield, Copmere, Little Aston area,Maple Hayes, Sugnall, Swallow Moss, Tittesworth and Wolseley Bridge.W Mid Breeding season records came from Alder Coppice (in Sedgley), AshmoreLake, Cradley Heath, Ham Dingle, Low Hill, Marsh Lane NR area, Mons Hill (oneterritory on the CBC plot), Ounty John Wood (in Pedmore), Oxley, Pool Hayes,Saltwells Wood, Sandwell Valley, Sheepwash UP, Smestow Valley (a minima of threepairs), Solihull, Stambermill, Trittiford Mill and Yardley. Additional records outsidethe breeding season came from Aldridge, Aston, Birmingham, Dorridge, Marsh LaneNR, Rushall, and Sheldon. Garden records were received from Aldridge, Dorridgeand Knowle. At Marsh Lane NR, birds were recorded trying to snatch Little RingedPlover chicks unsuccessfully. Elsewhere, other prey items included Collared Dove,Common Starling and House Martin.

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Common Buzzard Buteo buteoFairly common and increasing resident, passage migrant and winter visitor.Warks A common breeding bird now, with counts of up to nine coming from allparts of the county. Records concerning ten or more birds included: ten at Close Woodon February 3rd, 15 at Packington on March 2nd, 12 moving west at Charlecote on25th, ten at both Drayton on 30th and Combrook on 31st, and 11 at Fenny Comptonon April 5th. The best autumn counts concerned 12 at Fenny Compton on October11th and ten over Draycote on 30th. Disturbingly, one observer reported a total ofseven birds found dead at four sites in the north of the county during the summer andautumn, where there have been renewed incidences of illegal persecution by somefarmers and keepers who allege that Buzzards predate their Pheasant chicks.Worcs Breeding pairs reported from Abberton (three), Broadway Hill, ChaddesleyWood (two), Dowles Brook (two to three along a five mile stretch), North Littleton,Shatterford Wood, Tibberton (two), Timberhonger, Upton Warren and Wood Norton.A common sight across Worcestershire, with reports from 36 localities, the largestgroup counts being nine at Shatterford Wood on March 16th and May 4th, nine atBroadway on March 17th, 15 on Bredon Hill on May 25th, eight at Lower Moor onOctober 11th and six at Mount Pleasant on 19th.Staffs Another impressive year with birds well established wherever there issuitable habitat. Records this year came from 73 locations with breeding pairs againwidely distributed throughout the county and numbers were overall comparable withthose of last year. Notable counts included five at Alton on July 3rd, ten at Aqualateon March 23rd, five at Baswich on September 27th, a maximum of 15 were countedat Belvide during September, a maximum of 12 at Blithfield on August 27th, nine wasthe maximum at Cuckoo Bank in August, five were at Coldmeece Pools on September7th, present throughout the year at Coombes Valley with a maximum of eight seen,five at Doxey Marshes on April 11th and September 7th, five at Drayton Bassett onMarch 25th, six at Essington Quarry Pool on March 23rd and August 31st, six at Keeleduring August, five at Pipe Green Lichfield on May 3rd, six at Little Stoke on April26th and August 24th, six at Norton Bridge on March 12th, six at Silverdale Collieryon September 11th, five at Strawberry Hill on February 25th, six at SwynnertonGrange on December 6th and finally six at Bent Lane on March 12th.W Mid From the spread of records it would appear that this species continues toincrease. Breeding was confirmed in Sandwell Valley (a pair raised three young) andSmestow Valley (a pair raised two young) – both first breeding records for therespective sites and well within the West Midlands conurbation. Birds were seen inSmestow Valley on at least 102 dates during the year, compared to 71 last year (itselfa record at the time), continuing the annual increase in sightings of 45% since 1997.One territory on the CBC plot on Mons Hill. Very regular at Marsh Lane NR,presumably several pairs breeding within the vicinity, with counts of eight birds inMarch and seven in May. Elsewhere, records came from Knowle (on January 25th,February 15th and April 12th), Sheepwash UP (five dates between January 26th andSeptember 2nd), Hawne Park on February 14th, Solihull on February 27th andNovember 6th, Saltwells Wood on March 6th, October 9th, November 5th and 7th,Earlswood (on the West Midlands County side of the boundary – 22 dates betweenMarch 13th and November 3rd with a peak count of six on April 11th, no doubtbreeding in the vicinity), Netherton Hill on March 13th (four), July 14th, 23rd, andNovember 4th (two), Selly Oak on April 7th, Barr Beacon on April 15th, Ounty JohnWood on May 4th, Marston Green on June 14th, Olton on August 27th, Fen End on

62

August 22nd (four), Bartley Reservoir on September 7th (five), Edgbaston Pool onSeptember 7th and November 9th, Warstock on October 14th, Harborne NR onNovember 13th (two) and Hockley Heath on November 30th (four sitting on fenceposts). At Dunstall Park, probably the same bird was often seen perched on floodlightpylons and occasionally on the running rails or lakeside fencing between September7th and October 30th.

Osprey Pandion haliaetusUncommon passage migrant.Improved breeding success has resulted in a dramatic increase in records of birds passingthrough our region and one wonders how long it will be before stays to breed here!

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 22 28 65 87 121

Warks Four or five birds passed through in spring, but none lingered. The first wasseen high over Dosthill Lake on April 7th KL, followed by singles over both LongLawford JFCJ and Alvecote AA on 25th. On May 2nd a bird visited Draycote RCM,with another over Ladywalk on 15th MM, JRW. How many individuals occurred onreturn passage is almost impossible to say, as some of the later sightings may haveinvolved just a couple of wandering birds. The first was seen to fly south-west overBrandon early on July 27th FGS, and then up to two birds together fished at Draycoteon August 29th TB, JFCJ et al. A single bird lingered in the Kingsbury WP/MiddletonHall Pool area from September 7th-13th BLK, JRW et al., and this bird also visitedLadywalk on 12th PCa. Another was seen over Napton Hill on September 12th TM,with possibly the same bird at nearby Draycote on 19th TM and 21st RCM. In thenorth of the county, Bedworth Slough played host to a bird which came to fish dailyat the pool (apparently from the Arbury estate) from September 30th until at leastOctober 6th many observers. The same individual may have accounted for sightingsat both Ladywalk KWi and Middleton Hall Pool several observers on October 10th,and again at Arbury Park on the very late date of November 4th RED which hadreportedly been present there for some time. The latter record beats the previous latestcounty departure (in 2001) by two days.Worcs One observed at Grimley New, then Old Workings for ten minutes on April6th BS, headed north and was relocated over an hour later at Trimpley Reservoir AW.One flew west over Lower Moor on July 1st RAP.Staffs Good number of reports this year. All reports are of single birds unlessstated. An excellent year at Belvide with no fewer than ten records, starting with oneon March 31st, one caught a fish on April 4th, 6th, 13th, and May 28th. Returnpassage birds were seen on August 24th, 27th, 30th, another caught a fish onSeptember 5th and finally one flew south on September 18th SN. At Blithfield thefirst report was on April 5th MPR, and 14th RCB with a return passage bird fromAugust 10th-29th with two on the 21st (MPR), and one on September 7th ESC, PDH.et al., and finally another on the 21st ESC, PDH, DJA. At Tittesworth sightings werelogged five times this year, starting with July 30th, August 5th, 10th, 12th, 13th and14th. Elsewhere reports came from Chasewater on May 5th as one flew south-westover main reservoir ICW. One was at Doxey Marshes on May 31st AC per MDB,Barton GP on July 5th RCB and one flew over Little Stoke on August 24th DWE, SME.W Mid At Marsh Lane NR (the premier site in the county for this species), singleswere noted on April 5th, 9th and September 6th per NPB. One flew west over BalsallCommon on September 13th per NPB.

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2000 AddendumWarks One visited Seeswood Pool on April 23rd per LL.

Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculusFairly common resident.Warks Not many comments on local status but the many breeding records showthat it is still flourishing, particularly in the south and east. Ten logged on the DMCKineton May census was the highest ever total since the count began in 1987. Amongthe better counts were six along the River Avon between Bidford and Marlcliff onJanuary 9th, eight at Fenny Compton on August 10th and eight at Priors Hardwick onSeptember 4th.Worcs Reported to have bred at Abberton, Lower Moor, Tibberton and threeterritories held at Timberhonger. Observed at many localities from across the county,including counts of three at Wassell Grove Pool on March 22nd, three at CastlemortonCommon on April 11th, three over North Hill on 12th and four at Tibberton on 18th.Staffs A species that is both common and widespread but remains under recorded.The bulk of the records this year come from Belvide with regular sightings throughoutthe year and a respectable three breeding pairs on site. Also very well established atChasewater where breeding was confirmed with two pairs present during May. Otherfavoured locations include Little Aston where an adult was observed feeding ajuvenile on July 22nd, and Silverdale Colliery with two adults hunting with a juvenileon July 15th. Regular all year at Aqualate where two pairs probably bred and apossible breeding pair at Pipe Green on July 20th. Croxall produced an interestingspring record of an adult fighting with a Stock Dove over the ownership of a nestingbox on May 11th. Noted at a further 14 locations within the breeding season.Curiously no records received from Blithfield.W Mid The only report of confirmed breeding of this perceived common speciescame from Smestow Valley, a pair fledged three young, the first breeding record sincethe 1980s. However, breeding season records (i.e. those between April and Julyinclusive) were reported from Aldridge, Bartley Reservoir area, Harborne NR, LutleyWedge (in the Foxcote Pond area – an adult and two juveniles noted in earlySeptember), Marsh Lane NR, Moor Green Woods, Oldbury, Quinton Meadows,Sandwell Valley, Selly Oak, Sheepwash UP and Sutton Park. Records outside of thebreeding season were received from Barr Beacon, Blythe Valley, Cinder Bank, CoptHeath, Edgbaston Pool, Lapal, Minworth (Wiggins Hill Lane), Moxley, Shire Oaks,Stubbers Green, Woodgate Valley and Yardley Wood. At Marsh Lane NR, a femalewas seen to predate young Coots and Common Terns. On June 15th, a female orjuvenile was found drowned at this locality and it is though that this bird wasattempting to predate some of the breeding birds on the reserve islands and may havebeen forced down into the water by defending adults.

Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinusVery rare vagrant (1/10).Warks A first-summer male was seen in flight at Wormleighton Res on May 15thJJB. The highlight here of a red letter day for migrating raptors which also includedHoney-buzzard and Marsh Harrier, and was a just reward for regularly watching thelocal patch! It unfortunately only lingered for five or six minutes before departingnorthwards. It was only the third county record, with previous birds in June 1870 andMay 1967, and the sixth for the Club’s area; the last being on the same date in 2001at Westwood Pool.

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Merlin Falco columbariusUncommon winter visitor. Rare breeding species on the northern moors.Warks Only four probable wintering birds were reported during the early months,equally divided between the Tame Valley and the south-east. In the former area, afemale was at Shustoke on January 1st, with probably the same bird at nearbyLadywalk being chased by a Peregrine on February 9th, and a male was at the same siteon 28th. In the south-east, a female at Fenny Compton on January 6th and 25th wasseen attacking finch flocks, while an immature male was at Stoneton on 16th. Boththese birds were seen in the area in late 2002. Additionally, a male was seen at WoottonWawen on March 30th and a female at Salford Priors GP on April 6th, both probablyon spring passage. The first autumn bird was an immature female at Priors Hardwickon September 4th, with probably the same bird at Wormleighton on 9th. Furtherrecords from the south involved single females at Fenny Compton on October 12th,Lighthorne Quarry on 15th, Northend on 28th, Wasperton on November 12th andRadway on 16th. An unsexed bird was at Gaydon on November 19th, while immaturemales visited Wormleighton Res on November 16th and Chesterton on December 15th,with an adult male at DMC Kineton on December 2nd. Napton Res had a female onNovember 3rd and December 11th, while further north a bird was seen regularly atCoombe from November 16th-December 31st and another at Kingsbury on November30th. Birds were also apparently seen regularly in the Wishaw area from October-December, but the only submitted record involved a male on December 27th.Worcs During the first winter period singles were seen at Westwood Park onJanuary 2nd, Evesham Bypass on 3rd, 4th and 5th, Bredon’s Hardwick and HoltPrairies on 12th, Abberton and Lower Moor, Longdon Marsh on 29th and Kinsham on31st. One was observed at Nafford on February 2nd, 19th and March 8th, Sale Greenon February 5th and a female was noted at Holt Prairies on 5th, 8th, 22nd, March 1stand 29th. Bredon’s Hardwick recorded singles on February 7th and 16th, one was atBroadway on 7th, 13th and 23rd, Barnett Hill and Tibberton on 9th and Lower Mooron 15th, 16th, 24th, 25th and 27th. Singles were at Grimley Old Workings and GwenFinch Wetland on March 8th and April records came from Stourport on 7th, GrimleyNew Workings on 7th and 9th, Wilden Marsh on 16th and Kemerton Estate on 18th.An immature female reported at Wildmoor Tip on July 19th was an unusual summerrecord. Smaller numbers reported during the second winter period, with singles atBredon Hill on October 5th, Abberton on 7th, Throckmorton Tip on 26th andNovember 2nd, Sheriff’s Lench on 2nd, Atch Lench on 19th, Grimley New Workingson December 7th and Timberhonger on 15th.Staffs Another lean year. No breeding records were submitted, but single birds werenoted at four localities during the breeding season. During the first winter period afemale was at Crumpwood on January 8th, this was then quickly followed at WhitemoorHaye by a female on January 13th, with probably the same bird there again on January25th, 26th, and March 29th A probable passage male was present on April 12th.Elsewhere an unsexed bird was at Brookleys Lake on February 2nd, and a male noted atAnson’s Bank on February 23rd. The only record for Chasewater was of an immaturemale over Highfields Farm on March 15th.The latter months were productive with afemale at the Wedgwood Monument on August 2nd, singles at Middle Hills onSeptember 3rd and at Longnor on the 18th. An unsexed bird flew over Tad Bay, Blithfieldon October 4th, a female/immature was there on the 11th and this was followed by a maleon November 2nd and December 6th and a female/immature on the 28th. One was seenon the Weaver Hills on October 15th. At Belvide an immature female was attacked by a

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Peregrine on September 7th, while an immature male was present on October 1st, withanother noted on November 11th. A male was seen at Silverdale Colliery on September30th. In addition, females were noted from November 8th to the 18th and on December11th. Finally a male was seen at Wolseley Bridge on November 2nd.W Mid An excellent set of autumnal records from the favoured locality of WigginsHill/Wishaw Lane/Peddimore Lane area of Minworth, with adult males noted onSeptember 13th AH, 28th AH, 29th BLK, 30th BLK, October 2nd BLK, 4th AH, 5thAH, 6th BLK, 10th BLK, 11th AH, BLK, 12th AH, BLK, 13th BLK, 17th AH, BLK, 14thBLK, 15th BLK 18th AH, BLK, 19th AH, 26th BLK, November 1st BLK, 6th BLK, 15thAH, 28th AH, 30th AH, December 19th AH, and 29th AH. A female /immature birdwas reported on October 12th AH, November 25th, 30th AH, an unsexed bird waspresent on 27th AH, and an additional dull male was noted on December 30th. Thereis anecdotal evidence of roosting of the ‘Wishaw Merlins’ in Minworth SewageTreatment Works. A female flew low over Marsh Lane NR on December 7th per NPB.

Hobby Falco subbuteoFrequent and increasing summer resident and passage migrant.Average dates: April 23rd (36) to October 7th (39).The first arrival was found at Brandon on April 16th with several from the 19th. The lastwas seen at Broadway on October 6th.Warks Coverage of the north of thecounty was not so thorough this year,but three pairs were located in theTame Valley district rearing a total offour young. Elsewhere, one pair waslocated in the north-east of the county,two pairs in the east, four in the south-east, two at central locations and one inthe south-west; but productivity wasunknown in most of these cases.Otherwise there was the usual goodspread of records from across thecounty, with Brandon recording birdson a record 54 days during the springand summer.Worcs Three pairs bred successfullyin the county and each fledged two young. During the breeding season reported from anadditional 32 localities. The first bird of the spring was observed at Bredon’s Hardwickon April 19th and other spring records included one at Tibberton on April 21st, LowerMoor on 22nd, Stourport-on-Severn on 23rd, Kempsey Sewage Works on 25th, two atGrimley New Workings and one at Hunnington on 26th, one at Malvern Link and twoat Westwood Pool on 27th, one at Upper Bittell on 28th, two at Upton Warren on 29th,one at Redditch on May 3rd, three at Broadway on 7th, two at Gwen Finch Wetland on15th and four at Upton Warren on 26th. Autumn birds were recorded at Abberton, BittellReservoir, Broadway, Broadway Gravel Pit, Bredon Hill, Bredon’s Hardwick, BrookBatch, Buckeridge, Coombegreen Common, Evesham, Forhill, Grimley New Workings,Grimley Old Workings, Gwen Finch Wetland, Hardwick Green, Hollybed Common,Kempsey, Kinsham Lake, Little Comberton, Lower Moor, Malvern Link, NorthComberton, Oddingley, Offenham, Pershore, Pirton Pool, Ryall Pits, Sheriff’s Lench,

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Hobby (John Harris)

Stoke Bliss, Stoulton, Throckmorton Tip, Upton Warren, Warndon, Westwood Pool andWythall. The final sighting of the year came from Broadway on October 6th.Staffs Records were received from 49 sites within the county. One pair success -fully fledged two young with breeding suspected at a further two localities. The firstspring bird was located on April 19th at Branston WP. This was quickly followed bysingles at Aqualate on April 20th, Westport on the 29th, and Drayton Bassett on May2nd. At Belvide a Swift was taken on May 6th and an adult was observed fighting,talons locked, with a Sparrowhawk at Whitemoor Haye on May 11th. At Belvideautumn passage was brisk with up to 15 throughout September. A Pied Wagtail wastaken there on September 9th. At Cuckoo Bank four were present on September 8th.This count was then equalled at Aqualate with four on September 14th. Blithfield washost to a string of sightings between September 6th and 19th, when numbers tailed offwith the last of the year being four at Crumpwood on September 30th. Finally, andsadly, there was an undated extraordinary report of a fresh juvenile being picked updead on the Stafford to Gnosall road, presumably a road traffic accident.W Mid One confirmed breeding pair in the county. At another traditional site therewas no evidence of breeding (the first time since 1997!). Regularly recorded in theMarsh Lane NR area, at times almost daily, indicative of attempted breedingsomewhere nearby. At Clayhanger, the first bird in the County was recorded on April19th, followed by singletons on May 5th, 17th, July 29th and 30th. One flew throughSheepwash UP on April 29th, Sandwell Valley on April 25th, 29th, May 4th, 15th,18th, 22nd and September 26th, along the Anglesey Branch canal in New Town onMay 26th, Monkspath on June 8th, Goscote Valley on June 9th and August 19th andBalsall Common on August 18th. Records from Dunstall Park concerned birds onMay 20th, 23rd, June 13th 15th, July 9th, 14th, August 15th and September 18th.

Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinusFrequent winter visitor and passage migrant. Uncommon breeding species.Warks Two separate pairs occupied territories at quarry sites in the north of thecounty, one at least of which bred, although the outcome was not reported. A pair wasalso present in Warwick during the spring. Otherwise there were widespread recordsin every month of the year, again particularly from the Nuneaton and Tame Valleydistricts. Further south there were records of one or two (often regularly) during theyear from: Abbots Salford, Barford, Bidford-on-Avon, Brandon, DMC Kineton, Dray -cote, Fenny Compton, Hampton Lucy, Idlicote, Knightcote, Leamington Hastings,Lower Quinton, Napton Res, Oxhill, Priors Hardwick, Priors Marston, Radway,Salford Priors, Wasperton and Wormleighton.Worcs One pair reported to have bred successfully in the county, plus a male waspresent at a traditional breeding site in April and May. Observed at 41 localitiesthroughout the year and autumn juveniles noted at Kinsham Lake on August 24th andon the Malvern Hills on November 11th.Staffs Relatively stable, with little change noted. Breeding success was mixed thisyear and relates to a probable five known pairs. One pair reared two young in the northof the county while another pair reared one; other sites were less successful. One pairbred but the final outcome was unknown. Another pair completely failed and sadly apair was forced to leave a suspected site due to disturbance by rock climbers. An adultand a juvenile were present at a further site on June 29th. Elsewhere, Belvide provideda very respectable monthly maxima of 15 during August and 18 in September whileApril, by contrast, was a blank month. Blithfield had the usual run of autumn records

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consisting mainly of pairs and individuals but apparently no spring sightings werereported. Records were also received from Aqualate, Barton, Branston GP, Chase -water, Doxey Marshes, Drayton Bassett, Knotbury, Pool Hall, Silverdale Colliery,Tittesworth, Whitemoor Haye and Wolseley Bridges.W Mid Breeding pairs were reported from the BT Tower in central Birmingham andtwo other locations within the county – although breeding success is not known. At MarshLane NR birds were reported on 14 dates throughout the year. In Dunstall Park, birdswere noted on January 21st, March 30th, June 12th and July 2nd. In Smestow Valley,birds were noted on March 2nd, 9th, 31st, June 21st, July 22nd, October 4th and 15th. Inthe Wiggins Hill/Wishaw Lane area of Minworth, birds were noted on March 21st,August 17th, September 12th, three different birds were noted on October 6th, November1st (pair perched on a pylon), November 15th (female), December 6th (female again ona pylon) and a pair noted hunting over Minworth STW on December 28th. A small birdwas noted flying towards Birmingham on two other unspecified dates from the WishawLane area. Singles flew over Sandwell Valley on February 17th, 19th and March 31st. Oneflew over the Grand Union canal in Olton on April 2nd. Singles were noted at SheepwashUP on March 9th and October 31st (female). One was seen carrying a domestic pigeonin Goscote Valley on June 9th with a further record on September 9th. Singles were notedat Cradley Heath on July 1st, Ocker Hill on 4th and Cannon Hill Park on 5th.

Water Rail Rallus aquaticusFrequent winter visitor and uncommon resident.Warks Breeding proven at Brandon, where a pair was accompanied by two smallchicks on July 26th. This, together with several juveniles seen elsewhere on the marsh,suggests a healthy population. Breeding was also reported from Ladywalk, while twopairs probably bred at both Coombe and Napton Res, and one pair at Alvecote.Outside the breeding season, Ladywalk had its usual good numbers during the earlymonths with between ten and 20 estimated present in January-February, but withmuch lower counts there in autumn and early winter. Contrastingly WormleightonRes, which was drawn down during the autumn, had excellent numbers with up toseven regularly in view at once during the period October 3rd-31st. Other sites toattract this species (with one to three birds) included: Bishops Bowl Lakes, CharlecoteGP, Chesterton, Dosthill, Draycote, Fisher’s Mill GP, Idlicote, Kingsbury, LighthorneQuarry, Lower Radbourn, Packington and Ufton Fields.Worcs No breeding data received, but present during the breeding season atGrimley Old Workings, Oakley Pool and Upton Warren. Between January and Marchreported from Bishampton Vale Pool, Bredon’s Hardwick, Croome Landscape Park,Hollybed Common, Lower Moor (four), Oakley Pool (six) and Strensham Lagoons(two). During the second winter period singles other than stated at Abberton,Bishampton Vale Pool (two), Bittell Reservoir (two), Grimley New Workings (four),Grimley Old Workings, Gwen Finch Wetland, Kinsham Lake, Lower Moor (five),Oakley Pool (five), Strensham Lagoons and Westwood Pool (two).Staffs Breeding was only reported from Doxey Marshes where the survey workindicated that a total of 24 territories was held in 2003, the same number as in theprevious year. The only other report during the summer came from Hill Ridwarewhere a single bird was noted on August 18th and on September 14th. In the firstwinter period the species was reported from Handsacre on January 5th, and fromBaggeridge on the 18th and also on March 17th. At Westport singles were noted inJanuary and March and up to two were present during February. A record from

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Baldwins Gate sewage farm on March 17th indicates how this species may be foundin smaller areas of cover by those of us birdwatching at less popular sites. DoxeyMarshes held birds throughout the year with maxima of nine on January 5th and 14on October 27th. During the second winter period reports also came from BranstonWP in October and November, from Westport on October 11th and December 13th,whilst in November birds were noted at Hill Ridware on the 15th, at Chillington andat Copmere on the 16th, at Wolseley Bridge on the 23rd and at Betley Mere on the26th. December records came from Drayton Bassett Pits where two were present onthe 9th, at Aqualate on the 14th and at Copmere on the 30th.W Mid In the first winter period, birds were reported from Goscote Valley (one onJanuary 1st), Sandwell Valley (up to five between January and March), SmestowValley on January 12th, Marsh Lane NR (up to four with the last recorded on April5th), Sheepwash UP (peak of two between January and March) and Wyken Slough. Inthe autumn/second-winter period, birds were noted at Sandwell valley (an early birdon August 15th with regular autumnal/winter records thereafter), Marsh Lane NR (atleast three birds from October 3rd), Goscote Valley on October 29th and at SheepwashUP in October and November.

Spotted Crake Porzana porzanaRare passage migrant and winter visitor Has bred. (9/10).Warks A first-winter bird was at Wormleighton Res from October 24th-November1st JJB et al. Although wary at first, this bird soon became very approachable as it fedwith Water Rails on the mud exposed by the autumn draw down, and consequentlywas much photographed during its stay. Staffs An immature bird was seen at Belvide on August 17th and 18th SN, SAR,MT. This is the fourth record in as many years.

Moorhen Gallinula chloropusVery common resident.

Monthly maxima for selected sites:J F M A M J J A S O N D

Coombe 7 9 6 12 19 23 17 24 27 28 30 34Draycote – – – – – – – 35 42 48 26 10Ladywalk 7 34 14 12 4 19 18 21 20 27 12 8Beoleylade 17 17 10 5 2 1 – – – – – –Bittell Reservoir 9 6 15 7 2 5 15 12 22 23 – 7Gwen Finch Wetland – – – – – – – – – 10 3 7Kinsham Lake 1 4 6 6 8 6 8 6 12 9 7 6Pirton Pool 8 8 7 6 7 10 12 27 26 22 12 9Strensham Lagoons 3 – 4 – 3 2 10 14 11 – 6 –Upton Warren 22 25 18 12 8 10 10 21 22 13 4 15Westwood Pool 6 6 9 4 5 6 20 16 18 5 7 5Aqualate 1 – 3 4 1 1 5 3 1 2 – 2Barton GP 19 16 14 17 13 12 19 27 18 22 23 12Blithfield – – 1 – 4 2 16 15 – 7 – 2Chasewater 4 6 5 3 20 – 10 20 21 45 62 46Chillington 4 5 7 7 10 5 7 8 4 5 7 5Croxall GP 3 2 5 3 2 4 3 5 6 10 5 6Doxey Marshes 25 19 23 16 36 10 16 29 30 17 24 8Elford GP 7 5 8 2 1 1 6 1 4 2 2 2Hill Ridware 9 7 16 7 9 12 15 22 19 17 21 16Kettlebrook Lakes 20 23 17 15 14 16 23 18 22 25 21 23Kings Bromley 7 9 12 4 3 1 8 10 13 7 8 5Rocester Pool 6 – 6 2 2 1 2 – 2 5 11 12Westport 9 3 7 11 13 5 11 15 14 19 16 22

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Warks A pair at Whitehall Farm near Dunchurch hatched eight young from a nestsituated in Ivy Hedera helix growing on the roof of an outbuilding. Away from listedsites, maxima of around 20-25 came from Brandon, Charlecote GP, Chesterton,Farnborough Park, Kingsbury (Cliff Pool) and Wormleighton Res, mainly during theautumn. The recent decline in the Moorhen population is well illustrated by theCoombe Abbey data listed above. As recently as 1992 and 1993 there were peakcounts there of 66, which was then considered normal; while in the 1960s up to asmany as 50 pairs could be found breeding there.Worcs Three broods were recorded at Grimley New Workings and nine pairs bred atTibber ton, with five to six young believed to have fledged. Away from the tabulatedLocalities 13 were at Kington on January 26th and 30 at Bishampton Pool on October 5th.Staffs Widely reported to be breeding in small numbers. Reported from Belvidewhere again only one pair was noted, this successfully rearing two broods, and fromDoxey Marshes where the 18 pairs counted indicates a small increase over the 15present in 2002. Ten pairs were resident during the breeding season at Chasewaterwhere the November count of 62 was the highest in the county during 2003. Alsonoted at a further 17 untabulated sites, with the highest numbers being 24 birds on thevarious pools throughout Apedale CP on March 15th, and 12 birds regularly at DoleyCommon during the early months of the year.W Mid Obviously under recorded as a breeding species in the county. Breeding wasreported from Marsh Lane NR (four pairs), Sandwell Valley, Smestow Valley(numerous pairs including a ‘sitting’ bird on early date of February 23rd). Suspectedbreeding attempted around Dunstall Park Lake. 44 were counted in Sandwell Valleyin February and 18 were counted at Marsh Lane NR on September 13th. At MarshLane NR, this species was responsible for the loss of a number of broods of CommonTern, Lapwing and Little Ringed Plover.

Common Coot Fulica atraFairly common resident, common in winter.

Monthly maxima for selected sites:J F M A M J J A S O N D

Coombe 85 36 23 11 27 35 41 32 36 41 47 52Dosthill/Kingsbury 700 520 270 – – – 245 490 660 580 740 660Draycote 215 219 154 80 – – – 500 776 1302 1400 1263Napton Res 230 200 85 45 30 – – 80 95 90 115 145Shustoke – – – – – – – 120 – – 600 –Bishampton Vale Pool 63 35 – – – – – – – 95 106 89Bittell Reservoir 17 26 34 27 43 52 84 76 66 51 – 46Bredon’s Hardwick 99 109 27 33 19 22 18 20 11 17 13 26Kinsham Lake 129 95 49 30 34 80 110 119 135 154 172 185Pirton Pool 198 77 39 37 46 76 129 177 157 27 21 52Strensham Lagoons 8 – 8 5 5 3 – 4 – – – –Upton Warren 220 207 98 45 33 70 151 165 255 318 309 401Westwood Pool 24 52 47 60 46 160 243 224 10 9 8 11Aqualate 22 29 39 37 26 93 125 20 67 90 29 23Barton GP 331 239 154 109 106 118 205 291 302 313 232 192Belvide 274 258 186 – 243 436 763 815 726 9 18 51Blithfield – 174 270 287 229 495 1461 1621 – – – 9Branston GP – – – 14 12 56 56 83 22 16 37 39Branston WP 75 – – 16 7 4 11 13 17 23 32 28Brookleys Lake 127 31 19 – – – – – 26 27 24 37Chasewater 478 268 163 142 121 96 420 652 789 888 967 727Chillington 80 44 72 80 80 56 67 85 72 82 83 87Coldmeece Pools 45 56 40 – – – – – – – – –

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J F M A M J J A S O N DCopmere 7 10 20 29 18 35 135 214 110 17 10 17Croxall GP 72 57 64 50 46 69 176 264 275 430 183 143Doxey Marshes 31 39 24 26 44 16 22 24 14 10 14 7Elford GP 78 118 48 10 6 4 10 9 13 8 34 34Hill Ridware 23 67 59 49 44 88 102 67 68 53 20 30Kettlebrook Lakes 40 52 41 37 31 32 40 35 41 42 44 39Kings Bromley 36 28 26 29 14 25 13 16 42 67 108 87Rocester Pool 100 35 32 16 10 15 33 – 17 14 24 30Westport 60 31 16 18 22 22 36 51 57 63 60 60Marsh Lane NR 81 67 52 50 30 – 74 105 95 120 79 88Netherton Reservoir 65 43 26 20 10 10 38 46 29 42 47 60Sandwell Valley – 95 – – – – – – 180 – 170 –WeBS 2002 4121 2691 2415 1249 1222 1618 3302 4876 4797 4387 4215 3879WeBS 2003 3624 2276 1876 1257 1054 1907 3557 4314 3100 3519 3011 3360

Warks Concentrations of breeding pairs were reported from: Charlecote GP(seven), Farnborough Park (four), Lighthorne (five), Napton Res (at least 12), UftonFields (five) and Wormleighton Res (seven). A pair on a small pool at Fenny Comptonwas unusually triple brooded, rearing nine young successfully, the first of thesehatching as early as April 4th. Productivity on many larger waters however remainedlow. Outside the breeding season there was again little information forthcoming fromCoton, which is usually one of the main wintering sites. Peak counts on smaller watersincluded 50 at Ladywalk in January, 55 at Brandon on February 18th, 65 at SalfordPriors GP on September 21st and 126 at Abbots Salford on November 16th.Worcs Several pairs reported to have bred at Bishampton Vale Pool, one pair atBroadway Gravel Pit and nesting pairs reached double figures at Upton Warren. Theonly count received away from the tabulated localities was of 70 at Grimley NewWorkings on January 27th.Staffs Breeding populations were reported from Chasewater (48 breedingattempts), from Doxey Marshes (22 pairs) and from Kettlebrook Lakes where sevenbroods totalling 21 young were raised between April and July. Although seen in goodnumbers throughout the county the waters most consistently attracting large numbersof these birds after the breeding season were again Belvide, Blithfield and Chasewaterand 2003 was no exception to this with the year’s maximum counts being close to theprevious five-year average maximum for these sites (1171, 1814 and 978respectively); only a slight downturn in numbers is therefore shown by the 2003numbers. A further eight untabulated sites also reported birds, with the highestnumbers being 150 at Himley Hall on January 25th.W Mid Breeding pairs were reported from Amblecote Pool, Catshill (along theAnglesey Branch canal), Daffydingle Pool, Dunstall Park Lake (four pairs attemptedbut chicks were apparently predated by Grey Herons), Edgbaston Pool, Fibbersley,Haden Hill Park, Ladymoor Pool in Bilston (two pairs), Marsh Lane NR (sevenbroods), Mary Stevens Park, Moxley, Netherton Reservoir, New Town (along theAnglesey Branch canal), Ocker Hill (several pairs), Parkhead, Pool Hayes, Perry Park,Rocket Pool in Bradley (three pairs), Sandwell Valley, Sheepwash UP (several pairs),Stourbridge Canal, Stubbers Green, Sutton Park, Titford Pool, Trittiford Mill (at leasttwo pairs), Wednesfield (three pairs off Steepark Way), Withymoor Pool and Wyrleyand Essington Canal (several pairs). Untabulated records include 138 counted at FensPools in January, 82 at Stubbers Green on September 27th, 80 at Sheepwash UP onNovember 8th and an impressive 235 at Edgbaston Pool in December.

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Common Crane Grus grusRare vagrant (3/10).Warks An immature was on fields at Draycote on January 12th-13th RCM et al.This bird was very elusive during its short stay and seen by few observers. Indeed,unconfirmed reports of a Crane at nearby Bourton-on-Dunsmore in December 2002may have involved the same individual. This was the fourth county record, followingquickly after the last two, in October 2000 and June 2002. Worcs One was observed circling fields a mile north of Broadway on February27th CET. This is the second county record.Staffs Two flew over Bagots Park Farm on April 14th TDE and an amazing sixflew low over the car park at Belvide at 0845hrs heading east on August 30th WJM,SN, PN. This is the third record for this site, the last was two on April 26th 1991.

Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegusFrequent passage migrant. Scarce winter visitor and uncommon breeding bird, thelatter mainly in the Tame and Trent valleys.


Brandon – 1 2 2 2 6 3 – – – – –Dosthill/Kingsbury – 2 5 7 8 4 5 2 – – – –Draycote – 2 – 1 1 – – 2 1 – – –Ladywalk – – 2 2 2 3 1 – – – – –Barton GP – 6 4 11 4 4 3 – – – – –Belvide 1 6 6 6 6 8 5 – – – – –Blithfield – 1 3 4 5 5 3 4 – – – –Branston GP – – 5 4 – 2 1 – – – – –Chasewater – – – – 1 – – 1 – – – –Coldmeece – – 3 4 6 1 – – – – – –Croxall GP 2 13 5 7 6 9 3 – – – – –Doxey – – – 1 2 – – – – 1 – –Drayton Bassett – – 4 5 1 – – – – – – –Elford GP – 6 6 2 – 1 – – – – – –Hill Ridware – – 1 1 – – – – – – – –Kings Bromley – 2 4 5 2 5 4 – – – – –Tittesworth – – 2 – – – – – – – – –Tixall – – 2 3 – – – – – – – –Whitemoor Haye – – 2 2 2 3 – – – – – –

Warks Breeding pairs werelocated at: Brandon (one pairhatched four chicks, but threewere subsequently lost tocrows), Kingsbury (at least twonesting pairs in area, with onepair rearing two young), andSalford Priors GP (one). Awayfrom these sites, a pair stayed atAbbots Salford Pool fromMarch 23rd- April 20th anda single bird was seen atShustoke on August 22nd.Worcs Breeding pairs were Oystercatcher at Westport (Dave Kelsall)

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noted at four localities this year. At Bredon’s Hardwick two chicks fledged, one fledgedat Grimley New Workings, three hatched at Kinsham Lake, but were almost instantlypredated and three fledged at Upton Warren. A second pair was also at Upton Warren,but made no nesting attempt. The first bird of the year arrived at Grimley NewWorkings on February 24th and was followed by singles at Bredon’s Hardwick andUpton Warren on 26th and Kinsham Lake on March 1st. The breeding pair remainedat Kinsham Lake to June 25th and at Bredon’s Hardwick, Grimley New Workings andUpton Warren until mid or late July. Other sightings were of one at Lower Moor fromMarch 17th-April 6th, one at Abberton on March 22nd, one at Willow Marsh Fishery,Shenstone on 31st, one at Ryall Pits on April 4th and 19th, one at Wilden Lagoons on10th, two on 14th and one on 15th, two and one at Westwood Pool on 18th and May13th respectively and one at Lower Moor from May 8th-25th, then two on 24th.Staffs Two pairs bred at Belvide, one producing a fledgling from two chicks, theother having one chick which died shortly after hatching. A female was observedsitting in a ploughed field near Coldmeece Pools in late April – early May, butprobably failed, with no sign of any young. Untabulated birds were seen in the springat Alrewas, Aqualate, Denstone Hall, Gerrard’s Bromley, Keele University, LowerHatton, Newcastle, Norton Bridge and Orchard Common (three). Three were presentat Dosthill Pits on July 13th and a single flew over Newcastle on November 26th.W Mid Breeding took place at Clayhanger where one pair raised a single youngster– this appears to be the first successful breeding record in West Midlands County(although the presence of adults and fledged young below may indicate otherwise!).At Marsh Lane NR, a pair was frequent visitors to the reserve between March 2nd andMay 28th and nest-scraping and copulation was noted but no successful breeding tookplace. Five were counted here on May 2nd with three recorded on June 14th andoccasional records until the month’s end. Four birds on July 13th (thought to be twoadults and two juveniles – presumably having bred at one of the numerous gravel pitsin the area) and 27th. Two were in Sandwell Valley on March 23rd with one remainingon 24th and 25th and further birds on May 3rd and June 11th. One was at DunstallPark briefly on April 5th, followed by two from April 28th until May 13th that wereobserved copulating on several occasions but were believed to have been disturbed,possibly by foxes. One was at Bartley Reservoir on February 23rd.

Avocet Recurv i ros t raavosettaRare passage migrant and veryrare breeder (7/10).Warks Single pairs were seenat Cliff Pool, Kingsbury onApril 21st SMH et al. and atnearby Dosthill Lake on May12th PB.Worcs As a major countyrarity, one which arrived atUpton Warren on March 18thAFJ et al., attracted manyvisitors until its departure onthe 23rd. Little did we knowof the things to come. A pair Avocet with chicks, Upton Warren (Andy Warr)

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discovered at Grimley New Workings on April 18th BS et al., later moved to the OldWorkings and the following morning were found on the Flash Pools at Upton WarrenCJT et al. The pair began courtship and copulation was observed after a couple of day,as did nest building on one of the single islands. The nest had been completed by 26thand the first of four eggs laid the following day. A 24-hour watch was hastilyorganised and three chicks hatching on May 23rd. The fourth hatched two days laterand all had fledged by June 20th. The adult male departed on July 2nd and theremaining five stayed until August 14th, leaving the site just once on July 12th. Staffs A good year with a total of six individuals reported. A good spring passagecommenced with two at Drayton Bassett Pits on April 8th JH, and two at Branston GPon the 16th RCB. Singles were at Blithfield on April 19th REH, DJS and Barton GPon May 9th ESC, NS. One sighting during the autumn consisted of two birds, an adultand a juvenile, at Whitemoor Haye on August 16th RJJ, GJM, SAR.

Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubiusFrequent summer resident and passage migrant.Average dates: March 20th (39) to October 3rd (39).Continuing the trend of early arrivals, the first was found at Grimley New Workingson March 9th and the last to depart at Fisherwick on October 12th.


Brandon – – 1 5 5 4 2 3 1 – – –Dosthill/Kingsbury – – 5 10 7 6 8 4 1 1 – –Draycote – – – 1 1 2 5 2 5 – – –Ladywalk – – 1 3 2 2 – – – – – –Salford Priors GP – – 8 6 6 6 – 1 – – – –Upton Warren – – 8 10 11 23 17 2 – – – –Alrewas – – – 2 5 – – – – – – –Barton GP – – – 5 4 6 5 2 – – – –Belvide – – 4 6 5 8 12 7 4 – – –Blithfield – – 1 7 4 5 15 13 1 – – –Chasewater – – 1 3 1 1 2 – – – – –Coldmeece – – 2 4 2 – – – – – – –Croxall GP – – 1 4 2 5 1 3 – – – –Doxey – – 1 6 1 – – 1 – – – –Drayton Bassett Pits – – 1 10 11 – 15 2 – – – –Hill Ridware – – – 1 2 – – – – – – –Kings Bromley – – – 3 2 – – – – – – –Rudyard – – – – – – 5 5 – – – –Silverdale Colliery – – 6 9 11 8 7 – – – – –Tittesworth – – – 3 2 – 4 1 – – – –Whitemoor Haye – – 1 8 10 4 3 2 – – – –Dunstall Park – – 3 4 3 9 7 – – – – –Marsh Lane NR – – 8 11 13 10 4 3 1 – – –Sandwell Valley – – 3 4 4 4 3 1 – – – –

Warks Breeding pairs were located at Brandon (two), Kingsbury (two), Ladywalk,Lawford Heath GP and Salford Priors GP (three). The first of the spring were two atShustoke on March 10th and there were regular birds there during the spring, with apeak of seven on April 29th. Also during the spring there were two at Baginton Airporton March 29th and three on April 1st, while a single bird was at Bedworth Nookduring May. Further south there were single birds at Napton Res on April 8th, and atWasperton on 13th and again on May 4th. Autumn migrants appeared at EarlswoodLakes on September 10th-11th and Napton Hill Quarry on 19th. Birds remained in thecounty until late September, with the last at Kingsbury on October 9th.

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Worcs Breeding pairs recorded at Grimley New Workings (two broods), Ryall Pits(one brood), Upton Warren (six broods) and Upper Bittell reservoir (one brood). Alsoreported during the breeding season at Bredon’s Hardwick, Clifton Pits, KinshamLake, Lower Moor, Wilden Lagoons and Wiseman’s Scrape and pairs may have bredat some of these localities. The first spring migrant was observed at Grimley NewWorkings on March 9th and the final sighting came from Ryall Pits, with a singlepresent on September 1st.Staffs Two pairs bred at Belvide, one of which was seen with three chicks on June30th, but both failed. A pair sat at Coldmeece but abandoned the scrape due to heavyrain. Four pairs bred at Silverdale Colliery producing six juveniles between them (twotwos and two singles). A pair was seen with two juveniles at Tittesworth on July 23rd,where they probably bred. A pair produced three chicks at Whitemoor Haye.Untabulated records comprised a single at Essington Quarry Pool on March 30th, twoat Branston Gravel Pits on April 18th and one at Fisherwick on October 12th.W Mid Pairs in the breeding season were reported from Dunstall Park (at least threepairs bred though none fledged young), Marsh Lane NR (up to 13 birds in early Maywith four pairs attempting to breed, three young being fledged from replacementclutches after losses to Moorhens!), Sandwell Valley (two pairs), Sheepwash UP (onepair) and Wednesfield (two pairs off Steelpark Way). Elsewhere, singles were atStubbers Green on March 25th and April 8th, Fibbersley on April 18th and two wereat Bowmans Harbour on April 29th.

Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticulaFrequent passage migrant and scarce summer resident. Rare in mid-winter.


Brandon – – 2 6 4 2 5 1 – – – –Dosthill/Kingsbury – 1 3 6 7 3 2 1 2 – – –Draycote – – – – 1 1 1 11 7 – – 1Salford Priors GP – – 4 4 2 2 – 3 – – – –Barton GP – – – 4 2 3 – – – – – –Belvide – 1 1 3 10 1 4 14 18 1 – –Blithfield – – – 2 3 2 12 38 50 10 1 –Branston GP – – 4 2 – – 2 – – – – –Chasewater – – – 1 2 – 3 4 12 – – –Croxall GP – – 3 3 – – 2 – – – – –Drayton Bassett Pits – – 1 3 13 3 5 3 – – – –Tittesworth – – – – – – – 2 10 1 – –Whitemoor Haye 5 5 8 6 30 4 10 10 6 – 1 –Marsh Lane NR – 5 8 10 7 4 3 5 – – – –Sandwell Valley – – 1 2 1 1 2 – – – – –

Warks Single breeding pairs were located at Brandon (two young fledged) andDosthill (one young reared), while at Salford Priors GP two pairs displayed in thespring, one of which nested but the young were predated. Only small numbers wereagain recorded on passage. In spring the first birds appeared at Ladywalk on February13th and at Kingsbury next day. Further singles were at Ladywalk on April 2nd, 9thand 19th. On return passage the best count was 11 at Draycote on August 23rd, whiletwo at Shustoke on 25th was the only report away from a listed site. Passage continuedup to September 26th, with an unseasonal bird at Draycote on December 12th.Worcs One was recorded at Grimley New Workings on February 26th. The majorityof spring passage birds were noted at two localities, Grimley New Workings and Upton

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Warren. Grimley held singles on March 25th, April 4th, May 1st, 2nd and 11th, two on12th, 10 on 16th, two on 17th, 19th and 20th, one on 21st, two on 22nd and one on 24th.At Upton Warren two were noted on April 21st, one on 24th, 28th, 29th and 30th, twoon May 2nd, three on 9th, one on 10th, two on 11th, three on 12th, one on 13th, threeon 17th, one on 18th, 19th and 26th, two on 27th, one on 28th and 29th, five on 30th,one on 31st and finally two on June 10th. Other sightings came from Wilden Lagoons,with singles on March 13th, 20th and 23rd, two on April 14th and one on 29th, singleswere at Bredon’s Hardwick on April 20th, May 1st and 14th, then two there on 20th.Ryall Pits held one on April 18th and two on May 16th and singles were at Lower Mooron May 3rd, Throckmorton Lagoons on 5th and Kinsham Lake on 14th and 31st. Goodnumbers were also recorded during the late summer and autumn period. Upton Warrenproduced five on June 30th and July 1st, one on 2nd, 31st, August 1st, 4th and 8th, twoon 14th, singles from 16th-20th and on 23rd, three on 28th and two on September 11thand 12th. At Upper Bittell Reservoir, two were noted on July 29th, one on August 12th,three on 26th, one on 28th and 29th, two on 31st, three from September 1st-3rd and twoon 5th. Singles were seen at Grimley New Workings on August 5th, 16th, 17th and18th, with another five passing through, also on 17th. Four were present on 22nd,singles on 25th, 29th, 30th and September 2nd, three on 16th and singles reported onmost days between 17th and October 2nd. Two were at Bredon’s Hardwick andKinsham Lake on August 6th, two at Ryall Pits on 17th, 24th and 25th, one atThrockmorton Lagoons on 28th and 29th, followed by two on 31st, three on September1st and 3rd, two on 5th and one on 9th. Three were at Bredon’s Hardwick on August30th and one on September 9th and one at Kinsham Lake on 11th.Staffs A pair bred at Drayton Bassett Pits, producing a single juvenile. Singleswere also recorded at Coldmeece on January 19th, Silverdale Colliery on May 8th-10th and Doxey on August 23rd.W Mid Two pairs attempted to breed at Marsh Lane NR where a single youngsterfledged but was quickly predated. These breeding birds appeared to depart by the thirdweek in July with birds noted thereafter being migrants. Away from Marsh Lanesingles were noted at Sheepwash UP on March 29th, April 4th, May 29th and July14th.

Dotterel Charadrius morinellusRare passage migrant, very rare in winter (6/10).Worcs Two spring passage birds were observed on a ploughed field on the southernslopes of Bredon Hill on May 10th GHP and a winter-plumaged adult was discoveredamongst the Golden Plover flock at Lower Moor on October 13th RAP et al.

European Golden Plover Pluvialis apricariaCommon passage migrant and winter visitor. Scarce, and declining breeding specieson the North Staffs Moors.Average dates: August 14th (55) to April 30th (57).The first of the autumn arrivals was seen at Grimley New Workings on August 17thwith the last departing birds (12) at Little Stoke on April 30th.


Birchmoor 300 600 300 – – – – – – – 100 250Chesterton 250 180 100 51 – – – – 9 50 225 450Draycote 400 75 – – – – – – – 130 260 1500

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J F M A M J J A S O N DFenny Compton –

Wormleighton 450 37 150 550 – – – – 14 50 250 350Belvide – 98 150 20 – – 2 4 3 200 100 21Black Bank 450 480 480 30 – – – – 1 94 122 500Blithfield – – – – – – – 10 1 70 16 –Branston GP – – – – – – – – – 50 – 40Chasewater –

Cuckoo Bank – – 20 20 – – – – – 2 – –Chasewater – – – – – – – – – – 15 55Coldmeece 18 – – – – – – – – 40 – 3Croxall GP 24 30 – – – – – – – – 21 –Doxey 28 – – – – – – – – – – 200Dunston Heath 50 – – – – – – – – – 2 –Essington Quarry Pools – 100 – – – – – – – – – –Ford Green – 400 – – – – – – – – – –Gailey – – 200 – – – – – – – – –Gliding Field – – – – – – – – – – 150 –Keele University – – 231 231 – – – – 1 145 – –Orchard Common – – 3 – 3 – 3 – – – – –Sneyd Green 250 – – – – – – – – – – –Stafford Common 200 100 – – – – – – – 2 – 140Talke – – – – – – – – – 230 – 150Trentham Golf Course 80 56 – – – – – – – – – –Westport – – – – – – – – – – – 300Whitemoor Haye 100 250 20 – – – – – – 154 1500 300Dunstall Park 600 65 – – – – – – 1 24 500 350Illshaw Heath/

Hockley Heath 500 – – – – – – – 28 720 500 900Marsh Lane NR 17 8 – – – – – – 150 65 58 80

Warks Better numbers this year, with a return to form at Draycote in December.The exception was the seemingly virtual desertion of the Kingsbury area where nomore than a dozen were reported at any one time, apart from a passage flock of 250on April 5th. Other maxima during the first quarter included 150 at Bramcote Mainson January 5th, 400 at Attleborough Fields on 23rd, 130 at Chadshunt on February23rd and 150 at Poolfields on April 5th. Up to 350 were also present at Bramcote Hallthroughout the first quarter. Birds left rather earlier in the spring than recently, withthe last report concerning 12 at Chesterton on April 21st. The first return birdsoccurred at Kingsbury, with eight-ten flying through on August 24th and 12 on 30th,but with the main arrival not beginning until around September 20th. Subsequentmaxima included 800 at Cubbington from November 14th-16th, 100 at Hartshill onDecember 15th, 169 at Poolfields on 16th, and 500 at Grandborough on 20th, whileup to 300 were also at Bramcote Hall during the same month.Worcs During the first winter period, the best counts were made in January, withLower Moor holding the largest flocks, including 850 on 2nd, 500 on 18th and 400 on19th. Bredon’s Hardwick held 100 on 12th and 28th, Kerswell Green 160 on 16th, 30were at Ryall Pits on 19th, then 50+ on 25th, Croome Perry Crossroads produced 53on 29th, 70 on 30th and 103 on 31st and Besford held 70 on 30th. February sightingcomprised of 80 at Beckford, 70 at Bredon’s Hardwick and 140 at Ryall Pits all on the1st and 40 remained at Bredon’s Hardwick on 2nd, 50 on 3rd, 18 on 4th, 50 on 7th and18 on 11th. 180 were at Kerswell Green on 2nd, 15 at Besford and 21 at Croome PerryCrossroads on 4th, 250 at Lower Moor on 8th reduced to 150 on 9th. Wilden Lagoonsheld two on 20th, a single was at Upton Warren on 22nd, 34 at Ryall Pits on 23rd and

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30 at Dunstall Common on 27th. During March Aston Mill East held 80 on 1st, LowerMoor 120 on 2nd and Kinsham Lake seven on 16th. Remarkably no passage birdswere reported during April and May. The first autumn records came from GrimleyNew Working, with singles over on August 17th and 25th. The largest flocks recordedduring the second winter period were at Lower Moor, with 135 on October 4th, 360on 14th, 450 on 31st, 500 on November 2nd, 1049 on 12th, 1000 on 15th and 244 onDecember 15th. 300 were at Tilesford on November 7th, 500 at Ryall Pits on 8th, 350at Throckmorton Tip on 11th, 700 at Pinvin on 15th, 100 over Clerkenleap onDecember 23rd, 155 at Holt Prairies on 24th and 26th and 200+ at Cropthorne on27th. Singles or small groups also reported from Abberton, Bishampton Vale Pool,Bredon Hill, Bredon’s Hardwick, Gwen Finch Wetland, Little Comberton, UpperBittell Reservoir and Upton Warren.Staffs Sadly, there were no confirmed breeding birds in the county this year. Up tothree were seen in the Drystone Edge/Orchard Common area in the summersuggesting that breeding may have taken place. The wintering flock in the Potteriesarea is likely to have accounted for the records from Black Bank, Keele University,Talke and Westport. Other reports consisted of 172 at Claygates on January 5th, 74 atSaverley Green Farm on 6th, 50 at Bottom House on 19th, 250 at Sneyd Green on28th, 100 at Essington Quarry Pool on February 2nd, 400 at Ford Green on 10th, 14at Barton GP on 15th, 200 at Gailey on March 6th, 64 at Peewit Hall, Morridge onApril 27th and three flying over Little Stoke on 30th. In the second winter period therewere seven at Drayton Bassett Pits on August 27th, seven at Baggeridge on October13th, 20 at Mile Oak, Tamworth on November 5th, 16 at Long Compton Farm, Beechon 9th and 150 at Gliding Field on 22nd.W Mid A flock of 20 flew over Sheepwash UP on January 3rd, 200 were countedoff the Wishaw Lane area of Minworth on February 14th, eight flew over the A45 atBickenhill on March 21st with nine in a ploughed field here on April 6th, 43 were atWednesfield on March 26th (off Steelpark Way) and three were at Clayhanger onApril 13th. In autumn, 77 were near Wiggins Hill Road in the Minworth area onSeptember 29th, 82 were counted on October 2nd followed by eight on 5th, 28 on12th, eight on 18th and three on 19th.

Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarolaUncommon passage migrant and winter visitor.Warks In spring a party of five flew over Ladywalk on April 19th and one was atFisher’s Mill GP on May 25th. Five on return passage was the best showing at thisseason since 1996. Singles at Draycote on August 31st and September 22nd, werefollowed by three more in October. The first was a juvenile found in the Golden Ploverflock at Bramcote Hall on October 3rd, followed by a moulting adult at Shustoke on7th which departed to the south-west, and lastly another juvenile which flew south lowover Wormleighton Res on 13th. An early winter bird at Draycote on December 5throunded off a good year.Worcs A single at Upper Bittell Reservoir on August 28th was the only record.Staffs Fifteen birds recorded throughout the year commenced with one at Belvideon March 12th-13th, then Drayton Bassett Pits on May 25th, Whitemoor Haye onAugust 10th, Blithfield on 15th, four at Belvide on September 20th and an impressiveseven at Barton GP on November 16th.

Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellusCommon migrant and winter visitor. Fairly common to common, breeding species.

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Brandon 103 126 20 20 15 250 350 650 300 200 140 133Chesterton 300 400 – – – – – 100 – – 120 45Dosthill/Kingsbury 500 1000 25 14 100 116 270 260 450 300 250 1000Draycote 400 100 – – – 12 38 110 100 270 380 1300Fenny Compton–

Wormleighton 600 100 58 20 20 14 4 800 2 115 300 900Bittell Reservoir – 50 – – – 45 97 78 13 42 449 390Bredon’s Hardwick – 67 4 – 19 4 36 68 260 15 – 170Gwen Finch Wetland – – – – 190 – – – 47 5Kinsham Lake 13 600 15 12 18 10 20 2 24 – 170Upton Warren 540 620 200 55 13 80 150 225 180 160 360 610Abbots Bromley 20 140 16 4 – 80 40 – – – – –Barton GP 40 1150 77 27 18 29 217 168 440 48 270 59Belvide 267 89 10 34 – 65 242 394 – – 167 45 Blithfield 6 100 4 7 3 107 951 431 – 800 374 35Branston GP – 480 – 6 1 46 9 1 2 262 – 11Branston Water Park – – – – – – – – 2 – 44 –Broom Hill – – 33 31 39 – – – – – – –Burston – – – – – – – 94 56 – – –Chasewater – 22 25 12 8 20 25 36 107 127 34 93Coldmeece 136 600 70 40 18 120 100 200 370 380 200Croxall GP 200 410 8 9 10 106 83 205 212 65 335 130Doley Common 68 – – 12 – – – – – – – –Doxey 121 250 48 20 20 20 227 203 170 220 81 720Dunston Heath 1 – – – 1 – – – – 20 8 –Elford GP 334 2 – – – – – – – – – –Fisherwick/Elford NP 44 2 – – – – – – – – 3 63Gun Hill – – – 11 – 3 20 – – – – –Keele University – – 50 20 24 3 – – – 22 – –Kings Bromley 4 – 5 – 8 43 103 55 144 96 56 2Knotbury – – 8 4 7 2 – – – – – –National Memorial

Arboretum 112 410 8 – 4 – – – – – – –Readyleach Green – – – – 18 11 50 – – – – –Rudyard – – 4 – – – 153 130 40 66 60 –Silverdale Colliery 1 11 57 21 18 40 120 54 1 4 20 –Stableford 96 200 49 38 28 75 20 – – – 2 75Stafford Common – 15 – – – – – – – 10 70 –Tittesworth – – – 3 – 12 – 250 150 100 – –Trentham Golf Course 85 108 – – – – – – – – – –Weston Jones Mill – 4 13 – – – – 143 26 – – –Westport – – – – – – – – – – – 80Whitemoor Haye 50 – 4 6 4 3 12 58 – 131 60 –Whitmore 200 – 25 – – – – – – – – –Dunstall Park 158 53 6 10 8 134 210 270 165 140 250 300Marsh Lane NR 500 450 251 25 30 40 189 270 400 358 525 1000Sandwell Valley 30 51 20 – – 25 50 – – – – –Stubbers Green 5 – 9 1 – – 86 65 26 61 114 98WeBS 2002 4418 2186 1064 180 123 265 1398 2107 1821 1040 1803 1806WeBS 2003 1881 3546 204 135 116 561 1761 1575 1668 1904 2462 2416

Warks Breeding pairs were reported from: Alvecote, Bishops Itchington, BramcoteHall, Brandon (six, but success rate low), Bright Hill, Broadwell, Calcutt, Charlecote,Chesterton, Compton Verney, DMC Kineton (three-four), Farnborough (five), FennyCompton (nine), Grandborough, Grendon, Kingswood, Ladywalk, Lower Shuckburgh,Morton Bagot, Packington Park (five), Polesworth, Priors Hardwick (four), SalfordPriors GP, Shipston-on-Stour (two), Stretton-on-Fosse (four), Wasperton (four),

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Wolverton and Wormleighton (two). Winter flocks appeared to be slightly up on veryrecently, and it was good to see several counts topping 1000 again. Away from tabulatedsites flocks of up to 200 were fairly widely reported, with maxima of 250 at Harburyon January 23rd, 220 at Chadshunt on February 23rd, 425 at Radway on March 24th,250 at Salford Priors GP on June 28th, 250 at Bramcote Hall during October, 1200 atCubbington from November 14th-16th, up to 366 between Hodnell and Chapel Ascotefrom 17th-19th, and 300 at Ladywalk on December 28th.Worcs Breeding pairs reported comprised one at Bredicote, but the nest failed, twoat Grimley New Workings, seven at Himbleton, several at Kenswick, eight at KinshamLake, seven at Longdon March, two at Mucky Meadow, three at Ryall Pits, several atSummerfield, two at Tibberton, but believed to have failed, several on fields alongsideTrench Wood, six at Upton Warren and several at Wilden March. A 100+ flock ofmostly juvenile birds at Bredon Field Farm observed on August 24th may have beenlocally bred birds. During the first winter period and away from the tabulatedlocalities, flocks above 100 reported from Arrowfield Fox, near Bittell Reservoir, with500 on January 27th, 750 at Lower Moor on February 9th, 200 at Beoleylade on 27thand 250 at Wilden Marsh on 28th. Post-breeding gatherings recorded at StrenshamLagoons, with 51 on July 13th and 89 at Abberton on September 7th. Second winterperiod counts included 400 and 300 at Lower Moor on 22nd and 28th respectively and39 at Tibberton from 28th-31st.Staffs Extensive surveys which took place this year included the Trent ValleyCentral Rivers Initiative (A. Jones) which looked at sites in the east of the county andthe North Staffs Moorland (JAL, RMB). In total, 350-354 pairs were recorded displayingor sitting. Because of the concern over this species, the details are given in full below.Acton (2) Croxden (1)Acton Trussell (2) Denstone Hall (2)Alrewas (3) Dimmingsdale (1)Alsagers Bank (2) Doley Common (6, all failed)Alvecote Pools (3) Doxey (10)Apedale CP (3, all failed) Drystone Edge (3)Aqualate (2) Dunston Heath(1)Armshead (1) Ellastone Level (1)Astonlodge Farm (3, 1 failed) Elmhurst (2)Baswich (3) Flash (1)Bateswood CP (13 of which 5 pairs produced 6 Ford Wetley (1)

fledglings) Forton (1)Beech (one) Goldsitch Moss (4)Belvide (17, all failing) Grindon Moor (8 producing at least 3 juveniles)Blithfield (4 with 8 young) Gun Hill (5, 1 large chick seen)Borough Holme (7) Halfpenny Green (2)Broad Meadow (8) Hazel Barrow (4)Broom Hill (16 of which 14 chicks and at least 5 Horton (2)

fledging) Huddlesford (2, 1 failing)Butterton, Newcastle (10) Keele (16, 3 juveniles at the University, 3 in theButterton Moor (7) village, 3 pairs deserted at Yew Tree FarmCatholme (1 failed) when cattle introduced into their field)Chasewater (at Cuckoo Bank, 4 at Highfield Farm Knotbury (2, both producing young)

but only 1 pair produced young) Little Bank Top Farm (1)Clay Mills (3) Little Stoke (1)Claygates (1) Longsdon Mill pond (2)Coldmeece (4 producing 2 young) Lower Hatton (1 both with young)Comberford (6) Manor Park GP (2)Coton (8) Milford (Cannock Chase) (5)Cotton Grange Farm (1-2) Milford Bridge (5)Croxall (3) Millmeece (4)

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Morridge (12, 1 with four chicks) Rownall (1)Musden Low (1) Rudyard (2-3National Memorial Arboretum (2) Rushton Spencer (2)Needwood (3) Ryecroft Gate (2)Nether Hay (1) Silverdale Colliery (5 producing five fledglings)Nield Bank Farm (1) Sittles East (6)Norton Bridge (1) Stableford (17-19 of which 10 produced young)Okeover Mill (2) Stafford (3, two near the crematorium,Oliver Hill (2 both producing young) 1 to the south)Onecote (3) Sturbridge (4)Orchard Common (1 with young) Summerhill (1)Outwoods (1) Tatenhill Lock (4)Pasturefields (1) Thatchmoor Farm (1)Pethills (2) Tixall (2 producing 2 chicks)Pipehill (1-2) Weston (1)Pool Dam (1) Weston Jones Mill (6, 1 seen with young)Quixhill (1) Whitemoor Haye (5)Readyleach Green (9, 2 chicks seen) Whitmore (3)Red Street (1) Whittington Hurst (1)Ribden (2) Windy Arbour (1)Roddige Farm (3) Woodlands (1)Round Knowl Farm (1) Wootton (1)Round Meadows (2) Yarlet (1)

First winter period flocks comprised 150 at Rickerscote on January 1st, 110 at SaverleyGreen Farm on 6th, 210 at Bottom House, 300 at Consall CP on 14th, 60 at Longridgeon 18th, 70 at Tillington Cemetary on 19th, 80 at Denstone Hall on 29th, 50 at NewBuilding Farm on February 1st, 100 at Weston on 2nd, 300 at Gailey on 11th, 50 atNorton Bridge on 15th with 100 there on 27th, 100 at Spath on 17th and 200 atDunstall on 22nd. From late summer onwards, 159 were recorded at Meerbrook on July18th with 115 there on 27th and 167 on August 20th, 150 at Aston-by-Stone on 24th,60 at Prestwood on October 26th, 84 at Ellastone Level on 30th, 400 at Long ComptonFarm, Beech on November 9th, 250 at Heaton on 22nd, 126 at Fernhill on December7th with 260 there on Christmas Day. A ringed juvenile with yellow tibia metal and redtarsus on both legs was present in Blythe Bay, Blithfield Reservoir on August 31st.W Mid Breeding season pairs were reported from Catshill (at least six birds in lateMay and again noted in early July), Clayhanger (two pairs), Dunstall Park Lake (up totwo pairs, neither of which was successful), Marsh Lane NR (13 pairs in the vicinityalthough fledging success was reported to be very low, Sandwell Valley (up to 22young fledged – an admirable success rate) and Sheepwash UP (one pair but failed).One was at Fibbersley on April 18th. 40 on January 3rd was the peak count submittedfor Sheepwash UP. Also reported from Netherton Reservoir. An aberrant bird atDunstall Park on November 12th had white head, neck and nape and some white wingcoverts, but a normal coloured crest.

Red Knot Calidris canutusUncommon passage migrant and rare winter visitor.Warks All records came from Draycote, where there were four on August 18th,eight on September 11th and one on October 10th.Worcs Grimley New Workings held two separate non-breeding plumage birds, thefirst on April 2nd, then the second from 5th-6th. The only autumn sighting came fromGwen Finch Wetland on August 7th.Staffs Single birds were reported from Barton GP on March 23rd, Belvide on April

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2nd, Blithfield on April 5th and May 5th, Belvide on September 19th, Blithfield on25th, Chasewater on October 16th-19th and Blithfield on December 7th.W Mid Singles were at Marsh Lane NR on January 2nd (a somewhat unusual date)and on April 1st and 2nd, the latter also in winter plumage.

Sanderling Calidris albaUncommon passage migrant. Rare in winter.Warks A very poor spring passage with just three singles recorded at Draycote onMarch 22nd and April 25th, and at Kingsbury on May 16th. This was the worstshowing for this season since 1982. On return passage there were two at Draycote onSeptember 25th, followed by late singles at Ladywalk on October 16th and Draycoteagain on November 10th.Worcs Spring passage birds, all in breeding plumage were observed on the FlashPools at Upton Warren from April 24th-25th and at Bredon’s Hardwick on May 10thand 25th. Up to three birds recorded in July was quite unusual, with one at UptonWarren on 25th, two at Upper Bittell Reservoir on 28th and 29th, with a singleremaining to the 30th.Staffs A good number of birds on both spring and autumn passage. The first birdsto arrive on spring passage were two at Branston Gravel Pits on April 18th. Singlesfollowed at Blithfield on 25th, 28th and May 18th. Tittesworth had singles on May 1stand 6th, Belvide on 8th and 15th with five the next day, Drayton Bassett Pits on 13th(winter plumage), Whitemoor Haye on 15th, two on 17th (one of which in near summerplumage), one on 18th and 20th and four on 23rd, Silverdale Colliery on 24th (nearsummer plumage) and Chasewater on 25th. Return passage began with a single atTittesworth on July 27th with another on August 23rd, a moulting adult at Blithfield onAugust 22nd-23rd, another on 26th and September 10th, two at Belvide on 20th, 22ndand one on 24th. The last bird seen was at Drayton Bassett Pits on September 18th.W Mid Five at Marsh Lane NR on May 20th was a good count on a typical date atthis much favoured locality.

Little Stint Calidris minutaUncommon autumn passage migrant in variable numbers. Rare in spring and winter.

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Little Stint, Blithfield (Dave Kelsall)

Warks An early spring bird was at Kingsbury on April 26th. On return passage,there was a single juvenile at Alvecote on September 1st, while Draycote producedthree on 11th and one from 16th-22nd.Worcs A poor year recorded, with just two individuals observed during spring andautumn passage. A breeding plumaged bird was at Kinsham Lake on May 26th andone in winter plumage at Upper Bittell Reservoir on October 24th and 25th.Staffs As usual, the bulk of sightings came in autumn with 21 from four sites (cf.five from two sites in spring). The first was at Whitemoor Haye on May 17th whichalso had singles on 20th and 29th while Drayton Bassett Pits saw one on May 28th anda late bird on June 5th. Return passage saw a moulting adult at Blithfield on August2nd, joined by another on 3rd, then one again on 4th, an adult summer on 25th, oneon September 4th-5th, a juvenile on 11th-12th, two juveniles on 21st joined by andadult on 22nd with two still on 24th, a juvenile from 29th-October 4th, one on 17th-18th and the last bird of the year on 24th. Four were at Chasewater on September 17thand one at Alvecote Pools on September 22nd. Three visited Belvide on August 3rdthen singles on 27th and September 11th.W Mid One was noted on Swan Pool in Sandwell Valley on August 26th.

Temminckʼs Stint Calidris temminckiiRare passage migrant, mainly in spring (8/10).Staffs A juvenile at Belvide on August 18th remained until the 23rd SN et al.

Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotosScarce passage migrant, mainly in autumn.Worcs With exceptional numbers of this transatlantic wader in the country, itseemed just a matter of time before one should arrive in the county. The locality was tobe Upton Warren, where not one, but two birds put in an appearance, the first being anadult on the Flash Pools on September 13th PDC, GG et al. This bird was still presentthe following day and was seen to fly towards the Moors Pool that evening after beingdisturbed by gunfire. On the 15th the second bird, this time a juvenile, was discoveredon the Flash Pools NC, SMW et al., but remained on site for one day only. The adultwas relocated on the Moors Pool that same day and was last observed on 22nd.Staffs A very good year for sightings within the county, which matched thenational influx of this species. A spring passage bird was at Whitemoor Haye on May8th ESC, SAR. First of the influx commenced with a juvenile at Blithfield onSeptember 2nd MPR, 4th RCB, RJJ, and a well-marked juvenile on the 6th and 7thPDH. A different juvenile was seen on the 13th MPR and a total of three, comprisinga worn adult and one large and one small juvenile on the 14th MPR. An adult and ajuvenile remained until the 20th PDH, ADG. Thereafter, the juvenile was seen fromthe 21st to at least October 4th PDH et al. At Belvide a juvenile was present brieflyon September 23rd SN, this is the fifth record for the site. At Rudyard a first-winterbird was found on the eve of September 23rd and was still present on the 26th PF,WJB and on the 27th AL. A different bird was at Tittesworth on the 26th WJB and wasalso seen on the 27th, 29th.W Mid A juvenile was in Sandwell Valley between August 24th and September 6thTCH, DW et al. – the third site and third county record; the last being in 1988.

Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferrugineaUncommon autumn passage migrant in variable numbers. Rare in spring.Warks All records this year were for return passage, which began with two adults

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at Draycote on July 16th. Following single juveniles at Fisher’s Mill GP on the earlydate of August 17th-18th, and at Dosthill on September 7th, Draycote then had singleson most days from September 8th-16th, with up to five present on 11th.Staffs A poor year with only five birds reported commencing with summer-plumaged singles at Belvide on April 27th, and 28th and from June 11th to 13th. Onreturn passage singles were at Drayton Bassett Pits on September 11th and 12th, whilea juvenile at Blithfield on 13th and 14th was joined by an adult on the 15th.

Dunlin Calidris alpinaFairly common passage migrant and winter visitor.


Brandon – – 1 5 3 1 1 2 1 – 1 –Dosthill/Kingsbury 1 – 7 5 14 3 18 2 13 – – –Draycote – – – 1 4 – 2 7 14 11 10 6Bredon’s Hardwick 33 100 60 2 2 – – 1 – 1 3 1Grimley New Workings – 1 2 4 9 – 2 3 2 2 – –Gwen Finch Wetland 3 1 3 1 3 – 2 – – – – –Kinsham Lake – – 1 1 1 – 2 – – – 1Upper Bittell – – – – – 10 2 4 3 4 1 2Upton Warren – – 2 5 2 1 6 7 2 1 1 –Barton GP 1 – 4 – 3 – 1 – – – 5 –Belvide – 1 2 13 13 1 7 10 6 7 1 1Blithfield – – 1 1 8 3 30 33 17 8 18 2Chasewater – – – – 7 – 2 1 4 8 2 –Doxey – – 2 1 2 – – – – 1 4 –Drayton Bassett Pits – – 2 5 19 – 2 1 2 – – 1Silverdale Colliery – – – – 5 – 1 – – – – –Tittesworth – – 1 1 1 – – 2 4 3 – –Whitemoor Haye – – – 4 32 – 5 15 – 6 11 –Marsh Lane NR 1 – 2 10 9 – 1 7 – – 1 –Sandwell Valley – – 2 1 – – 1 1 2 2 – –

Warks Away from the main sites, in spring there was one at Coton on April 27th,two at Haunch Lane Flood on 28th, and singles at Shustoke also on the 28th and againfrom May 9th-11th. On return passage, there were singles at Earlswood Lakes on July17th and September 10th-11th, two at Ladywalk from September 12th-14th and oneon October 16th, and one at Wormleighton Res on November 11th.Worcs Away from the tabulated localities one was at Lower Moor on March 17thand 20th, singles at Wilden Lagoons on 20th, 22nd, April 14th, 21st and 29th, one atWestwood Pool on April 1st, three at Ryall Pits on May 16th, four at ThrockmortonLagoons and five at Wilden Lagoons on 20th and one remained at Throckmorton on21st. Throckmorton Lagoons attracted singles on July 18th, October 22nd, November8th and December 23rd, Ryall Pits held one on August 24th and 25th, one was atLower Moor on September 19th and Westwood Pool recorded two on December 28th.Staffs Untabulated records came from Westport on March 10th, three at Alrewason May 11th, Coldmeece on August 19th and 25th and Rudyard Lake on October 9thwith two on 25th.W Mid At Dunstall Park Lake five birds were present on May 20th, whilst oneaccompanied a Wood Sandpiper on July 1st, two were present on September 26th, oneremaining until 28th, and one was present between October 1st and 4th. At BartleyReservoir, singles were reported on September 7th, 23rd and 30th.

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Ruff Philomachus pugnaxFrequent passage migrant, though in variable numbers. Scarce in winter.


Brandon – – – 2 – 1 1 3 3 – – –Dosthill/Kingsbury – – 5 2 – – – 1 2 – – –Draycote – 1 – 6 – – – 3 8 1 – 1Belvide – – – – – – – 3 2 – – 1Blithfield – – – – – – 1 9 9 3 – –Branston GP – 1 – – – – – – 2 – – –Drayton Bassett Pits – – 1 2 – – – – – – – –Whitemoor Haye – – 1 – – – – 2 3 – – –

Warks The best counts on passage came from Draycote, with maxima of six onApril 6th and eight on September 12th. Five at Fisher’s Mill GP on March 22nd wasthe highest count in the Tame Valley. Single winter birds appeared at Draycote onFebruary 2nd and December 5th, and at Coton on February 23rd. Away from tabulatedsites there were also singles at Ladywalk from August 21st-24th and again on 28th-29th, with perhaps the same bird at nearby Shustoke on September 1st.Worcs Recorded once during the first winter period, with two at Bredon’sHardwick on January 19th. A reasonable number of passage were birds recorded fromMarch to early April, starting with one at Grimley New Workings on March 10th, six,five and two at Bredon’s Hardwick on 14th, 15th and 22nd respectively, five at UptonWarren on April 5th and one still present at Upton on the 6th. One record in May,being at Upton Warren on 17th. Upton Warren continued with a run of birds from lateJune to the end of October. A adult female was present from June 25th-27th, then adultmales on 30th, July 16th and 17th. All proceeding sightings involved juvenile birds,with singles from August 12th-18th, 28th-29th, two from 30th-September 16th, threefrom 17th-22nd, two from 26th-October 14th, then one remaining until 31st. Singlesalso recorded at Upper Bittell Reservoir on July 1st, August 29th and from October29th-31st. Gwen Finch Wetland held one on August 7th, one was at Kinsham Lake on12th, one at Grimley New Workings on 27th and 28th, followed by two on 29th, thenone on September 2nd. During the second winter period singles were at Bredon’sHardwick on November 4th, Throckmorton Lagoons on 7th, 15th and December 7thand Lower Moor from November 15th to the years end.Staffs Reports from untabulated sites include one at Barton GP on February 15th,a female at Tittesworth on August 12th, Croxall GP on August 17th, two at Coldmeecefrom 19th-28th and a long-staying juvenile at Chasewater from September 3rd-12th.W Mid Two at Marsh Lane NR on August 4th were followed by singles betweenSeptember 11th and 20th, and October 10th and 16th

Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimusFrequent passage migrant and winter visitor.


Brandon 2 1 2 1 – – – – 1 – – 1Dosthill/Kingsbury – – 2 – – – – 1 – 2 2 2Ladywalk 1 1 – 4 – – – – – 2 1 –Lighthorne Quarry – 3 4 4 – – – – – – 2 2Wasperton 18 6 6 4 – – – – – – – –Castlemorton Common 7 6 6 – – – – – – – – 1Upton Warren 2 8 5 1 1 – – – – 2 3 1Apedale CP – – 2 – – – – – – – 1 –

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J F M A M J J A S O N DBelvide – – 2 – – – – – – 1 – –Black Bank – 1 1 1 – – – – – – – –Blithfield 1 1 1 – – – – – – 1 – –Branston Water Park 5 – – – – – – – – 1 – 1Chasewater – Cuckoo Bank 2 – 2 – – – – – – – – –Chasewater 1 8 9 2 – – – – – 1 5 3Clay Mills SW 14 – 1 – – – – – – – – –Doxey 1 11 17 1 – – – – 1 4 8 1Drayton Bassett Pits – – 1 – – – – – – 1 – –Hill Ridware 2 3 2 – – – – – – – 3 –Dunstall Park Lake – – – – – – – – – 3 1 2Marsh Lane NR 2 2 2 – 1 – – – – 3 1 –Sandwell Valley 1 3 1 – – – – – – – – –Sheepwash UP 1 1 – – – – – – – – – –WeBS 2002 41 10 73 2 0 0 0 0 4 25 11 41WeBS 2003 7 19 28 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 14 2

Warks The exceptional count of 18 in flooded set-aside grassland at Wasperton onJanuary 17th JJB occurred just after a period of hard frost when other suitable sites inthe area, including Lighthorne Quarry, were frozen over. Away from tabulated sites,there was also one at a regular site at Priors Hardwick on January 22nd and March19th, one flushed from a marshy field corner near Weethley Wood on February 9th,and one near Bramcote Hall on 13th. A very early return bird was seen at Kingsburyon August 20th and 29th, but relatively few appeared later due to the very dryconditions at many sites. Migrants also included one at Draycote on October 24th, upto two at Wormleighton Res from 24th-26th, and a single bird flushed at Alvecote ontwo occasions during the same month.Worcs The best counts during the first winter period and away from the tabulatedlocalities came from Abberton, with three in January and two in March, Ryall Pits heldfour on January 4th, Holt Prairies two on 18th and four on 19th and Ashmoor Commonten on 27th, two on February 1st and March 9th. Singles also recorded at Upper BittellReservoir on January 1st, March 3rd and 23rd, Kinsham Lake on January 5th, February16th, March 22nd and 23rd, Northwick Marsh on January 27th, Oakley Marsh on 27th,February 22nd, March 22nd and 23rd, Holt Prairies on January 27th and February 23rd,Grimley New Workings on February 2nd, Lower Moor on 8th, Grimley Old Workingson 12th, North Piddle on March 8th, Wilden Lagoons on 15th and finally a very lateindividual Gwen Finch Wetland on April 21st. With the exception of two observationduring the second winter period, all sightings involved single birds at each locality. Thefirst returning bird was noted at Grimley New Workings on September 28th, then othersightings came on October 11th, 12th (two), 16th, 17th, 20th and 28th. Other recordscame from Abberton in October and December (two), Coombegreen Common onOctober 4th and 5th, Upper Bittell Reservoir on 10th, Grimley Old Workings on 11thand November 30th and at Westwood Pool on October 20th, 22nd, 24th and 28th, wherethis species has only been recorded twice before, the last being in 1991. Singles wereat Clifton Pits on November 9th, Gwen Finch Wetland on December 9th, 19th and 20thand Kinsham Lake on 29th.Staffs Untabulated records came from Croxall GP on January 6th, two at Gentle -shaw Common on February 3rd, Barton GP on 15th, two at Branston GP on March11th, Pipe Hall Farm on 25th, Pipe Green, Lichfield on October 17th, EssingtonQuarry Pool on 22nd and Coldmeece on December 27th.W Mid Singles were at Sheepwash UP on January 19th and February 15th and one

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was in Goscote Valley on January 20th. One was off Steelpark Way in Wednesfield onApril 3rd. A bird at Marsh Lane on May 3rd was exceptionally late for the County.

Common Snipe Gallinago gallinagoFairly common winter visitor and passage migrant. Frequent, though much declined,as a breeding species.


Brandon 10 40 40 15 1 1 1 6 10 11 9 3Dosthill/Kingsbury 30 70 70 19 – – – 5 40 25 40 20Ladywalk 24 22 30 33 1 – 3 10 30 14 12 4Lighthorne Quarry 10 15 7 21 – – – – 2 2 13 8Priors Hardwick 16 20 35 24 2 – – – – – – –Wasperton 110 79 110 45 – – – – 1 1 5 –Abberton 16 11 18 2 – – – – – – 2 3Ashmoor Common 25 5 10 4 – – – – – – – 11Bittell Reservoir – – 1 2 – – – – – 1 8 10Castlemorton Common 11 9 8 – – – – – – – 3 14Gwen Finch Wetland 75 30 63 – – – – 14 – 25 1 6Kinsham Lake 11 30 27 3 – – – 1 5 1 1 1Upton Warren 27 35 91 16 1 – 1 6 10 5 20 32Apedale CP 2 5 18 6 – – – – – 1 30 17Aqualate 1 3 5 – – – – – 1 1 1 1Bagots Park Farm,

Abbots Bromley 5 5 5 1 – – – – – – – –Barton GP 4 14 7 2 – – – 5 3 4 8 3Baswich 1 – 5 15 2 – – – – – 3 5Bateswood CP – – – 1 – – – – – – 104 68Belvide 3 5 10 15 – – 1 7 – – 1 10Black Bank 46 55 54 23 2 – – 1 5 38 63 47Blithfield – 1 – 2 – – 1 33 48 – 1 1Branston WP 1 – – – – – – – – 1 3 –Burston – – – – – – 2 10 – – – –Chasewater 15 17 30 3 – – 1 3 2 4 9 10Coldmeece 1 2 – 3 – – – 6 5 4 – 40Croxall GP 37 35 2 1 2 – – 6 8 5 22 8Doley Common 12 20 75 18 – – – 2 – 3 3 6Doxey 47 208 222 24 6 – 2 8 100 165 271 126Drayton Bassett – – 2 – – – – 2 3 – 5 –Hill Ridware 3 20 9 5 – – – 2 3 6 34 3Kings Bromley 2 10 12 2 – – – – – 1 – –Lichfield – Pipe Green 1 1 1 1 – – – – 5 2 – –Rudyard – – – – – – 2 36 47 6 – –Tittesworth 7 19 5 2 – – 2 11 18 32 68 77Dunstall Park 27 26 15 12 1 – – 1 9 26 45 55Marsh Lane NR 18 23 12 8 1 – – 4 12 10 17 9Sandwell Valley 60 10 31 8 1 2 2 9 25 15 15 –WeBS 2002 268 94 345 35 2 0 1 5 136 429 263 308WeBS 2003 145 319 303 30 1 0 0 38 146 209 351 182

Warks Good numbers early in the year, but a relatively poor autumn due to dryconditions at many sites caused by the late summer drought. Away from tabulatedlocalities, the better counts included 35 on a wet meadow at Shustoke on January 1st,at least ten by the River Leam at Newbold Comyn on 8th, 24 in Packington Park on17th, 15 by the River Itchen below Knightcote on February 23rd, ten in a small marshat Fenny Compton on March 15th and nine at Salford Priors GP on 16th. 13 atDraycote on October 27th was the only other notable autumn count.

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Worcs Away from the tabulated localities the best counts during both winterperiods came from Ryall Pits, with 30 on January 4th, 27 at Holt Prairies on 19th, sixat Bredon’s Hardwick on 20th, 17 at Grimley Old Workings and 18 at NorthwickMarsh on 27th, 17 at Lythe Farm Marsh on February 7th, 10 at Ipsley Alders on 12th,seven at Tileford on 15th, five at Wilden Marsh on April 10th, 13 at Grimley NewWorkings on September 2nd, 21 at Holt Prairies on November 12th, nine at Throck -morton Tip on 16th and 42 at Lower Moor on December 21st. two on September 28th,followed by three on 29th at Westwood Pool constituted the first seen on the reservesince the early 1990s. Smaller numbers were also observed at Bordesley, Bredon’sNorton, Clifton Pits, Hollybed Common, North Hill, Oddingley, Shernal Green,Strensham Lagoons and Tibberton during both winter periods.Staffs Breeding was confirmed at Casey Bank where two pairs bred and anothertwo were drumming/chipping nearby and Doxey where three pairs nested, as in 2002,but this year all failed. Four pairs bred at Goldsitch Moss. Drumming and chippingbirds were also seen at Baswich (one or two), Broom Hill (three), Dove Head (at leastone), Knotbury/Readyleech Green (at least two), Gun Hill (two or three), Moss Carr(one) and Warslow Moors (at least one). Singles were also recorded at Middle Hillsand Swallow Moss in the breeding season. The encouraging increase in breedingreports compared with recent years may be due to improved coverage of the NorthStaffordshire Moors. In the first winter period single-figure untabulated records camefrom Aston by Stone, Colton New Barn (10), Elford GP, Ellastone, Flash, FrithBottom, Knotbury, Little Stoke, Milford Bridge (five), Norton Bridge, Pipe Green,Pipe Hall Farm, Pye Green, Radford Green, Rickerscote, River Tame at Tamworth,Uttoxeter and Wychnor Park (11). Records for the second winter period came fromActon Trussell, Brancote Sewage Farm, Branston Gravel Pit (20 on October 23rd),Cannock Chase at Milford, Corbar Wood, Denstone Hall, Dilhorne, Grindon Moor,Keele University, Levedale, Little Wyrley (11 on December 6th), Mere Hall, MilfordBridge, Redearth, Swallow Moss (14 on November 9th), Uttoxeter and WhitemoorHaye (six on October 23rd).W Mid No indications of breeding activity anywhere in the county this year. Twelvewere flushed at Wyken Slough on February 27th, four were noted off Steelpark Wayin Wednesfield on April 3rd, one was at Fibbersley on April 18th and three werereported at Clayhanger on April 21st. Small numbers were also reported from theSmestow Valley away from the favoured Dunstall Park Lake.

Woodcock Scolopax rusticolaFrequent or fairly common resident and winter visitor.Warks It now seems increasingly likely that we have lost the majority of ourbreeding stock, although as with all crepuscular species they have always beenconsiderably under-recorded. The only site reported with roding birds was againBentley Woods, with up to four seen. One at Brandon on June 16th was interestingthough, as it suggests that local breeding may still take place in that area. Whatever itscurrent breeding status, Woodcock are still plentiful during the winter, and this yearwas no exception with records coming from 34 sites scattered right across the county,with a pronounced influx occurring during the cold spell of early January. Mostrecords were of one to three birds, but larger counts included four in woodland atStoneton on January 5th, five at Brandon on February 13th, and four again there onDecember 30th. Extreme dates for winter migrants were April 13th (Brandon) andOctober 20th (Priors Hardwick).

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Worcs During the breeding season roding birds were recorded at Callow Hill (two),Dowles Brook (two), Eymore Wood (three) and Shatterford Wood (three). Singlesother than stated reported in the winter months from Abberton (maximum of three),Aston Mill Pits (two), Bittell Reservoir, Bredon Hill (two), Bredon’s Norton,Brookend, Castlemorton Common, Chase End Wood, Cofton Hachett Reservoir,Grafton Wood, Harvington Mill Island (four flushed by shooters), Hewell Grange(two), Kington, Lower Bittell Reservoir, Lower Moor, Shatterford Wood, ShrawleyWood, Strensham Lagoons, Upton Warren and Westwood Pool.Staffs Roding birds at Cannock Chase were reported throughout May and Junefrom the Katyn Memorial and Sherbrook Valley area, although others were seen inlate spring at Aspen, Brocton Coppice, Marquis Drive and Seven Springs. Six rodingbirds at Coombes Valley RSPB indicate breeding here also. The only other summerrecord was of two heard at Hardiwick Woods in June. In the first winter period,recorded regularly at Apedale CP (with five on February 15th), Belvide (with four onFebruary 1st), Chasewater (one), Coombes Valley (one in January, three in March),Crumpwood (with three on March 8th) and Keele University (two, one found dead).Additional records, singles unless otherwise stated, came from Tittesworth on January1st with four on 5th, Upper Longdon on 4th, Aqualate on 5th, Cotton Dell on February5th, Hanchurch Woods on 23rd (two), Myatts Pits on 24th, Aqualate and KnypersleyReservoir on March 9th and Westport on April 6th. The second winter periodproduced records from Belvide on October 22nd, Westport on 23rd; GoosemoorGreen on November 12th (three), Back Forest on 23rd, Betley Mere on 26th,Chasewater on 30th; Westport on December 1st, Apedale CP (two) and KnypersleyReservoir (three) on 26th and Blithfield on 29th.W Mid Singles were in Smestow Valley on January 7th, at Sheepwash UP onJanuary 19th and November 8th, Sandwell Valley on January 23rd, 30th and March9th, 20th, and Dunstall Park on February 1st, 8th and 20th. One along the old railwaytrack at Clayhanger on March 19th. A moribund individual was found in Bude Road,Walsall on the evening on November 9th.

Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosaFrequent passage migrant, rare in winter.Warks There was another good set of records this year, with the Kingsbury areaagain attracting most. Cliff Pool and Fisher’s Mill GP were the two main sites andbirds frequently commuted between the two, making accurate counting difficult.Records began here with up to two from March 23rd-April 6th, followed by ten onMay 10th, one on 21st, five on June 9th, six on 21st, singles on July 8th, 12th and20th, three on August 3rd, two on 17th, and then up to ten from 18th-28th, with oneon September 11th and two on 14th. The only other site to hold birds in spring wasDraycote, with three on April 6th. On return passage Draycote then produced singleson August 2nd and 22nd, and again on September 2nd and 8th. Alvecote had a partyof eight on August 27th with three apparently remaining there most of September.Finally in October there were two at Draycote on 13th and one at Brandon from 18th-21st, with an even later bird at Draycote on November 10th.Worcs Spring passage commenced with one at Upton Warren from March 23rd-25th and again on the 28th and 29th. Records of single birds continued through Apriland early May at Grimley New Workings on April 12th, 28th and 29th, over Abbertoncalling at 02-30 on May 4th, Bredon’s Hardwick on 5th and Kinsham Lake on 7th.Good numbers of post-breeding birds were observed from July, with one over Abberton

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on 7th, one at Grimley New Workings on 19th and 25th and 18 briefly at Kinsham Lakealso on 25th. A juvenile arrived at Upton Warren on August 8th and remained on siteuntil 20th and another three birds joined the juvenile on 13th and 14th. Three past overGrimley New Workings, early evening on 13th, two were at Kinsham Lake on 16th, anadult at Upton Warren on 23rd and 24th, four at Bittell Reservoir on 28th and one atKinsham Lake on September 9th, moved to Bredon’s Hardwick that same day.Staffs


Barton GP – – – – 1 – 4 3 – 1 – –Belvide – – – 3 17 9 21 24 9 2 – –Blithfield – – – – – 14 12 9 6 – – –Branston GP – – – – 1 – 4 2 7 3 – –

Other than the tabulated records, good numbers were reported commencing with twoat Essington Quarry Pool on March 23rd, one at Drayton Bassett Pits from April 3rd-6th, one at Chasewater on May 1st, another at Doxey Marshes on June 15th, three atTittesworth on July 9th, three at Cheadle and one at Silverdale Colliery both on the13th, one at Newford Valley Landfill, Hanley on the 27th and one at Chasewater onthe 29th. Autumn passage birds included four at Tittesworth on August 7th, one atDrayton Bassett Pits on the 13th, another at Tittesworth on from the 16th-18th, threeat Chasewater and one at Tittesworth on the 20th and another at Tittesworth on the23rd and 24th. There were five at Whitemoor Haye on September 6th, singles atDrayton Bassett Pits on the 11th and Whitemoor Haye on November 8th and 12th.There were two moulting birds at Blithfield on July 13th one of which had a colourring but no further details were submitted.W Mid In spring singles, in summer plumage, were noted at Marsh Lane NR onMarch 22nd, April 7th and May 26th with one in Sandwell Valley on May 9th andthree fly-overs here on June 5th. Four birds were at Dunstall Park Lake on July 2ndbefore being flushed by a Peregrine Falcon and heading northwards. More numerousin the autumn with singles at Marsh Lane NR on July 21st and 27th before a superbset of August records consisting of nine on 19th, 10 on 21st and 14 on 22nd thoughnone lingered. A further bird was at Marsh Lane on September 14th. In SandwellValley one was present on July 9th followed by 12 flying in on August 15th remaininguntil dusk, although the observer reports that these were only a small part of anestimated flock of between 30 and 40 birds that flew over the Valley. Of these 12, threewere present the following day and then up to three birds were present on and off until28th, although where they disappeared to when not on Forge Mill Lake was not quiteclear.

Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponicaUncommon passage migrant, rare in winter.Warks Two at Draycote on April 21st was the only spring record. Apart from aparty of seven which flew over Brandon early on July 19th, return passage wasconfined to the Tame Valley. Kingsbury had the first on July 12th, with two there onAugust 23rd and 25th, one at Ladywalk on 31st, and a final bird again at Kingsburyon September 10th.Worcs A juvenile accompanied the Black-tailed Godwit at Kinsham Lake andBredon’s Hardwick on September 14th.Staffs A total of ten birds was reported this year during spring passage commenc -

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ing with one at Branston GP on April 16th, followed by one at Drayton Bassett Pitson the 20th and 21st, three at Belvide on the 21st, reducing to two the following day,and one remaining there until May 4th. Autumn passage consisted of two at Belvideon September 2nd, one at Branston GP on the 16th, with probably the same bird stillon the 18th, and another on 23rd.W Mid One at Marsh Lane NR on September 14th was a second record for thereserve and was in the company of a Black-tailed Godwit.

Whimbrel Numenius phaeopusFrequent passage migrant.Warks There was an excellent spring passage through the county with at least 46birds recorded. It commenced early with one flying north-east at Lighthorne Quarryon April 10th, two over Kingsbury on 11th and one at Draycote on 13th. Two werepresent in the Fisher’s Mill GP/Kingsbury area on April 21st-22nd, followed at thelatter site by one on 26th, seven flying through on 30th, a party of ten on May 1st anda final single on 4th. Draycote had four on April 23rd, one on 25th, 11 on 26th andone on 28th. The last two records came from Ladywalk, where there were two birdson both May 10th and 15th. In contrast, return passage was very poor, with just singlesrecorded flying over Napton Hill on August 16th and at Draycote on 23rd.Worcs During spring Passage one was at Wilden on April 15th, one at GrimleyNew Workings on 18th, was followed by two on 21st and one over Hunnington, threeat Upton Warren and two at Bredon’s Hardwick all on the 26th. The Bredon’sHardwick birds remained until 30th, four were at Upton Warren on 27th, then one on28th and 29th, one at Upper Bittell Reservoir on 28th and two at Gwen Finch Wetlandon 30th. Sighting in early May were of one at Bredon’s Hardwick on 3rd, one overAbberton and two at Ryall Pits on 4th and one over Upton Warren on 10th. Onlyflyovers recorded during the autumn at Hallow on August 2nd, Little Comberton on23rd and six at Abberton on 24th.Staffs A good number of records on both spring and autumn passage, particularlyfrom Belvide and Blithfield. A total of 44 birds passed through in spring (cf. 43 in2002) and 11 in autumn (cf. four in 2002). The first arrival was at Belvide on April8th, another on 23rd, seven on 28th, one on May 10th, seven on 22nd and one on 28th.Blithfield had singles on April 12-13th, 16th, 19th, 26th, eight on 27th, one flyingnorth on 28th; two on May 2nd and one heard on 5th. Other records include a singleat Tittesworth on April 26th, four on 29th and May 14th, and a single at DraytonBassett Pits on May 4th. Return passage started with one flying south-west atBlithfield on the early date of June 28th, a north-west fly-over at Westport on 30th,Tittesworth on July 4th, Belvide on 5th and 31st, one at Blithfield and a fly-over atKeele University on August 2nd, two at Belvide on 24th, Blithfield on 26-27th andfinally a single heard flying over Blithfield on September 6th.W Mid At Marsh Lane NR singles were noted on April 18th, May 10th and July15th. One was seen briefly at Dunstall Park Lake on April 25th – the first localityrecord. One at Bartley Reservoir on April 27th. One flew over Sheepwash UP on July20th. Seven birds, believed to be this species, were noted flying south over MarshLane NR on July 19th, with a single bird flushed from the reserve on the same day,also thought to be this species, flying off without calling.

2000 AddendumWarks One at Seeswood Pool on April 28th.

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Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquataFairly common summer resident and passage migrant. Frequent in winter.


Ladywalk – 3 13 1 – 1 3 10 6 6 – –Upton Warren 32 41 45 20 17 18 51 69 70 55 50 35Barton GP 10 9 2 – – – – – – – 7 11Belvide – – 25 3 1 2 13 – 1 2 – –Blithfield – – 1 2 – – – 1 – 2 4 7Branston GP – 11 – – – – – – – 9 – 1Coldmeece – 1 16 2 2 – – – – – – –Doley Common – 2 22 12 – – – – – – –Keele – – 2 1 – 1 3 – – – – –Silverdale Colliery – – 3 1 2 7 3 – – – – –Tittesworth – 5 125 6 6 4 24 16 3 2 – –Whitemoor Haye – – – 1 1 – – – – – – –

Warks Pairs were proved breeding in the north of the county at Bramcote Hall,Grendon, Maxstoke and Polesworth, with others suspected at Austrey and Fillongley.In the south probable breeding pairs were located at Morton Bagot, Oxhill, PrestonBagot, Spernall, Studley, Tysoe, Whatcote and Wootton Wawen. Away from traditionalbreeding sites there were records of up to four birds from a further ten sites, mainly onpassage, but covering all months of the year. The Ladywalk roost continues to decline.Worcs One pair bred successfully between Tibberton and Trench Wood and twopairs were observed at Lower Moor from March 1st-July 5th and may have attemptedto breed, but no juveniles were located. Also recorded during the breeding season atCallow End, Little Comberton, Longdon Marsh (two places), Oddingley, Rous Lench,along side Shatterford Wood, Strensham and Witnells End. No large flocks reportedaway from Upton Warren, the best counts being at Grimley New Workings, with fiveon March 14th and 22 on April 28th. Seven flew over Westwood Pool on August 10thand singles or pairs were noted at Bredon’s Hardwick, Gwen Finch Wetland, KinshamLake, Kempsey Lower Ham and Powick Bridge.Staffs Breeding was confirmed at four sites this year, although in all cases thenumber of young is not known. These include Ballamount Grange, Doley Common(three pairs bred on site and three other pairs probably bred nearby), Gun Hill (twopairs confirmed from four displaying) and Under Whittle near Longnor. A further 37pairs were reported displaying or present in the breeding season at Bagnall (two),Butterton Moor, Calton (two), Caltonmoor, Goldsitch Moss (four), Grindon,Knotbury (two), Morridge (two), Musden Low, Oliver Hill (two), Orchard Common,Pethills, Revidge (five), Round Knowl Farm (four), Stanton (two), Swallow Moss(three), Swinscoe Common (two), Uttoxeter and Waterfall. A notable build-up of 70birds was recorded at Longsdon Mill Pond on March 2nd, reducing to 21 by 9th. Otherrecords of one or two birds came from Kings Bromley in March, Denstone Hall on2nd, Burston on 11th, Branston Water Park (six) on 16th, Rudyard Lake on 16th,Gillow Heath on 18-21st, Levedale on 25th, Apedale CP (three) on 28th, Chasewateron April 7th, Abbots Bromley on 14th, Combridge on 14th, Danebridge on 18th,Butterton, Newcastle-under-Lyme on 26th, Mottey Meadows on 26th, Gerrard’sBromley on 27th, Copmere on May 4th, Rudyard Lake on 5th, Butterton, Newcastle-u-Lyme on 11th, Onecote on 17th, Halfpenny Green on 22nd, Croxall GP on 26th,Denstone Hall on 28th, Doxey on June 8th, Downs Bank on 15th, Kings Bromley on15th, Wedgwood Monument on 15th, Etruria on 19th, Hanchurch Pools on 19th, High

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Offley on 20-21st, Oulton Heath on 24th, Moss Carr on 30th, Nield Bank Farm (three)on July 6th and Doxey on August 3rd.W Mid One was reported from Clayhanger on March 25th. One flew over MarshLane NR on March 30th with further singles noted flying over on April 8th, 18th andJune 1st. Singles in Sandwell Valley on April 1st, 2nd and July 6th, August 31st andOctober 12th.

Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropusUncommon passage migrant, very rare in winter.Warks There were two at Brandon on August 27th-28th, with one again on 30thBMCG.Worcs All sightings referred to autumn passage birds, with one at Grimley NewWorkings on August 15th, a juvenile at Upper Bittell Reservoir on 24th and anotherjuvenile at Upton Warren on 26th.Staffs Just three birds this year; a juvenile at Blithfield on August 30th, a fly-overat Keele University on September 19th and a juvenile at Coldmeece Pools fromSeptember 30th-October 1st.W Mid A juvenile spent approximately 20 minutes in Sandwell Valley on August24th much to the delight of birders watching the newly found Pectoral Sandpiper.

Common Redshank Tringa totanusFrequent passage migrant and summer resident. Uncommon winter visitor.


Alvecote – – 2 2 4 4 3 – – – – 1Brandon – 2 4 8 5 5 1 1 1 – – –Dosthill/Kingsbury 6 6 7 18 6 7 1 – – 1 4 3Draycote – – – – – – 1 3 1 2 1 –Ladywalk – – 2 4 6 2 – – – – – –Salford Priors GP – – 5 5 4 3 – – – – – –Bredon’s Hardwick 1 4 7 3 1 – 1 – – – 1 1Grimley New Work – – 7 4 4 4 4 1 – – 2 –Gwen Finch Wetland 1 1 5 – – 8 3 1 – 1 – –Kinsham Lake – – 2 8 9 13 1 – – 1 – –Ryall Pits – – 2 5 2 4 2 2 1 – – –Upton Warren – 1 3 4 5 6 3 1 – – – –Barton GP 4 6 15 16 9 14 2 – – – 1 2Belvide – – 12 8 7 6 4 5 4 2 3 3Blithfield – – – 2 – 2 2 2 1 2 2 1Branston GP – – – – – – – – – 3 – 4Branston WP – – – – – – – – – – 5 2Burston – 2 2 – 2 – 1 – – – – –Chasewater – – – – – – – 1 2 2 – –Coldmeece – – 3 – 2 3 – 1 – – – –Croxall GP 19 3 9 8 2 12 – – – – 3 3Doxey 1 – 4 2 4 5 2 – 1 – 1 1Drayton Bassett – – 3 10 – – 1 – – – 2 3Rudyard Lake – – – – – – – – – 1 1 2Tittesworth – – 1 1 – – 2 1 – 1 – –Whitemoor Haye – – 4 10 4 1 2 – – 5 11 –Marsh Lane NR – – 4 4 4 2 3 1 – – 1 –Sandwell Valley – – – – 1 1 1 2 2 – – –

Warks Breeding pairs were located at: Alvecote (one-two), Brandon (two),Kingsbury area (two, cf. five in 2002), Ladywalk area (three) and Salford Priors GP

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(two). Productivity was as ever very low. The largest spring count was of 18 at Fisher’sMill GP on April 9th. Away from tabulated sites birds were noted at several otherwaters in the Tame Valley in spring, including up to six at Shustoke during April andMay. Few are seen on return passage, so a party of six at Seeswood Pool on August25th was noteworthy. In the south of the county there was one at Lighthorne Quarryon March 6th, two at Abbots Salford on 16th, and then singles at Napton Res on April9th and August 16th, and at Wormleighton Res from November 19th-24th.Worcs Breeding pairs recorded at Grimley New Workings (two), Gwen FinchWetland (several), Ryall Pits (one pair, single fledged) and Upton Warren (one pair,three fledged). Away from the tabulated localities one was at Lower Moor from March12th-17th and May 8th and 26th, one at Westwood Pool on March 23rd, one atStrensham Lagoons on 23rd and May 5th and one at Wassell Grove Pool on April 8th.Upper Bittell reservoir held singles on June 18th, July 13th and August 10th, two wereat Strensham Lagoons on July 13th, two at Westwood Pool on October 19th and oneat Throckmorton Lagoons on 27th.Staffs Two pairs bred at Doxey Marshes and at Baswich. Breeding was alsosuspected but not proven at Broom Hill fields on the Staffs/Shropshire border, a pairat Burston on March 3rd and at Ingestre where a pair was present throughout thespring in the water meadows. Untabulated records, mainly of singles unless stated,came from Kings Bromley in February and March, Elford GP on March 13th, three atTixall Pool on the 29th; Alrewas GP on April 18th with two there on the 20th and asingle on the 21st, 12 on the River Sow flood plain Stafford on the 18th, four atAqualate on the 20th, Doley Common on the 22nd, two at Silverdale Colliery on the23rd and 26th; three between Milford and Stafford on the 23rd, Aqualate on May15th;, Hill Ridware on July 20th, three at Rolleston on August 28th, three at DoleyCommon on September 28th and two flew north over Westport on November 16th.W Mid Breeding was attempted at Marsh Lane NR but there was no sign of anyyoung. At Sheepwash UP, singles were reported on April 4th and June 14th.

Common Greenshank Tringa nebulariaFrequent passage migrant, rare in winter.


Brandon – – – 3 – – 3 4 2 – – –Dosthill/Kingsbury – – – 2 – – – 6 4 1 – –Draycote – – – – – – 1 4 3 – – –Ladywalk – – 1 1 – – – 4 3 3 – –Bredon’s Hardwick 1 – – 2 1 – 1 3 – – – –Grimley New workings – – – 1 – – 1 4 3 2 – –Gwen Finch wetland – – – 1 – – – 3 3 – – –Upton Warren – – – – 1 – 1 3 1 – – –Belvide – – – – 1 – 3 8 8 – – –Blithfield – – – 1 – 2 5 15 9 1 – –Drayton Bassett – – – 2 1 – 1 1 6 4 – –Tittesworth – – – – – – – 4 2 – – –Whitemoor Haye – – – 1 – – – 4 – – – –

Warks After early birds at Ladywalk on March 31st and Kingsbury on April 3rd,spring passage was a rather brief affair with records restricted to the third week inApril and peaking on 21st. Rather surprisingly no May records were reported, thisbeing the month when usually spring passage is at its height. Autumn passage wasfairly average but largely restricted to the main sites, and ran from July 9th to October

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9th. The only grounded birds away from the above were singles at Lighthorne Poolson August 3rd and September 1st, and at Alvecote on 2nd. In addition, birds were seenor heard in flight over Fenny Compton on August 17th, over Idlicote on 25th (three)and over Arley on 26th.

Worcs An unusual winter record was one at Bredon’s Hardwick on January 1st.Only a few sightings during spring passage, with single birds away from the tabulatedlocalities at Kinsham Lake on April 14th, Upper Bittell Reservoir on 19th and 20th,Throckmorton Lagoons on 21st, 24th and 27th, over Tibberton and at Wilden Lagoonson 24th. Much better numbers observed throughout the autumn. Upper BittellReservoir held singles on July 8th, August 8th, 11th and three on 24th, singles wereat Westwood Pool on 5th and 25th, three at Kinsham Lake on 6th, one on 12th and29th and two on September 9th and Throckmorton Lagoons held one on August 8th,two on 17th, singles on 23rd, 26th, 27th and 28th and three on September 20th and21st. Singles were reported from Lower Moor on August 18th, 27th and September9th, then three on 20th, Ryall Pits held two on August 18th and 31st, then singles onSeptember 1st, 7th, 9th, 10th and 14th. Three at Grimley Triangle on August 27thmoved to Grimley New Workings later in the day and Grimley Brick Pits held threeon September 13th, two on 14th and one on 21st.Staffs Untabulated records came from Dosthill Pits on April 15th, Alrewas on18th, Rudyard on August 17th with three on 18th and one on 24th and 31st,Chasewater from 18-19th, Coldmeece on 31st, Branston Gravel Pits on September 7thwith two from 16-18th, Croxall GP on 13th and Dosthill Pits on October 3rd.W Mid The only spring passage records concerned singles at Marsh Lane NR onApril 18th and May 30th. In autumn, single birds were recorded at Sandwell Valley onAugust 5th with two on 25th, Marsh Lane NR between August 6th and 10th joined bytwo others on August 10th, followed by further singles on August 22nd to 25th,September 1st and 3rd and finally two on 18th. One was at Dunstall Park Lake onAugust 31st and September 1st.

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Common Greenshank, Blithfield Reservoir, September (Dave Kelsall)

Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropusFrequent passage migrant and uncommon winter visitor.


Brandon – 2 2 5 – 4 9 8 5 5 2 –Dosthill/Kingsbury 1 1 4 7 1 2 6 7 6 5 1 –Ladywalk 1 2 2 3 – 2 2 8 5 2 1 3Lighthorne area – – 1 – – – – 3 2 3 2 1Salford Priors GP – – 13 2 – 3 – 15 6 3 – –Bittell Reservoir – – – – – 3 5 4 2 – 1 1Grimley New 2 1 3 1 – 1 3 5 4 2 2 –Gwen Finch Wetland – – 1 – – – 12 13 7 – 1 –Kinsham Lake – – – – – 2 – 1 2 1 – –Lower Moor 1 1 2 – – – – 1 1 – – –Ryall Pits 1 6 1 2 – 2 4 5 5 4 1 –Strensham Lagoons – 1 1 1 1 1 – – –Throckmorton Lag 2 1 2 1 – – – 1 1 1 1 –Upton Warren 1 – 5 2 – 12 24 16 6 3 1 –Barton GP – 1 1 – – – 11 2 2 1 1 1Belvide 1 – 2 2 – 8 7 2 1 2 1 2Blithfield 1 1 – – – 2 2 1 – – 1 –Branston GP – – 2 1 – – 1 4 3 3 – –Branston WP – 2 – – – – – – – 1 1 1Coldmeece – 2 2 1 – 2 4 6 2 – – –Croxall 2 – 1 – – – – 2 2 – – –Drayton Bassett – 2 5 5 – – 12 12 10 6 1 –Levedale – – – – – 2 3 2 1 1 – –Tittesworth – – – 1 – 1 – 1 1 – – –Whitemoor Haye 2 1 – 2 – – 1 4 – 2 2 –Marsh Lane NR 3 3 3 3 – 3 5 7 7 3 3 2Sandwell Valley – – – – – – 1 1 1 – – –

Warks Brandon, which often has a peak of over 20 in late summer, had a very pooryear. In contrast there were good numbers at Salford Priors GP, which if covered moreregularly might well prove to be one of the best sites for this species in the region atpresent. The count here of at least 13 on March 30th JJB appears to be a county recordfor this season. Other sites also enjoyed a good spring passage which carried on untilApril 28th, with an exceptionally late bird at Kingsbury on May 21st. Return migrantsbegan to reappear from June 8th, when there was one at Ladywalk. Away fromtabulated sites, one to three birds were also noted at: Abbots Salford, Alvecote,Bidford-on-Avon, Draycote, Farnborough Park, Haunch Lane flood, Packington,Shustoke (River Bourne) and Wormleighton Res, several of which also supportedwintering birds.Worcs Away from the tabulated localities, spring passage birds were recorded atClifton Pits, with two on March 29th and one on April 6th, two on the River Severnat Grimley on 5th, one on the River Severn at Shrawley and one at Wilden Lagoon on7th. Birds began to return in mid June, with one at Bredon’s Hardwick on 14th andone at Bishampton Vale Pool on 17th. Grimley Old workings held one on July 5th, twoon August 14th and one on 15th, one was at Bredon’s Hardwick on August 7th and12th, then two on 20th and 25th and singles on September 10th, 14th, 20th, 21st, 22ndand 23rd. Grimley Brick Pits held one on 21st, two were at Clifton Pits on November9th, one at Bredon’s Norton on December 24th and one at Tibberton on 28th.Staffs Untabulated records include a pair appearing to be wintering on the Trent atIngestre Bridge, singles at Norton Bridge on January 6th and February 1st, Doxey

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Marshes on February 9th, River Trent at Stone on the 20th., Silverdale Colliery onMarch 23rd, Bagots Farm at Abbots Bromley on April 14th, Croxden Quarry on 19th,one flew south over Westport on July 7th, Dunston Heath on August 8th, DoxeyMarshes on 23rd. Burston on September 14th, two at Elford GP on October 12th, oneagain was heading south over Westport on the 24th, two at Dosthill Pits on November8th, Elford GP on the 16th, Fisherwick on the 16th, Audley Water Treatment Workson 30th and December 7th and one all month at Ingestre in December with two thereon 24th.W Mid Single birds were seen in Smestow Valley on March 25th and August 4th.At Sheepwash UP, singletons were reported on April 20th, July 20th and August 25th.Single birds were also reported from Goscote Valley on August 19th, 20th and 26th.Single birds were noted at Dunstall Park Lake on September 28th and October 13th.One was at Clayhanger on November 12th.

Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareolaUncommon passage migrant. Has over-wintered.Warks Only four reported all on return passage, which was the worst showing since1986. The last year without a spring migrant was 1983, and even then an over-wintering bird remained into early May. Three of the records involved single birds inthe favoured Fishers Mill GP/Kingsbury area, which occurred on July 27th, fromAugust 9th-11th, and from 18th-20th. The final bird was found on the muddyshoreline of the main pool at Chadshunt on September 21st-22nd, an excellent recordfor that district. Worcs The Flash Pools at Upton Warren produced the first bird of the spring onMay 6th and was followed by one at Kinsham Lake from 18th-21st and another atGrimley New Workings on 28th. An adult that arrived at Upton Warren on June 28thand remained until July 4th was probably an early bird returning from its breedinggrounds. A couple of juveniles recorded during autumn passage at Grimley NewWorking from August 9th-23rd and at Gwen Finch Wetland from 28th-30th.Staffs Eight birds reported this year, down from 15, 10 and 22+ in the previousthree years respectively. The first was at Drayton Bassett Pits on May 29th, thenBelvide on June 30th-July 2nd, again at Belvide on July 6-8th, Drayton Bassett Pitson 21st and 24-25th, Blithfield on 26th, Branston GP on August 5th and finallyBlithfield on 20th.W Mid An adult bird was at Dunstall Park Lake on July 1st. Three were togetherbriefly at Marsh NR on the evening of July 13th.

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucosFairly common passage migrant. Scarce summer resident and winter visitor.


Brandon – – – 2 1 – 1 8 2 – – –Dosthill/Kingsbury – – – 3 2 1 4 7 2 1 – –Draycote – – – 4 2 2 10 11 7 2 – –Ladywalk – – 2 2 1 – 1 3 1 1 – –Shustoke – – – 9 9 – – 8 1 – – –Bittell Reservoirs – – – 3 – 1 5 5 1 – – –Bredon’s Hardwick – – – 2 3 1 5 5 1 1 – –Grimley New – – – 1 2 – 3 4 2 – – –Gwen Finch – – – 1 – 4 4 4 – – –Kinsham – – – 3 3 4 2 3 2 – – –

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J F M A M J J A S O N DRyall Pits – – – – 1 1 1 4 2 – – –Throckmorton – – – 1 2 – 5 8 2 1 – –Upton Warren – – – 5 3 3 8 9 3 – – –Westwood Pool – – – 2 3 – – 2 2 – – –Barton GP – – – – – 1 3 1 – – – –Belvide – – – 3 3 3 16 17 5 – – –Blithfield – – – 4 2 4 27 18 3 – – –Branston GP – – – – 2 – 1 4 2 – – –Burston – – – – – – 2 1 1 – – –Chasewater – – – 2 1 1 7 4 3 – – –Coldmeece – – – 2 – – 1 4 4 – – –Croxall – – – – 1 – 10 3 1 – – –Doxey – – – – – – 1 1 – – – –Drayton Bassett – – – 1 1 – 9 11 3 – – –Hill Ridware – – – – 1 1 – – – – – –Kings Bromley – – – – – – 4 2 1 – – –Rudyard – – – – – – 2 5 – – – –Silverdale Colliery – – – 1 – – 1 1 – – – –Tittesworth – – – 2 6 3 8 8 1 – – –Westport – – – 1 2 1 9 – 1 – – –Whitemoor Haye – – – 4 6 3 8 8 1 – – –Bartley Reservoir – – – – – – – 1 1 – – –Dunstall Park – – – 1 – – 1 1 – – – –Marsh Lane NR 1 1 1 2 1 – 9 6 2 1 1 1Netherton Reservoir – – – – 1 – 1 – – – – –Sandwell Valley – – – 2 2 1 8 3 1 – – –Sheepwash UP – – – 1 1 – 1 1 – – – –

Warks There was no evidence of breeding this year. A wintering bird at LeaMarston during January-February was probably the bird seen at nearby Ladywalk inDecember 2002. Two at Ladywalk on March 18th and one on 19th may also haveinvolved wintering birds. The first probable spring migrant was seen at Kingsbury onApril 3rd with passage continuing into late May. Return passage began typically earlywith a single at Draycote on June 25th and continued into October, with the last birdsat Dosthill on 12th and Draycote on 14th. One on the river at Ladywalk on October28th may have been intent on over-wintering, although there were no later records.Away from tabulated sites seven on the Great Pool in Packington Park on July 11thwas a good sized party, while up to three were also noted on various dates at: AbbotsSalford, Alvecote, Bermuda, Clifford Chambers, Compton Verney, Coton, DMCKineton, Earlswood, Farnborough Park, Priors Marston, Salford Priors GP, SeeswoodPool and Wormleighton Res.Worcs Away from the tabulated localities two were at Wilden Lagoons on April20th, one on 21st, two on 22nd, one on 24th and one on May 1st. Singles were alsoobserved at Clifton Pits on April 21st, Lower Moor on 22nd and along the RiverSevern at Powick Bridge on May 5th. Lower Moor held two on 13th.Staffs At least one pair was present at Tittesworth during the summer but nobreeding reports were received and the first bird seen this year was also at Tittesworthon April 8th. Untabulated records came from Alrewas on April 20th, Great Haywoodon 23rd, Trentham Gardens on 26th with two at the Gardens Lake on the same date,Gerrard’s Bromley on 27th, Acton Trussell on May 1st, three at Aqualate on 16th, oneat Stanley Pool on July 13th and Chillington on 20th.W Mid One was along the Dudley No 2 canal on April 26th. Single birds werepresent at Netherton Reservoir on May 18th, 21st and July 30th. One at Edgbaston

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Pool on May 5th. Single birds were noted at Bartley Reservoir on eight dates betweenJuly 27th and September 28th. One was at Marsh Lane NR from September 14th untilthe year’s end – possibly the same bird that was present in the 2002/3 winter.

Turnstone Arenaria interpresUncommon passage migrant, rare in winter.Warks A meagre spring passage opened with one at Draycote on April 18th,followed by two there on 25th and one at Fisher’s Mill GP on May 23rd. Draycote hadthe bulk of a good return passage, with singles on July 18th and 29th-30th, two on31st, one from August 1st-3rd, one again from 26th-31st with two on 29th, three onSeptember 3rd, singles on 15th and 23rd, and finally two on 25th. The only bird in theTame Valley was a single at Kingsbury on August 11th. A very late individual atDraycote from December 5th-24th, may have been the bird that had been present atthe same place for two weeks in December 2002.Worcs Recorded twice on spring passage, with one at Wilden Lagoons on April21st and an exceptional count of five at Upper Bittell Reservoir on May 16th. Autumnbirds, all singles, observed at Grimley New Workings on July 23rd and Upper BittellReservoir on 29th and from August 22nd-24th.Staffs This years’ total of 24 birds compares well with 14, 18 and 13 in theprevious three. The first was at Blithfield on May 2nd, then Drayton Bassett Pits on13th, Croxall GP on 14th, Drayton Bassett Pits on 22nd, Whitemoor Haye on 23rd,two at Belvide on July 17th, Blithfield on 18-19th and August 16-17th, WhitemoorHaye on 17-18th, four at Belvide on 18th, two at Drayton Bassett Pits on 23rd withone staying until 24th, three at Belvide on 25th reducing to one on 26th, a juvenile atTittesworth on 25-26th, a juvenile at Drayton Bassett pits on 29th, Blithfield onSeptember 6th, 15th and a juvenile on 21st.W Mid A winter-plumaged bird was at Marsh Lane NR on July 29th. One was atBartley Reservoir on August 31st.

Grey Phalarope Phalaropus fulicariusRare passage migrant in autumn, often storm-driven. Very rare at other times (9/10).

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Grey Phalarope, Chasewater (Dave Kelsall)

Staffs A well-watched bird was at Chasewater from November 4th ESC et al. toDecember 7th GE et al., it was seen as close as three feet, feeding on the shore.Probably the same very tame individual was relocated at Belvide on December 12thand stayed to the 21st SN.

Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticusRare passage migrant, mainly in autumn. Very rare in winter (8/10).Warks A pale morph adult was at Draycote on May 2nd RCM.

Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudusVery rare vagrant (1/10).Warks A juvenile was present at Draycote for a couple of hours on August 29thJFCJ et al. Although thought at the time by those present to be an unusually paleArctic Skua, it was subsequently reidentified by photographic evidence as thisspecies, and confirmed by skua expert Klaus Malling Olsen. This was a long awaitedfirst for the county, although an earlier record from here seen by an experiencedobserver remains to be assessed. It is the eighth record for the Club’s area.

Great Skua Stercorarius skuaRare passage migrant, very rare in winter (5/10).Staffs An injured bird was found on the shore at Chasewater on October 7th MJIand was taken into care, but unfortunately died overnight. The bird had extensive skintissue damage to the median underwing covert area on one wing and was under weightat 850gms LRH.

Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalusUncommon passage migrant and winter visitor.Warks Draycote was as usual the premier site for this species in the county, withmost being seen in the evening roost. At least five different birds occurred during the

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Mediterranean Gull, Westport (Dave Kelsall)

early months, beginning with two adults and a first-winter on January 1st, with a singleadult also on 4th, 10th, 19th and 25th-26th. The latter was no doubt the same bird seenat Lawford Heath Tip on January 25th. No more were recorded until February 25thwhen three adults and a first-winter were found in the roost. Two adults were seen againon February 27th, with one on various dates from March 9th-27th, being joined by asecond-summer on March 10th and 27th. The first to return after the summer break wasa first-winter and juvenile on August 21st, with the juvenile again on 29th. An adultthen appeared on August 25th-26th, 28th, 30th and September 1st. A single first-winterbird was seen on October 10th and 17th, with that or another again on November 10thand 24th. Lone adults appeared on at least 14 dates during the period November 8th-December 24th, with two from December 3rd-5th. Away from Draycote the onlyrecords from the north of the county this year involved a colour-ringed juvenile atKingsbury on August 1st (which in July had been at nearby Drayton Bassett in Staffs),and an unaged bird at Bermuda on October 1st. In the south-east, an adult atWormleighton Res on November 24th and a first-winter at Napton Res on 28th weregood records for those waters. Both probably involved Draycote birds.Worcs An adult found at Throckmorton Tip on January 21st, moved to a field byWyre Piddle early afternoon and was later seen at Lower Moor. Possibly this adult wasthe individual seen early morning at Westwood Pool that same day and it returned tothe Westwood roost that evening. The Westwood Pool roost continued with its run ofbirds until mid March, with a first-winter bird on January 22nd, an adult on 25th, asecond-winter on February 20th, an adult on 21st, another new adult on 22nd, a first-winter on March 1st, a new first-winter on 2nd, a third first-winter on 3rd and 4th andan adult on 15th and 16th. Grimley New Workings held a first-winter bird on 2nd, plusan adult on 15th and 16th, an adult at Throckmorton Tip on 2nd, then a new adult anda second-winter on 9th and a first-winter on 16th. An adult was on fields near RyallSouthern Pit on 12th and a first-summer at Bredon’s Hardwick on April 9th. Latesummer passage began with a first-summer at Upper Bittell Reservoir on June 22ndand another first-summer was noted here on July 19th and 20th. A second-summerwas seen at Upton Warren on June 24th and next came a run of juveniles at thislocality, starting with one on July 18th, two on 19th, 20th and 21st, three on 22nd and23rd, two on 24th and 25th, one on 26th, two on 27th, 28th and 29th and one onAugust 1st and 4th. Other juveniles observed at Upper Bittell Reservoir on July 21stand August 3rd and at Rednall also on 3rd. Westwood Pool held first-winters onSeptember 4th, 12th and 21st, two first-winters were at Grafton Lane on 6th and wereseen at Upton Warren that same day. A single first-winter was again at Upton Warrenon 7th and from 18th-23rd. First-winters were at Abberton on September 14th andThrockmorton Tip on October 8th, followed by an adult on 26th and a first-winter on27th. Finally Wildmoor Tip held an adult on December 17th.

StaffsMonthly maxima at selected sites:

J F M A M J J A S O N DBelvide 1 1 1 – – – 7 7 4 1 – 1Blithfield – 1 – – 1 – 2 1 1 – – 1Chasewater 1 1 – – – – 0 2 1 2 1 3

The high counts recorded at Belvide between July 21st and September 9th coincidedwith many of the surrounding fields being ploughed resulting in hundreds of gullswithin the area. Other records include one at Westport on March 12th, an adult andjuvenile at Pool Hall Fisheries on July 23rd, a green colour-ringed juvenile at

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Drayton Bassett Pits on 30th, a second-winter at Pool Hall Fisheries on August 13th,an adult at Essington Quarry Pools on October 22nd and an adult at Barton GP onDecember 21st.W Mid At Bartley Reservoir, a first-winter bird was present on January 1st ARDfollowed by an adult moulting into summer plumage on March 2nd ARD. A superbrun of records from Dunstall Park began with an adult-summer bird on 14th and 15thJuly, departing in the evening of the latter date towards the south-west, followed by amoulting adult-summer and a first-summer bird on 1st August constituting the firstsite record of two birds. An adult winter bird on 24th August left towards the north,and finally a juvenile moulting into first-winter plumage visited on 16th and 17thSeptember GAC, KMC. In December, an adult was noted in the Bartley roost on 12thARD, 16th ARD and 19th ARD. An adult wearing a green coloured ring was atBradnock’s Marsh GJM and later at Marsh Lane NR on February 28th GJM, this wasfollowed by first-winter birds on March 9th and 15th REH, DJS and on November30th per NPB. An adult was reported in Sandwell Valley on August 31st but nodescriptive details have been received.

Little Gull Larus minutusUncommon passage migrant and scarce winter visitor.Warks An excellent year commenced with two adults in the roost at Draycote onJanuary 1st. The spring passage of (mainly) adults was notably heavy this year, andwas particularly concentrated with most passing through during the third week inApril. Numbers were hard to estimate as there was probably some interchangebetween waters in the Tame Valley, but perhaps 90-100 birds were involved in all. Thefirst bird appeared at Shustoke on April 10th-11th, followed by up to 12 on 15th, sevenon 16th-17th, nine on 18th and up to nine again on 20th. Also in the Tame Valley onthe 20th, there were four at Ladywalk, one at Kingsbury and five at Dosthill, while atthe latter lake numbers had increased next day to ten (including a first-summer), withone again on 24th. Draycote also held good numbers during this period, with 13(including a first-winter) on April 15th, 12 on 16th, one on 18th, two on 19th, 13 again(including a first-winter) on 20th, five on 21st, an adult and first-winter on 22nd withthe latter staying to 25th, three on 28th and the final bird of the spring on May 2nd.Away from these two main areas, there was a single bird at Earlswood Lakes on April14th and three at Brandon on 16th. Return passage began with an adult at Draycoteon August 3rd, followed by two on 6th and one on 11th, a first-winter on 26th, an adultand juvenile on September 1st, and a final unaged bird on 15th. Also during thisperiod there were two first-winters at Alvecote on August 25th, while on September14th two adults and a first-winter moved south-east over Whitacre Heath. After a lullthere was another small movement later in the autumn, all of first-winter birds. Thefirst was at Kingsbury on October 5th, followed by two at Draycote on 6th, furthersingles there on 10th, 17th and 23rd, with another at Brandon on November 12th, andthe last at Draycote on December 5th.Worcs An adult, seen at Westwood Pool early morning on January 1st, wasrelocated at the Moors Pool, Upton Warren late afternoon. Six adults also roosted onthe floods at Upton-upon-Severn Southern Ham that same day. Another adult was atBredon’s Hardwick on 4th and was followed by a first-winter bird from 16th-21st.First-winters were also at Bredon’s Hardwick and Upper Bittell Reservoir on 25th andthe Bittell bird was still present on 26th. Bredon’s Hardwick continued to pull in thebirds, with a first-summer from April 15th-17th, a breeding plumaged adult on 19th

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and a second adult, again in breeding plumage on 20th. One was also at Ryall Pits on18th. There was just one record during the second winter period; a second-winter atWestwood Pool on October 15th.Staffs On spring passage, the first birds recorded were at Blithfield with an adultin winter plumage on March 23rd, followed by another adult on the 30th, an adult onApril 5th and 6th, five on the 8th of which four were in summer plumage, two on 10th,one on the 13th and 14th and two on the 16th. Elsewhere during April an adult atChasewater on 15th and 16th, with seven there on the 19th and 21st consisting of fouradults, two second years, one first summer. An adult in winter plumage at Belvide andDrayton Bassett Pits on April 21st, a first-summer at Belvide from the 28th to 30th.Summering/early passage birds consisted of a first-summer at Belvide on June 20th,an adult at Blithfield on July 6th, August 11th, 12th, 27th, 29th, and September 30th,a first-winter at Chasewater on October 7th and finally an adult at Blithfield on 18th.W Mid At Marsh Lane NR (now regarded as the County hotspot), two adults werepresent on January 1st with a further adult noted on April 18th.

Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundusAbundant passage migrant and winter visitor. Frequent breeding bird in Staffs andnorth Warks and rarely in Worcs.


Bittell Reservoir 17 67 30 – 5 – 162 372 207 305 – 245Bredon’s Hardwick 70 220 300 1 3 – – 5 2 – 52 58Kinsham Lake 14 80 12 – – – 1 2 10 19 140 135Throckmorton Tip – – 800 – – 40 – – – 1000 2200 –Upton Warren 170 120 20 7 20 40 1000 600 700 550 600 400Westwood Pool 3000 3000 1500 14 3 3 20 1000 1850 2500 3000 3500Aqualate 2000 193 300 200 4 0 2 38 250 – 400 100Barton GP – – – 230 305 310 312 63 118 195 68 145Blithfield – – – – – – – 1470 – – – –Chasewater 9000 6500 5000 280 5 15 475 1550 4300 7800 8500 9000

Warks In Kingsbury WP about 50 pairs bred at Canal Pool (cf. 75 in 2002) and onepair on nearby Cliff Pool, while the Dosthill Lake gullery moved across the countyboundary to the adjacent Dosthill NR, where 200 pairs were estimated to have bred.After the first successful breeding record at Brandon in 2002 four pairs were thoughtto have nested this year, with one of these fledging two young. Outside the breedingseason the only count from the Draycote roost was a rather low 6520 on January 12th.Other counts to reach four figures included 1350 on ploughed fields at Harbury onFebruary 27th, over 2000 on fields at Fenny Compton on March 8th, and 2500 atnearby Watergall on 9th. A late summer roost at Alvecote peaked at around 1000during August. A leucistic adult was found in the Draycote roost on March 3rd.Worcs Away from the tabulated localities, floods at Longdon Marsh and Upton-upon-Severn Southern Ham on January 1st attracted 300+ and 3000 respectively. Thelatter locality also produced counts of 5000 on 4th and 2800 on 5th. 400 were at Wickand 4500 at Lower Moor on 5th, 250 at Wildmoor Tip on February 5th, 60 atBishampton Vale Pool on 22nd, 300 at Wildmoor Tip on 22nd and March 6th and 180at Lower Moor on 8th. During the autumn and second winter period 180 were atAbberton on August 22nd, 42 at Hazdor on October 8th and a leucistic bird was atThrockmorton Tip on November 20th.

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Staffs The only breeding records received were of 12 nests at Aqualate on May18th. No information was submitted from Branston GP on nest there. Untabulatedcounts in the first winter period came from Croxall GP (100) on January 1st,Rickerscote (200) on 2nd, Banktop Wood (100) on 6th, Stone (150) on 18th,Tittesworth (500) on 25th and at Tixall (100) on February 2nd. Autumn / second winterperiod flocks were seen at Burston (100) on September 27th, Rudyard (60) on October5th and November 22nd, Barton Turn Marina (150) on October 14th, SilverdaleColliery (800) on October 15th and at Astonefields (100) on December 29th.W Mid Adults birds were noted prospecting at Marsh Lane NR in the spring butnone stayed on to breed. Highest counts submitted included 370 at Edgbaston Pool onJanuary 26th, 1700 in DunstallPark on February 1st, 280 atLadymoor Pool in Bilston onFebruary 9th, 272 at Fens Poolson February 23rd, 1200 inSandwell Valley in February,1400 were in Dunstall Park onNovember 15th and in excessof 300 at Ladymoor Pool onDecember 30th. A leucisticadult with cream primaries wasnoted at Dunstall Park on July23rd. An albinistic individualwas noted in the BartleyReservoir roost on September7th – presumably the individualthat has been noted at this roost since 1998. Up to 500 birds were noted at severallocations within the Smestow Valley outside of the breeding season.

Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensisRare vagrant (5/10).Worcs As in 2002, Bredon’s Hardwick produced yet another bird, with an adultpresent from April 6th-11th GHP et al.

Common Gull Larus canusCommon winter visitor and passage migrant, principally to the south and east of theregion.


Bittell Reservoir – 1 2 – – – – – 1 2 – 1Bredon’s Hardwick 4 – 120 25 – – – – – 1 1 –Kinsham Lake 18 1 13 – – – – – – 5 3 12Throckmorton Tip 1 – 6 – 1 1 – – 2 4 4 6Upton Warren – – – 1 1 – 2 1 1 1 – –Westwood Pool 7 8 8 1 – – – 1 1 23 8 4Bateswood Lake 23 14 21 1 – – – – – 3 12 11Belvide 13 – – 11 – – – 1 – 34 – –Blithfield – 12 – 4 – – – 2 1 3 34 34Chasewater 30 30 20 20 1 1 1 – – 15 25 30Silverdale Colliery 4 3 3 – – – 1 – – 4 5 10Westport 25 16 4 1 – – 1 1 – 2 3 23

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Ring-billed Gull, Bredon’s Hardwick (Andy Warr)

Warks The only roost count at Draycote was a low 2900 on January 12th. Feedingflocks elsewhere in the east and south were also rather smaller than usual with maximaof 200 on pasture at Wormleighton on January 20th and 150 on ploughed land atFenny Compton on December 8th. The exception was 1000 on sheep pasture atWatergall on March 9th, which seems to have involved mainly migrants. In the northwhere numbers are always much smaller, the largest counts were of 60 at Shustoke onFebruary 5th, and roost counts of 42 at Dosthill Lake on December 2nd and 46 atCoton on 29th. Extreme dates were five at Shustoke on May 14th and one atWhittleford (Nuneaton) on July 20th.Worcs A poor spring passage recorded this spring and away from the tabulatedlocalities, one was at Upton-upon-Severn Ham on January 1st, three on 4th and fiveon 5th, Wildmoor Tip held two on 8th and one was at Wilden Lagoon on February28th. Counts made on Bredon Hill in March were of 60 on 11th and 16th and 25 on29th. Ryall Pits held 90 on 13th and 74 on 23rd, 80 were at Bricklehampton on 15th,then 38 on 30th. During the second half of the year Grimley New Workings held oneon July 16th, three on August 3rd and singles on October 12th and 20th.Staffs The highest count from Tittesworth was 60 on February 8th. The highestcount during the second winter period was only 11 on December 5th and 6th. Smallsingle-figure counts were received from ten other sites.W Mid Regularly reported from Marsh Lane NR throughout the year outside of thebreeding season with highest counts of 51 on March 15th and 25 in December. Alsoregularly reported from Dunstall Park (noted on 20 dates during the first winter periodwith a peak of three birds, followed by birds on 25 dates from July 1st to the end ofthe year with a peak count of three birds again). Reasonably frequent in SandwellValley during both winter periods, recorded on a minimum of 10 dates with a peakcount of three. One adult was at Sheepwash UP on February 20th. Thirty were atWyken Slough on February 27th. Also reported from Smestow Valley (in ComptonPark).

Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscusVery common passage migrant and common winter visitor. Fairly common andincreasing breeding species since 1986.


Bittell Reservoirs – 6 1 5 13 19 2 80 30 5 – 12Bredon’s Hardwick 13 7 14 31 300 72 37 27 23 2 63Kinsham Lake – 60 50 40 55 60 10 15 3 24 70 85Throckmorton Tip 8000+3000+ 850 580 400 – 500 700 3500 3000 4000Westwood Pool 3500 3500 1200 20 6 3 3 700 1200 1600 3000 3500Aqualate 500 – – – 23 – – 19 50 – 400 –Blithfield – 11 – – – – – – – 8 – –Chasewater 600 1150 900 400 2 225 480 1600 2100 2300 2400 125Coldmeece – 230 475 150 – – – – – – – –

Warks At Dosthill Lake there were roost counts of 1600 on November 4th, 650 onDecember 15th and 750 on 22nd, but dropping to 200 over Christmas as the nearbytip closed. Other counts in the north included 250 at Kingsbury on September 9th, 500on farmland at Birchmoor on October 31st and 200 over Ladywalk on November 15th.The only roost count at Draycote this year concerned 650 on January 12th, butflightline counts to and from there at Fenny Compton yielded peaks of 515 on January26th, up to 300 during August and 350 on November 30th. Elsewhere in the south

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flocks of up to 150 were recorded widely on farmland, particularly during the autumn,and larger counts included 260 at Fenny Compton on August 10th, 600 at Chestertonon 28th, 170 at Wellesbourne on September 5th and 325 on Ilmington Downs on 12th.Worcs A pair bred at Bredon’s Hardwick and at least 200 pairs in Worcester CityCentre. Away from the tabulated localities the largest groups recorded were of 1500at Longdon March and 240 at Upton-upon-Severn Southern Ham on January 1st,1500 at Wick on 5th, 150 at Abberton on 19th and 113 at Tibberton on February 8th.A leucistic bird was found at Throckmorton Tip on January 23rd and roost atWestwood Pool that same evening. 110 were at Wilden Lagoons on May 31st, 180 atAbberton on August 22nd, 45 at Bishampton Vale Pool and 88 at Tibberton September11th, 100+ at Abberton on October 12th and 81 at Tibberton on December 24th.Staffs Apart from the tabulated records, other counts of note include 200 atTittesworth on June 16th and 500 roosting at Croxden Quarry on July 13th. Two verydark birds were recorded in a roost of 61 birds at Belvide on November 12th.W Mid Breeding was reported/suspected from Birmingham city centre, Wolver -hampton city centre (juveniles were noted in Compton Park in late July with at least tennoted on 22nd). Recorded during May and July at Marsh Lane NR, these recordsrelating to adult birds presumably from nearby breeding colonies in south Birmingham.One bird at Marsh Lane NR was seen to take a young Coot. Regular at Marsh Lane NRthroughout the year with a peak of 27 in August. 40 in August was the peak count fromDunstall Park, though double-figure counts were regularly recorded from this locality,and indeed from several other sites within the West Midlands County. The BartleyReservoir roost held peaks of 1350 in October, 1050 on December 12th rising to 1450on December 19th. Also reported from Compton Park.

ʻIntermediateʼ Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus intermediusWarks All records concerned adults identified in feeding flocks of L. f. graellsii.Two were on pasture by Wormleighton village on January 20th. In the autumn therewas one at Priors Hardwick on September 4th, two at Wellesbourne on 5th, one atFenny Compton on 7th, two at Farnborough on 16th, and then singles near Worm -leighton Res on October 7th and 30th.W Mid An adult was well photographed at Frankley Reservoir on September 7thARD. A useful pointer towards its identification was the fact that this bird wasmoulting several of its central primaries whereas fuscus (which invites confusion withintermedius) moults only the inner two primaries at most before reaching the winterquarters.

Herring Gull Larus argentatusCommon winter visitor. Uncommon in summer and an uncommon breeding species.


Bredon’s Hardwick – 5 5 5 75 6 7 1 – 4 1 4Kinsham Lake 2 4 24 12 5 8 – 1 – – 8 7Westwood Pool 400 150 200 1 1 2 – 4 20 25 100 800Belvide 30 – – 3 – – – – – – – –Blithfield – 14 – – – – – – – 2 – –Chasewater 2500 250 60 8 2 0 1 2 20 250 800 2900Coldmeece 70 70 – – – – – – – – – 80

Warks Not much information received. At Dosthill Lake, roosting numbersincreased from 120 on November 4th to a peak of 420 on December 22nd, but then

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dropped to less than 100 overChristmas when the nearby tipclosed. 700 were counted in theroost at Draycote on January12th. Winter flightline counts toand from Draycote over FennyCompton peaked at 365 onJanuary 26th and 200 onDecember 25th. There was alsoa morning flightline count of155 to the south-south-east overKnightcote on January 13th,probably involving Draycotebirds that had been feeding atUfton Tip and were then mov -ing on to the landfills nearBanbury (Oxfordshire). Worcs At least 20 pairs were reported to have bred in Worcester, a large increaseon last years two to three pairs. Away from the tabulated localities seven were atUpton-upon-Severn Ham on January 1st, singles at Arrow Valley Lake on 15th and16th, 20 at Upper Bittell Reservoir on 26th and three at Wilden Lagoons on February28th. A count from Throckmorton Tip during the second winter period was of 50 onNovember 4th, 150 on December 22nd, 1500 on 27th and 500 on 30th.Staffs Small numbers were present during January and February at Aqualate,Banktop Wood, Croxall and Doxey. Similarly during October and November at BartonGP, Branston GP, Doxey and Kings Bromley.W Mid Breeding was reported from Birmingham City Centre area. At Marsh LaneNR, 11 flew over on January 1st with five on 21st, with occasional birds recorded inFebruary and March (the latter month including one on 29th that was seen to consumea frog), June, August, September and December. At Stubbers Green, three werepresent on January 2nd and 14 were counted on December 4th. Some reasonablecounts were received in both winter periods from Dunstall Park with a peak count of95 in the second half of January. Four adults were at Olton Mere on April 3rd. TheBartley Reservoir roost held 60 on December 12th increasing to 135 on 19th. Alsoreported from Smestow Valley.

Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellisFrequent and increasing late summer, autumn and winter visitor.


Dosthill – – – – – – – – – – 4 2Draycote 3 1 2 2 – – 1 3 1 4 4 5Lower Moor 2 2 – – – – – – – 1 3 2Throckmorton Tip 4 5 1 – 1 1 2 2 2 2 7 5Westwood Pool 8 3 4 – – – – 1 2 3 10 8Belvide 6 5 0 1 0 1 1 1 3 2 4 2Chasewater 3 0 2 1 0 0 2 4 1 3 3 1Dosthill NR – – – – – – – – – 2 – 2Drayton Bassett – 2 – – – 2 2 – 4 – – –

Warks There were many fewer records than last year, but this could have been due

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First-winter Herring Gull (Alan Dean)

to less intensive watching at the main sites rather than to any real fall in numbersoccurring. Away from the two tabulated waters there were records of single birds (alladult except where stated) at Lawford Heath Tip on February 1st, Farnborough on July30th, Alvecote on September 1st and 18th, Fenny Compton on 7th and 17th (a third-winter), and Shustoke on October 28th.Worcs Away from the tabulated localities, singles reported from Bredon’sHardwick, Longdon Marsh and Upper Bittell Reservoir on January 1st, two at Wickon 5th, one at Upper Bittell Reservoir on 12th, on the River Severn at Worcester on26th and February 25th and at Wildmoor Tip on 27th. Both Bredon’s Hardwick andWilden Lagoons held singles on March 11th, Another at Bredon’s Hardwick on April16th, Upper Bittell Reservoir on 20th, Bredon’s Hardwick on May 17th and on theRiver Severn at Worcester on 26th. Kinsham Lake held an adult on July 10th andsingles were at Upper Bittell Reservoir on August 5th and 8th. During the secondwinter period singles were on the River Severn at Worcester on November 23rd, atBredon’s Hardwick on December 4th, Upper Bittell Reservoir on 6th and 28th,Kinsham Lake on 13th and 20th and Trimpley reservoir on 24th and 31st.Staffs Other records were of an adult at Westport on February 15th, a first-summerthere on April 13th, single adults at Silverdale Colliery on July 24th and November19th, a first-winter at Branston Gravel Pits on September 25th, an adult at Blithfieldon November 16th (the only record there this year) and one at Wilnecote Landfill onNovember 27th. W Mid At Bartley Reservoir, regular and attentive observation by a singleobserver, ARD, identified birds on the following dates (all records relate to adultsunless otherwise stated): January 19th (two and a second-winter), 26th (three anda second-winter), February 2nd (two), July 6th (two), October 28th, November2nd, November 10th (two and a first-winter), 12th, December 12th (three and athird-winter), December 16th (three) and 19th (three). At the nearby FrankleyReservoir, records of single adults were noted on August 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st,September 14th, 21st and 28th. Adults were reported at Marsh Lane NR on May20th, October 8th (two) and 18th per NPB and at Dunstall Park on December 13thGAC, KMC.

Caspian Gull Larus cachinnansRare winter visitor (4/10)Warks A mini-invasion during the final two months of the year brought anestimated six birds into the county, although the real total could be anything betweenfive and ten. This doubled the county total to at least 12, with annual records since1999. Most records came as expected from the Draycote roost, commencing with afirst-winter on November 7th RCM and 8th REH, DJS, and then again in companywith a sub-adult on 10th JFCJ. An adult was then found on November 15th RCM,followed by a single first-winter bird on 18th and from 21st-30th, with two togetheron December 5th, and then one again on 13th and 27th JFCJ, RCM et al., and with afinal adult on 30th JFCJ. Away from Draycote, a second-winter bird was found in theroost at Dosthill Lake on November 27th ARD, and a first-winter was seen atEarlswood Lakes on December 27th GJM. The Dosthill individual had earlier beenfound at the nearby Wilnecote Tip in Staffs.Worcs An adult roosted at Westwood Pool on December 11th, 12th, 14th and 15thSMW et al., an adult was at Lower Moor on 15th RAP and another adult at WestwoodPool on 26th WD et al.

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Staffs A first-winter at Belvide on January 17th, 28th, February 4th and 8th, andadult on November 11th , December 9th and 11th SN. A second-winter at Wilnecotelandfill on November 27th ARD.

Iceland Gull Larus glaucoidesScarce winter visitor.Warks The usual pale adult was seen on a total of 26 dates in the roost at Draycoteduring the period January 1st-March 13th, and was joined by a second adult onJanuary 8th-9th and a second-winter bird on February 11th JFCJ et al. After returningannually for eight winters it unfortunately didn’t make a ninth.Worcs A first-winter bird was discovered on the sailing lake at Lower Moor onJanuary 12th RAP et al. and this same individual was seen flying over Bredon’sHardwick later that afternoon GHP.Staffs Sightings only came from the three main reservoir roosts starting with athird-winter bird seen at Belvide on January 4th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 15th, 16th, 19th, 20thand into February on the 9th, 11th and 14th SN et al. A third-winter bird was atChasewater on January 24th, February 12th and 13th PJ. A first-winter was atBlithfield on February 2nd MPR, and an adult in the roost on the 26th ESC. Duringthe second winter period reports only came from Belvide with an adult on November27th, 29th and December 1st, 2nd and 4th SN.W Mid On February 9th, a third-winter bird flew southwards over Oxley and waswatched shortly afterwards foraging on Dunstall Park GAC, KMC, AD. It roosted atBelvide Reservoir that evening and continued to roost there or at Chasewater for atleast the next five nights.

Kumleinʼs Gull Larus glaucoides kumleiniVery rare winter visitor (2/10)Worcs An adult was picked out amongst the roosting gulls at Westwood Pool onMarch 1st SMW et al. Unfortunately it only pre-roosted and departed before darknessfell. This record constitutes the first for Worcestershire ad the fourth for the Club’sarea; the last being at Draycote in 2001.

Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreusScarce winter visitor.Warks A first-summer bird was in the roost at Draycote from April 14th-16th JFCJet al., with a first-winter there on December 5th JFCJ, RCM.Staffs Reports only came from one of the main roost sites and few birds werereported. A first-winter was in the roost at Blithfield on January 1st MPR, ICW, MY,and a first-winter flew through Whitemoor Haye on March 9th, MJI, GJM. The onlyreport during the second winter period was of a third-winter at Blithfield onDecember 28th MPR, ESC, GJM.

Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinusFairly common winter visitor, scarce in summer. Rare breeding species.


Bredon’s Hardwick 13 6 2 2 2 2 2 – – – 1 –Throckmorton Tip 8 9 – – – – – 1 – 1 2 70Westwood Pool 15 5 – – – – – – – 1 1 40Belvide 2 – – – – – – – – 5 5 –

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J F M A M J J A S O N DBlithfield – 3 – – – – – – 1 2 – 2Chasewater 300 10 15 2 0 0 0 2 2 20 60 560Coldmeece 20 5 – – – – – – – – – 21

Warks The roost at Draycote was estimated to contain 100 on January 12th, withthis total reducing to 35 (mostly immature) by February 26th and to five on March12th. 350 were estimated there on December 30th. Birds were also present in theDosthill roost late in the year, with a peak of 33 on December 22nd. It was againregular on morning and evening winter flight lines over Fenny Compton, with maximaof 11 on January 18th and 26th, and ten on December 8th. Only very small numberswere seen at other sites.Worcs February, with 15 present on January 3rd, five on 8th and 9th, 15 on21st and singles on February 25th, 26th and 27th. Also away from the tabulatedlocalities, one was at Upton-upon-Severn Southern Ham on January 4th, three atLower Moor on 18th, one at Kinsham Lake on October 18th and one at Lower Mooron December 30th.Staffs Counts at untabulated sites consisted of three at Barton GP on January 5th,singles there and at Whitemoor Haye on December 14th, one at Rickerscote on 22ndand 21 at Drayton Basset Pits on the 30th.W Mid A third-winter bird dropped in to bathe at Marsh Lane NR on January 12thwith another noted on February 22nd and further unaged birds on March 16th andApril 12th. In Dunstall Park, eight were noted on January 19th (seven adults and afirst-winter), followed by singles on 21st and a first-winter between 25th and 27th,one on November 30th and three birds (two adults and a first-winter) on December27th. Two were at Sheepwash UP on January 26th. Small numbers were regularlyreported from Ryders Hayes Mere at Clayhanger throughout the winter period, birdsno doubt moving on to Chasewater to roost. The peak count was six on November12th. Eleven were in the Bartley Reservoir roost on December 19th while one flewover Smestow Valley on December 26th.

Kittiwake Rissa tridactylaUncommon passage migrant and storm-driven winter visitor.Warks After a decent set of records in 2002, a total of only three or four this yearcontinues the recent decline. These consisted of a badly oiled adult at Draycote onJanuary 1st, single adults at Lea Marston on March 5th and (possibly the same) atShustoke on 6th, and a sub-adult at Draycote on September 21st.Worcs A good year recorded, with the first sightings being adults at ThrockmortonTip on January 14th and 25th. Upper Bittell Reservoir held two adult on February 9th,an adult was at Throckmorton Tip on March 2nd, adults were found dead at Bredon’sHardwick on April 4th and 19th and adults were at Upper Bittell Reservoir on 17thand Bredon’s Hardwick and Lower Moor on 27th. A single juvenile was observed inAugust at Bredon’s Hardwick on the 9th and was later seen to roost at Gwen FinchWetland.Staffs An adult was at Blithfield on April 6th, then an adult and first-summer were there on 27th along with two at Belvide on the same day. One atBlithfield on June 27th, two adults there on August 23rd, a juvenile roosted atBranston GP on October 4th and 7th and finally a first-winter at Belvide onNovember 15th.

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Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensisUncommon passage migrant.Warks Spring passage produced a bird at Shustoke on April 14th, two at Draycoteon 15th-16th, and with another there on 28th. Two at Draycote on August 26th was theonly return record.Worcs One was seen over the sailing lake at Upton Warren on June 19th DW andthere were two briefly at Kinsham Lake on August 17th RAP.Staffs Again few sightings totalling six individuals. Spring passage birds includedtwo at Drayton Bassett Pits on April 15th and one at Chasewater on May 16th. Autumnpassage consisted of two at Belvide on July 18th and one at Chasewater on August27th. W Mid Three adults at Marsh Lane NR on April 21st were a first for the reserve.These were followed by a phenomenal 11 birds, six adults and five juveniles, onSeptember 21st. The latter birds lingered, unusually for this species, all day. Two werein Sandwell Valley briefly on August 26th.

Common Tern Sterna hirundoFairly common passage migrant. Uncommon or frequent as a breeding species,mainly in the Tame and Trent valleys.Average dates: April 11th (19) to October 9th (19).The first birds arrived on April 13th at Bredon’s Hardwick and Kingsbury. The lastbirds were seen on October 14th at Westwood Pool and Upper Bittell Reservoir.


Draycote – – – 5 8 5 10 16 3 – – –Bittell Reservoir – – – 2 1 7 19 5 – 1 – –Bredon’s Hardwick – – – 1 4 2 2 5 – – –Grimley New Work – – – 1 2 4 7 5 1 – – –Upton Warren – – – 6 4 6 11 13 2 – – –Westwood Pool – – – 1 3 4 4 6 1 2 – –Alrewas – – 3 2 – – – – – – – –Barton GP – – – – 4 4 21 9 – – – –Belvide – – – 1 4 8 11 5 2 – – –Blithfield – – – 7 10 12 24 40 – – – –Branston GP – – – – 1 16 9 – – – – –Branston WP – – – – 1 1 6 2 – – – –Chasewater – – – 7 8 4 8 4 1 1 – –Croxall GP – – – – 2 5 14 – – – – –Doxey – – – – – – 3 4 2 – – –Elford GP – – – – 4 3 4 1 – – – –Tittesworth – – 2 – – 3 2 1 1 – – –Marsh Lane NR – – – 9 9 – 19 1 1 – – –Sandwell Valley – – – 1 2 2 4 2 – – – –

Warks A record 47 pairs nested at Canal Pool, Kingsbury, with at least 95 pulliringed there, but fresh clutches were still appearing in early July per RC. This successwas due to habitat management on the islands, following a disastrous breedingseason last year when the vegetation was left unchecked. Up to five (further) pairsnested on the adjacent Cliff Pool, but the lack of vegetation control caused the eggsto be abandoned. About 11 pairs bred at Brandon, where there was a peak of 34adults on June 8th, while single pairs may also have nested at Coombe Abbey andWater Orton GP. Widely reported over the north of the county as usual during thesummer months, with parties of around 10-15 reported from Alvecote, Earlswood,

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Seeswood and Shustoke. Further south there were reports of up to six at AbbotsSalford and five at Wormleighton Res, with odd birds at Birdingbury, ComptonVerney, DMC Kineton, Grandborough, Napton Res and Ragley Park, mainly duringJune-July.Worcs Three pairs bred in the county, one at Bredon’s Hardwick reared a singlechick and two pairs at Upton Warren, one on the Moors Pool and the other on theFlash Pools fledged three. Away from the tabulated localities Kinsham Lake held twoon May 6th, four were at Arrow Valley Lake on 14th, singles at Gwen Finch Wetlandon 15th, June 11th, July 25th and August 2nd, Lower Moor on June 2nd, 9th, 12th and20th and Throckmorton Tip on June 28th, five on July 22nd, one on 25th and two onSeptember 5th.Staffs Breeding was confirmed at Newbold Quarry with 16 adults and threejuveniles on June 24th. Six at Aqualate on May 16th and 16 at Whitemoor Haye onAugust 17th were the only other notable counts, lower counts being received fromseven other sites.W Mid Three pairs attempted to breed at Marsh Lane NR, although all first broodswere lost to Moorhens and only a single youngster was fledged from subsequentbroods. One pair attempted to breed at Sheepwash UP but was sadly unsuccessful. Anadult and juvenile at Stubbers Green on July 28th. Eight were at Bartley Reservoir onApril 21st. One flew low over Smestow Valley on August 4th.

Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaeaFrequent passage migrant in highly variable numbers.Warks A rather sparse spring passage commenced with an early bird at DosthillLake on April 6th. Draycote then produced one on April 10th, 12 on 16th and six on28th. In the Tame Valley, Shustoke did rather well with nine on April 10th, one on18th, four on 28th and three on 29th; while there were two at Kingsbury on April 13th-14th and 18th, and at least three more at Dosthill on 27th, with the last bird there onMay 20th. Most return records came as usual from Draycote, where there was an adulton August 11th, an adult and juvenile on 25th, four on 26th, and single juveniles from27th-30th and on September 11th. The only other record concerned a late juvenile atKingsbury, which stayed from October 7th-16th.Worcs Spring passage birds observed at Upper Bittell Reservoir on April 4th and28th, two were at Bredon’s Hardwick on May 5th and another two at the latter site,plus one at Westwood Pool on 20th. Just a single autumn record, with one at WestwoodPool on August 28th.Staffs First to arrive was one at Blithfield on April 20th, followed by eight atDrayton Bassett Pits on the 21st and three at Chasewater on 25th. There were nofurther sightings until one at Belvide on May 20th, four at Chasewater on the 23rd,and a first-summer at Belvide on the same day. Autumn passage commenced with asingle adult at Blithfield on July 13th, and a juvenile there on August 25th. Singleadults were at Belvide on the 24th, 25th, 29th and 31st. The only September reportwas a juvenile at Westport on the 30th. A first-winter was at Chasewater on October4th. and singles on the 7th and 11th. Finally, a juvenile was at Belvide on the13th.

Common/Arctic TernWorcs Singles noted over Upton Warren on April 16th and Abberton on May 8th.

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Little Tern Sterna albifronsScarce passage migrant.Warks A single bird at Draycote on August 3rd RCM was the only record.Worcs A party of three was noted along the River Severn at Upton-upon-Severn onApril 16th RMCP and one was at Bredon’s Hardwick on May 5th GHP et al.Staffs Only three records this year; all of single birds. The first was at Chasewateron May 23rd, at Belvide on the 28th and Blithfield on September 1st.

Black Tern Chlidonias nigerFrequent passage migrant.Warks It was a very poor year by recent standards. Spring passage occurred muchearlier than usual with most passing in the third week of April, while return passagewas heaviest in the first week of August. Draycote had the best showing in spring withseven on April 15th, six on 16th, singles on 25th, 26th and 28th, two on May 1st andthen one on 2nd. In the Tame Valley, there were singles at Shustoke on April 15th, atKingsbury on 16th, three in the Dosthill/Kingsbury area from 18th-21st, and singlesagain at Shustoke on 20th and 24th. On return passage Draycote attracted ten onAugust 3rd, three on 5th, and up to 20 on 6th. Two were there on August 17th, withlater singles on September 11th, 22nd, and from 26th-28th. The last bird was atKingsbury on October 6th.Worcs A relatively poor spring passage recorded, but totals were better than in2002. The first bird arrived at Upton Warren on April 17th and was followed by othersat Upper Bittell Reservoir on the 18th and Bredon’s Hardwick on 19th. Singlesappeared at Bredon’s Hardwick and Upper Bittell Reservoir on 25th, a second bird atBredon’s Hardwick on 30th and ten at Westwood Pool on May 16th. Autumn passagecommenced with a juvenile at Upper Bittell Reservoir on August 17th, a juvenile atWestwood Pool from September 1st-6th was followed by 13 birds on 14th and threeadult and a juvenile were at Bredon’s Hardwick the same day.Staffs Good numbers both on both spring and autumn passage. Spring passagecommenced with one at Blithfield on April 14th, increasing to two the next day, oneat Chasewater on the 15th and 16th, three at Dosthill on the 18th, one again atBlithfield on the 24th, two at Belvide on the 25th and May 1st. One at Aqualate andtwo at Chasewater on May 16th, were followed by one at Barton GP and Branston GP,both on the 17th. Return passage included nine moulting adults and a juvenile atBlithfield on August 3rd, four at Tittesworth on the 5th, four at Belvide, three atBlithfield all the 6th, two at Pool Hall Fisheries on 7th, one at Blithfield on the 11th,four at Belvide on the12th, and a juvenile at Blithfield from August 30th to September1st. There were juveniles at Belvide, Blithfield and Drayton Bassett Pits all on the 5th,two at Blithfield from 6th to 7th, a juvenile at Tittesworth on the 12th, and finallyjuveniles at Blithfield on 12th, 14th, 22nd, 24th and 27th.

White-winged Black Tern Chlidonias leucopterusRare vagrant, usually in autumn (4/10).Warks A moulting adult was at Draycote on July 15th TB et al. Unfortunately thisbird has yet to be submitted to BBRC by the finder, but many people saw it during itsbrief visit and the identification has been confirmed by photographs. This was the12th county record within current boundaries, with exactly half of these coming fromDraycote.

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Little Auk Alle alleRare wind-blown winter vagrant (7/10).Warks During a strong north-easterly on October 23rd a bird landed on East MarshPool, Brandon MS, TS. After preening and bathing for a few minutes it flew off to thesouth-east, having been subjected to harassment from the resident gulls. There havebeen at least eight previous county records within present boundaries, the most recentat Stratford in November 1995.

Feral Pigeon Columba liviaVery common resident in urban areas.Warks Few records submitted, but these include a maximum count of 26 atBrandon on March 22nd (where present all year) and 25 at Kenilworth Castle on April29th.Worcs Reported as common in Worcester City Centre, but no other recordsreceived.Staffs No records of significance were received.W Mid 30 were counted off the Wolverhampton Ring Road on March 7th with 25present on April 5th. A number of small colonies nest on the artificial ‘cliff faces’ ofbuildings and bridges along and adjacent to the Smestow Valley.

Stock Dove Columba oenasVery common resident.Warks Four pairs used nest boxes this year at Brandon. In the south flocks wererelatively small compared with recently, with few of these exceeding 50. The largestcounts all occurred in November, with maxima of 100 at Fenny Compton on 15th, 85at Bishops Itchington on 19th and 100 at Tomlow on 28th. Counts in the north weretypically much smaller, with the best being 35 at Bramcote Mains on January 12th and55 at Ladywalk on October 1st.Worcs Five pairs bred at Tibberton and singing birds recorded at Abberton, DowlesBrook (three), Highwood, Pipers Hill Common (two) and Stoke Bliss during thebreeding season. The largest counts made during the year were of 70+ at Ryall Pits onMarch 15th, 45 at Ashmoor Common on May 1st, 31 at Lower Moor on June 7th, 24at Upton Warren on October 9th and 30 at Abberton on 19th. Smaller numbers alsoobserved at Huntsbridge, Malvern Link and Strensham.Staffs Reports of breeding birds came from Apedale CP, Chasewater and DoleyCommon. Significant numbers in the early part of the year include 15 at Dydon Woodon January 7th, 19 at Outwoods feeding on bean stubble on February 24th, 32 at BentLane on March 9th, 16 at Whitemoor Haye on the same day, 50 at Coldmeece Poolson the 23rd, 21 at Chasewater during May, and 25 at Apedale CP on July 24th includedjuveniles. During the later part of the year 60 were at Ellastone on October 30th, 70at Belvide on November 17th and 165 at Stockley Park in amongst sheep that werefeeding on roots. Reports of smaller number came from 22 other locations.W Mid Breeding season records came from Alder Coppice (in Sedgley), AshmoreLake, Brandwood End (five birds), Edgbaston Pool (two pairs), Fallings Park,Fibbersley, Ham Dingle, Hawne Park, Highters Heath, Marsh Lane NR, Mons Hill(seven territories on the CBC plot), Ocker Hill, Olton Mere, Shut End (in Gornal -wood), Smestow Valley and Warley Woods. A flock of 33 was counted on the ‘barleyfield’ in Smestow Valley on March 4th. Two were noted at Sheepwash UP on April27th and 60 were counted on a fallow field at Cornets End on several dates in July.

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There were 24 were at Dunstall Park on August 28th. 40 were noted over Siden HillWood adjacent to Marsh Lane NR on September 18th. Also reported from Knowle.

Wood Pigeon Columba palumbusAbundant resident and winter visitor.Warks Breeding records included 14 pairs in 62 ha of deciduous woodland atKingsbury Wood and 12 pairs on 70ha of farmland at Bridgetown, Stratford. Anextraordinary 829 recorded during the May count at DMC Kineton was more thantwice last year’s figure, but this may have been swelled by late staying winter visitors.This species was very abundant during January and early February, with some hugeconcentrations occurring. The largest was at Fenny Compton, where numbers peakedat an estimated 6000 on January 18th-19th. Also during this period there were flocksof up to 2000 at Farnborough, and over 1000 at Lower Radbourn, Hampton Lucy andWormleighton Res, with 1000 at Marton on March 1st. In the autumn, a large flockfeeding in stubble fields at Fenny Compton peaked at 2600 on November 15th, whilethere were 1300 at Hampton Lucy on December 16th and up to 1000 at both Brandonand Tomlow during the same two months. In the far north of the county roosts ofaround 800 were present at Alvecote and Bramcote Hall at both ends of the year.Worcs Tibberton held up to 25 pairs during the breeding season. The largest flocksrecorded in the first winter period were of 300 at Grafton Reservoir on January 25th,370 and 510 at Tibberton on February 4th and March 12th respectively and 300 atBesford on February 7th. Up to 16 were observed feeding on grain in a Malvern Linkgarden in February. During the second winter period 250 were at Westwood Pool onOctober 7th, 1000+ at Castlemorton Common and 305 at Tibberton on November 1st,80 over Happy Valley on 15th, 300 at Grimley Old Workings on 16th, 300 at Lineholton 27th, 565 at Tibberton on December 18th and 200 at Holt Prairies on 27th.Staffs No breeding records of note were received. The larger numbers seen duringthe first winter period included 350 at Handsacre on January 19th, 500 at Fosseway/Aldershawe area on February 15th, 200 at Aqualate on February 24th and 600 atBlithfield on March 23rd. A migration watch at Black Bank during the autumnproduced a good series of records with 230 on October 5th, 2210 heading south in atwo hour period on October 11th, 490 on the 24th, 525 on the 25th, 520 on November1st, 380 on the 9th and 530 on the 16th. In the second winter period records included2000 at Little Aston on cereal sown fields during September and October, 426 atBelvide on October 26th, 500 at Cuckoo Bank in October, 1000 feeding at ColdmeecePools on November 16th and 500 at Bent Lane on December 7th.W Mid Little useful breeding information was submitted. There were 16 territories onthe CBC plot on Mons Hill. At least 200 were in Dunstall Park on May 26th while 500in the Peddimore Farm area during October attracted several Peregrine Falcons. Approxi - mately 525 flew towards the north-east over Wightwick Fields in Smestow Valley onNovember 9th while 800 were roosting in Siden Hill Wood on November 16th.

Collared Dove Streptopelia decaoctoVery common resident.Warks Little information received. The largest flocks reported were of 32 in a cattleyard at a Milcote farm on January 18th and 34 in a farmhouse garden nearWormleighton Res on November 11th.Worcs 21 pairs were recorded in the Tibberton area during the breeding season, buttheir success believed to be poor. The only counts made were 20 at Bickley on January

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5th, 25 at Ryall Pits on September 7th, 32 at Tibberton on November 26th and 30 atUpper Rochford in December.Staffs A pair bred in the garden at Hawkshutts Farm Belvide, at least two pairs bredat Doley Common and a pair bred at Wergs. Twelve were at Kettlebrook Lake onJanuary 10th while up to 34 roosted in trees at Keele University on February 27th. Upto 24 were at Stafford from October to the year end with 16 at Aston-by-Stone duringOctober and ten in November and 13 at Weston Jones on December 25th.W Mid Four territories were counted on the CBC plot on Mons Hill. One pair wasnoted in the Marsh Lane NR area and breeding numbers were reported to be stablealong Smestow Valley.

Turtle Dove Streptopelia turturFrequent or fairly common summer visitor and passage migrant, mainly to thesouthern parts of Warks and Worcs.Average dates: April 27th (68) to September 25th (68).The first bird was seen at Upton Warren on April 23rd while the last was at GrimleyOld Workings on September 17th.Warks Four pairs were present this year in the Kingsbury/Middleton area, andbreeding was successful. Unfortunately there were no other reports of possiblebreeding in the north, and none at all were recorded at Brandon, where two territorieswere present in 2002. In contrast it was a much better year in the south of the county,with some sites holding territorial birds for the first time in several years. In theStretton-on-Fosse area, there were no fewer than 11 territories on 180ha of farmlandat Compton Scorpion and four more at Ditchford Frary. Six pairs bred in about 150haof farmland between Dunchurch and Woolscott, where there were just three in 2002.

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Turtle Dove, Ryall Pits (Andy Warr)

Two pairs bred at Bridgetown, with single pairs also probably doing so at Bearley,Meon Hill, Print Wood, Weston-on-Avon and Wolfhamcote. Singing males were alsoreported during the breeding season at: Abbots Salford, Broadwell, Calcutt,Charlecote, Chesterton, DMC Kineton, Draycote, Fenny Compton, Hodnell, LongMarston (four), Lower Radbourn, Marton, Milcote, Priors Marston, Salford Priors GP(two), Shipston-on-Stour, Snitterfield Bushes and Wormleighton Res (two).Worcs Another good year, with reported sightings up a little from 2002. Themajority of birds were present in the southern half of the county and breeding wasconfirmed at Bricklehampton (two juveniles), Grimley Old Workings (two juveniles)and Ryall Pits (five juveniles). During the breeding season also observed at BredonHill (two), Broadway (two), Brook Batch, Church Lench Pool, CoombegreenCommon, Fladbury, Golden Valley/Hollybed Common (three), Grimley area (four),Hinton-on-the-Green (two), Lower Moor (seven), Peasebrook Farm (four), Pine TreeCoppice, Sheriff’s Lench (five) and Strensham Lagoons. Other locality sightingsduring late April and early May, referred to spring passage migrants, with singles atUpton Warren on April 23rd, 24th and May 5th, Little Comberton on April 24th,Martin Hussingtree on May 2nd, Bredon’s Hardwick, Eckington and Honeybourne on5th, Burlish Top and Westwood Pool on the 9th. Reports in July and August came frommany of the above mentioned sites, plus Berrow, Broadway Gravel Pit, CastlemortonCommon, Evesham, Gwen Finch Wetland (four), Harvington, Holt, KempseyCommon, Martley, Throckmorton Tip (two), Tibberton, Wildmoor Tip and WyrePiddle. A few birds remained into September, with one at Ryall Pits on 3rd, four atGrimley Old Workings between 5th and 17th and one at Lower Moor on 7th.Staffs Few records were received indicating the continued decline of this species inthe county. The only report received in the spring was of a single bird at Stramshall onMay 24th. A failed breeding attempt occurred at Penkridge Banks, where two adultswere present from June 21st to 29th, the male was seen chasing a Jay on the 28th andan empty nest and no adults on the 29th. No breeding records were received from thetraditional site at Drayton Bassett but a juvenile was present there on September 15th.Elsewhere single birds in July were at Swineholes Wood on the 2nd and Belvide onthe 22nd; the first record there for four years. A very late report of a bird came fromEtching Hill on November 25th.W Mid One flew through Marsh Lane NR on May 20th with one noted adjacent tothe railway here on May 25th.

Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameriScarce feral visitor which has bred.Warks Reports of single birds near Furnace End on January 13th AKB, JL, atLadywalk (a female) on March 13th SLC, and at Maxstoke on 25th and again onAugust 19th RJK, possibly all referred to just one wandering individual. The onlyother record concerned a bird visiting a garden feeder on the edge of Newbold Quarry,Rugby, also on March 13th NW. W Mid One was in the Marston Green area between March 25th and April 12th. Apair was present in the Slade Road area of Mere Green between September and theend of the year – however there were rumours that this pair had escaped from a nearbyaviary. One was reported from Dartmouth Park adjacent to Sandwell Valley onDecember 15th.

2002 AddendumWarks A single bird was seen at Newbold Comyn on December 5th JR, VR.

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Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorusFairly common, but declining, summer visitor.Average dates: April 12th (67) to September 6th (68).The first arrived at Castle Morton Common on April 2nd with records beingwidespread from the 12th. The last birds were seen on August 16th at Blithfield and17th at Sandwell – much earlier than the average departure date.Warks Another poor season, and probably continuing to decline. At DMC Kineton,only 12 were recorded on the annual May count, compared to 16 in 2002 and 21 in2000. The best multiple counts of calling males included three at Fenny Compton,Priors Hardwick and Radway; four at Brandon, Kingsbury and Wormleighton Res;and at least five around Stretton-on-Fosse. The only breeding record submittedinvolved a young bird fed by Dunnocks at Marton on June 23rd. Also of interest wasa partly hepatic female with rufous head and breast at Walcote End on June 4th JJB.Perhaps significantly there were no records of any flying juveniles during late summerthis year, and the last report was of a late adult at Wormleighton Res on July 31st.Worcs Numbers continue to decrease in the county, with slightly fewer singingmales heard than in last year. Reported from 31 localities, with juveniles observed atGwen Finch wetland and Lower Moor in July. The only sites which held more thansingle birds were Dowles Brook (two), Shernal Green (two), Upton Warren (two),Welland (three) and along the canal between Blackpole and Hanbury Wharf (two).Staffs First noted at Brewood on the early date of April 11th. There was a smallinflux on the 17th, with singles at Belvide, Oldacre Valley, the Stepping Stones,Dunston Heath and two at Highgate Common. These were followed by two atAqualate on April 20th with records of singles to the end of the month from ApedaleCP, Belvide, Blithfield, Branston WP, Sherbrook Valley, Chasewater, Drayton Bassett,Kinsford CP, Mottey Meadows and Weston Jones. In May noted at 25 localities, (cf.13 in 2001/2002), with two at Doley Common all month, three at Black Bank on the1st, five on Cannock Chase on the 9th, three at Belvide on the 14th, all other reportswere of single birds. Fewer reports during June and July, probably due to birds withdefined territories being less vocal, with reports coming from Black Bank, CannockChase, Goldsitch Moss, Knotbury, Swallow Moss, and Upper Fleet Green. No reportsbetween July 13th and August 15th, with the last record being of a juvenile atBlithfield on August 16th. W Mid Spring/calling birds were noted at Sandwell Valley on the very early date ofApril 3rd with another early bird at Sheepwash UP on April 6th followed by one on19th, Marsh Lane NR on April 18th (though not regular until May 3rd with up to twothereafter most days into June), Bartley Reservoir on May 4th and again in SandwellValley also on May 24th. Late birds were at Marsh Lane NR on July 8th and SandwellValley on August 17th.

Barn Owl Tyto albaFrequent, but much declined, resident.Warks Slowly expanding its range, with a total of 55 pairs estimated in thebreeding season (cf. 45-50 in 2002). Now well distributed in parts of the south, butstill scarce in the north and north-east of the county where there are more problemsfrom egg collectors and nest thieves.Worcs Very little breeding data received again this year. Successful breeding pairswere recorded at Abberley Hills, Lower Moor, Upper Arley and Woodcote Green,and probably bred at Timberhonger. Also recorded during the breeding season at

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Abberton, Broadway, Conderton, Larford, Rous Lench and Upton Warren. One founddead at Abberton on June 20th, was ringed as a nestling at Kingsdown in Somerset.Observations of single birds during the first winter period came from Aston Mill Pits,Bradley Green, Bredon’s Hardwick, Bredon’s Norton, Broadheath, Clifton Pits,Droitwich, Hanbury, Kinsham, Larford, Lower Moor, Naunton Beauchamp, RousLench, Throckmorton, Tibberton, Ullington, Upton Warren and Worcester. During theautumn and second winter period singles, unless otherwise stated, were observed atBewdley, Broughton, Crowle, Elmley Castle, Feckenham, Grimley, Hampton Lovett,Hanbury, Junction 2 of the M40, Little Comberton, Peopleton, Pinvin, Sheriff ’sLench, Smite, Stanford Bridge, Stock Wood, Stoulton, Throckmorton Airfield (two),Tibberton, Upper Bittell Reservoir, Upton Warren, Worcester and Wick.Staffs Records this year benefitedgreatly from the Staffordshire WildlifeTrust’s Barn Owl Survey and, as a result,the species was recorded in every monthand from some 55 sites across the county.These records are shown on the mapopposite. Despite this, breeding was onlyconfirmed for two of these sites; one, aprivate site in the middle of the countyreported that three young were raised,while at Caltonmoor young were seenbeing fed. There was one reported roost, atBradley. Reported sightings were generallyof single birds but at the private sitementioned above there were five. Therewere three at the Four Seasons Visitors’Centre while at Seighford Airfield twowere seen hunting together.W Mid One was noted on Smiths Laneoff Widney Manor Road in Solihull at 4.20am on January 21st by an alert postman! One flew over gardens by Newbridge playingfields in Smestow Valley at 7.20pm on February 1st. One was reported from SandwellValley in early February. One was seen at dusk at Marsh Lane NR on April 22nd and23rd. Birds hunted over Wightwick Fields in Smestow Valley at dusk from lateautumn: two or three were reported during October, but confirmed sightings includedone on October 26th, two from November 1st to 12th and one until November 24th.One was seen in Sandwell Valley on November 4th and 5th.

Little Owl Athene noctuaFairly common resident.Warks Very widely reported, indicating that this species continues to maintain itsstatus across much of the county. Confirmed or probable breeding pairs were located at:Avon Dassett, Bodymoor Heath, Bridgetown, Broadwell, Calcutt, DMC Kineton,Farnborough, Fenny Compton, Leek Wootton, Maxstoke Priory, Napton Res,Packington (at least four), Priors Hardwick (two), Radway, the Shuckburghs, Snowford,Stoneton, Stretton-on-Fosse (three), Wasperton, Weston Park and Willoughby (two).Worcs Counts of pairs on territory include two at Abberton, four at Tibberton andthree at Timberhonger. Reported as resident at Lower Moor while other records during

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the breeding season came from Aston Mill Pits, Bransford Court, CastlemortonCommon, Chaddesley, Churchill, Croomegreen Common, Droitwich, Grafton Flyford,Kempsey, Kinsham Lake, Mount Segg, Stock Green, Tanwood, Three CountiesShowground, Upton Warren, Wassell Grove Pools and Westmancote. Also reportedfrom 17 localities during the winter months.Staffs A pair bred at Belvide with up to two birds present throughout the year. AtPipe Green Lichfield an adult and two juveniles were reported in July and August withsingle birds seen there throughout the year. Present at Wergs from March to Septemberwith a juvenile and adult seen during June and July. Possible breeding at Bent Lane.Seen regularly during the year at Dunston Heath, Ingestre, Oulton Heath and on theRoaches. Elsewhere reports of occasional sightings, normally consisting of singlebirds except for four at Essington Quarry Pool on January 12th, came from 29different sites.W Mid Breeding season records were received from Aldridge, Marsh Lane NR,Foxcote House Farm in Lutley Wedge, Sandwell Valley (believed to be around 5pairs), Smestow Valley area (an adult and juvenile were noted near Wightwick Fieldson August 16th with one calling here on October 26th – though believed to have bredjust over the county boundary in Staffordshire) and the Wiggins Hill/Wishaw Lanearea of Minworth. One was at Minworth Greaves on September 12th. Also noted atFrankley Reservoir on November 2nd.

Tawny Owl Strix alucoFairly common resident.Warks Reported during the year from more than 40 sites, with confirmed orprobable breeding pairs at: Avon Dassett, Brandon, Bunkers Hill Wood (Dunchurch),Chessetts Wood, DMC Kineton, Earlswood, Farnborough Park, Hatton, Kenilworth,Kites Hardwick, Ladywalk, Long Compton, Radway, Shuckburgh Hills, SnitterfieldBushes, Stretton-on-Fosse, Weston Park, Whichford Wood and Wormleighton Res.Worcs Breeding was confirmed at the following localities; Abberton (three pairs),Coombegreen Common (pair), Grimley New Workings (pair), Hollywell (threejuveniles), Little Comberton (a pair raised four young), Spetchley (juvenile), St.Anne’s Well (pair) and Strensham Lagoons (juvenile). Reported from an addition 25localities, including three calling at Hunts End on January 23rd, three at Horsham onApril 17th, two calling on Castlemorton Common on May 4th and two at MalvernLink on September 23rd. One was found dead at Bishampton Vale Pool on January9th and two roadside corpses were found at Fish Hill in September.Staffs Two pairs bred at Apedale CP, one raising three young. Two pairs bred atBelvide, with one pair raising two young. One of the adults of the other pair died onApril 25th, and the next day two of the young were found drowned in a ditch. AtBishops Wood two adults and a juvenile were seen on May 8th, and a juvenile washeard calling at Seven Springs on June 15th. Three juveniles were heard calling fromdifferent areas of Doley Common on April 5th indicating possible breeding and atleast three were calling in the Anslow village area. A pair raised two young at Ingestreand at Little Wyrley two adults and two juveniles were noted on April 26th. AtSwynnerton Old Park five juveniles were heard in four separate areas and 13 birdswere reported on June 16th . One or two birds were seen at 25 other sites and a birdwas seen hunting in daylight at Copmere on May 21st.W Mid Noted in the breeding season in Bilston Cemetery (present all year),Bournville, at Earlswood (a young bird noted along Shutt Lane, on the West Midlands

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County side of the boundary in May), Ham Dingle, Harborne NR (young notedcalling), Harborne Parish Churchyard (two males and a female calling in March) andMons Hill. Noted in Sandwell Valley in January and February. Autumnal records camefrom Knowle, Sandwell Valley (up to two from early August into December),Smestow Valley (calling from trees adjacent to Newbridge playing fields on August14th, 15th, 22nd and 23rd and noted flying over gardens on 31st), Norton Lane inEarlswood on October 7th, Blackford Road in Solihull on October 28th and TillyardCroft in Selly Oak on November 19th.

Long-eared Owl Asio otusUncommon and rather erratic winter visitor and scarce resident.Warks Breeding was confirmed at a central site, when a juvenile still in down wasfound in a conifer wood on June 15th DD, RD. One was also reported from aconfidential site in the north of the county on April 20th, where breeding haspreviously occurred. The only other record was of a single bird mobbed by Magpiesat Draycote on August 31st RCM.Worcs One discovered at Castlemorton Common on March 15th MWCW, GHP,RAP, BS, AW, SMW, was probably one of a pair, found to be nesting in an old crow’snest on the upper levels of the Malvern Hills on April 21st RH et al. Two half-grownyoung were observed, but both were believed to have been predated. On May 31st, twoadults were trapped at a ringing station back at Castlemorton Common PH.Staffs One, possibly two pairs, bred on Cannock Chase with two juveniles seen inJune. Breeding was also confirmed at three other sites, details of which are beingwithheld because of the real threat of nest robbing. At Belvide single birds were seenfrom March to October, with two birds seen on several dates between October 26thand November 7th, with one remaining to the 20th. This was by far the best ever yearfor Belvide and with sightings in May and August may indicate breeding may havetaken place nearby. One at Chasewater during the first half of October was disturbedby heathland management work at the site while a bird roosted in a conifer at BlackBank early in November. Elsewhere single birds were recorded at Anslow, CoombesValley, Essington Quarry Pool, Hardiwick Woods, Upper Fleet Green, Wetley Moorand up to four birds were at Park Hall CP during the winter months.

Short-eared Owl Asio flammeusUncommon winter visitor in variable numbers. Scarce and erratic breeding species.Warks Birds were present at several sites on a regular basis early in the year,following a small influx late in 2002 triggered by high numbers of voles. At NaptonRes, one or two were seen regularly from January 1st-March 10th, with a maximumof four on February 24th. Up to three were still roosting in a plantation at Oxhillduring January 1st-5th, and two were seen at Draycote on 13th. Up to two hunted atBrandon from February 10th-March 27th, with one to April 24th. In the north of thecounty, there were singles at Kinwalsey on January 21st, Kingsbury on March 17th,at Coton and Lea Marston on April 10th-11th, and at Ladywalk on 18th. The onlyautumn records received concerned one at Old Milverton on September 24th, up totwo in the Dosthill area from November 4th-8th, and another reported from Marton inthe same month.Worcs A good year for this species by Worcestershire standards, starting with oneat Upper Bittell Reservoir on April 20th, one flew over Grimley New Workings onAugust 29th, one at Throckmorton Tip on October 3rd, two on Throckmorton Airfield

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from November 2nd-8th, then singles from 10th-15th and on 22nd. Finally one wasobserved on the eastern slopes of Bredon Hill and was often seen roosting in a smalllimestone quarry from December 7th-31st.Staffs In the early part of the year up to four were noted at Whitemoor Haye andup to three at adjoining Croxall, so interchanging probably took place. A single birdwas at Katyn Memorial on February 9th and at Chasewater on the north heath duringMarch. Passage birds were at Black Bank on April 16th and at Belvide on May 23rd.During the summer months birds were seen at Drystone Edge, Knotbury, OrchardCommon, Readyleech Green and Swallow Moss. At the back end of the year sightingsof single birds came from Chasewater, Doxey Marshes, Drayton Bassett Pits andSwallow Moss.W Mid Four birds were noted in the Clayhanger area on January 1st. One wasreported from Sandwell Valley on several days in January/February.

European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeusUncommon to frequent, but very local summer resident, mainly on Cannock Chase.Rare passage migrant.Average dates: May 17th (60) to August 24th (42).First arrival was seen on the Chase on the early date of May 4th; the last departing onAugust 26th.Staffs All the reports are from Cannock Chase. Early records in May include twoat Seven Springs on the 4th and at single Strawberry Hill on the 11th. The main influxstarted over the last five days of the month with two at Strawberry Hill on the 26thand three at Katyn Memorial from 29th to 31st. The total number of churring maleswas again 75; the same as in 2002. Other records from the Chase comprised three atthe Hanson Quarry on June 3rd, five in the Sherbrook Valley area on the 12th, threeat Badger Slade on the 14th, ten at the Rifle Range and five at Katyn Memorial on the15th. Birds were present at Pottal Pool and in the Sherbrook Valley during July. Thelast record was a single at Pottal Pool on August 26th.

Common Swift Apus apusCommon summer visitor and passage migrant.Average dates: April 24th (69) to September 27th (69).The first was seen at Draycote on the early date of April 18th with the last departingfrom Westport Lake on September 21st.Warks Another early spring arrival was evident, with the first being one at Draycoteon April 18th followed by 38 there on April 24th increasing to 50 on 25th, and then toa phenomenal 3000 on 30th. Up to 500 assembled here on other days during the firsthalf of May, with a maximum of 1300 on May 3rd. The Tame Valley also had somelarge assemblies during early May, with over 500 at Kingsbury on 1st, 800 at Shustokeon 2nd and 1000 again there on 5th. Later in the spring and early summer, countsincluded 340 at Brandon on May 13th, 500 at Ladywalk on 17th and 22nd, with 300 atthe latter site on June 8th and 200 at Bridgetown on 24th. On return passage, a veryheavy southerly movement was noted at a number of sites across the county on August3rd. The most notable count came from Brandon, where 800-1000 were estimated tohave moved through. Finally, a count of at least 50 at Draycote on August 29th was alarge one for so late in the season, and 20 were there on September 11th.Worcs Over 20 pairs bred in Grimley Village and believed to have bred atTibberton. Singles and small group began to arrive during late April, with the first at

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Westwood Pool on 20th. One was at Hoo Farm Industrial Estate on 22nd, three atUpton Warren on 23rd and 24th, then seven on 26th, singles were at Wilden on 23rd,Bredon’s Hardwick and Gwen Finch Wetland on 24th, Sugarloaf Hill on 25th, three atMalvern Link on 28th and one at Little Comberton on 30th. The only large springcount came from Upton Warren, with 300+ on May 17th. Very few birds remained inthe county by the beginning of September and the last sightings were of singles atBredon’s Hardwick and Malvern Link on 3rd, one at Wickhamford on 5th and three atUpton Warren on 6th.Staffs First of the year were seen at Stafford and Westport on April 23rd, followedthe next day by six at Barton GP, two at Blithfield, three at Branston WP and one atChasewater. A steady influx continued to the end of the month with 300 to 500 atBelvide on the 28th and 29th, 75 at Blithfield on the 28th, with 100 there on the 30th,and 300 at Chasewater being the highest counts. Numbers remained high into May atChasewater with a maximum of 500 meanwhile 400 were at Westport on the 13th, 500at Aqualate on the 16th, 1500 at Belvide on the 18th, and 200 at Gailey on the 20th.In the breeding season 12 were at Handsacre on May 25th, 200 at Westport on June4th, eight at Croxall NR on the 10th and 52 at Wergs on July 13th. Hot, sunny weatherappears to have assisted departing birds in August with 20 at Rickerscote on the 4th,singles at Doley Common on the 10th, and Aqualate on the 17th, two at Silverdale onthe 21st, one Stafford Common on the 30th and one at Tittesworth on the 31st. InSeptember six were at Chasewater on the 1st with singles at Doxey Marshes on the3rd, Whitemoor Haye on the 6th, Belvide on the 13th and four at Westport on the 21stbeing the last.W Mid Rather little quantitative breeding data received this year. Breeding sites inNewbridge, adjacent to the Smestow Valley, were occupied as usual though no countof numbers was made. Copulation was noted over Ashmore Lake. Largest flockscomprised in excess of 150 through Marsh Lane NR on the afternoon of April 29th,100 at Sheepwash UP on May 1st, 60 at Marsh Lane NR on May 4th, flocks of inexcess of 50 over Dunstall Park in May and 25 at Edgbaston Reservoir on May 10th.Also reported from Aldridge, Bartley Reservoir, Harborne NR, Selly Oak andStubbers Green.

Alpine Swift Apus melbaVery rare vagrant (3/10).Warks A bird was seen at Merevale on August 3rd SMH, GJM, during the strongsoutherly passage of Common Swifts mentioned above. This was the first acceptablecounty record and the seventh in the Club’s area; the last being at Cookley (Worcs) in1997.

Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthisFairly common resident.Warks Probable or confirmed breeding pairs were reported at: Alcester (RiverArrow), Alvecote, Barford, Brandon (at least two), Compton Verney, Coombe (two),Dosthill, Guy’s Cliffe, Kenilworth, Ladywalk, Lighthorne, Long Compton, Sherbourne,Snowford, Tidmington, Willoughby and Wormleighton. Other breeding season recordscame from: Abbots Salford, Bidford-on-Avon, Charlecote, Combrook, Ditchford Frary,Draycote, Edstone, Farnborough Park, Henley-in-Arden, Long Itchington, Napton,Nuneaton, Sawbridge, Southam, Wasperton and Wolfhamcote. It was also widelyrecorded at other times of year, with several reports of up to four birds together.

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Worcs Two breeding territories were held along a five-mile stretch of Dowles Brookand a nesting pair was reported on the River Avon at Fladbury. Singles or pairs werealso observed during the breeding season at Abberton, Beoleylade, Dunhampstead,Gwen Finch Wetland, Ham Bridge (River Teme), Harvington (River Avon), KingswoodCommon (River Teme), Kinsham Lake, Lower Moor, Powick Bridge (River Teme),Strensham Lagoons, Shernal Green and Upton Warren. Outside the breeding seasonalso observed at Bishampton Vale Pool, Blackstone (River Severn), Bredon’sHardwick, Castlemorton Common, Grimley Old Workings, Hanbury Wharf, Franche(Honey Brook), Oddingley, Wyre Piddle (Piddle Brook), Ryall Pits, Shrawley (RiverSevern), Throckmorton Lagoons, Tibberton, Trimpley Reservoir and Welland.Staffs The species was again widely reported throughout the county with up tothree birds noted at 51 different sites during the year. Breeding was confirmed orprobable only at Chasewater, Doxey Marshes and on the River Trent at Ingestre,although summer reports also came from Belvide, Copmere, Croxall GP, the RiverChurnet at Denstone Hall, Elford GP, Kings Bromley, from the River Dove atNorbury, and from Hockley Brook and the River Tean, both at Uttoxeter.W Mid Birds were recorded in the breeding season from along the River Blythe(thought to have bred in the Marsh Lane NR area), Bourn Brook (two territoriesestimated along the brook in the Harborne/Woodgate Valley area – check), Brand -wood End, along the River Cole (noted at Billesley and Yardley Wood), DaffydinglePool, New Town (along the Anglesey Branch canal), Sandwell Valley, Smestow Valley(breeding may have occurred along the Smestow Brook in the Wightwick Fields area),River Stour (noted at Stambermill on April 30th and Wollaston on June 9th) andSheepwash UP (noted feeding juveniles in June). One was noted on Parkes Hall Poolon April 2nd. One was on the pool in Woodbrooke College in Selly Oak on June 15th(close to Bourn Brook where two territories were established). Singles were reportedat Edgbaston Pool in July, The Leasowes on August 20th, Netherton Reservoir onFebruary 1st and Edgbaston Reservoir on September 9th. A pair was reported alongthe River Rea adjacent to Cannon Hill Park in December. Also reported from DunstallPark Lake.

Hoopoe Upupa epopsRare passage migrant, very rare in winter (7/10).

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Hoopoe, Hunnington (Andy Warr)

A slightly below average showing.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 7 7 10 9 6

Worcs A report of a bird at Hunnington on March 25th observer unknown, wasfound again in the same village a month later on April 24th per SMW et al. It was seenin at least three gardens until 30th.Staffs An adult bird at Croxall on May 12th ESC, JVH. First for the county since1996.

Wryneck Jynx torquillaScarce passage migrant. Last bred in 1941.By far the best period for twenty years.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 4 13 12 9 18

Warks Single birds frequentedgardens in Great Wolford onSeptember 1st-2nd ABe and inStratford-upon-Avon on 6th JBr.These two bring the total recordedin the county over the last twoyears to six which, consideringthat previous to 2002 only fourbirds had appeared in a decade, istruly remarkable.Worcs Two birds observed ingardens on autumn passage, thefirst at Woodcote Green onSeptember 1st AC, SC et al. andGrafton Flyford on 16th and 17thBD, et al.Staffs A bird seen briefly atWhitemoor Haye on October 15thBWS was an amazing sight and another, for garden bird watchers at Enville, was whena bird stunned itself on their window on September 20th and subsequently recovered,JB per GET.

Green Woodpecker Picus viridisFairly common resident.Warks At least six pairs bred in Fenny Compton parish, where the population hasdoubled since 1995. Otherwise it was very widely reported, with one to three breedingpairs reported from numerous localities. Of note was a bird at Wormleighton Res onMarch 16th which was clearly watched drumming for a few seconds on a willowbranch, an apparently rare or seldom observed activity in this species.Worcs A pair nested at North Comberton and reared two young, whilst atTibberton, four pairs attempted to breed, with at least two juveniles observed and anadult, with two juveniles were seen in a Malvern Link garden on July 19th. Alsoreported during the breeding season at Castlemorton Common, Croome LandscapePark, along the Dowles Brook and Hollywood. Reported as common along theMalvern Hills, throughout the year, including three in Happy Valley on May 19th,

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Wryneck, Grafton Flyford (Andy Warr)

four on Castlemorton Common on July 19th and eight in Happy Valley on August31st.Staffs At Apedale CP two pairs bred, one at Watermills Wood and the other atOrchard Bank. An adult and juvenile at Belvide on July 8th indicated probablebreeding nearby. An adult and juvenile were also at Brocton LNR on July 15th and atBlack Bank two adults and two juveniles were present on July 13th. At Chasewaterone pair bred with five pairs possible, also probably bred near to Doley Common andan adult with one juvenile was noted at Little Aston on June 24th. One or two birdswere reported from 28 locations during the year with multiple sightings on CannockChase, Croxall GP and Crumpwood.W Mid Breeding season records emanated from Bilston Cemetery, Edgbaston Pool,Harborne Hall, Harborne NR, Knowle, Marsh Lane NR, Mons Hill (one territory onthe CBC plot), Saltwells Wood, Sandwell Valley, Selly Oak, Selly Park, SmestowValley (at least two pairs), Solihull, Sutton Park, Wednesfield (along Steelpark Way)and Woodgate Valley. Outside of the breeding season, additional records came fromCuckoo’s Nook, Netherton Hill (three in October), Warley Woods and Wyken Slough.

Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos majorFairly common to common resident.Warks Six breeding pairs were located in Fenny Compton parish, while a total of12 on the DMC Kineton May count was two better than last years record count, andequal to the Green Woodpecker figure. Both records suggest that the populations ofthe two larger woodpeckers are now very similar, at least in the south-east. Three pairsbred in an area of less than 30ha of woodland and farmland at Bunker’s Hill,Dunchurch. There were also many more records of from one to three breeding pairsfrom localities across the county. A male was drumming in Oversley Wood onDecember 23rd, a very early date.Worcs Breeding pairs were reported from Abberton, Broadway Gravel Pit, DowlesBrook, Malvern Link, Stoke Bliss and Timberhonger. Drumming males heard fromlate January through to March at Trench Wood on January 26th, CastlemortonCommon on February 2nd, Chase End Hill on 8th, Broadway Gravel Pit on 24th,Malvern Link on March 11th and six in Chaddesley Wood on 16th. Outside thebreeding season, reported from many localities from across the county.Staffs Three pairs probably bred at Belvide with two juveniles being seen there onJune 4th. On Cannock Chase, in the Sherbrook Valley, adults were seen at a nest withyoung on May 31st, while at Chasewater three pairs probably bred, with one beingconfirmed. At Downs Bank a pair was feeding young on June 3rd. At Hints two pairswere drumming, while on the Manifold Way a bird was at a nest hole on June 8th andbreeding was probable at Pipe Green. Bred for the first time at Westport. One or twobirds were noted at over 50 localities throughout the county.W Mid Recorded in the breeding season from Alder Coppice (in Sedgley), BarrCommon, Bilston Cemetery, Brownhills Common, Coalbournbrook (check), DunstallPark, Edgbaston Pool (two pairs), Fibbersley NR, Haden Hill Park, Harborne, HomeFarm, Knowle, Lye, Marsh Lane NR area (at least two pairs), Mary Stevens Park,Mons Hill (two territories on the CBC plot), Oak Farm, Ocker Hill, Oldswinford,Olton Mere, Perry playing fields, Powke Lane Open Space, Saltwells Wood, SandwellValley, Sedgley, Sheepwash UP (not thought to have bred on site but in adjacent park,and adult and two juveniles were noted in June), Smestow Valley, Stambermill, WarleyWoods, Warstock, Woodgate Valley and Wychbury Hill. Additional records from

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outside of the breeding season came from Dorridge (visiting a garden feeder) and OldWalsall Airport in Aldridge.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minorFrequent to fairly common resident.Warks Probable or confirmed breeding pairs were located at Avon Dassett, CoombeAbbey, Farnborough Park, Grandborough, Meon Hill and Snowford. Other records,includ ing many of birds in the breeding season, came from: Alvecote, Barford,Brandon, Charlecote, Chesterton, Combrook, Coton, Crackley Woods, Draycote,Fenny Compton, Hampton Lucy, Ilmington Downs, Kenilworth, Ladywalk, NaptonHill, Packington, Radway, Ryton Wood, Shustoke, Southam, Stoneythorpe Park,Whichford Wood and Wormleighton Res.Worcs Successful breeding pairs were reported from Hanley Swan, Old Storridgeand Wassell Grove, plus a drumming male was heard in Chaddesley Wood on March16th and at Stoke Bliss during the breeding season. Up to three territories were heldalong the Dowles Brook and other observations were made at Lodge Hill Farm onMarch 1st, Clent Hills on 18th, Westwood Pool on 19th, 23rd and 27th, Grimley on23rd, three at Lodge Hill Farm on 26th, Eymore Wood on 29th, Arrow Valley Lake on31st, three at Grimley on April 4th, then a single on 7th, Nunnery Wood on 10th, twoat Grimley and one along Kyre Brook on 12th, Far Forest on 13th and 25th andLangdale Wood on 20th. During the first winter period two were reported from alongthe River Severn at Grimley and one at Lower Bittell Reservoir on January 18th, threemales and a female were again at Grimley on 19th, one was at Upton Warren on 22nd,one at Grimley on February 1st and 3rd, one along Dry Mill Lane on 4th, a male atLenchford on 7th, a male at Westwood Pool on 21st and 22nd, two at Grimley on 22ndand one in a Tibberton Garden on 26th. Late summer and autumn sightings came fromUpper Bittell Reservoir on July 25th, Park Brook on 27th, Trimpley Reservoir onAugust 5th, Knowles Coppice (two) on 17th, Trench Wood on September 10th andUpton Warren on 11th. During the second winter period Grimley continued to attractedbirds on October 29th, November 1st, 13th, 23rd (two) and 30th (two). Singles were atUpton Warren on November 6th and 27th and Coldridge Wood on 12th.Staffs The only reports of breeding came from Levedale, where a pair was at a nesthole on May 22nd. Possible breeding was reported from Byrkley Park, Birch Woodand Brackenhurst where six birds were noted in total. Single birds were sighted atAlton Park Banks, Apedale CP, Aqualate, Baggeridge CP (three sightings), Barlaston,Belvide (six reports) Calwich, Cannock Chase, Coombes Valley, Copmere, Ingestre,Oulton Heath, Park Hall CP, Perton, Pipe Green, Rudyard, Tittesworth Wergs,Whitting ton SF and Wolseley Bridge. W Mid An adult female and juvenile were noted in Smestow Valley on June 23rdindicative of possible local breeding and were preceded by birds on February 16th and19th. At Marsh Lane NR, a male was noted on January 20th and 27th with anothermale recorded on March 22nd and an unsexed individual on September 20th. Singlebirds were seen in Dunstall Park on February 2nd, March 2nd and April 5th. A malewas noted at The Dingles in Billesley on February 26th. One at Edgbaston Pool onMarch 20th (a known breeding haunt). One at Ravenshaw Lane in Solihull on July 8th.One called in Smestow Valley on October 3rd.

Wood Lark Lullula arboreaResident until 1960s, then a rare visitor and now an uncommon, but increasingbreeding species (9/10).

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Worcs With the last record being in 1997, to have three individuals turn up in thecounty was exceptional. The first was observed at Wilden Marsh on September 30thRM and the second frequented stubble fields at Lutley Wedge in West Midlandscounty, but was seen to fly over the county border and into Worcestershire on October30th CRR et al. The final sighting came from the Worcester Royal Infirmarydemolition site on November 11th SJT.Staffs No Survey details this year but breeding numbers are felt not to havechanged since 2002. A male (singing) and female were seen on March 15th MT, anda male was singing at the same spot on March 29th NS. Elsewhere there was one atBishops Wood on May 5th and 11th SH but not afterwards.W Mid One frequented stubble fields at Lutley Wedge, but was seen to fly over thecounty border and into Worcestershire on October 30th CRR et al.

Sky Lark Alauda arvensisVery common, though much declined, resident, passage migrant and winter visitor.Warks Reported examples of farmland breeding density included 13 territories in70ha at Bridgetown, 23 in 180ha at Compton Scorpion, 22 in 100ha at Shipston-on-Stour and 26 in 300ha at Stretton-on-Fosse. The 74 reported on the DMC Kineton Maycensus was almost identical to last year’s figure of 73 suggesting that numbers havestabilized there. During the early months parties of up to 30 or so were wide spread, butas with last year there were no really large flocks reported. Maxima included 42 ingrassland by Whichford Wood on January 5th, 44 in set-aside at Marlcliff on 9th and70 at Wasperton on March 4th. In the Fenny Compton-Wormleighton area the firstautumn migrants noted were 26 moving west on September 20th. Later counts ofoverhead migrants in this area included maxima of 215 south in two hours onSeptember 27th, 125 south-east in ninety minutes on October 3rd, 300 south-west intwo hours on 11th, and 220 south-west in ninety minutes on 21st, with passagecontinuing until November 8th. Autumn and early winter feeding flocks includedmaxima of 150 at Wasperton on October 9th, 150 at Ilmington Downs on 15th, 75 atPriors Hardwick on 20th, 100 at Wormleighton Res on 24th, 185 at Fenny Compton onNovember 1st, and 60 at Brailes on December 2nd. Most of these were in stubble fields.Worcs Eleven pairs are believed to have bred in the Tibberton area and three pairson Worcestershire Beacon. Singing males were also recorded at CastlemortonCommon, Caunsall, Clifton Pits, Hollybed Common and Ryall Pits. Only small flockswere observed during the first winter period, with 40 at Lower Moor on January 3rd,Ryall Pits held 35 on 4th, Abberton 22 on 5th, Defford Airfield 20 on February 1stand Ryall 15 on 15th. Groups no more than five also seen at Castlemorton Common,Hollybed Common and on North Hill. 20 at Chaddesley Corbett on June 19th and 12at Churchill on July 22nd were the only post-breeding parties reported. Numbersbegan to increase by September, with 50+ over Worcestershire Beacon/North Hill on7th, 22 and 31 at Tibberton on 23rd and 26th respectively and 50 on Bredon Hill on29th. Numbers on Bredon Hill had increased to 150+ on October 5th, and werefollowed by 80 on 9th, 100 on 24th, 60 on 26th and 40 on November 6th. Other countsreported during the second winter period were of 40 at Sheriff’s Lench on October4th, 50+ at Bishampton Vale Pool on 11th, 20 at Westwood Park on 15th, 20+ atAbberton on 16th and 23rd, 32 at Tibberton on 17th and 15 at Grimley New Workingson 26th. In November Bishampton Vale Pool held 80 and Castlemorton Common sixon 1st, the latter site held 10 on 2nd, 20 were at Lower Moor on 12th, 55 at Stoke Blisson 14th, 40+ at Cofton Richards Farm on 15th, 20 at Westwood Park on 17th and 42

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at Tibberton on 23rd. Up to 120 were observed in a set-aside field at Lower BittellReservoir in December, 40 at Lower Moor on 2nd and 48 at Tibberton on 8th.Staffs At Apedale CP the first birds were in song flight on January 21st. AtBateswood 24 territories were located on a CBC plot during April, three/four pairswere at Belvide while many birds were present during the breeding season at BlackBank. Singing birds noted at Blithfield, Butterton Moor and Cuckoo Bank (30 birdspresent in March) indicates possible breeding. At Doxey Marshes seven pairs bred andbreeding was confirmed at Chasewater, Knotbury, Lymedale Park Silverdale Colliery,Whitemoor Haye and Bent Lane. Singing birds and possible breeders were noted at 36other sites. During the first-winter period 37 were at Denstone Hall on January 4th,25 at Apedale CP in January, ten at Whitemoor Hay on the 11th and in February, 30were at Wrottesley Hall on the 9th, ten at Preston Vale Farm on the 11th, 35 atWhitemoor Haye on the 22nd and 20 at Sandyway on the 8th had fallen to a singlebird by the 17th. During the autumn 52 passed over Silverdale Colliery on September26th, 40 were around the causeway at Blithfield on the 29th, 50 at Belvide duringOctober, 15 at Silverdale Colliery on the 20th, 22 at Doxey Marshes on the 27th while36 at Keele University on the 23rd had increased to 50 by November 16th. InDecember 22 were counted at Apedale CP on the 14th, 12 were at Chasewater and 120at Bent Lane on a stubble field on the 31st.W Mid Singing birds were reported from Bowmans Harbour (three pairs),Brownhills Common, Catshill (at least two), Clayhanger (‘many pairs’), Coombes -wood, Dunstall Park/Smestow Valley (believed to relate to a single passage bird),Lutley (two), Marsh Lane NR area (at least two pairs), Netherton Hill, New Town,Pedmore (several), Rowley Regis Driving Range (four), Sandwell Valley, The Lunt (inDarlaston), Turners Hill and Wednesfield (one pair along Steelpark Way). Outside ofthe breeding season 36 were counted near Foxcote Pond in Lutley Wedge on January19th with 26 noted flying south-east on November 6th. At least 18 birds were seen inthe Smestow Valley area on February 22nd. Also reported from Sheepwash UP inJanuary and March. Little in the way of autumn movements noted or reported, thoughin Dunstall Park 28 birds flew over on October 3rd and 31 were noted on November30th. 50 were counted at Wiggins Hill on October 23rd.

Shore Lark Eremophila alpestrisRare passage migrant and winter visitor (5/10)Worcs Two frequented Upper Bittell Reservoir from October 29th-November 3rdGW et al. This is the sixth county record and the eighth and ninth birds, the last beingat Caunsall in 1996.

Sand Martin Riparia ripariaFairly common, though much declined, summer resident and passage migrant.Average dates: March 21st (68) to October 12th (68).First reported at Draycote on the early date of March 7th and last noted at both NaptonReservoir (six) and Westport Lake on October 2nd.Warks Our largest breeding colony at Salford Priors GP again consisted of at least150 pairs. In the banks of the River Tame, 30 pairs bred at Ladywalk, while there wasagain another smaller colony further downstream at Dosthill. The colony at LawfordHeath was said to be active, but there was no count of breeding pairs this year. Anotherearly spring arrival began with singles at Draycote on March 7th and Brandon on 8th,with small numbers daily at the main sites thereafter. There were fewer sizeable spring

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flocks than recently, probably due to the fine weather. The best were in the TameValley, where maxima included up to 250 at Kingsbury from March 28th-30th, and300 roosting at Ladywalk on April 1st. No more than 50 were seen at any one time atBrandon or Draycote, while a peak of 80 at Abbots Salford Pool on April 19thprobably involved birds from nearby Salford Priors GP. In contrast much largernumbers appeared on return passage than we have been used to in recent years, withmaxima of 200 over the Great Pool in Packington Park during heavy rain on July 25th,up to 200 at Kingsbury from August 24th-26th, an exceptional 1000 estimated atDraycote on 29th, and 70 at Napton Res on 30th. Passage petered out during the lastweek in September, with six at Napton Res on October 2nd being the last report.Worcs A total of 25 nesting pairs was recorded at Grimley New Workings, ten pairsat Lower Moor and 34 pairs at Ryall Pits. The first returning bird was observed atUpton Warren on March 8th, followed by singles, also at Upton Warren, plusWestwood Pool on 9th. Bredon’s Hardwick and Grimley New Workings held singlesand Kinsham Lake held three all on 11th, one was at Kinsham Lake on 12th, one atGrimley Old Workings on 14th, singles at Upton Warren on 17th and 18th, five atPowick Bridge, six at Westwood Pool and four at Wilden Lagoons on 20th and one atBredon’s Hardwick on 23rd. Numbers increased from the 24th, with 30+ at GrimleyNew Workings, 65 were at Upton Warren on 29th, 10 at Gwen Finch Wetland on 30th,50+ at Upton Warren on April 19th and 70 at Bittell Reservoir on 20th. No largecounts were received during the autumn, the only records being four over Tibbertonon August 25th and one at Kinsham Lake on September 22nd.Staffs The first of the year, a single bird at Dunston, on the early date of March11th, was closely followed by a another bird at Belvide on the 14th, three at Westporton the 15th, three at Blithfield and two at Tittesworth on 16th. From the 22nd to themonth end birds were noted at nine localities, with 20 to 30 at Branston WP and tenat Denstone Hall on the 26th, 62 at Belvide on the 28th, 30 at Newbold Quarry on the30th, 130 at Branston GP on the 31st and a maximum of 85 were at Chasewater.Flocks noted in April included 200 at Whitemoor Haye on the 13th and 250 there onthe 19th, while a maximum of 200 was at Chasewater with much lower numbers atBlithfield. the few reports of nesting colonies received, included 19 nesting holes onthe River Churnet at Denstone Hall on May 30th, 100 nesting holes on a farm atWhitmore in May with only one-third in use, 20 nesting holes on the River Dove atEllastone on June 28th and breeding was confirmed from Doveridge with 20 birds onJuly 8th while unknown numbers were at Newbold Quarry. Autumn flocks consistedof 50 at Chasewater during August, 250 at Tittesworth on the 29th and two at DoxeyMarshes on the 30th were the only August records submitted. A poor autumn passagewith singles at Tittesworth on September 3rd, Silverdale Colliery and Westport on the14th, Chasewater on the 23rd, Belvide on the 28th and an exceptionally late bird atWestport on October 2nd, which appeared with three House Martins, was the last forthe year.W Mid The largest reported spring flock comprised 50 at Marsh Lane NR in May.A total of 200 were at Marsh Lane NR on June 20th – presumably involving birdsfrom nearby breeding colonies (though no specific colony counts were received).Noted at Gorse Farm in Aldridge in early July (breeding has been reported from thisarea in the past). Approximately 20 were at New Town on July 5th. In autumn, 50 wereat Stubbers Green on August 18th and 80 at Marsh Lane NR on 19th. Spring migrants,10 or fewer, were reported from Dunstall Park, Netherton Reservoir, Sandwell Valley,Sheepwash UP, Smestow Valley and Wednesfield (one pair along Steelpark Way.

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Autumn migrants were reported from Dunstall Park, Netherton Reservoir, SandwellValley and Sheepwash UP.

Barn Swallow Hirundo rusticaVery common, though declined, summer resident and passage migrant.Average dates: April 1st (69) to November 5th (69).A very early bird was seen at Haughton on March 19th with next being two atLadywalk on March 27th with the last being one at Draycote on October 26th and avery late bird at Chasewater on November 30th.Warks An excellent breeding season was reported from Idlicote, where 17 pairsreared over 100 young in a stable block, many from second broods GM-K. Springarrival was rather later than in recent years, and apart from two at Ladywalk on March27th most sites did not have their first until around April 6th-8th. Spring passagepeaked during the last week of April, with maxima of 250 at Ladywalk on 26th, 200at Napton Res on 28th and 500 at Draycote on 30th. Post-breeding flocks includedpeaks of 250 at Fenny Compton on August 10th, 150 at Alvecote on 11th, 200 atKingsbury on 15th and 130 at Salford Priors GP on 31st, the latter feeding on flieshatching in a flooded onion field. Counts were generally higher from late August aspassage got under way. There were counts of 400 moving south at Wormleighton Resin two hours on August 27th and 450 feeding there on September 2nd, and animpressive 1000 at Draycote on August 29th. On September 5th, 600 moved south-east in ninety minutes at Lighthorne Quarry and 300 were at Charlecote GP on thesame day, with 250 at Radway on 9th. Up to 200 were also present at Idlicote duringthe first half of the month. On September 14th a general southerly movement wasnoted across the county, with 375 moving high over Brandon in two hours, 300 overWhitacre Heath, a steady passage through Kingsbury, and 350 moving south-west intwo hours at Priors Hardwick. Next day another 250 went south-west at LighthorneQuarry. Another large southerly movement occurred during the last few days of themonth, with 300 at Alvecote on September 26th, 160 through Fenny Compton on27th, 240 over Ilmington Downs in two hours on 29th and 185 through at Waspertonon 30th in thirty minutes. Smaller numbers continued to pass through the county dailyup to October 17th. The last bird was at Draycote on October 26th.Worcs The only breeding data received was of seven pairs at Tibberton and fromTimberhonger, where more nests were seen than in recent years. Upton Warren andWassell Grove Pool both hosted the first returning birds on April 4th and singles, otherthan stated were noted at Grimley New Workings, Shrawley, Upton Warren andWassell Grove Pool (two) all on 6th. There after, totals increased, with sightings frommany localities, the best counts being eight at Grimley New Workings on 9th, 12 atWestwood Pool on 10th, 25 at Bredon’s Hardwick, 30 at Lower Moor and 50+ atUpton Warren on 19th, 45 and 150 at Upper Bittell Reservoir on 20th and 25threspectively and Upton Warren held 200+ on 28th and 100+ on May 2nd. After thebreeding season 48 were at Little Comberton on August 23rd, 12 at Oddingley onSeptember 24th, three over North Hill, 11 at Tibberton and 200 at Timberhonger onOctober 2nd, one at Upton Warren on 6th, one at Broadway on 10th, singles atKinsham Lake, Lower Moor and Upton Warren on 15th, three at Broadway on 16thand finally seven over Castlemorton Common on 19th.Staffs A very early bird was seen at Haughton on March 19th but there were nofurther reports until six at Belvide on the 31st. The bulk of the Spring arrivals thencommenced with one at Abbots Bromley and Hyde Lea on April 2nd and 40 at

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Blithfield on the same day. One was seen at Doxey Marshes on the 8th, birds werenoted at Chasewater, Tittesworth (two) and Whitemoor Haye (10) all on the 9th,Swynnerton on the 11th, Coldmeece Pools (two) on the 12th, Baggeridge (two), DoleyCommon, Hazelstrine (three) and Norton Bridge on the 14th, Sugnall and HopwasHays Wood (two) on the 16th, Westport (150) on the 29th, and Brookleys Lake (40)on the 30th.. Spring flocks during May included 500 at Aqualate on 16th and 160 atDoxey Marshes on the 19th. Breeding birds were reported across the county. Noreports of any roosting flocks except from a site at Abbots Bromley where the birdsused a maize field, the maximum numbers being 500 during August. The only autumnflocks reported during August were 30 at Norton Bridge on the 9th and 50 atBlithfield on the 30th. During September counts of migrating birds included 150 atWaterfall on the 4th (reported as being twice as many as in 2002) and 50 there on the7th, 100 flew south through Doxey Marshes on the 12th and 14th, 772 were countedheading south in four hours on the morning of the 14th at Belvide, and 100 south atBlack Bank in two hours earlier in the day and 40 each at Denstone Hall, DoxeyMarshes and Swynnerton Old Hall all on the 21st. In mid-October reports came fromDoxey Marshes, Baggeridge, Keele University, Dunston Heath, Great Chatwell, DoleyCommon, Tittesworth, Belvide, Black Bank, Little Stoke, with the last of thedeparting birds at Branston GP and Belvide on the 22nd, three at Westport on the 23rdwith a very late bird at Chasewater on November 30th.W Mid Breeding occurred at Barr Beacon, Sandwell Valley and Stambermill. Birdswere reported on May 26th from Catshill and New Town. Spring passage birds werenoted in the Bartley/Frankley area, at Edgbaston Reservoir, Marsh Lane NR (50passed through on April 28th), Selly Oak and Sheepwash UP. Peak spring countscomprised 20 at Edgbaston Reservoir on April 26th and 50 at Sheepwash UP on May1st. Sixty counted in Sandwell Valley on June 6th may have included both localbreeding birds and passage migrants. Autumn passage birds were recorded from BarrBeacon, Dunstall Park (peak of 50 on September 14th), Marsh Lane NR (peakpassage was 65 through on September 21st), Netherton Reservoir, Selly Oak, Sheep -wash UP, Smestow Valley (60 were counted on September 26th) and Sutton Park. Thelargest autumn concentration consisted of 24 at Beacon Farm on Barr Beacon onAugust 23rd. Further reported from Stambermill and Wood Hayes on July 7th and13th respectively.

House Martin Delichon urbicumCommon to very common summer resident and passage migrant.Average dates: April 7th (69) to November 2nd (69).The first to arrive was seen on the early date of March 22nd at Belvide, followed byanother early bird at Gwen Finch on the 30th. The last bird was seen at Draycote onOctober 29th.Warks Another good-sized colony was reported this year, with at least 50 nestscounted at the Forest of Arden Hotel, Packington. There was an unusually late springarrival compared with recent years, with the main arrival not beginning until the thirdweek in April. There was an impressive gathering of 1000 at Draycote on April 30th,with counts of 250 at Napton Res and 130 at Abbots Salford also notable on May20th. Post breeding peaks included 400 at Fenny Compton on August 17th, 300 atKingsbury on 26th, 200 at Alvecote on 27th when 500 moved south at WormleightonRes in two hours, 430 at Lighthorne Quarry and 150 at Shustoke both on 28th, with500 at Draycote on 29th. During September, there were up to 250 at both Fenny

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Compton and Radway all month; with further flocks of 200 at Wormleighton Res on2nd, 500 at Ladywalk on 9th, 120 at Napton Hill on 19th, 135 at Ilmington on 20thand 200 at Hampton Lucy on 30th. 150 were still present at Radway on October 2nd,with small numbers passing daily through the county to 8th. The last autumn birdswere noted at Hartshill on October 25th, Brandon (two) on 26th and Draycote on29th.Worcs A total of 18 nests was recorded at Barnt Green, Tibberton held 13 pairs,five broods, raised 15 young on a single house at Timberhonger and a single nest wasnoted at Weatheroak Hill. Counts of 150 birds were regularly reported over the poolsat Upton Warren during the breeding season, suggesting a healthy local population.The first returning bird was at Gwen Finch Wetland on March 30th and the largestspring concentrations reported were of 50 at Bittell Reservoir on April 14th, 40+ atBredon’s Hardwick and 25 at Upton Warren on 19th, 100+ at Upton Warren on 28thand 50+ at Malvern Sewage Workings on May 4th. Autumn sightings included 19 and36 at Little Comberton on August 12th and 23rd respectively, 1000 hawking insectsover Bredon Hill on 25th, 50+ and 150+ over Happy Valley on September 14th and16th respectively and five at Oddingley on 24th. In October one was at Hanley Swanon 2nd and four at Little Comberton on 12th.Staffs First of the spring arrivals were singles at Doxey Marshes on March 22ndand Belvide on the 28th, followed by three there on the 30th, and ten at Tittesworth onthe 31st. Reports were then scarce until one at Westport on April 13th, four atBlithfield on the 14th, singles at Keele University and Levedale on the 17th andChasewater on the 19th, with 50 at Coldmeece Pools and ten at Whitemoor Haye bothon the 20th . Larger flocks of 80 at Westport and 250 at Belvide were being countedby the 29th. During May significant flocks reported included 60 at Norbury Bridge onMay 2nd, 30 at Little Stoke on the 10th, 200 at Westport on the 13th, with 300 on the16th, and over a 1000 passed through Aqualate during a major movement ofhirundines, swifts and terns on the 16th. The only breeding reports were at AltonTowers (six pairs), Denstone Hall (three nests), Ingestre, Keele University (nine pairs),Oulton Heath (two pairs) and at Bent Lane Whitmore (five pairs). Autumn gatheringsfirst appeared at Chasewater with a 100 on August 1st and 400 over Blithfield on the30th. Main passage flocks during September included 150 at Chasewater onSeptember 1st, 100 at Waterfall on the 4th with 150 there on the 7th, 130 at Westporton the 9th and 60 there on the 19th, 100 at Belvide on the 12th, 195 at Doxey Marshesand 20 Little Stoke on the 14th, nine Denstone Hall on the 17th, 20 Crumpwood 18th,and seven at Doxey Marshes on the 19th. The final departing birds were ten atDunston Heath and 20 at Stone on October 3rd, two at Copmere and one at Tittesworthon the 5th, two at Belvide on the 7th, one at Bateswood NR on the 8th and the last ofthe year were five at Westport on the 11th.An aberrant all brown bird first, seen at Westport Lake on August 23rd, was seenregularly until September 8th, its upper parts were a Sand Martin colour and it’s underparts dusky off white with a narrow band WJLW Mid Breeding colonies were reported from Brownhills, Dunstall Park/SmestowValley area, Sheepwash UP area, Stubbers Green (two or three nests on Walsall Road)and Warstock (five or six nests). 50 were at Sheepwash UP on May 2nd, 200 were overDunstall Park on September 18th and 256 moved south through Marsh Lane NR onSeptember 21st. Further reported from Bartley Green, Cannon Hill Park, Bournville,Cotteridge, Edgbaston Reservoir, Ladywood, Netherton Reservoir, Selly Park, SuttonColdfield and Woodgate Valley.

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Tree Pipit Anthus trivialisFairly common, though declining, summer resident and passage migrant, becomingincreasingly restricted to the north and west of the region.Average dates: April 8th (66) to September 23rd (64).The first bird arrived at Draycote on March 25th. A bird seen at Dunstall Park onOctober 2nd was followed by another on the late date of October 12th.Warks The first spring bird appeared at Draycote on the early date of March 25th.Subsequently there were single birds at Upper Kingston (in song) on April 12th, atDraycote again on 20th, Lighthorne Quarry on 21st and flying over Brandon on 27th.A good autumn passage occurred in and near the southern border hills, but wasstrangely not noticed elsewhere. After the first at Wormleighton Res on August 18th,singles were then noted at Lighthorne Quarry on 28th, Napton Hill on 30th, SalfordPriors GP on 31st, Fenny Compton on September 1st, Wormleighton Res again on 2ndand Priors Hardwick on 4th. After a short break, two flew over Ilmington Downs onSeptember 12th, there was one at Fenny Compton again on 13th, and two were atLighthorne Quarry on 15th. Worcs A few pairs were reported to have bred on the Malvern Hill and in the WyreForest, seven singing males were along the Dowles Brook on May 1st and six singingmales at Callow Hill on June 21st. The only other singing male was observed at PennyHill Quarry on July 10th. The first reports came from the Malvern Hills in East Valleyand Happy Valley on April 4th and other spring sighting were of one on Bredon Hillon 13th, one on Midsummer Hill on 14th, two at Lodge Hill Farm on May 5th, one atWassell Grove on 8th, one over Shernal Green on 23rd, one on Midsummer Hill on25th, two on Black Hill on 28th and one in Happy Valley on June 21st. A few autumnpassage birds were recorded, starting with one over Grimley New Workings on August16th. Singles flew over Abberton on 24th, Bishampton Vale Pool on 25th and two wereon Bredon Hill also on 25th. One was seen at Severn Valley County Park on 26th, oneat Grimley New Workings and Upton Warren on 30th, one on Hollybed Common andtwo on North Hill on September 7th and two flew over Hollybed Common on 24th.Staffs First of the year was at Blithfield on the April 15th, followed by five atHighgate Common on the 17th, two at Seven Springs 19th, and one heading north atBelvide on the 21st. A single bird was at Strawberry Hill on the 21st with 12 presentthe next day. Three were at the Stepping Stones on the 23rd and 18 were counted inthe north-east area of Cannock Chase on the 24th. Elsewhere four were at CoombesValley on the 27th. May records came from Revidge with one on May 1st andBishops Wood with three on the 5th. On Cannock Chase there were three at BroctonCoppice, one at Oldacre Valley and seven at Seven Springs, all on the10th, six malesin the upper Sherbrook Valley on the 15th. There was one at Hanchurch Woods onthe 25th and two at Swineholes Wood on the 28th. Reports of breeding birds awayfrom the Cannock Chase comprised three including two singing males at SwallowMoss on the June 4th, and a male at Gib Torr on the 8th. There were 14 at BlackHeath NR (Ipstones Edge) on July 2nd – the highest total away from Cannock Chase,a family party of three/four at Gun Hill on the 13th, and two at Swineholes on the26th. The start of the autumn passage included singles at the Wedgwood Monumenton August 4th and 10th-19th and at Blithfield from 9th-17th with three on the 24thand four on the 25th and one on the 30th. There were five at Mow Cop on the 24thand two on the 30th-31st, one at Westport heading south on the 29th and singles atChasewater on the 31st and Black Bank on the 29th and September 1st. One flewsouth at Swynnerton Old Park on September 16th, two south over Belvide on the

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20th and the last recorded was of one heading south in the early morning at BlackBank on the 27th.W Mid One was reported from Longmoor Valley in Sutton Park in early June – anarea traditionally associated with Meadow Pipit, Tree Pipits usually favouring theLittle Bracebridge area of Sutton Park. Singles were at Marsh Lane NR on April 3rd,in Sandwell Valley on April 29th and Sheepwash UP on May 1st. Autumn passagecomprised two flying south over Turner’s Hill on August 15th, two in Sandwell Valleyon August 24th, with one noted the following day, and a final bird on September 4th.One was in Smestow Valley on September 26th while single birds flew south-westover Dunstall Park on the very late dates of October 2nd and 12th.

Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensisCommon resident, though local in lowland districts. Widespread and common onpassage, fairly common in winter.Warks Breeding pairs were reported from: Baginton Airport, Brandon, DMCKineton, Gaydon Tip (five), Kingsbury Colliery spoil-heaps (two), Lighthorne Quarry(20, as in 2002), Stretton-on-Fosse (two) and Upper Kingston (two, in young forestry).Other breeding season records of singing males came from: Fenny Compton,Kingsbury WP, Lighthorne village, Priors Hardwick and Salford Priors GP. Winteringflocks during the first quarter included 20-40 at Bidford-on-Avon, Fenny Compton,Hodnell, Lighthorne Quarry, Napton Res, and Stratford Racecourse, with maxima of100 at DMC Kineton on January 2nd, 60 at Brandon on February 10th and 55 atWasperton on March 4th. Spring passage was heaviest during the second half ofMarch, with the larger counts including 60 at Priors Hardwick on 19th, 100 at NaptonRes on 26th and 100 at Salford Priors GP on 30th. At Fenny Compton, visiblemigration peaked at 90 moving north-west in forty-five minutes on March 24th, whileon 29th there was an exceptionally large flock of 220 in set-aside there. Numbers weremuch reduced by early April, with 85 at Fenny Compton again on 5th the best count,while a trickle of migrants continued to pass until almost the end of the month. Returnpassage on the southern hills began on August 30th when at least 22 moved south inthe Napton area, and there was strong passage on many dates from September 7th.Counts of passing migrants in the south, all over two hour periods in late morning(unless otherwise stated) included: 415 moving south-east over Ilmington Downs onSeptember 12th, 160 south-west at Priors Hardwick on 14th, 160 west at Worm -leighton Res on 16th, 165 south-west again there on 25th, 540 south over FennyCompton (in three hours) on 27th, 180 south at Ilmington Downs on 29th, 140 south-east (in 90 minutes) at Wormleighton Res on October 3rd and 140 south-west at FennyCompton on 11th. Generally, autumn passage appeared heavier than usual with somevery large grounded flocks noted, including 275 on the Dassett Hills between Burtonand Fenny Compton on September 17th, 300 at Salford Priors GP on 21st, 100 atLighthorne Quarry on 24th, 165 at Wasperton on 30th, and over 200 at Bramcote Hallon October 7th. Passage lasted into early November, with later wintering flocks ofaround 30-50 reported from Burton Dassett, Fenny Compton, Lighthorne Quarry,Napton Res and Stockton.Worcs Still reported as a quite common breeding species on the Malvern Hills andCommons. The only other breeding season record came from Bredon Hill, with twosinging males observed on May 28th. During the first winter period 14 were at RyallPits on January 4th, 14 at Lower Moor on February 14th, 30 at Bishampton Vale Poolon 21st, 27 and 53 at Tibberton on March 18th and 20th respectively, 50 at Grimley

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New Workings on April 1st and 15 at Ryall Pits on 11th. Flock sizes increased duringthe autumn and second winter period, the best counts being 40+ at Upton Warrenduring September, 30 at Bishampton Vale Pool on 11th, 70 and 100 on Bredon Hill on29th and October 4th respectively, 40 at Throckmorton Tip on September 30th, 60 atRyall Pits on October 4th and 30 on North hill on November 30th. Smaller groupswere also reported from Castlemorton Common, Grimley New Workings, GwenFinch Wetland, Hewell Grange, Tibberton and Upper Bittell Reservoir.Staffs Confirmation of breeding came from Apedale CP, Black Bank, Casey Bank,Doxey Marshes, Knotbury, Oliver Hill, Orchard Common, Silverdale Colliery andprobably breeding at Chasewater and Doley Common. Compared to 2002 morereports were received for the winter/spring flocks and these consisted of 40 at Belvideon January 5th, 14 at Wychnor Park on the 23rd, 30 at Doxey Marshes during Januaryincreased to 47 in February but dropped down to 33 in March and nine in April. Therewere 20 at Whitemoor Haye on February 15th and 16th, and 12 at Wetley Moor on20th while 80 were at Black Bank on March 5th, 56 at Rocester on 12th and 30 atLittle Stoke on 23rd. During April there were 200 at Blithfield and 80 at Belvide onApril 4th and 53 at Musden Low on 6th. Significant passage numbers in the autumnare summarised in the following table.

23/8 2/9 9/9 13/9 14/9 15/9 20/9 23/9 26/9 27/9Silverdale Colliery 70 110 120 220Black Bank – 70 90 200 340Blithfield 150 250 300Hanchurch Woods 288Wedgwood Monument 150Belvide 100Totals 70 110 120 70 150 90 908 200 100 640

In addition, there were 46 at Doxey Marshes during October, with 32 there inNovember and 35 during December. There were 40 at Apedale CP on October 14thand finally 50 at Blithfield on December 21st.W Mid During the breeding season, birds were reported from Bowmans Harbour,Clayhanger, Combeswood, Rowley Regis Driving range (adult with food), TurnersHill (singing), Steelpark Way in Wednesfield (four birds) and Sutton Park. Birds atShut End on April 7th and Fibbersley on April 18th may have been late spring passagebirds. Fairly regular on spring passage at Marsh Lane NR with 70 through on March21st. Peak late winter/spring count from Smestow Valley was 20 on March 28th.Thirty were still at Sheepwash UP on April 30th with one still present on May 1st,though likely to relate to migrants rather than breeding birds. Autumn passagecomprised 136 headed south over Marsh Lane NR on September 21st with 165 birdsheading southwards over Dunstall Park in two hours in the morning also of 21st.Further reports came from Netherton Hill and Sandwell Valley.

Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus Uncommon passage migrant and rare winter visitor.Warks In spring, up to two were recorded at Draycote on various dates betweenMarch 19th-31st, and one was at Kingsbury on March 23rd. On autumn passage,singles occurred at Draycote on September 23rd and 29th, and again on October 10th,15th and 24th. A calling bird flew south-west over Napton Hill on October 6th andthree were at nearby Napton Res on 16th. Finally, Brandon attracted single birds onOctober 12th, 30th and from November 12th-16th. Several of the October birdsappeared to show some characteristics of the Scandinavian race littoralis, and it may

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well prove in time that the majority of our passage migrants are actually of this race,as some observers have long suspected. Worcs A spring migrant bird, found at Wilden Marsh on March 22nd was anunusual record for the county. A good autumn passage was recorded, with UpperBittell Reservoir producing a run of birds, commencing with one on October 10th and13th, two on 14th, three on 16th and 17th and singles on November 1st and 3rd.Singles were also discovered at Grimley New Workings on October 12th andWestwood Pool on 13th and 14th.Staffs In the spring single birds were at Belvide on March 24th and at EssingtonQuarry Pool on the same day. First of the autumn birds were two at Blithfield onSeptember 27th followed by single birds on October 11th, 26th and November 16th.Single birds were also seen at Belvide on October 1st and 19th, and on November 1stand 2nd. At Chasewater a single occurred on September 29th and two on October16th, with one remaining until the following day. At Westport, a single bird was seenon a total of four dates between November 4th and 12th. One seen heading west overCrossplains on October 9th with a single bird there on December 31st.W Mid One at Marsh Lane NR on March 20th, with presumably the same bird alsorecorded on 22nd, was thought by some observers to relate to the Scandinavian racelittoralis. However, other experienced observers were not convinced. Singles atSheepwash UP on March 29th and October 3rd. One at Dunstall Park Lake on October16th, was seen briefly and heard calling before flying off southwards – this was thefirst record for the Smestow Valley.

Scandinavian Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus littoralisRare passage migrant (6/10).W Mid One at Marsh Lane NR on March 12th REH.

Water Pipit Anthus spinolettaScarce passage migrant and winter visitor.A slow recovery in numbers after the halving in numbers in the late 1990s.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 67 81 89 41 60

Average dates: October 27th (14) to April 19th (14).The first arrivals were one at Blithfield on October 11th and two at Ladywalk on the12th, two weeks earlier than average, while the last to depart was seen at Brandon onApril 19th.Warks No over-wintering birds were found in the Tame Valley during the earlymonths, but several appeared on spring passage. A bird in winter plumage was onfloodwater at Charlecote GP on March 4th, with probably the same bird again in partialbreeding plumage on 25th JJB. At more traditional sites there were two at Fisher’s MillGP on March 29th JKLA, and another at Brandon on April 19th JMR et al. The TameValley held most of the autumn birds, beginning with two at Ladywalk on October 12thPS. One was found at Fisher’s Mill GP on November 8th PDH, and possibly the samebird was at nearby Dosthill Lake from November 27th-December 31st ARD et al. Theonly other bird to be reported spent the afternoon feeding on the large expanse ofexposed mud at Wormleighton Res on October 30th JJB, the second for the site.Worcs One frequented the back channel at Gwen Finch Wetland on October 30thand 31st RAP et al.Staffs One at Blithfield from February 16th ESC, PDH, MPR was noted to moult

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into its summer plumage and was last seen on April 20th ESC, MPR et al. One was atWestport on March 18th WJL and another at Coldmeece on the 27th WGG. Winteringbirds were again at Blithfield from October 11th to the year end MPR et al. with twothere on November 2nd and three on the 3rd PDH. One was at Chasewater with twoRock Pipits on October 15th, 17th GW, 18th GE, and again on the 19th, and anotherat Belvide from October 30th-31st SN.W Mid One was present on the RSPB Marsh in Sandwell Valley between December13th and 18th PC, PMH.

Rock/Water PipitW Mid A bird not specifically identified was noted flying over Forge Mill Lake inSandwell Valley on March 23rd.

Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava Fairly common, but declining, summer resident and passage migrant.Average dates: April 3rd (67) to October 12th (67).Arrivals were on schedule with the first at Sandwell Valley on March 31st beingfollowed by singles at Brandon and Grimley New Workings on April 1st; the bulkarriving two weeks later. The last were seen at Attleborough Fields on October 11thand at Norbury Junction on the very late date of November 1st.Warks Again, well distributed on the eastern side of the county from Dunchurch southto about Tysoe, but in considerably reduced numbers at most sites. For instance, only aboutten pairs were located at Grandborough (cf. 24 in 2002) and 18 pairs at Fenny Compton(cf. 23 in 2002). Breeding success was noted as very poor at several sites. Elsewhere in thecounty a few pairs bred in the north at Birchmoor (two), Bramcote Hall, Lawford Heathand probably in the Kingsbury area; and others did so in the lower Avon valley at AbbotsSalford, and in the Stour valley at Willington. Passage counts remained generally low,particularly in the north, with the best in spring being 16 at Napton Res on April 19th andten at Draycote on 30th. The largest post-breeding flock at Fenny Compton was 20 onAugust 10th, while during the late morning of August 18th totals of 19 flew south overWormleighton Res and 12 south over Fenny Compton, both in thirty minute periods.Generally speaking, return passage in the south of the county was quite good during lateAugust and early September with many parties of up to a dozen noted. Only moderatenumbers occurred at Draycote however, with peaks of 20 on August 19th, 30 on 23rd, 20on 28th-29th and 14 on September 9th. By far the largest count of the year came fromSalford Priors GP, where at least 70 were seen leaving a reedbed roost early on August 31st.Worcs Breeding was recorded in potato crops at Kempsey, where a few pairs werenoted and around Ryall Pits, where five males and two females were seen on June 21stand 12 juveniles counted on August 3rd. Single birds were also observed at Chad -desley Corbett on June 19th and Ashmoor Common on 26th, two juveniles and oneadult were seen at Bredon‘s Hardwick on August 17th and two juveniles at GrimleyNew Workings on 21st. The first returning bird was reported from Grimley NewWorkings on April 1st and this locality produced the best spring passage for thecounty, up until early May. The best counts were of four on April 13th, six on 14th,eight on 15th, 12 on 16th, 16 on 17th and 18th, nine on 21st, 10 on 22nd, 16 on 28th,24 on May 1st and 23 on 2nd. Small numbers also passed through Bredon’s Hardwick,including six on April 14th, five on 15th, eight on 16th, 11 on 19th and 10 on 20th.Seven were seen at Grimley Old Workings on May 3rd and eight at Ryall Pits on 16th.Counts of no more than three were also made at Aston Somerville, Bredon Hill,

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Clifton Pits, Gwen Finch Wetland, Holt Prairies, Kinsham Lake, Lower Moor, UpperBittell Reservoir, Upton Warren and Wassell Grove Pool. Smaller numbers of autumnpassage birds recorded, including nine at Bredon’s Hardwick on August 6th and 24 on9th, five at Grimley New Workings on 12th and 22nd, eight on 26th, 13 on 27th, fiveon 30th and September 5th. Ryall Pits held eight on August 16th, 30 on 31st and fouron September 7th. Also observed at Gwen Finch Wetland, Kinsham Lake, LowerMoor, Stoke Bliss, Strensham Lagoons, Throckmorton Tip and Upton Warren. Thefinal bird was noted at Grimley New Workings on September 22nd.Staffs A single at Blithfield April 3rd was the first for the year. Records duringApril came from, Abbots Bromley (four) on the 14th, Aqualate (six) on the 20th,Belvide (six) on the 25th, Black Bank, Blithfield (20) on the 24th, Chasewater,Coldmeece Pools (ten) on the 20th, Doxey Marshes, Ingestre, Norton Bridge (twomales), Tittesworth and at Whitemoor Haye (20) on the 19th. Breeding records includetwo pairs at Coldmeece Pools and a pair at Denstone Hall on May 15th, a female andthree juveniles in July at Norton Bridge and three pairs with two juveniles atWhitmore, also in July. Adults were also present at four other localities in May andJune. In August there were 12 at Branston GPs and 15 at Whitemoor Haye on the 5th,five (all juveniles) at Thorneyfields Lane Stafford on the 20th, nine at Belvide on the21st, 12 at Whitemoor Haye on the 16th and 30th and 25 at Blithfield on the 31st.Smaller numbers were reported from several other sites during the month. Goodnumbers (for these days!) remained at Blithfield throughout September peaking at 20on the 10th and 15th. Elsewhere, two were at Drayton Bassett on the 11th, 14 atBelvide on the 14th, singles at Weston Jones on the 14th, Chasewater on the 17th,Doxey Marshes on the 19th and Belvide on the 25th. There were no reports duringOctober but a late bird was seen at Norbury Junction on November 1st.W Mid An early spring bird was in Sandwell Valley on March 31st followed bysingle migrants, unless stated, on April 20th, 26th (two), 30th and May 17th. At MarshLane NR, mainly singles were noted throughout April from the 11th with at least onemale and one female seen, with a pair subsequently seen into May, though not after25th, with copulation noted. At Catshill, at least four birds were present on May 26thand at least two birds, one of which was agitated, were present here on July 5th. Threewere at Clayhanger on April 13th and one flew over Dunstall Park on April 15th. Inthe autumn at Dunstall Park, one was seen on July 9th, followed in August by singlebirds noted on 14th and 15th, with two seen on 19th and one on 27th, whilstSeptember sightings involved one in flight on 1st and singles on 9th and 14th. AtMarsh Lane NR birds were noted on July 18th, August 17th, 19th (two) andSeptember 14th (three). One was at Sheepwash UP on August 25th.

Blue-headed Wagtail Motacilla flava flavaRare passage migrant, mainly in spring (9/10).Worcs A male GHP et al. and then a probable female SMW et al. were discoveredat Ryall Pits from June 14th. Surprisingly both paired with flavissima Yellow Wagtailsand not with each other and reared broods. The female type was last observed on July6th and the male on 11th. The only other record came from Grimley New Workings,with a male on May 1st and 2nd GHP et al.Staffs A female at Blithfield on April 22nd MPR. A male with a whitish chin andthroat sides, plus paler grey areas was photographed at Westport on April 29th WJL,JPM initially appeared to be a Blue-headed Wagtail but colour not quite right, also offwhite area under eye suggested bemma.

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Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinereaFairly common resident, passage migrant and winter visitor.Warks Pairs were proven breeding at: Alcester (River Arrow), Barford, Cherington,Coombe (two), Ditchford Friary, Earlswood, Farnborough Park, Fenny Compton,Grandborough, Haselor, Kenilworth, Kingswood (three in area), Ladywalk, LongItchington, Lowsonford, Packington, Shustoke (River Bourne) and Tidmington. Alsopresent in the breeding season at: Avon Dassett, Bermuda, Brandon, Compton Verney,Draycote, Guy’s Cliffe, Kingsbury, Leamington Spa Res, Salford Priors, Southam,Warwick Park, Wolfhamcote and Wormleighton Res. Up to four together were notedon passage and in winter at many sites, with parties of five at Ladywalk on September3rd and at Draycote on 12th.Worcs Five breeding territories were held along a five mile stretch of the DowlesBrook and a pair bred at Trimpley Reservoir. Singles and pairs also reported during thebreeding season at Beoleylade, Coldridge Wood, Diglis Lock, Grimley New Workings,Holt Fishing Pools, Kingswood Common, Kyre Pool, Lower Illey, Strensham Lagoons andUpton Warren. Winter sightings came from Abberton, Arrow Valley Lake, Castle mortonCommon, Coombegreen Common, Dowles Brook, Grimley New Workings, Gwen FinchWetland, Hanley Swan, Kinsham Lake, Lower Moor, Malvern Link, Pirton Pool, RyallPits, Shernal Green, Strensham, Throckmorton Tip, Tibberton and Upton Warren.Staffs Breeding, or probable breeding, records were received from Apedale CP,Doxey Marshes, Knotbury, Knypersley and Tittesworth Reservoir. Other reportsduring the breeding season came from Baswich, Bearda, Brookleys Lake, BroctonCoppice, Coldmeece Pools, Copmere, Crumpwood, Ford, Gradbach, Mill Dale,Norbury Bridge, Ousley Wood, Sugnall, and from Trentham Gardens. A further 43sites also reported birds during the year.W Mid Reported in the breeding season at Ham Dingle, Harborne (along the BournBrook), Marsh Lane NR (a pair in March and April but absent during May and mostof June), Olton Mere, along the River Stour (from Stambermill and Wollaston),Saltwells Wood (along the Black Brook), Sandwell Valley, Sheepwash UP (one pairraising two successful broods), Shut End (in Gornalwood), Smestow Valley (aminimum of one pair), Smethwick (along the Birmingham Canal), Waddens Brook(off Steelpark Way in Wednesfield) and Titford Pool. Further records outside of thebreeding season were received from Birmingham University (along the Bourn Brook),Dunstall Park, Goscote Valley (10 were counted on August 26th and had presumablybred in close proximity), Harborne NR, Hawne Park (along the River Stour), MarshLane NR and Netherton Reservoir.

Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba Common resident, summer resident, passage migrant and winter visitor.Warks Breeding was widely recorded, but with usually no more than one or twopairs at any one site. Among the better sized flocks recorded during the year, weremaxima in the first quarter of: 35 at DMC Kineton on January 2nd, 74 at MilcoteSTW on 18th, 60 at Draycote on March 11th, and 37 at Abbots Salford Pool on 16th.Post-breeding counts included 65 at Draycote on August 11th, 100 feeding on flieshatching in an onion field by Salford Priors GP on 31st, and 50 in Packington Park onSeptember 23rd. Roost counts were confined to the autumn and early winter, andincluded a peak of 60 in Fenny Compton on October 3rd, at least 200 at Sainsbury’sSuperstore in Leamington Spa on 25th, and over 100 at the NFU offices in Tiddingtonduring December.

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Worcs The only breeding data received was of five pairs on territory at Tibberton.Group counts were of 150+ roosting on the Severn Trent buildings at Strensham onJanuary 26th, 100+ at Bredon’s Hardwick on February 1st, 60 at the Three CountiesShowground on 9th, 30 at Ryall Pits on 16th, followed by 23 on March 13th and 30at Clifton Pits on April 6th. Upper Bittell Reservoir held 15 on July 28th andNovember 3rd, 11 were at Hollybed Common on September 6th, 113 at Abberton onOctober 12th and 13 at Kinsham Lake on 31st.Staffs Bred widely across the county but no survey data received. In January up to1000 were roosting in Newcastle-under-Lyme town centre while 20 were at MapleHayes on February 17th, 25 at Apedale on March 13th and 18 were at WhitemoorHaye on April 19th. Significant numbers during the autumn and winter periodincluded 150 at Tittesworth on August 6th, 124 at Belvide on September 3rd (wherethe low water levels were to their liking), 61 on the sports field at Keele University onthe 14th, 30 at Rudyard on October 5th, 70 in a newly seeded field at Bent Lane onNovember 16th and 45 in Tad Bay at Blithfield on the 29th. The roost site inNewcastle-under-Lyme again held good numbers of birds during Decembercommencing with 1100 on December 5th, peaking at an incredible 1300 on the 9th,1150 on the 18th and finally 750 on the 31st.W Mid Rather little in the way of breeding information received though one pairbred at Dunstall Park, up to two pairs bred in the vicinity of Marsh Lane NR, one pairbred at Highters Heath, pair(s) bred in Smestow Valley and a family party was notedat Sneyd Reservoir. A superb spring passage was reported from Marsh Lane NR withmore than 20 on most days during March with in excess of 60 on 21st. Post-breedinggatherings were reported from Dunstall Park car parks with a peak of around 350 onthe evening of October 13th – these birds headed south presumably to roost inWolverhampton city centre. Thirty-five were at Marsh Lane NR on October 17th. Alsoreported from Netherton Hill.

White Wagtail Motacilla alba albaUncommon passage migrant, mainly in spring.Warks Another below average year began well with an early passage at Draycotefrom March 17th-26th, with a peak of six there on 22nd-23rd. It soon fizzled outhowever, and the only April records referred mainly to single birds. These wererecorded at Brandon on April 13th, 21st and 27th; at Birchmoor, where a male stayedfrom 15th-29th; Haunch Lane flood on 22nd; Alvecote on 23rd; at Shustoke, with twoon 29th; and finally, Kingsbury on May 1st. On return passage singles were identifiedat Kingsbury on September 13th DB and Draycote on 29th CHP.Worcs A moderate spring passage was recorded, commencing with a single atWilden Lagoons on March 14th. Lower Moor held a male on 16th, one was atTibberton on 18th, a male at Grimley New Workings on 21st and Bredon‘s Hardwickon 23rd. Sightings increased during April, with Grimley New Workings holding twoon 1st and followed by singles on 2nd, 9th, 10th, 13th-16th, 19th, 21st and 24th.Kinsham Lake held singles on 1st, 13th and 18th, Wilden Lagoons on 4th, 9th, 10th,16th and 17th, then three on 21st and two on 22nd. Singles were at Bredon’s Hardwickon 19th, 20th, 23rd and 24th and one at Upton Warren on 24th. In May one was atGrimley New Workings on 2nd, one at Bredon’s Hardwick on 3rd and two at PowickBridge on 11th. A single autumn record came from Grimley New Workings, with amale on August 30th SMW.Staffs The first bird, a male, arrived early at Doxey on March 16th, with another

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on 23rd. At Blithfield a male was present on 21st with presumably the same bird on23rd. In April, a male at Doxey on 7th was followed by three at Blithfield on 8th, threeat Whitemoor Haye on 12th, a female at Blithfield on 14th, Tittesworth on 16th,Branston GP on 17th, Coldmeece, Tittesworth and three at Whitemoor Haye on 20th,two at Tittesworth on 21st, two at Blithfield on 22nd, a pair at Belvide on 24th, two atBlithfield on 27th with one on 28th, two at Drayton Bassett pits on 28th and two atBelvide on 30th. In May, one was seen at Belvide on 1st, Tittesworth on 3rd-6th, threeat Whitemoor Haye and four at Blithfield on 4th, one at Blithfield on 5th and 11th andone at Drayton Bassett on 29th.W Mid One was in Sandwell Valley on April 4th while at Marsh Lane NR, singlesunless otherwise stated, were noted on April 5th, 17th, April 21st, 28th and May 2nd(two). Meanwhile, one was at Dunstall Park on April 13th.

Waxwing Bombycilla garrulusErratic, and usually rare winter visitor, but occasionally numerous in invasion years(6/10).Warks There was a small but very welcome influx into the county during the latewinter period. The first bird was seen at Attleborough Fields on January 9th beforebeing relocated nearby on the edge of Nuneaton GC from 10th-12th NDBC, RED etal. A party of seven spent the morning in a roadside Sorbus tree in Wellesbourne onFebruary 1st NP, while possibly a different group of up to seven proved very popularwith their many admirers in Studleyfrom at least February 25th-March4th many observers. During the sameperiod a party of nine was seenin Stock ingford on February 26thNDBC. At the end of the year, therewere two in Bilton, Rugby onDecember 27th, with one still presenton 28th many observers.Worcs A maximum of five wereseen in Kidderminster in the area ofAggborough Crescent, Kestrel Closeand Ludlow Road from January 10th-12th SMW et al. and seven in a NorthMalvern Garden on February 17thFM during the first winter period.Two individuals observed during thesecond winter period, at BarnardsGreen on December 18th MR andalong Deansway, Broms grove on22nd RH. Staffs A good year with birds present in the county from early January through toApril, with the majority of the sightings in the north of the county. Eight at BranstonGolf Course on January 12th ESC, LRH, LJB, had increased to 15 by the 18th, andwere last seen there on February 1st LRH, LJB et al. One was seen feeding on anornamental Crab Apple Malus at Little Stoke on January 12th DWE, SME. Anotherwas at Weeping Cross Surgery on January 26th AGJ, ADG and possibly the same birdin Stafford on the same day FCG. A flock of 17 seen in Longton Hall Road (Longton)

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Waxwing, Longton (Nick Smith)

on February 4th had increased to 23 by the 16th WJL, NS , 21 by the 24th AGJ and 23on March 2nd NS. One at Dartmouth Avenue (Newcastle) on February 7th WJL,increased to two on the 8th and 9th WJL, LRH, LJB, AGJ. One was on Cannock Chaseat the Rifle Range on February 8th LRH, LJB. One at Basford Park Road (Newcastle)– a favourite site – on March 3rd WJL, NS, had increased to 15 by the 8th WJL, LRH,LJB, NS, to 16 on the 9th, to 18 on the 12th, 23 on the 14th, and 16 on the 19th WJL,AGJ, NS. Meanwhile nine were in Newcastle Town Centre on March 28th LRH, LJB,and 31st WJL, five on April 1st-2nd NS WJL and finally four from the 4th-7th werethe last of the year LRH, LJB, NS. The only reports at the end of the year were of 18at Chesterton on December 5th WJL and one at Etruria on the 12th NS.W Mid One was in the Cradley Road/Saltwells Road area of Netherton betweenJanuary 20th and 29th ADT while 11 were at Fens Pools on January 29th KMC. Fivebirds were found in the Farndale estate, Wolverhampton, on February 9th and were alsoseen from the adjacent Dunstall Park – the first record for the Smestow Valley GAC,KMC, HK. A sixth bird arrived on 20th, an unconfirmed 20 were reported on 21st with17 counted from 22nd to 24th and 15 seen for the last time on 25th GAC, KMC, HK.One was at Great Bridge between February 12th and 18th HK, REH. Two were atSheepwash UP on April 4th MJ. One was briefly seen on Darby’s Hill in Tividale onDecember 9th ICW. At least five were noted in Norton on December 19th KMC.

Dipper Cinclus cinclusFrequent resident in north Staffs and north-west Worcs. Rare elsewhere.Worcs Reported along the Dowles Brook throughout the year, with three breedingterritories held along a five mile stretch. The only other sighting came from along theRiver Teme at Kingswood Common on January 16th.Staffs At Beresford Dale a bird was carrying moss on March 26th, at Knar a pairbred under a bridge and on the River Dove a pair was seen with three newly fledgedyoung on July 14th. Four birds were at Cotton Dell on February 5th, two on the Millstream at Ellastone on April 24th also two on the weir at Norbury on November 17thwith two also on the River Churnet at Tittesworth on February 2nd. Single birds werereported from Danebridge, Dovedale Gradbach, Knypersley, Manifold Valley,Okeover Mill, Ousley Wood, Pethills, Toad Hole Bridge at Calwich and at WolfescoteDale where, according to the Water Bailiff, numbers were down.

Wren Troglodytes troglodytesAbundant resident.Warks No real changes in status noted. Counts of breeding territories includedeight in 70ha of farmland at Bridgetown, 76 in 300ha of farmland at Stretton-on-Fosse, and 28 in 62 ha of deciduous woodland at Kingsbury Wood.Worcs A total of 47 singing males was counted on Castlemorton and HollybedCommons and 45 pairs were noted in Tibberton during the breeding season (cf. 33 in2001 and 38 in 2002).Staffs The only significant breeding data received came from Doxey Marsheswhere 45 pairs bred. Up to 28 were noted at Penn Common on March 13th, 19 atBelvide on April 26th, 16 at Cannock Chase on May 29th and 12 at Baggeridge CPon April 30th.W Mid 47 territories were counted on the Mons Hill CBC plot. At Marsh Lane NRfive birds were reported in song. The breeding population was reported to be ‘stable’along the Smestow Valley.

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Dunnock Prunella modularisAbundant resident.Warks There were 36 territories in 180ha of farmland at Compton Scorpion andseven in 70ha of farmland at Bridgetown. A total of 45 logged on the May count atDMC Kineton (cf. 43 in 2000) was marginally the highest since it began in 1987.Worcs Tibberton held 37 pairs during the breeding season.Staffs Breeding was recorded at Bateswood NR where four territories werelocated, at least four pairs nested on Doley Common, 16 pairs bred at Doxey Marshesand juveniles were seen at Tittesworth during May. Elsewhere during the winter periodbirds were noted at Aston by Stone, (six), Belvide (eight), Chapel Chorlton (six),Croxall GP (five), Pye Green (one) and Tittesworth.W Mid Eleven territories were counted on the Mons Hill CBC plot. At Marsh LaneNR at least four birds were reported in song. The breeding population was reported tobe ‘stable’ along the Smestow Valley.

Robin Erithacus rubeculaAbundant resident.Warks Counts of territories included seven in 70 ha of farmland at Bridgetown, 51in 300ha of farmland at Stretton-on-Fosse, and 29 in 62 ha of deciduous woodlandat Kingsbury Wood. Seventy-two on the DMC Kineton May census maintained a runof above average counts there since1999.Worcs Breeding season datareceived included 48 pairs atTibberton and 18 singing males onRaggedstone Hill.Staffs Breeding was confirmedat Acton Trussell where an adultand three juveniles were present onMay 8th, at least two pairs bred atDoley Common, 18 pairs at DoxeyMarshes, and there were nine singingmales at Jacksons Bank on March16th. Notable counts included 29 atPenn Common on March 13th, 11 atChapel Chorlton on the 29th, up to19 at Baggeridge CP on April 9th,ten at Park Farm (Trysull) on the 22nd, seven at Highgate Common on the 17th and14 at Doxey Marshes on September 12th.W Mid Thirty-six territories were counted on the Mons Hill CBC plot. At MarshLane NR at least five birds were reported in song. Breeding was reported fromHolland Park, Ocker Hill and Perry Park. The breeding population was reported to be‘stable’ along the Smestow Valley.

Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchosUncommon and declining summer resident, increasingly confined to the southernparts of Warks and Worcs.Average dates: April 22nd (68) to August 1st (20).The first arrival was at Stretton-on-Fosse on April 15th followed by singles at Lang -

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Robin (Dave Taylor)

dale Wood and Strensham Mill on the 23rd. The last record came from Strensham Millon July 13thWarks Five singing at DMC Kineton was the best total here since 1997. In contrastit appeared to be a poor year in the other core area around Stretton-on-Fosse, with justone singing at Far Longdon and a negative report from Ditchford Gorse. However adeliberate search for them in that area was not undertaken, and there may still be a fewundetected pairs. Other recent sites were unchecked.Worcs Singing males returned to the three traditional breeding localities atLangdale Wood (two), Dutty Coppice at Drakes Broughton (two) and Strensham Milland Lagoons (three) and probably bred successfully. Singing males also reported fromPeasebrook Farm from April 25th-June 14th, Gullet Quarry on April 29th, NorthLittleton from May 1st-26th and along a disused railway at Broadway on May 31st.

Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochrurosScarce summer resident, passage migrant and winter visitor.Warks A female along Faraday Avenue at Hams Hall SLC et al., and then by theriver hide at Ladywalk JVHo on January 12th, was presumably attempting to over-winter in the area. Otherwise there were four records of migrants; in Baxterley fromMarch 20th-27th per JJB, at Attleborough Fields on May 12th NDBC, and at Draycoteon October 19th and November 5th RCM.Worcs Spring passage birds were reported at Wharfdale Crescent, Droitwich wherea first-winter male was present from March 21st-24th DW et al. and a female in ChatValley, Malvern Hills on the morning of March 23rd MWCW et al. was joined by asecond female by late afternoon AW, BS and a single remained the following morningSMW. There were two autumn records; at Hollybed Common on September 6thMWCW and Ryall Southern Pit on 7th SMW et al.Staffs An immature/ female showed well at Belvide from January 9th to 18th SNet al., this was the first record for this site for 17 years. At Blithfield there was afemale on March 23rd ESC, WJL, MPR.W Mid One pair was confirmed to have bred at a Birmingham City Centre location.In addition, a pair was present in a traditional nesting locality during the breedingseason and two other males (a sub-adult and an adult male) were noted nearby. A sub-adult bird was noted feeding on wasteland near Witton Railway Station in August PAC.Two were noted at the Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council Depot in Moat LaneSolihull on December 5th GF, DL and were still reported to be there at the end of theyear. Reporting of this charismatic species has become increasingly patchy over thelast 10 years.

Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurusA fairly common, though localised and much decreased, summer resident in Staffs andWorcs. Widespread on passage.Average dates: April 11th (67) to September 27th (66).The first bird was seen at Stonebridge on April 3rd with the last at Happy Valley onthe late date of October 24th.Warks An excellent year, with the first breeding evidence recorded in the countysince 1999. Two pairs reared young at Willoughby JJB, and up to three singing maleswere on Meon Hill throughout May and June REH, although no females wereobserved. Spring passage began with another early male, seen on the patio ofStonebridge GC on April 3rd. Further males appeared at Fenny Compton on April 12th

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and Brandon on 30th. In addition to the breeding records, there was an interestingsmatter of breeding season records. These consisted of single females at DMC Kinetonon May 18th and Wormleighton Res on June 15th, and single males at Flecknoe on July7th and Radway on 12th. Return passage was very good with at least 30 birds notedduring the period July 22nd-September 20th, all of singles apart from three males atFarnborough on July 30th, four at Wormleighton Res on August 27th and two at PriorsHardwick on September 4th. Others were noted at Alvecote, Charlecote GP, Draycote,Fenny Compton, Lighthorne Quarry and Napton Hill. Worcs Reported during the breeding season at a singing male was at LongdonMarsh on April 22nd, two singing males were at Aygnstree Wood on April 25th, a malewas seen at Hurcott Pool on May 27th, and five males were seen on Midsummer Hillon May 25th while Bredon Hill held a maximum of eight birds on June 10th and fourmales on 25th while up to six singing males were along the Dowles Brook. WaltonHill held birds throughout the summer, including a count of five on May 6th. Twojuveniles were seen at Nafford on July 12th and were probably birds hatched onBredon Hill and one was still present on 21st. Birds also reported at a few otherlocalities during June and July, suggesting possible breeding in these areas. LowerMoor held a male on June 19th and up to five birds were recorded in July. two birdswere seen at Abberton on June 29th and July 3rd and one near Castlemorton on July22nd. Spring passage birds were observed at Upton Warren, with one on April 13th,two on 14th and one on 30th, Lower Moor held singles on April 14th and 15th, BredonHill held three on 18th and 19th and singles were in Happy Valley on 22nd and May7th. Singles were also noted at Wassell Grove Pool on May 1st and Gullet Quarry on5th. Bredon Hill continued to produce birds during the late summer and autumn, withtwo on August 2nd, three on 7th, five on 8th, one on 20th, three on 30th, 12 onSeptember 4th, six on 9th and two on 13th. At Lower Moor up to six birds wererecorded in August, plus one on September 1st and 4th, two on 5th and one on 13th.At Grimley New Workings, sightings were made on many dates between July 9th andAugust 30th, including three on August 10th, while five were in Chat Valley onAugust 1st, then four on 31st. Other autumn sightings came from Abberton (two),Bevere Loch, Bredon’s Hardwick, Hollybed Common (three), Ken Orchard Meadow,Severn Valley County Park and Walton Hill (two). A very late individual, a female/immature type, was on Table Hill, The Malvern Hills, from October 19th-24th.Staffs Singles at Bateswood NR and Crumpwood on April 13th were the firstrecords of the year. These were quickly followed by sightings of singles at Cart Lowon the 15th, Coombes Valley on the 16th, two males at the Stepping Stones on the17th, four males and two females at Stanton Dale on the 18th, a female at Blithfieldon the 19th with a male and female on the 20th, a single at Penn Common on the 19th,one at Westport on the 20th, two males and a female at Tittesworth on the 24th and asingle bird at Rudyard Lake on the 27th. Other reports in April from Cannock Chasecame from Brocton Coppice, Punch Bowl (three males on the 18th), and SevenSprings where there were three males on the 19th. Reports during the breeding seasonincluded 22 singing/displaying males at Coombes Valley, two males and one femaleat Crumpwood, two males at Roaches Estate wood (Gradbach), two males in theManifold Valley, the German Cemetery, Punchbowl, Seven Springs and SteppingStones area of Cannock Chase, Dimmingsdale, Knar, Musden Wood, Rudyard,Swineholes Wood, Tittesworth, and Willow Farm (Uttoxeter). Late summer birdsincluded singles at Wedgwood Monument from July 12th to 22nd, Tittesworth on the24th, Blithfield and Doxey Marshes both on the 28th. August birds included singles

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at Wedgwood Monument on 2nd and the 24th, Blithfield from the 2nd to September6th, at Mow Cop from the 19th to 24th, Shenstone on the 22nd, Tittesworth on the24th, Stanton on the 30th and Belvide on the 30th and 31st. In September there twoat Belvide on the 11th and 12th with the last at Doxey Marshes on the 14th.W Mid A good run of spring migrants was reported from Sandwell Valleybeginning with one on April 15th followed by two on 16th, and singles on 18th andMay 13th. Elsewhere in spring, singles were at Saltwells LNR on April 26th andMarsh Lane NR on 28th. First of the autumn was in Sandwell Valley on July 21stfollowed by birds on nine dates up until the last two on September 14th (a peak ofthree birds on three dates). One at Clayhanger on August 5th. One in Smestow Valleyon September 2nd and 3rd.

Whinchat Saxicola rubetraUncommon or frequent, but much declined, summer resident, now mainly in northStaffs. Widespread on passage.Average dates: April 24th (67) to October 9th (63).An early bird was seen at Lower Bittell on April 14th and the last at Ladywalk on thelate date of October 26th.Warks Another good spring passage, with a total of 20 recorded at ten sites duringthe period April 20th-May 24th, with peaks of three at Lighthorne Quarry on April 30thand Brandon on May 7th. A bird at Draycote on the odd date of June 23rd was possiblyon return passage, although unusually there were no July records this year. Autumnpassage ran from August 13th-September 24th, and during this period at least 72 birdswere recorded from 12 sites. Outstanding among these was an exceptionalconcentration of 27 at Priors Hardwick on September 4th JJB, a county record. Thesebirds frequented the same area of rough pasture as did the 12 in September 2002 andthe site seems to be an important area for migrating chats. Only four were located hereon the next visit on September 14th. Elsewhere Brandon had up to five on August 27th-28th. A late bird was at Ladywalk on October 26th. Overall the year produced a totalof 94 birds at 17 sites, with the best accumulations of 35 at Priors Hardwick, 15 atBrandon, 11 at Lighthorne Quarry, and seven at both Birchmoor and Fenny Compton. Worcs Spring passage commenced with a male at Lower Bittell Reservoir on April17th while other singles were reported from Abberton on 24th, Wassell Grove Pools on28th, Upton Warren on 28th, 30th and May 1st and Ashmoor Common also on 1st.Three were at Upper Bittell Reservoir on 1st, one at Wassell Grove on 2nd and 3rd, HoltPrairies on 3rd, Bredon’s Hardwick on 4th, Bredon Hill on 8th and 11th, Grimley NewWorkings and Gwen Finch Wetland on 16th. Good numbers were recorded in theautumn, the best estimated totals being up to seven individuals on Bredon Hill betweenAugust 7th-September 31st, four at Bredon’s Hardwick between July 29th-September20th, at least seven at Grimley New Workings between August 10th-October 1st, six atGwen Finch Wetland between August 8th-September 14th, six at Hollybed Commonbetween August 13th-September 7th and nine at Lower Moor between July 21st-September 6th. One or two birds were seen at Throckmorton Tip between August 7th-September 14th and at Upton Warren between August 18th and September 21st. Onewas at Bishampton Vale Pool on August 24th, two at Whittington on 30th, three atKinsham Lake on September 3rd, followed by a single on 6th, one at Abberton on 14thand singles at Wilden Marsh on 24th, 30th, October 1st and two on 3rd.Staffs First were at Blithfield on April 18th and 19th and two females at Bobbing -ton on the 24th. There was a single bird on the 25th at Blithfield, three males on the

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27th with two remaining until the 30th, one at Apedale CP on the 28th and two malesat Belvide on the 30th. Spring passage birds continued with singles at Black Bank onMay 1st, Doxey Marshes and Belvide on the 3rd and Hill Ridware and Tittesworth onthe 4th. A pair were carrying food to a nest site at Knotbury on May 14th whereanother male was also seen. Four males were 100 metres apart at Readyleech Greenon May 18th where at least one pair bred and three males and a female were stillpresent in June. Autumn passage was marked by singles at Belvide on the August 7thand in the Sherbrook Valley on the 14th, as well as two at Blithfield, two at DoleyCommon on the 16th and at Waterfall on the 18th, singles at Belvide on the 19th,again at Blithfield from the 22nd to 29th, Black Bank on the 29th, a female at NortonBridge on the 30th with two at Blithfield from the 30th to September 1st. There weretwo males at Norton Bridge on September 3rd, singles at Abbots Bromley on the 7thand Coldmeece Pools on the 9th and two at Blithfield on the 14th and 15th while asingle there on the 20th was the last of the year.W Mid Spring passage brought two to Bowmans Harbour on April 24th, one atDunstall Park also on 24th, one in Goscote Valley on April 30th, one at Sheepwash UPon May 4th and one in Smestow Valley on May 16th. A good run of spring records inSandwell Valley began with one on April 25th and 26th, followed by birds on May 1st(two), 3rd, 4th, 18th, 25th (four) and 27th (four). In autumn, singles were at DunstallPark on August 14th, 24th and 25th, Berry Mound and Smestow Valley both onSeptember 6th and Goscote Valley on September 9th. Sandwell Valley again had amonopoly of autumnal records with two on August 29th, three on 30th, five onSeptember 3rd, one on 4th, two on 5th, one on 6th, two on 28th, and singles on 29thand October 14th.

Stonechat Saxicola torquatusUncommon resident, but frequent passage migrant and winter visitor.Warks During January-February, there were wintering birds at Brandon (three),Kingsbury (two), Lea Marston (one) and Lighthorne Quarry (one). Spring passageduring the period February 26th-March 31st was pretty good, with ones and twosrecorded at Brandon, Charlecote GP, Coleshill, Draycote, Farnborough, Fisher’s MillGP, Lighthorne Quarry, Poolfields and Wasperton, with a maximum of three at DMCKineton on 10th. Return passage began early with a juvenile at Alvecote on August15th, and a female and juvenile with migrating Whinchats at Priors Hardwick onSeptember 4th. The main passage was rather weak, with only about ten birds recordedduring the period September 14th-October 10th, with records coming from Alvecote,Brandon, Charlecote GP, Fenny Compton, Fisher’s Mill GP, Lighthorne Quarry,Packington Park and Priors Hardwick. During November-December there werewintering pairs at Alvecote, Brandon and Kingsbury.Worcs The population is still increasing in the county, especially during the wintermonths. Breeding pairs were recorded on Bredon Hill (pair reared two young), BritishCamp Reservoir (pair raised four young), Castlemorton Common (one pair), HappyValley/North Hill area (two or three pairs), Hollybed Common (a pair raised threeyoung) and Worcestershire Beacon (one pair). Reported in the autumn and both winterperiods from many localities, with the highest group counts being in the autumn andsecond winter period. These included five on Bredon Hill, six on CastlemortonCommon, eight on Hollybed Common, four at Gwen Finch Wetland, four at LowerMoor, three at Strensham Lagoons and three at Wilden Marsh. During the first winterperiod the best counts came from Holt Prairies, with three males on January 16th,

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three were at Gwen Finch Wetland on March 7th and four at Lower Moor from thestart of January-April 24th.Staffs Breeding was confirmed on Cannock Chase in the Sherbrook Valley withprobable breeding in the Katyn Memorial area where five birds seen there in late May.Reports from other areas of the Chase sites include two adults at Anson’s Bank andtwo adults and a juvenile in the Marquis Drive area on May 15th. One or two birdswere reported during the breeding season on the North Staffs Moors at Boarsgrove,Gun Hill, Knotbury and Swallow Moss. Widely reported during both winter periodswith sightings, mainly consisting of one or two birds, the exceptions to this beingthree at Whitemoor Haye on February 2nd, five at Hill Ridware on the 16th, while onthe same day, three on the Roaches regularly foraged in a field grazed by horses. Therewere five in the Sherbrook Valley on the 26th and six at Drayton Bassett Pits on March9th. There were seven at Cuckoo Bank in October with a bird remaining there untilthe year end, five at Wetley Moor on October 8th, three at Doxey Marshes on the 12th,two at Pipe Green (Lichfield) on October 21st (a first for that site) and three atBaswich on the River Sow Meadows on November 3rd. W Mid A juvenile in Sandwell Valley on the relatively early date of August 25thwas presumably an early returning migrant and not a locally bred bird. In the firstwinter period, the pair that arrived in Smestow Valley in December 2002 were presentuntil January 7th with the male lingering until February 21st, a pair were at BowmansHarbour throughout January and February, with a male in Goscote Valley throughoutJanuary until February 10th. At Marsh Lane NR, a pair was noted from January 1stuntil February 23rd with additional male(s) noted on January 26th, 27th and February2nd. The pair that was in Sandwell Valley in late December 2002 was presentthroughout the first winter period up until February 27th. A female was at BartleyReservoir on February 2nd, 9th and 26th. March migrants were in Sandwell Valley on10th (three) and Marsh Lane NR on March 12th, 13th (two) and 18th. What waspresumably a spring migrant was in Sandwell Valley on April 6th. In autumn, a malewas at Dunstall Park on September 28th with a female seen on October 3rd, a malewas in Smestow Valley on October 14th, and a female was at Bartley Reservoir onOctober 19th. The first returning birds in Sandwell Valley were noted on October 6th(two) with up to three birds subsequently noted until the end of the year. In the secondwinter period, two were in Goscote Valley on October 20th with only a male remainingthe following day and present to the end of the year. One returned to Marsh Lane NRon November 4th joined by a second bird on 6th with both birds remaining until theend of the year, though two males were noted on November 7th and 15th. A pair wasagain at Bowmans Harbour from November 13th to the year’s end.

Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe Frequent, but possibly declining, summer visitor, mainly to north Staffs. Fairlycommon and widespread on passage. One winter record.Average dates: March 20th (66) to October 19th (67).A early bird at Doxey on March 3rd was followed by one at Draycote on March 19th.The last bird was seen at Ladywalk on October 24th.Warks Up to 65 birds were noted on spring passage at 17 sites during the periodMarch 19th-May 19th. The best counts were of six or seven at Ladywalk on April 2nd,three at Attleborough Fields on 21st, ten at Priors Hardwick on 29th and four atDraycote on May 1st. The latter site was the best venue for this species with 20recorded. Return passage was better than average, with at least 70 birds at 17 sites

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during the period August 10th-September 27th. Maxima included three at Napton Hillon August 30th, three at Priors Hardwick on September 4th, five on the FennyCompton Hills on 5th and three at Ilmington Downs on 20th. Draycote (19) and FennyCompton (12) were the top sites during this period. After the main passage had endedthere was a late flourish of records in October, with singles at Draycote on 14th -15th,Ilmington Downs on 16th, Draycote again on 20th and finally Ladywalk on 24th.Worcs A pair bred successfully on Bredon Hill rearing one young and a pair alsoattempted to nested at British Camp, but the outcome is unknown. The first bird of theyear was seen on Worcestershire Beacon on March 9th and other March sightingscame from British Camp (four), Chat Valley (three), Churchill, Clent Hills, North Hill(three), Ryall Pits, Sugar Loaf Hill, Upton Warren, Wassell Grove (two) andWestwood Park. Totals increased from April – early May, with the best counts beingat Wassell Grove, with four on April 23rd, six on 30th, three on May 1st and four on3rd. Eight were on Clent Hill on April 12th, Bredon Hill held three on May 4th, fiveon 8th and three on 9th and Three were at Bredon’s Hardwick on 14th Singles or pairsalso reported from Ashmoor Common, Barnett Brook, Bishampton Vale Pool,Bredon’s Hardwick, Churchill, Grimley New Workings, Gwen Finch Wetland,Hollybed Common, Kinsham Lake, Lower Habberley, Newland Common, Ryall Pits,Throckmorton Tip, Upton Warren, Walton Hill and Westwood Pool. Bredon Hillproved to be the best locality for autumn passage birds, including seven on August25th, four on 30th, six on September 4th, five on 9th, four on 13th, five on 17th, fouron 27th, six on 29th and finally two on October 4th. Also recorded at Abberton,Barnett Brook, Bredon’s Hardwick (two), Broad Down, Fish Hill, Grimley NewWorkings (two), Hollybed Common, Kinsham Lake (three), North Hill, Ryall Pits,Sugar Loaf Hill (three), Throckmorton Tip (two), Upton Warren, Wassell Grove(three) and Worcestershire Beacon (two). Lower Moor held the final sighting, withtwo present on October 15th. Staffs First of the year were single males at Doxey Marshes on March 3rd and 14thand Belvide, also on the 14th. Further March records included two at Essington on the15th, two at Blithfield on the 21st, singles at Chasewater on the 23rd and EssingtonQuarry on the 24th, Croxden Quarry on the 26th, Apedale CP and Hazel Barrow onthe 28th, two at both Silverdale on the 30th and Coldmeece Pools on the 31st. In Aprilrecords were received from Abbots Bromley, Apedale CP, Baggeridge CP, BateswoodNR, Belvide (four) on the 30th, Blithfield (three) on the 13th, Coldmeece Pools, GunHill, Knotbury (four) on the 6th, Morridge, Musden Low, Tittesworth and Westportand at Wetley Moor. In the first half of May singles were noted at Black Bank on the1st, Abbots Bromley on the 2nd, Belvide and Boarsgrove (three) on the 4th, Ilam andMorridge (five) on the 4th, Silverdale on the 5th, Bent Lane Whitmore (four) on the6th, a female at Doxey Marshes on the 9th and two at the National MemorialArboretum on the 17th. Breeding records were received from Grindon and there werethree families between Knar and Reeve Edge Quarries on July 6th. At Knotbury a birdwas seen carrying food on May 25th with a male and two females there on June 8thand six birds there on August 31st. At Oliver Hill a female was collecting food on June16th. Autumn passage commenced with a bird at Blithfield on the August 2nd, two onthe 3rd, three at the Wedgwood Monument on the 7th, singles on the Weaver Hills onthe 8th, Round Knowl Farm on the 9th and Boarsgrove 15th. Two were at SilverdaleColliery on the 16th, two at Blithfield on the 25th with one remaining until the 27th,one at Tittesworth on the 25th, one at Drayton Bassett Pits on the 27th, single atChasewater on the 29th and Silverdale on the same day, two at Blithfield on the 30th

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and 31st, and six were at Knotbury on the 31st. In September records came fromChasewater on the 1st, Blithfield on ten dates with a maximum of four on the 7th,Boarsgrove on the 4th while at Belvide there was a single from the 5th to 11th, twofrom 21st to 28th, and single from the 29th to October 1st. At Mow Cop there werefive on the 7th, two on the Weaver Hills on the 11th, singles at Silverdale Colliery onthe 20th, at Ingestre on the 24th, and at Black Bank on the 28th. The last birds weresingles at Belvide and Blithfield on October 1st.W Mid Spring passage began with one at Marsh Lane NR on March 12th followedby two on 13th and 15th, one on 23rd, two on April 12th, and 21st and one on 25th.Birds were noted in Dunstall Park on March 27th (two), April 2nd, 4th, and 12th (two).One was in Sandwell Valley on April 3rd with six present on 12th, one on 29th andtwo on May 4th. Two were at Steelpark Way in Wednesfield on April 12th, two atClayhanger on 13th, four on Darby’s Hill on 15th, one at Sheepwash UP on May 4thand one in Compton Park also on May 4th. In autumn, birds were noted in SandwellValley on August 8th, 29th (four), September 2nd, 3rd (four) and 5th (two), at DunstallPark on August 16th, 24th, 25th and 28th, 29th (six), 31st, September 3rd and 21st.Singles were at Edgbaston Reservoir on August 29th (a rather unusual location),Bartley Reservoir on August 31st, Darby’s Hill and Compton Park both on September1st, Marsh Lane NR on September 9th and 27th and Wiggins Hill on September 12th.

Greenland Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe leucorrhoaRare or scarce passage migrant (7/10).Warks Spring passage produced a male at Priors Hardwick on April 29th JJB anda female at Napton Holt on May 19th JJB. Birds are less easily identified on returnpassage, but in September single birds believed to be of this race were seen atDraycote on 13th NPB and in Packington Park on 15th NPB.Worcs Bredon Hill held a male on May 4th SMW, a pair on 11th SMW, two on 14thRAP and one on 17th RAP.

Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatusScarce and declining, summer resident on the North Staffs Moors. Uncommonpassage migrant. Very rare in winter.Average dates: March 31st (47) to October 27th (41).The first birds were seen on March 17th on the Clent Hills and at Clayhanger with thelast being at Happy Valley on November 1st.Warks A male was found in a field by the country park at Draycote on April 11thPAJN, SCW et al. On return passage, a female was seen at Lighthorne Quarry onOctober 15th JJB.Worcs A good spring passage recorded, commenced with a pair on the easternslope of Clent Hill on March 17th. There were only two other March sightings; singlesat Chat Valley on 21st and Bredon Hill on 27th. During April, there was one at WassellGrove on 4th, two were on Clent Hill, two in Chat Valley and three in Happy Valleyon 5th, singles on Clent Hill and in Happy Valley on 6th and two and one at Wassellgrove on 8th and 9th respectively. Walton Hill attracted singles from 10th-12th, onewas on Worcestershire Beacon on 13th, one at Hagley Wood on 14th, three females atWassell Grove on 16th, one remaining until 19th and Bredon Hill produced six on18th and 19th. The Flashes at Upton Warren held a male on 20th, two males were onBredon Hill, a female at Oakley Marsh and eight on Walton Hill all on 22nd and fouron North Hill on 23rd. Autumn sightings were of an immature in Chat Valley on

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September 15th, two on Bredon Hill on 22nd, one in Happy Valley on 25th, one onTable Hill on 28th and two in Happy Valley on 30th. Happy Valley produced the bestpassage during October, with five on 2nd, two on 5th, singles on 11th, 19th and 24th,three on 25th and singles on 28th and 31st. Bredon Hill held one on 8th, two on 9th,two from 16th-18th and three on 23rd, an immature male fed on a single berry bushin Tank Quarry from 21st- 25th, one was on North Hill on 24th and Pinnacle Hill on25th. The final record came from Happy Valley, with two present on November 1st.Staffs First report of the year was a male at Orchard Common on April 5th,followed by two at Baggeridge CP from April 9th to 13th, with three on the 14th and15th. A single bird was at Aqualate on the 16th, a female at Hanchurch Woods on the18th, a male at Blithfield on the 19th and a pair near the sailing club on the 30th whenthe male was singing from a fence post. After no breeding reports for 2002 at leasttwo, if not three, pairs have bred on the North Staffs Moors. Reports consisted of amale at Drystone Edge on May 3rd, with a pair there on July 5th, an adult plus twojuveniles at Knotbury on June 26th and on the Roaches, juveniles were brought tomolehills on adjacent land to feed. A single bird at Biddulph’s pool Bleak House onOctober 19th and 20th was the only autumn record. W Mid An excellent spring passage was recorded from Clayhanger with the firstbeing a rather early individual on March 17th, followed by one on April 19th and 20th,then by multiple daily sightings until May 4th, with a peak count of four males andtwo females, although one observer suggests that either eight or nine birds may havebeen present. Males were at Mons Hill (part of Wren’s Nest NNR) on April 2nd, atSheepwash UP on April 12th and in the paddocks in Sandwell Valley on April 13th.

Blackbird Turdus merulaAbundant resident, passage migrant and winter visitor.Warks The total of 123 counted on the DMC Kineton May census was the secondhighest ever there, following the record 148 in 2002. Territory counts included 12 in70ha of farmland at Bridgetown, 26 in 62ha of Kingsbury Wood, and only 25 in 300haof farmland at Stretton-on-Fosse. Autumn passage peaked in late October, with aninflux of 60 present at Wormleighton Res from 21st-24th, and 50 on Napton Hill on23rd. 40 were counted on a sports pitch at DMC Kineton on December 30th.Worcs A total of 42 pairs held territories at Tibberton, but fewer juveniles wereseen this year than last. Fruit trees in a Malvern Link garden attracted winter countsof 10 on February 1st, 15 on 2nd and 4th, eight on March 5th and nine on 6th. Theonly other record received was from Arrow Valley Lake, with 30 present on February20th and 30 on March 16th.Staffs A total of 27 pairs bred at Doxey Marshes while three pairs nested onDoley Common. Present throughout the year at Belvide with a maximum of 22 onMay 28th. A count at Park Farm Trysull noted 24 on April 22nd and 11 on May 23rd.At Chapel Chorlton there were ten on March 1st and 12 on both April 6th and May11th while at Penn Common there were ten on March 13th and 12 at Bridgetown onMay 26th. Autumn birds included 12 at Westport on September 12th and a noticeableinflux with 54 on the 30th and 25 on October 3rd. There were 11 at Little Stoke onOctober 4th and November 9th while an influx of 30 birds arrived at Tittesworth onNovember 27th.W Mid 25 territories were counted on the Mons Hill CBC plot and five males heldterritory at Marsh Lane NR. A partly albino male was seen next to the Smestow Brookin Smestow Valley on April 4th.

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Fieldfare Turdus pilarisVery common passage migrant and winter visitor. Bred North Staffs. Moors 1974-77,1980 and 1985.Average dates: October 2nd (68) to May 4th (67).First arrivals were seen at Draycote on September 26th and the last at Priors Hardwickon May 7th.Warks Fairly average numbers were present in the county during the early part ofthe year, with many flocks of up to 300 reported, and with maxima of 550 at FennyCompton during January and early February, 500 at Compton Verney on January 17th,500 at Milcote on 18th, and 450 at Little Dassett during 21st-27th. Numbers declinedfrom mid February, only to increase again from early March as migrants movedthrough. Maxima during the latter period included 520 at Radway on March 4th, 500at Fenny Compton on 15th, 500 at Alvecote and 400 at Grandborough on 18th and 765at Knightcote on 27th. In April, there were 645 at Wormleighton Res on 2nd and 750on 6th, followed by a notably late influx on 14th when there were 850 at FennyCompton and 750 at Radway, with 750 staying at the former site to 17th and 250 stillat the latter on 21st. The last spring migrant was seen at Priors Hardwick on May 7th.After an early return migrant at Draycote on September 26th, a few began to tricklethrough the county from October 8th, with moderate numbers from 13th. The firstlarge influx occurred on October 20th when 650 arrived at Priors Hardwick. Countsof grounded passage migrants at Wormleighton Res revealed peaks of 580 on October24th, 800 on November 2nd and 2200 on 5th, indicating the arrival of the main influx.It remained abundant and widespread throughout November and December, withflocks of around 4-600 recorded at Alvecote, Brailes, Charlecote, Chesterton,Draycote, Fenny Compton, Lighthorne, Napton, Radway, Tysoe, Wasperton andWormleighton, and a peak of 850 in the Itchen Valley below Knightcote on November19th. A leucistic bird was found in a large flock at Tysoe on February 16th.Worcs Maximum first winter period site counts of over 100 birds came fromAbberton (250), Beckford Lakes (120), Bredon’s Hardwick (1,300), Croome PerryWood (100+), Defford Airfield (180), Gwen Finch Wetland (500), Hanbury (150),Holt Heath (600), Strensham Lagoons (300+) and Tibberton (280). Smaller groupsalso reported from Ashmoor Common, Barnards Green, Bishampton Vale Pool,Bredon Hill, Castlemorton Common, Eymore Wood, Grafton Flyford, Oakley Marshand Three Counties Show Ground. The last reported spring sighting was of 20 overOakley Marsh on April 22nd. The first returning bird was observed in Happy Valleyon October 11th. A few large flocks reported during the second winter period included600 on Bredon Hill, 100 on Castlemorton Common and 100 at Gwen Finch Wetlandall on November 1st, 200 at Abberton, 300+ at Sheriff’s Lench and 150 atThrockmorton Tip on 2nd, 400+ at Bredon’s Hardwick, 300+ at Ryall Pits and 100 atWestwood Park on 8th, 500 at Naunton Beauchamp on December 25th and 155 atTibberton on 28th. Also noted at Broadway, Happy Valley, Worcester, Mount Pleasant,Upper Bittell Reservoir and Upton Warren in smaller numbers, during the secondwinter period.Staffs In the first winter period reports of flocks of around 100 and over included200 at Rickerscote January 1st, 100 at Handsacre on the 5th, and 100 at Trentham onthe same day, 150 at Black Bank on the 9th and 12th, 80 at Westport on the 12th, 100at Bateswood NR on the 15th, 300 at Denstone Hall on the 8th, 300 at Bent LaneWhitmore on the 20th, 1000 at Abbots Bromley on the 28th and 150 on the 30th. Upto 130 were at Bateswood NR on February 3rd, 500 at Doxey Marshes on the 9th, 175

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at Saverley Green Farm on the 10th, 111 at Ellastone, 250 at Keele University (whichincluded a partial albino with a white head) and 500 at Tittesworth on the 14th, 200 atSandyway from 15th to 17th, 127 at Tixall on the 16th, 100 at Abbots Bromley and 250at Bent Lane Whitmore on the 19th, 160 at Goldsitch Moss on the 23rd, and 170 atBelvide on the 24th. March saw a 100 at Blithfield and Loynton Moss on the 2nd, 230at Belvide on the 3rd, 150 at Westport on the 11th and 300 at Burston on the 20th.During April numbers drop considerably as flocks start departing eastwards.Significant numbers include 50 at Abbots Bromley on the 2nd and at Church Eaton onthe 9th, 30 at Keele University on the 10th, 276 at Doveleys on the 17th, 100 atBlithfield on the 19th, 72 at Denstone Hall on the 20th, 20 at Black Heath on the 21st,seven at Belvide on the 26th one at Morridge on the 27th while two at Tittesworth onthe 30th were the last to depart. The first autumn record was of a single bird at DoxeyMarshes on October 3rd, with 32 there on the 12th, at Tittesworth on the 13th, followedon the 14th by 20 at Belvide, 20 at Rocester and 366 at Westport. There were two atBlack Bank and 50 at Dunston Heath on the 15th, 50 at Katyn Memorial on the 18th,two Branston GPs and 60 at Little Stoke on the 19th. By mid-month larger flocks werein evidence with 200 at Belvide on the 21st, 150 at Keele University on the 22nd, 150at Black Bank on the 25th and 120 at Tittesworth on the 26th. Numbers were low inNovember with 200 roosting in heather at Swallow Moss on the 2nd, 90 at Little Astonon the 6th, 150 at Swallow Moss on the 9th and 42 at Keele University on the 22ndwere the only records. In December 20 were at Norbury Manor on the 2nd, 250 atWhitemoor Haye the next day, 42 at Baswich on the 13th, 450 at Blithfield on the 28th,300 at Aston-by-Stone on the same day and 150 at Tittesworth on the 30th.W Mid The peak count in Sandwell Valley in the first winter period was 400 inFebruary. There were relatively small flocks at Marsh Lane NR during the first winterperiod, but with a noticeable early April increase with 79 moving through on 6th. Upto 48 were in Smestow Valley on March 29th. In the second winter period 50 atSheepwash UP on October 5th were the first of the autumn with 100 counted onNovember 2nd. At Marsh Lane NR, November passage peaked at 100 on 6th with upto 75 feeding on Hawthorn berries throughout the remainder of the month intoDecember. There were 14 were on Netherton Hill on October 14th while 208 overSmestow Valley on October 28th was the peak autumnal total from this location. Inexcess of 80 were in Sandwell Valley on November 13th and 30 were reported fromDunstall Park in November.

Song Thrush Turdus philomelosMuch declined, though still abundant, resident, passage migrant and winter visitor.Warks The population appears to be continuing to recover, with for instance 34 onthe DMC Kineton May count remaining well above average. Farmland survey workproduced densities of three territories in 70ha at Bridgetown, 18 in 180ha at ComptonScorpion and 16 in 300ha at Stretton-on-Fosse. Other counts of singing malesincluded up to eight at Brandon and seven at Birchmoor, compared with six and fivein 2002 respectively. Autumn migrants began to appear from September 18th onwardsin the southern hills, with numbers peaking between early October and earlyNovember. Site maxima included 25 at Fenny Compton on October 12th, 25 in thechurchyard on Napton Hill on 16th and 45 at Wormleighton Res on 21st. As in 2002,many of the later migrants again showed characteristics of the continental race JJB.Worcs Twelve pairs held territories in Tibberton and reported as resident in aMalvern Link Garden. Counts received included five at Upton Warren on January

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16th, 20 at Throckmorton on February 15th, five at Wilden Lagoons on 23rd, four inHappy Valley on September 7th, ten at Lower Moor on 27th, 10 in Happy Valley onOctober 2nd and 20 there on 11th and eight at Throckmorton on December 28th.Staffs Overall, good number of reports were received but reports of breeding birdswere few. At Belvide eight or more pairs bred around the reservoir while atChasewater nine territories were defined and 14 pairs were found around DoxeyMarshes. Totals counted on a 1km square based at Ellastone varied between three inFebruary and up to ten in May. There were four at Tittesworth on August 2nd, threeflew south at Black Bank on October 11th and a small numbers were reported from16 locations with six at Marquis on March 13th being the highest noted.W Mid Singing birds were reported from Barnford Park, Coalbournbrook (adultcarrying food), Dunstall Park, Edgbaston Pool, Ham Dingle (three), Knowle, MarshLane NR (five), Mons Hill CBC plot (five territories), Netherton Hill (three), PowkeLane Open Space, Smestow Valley, Stambermill (two), Thimblemill and Wollaston.

Redwing Turdus iliacusVery common passage migrant and winter visitor.Average dates: September 28th (69) to April 19th (68).The first arrival was seen at Draycote on September 23rd and the last at Oakley Poolon April 22nd.Warks During the first three months, maxima included 200 at Alvecote on January5th, 300 at Fenny Compton on 6th, 150 at Wasperton on 17th, around 180 atPackington during January-February, and 170 at Knightcote on March 27th. Manysites held flocks of 100 or less. The last reported in spring were 30 at DMC Kinetonon April 16th, singles at both Fenny Compton and Packington on 17th, and two atBrandon on 18th. Return passage began in late September, with singles at Draycoteon 23rd and Wormleighton Res on 25th, and two at Fenny Compton on 28th. It wasthen present daily in increasing numbers from Oct 1st. Three figure flocks began toarrive from October 6th, but most remained fairly modest in size with few larger than150. The best counts came from Wormleighton Res, where there were peaks of 330 on24th, 850 on November 5th, 340 on 11th, and 300 on 17th, with up to 220 remaininginto December. Elsewhere larger counts included 170 at Farnborough Park on October19th, 200 at Knightcote on November 19th, 300 at Fenny Compton on 22nd-23rd, and350 at Lighthorne Quarry on December 9th.Worcs A poor year during both winter periods, with the largest flocks observedbeing no more than 255 birds. First winter period sightings included 100 at BittellReservoir on January 6th, 200 on Castlemorton Common on 19th, 60 at Gwen FinchWetland on February 1st, 30 on Hollybed Common on 2nd, 145 at Tibberton on 12th,100 at Bodenham on 21st, 255 at Tibberton on 28th, 80 at Arley Wood on March 6th,90 at Little Comberton on 10th, 70 at Wilden Marsh on 26th, 10 at StrenshamLagoons on April 6th and two at Oakley Marsh on 22nd. Happy Valley produced thefirst returning birds, with three recorded on September 30th and counts herecontinued throughout October, with 20 on 2nd and 11th, 37 on 12th, 100+ on 18th and150 on 21st. Other counts of 50 and over, were of 50 at Westmancote on October 12th,112 at Tibberton on 21st, 110 at Little Comberton on 22nd, 70 and 75 at CastlemortonCommon and Gwen Finch Wetland respectively on November 1st. Ryall Pits held 50+on 8th, 200 at Throckmorton Tip on 9th, 260 at Tibberton on 11th, 50 at HanburyWharf on December 14th, 80 at Three Counties Show Ground on 16th, 75 at OakleyMarsh on 23rd, 220 at Tibberton on 25th and 150 at Lower Moor on 27th. Smaller

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groups also observed at Bredon’s Hardwick, Broadway, where a male was reportedsinging on December 2nd, Grimley New Workings, Lodge Hill Farm, Stoke Bliss andWestwood Pool.Staffs In January and February flocks in excess of 100 were recorded on nine datesfrom nine locations, compared to four dates and four locations during 2002. Therewere 500 at Handsacre on January 5th, 100 at Trentham Golf Course on the 5th, 109at Saverley Green Farm on the 6th, 110 at Prestwood on the 8th, 400 at Tittesworth onthe 23rd and Swallow Moss on the 25th. Bad weather brought 110 to Clayton(Newcastle) on February 2nd, remaining in the area for about a week. There were 100at Keele University on the 14th, 403 at Tixall Canal on the 16th and 120 at StaffordCommon on the 18th. The few records during March included a flock of 100 atBelvide on the 3rd, 160 at Keele University on the 7th, 42 at Ellastone on the 9th and50 at Burston on the 29th. Birds remaining in to April included a one at Belvide onthe 7th, 24 at Shugborough on the 8th, ten at Church Eaton on the 10th, two at DoleyCommon on the 13th and finally a single at Belvide on the 19th. In the late autumn,numbers were similar to those in 2002. The first arrival was at Tittesworth onSeptember 28th followed by a single at Chasewater on October 1st, two at West Endon the 4th, three at Belvide, two at Doxey Marshes and one at Keele University all onthe 6th, 21 at Westport on the 7th and three at Levedale on the same day, 13 at DunstonHeath on the 8th, eight at Belvide and 19 at Black Bank on the 12th, 70 at DoxeyMarshes, 17 Sherbrook Valley and 224 at Westport all on the 14th, two at Crumpwoodon the 17th, and five at Doley Common on the 18th. As expected flock numbers startto increase mid month with 150 at Keele University on the 22nd and 250 there the nextday, 127 flew south at Black Bank and 100 at Tittesworth on the 24th, 95 at Belvideon the 26th and 60 at Doxey Marshes on the 28th. In November noted at Copmere andten were at Doxey Marshes on the 10th. These were the only records for the monthcompared to ten records of 50 and over in November 2002. In December numberswere again low early in the month except for Whitemoor Haye which had 250 on the3rd. There were 11 at Norbury Manor and ten at Prestwood on the 2nd and ten atSharpcliffe Hall on the 4th. Towards the end of the month 80 were at Apedale CP onthe December 29th, with 100 at Aston-by-Stone and 50 at Tittesworth on the 30th. W Mid Highest counts in the first winter period comprised 100 at Marsh Lane NRon January 1st, 18 were on the church school playing field in Aldridge on January 9th,80 in Smestow Valley on January 25th and 100 were in Sandwell Valley in February.The highest March count submitted comprised 50 at Sheepwash UP on 6th. Five earlybirds were reported from Mons Hill on September 30th. 50 were at Sheepwash UP onOctober 5th, with 30 at Marsh Lane NR on 16th and 20 were on Netherton Hill onOctober 22nd and 100 birds moving over Marsh Lane NR on both the 25th and 26th,up to 163 headed south over Smestow Valley on October 28th. 200 were at BartleyReservoir on November 10th and at least 90 were counted in Sandwell Valley onNovember 13th. Further reported from Hawne Park, Harborne and Knowle.

Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorusCommon resident.Warks One to three breeding pairs were reported at many sites. The only parties ofmore than ten to be notified were of up to 28 at Coleshill during the autumn, and 16at Radway on September 29th.Worcs Six pairs held territories at Tibberton and at least three reared young and apair were observed carrying nesting material along New Road, Worcester on April 13th.

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Staffs A pair bred just east of Belvide, four pairs probably bred in the Chasewaterarea, two pairs at Westport and one pair at Doley Common. Two adults and fourjuveniles were seen at Norton Bridge on July 8th, and a pair fledged two young at WestEnd. Counts at Westport included 26 on August 25th and 14 on September 1st. Post-breeding flocks were noted at Silverdale Colliery where 21 were counted on September2nd and 22 on the 23rd while 40 flew to the south at Ingestre on September 4th. Eightwere reported from both Baswich and Doxey Marshes during the winter months withlesser numbers at Anslow/Needwood Forest area, Belvide, Cannock Chase, Copmere,Norbury Manor/Park, Sandyway, Saverley Green Farm, Tittesworth and Tixall.W Mid Singing/breeding birds were noted at Bilston, Coalbournbrook, Marsh LaneNR (two pairs in the area), Mons Hill CBC plot (two territories), Oldbury (beneath theM5!), Powke Lane Open Space, Saltwells Wood, Sandwell Valley (at least two pairs),Smestow Valley, Stambermill and Thimblemill. Outside of the breeding season birdswere reported from Aldridge (near the Chester Road) and Sutton Park while 40 werecounted in Sandwell Valley on September 5th.

Cettiʼs Warbler Cettia cettiScarce resident, breeding only since 1993.If the mild winters continue there are interesting times ahead with the species’ spreadinto Staffordshire – where will it breed next!Warks Bred as usual at Brandon, where there were at least five territories all yearBMCG. No acceptable reportsfrom elsewhere.Worcs Not reported awayfrom Upton Warren this year. Asingle brood was noted at theMoors Pool, Upton Warren, butalmost certainly other broodswere unrecorded. Singingmales heard at the Moors Pools,Flash Pools and EducationalReserve throughout the yearand involved up to fourindividuals, but the status offemales on the reserve wasunknown.Staffs At Belvide the birdfrom 2002 remained on siteuntil January 15th when a cold snap was believed to have moved it on SN. One wassinging at Doxey Marshes on March 16th and 22nd and one (possibly the same bird)also later in the year on October 27th MDB. One was seen at Copmere on November30th ICW, MY . The latter two were first records for their respective sites and thefourth and fifth for the county.

2001 AddendumWarks One at Wolston STW on November 29th. This site is close to Brandon.

Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naeviaFrequent, but much declined, summer resident and passage migrant.Average dates: April 18th (67) to August 29th (57).

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Cetti’s Warbler, Belvide (Steve Nutall)

A widespread arrival with first birds being seen on April 15th at Branston WP,Dosthill, Drayton Bassett Pits and Rous Lench. Apart from a very late bird at Belvideon September 25th, there was one at Brandon on August 8th.Warks No more than 11 reeling birds were located in the breeding season, with fourat DMC Kineton, three at Brandon, two in the Dosthill/Kingsbury area, and singles atLighthorne Quarry and Priors Marston. Single birds reeling at Wormleighton Res onApril 21st and at Meon Hill on May 3rd may have been on passage.Worcs A good year recorded for both spring passage and summering birds, with astrong possibility of breeding taking place at Castlemorton Common, Rous Lench,Strensham Lagoons, Upton Warren, Upper Bittell Reservoir and Wilden Marsh. Thefirst reeling male was heard at Rous Lench on April 15th and was followed by threeon 25th, one on May 11th and two on July 3rd. Upton Warren held one on 17th, twoon 18th, three on 24th, two between 25th-May 7th and a single birds remained at theFlash Pools until it was last heard on August 30th. A second bird was also heard onJuly 7th. Singles were heard at Upper Bittell Reservoir on many dates between April18th-July 25th, along Swinton Lane, St Johns and Tibberton on April 21st, Abbertonon 25th and May 6th, Peasebrook Farm on 24th, Castlemorton Common on July 10thand August 12th, Wilden Marsh on July 15th and Strensham Lagoons on 27th.Staffs The first was at Branston WP and Drayton Bassett Pits on April 15th. Otherspring passage birds quickly followed at Aqualate on the 16th, Branston GPs on the17th, Belvide (two) and Doxey Marshes on the 22nd, Sherbrook Valley on the 23rd,Chasewater on the 26th and Baddeley Edge on May 7th. The only confirmed breedingrecord came from Belvide with two pairs, one of which was seen feeding young onJune 4th and 9th. Reports of probable breeding came from Apedale CP, Chasewater(two territories), Doxey Marshes, Swallow Moss and Hanchurch Woods. Possiblebreeding birds were located at Boarsgrove on June 20th, Branston GPs on June 15th,Katyn Memorial on May 27th and 28th, Doley Common from April 22nd to July 5th,Drayton Bassett Pits in May and at Pool Dam on July 1st. In the second reeling periodthe only records comprise one at Anson’s Bank on July 11th, two at Drayton BassettPits on the 22nd and one at Swallow Moss August 15th. The last reports were of twoat Belvide on September 25th.W Mid One was reported reeling from Longmoor Valley in Sutton Park on April17th. One to two were reeling in Sandwell Valley between April 18th and May 1st.Two were reeling at Marsh Lane NR on April 22nd and 23rd with further reeling notedbetween April 24th and 30th and again on May 1st. A further report of a reeling birdat Marsh Lane NR was made on August 3rd. A bird was heard reeling, or wasobserved, in Goscote Valley between April 23rd and June 2nd and one was heardreeling in Sandwell Valley on July 7th and 9th.

Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenusFairly common to common, though declining summer resident.Average dates: April 16th (67) to September 30th (61).The first bird was seen at Draycote on March 31st but were seen at many sites between12th and 15th. Few were seen after mid-September but there was a very late bird atWormleighton Res on October 21st.Warks Breeding pairs were widely reported, but mostly from traditional sites. Aftera good year last year, numbers appeared rather lower at most sites. Territory counts(with comparable figures from 2002 in brackets) included seven (ten) at Brandon, two(eight) at DMC Kineton, four (seven) at Fenny Compton, and four (seven) at

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Wormleighton Res. The only improvement was 14 territories in the Napton Res area,compared to 13 in 2002. Other records of note included counts of nine singing malesat Abbots Salford, seven along the Oxford Canal at Marston Doles, and two at WestonPark in the far south of the county, where previously unreported. One in song in asmall Fenny Compton garden at dawn on May 2nd was a nice addition to the countyrecorder’s garden list! Many more turned up in odd places on return passage, and itwas generally a good autumn for this bird. A fall of at least 12 occurred at Worm -leighton Res on August 6th, and a very late bird found at the same site on October 21stJJB was the latest ever county record by four days.Worcs Singing males were reported during the breeding season at AshmoorCommon (seven), Gwen Finch Wetland (seven), North Comberton (one pair nested),Oakley Marsh (three), Strensham Lagoons (seven), Upton Warren (12+) and Wilden(four). The first returning bird was noted at Upton warren on April 12th and otherspring sightings included singles at Kinsham Lake and Westwood Pool on 18th, twoat Lower Moor on 22nd and one at Tibberton on 29th. Grimley Old Workings held oneon September 14th.Staffs The first arrivals were singles at Westport on April 13th, at Belvide andDoxey Marshes on the 14th, two at Branston WP on the 16th, Whitemoor Haye on the19th, Tixall on the 23rd, and Chasewater on the 26th. Breeding season territories wereheld at Apedale CP (pair) Baswich, Belvide (15 pairs), Branston WP, Borrowpit Lake,Doxey Marshes (70 pairs), Pool Dam (two pairs) and Westport with reports from anadditional five probable breeding sites. In the autumn six were at Tittesworth onAugust 8th, one at Blithfield on the 16th, singles at Belvide on September 7th andWestport on the 12th, with two at Doxey on the 14th being the last.W Mid Breeding season records were received from Goscote Valley, Marsh LaneNR (three pairs), Sandwell Valley, Sheepwash UP and Stubbers Green (two). Singingbirds, presumably on spring passage, were recorded at Bartley Reservoir andNetherton Hill both on April 21st, Smestow Valley on April 27th, 30th, May 1st (two)and 5th, Selly Oak on April 30th (along the Birmingham-Worcester Canal) andDunstall Park on May 21st and 22nd. In autumn, migrants were at Dunstall Park Lakeon August 24th, September 3rd, 4th (two), 6th, 7th and 9th, Smestow Valley onSeptember 1st (two), 4th, 5th and 6th and one on Netherton Hill on September 2nd.

Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceusFairly common to common summer resident.Average dates: April 24th (63) to September 28th (57).The first arrival was at Brandon on April 15th and the last at Grimley Old Workingson October 11th.Warks Reports of breeding (with territory counts where known) came from: AbbotsSalford (six), Alvecote, Bermuda, Brandon, Chesterton, Coombe, Compton Verney(two), Ditchford Friary (three), Edstone (three), Fenny Compton STW (two),Grandborough, Kingsbury, Ladywalk, Lower Radbourn, Napton Res (about 20), SalfordPriors GP, Stockton (eight, cf. 13 in 2002), Stoneton Moat, Weston Park, Woolscott(four) and Wormleighton Res (12). More were found on autumn passage this year awayfrom known breeding sites, the most notable of which were singles at Shustoke Res onAugust 28th (perhaps the first there) and Priors Hardwick on September 14th.Worcs Forty-nine territories were held along the canal between Blackpole andHanbury Wharf, at least six pairs bred at Lower Moor and singing males were recordedat Abberton (three), Bishampton Vale Pool (three), Grimley Old Workings (two), Gwen

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Finch Wetland (three), Kinsham Pool, Oakley Pool (five), Strensham Lagoons (three),Upton Warren (nine+) and Westwood Pool (two). The first arrivals were noted atGrimley Old Workings and Upton Warren on April 16th and a spring passage bird wasrecorded at Brownheath Common on April 24th. The final bird of the year wasobserved at Grimley Old Workings on October 11th.Staffs First arrival recorded at Branston WP on April 16th was closely followed bysingles at Apedale CP on the 17th and two at Belvide on the 18th. Other springpassage birds were noted at Copmere and Doxey Marshes on April 20th, Baswich,Cannock Chase, Doley Common and Westport all on the 23rd, Chasewater on the29th, and Handsacre Flashes on May 12th. Breeding was confirmed at Burley Poolsin Apedale CP (seven territories), Aqualate, Astonfields (four territories), Baswich(two males) on May 26th, Belvide (nine pairs cf. 12 in 2002), Branston WP,Chasewater, (11 males), Copmere (four territories), Doxey Marshes (15 pairs cf. tenin 2002), Elford GP (male on June 7th), Pool Dam (three territories), and Westport(two males). In June two were at Tixall on the 14th and a male at Blithfield on the30th. The only September records were two at Westport on the 12th, singles at DoxeyMarshes on the 14th and one at Belvide on the 30th being the last reported.W Mid Noted in the breeding season at Goscote Valley, Marsh Lane NR (two pairs),Saltwells LNR (two in song), Sandwell Valley and Sheepwash UP (two pairs).

Blackcap Sylvia atricapillaVery common to abundant summer resident. Frequent and increasing winter visitor.Warks At DMC Kineton, a total of 43 logged in May continued the run of aboveaverage counts there since 1998. Other territory counts included nine at Brandon (cf. 13in 2002, but eight in 2000-01), five in 70ha of farmland at Bridgetown, eight atFarnborough Park (cf. 11 in 2000), ten along 1.5km of the Oxford Canal at FennyCompton, only five in Itchington Holt (cf. eight in 2002, 12 in 2000), eight in 62 ha ofKingsbury Wood, and 19 in 300ha of farmland at Stretton-on-Fosse. Good numbers ofbirds were apparently over-wintering in the county’s gardens during the first quarter,with at least six birds reported in Nuneaton, two at both Charlecote and LeamingtonSpa, and singles at Alcester, Fenny Compton, Ladbroke, Moreton Morrell, Studley andWarwick. The first real spring migrants appeared at Brandon on March 24th, Haseloron 30th and Lighthorne Quarry on 31st. On April 24th there was a fall of 18 at Draycote,when six were counted singing around Shustoke Res. The best counts on autumnpassage were of at least 11 at Wormleighton Res on September 2nd, 15 at IlmingtonDowns on 12th, 20 at Lighthorne Quarry on 15th and 12 on the Fenny Compton Hillson 20th. Passage continued into late October, with perhaps the last at Draycote onNovember 1st. Subsequently, records of wintering birds during November-Decemberincluded up to three in Fenny Compton and singles at Kenilworth, Kingsbury, Light -horne Quarry, Stratford-upon-Avon and Whittleford. A female hit by a car at Hartshillon December 28th had been ringed in Hertfordshire in November 1999.Worcs Very little breeding data received, but 11 pairs held territories along thecanal between Blackpole and Hanbury Wharf a pair nested at Broadway Gravel Pitand five pairs bred at Tibberton. Reports of singing males came from Beoleylade(three), Kempsey, Lower Moor, Midsummer Hill (four), North Quarry (two), TankQuarry, Upton Warren, Westwood Pool (four) and Wilden. Good numbers reportedduring the first winter period, with a pair at Burlish Park in January, one at Berkeleyon January 1st and 2nd, one at Westwood Pool on 1st and 12th, two at Claines on 1stand singles at Barbourne, Hollybed Common, Huntsbridge, Lower Moor and a pair at

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Little Comberton all on 5th. The pair at the little Comberton remained until April 3rd.A Redditch Garden attracted a female on January 6th, 7th and 9th, a male on 10th and11th, then a female again from 15th-February 23rd, when it was joined by a secondfemale. Singles were at Tibberton on January 7th and 23rd, Kempsey from 7th-March22nd, Sandy Lane Industrial Estate on January 8th and Mount Pleasant on 8th and12th. One was observed along Kestrel Close, Kidderminster on 10th and a MalvernLink garden held one or two birds on many dates between 11th and March 10th.Singles were noted at Lower Moor from January 15th-18th, Grimley on 19th, twomales were at Mount Pleasant on 21st, then a female on 23rd and one at Claines on31st. The sewage works at Upton-upon-Severn attracted one on February 1st and 2nd,singles were at Berkeley on 4th and 11th, Warndon on 14th and 21st, Westwood Poolheld two on 14th, 17th and 20th and one was at Broadway on 19th. Two were seen atWilden Marsh on March 2nd one was in a Redditch garden from 6th-20th and a malealong Wharfdale Crescent, Droitwich on 22nd was probably a wintering bird. Autumncounts in the Happy Valley were of five on September 15th and 10+ on 16th. Duringthe second winter period two were at Upton Warren on October 29th, two onCastlemorton Common on November 1st, one at Little Comberton also on 1st, thenup to three present at the latter site until the years end. Singles were observed atCaptains Pool on November 4th and Westwood Pool on 6th, 15th and December 12th.Two frequented Lower Moor on November 10th, 22nd and 24th, one was atRonkswood Hospital on 11th, two at Hanley Swan on 15th and a pair at Tibberton on20th. Gardens in Berkeley held singles on 28th and December 9th-12th, two on 13th,one on 24th and two on 29th and 31st. Other December sightings comprised of one atAbberton on 8th, one at Tibberton on 9th, a male at Malvern Link on 10th, wasfollowed by a female on 14th, 17th, 18th and 19th. Two were in Evesham on 15th, oneat Kempsey on 19th, Bromsgrove and Droitwich on 23rd, Warndon on 27th and threemales on Hollybed Common on 30th.

Staffs It is becoming more difficult to differentiate between over wintering birdsand the first arrivals as birds are now seen in every month. There were fewer sightingsin February with one at Westlands on the 5th, Little Stoke on the 21st and male atPenkridge on the 23rd. In March a single bird was at Alrewas from 2nd to the 9th and16th, a male in Lichfield on the 4th, six at Belvide on the 12th, one at Little Stoke onthe 13th, a female at Stafford on the 14th a male on the 19th, a single male at WestEnd on the 16th, 17 at Belvide on the 28th, a male at Westport on the 27th and two onthe 29th, one at Tillington Cemetery on the 29th, two at both Alrewas and Little Stokeon the 30th and one at Dunston on the 31st. Singing males and breeding pairs werenoted at 27 localities. Breeding numbers included 16 territories at Apedale CP, threepairs at Bateswood NR, eight pairs at Belvide, six or seven males at Blithfield, 20territories at Chasewater, five males at Crumpwood, one pair at Doley Common,seven pairs at Doxey Marshes, four males at Ousley Cross, four territories at TrenthamGardens, two males at Willow Farm Uttoxeter, ten pairs at Westport, and two males atWolseley Bridge. Autumn records consisted of a female at Wolseley on August 27th,two at Westport on the 30th, female at Doxey Marshes on September 2nd, a maleNorton Bridge on the 3rd, nine at Black Bank, on the 7th, five 15th and two 16th, oneat Cannock Chase on the 7th, a male at Dunston Heath and one at Little Stoke on the12th and a male at Westport on the 28th. One was at Belvide on October 2nd, two atChasewater on the 3rd, one at Doxey Marshes on the 10th and Tittesworth on the 12thwere the last of the departing autumn birds. Wintering bird numbers seem to increaseeach year with sightings from Walton-on-the-Hill (male) on January 11th, Little Stoke

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on the 11th, 12th and 18th, West End (female) on the 18th and 19th with a male onthe 26th, at Westport (male), Armitage (two males and a female), and at Cheslyn Hay(male) all on the 31st. Late autumn and over-wintering birds consisted of a male atDoxey Marshes on October 29th, a female at Westport on the 31st with probably thesame bird on November 12th, a male at Lichfield on November 3rd, two males and afemale at Westport from the 16th to the 23rd, one at Etchinghill on the 25th, a femalein Stafford on December 18th and finally a pair at Little Aston on the 20th. W Mid Breeding season records emanated from Acock’s Green, Ashmore Lake,Barrow Hill, Bartley, Bob’s Coppice, Brandwood End, Brockmoor, BrownhilllsCommon (at least three), Catshill, Cradley Heath, Edgbaston Pool, Fibbersley (two),Furnace Coppice, Haden Hill Park, Ham Dingle (three), Hawne Park, Holland Park(two), Holloway End, Hurst Green Recreation Ground, Marsh Lane NR (six or seven),Mons Hill CBC plot (eight territories), Moxley, Oak Farm (at least two), Norton,Olton Mere, Parkhead (two), Peascroft Wood (in Bilston), Pensnett Railway Walk,Pool Hayes, Powke Lane Open Space, Rowley Regis (two), Saltwells LNR (three),Sandwell Valley, Sarehole Mill, Sedgley, Sedgley Hall Farm Park, Sheepwash UP(several in song), Shidas Lane Tip, Shut End, Smestow Valley (12 in song in mid-April), South Yardley, Stambermill (three), Titford Pool (two), Turls Hill, WarleyWoods (two), Wollaston (two), Wood Hayes and Wren’s Nest NNR. Records from thefirst winter period came from Aldridge (garden), Dorridge (garden), Dunstall Park(garden), Great Barr (pair in a garden), Knowle (garden), Monkspath (garden),Netherton (garden), Netherton Hill, Sandwell Valley, Smestow Valley (two or threebirds) and Solihull (garden). Birds were recorded in the second winter period fromDunstall Park (garden – three birds), Netherton Hill, Smestow Valley and Warstock(garden). Also reported to have ‘wintered’ in a Bilston garden.

Garden Warbler Sylvia borinFairly common to common summer resident.Average dates: April 22nd (66) to September 15th (65).The first bird was seen at Ranges Corner (Cannock Chase) on April 15th, closelyfollowed by on at DMC Kineton and Wormleighton Res the next day. The last recordcame from Radway on September 28th.Warks Territory counts included 13 at Brandon, three at Ditchford Frary, 11 atDMC Kineton, five at Draycote, six along the Oxford Canal at Fenny Compton, fourat Kingsbury/Edge Hill Woods, 11 in the Kingsbury WP area, three at Ufton Fields(cf. six in 2002), three at Whichford Wood and four at Wormleighton Res (cf. seven in2002). Repeat counts were generally similar or lower than in 2002, indicating acontinued decline. The only exception to this trend was the Ladywalk area where itwas said to be abundant, although there are no counts to back this statement up. Eightcounted amongst a fall of mainly Phylloscopus warblers at Wormleighton Res on July28th was the most reported on return passage.Worcs The number of singing males reported was down on the previous year.Single breeding pairs were recorded along the canal between Blackpole and HanburyWharf, Lower Moor, Tibberton and on the Educational Reserve at Upton Warren.Multiple counts of singing males comprised two at Bishampton Vale Pool, four alongDowles Brook, two on Hollybed Common, two at Peasebrook Farm, two at Shatter -ford Wood, two at Strensham Mill, three at Trench Wood, two at Wilden, two atWestwood Pool and two on Walton Hill. Singles were also noted at AbberleyCommon, Abberton, Beoleylade, Golden Valley, Grafton Wood, Langdale Wood,

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Marsh Common, Midsummer Hill, Nafford, Raggedstone Hill, Shrawley Brook,Stoke Bliss, Throckmorton Tip and West Malvern. The only autumn record came fromBrook Batch, where eight were trapped and ringed on August 24th.Staffs First reported from Ranges Corner on Cannock Chase on April 15th.Spring arrivals include two at Belvide on the 21st, singles at Branston WP on the25th, Chasewater and Westport both on the 26th, two males at Tittesworth on the 27thand singles at Blithfield and Little Stoke on the 30th. Other spring passage reportscame from a further nine locations during May. Breeding records came from ApedaleCP (13 territories), Aqualate, Bateswood NR (pair), Belvide (eight pairs), Cauldon(four singing males), Chasewater (12 territories), Doley Common (pair), DoxeyMarshes (two pairs), Elford GP (five males), Gnosall (two males), Grindon (twomales), Hamps Valley (five males), Little Stoke, Lower Cowley, Maple Hayes,Rushton Spencer, Swinscoe Common, Waterfall, Westport (pair with four young) andat Wetton Mill with a further 12 reports of possible breeding birds at other locations.In the autumn singles were seen at Belvide and Tittesworth on August 7th, LittleStoke on the 16th and Copmere on the 30th with singles at Doxey Marshes onSeptember 3rd and the last reports came from Cannock Chase and Westport on the7th.W Mid Singing birds, indicative of breeding activity, were recorded at BrandwoodEnd, Brownhills Common, Catshill, Fibbersley Nature Reserve (three), Holland Park,Marsh Lane NR (an estimated five), New Town (along the Anglesey Branch canal),Perry Park, Sandwell Valley (at least three), Sheepwash UP, Smestow Valley (a pairpresent) and The Lunt (in Darlaston). Autumn migrants were noted at Dunstall Parkon August 5th, Smestow Valley on August 13th, September 1st and 3rd, and onNetherton Hill on September 2nd.

Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia currucaFairly common summer resident. Two winter records.Average dates: April 22nd (67) to September 23rd (67).First noted at Alvecote and Upper Kingston on April 18th and last seen at Blithfieldand Fenny Compton on September 27th.Warks Fairly numerous across southern and eastern districts, but not so manyreported from the north of the county. No fewer than 18 territories were located on just300ha of farmland at Stretton-on-Fosse, while other good concentrations included 13singing males at DMC Kineton, 12 at Fenny Compton, 15 across Napton parish, andseven at both Long Marston and Priors Marston. A moderate autumn passage wasrecorded, with site maxima of 12 around Fenny Compton STW on August 10th, 11 atWormleighton Res on September 2nd and 11 at Priors Hardwick on 4th.Worcs Another good year with numerous sightings made from across the county.Singing males were heard at 42 localities during the spring and summer, with singlesreported from the majority of these sites, the exceptions being at CastlemortonCommon (two), Craycombe Coppice (three), Knowle Bank (two) and Lower Moor(two). The first spring bird was noted at Kinsham on April 19th while the final autumnrecords were of five at Hollybed Common on August 30th, two at Lower Moor onSeptember 5th, one at Upton Warren on 6th, three at Hollybed Common and one inHappy Valley on 7th, one on Bredon Hill on 9th, one on Hollybed Common on 12thand one at Grimley New Workings on 21st.Staffs First reported at Branston GP on the April 19th. Few reports followed withjust a single at Chasewater on the 26th, two at Belvide and Branston WP on the 27th

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and a single at Little Stoke on the 30th. Breeding and known territories were atApedale CP (pair), Belvide (pair), Black Bank (pair), Branston WP (pair), Chasewater(two pairs), and Doxey Marshes (pair). Reports of probable breeding came fromAbbots Bromley, Barton GP, Blithfield, Grindon, Hamps Valley, Sugnall, Thorn TreeFarm Uttoxeter and Wergs. During the autumn one or two were at Blithfield betweenJuly 20th and August 10th, one at Tittesworth on the 8th and 9th, three at Black Bankfrom the 11th to 13th, one at Tittesworth on the 15th and 31st, three at Belvide on the27th, and two at Black Bank from the 29th to September 1st. Singles were at DoxeyMarshes on September 2nd and Chasewater on the 3rd, Belvide on the 11th and atBlithfield, a late bird below the dam on the 27th was the last of the year.W Mid Singing birds/breeding season records came from Ashmore Lake, Barston,Bartley Reservoir, Berkswell (at Park Farm), Bradnocks Marsh (two), Cotwall EndValley, Dunstall Park, Fen End, Fens Pools, Hurst Green Recreation Ground, MarshLane NR (at least two with up to three others on passage), Netherton Hill, SaltwellsLNR, Rowley Regis, Sandwell Valley, Sheepwash UP and Smestow Valley (believedto be three pairs). What were certainly migrants were noted at BirminghamInternational Station on May 29th and Russells Hall in Dudley on August 20th. Twowere on Netherton Hill on September 1st.

Common Whitethroat Sylvia communisVery common to abundant summer resident.Average dates: April 15th (69) to September 29th (69).The first was seen at Brandon on April 15th and the last at Fenny Compton onSeptember 27th.Warks A total of 70 logged at DMC Kineton on the May census, although downfrom last year’s 80, maintains the above average sequence of counts which have beenlogged annually here since 1997. Farmland surveys produced 14 territories in 70ha atBridgetown, but only 13 in 300ha at Stretton-on-Fosse, where it was outnumbered bythe Lesser Whitethroat. An interesting note was of a juvenile observed sun-bathing ona feeding table at Ladywalk on September 7th.Worcs A common breeder throughout the Worcestershire countryside. Reportedfrom many localities during the breeding season, with the best counts of singing malesbeing five at Beoleylade, 11 along the canal between Blackpole and Hanbury Wharf,six on Castlemorton Common, 10 on Hollybed Common, five around North Hill,three at Strensham Lagoons, 19 at Tibberton and four at Wilden Marsh. Staffs First reports came from Bateswood NR, Belvide, Black Bank, Branston WPand Chasewater April, all on the 16th. These were followed the next day with singles atBranston GP, at Westport on the 18th, Doxey Marshes on the 20th, Little Stoke on the30th, two at Tittesworth on the 30th and one Apedale CP on May 1st. Numbers hadincreased to 18 at Belvide by May 5th and six were on Cannock Chase on the 9th.Breeding records came from Apedale CP (15 territories), Belvide (ten pairs),Chasewater (44 territories), Doley Common (one to two pairs), Doxey Marshes (13pairs), Norton Bridge (three to four pairs), Westport (one to two pairs) and WetleyMoor (four pairs). Singing birds were also recorded at 22 other localities. In the autumntwo were seen at Alton Park Banks on August 5th, one at Tittesworth on the 8th, threeat Blithfield on the 10th, three at Doxey Marshes on the 15th, a female at ActonTrussell on September 3rd, three at Belvide on the 12th, and one at Chasewater on the19th being the last.W Mid Breeding season records were received from Aston, Bartley Reservoir,

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Catshill, Coombeswood, Cradley Heath, Dunstall Park/Smestow Valley area (up to 20pairs double the number present in the late 1990’s), Fens Pools, Harborne NR,Highters Heath, Holland Park (two), Lion Farm recreation ground, Lutley, Marsh LaneNR (up to seven), Lye, Marston Green Recreation Ground, Moor Green (inBirmingham), Minworth, Moxley, Mushroom Green, Netherton Hill (six), New Town(along the Anglesey Branch canal), Ocker Hill (two), Oldbury, Pedmore, PensnettRailway Walk, Perry playing fields (two), Powke Lane Open Space, Saltwells Wood,Sandwell Valley, Sedgley Beacon, Selly Oak (at Vincent Drive), Sheepwash UP (atleast three), Small Heath, Smethwick, off Steelpark Way in Wednesfield, StourbridgeGolf Course, Sutton Park (two in song in Longmoor Valley), The Lunt (in Darlaston– three pairs) Thimblemill, Wollaston, Woodgate Valley (at least six in song) andWordsley Junction (in Stourbridge).

Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatusVery rare vagrant (5/10).Worcs One was discoveredalong the River Salwarpe, southof the Moors Pool, UptonWarren on November 30th GGet al. and was soon relocated inthe Educational Reserve. Itcontinued to show well, pre -dominantly in the EducationalReserve up until December27th. This record constitutedthe second record for thereserve and the fourth for thecounty; the last being in 1999 atNorth Hill.Staffs One found at West -port on October 17th at09:35hrs after several days ofeasterly winds WJL, JJ was lastseen early on the 19th NS. Itwas the second county record; the last also being at Westport in 2001.

Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrixFrequent, though declining, summer resident, now mainly confined to the north andwest of the region.Average dates: April 23rd (67) to August 27th (54).The first record came from Dowles Brook on April 17th and the last from Draycoteand Napton Hill on August 30th.Warks In spring, singing males were found at Chesterton Wood on April 21stGRJD, Draycote on 24th REH, Avon Dassett on May 1st JJB, MJL and DMC Kinetonon 18th BOS. On return passage, singles were located at Wormleighton Res on July28th JJB in a large fall of Phylloscopus warblers, at Napton Hill on August 16th and30th JJB, and at Draycote also on 30th RCM.Worcs As in 2002, the only records came from the Wyre Forest, where numbershad increased. The maximum count was of eight in 2002 and this year 14 were

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Yellow-browed Warbler, Upton Warren (Andy Warr)

recorded between Dowles Brook car park and Lodge Hill Farm on May 1st and ninearound Lodge Hill Farm on 7th. The first two birds arrived along the Dowles Brookon April 17th, then three were recorded on 19th and 23rd and five on 29th.Staffs Two males at Seven Springs on April 20th were the first to arrive These werefollowed by a single at Brocton Coppice and seven at Seven Springs on the 23rd andfour at the Stepping Stones by the 29th. Away from the Chase the only April record wasa bird at Knypersley Reservoir on April 23rd. Breeding was confirmed at CoombesValley with at least one pair. Breeding season records for Cannock Chase included twoin Brocton Coppice and also at Seven Springs on May 10th and one at the Punchbowlthe 22nd. Breeding reports were also received from Crumpwood where there was amale June 13th, Dimmingsdale (three males on the 20th) and Gradbach, (two males)on May 25th. No breeding records this year from Consall CP, Cotton Dell, DydonWood and Park Banks. The only autumn record, and also the last reported, were two atDoxey Marshes on August 17th. W Mid One was heard singing in the High Bridges area of Sandwell Valley onApril 30th.

1995 AddendumWarks One at Seeswood Pool on May 3rd was the only spring record that year.

Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybitaVery common summer resident and uncommon winter visitor.Warks Territory counts included nine at Brandon (cf. six in 2002, seven in 2001),seven in Farnborough Park, nine along the Oxford Canal at Fenny Compton, 11 in theHogrills End/Whitacre Heath area, nine in Itchington Holt (cf. seven in 2002, ten in2001), six in 62ha of Kingsbury Wood, and 15 in 300ha of farmland at Stretton-on-Fosse. Repeat counts suggest that numbers may now be fairly stable after a recentincrease, with only minor fluctuations from year to year. During the late winter periodthere were reports of up to four at Draycote during January-February, with furthersingles observed at Brandon from January 1st-6th, at Napton Res on 7th, andLighthorne Quarry on 10th. The first genuine spring migrants appeared at bothKingsbury and Lighthorne Quarry from March 6th, at Brandon from 9th and atMaxstoke on 10th, before the general influx commenced on 12th. The highest countwas at least 40 along the Oxford Canal between Fenny Compton and WormleightonRes on April 5th-6th. It was exceptionally abundant on return passage in the south,with peaks at Wormleighton Res of 25 on July 28th, 50 on August 18th, 85 onSeptember 2nd, 75 on 8th and 40 on 16th. Maxima at other sites included 18 atLighthorne Quarry on August 28th, 30 at Napton Hill on 30th and September 9th, 40at Ilmington Downs on 12th, and 25 on the Fenny Compton Hills on 17th. The bestcount in the north was of 15 at Shustoke on September 2nd. Passage continued to lateOctober, while there were reports of single birds during November-December atBedworth Hill Pool, Brandon, Chesterton, Coton, Dosthill, Kingsbury andWormleighton Res, with two at both Draycote and Ladywalk.Worcs During the breeding season, 25 pairs were reported along the canal betweenBlackpole and Hanbury Wharf, 22 singing males were counted between British Campand Gullet Quarry, a pair bred successfully at Broadway Gravel Pit, up to 10 singingmales were counted along a 5km stretch of the Dowles Brook, 13 on Midsummer Hilland 14 pairs were noted at Tibberton. Singing males also recorded at Beoleylade(four), Bishampton Vale Pool (three), Castlemorton Common (six), Hoo FarmIndustrial Estate, Inkberrow, Ryall Pits, Shatterford Wood (five), Trench Wood (nine),

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Westwood Pool (four), Upton Warren (five), Wassell Grove Pool and Wilden Marsh.The majority of reports of individuals during the first winter period were from LowerMoor Sewage Works, with two from January 1st-5th, four on 12th, three on 18th, twoon 25th, three on 26th and 27th, one on February 1st, four from 8th-16th, two on 21st,one on March 1st, four on 2nd, five on 16th and a brown and white individual on 23rd.Other records came from Upton Warren, with singles on January 1st, 16th, 18th,February 1st and 2nd, three at Kempsey Sewage Works on January 15th, one atGrimley Old Workings on 21st, one along Wagon Wheel Lane, Grimley on February1st and two, including a brown and white bird at Upton-upon-Severn Sewage Workson 2nd. Movement of autumn passage birds through the Happy Valley was observedwith 30+ on August 31st, 75+ on September 14th, 25 on 15th, 50+ on 16th, 10 on 25thand five on 30th. A fall of 100+ birds was noted at Upton Warren on September 6th,20 were on Bredon Hill on 27th, six at Diglis on 30th and five at Westwood Pool onOctober 1st. Two in the Happy Valley on October 11th, then one on 21st, singles atNafford on 21st and 30th and one at Lower Moor on 25th were probably late passagebirds rather than returning winter visitors. During the second winter period the bestcounts came from Lower Moor Sewage Works and Upton Warren. At Lower Moor twowere present on November 10th, three on December 12th, 15th and 20th and seven on30th and 31st. The Educational Reserve at Upton Warren recorded its best ever winterfor this species, with one on November 15th, three on 30th, December 1st and 2nd,four on 3rd and 4th, two on 5th, four on 6th, seven on 7th, three on 8th, two on 13th,three on 14th, two on 16th and singles on 19th and 26th. Singles were also noted atthe Moors Pools on November 15th, 17th and December 29th. Other sightings wereof singles at Holt Heath on November 12th, Kempsey Sewage Works on 30th andPixham Lane, Kempsey on December 7th. A few birds were reported to have winteredat Malvern Sewage Works.

Staffs Over-wintering birds were reported from Chasewater during January andFebruary, Westport on January 13th and 23rd, Doxey Marshes on February 14th,Madeley Sewage Farm during February (singing on the 5th) and Spath on February25th. Spring arrivals in March commenced with one at Chasewater on the 9th, six atBelvide, two at both Blithfield and at Pendeford Mill NR and one at Westport, all onthe 12th, two at Penn Common on the 13th, Acton Trussell, Doxey Marshes (five) andBaggeridge Park CP all on the 14th, Baswich on the 15th, Blithfield (six) andBiddulph, Cannock Chase, Croxall GP, Rudyard, and Tittesworth all on the 16th,Gillow Heath (12) and Baldwins Gate, Bridgetown, Church Eaton (three) all on the17th. A further 30 reports were received up to the month end. In April records camefrom 24 localities including five at Westport on the 3rd, eight at Baggeridge CP on the9th, 11 at Belvide on the 5th and nine at Pipe Hall Farm (Lichfield) on the 13th.Records in the breeding season came from 22 localities, with 28 territories at ApedaleCP, nine pairs at Belvide, 16 territories at Chasewater, eight pairs at Doxey Marshes,two males at Wergs and a pair at Westport. During the autumn passage reported inAugust at Copmere, Crumpwood, Sugnall and Westport (12) on the 30th, and inSeptember from Cannock Chase on the 7th, Doxey Marshes (18) on the 12th,Copmere (five) on the 14th, and Weston Jones, Tittesworth (ten) on the 16th, Belvideand Little Stoke (four) on the 21st, and Blithfield on the 27th. October recordsincluded one at Doxey Marshes on the 1st, five on the 3rd, two on the 6th and threeon the 10th. There were singles at Silverdale Colliery on the October 3rd and 5th, fiveat Westport on the 3rd, one at West End on the 4th and at Stafford on the 7th, two atTittesworth on the 16th, a single at Stone 18th and at Belvide and Westport on the 20th

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and there were two throughout the month at Chasewater. Early winter birds inNovember were seen at Chasewater (two) and Doxey Marshes (one) on the 10th and29th and at Westport (one) on the 23rd. In December singles birds were noted atChasewater throughout the month, at Dosthill Pits from the 2nd, Little Stoke on the7th, Westport on the 12th with two on the 24th, and at Clay Mills SF on the 23rd. W Mid Singing birds were reported from Acock’s Green, Alder Coppice (at leasttwo), Aldridge (from at least three localities), Ashmore Lake, Barnford Park, BarrowHill (at least two), Bartley Reservoir, Bob’s Coppice, Brandwood End (at least two),Brownhills Common (at least three), Causeway Green, Coalbournbrook, Cotwall EndValley (two), Cuckoos Nook, Fens Pools (three), Fibbersley Nature Reserve (five),Fox Hollies Park, Ham Dingle (two), Harborne NR, Hawne Park (two), HightersHeath, Holland Park, Knowle, Lutley, Lye, Marsh Lane NR (four), Marston GreenRecreation Ground, Mons Hill CBC plot (seven territories), Moseley Bog, Moxley (atleast two), Oak Farm, Ocker Hill, Olton Mere (three), Parkhead (at least two),Peascroft Wood, Pedmore, Pensnett Railway Walk, Pool Hayes (two), Perry Park,Powke Lane Open Space (three), Rowley Regis, Saltwells LNR (eight), SandwellValley (11 in song on April 27th), Sarehole Mill, Sedgley, Selly Park (two),Sheepwash UP (up to three), Shidas Lane Tip, Smestow Valley (25 singing males werecounted on April 16th – although some of these may have involved passage birds thisis still a massive increase with up to five present throughout the 1990s), South Yardley,Stambermill (three), Sutton Park (five along Longmoor Valley), Thimblemill (two),Warley Woods, Wergs, Wollaston (two), Wood Hayes and Wren’s Nest NNR (two).Migrants were noted at Marsh Lane NR in September with five on 21st and the finalbird on October 5th, and on Netherton Hill on October 9th. The only submitted recordfor the first winter period was of one in Sandwell Valley on January 29th. In thesecond winter period one was in Dunstall Park on November 19th, one in SandwellValley on November 22nd and 30th (latter bird colour-ringed with red ring on rightleg and blue on left) and up to three individuals were seen at Sheepwash UP duringDecember.

Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita tristisRare winter visitor (6/10)Warks A single bird seen at Draycote on February 17th-18th MD, JFCJ, waspresumably the same bird reported from there during December 2002. This was thefourth county record. In addition a bird watched in a willow by the River Avon atGuy’s Cliffe on November 19th CRS was thought to be a tristis on call, but not enoughplumage detail was noted to confirm it.Worcs The Lower Moor Sewage Works bird from December 2002 remained on siteuntil March 16th and was considered most likely to be an intergrade between Siberianand Scandinavian Chiffchaff RAP et al. One was located by call in the EducationalReserve at Upton Warren on December 7th AW, GG, but the possibility of it being anintergrade could not be fully ruled out.

Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilusVery common to abundant, but declining, summer resident. One winter record.Average dates: March 28th (69) to October 7th (69).A very early bird was found at Norbury Park on March 9th with another early bird atDoxey on the 14th. The last was seen at Alvecote on October 1st.Warks After a run of several increasingly poor years, a modest but encouraging

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increase was noted in the breeding population at sites along the south-eastern bordersof the county from Dunchurch and Willoughby south to the Dassett Hills. This wasreflected at DMC Kineton, with 51 logged in May compared to 46 in 2002. Furthernorth there were counts of 14 territories at Brandon (cf. 15 in 2002 and 17 in 2001),five at Edge Hill Wood (Kingsbury), 14 at Kingsbury WP, and nine at Pooley Fields,Alvecote. After the very poor totals in 2002 rather more also appeared on passage thisyear, at least in the south and east. Maxima included a fall of 26 at Draycote on April24th, and return peaks at Wormleighton Res of 35 on July 28th and 30 on August 6th.Worcs This year the Malvern Hills recorded its lowest ever numbers of singingmales. Sixteen were on Castlemorton Common (cf. 18 in 2002), nine on RaggedstoneHill (cf. 10 in 2002) and reduced numbers also noted on other parts of the hills. Incontrast, totals seemed a little higher along the Dowles Brook, where they werereported as being reasonably common. Four singing males were noted in Trench Woodand Upton Warren held at least three singing males during the breeding season. Othercounts included 12 singing male between North Hill and Worcestershire Beacon andfour on Walton Hill on April 4th and three at Beoleylade on 19th. The first returningbird was noted at Upton Warren on March 24th and singles or pairs were observed atmany localities during the spring and summer monthsStaffs This species is definitely not so common as it use to be. Interestingly,numbers trapped just over the border at Allscott Sugar Factory in Shropshire in the lasttwo years have been the lowest in over 40 years with under 40 birds caught comparedwith the usual of 200 + and a maximum of 400 in one year FCG. Two exceptionallyearly birds were singing at Norbury Park on March 9th. These were closely followedby two at Doxey Marshes on the March 14th with one on the 22nd, singles atTittesworth on the 26th, and Westport on the 27th, two were at Ford Green on the 29thand singles at Belvide and Coldmeece Pools on the 30th. Main spring passage reportsduring April came from Baggeridge CP on the 1st, Chasewater on the 5th, Blithfieldon the 9th, 13th and 27th, Aston-by-Stone and Pipe Hall Farm Lichfield (six) on the13th, Hen Cloud and Stanton Dale (six) on the 18th, Brookleys Lake on the 21st andWestport(six) on the same day, Borrowpit Lake on the 22nd, Belvide (ten) on the 25th,and Baggeridge CP (five) on the 30th. In the main breeding season records came fromApedale CP (45 territories), Bateswood NR (five pairs), Belvide (seven pairs cf: six:2002), on Cannock Chase at Brocton Coppice, Katyn Memorial and Stepping Stones(four males), Chasewater, (40 territories), Doley Common, Doxey Marshes (ten pairs),Elford GP (six males), Maple Hayes, Mere Pits (three males), Tittesworth (20territories and ten juveniles), Weston Jones, at Westport (two birds were singingthroughout but no confirmation of breeding) and Wilnecote CP. The few reports in theautumn include birds noted at seven sites in the Anslow area but numbers are very thinduring the autumn passage. Seven were at Blithfield on July 27th, singles atCrumpwood and Mow Cop on August 30th, three at Westport on September 1st,singles at Chasewater on the 5th, Cannock Chase on the 7th and Belvide on the 10th,two at Doxey Marshes on the 14th, three at Belvide 21st and one at Tittesworth on the24th being the last. W Mid Singing birds in the breeding season were reported from Amblecote Pool,Ashmore Park (at least one), Bartley Reservoir, Brownhills Common (at least three),Catshill (at least two), Cotwall End Valley, Holland Park (at least two), Lion FarmRecreation Ground, Marsh Lane NR (an estimated five pairs), Mary Stevens Park,Ocker Hill (at least one), Mons Hill, Netherton Hill (at least two), New Town (at leastone along the Anglesey Branch canal), Perry playing fields, Rowley Regis, Saltwells

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LNR (six), Sandwell Valley (11 in song on April 27th), Sedgley Beacon, SheepwashUP (10 in song in early May), Shidas Lane Tip, Smestow Valley (seven in song),Stubbers Green (two), Sutton Park (five along Longmoor Valley in mid-June), TheLunt in Darlaston (at least two), Titford Pools, Willenhall and Withymoor. Passagebirds were reported from Selly Oak Railway Station and a Dorridge garden.

Willow Warbler X ChiffchaffWarks A bird singing with the mixed song characteristics of both Willow Warblerand Chiffchaff, was reported from Alcester on June 7th DJS.

Goldcrest Regulus regulusVery common resident and winter visitor.Warks The largest counts came as usual in the autumn, with influxes of 30 atNapton Hill on September 23rd and 35 at Wormleighton Res on October 3rd, followedby parties of 22 at Ilmington Downs on October 15th and 20 at Farnborough Park onDecember 13th.Worcs Still reported as common throughout the year at many localities. Ten pairsbred at Tibberton and a healthy breeding population was recorded in the Wyre Forestand Deerfold Wood. Counts received during both winter periods included 10 atHabberley Valley on January 1st and 20 in Hurcott Wood on 16th, 50+ in HappyValley on October 21st and 30 at Aston-under-Hill on 23rd.Staffs A pair bred at Chasewater while several juveniles were seen in the conifersat Kingswood Bank, Trentham and not too far away a pair with a juvenile at West End(Stoke) indicated successful breeding locally. Two pairs nested in a beech hedge atAnslow and at Hoar Cross a nest was lost due to the bad weather. Singing birds werenoted at High Onn Woods on May 6th and at Wrottesley Hall on March 2nd. Anincredible count of 150 at Hanchurch Woods on September 11th consisted of twoflocks of 130 and 20, the 130 being relatively easy to count as they streamed from oneclearing to another. Birds were noted throughout the year at Belvide with a maximumof 14 on October 20th, 12 were at Chasewater during December and ten at Tittesworthon the 30th. Smaller numbers were reported from 20 other sites.W Mid Singing birds were noted at Brandwood End, Edgaston Pool, Harborne,Hawne Park, Holland Park, Knowle, Marsh Lane NR (singing noted from February toApril with a juvenile recorded in July), Mary Stevens Park, Mons Hill CBC plot (oneterritory), Moseley Bog (two), Oak Farm, Oldswinford churchyard, Powke Lane OpenSpace, Sandwell Valley, Sarehole Mill, Smestow Valley, Warley Woods (two),Wednesfield, Wergs, Wollaston and Yardley Wood. Winter records came from Sheep -wash UP, Wolverhampton and Wyken Slough. Fifteen were counted along a section ofthe Smestow Valley on October 26th and five were at Marsh Lane NR on October 31st.

Firecrest Regulus ignicapillaScarce passage migrant and winter visitor. Rare breeding species.The best period for twenty years.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 34 24 37 30 40

Warks Sadly, none could be located at last year’s breeding site despite muchsearching. Heavy arrivals on the east coast resulted in three autumn records. Singlebirds were found at Lighthorne Quarry on October 26th JJB and Napton Hill on 27thCHP, with a male closely observed near Chesterton Church on December 9th JJB.

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Worcs A singing male was recorded on Clent Hills from March 23rd-April 19thBW and one was seen briefly along a hedgerow at Nafford on October 31st SMW.Staffs One was located on January 17th at Larchwood, (Keele University) GH and,prob ably the same bird, was seen again on February 7th GH, and on the 14th DWE, NDP.

Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striataFairly common, though much declined, summer resident.Average dates: May 3rd (67) to September 29th (67).First seen at Brandon on April 18th and 22nd, much earlier than usual. The last wasseen at Lighthorne Quarry on the average date of September 24th.Warks Widely reported in the breeding season except in the north, with breedingpairs located at: Baddesley Clinton, Bentley Woods, Dorsington, Earlswood, Farn -borough Park, Fenny Compton (four), Flecknoe, Frankton, Great Alne, Kenilworth,Leamington Hastings (three), Lighthorne, Napton Hill, Packington (at least five),Packwood, Preston Bagot, Priors Hardwick, Shuckburgh Park (two), Stoneton,Willoughby (two), Woolscott and Wormleighton (two). In addition a pair may have brednear Ladywalk, where a family party was present during August. In spring, very earlybirds were noted at Brandon on April 18th and 22nd, and at Draycote on 26th. Onreturn passage, counts of migrants included at least nine at Seeswood Pool on August13th and 16 at Napton Hill on 16th.Worcs Thirty pairs were located in the southern villages around Bredon Hill,compared to 40 in 2002. Of the 43 nests occupied, 18 failed and 65 nestlings wereknown to have fledged. Other nesting records were of a pair at Abberton, with raisedthree young, a pair at Bevere, a pair at Shernal Green fledged three young, two pairsat Tibberton and a pair in Upton Warren village. A pair, with two juveniles, was seenin Deerfold Wood on July 13th and family parties were noted at Sale Green on June29th, two at Upton Warren during August and Stoke Bliss on August 13th. Otherrecords were of one in Nunnery Wood on May 2nd, Arley on 4th, singles on WaltonHill on 6th and 30th, one at Peasebrook Farm on 24th, Kempsey Common on 26th,three at Trimpley Reservoir on 31st, one at Callow Hill on June 21st, two at FladburyChurch on 21st and 23rd, two at Trimpley Reservoir on July 6th, one at Upton Warrenon 9th and also noted as present during the breeding season at Kyre and in Worcester.A scattering of records during August and September. with Upton Warren holding oneon August 5th and 18th, three on 22nd and singles on 27th, September 2nd and 6th.Two were at Broadway Gravel Pit on August 3rd, two in Kempsey Church Yard on 3rdand 10th, two at Spetchley on 5th and Lower Moor held five on 7th, two between the8th and 11th, four on 12th, two on 13th, one on 14th, two on 15th and one on 18th.One at Nafford Lock on 8th, was followed by two on 14th, five on 20th, three on 25thand 26th and two on 30th. A single was at Holt Castle on 13th, seven on Bredon Hillon 25th and 26th, then five on September 4th, singles at Grimley and Westwood Poolon August 30th, five at Kinsham Lake on September 1st, three and four at WoodcoteGreen on 1st and 2nd respectively, one at Grimley New Workings on 8th, two inHappy Valley on 14th and finally three in Chat Valley on 16th.Staffs First of year were two at Tittesworth on May 4th with a single bird atBelvide on the 5th and 7th. A good series of records followed throughout Maycommencing with a pair at both Meerbrook and Stafford on the 10th, singles at SevenSprings and Waterfall on the 11th, one at Levedale on the 13th, three at Ilam and oneKnar on the 18th, two at Baswich on the 20th, four at Ingestre and two at Tixall on the21st, two at Chapel Chorlton and five at Gradbach on the 25th, singles at Calton and

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Rudyard on 26th, a pair at Swineholes Wood on the 28th and one Moreton on the 29th.Breeding confirmed at Belvide (three pairs), Calton (two pairs), Crumpwood (pair),Ingestre (two pairs), Rocester (pair) in nest box, Swinscoe Common (pair),Tittesworth (pair), and Tixall a (pair), Other reports of probable breeding and familyparties came from Alton, Audley Churchyard, Baswich, Hollybush, Knotbury,Mayfield, Norbury Junction Roaches and Waterfall. There were no reports of breedingfrom Cannock Chase or Doxey Marshes. Early passage birds during July included fiveat Crumpwood on the 5th, one at Lower Cowley and Stafford on the 7th, six atTittesworth on the 13th, two at Levedale on the 19th and one at Maple Hayes on the20th. Late breeders and main passage birds included two at Knypersley on August2nd, five at Calton on the 4th, two adults feeding two juveniles at Pipe Green Lichfieldon the 5th, six at Blithfield on the 10th, two at Levedale on the 13th which increasedto four by the 16th, two at Grindon and Warslow with singles at Rudyard andTittesworth, all on the 17th, one at Doxey Marshes on the 20th, three at Little Wyrleyon the 23rd, six at Bathpool on the 25th, one at Westport on the 25th and three on the29th with one remaining to the 29th, ten at Belvide and five at Doxey Marshes on the27th, three at Blithfield, singles at Copmere and Doxey Marshes and four at MowCop, all on the 30th. In September reports came from Doxey Marshes with two on the2nd and three on the 3rd, Westport had two on the 2nd and one on the 4th, at Belvidehad two on the 3rd, singles were at Levedale on the 4th, Crumpwood, Ousley Woodand Tittesworth all on the 5th and finally one at Chasewater on the 18th.W Mid Pairs bred successfully around Meriden church, at Meriden Mill and TempleBalsall. Two juveniles were at Fen End in early August, a site where this species haspreviously bred. Spring passage birds were reported from Sheepwash UP on May 2nd,Goscote Valley on May 21st and Sandwell Valley on 27th. Autumn birds were notedin Smestow Valley on August 1st (four), 2nd, 19th (three), Dunstall Park on August3rd, 16th, 25th, 28th, September 2nd and 4th, Sandwell Valley (recorded on 12 datesbetween August 10th and September 21st with a peak count of five on August 30th),Goscote Hospital on August 13th, Brownhills NR also on 13th (three) and on 26th andSheepwash UP on 23rd and 28th.

Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleucaFrequent and increasing summer resident and passage migrant, though breedingregularly only in Staffs and Worcs.Average date: April 21st (57) to September 10th (38).First seen along Dowles Brook on April 12th with the last at Belvide on September 17th.Warks In spring, a male was seen at Draycote on May 3rd per JFCJ and one wasreported at Brandon on 8th BMCG. There was only one autumn record, of a bird seenon Napton Hill on September 11th RCM and 12th TM.Worcs The drastic decline continues in the county, with only one confirmedbreeding record along the Dowles Brook, in Knowles Coppice. Returning adultsencountered along the Dowles Brook were a male one April 12th and 13th, two malesand a female on 16th, two males on 17th, 18th and 25th, one male on 29th, two maleson May 1st and 5th and a male on 7th. The only other breeding records came from nestbox schemes on the southern Malvern Hills, where 14 females nested but only ninewere successful, fledging 36 young. This compared to 21 nests rearing 128 young in2001 and 19 nests rearing 101 young in 2002. Two autumn records were received, withone associating with a Spotted Flycatcher at Lower Moor on August 7th and five inHappy Valley on September 14th.

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Staffs First reported from SevenSprings Cannock Chase on April 14th.Other spring passage birds during Aprilincluded two at Shugborough on April18th, a male at Bearda on the 27th and afemale at Belvide on May 18th. Breedingwas successful at Coombes Valley with 21singing birds and a count of 20 nests whichproduced 118 nestlings. Singing birds werealso noted at Deep Hayes CP, Dim mings -dale, Gradbach, Hamps Valley, RoachesWood (three males) and Tittesworth (threepairs). A male was present at Seven Springsfrom April 15th to May 21st, with twomales and a female on April 23rd, but noconfirmation of breeding while two pairswere present in the Stepping Stones area. Apair was at Shugborough on May 18th and at Apedale CP, a male brought nestingmaterial to three sites between May 3rd and 21st but failed to attract a female. Onautumn passage singles were noted at Tittesworth on July 13th and Belvide on the30th. A juvenile was at Aldershaw on August 20th and a late immature at Belvide onSeptember 17th. W Mid One was noted in Smestow Valley on August 16th.

Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicusRare winter visitor, much reduced since 1994 (5/10).Another poor series of records.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 54 61 44 1 3

Warks A juvenile was reported at Napton Res on October 20th RCM.

Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatusCommon to very common resident.Warks The population continues to remain fairly constant. The largest flocksreported were of 40 at Brandon on January 18th and again on June 14th, while partiesof around 20-35 were also noted during the year at: DMC Kineton, Draycote,Farnborough Park, Fenny Compton, Hatton, Kingsbury, Knightcote, Lighthorne,Newbold Comyn, Whichford Wood and Wormleighton Res.Worcs Very few records received and the only breeding data was of 11 pairs inTibberton and a few pairs nesting at Upton Warren. Four were in a Malvern Linkgarden on January 9th, at Hurcott Wood, 50 were present on 16th, 16 were at Ryall onJuly 6th, 30 at Lower Moor on August 2nd, 25 in the Educational Reserve at UptonWarren on December 7th and 12 at Bishampton Vale Pool on 28th.Staffs Bred throughout the county but few reports were received except for sevenpairs at Belvide, several at Chasewater, four at Doxey Marshes and also at BrookleysLake, Calwich, Cotton Dell and Toad Hole Bridge. Reports of flocks during the yearincluded 20 at Westport on January 5th, 22 at West End on September 26th, 25 atDoley Common amongst finches on September 29th, 14 in a garden at Denstone Hallon November 11th, 30 at Chasewater on December 16th, 20 at Baswich on the River

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Pied Flycatcher (Phil Jones)

Sow Meadows and the same number at Tittesworth both during December. Reportswere also received from 12 other locations.W Mid Breeding season records were received from Barrow Hill, BrownhillsCommon, Catshill, Coalbournbrook, Dunstall Park, Gornalwood, Ham Dingle, Knowle,Marsh Lane NR area, Mons Hill CBC plot (three territories), Moseley Bog, Ocker Hill(at least two family parties), Perry Park, Pool Hayes, Saltwells LNR, Sandwell Valley,Smestow Valley, South Yardley, Titford Pool, Trittiford Mill and Wednesfield. In excessof 30 were counted at Marsh Lane NR in June, at least 20 were in a loose flock inSmestow Valley in June and July, and 25 were at Saltwells LNR on July 22nd. Outsideof the breeding season, records were received from Wergs and Wyken Slough.

Marsh Tit Poecile palustrisFairly common resident.Warks In the north of the county this species appears to be now very scarce, butsingles noted at Ladywalk on October 10th, Windmill Hill NR on November 3rd, andin Heach Wood on December 21st appear to be genuine. South of the Solihull-Coventry corridor it is still locally frequent, and breeding pairs were reported from:Acorns Coppice (near Earlswood), Avon Dassett, Bunkers Hill Wood (two),Chesterton Wood, Compton Verney (at least four), Farnborough Park (three), FennyCompton, Itchington Holt (three), Long Itchington, Oakley Wood, Oversley Wood,Print Wood, Shuckburgh Hills, Snitterfield Bushes, Ufton Wood, Whichford Wood,Wolford Wood (five) and Wormleighton Res (two). The best winter count was of atleast 11 at Ufton Wood on February 28th.Worcs Noted as still fairly common on Bredon Hill, where a pair was seen withfour juveniles on May 28th. A pair nested at Bredon’s Norton and small numbers wereobserved along a 5km stretch of the Dowles Brook throughout the breeding season.Other breeding season sightings came from Chase End Wood, Deerfold Wood,Eymore Wood, Shatterford Wood, Tiddesley Wood, Trimpley Reservoir and WestwoodPool. During both winter periods, reports came from Abberton, Arley Wood, BredonHill, Bredon’s Norton, Broadway Gravel Pit, Chase End Wood, Deerfold Wood,Dowles Brook, Eymore Wood, Grimley, Hewell Grange, Lower Moor, SouthcrestWood, Tank Quarry and Westwood Pool.Staffs A pair bred in the Hamps Valley where two adults and four young were seenon August 6th, and possibly bred at Wetton Mill which had a pair on the same day.One or two were noted at feeding stations at Apedale CP, Brocton Field, Denstone Halland Ecton. Otherwise four were present at Chillington on January 11th, with two birdsseen at Banktop Wood, Belvide, Blithfield, Branston GP, Doley Common, DydonWood, Wetton Mill and Woodseaves. Records of single birds came from 16 other sites. W Mid One was seen in Smestow Valley in early January and a possible was heardcalling here on September 26th – the first local reports since 1994. One was reportedfrom Sandwell Valley on January 21st.

Willow Tit Poecile montanusFairly common resident.Warks The unknown factor which appears to have decimated populations in thewest of the county seems to be continuing to creep eastwards. In the south central10km squares of SP25 and SP35, for instance, it has apparently disappeared frommany traditional sites over the last two years. In the north of the county there were saidto be fewer sightings at Alvecote, while none at all were noted at Birchmoor where it

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bred up until 2002. In all it was reported from at least 47 sites during the year, withbreeding pairs located at: Birdingbury, Brandon (several), Chessetts Wood, Draycotevillage, Farnborough (three), Fenny Compton (five), Frankton, Kenilworth,Kingsbury, Knightcote (two), Ladywalk, Long Itchington, Lowsonford, Marton,Napton, Priors Hardwick, Priors Marston, Stockton, The Somers, Ufton Fields andWormleighton Res (four). Exceptionally there were at least 12 in one mixed tit flockat Wormleighton Res on September 2nd. The only report from the west side of thecounty was a singleton at Earlswood on January 18th.Worcs A few pairs still hanging on in north Worcestershire at traditional breedinglocalities. Noted at Bittell Reservoir, Clent Hills (three pairs bred, including a pair notedon Walton Hill on March 17th and April 19th), Lodge Hill Farm ( one noted on March1st), Shrawley Wood (two singing males and a female noted on February 18th ) andTrimpley Reservoir (one on May 4th). One was at Westwood Pool on April 17th, WildenMarsh held two on 28th and one was seen on Bredon Hill on May 11th. Also present thisyear at Upton Warren, but there was no evidence of breeding taking place. A pair wasobserved here on May 5th, singles were noted on July 5th, 7th, 16th, 19th-21st, two on23rd, one on 26th and August 11th, two on September 4th and one on 6th and 20th. Onewas also recorded at Grimley Old Workings on September 8th. Winter records were ofone at Arley Wood on January 12th and February 15th, one at Lower Moor on January12th, one at Grimley on November 23rd and one at Upton Warren on December 13th.Staffs Possibly under reported, more reports are required for this species. AtBelvide three pairs bred with birds present throughout the year with a maximum of sixon February 11th. At Westport two pairs bred, with birds present all year. There were12 territories at Chasewater but breeding was only confirmed in one area. Possiblebreeding took place at Deep Hayes CP where two birds were present at the end of June,at Coombes Valley and at Byrkley Park where there was a pair on March 23rd. Adultsand juveniles were seen and heard at LittleAston and they were also noted throughoutthe year at Knypersley. Records of birdswere noted at feeding stations at WatermillsWood (Apedale CP) during the winterperiod while up to two were by the westhide at Tittesworth in February. Elsewherereports of one or two birds came from 21other locations. The map, showing therecords received in 2003 for both Marshand Willow Tits, shows where they occurtogether and where separately. W Mid Records in the breeding seasoncame from Catshill, Cinder Bank, LutleyWedge Marsh Lane NR (two pairs in thevicinity of the site), Mons Hill CBC plot(two territories), Netherton Hill, SandwellValley, Smestow Valley (some six pairs –the premier site in the county for thisnationally declining species) and WoodgateValley (adult and three juveniles were noted coming to feeders at Woodgate Valley firestation in July). Outside of the breeding season additional records came from Fen End(along Table Oak Lane), Netherton Hill and Sheepwash UP.

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Coal Tit Periparus aterCommon to very common resident and irruptive winter visitor.Warks Fewer reports were received this year, but numbers appear to continue toremain stable. No large winter flocks noted again. Worcs Under recorded in the county. A pair nesting in a garden at Broadwayfledged four young and present during the breeding season at Chase End Wood,Eymore wood, Shatterford Wood and the Wyre Forest. Reported during the winter atChase End Wood, Eymore wood, Malvern Link, Shatterford Wood, Tibber ton, UptonWarren and the Wyre Forest.Staffs A pair which bred at the eastern end of Belvide was probably a new breedingspecies for this site and a pair probably bred at Chasewater. A party of nine birds atHigh Onn Wood on May 6th indicated local breeding. Most other reports were of smallnumbers except for 30 at Hanchurch Woods on September 11th with a flock of 130Goldcrests, nine at Himley Hall on January 25th and seven at Pepper Slade (CannockChase) on February 18th while six were at Ecton and Seven Springs during January.W Mid Breeding season activity was recorded from Alder Coppice in Sedgley(two), Claregate, Edgaston Pool, Hawne Park, Holland Park (two), Knowle, Mons HillCBC plot (three territories), Oldswinford Churchyard, Pedmore, Saltwells LNR,Sandwell Valley, Smestow Valley (at least three pairs), Stambermill, Tettenhall,Warley Woods, Wednesfield, Wergs and Wollaston. Also reported from SheepwashUP. Five in Sandwell Valley on September 21st was the highest number recorded. Oneat feeders at Marsh Lane NR on February 8th was the only record for this site!

Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleusAbundant resident.Warks At Brandon, 11 nest boxes produced 85 fledged young (as in 2002), whileat Ladywalk 16 boxes produced 108 young. No large flocks reported this year.Worcs 45 pairs noted at Tibberton, where a below average breeding success wasreported and three pairs in a Timberhonger garden fledged 19 young.Staffs At least one pair bred in a nest box at Doley Common while six pairs nestedon Doxey Marshes. Meanwhile, at Coombes Valley 109 nests were recorded alongwith 517 nestlings. The two largest flocks reported were 75 at Doley Common onSeptember 20th in a mixed flock with finches and 50 at Penn Common on March13th. At Belvide counts during the year varied between 20 and eight, with the lattertotal during the breeding season.W Mid Of the 19 nest boxes erected at Marsh Lane NR, 16 were used by either thisspecies or Great Tit. Breeding occurred at Acock’s Green, Ashmore Lake, Bob’sCoppice, Brandwood End, Brownhills Common, Mons Hill CBC plot (17 territories),Moseley Bog, Ocker Hill, Perry Park, Sarehole Mill, Sedgley Golf Course, SmestowValley (reported to be stable), South Yardley, Swanshurst Park, The Lunt (inDarlaston) and Wednesfield – obviously only a small selection of localities wherebreeding occurs within the county. A flock of at least 20 birds was counted in adjacentgardens along Smestow Valley August 18th. Another party of 20 birds was noted atMarsh Lane NR on August 31st.

Great Tit Parus majorAbundant resident.Warks At Brandon, 130 young fledged from 23 nest boxes (as in 2002), while atLadywalk 99 fledged from 18 boxes. A pair at Kingsbury WP reared four young in a

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lifebelt holder. The largest counts were of 20 at Brandon on March 8th and 30 in oneparty at Princethorpe on 30th.Worcs A very poor breeding success recorded at Tibberton which held 36 pairs andin a Timberhonger garden, where two out of three nests failed and only five youngfledged.Staffs A nest box was used by a pair at Doley Common and six pairs bred at DoxeyMarshes. A total of 32 nests was counted at Coombes Valley with 165 nestlings. AtDoley Common 75 were noted in the same tit/finch on September 20th as the BlueTits while 26 were counted at Himley Hall in January 25th and eight juveniles wereon the west hide feeder at Tittesworth on July 2nd.W Mid This species used some of the nest boxes at Marsh Lane NR, though theexact spilt with Blue Tits was not recorded. In addition, a pair nested in a natural treecavity. In excess of 10 were at Marsh Lane NR on July 13th. Breeding occurred atAshmore Lake, Brownhills Common, Catshill, Mons Hill CBC plot (16 territories),Moseley Bog, Moxley, Netherton Hill, Ocker Hill, Peascroft Wood and SmestowValley. Obviously these breeding sites represent only a small selection of localitieswhere breeding occurs within the county

Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaeaFairly common to common resident.Warks A good number of breeding records was received, with pairs at: Brandon(unsuccessful), Bunkers Hill Wood, Chessetts Wood, Chesterton Wood, Combrook-Compton Verney area (seven), Earlswood, Farnborough Park (four), Fenny Compton,Ilmington Downs, Itchington Holt, Kenilworth, Kingsbury Wood (three), Ladbroke(two), Leek Wootton, Lowsonford, Meon Hill, Middleton Hall (two), Moreton Morrell,Offchurch, Packwood, Shuckburgh Hills, Snitterfield Bushes, Stoneton, Tanworth-in-Arden, Ufton Wood, Umberslade, Warwick Priory Park, Whichford Wood and WolfordWood. In addition, a pair bred for the first time in Wormleighton village.Worcs Pairs were reported to have nested at Arrow Valley Lake and Shernal Green.Also observed at Bredon Hill, Chase End Wood, Habberley Valley, Shatterford Wood,Tibberton (only the second record in 16 years), Upper Bittell Reservoir, UptonWarren, Westwood Pool, Wood Norton and the Wyre Forest.Staffs The resident pair at Belvide bred again in a large willow in the plantation.Probably bred at Chasewater in Jacks Wood while a pair in the Manifold Valley wasseen on June 8th with newly fledged young while at Tittesworth a pair was feedingyoung in a nest box on May 18th. Elsewhere, reports of smaller numbers came from:–Alton Parks Banks, Brookleys Lake, Cannock Chase, Chillington (six), CoombesValley, Cotton Dell, Crumpwood, Dimmingsdale (seven), Dydon Wood, Ecton, Hales,High Onn Wood, Hints, Horton, Ingrestre, Jackson Marsh, Little Stoke, LoyntonMoss, Norbury Park, Ousley, Perton, Shugborough, Stanton, Stone Wootton Lodgeand Wrottesley Hall.W Mid Breeding season records came from Alder Coppice in Sedgley, Dorridge,Edgaston Pool, Ham Dingle, Harborne churchyard, Harborne NR, Hawne Park,Highters Heath (two), Knowle, Marsh Lane NR, Mary Stevens Park, Mons HillCBC plot (one territory), Saltwells LNR, Sandwell Valley, Siden Hill Wood,Smestow Valley, Warley Woods, Warstock and Wergs. Outside of the breedingseason records were received from the following additional sites EdgbastonReservoir, Marsh Lane NR (believed to be dispersing birds, some of which mayhave emanated from Siden Hill Wood) and The Dingles along the River Cole (in

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Yardley Wood). Reported to be reasonably common in the well-wooded Harbornearea of Birmingham.

Eurasian Treecreeper Certhia familiarisCommon resident.Warks Widely reported, with counts of breeding pairs including five in BunkersHill Wood (Dunchurch), five in Farnborough Park (as in 2002), five-six in 300ha offarmland at Stretton-on-Fosse, and four in the Wormleighton Res area.Worcs The only nesting record received was of a pair at Beoleylade. Reported asfairly common on Bredon Hill and also observed at Broadway Gravel Pit, Castle -morton Common, Chase End Wood, Dunhampstead, Habberley Valley, Lower Moor,Malvern Link, Shatterford Wood, Shernal Green, Tibberton and Upton Warren.Staffs Three or four pairs bred at Belvide, a pair with four fledged young was seenat Seven Springs on May 20th and two pairs nested on Doxey Marshes. Reports of oneor two birds came from 20 localities, the exception to these being four at Okeover Millon February 15th, three at Brookleys Lake on March 15th and at Himley Hall onJanuary 25th. W Mid A relatively unobtrusive species that would appear to go unrecorded – or isit a genuinely scarce bird in the County? Breeding season records emanated fromAlder Coppice in Sedgley, Edgbaston Pool, Marsh Lane NR, Mons Hill CBC plot (oneterritory), Knowle, Oak Farm (at least two), Saltwells LNR, Sandwell Valley andSmestow Valley (thought to be in the region of three pairs). One was noted alongValley Parkway in Selly Oak in late March and could conceivably relate to a breedingbird. Outside of the breeding season birds were observed from Elmdon Park andSheepwash UP.

Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolusRare passage migrant (4/10).The steady decline continues and so do the chances of catching up with this speciesin our area.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 5 4 4 2 2

Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurioRare passage migrant.Formerly bred (3/10).W Mid A superb adult malewas found in Smestow Valleyon the evening of June 7thGAC, KMC, RG et al. This,astonishingly, was followed byan immature bird that fre -quented an area of roughground in the Russells Hall areaof Dudley between September20th and 23rd SE. These werethe first county records sinceone in Sandwell Valley on July21st 1984! Red-backed Shrike, Dudley (Andy Warr)

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Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitorRare or scarce passage migrant and winter visitor (9/10).An almost doubling of numbers over those of the past 15 years.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 20 11 10 11 19

Warks The bird discovered on private forestry land at Priors Marston at the end of2002 was present from January 1st-19th MJA, JJB, MJL et al., and was seen againon February 3rd and March 26th JJB. In the autumn a single bird at Lang don Lane,Radway from November 12th-30th PD et al., was thought to have subse quentlymoved onto MOD land at nearby DMC Kineton. It reappeared in early 2004. Theregularly returning bird at Middlehurst Farm, Shipston-on-Stour was seen again onNovember 15th ADW on the only winter visit to the area by the previously residentobserver.Worcs An adult ranged across arable fields between Croome Perry Crossroad andWadborough from January 25th-31st MS et al.Staffs The bird from 2002 at Handsacre Flashes was still present on January 1stESC, and was last reported there on the 25th MS et al. During the second winter perioda bird was first seen in the Sherbrook Valley on November 13th RCB, 14th ADG, andKatyn Memorial area on the 15th WJL.

Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandariusFairly common to common resident.Warks Not many records received. The largest counts came from Brandon, with tenon March 13th and 11 on April 8th.Worcs Present in the Wyre Forest throughout the year and probably breeds inreasonable numbers. Under recorded in the county, the only other records being atCallow Hill on January 5th, two at Castlemorton Common on 19th, then three on April11th, three at Tibberton on February 4th, July 20th and August 25th, four at BredonFields Farm on September 28th and three on Castlemorton Common on November16th, were followed by two on December 23rd. Also noted at Chase End Wood,Eymore Wood, Shatterford Wood and Upton Warren.Staffs Clearly under recorded but overall status probably remains relatively stable.Breeding information received was very scant and was confined to Belvide (two pairs)and Doley Common (pair) whilst breeding was suspected but not proven at OusleyWood. Sizable numbers were reported from Doxey Marshes (ten) on September 19th,eight at Apedale CP on the 20th and six at Aqualate on February 24th respectively.More modest counts were received from Strawberry Hill Cannock Chase, Crump -wood, Horton, Thorswood NR and finally Woodseaves.W Mid Breeding season records came from Aldridge golf course, Brandwood End(at least two), Brownhills Common (at least one), Dunstall Park, Haden Hill Park,Ham Dingle, Highters Heath, Holland Park, Marsh Lane NR (food carrying noted inJune), Mons Hill CBC plot (two territories), Moseley Bog, Sandwell Valley, SmestowValley, Sutton Park and Wollaston. Six at Saltwells LNR in January and five at MarshLane NR in September were the highest submitted counts. This species becomes muchmore obvious in the autumn and this was reflected to some extent by records fromAldridge (at least four localities) and Castle Bromwich.

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Magpie Pica picaVery common resident.Warks Fewer records received than usual. The only roost counts involved 28 atBrandon on March 14th and 30 at Wormleighton Res on 21st.Worcs Twelve pairs bred at Tibberton, but success was poor and a pair wasobserved carrying nesting material at Malvern Link on February 12th. Fourteen wereseen at Little Comberton on February 18th and six, including a leucistic bird, atBredon’s Hardwick on March 11th.Staffs Very few records were received for this widespread and common species.Breeding records were only received from Doley Common where two pairs werenoted (cf. three in 2002) and from Doxey Marshes (seven pairs). Peak numbers atChasewater include a monthly maximum of 50 during October while 40 were at BlackBank on January 1st. Other significant counts include 22 at Doxey Marshes onFebruary 9th, 23 at Tittesworth on February 20th and 24 at Doley Common on March24th.W Mid Little breeding information received, although nesting was noted at MarshLane NR, Mons Hill CBC plot (eight territories), along the Smestow Valley and inTettenhall. The Olton Mere roost held at least 75 birds in January with in excess of125 counted in February. Other gatherings included 39 in Aldridge near the golfcourse on January 22nd, 18 at Marsh Lane NR on February 16th and 30 along HobsHole Lane in Aldridge on February 25th. 25 at were in Dunstall Park on April 15th. Aleucistic individual was noted at the Leasowes in Halesowen on March 26th.

Western Jackdaw Corvus monedulaVery common resident.Warks Amongst the larger reported flocks were 300 at Charlecote on August 14th,350 at Chesterton on November 27th and 300 at Wormleighton on December 6th.Flocks of around 150-200 were also seen at DMC Kineton, Farnborough, FennyCompton, Knightcote and Walton Hall. A pied bird was observed at Fenny Comptonon June 21st.Worcs Up to 21 pairs were noted at Tibberton during the breeding season. The onlycounts of large groups received were of 50-70 at Upton Warren during the late autumnand second winter period, 155 at Tibberton on August 5th and 300 at Sale Green on22nd. Staffs Very little significant information received. The largest concentrationrecorded were 450 at Bent Lane on December 7th, 192 at Wergs on February 9thand 97 at Baswich on November 29th. Elsewhere a regular count of 50 occurredthroughout October at Crossplain Wood and a further 50 were at Blithfield on May15th.W Mid Breeding was reported from Handsworth Wood, Hawne Park, Knowle,Meriden, Smestow Valley (at least ten pairs at two traditional sites) and Wollaston(around 20 nests). Also noted in the breeding season on Mons Hill. 100 flew overMarsh Lane NR on January 10th, around 150 roosted at the southern end of OltonMere on February 24th and 98 was the peak count in Sandwell Valley in February.Approximately 100 were counted flying south over Wergs towards the Wightwickroost on October 23rd. Small numbers were also reported from Sheepwash UP. Nocounts were made, but hundreds of birds continued to join the large corvid roosts atWightwick, adjacent to Smestow Valley, in both winter periods. A leucistic individualwas noted in Smestow Valley on September 6th.

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Rook Corvus frugilegusVery common or abundant resident.Warks Nest counts in some of our flourishing rookeries included 164 at CharlecotePark (up from 108 in 2002), 121 between Knightcote and Watergall (up from 75 in1996), and 73 in Newfoundland Wood (near Stratford). The largest reported flock wasone of 400 feeding amongst sheep at Farnborough on January 26th, while counts ofaround 200-350 also came from: Charlecote, Chesterton, DMC Kineton, FennyCompton, Grandborough, Knightcote, Ladbroke, Lighthorne, Priors Hardwick,Radway, Upper Radbourn, Watergall and Wormleighton.Worcs Three small rookeries of nine, eight and 11 pairs were reported fromTibberton and two rookeries noted at Alvechurch. Castlemorton Common held 50+ onFebruary 2nd and July 19th and at Tibberton 440 were observed on July 23rd, 405 onAugust 5th and 120 on October 30th.Staffs Breeding was confirmed at a total of 18 locations within the county, thoughlittle information was received from the south of the county. Rookery nest countsincluded: Calwich (78), Swynnerton (61), Whitmore (55), Swinscoe Bank (37),Woodseat (28), Stone (24), Yarlet (20), Stableford (16), Butterton (12), Ipstones (12),Keele (12), Parkgate (11), Softlow Wood (11), Tittensor (eight) JCB Lakes (seven),Belvide (seven), Park Banks (seven) and Newcastle Keele Road (six). The largestgatherings reported were an impressive 450 at Bent Lane on December 7th, while 156scavenged at Calwich during March, 122 were at Swynnerton on March 1st, 110 atKeele on February 15th and 110 at Bent Lane Whitmore on March 1st and at Moreton100 also on the same day. Reported in smaller numbers from a further eight localitiesthroughout the year.W Mid Rookeries were reported from Aldridge (two sites along Bosty Lane com -pris ing seven nests and 18 nests), Balsall Common, Dunstall Park (19 cf. 10 in 2002),Meriden, Sandwell Valley, Smestow Valley (five cf. two in 2002) and WillenhallMemorial Park (approximately eight nests – the first confirmed breeding record forthe park). Reported to be somewhat scarce from Marsh Lane NR, though more likelyto be under recorded, however 20 flew over on January 10th. A flock of 55 (at least 36adults) was noted in Dunstall Park on July 4th.

Carrion Crow Corvus coroneAbundant resident.Warks A very large flock of 500 was reported from Weddington on January 30th,while 115 resorted to a newly-sown field at Bishop’s Itchington on March 20th. Lesserflocks of around 60-80 were also reported from Farnborough, Fenny Compton,Knightcote, Priors Hardwick and Salford Priors GP. At DMC Kineton the May countrevealed a staggering total of 202 birds across the camp area, many of which must havebeen non-breeders. White-winged examples of this species are quite common nowadaysin parts of the county, but much more unusual was a completely piebald bird at Knight -cote on January 13th and a white individual at Moreton Morrell during March-April.Worcs Tibberton held 11 pairs during the breeding season and 48 were seen atBeoleylade on March 12th.Staffs Notable counts include 191 throughout May at Chasewater and a winterroost of 100 at Belvide. A flock of 70 frequented Silverdale Colliery on May 5th,while totals of 40 were recorded at Penn Common on March 13th and Alrewas onthe 30th. Other counts involved 34 birds at Crossplains Wood on October 14th anda partial albino was present from October 9th to November 26th at Little Aston.

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W Mid Bred in the vicinity of Marsh Lane NR, Mons Hill CBC plot (fourterritories), in Four Oaks and along the Smestow Valley – obviously these breedingsites represent only a small selection of localities where breeding occurs within thecounty. Noted carrying food in early May in Dudley. In excess of 100 were countedroosting at the southern end of Olton Mere on February 24th. 63 were along SteelparkWay, Wednesfield on April 11th. In excess of 50 were on the ‘Barley Field’ inSmestow Valley on March 9th and 50 were in Dunstall Park on June 17th. Two werewatched harassing a Red Fox Vulpes vulpes in Dunstall Park on June 16th.

CorvidsW Mid The very large corvid roost, comprising Carrion Crows, Jackdaws andRooks, continues to exist in Wightwick in both winter periods.

Common Raven Corvus coraxFrequent visitor and uncommon to frequent, but increasing, resident.Warks Breeding pairs were reported again at most of the sites featured last year, andin addition two new pairs bred in the hilly district between Morton Bagot and GreatAlne, and a further pair in Wolford Wood. In all about 13-15 pairs were prob ably breed -ing in 2003, with regular sight ings in many parts of the county south of a line drawnfrom Earlswood in the west, through Kenil worth to Dunchurch in the east. Fewersightings came from the north except for the Packington area, but there were newrecords from Seeswood Pool, and in the hilly country between Merevale and Hartshill,suggesting birds are continuing to prospect new areas. Of interest was a bird at AvonDassett (one of a local nesting pair) which paid regular visits to a rural garden onvarious dates during the year to feed on mixed bird seed spread on the lawn MJL. Worcs Nesting pairs were observed at Tank Quarry, where three young fledged, atWood Norton, two fledged and the Wyre Forest held at least three breeding pairs. Pairsalso believed to had bred at Dunstall Common, Forhill and near Oakley Marsh and apair and two juveniles were noted at Tibberton on June 21st. Also recorded at 37additional localities, across the countybetween February and June. DuringJanuary, the autumn and second winterperiods, birds were recorded at 62localities. The best counts made during theyear were of four at Oldington on March11th, seven at Chaddesley on 22nd, sevenat North Hill on 24th, six at Grimley NewWorkings on May 24th, five at Pirton Poolon June 6th, six at Westwood Pool on 15th,four at Walton Hill on July 4th, five atBroadway Hill on September 6th, five atHollybush Quarry on 12th, four atEvesham on October 9th, 13 at North Hillon 24th and five at Little Comberton onDecember 29th.Staffs The species continues to increasethroughout the county, with the long-termtrend being upwards. It is now described at

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some localities as almost commonplace! Records were received from 80 sites this year(shown on the map) with birds noted at 39 of these during the breeding season. Pairsnested successfully at seven locations, with breeding suspected at an additional five.Regrettably, one occupied nest in the north of the county fell from the tree and waslost. Another pair bred but again, sadly, the chicks did not survive. Notable gatheringsinclude six at Aqualate on September 14th, which was then eclipsed by an impressivecount of ten there on October 12th. Waterfall played host to nine on September 7th,while counts of six occurred at Haywood Warren on February 2nd and Morridge onApril 1st. Further counts included five at Belvide on October 26th and finally five atThe Cloud on June 29th.W Mid In the Smestow Valley, two birds flew northwards on January 27th DJ andlater returned towards Pool Hall, a pair displayed over Wightwick Bank before flyingtowards the south-east on February 10th, one went westwards on March 9th, and onecame in from the west, circled over fields towards Pool Hall and left southwards onApril 13th. In October, four birds flew together towards the north-east over the BarleyField on 3rd AD and two flew over Oxley on 24th – all records for Smestow ValleyGAC, KMC. At Marsh Lane NR birds were reported on February 26th, 21st, March30th, April 2nd, 6th, September 7th, 21st, 18th (two), October 18th (two) and 20th perNPB. Two were seen to fly over Solihull town centre on March 4th CRS. In LutleyWedge, two flew over on March 9th SLC with one over on August 11th SLC and fourover on October 14th SLC. One flew over Saltwells Wood on March 10th ADT.

Common Starling Sturnus vulgarisVery common to abundant resident, passage migrant and winter visitor.Warks Very little in the way of breeding records were submitted, but local atlasdata does suggest that it is still holding its own. Wintering numbers were againthought to be up during the early months in the Feldon and Cotswold Fringe regions,with many flocks of up to 500 noted, the best being 800 on pasture at Fenny Comptonon January 20th. Visible migration is not very often reported in spring, so a total of1450 moving north-east in an hour at Fenny Compton on March 2nd was particularlynoteworthy. A late flock of 500 was feeding with Fieldfares on pasture at Worm -leighton Res on April 6th. Feeding flocks during the autumn were noticeably small,with 400 at Kingsbury on September 1st being the largest, and a few others of up to350 noted during October-November. A few roosts were reported on during the year,but these were all very small and nothing like on the scale of those in years past. Thepeak counts at these were of 600 in Fenny Compton village during February; and 125at Ladywalk, 400 at Brandon (at both these sites the roosts were in reedbeds), 500 onthe Burton Dassett Hills and 700 at Bramcote Hall, all during October-November. Worcs A total of 24 pairs held territories at Tibberton (cf. 29 in 2002). Tibbertonalso held flocks of 310 on January 18th, 325 on February 28th and 160 on March 28th.Post breeding gatherings included 450 at Warndon on June 25th, 300 at Ryall pits on27th, followed by 500+ on August 16th and 500 juveniles at Lower Moor on July 4th.105 were noted at Tibberton on September 21st and 215 on October 2nd. Up to 500also roosted at the Moors Pools at Upton Warren in late autumn. Counts increasedduring the second winter period, with 300+ at Castlemorton Common on November1st, Throckmorton Tip held 2500 on 28th and December 7th, then 5000 on 17th, 4200were at Bredon’s Norton on 24th and 2000+ at Strensham Lagoons on 27th. A white-rumped bird was recorded at Westwood Pool on October 31st and a leucistic bird atBromsgrove on November 20th.

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Staffs Few reports of breeding birds were received. One of the main roosting sitesin the county is Aqualate where 18,000 were counted on November 7th. Counts offlocks heading for this site over Broom Hill include 10000 on November 2nd and30000 on December 15th and, also seen over Weston Jones heading to the samedestination, were 6200 on December 7th and 9300 on the 14th. Other roosts wererecorded at Betley Mere with 5000 on November 26th, 1000 at Coldmeece Pools onJanuary 5th and 400 at Black Bank on March 12th while 320 at Hockley on November2nd had increased to 400 by December 10th. At Doxey Marshes there were 500 onFebruary 9th, 1,500 during March, none in May and 800 on September 28th. AtSwallow Moss small flocks totalling 900 were seen heading SSE to an unknown roostsite on November 16th. At Bent Lane 300 roosting in January had increased to 1200by February 19th and, during the second winter period, there were 350 on October22nd and 600 on December 7th . Up to 200 were at Tittesworth on December 24th. Apost-breeding flock of 300 birds was at Oliver Hill on June 16th. Elsewhere smallernumbers were reported from nine other sites.W Mid Nesting sites were reported from Bentley Coseley, Knowle Marsh Lane NRand at Tettenhall. Adults carrying food were reported from Brownhills and PerryPark, whilst fledged young were reported from Ashmore Lake, Ashmore Park,Brandwood End, Catshill, Darlaston, Harborne, King’s Norton and Sedgley GolfCourse. Also noted in the breeding season on Mons Hill CBC plot. A flock of 50 atMarsh Lane NR in June included a high proportion of juveniles. 75 were countednear Grange Barns in Lutley Wedge in January, 60 on shops at the Radleys inSheldon, Birmingham in September, 200 at Marsh Lane NR on September 26th and150 in Cradley Heath in October. Around 1000 were in Dunstall Park on October 8th.A fortunate juvenile was attacked by a Grey Heron at Marsh Lane NR on June 21stbut managed to escape.

Rose-coloured Starling Sturnus roseusVery rare vagrant (2/10).Worcs An adult frequented at feeding station in a Tenbury Wells garden from June6th-9th WH. This constitutes the third county record and the tenth for the Club’s area.

House Sparrow Passer domesticusAbundant, though declining, resident.Warks A small increase was registered atDMC Kineton, where the May countof 11 was the highest since 1995. After thatyear a pronounced decline set in at the campand the species had almost vanished by2000. The largest counts came from FennyCompton, where two neighbouring flockstotalling 120 were present during Decem -ber. Other flocks of around 30-60 werereported during the year from Atherstone-on-Stour, Farnborough, Idli cote, Napton,Priors Hardwick, Salford Priors GP,Stratford-upon-Avon, and near Worm - leighton Res. House Sparrow (Phil Jones)

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Worcs Twenty-five pairs breeding at Tibberton was a slight improve ment on lastyears total of 21 and flocks of over 30 birds were noted during August and September.A small, but healthy breeding population had formed at Lower Moor this year and aflock of 80 was recorded on August 11th. Finally 20 were seen in a Malvern Linkgarden on July 19th.Staffs


Aston-by-Stone 23 36 36 15 14 31 40 60 51 14 19 23Denstone Hall 25 25 18 – – – – – 42 40 –

Three pairs on Doley Common and two Oulton Heath were the only reports ofbreeding birds. Apart from the tabulated data, other significant numbers include 26 atDoley Common on January 5th, 25 at Belvide and Rickerscote, both during February,20 at Burton on Trent in April, 40 at Chasewater on August 17th and 32 at WestonJones on December 25th.W Mid Breeding activity was reported from Ashmore Lake (with nest material),Bentley (carrying food), Darlaston (with nest material), Dunstall Park (a small colonycontinues to thrive amongst the stable blocks of the racecourse), Knowle, Mons HillCBC plot (two territories), Perry playing fields (nests in use), Smestow Valley (manypairs in the housing estates adjacent to the Valley) and Wednesfield (with young). Amale at garden feeders in Dorridge was the first seen at the locality for six to eightmonths! A male singing at Marsh Lane NR entrance gate cottages on February 18thwas the only record for the site!

Tree Sparrow Passer montanusFairly common, but declining, resident.Warks Less survey work was done this year in the species’ stronghold in theeastern Feldon, but numbers seem to be at least similar to last year. Indeed somewestward spread may be continuing, with for instance seven pairs at LeamingtonHastings where none were found in 2002. The regularly counted population at FennyCompton was slightly down at 33 pairs (cf. 40 in 2002), but this was due to birdsmoving into the adjacent parish of Farnborough, where at least 30 pairs bred.Overall the population of these two parishes remained the same with around 65 pairsin both years. Other small colonies in the Feldon area included at least ten pairs atBroadwell, six at Napton Holt, seven at Priors Hardwick and ten at Snowford.Elsewhere in the south of the county, one to three pairs were noted breeding atBarton-on-the Heath, Brailes, Charlecote, Coughton, Dorsington, Hatton, NortonLindsey, Shipston-on-Stour, Stretton-on-Fosse and Wootton Wawen. In the northvery small numbers were recorded breeding at Attleborough Fields, Bramcote Hall,Hurley Common, Kings bury, Maxstoke and Shustoke, but there were none this yearat Birchmoor. Outside the breeding season, the usual flock was present at thefeeding station near Wormleighton Res with a peak of 80 on February 17th. Otherflocks in the south-east included 55 at Knightcote on February 23rd, 60 at Farn -borough on July 30th, 85 in two flocks at Fenny Compton in October and up to 50at Northend during December. Away from this district, the best counts occurredduring January-February, when there were flocks of up to 30 at Coughton, 20 atShustoke, 16 at Whitacre Heath and 12 at Coleshill, the latter three at garden feedingstations.

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Worcs Present from March-September at Abberton, with two possible breedingpairs and a maximum count of 15 on August 24th. These birds were the first since1992. One or two pairs were noted at Longdon Marsh on April 22nd and at least twopairs bred successfully at Upton Warren, where up to four juveniles visited the FlashPools feeding station during July and August. The nest box scheme at Wassell Grovecontinued to attract breeding pairs, with 12+ recorded on May 3rd. Good numberscontinued to frequent the Upton Warren feeding stations on both the Flashes andMoors Pools. A maximum of 23 was recorded here in January and February, then 10in March and April. Nafford held one on February 1st, five on 15th and one on 19th,40 were seen at Ismere on March 9th and one at Tibberton on 14th. Five were reportedat Barnett Brook on August 23rd, six at Upton Warren on September 6th, one atTibberton on October 24th and Upton Warren held maximum counts of six inNovember and 11 in December.Staffs The map shows the records received this year and it indicates that the speciesis more widespread than is probably realised. Breeding was recorded at the followinglocations: Belvide, where a pair raised three chicks, Bradnop, Doley Common, wheretwo or three pairs produced five broods in nest boxes, Dunton Heath Farm, Forton in anest box, Little Aston where a pair produced two broods, Moreton in a nest box, Rantonin a nest box and Bent Lane. In addition, a large number of juveniles were seen atNorton Bridge. Records were received from some 55 sites. Large winter flocksincluded January maxima of 62 at Quix hill, 30 at Yoxall Park, 20 at Whitemoor Hayeand 10 each at Acton Trussell and Bent Lane, February maxima include 45 at Walk Millnear Copmere, 30 at Maple Hayes and 10 at Whitemoor Haye and in March maxima of24 at Chapel Chorlton, 16 at Doley Common and 12 at Whitemoor Haye. In summerthe largest flocks were to be found atChapel Chorlton with up to 21 in April and19 in May. The only other significantnumbers being 12 each at Doley Commonand Whitemoor Haye in May and 10 atWhitemoor Haye in June. Large flock sizesreported in late summer included 40 in Julyat Pipehill, 34 at High Offley and 30 atMaple Haye and in August there were 20birds at Norton Bridge. Autumn and winternumbers were much smaller with theonly double figure counts being found atBradley, Bromstead, Keele University,Little Stoke, Meece Brook and WhitemoorHaye, all reporting less than 20 birds. W Mid In Lutley Wedge, up to two birdswere present between February and earlyApril with up to eight birds presentbetween late October and mid-Novemberindicative of local breeding. In SmestowValley, a peak of 10 birds was noted between March and mid-April, though breedingwas not noted. In the autumn, one was at Smestow Valley on October 18th with fourpresent on November 6th and a further bird present on 9th.Two were noted flying overMarsh Lane NR on October 19th. Three were in Dunstall Park on November 6th. Oneor two birds reported from the Wishaw Lane area of Minworth during the autumn.

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Chaffinch Fringilla coelebsAbundant resident, passage migrant and winter visitor.Warks Breeding territory counts included 22 in 62ha of Kingsbury Wood and justeight in 70ha of farmland at Bridgetown. An extraordinary 265 were logged on theDMC Kineton May census, easily the highest ever there and twice the average figure.Late winter flocks included maxima of 100 in game cover at both Lower Radbourn onJanuary 5th and Chesterton on 10th, and 180 in stubble at Wormleighton on 20th.Visible autumn migration, mainly to the south-west, was noted over the southern hillsfrom September 25th-November 13th. Passage was heaviest during the periodOctober 11th-24th when up to 60 per hour were frequently noted, but on many daysbirds were moving too high to be seen. The best count was 160 south-west in ninetyminutes at Wormleighton Res on October 21st. A good number of flocks appeared inearly winter, with maxima of 230 in maize stubble on Ilmington Downs on November13th, 165 in a newly sown field at Fenny Compton on 18th, 200 at Northend onDecember 9th and 200 in game crops at Chesterton on 15th.Worcs Tibberton held 37 pairs during the breeding season. A garden in MalvernLink had up to 30 birds in February with 20 still there in March. Other notable firstwinter counts were made in January when 35+ were noted at Longdon Marsh on 1st,100 in beech woodland at New Parks on 5th, 60+ at Lineholt on 12th, 250 atBlakedown on 14th and 40 at Wadborough on 26th. February records included 30 atUpton Warren Flashes on 12th and 15 at Wassell Grove Pools on 25th. Also of notewas a flavistic type at Lower Moor on March 22nd and again on November 24th andDecember 31st, which had also been present there in both winter periods in 2002.Autumn records included 40+ at Tibberton on October 2nd, 50 in Happy Valley on the11th and 85 on 28th. Elsewhere 40 at Top Barn Farm, Grimley on November 13th hadrisen to 80 on 21st, while in December 100 were on a fruit farm at Upton-upon-Severnon 21st and ten at Hollybed Common on 30th.Staffs At Bateswood CP four pairs bred in the area while at Chasewater a partialsurvey showed it to be a common breeder there. A pair nested at Doley Common andnine pairs bred at Doxey Marshes. During the first winter period 170 were at ApedaleCP on January 5th, but numbers had increased to 340 by February 8th with a 100 stillpresent into March. At Marquis Drive feeding station a 100 were seen during Januaryand February with 150 in early March. Other counts included 70 at Quixhill onJanuary 12th, a 100 at Bent Lane from January through to March while 27 atPrestwood in March were feeding on a wild bird crop. During the second winterperiod, there were 100 at Church Eaton on October 8th and a passage of 90 birds wereheading south over Black Bank on October 11th. Again good numbers were atApedale CP commencing with a 100 on October 26th, 120 on November 2nd, 320feeding on stubble off Apedale Road on the 23rd, 250 on December 14th and 21st, andfinally 115 on the 29th. A flock of 15 feeding on a wild bird crop at Denstone Hall onNovember 24th had increased to 200 by December 16th and 400 by the 30th. Therewere 50 at Swynnerton Grange on December 6th and 54 at Seighford Airfield on the26th were feeding in a weedy field. W Mid Singing/breeding birds were reported from Aldridge, Barnford Park (two),Ham Dingle (two), Hawne Park, Marsh Lane NR (at least five in song), Mons HillCBC plot (five territories), Saltwells LNR, Smestow Valley (apparently a stablepopulation) and Warley Woods (two). In Lutley Wedge, highest winter countscomprised 64 in January and in excess of 50 in November. At Marsh Lane NR, highestcounts comprised 20 on October 5th and December 31st.

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Brambling Fringilla montifringillaFairly common passage migrant and winter visitor, but in variable numbers.Average dates: 11th October (68) to April 20th (67).The first birds were reported from Napton Hill on October 6th; the last from Belvideon April 26th.Warks A few were around the county during the first three months of the year butunusually there were no April records. Warwick Priory Park produced most of thebirds, with up to five present from at least January 26th-February 14th. There werealso singles at Hartshill from February 1st-3rd and at Fenny Compton on 7th, with twoat Kingsbury on 13th. In March, one visited a Warwick garden on 15th and anotherflew over Lighthorne Quarry on 17th. The first record of a fairly decent autumn influxinvolved seven moving west at Napton Hill on October 6th. During the subsequentweeks small numbers were reported from about 20 localities, mostly in the south ofthe county. Easily the largest flock resorted to a sunflower game cover near theperimeter of Farn borough Park, where it rose from 20 on December 4th to a peak of50 on 13th, before dropping away to just a few by the end of the year. In the same areaand probably part of this flock, 15 at feeders in an Avon Dassett garden on December24th was a nice Christmas present. The next best count was of up to ten on IlmingtonDowns during November.Worcs The largest first winter period counts were made at New Parks, where 100were in beech woodland on January 5th rising to 200 on 10th with 50 still there onMarch 8th and 20 were at Nimmings Lane, Clent Hills on February 2nd. Elsewheresmall numbers of between one and three were noted at Astwood Bank, Blakedown,Chase End Hill, Chat Valley, Croome Perry Wood, Dowles Brook, Haws Hill Wood,Lodge Hill Farm, North Hill, Tanwood, Upton Warren and Wassell Grove Pools. Thelast record was of one at Betts NR, Far Forest on April 12th and 13th. The secondwinter period recorded the largest flock of the year when, up to 400 were at Kyre fromNovember 23rd to the year end. Elsewhere the largest groups noted, were of 14 inHappy Valley on October 21st, and 10 on 28th and November 1st, 50+ on Bredon Hillon October 24th, 30 to 40 at Upper Bittell Reservoir on November 6th, 15 atWestwood Pool on 6th and 7th, 20 over Stoke Bliss on 10th, 21 at Top Barn Farm,Grimley on 21st with seven still there on December 7th and 8 at Lineholt onNovember 29th. In December, 13 were at Wadborough on 6th, 18 at Sheriff’s Lenchon 18th, 19th and 24th with 10 there on 28th. Elsewhere counts of under 5 were notedat Abberton, Ashton-under-Hill, Astwood Bank, Blakedown, Bredons Hardwick,Clifton Pits, Fort Royal Hill, Grimley new workings, Kinsham, Lickey Hills, LittleComberton, Oddingley, Redditch, Ronkswood, Throckmorton Tip and Upton Warren.Staffs Good numbers in February, but with fewer records and much lower numbersin November and December than in 2002.


Marquis Drive VC 5 100 50 – 0 0 0 0 0 0 25 20Westlands (Newcastle) 9 130 300 400 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6

Significant reports during the first winter period were of 20 at Horton on January 5thand 200 at Whitmore from the February 12th to 15th increasing to 270 by the 19th anddropping to 25 by the 25th. Much smaller numbers were reported during March withthe highest total being seven at Tittesworth on the 24th. There were 30 at Whitmoreon April 4th, two in the Sherbrook Valley on the 8th, singles at Westport on the 9th

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and two at Belvide on the 5th, with a single on the 12th, 30 on the 14th, 11 on the 19thand one on the 26th. First of the returning birds were singles at both Chasewater andKeele University on October 11th. Birds were regularly seen at Keele University withup to eight until mid-November. A single bird was at Belvide on October 16th, with15 there on the 19th, but only a singleton on the 26th and 27th. Elsewhere duringOctober there was a single bird at Black Bank on the 24th, 25 at Hanchurch Woods onthe 27th and 12 at Banktop Wood on the 28th. Ten were at Apedale CP on November2nd, two at Blithfield on the 2nd, increasing to four by the 9th, one at Little Stoke onthe 10th, with two on 16th, and singles at both Chasewater on 16th and Belvide on the19th. Three were in a back garden throughout December at Little Aston, a single atChasewater on the 9th, six in Dydon Wood on the 21st and two at Drayton Bassett Pitson the 31st. W Mid A male was at Dunstall Park on January 2nd. One was noted in Sutton Parkon February 24th. A male visited the RSPB feeding station in Sandwell Valleybetween February 13th and March 29th. In autumn, one flew over Darby’s Hill inTividale on October 20th, one was at Bartley Reservoir on November 2nd, two wereon Brownhills Common on November 5th, one at Saltwells LNR on 7th and one wasat Temple Balsall on 14th. A reasonable series of records came from Sandwell Valley,primarily from the RSPB feeding station, beginning with two on October 19th,followed by singles, unless otherwise stated, on 22nd, November 8th (two), 23rd, 30th,December 3rd and 6th. Up to seven were at Sheepwash UP throughout December.

Greenfinch Carduelis chlorisVery common to abundant resident.Warks Ten pairs bred in 70ha of farmland at Bridgetown. The only large countduring the first quarter was of 200 feeding in game cover at Lower Radbourn onJanuary 5th. The first sizeable post-breeding flocks involved 70 in a rape field atGrandborough on July 8th and 80 at Wormleighton Res on 31st. Thereafter flocks ofup to 100 were fairly widespread during the autumn, with 150 at Watergall on October12th being the best count. The latter flock was feeding in a game cover crop over-sownwith sunflowers, and it was in this type of game crop that several large flocks appearedtowards the end of the year. The largest at Chesterton grew from 450 on December 9thto 750 on 15th, while there were also up to 200 near Farnborough Park and up to 400near Churchover during the same month.Worcs At Tibberton 24 pairs were noted during the breeding season, the same as in2002. The only first winter counts were made in a Malvern Link garden where 10+were present on February 28th, eight on March 3rd and six on 14th. There were alsoeight there on July 6th and 12th and 10 on 19th. Larger numbers were at Tibberton inJuly with numbers rising sharply from 70 on 18th, 100 on 26th to 180 on 28th, withthe final count there being 38 on September 12th. August records comprised 15 atStrensham Lagoons on 17th, 80 at Grimley old workings on 19th and 180 at GwenFinch Wetland on 30th. In October, 120+ were at Sheriff’s Lench on 4th, 50 atGrimley new workings on 12th and 12 over Happy Valley on 21st. Top Barn Farm,Grimley held 150 on November 13th and 170 on 21st while 40 were at Upton Warrenon 15th, 20 at Castlemorton Common on 16th and 200 at Kyre on 28th. Finally inDecember, 40+ at Wadborough on 6th were followed by the year’s largest count of300+ on a fruit farm at Upton-upon-Severn on 21st.Staffs At Chasewater 15 territories were located, two pairs nested at DoleyCommon and five pairs on Doxey Marshes. During the first winter period 50 roosted

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at Keele University on January 14th and 20 on Cannock Chase at the Marquis Drivefeeding station during January and February. Up to 34 were at Doley Common onMarch 1st and 22 at Aston-by-Stone in February with the same number at Belvide onMarch 12th. In the autumn, 29 flew south in the early morning at Black Bank onOctober 11th while 24 were at Aston-by-Stone in November, 63 at Belvide on the 9thand 52 on the Reshow Meadows at Baswich on December 21st. Elsewhere reportscame from Denstone Hall where eight were in maize stubble, Ellastone, Little Aston,Quixhill, and Rickerscote.W Mid Singing/breeding birds were noted at Barnford Park, Ham Dingle (two),Marsh Lane NR area, Mons Hill CBC plot (four territories) and Smestow Valley.Large numbers were noted throughout the year in Lutley Wedge with peak counts ofin excess of 50 in August and more than 60 in October. 10 were counted on a field inAldridge in February, 25 were at Marsh Lane NR in September, 50 birds were atDunstall Park on September 28th, at least 40 were at the feeding station at SandwellValley RSPB on November 2nd and about 40 were feeding on rose hips in SmestowValley on November 11th.

Goldfinch Carduelis carduelisVery common summer visitor and partial migrant; increasingly common in winter.Warks A census of 70ha of farmland at Bridgetown produced five pairs. Flockswere typically small during the first six months of the year, the largest occurringduring January with 65 at Fenny Compton in a thistle-covered set-aside on 6th and 40in alders at Newbold Comyn on 8th. Post-breeding counts were generally larger thanlast year, with maxima of 220 at Priors Hardwick on September 4th, 115 at Knightcoteon 10th and 220 at Ratley on October 8th, all feeding on thistledown. Smaller flocksof around 40-75 were also recorded in autumn and early winter at: Brandon,Charlecote GP, Chesterton, DMC Kineton, Farnborough Park, Fenny Compton,Kingsbury, Ladywalk, Lighthorne Quarry, Moreton Paddox, Napton Res, SalfordPriors GP, Ufton Fields, Watergall and Wellesbourne.Worcs Nine pairs bred at Tibberton while 20 were at Throckmorton Tip on January15th and 24 at Croome Perry Wood on 29th. A maximum count of 10 was made in aMalvern Link garden from February 18th to 21st and March 6th, while 20 were atRyall Pits on February 15th. Strensham Lagoons held 24+ on July 13th, while Augustrecords comprised 20 at Throckmorton Tip on 4th and 30 on 17th and 50 were atGwen Finch Wetland on 20th. Grimley new workings had 20 on October 10th and inDecember there were 10 at Castlemorton Common on 23rd and 25 at Upton Warrenon 28th.Staffs


Apedale CP 140 50 13 5 4 2 9 32 80 135 68 65Westport 20 20 45 7 2 2 2 3 30 63 20 30

Three territories were recorded at Chasewater near the Norton Lakeside Station, a pairprobably bred at Doley Common and six pairs were reported from Doxey Marshes.Sizable flocks during the year included 30 at Stone with Lesser Redpolls and Siskin onFebruary 2nd, 25 at Coombes Valley during February, 39 at Oulton Heath on March28th, 30 at Chasewater during August, 35 at Belvide on the 8th, 68 at Doxey Marsheson the 17th. In September 200 were seen at Tittesworth on the 9th, 60 at the Wedgwood

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Monument on the 28th, 40 at Keele University on the 29th and 50 at Colton Dell onOctober 7th. At Black Bank there was a movement to the south of 31 birds on October11th. During December birds were feeding on a wild bird crop at Denstone Hall.W Mid Breeding season records were received from Aldridge, Dunstall Park,Edgbaston Reservoir, Ladywood, Marsh Lane NR, Pedmore, Perry playing fields,Selly Oak, Smestow Valley, Valley Parkway (in Selly Oak), Woodgate Valley andWychbury Hill. At least 50 were at Foxcote Pond in Lutley Wedge in July, 40 were inDunstall Park in September and 70 were at Marsh Lane NR in October.

Siskin Carduelis spinusFairly common passage migrant and winter visitor. Rare or scarce breeding species.Warks Again a very large flock was present at Brandon during the early months,peaking at 200 (as in 2002) on January 4th. Other good counts included 60 atShustoke on January 12th, 40 at Whitacre Heath on 26th, 40 at Draycote fromFebruary 11th-13th, and 64 at Lighthorne Quarry on 25th, with parties of 20-30 alsoreported from DMC Kineton, Farnborough Park, Ladywalk, Newbold Comyn andUfton Fields. Three at Brandon on April 17th was the last spring record, apart from anearly juvenile (so possibly locally bred) visiting a garden feeder close to Rugby towncentre from May 26th-30th MI. A single bird at Ladywalk on July 24th was early, butno others appeared until September 4th when one flew south-east at Priors Hardwick.Small numbers then began to appear daily from September 9th, and later peaksincluded 30-40 at Broadwater, Packington on October 27th, 60 at Farnborough Parkon December 4th and 60 at Brandon on 30th. Smaller flocks of around 20-30 werealso seen at DMC Kineton, Draycote, Kingsbury and Ladywalk. The majority of thelarger flocks were typically feeding in alders.Worcs No records were received regarding any possible breeding activity in the countythis year. Notable first winter period counts were 30 at Bittell Reservoir on January 4th, 50at Westwood Pool on 7th, 150 at Beoleylade on 8th rising to 200 next day, but just 30 thereon 13th and 28th, 26 at Shernal Green and 30 at Arrow Valley Lake, both on 16th, 25 atAbberton on 19th, 50 at Holt on 20th and 50 at Eymore Wood on 30th. At the latter site150+ were present on February 2nd, gradually reducing to 40 by 23rd, but with 50 there onMarch 16th. Also 24 were at Mount Pleasant on February 12th. Smaller numbers of nomore than 20 were noted at Arley Wood, Barnett Brook, Bransford Court, Callow Hill,Chase End Wood, Clent Hills, Hagley Wood, Himbleton, Kempsey, Kinsham Lake,Malvern Link, Redditch, Shrawley Wood, Upton Warren and the Worcestershire Beacon.During the second winter period overall numbers were greatly reduced with the onlynotable counts being 30 at Bittell Reservoir on October 19th, 30 at Grimley old workingson November 13th, 30 at Wilden Marsh on 23rd and 30 at Kyre on 28th. Smaller numbers,again of no more than 20 were noted at Arley Wood, Bransford Bridge, Bredon Hill,Callow Hill, Castlemorton Common, Clifton Pits, Grimley New Workings, Gwen FinchWetland, Happy Valley, Hewell Grange, Kinsham Lake, Lower Moor, Tank Quarry,Throckmorton Tip, Upper Bittell, Upton Warren and Westwood Pool.Staffs


Apedale CP 150 140 6 0 0 0 0 0 3 7 3 1Westport 55 400 6 0 0 0 0 0 6 20 35 12

The high numbers at Westport in February peaked on the 3rd and 4th and wereconsiderably higher than the 2002 figure of 110. No records of birds were received

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this year during the breeding season. Significant numbers during the first winterperiod include 25 at Brookleys Lake on January 1st, 65 at Alton Park Banks on the2nd, 100 at Seven Springs on the 6th with 20 on the 13th, 80 at Little Wyrley on the12th, 50 at Baggeridge CP, ten at Belvide and 150 in the north part of Cannock Chaseall on the 18th, and 40 at Brookleys Lake on the 20th. During February there were 45at Armitage on 10th, 28 Denstone Hall on the 11th, 100 at Tamworth on the 14th, withten at Marquis Drive on the same day, ten at Croxall GP on the 22nd, and 12 atStrawberry Hill on the 25th. In March there was a spread of birds across the countybut with fairly low numbers; they included five at Doley Common on the 1st, two atAlrewas and one at Perton on the 2nd, 18 at Denstone Hall and two at Rickerscote onthe 5th, 60 at Clayton and four at Pepper Slade Cannock Chase on the 6th, four atBrocton Field on the 13th, ten at Hanchurch Woods on the 16th, a male at Armitageon the 22nd and 70 at Tittesworth on the 24th. The only April reports comprised asingle at Chasewater on the 5th and 30 at Stockton Brook on the 9th. No reports ofbirds were received after the April dates until September 3rd when singles were atChasewater and Black Bank on the 15th, Tittesworth on the 16th, WedgwoodMonument on the 20th, Belvide on the 25th with eight on the 28th, three flew southover Black Bank on the 27th, 60 at Crumpwood on the 30th. In October there werenine at Baggeridge CP on 9th, seven at Black Bank on the 11th, with six heading southon the 12th and four heading north on the 25th, seven at Sherbrook Valley on the 14th,four at Hanchurch Woods on the 23rd and 20 at Tittesworth on the 29th while sevenwas the maximum seen at Chasewater. November saw 20 at Knypersley on 1st, 90 atCrumpwood on the 4th, 12 at Aqualate on the 7th, six at Belvide on the 8th, 20 atTittesworth on the 9th, two at Doxey Marshes from the 13th to 16th, 20 at Rudyard onthe 22nd and Loynton Moss on the 28th with a monthly maxima of 12 at Chasewater.A good flock of 200 was at Crumpwood on December 9th, 50 in the Sherbrook Valleyon the 14th, a single at Broom Hill on the 15th, 20 at Tittesworth on the 21stincreasing to 30 by the 30th, three at Doxey Marshes on the 22nd, 60 at Knypersleyon the 26th and finally 30 at Belvide on the 27th. W Mid Largest flocks in the first winter period comprised 34 at Marsh Lane NRthroughout January, 10 at Edgbaston Pool on January 11th, 10 at The Leasowes onJanuary 14th, 70 at Smestow Valley on January 19th, a very impressive 100 birds atSheepwash UP on January 25th (with 80 throughout February and 20 still present inearly March), 40 at Edgabston Pool on 26th, up to 50 in Sandwell Valley throughoutJanuary, 20 at Cinder Bank on February 8th, 17 in Selly Oak on February 12th, 25 atThe Dingles in Yardley on February 26th, and 12 at Harborne NR on March 2nd.Relatively few records in the second winter period with the most reported being 20 atMarsh Lane NR on November 1st, 30 in Smestow Valley on November 24 th, around50 in Dorridge Park in December and 56 in Sandwell Valley on December 18th. Fewerthan 10 birds were also reported from Bartley Reservoir, Edgbaston, Hawne Park,Netherton Hill, Saltwells LNR and Wergs. Birds were reported on garden feeders fromAldridge, Balsall Common (three birds of which one was ringed), Dorridge,Earlswood (on the West Midlands County side of the boundary), Knowle and YardleyWood (a creditable 30 on a feeder in February).

Linnet Carduelis cannabinaVery common resident and partial migrant, with fewer in winter.Warks Not much breeding data reported, but these included farmland counts of sixpairs in 70ha at Bridgetown and seven in about 100ha at Shipston-on-Stour. The total

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of 75 on the DMC Kineton May count was only exceeded in 1993 (86) and 1996 (79).A large flock was again present during the early months at Fenny Compton, with 250on January 6th dropping gradually to a low of 120 in early March, before climbingagain to 350 on 22nd and 450 by 29th as migrants arrived. 250 were still there on April12th. Other flocks during the early months included 200 at Chesterton on January 4th,100 in set-aside at Bramcote Mains on 12th, 160 at Wasperton on February 14th, 150at Ditchford Frary on March 1st and 100 at Hogrills End on 25th. The first post-breeding flock reported was one of 70 in a field of oilseed rape at LeamingtonHastings on June 30th. Sizeable autumn flocks soon built up, including maxima of250 at Fenny Compton during August-September, 250 at Ilmington Downs onSeptember 12th, 200 at Priors Hardwick on 14th, 175 at Salford Priors GP on 21st,300 at Kineton on 24th, and up to 200 at Wishaw during late September and earlyOctober. Flocks of around 100-150 were also noted during the second period atBramcote Hall, Burton Dassett, Dunnington, Fisher’s Mill GP, Kenilworth, Watergalland Wormleighton Res. Worcs Eight pairs were noted in the breeding season at Tibberton, the same as in2002. Notable counts made in the first winter period comprised 50+ at LongdonMarsh on January 1st, 300 at Eckington on 9th, 100 at Blakedown on 14th, 80+ atWadborough and 40 at nearby Croome Perry Wood, both on 26th. In February, 70were at Gwen Finch Wetland on 1st and 15th, 72 at Ryall Pits on 1st, with 60+ thereon 15th and 35 at Lower Moor on 14th. Gwen Finch Wetland held 27 on March 1st,60 at Castlemorton Common on 2nd, 120 at Coldridge Wood on 5th, with 150 atArley Wood on 6th, 25 at Bishampton Vale Pool on 9th and 75 at Clifton Pits on 29th.April records comprised, 35+ at Wassell Grove Pool on 4th and 50 there on 6th, 100at Rock on 7th, 200 at Grafton Flyford on 8th and 9th, 200 at Churchill on 9th, 50+on Castlemorton Common on 11th, 130 at Aston Mill East on 14th and 18 atTibberton on 24th. In July, 38 were at the latter site on 4th with 42 there on 28th, 30+at Castlemorton Common on 19th and 50+ there on August 12th. Nearby HollybedCommon held 100 the next day, 50+ on 19th and 75 on 27th, while 32 were atTibberton on 17th and 28 on 25th, and 70 were at Timberhonger on 23rd. Autumnand second winter period counts comprised 39 at Tibberton on September 5th, 65 onSugar Loaf Hill on 30th, 130 on Bredon Hill on 29th with 60+ there on October 5thrising to 120 on 24th. Further October records were of 11 at Tibberton on 1st. 250 atSheriff’s Lench on 4th, 80+ at Cofton Richards Farm on 14th, 60+ at BishamptonVale Pool on 18th and 40+ at Upper Bittell Reservoir on 29th. Bredon Hill held 50on November 1st and 80 on 9th, 200+ at Sheriff’s Lench on 2nd, 50+ at Ryall Pits on8th, 100 at Top Barn Farm, Grimley on 13th, 80+ at Cofton Richards Farm on 15th,50 at Lineholt on 27th. A very impressive 500 at Hanley Childe on 28th while theonly December count was of 100 at Barnett Brook on 26th.Staffs Three pairs probably bred at Apedale CP, three pairs at Belvide west of thereserve, six pairs at Black Bank, a pair at Butterton Moor while a female and juvenilewere seen at Calton on August 4th. At Casey Bank five pairs bred mainly in the gorseand two pairs bred in the quarries at Cauldon. Seven pairs bred around the Chasewaterarea, while five pairs were confirmed as breeding at Doxey Marshes. At GrindonMoor eight pairs were present in May and a flock of 12 at Gun Hill on June 25thincluded juveniles. Ten pairs were at Stanton Common on June 15th, five pairs onSwinscoe Common on June 15th and probably the same number at Waterfall on May19th. Flocks of 100 or more included 300 at Whittington SF on February 11th, 150 onset-side at Bagots Park Farm on April 14th, 120 at Silverdale Colliery on August 19th

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and October 20th, 100 at Round Knowle Farm on August 31st, 170 were attracted tothe low water levels at Belvide on September 21st with 300 there on November 15th,150 at Chasewater in September, 400 at Blithfield on October 4th with good numbersremaining to the year end, 100 at Little Aston from October to the year end while 100were at Drayton Bassett Pits during December and 100 were at Whitemoor Haye hada on December 3rd. Smaller numbers were recorded at 28 other locations.W Mid Noted in the breeding season at Barr Beacon (three males and four femalesin mid-April), Catshill (at least four birds noted carrying food), Coombeswood,Dunstall Park, Low Hill, Marsh Lane NR (at least two males in song), Netherton Hill(at least two singing males), New Town (two pairs along the Anglesey Branch canaland several other bird in the New Town area in early June), Ocker Hill, Pedmore,Smestow Valley, off Steel Park Way in Wednesfield and on Turners Hill. Fifty werecounted in Smestow Valley between February and April with 30 at Dunstall Park onJanuary 26th. Twenty were at Marsh Lane NR in September. Lutley Wedge saw largenumbers of birds throughout the year outside of the breeding season with Octoberseeing peak numbers of up to 200 birds during the middle of the month, often feedingon stubble. Some impressive numbers were counted in the Wishaw Lane/PeddimoreLane area of Minworth in October with a peak of 320 on October 11th (two flocks of200 and 120 of which one bird was taken by a male Merlin). 30 were counted at MarshLane NR throughout much of September and into October. Also reported fromCuckoos Nook and Sheepwash UP.

Twite Carduelis flavirostrisScarce summer visitor to the North Staffs. Moors. Scarce and much declined wintervisitor.Warks One with Linnets at Wishaw on October 4th SLC and 6th GJM was alsoseen on the West Midlands side of the boundary. At least two were found in a Linnetflock at Alvecote on October 18th RLS.Staffs No records were received.W Mid One, thought by the observer to probably be a male, was accompanyinglinnets in fields off Wiggins Hill Road, Minworth on September 28th and October 4thAH. This was an excellent find and just reward for a diligent observer. The last recordof Twite in the West Midlands County was of one found at Queslett NR in 1989.

Lesser Redpoll Carduelis cabaretFairly common passage migrant and winter visitor. Uncommon or frequent breedingspecies, mainly in Staffs.Warks As a winter visitor this species has become increasingly scarce in the countyin very recent years, and few sites seem still to support a regular flock. The only latewinter parties to reach double figures this year peaked at only 12 at Draycote onJanuary 10th, 30 at DMC Kineton on 13th and 22nd, and 30 at Brandon on 26th, withthe last of the spring being four at Upper Kingston on April 18th. The first autumnmigrant flew west at Napton Hill on September 23rd. Small parties of up to eight werereasonably widespread during the autumn from about September 27th onwards, butthe only double figure counts were of 13 at Lighthorne Quarry on October 26th, 20 atDraycote on 30th and 17 there on November 25th, and a peak of 30 at Brandon onDecember 28th.Worcs No significant counts were noted in the first winter period, the largestcounts being 20 at Upton Warren on January 8th, 16 at Throckmorton Tip on 19th, 16

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at Castlemorton Common on 18th, with 18 there on March 2nd and 15 in HappyValley on February 22nd. Elsewhere groups of fewer than 15 were noted at Abberton,Beoleylade, Bittell Reservoir, Bodenham, Bredon Hill, Callow Hill, Clent Hills,Dowles Brook, Eymore Wood, Great Malvern, Grimley, Habberley Valley, HagleyWood, Holt, Kinsham Lake, Lineholt, Malvern Link, Shrawley Wood, Wassell GrovePools and Westwood Pool. After a singing male at Mill Rough on May 11th there wereno further reports until two over Happy Valley on September 28th. The first notablecount in the second winter period was 22 at Broadway on October 22nd and thennumbers began to build from November with 22 at Westwood Pool on 8th, 40 at StokeBliss on 11th, 40 at Coldridge Wood on 12th and 80+ at Castlemorton Common on16th. In December, 40 were at Upton Warren on 1st, 30 at Lower Moor on 2nd, 80 atHaws Hill Wood on 5th, 20 at Abberton on 14th and 50 at Castlemorton Common on21st. Counts of fewer than 20 were also made at Arley Wood, Ashton-under-Hill,Bishampton, Bittell Reservoir, Bredon Hill, Grafton Wood, Grimley, Gwen FinchWetland, Happy Valley, Kinsham Lake, Lineholt, Oakley Pool, Tank Quarry andWassell Grove Pool.Staffs


Apedale CP 39 100 100 6 0 – – 0 2 11 20 8Westport 20 26 – 35 2 – – – 1 4 2 1

Nine males were in song on March 23rd in the Needwood and Anslow area while twopairs were in song flight at Gun Hill on April 13th, and three males in song flight onJune 13th and July 13th with two males singing at Tittesworth on April 9th and one onthe June 4th while a male was heard singing at Deep Hayes CP June 29th. During thefirst winter period 70 were at Chasewater during January, 11at Keele University on the25th, 30 at Black Bank on March 23rd, 40 at Oldacre Valley Cannock Chase on the30th and 30 at Baggeridge CP on April 3rd. Smaller number reported from 11 otherlocations during this period. Fewer autumn flocks and smaller numbers were reportedthan earlier in the year commencing with 12 at Swallow Moss on September 4th, tenat Crumpwood on September 30th, 40 at Chasewater during October, 45 at WetleyMoor on November 1st, 26 at Doxey Marshes on the 6th, ten at Tittesworth on the 12thand 40 at Park Hall CP on the 22nd. Finally ten were at Ingestre on December 29th withlesser numbers also reported from three other locations.W Mid Up to 80 were in Sandwell Valley during January, around 30 were at LeaBank in Birmingham on January 2nd, 15 were in Smestow Valley on January 4th, 18were at Saltwells Wood on January 6th, 20 were in Dunstall Park on January 13th, 50were at Sheepwash UP on January 26th. Fifteen were again counted in Dunstall Parkon October 22nd and 24th. A fine 80 were counted in Sandwell Valley on November18th, 25 were in Goscote Valley on December 3rd and 23 in a Balsall Common gardenon December 13th. Appeared to be very scarce in the autumn/second winter period.Small numbers, less than 10, were also reported from Harborne, Lutley Wedge, MarshLane NR, Sutton Park and Wergs. A bird with a pure white head (other than for thetypical red forehead and black chin) accompanied standard birds at Dunstall Park onJanuary 2nd and again on November 17th and December 6th, and at Newbridgeplaying fields in Smestow Valley on December 12th. Although potentially mistakablefor an Arctic Redpoll Carduelis hornemanni, it showed the brown-toned bodyplumage of a Lesser, without the frostiness of the Arctic vagrant.

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Common (Mealy) Redpoll Carduelis flammeaRare or scarce winter visitor in fluctuating numbers (8/10).Warks A single bird was identified at Ladywalk on February 8th, 14th and 17thSLC et al.Worcs At Habberley Valley there was an adult male on February 5th AW et al.Other bird showing characteristics of Mealy were reported. See Redpoll sp below.Staffs Twelve at Chasewater on February 1st GW.W Mid One, believed to be this species, was at Sheepwash UP on January 26th DW.At Marsh Lane NR, four on January 26th and three on February 16th showedcharacteristics of this species. In Sandwell Valley, birds were reported on March 13thPMH and 18th PMH, November 15th PC, AJ 17th and 18th.

Redpoll sp. Carduellis sp.Worcs Five unidentified redpolls were seen at Hoo Farm Industrial Estate inKidderminster on January 15th and twelve at Throckmorton on February 1st. Thefollowing birds were reported to have shown characteristics of Common Redpoll, butbecause of the overlap in plumage details with Lesser Redpoll, especially after midJanuary, they have be recorded as Redpoll sp. Five at Throckmorton Tip on January26th-February 15th, two in Habberley Valley on February 5th and one at St. KenelmsChurch, Clent on March 16th and then two on 17th.

Common Crossbill Loxia curvirostraFrequent, though variable, irruptive visitor. Rare and erratic breeding species.Warks A light return passage was noted after last year’s influx. Three flew north-west over the Fenny Compton Hills on March 23rd JJB, at least five were in aplantation at DMC Kineton on 26th MGW, and two were at Compton Verney on 29thREH, MJI. There has never been a proven breeding record in the county, so it wasinteresting to receive reports of up to 20 in Hartshill Hayes during late May and earlyJune, with four still present on July 12th NDBC. In the autumn, five flew overWormleighton Res on October 24th RED, one was in Bentley Woods on November8th RED and one flew west over Ilmington Downs on 13th JJB. Worcs There were 22 at Callow Hill on January 5th with 18 still there on 10th and50 were at Bodenham on 29th. The most regular site in the first winter period wasEymore Wood with 20+ on 7th and numbers fluctuated throughout the month peakingat 40 on 12th and 14th. Numbers there in the first half of February were generallyhigher with peak counts of 50+ on 1st and 5th and 40 still on 17th, but reducingsharply to just six on 22nd with none noted next day. However in March 14 were seenagain on 16th with eight on 29th and 50+ were there on April 6th and by May 4th aflock of least 100, including 2 juveniles were noted. Elsewhere counts comprised twoat Hagley Wood on February 4th, 20 at Nimmings Lane, Clent on 10th, with severalnoted there on March 15th and 16th and 10 on 20th and 21st. Other March recordswere of one on Bredon Hill on 20th, two along the Dowles Brook on 26th and 30 to35 on the Lickey Hills the same day. Numbers decreased during April, with two atLodge Hill Farm on 3rd, six over Wassell Grove Pools on 5th, one along the DowlesBrook on 17th, two on 19th, one on 23rd and several were at Betts NR, Far Forest on13th with one there on 24th. Away from Eymore Wood the only other observations inMay were of 70 along the Dowles Brook on 1st and 10 on the Lickey Hills on 5th. InJune, three were at Callow Hill on 21st and five flew over Trench Wood on 29th, whilein July, seven flew over Pensax on 9th and 10 were on the Malvern Hills, one mile

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south of the Wyche Cutting on 25th. Further records continued through August withthree over Tibberton on 3rd, 20 again at Eymore Wood on 13th and 18 on 23rd, two atLodge Hill Farm on 17th and three over Happy Valley on 31st. There were no furtherrecords until the second half of October with two at Wood Norton on 17th, four overThrockmorton Tip on 24th and eight on the Malvern Hills, again up to one mile southof the Wyche Cutting on 25th and 26th. The final record of the year was at EymoreWood with seven on December 24th.Staffs At Hanchurch Hills a flock of 18 on May 25th included two juvenile and atTittesworth a flock on April 30th contained several juveniles indicating that breedinghad taken place within the county. Reports came from across Cannock Chase with 100at Horse Pasture Pool on January 14th and 15th, 30 at Strawberry Hill on March 30th,32 at the Rifle Range on April 5th, 32 at Seven Springs on the 24th and 20 in theSherbrook Valley on the 29th. Noteworthy counts from other locations included 26 atHanchurch Hills on February 23rd, 45 at Tittesworth on April 20th, 35 at JacksonBank on May 17th, 50 at Kingswood Bank (Trentham), on the 25th, 12 at BishopsWood on July 5th, and 14 at Westport on October 11th. Smaller numbers were oftenseen or heard flying over Belvide, Blithfield, Brackenhurst, Codsall, Keele University,Maer Hills, Mow Cop, Newcastle–under-Lyme, Rangemore, and Westport.

Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinusVery rare vagrant (0/10)Warks A bright red first-summer male visited a feeder in an Alcester garden onMay 29th ML. Found at 05.45 feeding on a peanut holder in her small suburbangarden, the observer had the presence of mind to photograph it before it disappeareda few minutes later, thus confirming its identification. It was unfortunately never seenagain despite much searching in the neighbourhood by several observers over the nextcouple of days. It occurred on a typical date for this eastern European species, and wasthe first acceptable record for both the county and region.

Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhulaCommon resident.Warks No real changes in population size were reported, with for instance 19logged on the DMC Kineton May count being identical to 2002. Farmland studiesproduced densities of six pairs on 180ha at Compton Scorpion, six pairs on 300haat Stretton-on-Fosse, and twopairs on 70ha at Bridgetown.Outside the breeding seasona few small parties of up to 15were reported, mainly duringthe autumn and early winter;with a peak of 25 at Worm -leighton Res on October24th.Worcs The only breedingseason records came fromBroadway Gravel Pit andLower Moor which each held apair, and Tibberton which heldfive pairs. The largest counts Bullfinch, Sutton Park (Nick Martin)

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were of five at Beoleylade on February 27th and 8 in the Happy Valley on 14th, 14 on16th, nine on 27th rising to 20+ on October 5th and 11th, with 10 still there on 24th.Also six were on Castlemorton Common on October 19th, seven at Upton Warren onNovember 28th and eight at Lower Moor in December. Smaller numbers were notedat Arrow Valley Lake, Broadway Gravel Pit, Malvern Link and Redditch.Staffs Records were received from 58 well scattered localities. Breeding wasconfirmed at Belvide (two pairs), Deep Hayes, Doxey Marshes (two pairs), Westport(two pairs) and at Wergs where an adult was seen to feed a juvenile on July 13th.Breeding was suspected at a further seven sites, the highest being nine pairs atChasewater during the spring. Elsewhere juveniles were reported from Black Bank,Doley Common and Norton Bridge. Outside the breeding season, notable countsincluded ten at the feeding station at Marquis Drive on December 4th, ten were atBlack Bank on January 1st, 12 at Belvide on December 30th and finally six atChasewater on December 29th of which four showed characteristic of the Northernrace P.p. pyrrhula.W Mid Reported in the breeding season from Balsall Common, Catshill,Coombeswood (at least two), Dorridge, Dunstall Park, Holland Park, Ham Dingle,Knowle, Lutley Wedge (up to five males were noted in March), Marsh Lane NR (atleast two pairs), Mons Hill CBC plot (three territories), Oak Farm, Ocker Hill (aminimum of one pair), Highters Heath, Powke Lane Open Space (up to two pairs),Sandwell Valley (several pairs), Smestow Valley (at least four pairs), Solihull (aroundthe cricket ground), Stambermill, Titford Pool, Wergs and Wollaston. Relativelynumerous at Marsh Lane NR in the first winter period with up to 12 noted on severaldates but a peak of 16 was counted on January 7th. Up to seven birds were visiting agarden feeder in Dorridge in January. Sixteen were counted along the Smestow Valleyon November 21st. Also reported from Aldridge and Wyken Slough.

Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustesScarce to uncommon, but declining, resident.Numbers continue to decrease, especially after the demise of the colony at Chillington.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 258 222 155 92 75

Warks There were no confirmed records in the county. The last blank year was1991.Worcs In the first winter period singles were observed at Chase End Wood onJanuary 6th and 31st, February 1st and March 15th. The other regular site of LodgeHill Farm in the Wyre Forest held five on February 23rd, 3 on 27th, rising to seven onMarch 1st, three on 2nd and finally one on April 17th. Later in the year one was in theadjacent Knowles Coppice on August 17th. There was also an interesting record of abird on the edge of Bredon Hill at Little Comberton on August 30th and 31st. Thefinal record of the year was back at Chase End Wood where six were noted onDecember 30th.Staffs The birds from 2002 remained in the area of Pipe Green (Lichfield), wherethe male was reported on January 1st RLR, a female on the 13th RCB and the lastreport was on the 14th RLR.W Mid Four flew across Marsh Lane NR on April 4th before landing in the tops ofHornbeams in Siden Hill Wood – this was the first record for the reserve.

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Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalisRare passage migrant, mainly in autumn, and winter visitor (9/10).A continued decline; this being the worst period for 15 years.

1979-83 1984-88 1989-93 1994-98 1999-03No. of birds 10 49 36 40 27

Worcs A striking adult male was discovered around the Holt Fishing Pools onJanuary 12th JI, BS et al. and Worcestershire Beacon held one on November 16thMWCW.Staffs An immature male at Blithfield on December 7th GJM, ESC.

Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinellaVery common to abundant, though declining, resident.Warks A variety of farmland breeding densities were reported from the Stratfordand Shipston districts, including 12 territories in 70ha at Bridgetown, 34 in 180ha atCompton Scorpion, a low 16 in 300ha at Stretton-on-Fosse, and an exceptional 31 in100ha at Shipston-on-Stour. The latter was more than double the average density forsouthern farmland, and seems to have been achieved by sympathetic habitat manage -ment by the landowner. In the north where densities seem to be much lower, 12 werecounted singing on a five mile bicycle ride in the Coleshill/Maxstoke area. Winterflock size was again on the low side, but this may merely be due to increased feedingopportunities with the spread of set-aside stubbles and game cover crops. The bestcounts were of 60 in stubble at Knightcote on February 23rd and March 9th, andflocks of 80 at Chesterton and 85 at Northend on December 15th, both in game crops.Further flocks of around 40-50 were reported from Birchmoor, Burton Dassett,Draycote, Fenny Compton, Radway, Tomlow and Wormleighton Res.Worcs Reported during the breeding season along the Canal between Blackpoleand Hanbury Wharf (three pairs), Dowles Brook (four singing males), CastlemortonCommon (seven singing males), Chaddesley Corbett (12 on June 19th), HollybedCommon (two singing males), Grafton Flyford (22 birds noted on April 8th),Tibberton (10 pairs), Timberhonger (six pairs) and Ryall Pits (two pairs bred, withfledged young seen on June 20th). Group counts made during the first winter periodwere of 50 at Lower Moor on January 9th, 100 at Stoke Bliss on 10th, 70 at LowerMoor on 12th, 11 between Croome Perry Wood and Wadborough on 28th and 20 atCroome Perry Crossroad on 31st. 80-100 were at South Littleton on February 2nd, 80at Barnett Brook on 6th, 17 on Hollybed Common on 8th, 15 at Gwen Finch Wetlandon 15th, 20 at Childswickham on 28th and one visited the Moors feeding station atUpton Warren in March. A single at Upton Warren on September 11th was an unusualsighting for this locality, as was one in Happy Valley on October 5th. Second winterperiod sightings included 27 at Tibberton on October 10th, 10 at Cofton RichardsFarm on 14th and November 1st, 35 at Abberton on 23rd, 60 at Lower Moor on 30th,eight at Lodge Hill Farm on December 17th, 23 at Cofton Richards Farm on 24th and35+ on Hollybed Common on 30th.Staffs Overall a better picture than last year, but some data was disappointinglyincomplete. Breeding season territories were reported from Chasewater (eight), Belvide(five), Strawberry hill, and Keele where a pair was observed feeding young on July 19th.Singing males were reported at Apedale CP (two on June 1st), five between Little Astonand Aston Wood Golf Course, Elford GP (three on June 7th) and a pair at Hanchurch.Singles were noted at Mere Pits on May 23rd, Weston Jones on June 29th and Wrottesley

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Hall on July 12th. Other breeding season records involved pairs Aqualate, BaggeridgeCP, Chapel Chorlton, Ellastone, Marston, Norton Bridge, Prest wood, Pipe Hall Lichfield,Quixhill, Tittesworth and Wheaton Aston. Outside the breed ing season notable flocksinclude 18 at Norbury Park on January 26th, 30 at Maple Hays on February 7th, 22 atBlithfield on March 25th, 49 at Pipe Hall Farm Lichfield on March 28th, 20 at Swyn -nerton Grange on December 6th and 30 at Little Stoke on December 24th. W Mid Noted in the breeding season at Barr Beacon (at least five males in mid-April), Brownhills Common, Lutley (two), Cotwall End Valley, Marsh Lane NR area(at least two singing males, though neither was thought to be paired), New Town,Pedmore, Sandwell Valley and Smestow Valley (up to two males). Highest counts inthe first winter period included 18 in the Dorridge area on February 10th and 20 atMarsh Lane NR on March 22nd. December counts comprised 50 at Marsh Lane NRin the middle of the month, 28 in the Dorridge area on 22nd and 45 in Lutley Wedgeon 31st. Also reported from Cuckoo’s Nook and Dunstall Park.

Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclusCommon, though declining, resident.Warks At least 25 territories were located during the breeding season in Naptonparish, while other territory counts included eight at Fenny Compton (cf. 12 in 2002),14 at Lighthorne Quarry (cf. 12 in 2001-2), nine at Priors Hardwick (cf. 14 in 2002),12 at Priors Marston, and six in the Wormleighton Res area (about average). Onlyseven logged on the DMC Kineton May count was back to the low levels of 1996-99after several good years. Some of the other counts suggest that numbers were alsoslightly down this year in other areas. Outside the breeding season the largest flockreported was one of 40 in a Knightcote stubble field on February 23rd. Smaller partiesof around 20-30 were also noted at Alvecote, Ladywalk, Salford Priors GP andWasperton.Worcs Seven territories were held along the canal between Blackpole and HanburyWharf, up to six pairs bred at Lower Moor and four singing males were recorded atAshmoor Common on June 26th. Other breeding season sightings came from Castle -morton Common, Longdon Marsh, Malvern Common, Oakley Pool, Strensham Lagoons,Wassell Grove Pools and Upton Warren. During both winter periods, 20-30 were noted atUpton Warren, Croome Perry Crossroad held 20 on January 21st and at Cofton RichardsFarm 20+ were present on November 1st, 15+ on 15th and 16 on December 24th. Anestimated 40-50 birds roosted at Grimley Old Workings throughout the winter months andother winter records came from Clifton Pits, Hollybed Common, Lower Moor, OakleyPool, Strensham Lagoons and Upper Bittell Reservoir.Staffs Breeding season records came from Apedale CP where five singing maleswere present in spring. Ten pairs bred at Belvide while two pairs were present atBlack Bank on July 1st. A prospecting pair was noted at Blithfield on April 29th,while three territories were held at Casey Bank NR on March 19th. Chasewater washost to 20 pairs during spring and at Doley Common there were five pairs on May1st. Bred at Doxey Marshes with 61 territories being held, a figure well down on theprevious year’s total of 80. There were six singing males at Elford GP on June 7th.Other breeding records include a pair at Westport and two males singing in the areaof Little Aston and Aston Wood Golf Course. A pair in a garden at Little Stoke onMarch 3rd was unusual for the site. Seven territories were held at Pool Dam on July1st, a singing male was at Silverdale Colliery on May 1st and finally a pair atSwinscoe Common on June 15th. An impressive influx of 60 occurred at Barton GP

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on March 29th, with the majority relating to males. Away from the breeding seasonnotable counts include 50 feeding by the first hide at Belvide on January 12th, 12 atDydon Wood on January 7th, 12 at Anson’s Bank on February 15th and 20 at WetleyMoor on November 1st.W Mid Breeding season records were received from Coombeswood, DunstallPark/Smestow Valley area (at least three pairs), Edgbaston Reservoir, Fens Pools,Lutley Wedge, Marsh Lane NR (at least six males), Ocker Hill, Saltwells LNR,Sandwell Valley, Stubbers Green, Sutton Park (eight males along Longmoor Valley inJune), Titford Pools, Wishaw Lane (four males present in arable crops in mid-June)and Woodgate Valley. 19 were counted at the RSPB feeding station in Sandwell Valleyon February 18th. 20 were at Marsh Lane NR on April 7th and 26 roosted in thereedbed here on November 30th. Also reported from Wyken Slough.

Corn Bunting Emberiza calandraFairly common, though much declined, resident.Warks An excellent total of 19 territories were located at Long Itchington (cf. 13 in2002), but again there was no complete count from the other stronghold at Milcote.Other singing males (singles unless stated) were reported from: Barford (two),Birchmoor (three in April but then just one), Bridgetown (four), Charlecote,Dunnington, Grendon, Hunscote (four), Lawford Heath, Offchurch, Polesworth, PriorsHardwick (where unusual), Wasperton (three, cf. seven in 2002) and Wolston Heath. Acontinued decline noted at Wasperton, where unsuitable crops such as maize havedominated the area very recently. Few winter records were again forthcoming, withseveral parties of five or six located at Long Itchington, Milcote, Wasperton andWeston-on-Avon, and further singles noted at Ilmington Downs and Salford Priors GP.Worcs At Lower Moor five singing males were present during the breeding seasonand probably five pairs bred and four singing males were at Ryall Pits, where fourjuveniles were observed on September 2nd. Singing males, singles unless otherwisestated, were also recorded at Chaddesley Corbett, Harvington, Holt Prairies, LittleComberton, Lower Moor Bypass, Peopleton, Pinvin, Shenstone, Summerfield, Throck -morton Airfield (17 birds recorded on April 14th and Throckmorton Tip (two). A singlebird was observed on Bredon Hill on May 11th. Scarce in the winter months, withsightings during the first winter period including one at Holt Prairies on January 16th,one at Throckmorton Tip on February 1st, 10+ at South Littleton on 2nd, three atKempsey Lower Ham on 4th, one at Chaddesley Corbett on 14th, 12 at Tilesford on 15thand five at Holt Prairies on 23rd. 10 birds were counted at Lower Moor on July 2nd,Ryall Pits held up to 11 until mid September, two and three were at Throck morton Tipon August 16th and 19th respectively and two at Nafford on 30th, increased to seven bySeptember 8th. Second winter period sightings were of six at Lower Moor in October,Nafford held one on October 30th, two on 31st and November 1st, two were at LittleComberton on 12th, Seven at Lower Moor on 15th, nine at Throckmorton Tip on 16thand two at Little Comberton on December 29th. Offmore Farm was the only locality tohold a large winter flock, with between 25 and 35 birds being present in Mid December.Staffs This species was recorded from just eight sites, Belvide, Blithfield, Chase -water, Fisherwick/Elford GP, Flashbrook Manor, Freeford, High Offley and White -moor Haye; with Whitemoor producing more than half the records. There was nobreeding reported as such but a juvenile was seen at Blithfield on August 24th and anadult and juvenile at Belvide on the 31st – a first record since 1997. Singing maleswere also seen at Fisherwick, Flashbrook Manor and Whitemoor Haye. There were no

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large concentrations of birds noted anywhere, the maximum number seen being six atHigh Offley on June 21st and at Flashbrook Manor on December 25th and five atWhitemoor Haye on April 21st, May 29th and June 12th. W Mid Breeding season records came from most of the usual County locations:-Catshill, three singing males in the Hillwood Common Road in Sutton Coldfield (nearthe County boundary with Staffordshire – at least one other singing male was reportedfrom just across the County boundary) and three singing males from the Wishaw Lanearea of Minworth. A small flock of eight birds was present in the Hillwood CommonRoad area throughout the winter. One flew calling over Marsh Lane NR on August16th and was relocated there on September 21st with a further record, presumably ofthe same bird, on November 1st.

ExoticaThe following species all fall into Category E of the British List (BOU 1998), as beingintroductions, transportees or escapees from captivity and whose breeding popula -tions are not thought to be self-sustaining. The nomenclature used in this sectionfollows Birds of the World – A Check List, 5th Edition J.F. Clements (2000).

Black Swan Cygnus atratusAustralia and Tasmania.Warks One at Lower Radbourn from June 6th, had been joined by a second bird bySeptember and both then remained to the end of the year.Worcs Lower Moor held one on March 13th and a pair on December 27th.Staffs Recorded at Belvide on March 3rd and August 8th, at Armitage on the 23rd,at Blithfield (three) on September 19th-20th, at Armitage (two) on October 20th andat Handsacre (three) on December 11th.

Bar-headed Goose Anser indicusCentral Asia; winters in India and BurmaWarks A pair bred at DM Kineton for the second year running, rearing four young.Birds were present at this site all year. Two at Compton Verney on January 4th andfour on December 24th no doubt emanated from there. Elsewhere, a bird was stillpresent on the river intermittently at Stratford-upon-Avon, while singles were noted atSeeswood Pool on May 4th and at Brandon on 4th-5th.Worcs Singles were noted at Holt Prairies on April 13th, Bredon’s Hardwick onMay 2nd and October 19th and Lower Moor on December 28th.Staffs One at Belvide on June 7th.

Muscovy Duck Cairina moschataSouthern Mexico to Argentina and Brazil.Warks One wandering a Stockingford street on January 25th was presumably alocal escape.

Wood Duck Aix sponsaCanada to northern Mexico; and Bahamas.Warks Single males were reported at Lea Marston on January 12th and at Alvecotefrom October 21st-29th and again during December.Worcs An eclipse drake was on the Droitwich canal at Salwarpe on July 30th anda drake at Trimpley Reservoir on December 7th, 22nd, 24th and 26th.

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Chiloe Wigeon Anas sibilatrixCentral Chile, Argentina to Tierra del Fuego, Falklands; winters to south-eastBrazil.Worcs An eclipse drake was at Westwood Pool on September 3rd.

Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhynchaEastern Asia and India; winters Indochina and Phillipines.Warks Last year’s bird was seen again at Lower Radbourn on November 16th.

Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanopteraWest and north America (Southern Canada) to Tierra del Fuego and Falkland Islands.Worcs A drake was on the Flash Pools at Upton Warren from April 22nd-26th.

White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephalaEuropeStaffs An immature female was at Belvide on September 16th SN et al. and wasseen there until the 20th, this was a first for the site and was later rediscovered atBlithfield on the 21st ESC.

Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagrisAfricaWarks Small free living populations evidently occur in some parts of thecounty, but with no evidence of breeding in the wild so far. Five were present inBunkers Hill Wood, Dunchurch all year, and up to eight were on the ShuckburghPark estate.Staffs Two at Bolingbroke Wood on May 25th.

Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatusIndia and Sri Lanka.W Mid The male bird first seen on August 28th 1999 continued to frequentSmestow Valley. Capable of flight, he was seen roosting in trees or perched on gardenfences.

Harrisʼs Hawk Parabuteo unicinctusSouth-west United States to northern Argentina, Chile and Brazil.Warks One found dead in a stubble field at Birchmoor on November 10th.Worcs An adult with jesse’s flew over Upper Bittell Reservoir on January 4th.W Mid A bird was seen in Smestow Valley on August 14th.

Saker Falco cherrugSouth-central Eurasia; winters from eastern Mediterranean to India and Tibet.Warks An adult afforded good views as it glided over Fenny Compton on August9th travelling north-east.

Saker X PeregrineWarks A hybrid spent October 12th roosting on a rooftop in Birchmoor, beforebeing recaptured and returned to its owner in Fazeley.

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Silver Gull Larus novaehollandiaeAustraliaWarks An adult was photographed at Draycote on September 22nd JFCJ, RCM.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galeritaNew Guinea and adjacent islands to Australia and Tasmania.Warks One at Ladywalk on October 3rd.

Cockatiel Nymphicus hollandicusInterior of Australia.Warks Singles were seen at Woolscott on June 4th and in Fenny Compton on 21st.W Mid A grey and white bird flew over Smestow Valley on August 5th and DunstallPark the next day.

Eastern Rosella Platycercus eximiusAustralia and TasmaniaWorcs One at the Moors Pools, Upton Warren on April 25th.

Parakeet spStaffs One at Stone tennis club on July 27th SB.

Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula alexandriForests of northern India to south-east Asia, Andamans and Greater Sundas.Warks One visited Ladywalk on April 16th. An unidentified parakeet, which waspossibly the same bird, was seen at Shustoke on January 31st and at Maxstokeoccasionally during the year.

African Grey Parrot Psittacus ErithacusWest and central Africa.Staffs One escaped during August at Little Madeley and was present to the year-end NDP.

Orange-winged Parrot Amazona amazonicaSouth America, Trinidad and TobagoWarks One was resident in Rugby town centre all year.

Eurasian Eagle Owl Bubo buboPalaearctic.W Mid An escaped bird was in the Temple Meadows Drive area of Sandwell Valleyon November 10th and 11th.

Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticusArabia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India.Warks A superb male visited a Fenny Compton garden on July 10th.

Yellow-throated Petronia Petronia superciliarisAfricaStaffs The bird was photographed feeding on a garden feeder on November 3rd. Itarrived with Goldfinches but only spent the day in the garden.

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Ringing in 2003

Longevity records provide valuable data on survival and the 2003 Annual Reportshows some astonishing records. Birds ringed as nestlings provide precise ages whenfound dead and the sixteen and a half year old Grey Heron and the ten year old LittleOwl show examples of this. Birds ringed as adults provide minimum ages when founddead and the Black-headed Gull at least thirteen years of age and the Lesser Black-backed Gull with a minimum age of ten years afford examples of these. The mostunusual longevity records are for the Long-tailed Tit, at least five years of age and theGreat Spotted Woodpecker with a minimum age of six years – the latter is a rarerecord for the West Midland Bird Club Database.

Undoubtedly the most unusual mortality recorded during 2003 is for theWorcestershire Blue Tit found entangled in wire holding the reeds on a thatched roof.

The enormous distances travelled by winter and summer migrants are well illustratedwith ducks, gulls, finches, thrushes and warblers providing examples of movementswell in excess of 1000 kilometres. The greatest distance recorded is for a ReedWarbler travelling 4182 kilometres from the Senegal to its breeding grounds in UptonWarren in Worcestershire while the most unusual movements must surely be the GreatTit travelling 101 kilometres from the West Midlands into Lincolnshire and the BlueTit moving 61 kilometres from Staffordshire to Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire.

The distances recorded between the ringing and recovery sites are often relativelysmall but in the case of migrants such as the Pied Flycatcher and House Martinrecorded here it must be remembered that between these dates the birds will havemade the journey to and from their wintering grounds in Africa.

The Fieldfare recoveries show many birds wintering in the West Midlands recorded ontheir Scandinavian breeding grounds in the following or subsequent years. There is,however, only one record of a Siskin travelling from the West Midlands to its breedinggrounds in Sweden – the second Siskin record may be a bird on its way back to itsbreeding grounds in Scotland. The Sand Martin records are the only ones showing thelink between Midland summer migrants and their migratory collecting grounds atIcklesham in Surrey on the south-east coast.

We occasionally get records that appear to give an indication of the time factorsinvolved in movements and the Blackbird travelling 672 kilometres in 217 daysprovides an excellent example. Great care is needed however in assessing such arecord since the bird could have remained where it was ringed in Germany for severaldays before moving on and, in addition, may have arrested its journey from time totime.

The use of individually coded coloured Darvic rings enables sightings to be madewithout having to re-catch the bird. It’s usually the larger birds like Grey Herons,swans, geese, ducks, gulls and terns that carry these rings and the wealth ofinformation obtained during 2003 is well illustrated by the sightings of gulls invarious parts of the West Midlands. The Common Terns of Kingsbury Water Park arealso colour ringed and the record of the bird found dead “off Mauritania” is fas cina -ting. It was found dead on a ship – it must have been totally exhausted.

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I am most grateful to the secretaries of the Wychavon Ringing Group, the MercianRinging Group and the Seven Estuary Gull Group for sending in ringing recoveriesand also Messers D.Clifton, Dr. J.T.Coleman, P.Ireland and W. Low.

A.E.ColemanRinging Secretary

Selected List of Recoveries involving the WMBC Area Entries are arranged by species and, within species, by recovery date. Ringing detailsare given on the first line and recovery details on the second. This report includesrecoveries for 2001 and previously unpublished recoveries for earlier years. Allforeign recoveries and movements of greater than 100 kilometres are included.Treatment of movements of less than 100 kilometres depends on the species involved.

Key

Age at ringing SexPull Pullus (Nestling) M MaleJuv Juvenile (young able to fly) F Female1Y Bird in its first year Manner of recovery2Y Bird in its second year v Caught and released with ring Ad Adult (at least one year old) + Shot or killedFg Full grown (Age uncertain) x Found dead or dying

vv ring read in the field? manner of recovery unknown

Species Ringer/Ring No. Age/Sex Date Place Movement

Mute SwanU6691 1Y 08-08-95 Pwllheli harbour (Gwynedd) SS and B

v 31-07-99 Westport Lake, Stoke (Staffs) 148 kms

X1504 1Y 23-12-97 Worcester (Worcs) WRGx 07-04-03 Pilning (Avon) 75 kms

U7545 1Y 27-06-95 Cheltenham (Glos) WRGv 19-08-03 Witton Lakes, Birmingham 70 kms

Greylag Goose5226735 Pull 29-06-02 Tamworth (Staffs) C and C

v 23-02-03 Martin Mere (Lancs) 137 kms

Canada Goose5214169 Ad 29-06-02 Stubbers Green (W.Mids) C and C

v 21-11-03 Compstall (Greater Manchester) 92 kms

Eurasian WigeonFS31231 1Y M 26-02-00 Bredons Hardwick (Worcs) WRG

x 15-04-03 Grimsey, Eyjafjardar, Iceland 1841 kms

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FP39113 1Y M 16-02-03 Bredons Hardwick (Worcs) WRG+ 02-09-03 Pas-de-Calais, France 297 kms

FA76963 1Y M 03-03-96 Bredons Hardwick (Worcs) WRG+ 05-11-03 The Wash (Norfolk) 193 kms

FP35735 Ad M 15-02-03 Blithfield (Staffs) MRG+ 15-11-03 Engelsskiy, Saratov, U.S.S.R. 3281 kms

FP39212 1Y F 16-02-03 Bredons Hardwick (Worcs) WRG+ 05-12-03 Nr. Arnside (Cumbria) 248 kms

FP39059 Ad M 08-02-03 Bredons Hardwick (Worcs) WRG+ 22-12-03 Saint-Aubin-le-Cauf, France 334 kms

FA96632 Ad M 21-02-98 Blithfield (Staffs) MRG+ 23-12-03 Beith, Strathclyde, Scotland 369 kms

Grey Heron1196636 Pull 03-05-86 Gailey (Staffs) MRG

x 31-12-02 Tarvin (Cheshire) 70 kms

Black-headed Gull6129894 Pull 10-06-02 Ringsaker, Hedmark, Norway

v v 10-01-03 Westport Lake, Stoke (Staffs) 1171 kms

EG86874 Pull 10-07-02 Pylewell Lake (Hants) PJBv v 20-01-03 Westport Lake, Stoke (Staffs) 260 kms

ST222075 Pull 21-06-02 Lehtimaki, Vaasa, Finlandv v 07-02-03 Westport Lake, Stoke (Staffs) 1880 kms

ST172405 Ad 11-05-96 Kuopio, Finlandv v 07-12-99 Westport Lake, Stoke (Staffs) 2003 kmsv v 13-02-03 Westport Lake, Stoke (Staffs) 2003 kms

6154953 Pull 07-06-96 Malmo, Swedenv v 08-02-97 Westport Lake, Stoke (Staffs) 1028 kmsv v 01-03-97 Westport Lake, Stoke (Staffs) 1028 kmsv v 20-02-97 Westport Lake, Stoke (Staffs) 1028 kmsv v 26-02-98 Westport Lake, Stoke (Staffs) 1028 kmsv v 07-12-02 Westport Lake, Stoke (Staffs) 1028 kmsv v 26-02-03 Westport Lake, Stoke (Staffs) 1028 kmsv v 02-03-03 Westport Lake, Stoke (Staffs) 1028 kms

EP84661 Ad 15-12-1990 Throckmorton (Worcs) SEGGv v 31-03-03 Gentofte, Sjaelland, Denmark 1036 kms

6T15306 Pull 07-05-96 Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgiumv v 05-10-03 Westport Lake, Stoke (Staffs) 459 kms

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Lesser Black-backed GullFA52500 Ad 05-12-1992 Throckmorton (Worcs) SEGG

v v 03-09-03 Barrow in Furness (Cumbria) 227 kms

Common TernSV64417 Pull 11-06-03 Kingsbury Water Park (Warks) MRG

x 13-11-03 Off Mauritania 3281 kms

Little OwlES03970 Pull 04-06-1993 Sudbury (Staffs) BS and M

? 31-08-03 Marchington, Uttoxeter (Staffs) 2 kms

Great Spotted WoodpeckerXK246073 1Y M 06-09-97 Hams Hall (Warks) MRG

v 24-12-03 Hams Hall (Warks) 0 kms

Sand MartinP010710 Juv 25-08-00 Icklesham (Sussex)

v 07-07-02 Cornets End (West Mids) 233 kms

N149454 Juv 27-08-01 Icklesham (Sussex)v 29-06-03 Cornets End (West Mids) 233 kmsv 13-07-03 Cornets End (West Mids) 233 kms

P766446 Juv 15-08-02 Icklesheam (Sussex)v 13-07-03 Cornets End (West Mids) 233 kms

House MartinP364228 Ad 27-07-00 Purlogue, nr Clun (Salop) L and A

x 01-09-00 Malvern Link, Gt Malvern (Worcs) 58 kms

Reed Warbler3987158 Ad 28-03-96 Parc National du Djoudj, Senegal

v 01-06-96 Upton Warren (Worcs) 4182 kms

8136255 Ad 06-06-03 De Hann, West Vlaanderen, Belgiumv 06-07-03 Hams Hall (Warks) 352 kms

Blackcap8719016 Fg M 16-09-03 Brabant, Belgium

v 02-10-03 Nr Great Malvern (Worcs) 471 kms

R203771 1Y F 03-10-03 Nr Great Malvern (Worcs) WRGv 31-12-03 Morocco 2017 kms

Blackbird7806654 Ad M 25-11-03 Helgoland, F.R.Germany

v 30-12-03 Little Aston (West Mids) 672 kms

Fieldfare7359562 1Y M 20-04-02 Sofiemyr Oppegard Akerhus, Norway

v 05-01-03 Suckley (Worcs) 1179 kms

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749201 1Y F 22-10-01 Hobberstad Ha Rogaland, Norwayv 08-01-03 Suckley (Worcs) 877 kms

CF90461 1Y M 31-12-01 Suckley (Worcs) WRG+ 09-01-03 Dordogne, France 834 kms

L135066 Ad F 16-01-01 Nr Castricum, Noord-Holland, Hollandv 10-01-03 Suckley (Worcs) 480 kms

CF90023 1Y M 26-12-01 Suckley (Worcs) WRGx 26-04-03 Sipoo, Uusimaa, Finland 1933 kms

CL73831 Ad M 31-12-02 Suckley (Worcs) WRGx 07-07-03 Kjeldal Lunde Telemark, Norway 1067 kms

CL73797 Ad M 30-12-02 Suckley (Worcs) WRGx 12-07-03 Smedsta Lit Jamtland, Sweden 1598 kms

CL44250 Ad M 23-12-01 Suckley (Worcs) WRGx 08-11-03 Berson, Gironde, France 797 kms

RR99378 1Y M 01-01-02 Suckley (Worcs) WRGx 15-11-03 Marasin, Gironde, France 805 kms

Pied FlycatcherP213825 Pull M 08-06-00 Church Stretton (Salop) WH

v 08-06-03 Midsummer Hill (Worcs) 64 kms

P365866 Pull F 04-06-02 Midsummer Hill (Worcs) WRGv 17-06-03 Llangynidr (Powys) 66 kms

Long-tailed Tit5V4965 Fg 14-09-97 Hams Hall (Warks) MRG


9N1759 Fg 23-09-98 Hams Hall (Warks) MRGv 08-06-03 Hams Hall (Warks) 0 kms

Great TitR117013 1Y F 25-01-03 Sutton Coldfield (West Mids) MRG

v 13-03-03 Bourne Wood (Lincs) 101 kms

Blue TitR116682 1Y 09-02-03 Tamworth (Staffs) MRG

v 05-04-03 Melton Mowbray (Leics) 61 kms

R203920 Ad F 11-11-03 Kemerton (Worcs) WRGx 17-12-03 Kemerton (Worcs) 0 kms

GreenfinchVS73235 1Y M 21-09-00 Streetly, Sutton Coldfield (West Mids) MRG

v 13-01-03 Shugborough Park (Staffs) 26 kms

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SiskinR116494 1Y 16-03-03 Walsall (West Mids) MRG

x 14-04-03 Haverodal, Stockholm, Sweden 1511 kms

N286469 Ad M 29-01-98 Walsall (West Mids) MRGv 08-04-98 Stocksfield (Northumberland) 263 kms

Reed BuntingN361276 Ad M 04-05-98 Hams Hall (Warks) MRG


N347498 Juv F 02-08-98 Hams Hall (Warks) MRGv 06-07-03 Hams Hall (Warks) 0 kms

Key to Contributors to the Ringing Report.

AEC A.E.ColemanBS and M Bache, Shearwood and McShaneC and C Coleman and ColemanL and A Longford and AustinMRG Mercian Ringing GroupPJB P. BelmanSEGG Severn Estuary Gull GroupSS and B Spence, Stratford and BentleyWH W. HotchkissWRG Wychavon Ringing Group

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County Lists

The following tables show all species in categories A to C of The British List that havebeen reliably recorded in the area covered by the current boundaries of the fourcounties of the Region since records were kept. The regional total as at December 31st2001 was 341. The year shown is the latest in which the species has been observed ineach county. Species in square brackets [ ] refer to birds on The British List which,within the Region, are not thought to have occurred except as escapes or releases fromcaptivity and these do not contribute towards county totals: nk refers to reliable, butundated, 19th century records, < means some time before that date; c means aroundthat date. Subspecies or races are shown in italics and they too are not included in thetotals.

DetailsThe Details column is used to indicate for which species a description or supportingdetails are required. As the status of each species is not necessarily the same acrossthe four counties, a description or supporting details may be required for somecounties but not for others. The level of detail required will, of course, vary with thespecies concerned; some requiring only a brief sentence while other, rarer species,more detailed notes. However, if the bird you are claiming is unfamiliar to you, or youare unsure of its identity, then don’t be afraid to send in a description - even if it is notrequested.

The following abbreviations are used:BBRC A full description is required by British Birds Rarities Committee.A A description or supporting details required for ALL counties.St, Wa, Wo, WM A description or supporting details required for Staffordshire,

Warwickshire, Worcestershire and West Midlands respectively.

Details Warks Worcs Staffs W MidMute Swan Cygnus olor 2003 2003 2003 2003Bewick’s Swan Cygnus columbianus 2003 2003 2003 2003Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus A 2003 2003 2003 2003Bean Goose Anser fabalis A 1996 1999 2002 0Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus A 2003 2003 2003 2001White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons A 2003 2003 2003 2003[Lesser White-fronted

Goose] Anser erythropus BBRC 1991 0 1992 0Greylag Goose Anser anser 2003 2003 2003 2003[Snow Goose] Anser caerulescens A 2003 1999 2002 2003Canada Goose Branta canadensis 2003 2003 2003 2003Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis 2003 2003 2003 2003Brent Goose Branta bernicla A 2003 2000 2003 2003[Red-breasted Goose] Branta ruficollis BBRC 1973 1996 2002 0Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca A 2003 2003 2003 1999Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea A 2002 2003 2003 1998Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna 2003 2003 2003 2003Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata 2003 2003 2003 2001Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope 2003 2003 2003 2003American Wigeon Anas americana A 2002 0 1998 0Gadwall Anas strepera 2003 2003 2003 2003Eurasian Teal Anas crecca 2003 2003 2003 2003Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis A 2001 2003 2002 0

211

Details Warks Worcs Staffs W MidMallard Anas platyrhynchos 2003 2003 2003 2003Northern Pintail Anas acuta 2003 2003 2003 2003Garganey Anas querquedula 2003 2003 2003 2003Blue-winged Teal Anas discors BBRC 1989 1989 2001 0Shoveler Anas clypeata 2003 2003 2003 2003Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina A 2003 2003 2003 2002Common Pochard Aythya ferina 2003 2003 2003 2003Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris A 2002 2002 1977 2001Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca A 2001 2003 1999 1998Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula 2003 2003 2003 2003Greater Scaup Aythya marila 2003 2003 2003 2003Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis BBRC 0 0 1987 0Common Eider Somateria mollissima A 1993 2001 2002 1993Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis A 2003 2003 2003 2003Common Scoter Melanitta nigra WM 2003 2002 2003 2002Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata A 1986 2000 0 0Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca A 2001 1985 1992 1994Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula 2003 2003 2003 2003Smew Mergellus albellus Wo, WM 2003 2003 2003 1999Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator A 2003 2002 2003 2001Goosander Mergus merganser 2003 2003 2003 2003Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis 2003 2003 2003 2003Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus Wo, Wa, WM 0 0 2003 1868Black Grouse Tetrao tetrix A 0 1915 2003 1897Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa 2003 2003 2003 2003Grey Partridge Perdix perdix 2003 2003 2003 2003Common Quail Coturnix coturnix A 2003 2003 2003 2003Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus 2003 2003 2003 2003[Lady Amherst’s Pheasant] Chrysolophus amherstiae A 2002 2002 0 0[Golden Pheasant] Chrysolophus pictus A 2003 2002 1998 1985Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata A 2003 1997 2001 2001Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica A 2002 1995 2000 1997Great Northern Diver Gavia immer A 2003 2001 2003 2003Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis 2003 2003 2003 2003Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus 2003 2003 2003 2003Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena A 2003 1996 2003 1996Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus A 2003 2002 2003 2003Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis A 2003 2003 2003 2003Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis A 1994 2000 1993 1996Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea A 0 0 1971 0Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus A 2003 2003 1996 1990European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus A 1983 2003 1990 1970Leach’s Storm-petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa A 2003 1997 1989 2002Northern Gannet Morus bassanus A 2003 1997 2003 1991Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 2003 2003 2003 2003Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis A 2003 2002 2000 1998Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris A 2003 2003 1999 1995Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus BBRC 1981 1865 1901 <1836Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax A 2001 1983 2000 1994Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides BBRC 0 0 1874 0Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis BBRC 1994 1993 1987 0Little Egret Egretta garzetta WM 2003 2003 2003 2003Great White Egret Ardea alba A 2000 1999 2003 2002Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 2003 2003 2003 2003Purple Heron Ardea purpurea A 1990 2000 1994 0Black Stork Ciconia nigra BBRC 0 1956 1985 0White Stork Ciconia ciconia A 1999 2002 2002 1986Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus BBRC 0 0 1840 0Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia A 2002 2001 2003 2002Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus A 2003 2000 2003 2002

212

Details Warks Worcs Staffs W MidBlack Kite Milvus migrans A 0 1986 1991 1998Red Kite Milvus milvus A 2003 2003 2003 2003White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla A 1891 1945 1905 0Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus A 2003 2003 2003 2003Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus A 2003 2003 2003 1997Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus A 2003 1995 2000 1951Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis A 2003 2003 2003 2003Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus 2003 2003 2003 2003Common Buzzard Buteo buteo 2003 2003 2003 2003Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus A 1994 1979 2001 1996Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos A 0 0 nk 0Osprey Pandion haliaetus A 2003 2003 2003 2003Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 2003 2003 2003 2003Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus A 2003 2001 1977 0Merlin Falco columbarius WM 2003 2003 2003 2003Hobby Falco subbuteo 2003 2003 2003 2003Gyr Falcon Falco rusticolus BBRC 1852 0 <1844 0Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus 2003 2003 2003 2003Water Rail Rallus aquaticus 2003 2003 2003 2003Spotted Crake Porzana porzana A 2003 2002 2003 1998Little Crake Porzana parva BBRC 1974 0 0 0Corn Crake Crex crex A 2000 1988 1988 1965Moorhen Gallinula chloropus 2003 2003 2003 2003Common Coot Fulica atra 2003 2003 2003 2003Common Crane Grus grus A 2003 2003 2003 2002Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax BBRC 0 0 c1899 <1893Great Bustard Otis tarda BBRC 0 c1825 0 0Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus 2003 2003 2003 2003Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus BBRC 1987 1986 1995 0Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta A 2003 2003 2003 1999Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus A 2001 1996 1956 1991Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola BBRC 1996 1994 0 0Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius 2003 2003 2003 2003Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula 2003 2003 2003 2003Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus A 1993 1940 1995 0Dotterel Charadrius morinellus A 2002 2003 2002 1978American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica A 1991 0 0 0European Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria 2003 2003 2003 2003Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola WM 2003 2003 2003 1997White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus BBRC 1975 0 0 0Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus 2003 2003 2003 2003Red Knot Calidris canutus WM 2003 2003 2003 2003Sanderling Calidris alba WM 2003 2003 2003 2003Little Stint Calidris minuta WM 2003 2003 2003 2003Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii A 2002 2000 2003 2002Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla BBRC 0 1988 2002 0White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis A 0 1996 1989 0Baird’s Sandpiper Calidris bairdii BBRC 1996 0 1996 0Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos A 2002 2003 2003 2003Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea WM 2003 2002 2003 2002Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima A 1993 1988 2000 1985Dunlin Calidris alpina 2003 2003 2003 2003Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus BBRC 1985 0 0 0Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis A 1995 0 1980 0Ruff Philomachus pugnax 2003 2003 2003 2003Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus 2003 2003 2003 2003Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago 2003 2003 2003 2003Great Snipe Gallinago media BBRC <1886 0 1954 1995Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus BBRC 1983 1990 0 0Woodcock Scolopax rusticola 2003 2003 2003 2003

213

Details Warks Worcs Staffs W MidBlack-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa WM 2003 2003 2003 2003Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica WM 2003 2003 2003 2003Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus WM 2003 2003 2003 2003Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata 2003 2003 2003 2003Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda BBRC 1851 0 0 0Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus Wa, WM 2003 2003 2003 2003Common Redshank Tringa totanus 2003 2003 2003 2003Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis BBRC 0 0 1974 0Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia 2003 2003 2003 2003Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes BBRC 0 0 1995 0Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus 2003 2003 2003 2003Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola Wo, WM 2003 2003 2003 2003Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 2003 2003 2003 2003Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius BBRC 1990 0 1982 0Turnstone Arenaria interpres WM 2003 2003 2003 2003Wilson’s Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor BBRC 1996 1985 0 0Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus A 2000 1999 2002 1893Grey Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius A 2001 2002 2003 2002Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus A 1997 1999 1991 1985Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus A 2003 1996 2002 2000Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus A 2003 1987 1994 1991Great Skua Stercorarius skua A 2001 2000 2003 1994Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus WM 2003 2003 2003 2003Franklin’s Gull Larus pipixcan BBRC 2002 0 0 0Laughing Gull Larus atricilla BBRC 0 1996 0 1997Little Gull Larus minutus WM 2003 2003 2003 2003Sabine’s Gull Larus sabini A 1989 1997 2001 0Bonaparte’s Gull Larus philadelphia BBRC 1992 0 1996 0Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus 2003 2003 2003 2003Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis A 1998 2003 1999 1996Common Gull Larus canus 2003 2003 2003 2003Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus 2003 2003 2003 2003Herring Gull Larus argentatus 2003 2003 2003 2003Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans A 2003 2003 2003 2000Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis 2003 2003 2003 2003Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides A 2003 2003 2003 2003Kumlienʼs Gull Larus glaucoides kumlieni A 2001 2003 1999 0Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus A 2003 2002 2003 1999Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus 2003 2003 2003 2003Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla 2003 2003 2003 2002Gull-billed Tern Sterna nilotica BBRC 1899 <1901 1989 1896Caspian Tern Sterna caspia BBRC 1993 1971 1999 1979Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis A 2003 2003 2003 2003Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii A 2002 1999 2002 0Common Tern Sterna hirundo 2003 2003 2003 2003Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea 2003 2003 2003 2002Sooty Tern Sterna fuscata BBRC 0 0 1852 0Little Tern Sterna albifrons A 2003 2003 2003 2000Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida BBRC 1987 1994 1970 0Black Tern Chlidonias niger 2003 2003 2003 2003White-winged Black Tern Chlidonias leucopterus A 2003 2000 1999 1977Common Guillemot Uria aalge A nk 0 1920 1980Razorbill Alca torda A nk 1953 0 1912Little Auk Alle alle A 2003 1998 2001 1999Puffin Fratercula arctica A 1984 1963 1983 1999Pallas’s Sandgrouse Syrrhaptes paradoxus BBRC 1888 1888 1908 1888Feral Pigeon Columba livia 2003 2003 2003 2003Stock Dove Columba oenas 2003 2003 2003 2003Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus 2003 2003 2003 2003Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto 2003 2003 2003 2003

214

Details Warks Worcs Staffs W MidTurtle Dove Streptopelia turtur 2003 2003 2003 2003Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri A 2003 2002 2002 2003Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus 2003 2003 2003 2003Barn Owl Tyto alba 2003 2003 2003 2003Little Owl Athene noctua 2003 2003 2003 2003Tawny Owl Strix aluco 2003 2003 2003 2003Long-eared Owl Asio otus Wa, Wo, WM 2003 2003 2003 2002Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus WM 2003 2003 2003 2003Tengmalm’s Owl Aegolius funereus BBRC 0 1901 0 0European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus Wa, Wo, WM 2001 1998 2003 1979White-throated Needle-tail Hirundapus caudacutus BBRC 0 0 1991 0Common Swift Apus apus 2003 2003 2003 2003Alpine Swift Apus melba A 2003 1997 1996 1988Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis 2003 2003 2003 2003European Bee-eater Merops apiaster A 1886 1970 0 1955European Roller Coracias garrulus BBRC 0 0 1908 0Hoopoe Upupa epops A 2002 2003 2003 2002Wryneck Jynx torquilla A 2003 2003 2003 2001Green Woodpecker Picus viridis 2003 2003 2003 2003Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major 2003 2003 2003 2003Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor 2003 2003 2003 2003Wood Lark Lullula arborea A 2002 2003 2003 2003Sky Lark Alauda arvensis 2003 2003 2003 2003Shore Lark Eremophila alpestris A 1994 2003 2002 1997Sand Martin Riparia riparia 2003 2003 2003 2003Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica 2003 2003 2003 2003Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica A 1972 2001 0 0House Martin Delichon urbicum 2003 2003 2003 2003Richard’s Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae A 2001 1967 2002 1994Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris A 0 0 1953 0Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis 2003 2003 2003 2003Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis 2003 2003 2003 2003Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus A 1994 0 0 0Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus petrosus WM 2003 2003 2003 2003Scandinavian Rock Pipit Anthus p. littoralis A 1999 1997 1998 2003Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta A 2003 2003 2003 2003Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava flavissima 2003 2003 2003 2003Blue-headed Wagtail Motacilla f. flava A 2002 2003 2003 2001Spanish Wagtail Motacilla f. iberiae A 0 1982 1993 0Grey-headed Wagtail Motacilla f. thunbergi A 0 0 0 1996Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola BBRC 1997 0 0 0Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea 2003 2003 2003 2003Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba yarrellii 2003 2003 2003 2003White Wagtail Motacilla a. alba A (autumn) 2003 2003 2003 2003Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus A 2003 2003 2003 2003Dipper Cinclus cinclus gularis Wa, WM 1991 2003 2003 2003Black-bellied Dipper Cinclus c. cinclus A 1996 0 0 0Wren Troglodytes troglodytes 2003 2003 2003 2003Dunnock Prunella modularis 2003 2003 2003 2003Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris BBRC nk 0 0 0Robin Erithacus rubecula 2003 2003 2003 2003Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos St, WM 2003 2003 1981 1979Bluethroat Luscinia svecica A 1995 1981 1994 1985Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros A 2003 2003 2003 2003Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus 2003 2003 2003 2003Whinchat Saxicola rubetra 2003 2003 2003 2003Stonechat Saxicola torquata 2003 2003 2003 2003Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe 2003 2003 2003 2003Greenland Wheatear Oenanthe o. leucorrhoa A 2003 2003 1999 2002Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti BBRC 0 0 1996 0

215

Details Warks Worcs Staffs W MidWhite’s Thrush Zoothera dauma BBRC 1895 0 0 0Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus Wa 2003 2003 2003 2003Blackbird Turdus merula 2003 2003 2003 2003Dusky Thrush Turdus naumanni BBRC 0 1979 0 0Dark-throated Thrush Turdus ruficollis BBRC 0 1996 1978 0Fieldfare Turdus pilaris 2003 2003 2003 2003Song Thrush Turdus philomelos 2003 2003 2003 2003Redwing Turdus iliacus 2003 2003 2003 2003Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus 2003 2003 2003 2003Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti A 2003 2003 2003 2001Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia 2003 2003 2003 2003River Warbler Locustella fluviatilis BBRC 0 0 1996 0Savi’s Warbler Locustella luscinioides BBRC 1995 1999 1977 0Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola A 0 1983 0 0Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus 2003 2003 2003 2003Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris A 2001 1998 1996 1982Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus 2003 2003 2003 2003Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus BBRC 1979 0 0 0Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina A 1997 1942 1993 0Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta A 2000 0 1996 0Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla 2003 2003 2003 2003Garden Warbler Sylvia borin 2003 2003 2003 2003Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria A 1979 0 0 0Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca 2003 2003 2003 2003Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis 2003 2003 2003 2003Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata A 1914 2001 nk 0Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis BBRC 0 0 1993 0Pallas’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus A 2001 1987 1970 0Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus A 1996 2003 2003 1998Hume’s Warbler Phylloscopus humei BBRC 0 0 1994 0Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus 0 0 0 1996Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix Wa 2003 2003 2003 2003Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita 2003 2003 2003 2003Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus c. tristis A 2003 2002 2002 1994Scandinavian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus c. abietinus A 0 2001 1990 1991Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus 2003 2003 2003 2003Goldcrest Regulus regulus 2003 2003 2003 2003Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla A 2003 2003 2003 2002Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata 2003 2003 2003 2003Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva A 1992 0 0 0Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca Wa 2003 2003 2003 2003Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus A 2003 1994 2002 1993Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus 2003 2003 2003 2003Marsh Tit Parus palustris WM 2003 2003 2003 2003Willow Tit Parus montanus 2003 2003 2003 2003Coal Tit Parus ater 2003 2003 2003 2003Blue Tit Parus caeruleus 2003 2003 2003 2003Great Tit Parus major 2003 2003 2003 2003Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea 2003 2003 2003 2003Eurasian Treecreeper Certhia familiaris 2003 2003 2003 2003Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus A 2000 2000 1997 1990Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio A 1983 2000 1976 2003Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor BBRC 0 1987 0 0Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor A 2003 2003 2002 1998Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator A 0 1893 0 1999Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius 2003 2003 2003 2003Magpie Pica pica 2003 2003 2003 2003Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes BBRC 0 0 1991 0Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax A 0 1826 0 0Western Jackdaw Corvus monedula 2003 2003 2003 2003

216

Details Warks Worcs Staffs W MidRook Corvus frugilegus 2003 2003 2003 2003Carrion Crow Corvus corone 2003 2003 2003 2003Hooded Crow Corvus cornix A 1987 1983 1994 1984Common Raven Corvus corax 2003 2003 2003 2003Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris 2003 2003 2003 2003Rose-coloured Starling Sturnus roseus A 2001 2003 2001 1890House Sparrow Passer domesticus 2003 2003 2003 2003Tree Sparrow Passer montanus 2003 2003 2003 2003Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs 2003 2003 2003 2003Brambling Fringilla montifringilla 2003 2003 2003 2003European Serin Serinus serinus A 2002 1981 2001 0Greenfinch Carduelis chloris 2003 2003 2003 2003Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis 2003 2003 2003 2003Siskin Carduelis spinus 2003 2003 2003 2003Linnet Carduelis cannabina 2003 2003 2003 2003Twite Carduelis flavirostris A 2003 2002 2002 2003Lesser Redpoll Carduelis cabaret 2003 2003 2003 2003Common Redpoll Carduelis flammea A 2003 2003 2003 2003Arctic Redpoll Carduelis hornemanni A 0 2002 1996 0Two-barred Crossbill Loxia leucoptera BBRC 0 1838 1980 0Common Crossbill Loxia curvirostra Wa, WM 2003 2003 2003 2002Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus 2003 0 0 0Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula 2003 2003 2003 2003Hawfinch Coccothraustes

coccothraustes St, Wa, WM 2002 2003 2003 2003Lapland Bunting Calcarius lapponicus A 1981 0 2002 1996Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis A 2001 2003 2003 1997Pine Bunting Emberiza leucocephalos BBRC 0 1996 0 0Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella 2003 2003 2003 2003Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus A 1959 1983 1951 1950Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica A 0 1987 0 0Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla A 1902 1994 1995 0Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus 2003 2003 2003 2003Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra 2003 2003 2003 2003Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula BBRC 0 0 0 1968

Grand Total Region 341 County 303 297 308 267Total in 2003 Region 235 County 211 201 209 174

The county totals exclude escapes i.e. those enclosed in [ ] brackets.

Note: The records of Red and Black Grouse on the West Midlands list refer to SuttonPark which, at the time of the records, was part of Warwickshire.

217

GazetteerThe following alphabetical list for each county gives the grid references (if known)of all localities mentioned in the Report.

WarwickshireAbbots Salford Pool SP0749Acorns Coppice SP1273Admington SP2046Ailstone SP2151Alcester SP0857Alcester Heath SP0659Alderminster SP2348Alvecote Pools SK2504Arbury Park SP3389Arley SP2890Armscote SP2444Arrow SP0756Ashorne SP3057Atherstone-on-Stour SP2050Attleborough Fields SP3890Austrey SK2906Avon Dassett SP4149

Baddesley Clinton SP2071Baginton Airport SP3574Barford SP2760Barton-on-the-Heath SP2532Baxterley SP2796Bearley SP1760Bedworth SP3686Bedworth Hill Pool SP3685Bedworth Nook SP3486Bedworth Slough SP3587Bentley Woods SP2895Bermuda SP3589Bidford Grange GC SP1152Bidford-on-Avon SP0951Billesley SP1456Bilton SP4873Birchmoor SK2501Birdingbury SP4368Bishop’s Bowl Lakes SP3858Bishop’s Itchington SP3857Bishopton SP1856Bodymoor Heath SP2095Bourton-on-Dunsmore SP4370Brailes SP3139Bramcote Hall SK2704Bramcote Mains SP4087Brandon Marsh SP3875Brandon Wood SP3976Bretford SP4277Bridgetown SP2054Bright Hill SP2731Brinklow SP4379Broadwater SP2285Broadwell SP4565Bubbenhall Tip SP3671Bunkers Hill Wood SP4869Burmington SP2637

Burton Dassett SP3951Butlers Marston SP3150

Calcutt SP4763Chadshunt SP3452Chapel Ascote SP4157Charlecote GP SP2657Charlecote Park SP2656Cherington SP2936Chessetts Wood SP1873Chesterton Pools SP3558Chesterton Wood SP3457Churchover SP5180Clifford Chambers SP1952Close Wood SP2584Coleshill SP2089Combrook SP3051Compton Scorpion SP2140Compton Verney SP3152Compton Wynyates SP3341Coombe Abbey SP4079Coombe Slade Pool SP3337Coton Pools SP2194Coughton SP0760Crackley Wood SP2874Cubbington SP3468

Debdale Wood SP4266Dingle Pool SP2044Ditchford Frary SP2337Ditchford Gorse SP2338DMC Kineton SP3651Dodwell SP1653Dordon SK2600Dorsington SP1349Dosthill Lake SP2098Draycote Water SP4669Drayton SP1655Dunchurch SP4871Dunnington SP0653

Earlswood Lakes SP1174Edge Hill SP3747Edge Hill Wood SP2398Edstone Lake SP1761Ensors Pool SP3490Ettington SP2649

Far Longdon SP2240Farnborough SP4349Farnborough Park SP4249Fenny Compton SP4152Fenny Compton Hills SP4051Fenny Compton –

Oxford Canal SP4352

Fillongley SP2887Fisher’s Mill GP SP2099Flecknoe SP5163Forest of Arden GC SP2285Frankton SP4270Freasley SP2499Fulbrook SP2560Fulready SP2846Furnace End SP2491

Gaydon SP3654Gaydon Tip SP3655Grandborough SP4966Great Alne SP1159Great Wolford SP2434Grendon SP2799Guy’s Cliffe SP2966

Halford SP2645Hampton Lucy SP2557Hams Hall SP2091Harbury SP3759Hartshill SP3293Hartshill Hayes SP3294Haselor SP1257Hatton SP2367Haunch Lane Flood SP2094Heach Wood SP2488Henley-in-Arden SP1465Hodnell Pool SP4256Hogrills End SP2291Honiley SP2472Hunningham SP3768Hunscote SP2454Hurley Common SP2396

Idlicote SP2844Ilmington SP2143Ilmington Downs SP1942Itchington Holt SP3755

Jubilee Pools SP3873

Kenilworth SP2971Kineton SP3351Kingsbury SP2196Kingsbury Colliery SP2398Kingsbury Water Park SP2097Kingsbury Wood SP2397Kingswood SP1871Kinwalsey SP2585Kites Hardwick SP4668Knightcote SP4055

Ladbroke SP4158

218

219

Ladywalk SP2191Lapworth SP1671Lawford Heath Tip/GP SP4473Lea Marston Pools SP2093Leamington Hastings SP4467Leamington Spa SP3165Leamington Spa Res SP3365Leek Wootton SP2868Lighthorne SP3355Lighthorne Heath SP3555Lighthorne Pools SP3356Lighthorne Quarry SP3456Little Compton SP2630Little Dassett SP3852Little Shrewley SP2267Long Compton SP2832Long Itchington SP4165Long Lawford SP4776Long Marston SP1548Longbridge SP2662Lower Quinton SP1847Lower Radbourn SP4457Lower Shuckburgh SP4862Lower Spernall SP0861Lowsonford SP1867Luddington SP1652

Marlcliff SP0950Marston Doles SP4658Marston Jabbett SP3788Marton SP4068Maxstoke SP2386Meon Hill SP1745Merevale SP2997Middlehurst Farm SP2439Middleton Hall SP1998Milcote SP1752Milcote STW SP1852Moreton Morrell SP3155Moreton Paddox SP3054Morton Bagot SP1064Napton Hill SP4561Napton Holt SP4559Napton Res SP4759Nelson’s Quarry SP4464Newbold Comyn SP3465Newbold Quarry SP4976Newfield Pool SP4554Newfoundland Wood SP1656Northend SP3952Norton Lindsey SP2263Nuneaton SP3691Nuneaton GC SP3990

Oakley Wood SP3059Offchurch SP3565

Offchurch Bury SP3466Old Milverton SP3067Oversley Wood SP1056Oxhill SP3145

Packington Park SP2283Packwood SP1772Pailton SP4781Polesworth SK2602Poolfields SP3253Preston Bagot SP1765Princethorpe SP4070Print Wood SP3864Priors Hardwick SP4756Priors Marston SP4957

Radford Semele SP3464Radway SP3748Ragley Park SP0755Ratley SP3847Rowington SP2069Rugby SP5175Ryton-on-Dunsmore SP3874Ryton Pools CP SP3772Ryton Wood SP3872

Salford Priors SP0751Salford Priors GP SP0752Sambourne SP0561Sawbridge SP5065Seeswood Pool SP3290Sherbourne SP2661Shipston-on-Stour SP2540

Shotteswell SP4245Shuckburgh Hills & Park SP4961Shustoke Res SP2291Shuttington SK2505Snitterfield SP2159Snitterfield Bushes SP2060Snowford SP3865Somers, The SP2282Southam SP4161Spernall SP0862Stockingford SP3391Stockton SP4365Stockton Res SP4264Stonebridge GC SP2282Stoneleigh SP3372Stoneton Moat SP4654Stoneythorpe Park SP4062Stratford Racecourse SP1853Stratford-upon-Avon SP2055Stretton-on-Fosse SP2238Studley SP0763

Tanworth-in-Arden SP1170Temple Pool SP3744Tiddington SP2255Tidmington SP2638Tomlow SP4563Tysoe SP3444

Ufton Fields SP3861Ufton Tip SP3961Ufton Wood SP3862Ullenhall SP1267Umberslade SP1371Upper Kingston SP3556Upper Shuckburgh SP4961

Walcote End SP5068Walton Hall SP2852Warmington SP4147Warwick SP2864Warwick Park SP2863Warwick Priory Park SP2865Wasperton SP2658Waste Green SP2469Watergall SP4255Water Orton GP SP1891Weddington SP3693Weethley Wood SP0455Welford-on-Avon SP1452Wellesbourne SP2755Weston-on-Avon SP1650Weston Park SP2834Whatcote SP3044Whateley SP2299Whichford Wood SP3034Whitacre Heath SP2192Whitehall Farm SP4868Whitnash SP3263Whittleford Park SP3291Willington SP2639Willoughby SP5167Windmill Hill NR SP3493Wishaw SP1794Wixford SP0854Wolfhamcote SP5265Wolford Wood SP2333Wolston SP4175Wolston Heath SP4374Wolston STW SP3974Wolverton SP2062Woolscott SP4968Wootton Wawen SP1563Wormleighton SP4454Wormleighton

Reservoir SP4451

WorcestershireAbberley Common SO7467Abberley Hill SO7566Abberton SO9953Abbey Golf Course

Pool SP0569

Alvechurch SP0272Arley SO7680Arley Wood SO8082Arrow Valley Lake SP0567Arrowfield Fox SP0374

Ashmoor Common SO8446Ashton-under-Hill SO9938Aston Mill East SO9435Aston Somerville SP0438Astwood Bank SP0462

220

Atch Lench SP0350Aygnstree Wood SO7259

Barbourne SO8457Barnards Green SO7845Barnett Brook SO8876Barnett Hill SO8876Barnt Green SP0073Beckford Cons. Pit SO9736Beckford Lakes SO9836Beoleylade SP0568Berkley SO8857Berrow SO7934Besford SO9144Betts NR SO7276Bevere SO8459Bevere Lock SO8359Bewdley SO7875Bickley SO6371Bishampton Vale Pool SP0050Bittell SP0174Black Hill SO7640Blackmore Park SO8044Blackpole SO8657Blackstone SO7974Blakedown SO8878Bodenham SO8180Bordesley SP0469Bradley Green SO9861Bransford Bridge SO8053Bransford Court SO8152Bransford Court SO8152Bredicot SO9054Bredon Field Farm SO9038Bredon Hill SO9139Bredon’s Norton SO9339Bredon's Hardwick SO9135Bricklehampton SO9842British Camp Reservoir SO7639Broad Down SO7639Broad Heath SO8156Broadway SP0937Broadway GP SP0837Broadway Hill SP1136Bromsgrove SO9570Brook Batch SO7551Brookend SO8649Broome SO9078Broughton SO8741Buckeridge SO7274Burlish Park SO8073Burlish Top SO8072

Callow End SO8349Callow Hill SO7473Camden wood SP1137Captain's Pool SO8474Castlemorton Common SO7839Caunsall SO8581Chaddesley SO9073Chaddesley Corbett SO8873Chaddesley Wood SO9173Chase End Hill SO7635Chase End Wood SO9073

Chat Valley SO7746Chateau Impney SO9164Childswickham SP0738Church Lench Pool SP0250Churchill SO8879Claines SO8558Clent Hills SO9379Clerkenleap SO8551Clifton Pits SO8445Cofton Hachett Res SP0075Cofton Richards Farm SP0175Coldridge Wood SO8082Conderton SO9637Conderton Hill SO9737Coombegreen Common SO7736Craycombe Coppice SP0047Croome Landscape

Park SO8844Croome Perry

Crossroads SO9046Croome Perry Wood SO9046Cropthorne SO9844Crowle SO9256

Deerfold Wood SO9147Defford Airfield SO9044Diglis SO8453Diglis Lock SO8453Dowles Brook SO7776Drakes Broughton SO9248Droitwich SO8962Dry Mill Lane SO7776Dunhampstead SO9160Dunstall Common SO8843Dutty Coppice SO9148

East Valley SO7645Eckington SO9241Eckington SO9241Elmley Castle SO9841Evesham SP0343Eymore Wood SO7779

Far Forest SO7275Feckenham SP0061Fish Hill SP1137Fladbury SO9946Fladbury Bank SO9946Forhill SP0575Fort Royal Hill SO8554Franche SO8076

Golden Valley Lake SO7737Grafton Flyford SO9854Grafton Lane SO9469Grafton Reservoir SO9936Grafton Wood SO9756Great Malvern SO7846Grimley SO8360Grimley Brick Pit SO8361Grimley New Workings SO8359Grimley Old Workings SO8361Grimley Village SO8360Gullet Quarry SO7638

Gwen Finch Wetland SO9341

Habberley Valley SO8077Hadzor SO9162Hagley Wood SO8382Hagley Wood SO8382Ham Bridge SO7361Hampton Lovett SO8865Hanbury SO9663Hanbury Wharf SO9263Hangman's Hill SO7639Hanley Childe SO6565Hanley Swan SO8142Happy Valley SO7645Hardwick Green SO8132Harvington SP0549Harvington Mill Island SP0647Haws Hill Wood SO6065Hazdor SO9162Hewell Grange SP0169Highwood SO6567Himbleton SO9458Hinton-on-the-Green SP0240Hollybed Common SO7737Hollybush Quarry SO7636Hollywood SP0877Holt Fishing Pools SO8262Holt Heath SO8163Holt Prairies SO8262Holywell SO7642Honeybourne SP1143Hoo Farm Ind. Est. SO8373Horsham SO7357Huddington Court Pool SO9457Hunnington SO9681Hunts End SP0364Huntsbridge SO7783Hurcott Pool SO8577Hurcott Wood SO8577

Inkberrow SP0157Ipsley Alders SP0767Ismere SO8679

Kemerton Court SO9436Kemerton Estate SO9436Kempsey SO8549Kempsey Common SO8748Kempsey Lower Ham SO8449Kempsey Sewage

Works SO8448Ken Orchard MeadowKenswick SO7958Kerswell Green SO8646Kidderminster SO8376Kingswood Common SO7460Kington SO9955Kinsham Lake SO9836Knowle Bank SP0357Knowles Coppice SO7676Kyre SO6263Kyre Pool SO6364

Langdale Wood SO7943

221

Larford SO8169Lenchford SO8164Lickey Hills SO9975Lineholt SO8266Little Comberton SO9643Lodge Hill Farm SO7576Longdon Marsh SO8235Lower Bittell Reservoir SP0174Lower Habberley SO8077Lower Howsell

Allotment SO8748Lower Illey SO9781Lower Moor SO9847Lower Moor STW SO9746Lythe Farm Marsh SO8166

Malvern Hills SO7640Malvern Link SO7847Malvern Sewage Works SO7944Marsh Common SO8942Martin Hussingtree SO8859Martley SO7559Midsummer Hill SO7637Mill Pond SO7737Mill Shrub Pool SP0174Moors Pool SO9367Mount Pleasant SP0439Mount Segg SO8675Mucky Meadow SO7873

Nafford SO9441Naunton Beauchamp SO9652New Parks SO7475Newland Common SO7948Nimmings SO9380North Comberton SO9542North Hill SO7646North Littleton SP0847North Piddle SO9654Northwick Marsh SO8357Nunnery Wood SO8754Oakley Marsh SO8960Oakley Pool SO8960Oddingley SO9159Offenham SP0546Offmore Farm SO8476Old Storridge SO7451Oldington SO8274

Peasebrook Farm SP0737Penny Hill Quarry SO7561Pensax SO7268Peopleton SO9350Pershore SO9445Pine Tree Coppice SP0349

Pinnacle Hill SO7642Pinvin SO9549Pipers Hill Common SO9565Pirton pool SO8747Powick Bridge SO8352Powick Mill SO8352

Raggedstone Hill SO7586Redditch SP0467Rednall SO9976Ribbesford SO7873Rock SO7371Ronkswood SO8654Ronkswood Hospital SO8754Rous Lench SP0153Ryall Pits SO8639Ryall Southern Pit SO8638

Sale Green SO9358Salwarpe SO8761Sandy Lane Ind Est SO8170Severn Stoke SO8544Severn Valley CP SO7582Shatterford Wood SO7980Shenstone SO8673Sheriffs Lench SP0249Shernal Green SO9161Shrawley SO8064Shrawley Wood SO8066Smite SO8958South Littleton SP0746Southcrest Wood SP0836Spetchley SO8953St Johns SO8354St. Anne's Well SO7745St. Kenelms Church SO8480Stanford Bridge SO7165Stanford Court Pool SO7065Stock Green SO9858Stock Wood SO9958Stoke Bliss SO6562Stoulton SO9049Stourport SO8171Stourport-on-Severn SO8171Strensham Lagoons SO9139Strensham Mill SO9140Sugar Loaf Hill SO7645Summerfield SO8373

Table Hill SO7846Tallow Hill SO8555Tank Quarry SO7646Tanwood SO9074Three Counties

Showground SO7842

Throckmorton Airfield SO9649Throckmorton Lagoons SO9748Throckmorton Tip SO9748Tibberton SO9057Tiddesley Wood SO9245Tilesford SO9650Timberhonger SO9170Top Barn Farm SO8261Trench Wood SO9258Trimpley Reservoir SO7778

Ullington SP1047Upper Arley SO7680Upper Bittell Reservoir SP0275Upper Rochford SO6367Upper Strensham

Pool SO8939Upton-upon-Severn SO8540Upton-upon-Severn

S Ham SO8539Upton-upon-Severn

STW SO8440

Vicarage Pool SO8360

Wadborough SO9047Wadborough SO9047Walton Hill SO9479Warndon SO8856Wassell Grove Pools SO9382Wassell Wood SO7977Weatheroak Hill SP0574Welland SO7940West Malvern SO6746Westmancote SO9337Westwood Park SO8763Westwood Pool SO8763Whittington SO8752Wick SO9645Wickhamford SP0641Wilden Lagoons SO8374Wilden Marsh SO8273Wildmoor Tip SO9576Willow Marsh Fishery SO8773Wiseman's Scrape SO8865Witnells End SO7961Wood Norton SP0147Woodcote Green SO9172Woolas Hall SO9440Worcester SO8454Worcestershire

Beacon SO7645Wyche Cutting SO7643Wyre Forest SO7475Wyre Piddle SO9647

StaffordshireAbbots Bromley SK0824Abraham's Valley SK0020Acton SJ8241Acton Hill SJ8328Acton Trussell SJ9318

Adbaston SJ7627Admaston SK0523Aldershaw SK1007Alrewas SK1715Alsagers Bank SJ8048

Alton SK0742Alton Towers SK0743Alvecote Pools SK2405Amington SK2304Annes Well Wood SJ8424

222

Anslow SK2125Anson's Bank SJ9816Apedale CP SJ8148Apedale CP – sawmill SJ8248 Apesford SK0253Apeton SJ8518Aqualate SJ7720Aquamoor SJ8314Armitage SK0716Ashley SJ7636Ashley Heath SJ7436Ashwood SO8688Aston SJ7541Aston Bridge SK1631Aston by Stone SJ9131Aston Farm SJ9230Astonefields SJ9225Audley SJ7950Audley Churchyard SJ8050Audley WTW SJ7951

Back Forest SJ9865Baddeley Edge SJ9150Badger Slade SJ9715Baggeridge SO8992Bagnall SJ9349Bagnall CP SJ9250Bagot's Bromley SK0625Bagots Park SK0927Bagots Wood SK0727Baldstones SK0164 Baldwins Gate SJ7940Ballamont Grange SK0649Banktop Wood SK1428Barlaston SJ8938Barrow Moor SK0564Barton GP SK2017Barton Turn Marina SK2018Barton-under-

Needwood SK1818Basford Green SJ9951Baswich SJ9422Bateswood CP SJ7947Bateswood Lake SJ7948Bathpool SJ8353Beacon Hill SJ9425Bearda SJ9664Beaudesert SK0313Bednall SJ9517Beech SJ8538Beeston Tor SK1054Belvide Reservoir SJ8610Bent Lane (Whitmore) SJ8139Beresford Dale SK1259Berry Hill SJ9046Betley SJ7549Betley Mere SJ7447Bickford Grange SJ8813Biddulph SJ8856Biddulph Moor SJ9058Bilbrook SJ8703Bishops Offley SJ7729Bishops Wood SJ7531

Bishops Wood SJ8309Bishton SK0220Black Bank SJ8147Black Brook SK0064Black Firs SJ7450Black Heath SK0549Black Lake SJ8539Blackbrook SJ7638Blake Brook SK0761Blakelow SK0352Bleak House SK0311Blithfield Reservoir SK0523Blore SJ7235Blurton SJ8942Blythe, The SK0428Blythe Bay SK0425Blymhill SJ8112Boarsgrove SK0462Bobbington SO8190Boggy Rough SJ8023Bolehall SK2103Bolingbroke Wood SK1526Bonehill SK1902Boothlow SK0963Borrowpit Lake SK2004Boscobel SJ8308Bottom House SK0452Boundary SJ9842Brackenhurst Covert SK1423Bradley SJ8817Bradley SK0442Bradley Hall SJ8816Bradley in the Moors SK0641Bradnop SK0156Bradwell Wood SJ8450Bramshall SK0633Brancote SJ9622Brancote Sewage Farm SJ9522Brankley Bottom SK1521Branston SK2221Branston Golf Course SK2320Branston Gravel Pit SK2120Branston Water Park SK2120Brereton SK0516Brewood SJ8808Bridgetown SJ9708Brindley Ford SJ8854Brindley Heath SK0014Brindley Valley SJ9915 Britannia Stadium SJ8843 Broad Heath Ind Est SJ8626Broad Lea Farm SJ9860Broad Meadow SK1904Broadfields SK1913Brockhurst SJ8211Brocton SJ9719Brocton Coppice SJ9819Brocton Field SJ9817Brocton LNR SJ9618Bromley Pool SJ7735Bromley Wood SK1024Brookhouses SJ9942Brookleys Lake SK0943

Broom Hill SJ7519Brown Edge SJ9053Brownhills West SK0306Bunkers Hill SO8782Bunster Hill SK1451Burnt Wood SJ7335Burntwood SK0608Burslem SJ8749Burston SJ9330Burton-on-Trent SK2423Bushton SK2026Butters Green SJ8151Butterton SJ8342Butterton Moor SK0556Byrkley Park SK1623

Cadbury's Marsh –Doxey SJ8925

Calf Heath SJ9308Calf Heath Reservoir SJ9210Calllingwood SK2024Calton SK1050Caltonmoor SK1148Calwich SK1243Cannock SJ9810Coppice Hill SK0513Cannock Chase SJ9918Cannock Tip SJ9909Canwell SK1400Cart Low SK1051Casey Bank SK0550Castern SK1251Castern Wood NR SK1152Castle Ring SK0412Catholme GP SK2015Cauldon SK0749Caverswall SJ9542Cellarhead Env. Centre SJ9449CHADS Nature Study

Area SK0917Chapel Chorlton SJ8137Chartley Castle SK0128Chartley Moss SK0228Chase Road SJ9717Chasetown SK0408Chasewater Reservoir SK0307Cheadle SK0143Checkhill SO8587Checkhill Bog SO8587Checkley SK0237Cheddleton SJ9752Chell Heath SJ8752Cheslyn Hay SJ9707Chesterton SJ8249 Chillington SJ8506Church Eaton SJ8417Church Eaton Common SJ8616Churnet Valley SK0545City General Hospital SJ8545Clay Mills SK2626Clay Mills Sewage

Works SK2626Clayton SJ8543

223

Clayton Woods SJ8443Cliffords Wood SJ8337Clifton SK1644Clifton Campville SK2510Cloud, The SJ9063Cockley Wood SK1343Codsall SJ8703Coldham SJ8408Coldmeece Pools SJ8532Coldwall Bridge SK1449Coley Mill SJ7819Colton SK0520Colton - New Barn SK0519Colton CP SK0420Colwich Pool SK0121Combridge SK0937Consall CP SJ9948Consallforge SJ9949Coombes Valley SK0052Copmere SJ8029Coppenhall SJ9019Coton Clanford SJ8723Coton-in-the-Clay SK1729Cotton Dell SK0545Cotton Grange Farm SK0650Cotwalton SJ9334Coven Heath SJ9104Crakemarsh Lake SK0936Creswell – Doxey SJ8925Cross Meadow SK0747Crossplain Wood SK1523Crossplains SK1624Croxall SK1913Croxall GP SK1914Croxden Quarry SK0341Croxton SJ7832Crumpwood SK0842Cuckoo Bank SK0310Cudmore Fishing Pools SJ8142

Danebridge SJ9665Dayhills SJ9532Deep Hayes CP SJ9653Denstone Hall SK0940Derrington SJ8822Dilhorne SJ9743Dimmingsdale SK0543Doley Common SJ8121Dosthill SP2099Dosthill Pits SP2099Dove Bridge SK1034Dove Head SK0368Dovedale SK1452Doveleys SK1141Doveridge SK1133Downs Banks SJ9036Doxey Marshes SJ9024Draycott-in-the-Clay SK1528Draycott-in-the-Moors SJ9840Drayton Bassett Pits SK1900Drystone Edge SK0268Dunstall SK0726Dunstall Farm SK1903

Dunstall Park SK1720Dunston SJ9217Dunston Heath SJ9117Dydon Wood SK1344

Eccleshall SJ8329Eccleshall Castle SJ8229Ecton SK0958Ecton Hill SK1058Eland Brook SK1426Elford GP SK1809Ellastone SK1143Endon SJ9253Enville SO8386Enville Hall SO8386Essington SJ9603Essington Quarry Pool SJ9603Etchinghill SK0318Etruria SJ8647

Fairoak Pools SJ7632Fairoak Valley SK0116Fauld SK1828Fawfieldhead SK0763Featherstone SJ9304Fenton SJ8944Festival Park SJ8648Field SK0233Filleybrooks SJ8934Fisherwick SK1709Flash SK0267Flashbrook Manor SJ7425Fole SK0437Footherley Rough SK0904Ford SK0654Ford Green SJ8850Forest Banks SK1228Forton SJ7521Fosseway/Aldershawe SK0907Four Ashes SJ9108Four Crosses SJ9509Four Seasons VC SK1016Foxt SK0348Fradley SK1513Fradley Wood SK1313Fradswell SJ9829Fradswell Heath SK0032Freeford SK1307Froghall SK0247Fullmoor Wood SJ9311

Gailey SJ9310Gamasley Bridge SJ8726Garmelow SJ7927Gayton Brook SJ9728Gentleshaw Common SK0511German Cemetery SJ9815Gerrard's Bromley SJ7835Gib Torr SK0264Gib Torr Plantation SK0164Gillow Heath SJ8858Glacial Boulder SJ9818Glass Houses SJ7432

Glutton Bridge SK0866Gnosall SJ8321Gnosall Heath SJ8220Goldenhill SJ8553Goldsitch Moss SK0164Gospel Ash SO8391Gradbach SJ9965 Gratton SJ9356Gratwich SK0131Great Bridgeford SJ8827Great Chatwell SJ7914Great Haywood SJ9922Great Wynley SJ9705Great Wyrley SJ9907Greaves Wood SK1527Greenhills SK0351Greenway Bank CP SJ8955Grindley SK0328Grindon SK0854Grindon Moor SK0655Gun Hill SJ9761Gunstone SJ8704

Hales SJ7133Halfpenny Green SO8291Hammerwich SK0607Hamstall Ridware SK1019Hanbury SK1727Hanch Reservoir SK1013Hanchurch SJ8441Hanchurch Pools SJ8440Hanchurch Woods SJ8340Handsacre SK0916Hanley SJ8847Hanley Forest Park SJ8848Hanley Park SJ8846 Hardiwick Woods SJ9432Harlaston SK2011Harley Thorns SJ8339Harlow Hill SK1446Hartshill SJ8645Hatherton SJ9510Hatherton Branch Canal SJ9609Haughton SJ8620Hawkshutts Wood SJ8509Hawksmoor SK0344Hayes Wood SJ7848Hayes, The (Stone) SJ9135Haywood Park SJ9920Haywood Warren SJ9919Hazel Barrow SK0163Hazelslade NR SK0212Hazelstrine SJ9420Heath Hayes SK0109Hednesford SK0012Heighley SJ7747Hem Heath Colliery SJ8841Hen Cloud SK0061High Cross SK0255High Offley SJ7826High Onn SJ8216High Onn Wood SJ8116Highgate Common SO8489

224

Hilderstone SJ9434Hill Ridware SK0717Hilliards Cross SK1411Hilton Park SJ9505Himley Hall SO8891Hints SK1502Hixon SK0025Hixon Airfield SJ9927Hoar Cross SK1223Hockley SK2200Holden Lane Pools SJ8950Hole Valley SK0942Hollinsclough SK0666Hollybush SK1326Hopley Road SK2124Hopton Heath SJ9526Hopwas SK1705Horsemoor Wood SJ9411Horsepasture Pools SK0413Horsley SJ8127Hulme End SK1059Huntington SJ9713Huntley Wood SK0041Hyde Lea SJ9119

Ilam SK1350Ingestre SJ9824Ipstones SK0249Ipstones Edge SK0250Ivetsey Bank SJ8310

Jack Hay Lane SJ9150Jackson's Marsh SJ7730JCB North Lake SK1039

Katyn Memorial SJ9816Keele SJ8245Keele University SJ8244Kettlebrook Lakes SK2003Kevin Quarry SK0846Kibblestone SJ9136Kidsgrove SJ8354Kings Bromley SK1116Kingsley SK0046Kingston Pool Covert SJ9423Kingstone SK0629Kingswood Bank SJ8540Kinver SO8483Kinver Edge SO8383Knar SK0067Knightly Dale SJ8123Knighton SJ7340Knighton Reservoir SJ7328Knotbury SK0168Knypersley SJ8955

Ladderedge SJ9653Langley Hall Farm SO8696Lapley SJ8712Lask Edge SJ9157Latherford SJ9307Lawneswood SO8787Leacroft SJ9909

Leek SJ9856Leek – Barnfields SJ9754Leek CP SJ9857Leese Hill SK0430Leigh SJ9937Levedale SJ9016Lichfield SK1109Light Oaks SJ9240Little Aston SK0900Little Bridgeford SJ8727Little Haywood SK0021Little Stoke SJ9133Little Wood SK0951Little Wyrley SK0105Lloyd Drumble SJ7233Loggerheads SJ7336Long Compton Farm SJ8537Long Covert SJ8527Longdon SK0714Longnor SK0864Longsdon Mill Pond SJ9555Longsdon Wood SJ9655Longton SJ9043Lower Avenue SJ8807Lower Brockhurst SJ8212Lower Cowley SJ8218Lower Drayton SJ9315Lower Hatton SJ8236Lower Knightley SJ8223Lower Lady

Meadows Farm SK0253Lower Penn SO8696Loynton Moss SJ7824Lyme Valley Park SJ8544Lymedale Park SJ8348

Madeley SJ7745Madeley Heath SJ7846Maer SJ7938Maer Hills SJ7739Malthouse Lane SJ9445Manifold Valley SK1055Manifold Way SK0952Manor Park GP SK1117Mansty Farm SJ9512Maple Hayes SK0909Marchington SK1330Marchington MOD SK1430Marquis Drive SK0015Marston SJ9227Marston-on-Dove SK2328May Bank SJ8547Mayfield SK1545Mayfield - River Dove SK1646Meaford SJ8835Meece Brook SJ8631Meerbrook SJ9960Mere Hall SO8289Mere Pits SJ9720Merelake SJ8153Mermaid Inn SK0360Merril Grove SK0464Middle Hills SK0363

Milford SJ9721Milldale SK1354Millford Bridge SJ9621Millford Common SJ9720Million Plantation SO8486Millmeece SJ8333Milwich SJ9832Minster Pool SK1109Mitton SJ8815Mixon Hay SK0357Moddershall SJ9236Moneymore Gravel Pit SK1302Moors Gorse SK0215Moreton SK1429Moreton Brook SK0323Morridge SK0257Moss Carr SK0765Mottey Meadows SJ8313Mow Cop SJ8557Musden Low SK1150Myatts Pits SJ7723

National Mem.Arboretum SK1814

Needwood SK1824Needwood Airport SK1824Needwood Forest SK1624Nethertown SK1118New Building Farm SK1316New House Farm SJ8114Newbold Quarry SK2019Newcastle-under-Lyme SJ8445Newchurch SK1423Newford Valley Landfill SJ8955Newton Hurst SK0425Nibs End Farm SK1146Nield Bank Farm SK0366Norbury SK1242Norbury Bridge SJ7924Norbury Junction SJ7922Norbury Manor SJ7923Norbury Park SJ8022Norton Bog SK0309Norton Bridge SJ8730Norton Canes SK0107

Oakamoor SK0544Oaken Lawn SJ8402Offley Brook SJ7733Okeover SK1548Okeover Mill SK1648Oldacre Valley SJ9718Oldwood SK0636Oliver Hill SK0267Onecote SK0455Onneley SJ7543Orchard Common SK0269Orgreave SK1415Orslow SJ8015Otherton SJ9212Oulton SJ7823Oulton Farm SJ7821Oulton Heath SJ9035

225

Ousley Wood SK1244Outwoods SJ7618Owlett Hall Farm SK0903Oxbatch SK0461

Park Banks SK0842Park Farm SJ7718Park Hall CP SJ9244Parkgate SK1044Pasturefields SJ9924Patshull SJ8000Patshull Estate SJ8200Pattingham SO8299Paynsley Hall SJ9838Pendeford Mill NR SJ8903Penkridge SJ9213Penkridge Banks SK0017Penn Common SO8994Pepper Slade SJ9917Perton SJ8500Perton SO8598Pethillshead Farm SK0552Pewit Hall SK0453Pillaton SJ9413Pilsbury SK1163Pipe Green SK1009Pipehill SK0908Plumpton Banks SK0943Pollymoor Farm SJ7920Pool Dam SJ8346Pool Hall Fisheries SO8597Porthill SJ8548Pottal Pool SJ9714Potters Cross SO8484Preston Vale Farm SJ9114Prestwood SK1042Punchbowl SJ9820

Quixhill SK1041

Radford Bank SJ9320 Radwood Copse SJ7741Rakes Dale SK0642Ramshaw Rocks SK0162Ramshorn SK0845Ramshorn Common SK0745Rangemore SK1822Ranges Corner SJ9916Ranton SJ8524Ranton Abbey SJ8324Ranton Green SJ8422Ravens Tor SK1353Ravensclough Wood SJ9263Readyleech Green SK0268Reapsmoor SK0861Revedge Farm SK0154Revidge SK0759Rickerscote SJ9320 Rifle Range SJ9917Rising Brook SJ9221R. Blithe – Water Works SK0722Roach End SJ9964Roache House Farm SJ9962

Roaches SK0063Rocester SK1039Rodbaston SJ9211Roddige Farm SK1713Rolleston SK2327Rolleston Park SK2127Rookery Drumble SJ9931Rosthill Hall SK2000Rough Close SJ9239Rough Knipe SK0049Roundhill Sewage

Farm SO8683Rownall SJ9549Royal Cottage SK0263Rudge SO8196Rudyard Lake SJ9459Rugeley SK0417Rugeley Power Station SK0517Rushton Spencer SJ9362Rylands Canal SJ8021

Sandon SJ9429Sandon Park SJ9529Sandyway SK1008Saredon Quarry SJ9408Satnall Hills SJ9820Saverley Green Farm SJ9639Scot Hay SJ8047Scotch Hill SK1622Seabridge SJ8343Seighford Airfield SJ8625Seisdon SO8394Seven Springs SK0020Seventeen Acre Wood SK1801Shallowford SJ8727Shareshill SJ9406Shebdon SJ7625Sheepwalks SO8185Shelmore Wood SJ8021Shenstone SK1004Sherbrook Valley SJ9818Shoal Hill SJ9611Shooting Butts SK0117Shugborough SJ9922Shutlane Head SJ8242Silverdale Colliery SJ8146Six Ashes SO7988Slindon SJ8231Slitting Mill SK0217Sneyd Reserve SJ9802Softlow Wood SK1046Solomons Hollow SK0058Somerford Hall SJ9008South Street SK0019Spath SK0835Sprink, The SK0942Springfields SJ8644Stableford SJ8138Stafford SJ9223Stafford – South SJ9219Stafford Castle SJ9022Stafford Common SJ9125Standon CP SJ8036

Stanley Pool SJ9351Stanshope SK1254Stansley Wood SK0525Stanton SK1246Stanton Dale SK1048Star Wood SK0645Stepping Stones SJ9820Stilecop SK0315Stoke-on-Trent SJ8745Stone SJ9034Stone Business Park SJ9032Stone Rural CP SJ8635Stoneyford SK1520Stonnall SK0603Stourton SO8685Stowe Pool SK1210Stowe-by-Chartley SK0027Stramshall SK0735Strawberry Hill SK0019Stretton SJ8811Stretton GP SK2526Strongford SJ8739Stubwood SK0939Sturbridge SJ8430Sudbury SK1531Sugnall SJ7930Sutton SJ7622Swallow Moss SK0660Swineholes Wood SK0450Swinfen SK1306Swynnerton SJ8535Swynnerton CP SJ8637Swynnerton Grange SJ8634Swythamley SJ9764

Tad Bay SK0525Talke SJ8253Tamworth SK2004Tatenhill SK2022Teanford SK0040Teddesley SJ9415Thickbroom SK1303Thorncliffe SK0158Thorpe Constantine SK2508Thorswood NR SK1147Three Shires Head SK0068Throwley Hall SK1151Tillington - Doxey SJ9024Tillington Cemetery SJ9124Tittensor SJ8738Tittesworth Reservoir SJ9959Tixall SJ9722Tixall Canal SJ9822Toad Hole Bridge SK1443Trent Valley Washlands SK2522Trentham Gardens SJ8640 Trentham Gardens Lake SJ8639 Trentham Golf Course SJ8740Trentham Park SJ8540Trescott SO8497Trysull SO8594Tunstall SJ8651Tutbury SK2129

226

Two Gates SK2101

Upper Avenue SJ8707Upper Longdon SK0614Uttoxeter SK0933

Walk Mill SJ7929Wall Grange SJ9754Walton SJ8933Walton Heath SJ8932Walton-on-the-Hill SJ9520Wandon SK0314Warslow SK0858Warwickshire Moor SK2104Water Eaton SJ9011Waterhouses SK0850Weaver Hills SK0946Wedgwood Monument SJ8251Weeford SK1303Weeping Cross SJ9421Wergs SJ8600West End SJ8744Westlands SJ8344Weston SJ9727Weston Coyney SJ9343Weston Jones SJ7624

Weston Park SJ8010Weston-under-Lizard SJ8011Westport Lake SJ8550Wetley Moor SJ9348Wetleyhay Wood SK1611Wetmore SK2524Wetton CP SK1054Wettonmill SK0956Wheaton Aston SJ8512Whiston SJ8914White Oak Farm SJ8209White Sitch SJ7912Whitegate Farm SJ8510Whitehouse Farm SK0259Whitemoor Haye SK1813Whitgreave SJ9027Whitley Heath SJ8126Whitmore SJ8040Whitmore Heath SJ7941Whittington SK1608Whittington Barracks SK1506Whittington GC SK1407Whittington SF SO8783Wicken Walls SK0167 Wigginton SK2106Willoughbridge SJ7439

Wilnecote SK2201Wilnecote CP SK2201Wimblebury SK0111Winnington SJ7238Withington Green SK0335Wolf Edge SK0267Wolfscote Dale SK1357Wolseley Bridge SK0220Wombourne SO8692Wood Eaton SJ8417Wood Farm SK0541Woodmill SK1321Woodseaves SJ7925Wootton SK1044Wootton Lodge SK0943Wrinehill Wood SJ7545Wrottesley Old Park SJ8300Wychnor SK1716Wychnor Park SK1616Wyrley & Essington

Canal SJ9804

Yarlet SJ9128Yoxall SK1418Yoxall Park SK152

West MidlandsAcock’s Green SP1183Alder Coppice SO9194Aldridge SK0500Amblecote Pool SO9085Ashmore Lake SO9699Aston SP0888

Balsall Common SP2476Barr Beacon SP0697Barrow Hill SO9189Bartley Reservoir SP0081Bickenhill SP1882Billesley SP0980Bilston Cemetery SO9597Birmingham Centre SP0686Blythe Valley SP1375Bob’s Coppice SO9684Bournville SP4081Bowmans Harbour SO9399Brandwood End SP0779Brockmoor SO9087Brookvale Park SP0991Brownhills SK0405Brownhills Common SK0406

Cannon Hill Park SP0683Castle Bromwich SP1489Catshill SK0505Causeway Green SO9987Cinder Bank SO9388Claregate SJ8801Clayhanger SK0404

Compton Park SO8898Coombeswood SO9785Copt Heath GC SP1677Cornets End SP2381Coseley SO9494Cotteridge SP0480Cotwall End SO9192Cradley Heath SO9485Cuckoo’s Nook SP0598

Daffydingle Pool SO8990Daphne Pool SO9388Darby’s Hill SO9689Darlaston SO9697Dartmouth Park SP0291Dingles (R Cole)

Dorridge SP1675Dudley SO9490Dunstall Park SJ9000

Edgbaston Pool SP0584Edgbaston Reservoir SP0486Elmdon Park SP1682

Fallings Park SJ9200Fen End SP2274Fens Pools SO9188Fibbersely SO9188Fox Hollies Park SP1182Foxcote Pond SO9383Frankley Reservoir SP0080Furnace Coppice SO9684

Gornalwood SO9190Goscote Valley SK0102Great Bridge SO9792

Haden Hill Park SO9585Harborne NR SP0285Hawne Park SO9584Highters Heath SP0879Hockley Heath SP1572Holland Park SK0406Holloway End SO9084

King’s Heath SP0781King’s Norton SO0478

Ladymoor Pool SO9495Ladywood SP0586Lapal SO9882Leasowes, The SO9784Low Hill SJ9201Lunt, The SO9696Lutley Wedge SO9483Lye SO9284

Marsh Lane NR SP2180Marston Green SP1781Mary Stevens Park SO8983Mere Green SP1199Meriden SP2481Minworth STW SP1692Minworth Greaves SP1692Minworth STW SP1592

227

Monkspath SP1377Mons Hill SO9392Moor Green Woods SP0682Moseley Bog SP0982Moxley SO9695

Netherton Hill SO9388Netherton Reservoir SO9387New TownSK0506Norton (in Stourbridge) SO8982Norton Lane

(Earlswood) SP1074

Ocker Hill SO9793Oldbury SO9889Olton Mere/Reservoir SP1382Ounty John Wood SO8981Oxley SJ9001

Parkes Hall Pool SO9392Parkhead SO9388Peascroft Wood SO9696Pedmore SO9182Perry Barr Park SP0692Perry Hall Park SP0591Pool Hayes SJ9600

Quinton Meadows SO9983

Rocket Pool SO9594Rowley Regis SO9687Russells Hall SO9280

Saltwells LNR SO9387Sandwell Valley SP0291Sarehole Mill SP0981Sedgley Beacon SO9294Selly Oak SP0482Sheepwash UP SO9791Shidas Lane Tip SO9889Shire Oak SK0504Shut End SO9090Siden Hill Wood SP2180Smestow Valley SO8899Smethwick SP0288Solihull SP1579Stambermill SO9184Stubbers Green SK0401Sutton Park SP0996Swanshurst Park SP0981

Temple Balsall SP2076Tettenhall SJ8800Titford Pool SO9887

Trittiford Mill SP0979Turls Hill SO9293Turner’s Hill SO9688

Walsall SP0198Warley Woods SP0186Warstock SP0979Watford Gap SK1100Wednesfield SJ9400Wergs SJ8700West Bromwich SP0091West Park SO9099Whitmore Reans SO9099Willenhall SO9698Willenhall MP SO9698Wishaw Lane SP1695Withymoor Pool SO9085Witton Lakes SP0892Wollaston SO8884Wolverhampton SO9198Wood Hayes SJ9402Woodgate Valley SP0083Wren’s Nest NNR SO9391Wychbury Hill SO9181Wyken Slough

Key to ContributorsThe following observers and organisations have kindly provided information for theClassified Notes. Those also contributing the Ringing Report are mentioned underthat report. Our sincere apologies if we have omitted anyone. It would greatly helpcompilation if observers could give their full set of initials with their records, as thishelps to identify them more uniquely and so cuts down the risk of confusion betweensimilar names or sets of initials.

DJ AbbottPH AdamsMJ AdkinsJKL AllenJL AlltonA ArcherMA ArnoldS ArnoldK AslettJ Austin

A BairdNJH BaldwinBanbury Ornithological SocietyD BarlowNP BarlowPW BatemanA Beaver (ABe)L BeddallR BeddallS BellBelvide Annual Report

D BennetDG BennettR BiddleSC BletchlyRM BlindellR BlossMD BooteLJ BoothJJ BowleyBrandon Marsh Conservation

GroupG BreretonS BridgmanT BrindleyBritish Trust for OrnithologyC BrittleRC BroadbentJ Brook (JBr)C BrooksDP BroomeRM BrownS Bruce

G BryantWJ BrydgesBTO Migration WatchJ BurnettAK BurtonP BurtonRC ButtM Buxton

J CainP Caldicott (PCa)N CaleP CarlessA CarterS CarterN Carter (Staffs)N Carter (Warks)PW CashmoreE CastileR CastleSL CawthrayChasewater Report

228

JA ChidwickES ClarePG ClementSL ClementGA ClementsKM ClementsK CliffordPD ColemanA CookJ CoombesJH CraikI CrutchleyAJ CunninghamP CurryPA Curry

B DaindridgeA DarbyC DaviesR DaviesRM DaviesD Davies (DD)LJ DavisAR DeanPK DedicoatGRJ DentA DickieSC DixD DixonT DixonDEJ DoddM DoughtyP Douthwaite Doxey Annual ReportRE DuckhouseW Dutton

S EdwardsDW EmleySM EmleyG EvansRJ EvansTD Evans

SJ FalkG FarmerN FieldP FlackettH FranklinL FreemanSN FreemanR Fussell

D GalletlyJ GalletlyND GallowayBC GeorgeB GethrynM GodfreyWG GoldstrawAD GouldstoneA GraceR Grant

M GranthamNG GreatholderG GreavesFC GribbleD Grundy

PM HackettD HallR HarberRE HarbirdRH HarbirdJ HarrisGR HarrisonM HarrisonJV Harrison (JVH)P HarveyR HawkinsSL HaycoxCJ HayesSM HaynesG HazletonS HeamF HendersonMJ HeslopTC HextellDW HildredA HillD HillTM HinettLR HobinPE Hodges J HodsonM HolleyA HollidayPF HollowayP HolmesJV Holtham (JVHo)RR HowlEP HughesR Husband (RHu)PD Hyde

J IlesM IliffDC IngleMJ Inskip

AG JacksonC JacksonD JacksonP JacksonWT JacksonAF JacobsP JenkinsR JennettJ JenningsP JeynesA JonesD JonesGN JonesI JonesM JonesJFC Judge

ET Jury

H KingRJ KingBL Kington

TW LancasterCJ LaneSA LaneJA LawrenceL LeesMJ LewisJ LigginsM LindseyJR LomasC LongdenK LongshawWJ LowD Lowe

R MacCormackMR MacfadyenM MaiseyF MalvernMalvern Hills Bird ReportGJ MantFC MarksT MarlowJP MartinR MaskewRC MaysK McGeeK MeadowsG Menzies-KitchinHJ MillerHT MillerWJ MoffattJ MooreA Moss

PAJ NewmanGK NichollsP NicklesNuneaton and District

Birdwatchersʼ ClubB NunnS Nuttall

J O’DellM Owen

N PageMW Painting? PartonN PeckettGH PeplowWF PeplowT PerrinsBR PerryE PhillipsND PomiankowskiCR PooleCH Potter

229

RMC PotterL PriceP PriceTR PriceB PruddenRA PruddenR Pugh

J RabyMP radfordRB RatcliffeJ ReeceSA RichardsB RickettJ RobertsV RobertsM RodenS Roper CP RoundCR RoundG RoweM RowlandRSPB Midland OfficeRSPB Sandwell ValleyJM RushforthA RussellWJ RussellRL Russon

Sandwell Valley BirdersDA SaundersDJ ScanlanDA ScattergoodRWH ScroggsA ShawJH SirrettR SkeatesD SkidmoreDSC SlaneySmestow Valley Bird GroupBW SmithD SmithEJ SmithI Smith

M SmithNJ SmithNJA SmithR SmithRL SmithSCH SmithV SmithGW SnellGJ SodenP Sofley (PS)DE SollisM SouthgateT SouthgateP Spinks (PSp)R SpraggettM SquiresStaffs Ecological RecordMA StephensFG StokesB StretchCR StubbsG SummersM Sutton (MSu)A SwiftR Swift

P TailerJR TailorN TaylorAD ThomasCA ThomasK ThomasM ThomasCJ ThompsonM TillT TillGE TimminsTittesworth ReportC TollB TuckFW TunbridgeCE TurnerME TurnerSJ Turner

N UnwinUpton Warren Bird Report

S Valentine

D WaiteMI WakemanD WalkerDIM WallaceG WardleRJ WardleM WaringA WarrAD Warren Warwickshire Museum J WessonB WestwoodDJ WestwoodK WheatleyA White (AWh)PF WhiteheadIC WhitehouseSM WhitehouseAG WilliamsGA WilliamsM WillmottACE WiltshireK Wimbush (KWi)JR WinsperWMBC HotlineSC WoodMG WoodhamsGT WoodinG WoodwardMWC WoodwardG WoodwinWorcestershire RecordN Wrightwww.birdguides.com

DW YaldenM Yapp

Auk, Little 114Avocet 73

Bittern, Eurasian 55Blackbird 152Blackcap 160Brambling 188Bullfinch 197Bunting, Corn 201Bunting, Reed 200Bunting, Snow 199Buzzard, Common 62

Chaffinch 187Chiffchaff, Common 166Chiffchaff, Siberian 168Cockatiel 204Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested 204Coot, Common 70Cormorant, Great 53Crake, Spotted 69Crane, Common 72Crossbill, Common 196Crow, Carrion 181Cuckoo, Common 118Curlew, Eurasian 92

Dipper 143Diver, Black-throated 48Diver, Great Northern 48Diver, Red-throated 48Dotterel 76Dove, Collared 115 Dove, Stock 114Dove, Turtle 116Duck, Ferruginous 36Duck, Long-tailed 39Duck, Mandarin 25Duck, Muscovy 202Duck, Ruddy 44Duck, Spot-billed 203Duck, Tufted 37Duck, White-headed 203Duck, Wood 202Dunlin 84Dunnock 144

Egret, Great White 57Egret, Little 55Eider, Common 39

Falcon, Peregrine 67Falcon, Red-footed 64Fieldfare 153Firecrest 170Flycatcher, Pied 172Flycatcher, Spotted 171

Gadwall 27

Gannet, Northern 53Garganey 33Godwit, Bar-tailed 90Godwit, Black-tailed 89Goldcrest 170Goldeneye, Common 40Goldfinch 190Goosander 43Goose, Bar-headed 202Goose, Barnacle 22Goose, Brent 23Goose, Canada 20Goose, Egyptian 23Goose, Greylag 19Goose, Pink-footed 17Goose, Red-breasted 23Goose, Snow 20Goose, White-fronted 18Goshawk, Northern 61Grebe, Black-necked 52Grebe, Crested Crested 50Grebe, Little 49Grebe, Red-necked 51Grebe, Slavonian 51Greenfinch 189Greenshank, Common 94Grouse, Black 45Grouse, Red 45Guineafowl, Helmeted 203Gull, Black-headed 103Gull, Caspian 108Gull, Common 104Gull, Glaucous 109Gull, Great Black-backed 109Gull, Herring 106Gull, Iceland 109Gull, Kumlien’s 109Gull, Lesser Black-backed 105Gull, Little 102Gull, Mediterranean 100Gull, Ring-billed 104Gull, Silver 204Gull, Yellow-legged 107

Harrier, Hen 60Harrier, Marsh 59Harrier, Montagu’s 60Hawfinch 198Hawk, Harris’s 203Heron, Grey 57Hobby 66Honey-buzzard 59Hoopoe 124

Jackdaw, Western 180Jay, Eurasian 179

Kestrel, Common 64Kingfisher, Common 123

Kite, Red 59Kittiwake 110Knot, Red 81

Lapwing, Northern 78Lark, Shore 129Lark, Sky 128Lark, Wood 127Linnet 192

Magpie 180Mallard 30Martin, House 132Martin, Sand 129Merganser, Red-breasted 42Merlin 65Moorhen 69

Nightingale, Common 144Nightjar, European 122Nuthatch, Eurasian 177

Oriole, Golden 178Osprey 63Ouzel, Ring 151Owl, Barn 118Owl, Eurasian Eagle 204Owl, Little 119Owl, Long-eared 121Owl, Short-eared 121Owl, Tawny 120Oystercatcher 72

Parakeet sp. 204Parakeet, Alexandrine 204Parakeet, Rose-ringed 117Parrot, African Grey 204Parrot, Orange-winged 204Partridge, Grey 46Partridge, Red-legged 45Peafowl, Indian 203Petronia, Yellow-throated 204Phalarope, Grey 99Pheasant, Common 47Pheasant, Golden 48Pigeon, Feral 114Pigeon, Wood 115Pintail, Northern 32Pipit, Meadow 135Pipit, Rock 136Pipit, Scandinavian Rock 137Pipit, Tree 134Pipit, Water 137Plover, European Golden 76Plover, Grey 78Plover, Little Ringed 74Plover, Ringed 75Pochard, Common 35Pochard, Red-crested 35

Index to Species

230

231

Quail, Common 47

Rail, Water 68Raven, Common 182Redpoll, Common 196Redpoll, Lesser 194Redshank, Common 93Redshank, Spotted 93Redstart, Black 145Redstart, Common 145Redwing 155Robin 144Rook 181Rosefinch, Common 197Rosella, Eastern 204Ruff 85

Saker 203Sanderling 82Sandpiper, Common 97Sandpiper, Curlew 83Sandpiper, Green 96Sandpiper, Pectoral 83Sandpiper, Wood 97Scaup, Greater 38Scoter, Common 40Scoter, Velvet 40Shag 54Shearwater, Manx 53Shelduck, Common 24Shelduck, Ruddy 23Shoveler 34Shrike, Great Grey 179Shrike, Red-backed 178Siskin 191Skua, Arctic 100Skua, Great 100Skua, Long-tailed 100Smew 41

Snipe, Common 87Snipe, Jack 85Sparrow, House 184Sparrow, Tree 185Sparrowhawk, Eurasian 61Spoonbill, Eurasian 58Starling, Common 183Starling, Rose-coloured 184Stint, Little 82Stint, Temminck’s 83Stonechat 148Storm-petrel, European 53Storm-petrel, Leach’s 53Sunbird, Purple 204Swallow, Barn 131Swan, Bewick’s 16Swan, Black 202Swan, Mute 15Swan, Whooper 16Swift, Alpine 123Swift, Common 122

Teal, Cinnamon 203 Teal, Eurasian 29Teal, Green-winged 30Tern, Arctic 112Tern, Black 113Tern, Common 111 Tern, Little 113Tern, Sandwich 111Tern, White-winged Black 113Thrush, Mistle 156Thrush, Song 154Tit, Bearded 173Tit, Blue 176Tit, Coal 176Tit, Great 176Tit, Long-tailed 173Tit, Marsh 174

Tit, Willow 174Treecreeper, Eurasian 178Turnstone 99Twite 194

Wagtail, Blue-headed 139Wagtail, Grey 140Wagtail, Pied 140Wagtail, White 141Wagtail, Yellow 138Warbler, Cetti’s 157Warbler, Garden 162Warbler, Grasshopper 157Warbler, Reed 159Warbler, Sedge 158Warbler, Willow 168Warbler, Wood 165Warbler, Yellow-browed 165Waxwing 142Wheatear, Greenland 151Wheatear, Northern 149Whimbrel 91Whinchat 147Whitethroat, Common 164Whitethroat, Lesser 163Wigeon, Chiloe 203Wigeon, Eurasian 26Woodcock 86Woodpecker, Great

Spotted 126Woodpecker, Green 125Woodpecker, Lesser

Spotted 127Wren 143Wryneck 125

Yellowhammer 199

Notes

232

Documents

Annual Report No. 70...Larus armenicus. You will note that they still have Caspian Gull L. a. cachinnans under Herring Gull. We, however, like all other publications are treating it