John Spottiswood's A birder in Holmes Chapel

Singer on a wire.

27/6/12, Smethwick Green:
I walked from Smethwick Hall Farm to Moorhead Farm in my lunch hour.
A family group of 6 Kestrels included 4 juveniles.
Some Cornflowers were apparently growing wild.
Singing Common Whitethroat.
Singing Yellowhammer.

Brereton Hall:
At least 2 Spotted Flycatchers by the church car park, early evening. SJ 782 647.

Holmes Chapel (our garden):
A male Brimstone butterfly in our garden was a good surprise in the evening but was present very briefly.

29/6/12, Astbury Mere:
Juvenile Pochard. It would be interesting to know where this bird came from; it is a rare breeder in the UK.

Holmes Chapel (our garden):
Hedgehog.

1/7/12, Dane Valley, Holmes Chapel – Brereton Heath:
A singing Reed Warbler and a Sedge Warbler were at a part of the home patch with no public access
2 Yellowhammers
27 House Martins
2 singing Garden Warblers (one was additional to last week’s birds).
Kingfisher again
‘Redhead’ Goosander at North Wood.
Part of the wing of a male Banded Demoiselle was in a spider’s web in North Wood.
At least one Spotted Flycatcher at Davenport (SJ 796 659).
69 Tree Sparrows included young; most were at Saltersford Corner and Bagmere Bank Farm.
3 Skylarks (all additional to those seen last week)
2 Great Crested Grebe chicks at Brereton Heath
4 Willow Warblers (3 singing)
2 Common Whitethroats
Brown Hare near Brereton Heath.
2 pairs of Yellow Wagtails were near Brereton Heath. It is possible that there was one very mobile pair but my best guess is that they were separate. The male at Bagmere Bank Farm (SJ 794 650) was very confiding singing from wires. Every time it gave the song (“ksli-ksli!”) it threw back its head. There is often a radio playing at the farm and I enjoy stopping for a listen while I check the ‘lark field’. Today watching and listening to that Wagtail at the same time as hearing for the first time a great version of ‘Waterloo Sunset’ by Rufus Wainwright was a perfect birding moment.
2 Lapwings.

2/7/12, Bent Farm Sand Quarry:
2 Red-legged Partridges
Singing Reed Warbler
Singing Sedge Warbler
At least one large Lapwing chick still
Singing Goldcrest.

3/7/12, Church Lawton:
A Siskin flew low north over the Canal and River Trust offices at Red Bull at 13.35.

Photo: The Dane Valley at North Wood, Swettenham last week when the permissive footpath was completely inundated with floodwater.

Posted by John Spottiswood