Up the Villa

Monday 23rd March 2009

If you support a Football team, the second thing you think about on a Sunday or in this case a Monday morning is how you're team did the previous day. It'll give you a lift, a bit of a buzz or if you're team was stuffed by Liverpool you need something to distract you asap. For me the perfect tonic is a day's Birding - you can make you're own arrangements.

So to the Hams Hall distribution Park to wander round any bits of waste ground I can find. Almost immediately a Ringed Plover(122) flies over calling and then on some waste ground two Wheatear (123) are located. Despite a strong wind its a good start to the day even though theres no sign of the Black Redstart which was reported yesterday. Moving on to the Sailing lake at Kingsbury Water Park the rain begins but theres time to check for Hirundines before the heavens open, at least 20 Sand Martins are feeding over the water.

As the rains continue its time for lunch, a Gales pastie - a tasty alternative to Pork pie and very local. However, difficult to eat in a confined space, a bit dry and crumbly so you need some sort of plate or container but half a pastie is very filling.

Next stop Broomey Croft and Moan of the day: Why do people put bird food on the benches? Not one bench but every single bench in the place had seeds, nuts and who knows what rotting away. Benches are for people, fortunately I dont need to sit down every 5 minutes but some people do. So its a bit stupid to use benches as bird tables. Some people seem to want to turn wildlife into pets....

Birds seen on the Water Park: Chiffchaff, Lesser Redpoll, Oystercatcher, Common Snipe, Redshank, Goldeneye.

At Coton a single Swallow (124) battles against the wind while a Green Woodpecker clings to the large oak near the hide.

Back at Hams hall I meet up with Steve Cawthray. We both scan the waste ground and soon relocate the Wheatears and also the Black Redstart and a couple of Red legged Partridge.

A good days birding and I hadn't given the Villa a second thought.