To the Woods

Wednesday 2nd February 2011

Not really back into the swing of local birding again yet. A few short walks round Caldecote and Draycote Water have produced very little in the way of birds. In fact the best bit of wildlife I've seen in the past week has been a dog fox in my dad's garden at Mere Green, Sutton Coldfield. I need to re acclimatise and get my eye in again. Having said that it was difficult today, even in Bentley Woods a strong wind was pushing the leaves about making it tricky to detect tell tale movements of birds on the ground. Did see 3 presumed Mealy Redpolls in the thicket next to the pond though. They showed briefly on some Birches before flying deeper into the thicket. Unusually the 3 white/grey Redpolls were on there own, although there was a mixed Tit flock 40yards away. I saw them again in flight briefly as they moved through the wood, but that was it. Plenty of noisy Nuthatches and Common Buzzards, a few Treecreepers and Goldcrests and a single Raven summed up the rest of the sightings.