RABBIT ACTIVITY
As regular visitors will have noticed, rabbit activity is causing holes on the hard core tracks and whilst we try and in-fill them, please be aware that the tracks are more uneven than normal as a result of the rabbit diggings.
TRAFFIC REGULATION ORDER – MARSH LANE, HAMPTON IN ARDEN
Please note that with effect from 20th January 2021 Marsh Lane, Hampton in Arden will be gated just north of the railway bridge which accesses the Marsh Lane Nature Reserve car park, to the west of Siden Hill Wood. The gate is going to be locked overnight. Solihull Council have deemed this has become necessary due to frequent problems of anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping and other forms of environmental crime at Bradnocks Marsh.
The closing/opening times will be as follows:
- 1st April – 30th September 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- 1st October – 31st March 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Work Party Dates
2025
Saturday 8th February – 2pm
Saturday 8th March – 2pm
Link to West Midland Bird Ringing Group: https://www.westmidlandsringinggroup.co.uk/
Combination Lock Code
A reminder that the code for the combination locks at the Reserve changed at the beginning of September. Details of the new code were provided in permit renewal letters, but if there are any queries, please contact Bernice on 01676 526711.
FALLEN AND DAMAGED TREES
Members are asked to please avoid, for the time being, the area immediately south of the South-West Pond and on the east side of the Back Gate Copse as a number of Willow trees have been affected by the recent high winds and the area has been fenced off.
A number of trees have also come down in Siden Hill Wood making it difficult to get around and this area is also best avoided.
Thank you.
11th January 2025
Thick freezing fog, -4°at 10.00, pools 95% iced up.
The full count, care of Graham and Dave today, was as follows: two Mute Swans, 99 Canadas, 20 Greylags, 27 Shoveler, 21 Gadwall, six Wigeon and others heard on the Flood Plain, eight Mallard, 137 Teal, 18 Tufteds, 10 Goosander, a Cormorant, a Heron, four Little Grebes, 75 Coot, five Lapwing, eight Snipe, 76 Black-headed Gulls, a Common Gull, a Lesser Black-backed Gull and an impressive 115 Chaffinches in the Crop Field. A Fox was patrolling the margins of the Dragonfly Pond during the morning.
Four attended the afternoon work party and spent most of the time cutting back the thicker, overgrown vegetation on either side of the path to Car Park Hide, and similarly the area on the bend of the track down to the Causeway. The cut grass was raked up.
Food was scattered under the cages at the front of the Oaks in the Crop Field, and some in the Crop Field itself.
As the work party was clearing up at just after 16.00, the two adults and the juvenile Whooper Swan came in and landed on the ice on Car Park Pool. They were very vocal. A Meadow Pipit also flew over.
Fox opposite Car Park Hide – Photograph by Jason Lewis
10th January 2025
Sunny spells, temperatures down to -3.5°, pools 95% iced up.
The Bittern was seen again in the Reedbed, despite the icing up, and other records of note included three Goosanders, four Meadow Pipits (around Patricks Bridge), at least four House Sparrows at Patrick Farm, 16 Shoveler and six Little Grebes.
9th January 2025
Cold and icy.
The Bittern was seen on the Reedbed Pool in the early morning but became elusive thereafter. In the afternoon there were 10 Snipe present, with two put up by a Sparrowhawk from the Marsh area. Three female and four drake Goosanders came into roost, whilst in the Crop Field there were 40 Chaffinches and 10 Fieldfares.
Two Foxes were also seen, one on the Old Road and the second on the Flood Plain.
8th January 2025
High cloud, still, cold. Car Park Pool 25% ice, Railway Pool 65% ice.
Due to the icing up, there were limited counts today but 50 Tufteds was noteworthy, as was 26 Snipe. There were also 13 Shoveler recorded, and two drake Goosanders.
7th January 2025
Sunny spells, light westerly, still extensive flooding.
A drake Pintail was a new bird in on Car Park Pool this morning, before moving to Railway Pool. It was not visible at lunchtime and may have moved to the Flood Plain where a lot of the wildfowl had relocated.
The Bittern showed particularly well from 09.15 to after midday, sat on top of the reeds, in the Reedbed, to the north of the channel with the lifebuoy on.
A Water Rail dashed across the channel from the North Causeway Bay, a pair of Stonechats were present again on the Flood Plain, four Collared Doves came to the Car Park feeders, the adult Greater Black-backed Gull again roosted on the island, and there were at least 10 Chaffinches in the Crop Field.
A record-breaking count of nine Shelduck was seen in late morning, having arrived on Car Park Pool, before moving onto the scrapes in Lower Siden.
Water Rail – Photograph by Graham Dyer
6th January 2025
Overcast after very heavy overnight rain leading to severe flooding in parts, such as the Causeway, Car Park Pool and the Flood Plain.
Not only had the Blythe broken its banks, but the quantity of water meant that the river was overtopping into Railway Pool and from the confluence of the Central Stream and the Blythe itself, with water spewing into Car Park Pool.
The birding highlight of the day was a Brambling in the 50 strong Chaffinch flock in the Crop Field.
Other birds making the log were limited to just five Pochard, the adult Greater Black-backed Gull and 40 Cormorants.
5th January 2025
The cloud that built during the day produced some overnight snow and cold conditions, and periodic rain during the day slowly melted it, but temperatures remained cold.
Birds making the log included 55 Snipe (52 on Car Park and three on Railway), a vocal Cetti’s Warbler in the North Causeway area with a separate one on Railway Pool, a pair of Reed Buntings at the feeders, and five Pochard on Car Park Pool.
4th January 2025
High thin cloud, still and cold.
The full count of birds to start the New Year, courtesy of Graham and Dave was as follows: six Mute Swans, 145 Canadas, 51 Greylags, 15 Shoveler, 23 Gadwall¸ 334 Wigeon, 16 Mallard, 272 Teal, 3 drake Pochard, 30 Tufted, 10 Goosanders, 49 Cormorants, four Little Grebe, two Herons, one Little Egret, seven Moorhen, 52 Coot, just nine Lapwing, 28 Snipe, 44 Black-headed Gulls, five Common Gulls, five Lesser Black-backed Gulls, two Ravens, a flock of 20 Lesser Redpolls in the Alders on the Central Stream with a single Siskin, and a noteworthy 75 Chaffinches in the Crop Field.
A Peregrine flew over Railway Pool and a Kingfisher went south along the Blythe from Patrick Bridge. Three Foxes were seen today, two patrolling the margins of Car Park Pool and a separate one by the HS2 settlement ponds. Lastly, a Collared Dove visited the Car Park feeders.
3rd January 2025
Sunny, light north-westerly.
38 Snipe today included 27 feeding on the wet grass around Car Park Hide.
12 Linnets came into the Crop Field Oaks, presumably subsequently feeding in the field.
A miscellany of other birds included one Egyptian Goose, a pair of Goosanders, a Water Rail in the Reedbed where the Bittern also showed again, four Rooks on the Flood Plain, a Mistle Thrush north over Car Park along with two Ravens, four Lesser Redpolls in the Back Gate Copse, the adult Greater Black-backed Gull, but just 45 Lapwing.
2nd January 2025
Bright, sunny periods.
Today’s quality came in the shape of a pair of Red-crested Pochard which spent all day on Car Park Pool, joined in the late afternoon by 17 roosting Goosanders.
Red-crested Pochard – Photograph by Mark Waring
Also in the afternoon, the Bittern showed well in the Reedbed, and at least 750 Starlings came into roost, although more were probably in the Reedbed. A Raven, 35 Snipe and at least two Cetti’s Warblers were the other birds of note making the log.
1st January 2025
Wet with heavy showers, light south-westerly.
The three Whooper Swans were present until 09.30 (presumably having roosted overnight) before departing off to the south-east.
The Bittern was viewable (with difficulty) in the north-east corner of the Reedbed, better found with a thermal but just about visible with a telescope.
There was a male Stonechat feeding from the fence line on the Flood Plain, whilst other birds of note included two Water Rails (North Causeway Bay and the Reedbed), a showy Kingfisher on the Dragonfly Pond, 22 Snipe in total, and eight Fieldfare, 22 Redwing and a Meadow Pipit on the Flood Plain. Towards the end of the afternoon five Goosanders came into roost.