Kevin: a brief lunchtime visit to Netherton Reservoir produced 2 Great Black-backed Gulls. 56 species.

Gareth: A total of 10 Goldcrests were counted at the northern end of Smestow Valley. 63 species.

Kevin: No birding today, so still 56 species so far this year.

Gareth: 1 year tick - three Mute Swans dropped in briefly at Dunstall Park Lake. Also, drake Mandarin, three Stonechat and Raven still at Wightwick. 63 species.

Kevin: 2 year ticks today - a Cormorant briefly at Netherton Reservoir and a skien of Canada Geese flying over Saltwells Wood. Also, an incredible 10+ Great Black-backed Gull involving 8+ adult, 1 2nd-winter and 1 1st-winter (image below of six birds on water-ski ramp), plus 2 Great Crested Grebe and 4+ Dabchick. Elsewhere, there were 4 Common Snipe and 6 Linnet at Netherton Hill and totals of 165+ Redwing and 20+ Fieldfare flew over the reserve. 56 species.

A trip across the boundary into Birmingham for the Bartley roost was rewarded with the juvenile Glaucous Gull, plus single adult Mediterranean and Yellow-legged Gulls.

Gareth: 5 year ticks - Pheasant, Shoveler, Green Woodpecker, Siskin and Nuthatch. Other highlights included drake Mandarin, 2 Raven and a pair of Stonechat at Wightwick, a total 258 Redwing flying down the valley, 9 Dabchick along the canals, 3 Willow Tit by Compton and 2 Common Gull at Dunstall Park. 62 species.

Kevin: Pre-work and lunchtime visits to Netherton Reservoir saw 1 and 5 Great Black-backed Gulls, respectively - the latter may be a record site count. Hopefully one of Bartley's white-winged gulls will come my way! A leucistic (fawn and white) Magpie was at The Leasowes, Halesowen, late morning. 54 species.

Gareth: Little at Dunstall Park today. 57 species.

Kevin: A lunchtime visit to Netherton Reservoir produced no new year ticks, but 2 adult Great Black-backed Gulls were present - that's seven birds in three of the four days so far, contradicting their apparent rarity here. 54 species.

Gareth: Another day at College, so no birding possible. 57 species.

Kevin: A pre-work visited to Netherton Reservoir produced a fly-over second-winter Yellow-legged Gull (perhaps the same bird as on Monday), whilst lunchtime at Netherton Hill brought little reward. 54 species.

Gareth: Return to College meant that no visit was possible today, nor tomorrow. 57species.

Kevin: Return to work today after Xmas and New Year break, but an early morning visit to Daphne Pool, to the north of Netherton Hill, was rewarded with a good view of the Water Rail that I heard there yesterday. Lunchtime at Netherton Reservoir yielded 2 Great Black-backed Gull (mega there) and an extra Great Crested Grebe to yesterday's sole bird. Total 54.

Gareth: An early morning visit to Dunstall Park produced four year ticks, including a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull and 2 Goilden Plover flying westwards. Total 57.

The first day of competition incredibly saw us both record 53 species!

Kevin: At Netherton Hill, there were five Snipe, four Linnet and a Reed Bunting, whilst 145 Redwing, 20 Fieldfare and three adult Great Black-backed Gull (the latter mid afternoon) flew southwards, and a Water Rail was heard (but not counted). In Saltwells Wood, good numbers of Stock Dove, Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, Nuthatch and Jay were seen, along with a Wood Pigeon sat on a nest. A male Kingfisher, eight Teal and a Buzzard were at Mushroom Green. In late afternoon, birds on Netherton Reservoir included a second-winter Yellow-legged Gull (image below), 600+ Black-headed Gull, 85 Lesser Black-backed Gull, single Tufted Duck and Great Crested Grebe and six Dabchick.

Gareth: First bird of the day was Mallard, the second, Mandarin (image below). A dawn skywatch included 156 Pied Wagtail, 111 Redwing, 103 Fieldfare and 11 Stock Dove. A Raven flew over Wightwick Fields, where there were three Stonechat, two Lesser Redpoll and a Yellowhammer. A Willow Tit was seen near Compton. A total of nine Dabchick were counted along the Staffs & Worcs Canal from Wightwick to Aldersley. Dunstall Park produced 35 Lapwing and two more Lesser Redpoll.

Welcome to our new blog: we are father and son birders living and working in the Black Country.

During 2007, we will be competing against each other by covering separate local patches - Kevin will be birding Saltwells nature reserve (Dudley) and Gareth will be covering Smestow Valley nature reserve (Wolverhampton).

Good birding.

Kevin and Gareth Clements