Well I didn't manage to get to 50, but I did get close with 49. A low flying Lesser Black-blacked Gull provided the new tick for the year, it was also technically a patch tick too, as I've never been too confident before id'ing the large gulls, but I have had them flying over at higher levels.

There was a large winter flock of thrushes and finches in the nearby fields, but I didn't find anything new, despite a lot of scanning. The best highlight of the day was a flock of 20 Sky Lark.

Pool Hall Fisheries count:

Moorhen: 5

BH Gull: 8

Mute Swan: 2

Mallard: 25

Coot: 2

A quick morning visit to Pool Hall Fisheries after finishing nights on Thursday morning produced 3 new ticks for the year, with 4 Red-Legged Partridge showing really well (for Partridge's that is), 1 Coot at Pool Hall Fisheries, and a fly by Common Gull. I didn't bother with doing a count as I was too tired, but the Moorhen numbers were closer to normal, and there were around 9 or so BH Gull.

Species for 2007 now 48. Hopefully I will hit the 50 mark over the comming weekend

A pair of Stonechat were present in Wightwick Fields near Castlecroft Bridge, which produced a tick for the year. Also a pair of Willow Tit were present at Pool Hall Fisheries (another year tick) and gave very close up views as they fed on grubs they found in amongst moss encrusted willow branches. These two brilliant species gives me a count for the year now of 45 species.

Other highlights were a Kingfisher and a male Bullfinch along the Staffs&Worcs Canal by Pool Hall.

Pool Hall Fisheries count

Mute Swan: 2
BH Gull: 7
Tufted Duck: 1
Moorhen: 1
Mallard: 24!
Canada Goose: 8

A post lunch Sunday walk with the dog and my girlfriend produced a drake Mandarin on the Staffs&Worc Canal between Casltecroft Bridge and Whightwick Bridge, bringing my species count for the year upto 43. 

A late morning tour around my patch on Wednesday produced 6 new species for the year. These were Pied Wagtail, Sparrowhark, Rook, 3 Skylark, Kingfisher and Little Grebe. Also the Raven was still present around Perton Mill Farm and Wightwick Fields.

Not exactly riveting stuff, but the species count for the year is now at 42.

A 3 hour session in pouring rain produced 37 species, which isn't bad considering I wanted to go home half way through.

Highlights included a Reed Bunting and Raven over Wightwick Fields, a Green Sandpiper which was flushed from a puddle of water that had gathered in one of the fields down the lane to Pool Hall Fisheries, and also a female Bullfinch and 2 Treecreeper at Pool Hall Fisheries.

BH Gull 7
Moorhen 10
Mallard 20
Tufted Duck 3
Mute Swan 2
Canada Goose 1