Ian Crutchley has been to the pool this afternoon and sent the following short, but cracking list: 10 Wheatear, 5+ Yellow wagtail, Summer plumage Dunlin, 3 Swift, 25+ Swallow, 8 House Martin, 3 Gadwall, 6 Little Grebe, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 15 Tufted Duck, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, 25 Yellowhammer, 15 Linnet, 2 Bullfinch and 3 Reed Bunting.

Thanks Ian.

Tom Cattell visited the pool this afternoon and sent the following: Blackbird 8, Blue Tit 4, Blackcap 2, Whitethroat 1, Robin 2, Lesser black backed Gull 4, Goldfinch 2, Wren 2, Swallow 5, Mallard 6 + Duck still with brood of 10, Skylark 3, Chaffinch 2, Tufted Duck 22, Great Crested Grebe 2, Canada Goose 2, Coot 8, Moorhen 3, Willow Warbler 1, Mute Swan 1, Sand Martin 3, Yellowhammer 1, Collared Dove 2, Buzzard 1, Pheasant 3, Linnet 5, Greater Spotted Woodpecker 1, Chiffchaff 2 and Long Tailed Tit 2.

Thanks Tom.

Jason Oliver followed Tom up there a couple of hours later and has just sent me the following: 50+ Swallow, 3 Sand Martin, 2 House Martin. 27 Tufted Duck, 7 Mallard , 1 Mute Swan, 3 Canada Geese, 1 Green Sandpiper , 3 Willow Warbler, 1 hybrid Willow / Chifchaff, 1 Blackcap, 1 Kestrel; 5 Yellowhammer and 1 Pied Wagtail.

Thanks Jason.

A call this evening from Ian Crutchley to say he had 2 male Ring Ouzel 10 feet away had me rushing up to the pool. Although we heard them call again, we didn’t find them, but with such an atrocious day forecast tomorrow, they may well stick around so a trip up to the pool tomorrow beckons.

Tom Cattell, who had actively looked at every Blackbird he’d seen, because we do get Ouzels regularly, sent the following: Blackcap 3, Blackbird 7,Chiffchaff 3, Robin 3, Woodpigeon 8, Wren 3, Blue Tit 3, Great Tit 5, Chaffinch 3, Pheasant 2, Lapwing 2, Long tailed Tit 1, Pied Wagtail 2, Swallow 2, Skylark 3, Tufted Duck 17, Mallard 11 ad inc 2 with broods of 10 & 5, Coot 10, Great Crested Grebe 2, Crow 2, Canada Goose 2, Sand Martin 2, Willow Warbler 2, Mute Swan 1, Linnet 5, Grey Heron 1, Little Grebe 3, Goldfinch 2, Magpie 2,Lesser black backed Gull 2 and Buzzard 3.

Thanks Tom.

A couple of things to add to Tom’s list from this evening; Ring Ouzel 2, Green Sandpiper 1, and Bullfinch 2.

Tom Cattell and Jason Oliver visited the pool late morning today and sent the following: Greylag Goose 4, Canada Goose 2, Mute Swan 1, Tufted Duck 18, Oystercatcher 2, Little Grebe 4, Swallow 2, Coot 8, Mallard 14, Grey Heron 1, Chaffinch 4, Skylark 3, Buzzard 3, Kestrel 1, Blackbird 2, Sand Martin 3, Goldfinch 2, Lapwing 1, Green Sandpiper 1, Willow Warbler 2, Blackcap 1, Chiffchaff 1 and Little Owl 1.

Thanks guys.

Tom Cattell spent a wet afternoon at the pool, but valiantly sent the following: Chiffchaff 3, Wren 4, Skylark 3, Robin 4, Blackbird 2, Magpie 6, Lapwing 1, Crow 4, Blue Tit 2, Pheasant 2, Coot 9, Mute Swan 1, Tufted Duck 16, Little Grebe 2, Great crested Grebe 2, Swallow 5, Mallard 16, Chaffinch 2, Oystercatcher 2, Yellowhammer 1, Canada Goose 2, Willow Warbler 1, Blackcap 1, Pied Wagtail 1 and Buzzard 1.

Thanks Tom

Ian Crutchley made a late visit to the pool and sent the following: Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Yellow Wagtail, 29 Swallow, 2 House Martin, 3 Sand Martin, 2 Oystercatcher, 26 Yellowhammer, 2 Yaffle, 6 Linnet, 2 Stock Dove, Chiffchaff x Willow hybrid, 2 Willow Warbler, 6 Chiffchaff, and 3 Blackcap.

Thanks Ian.

Ian Crutchley visited the pool late this afternoon and sent the following: Common Sandpiper, 4 House Martin, 6 Swallow, 4 Sand Martin, Yellow Wagtail, Chiffchaff x Willow Warbler hybrid (mixed song started chiffy and ended willow!), Pintail (still!), Kestrel, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Blackcap, Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, *4 Brent Geese flew NW at 6:05pm*, 4 Reed Bunting, 19 Yellowhammer, 3 Stock Dove, Mallard with 5 ducklings, 22 Tufted Duck, Grey Heron, 5 Canada Geese, 5 Little Grebe, 2 Pied Wagtail and Jay.

Thanks Ian.

Tom Cattell really is a star. Another three cold hours around the pool to send the following: Chiffchaff 4, Wren 2, Chaffinch 4, Robin 4, Carrion Crow 3, Pheasant 2, Swallow 2, Teal 1, Mute Swan 1, Coot 7, Tufted Duck 28, Mallard 10, Moorhen 2, Oystercatcher 2, Canada Goose 2, Kestrel 1, Buzzard 6, Blackcap 1, Wheatear 2, Meadow Pipit 1, Little Grebe 2, Willow Warbler 1, Lesser Black Backed Gull 3, Sand Martin 8, Lapwing 2 and Yaffle 1,

Many thanks Tom.

I’ve had an email to the blog asking why I always use the word Yaffle rather than Green Woodpecker? The answer is quite simple. As a child growing up in the Black Country, (Sedgley), I always knew Green Woodies as Yaffles and didn’t really hear the name Green Woodpecker until I moved to Wolverhampton. In the same way, Long Tailed Tits were Bumbarrels, Swifts were Jack Squealers and House Sparrows were Spujerks. Of these Yaffle has stuck with me; keep the ‘owd werds aloive is war i say!!

Jason Oliver has been to the pool today and sent the following list: 27 Tufted Duck, 2 Teal, 8 Mallard,1 Mute Swan, 3 Little Grebe, 2 Canada Geese, 4 Moorhen,12 Coot, 32 Yellowhammer,2 Meadow Pipit ,8 Greenfinch, 2 Goldfinch, 2 Yaffle, 1 Little Owl, 3 Swallow and 1 House Martin. Swallows hooray; It’s definitely Spring!

Thanks Jason

Tom Cattell sent the following for this afternoon: Buzzard 6, Blackbird 2, Robin 3, Chiffchaff 3, Wren 5, Blue Tit 6, Magpie 3, Crow 5, Long tailed Tit 3, Great Tit 2, Chaffinch 5, Pheasant 3, Skylark 3, Tufted Duck 23, Canada Goose 2, Coot 6, Mallard 11, Pintail 1, Little Grebe 2, Wood Pigeon 30+, Oystercatcher 2, Teal 4, Goldfinch 2, Mute Swan 1, Kestrel 1, Meadow Pipit 2, Green Woodpecker 2, Blackcap 2, Lesser black backed Gull 1, Lapwing 3, Sand Martin 3, Magpie 5, Moorhen 1, House Martin 2, Pied Wagtail 3 and Jay 1.

Thanks Tom

Tom Cattell made a trip to the pool this afternoon, by the sound of it in the rain, and sent the following: Robin 4, Wren 4, Blue tit 5 , Chaffinch 2, Buzzard 5, Jay 1, Lapwing 2, Wood Pigeon 12, Great tit 2, Skylark 4, Chiffchaff 2, Blackbird 2, Meadow Pipit 2, Crow 12, Green Woodpecker 1, Kestrel 1, Mallard 9, Tufted Duck 25, Great Crested Grebe 1, Coot 10, Canada Goose 1, Little Grebe 3, Dunnock 1, Pintail 1, Teal 4, Mute Swan 1, Oystercatcher 2, Yellowhammer 1, Pheasant 1 and 1 Toad.

Thanks Tom. There were loads of toads mating in the pool last weekend.

I’ve just received a list from Jason Oliver who has been around the pool again tonight and sent this list: 19 tufted duck, 1 pintail, 5 mallard , mute swan; 3 little grebe, 2 g c grebe, 2 canada geese , 2 yaffle, 50+ meadow pipit, 9 Yellowhammer,an 1 little owl.

Thanks Jason