Worcestershire Annual Bird Reviews

REVIEW OF THE YEAR - 2007

The Black Redstart at Holt and the Garganey at Bittell Reservoirs, both discovered towards the end of 2006 remained in to January. A Whooper Swan that flew south over Kempsey on 1st was relocated at Upton-upon-Severn on 5th while four Bewick’s Swans flew over Gwen Finch the same day. A Kittiwake that lingered in suburban Redditch was a good find while an Iceland Gull discovered at Throckmorton on 21st roosted at Westwood Pool and re-visited Throckmorton on 23rd, the day that Westwood Pool hosted a Red-breasted Merganser. Another Iceland Gull was at Wildmoor towards the month’s end and lingered in to February.

Juvenile Iceland Gull at Throckmorton. Photo: Brian Stretch

Other February highlights comprised four Bewick’s Swans at Bredon’s Hardwick on 5th, a Little Gull at Westwood Pool on 10th, an exceptionally early Osprey near Tenbury Wells on 12th, another three Bewick’s Swans over Wyre Piddle on 15th and an Iceland Gull at Throckmorton on 17th. Five Egyptian Geese at Upton Warren on 18th proved popular with the Upton birders while departing White-fronted Geese were noted over Redditch on 20th when a small skein were heard heading north and 80 were seen heading high to the north-east near Buckland on 26th. A Diver species was seen flying over Redditch on 24th and Red Kites were noted over Droitwich on 22nd and over Clifton and Clent Hill on 25th.

Egyptian Geese at Upton Warren. Photo: Brian Stretch

March saw the first of the returning summer visitors with three early Sand Martins at Upton Warren on 5th, a Wheatear at Churchill on 16th, a Ring Ouzel on the Malverns on 18th, a Little Ringed Plover at Upton Warren on 19th, a White Wagtail at Barnett Brook on 20th, three Swallows and a Willow Warbler on the Malverns on 28th and two Garganey and a House Martin at Upton Warren on 29th. A Red Kite was over Upton Snodsbury on 8th, a Little Gull was located at Powick and then Upton-upon-Severn on 11th and a Waxwing was reported in Worcester on 12th. The first returning Avocets pitched down at Upton Warren on 13th making a brief but welcome visit to Westwood Pool the following day. Another Little Gull was at Bredon’s Hardwick on 22nd while the next day a first-year Caspian Gull at Throckmorton was the long awaited first county record of a bird of this age. The same day a pair of Red-crested Pochards took up residence at Kemerton Lake. Two Whooper Swans flew over Clifton on 25th and a Red Kite noted over Redditch on 28th was probably the same bird observed at Upton Warren just 30 minutes later, while another was over Bredon Hill on 30th. The month closed with a Kittiwake lingering at Bredon’s Hardwick from 29th.

The Kittiwake continued to linger at Bredon’s Hardwick until April 7th and was joined by four Mediterranean Gulls on 1st, a new county record. Nearby, a Short-eared Owl was on Bredon Hill on 13th and an Osprey lingered at Bittell Reservoirs on 16th and 17th. Also on 17th a Red Kite flew over the M5 near Worcester and nearby, news emerged of a Black Redstart in the city centre but it remained extremely elusive. As the month progressed, numbers of Ring Ouzels increased with the traditional hotspots of the Clent Hills, the Malvern Hills and Bredon Hill claiming most of the records with the largest count being 15 at the latter site on 23rd. Elsewhere, lowland birds were noted at Bittell, Elmbrdge, Gwen Finch and Shenstone. An Osprey was at Upton Warren on 20th while the next day a late Iceland Gull was briefly at Kemerton Lake. An early Wood Sandpiper was at Upton Warren briefly on 27th and a Little Gull made an equally brief visit to Westwood Pool the same day. Bar-tailed Godwits were prominent from 28th when a record county flock of 26 flew over Upper Bittell Reservoir and three lingered at Upton Warren from 29th.

May commenced in style on 1st with a mobile and elusive Hoopoe at Upton Warren along with a Wood Sandpiper while a Marsh Harrier flew over Grimley. Another Marsh Harrier was over Hollywood on 10th, the same day that a Red Kite drifted over Redditch while the next day an Osprey was over the Malverns. A Temminck’s Stint was discovered at Grimley on 14th, the day of a notable passage of Dunlin. There were two highly unusual records mid-month, of species more associated with winter. The first of these was a Snow Bunting on the Malverns on 14th, followed by an Iceland Gull at Kemerton Lake on 17th. Turnstone and Sanderling began to pass through from 23rd with Grimley hosting both species while further Turnstones were recorded at Kemerton Lake and Westwood Pool, the latter being only the second record for the site and the first since 1995. The Mediterranean returned to Upton Warren again on 28th when news broke of the presence of a Bee-eater lingering at the Moors Pool. However, as birders rapidly descended on the site the bird had other ideas and despite the inclement weather it promptly departed. An Osprey and two Red-crested Pochards were discovered at Grimley on 29th while on 31st two Red-breasted Mergansers made a brief visit to Upton Warren and two Quail were singing at Longdon Marsh.

Red-crested Pochards at Grimley. Photo: Brian Stretch

The two Red-crested Pochards at Grimley remained until June 1st before relocating to Belvide Reservoir in Staffordshire the next day, while 2 Quail continued to sing at Longdon Marsh during the first week. A Red Kite was over Bredon Hill on 2nd and two Little Terns made a brief visit to Upton Warren on 14th. The next day the reserve hosted a female Red-necked Phalarope which fortunately lingered all day for an appreciative crowd. However, the same day an all together rarer ‘beast’ was lurking at Hanley Swan - a Squacco Heron. It constituted the first county record but unfortunately news of it’s presence was not widely known until after it had departed and was part of a record breaking influx of the species across southern Britain. A Red Kite was over Upton Warren on 16th and a Wood Sandpiper at Grimley on 18th was an unusual mid-summer record.

Female Red-necked Phalarope at Upton Warren. Photo: Steve Acton

As expected July was a quiet month with the predictable arrival of Little Egrets being one of the main features. A single bird arrived at Lower Moor on 3rd while two at Grimley the following day were the forerunner of a continued presence at this site with numbers rising to five by the end of the month. Grimley also hosted a singing Quail on 7th, a Little Gull on 15th and a Wood Sandpiper and Black Tern on 21st. Another Wood Sandpiper was at Throckmorton on 25th and 26th while raptors were represented by a Red Kite over the Malverns on 18th and an Osprey near Barnt Green on 24th.

Black Tern with Common Tern at Grimley. Photo: Oliver Wadsworth

August was also a relatively quiet month with a Marsh Harrier being seen intermittently at Upton Warren during the first week, with another there on 23rd while the same day one was at Lower Moor. Six juvenile Ruddy Shelducks of unknown origin toured the south of the county mid-month. A migrant Pied Flycatcher at Throckmorton on 10th was a good record while the number of Little Egrets at Grimley peaked at ten on 12th - a new county record. Two Wood Sandpipers and two Turnstones passed through the Grimley and Holt area and Sandwich Terns were well represented with an adult at Upton Warren on 20th and an adult and juvenile there on 28th before being relocated at Upper Bittell Reservoir while a Red Kite was over Kemerton the same day.

A Great White Egret discovered with the Little Egrets at Grimley on September 8th proved a popular attraction being part of a record breaking nationwide influx and only the second county record. An elusive Wryneck present in gardens at Stoke Wharf mid-month continued the annual appearance of this species in the county while a Gannet picked up in Redditch on 16th was taken in to care. As the month progressed scarcer waders began to arrive with a good passage of Curlew Sandpipers along with a few Knot, Little Stints and Spotted Redshanks while a Grey Phalarope at Bartley Reservoir briefly on 19th was last observed flying south in to the county. However the undoubted star of the month, if not the year, was the superb Wilson’s Phalarope at Upton Warren from 23rd to 26th. Found by a visiting birder from Yorkshire, it constituted only the second county record (the first also being at Upton Warren) and often showed very well in front of the main hide at the Flashes. An Osprey was photographed by fishermen over the River Avon at Gwen Finch on 24th. The 29th was a true red letter day when it seemed that the coast visited the county. Upper Bittell Reservoir hosted both a Sabine’s Gull and a Grey Phalarope although neither lingered long, while Grimley played host to a drake Common Scoter, a female Scaup and a juvenile Arctic Tern all of which performed well to an appreciative crowd.

Great White Egret with Little Egrets at Grimley. Photo: Andy Warr

A Great White Egret at Upton Warren on October 1st followed hot on the heels of the bird at Grimley but given the numbers in the country at the time, it could well have been a different individual. Also on 1st six Pink-footed Geese flew over Malvern Link while a Black Redstart was on British Camp from 4th and a Marsh Harrier was at Upton Warren on 6th. The first Rock Pipit of the autumn was at Upper Bittell Reservoir on 3rd followed by another at Grimley on 6th. The next day the latter site briefly hosted a Little Gull and in the search for this, a Richard’s Pipit, only the second county record was discovered and just twenty minutes later a Lapland Bunting was also located - the first county record. It was noted again briefly the following morning when it flew south calling with Meadow Pipits and occurred during an excellent autumn passage of this species across the Midlands. A Red Kite was over Abberley on 7th, a Red-crested Pochard was discovered between Holt and Grimley on 9th and a Short-eared Owl was on Bredon Hill on 11th, the same day that at least three more Rock Pipits passed through Grimley. A Bittern returned to Upton Warren during the second week and Upper Bittell Reservoir attracted another Sabine’s Gull on 13th together with a Common Scoter which was presumably one of two birds that had been at Westwood Pool earlier in the day. On 15th another Lapland Bunting was heard calling as it flew over the Malverns while two Brent Geese were at Upton Warren briefly and in what was a poor year for the species, five Crossbills were noted on Bredon Hill. The next day a Great Grey Shrike lingered at Defford airfield and a Black Redstart was discovered at Kempsey Common. A Hen Harrier at Upton Warren on 20th could well have been the same individual seen later that day at nearby Hanbury. A Mealy Redpoll was at Shenstone on 21st while a Short-eared Owl was at Clifton on 27th and the month drew to a close with a very confiding Snow Bunting on the Malverns from 30th.

Female Snow Bunting on the Malverns. Photo: Brian Stretch

Another Red-crested Pochard (or the October bird) visited Grimley on November 6th while a Grey Phalarope at Upton Warren from 8th completed the phalarope trio for the reserve. An elusive Water Pipit frequented Grimley from 9th and was the first locality record for 22 years. An adult Caspian Gull was at Throckmorton Tip on 10th with it or another in the gull roost at Westwood Pool on 14th and a Red-crested Pochard was at Bredon’s Hardwick on 11th. A drake Lesser Scaup, apparently photographed in Stourport-on-Severn on 12th would constitute only the second county record but subsequent searches failed to locate it. The second Snow Bunting of the autumn was discovered on the Malverns on 13th while Short-eared Owls were noted on Bredon Hill on 15th and at Throckmorton on 21st. Three Crossbills and at least 500 Brambling were noted in the Wyre Forest on the 17th while the same day a herd of eight Whooper Swans were discovered at Upper Bittell Reservoir before making a brief visit to Upton Warren the next day and then settling in riverside fields at Bransford Bridge from 19th. A Knot was noted at Bredon’s Hardwick on 19th and another Snow Bunting was on the Malverns on 20th. Four Woodlarks discovered at Bittell on 21st and another two at Crossway Green from 25th reflect the improving fortunes of this species both locally and nationally. A drake Scaup took up residence at Westwood Pool from 24th, a Bewick’s Swan was near Worcester on 27th and in what turned out to be an above average year for records yet another Red-crested Pochard was discovered, this time at Lower Moor on 30th.

Whooper Swans at Bransford Bridge. Photo: Oliver Wadsworth

A Waxwing in Redditch for the first two days of December was an excellent record given how few of these birds have made it to Britain this winter. A Grey Plover that flew over Upper Bittell Reservoir on 4th was the only report of the year and reflects how rare this species has now become in the county. The elusive Water Pipit resurfaced at Grimley on 7th and remained to the end of the year while a Pink-footed Goose arrived in the Lower Moor area on 17th. Firecrests were very well represented with five birds wintering in the north of the county; two at Barnt Green and three at West Hagley. Two Brent Geese were reported at Upton Warren briefly on 26th while Throckmorton Tip had an excellent spell during the final week of the year attracting three Caspian Gulls, two Glaucous Gulls and a Short-eared Owl.

A total of 204 species were reported during the year with the county list being increased by two new birds - Squacco Heron and Lapland Bunting. For many the highlight of the year was the trio of phalaropes at Upton Warren - a truly remarkable occurrence.

Brian Stretch, January 2008

Juvenile Wilson’s Phalarope at Upton Warren. Photo: Trevor Hannington

REVIEW OF THE YEAR - 2006

January commenced with the continuing presence of the Woodlark at Wadborough along with several Mealy Redpoll amongst large numbers of Lesser Redpoll. Three Snow Buntings on the Worcestershire Beacon remained into the new year and shared their chosen hill with a wintering Short-eared Owl. Two Long-eared Owls were discovered roosting in roadside trees near Hallow during the first week of the month while another returned to a site near Droitwich. An adult Caspian Gull roosted at Westwood Pool on the 7th and 18th also paying a visit to Upton Warren on 8th where two Bitterns continued to overwinter. Also on the 8th a Bean Goose was discovered on Defford airfield, and was the first county record since January 1st 1999. However, more significantly this individual displayed all the characteristics of the nominate race ‘fabalis’, more commonly known as Taiga Bean Goose. This is the first confirmed record for the county, all previous records having involved the race ‘rossicus’, commonly known as Tundra Bean Goose. Another rare county goose came in the form of a Brent Goose that made a brief visit to Upper Bittell Reservoir on 16th. Two male Black Redstarts were discovered during the month with a stunning adult at Alfrick Pound and a first-winter on Worcester Cathedral. The latter individual was a welcome lunch time distraction for many city centre workers, although at times it could be incredibly difficult to locate on this vast building. Towards the end of the month an Iceland Gull roosted at Westwood Pool on 27th being seen the following day at Hartlebury Tip.

Bean Goose at Defford

After such an excellent start to the year, February looked as though it may have had a tough act to follow. However all that changed during the early morning of 11th when a Lesser Scaup was discovered on the River Severn at Grimley. This long awaited first for the county showed well with the regular Tufted Duck flock for another three days before relocating to Westwood Pool. With the continuing presence of a drake Greater Scaup at Kinsham NR from the beginning of the month, birders had the unique opportunity of seeing both species in the county on the same day. Another welcome visitor was a male Firecrest at Kempsey sewage works from the 11th which performed superbly at times and was often heard singing. A Bittern was observed feeding in a field at Grimley on 22nd while an Egyptian Goose arrived at Lower Moor on 25th.

First-winter drake Lesser Scaup at Grimley

March was a relatively quiet month although the Lesser Scaup reappeared at Westwood Pool and the first returning summer migrants began to appear including a Little Ringed Plover in Droitwich on 15th, a Swallow at Bredon’s Hardwick the next day and a Wheatear on Bredon Hill on 22nd. There was a flurry of notable records at the end of the month with a Gannet found stranded between Holt Heath and Little Witley on 29th and later that day a Hen Harrier flew over Upton Warren while four Avocets arrived there on 30th.

A group of four Sandwich Terns over Lower Moor in early April were part of an excellent spring for this species with another three at Bittell later in the month. A Ring-billed Gull was discovered at Bredon’s Hardwick on 7th and was seen at Lower Moor the following day. On the final day of the month a Marsh Harrier paid a brief visit to Upton Warren.

During May the variety and quality of birds increased, commencing with a Long-tailed Duck that arrived at Grimley on 4th while harriers were well represented with a Montagu’s Harrier over Bredon Hill the same day and a Marsh Harrier lingered at Kinsham from 6th with it or another over Grimley later in the month. A Hen Harrier near Upton Snodsbury on 23rd was presumably the bird seen over Smite two days later. The only Pink-footed Goose of the year spent the day at Grimley on 10th. Two more Sandwich Terns arrived on 15th initially being seen at Bittell Reservoir before relocating to Upton Warren during the evening where they entertained a very appreciative audience. An excellent collection of waders were also recorded at Upton Warren and included five Bar-tailed Godwits, Spotted Redshank and Turnstone but the prize find came in the form of a Black-winged Stilt that arrived on 21st remaining until the following day. This was one of three birds that had been discovered in Lincolnshire on May 4th before relocating to Martin Mere in Lancashire the next day. Here, two of the birds settled and made an unsuccessful breeding attempt with the third bird remaining until 20th.

First-summer Black-winged Stilt at Upton Warren

As expected June was a relatively low key month compared with May, but 2 Quail were noted singing at Nafford during the second week and 2 more were singing at Longdon Marsh a few days later while one was reported at Chaddesley Corbett. The Long-tailed Duck that had frequented Grimley for three days last month was discovered there again on 15th remaining until 17th. In the intervening period it had visited both Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, this being confirmed by careful analysis of photographs taken at the various locations. A Temminck’s Stint at Upton Warren on 22nd and 23rd was an unexpected arrival and given it’s rather worn plumage was presumably an early south-bound migrant.

Second calendar-year drake Long-tailed Duck at Grimley

A stunning summer-plumaged Black-necked Grebe at Throckmorton Tip from July 7th was the highlight of a very quiet month while a Quail was located between Radford and Rous Lench on 19th.

August also commenced with a Black-necked Grebe, this time a juvenile at Westwood Pool, but the biggest surprise was the discovery of three Dotterel on Bredon Hill on 20th. They comprised a juvenile and two adults, with the juvenile remaining until 23rd while another was seen circling over British Camp the same day and their appearance was presumably linked to the unprecedented numbers arriving on the east coast at the same time.

With the arrival of September the pace began to quicken and after two brief Sandwich Terns at Upton Warren on 4th waders began to dominate the headlines. The first of these was a superb Pectoral Sandpiper at Kinsham on 5th and 6th. This was not only the first county record for three years but also a first for the reserve. On the 8th a Red-necked Phalarope spent the afternoon at Upper Bittell Reservoir and was the first county record since 1999. A Spotted Redshank was a brief visitor to Westwood Pool on 9th and the following day an Osprey made an equally brief visit to Grimley. Two days later another Osprey was discovered at Bredon’s Hardwick and proved very popular as this bird lingered until 28th, often performing very well. Nearby a Red Kite lingered at the west end of Bredon Hill and was enjoyed by many during the birds unusually long stay. A Wryneck was discovered in a Bromsgrove garden on 14th but was only seen by the lucky home owners. The same day also produced a juvenile Scaup at Gwen Finch NR and an impressive passage of Black Terns took place. Westwood Pool hosted 13, while 10 were at Kinsham, but the largest count was claimed at Upper Bittell Reservoir where at least 31 birds were present. The first Little Stint of the year was discovered at Grimley on 16th and was the forerunner of a better than average autumn for this species although sightings were confined to Grimley and Upper Bittell Reservoir. An early Bittern was noted at Upton Warren on 19th but may have been a passage bird as there were no further reports during the month. A Manx Shearwater was picked up in Tenbury Wells on 21st and released on the Welsh coast the following day. The month ended in style with the presence of a Long-billed Dowitcher at Upper Bittell Reservoir from 25th. It represented the second county record and although the views were often distant it was widely appreciated, especially by those who had not seen the bird at Westwood Pool in 1990.

Juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper at Kinsham

A confiding Snow Bunting arrived on the Worcestershire Beacon in early October while the Long-billed Dowitcher remained at Upper Bittell Reservoir until 3rd. The latter site also played host to five Twite that made a brief visit on 9th. Three Gannets circled over Upton Warren on 3rd just a few hours after a party of six had drifted west over Rutland Water while the only Rock Pipit of the year was noted flying over Throckmorton Tip on 5th. A Black Redstart lingered on British Camp from 7th while at the other end of the hills a second bird was found in Happy Valley from 17th.

Juvenile Long-billed Dowitcher at Upper Bittell Reservoir

November was a fairly quiet month but did produce one of the most surprising records of the year when a Leach’s Petrel was discovered in the gull roost at Westwood Pool during the late afternoon of 19th. However just three lucky birders saw the bird as there was no sign it the following morning. It was the first county record since 1997 and was all the more remarkable in that no other individuals had been reported that day, even on the coast. A Red-breasted Merganser at Bredon’s Hardwick on 26th was more widely appreciated and was the only record of the year.

An unseasonably stormy period during the first half of December provided an influx of seabirds with Kittiwakes noted at Westwood Pool, Eckington and Upton upon Severn while four more Leach’s Petrels were recorded. Two of these were picked up in car parks in Redditch and Kidderminster but the latter bird soon succumbed while another flew over Bredon’s Hardwick and one was picked up dead at Broadwas. However, the major prize was an adult pale phase Pomarine Skua which delighted eight lucky observers when it made a brief visit to Upton Warren on 8th. It was the first record for the reserve and only the fifth for the county while a Grey Plover was also present on the reserve the same day. A Brent Goose commuting between Kempsey and Callow End on the 10th was the first twitchable bird in the county for six years. A Glaucous Gull that had roosted at Bartley Reservoir for several evenings finally did the honourable thing by heading south arriving at the Westwood Pool roost on 24th. In what was an excellent year for the species, two more Black Redstarts were discovered this month with a female at Lower Smite Farm and a male at Holt, the latter remaining until the year end. Finally, Bewick’s Swan just made it on to the county year list when a party of seven were present at Bredon’s Hardwick on 30th.

Brian Stretch, January 2007