Highgate Common

17 April, 2015

It's a good time of year to visit Highgate Common because summer migrant birds are arriving by the day. No sooner had I parked the car then a cuckoo started to call, heralding the arrival of spring.  But it wasn't the cuckoo I had come for. Spring brings a heathland bird that can go unnoticed by the thousands of dog walkers that the common attracts. O yes, the cuckoo had been heard by most the walkers that morning as each one told me when walking past, seeing I had my binoculars and camera, with large lens, at the ready. But what of this mysterious bird that to the untrained eye, and ear, can miss? Even as one man walking his dog was telling about the cuckoo he had heard that morning this unobtrusive bird was singing only yards away.  Even experienced ornithologists find it difficult at times to identify this bird, at certain times of the year, from its close cousin the meadow pipit. Highgate common is a lowland heath, and that's one of the giveaways as this bird specialises in breeding in this habitat with its heather and small trees. A meadow pipit, despite the name, wouldn't be singing its head of this time of the year on a lowland heath in the Midlands.  One other big factor that gives its identity away, as well as subtle plumage characteristics, is the bird's display and song. So what is the bird in question? A tree pipit.

Tree Pipit, Highgate Common

As can be seen from the above photo, the tree pipit is a nondescript bird with brown and olive plumage, the reason why it goes missed by the general public. But listen out for its song and, its most captivating feature, the display flight! When you get to know some of its secrets and 'clocked' it, it is never forgotten.

Canal Walk - Four Locks Bridge (Prestwood) to Bells Mill (15 March, 2015)

Just before Bells Mill a carp fishery has been created, called Bells Mill Fishery.  It can only be viewed from the canal towpath and, what I could see, there are two pools with islands in the centre. Pairs of canada geese seemed to have took up occupation of the islands, no doubt with a view to breeding. The pools look to have good potential in attracting  passage and nesting birds. But we will wait to see how much disturbance there will be from ones fishing there.

On my return walk, a male reed bunting was singing at Middle Bridge.

Bells Mill Fishery

Four Locks Bridge

Middle Bridge

Old Barge

Castle Hill. (10 March, 2015)

Castle Hill.

I parked in a layby near to Kingsford Mobile Home Park and started the walk from Castle Hill Lane. It's a muddy path, due to recent rain, and a steady incline to the 'summit' of about a mile with a few houses on the right-hand side. Near the top is an old farm house, marked as Castle Hill Farm and site of castle ruins on the old OS maps, which looks derelict with an overgrown garden to the front. Most of the land seems to be a mixture of arable and grazing land with a few stables and grazing for horses.

The footpath carries on up past the farm house, on the left, and soon plateaus out at the top. It then starts a steady decline with some mature holly trees along the right-hand side. The left-hand side overlooks arable fields with a commanding view of Arley Wood. I stopped at this point (the path eventually takes your to Starts Green and Arley Wood) and retraced my walk back to the car - total time 2 hours.

Wildlife recorded:

5 Ravens - some making their diagnostic croaking calls as they flew over. There was a total of six buzzards with one individual sat in the centre of one of the fields no doubt looking for food. A small flock of chaffinches were feeding on the ground in one of the paddocks. A great spotted woodpecker was drumming and a nuthatch was calling in a small copse just past the farm. A skylark sang overhead.

Footpath through hollies

Hollies

View of Arley Wood

Looking back to Kinver Edge

View of Vales Rock

Wolverhampton Airport (Bobbington Airport)

Wolverhampton Airport (Bobbington Airport) Halfpenny Green lies just north of SO88 in SO89.  Even though not in the study area, only 1/2 mile outside, it is worthy of mention (not just for aviation enthusiasts) for its grassland habitat.

In between the runways and taxiways are large areas of grass which is a haven for wildlife.  Due to the security of the airfield (all viewing has to be done from the road) there is very little human disturbance - aircraft, like motorcars, are tolerated by birds and mammals.

Singing skylark is guaranteed in spring and summer along with red-legged partridge and, if lucky, grey partridge - a rarity these days.  In the past I have seen curlew there uttering their liquid calls. Birds of prey have put in a good appearance over the years with merlin, peregrine, kestrel, and short-eared owl.  It used to be a great place for hare but, alas, they seemed to have declined in recent years.

And so I paid a visit there on Saturday 28 February.  To my surprise, there was a female stonechat on one of the fence posts.  I watched the bird for about 30 minutes as it kept flying down to the ground in search of food and then returning to one of the many fence posts around the perimeter of the taxiway.

Kinver Edge (22 February, 2015.

An early start to the day showed Kinver Edge at its best with a heavy frost and not too many people around.

A frosty Kinver Edge

Gorse spikes showing heavy frost

Blakeshall and Kinver Edge (NT). (15 February, 2015)

I started from Blakeshall carpark which is on the junction of Gipsy Lane and Blakeshall Lane. On the carpark is an information board showing the different trails you can take: Nuthatch, Woodpecker, Robin and Coal Tit. I didn't follow any particular one, just walked in a direct line to the ridge which passed through conifer plantations.

On the ridge, I walked south for a quarter of a mile which gave magnificent views to the west of Kingsford and beyond.  I then back-tracked and walked north along the ridge and on into the National Trust part of Kinver Edge.

The National Trust have been doing a lot of conservation work recently by taking out non-native trees and restoring it to its former habitat - lowland heath. I have got to commend the NT for their bold task (there has been a lot of criticism of what they are doing some believing they are destroying what is there) as this will attract back lowland heath bird specialities.

Birds of note on the walk included a mistle thrush in full song by Blakeshall carpark. On the NT part a flock of lesser redpolls flew over giving off their rattling calls and a green woodpecker was being vocal with its laughing call, known as 'yaffling'.

This time of the year, there isn't much in the way of flowering wild flowers, but the gorse was beginning to flower with its delightful yellow flowers. If the flowers are picked and crushed they give off a slight almond fragrance.

I took the same route back and had delightful views of a goldcrest.

Island Pool (8 February, 2015)

Island Pool (8 February, 2015)

The weather has been cold of late with overnight temperatures down to -6c. Today, though, it turned a bit warmer and after a misty start to the day the sun came out at midday, making it a fine day for walking.

Island Pool is on the A449 and comprises of a pool and a stream that feeds it. The pool, stream and boggy area above has well established alder and willow.

The public footpath runs alongside the pool, continues on through a much drier area that is covered in hawthorn, wild rose and a few crab apple trees, then passes through a pleasant water meadow and eventually meets another pool at Whitehouse Farm.

Because of the cold weather, the Island Pool was partly frozen over with just a pair of mallards on the ice-free area. As I approached the hawthorns, a pair of bullfinches flew off giving off their characteristic call.

The water meadow is a pleasant area and in the past has attracted grey wagtail, which looks enchanting in spring-time alongside the forget-me-not with their blue flowers.

It was at this point, near the metal gate that enters the meadow, that a water rail was feeding on the edge of the stream. For such a secretive and shy bird, it seemed to tolerate my presence with only the occasional run back to cover when a pair of crows few over calling, 'croak' 'croak'.

With such good and prolonged views, I was able to appreciate its plumage: brown above with black to the centre of the mantle feathers, grey and white lined rear flanks, partly red bill, and, the most striking feature, buff and white undertail coverts.

Adding to the ambience of the moment, a skylark started singing high above me, the first I have heard this year.