Week 4 - 14/01/24 to 21/01/24 - Kingfisher, Siskin & Kites

 14th

Having moved back into uni accomodation in shropshire earlier that morning I decide to take the camera out for a spin. Newport and the surrounding area is signficantly different to that of my home in East Northamptonshire. The majority of the landscape being farm and estate land, with a few pockets of moorland and areas of underlying sandstone geology to the west and south. There is little amount of wooded area and the majority of wooded areas, except for chetwynd firs to the north, are plantations of varying age and sizes and tree type. Unlike the Nene Valley with it's varying wetland habitats Newport and the sorrounding area has a small canal, stream, some areas of riverside meadows and Aqaulate Mere, the largest natural lake in the Midlands. I decided to head to the canal to see if there was anything interesting. I have seen both little grebe's (Tachybaptus ruficollis), a Drake Goosander (Mergus merganser) and a pair of Kingfishers (Alcedo atthis.) Once I reached the small road bridge that crosses the canal I decided to head down along the stretch of canal left of the bridge. After watching a Goldcrest, Mallard's, Mute Swans and Coots I decided to stop on the second bridge along that stretch. I decide to look out over the fields adjacent to the canal. It was at this moment I noticed a small electric blue bird fly under the bridge and land on a smaller alder by the bank. Realising what it was I decided to take the path on the opposite bank. I positioned myself to avoid being spotted and snapped a photo ... A Kingfisher my heart jumped with joy. The kingfisher must have realised and flew of immediately after. 

Kingfishers (Alcedo atthis). Newport, Telford, 14/01/24.

I walked the rest of the canal stretch and double backed on the opposite stretch of the river. I stopped the bridge again on the way back this time a pair of Kingfisher's burst out of large Birch trees on my left and flew really fast over my head before diving down into the stream that runs along the canal. I knew from reading The Call of the Kingfisher, by Nick Penny, that this stream would likely be where they make their nest in a few months. Unfortunately the land on that side of the Canal is not public acess and for the most part the stream is below the level of the canal.

20th

Today I decided to walk to Aqualatemere, Staffordshire, the largest natural lake in the Midlands. The lake is around 6 kilometers away and during winter the lake supports a large number of wintering and breeding wildfowl predominatly Mallards, Teal, Wigeons, Pochards, Tufted ducks, Goldeneye, and Gadwalls. Near the start of the walk when along the canal I spotted a large Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo). Last time I tried to walk to Aqualate Mere around six weeks ago the foot path was impassible by flooding and the other was blocked by the cow herd used for winter grazing.

After leaving Newport and crossing the A41 I encountered a flock of Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus), feeding of Alder Cones, along Meretown Road. 

Male Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus). Meretown, Staffordshire, 20/01/24.

When passing through the fields after Meretown, I saw a large flock of several dozen Redwing (Turdus iliacus). When stopping in an attempt to photograph a Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) I disturbed a Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) that burst from the Sedges and flew off. Once I reached the Aqualate Estate, an area of land that Natural England leases a section of for Aqualate Mere, I noticed around 8 Long Tailed Tits (Aegithalos caudatus) sitting in a willow tree.

Long Tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus). Aqualate Mere, Staffordshire, 20/01/24.

I headed to the bird hide to see if I could spot any interesting wetland birds. A large percentage of the Lake was frozen over and the majority of the birds were sitting far away on the ice near the centre of the lake. It was hard to observe the birds from that distance even with Binoculars. However I did manage to pick out Mallard, Teal, Shoveler, Cormorant, Mute Swan, Wigeon, Gadwall, Coot, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye and Great Crested Grebe's. At the bird feeder next to the Hide there was a large number of Mallards and Great Tit's and Blue Tit's feeding on the bird feeder. I also managed to photograph a pair of Mute Swan's (Cygnus olor) in flight.

Great Tit (Parus major). Aqualate Mere, Staffordshire, 20/01/24.

Mute Swan's (Cygnus olor). Aqualate Mere, Staffordshire, 20/01/24.

After spending around an hour watching the birds from the Hide and speaking to a lovely couple who had bought their young son bird watching with them I decided to head home as it was now 1pm and the weather was beginning to turn for the worse. I decided to take a different route back to Newport heading North to Sutton before Heading West to join back up with the footpath I took earlier. I noticed a pair of Red Kites (Milvus milvus) flying low overhead and tried my best to photograph it and got very lucky. 

Red Kite (Milvus milvus). Sutton, Staffordshire, 20/01/24.