Bournville & Bournbrook

Courtesy of Virgin Media and their rubbish broadband service, I have had to go into the office today to do the work planned for today.

So I took the opportunity again to swing around the park whilst the big chunk of my work was running at lunch time. Sadly I didn't have a camera with me, the blossom on the trees around the pond and nearby roads is stunning and I would have loved a photo or two.

Birdwise, nothing spectacular, although a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the trees by the pond gave me great close up views, didnt need any bins to get a good look and 'she' stayed around for a few minutes.

There were quite a few House Martins skimming the pond, plus plenty of Canade Geese, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen and a solitary Greylag. In the park just what you would expect, Starling, Rook, Crow, Woodpigeon, House Sparrow, Robin, Blue Tit and Great Tit.

As I left the pond area about half a dozen Swift circled above, so a pleasant half hour stroll between the showers.

Bournville Park & Brook

For a change I have being working out of our office in Bournville on and off the past couple of weeks, so with no longer being used to working with loads of people all the time I have taken the opportunity to have a couple of lunch time walks from Cadburys along the Bournerbook through Bournville Park and out to the model boating lake at Bournville Lane.

Today's walk was quite interesting with a couple of surprises.

The park provided me with a first for the year, 2 Goldcrests jumping around the branches of a tree overhaning the brook, so that was a great start to a very cold walk. Otherwise the park revealed the usual suspects, Great Tit, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Magpie and Crow, although on my first walk last week I did pick up a Wren as well.

So on to the lake, as usual there was a host of Black-headed Gulls (100ish), Mallard a plenty, but amongst them was a solitary Male Tufted Duck, never seen one on there before. There were also quite a few Canada Geese feeding on the few open patches of grass, but on the lake a solitary Greylag was tootling about.

There wasd also a single Juvenile Mute Swan, still lots of grey plumage, surprised to see it on its own.
The only other birds to trouble the scoreboard were Moorhen, Coot and a Lesser Black Backed Gull.

So an intersting 30 minutes brisk walk, much to cold to hang about!