Eymore Wood

On Friday we took the opportunity of some nice weather to go to Eymore Wood, unbelievably we haven't been over there since August 2014, so it was long overdue. We normally walk down to the reservoir first and circle around along the River Severn and back up through the woods, but we decide to live dangerously and go around the other way through the woods first.

We hoped there might be some Crossbills about, as we had seen them there before and I had seen a report of them earlier in the month. But it was very very quiet, it was about 20 minutes before we even saw a bird of any kind and that was of course a Robin, followed a bit later by a blackbird.

We found a fallen tree to use as a bench and had a coffee, we sat for a while and waited hoping to see anything, but only a some overflying Crows and Woodpigeon were seen. We thought that we might have seen a Falcon, but it was above the canopy and disappeared before the binoculars could be brought to bear.

We carried on down to the river, the paths were terrible, good job we had boots on, although our trousers were covered in mud by the end, walking was very difficult in places. Along the river we added a few Mallard and a solitary Moorhen. Thing livened up a bit as we left the wood and crossed the open area towards Trimpley Reservoir, seeing a number of Blue, Great and Coal Tit. We continued walking along the river and found the Mandarin Ducks. There was 11 of them tucked in under the trees on the far bank of the river. This didn't make for great photographs as it was very gloomy under the trees despite the lovely sunshine.

From here we scaled the reservoir embankment to find a bench for lunch. The top reservoir had a few Cormorant, Feral Pigeon and Black-headed Gulls. While we were having lunch a at least one Goldcrest put in an appearance in the conifers behind us, but that was a very fleeting view.

The lower reservoir had a number of Goosander, but by the time we walked down that way they had all departed. So we crossed the Severn Valley Railway line and climbed back up to the Car Park with only a Grey Squirrel adding to our sightings for the day, until a Song Thrush appeared on top of one of the pines.

So all in all a lovely if somewhat muddy walk, perhaps we will leave another visit until Spring and let the paths dry out a bit!

A Great Walk, but..........

Looking at the weather forecast, Sunday was looking good, so we went to the flicks Saturday afternoon and off to the Wyre Forest on Sunday looking for Crossbills and the Two-Barred in particular. Using the info from the Bird Forum and Worcestershire Birding I printed off a map of where the Two-Barred Crossbills were last seen.

We parked up and headed off into the forest, the conditions underfoot were terrible, glad we had boots and gaiters, it was really hard work in places on the bridleways. We eventually go up to the clear area at Postensplain and saw absolutely nothing! We decided to be patient and have a coffee and wait but apart from another chap searching for Crossbills who we had a chat to that was it. We did however here a Goshawk calling, just couldn't find it though. We did see some Woodpigeon and a Robin or two and whilst walking up there though we definitely heard Crossbills in the trees but couldn't find them. Oh well that's life, we headed back down following the clearing for the electricity cables all the way done back to one of the tracks and had fun scrambling over brooks and down embankments! As we got to the bottom we heard a Goshawk again but it refused to show. Eventually got back to the car, via another coffee stop, covered in mud but had a good time.

We then popped over to Eymore Wood before dark on the way back home, just for a Cuppa and on the off chance that there might be something about. Again very little about but we did get our first Song Thrush of the year, so that was good.

When we got home looked on the the West Midlands Sightings for the day and looks like we missed the Two-barred Crossbills up at Postenplains by about an hour! Oh well let's see what next weekend brings and perhaps this time I will put my memory card in the camera instead of leaving it in the slot of our PC! Hence the distinct lack of photos on this blog!

Crossbills at Last! Eymore Woods

Well at last Eymore delivered the goods, we were on our way for a walk and look around near Button Oak, but Tina suggested just stopping at Eymore for a while and have a coffee up at the top car park.

All was quiet when we arrived apart from two blokes playing with their toy cars in the car park, I kid you not! Eac to their own, although the high pitched whining from them (the cars not the blokes!) was annoying, so much so it was difficult to pick up any bird song.

The trees right by the end of the top car park proved to be full of Goldfinch and a couple of Siskins (that we pretended were juvenile Crossbills!!) Thankfully after about 10 minutes the blokes with the cars had moved along the tracks further up the car park, so we could no longer hear them, then we heard chip-chip and result, Crossbills! Our first sighting in England!

At anyone time we saw about 4 or 5 really going for it on the cones, of course quite high up, but the sun was shining so through the bins we were able to admire the colours on the males, they looked magnificent. I managed a couple of shots for the record, just wish they had been closer, but you can't have everything!

We stayed a while until a man with a dog slammed his van door and they all took off, a mixed flock of about 20-30 birds took to the air, (Crossbills, Goldfinch, Siskin and various Tits) damned annoying. But still a great start to the afternoon.

We then drove on to Button Oak and parked up in one of the Copse car parks and went for a walk.

Nothing much to report (Wren, Coal Tit, Woodpigeon), we did hear some pigs in the forest which surprised us, but we didn't see them. After a very pleasant walk we were heading back along the track to the car and with the light fading, I glimpsed something weaving through the trees at speed, it then burst out across the track and back into the trees the other side and disappeared into the gloom, a Goshawk... what a day!

That was only our second ever sighting of  a Goshawk and brings our UK year tally up to 158, not going to beat last year as with Christmas fast approaching that will be our last free weekend until the festivities are done.

Eymore Wood & Trimpley Reservoir

Well another busy weekend with one thing and another, but we did manage to get out and zoom over to Eymore Wood in the vain hope of seeing the Crossbills there that everyone under the sun has seen except us! This visit was to prove no exception. We heard the little blighters but never saw them, well that's not strictlty true, we think we might have seen 4 whip across the trees and disappear but in the fading light we can't be certain and even so it wouldn't have been a good sighting!

We did have a quick walk down to the reservoir and sailing lake, just to see what was about. We picked up a nice pair of Goosander:

a few Tufted Duck:

There were a couple of Cormorant about:

A Grey Heron:

And for the last of the murky photos, a Great Crested Grebe:

There were plenty of Black-headed Gulls about, a few Canada Geese, a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Mallard, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Robin, Crows and just by the lower car park a nice band of Long-tailed Tits.

So another visit still needed to bag our first English Crossbills..........................

Eymore Wood 06/10

As the weather was so nice Saturday we decided to go out, but with other things to do, not a lot of time, so a walk around Trimpley Reservoir and Eymore Wood was chosen.

It was really glorious in the sunshine, but sadly little bird activity. We are still in hope of seeing Crossbills here, but alas not today. There were lots of 'gangs' of Goldfinches about, plenty of other birdsong as well but nothing showed.

The resevoir was also quiet, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Great Crested Grebe, Coot , Black-headed Gull, Pigeons and a Blackbird were the only birds seen. So we dropped down to the River Severn and walked along it finally cutting through back to Eymore Wood.  The only addition on the way being a Buzzard flying high.

So back to the car for a cuppa before we had to head off, we sat for half an hour as the sun started to drop behind us. But no additions.

So a meagre list, but it had been a wonderful walk, which was well worth it.