A Study of a Nuthatch or Another Visit to Haden Hill

Well this time I had a full charged camera, but despite the glorious sunshine, there wasn't much about, we thought the birds might be a bit more active, it was very cold though and lots of dogs about. We do love dogs but not when we are out doing a bit of birding. The constant barking and attention from uncontrolled dogs does get on our nerves.

So nothing out of the ordinary, some Black-headed Gulls were enjoying the afternoon sun at the Lower Pool:

as was this Coal Tit:

But while sitting on a bench enjoying a coffee and the sunshine ourselves, Tina noticed as shower of moss and lichen coming down from a nearby tree, it was a Nuthatch after his lunch. It hung around for quite a while giving me a few photo opportunities, it was quite high up and often in the shade of the tree, but I'm not too unhappy with the result!

A Quick Visit to Haden Hill Park

With an hour free and decent weather we too a short walk up through the Corngreaves NR and up to the Lower Pool at Haden Hill. There are no photos with this post, as after Scotland I had forgot to charge the camera battery and my spare has given up the ghost a while ago!

But we brought our year tally up to 60 with the addition of a couple of Jays and a Goldcrest, possibly two it was difficult to tell. The lower pool at the park provided a surprise with two pairs of Goosander paddling and diving. Really would have like my camera at that point!

Not much else to report just the usual garden/woodland birds.

Another Stroll Around Haden Hill

Difficult to find time at the moment to do any birding posts, indeed to do any birding! But we did manage a quick turn around Haden Hill last week.

Again pretty quiet on an overcast day, I nearly didn't take the camera as it was so dull, but I'm glad I did, just to get a close up of this young Buzzard:

It was sitting in a tree just off the path leading down from the park, above the stream.

Otherwise the usual was seen Tits, Pigeon, Corvids etc. Plus a couple of Nuthatch, a Goldcrest and our first Kingfisher of the year down on the stream near Corngreaves Hall. It never gave us time for a photo though.

Tomorrow if they are still about we may head up to Hednesford to see if we can see the Waxwings, then on to Cannock Chase for a bit of a walk, weather permitting!

Haden Hill Park & Corngreaves NR

We took advantage of a bit of late afternoon sunshine yesterday and went for a quick walk up through Corngreaves NR up to the Park, around the Lower Pool and then back down through the NR.

The walk up to the park was very quiet, we hardly saw anyone which was unusual, we guess the muddy paths had put off the dog walkers. So we might have expected lots of bird activity, but we only saw Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin, so we thought another walk without seeing much.

We paused briefly at the pool, where there were only Mallard, Black-headed Gull and Coot. A few Blue and Great Tits were flitting around the trees and a solitary Chaffinch was hanging out on a branch. So disappointed we walk back through the reserve, along the river. Then as we approached the first steps that dropped back down to towards the river, we had a flurry of activity.

First a large group of Long-tailed Tits turned up with Blue Tit and Great Tit in tow, we watched them for a little while, whereupon a Treecreeper was spotted;

The light was now fading so the shots very grainy. The Treecreeper flew off, but was replaced by a Nuthatch;

We were very happy with the turn of events, which was then capped by a Goldcrest up high in the trees;

It was excellent 15 minutes of birding and well worth braving the mud!

Haden Hill

Popped out yesterday for a brief walk in between the rain for a walk along the river in the Corngreaves NR section of the park, up to the main pool.

Nothing much to report other than a first for the park for us a Cormorant fishing on the main pool, I didn't take the camera as it was so dull, so no photos to go with the post.

On the way back down to the lower car park we did see a Goldcrest, sheltering, as the rain had started again, so we made a hasty retreat back to the car.

Haden Hill Park

Went for a short walk at Haden Hill and Corngreaves NR on Tuesday, the weather was glorious, but the whole place seemed devoid of birds. We hardly saw anything although a couple of Buzzards put in an appearance:

apart from that, just Woodpigeon, Magpies and Crow, with Mallard and Moorhen on the pool. That was it! Apart from a Squirrel with a gobstopper!

and some gorgeous trees of course.

Afternoon Stroll at Haden Hill

I can't believe that it is over 2 months since we last went to Haden Hill and I did the last post about our walk. But with limited time we spent a couple of hours there on Wednesday afternoon in lovely sunshine. The walk got off to a very quiet start, last time on the first bit of the walk we had seen Goldcrest, Treecreeper and Nuthatch, but not this time. Of course there was plenty of spring singing going on, roughly translated as 'Look at me!' This coming mainly from Blue & Great Tits, Chaffinch and Robin, with Blackbird adding to the chorus.

Eventually when we moved away from the paths to the top of the reserve things got a bit busier, with our first 2017 sighting of Willow Warbler, although they wouldn't stay still long enough for a photo.

Goldfinch and a single Bullfinch put in an appearance, before I spotted a Nuthatch on a distant dead tree,

There were a couple of Starlings gathering nesting material, one took the opportunity to have a breather and pose for the camera.

A chap we spoke to told us he had seen a Kingfisher down at the pool but no sign of it when we looked, never mind. A nice couple of hours, with 23 species seen, not too shabby!

Corngreaves Nature Reserve (Haden Hill)

Despite having out local park and natures reserve down as our local patch on this blog site, we have seriously neglected it for the past couple of years, thinking that we don't see much!

Well on a very busy Monday we took an hour out and went to the park, and what a brilliant hour we had. The weather wasn't too grim as it has been, so I hoped for some decent photo opportunities, if there was anything about, forgetting that the walk along the river is in the wood, so not a lot of light!

We entered the park, by the pool to see if there was anything interesting, we have seen Kingfisher and Goosander here in the past, but not today! Just Mallard, Black-headed Gull and a couple of Coot, strangely we didn't see any Moorhens.

From here we left the park and went into the small reserve, there were as you would expect the usual woodland birds, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Robin and Dunnock. But as we walked on we came across a couple of Treecreepers being 'frisky' one finally calming down to do some hunting:

This was followed by some Long-tail Tits right over our heads, so making for a poor photo,

Next up were two or three Goldcrests, trying to take a photo was nigh on impossible, they just wouldn't, as they don't, keep still! This is the best I could do,

Sadly the crest isn't on view.
Immediately after this we claimed our first Nuthatch of the year.

In between this we had a Buzzard sail through the trees, awesome.
We now had to turn back as time was short, lots to do. On the way back we saw the Treecreeper and Goldcrests again, then finally finishing up with a Chaffinch and a Bullfinch that allowed me one shot before departing,

We saw 19 species in an hour and had a great time, so we will definitely be visiting much more often.

Bits and Bobs

Well a quiet week on the birding front so I thought I'd catch up with whats in the Garden and finally have time for a lunch time jaunt around Haden Hill.

So the Garden first, steady flow of youngsters coming in to the feeders, mainly Blue Tit (family of 6), Green Finch, a pair with one youngster, a Juvenile Goldfinch turning up regularly on his own:

and a juvenile Blackbird, perhaps they need to keep their heads down as we have seen a Sparrowhawk above the garden and Buzzards overhead too:

Apart from that pretty quiet, some nice Caterpillars are eating our Buddleia:

Is this a Mullein Moth Catepillar?

So today took a stroll to the Park and returned via the Canal and Powke Lane POS. The park and NR was very quiet, just Mallard, a Lesser Black Back,

Coot and Moorhen (with Juveniles):

I stayed in the hope a Kingfisher turned up, but no luck, instead a Jay came and landed in a tree right next to me:

Very nice too! So a wander down to Corngreaves produced.......... Nowt! So I took a picture of a rock..

Lots of woodpecker damage noted to the nest boxes:

This butterfly stayed still for a bit, although with a 500mm lens it was a bit difficult to get a good close up!

A Ringlet I think (had to search the net!)

So onwards, had a fleeting view of a Bullfinch, heard plenty of song, Chiffchaff and Chaffinch, but saw very little. Spotted a 'hive' though in a tree:

Then like buses another Jay turned up:

Back to the pool just in case for the Kingfisher, but nothing so headed back.
I took a detour along the canal and was surprised to see two Coot chicks still on the nest:

With Mom doing the house work!

So that's it for now.

Off to Waddington Airshow on Sunday so might post some Heavy Metal if your unlucky. We are going the day before and our digs are only 9 miles from Frampton Marshes, so might try and bag a Turtle Dove! I have noted via Bird Forums that they are showing reasonably well on the reserve. Fingers crossed.

TTFN

Lunchtime at Haden Hill

As the sun was shining I took the opportunity to have a wander around Haden Hill Park and Corngreaves NR at lunchtime yesterday (Thursday)

At first I didn't think I would see much, to many dog walkers again! A real pain in the Mutt! The Bluebells and Wild Garlic are a picture though and the smell of the Garlic in some of the walks is anazing. (If you like Garlic that is!)

Once down on the NR though it wasn't to bad. So much so I saw a first (for me) for the reserve a Whitethroat:

So made the whole walk well worthwhile. I had a fleeting glimpse of a Green Woodpecker at one point, I tried to follow it, but an elderly chap with 2 yapping dogs put paid to that, Oh well it is a public park!

There were plenty of Nuthatches about, but they were a tad camera shy, but I managed to get one:

as it skittered around a tree nearby.
The rest were the usual suspects, so just a few record shots for the walk:

Buzzard, circling over Corngreaves Hall

Lunchtime

A 'Tree' Mallard

A 'Tree' Moorhen

Scraggy Robin!