4th January

 RSPB Middleton (Warks) - Lesser Spotted Woodpecker [Mill Plantation] (B Eaton, M Smiles).

3rd January

Ladywalk NR (WMBC Members only) -  drake Pintail, 6 Chiffchaff, Common Gull, 2 Egyptian Geese, 4 Goosander, 2 Little Egret, 6 Mandarin (C Waring).

RSPB Middleton (Warks) - Lesser Spotted Woodpecker [Mill Plantation] (M Pollock).

RSPB Middleton (Staffs) - Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 10 Common Gull, Great Egret [Jubilee].

Drayton Bassett - Jack Snipe, Peregrine, c210 Golden Plover (M Smiles).

Shustoke Res - Goldeneye, 13 Goosander (P Forbes).

Curdworth - 15 Redpoll (P Forbes)

2nd January

RSPB Middleton (Warks) - Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (G Briddick), 7 Siskin [Mill Plantation]

RSPB Middleton (Staffs) - Marsh Harrier, 8 Shelduck, 2 Pintail, 5 Goldeneye (+5 waterski lake), 3 Pochard, 4 Goosander, 5 Snipe, 2  Great Egret, Common Gull, 3 Stonechat, 2 Egyptian Geese (M Smiles, S Atkinson).

Tamworth [Borrowpit Pool] - Great Egret, 2 Common Gull (S Allison).

1st January

Ladywalk NR (WMBC Members only) - 4 Chiffchaff, Common Gull over, 2 Egyptian Geese, 5 Goosander, Green Sandpiper, Little Egret, 4 Mandarin, Peregrine, Stonechat (C Waring). Merlin (m), Blackcap, 11 Chiffchaff plus 3 Sibe Type - 75 species seen (P Softley).

Middleton Village -  c40 Golden Plover [near Green Man Pub] (D Baker)

Bodymoor Heath - 32 Golden Plover (T Perrins)
RSPB Middleton - drake Pintail (S Berghoff), Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Great Egret, 4 Goldeneye, 5 Goosander, 2 Pochard, 10 Siskin, 6 Redpoll, 2 Egyptian Geese, 6 Snipe, 2 Chiffchaff, 3 Water Rail (D Corfield).

Wishaw - 2 Stonechat [Blindpit Ln] (T Perrins).

Drayton Bassett - Brambling (M Smiles).

Happy New Year - Thanks again for all your sightings from last year. Much appreciated. Sorry the blog hasn't been updated for much of the year but following lockdown I struggled to find the enthusiasm. Slowly I'm now working backwards such that we have a complete record for the year.

The RSPB Middleton year total finished on 158 but I may have missed a few. This was 1 more than the previous year with the winners and losers when compared to 2019 as follows:-

Additions                                  Omissions

Barnacle Goose                          Black Tern

Broad-billed Sandpiper              Curlew Sandpiper

Glossy Ibis                                  Little Gull

Green-winged Teal                     Little Stint

Red-necked Phalarope               Osprey

Hawfinch                                    Redstart

Marsh Tit                                    Rock Pipit

Pallid Harrier                              Smew   

Red-breasted Merganser           Temmincks Stint

Rose-ringed Parakeet                Tree Pipit

Short-eared Owl                        Water Pipit

White-fronted Goose

                                    

31st December

RSPB Middleton - Marsh Harrier, drake Pintail, 13 Shelduck, 24 Snipe, 3 Great Egret (S Atkinson), Yellow-legged Gull, 14 Goldeneye (1 JW, 8 Dosthill & 5 Waterski lake), 4 Stonechat, 3 Pochard (M Smiles).

KWP North - 2 Goldeneye, 8 Pochard [Cliff Pool].

Bodymoor Heath (Opposite RSPB Entrance) - c30 Golden Plover circling fields (M Pollock).

30th December

RSPB Middleton - drake Pintail, 6 Shelduck, 7 Snipe, Great Egret, 5 Goldeneye (3 reserve & 2 Waterski lake), 4 Pochard, 2 Raven, 2 Common Gull, Oystercatcher through (M Smiles). Flock of Siskin, Egyptian Goose (J Hexall).

Bodymoor Heath - 6 Golden Plover (T Perrins).

Ladywalk NR (WMBC Members only) - 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Goosander, 4 Cetti's Warbler, Little Egret, drake Mandarin, 2 Shelduck, Siskin (P Andrews). Otter (B Clarke)

29th December

RSPB Middleton - Marsh Harrier [North Pit], 6 Snipe, 2 Pochard, 5 Goldeneye, 2 Shelduck, Goosander, Stonechat, 5 Egyptian Geese 3 (S Atkinson). Great Egret.

Ladywalk NR (WMBC Members only) - c4 Chiffchaff, 2 Goosander, Great Egret, 11 Lapwing, Little Egret, 6 Mandarin (4m, 2f), 5 Shelduck, Snipe (C Waring), Siberian Chiffchaff along entrance track, 6 Shelduck (P Andrews).

28th December

RSPB Middleton - Great Egret [Fishers Mill], 2 Shelduck, 2 Stonechat [Jubilee], Goosander [River], 13 Goldeneye [Dosthill NR] (M Smiles). Marsh Harrier through Waterski pools mid afternoon.
Whateley - 20 Golden Plover circled fields between Hockley and Whateley

27th December

Ladywalk NR (WMBC Members only) - Drake Mandarin, 5 Goosander, 3 Shelduck, Stonechat, Little Egret, Common Gull, Willow Tit and Yellowhammer over the wood yard. (P Lichfield).

26th December

RSPB Middleton - 2 Great Egret, 6 Shelduck [Jubilee], 12 Goldeneye [7 Dosthill NR, 2 Reedbed Pool, 3 Waterski Lake], 2 Goosander & Marsh Harrier [North Pit], Stonechat & small flocks of both Siskin & Redpoll (M Smiles). 

Ladywalk NR (WMBC Members only) - Merlin through, Peregrine, 400 Starlings roosted, 2 Siberian Chiffchaff [right of double gates], 2 Egyptian Geese, 3 Goosander.  Several Redpoll over EON Meadow (P Softley).

KWP (South) - Great Egret [Pine Pool] (T Perrins).