🌲 Cotwall End Valley nature diary – January 2024
January 1
Started the year birding from the garden and added 23 species in two hours.
In a couple of hours saw 23 birds, in order of appearance: blackbird (m), dunnock, carrion crow, wood pigeon, magpie, song thrush (2), goldfinch, chaffinch, blue tit, great tit, great spotted woodpecker (m), feral pigeon, robin, long-tailed tit (c.20), house sparrow (m), mistle thrush (1,2), collared dove, raven (2), ring-necked parakeet (2), stock dove, wren, jay, coal tit.
They’re valley birds as well.
Then went in the woodland alongside the lane and added a further seven species.
Also saw a muntjac.
common buzzard, goldcrest, siskin, redwing, mallard, moorhen, herring gull.
January 3
A dusk walk around the local streets and a mistle thrush in flight, heading towards woodland to roost.
January 4
Through the woodland and back along the golf course and the lane.
Five sheep grazing in field by Spout House.
nuthatch, sparrowhawk (m), moorhen (2), lesser black-backed gull, redwing (3), mistle thrush, herring gull, great white egret.
Three new species – nuthatch, lesser black-backed gull, egret – up to 34 for the year.
January 5
Walk up the lane and back along Sandyfields Road on the western ridge.
moorhen (2) on pond, mistle thrush (2) on golf course, peregrine falcon perched on Baggeridge Brickworks chimney, black headed gull in flight.
Two new ticks, up to 36.
January 7
Species number 37, a greenfinch on the feeding station at home.
Species number 38, a mute swan in field opposite Wordsworth Road.
January 14
A night drive around the valley, with a fox in the lane near to our home.
January 16
Very late walk around the valley, two ravens heading towards Himley to roost.
January 17
Muntjac in woods, off the lane.
January 18
Lots of starlings in trees around the green. Species number 39 for the year.
January 22
Good view of a goshawk, soaring high over the wooded eastern slope of the valley and heading in a NE direction. Bird number 40 of the year.
January 24
In woodland alongside Bob’s brook. Both coal tits and long-tailed tits paired up. Good view of both fox and muntjac.
January 25
Species number 41, several jackdaws on the Straits estate/Sandyfields Road.
January 26
Up to 43 birds for the year, with a male bullfinch preening in a thicket on the golf course and a great black-backed gull in flight along the western slope.
January 30
Two ravens in late afternoon flight, quite low, from north to south above the lane.