🦆 Cotwall End Valley nature diary: My local patch
January 1: A couple of hours birding from the upper back room at home to get the year underway. Nineteen species to start 2026, as follows: Magpie. Blackbird (m). Wood pigeon. Redwing (c.10, c.10, c.20, c.10, 3, 3, 6, 7, 2). Carrion crow. Robin (Two together in the garden and not squabbling). Chaffinch (m,f, at least seven. Blue tit. Dunnock. Lesser black-backed gull. Great tit (m,f). Black-headed gull. Coal tit. Herring gull. Common buzzard (Two soaring over eastern slope). Sparrowhawk (Male, in flight along the eastern ridge. Probably the same bird but one being mobbed by four magpie later in flight. Male and female showing at same time). Jackdaw (Four in eastern slope woodland). Feral pigeon (c.8 passing through in flight). Raven (A pair of birds in flight over the eastern slope).
After I did my ‘stint’ watching the garden – and beyond – I saw Goldfinch (Single bird) and Long-tailed-tit (c.8 on the feeding station), which took me to 21 for the year. Not a bad start to 2026.
January 2: A very enjoyable walk in the local woodland, following overnight snowfall. After yesterday’s shared birds with the garden list, added five new unique ones for the valley, taking the list to 26: Bullfinch (Male in flight across the lower valley grassland area). Blackcap (Male in woodland near the grassland). Goldcrest (Several seen in woodland). Treecreeper (Near the main pond). Moorhen (On the main pond).
January 3: Starling (First one of the year, a single bird in a tree on Tennyson. That’s 27 for the year). Raven (Three birds soaring low over tree line on the eastern ridge). Carrion crow (Several birds at dusk, in roost flight towards Baggeridge / Himley).
January 4: Very late dusk walk in the immediate area. Several carrion crows on their way to Baggeridge / Himley to roost.
January 5: A morning walk in the immediate area after overnight snowfall. House sparrow (Three birds flew into dense hedge in Wordsworth. The first of the year, taking the list to 28). Starling (Flock of c.20 in flight across Longfellow).
January 6: More snowfall overnight and a morning walk along the golf course on the western slope. Three new birds, which takes me to 31 for the year. Brambling (Male in hedgerow alongside the last fairway near Spout House Farm). Kestrel (Bird in flight). Great spotted woodpecker (Bird in flight). Bullfinch (Female in hedgerow near Spout House Farm).
January 7: Mute swan (Pair of birds in flight across the valley, heading towards Baggeridge. The first of the year, up to 32).
January 8: Greenfinch (We had them on a regular basis last year, one of the birds that you knew would be visiting the feeding station at home every day. However, the first of the year today, a single bird on the sunflower hearts feeder. That’s 33 for 2026). Stock Dove (In the garden and, like the greenfinch, a constant previous visitor but the first of the year. Up to 34 species).
January 9: Walk in the immediate area after heavy snowfall. Grey heron (Seen from Wordsworth and low in flight over Longfellow. The first of the year, up to 35). Nuthatch (In hedgerow alongside the lane. Heard it calling first then saw it. A new one for the year, which takes me to 36). Raven (Several birds both flying and calling). Redwing (Numerous birds, it’s a great year for them). Starling (c.20 birds in trees in Tennyson). Goldfinch (c.15 in flight across Tennyson). House sparrow (Sixteen in bush off the green).
January 10: Walk in the immediate area. Herring gull (In flight over Wordsworth). Starling (Numerous birds, mostly around Tennyson). Redwing (Numerous birds in fields beyond the lane and a flock of c.30 in flight).
January 11: Little egret Seen initially from the kitchen window at home, as it made its way up the valley, when I moved to the living room, it dropped on fields the other side of the road. The first of 2026, taking me to 37).
January 12: Dusk walk along the lane. Sparrowhawk (Bird in flight across Wordsworth, then into woodland beyond the school). Little egret (In flight, heading towards Himley).
January 13: Redwing (Flock of c.15 in flight from lower valley to woodland beyond the school). Herring gull (Single bird in low flight over Wordsworth).
January 15: Little egret (Seen in flight from the kitchen, heading south over the lane).
January 16: Early dusk walk along the lane. Carrion crow (Numerous birds heading towards Baggeridge/Himley to roost). Little egret (Bird in low flight heading south over the lane).
January 17: Early dusk walk along the lane. Sparrowhawk (In low flight along Wordsworth before swooping upwards into the hedgerow alongside the lane). Muntjac (Two deer just inside the first ride entrance. Not connected, they passed each other). Cormorant (Bird in flight over Wordsworth heading north. The first of the year, takes me to 38).
January 18: Walk in immediate area. House sparrow (c.15 in bushes off the green near Longfellow). Wood pigeon (16 feeding together on the green). Redwing (5 in trees in Tennyson). Wren (Bird on the patio at home, which takes me to 39 species so far this year) .
January 21: Morning walk in the immediate area. House sparrow (Male in tree off the green).
January 22: Carrion crow (Last species of the evening, very late dusk. A pair of birds in flight towards Himley).
January 24: Herring gull (Two birds on fields beyond Sandyfields Road, on the western slope).
January 25: Red Kite (First one of the year, taking me to 40. On the ground in the last field off the lower lane. Flew into woodland but I lost sight of it after that). House sparrow (Several noisy birds in dense hedge in Longfellow on the green. Four showing.)
January 26: Little egret (In flight south to north, low over the central valley).
January 27: Tawny owl (Just before midnight, I could hear owls calling outside. I went to the back room and spotted one, in flight along Wordsworth. Up to 41 for the year).
January 28: Tawny owls (Several birds calling from woodland during dark. Heard while walking along Wordsworth.)
January 30: Herring gull (In low, soaring flight over the green.) Redwing (In a tree alongside the lane.) Cormorant (Three in NE flight high over the valley.)
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