Cotwall End Valley nature diary: My local patch
November 1: Two house sparrows chased by a female sparrowhawk across The Straits. They landed in a dense hedge and the predator flew away empty-handed. Pair of collared doves on roof of a house on The Straits. Raven mobbed by a carrion crow over Masefield. Starlings (c.25) on pylon wires beyond Wallows Wood.
November 2: Seen from our drive: Two silent ravens in flight heading towards the western ridge, passed on the way by two calling ravens heading into woodland in the centre of the valley. Two jays heading into woodland across the road.
November 3: Walk in immediate area. Female sparrowhawk soaring over Wordsworth. Six ring-necked parakeets in flight heading towards the centre of the valley.
November 4: Very low and calling raven around Tennyson. Ring-necked parakeet calling in flight over the green, heading towards Himley. Female sparrowhawk soaring over Kipling.
November 5: Early evening walk in the immediate area. Four ring-necked parakeets heading into the lower woodland. Two ravens in flight towards Himley. Female sparrowhawk soaring over The Straits.
November 6: Silent raven in morning flight across Tennyson, heading towards Barrow Hill. Sixteen starlings on an aerial in Shakespeare. Evening walk: Six ring-necked parakeets in high flight, heading towards Barrow Hill. Two low ravens across Tennyson in flight towards Baggeridge.
November 7: Evening walk in local area. Two ravens heading towards Himley, one into valley woodland. Calling ring-necked parakeet flying into centre of the valley woodland. Long-tailed tits (c.5) in Wordsworth.
November 8: Two starlings performing over Tennyson area. The smallest murmuration I’ve ever seen.
November 9: Walk in lower valley woodland. Jay seen and heard, likewise a raven. Pair of coal tits in trees off the lane.
November 10: Not seen but vocal house sparrows in dense hedges on Tennyson and the green. Two carrion crows perched on roof in Wordsworth. Several lesser black-backed gulls in flight.
November 11: Late evening walk in the immediate area. Carrion crows and wood pigeons heading to woodland to roost.
November 12: Morning walk in the immediate area. Starlings (c.50) in a tree in Tennyson. Two herring gulls low in flight. Grey heron dropped into a garden in Masefield. Someone may end up with a few fish missing when they arrive home.
November 13: Very quiet walk in the immediate area. One carrion crow on aerial in Keats and a lesser black-backed gull in flight over Longfellow.
November 14: Flock of c.70 wood pigeons in flight over our home.
November 15: Mistle thrush singing from woodland across the road, heard but not seen from the drive at home. Two flocks of c.12 goldfinches at dusk. Lots of smaller groups of wood pigeons heading for roosting, no large flocks.
November 16: Two noisy lesser black-backed gulls low over fields beyond Wordsworth.
November 17: Late evening walk in the immediate area. Numerous carrion crows on their way to Baggeridge to roost. Pair of mistle thrushes across Longfellow, heading towards the lower valley.
November 18: Morning walk in the local area. Ten wood pigeons feeding on the green. Several carrion crows. Two black-headed gulls in flight.
November 19: Morning walk in the immediate area. Two common buzzards soaring over woodland in the centre of the valley. Single mistle thrush in flight towards western slope woodland. Starlings (c.30) in trees in Tennyson. Goldfinches (c.10) and one chaffinch with them in tree in Tennyson.
November 20: Late evening, ten ring-necked parakeets in flight heading into woodland in the centre of the valley to roost.
November 21: Heard ring-necked parakeets in woodland valley late evening. Went to search for them but no more sounds. Saw a pair of jays and two goldcrests.
November 22: Heard a ring-necked parakeet by Straits Green but not seen. Sounded like it was perched somewhere, as opposed to flying.
November 23: Late evening watch from the back window over the valley. Several carrion crows and three ravens, all going to roost at Baggeridge / Himley.
November 24: Flock of c.25 starlings in flight over the lower eastern slope.
November 25: Starlings (c.20) in trees in Tennyson. It’s a regular haunt for them. Three blackbirds in one small area feeding on grass, also on Tennyson, as the winter visitors arrive in greater numbers.
November 26: Six blackbirds and one mistle thrush feeding on berries in tree off Tennyson. Fourteen starlings in tree in Shakespeare. Little egret in flight across the green, heading towards Himley.
November 27: Three noisy carrion crows in trees in Tennyson. Three calling herring gulls making their way across the western slope.
Cotwall End Valley is my local patch, check out the nature diary here