Sandwell Valley really is a great place to be at the moment. The birds are singing, the flowers are coming through and it wont be long before we see the migrants returning.
So why not come along to the reserve and enjoy the wildlife that is really responding to this period of settled weather we are enjoying!
Blue, Great and Long-tailed tits are enjoying the feeders along with Dunnocks, Redwing, Reed bunting, Willow tits and recently, a lovely male Brambling. Take time to watch the Bullfinches aswell, they are really striking at the moment, the males with their pink chest and their jet black head, a brilliant bird to see and quite often there are over 20 birds using the feeders at one time
The marsh still has some nice birds with Snipe being seen on the muddy edges daily and Gadwall, Teal, Shoveler and Mallard all enjoying the high water levels.
As you walk down to the hide, see if you can hear the resident Song thrush that has been singing its heart out in the last few weeks. Along with its own song, see if you can pick up any mimicking, these birds are great imitators and you can often hear Oystercatcher amongst others in its song.
The hide, as always, is a great place to spend a few hours. The ducks are putting on a great show as they moult into their breeding plumages. Mallard, Gadwall, Shoveler, Tufted duck and Teal are regular features and Great crested grebe, Little grebe and Pochard are seen most days. The lingering Goosanders are looking beautiful now with the males looking almost peach coloured with vibrant emerald coloured heads.
Water rails can be heard around reedbed areas of the site most days as they sharm (squealing) from the reeds and if you are lucky you, may see one feeding at the reed edge or flying and skuttling back into cover.
There are still Redwing on site, more than 40 Lapwing can be seen on the island, Black-headed gulls are returning in their numbers, most of them now sporting a fancy new black head and the 2 Oystercatchers are still present and enjoying the redeveloped island. Flocks of over 20 Lesser redpoll are being seen occasionaly, usually as they fly overhead and the Ring-necked parakeets continue to add colour to the scenery, they can be seen and heard all over site but a good place to start looking for these is in the top car park, they are quite often perched at the tops of the trees here. Dont worry, if you can't see them, you will more than likely hear them!
Finally, a test for those budding botanists out their. What is this early flowering plant?, it can be seen coming through on the bank towards the Marsh screen. Answers on a postcard, carrier pigeon or smoke signals welcome, or just in the comment box at the bottom...