LOCAL CLAMMING.

Now I've decided to start posting some of our local trip reports, just so you know that the Clams are not just "Twitchers" and that we are "Birders" !

Me (Olly Clam) & Tom (Chatty Clam) do most of our local birding at the Old Railway and Essington Quarry Pool which is situated just outside Wednesfield in the West Midlands and Staffordshire boarder, it is mainly farmland scattered with a few small woods and small pools.

                                                       Essington Quarry Pool

We have both been birding locally here for over 25 years and have seen some really good birds here and have seen many changes over this time, like the Quarry Pool established.

In the past we used to have 100's of Golden Plover regually visit the fields along the Old Railway, nesting Merlins, Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, Corn Buntings , but things change over the years and we don't get many now days, but with the Quarry Pool on our patch now we get alot of birds we never had before, like Black Necked Grebes passing through on occassion , Black Throated Driver, Long Tailed Skua, Green & Common Sandpipers and a variety of Wildfoul and much more (For a full list of speices visit- Essington Quarry Pool by Dave Hampton).

Anyway thats a brief round up of our local patch, the other two Clams - Tony (Bearded) and Gary (CamperVan) live in different areas to Me & Tom. Bearded does his local birding around Tamworth in Warwickshire and reguarly visits Middleton RSPB and Branston Gravel pits, so I will be adding his trip reports as I get them.

Camper Van Clam - now the majority of his local birding is done at Upton Warren where he is a volunteer Warden, but as he is a Co-Writer on this blog I will let him give you the information of his visits and information on his local birding patch.

Ok back to our local trip reports. Tom paid a visit to the Quarry Pool this week, and here is a list of the birds seen on the 7th August 2012.-

2 Blackbird , 3 Blue Tit, 30+ Wood Pigeon, 6 Swallow, 1 House Martin, 2 Magpie, 4 Yellowhammer, 3 Willow Warbler, 3 Wren, 4 Jay, 1 Kestrel, 100+ Carrion Crow, 4 Mallard, 5 Tufted Duck, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Little Grebe, 12 Coot, 3 Swift, 1 Pheasant, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Whitethroat, 2 Buzzard, 3 Robin, 1 Black Headed Gull, 2 Rook, 2 Long Tailed Tit, 1 Chaffinch, 50+ Jackdaw. Tom also said there were lots of Butterflies and Damsel Flies seen, which are good to see all be it a bit late!

                                    Essington Quarry Pool , viewed from the north bank

Well thats it for now, lets see what turns up at the weekend or what we can find !!

Clam on !!!