West Midland Bird Club Annual Report No 40 1973 The front cover shows a male Pied Flycatcher with food. This species is a scarce nesting bird in the Club's area. The main feature article of this year's Report deals with the distribution of the Rook and the illustration below shows this familiar bird at its nest. West Midland Bird Club Annual Report No 40 1973 Being the Annual Bird Report of the West Midland Bird Club on the birds of Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire. Contents 2 Officers and Committee 3 Chairman's Remarks 3 Editor's Report 5 Secretary's Report 6 Treasurer's Report and Financial Statement 8 Membership Secretary's Report 8 Ringing Secretary's Report 9 Field Meetings Report 9 Conservation Officer's Report 10 Ladywalk Reserve 11 The Rookeries of Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire 22 Classified Notes 77 Recoveries in 1973 of Birds Ringed in the WMBC area 83 Recoveries in WMBC area of Birds Ringed elsewhere 85 Arrival and Departure of Migrants 85 Key to Contributors 95 List of Species requiring descriptions Price 50p 2 Officers and Committee 1974 President The Lord Hurcomb, GCB, KBE Vice-President A J Harthan, Dovers Cottage, Weston Subedge, Chipping Camden, Gloucestershire Vice-President C A Norris, Brookend House, Wetland, Worcestershire Chairman A T Clay, " Ardenshaw," Ullenhall, Solihull, Warwickshire B95 5RW Secretary A J Richards, 1 St. Asaph's Avenue, Studley, Warwickshire B80 7JB Editor B R Dean, 2 Charingworth Road, Solihull, Warwickshire B92 8HT Treasurer K H Thomas, 34 Froxmere Close, Crowle, Worcetster WR7 4AP Field Meeting A F Jacobs, 2a Green Lane, Hadzor, Droitwich, Secretary Worcestershire WR9 7DP Assistant J N Sears, 81 Alcester Road, Hollywood, Secretary Birmingham B47 5NR Ringing E J Pratley, 54 Welford Road, Sutton Coldfield, Secretary Warwickshire B73 5DP Conservation G C Lambourne, The Cottage Farm, Ipsley, Officer Redditch, Worcestershire B98 OAP Membership D M Thomas, 43 Mayhurst Road, Hollywood, Secretary Birmingham B47 5QG Chairman ARM Blake, 102 Russell Bank Road, Four Oaks, Research Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire Committee Kidderminster L R Bayes, 23 Woodland Avenue, Sweetpool Lane, Branch Rep West Hagley, Worcestershire DY8 2XQ Stafford B Craddock, 44 Haling Road, Penkridge, Branch Rep Stafford ST19 5DA Coventry C Potter, 227 Boswell Drive, Walsgrave, Coventry Branch Rep Solihull Mrs D Dunstan, 4 Blossomfield Road, Solihull, Branch Rep Warwickshire Main ARM Blake, Mrs D Dunstan, D M Hawker, Committee Mrs C Randall 3 Chairman's Remarks As one of the largest bird clubs in the country we surely have a special responsibility for good behaviour in the field. Mr Peter Conder, Director of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, has recently sent out a letter to his representatives and affiliated societies, the gist of which is as follows:— " By encouraging more people to become interested in birds we are creating more and more bird-watchers and these naturally want to enjoy their hobby and to explore the countryside, whether it is woodland, coastal, marsh or mountain. The pressures on the countryside are increasing and we bird-watchers are ourselves a pressure; we should make sure that we do not abuse our privileges. As conservationists, our behaviour must be beyond reproach. From time to time we receive complaints about bird-watchers, sometimes our own members, who have trespassed on private land, harassed a tired migrant or taken outings to places where rare birds breed. Lately these com- plaints are increasing; we may be at fault in not educating our members in the proper use of the countryside." It is hoped that members of this Club— WILL NOT TRESPASS: WILL NOT HARASS TIRED MIGRANTS: WILL NOT PUT UP WADERS AND DUCKS SO AS TO GET A BETTER VIEW: WILL NOT VISIT PLACES WHERE RARE BIRDS BREED. This code applies to all members, whether ringers, photographers or just watchers. It is hoped that each will search his or her conscience to make sure he or she is not guilty. A Talbot Clay, Chairman Editor's Report The rapid growth in the Club's membership has produced a potentially excellent coverage of the three counties. The consequent mass of records received each year has resulted in an increasing number of species having to be summarised, such grouped records not carrying observer's initials. Even in cases where records are published in detail there are usually several observers associated with each report and the choice of the initials to appear becomes difficult, the observer really responsible for the record possibly being omitted. The monitoring of the various species each year depends more on the mass of material supplied by members than the very small selection published and therefore nothing should be detracted from the contributions of an observer simply because any individual record is not published. 4 It has therefore been decided to follow the majority of other counties and to be selective in the use of observers' initials. Only in those cases where a record requires some degree of substantiation for future reference will observers' initials be used. Such cases include unusual species, out of season migrants, exceptional numbers, changes in behaviour, unusual breeding records, &c. Members are thanked for their support and it is hoped they will continue to send in records for future reports. It is the common species for which, strangely enough, too little information is usually received to make a significant comment. A record slip stating simply that there has been no change, an increase or decrease locally is of great value for the common species for which members may feel they have little of interest to report. We are again indebted to Rob Hume for producing some excellent draw- ings of various birds reported during the year. Birds in 1973 The year opened with a Great Northern Diver and two Whooper Swans remaining from 1972, the latter staying for an unusually long time until April at Bodymoor Heath. The winter period provided interest in a flock of Crossbills on Cannock Chase remaining from the previous year's invasion and also in the now expected Glaucous and Iceland Gulls on the reservoirs. Unusual visitors during this time included Red-breasted Merganser, Velvet Scoter and Peregrine. Spring was exceptionally interesting with such occurrences as three Temminck's Stints, three Avocets, two Spoonbills and two Hoopoes in the three counties. Raptors were represented by an Osprey and both Marsh and Montagu's Harriers. Rarities were noted in the form of Mediterranean Gull and Red-footed Falcon at Cannock reservoir and Alpine Swift at Upton Warren. Rather disturbing was the widespread comment on the poor passage and breeding numbers for a variety of species. The Common Terns were unsuccessful at Bodymoor Heath and apparently we have lost the Cirl Bunting from Worcestershire. On the bright side, two pairs of Shelduck bred, Hobby were successful at several sites, and first breeding records occurred in the form of Siskin in Staffordshire and Black Redstart in Worcestershire. The presence of Firecrest at two localities also gives food for thought. The Autumn was outstanding. August saw a Kite, three Pectoral Sand- pipers, and there were no less than seven Arctic Skuas together at Cannock reservoir on August 21. In September Blithfield produced White-winged Black Tern and Red- Tecked Phalarope together with some very high wader counts typified by n2 Curlew Sandpipers, 26 Little Stints and a record total of 260 Dunlin. 2wo more Pectoral Sandpipers were seen in this month as well as two Temminck's Stints and a Purple Sandpiper. 5 Three Ospreys moved through and later in October a Bittern and Avocet were noted. The bird of October, however, was certainly the Caspian Tern seen at Cannock reservoir. The first few days of November provided no less than Firecrest, Avocet, Lapland Bunting and Lesser Kestrel, the latter two at Cannock reservoir. During late November and December two Red-necked Grebes and a Red- breasted Merganser occurred and an injured Eider was found. Very pleasing was the occurrence of three Peregrines, a species which had become non-existent in the three counties. B R Dean Secretary's Report The projected Open Day for 1973 had to be cancelled and for various reasons we did not participate in any outside events which in the previous two years had greatly added to our membership total. We did, however, once again stage a number of film shows in conjunction with the Wildfowl Trust and with the RSPB. Surveys Members helped with the BTO Ringed Plover/Little Ringed Plover and Black Headed Gull surveys, and with our own Rook Census; details of the latter survey are given elsewhere in this report. Bird Watching Permit Schemes As in 1972 over a 1000 permits were issued to members for bird watching privileges at Blithfield, Belvide and Gailey reservoirs and Ladywalk Nature Reserve. Indoor Meetings As in previous years, we are indebted to the Birmingham Museum authori- ties for providing such first class facilities for our indoor meetings. The following speakers and their subjects were listened to by appreciative audiences of never less than 200 and on several occasions over 300 were present. January Bryan L Sage ' Wildlife of Alaska ' February Chris Mead ' BTO and Bird Ringing ' March AGM and Members' Slide Night April Peter Hanney ' Birds of the Lofoten Islands' John Sears ' Birds of the Exe Estuary,' Arthur Jacobs ' Birds of the Pyrenees ' May Dr K H Southall Colour Films October Anglia TV ' Survival ' film November A J Richards ' Birds of Midland Reservoirs ' December David Hunt' Birds of the Scillies ' A J Richards 6 Treasurer's Report The deficit for the year (£13.06) was less than anticipated. Various factors contributed to this satisfactory state, in particular some sizeable donations to the Conservation Fund and a continuance of Atlas sales both by ourselves and the publishers.