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BIRMINGHAM BIRD CLUB. SECOND ANNUAL REPORT ON THE BIRDS OF WARWICKSHIRE, WORCESTERSHIRE AND SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE, 1935. Is. 6d. REPORT ON THE BIRDS OF WARWICKSHIRE, WORCESTERSHIRE AND SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE, 1935. PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE BIRMINGHAM BIRD CLUB. 1. MAP. 2. EDITORIAL. 3. LIST OF MEMBERS AND CORRESPONDENTS. 4. LIST OF PUBLICATIONS. 5. HARTLEY, BY W. E. KENRICK. 6. CURDWORTH, BY W. E. GROVES. 7. BITTELL, H.G.A. 8. GAILEY AND BELLFIELDS, H.G.A. 9. SPECIAL SPECIES, H G.A. 10. CLASSIFIED NOTES, F.R.B. 11. MIGRANT TABLES, J.D.W. EDITORIAL. HE first Report of the Birmingham Bird Club, on birds T observed in the counties of Warwick and Worcester during 1934, was better received than we had expected, and the small number that had been printed was soon exhausted. We have therefore felt encouraged to proceed with the undertaking. We are again much indebted to a number of correspondents who have placed valuable material at our disposal. This year we have observations from several fresh districts, but various gaps remain. As several of our members and correspondents frequently visit South Staffordshire, we have decided to include in our record the southern half of that county, taking the railway line west from Stafford and the line of the river Trent to the east as the boundary of our area. Records from North Staffordshire will, no doubt, in the future as in the past, be published by the North Staffordshire Field Club, or in the Derbyshire Ornithological Record. Last year the great majority of special records came from the Bittell reservoir (Worcestershire) and from Bartley reservoir (War- wick). This year, by including South Staffordshire, we have also a crop of records from Gailey and Bellfields. Moreover, Mr. W. E. Groves has drawn attention to the ornithological attractiveness of Curdworth sewage farm, and we are very glad to have his interesting account of Curdworth for publication in this report. The Enville district, the Lickey Hills, Wyre Forest, Randan Woods and parts of the Severn and Avon valleys are amongst the special areas that provide interesting records. It is a matter of regret that at present we have no systematic reports from Sutton Park. We wish to draw the attention of our readers to the decision of the Club to invite any who are interested in birds to become Associates, by the payment of an annual subscription of 5/-. In this way, they will obtain the annual report free, and the opportunity of attending two lectures each winter. 3 This year we are publishing a map of the two and a half counties; and this we hope to repeat in future reports. We also publish a list of the principal papers and books already published on the ornithology of the two counties of Warwick and Worcester, and of various limited districts in them. Recently we have been permitted to see a printed list of the birds of the Bromsgrove district, annotated by the Rev. K. A. Deakin, for many years Rector of Cofton Hackett. His records extend from about 1860 to 1910, and some of them are exceedingly interesting. In his day, for instance, the Nightjar was common in the Lickey Woods. He gives two breeding records for the Pied Flycatcher, one at Barnt Green with no date, one at King's Norton in 1905 or 6. He has three local records of Bittern, one of an Osprey (at Wychall reservoir, King's Norton in 1890), one of a Spoonbill, with no date, and several others of interesting species, including a iMarsh Harrier in 1886, and a Buzzard about the same time. It is remarkable that he only gives a single record of Wigeon at Bittell (in Nov. 1908), though to-day it is one of the most abundant species of Duck there every winter; and although he twice saw Ring Ouzels passing on migration, he never recorded a Wheatear ! It has not been possible to make a complete survey of marked birds that have been recovered in the counties, or birds ringed in the counties and recovered elsewhere ; but we hope to do this in a future number. Notes for 1936 should be sent as early as possible in 1937 to H. G. Alexander, 144 Oaktree Lane, Selly Oak, Birmingham. We may remind correspondents that special observations have been asked this year by the British Trust for Ornithology on the status of the Grey Wagtail, Lesser Redpoll and Little Owl. Further particulars can be sent to anyone who is able to make special studies of these birds. H.G.A., F.R.B. 4 MEMBERS AND CORRESPONDENTS. H. G. ALEXANDER, Selly Oak Mrs. A. B. LANE, M. BAKER, Yorks Wood Moreton in-the-Marsh C. W. BANNISTER, Bushley, H. W. MAPLETON-BREE, Allesley, Coventry near Tewkesbury Miss M. E. I'UMPHREY, F. R. BARLOW, Selly Oak T. J. BEESTON, Cookley, Alvechurch near Kidderminster W. W. SANDERSON, Selly Park E. ST. G. BETTS, Birmingham A. SEGGIE, Coventry Miss B. A. CARTER, Sutton Miss M. LE S. SIMPSON, Coldfield Barnt Green C. P. Cox, Evesham M. A. SWANN, Rugby J. S ELLIOTT, Bewdley Miss M. C. TANGYE, Clent F. FINCHER, Randan, near C. W. K. WALLIS, Edgbaston Bromsgrove J. H. WARD, Rugby R. GIBBINS, Evesham G. H. WILKINSON, Sutton W. E. GROVES, Edgbaston Coldfield A' DE HAMEL, Tamworth H. LL. WILSON, Clent A. HARLAND, Birmingham J. I). WOOD, Bournville A. J. HARTHAN, Sheriffs Lench, near Evesham Also : Mrs. HIBBERT, Selly Oak W. B ALEXANDER, Oxford F. C. HIDLER, Evesham A. W. BOYD, Northwich Miss C. K. JAMES, Barnt Green B. BRYAN, Stoke-on-Trent W. E. & H. KENRICK, Harborne D. B. GRUBB, Winscombe. Somerset G. M. KING Hagley 5 PRINCIPAL PUBLICATIONS ON THE BIRDS OF WARWICKSHIRE AND WORCESTERSHIRE. (1) WARWICKSHIRE. 1884 Betteridge Birds of the Neighbourhood of Birmingham (Midland Naturalist). 1886 Chase Birds of the Birmingham District (British Association Handbook) 1894 Loveday Birds of Rugby (Report of Rugby Society) 1895 Coburn Ornithology of the City of Birmingham (pamphlet) 1896 Coburn Vertebrate Fauna of Sutton Coldfield Park (Proc. of Birmingham N.H. & Phil. Soc.) 1904 Tomes Aves in Vict. Hist, of Warwicks 1913 Chase Ornithology in A Handbook of Birmingham & Neighbourhood ; ed. by G. A. Auden 1923 Carter The Birds of Sutton Park (Proc. of Birmingham N.H & Phil. Soc.) 1927 Wallis Nature Notes in Edgbaston Park (Proc. of Birmingham N.H. & Phil. Soc.) 1932 Sanderson Birds of a Birmingham Suburb (Proc. of Birmingham N.H. & Phil. Soc,) (2) WORCESTERSHIRE. 1871 Gurney Birds of the Malvern District (Zoologist) 1890 Barker Birds of Worcestershire & H.M.W. (Science Gossip, April, June & August) 1891 Bund List of the Birds of Worcestershire 1891 Grubb The Birds of Worcestershire & others (Field, February—March) 1892 Coburn Ornithological Notes from Worcestershire 1901 Tomes Birds in Victoria History of Worcestershire 6 1903 Lowe Birds of the Malvern District 1909 Beeston Birds of the Stour Valley (Trans. Worcester Naturalists Club) 1911 Mayall Birds & Birds' Nests of Bromsgrove 1929 Alexander The Birds of the Lickey Hills & Bittell Reservoirs (Proc. Birmingham N.H. & Phil. Soc.) Note : In addition to the above, nearly all of which appear to be fairly complete surveys of each county or of special districts, numerous papers have appeared in the Zoologist, Midland Naturalist and other periodicals, of a more limited character. For recent years, British Birds (mag.) should be consulted. BARTLEY RESERVOIR By W. E. KENRICK. This year has produced some quite interesting observations on the Bartley Reservoir. The water level depends on the whim of the Water Department and it so happened that we were lucky in having a low level in the autumn when the waders were passing through. The general increase in the population has been maintained and the average figures for Mallard, Wigeon, Tufted Duck and Goldeneye are 96, 23, 23, 6.5, compared with those in my last report of 79, 26, 19 and 7. The main reservoir season is from October to March, which does not suit a report for the calendar year, and therefore I shall go beyond the strict period as I did last year. Pochard throughout the season have been more frequent, but the numbers have fluctuated widely. The most interesting day was February 15th, 1936, when the greater part of the reservoir was frozen over. The open water was occupied by Tufted Duck, but on going to inspect the big Frankley tank we found it occupied by a flock of about 96 Pochard. This tank does not often have any birds on it and it is almost certain that this flock came over from the Bittell area. Goldeneye continue to be regular visitors but there has been a marked alteration in their habits for which I am unable to account. In the 1933/34 and 1934/35 seasons they were usually to be found in a close flock, and days when they were scattered were the exception. This season, however, there have been usually pairs or single birds in different parts of the reservoir until March 22nd, 1936, when we found that they had gone into a small flock of 9 and for the next three weeks there was a flock of 8 including 2 adult males. As mentioned above, the water level was very low in August and September and a considerable stretch of concrete was exposed. On August 17th, there was a flock of 244 Lapwing and smaller flocks appeared during the following months, the last lot being 105 on November 2nd. On September 22nd a flock of about 30 small waders flew off before we could identify them. They were apparently 8 Dunlin and Ringed Plover.

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