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Wings over West Midlands

Welcome to the official blog of the West Midland Bird Club!

Inside you'll find important updates, including general news, branch news, conservation efforts, minutes from meetings, and research announcements and much more.

 

The blog is designed to connect our community and provide insights into our collective efforts to study and protect bird life in the West Midlands.

 

Select from the categories below to narrow the number of posts seen.

The Story of the West Midland Bird Club - Part 1

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22 April 2025 at 09:44:27

Graham Harrison, Jim Winsper and Janet Harrison

A Spectacular Siskin Invasion February-April 2024 - Colin McShane

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11 April 2025 at 15:59:17

I’ve been bird ringing in the region for around 50 years, and Siskins have always been a rather special bird to me for many reasons. They...

Berryhill Fields “Then and Now” – Dave Burgess

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11 April 2025 at 15:49:45

Berryhill Fields, Stoke on Trent is often referred to as the “Lungs of the City.” This site is included in the Staffordshire Biodiversity...

West Midlands “All Dayer” at Bartley Reservoir (Winter 2023) - Kate Ashley

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11 April 2025 at 15:05:37

Bill Oddie started off his birdwatching days at his local patch of Bartley Reservoir, described in one of his books as ‘a nasty bleak...

Ladywalk: A Visitors Guide - Barbara Valentine

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11 April 2025 at 14:58:27

Ladywalk is a haven of peace on the edge of Hams Hall industrial estate. It has a variety of habitats and offers five hides from which to...

A Birding Focus on: Radford Meadows, Stafford -Rob Swift

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11 April 2025 at 14:56:01

Introduction Whilst, perhaps not in the top half of the Premier League of Staffordshire’s best Birding places, Radford Meadows can none...

Steve Nuttall’s Milestone- Roger Broadbent

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11 April 2025 at 14:48:34

Subscribers to Birdguides or Birdwatch magazine will be aware that recently Club member Steve Nuttall reached a memorable target of...

An Extraordinary Recovery - Rob Skeates

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11 April 2025 at 14:44:07

As a BTO ringer of many years standings, the WMBC area has proved not to be the best area of the country for foreign ringing recoveries...

Update on the Patshull Project - Colin McShane

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11 April 2025 at 14:42:08

Relationships with key personnel at Patshull remain very positive, and much conservation work has been done; in summary:- • most of the...

The Occurrence of Peregrine Falcons in suburbanSouth Birmingham - Jim Winsper

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11 April 2025 at 14:39:25

My home patch lies on the southern edge of Birmingham and straddles the West Midlands - Worcestershire county boundary. Sightings of...

Birding Albania - Tom Cook

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11 April 2025 at 14:29:22

I had visited Albania several times for work purposes since the fall of the communist regime in 1991. Finally in 2019, having retired, I...

From Bardsey to Bristol - Sam Caswell

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11 April 2025 at 14:16:16

In the Spring of 2022, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to spend a week on Bardsey Island with fellow university students...

Land of the High Passes; Birding on the Roof of theWorld - Brian Stretch

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11 April 2025 at 14:14:00

Following a successful week of birding in Kashmir we headed east to the neighbouring Indian Union Territory of Ladakh. Situated at the...

Bird Ringing - Kevin Clements

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11 April 2025 at 14:08:07

The main aim of ringing birds is the hope that they are caught or found again, thereby giving information regarding their movements,...

Earlswood Nocmig Experience - John Sirrett

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11 April 2025 at 13:56:11

In 2022 I ran nocmig recording sessions at Earlswood Lakes covering spring and autumn migration. I wanted to see if there was any...

2022 Cannock Chase Breeding Bird Survey

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10 April 2025 at 14:18:55

Full report available for download here:

Avian Influenza

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8 April 2025 at 12:40:38

Avian influenza. What do I do? If you find one dead bird of prey, 3 or more dead gulls or wild fowl, 5 or more dead birds of any species:...

Jack Snipe Research

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7 April 2025 at 16:18:39

Jack Snipe – probably our most elusive and least understood bird.   Breeding in northern Eurasia, Jack Snipe are  winter visitors to the...

2022 Ringing Report

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7 April 2025 at 08:17:39

Colin McShane and Kevin Clements

First Ruff of the Spring

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4 April 2025 at 09:51:07

3 April saw the first Ruff of the Spring on the north shore at Belvide.

Join Us

About & Join

Become a member

As a WMBC member, you get access to our reserves, invitations to indoor and outdoor birdwatching activities, our quarterly newsletter, and the annual bird report and much more. Enjoy bird photography, see rare species, and connect with fellow bird enthusiasts in our vibrant community.

Volunteers

Become a volunteer

Volunteer with WMBC for hands-on conservation or to support behind the scenes. Contribute to our cause, connect with fellow bird enthusiasts, and make a real impact in our community. Whether through hands-on tasks or committee involvement, every role is crucial and appreciated.

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