This morning I resumed my exploration of the Arrow Valley, on this occasion choosing the section from Ipsley Mill Pool to Washford Mill. Considering its only about a mile from my house its surprising that I have barely set foot here before.
The area is part of the Arrow Valley Country Park, and much of it is football pitches and parkland. However there are some interesting managed coppices, and a wonderfully unkept woodland mess along the Arrow itself. Inevitably human activity has resulted in a good deal of river-born litter but if you look past that there seems to be the potential for some decent wildlife.
The records suggest it was once held Willow Tits and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers. I'm sure the former are long gone, but felt there was a chance of a Lesser Spot. In a couple of one kilometre squares I counted six Great Spotted Woodpeckers, including two males drumming, but none of their smaller cousins. Perhaps they are no more.
The Arrow is still pretty shallow, and runs across a substrata of pebbles in many places, looking ideal for Kingfishers and other river species. All I managed to see along its course today were two Little Egrets and a Grey Wagtail. As it approaches Washford Mill it broadens and becomes deeper.
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| Grey Wagtail |
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| Starting to look like a proper river |
The woodland was dominated by the usual Tits and Blackbirds with a significant presence of Redwings, and Robins. Siskins and Goldfinches fed in the Alders, and I counted 41 of the former.
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| Siskin eating alder seeds |
At least one pair of Bullfinches, a Mistle Thrush, and a Common Buzzard were also winkled out. It may be that regular visits might reveal the presence of something more unusual, but today was not the day.
Its a nice resource for the people of Redditch and I saw plenty of walkers enjoying the winter sunshine.
Hi Richard, on the subject of Lesser Spot, the last ones I saw were in the northern part of the valley back in the late 90s or early 00s. Around the mill pool just south of the Park Way bus route and about 600 yards north between the bus route & the two pools alongside the Millers Trail that goes towards the five tunnels & golf course. Probably long gone, but you never know.
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DeleteLSW have been ‘reported’ in the valley during breeding season as recently as 2019 I understand. More recent records in other woodland within vicinity. So there may just be a breeding pair somewhere in Redditch area waiting to be found.
DeleteMy only record for Arrow Valley Lake was one in January 2018, and was followed by one at Morton Bagot at the end of June 2019. I agree that there should be some somewhere around here.
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