The second table below shows the most commonly seen species at Oldbury Power Station in the 10 years covering Sept 2007 to Oct 2017. The table has the 100 species (out of 181 species seen in this period) that I have logged most often during my 1703 visits. I log all birds seen on my visits using BTO Birdtrack (and have done since February 2003). (79,334 bird records logged in the 10 years covered below ! That's an average of 47 species per visit.)
The table shows the percentage of visits the species has been seen in the 10 year period in the 'Report %' column, then the next column ('Old %') shows the percentage of visits in the period Feb 2003 to Nov 2012, when I first created this table. (811 visits logged Feb 2003 to Nov 2012.) The last column has the difference between the other two columns, so shows how each species has changed on the site over time.
There are some surprises in the Reporting Rate figures for the 10 years. The site is very good for Bullfinch, thanks to planting of native shrubs and trees, and it is great to see a figure of 60%. The resident pair of Peregrines are seen 2/3rds of all visits (64.1%), and are seen more often than the resident Kestrels (50.3%). It is rather surprising to see Dunlin at only 54.6%, but they clear the site at high tide as the lagoons are no longer favourable for roosting.
Also, some species seem to be doing much better here than in the wider countryside: Song Thrush (80.2%), Linnet (71.3%) and Reed Bunting (63.6%).
Great Spotted Woodpecker seen on 40.4% of visits, and increasing as the trees on site have matured. Raven seen more often (30.3%) than Collared Dove (28.1%) and much more often than House Sparrow (11.4%) which are only seen when they wander from neighbouring farms. Stonechat has been seen on 22.2% of all visits; they are usually present from Autumn to Spring.
The one species that has fallen out of the top 100 is Little Owl (down from 6.5% to 2.1%) as it has not be seen for the last 3 years.
Looking at how species are faring now compared with the old figures, there are seven species that have increased by more than 10%, and nine species that have fallen by more than 10%.
| Selected Species | Report % | Old % | No. of recs. | Difference |
| Little Egret | 33.0 | 13.6 | 562 | 19.4 |
| Cetti's Warbler | 19.3 | 1.1 | 329 | 18.2 |
| Mute Swan | 55.1 | 39.8 | 939 | 15.3 |
| Canada Goose | 60.6 | 48.7 | 1032 | 11.9 |
| Tufted Duck | 63.7 | 52.2 | 1084 | 11.5 |
| Goldcrest | 50.4 | 39.3 | 859 | 11.1 |
| Pied Wagtail | 82.2 | 71.9 | 1400 | 10.3 |
| Grey Heron | 75.5 | 86.2 | 1285 | -10.7 |
| Jackdaw | 68.3 | 79.1 | 1163 | -10.8 |
| Shoveler | 14.9 | 26.4 | 254 | -11.5 |
| Rook | 63.4 | 75.8 | 1080 | -12.4 |
| Stock Dove | 46.6 | 59.3 | 793 | -12.7 |
| Lapwing | 45.6 | 59.6 | 776 | -14.0 |
| Greenfinch | 62.4 | 77.7 | 1062 | -15.3 |
| Chaffinch | 70.4 | 87.3 | 1199 | -16.9 |
| Feral Pigeon | 60.1 | 81.7 | 1023 | -21.6 |
Little Egret and Canada Goose have shown a strong growth nationally, reflected in these figures. Also Goldcrest has recently shown an increase locally, due to mild winters. Cetti's Warbler was absent from 2007 to 2012, but has since been ever-present. Mute Swan has taken to breeding on the lake annually. Tufted Duck has increased in numbers breeding on the lake, and also more young have been surviving. Not sure why Pied Wagtail has increased reporting rate. The winter roost of several hundred on the outbuildings seems to have been stable. It might be that there has been less industrial activity on-site due to decommissioning, giving more feeding opportunity ?
The Feral Pigeon flock has shown an obvious decrease in numbers as there are less people on-site, sharing sandwiches with them ! There was still a flock of 20+ in 2014, but this has decreased to less than 10 now. In the table for 2003-2012, there are three species that have dropped out of the top 20: Feral Pigeon, Chaffinch and Grey Heron. (And the three species that have replaced them are: Cormorant, Moorhen and Pied Wagtail.) Chaffinch numbers during the breeding season have reduced (to point of being absent this year). Grey Heron (and Shoveler) reports are down due to the Lagoons no longer having exposed water and mud. Greenfinch are probably down as bird feeders are no longer filled. Lapwing, Stock Dove and Rook numbers being down reflect the wider local and national picture. I do not know why the Jackdaw figures are down, as they are ok locally and nationally. (But, there is no corvid roost in woods at Jobs Green Farm or along the road towards OPS so far this winter (2017/18).)
| Selected Species | Report % | Old % | Difference |
| Mallard | 99.9 | 99.9 | 0.0 |
| Magpie | 99.4 | 99.5 | -0.1 |
| Carrion Crow | 99.3 | 99.6 | -0.3 |
| Herring Gull | 98.8 | 98.9 | -0.1 |
| Woodpigeon | 98.5 | 99 | -0.5 |
| Blackbird | 97.4 | 98 | -0.6 |
| Starling | 93.9 | 98.1 | -4.2 |
| Robin | 93.9 | 93.9 | 0.0 |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | 93.1 | 99.6 | -6.5 |
| Blue Tit | 92.0 | 93 | -1.0 |
| Dunnock | 88.9 | 93.4 | -4.5 |
| Wren | 88.2 | 88.5 | -0.3 |
| Black-headed Gull | 88.0 | 86.2 | 1.8 |
| Great Tit | 86.9 | 91.5 | -4.6 |
| Curlew | 85.9 | 84.4 | 1.5 |
| Pied Wagtail | 82.4 | 71.9 | 10.5 |
| Goldfinch | 81.2 | 81.6 | -0.4 |
| Song Thrush | 80.2 | 84.7 | -4.5 |
| Moorhen | 77.9 | 76.6 | 1.3 |
| Cormorant | 77.3 | 81.5 | -4.2 |
| Long-tailed Tit | 75.6 | 74.7 | 0.9 |
| Grey Heron | 75.6 | 86.2 | -10.6 |
| Linnet | 71.3 | 71.4 | -0.1 |
| Chaffinch | 70.6 | 87.3 | -16.7 |
| Great Black-backed Gull | 69.7 | 75 | -5.3 |
| Jackdaw | 68.5 | 79.1 | -10.6 |
| Coot | 68.4 | 60.7 | 7.7 |
| Shelduck | 66.9 | 74.7 | -7.8 |
| Chiffchaff | 65.0 | 62.2 | 2.8 |
| Peregrine | 64.1 | 55.5 | 8.6 |
| Tufted Duck | 63.8 | 52.2 | 11.6 |
| Reed Bunting | 63.6 | 63.4 | 0.2 |
| Rook | 63.6 | 75.8 | -12.2 |
| Meadow Pipit | 63.4 | 72.2 | -8.8 |
| Greenfinch | 62.5 | 77.7 | -15.2 |
| Teal | 61.0 | 62.9 | -1.9 |
| Canada Goose | 60.7 | 48.7 | 12.0 |
| Feral Pigeon | 60.2 | 81.7 | -21.5 |
| Bullfinch | 60.0 | 64 | -4.0 |
| Common Gull | 58.4 | 66.3 | -7.9 |
| Green Woodpecker | 58.1 | 64.6 | -6.5 |
| Buzzard | 57.4 | 64.4 | -7.0 |
| Mute Swan | 55.3 | 39.8 | 15.5 |
| Wigeon | 55.0 | 54.2 | 0.8 |
| Dunlin | 54.6 | 53.9 | 0.7 |
| Swallow | 51.8 | 49.9 | 1.9 |
| Oystercatcher | 51.5 | 44.5 | 7.0 |
| Goldcrest | 50.6 | 39.3 | 11.3 |
| Kestrel | 50.3 | 53.2 | -2.9 |
| Pheasant | 48.7 | 46.8 | 1.9 |
| Blackcap | 48.3 | 49.3 | -1.0 |
| Stock Dove | 46.7 | 59.3 | -12.6 |
| Lapwing | 45.7 | 59.6 | -13.9 |
| Jay | 43.0 | 48.2 | -5.2 |
| Redshank | 40.8 | 47 | -6.2 |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | 40.4 | 34.9 | 5.5 |
| Skylark | 38.9 | 42.7 | -3.8 |
| Redwing | 37.1 | 34.9 | 2.2 |
| Whitethroat | 35.8 | 36.1 | -0.3 |
| Little Egret | 33.1 | 13.6 | 19.5 |
| Turnstone | 32.1 | 31.3 | 0.8 |
| Reed Warbler | 30.6 | 30.7 | -0.1 |
| Fieldfare | 30.4 | 32.8 | -2.4 |
| Raven | 30.3 | 24.1 | 6.2 |
| Collared Dove | 28.1 | 23.7 | 4.4 |
| Ringed Plover | 25.7 | 24.8 | 0.9 |
| Sparrowhawk | 24.2 | 30.8 | -6.6 |
| Stonechat | 22.2 | 22.2 | 0.0 |
| Lesser Whitethroat | 20.2 | 19 | 1.2 |
| Cetti's Warbler | 19.4 | 1.1 | 18.2 |
| Grey Wagtail | 19.0 | 16.3 | 2.7 |
| House Martin | 17.8 | 20.9 | -3.1 |
| Sedge Warbler | 17.7 | 15.7 | 2.0 |
| Wheatear | 16.9 | 16 | 0.9 |
| Water Rail | 16.7 | 14.2 | 2.5 |
| Snipe | 15.8 | 16.2 | -0.4 |
| Shoveler | 14.9 | 26.4 | -11.5 |
| Little Grebe | 12.9 | 4.2 | 8.7 |
| Rock Pipit | 12.4 | 7.7 | 4.7 |
| Willow Warbler | 11.5 | 17.2 | -5.7 |
| House Sparrow | 11.4 | 10.3 | 1.1 |
| Swift | 10.2 | 13.7 | -3.5 |
| Black-tailed Godwit | 9.9 | 13.2 | -3.3 |
| Grey Plover | 9.1 | 7.9 | 1.2 |
| Whimbrel | 9.1 | 8.2 | 0.9 |
| Sand Martin | 8.8 | 8.1 | 0.7 |
| Gadwall | 8.7 | 3.2 | 5.5 |
| Mistle Thrush | 8.3 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Siskin | 7.2 | 5.5 | 1.7 |
| Common Sandpiper | 6.2 | 6.8 | -0.6 |
| Yellow Wagtail | 5.9 | 5.4 | 0.5 |
| Bar-tailed Godwit | 5.5 | 5.1 | 0.4 |
| Cuckoo | 5.5 | 5.4 | 0.1 |
| Yellowhammer | 5.1 | 8.4 | -3.3 |
| Lesser Redpoll | 4.8 | 3.6 | 1.2 |
| Knot | 3.7 | 6.6 | -3.1 |
| Mediterranean Gull | 3.1 | 5.7 | -2.6 |
| Treecreeper | 3.1 | 3.9 | -0.8 |
| Black Redstart | 3.1 | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| Pintail | 2.2 | 5.3 | -3.1 |
| Little Owl | 2.1 | 6.5 | -4.4 |
Copyright.
Last revised: 2 December 2017.