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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

RSPB Middleton Lakes (1 Viewer)

rollingthunder said:
Well done with the BBS Geoff, hvnt seen one of them for 20 years!:eek!:

Had thought of visiting Middleton but not in the current state, sticking more local......

ATB Laurie:t:
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Hi Laurie, You should try Lincs for Buff-breasted Sands, I saw four there last September.
I didn't bother visiting the main reserve today and the main gates were still closed anyway, I did see and hear a Grasshopper Warbler on the Dosthill side.
Geoff
 
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geoffw1946 said:
Hi Laurie, You should try Lincs for Buff-breasted Sands, I saw four there last September.
I didn't bother visiting the main reserve today and the main gates were still closed anyway, I did see and hear a Grasshopper Warbler on the Dosthill side.
Geoff
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Apparently there is a dispute between a company on the old works site and Hansons. The company closed the gates for the weekend! RSPB said they are going to sort it out. I didn't go round the main reserve either, I used the hall entrance and went down the canal and looked around the water park. First time I'd been there. Didn't see anything of note other than a pair of Jays on the towpath and an Oystercatcher over.
Steve
 
There wasn't much of note today with water levels still quite high,
2 Buzzards, 2 Common Tern, 1 Cuckoo still calling, 1 Yellow Wagtail, Cetti's Warbler singing and 2 Raven calling.
There were plenty of Banded Damselfly around and I saw 1 Chimney Sweeper moth.
Geoff
 
You can park much further along and access the top end of the reserve by crossing the canal, takes you straight to the 'wetland' areas........

Laurie:t: -
 
rollingthunder said:
You can park much further along and access the top end of the reserve by crossing the canal, takes you straight to the 'wetland' areas........

Laurie:t: -
Click to expand...

If this is parking just off the main road by the bridle path I would not recommend it, as I had my car broken into last year. :C Much safer in the main car park.
 
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The birds are starting to return to the north pit now that the water levels are falling with 4 Oystercatcher, 1 Ringed Plover, 2 Redshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 6 Common Tern, 4 Teal and a Shoveler there today.
Geoff
 
A drake Red-crested Pochard was on the new reedbed pool (found by the other Geoff W), and 2 drake Pochard were on north pit, 2 Hobby were chasing around, also seen were 1 Little Egret and 2 Yellow Wagtail.
We are now on 147 species with R-c Pochard and the recent Crossbill sighting.
Geoff
 
The autumn wader passage has started with 10 Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Green Sandpiper on the north pit, 5 Shoveler were also there and the Red-crested Pochard was still on the new reedbed pool.
Geoff
 
Wader passage

geoffw1946 said:
The autumn wader passage has started with 10 Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Green Sandpiper on the north pit, 5 Shoveler were also there and the Red-crested Pochard was still on the new reedbed pool.
Geoff
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The North pit again a failed breeding season the only bonus with the flooding is usually at this time of year hot weather and shallow water the north pit would be blanketed with weed and Algae. At least there is some fresh mud, that's what the waders like. Don't expect the new reedbed pit to be good this year if the wet weather continues and no mud becomes exposed, on the new reedbed last year wader passage was good proving Spring or the end of the summer, provide the right habitat-fresh mud and the waders will find it, If no fresh mud they will keep flying.
We will have to see what the new RSPB development will bring.

Regards, John
 
My first visit for over a week, the water levels weren't as bad as I feared although the river had overflowed it's bank and raised the level in the new reedbed pool.
It was fairly quiet birdwise but maybe worth recording the following:- 2 broods of Mute Swan, 3 Cormorant, 1 Teal, 6 Shoveler, 1 drake Pochard but no Red crested Pochard noted, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Lapwing, 1 Common Tern, 1 Kingfisher, 3 Green Woodpecker, 2 Gt. spotted Woodpecker, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 2 or 3 Cetti's Warbler singing, other warblers still singing were Sedge and Reed Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff and a Grasshopper Warbler was also reported. Great Tit seem to have done well with many juveniles at the feeders. A Nuthatch was calling in Mill Plantation.
The only butterfly seen in the dull damp conditions was a Meadow Brown.
I hope it stops raining soon.
Geoff
 
It hasn't really been worth going onto the main reserve this week with the water levels so high and in fact on Friday the main road near the hall was flooded also. Instead I have been checking out Bodymoor Heath Pit which is just outside the reserve.
Over the last three days there have been up to 3 Green Sandpipers, 1 Common Sandpiper, 6 Oystercatcher, 2 LRP, 1 Common Tern and a Raven. The pit is behind the Aston Villa training ground and can be seen well from the public footpath.
Note, the iron gates at the main entrance to the reserve were locked again this weekend and people had to use the Hall entrance.
Geoff
 
Went around Middleton Lakes this morning for the first time in nearly 2 weeks (been sailing down the east coast!). Access wasn't too bad although wellies are a must. Water levels on the north pit aren't as bad as I thought they would be - the spit is well above water level although it has the appearance of a series of islands. Quite a lot of water pouring in from the river though. Other than the usual suspects I saw: Kingfisher over silt pool; Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warblers and Common Terns at Fishers Mill Pool; Skylark, Lapwing, Greylagg, pair of Oystercatchers, Swallows, House Martins, Swifts, quite a few Swans with Cygnets, Kestrel and 2 Sanderlings on the North Pit. Not a bad morning until it started pouring down about noon and the rain started getting into my wellies!
Regards
Steve
 
Periwinkle said:
Hi Steve - have you got any further info on the sanderlings? Far from annual in the autumn so an excellent record. Cheers Tom.
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Hi Tom - on reflection and after talking to a couple of people I think that they were more likely to have been juvenile Dunlin, it was the lack of black speckling on the bellies that threw me - still learning!!
Cheers Steve
 
SteveAtkinson said:
Hi Tom - on reflection and after talking to a couple of people I think that they were more likely to have been juvenile Dunlin, it was the lack of black speckling on the bellies that threw me - still learning!!
Cheers Steve
Click to expand...

juv dunlin do have black speckling on the belly
 
Waders ?

SteveAtkinson said:
Hi Tom - on reflection and after talking to a couple of people I think that they were more likely to have been juvenile Dunlin, it was the lack of black speckling on the bellies that threw me - still learning!!
Cheers Steve
Click to expand...

I contacted Steve futher on this matter, Steve had Binoculars and the 2 waders were on the main spit Steve was viewing from the West side of the North pit. Some juv Dunlin have only a few dark speckles on there belly and I have rarely seen some with no black speckles. Searching bird guides no Sanderling seen inland from 1/7/12 however 2 reported at Rutland today.
Could be Sanderling or juv Dunlin so no record can go down.

Regards, John
 
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Morning visit today, no sign of any White-rumped Sandpipers unfortunately ( I managed to see one at RSPB Frampton Marsh last Thursday) and it's a pity the one at Grimley didn't stop around or I might have gone there instead.
The only waders I saw on the reserve were a Redshank and a number of Lapwing. Just off the reserve at the Aston Villa pit were 3 Green Sandpiper and 3 Oystercatcher. The only other highlight was 2 Little Egret on the north pit.
Water levels are still very high and the paths are very muddy.
Geoff
 
A Redstart was seen along the entrance track hedgerow this morning. The only waders noted were off the reserve (apart from Lapwing) 3 Green Sandpiper at the Hall Lake, 2 Green Sand and 5 Oystercatcher at Aston Villa pit. The water levels on the reserve are starting to fall at last.
3 Little Egret were on the north pit. 3 or 4 broods of Tufted Duck have now been seen with a maximum of 5 ducklings in a brood. A family party of 4 Raven flew over.
Geoff
 
Highlights today were a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in dead tree in farm horse paddock by bird feeders and a Common Sandpiper on the north pit, also there were 3 Little Egret again. 4 Green Sandpiper were on the hall lake.
Geoff
 
Hi folks, a lovely day in the sun at Middleton Hall today. Loads of butterflies about, Gatekeepers, Ringlets, Commas, Red Admiral, Meadoe Browns, Small Skippers, Small Tortoiseshell & Whites. Damselflies were everwhere & also a good number of Dragonflies. A highlight for me was the Cultivated Flax flowering in lots of places, a first for me. Husband also spotted a Grass Snake up the cut o:D
 

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