RSPB Middleton Lakes (1 Viewer)

SteveAtkinson · May 23, 2015

Avocets and 4 young still on North Pit this morning. Also an Oystercatcher with 2 young a Redshank and 2 pairs of Greylag with 9 chicks between them. 4 Cuckoo calling around the reserve. 7 Ringed Plover on JWs. Pochard on Dosthill side.

Steve

rollingthunder · May 24, 2015

Can you freely walk, unimpeded, over to the other side using the bridge now?

Laurie:t:

SteveAtkinson · May 24, 2015

rollingthunder said:
Can you freely walk, unimpeded, over to the other side using the bridge now?

Laurie:t:

Yes!

geoffw1946 · May 25, 2015

Today a moulting drake Garganey was on the river by the southern meadow which then flew to the FMP area, other ducks seen were 2 Wigeon and a Teal.
Waders included 3 Oystercatcher, 8 Avocet including 4 chicks still, 2 Lapwing chicks, 8 Ringed Plover, 5 LRP and 3 Dunlin. 2 Cuckoos were calling.
Geoff

geoffw1946 · May 26, 2015

Not much change from yesterday, there was a brood of 9 Shelducks on NP and a pair of Garganey on the river also on the river was a Kingfisher. Waders included 3 Redshank and 2 Dunlin.
Geoff

SteveAtkinson · May 26, 2015

geoffw1946 said:
Not much change from yesterday, there was a brood of 9 Shelducks on NP and a pair of Garganey on the river also on the river was a Kingfisher. Waders included 3 Redshank and 2 Dunlin.
Geoff

Geoff, was it the same moulting drake Garganey that you saw yesterday?

Steve

geoffw1946 · May 26, 2015

SteveAtkinson said:
Geoff, was it the same moulting drake Garganey that you saw yesterday?

Steve

Yes. It's favouring a pebble bar in the river, but it's difficult not to disturb it/them when you walk by.
Geoff

geoffw1946 · May 29, 2015

An influx of waders during the showers today, 6 Sanderling, 12 Ringed Plover and 10 Dunlin were on the JWs also a Common Sandpiper was seen.
On the 27th a Greenshank was reported.
Geoff

Piccalilli · May 30, 2015

Quick dash round this morning. Water level on Main JW pool elevated such that majority of mud now gone. North pit level has remained low. The only birds of note were 3 Sanderling on NP (far top left hand corner when viewed from hide). I could not find the Avocet chicks or their parents and there were no aerial attacks on the LBG's which appear to be gathering on mass. Geoff is however on the reserve this morning so hopefully we will have a more positive report later.

Also the druggies have found the hide and on the last two occasion I have visited both doors were open blowing in the wind. Can you please ensure that if you are the last person in there that the doors are closed when you leave.

Steve

rollingthunder · May 30, 2015

I thought there was a combination lock on the hide?

Laurie:t:

Piccalilli · May 30, 2015

rollingthunder said:
I thought there was a combination lock on the hide?

Laurie:t:

Laurie

Yes there is but it's not much good if people can't be bothered to close the door when they leave.

Steve

geoffw1946 · May 30, 2015

Piccalilli said:
Quick dash round this morning. Water level on Main JW pool elevated such that majority of mud now gone. North pit level has remained low. The only birds of note were 3 Sanderling on NP (far top left hand corner when viewed from hide). I could not find the Avocet chicks or their parents and there were no aerial attacks on the LBG's which appear to be gathering on mass. Geoff is however on the reserve this morning so hopefully we will have a more positive report later.

Also the druggies have found the hide and on the last two occasion I have visited both doors were open blowing in the wind. Can you please ensure that if you are the last person in there that the doors are closed when you leave.

Steve

Hi Steve,
It could be they have the combination, the notice on the door says ring the office for the combination.
After I left you a Turnstone appeared on the NP viewable from the hide also the 4 Avocet chicks showed. 6 waders flew around NP then landed on the JWs they turned out to be Sanderling, maybe different birds to yesterdays?
A Kingfisher flew across the JWs.
Geoff

SteveAtkinson · May 30, 2015

No sign of the Sanderling or the Turnstone this afternoon, maybe they've moved on. Avocets and 4 young still late afternoon. 3 cuckoo calling and 3 Redshank.

Steve

rollingthunder · May 31, 2015

True. Steve, i suppose another 'common sense' sign will have to be put up!

Laurie:t:

SteveAtkinson · May 31, 2015

rollingthunder said:
True. Steve, i suppose another 'common sense' sign will have to be put up!

Laurie:t:

There's already a sign up Laurie, obviously some people aren't taking much notice of the notice!

geoffw1946 · May 31, 2015

SteveAtkinson said:
No sign of the Sanderling or the Turnstone this afternoon, maybe they've moved on. Avocets and 4 young still late afternoon. 3 cuckoo calling and 3 Redshank.

Steve

The log book for the 30th says the Turnstone flew off at 7:30pm per CC (Chris Cook?)
Today the 4 Avocet chicks were still present on NP and a Sanderling was on the JWs.
Circa 106 species of birds were seen this month.
Geoff

Phil Andrews · May 31, 2015

geoffw1946 said:
The log book for the 30th says the Turnstone flew off at 7:30pm per CC (Chris Cook?)
Today the 4 Avocet chicks were still present on NP and a Sanderling was on the JWs.
Circa 106 species of birds were seen this month.
Geoff

Upton managed a meagre 93 (exactly

)

Piccalilli · May 31, 2015

geoffw1946 said:
The log book for the 30th says the Turnstone flew off at 7:30pm per CC (Chris Cook?).........

Geoff

Geoff - yes CC was Chris - met him in the car park last night and he told me he had seen the Turnstone fly. All I can add to your sightings today is a single Dunlin on NP. Sanderling still on JW at 5.30pm.

Steve

SteveAtkinson · May 31, 2015

geoffw1946 said:
The log book for the 30th says the Turnstone flew off at 7:30pm per CC (Chris Cook?)
Today the 4 Avocet chicks were still present on NP and a Sanderling was on the JWs.
Circa 106 species of birds were seen this month.
Geoff

That's a good number of species isn't it Geoff? I wonder how that compares with May last year and the year before. It would be interesting to compare pre and post JWs and how the site is developing.
I'm annoyed I missed the Turnstone, reckon I spent too much time waiting for all 4 young Avocets to show. I wanted to make sure they were all there and so the rest of the reserve only got a quick going over.

All the best

Steve

geoffw1946 · Jun 1, 2015

SteveAtkinson said:
That's a good number of species isn't it Geoff? I wonder how that compares with May last year and the year before. It would be interesting to compare pre and post JWs and how the site is developing.
I'm annoyed I missed the Turnstone, reckon I spent too much time waiting for all 4 young Avocets to show. I wanted to make sure they were all there and so the rest of the reserve only got a quick going over.

All the best

Steve

May monthly totals from 2008 to 2015 are as follows,
2008, 93
2009, 91
2010, 87
2011, 96
2012, 116
2013, 94. Could be low because of work on the JWs?
2014, 119
2015, 106
I would say things are getting better as the years go by, but it is obvious that continuous work is necessary to keep the reserve in tip top condition, even now the willows are growing strongly around the JWs making it difficult to see the birds, and we have been lucky that there hasn't been much rain this spring.
I haven't seen any young LRP or RP yet.
The only passage waders I've seen today were 1 Dunlin and 3 Ringed Plover.
Geoff.

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