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RSPB Middleton Lakes (3 Viewers)

Friday morning. Before the rain set in I had a good sighting of a Spotted Flycatcher between Fishers Mill Pool and the canal plus a Blackcap. A Kingfisher flew the length of F.M. Pool from north to south turning west over the canal towards the Silt Pool. I've seen a Kingfisher fly the length of the Silt Pool from east to west in the past so perhaps this is a regular route! By the time I got to the North Pit the conditions were deteriorating rapidly with heavy rain and wind but I caught sight of a single wader which was chased off south by Gulls followed by a pair of waders that flew high and off to the north. Unfortunately because of low visibility I couldn't identify them but I'm encouraged as these are the first waders I've personally seen on the actual reserve for a few weeks. Other sightings: 40 Martins, c20 Lapwings, c30 Greylag and a pair of Little Grebe violently attacking a juv Little Grebe.
Regards
Steve
 
Periwinkle said:
The Tame is very flooded right now so I would give Middleton a miss at the moment.
Click to expand...
I did a visit this morning and the only access was along the canal to Fishers Mill entrance and then you could only walk a short distance. Only birds of note were a Spotted Flycatcher and some Chiffchaffs.
The cows in the southern meadow were paddling.
Geoff
 
Early visit for a few hours this morning, i was the only one about!!

Highlights include Green Woodpecker, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Reed Bunting, 2 x Kingfisher, Hobby, 4 Curlew plus good numbers of Shoveler, Wigeon, Pochard and Gadwall.
 
Someone has posted 2 Red Crested Pochard on the car park notice board for yesterday (4th Oct) anyone seen them? I went around this morning and no sign of them.

All the best
Steve
 
Reported Red-crested Pochard

SteveAtkinson said:
Someone has posted 2 Red Crested Pochard on the car park notice board for yesterday (4th Oct) anyone seen them? I went around this morning and no sign of them.

All the best
Steve
Click to expand...

Hi Steve,
Non of the regulars have reported any, but they don't visit as much this time of year and I believe Geoff is in Lincs, however visitors are coming from wider areas now the reserve is open, some experienced birders, so it's possible some have been present and moved on. But don't believe all you see on the notice board.
It's time now for Harriers and Owls and check those Hen Harrier's to rule out Pallid, I bet there is a Bittern already in the Tame Valley and the sunny weekend may encourage a Jack Snipe to show.

Regards, John
 
JHDraytonbassettpits said:
Hi Steve,
Non of the regulars have reported any, but they don't visit as much this time of year and I believe Geoff is in Lincs, however visitors are coming from wider areas now the reserve is open, some experienced birders, so it's possible some have been present and moved on. But don't believe all you see on the notice board.
It's time now for Harriers and Owls and check those Hen Harrier's to rule out Pallid, I bet there is a Bittern already in the Tame Valley and the sunny weekend may encourage a Jack Snipe to show.

Regards, John
Click to expand...
Thanks for that John. I realise that the notice board in the car park has to be taken with a pinch of salt, that's why I asked if anyone knew anything about the RC Pochards. Noted with interest your posts on migratory obs from Hartshill Hayes.

Cheers
Steve
 
Was at Middleton Lakes Saturday (8.15-12.30) for my monthly Volunteer Warden (VW) duty. Was quite a busy day and plenty of visitors about so I couldn't do full counts but managed to see the following birds:

Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Shoveler, Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, Cormorant, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Pheasant (6 males in a group), Little Egret, Grey Heron, Buzzard, Moorhen, Coot (200+), Lapwing (150+), Black-headed Gull, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker (on the feeders), Woodpigeon, Dunnock, Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Jay (3), Magpie, Rook (100+), Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch.

There were a few other birds about but I didn't get a good enough look to be certain of an ID. Highlight was definitely the standoff between the prowling Buzzard and 40-50 very noisy Rooks which took turns dive-bombing the Buzzard until it had enough and gave up.
 
Re-landscaping middle section

Work is due to start this week using heavy machinery, however the reserve remains open. The work undertaken will create spits, islands and scrapes.
Two large sluices in the southern corners are going to control the water flow.
The area once recovered by vegetation will be fenced off and will be grazed by Longhorn and Konick ponies.

Regards, John
 
9/10/12 Middleton Hall ivyied ash by farm paddock 2 Red Admiral and 100's of hoverflies. 4 Siskin mill plantation, fisher's mill Redwing and Lesser Redpoll. A Rock Pipit left the scrapes here and flew to DBP North pit.

Regards, John
 
12th October: Earth-moving digger now on site on middle section although not much evidence of digging so far.
Double figures of Red Admirals plus two Comma in same place as John mentioned above.
Not much happening bird-wise, only a Little Egret over the North Pit to report.

Cheers
Steve
 
RSPB Middleton lakes

SteveAtkinson said:
12th October: Earth-moving digger now on site on middle section although not much evidence of digging so far.
Double figures of Red Admirals plus two Comma in same place as John mentioned above.
Not much happening bird-wise, only a Little Egret over the North Pit to report.

Cheers
Steve
Click to expand...

Hi Steve, They will be emptying some of the pools for re-landscaping so water levels need to be low. The RSPB usually has the grass cut at this time of year, however no point this year as when the job is completed it will be bare soil.

Regards, John
 
It hasn't been worth visiting here lately with half the reserve closed to the public, so I went to the Dosthill side and looked from the Bund hills. There are now three diggers on the central section but there is a lot more work to be done before it reopens.
There were 2 Little Egret on the north pit, 5 Goldeneye on various pools, 2 Peregrine flew over and 2 Kingfisher were on Fishers Mill Pool, 2 Meadow Pipit were by Dosthill Lake and 2 flocks of ca. 60 Fieldfare flew NW.
Geoff
 
The works so far, JCB's seen at the edges of pools digging away the steep banked shore-lines and thus creating piles of surplus soil. This will probably be used for island's, spits and embankments, the circular wetland trail will be out for a long time and thus the north pit. However views from the southern end you may see Short-eared Owl, Hen Harrier, Stonechat and of course the new reedbed area is accessible as are the southern pits and the rest of the reserve. Still no bridge to the east side of the reserve which is in the control of Hanson's and not the RSPB, to have the heritage lottery fund grant available on the completetion of the bridge has proved to be a completely silly idea.
If the bridge was completed by spring and the RSPB could then work on the infrastructure i.e paths ( a board walk may be the only option towards Fisher's mill bridge), it would be like a second openening of the reserve this Spring.
People would visit to see the Jubilee wetlands and also for many the East side of reserve and Dosthill lake.

Regards, John
 
Last edited:
JHDraytonbassettpits said:
The works so far, JCB's seen at the edges of pools digging away the steep banked shore-lines and thus creating piles of surplus soil. This will probably be used for island's, spits and embankments, the circular wetland trail will be out for a long time and thus the north pit. However views from the southern end you may see Short-eared Owl, Hen Harrier, Stonechat and of course the new reedbed area is accessible as are the southern pits and the rest of the reserve. Still no bridge to the east side of the reserve which is in the control of Hanson's and not the RSPB, to have the heritage lottery fund grant available on the completetion of the bridge has proved to be a completely silly idea.
If the bridge was completed by spring and the RSPB could then work on the infrastructure i.e paths ( a board walk may be the only option towards Fisher's mill bridge), it would be like a second openening of the reserve this Spring.
People would visit to see the Jubilee wetlands and also for many the East side of reserve and Dosthill lake.

Regards, John
Click to expand...
I was told by someone that the contractors are here for 6 months! so that means the north pit could be a no go area until April or May unless we can arrange access of some kind.
The north pit looked great for waders last week as it appears that the river has been disconnected from the pools while the work is ongoing, in fact there were 11 Little Egret on the north pit on the 27th Oct. probably because of the lack of disturbance.
Geoff
 
Last edited:
geoffw1946 said:
I was told by someone that the contractors are here for 6 months! so that means the north pit could be a no go area until April or May unless we can arrange access of some kind.
The north pit looked great for waders last week as it appears that the river has been disconnected from the pools while the work is ongoing, in fact there were 11 Little Egret on the north pit on the 27th Oct. probably because of the lack of disturbance.
Geoff
Click to expand...

Could the 11 Egret be a Staffs record count?
 

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