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

RSPB Middleton Lakes (1 Viewer)

discors said:
From the M42 at junction 9, take the A4097 towards Kingsbury and turn left at the first roundabout. Follow the lane round to the left and the main entrance to the Water Park is on the right after half a mile. Continue past this and over the motorway and then turn immediately right into a tiny lane and take the entrance on the left to Broomey Croft. Follow this road, forking right to leave the caravan site on your left, pass through the lifting barriers and continue to the car park at the end. Walk north along the towpath and the gravel pits are on both sides after one mile.

Tried following directions to Dotshill Lakes from Birdguides for the SEO's yesterday failed.
Just ended up around Curdworth bottom lock. Lots of Gadwall and Wigeon on these lakes and 1 female Goldeneye. What is the best way to approach Dotshill to see the Owls?
Click to expand...

Hi Trev - these sound like the old directions to what is now Middleton Lakes (access to the RSPB reserve from the track by the Vile training ground just west of the Broomey Croft turn). However to stand a decent chance of seeing the SEOs you need to be at Dosthill itself which is east of the River Tame (a opposed to Middleton which is west). Think the easiest route is from Dosthill village on the A51 take the public footpath west down the hill at grid ref approx 210 998.

Havent been here myself (was at Middleton on Sunday proving how hard it was to see them from that side of the river!) so I am sure the patch watchers will correct the above if inaccurate.

Phil
 
Hi Phil and Trev,
I have found that looking across the river from Fishers Mill Pool/New reedbed Pool can be the closest views of the owls, however you can park in the water ski centre near Dosthill (cost £3 to get out again or £10 for an annual permit).
Tame Valley Birding has requested that birders keep off the bund hills to avoid disturbing the owls. The best time to see them appears to be noon- 1pm. At least one was seen again today, but not by me.
Geoff
 
Decided to try the meadow trail via the canal towpath and ended up at Kingsbury Water Park Sita hide, (At least KWP does have some hides.)
I did get 3 month ticks on the trail - Willow Tit, Linnet and Raven. A Peregrine flew over and a Cetti's Warbler was calling from the west side of Fishers Mill Pool, 3 Dunlin were still on the new reedbed pit.
Geoff
 
geoffw1946 said:
Hi Phil and Trev,
I have found that looking across the river from Fishers Mill Pool/New reedbed Pool can be the closest views of the owls, however you can park in the water ski centre near Dosthill (cost £3 to get out again or £10 for an annual permit).
Tame Valley Birding has requested that birders keep off the bund hills to avoid disturbing the owls. The best time to see them appears to be noon- 1pm. At least one was seen again today, but not by me.
Geoff
Click to expand...

Hi Geoff - unfortunately several birders were on the bunds on Sunday afternoon but most appeared to be gathered together at ground level.
 
An enjoyable morning visit in spite of the cold dull weather. Birds noted included 4 Little Egret, 5 Goosander, 3 Golden Plover, 3 Dunlin, 1 Snipe and a Redshank.
A Short-eared Owl was hunting the bund hills from noon and a pair of Stonechat were showing well by the north pit.
 
geoffw1946 said:
An enjoyable morning visit in spite of the cold dull weather. Birds noted included 4 Little Egret, 5 Goosander, 3 Golden Plover, 3 Dunlin, 1 Snipe and a Redshank.
A Short-eared Owl was hunting the bund hills from noon and a pair of Stonechat were showing well by the north pit.
Click to expand...

Just to add to Geoff's mention of Short-eared Owl, I went back to spend a second enjoyable afternoon in a fortnight on the Dosthill Lake side of the Tame today, where at least two SEOs were visible at various times between 1.10 and 3.05pm.
If you can manage the £3 car park charge, I strongly recommend it, as the Waterski Club area and especially the ground to the left (as you look at the water) provides such a wide area to scan easily, including all the bunds and the main lake shoreline.
And for the first time since taking up birding about five years ago, I took my small video camera with me. Not quite Simon King in quality ! But a nice record of this species in action nevertheless.

Good luck if you go.


Cheers
 
A mild sunny afternoon. The waders were very skittish with a Peregrine reported around. Over the north pit 3 Dunlin were with a Lapwing flock. 150 Golden Plover circled with 80 landing briefly and the Redshank was still there.
Geoff
 
Afternoon visit,walked around with SC. At least 6 Little Egret were around, 21 Golden Plover were on the new reedbed with 5 Dunlin and 100ca. Lapwing and a Chiffchaff was nearby, however disappointingly there was no Starling murmuration, perhaps it was just a one-off.
At dusk 1 possibly 3 Woodcock flew into the southern meadow to feed and a Short-eared Owl was hunting Fishers Mill meadow.
Geoff
 
Not much change this morning but a drake Pintail on the north pit was new in, a Redshank was still there. 55 Golden Plover were on the new reedbed with 4 Dunlin and 2 Snipe, another Snipe was on Fishers Mill Pool.
A Hen Harrier was reported.
Geoff
 
Not much to report over the last three days. Yesterdays highlights, I did the Dosthill side of the reserve, a Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff and Grey Wagtail were seen.
Today, main reserve, 4 Little Egret were around, 104 Golden Plover were with Lapwing and 4 Dunlin on new reedbed pool also a Green Sandpiper was heard here and on north pit. A Redshank was still on north pit with 3 Snipe and a Dunlin.
A Stonechat was showing well by the midwest pools, 30 Redpoll were in birches and alders.
A Toad was unusual, I shooed it off the path by the canal in case it got trod on.
Geoff
 
Afternoon visit, 2 Redshank, 3 Dunlin, 1 Golden Plover and a large flock of Lapwing were on the new reedbed pool. A Bittern was reported in the Heronry lookout reedbed but I couldn't find any details of who saw it.
Geoff.
 
The immature drake Smew was still on the mid west pools this morning. A juvenile Peregrine flew through. 3 Dunlin and a Redshank were around Fishers Mill/ New Reedbed Pools and 3 Snipe were on the north pit. The male Stonechat was still hunting insects from reeds at new reedbed pool.
No sign of yesterdays Mandarin Duck.
The moat at the hall is being dredged and now the hall lake has much mud showing, so there's a good chance of some waders there.
Geoff
 
Smew

rhbirder said:
What do you mean by the mid west pools, which ones are these ?. ie smew, thanks
Click to expand...

These Smew sightings are on the Staffs side of the Border called Drayton Bassett pits, from Fisher's mill bridge walk north along the track running adjacent to the canal. If you get an RSPB map from the carpark the mid pools are North past the RSPB new reedbed area.
Looking East across here from the track you may see Smew, however the pool in the middle with the over grown island cannot all be seen so it's possible to miss a Smew here, also when Smew first come in they are very mobile. The large bund at Dosthill lake gives good views of this mid pool however there is no bridge present at the moment.
The mid pools area is to be re-landscaped by the RSPB making shallow shores not steep banks and spits by pushing soil into the water, if the water becomes to shallow it will no longer be a good habitat for diving duck like Smew and Goldeneye.

Regards, John
 
JHDraytonbassettpits said:
These Smew sightings are on the Staffs side of the Border called Drayton Bassett pits, from Fisher's mill bridge walk north along the track running adjacent to the canal. If you get an RSPB map from the carpark the mid pools are North past the RSPB new reedbed area.
Looking East across here from the track you may see Smew, however the pool in the middle with the over grown island cannot all be seen so it's possible to miss a Smew here, also when Smew first come in they are very mobile. The large bund at Dosthill lake gives good views of this mid pool however there is no bridge present at the moment.
The mid pools area is to be re-landscaped by the RSPB making shallow shores not steep banks and spits by pushing soil into the water, if the water becomes to shallow it will no longer be a good habitat for diving duck like Smew and Goldeneye.

Regards, John
Click to expand...
Thanks John for the comprehensive reply, I don't think I need to add anything.
Geoff
 
Morning visit in mild but breezy conditions. Up to 5 Little Egret were around, 3 Shelducks were reported but most likely disturbed by a Pheasant shoot as not seen later. The Smew was still on the midwest pools catching several fish while I was there.
Waders were still the same, 3 Dunlin, 1 Redshank and 1 Snipe, a Green Sandpiper was reported on the river. In the woodlands a Treecreeper was following a tit flock which included 2 Goldcrest.
Geoff
 
A pleasant but cold morning, the hall lake was 90% frozen but the rest of the pools were ice free. 4 Little Egret were around, a Shelduck was on the north pit and the drake Smew was seen on two of the midwest pools. Waders were much the same as previous days, 3 Dunlin , 1 or 2 Redshank, 21 Golden Plover plus a Green Sandpiper on hall lake. 2 Kingfisher were seen and the pair of Stonechat were still at the new reedbed.
Yesterday at dusk a Woodcock was seen in flight and a Cetti's Warbler was singing at the silt pond.
Geoff
 
Morning visit, 5 Shelduck were seen, 3 on the hall lake and 2 on the north pit, 2 drake Pintail were also on the north pit. 1 Dunlin, 1 Snipe and 2 or 3 Redshank were around. There was at least 1 Yellowhammer with a flock of Chaffinch at the Pheasant feeders and set aside by Fishers Mill public footpath.
Geoff
 

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