• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

RSPB Middleton Lakes (1 Viewer)

I was just reading the RSPB Winter version of the RSPB magazine, page 72 Middleton lakes a great place to see Otters and Short-eared Owl.
From my experience here Otters are nocturnal so chances of seeing Otter at Middleton lakes- little chance.
Short-eared Owls pre-jubilee wetlands the RSPB cut all rough grass in winter for 3 years which was disasterous for Short-eared Owl.
With the creation of jubilee wetlands a lot of rough grass has gone, there are small bands in some areas.
Fisher's mill meadow is over grazed so you won't be seeing Short-eared Owls there your best chance is Dosthill lake bunds, Richard's meadow, not on the RSPB Reseve.
It was better here for Short-eared Owl before the RSPB took over.

Regards, John
 
Last edited:
punta said:
I had a walk round yesterday afternoon, no stonechats :( quite a few meadow pipits by the hide. There was a little mud showing and the lapwings were on it also three Dunlin seen.

Little Vid of last nights murmaration here http://www.flickr.com/photos/68550177@N02/10806156843/
Click to expand...

I took a video myself tonight and only noticed when watching at home, that a sparrowhawk went in just at the moment the birds split up into three groups. Don't think it caught anything though.
Looks like there was at least one sparrowhawk on you video also.
Regards,
Geoff (the other one)
 
geoffw6490 said:
I took a video myself tonight and only noticed when watching at home, that a sparrowhawk went in just at the moment the birds split up into three groups. Don't think it caught anything though.
Looks like there was at least one sparrowhawk on you video also.
Regards,
Geoff (the other one)
Click to expand...

Funny you should say that because as i was packing up I did notice a BOP flying towards me with something hanging from its talons. The light was pretty poor then so struggled to get a decent view onto it before it flew off.
 
The volunteers were moving cows into JW this afternoon. Water levels high, nothing much to report other than a Snipe that I flushed on the North pit, 2 poss 3 Little Egrets and lots of Shoveler. Someone said they had seen a pair of Golden Eye on JW and I saw a pair of Stonechats there. There were c250 Greylaggs that flew from the field by the North Pit onto the pit itself and I see on TVB that John saw a Pink Footed on that field today.

All the best

Steve
 
There are quite a few mentions on this thread of work undertaken by the volunteer groups but no links / detail for further information - can anyone help?
 
13/11/13 5 Long-horn cattle have been put onto jubilee wetlands today. I saw a 1st winter male Stonechat, it dropped off a post and caught a Ruby Tiger moth larvea. Britsh Stonechats are slightly differently marked from the continental Stonechats. Chris Cook said he saw 4 Stonechats ealier, a Raven flew south and 50 Fieldfare SW. A Pink-footed Goose was with the Grey lags on the arable West of the North pit, if viewing move slowly and don't go to the fence as they may flush, the farmer on the private section shoots them.
Pink-footed Geese are scarce on the reserve, at Martin mere Lancashire 5300 were counted on the 10/11/13. RSPB Middleton lakes is to far south to attract these birds and on passage Pink-footed Geese going to North Norfolk mostly at night, some skeins are seen in daytime going over Derbyshire and North Staffs but not over here.
Starlings were going into roost quickly this evening 1000's again a Sparrow Hawk took a number of hunting attemps at small groups of Starling going into roost but was not succesful this evening. The Sparrow Hawk did not enter the reeds because many Starlings could peck his eyes out.
The first real frost today however Migrant Hawker and Common Darter were seen on the Reserve.
3 female Goldeneye dropped on Dosthill NR and another 2 were on Dosthill lake.

Regards, John
 
A Black-throated Diver and a Whinchat were reported today on the RSPB website. I should imagine that the Whinchat was a Stonechat but the diver? maybe a Cormorant?
 
geoffw1946 said:
A Black-throated Diver and a Whinchat were reported today on the RSPB website. I should imagine that the Whinchat was a Stonechat but the diver? maybe a Cormorant?
Click to expand...

I spoke to a chap who reckoned he'd seen a Whinchat by the North Pit & I suggested that it was a Stonechat but he didn't seem impressed! When I got up there I only saw a pair of Stonechats. It was probably him that put it on RSPB site.

Steve
 
I think unless you have become recently familiar with 'Caspo's' or a 'face' then any record needs independent/multiple verification with a photo.

Must get up to Muddleton i haven't seen a Stonechat or a Cormorant for a while;)

Laurie:t:
 
14/11/13 Had a quick look around the Reserve and after dark waiting for the RSPB Middleton lakes Biodiversity evening. Pink-footed Goose still present with the Grey lags on the north pit. A Bittern seen flying from Fisher's mill to Dosthill NR this afternoon by an RSPB Vol.
At the meeting Warden Stefan Bodnar said the ringers had caught a juv Marsh Tit on the reserve. An RSPB volunteer was Bitten by the farm dog and went down the hospital for a tetanus, the farm must been saving a fortune on Dog food.

Regards, John
 
I thought that particular farm dog was on a chain?

Good job they caught the Marsh Tit otherwise it would'nt pass muster;)

What are the water levels like John?

Laurie:t:
 
SteveAtkinson said:
I spoke to a chap who reckoned he'd seen a Whinchat by the North Pit & I suggested that it was a Stonechat but he didn't seem impressed! When I got up there I only saw a pair of Stonechats. It was probably him that put it on RSPB site.

Steve
Click to expand...




Reminds me of an episode at Brownsea Island a couple of Mays ago, when a woman was trying to identify a gull with a dark hood in front of the hide. After pointing out that it was a BHG, she stubbornly said "no its not" then proclaimed it to be a Bonapartes.

I then pointed out that it was no different to the several hundred other dark headed gulls around, when she got very rude and still proclaimed it to be a Bonaparte's.

Now i always like to help out the novice birder, but this one just made me flip with her arrogance. You see, people with brummie accents dont know much when it comes to birds, you have to speak rather posh to be accepted as pretty knowledgeable...

I pointed out that ive only been birding both as a hobby and professionally for 35 years or more and that if she wanted to call the several hundred BHG's, Bonapartes, then she was on crack cocaine!...8-P

Shortly after at Ladywalk. i had a chap convinced that the overhead cormorant he had seen was a Bird of prey, that "looked like a cormorant!"

I quickly made my excuses and ran for the hills:-O
 

Similar threads

IAN JAMES THOMPSON
RSPB Reserves-Open Data
Replies
5
Views
655
IAN JAMES THOMPSON
IAN JAMES THOMPSON
IAN JAMES THOMPSON
RSPB are going to start a two year trial allowing free admission to under 24’s to RSPB reserves from early November 2023! The Guardian!
Replies
4
Views
812
Richard D
Richard D
D
Hello just joines the forum I live just outside Liverpool UK and regulary visit RSPB Burton Mere and the WWT reerve at Martin Mere
Replies
8
Views
515
Fritz73
Fritz73
B
Big Bri
Replies
6
Views
316
KC Foggin
KC Foggin
S
Rare bird at rspb Sandwell valley.
Replies
0
Views
415
susan webster
S

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top