Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire (1 Viewer)

[smyrna]

Bill Low had a female Goshawk being mobbed by a Sparrowhawk at Hanchurch this morning.

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Bittern

Had a bittern fly over Copmere a couple of times this afternoon, landing in the northern reed beds. Also peregrine and 2 ravens.

Scaup still present at Uttoxeter Quarry with a redshank there too.

Nick

 

[Martyn Yapp]

There are some exeptions to this of course, mainly Nutcracker, Common Rosefinch or any American passerine.

Remember this is a STAFFS SCARCE BIRDS forum ie NO garden birds or birds from other counties.
ATB

 

[Rockbirder]

Had a bittern fly over Copmere a couple of times this afternoon, landing in the northern reed beds. Also peregrine and 2 ravens.

Scaup still present at Uttoxeter Quarry with a redshank there too.

Nick[/QUOTE]

Nice one Nick:t:, thanks for the text pal but there was a nogger match goin' on at the timeB

Cheers to The Snapper for the directions to Kingswood, Caspo finally put to bed.

Andy

http://birdsbeerandrocknroll.blogspot.com

 

[The Snapper]

Hi All,

Todays round-up as follows :

FERRUGINOUS DUCK drk still at Brookleys Lake, also fem Scaup.

drk Green-Winged Teal still at Blithfield Res Tad Bay, also fem Smew Blithe Bay, G N Diver deep end, 190 Pinkfeet(3 skeins), 2 Brambling at feeding station.

2nd w Glaucous Gull Belvide Res Roost + 4 Y-L Gulls.

2nd w Caspian Gull Kingswood this a.m.

1st w drk Scaup Gailey Res Sailing Lake

1st w drk Scaup Uttoxeter Quarry

Bittern Copmere

fem Goshawk Hanchurch Woods

90 Pinkfeet over Knypersley Res

drk Smew rptd y'day Croxall

Cheers

 

[Richard Powell]

Another Gull Conundrum

I've set up a Q&A thread, for a gull that I found at Blithers on New Years Day.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1688741#post1688741

Any thoughts would be much appreciated. :t:

 

[The Snapper]

I've set up a Q&A thread, for a gull that I found at Blithers on New Years Day.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1688741#post1688741

Any thoughts would be much appreciated. :t:

Hi Richard,

On the outset, I'd say that this looks pretty good for a 2nd w Caspian. The very clean white head, long sloping forehead, 'shawl' streaking, attenuated rear end, advanced pale bill colour with large dark marking would point towards this.

The picture doesn't fully show the bill length/shape, nor the true mantle colour, so may be difficult to be sure.

Do you have any other pics?

Cheers

 

[Richard Powell]

Hi Steve

I've put a couple of other pics on that thread. They may help with the bill, but that's about it. And that is really is good as I have.

Cheers

 

[Neil-T]

Water pipit at Doxey marshes. Not a great picture, but it was late afternoon and a fair way off.

 

[The Moore-hen]

Cheers to The Snapper for updating the thread while i have been 'out of action'. Returned today to find loads of excellent posts and even some nice photo's which is brilliant for the thread!

News for the 4th Jan

drake Green-winged Teal - still Blithfield in Tad bay (+ redhead Smew - Blithe bay) and the Great Northern Diver - still off the Watery Lane car park

Extra News for the 3rd Jan

2 x 3w Caspian & ad Med Gull - Chasewater roost
ad Caspian Gull - Jeffries Swag am
drake Smew - Drayton Bassett North Pit

Extra News for the 1st Jan

2 Bittern - Dosthill NR briefly in the afternoon.

Bitterns seem to be very much in evidence all around the region in this cold snap but no reports from Aqualate lately...is this just observer coverage / reporting or have they chosen to reside elsewhere this winter?

 

[The Moore-hen]

I've set up a Q&A thread, for a gull that I found at Blithers on New Years Day.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1688741#post1688741

Any thoughts would be much appreciated. :t:

Tricky one that Richard...very difficult to tell from those photos. I can see why you suspected Caspian but i would think probably not. I would have to say it's a hard one to call 100% but Western Yellow-legged Gull would be my guess...maybe Lars Nuttall can shed more light on this larid...:t:

 

[Neil-T]

6 Bramblings at Cudmore fisheries today if anyone needs the tick. Don't forget to take some seed with you if you have got any. Neil.

 

[Steve Nuttall]

Tricky one that Richard...very difficult to tell from those photos. I can see why you suspected Caspian but i would think probably not. I would have to say it's a hard one to call 100% but Western Yellow-legged Gull would be my guess...maybe Lars Nuttall can shed more light on this larid...:t:

Hi all,

I echo Ian's comments, the photo is too poor to be 100% certain, but it just doesn't look right for a Caspo.
Also for some reason which is out of my hands, I am unable to update the Belvide Blog at the moment.
There was no sign of the 2nd winter Glaucous Gull this evening but 5 Yellow-legged Gulls including 3 adults, 1 1st winter and 1 2nd winter.

Cheers

 

[Max Radford]

2 Little Egrets flew over the gull roost at Blith this evening.

Max

 

[Periwinkle]

2 Bitterns again at Dosthill NR (Staffs) today (per A Dean et al)

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Aqualate

I thought the Aqualate crew keep their sightings to just the log book. Do you know for sure that none have been logged there this autumn/winter Ian?

Cheers, Nick

....

Bitterns seem to be very much in evidence all around the region in this cold snap but no reports from Aqualate lately...is this just observer coverage / reporting or have they chosen to reside elsewhere this winter?

 

[Rob Jones]

I was down Aqualate about 3 weeks ago and the last sightings in the book of Bittern were in November. In fact there was a gap of about 3 weeks till mid December where no one put any sightings in the book.
A photographer though in the hide at the time said he saw a Bittern a week or so previous in full veiw to the right of the hide.

 

[The Moore-hen]

I thought the Aqualate crew keep their sightings to just the log book. Do you know for sure that none have been logged there this autumn/winter Ian?

Cheers, Nick

Yeh your right there Nick, sightings for Aqualate are generally kept only to the log book or the select few, although the post above suggests that they are not even updating the log book now...well it is almost in Shropshire! (can't imagine nobody has been?). Seems that there are still Bittern there but how many is anybodys guess with this recent influx and the cold weather making them more visable...just a matter of somebody who reports news going and checking it out...:t:

News for the 4th Jan

3 Caspian (ad & 2 x 3w) & 3 ad Yellow-legged Gull - Chasewater roost
3w Caspian Gull - Kingswood, near Poplars Landfill site, Cannock (+ ad Yellow-legged Gull)
250+ Pink-footed Geese - over Alton at 11.45am
No sign of the Bittern at Doxey Marshes but Barn Owl & 15 Goosander

 

[Steve Nuttall]

Hi all,

I see there is a photo of a possible Ring Billed Gull/ Herring Gull hybrid taken at Priorslee lake Shropshire a few days ago. The only way you can access this photo is to join the Surfbirds forum, then click on the Advanced bird ID Q&A section.
I saw this bird in the Belvide roost last night and put it down as a small sub adult Herring Gull and I still stick by this ID.
I see the Ring Billed Gull has been seen again at Priorslee today.

I have just spoken to Rich Vernon who saw the RBG today. He has viewed the photo on Surfbirds and said it was definitely not the bird he saw today, being smaller with yellowy legs and a more distinct black band on the bill.

Cheers Steve

 

[The Moore-hen]

Hi all,

I see there is a photo of a possible Ring Billed Gull/ Herring Gull hybrid taken at Priorslee lake Shropshire a few days ago. The only way you can access this photo is to join the Surfbirds forum, then click on the Advanced bird ID Q&A section.
I saw this bird in the Belvide roost last night and put it down as a small sub adult Herring Gull and I still stick by this ID.
I see the Ring Billed Gull has been seen again at Priorslee today.

I have just spoken to Rich Vernon who saw the RBG today. He has viewed the photo on Surfbirds and said it was definitely not the bird he saw today, being smaller with yellowy legs and a more distinct black band on the bill.

Cheers Steve

I was planning on going to Priorslee Flash at lunchtime today but changed my mind at the last minute due to the fact it was snowing and the RBG hadn't been reported for a few days...typical! I doubt i will be able to get over to look for it this week now due to work. I'm quite suprised it hasn't appeared in the Belvide roost yet as so many gulls come in from that direction (but sometimes very late on)...i guess it might be going to Chelmarsh but it hasn't been reported there either (Yellow-legged Gulls have so it's being done!). I wonder if it is just arriving at either site under cover of darkness...:-C