Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire (3 Viewers)

[s.g.]

doxey today,
2 water pipits,3 water rails,barn owl, pair stonechat plus the usual wildfoul.
s.g.

 

[smyrna]

Off the top of my head, Westport Little Egrets are singles on Aug 10th 2005, April 23rd 2007 and May 7th 2009.

If thats off the 'top of your head' then I'm very impressed

cheers Statto

 

[Nick Smith]

Memorised the complete Rare and Scarce Birds of Staffordshire

 

[Nick Smith]

The Little Egret was again seen at Westport Lake this morning, tho generally very mobile and elusive. Seen about three times in all.

 

[Max Radford]

Around 52 Pink-Feet in amongst the Goose flock at Blith this morning; But the farmer began shooting at the flock and the flock dispersed.

Also no sign of the elusive GND again this morning.

Max

 

[Rockbirder]

1st winter drake Scaup still at Utch this afternoon

3 YLG's at Kingswood Lakeside, 2 ad's and a 2nd winter bird

Water Rail stiil showing below the outlet on Parkhall Lake

Water Rail showed well several times at Hales Hall pool Cheesdale this a'noon

Med' Gull at Gailey

Long-eared Owl at Parkhall in Ox Iron Wood

Bittern at Aqualate this mornin'.

Andy.

http://birdsbeerandrocknroll.blogspot.com

 

[The Snapper]

Hi All,

The ringed Med Gull was again present at Gailey late morning till 12:30 at least stood on the ice and bathing on the small unfrozen patch of water.

There is also quite a few 'farmland' birds down the nearby bridleway including 1 fem Brambling amongst a large Chaffinch & Linnet flock, sev Tree Sparrows and 10+ Yellowhammers. I'll keep a check on these in case that much wanted Pine Bunting turns up

Cheers

 

[GlynH]

Aqualate Mere

Very good views of the bittern flying across the right hand reed beds at 10.20
and 2 Water Rail showing well in front of the hide again this morning.
regards Glyn

 

[The Snapper]

doxey today,
2 water pipits,3 water rails,barn owl, pair stonechat plus the usual wildfoul.
s.g.

Hi s.g.,

Whereabouts did you have the Water Pipits and Barn Owl?

Did you have a look for Bittern?

I may pop over next weekend.

Thanks

 

[Neil-T]

Very good views of the bittern flying across the right hand reed beds at 10.20
and 2 Water Rail showing well in front of the hide again this morning.
regards Glyn

Just to add to Glyn's report, Bramblings also at Cudmore fishery still.
Great day out today mate with a few good ticks, especially the Water rail and Bittern, will put some pics up later. Neil.

 

[Rob Swift]

A quick 2 hour visit down Doxey Marsh this afternoon....... but no Bittern again!

Highlights:

Water Pipit - showed well for 10 minutes feeding on river bank. (the muddy bank section that runs between Doxey Pool & Lily Pool) before flying high and landing beyond the scrape.
Goosander x 24 - counted at dusk on the ice free section of Cresswell Flash.
Water Rail x 3 - including 1 at 4m distance.

Seen by another Birder (Jan)
Peregrine x 1
Woodcock x 1

Rob

 

[The Moore-hen]

Wise words indeed Mr Moore! Accordin' to RBA, two Lap' Buntas in a Newcastle garden briefly at 1.00pm!

Andy.

My words might have been wise Mr Rockbirder...but i doubt that identification was!! I would suspect they were Reed Bunts identified incorrectly from a fieldguide...but stranger things do happen...

Well no megas turned up in mine or anybody else's back garden in Staffs then this weekend...i have to admit i spent most of it shifting junk after having the heating replaced...we had no heating from last Sunday til Friday...that was fun! :C and then sledging after that to recover!!

Nice to see plenty of others keeping the thread up to date. My internet connection is very patchy at home but fine at work so thanks to others for updating this weekend.

Extra News for the 10th Jan

2 ad Caspian, 3 Yellow-legged & ad Med Gull + 5 Whooper Swan over NE at 08.20 - Chasewater
400+ Pink-footed Geese - over Alton between 09.30 & 11.10

Extra News for the 9th Jan

2 adult Caspian Gull - Chasewater (+2 Yellow-legged Gull)
adult Caspian Gull - Kingswood (+2 ad Yellow-legged Gull)
Little Egret - Clayhanger Marsh (+ad Yellow-legged Gull)

Extra News for the 8th Jan

Great Northern Diver - still at Blithfield
120-150 Pink-footed Geese - Cudmore

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 11th Jan

Bittern - Aqualate Mere - still in reed by the hide at 10.10

News it getting out from Aqualate on the same day...wonders will never cease...:eek!:

 

[Neil-T]

News for the 11th Jan

Bittern - Aqualate Mere - still in reed by the hide at 10.10

News it getting out from Aqualate on the same day...wonders will never cease...:eek!:

I met a nice chap in the hide at Aqualate today, he said that he does the annual report for the place. I asked him if would submit any records of rare or scarce birds on here, and he said that he would. The Bittern did show......just before we got there......knew we shouldn't have had that cup of coffee. 2 water rails showing very well in front of the hide, at one point they were having a bit of a domestic and sqeeling like little piglets.

 

[Adam M]

where is the best place to park for aqualate? my exams are this week and its back to uni next monday so i think i will treat myself to a trip out somewhere inbetween, weather permitting.

 

[rob.72]

Yesterday I had the Water Pipit near to the fort on the river bend at Doxey, also between the gate on the river and the sign that says pensioner pollards. many of the ditches held water rail, i counted 4 but the wardens who pointed me in the right direction knew of many more.

 

[Neil-T]

where is the best place to park for aqualate? my exams are this week and its back to uni next monday so i think i will treat myself to a trip out somewhere inbetween, weather permitting.

Hi Adam, if you are coming from the direction of the A41 you will nedd to turn left at the roundabout and go down the A518 which is signposted Stafford. Go down here for about 2 miles and it's the first turning on your left, go down here for half a mile and you will see the pull in and parking space for Aqualate.
Neil.

 

[Adam M]

thanks for that neil, i think i know where you mean now, the little car park just off that last bit of road, east of the mere.

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Aqualate

That would be great! I know of many great birds there which have slipped through the net in the past.

Regarding the log book, I suspect the person reporting an empty log book was probably looking at this years log book. The 2009 log book will have been removed by Pete in order to produce the annual report.

Cheers, Nick

I met a nice chap in the hide at Aqualate today, he said that he does the annual report for the place. I asked him if would submit any records of rare or scarce birds on here, and he said that he would......

 

[The Moore-hen]

I met a nice chap in the hide at Aqualate today, he said that he does the annual report for the place. I asked him if would submit any records of rare or scarce birds on here, and he said that he would.

That's brilliant Neil, any news out of Aqualate would be a real bonus!! That's one of the main reasons i started this thread...to get birders who wouldn't usually contact the pager / information services to report their sightings here while also being able to find out what was about elsewhere.

As for the Bittern i must have spent over 10hrs in that hide until i saw my first one and i have never yet seen one perched there...although with the ice this is the perfect time. Cracking shot of the Water Rail and many more cracking shots on your thread...i'm very jeleous...:t:

No News for the 12th Jan so far today.