Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire (5 Viewers)

[The Moore-hen]

Are we assuming the hawfinches at Cannock Chase are on the feeding station just past the visitor center on Marques Drive? Any more info much appreciated.

Adam

Yeh I was thinking the same myself, don't know the full details I only copied the details from the RBA pager.

Extra News for the 6th Feb

redhead Smew - Blithfield in Tad bay viewed from the road
Water Pipit - Doxey Marshes on the River Sow also Merlin
Short-eared Owl & Jack Snipe - Berry Hill Fields
Jack Snipe - Uttoxeter on Hockley Brook at park

 

[The Snapper]

Hi All,

Graham Evans has posted a photo on the Chasewater blog of a gull present at Stubber's Green this weekend.

I saw the bird myself and it is certainly striking particularly in flight.

Being a 3rd w Herring type, I was quite surprised by how retained the dark greater coverts are as well as a significant amount of dark markings on the underparts. This individual also shows a distinct pale window on the inner primaries(striking in flight and when preening).

I would be interested to hear peoples thoughts.

 

[Adam M]

Yeh I was thinking the same myself, don't know the full details I only copied the details from the RBA pager.

Extra News for the 6th Feb

redhead Smew - Blithfield in Tad bay viewed from the road
Water Pipit - Doxey Marshes on the River Sow also Merlin
Short-eared Owl & Jack Snipe - Berry Hill Fields
Jack Snipe - Uttoxeter on Hockley Brook at park

Hoping to take some of the Coombes Valley volunteers out for a days birding in Staffs soon, hopefully picking up some of the scarcer things; crossbills, LSW, LEO, etc. We'd be heading to the Chase anyway, so will have a look in on them feeders.

Adam M

 

[Steve Turner]

Silverdale, Newcastle

Found a rather sexy looking 2nd-winter Iceland Gull this afternoon, in the field at the junction of Cemetery and Keele Roads (opposite the landfill site), showing very well until at least 12:45.
The bird was also enjoyed by Nick Pom who missed out on finding it himself by about 10 minutes :t:

Plenty of other gulls about including a very disconcerting Lesser Black-backed that was, structurally, ideal for a Baltic Gull, but lacked the black mantle colour, plus a very odd dark mantled Herring-type...

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Excellent bird all the same. :t:

Found a rather sexy looking 2nd-winter Iceland Gull this afternoon, in the field at the junction of Cemetery and Keele Roads (opposite the landfill site), showing very well until at least 12:45.
The bird was also enjoyed by Nick Pom who missed out on finding it himself by about 10 minutes :t:

Plenty of other gulls about including a very disconcerting Lesser Black-backed that was, structurally, ideal for a Baltic Gull, but lacked the black mantle colour, plus a very odd dark mantled Herring-type...

 

[The Moore-hen]

Extra News for 7th Feb

7 eurasian White-fronted Geese - Knypersley Resv mid am
2w Caspian Gull - Kingswood on the lake

Extra News for 6th Feb

Firecrest - again Penn Common at the south end of Chamberlain Lane along the track to the common behind the farm buildings
Near-ad Iceland & 3w Caspian Gull and 2 Grey Plover - Chasewater
near-ad Iceland Gull - Stubbers Green

 

[Kevin Clements]

Near-adult Iceland Gull at Stubbers Green again today.

 

[ScottPetrek]

Live near Cheadle? Want to help keep an eye on the bird life of Cotton Dell nature reserve at Oakamoor?

http://www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk/page/cotton-dell

Just get in touch if you can help. The survey involves 3 morning visits over the breeding season counting birds you see and hear from fixed survey points. Dead easy! :-O

[email protected]

 

[Rob Swift]

West Midland Bird Club Bulletin

Andy L, the editor of the WMBC bulletin, is always on the lookout for material, for the bulletin issues.

Anybody can contribute, and he's very appreciative of reports on anything bird related e.g local patches, yearly local patch reports, personal birding experiences, I.D articles etc etc.

If anybody is interested in sending him something, then please email [email protected]

cheers

Rob

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 8th Feb

Juv Glaucous & poss adult Caspian Gull - Belvide also 1w drake Scaup still
Black Redstart - still Gailey on the north side
7 Eurasian White-fronted Geese - over Knypersley late am
redhead Smew - Drayton Bassett Pits / River Tame

Extra News for 7th Feb

Juv Iceland Gull - Belvide in roost
Juv Glaucous Gull - Aqualate Mere
Bittern - Chasewater on the slurry pool in anoon

 

[andyr]

Blithfield Black Redstart

Hi All

The Blithfield Black Redstart was showing well this afternoon in the slightly milder weather, finding plenty of food along the shoreline from the sailing club to the dam, as well as using the fence posts around Mickledale Bay as launch-pads to catch insects in the three neighbouring fields with cattle in them. The two Black Swan were also near the sailing club shoreline, but I couldn't quite get them in the same shot with the BR.
As I expected however, there was no sign of the Great Grey Shrike at Upper Longdon, when I stopped off there earlier on. With the ground on the clearfell pretty much frozen solid now, it is no surprise the GGS has not been seen for almost a week now.

Cheers

Andy R.

 

[The Moore-hen]

Extra News for the 9th Feb

Black Redstart was showing very well at Gailey today on the posts and on the spill weir in the northwest corner with it's 2 Pied Wag mates also the adult Med Gull was on the ice. This bird (red ring 3P4) was at Priorslee Lake, Telford on Saturday morning but unfortunately didn't bring any of it's Northern White-winged mates back to Gailey with it...:C

Juv Iceland Gull - Aqualate Mere at 16.30
Great Grey Shrike - Upper Longdon off Startley Lane at 12.00
1w drake Scaup - Belvide

 

[andyr]

Extra News for the 9th Feb

Great Grey Shrike - Upper Longdon off Startley Lane at 12.00
1w drake Scaup - Belvide

Think I better take back my comment that the GGS had not been seen for nearly a week !

 

[pandachris]

Hi

Has anybody looked for the Penn Common Firecrest since Tuesday? Think we'll pop down there tomorrow for a look.

 

[The Moore-hen]

Hi

Has anybody looked for the Penn Common Firecrest since Tuesday? Think we'll pop down there tomorrow for a look.

Haven't been myself yet but on the pager today for 12.00. Park at south end of Chamberlain's Lane and take footpath 0.25 miles to the copse on the right but mobile.

Extra News for 10th Feb

Bittern - Chasewater flew over the slurry pool at midday

 

[pandachris]

Thanks. We don't have much luck with Firecrests in the UK but we'll give it a go.

 

[rhbirder]

Haven't been myself yet but on the pager today for 12.00. Park at south end of Chamberlain's Lane and take footpath 0.25 miles to the copse on the right but mobile.

Extra News for 10th Feb

Bittern - Chasewater flew over the slurry pool at midday

Hi all, i found the male firecrest today in the small copse on the right hand side of the path to the south of chamberlain lane, it was quite active with a small party of goldcrests moving up and down the north west end of copse where it adjoins the fields, this is to the right hand side of the small brook / ditch. Best to park in vicarage road as chamberlains lane is single track, walk to south end of chamberlains lane, take footpath directly ahead (not the one to the right),follow this for around 5+ minutes until you come to a small copse (plenty of hollies) on the right, as you walk into copse head to the right into the far corner, this was where the bird was present on and off while i was present. thanks Simon, aka Russells Hall Red Backed Shrike and Wryneck finder.

 

[chris23565]

Thanks for all the kind comments on the Westport report and for the suggestion of putting it on here as a attachment to save people having to e mail me, I didn't realise that you could do this just thought it was photos that could be attached.

 

[Nick Smith]

Today there was a 1w White-fronted Goose at Branston GP's on the first pit. Also the Knot was still knocking around. At Blithfield, the Black Redstart was on the dam by the overflow. I phoned these through to Birdnet who put the news out, but for some reason, neither Birdguides or RBA picked up on the news.

 

[The Moore-hen]

Extra News for 11th Feb

Firecrest - Penn Common still off Chamberlain's Lane
Black Redstart - Gailey on north side also ad Med Gull
Juv Glaucous Gull - Belvide early am also 1w drake Scaup
Water Pipit - Doxey between hide and pollarded willows
7 White-fronted Geese - Knypersley Reservoir
redhead Smew - Blithfield in Tad bay
Red-crested Pochard - Copmere
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - Aqualate Mere