Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire (4 Viewers)

[Richard Powell]

Not necessarily, I remember all the "fall-out" of that . His name was Des. Lynam? O'Connor?

Might be same person that photographed RN Grebe and didn't spread the word!

 

[andyr]

Lichfield Waxwing

Hi All

A number of Waxwing were seen feeding on fallen berries opposite the football club yesterday, but none were around when I stopped off around 10am this morning, when two Mistlethrush and six Blackbirds were hoovering up the last few scraps.
But good luck to all Waxwing that have fed in our County over the last month or so, and I know there are some left at a few locations, but what a challenge it will be if we have a harsh Winter, as birds have already found their way down to the tip of Cornwall. Where next for them after that ?

Cheers

Andy R.

 

[Martyn Yapp]

Case of mis-identification there. Another case of the disappearing duck at Blithfield.

Not necessarily, I remember all the "fall-out" of that . His name was Des. Lynam? O'Connor?

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 15th Dec

Juv Iceland & 2 Caspian (ad & 1w) - Silverdale on The Void
Bittern - Aqualate Mere
80+ Waxwing - Rugeley at Amazon distribution centre & 40+ at Morrisons
Grey Plover - flew thru Belvide am
Fem Scaup - Westport

 

[Newton Stringer]

I was back home in Staffs this week to visit my family for a couple of days.

I dropped in to see the nearby waxwings in Lichfield and they didn’t disappoint. It was real treat to be surrounded by trilling calls and have these little stunners feeding all around us.

Whilst driving around I also bumped into small groups of waxwings at Morrisons in Lichfield, on a roadside hedge at Rugeley power station and near Brocton too.

They moved through pretty quickly up here due to poor berry crops locally, so good to get a second chance to see them down there.

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 16th Dec

Juv Iceland & 1w + poss adult Caspian Gulls - Silverdale on The Void also 20 Waxwing over
Bittern - Aqualate Mere again
Fem Scaup - still Westport Lake
Cetti's Warbler & Waxwing - Belvide
Waxwing - 160 Rugeley (120 Morrisons car park), 20 Fradley Park South by NTN, 3 Shugborough Hall.

Finally managed to get Waxwing on the garden list for Bradmore, Wolvo when 4 were in the top of a tree just south of the garden at 08.55...then, just like buses, I had another flock of 20-30 birds go SW over calling as I left the house at 10am. No need to twitch Waxwing during this invasion, so short in supply are the berries, they will find you...:t:

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 17th Dec

Juv Iceland, 2w Caspian & probable 1w Caspian Gull - Walley's Landfill Site area, Silverdale
Drake Common Scoter - Mossfield Pool, near Longton
Fem Scaup - Westport Lake
Cetti's Warbler - Belvide
23 Waxwing - Wolverhampton at Smestow Valley by Lock 14
20 Waxwing - flew over Etruria at 10.45
5 Waxwing - Miles Green / Halmer Hill NW of Stoke

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 18th Dec

Juv Iceland & 2 x 2w Caspian Gulls -Silverdale at The Void
Drake Common Scoter - still Mossfield Pool, Adderley Green
Fem Scaup - still Westport Lake
Waxwing - 8 Hanley off Clough Street, 8 Basford on Hilltop Ave, 6 Heathcote Rd at Miles Green / Halmer End

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 19th Dec

Adult Iceland Gull - Stubbers Green at 11.30
Juv Iceland & 2w Caspian Gulls - Silverdale on The Void
Drake Common Scoter & Jack Snipe - Mossfield Pool, Adderley Green
Fem Scaup - Westport Lake still

 

[chris23565]

Hi all, so the lads and myself from Staff Bird News would like to ask a question, we were considering a poll on the blog but in the past these have proved to be poor on responses and as most of our active contributors are also on here we thought this might be the way to go.
Anyway, we are considering cleaning up the blog a bit by removing birders initials after the sighting, this will help especially where multiple sightings come in from the same site and we end up with a lot of ...... and then more......
So I guess what were asking you all is would anyone have a problem if we didn't add your initials after each sighting, this wouldn't apply to a Staffs mega where we would be more than happy to congratulate the finder, as I'm sure would everyone else.
Thanks and Best Wishes and Happy Birding to all in 2013.
Chris, Nick & Russell.

 

[Upland Birder]

Chris, Nick & Russell,

I really dont have a problem with your suggestion. However, these are just my thoughts - will some birders stop reporting stuff if their Initials are not attached after the sighting? Would it make the blog less personal? Initials following reported sightings may enable some birders to feel a sense of ownership or attachment to the blog. I always look at the initials some of whom I know and others I dont know.

It would be great if we could get more reports from further south in Staffordshire and could reach out out to birders further south in Staffordshire with reports from Kinver Edge, Highgate Common and Enville Common plus a host of other locations down there.

In any event its a great blog and thanks for continuing to manage it this past year. Keep up the good work.

Dean:t:

 

[Martyn Yapp]

I always look for the initials too, it's really so as I know whether to go for a bird or not, lets face it there is still a few errm unreliable sightings still coming through. Apart from that I have no real problems with it, although accountability is a good thing....

Hi all, so the lads and myself from Staff Bird News would like to ask a question, we were considering a poll on the blog but in the past these have proved to be poor on responses and as most of our active contributors are also on here we thought this might be the way to go.
Anyway, we are considering cleaning up the blog a bit by removing birders initials after the sighting, this will help especially where multiple sightings come in from the same site and we end up with a lot of ...... and then more......
So I guess what were asking you all is would anyone have a problem if we didn't add your initials after each sighting, this wouldn't apply to a Staffs mega where we would be more than happy to congratulate the finder, as I'm sure would everyone else.
Thanks and Best Wishes and Happy Birding to all in 2013.
Chris, Nick & Russell.

 

[Richard Powell]

Another in favour to keep initials here :t:. It provides evidence that people actually do email their sightings, not just copied from elsewhere or made up (which is probably where Martyn is coming from :eek!, and makes it all the more credible.

And if something appears that lots of people submit, then all it takes are the latin words (or phrase?) "et al".

Hi all, so the lads and myself from Staff Bird News would like to ask a question, we were considering a poll on the blog but in the past these have proved to be poor on responses and as most of our active contributors are also on here we thought this might be the way to go.
Anyway, we are considering cleaning up the blog a bit by removing birders initials after the sighting, this will help especially where multiple sightings come in from the same site and we end up with a lot of ...... and then more......
So I guess what were asking you all is would anyone have a problem if we didn't add your initials after each sighting, this wouldn't apply to a Staffs mega where we would be more than happy to congratulate the finder, as I'm sure would everyone else.
Thanks and Best Wishes and Happy Birding to all in 2013.
Chris, Nick & Russell.

 

[andyr]

Another in favour to keep initials here :t:. It provides evidence that people actually do email their sightings, not just copied from elsewhere or made up (which is probably where Martyn is coming from :eek!, and makes it all the more credible.

And if something appears that lots of people submit, then all it takes are the latin words (or phrase?) "et al".

Agree entirely with Richard's points ... where Tame Valley Birding & Devon Bird News come to mind about blogs that are highly regarded and where birders can talk to finders they know, regarding more info.

So "if it's not bust, don't fix it ..." in my opinion.

Cheers

Andy R.

 

[russell toon]

Staffs Bird News
Some good points made here for retaining initials to sightings and we will therefore continue posting the observers initials.
Russell, Nick & Chris

 

[terryeyre]

Staffs Bird News
Some good points made here for retaining initials to sightings and we will therefore continue posting the observers initials.
Russell, Nick & Chris

i am also pleased that you are keeping the initials

 

[Martyn Yapp]

It was more of a I don't wan't to waste my time travelling to Yoxall to see a bird of someones imagination, gawd I could write a novel about that, it would be purely fiction of course!

Glad to see you have seen sense lads.

It would be nice to see other news hitting our screens, Staffs is a big county and there are a few black spots regarding news output, however I have never been a fan of reading through reams of Chaffinch and Dunlin number sightings, we all know they are there don't we, well Chaffinches we do, any Dunlin here right now are underwater.

Another in favour to keep initials here :t:. It provides evidence that people actually do email their sightings, not just copied from elsewhere or made up (which is probably where Martyn is coming from :eek!, and makes it all the more credible.

And if something appears that lots of people submit, then all it takes are the latin words (or phrase?) "et al".

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 22nd Dec

Adult Iceland Gull - Stubbers Green this anoon
Adult Caspian Gull - Blithfield
Fem Scaup - still Westport Lake
40+ Waxwing - Burton on Third Avenue
9 Waxwing - Penn still on Enville Road

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 23rd Dec

Adult Iceland & adult Caspian Gull - Stubbers Green then later roosted at Chasewater
Juv Iceland Gull - Silverdale in flooded field nr old halfway house
2 Med Gull & Cetti's Warbler - Belvide
Fem Scaup - Westport Lake
Short-eared Owl - Middle Hills
13 Waxwing - Wolverhampton in Penn on Enville Road

 

[alrewasbirder]

Today at Whitemoor Haye.
6 Waxwings in the small woodland by the entrance to the quarry were a great addition to my site list :t:. Lots of wildfowl on the quarry pool now the activity centre is A) closed and B) underwater. 3 Lesser Redpolls in with a big flock of Goldfinch and a Little Owl showing. The main flock of Mute Swans have disappeared since the farmer put two noisy gas guns in the field to get rid of them just before Xmas so the chance of any wildies is looking grim again :-C