RSPB Middleton Lakes (13 Viewers)

[geoffw1946]

The year list is up to 154 with the addition of Spotted Flycatcher and Tree Pipit on the 11/8 per RSPB. Today the Great White Egret was still on JWs. 3 Green Sandpiper, 3 Common Sandpiper and a Black-tailed Godwit were reported. I missed the Marsh Harrier again as I left early.
The vegetation is being cut back on JWs so there is a chance of more waders soon.
Yesterday I saw a juvenile Water Rail on the Heronry watchpoint pond, 2 juveniles and an adult have been reported there.

 

[Piccalilli]

East Scrape this morning - Ruff (probably juv), 2 Blackwits, 1 Common Sand, 1 Green Sand and 2 Redshank. 2 Ravens over and my first Hobby of the year for the Tame Valley, hunting Dragonfly on Dosthill NR.

Third hand report of 3 Marsh Harriers on KWP Richards Meadow/Cliff Pool which were moving North towards Middleton.

 

[Piccalilli]

Nothing new tonight - still 2 Blackwits on East Scrape with 2 Green and 1 Common Sandpiper and a single Snipe. Barn Owl about but no sign of Marsh Harriers at either Middleton or KWP.

 

[Piccalilli]

Tonight - Great White Egret on Dosthill NR before roosting riverside late on. On JW 1 Blackwit, 3 Green Sand, Common Sand, Oystercatcher and 7 Snipe. Hall Lake 3 Green Sand.

 

[Rob_S]

Didn't see a soul between 6.45am and 9.30am this morning, but plenty of birds around. In particular several large mixed flocks of tits and warblers, dozens of Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler in amongst them.

Water Rail - 1 ad 1 juv in the reed bed adjacent to the feeders, both out in the open for long periods enjoying the sunshine.

Cetti's Warbler also moving through the front of this reedbed when I first arrived.

Several woodpeckers in the area around the car park and the farm.

Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit and Common Sandpiper all on Jubilee Wetlands.

Black Swan on Fisher's Mill.

I also popped over to Coton Lake to see whether the Black-necked Grebe was still around. No sign, but the local Bar-headed Goose was present.

 

[Piccalilli]

On my return loop tonight I unfortunately flushed (not organised I hasten to add) a Great White Egret from the riverside roost. This circled high for a moment before being joined by a second bird which either came in from the south or out the back of the roost. Both birds then circled together for a few minutes and although I was now at the East screen they were obviously aware of my presence and in the end chose to fly off together towards the Heronry.

Also on the reserve single Blackwit and 6 Snipe. Barn Owl around for much of the evening.

 

[Piccalilli]

Plenty of mud showing now but lack of waders still. On East Scrape the 2 Blackwits remain plus Common Sandpiper and 5 Snipe. My first Autumn Wigeon for Middleton although they have been at KWP since June. One on Dosthill NR and another on JW - Could have been the same bird. 3 Green Sand through JW to roost on North pit - these may have been birds off Hall Lake where 2 were seen earlier. GWE on JW North all night. This bird roosted in the riverside willows at 20:17 and prior to this a bird came in from the North and roosted at 20:07. I managed not to disturb either tonight. Barn Owl around most of the evening but this was a different bird to my previous post as unringed.

 

[geoffw1946]

There were 2 Great White Egret this morning (1 JWs and 1 NP), a Garganey and a Hobby were reported, also seen were a Water Rail, 1 Golden Plover JWs, 1 Snipe and a Common Sandpiper.
Yesterdays highlights were 2 Egyptian Geese DNR, 1 Shelduck, 2 Snipe, 1 Black-tailed Godwit and a Green Sandpiper.

 

[Piccalilli]

2 GWE roosted just a yard apart tonight. Not much change from Geoffs earlier report although now 3 Blackwits and unusually feeding on JW North opposite the two benches on the east side. Also 2 Barn Owl, Common Sandpiper, 2 Snipe and a Hobby.

 

[geoffw1946]

This mornings drizzle had brought down 4 Whinchat and 2 Wheatear by the two benches on NP and 2 Wigeon were on JWs. A work party were on JWs but a Snipe and a Common Sandpiper were there, a Green Sandpiper was on HL.

 

[geoffw1946]

A good variety of birds around this morning although there was some disturbance as the ponies were being put back on JWs.
Highlights were 1 Great White Egret, 1 Hobby, 1 adult and 1 juvenile Water Rail, 3 Black-tailed Godwit (2 JWs and 1 HL), 2 Redshank, 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Whinchat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat and a Raven.
August ended on 102 species.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Good luck tomorrow guys

 

[Piccalilli]

AUTUMN 2017 ALL DAY BIRDWATCH - SATURDAY 2nd SEPTEMBER

Red - Not Seen Green - Seen

1 Avocet
2 Barn Owl
3 Bittern
4 Black Tern
5 Blackbird
6 Blackcap
7 Black-headed Gull
8 Black-necked Grebe
9 Black-tailed Godwit
10 Blue Tit
11 Bullfinch
12 Buzzard
13 Canada Goose
14 Carrion Crow
15 Cetti's Warbler
16 Chaffinch
17 Chiffchaff
18 Coal Tit
19 Collared Dove
20 Common Gull
21 Common Sandpiper
22 Common Tern
23 Coot
24 Cormorant
25 Cuckoo
26 Curlew
27 Curlew Sandpiper
28 Dunlin
29 Dunnock
30 Egyptian Goose
31 Feral Pigeon
32 Gadwall
33 Garden Warbler
34 Garganey
35 Goldcrest
36 Golden Plover
37 Goldfinch
38 Goosander
39 Great Crested Grebe
40 Great Spotted Woodpecker
41 Great White Egret
42 Great Tit
43 Green Sandpiper
44 Green Woodpecker
45 Greenfinch
46 Greenshank
47 Grey Heron
48 Grey Wagtail
49 Greylag Goose
50 Herring Gull
51 Hobby
52 House Martin
53 House Sparrow
54 Jackdaw
55 Jay
56 Kestrel
57 Kingfisher
58 Knot
59 Lapwing
60 Lesser Black-backed Gull
61 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
62 Lesser Whitethroat
63 Linnet
64 Little Egret
65 Little Grebe
66 Little Owl
67 Little Ringed Plover
68 Little Stint
69 Long-tailed Tit
70 Magpie
71 Mallard
72 Marsh Harrier
73 Meadow Pipit
74 Mediterranean Gull
75 Mistle Thrush
76 Moorhen
77 Mute Swan
78 Nuthatch
79 Osprey
80 Oystercatcher
81 Peregrine
82 Pheasant
83 Pied Wagtail
84 Pintail
85 Pochard
86 Raven
87 Red-legged Partridge
88 Redshank
89 Redstart
90 Reed Bunting
91 Reed Warbler
92 Ringed Plover
93 Robin
94 Rook
95 Ruff
96 Sand Martin
97 Sedge Warbler
98 Shelduck
99 Shoveler
100 Siskin
101 Skylark
102 Snipe
103 Song Thrush
104 Sparrowhawk
105 Spotted Flycatcher
106 Spotted Redshank
107 Starling
108 Stock Dove
109 Stonechat
110 Swallow
111 Swift
112 Tawny Owl
113 Teal
114 Tree Sparrow
115 Treecreeper
116 Tufted Duck
117 Water Rail
118 Wheatear
119 Whinchat
120 Whitethroat
121 Wigeon
122 Willow Tit
123 Willow Warbler
124 Wood Pigeon
125 Wood Sandpiper
126 Wren
127 Yellow Wagtail
128 Yellowhammer
129 Tree Pipit
130 Grasshopper Warbler



TOTAL - 95

 

[SteveAtkinson]

There was a nice late summer plumage Little Stint on the gravel bar opposite the two benches on Jubilee Wetlands this afternoon before the deluge. Also on the same bar was a Ringed Plover. One of the Great White Egrets was showing well feeding around Jws. On the east scrape was 2 Blackwits, and a Common Sandpiper. Out in the middle running between the ponie's hooves were two Yellow Wag-tails and a Barn Owl was frantically hunting down the east side just before the heavy rain started.

 

[SteveAtkinson]

Poor record shot of the Little Stint from this afternoon.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Please find attached the combined results for all the sites that participated in the West Midlands All-Day Birdwatch on Saturday 2nd September

 

[Piccalilli]

This afternoon

JW - 1 Blackwit, 2 Gypo Geese, 1 Green Sand, Hobby & 1 Ringed Plover
NP - 2 Green Sand and 7 Goosander

Both GWE were on the reserve 1NP the other JW

 

[SteveAtkinson]

On Thursday afternoon there was a digger working in the trees on the north east side of Dosthill NR. I assumed that this area was RSPB land but suspected that it wasn't their workers. I later found out from a local that it isn't RSPB land in that area and that somebody has bought it and is making a mountain bike course on the slope down to the lake. I think that's a shame as it may create disturbance in that area - it's very close to an area the RSPB are managing in an attempt to encourage Bittern to breed. On the bright side at least it's not going to be motorbikes (if my info is correct).

 

[geoffw1946]

10 Golden Plover flew over this morning, other birds seen or reported were 2 Great White Egret, 1 Shelduck, Wigeon, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Hobby, 1 Peregrine, 2 Snipe, 4 Green Sandpiper, 1 Barn Owl, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Whinchat, Cettis Warbler singing and a Garden Warbler.

 

[geoffw1946]

A Cattle Egret and 3 Great White Egret were reported on the 14th.
16th- 1 Great White Egret, 1 Snipe, 3 Ruff, a tatty looking Barn Owl was hunting on JWs til noon and a Stonechat was reported between JWs and NP.
The Cattle Egret took the year list to 155, 8 less than Belvide.