Birding In Staffordshire (1 Viewer)

[namron]

Waxwings

Hi Steve,

There is a North Staffordshire thread counselling support service that runs alongside this thread for those still struggling to locate and see Waxwing and who are becoming depressed. I can refer you to it if you want me to.

Dean:t:

:-O Send it me Dean I think I could make use of it too.
I can just see it now a room full of frustrated birders slinging their scopes, tripods, bins, notepads and bird books in a skip outside and Bill Oddie trying his best to convert us all back again with repeats of Spring watch on a TV :-O
What a thought, time for that tinny me thinks B

 

[Periwinkle]

Hi Tom (Periwinkle)

Thanks for referring me to your blog, which I think is excellent and which I will have a look at on a regular basis. In fact if any more-northerly Staffs birders are planning a trip to the county's more easterly edges (eg Whitemoor Haye/Croxall Lakes) and then southish into Warwickshire for a day's birding, I strongly recommend you have a look at Periwinkle's blog.

Cheers

Andy

Many thanks Andy. Staffs birders are well catered for in the Tame Valley with the imminent (September I believe) opening of the Middleton Lakes RSPB most of which is in Staffs. This will become, if it isn't already, Staffs best bird reserve!! Locals will always call it Drayton Bassett pits though 8-P

 

[Rob Jones]

Hi all, I have been spending a considerable amount of time watching the finches in my garden, in particular the Redpolls..... As most of you know I get a lot of finches coming in now on a regular basis. 3 months ago I was happy with a few Goldfinches and Redpolls with the odd Siskin thrown in.

My study has been mainly with the Redpolls and the somtimes huge colour variation between them. I am no expert, just curious why there is these variations, is it to do with 1st or 2nd year male or female? I was hoping some of the more knowledgeable guys on here could shed a bit of light on the subject.

I have included 5 photo's with some, but not all the colour variations that I have seen. I have not post edited any of the pictures apart from exposure as some were a bit dark.

Hi Neil

According to Collins the bright red breast on the ones in the photo's indicate an adult male of a Fenno-Scandia variant. Great to have these in your garden you lucky sod. Great photo's :t:

 

[Adam M]

is that a record? 21 people reading the thread at once? 17 members 4 guests, but with a couple of noteable absentees as well. nice to see the thread is still growing. are there any other county threads that are as popular as this one?

 

[Neil-T]

Hi Neil

According to Collins the bright red breast on the ones in the photo's indicate an adult male of a Fenno-Scandia variant. Great to have these in your garden you lucky sod. Great photo's :t:

Thanks for that Rob. I was intrigued about the one with a very pale, almost white under body as most of them here are either the red breasted males and the more Buff under bodies ones. Cheers, Neil.

 

[Gronk08]

Hi Steve,

There is a North Staffordshire thread counselling support service that runs alongside this thread for those still struggling to locate and see Waxwing and who are becoming depressed. I can refer you to it if you want me to.

Dean:t:

Hi Dean

Could you put me down for the support group as well, have not managed to see a single Waxwing this winter, best I have done is missing them by ten minutes.

Hopefully they will still be there tomorrow, if the snow is ot too bad I will try and catch up with them during my lunch break.

Tim.

 

[Neil-T]

Hi Dean

Could you put me down for the support group as well, have not managed to see a single Waxwing this winter, best I have done is missing them by ten minutes.

Hopefully they will still be there tomorrow, if the snow is ot too bad I will try and catch up with them during my lunch break.

Tim.

I was in the same boat mate so don't worry. Went out last Sunday and saw over 120 of the blighters, some of them only a few feet away. Your time will come, just be patient like I was......:-O:-On't

 

[Richard Powell]

It's certainly a nice new hide in Tad Bay (moveable benches inside are always good :t, but no planks in front will still take a bit of getting used to.

Yes looking at Neil's Redpoll pics, I also thought the 4th one was a Mealy?

Interesting to know there are two Great White Egrets around. I'm less interested for a couple of weeks now (but keep an eye out for one at Utch Quarry!). In a few days I should be seeing loads of them in Bharatpur!

I'll also be trying to auction myself off in the Indian Premier League, so that should raise about 50 rupees!

Hey up folks, won't bore you with the bird details(there aren't any) but i just thought i'd let you know about the Wonderful new facility that as replaced the Eric Clare hide at Blithers in Tad Bay. The ESC hide was part of birdin' folklore in staffordshire but it's been replaced by a new hi-tec hide with all the latest mod cons! When i got there this a'noon i found RP in shorts and T shirt plus slippers, readin' the "Bombay Times" in readiness for his trip to India on tuesday. The drinks machine went down a treat, what with the weather outside, although the prices are a bit steep! After a while i had to ask Rp to turn the heating off, i wasn't really dressed for the heat(more like lack of it).

It's very nice but i much prefer, sittin' on a plank havin' a natter in the elements outside the hide.:t:

I only hope the visitor centre does oatcakes when it finally opens.

cheers

Andy.:-O

 

[Steve Turner]

Hi all, I have been spending a considerable amount of time watching the finches in my garden, in particular the Redpolls..... As most of you know I get a lot of finches coming in now on a regular basis. 3 months ago I was happy with a few Goldfinches and Redpolls with the odd Siskin thrown in.

My study has been mainly with the Redpolls and the somtimes huge colour variation between them. I am no expert, just curious why there is these variations, is it to do with 1st or 2nd year male or female? I was hoping some of the more knowledgeable guys on here could shed a bit of light on the subject.

I have included 5 photo's with some, but not all the colour variations that I have seen. I have not post edited any of the pictures apart from exposure as some were a bit dark.

Hi Neil

The birds in photos 2 and 4 could possibly be Common (Mealy) Redpolls, but it would be helpful to see them side-on to try to assess the colour tones of the upperparts, flanks, wingbars, etc. Also if you have any photos of the paler birds side by side with the browner looking birds, that would also provide a useful comparison :t:

Our 'British' Lesser Redpolls tend to be quite buff and brown overall, whereas the Scandinavian Common (Mealy) Redpolls are much frostier overall, being particularly grey-brown around the face and the back of the head. Other differences include paler grey brown back with whitish streaking (or tramlines), whitish rump, cleaner whiter underparts, and larger/bulkier size compared to our Lesser Redpolls.

There have been quite a lot of Mealy Redpolls around nationally, so it's worth studying your birds more closely - I'd certainly love to see more photos :t:

Cheers
Steve

 

[Steve Turner]

Hi Neil

According to Collins the bright red breast on the ones in the photo's indicate an adult male of a Fenno-Scandia variant. Great to have these in your garden you lucky sod. Great photo's :t:

This is a little misleading, as the British race, cabaret, can also show a reddish breast.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Steve Turner]

Interesting to know there are two Great White Egrets around. I'm less interested for a couple of weeks now (but keep an eye out for one at Utch Quarry!). In a few days I should be seeing loads of them in Bharatpur!

You jammy b*gger! I'll have to try even harder to find a Smew at Utich whilst you're away in that case Have a great trip.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Adam M]

don't know about anyone else, but im off to take photos of robins in the snow.

neil, do you still have my photo of a great tit in the snow on your computer? if so can you please post it on the thread. i found out my brothers lap top doesn't have the software to let me shrink the pics so i can post them. really need to chase my mate for that windows cd so i can get my pc running again.
adam

 

[namron]

36 Waxwings Friesian Gardens

Just had a quick look this morn 8.20 for the waxwings at 33 Friesian Gardens, Red Street (Private Garden) no sign but lots of bird activity around including 10+ Greenfinch in the same 3 tall silverbirch as yesterday. The birds were present for most of last week so I'm told by the owner of the property.

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Blithers Gulls

Nice finds Max. I'd guess the Barnies were the Uttoxeter Quarry flock from earlier this year too.
Nick

Spent a couple of hours at Bith this morning. Tad covered in a thin layer of ice. Near ad Yellow Leg on the ice with a handful of big gulls. Walked around Beech Tree Point past a male Stonechat perched on the fence posts. 4 Scaup (2 prs) in Blithe bay + 36 Barnacles (the JCB crew.) Quick look off the dam; 1st wint Caspian Gull just sat on the water off the dam on its own. Finally to finish the morning off a Black Swan swimming round in the middle of the deep end.

Max.

 

[John Sherratt]

Wren

Can't match the photos of Neil's Redpolls (keep em coming there by the way) but have been trying to get some pics of the Wren that hangs around under the feeders in our garden. Here are a couple of them from last week in the (brief) gap between the falls of snow. Any lack of sharpness is probably down to taking them through the glass in the window.

Pheasant has been back in our garden this morning and he's now "found" the feeding tray so it looks like the birdfood will be going down even faster now.

Cheers, John

 

[NickPomiankowski]

I think that's it this year for the Copmere roost. As with last year, as the days get longer, the birds from the landfill go elsewhere to roost.
Nick

Copmere 16:00 - 17:15

Little Egret in tree over on the far side
goldeneye 6
wigeon c.35
tufted duck 120+
goosander 7

small gull roost

black headed gull c.200
lesser black backed 20
heriing gull 3

water was 2/3 frozen and the gulls were standing on the ice in the middle

Martyn

 

[Adam M]

just got back from westport, saw my first adult water rail, staffs and year tick, plus all the usual stuff, even a coal tit, must be at least 12 months since i saw one there.
when i got home my brothers girlfriend said she saw a sparrow in the garden that looked unable to fly. she walked over to it and picked it up with ease. it's now in a box in the shed, what should i do with it now? if i release it, it will surely die, either by predator or weather. but i don't know how to look after it, even if i should be looking after it, after all death is apart of nature. any idea on which is the right thing to do? and any tips on how to look after it, what i should give it etc, if that's what is advised?
adam

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Sparrow

Adam, give the RSPCA a ring.
Nick

just got back from westport, saw my first adult water rail, staffs and year tick, plus all the usual stuff, even a coal tit, must be at least 12 months since i saw one there.
when i got home my brothers girlfriend said she saw a sparrow in the garden that looked unable to fly. she walked over to it and picked it up with ease. it's now in a box in the shed, what should i do with it now? if i release it, it will surely die, either by predator or weather. but i don't know how to look after it, even if i should be looking after it, after all death is apart of nature. any idea on which is the right thing to do? and any tips on how to look after it, what i should give it etc, if that's what is advised?
adam

 

[Adam M]

Adam, give the RSPCA a ring.
Nick

will they really bother coming out to pick up a house sparrow??

he seems to be getting better, just went to check on him and hes fluttering about now at least.

 

[Steve Turner]

I think that's it this year for the Copmere roost. As with last year, as the days get longer, the birds from the landfill go elsewhere to roost.
Nick

Technically, this year the roost may appear again in December o Don't you just love a pedant?!!

Anyway let's hope the roost does appear again later this year - of greater concern for us gullheads is the lack of gulls fullstop in the Swynnerton/Coldmeece area. Is this related to the weather? I don't know, but Throckmorton Tip in Worcs is still attracting white-wingers, so why not Swynnerton Tip?!

Steve