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Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire (1 Viewer)

JHDraytonbassettpits said:
Also Smew is protected http://www.ukwildlife.com/index.php/wildlife-countryside-act-1981/schedule-2/ note wildfowl list. Should have had them for shooting Smew Ian. If they had the cops around then they would have thought twice about shooting the Oystercatcher.
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It was about 1987/88 and I didn't have any proof to be fair - it was at Gailey...then it's wing got 'damaged' and couldn't fly far, so I'm assuming it had the same fate as several Goldeneye have. It did survive well at Belvide as 'Sid Smew' the popular resident. Went to Gailey first light but they weren't about today, so no chance to have a (polite ;)) word with them...
 
nutcracker1965 said:
90+ crossbills upper longdon horsepaddock.s area today , also 7 goosander on trout pool . view through fence strictly private... plus 3 raven
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Nice one. Spent about 3hrs today covering the area between Beaudesert Golf Club entrance and Horse Pastures Pool with Higgo and saw a grand total of...3 Crossbill fly over! Like Nick said yesterday, the whole area of larches they had been feeding in have been felled but good to know they are still in the area somewhere. Found loads of other good larch plantations and Higgo enjoyed showing me the many spots he had seen the 1980 TBC...but no repeat performance today. Gailey at first light the Great Northern Diver was on the sailing lake then after midday it was on the fishing lake as was the Great White Egret that flew off low NE at c12.15 - wonder if it's going to Hatherton Pool?

Extra News for the 12th Jan

Glossy Ibis - Brownhills on Engine Lane until 09.30 when flew south
22 Whooper Swan - flew south over Tittesworth at 10.50
1w Long-tailed Duck briefly & 2 redhead Smew - Alrewas Pits
1w Long-tailed Duck & 1w Scaup - still Belvide
Juv Glaucous, 3 Caspian (2ad & 3w) & ad Med Gull - Chasewater roost
 
Richard Powell said:
Great White Egret at the second attempt today.

Shortly afterwards, sadly I had to witness the Oystercatcher being shot by one of five "top marksmen" stood on the causeway, between the sailing lake and fishing lake, which was then collected by their dog swimming out. :-C

Being left more than a little dumbstruck, I didn't think to get any number plates along Gailey Lea Lane, but there were plenty of cars around.

I know enough about the real world to realise that country pursuits happen, bagging one for the pot for Pheasants, Rabbits and the like. But an Oystercatcher, really?

And considering that one, maybe two, Schedule 1 species protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 are present (definitely the Diver, the Egret should be added if it already isn't), then I'd be rather concerned for their welfare.
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Richard no need to confront them. You have a camera take a photo of them (from a distance) and contact the police yourself. Sometimes lads you have to stand up for what you believe in, I am not saying knock em out, but don't turn a blind eye.
 
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The Moore-hen said:
Great White Egret that flew off low NE at c12.15 - wonder if it's going to Hatherton Pool?
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My mom reckons she saw the egret from the car with the group of swans near the Sow at Acton Trussel today. She's not certain but may be worth checking if that's not where it's going.
 
The Moore-hen said:
Nice one. Spent about 3hrs today covering the area between Beaudesert Golf Club entrance and Horse Pastures Pool with Higgo and saw a grand total of...3 Crossbill fly over! Like Nick said yesterday, the whole area of larches they had been feeding in have been felled but good to know they are still in the area somewhere. Found loads of other good larch plantations and Higgo enjoyed showing me the many spots he had seen the 1980 TBC...but no repeat performance today. Gailey at first light the Great Northern Diver was on the sailing lake then after midday it was on the fishing lake as was the Great White Egret that flew off low NE at c12.15 - wonder if it's going to Hatherton Pool?

Extra News for the 12th Jan

Glossy Ibis - Brownhills on Engine Lane until 09.30 when flew south
22 Whooper Swan - flew south over Tittesworth at 10.50
1w Long-tailed Duck briefly & 2 redhead Smew - Alrewas Pits
1w Long-tailed Duck & 1w Scaup - still Belvide
Juv Glaucous, 3 Caspian (2ad & 3w) & ad Med Gull - Chasewater roost
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Hi Ian

Looking on multimaps there are two smaller pools to the North East of Gailey before Hatherton Pool. Both look to be inaccessible on private land. If the GwE is not going to Hatherton it may be frequenting one of these.
Had a scan of the fields immediately NE as I left & no sign of it.
No news of it returning after 12.15?
Good to see Higgo today by the way.

Hughie.
 
I visited Gailey ystda John and there appears to be shooting positions on the causeway. It does beg the question what do they shoot? Quite why an Oystercatcher would be shot, even by mistake needs an answer. The reservoirs are canal-feeders why have British Waterways/Canal Trust allow shooting?

The reservoirs are there to top up canal use obviously BW have been intent on making as much money out of them as they can including monies for fishing, sailing and birdwatching. I do not think that shooting is compatible with any other activites.........

As the owner of a narrowboat for which these bodies of water, including Belvide, actually exist for i will be sending an email with regard to the Oystercatcher incident and will post anything i receive.

British Waterways (as was) are not the most amenable and accommodating of landlords (are any?) in my experience and choose any opportunity to get on a boat owners case with little recourse so an answer with regard to this incident is required in my opinion.........

Laurie
__________________
 
Thanks John

Taking photos of them was an after-thought. But thinking about it, if I had done and they'd seen me, then that might've caused a confrontation too.

But I have sent an email to Staffordshire Police Wildlife Crime Unit. Just see what comes of it. The matter is also going to be raised at a West Midland Bird Club executive meeting tomorrow.

upstarts1979 said:
Richard no need to confront them. You have a camera take a photo of them (from a distance) and contact the police yourself. Sometimes lads you have to stand up for what you believe in, I am not saying knock em out, but don't turn a blind eye.
Click to expand...
 
nickderry said:
My mom reckons she saw the egret from the car with the group of swans near the Sow at Acton Trussel today. She's not certain but may be worth checking if that's not where it's going.
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Hi Nick,

Hope all is well.

It could well be going there. The GWE disappeared early on Saturday for a couple of hours and flew back in from that direction. There's quite a few damp fields towards Penkridge too at the moment where it could get.
 
hughie king said:
Hi Ian

Looking on multimaps there are two smaller pools to the North East of Gailey before Hatherton Pool. Both look to be inaccessible on private land. If the GwE is not going to Hatherton it may be frequenting one of these.
Had a scan of the fields immediately NE as I left & no sign of it.
No news of it returning after 12.15?
Good to see Higgo today by the way.

Hughie.
Click to expand...

Hi Hughie,

These pools are almost definitely within the Hatherton Hall area. There is the main pool which can be viewed from the road around it(although hardly nowhere to stop and look) and two smaller pools near the hall itself.

My dad knows the owner of the hall and does a bit of gardening work for the cottages next to the hall. I've been in a couple of times, and they are very small but could still attract a feeding egret as they are very quiet. They sometimes get Goosander on them despite their tiny size.

The main pool at Hatherton has a good chance with shallow sides and a small causeway. I should look at it more regularly but there is very little room for observation and they get disturbed by fishermen. That said, I've said I've seen Shelducks, Goosanders, LRP, Common Sands, Yellow Wags etc around the pool in brief looks.
 
when gailey was a trout fishery, they used to have shoots on there, you were not allowed to enter the area until the shoot had finished, surely it must be illegal to use firearms where the public have easy access to the site ,they may have permission to shoot , but might be breaking some rules of contract
 
andm said:
when gailey was a trout fishery, they used to have shoots on there, you were not allowed to enter the area until the shoot had finished, surely it must be illegal to use firearms where the public have easy access to the site ,they may have permission to shoot , but might be breaking some rules of contract
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That's right. There would be signs up by the carparks stating you couldn't access until they had finished until a given time.

The first time I saw them this winter was during a late afternoon where they were shooting over both pools. Fisherman, a couple of dog walkers and myself were present. I queried with this with one, who just said that they have to keep 100 yds away from members of the public. Not very reassuring when they were blasting away! I'm not sure what the law states, but surely there must be a flaw in this especially as there is a public right of way around part of Gailey.
 
They don't seem that bothered who is present when they shoot from what I've seen. Me and a fisherman were watching them one day in the autumn and it was a proper free-for-all - a couple of 'foreign' looking lads had two guns that looked like something out of 'Lock, Stock and two smoking barrels'...if they had licenses for them I'll eat my hat, they hadn't got a clue! We just looked on in disbelief. The group shot at least 3 Canada Geese and none died and the dogs just swam around trying to catch them. If you can call that 'sport'...:-C

News for the 13th Jan

Glossy Ibis - again Brownhills in horse paddocks off Engine Lane until early pm only
Possible adult Azorean Yellow-legged Gull - Chasewater roost also ad Iceland, Juv Glaucous & 2 Caspian (ad+2w) Gull
Great White Egret - Gailey still but no news of Great Northern Diver
1w Long-tailed Duck & 4 Scaup - still Belvide
40 Crossbill - still Cannock Chase in horse pasture coppice area
 
The Snapper said:
That's right. There would be signs up by the carparks stating you couldn't access until they had finished until a given time.

The first time I saw them this winter was during a late afternoon where they were shooting over both pools. Fisherman, a couple of dog walkers and myself were present. I queried with this with one, who just said that they have to keep 100 yds away from members of the public. Not very reassuring when they were blasting away! I'm not sure what the law states, but surely there must be a flaw in this especially as there is a public right of way around part of Gailey.
Click to expand...

The attached from the BASC may be of interest: http://www.codeofgoodshootingpractice.org.uk/
 
West Midlands Bird Club

Sorry I am little late responding but Nick is so right regarding the county boundaries, luckily it was just before my time although I seem to remember the Worcestershire boys standing at one end of Bartley Reservoir waiting for the bird to drift over the border.

I think its time that the West Midlands Bird Club have a name change along with their planned logo change, lets face it three of the counties are not West Midlands.

My local birding always follows the WMBC boundaries, living originally in West Bromwich, the WMBC region as a whole offers some fantastic diverse birding (apart from coastal that is) whichever way I choose to go birding. I can't tell you my numbers of species seen in each individual counties, that is not my interest, however I do know my four county list.

So if WMBC decided that a name change based on this labelling everything as West Midlands, what should it be, and more importantly, is it up for discussion.



Nick Smith said:
Birdguides call it West Mids. WMBC report will call it West Mids. Any rarites in the BBRC will put it down as West Mids. 40 years ago now boys. Time to get real and accept Staffordshire is Staffordshire and West Mids is West Mids.
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West Midland Bird Club

Martyn Yapp said:
Sorry I am little late responding but Nick is so right regarding the county boundaries, luckily it was just before my time although I seem to remember the Worcestershire boys standing at one end of Bartley Reservoir waiting for the bird to drift over the border.

I think its time that the West Midlands Bird Club have a name change along with their planned logo change, lets face it three of the counties are not West Midlands.

My local birding always follows the WMBC boundaries, living originally in West Bromwich, the WMBC region as a whole offers some fantastic diverse birding (apart from coastal that is) whichever way I choose to go birding. I can't tell you my numbers of species seen in each individual counties, that is not my interest, however I do know my four county list.

So if WMBC decided that a name change based on this labelling everything as West Midlands, what should it be, and more importantly, is it up for discussion.
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Nick, Martyn,

Last year, a WMBC member formally proposed that we use the Watsonian vice-counties and thereby dispense with using the West Midlands County. The four County Bird Recorders agreed unanimously not to do so.

Founded in 1929, the Birmingham Bird Club was renamed the Birmingham and District Bird Club in 1945, Birmingham and West Midland Bird Club in 1947 and West Midland Bird Club in 1959 - consistently and deliberately MIDLAND to avoid any confusion with West Midlands of any geographical extent and long before the West Midlands County was established in 1974.

Any further name change would certainly be up for discussion - any proposals for Executive, etc to consider?

Perhaps this should be repeated on Warks, Worcs and WMids threads ;)


Kevin
 
Kevin Clements said:
Nick, Martyn,

Last year, a WMBC member formally proposed that we use the Watsonian vice-counties and thereby dispense with using the West Midlands County. The four County Bird Recorders agreed unanimously not to do so.

Founded in 1929, the Birmingham Bird Club was renamed the Birmingham and District Bird Club in 1945, Birmingham and West Midland Bird Club in 1947 and West Midland Bird Club in 1959 - consistently and deliberately MIDLAND to avoid any confusion with West Midlands of any geographical extent and long before the West Midlands County was established in 1974.

Any further name change would certainly be up for discussion - any proposals for Executive, etc to consider?

Perhaps this should be repeated on Warks, Worcs and WMids threads ;)


Kevin
Click to expand...
As a general term the West Midlands refers to counties in the west of the region ie West Mids, Staffs, Worcs, Warks & even Shropshire. Similarly the East Midlands refer to the counties of Notts, Derbyshire, Leicestershire , Northants & even Lincs.
I think the distinction lies in the word "region". West Mids "county" is a separate issue altogether.
If we want to stick to historical accuracy we could go back to calling the region Mercia.
As long as we distinguish between county & region I cannot see a problem.

PS. Although I reside in West Mids my birth certificate has my place of birth as Wolverhampton, Staffordshire.

Hughie.
 
News for the 14th Jan

Great White Egret & Juv Great Northern Diver - still Gailey
Juv Great Northern Diver - Blithfield still at the deep end
1w Long-tailed Duck & 4 Scaup - still Belvide
Juv Glaucous & ad Iceland Gull - Chasewater roost
Ad Iceland Gull - Stubber's Green at c2pm
Mealy Redpoll - Dosthill NR
2 Whooper Swan - briefly at Westport Lake
drake Scaup - Tittesworth
 
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