RSPB Middleton Lakes (5 Viewers)

geoffw1946 · Mar 17, 2016

A Little Ringed Plover was the 15th wader species for the year and a Whooper Swan brought the month list to 94. Also seen were 1 Pink-footed Goose, 6 Goosander, 3 Avocet, 2 Ringed Plover, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Redshank and 2 Mistle Thrush.

geoffw1946 · Mar 18, 2016

Highlights today were the Whooper Swan which was still on the potato dump but it does get on NP when disturbed, 3 Avocet, circa 100 Golden Plover, 2 Ringed Plover, 1 LRP, 3 Redshank, 6 Dunlin and Tawny Owl calling.
Also reported were 1 Great White Egret out of the heronry roost at 0630, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Mediterranean Gull NP, 1 Bearded Tit NRP and a Brambling at the feeders.

Piccalilli · Mar 18, 2016

Quick dash down North Pit tonight to see the Whooper . Still on the potatoes with the Mutes. On the way back 5 Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin, 1 Oystercatcher, 2 Redshank and only 8 Golden Plover on JW.

Starling numbers still on the increase with a software count of 10,000 in the murmuration tonight. Both Peregrine and Sparrowhawks forcing them into contorted shapes. First time I’ve ever seen a large group driven into the water. Most flew straight out but some were so saturated that they had to swim to the bank. Great White Egret was in the roost when I returned to the car park at 6.30pm.

Steve

SteveAtkinson · Mar 19, 2016

Mediterranean Gull on the North Pit. LRP, 4 Ringed Plover, 3 Avocet, 7 Dunlin, 2 Redshank and a Black Swan on the JWs. Whooper Swan on the potatoes.
Cheers
Steve

geoffw1946 · Mar 19, 2016

SteveAtkinson said:
Mediterranean Gull on the North Pit. LRP, 4 Ringed Plover, 3 Avocet, 7 Dunlin, 2 Redshank and a Black Swan on the JWs. Whooper Swan on the potatoes.
Cheers
Steve

Not much to add to your list, 38 Goldeneye were on the Dosthill side and the Med Gull has a coloured leg ring but too distant to read, my wader count was 6 Ringed Plover and 8 Dunlin.

JHollier · Mar 19, 2016

I know this is a bird forum, but you may be interested to know that there was a Monkjack deer in the wood by the Rookery this evening. Good view of GWE in the roost. Regards Jeremy

Piccalilli · Mar 20, 2016

This Evening

North Pit - Whooper, Med Gull and 2 Redshank. Only the FBI could read the Med Gull ring from my photo. Black Swan in the Potatoes.

JW - 4 Ringed Plover, 15 Golden Plover, 3 Avocet, 2 Redshank & 1 Oystercatcher.

Silt Pool - Starlings in Murmuration (count of 7193 from picture taken 15 mins from end and groups arrived in this period so 8500 is probably a more realistic figure)

GWE in Heronry roost.

Piccalilli · Mar 24, 2016

East Scrape was the place to be this evening. When I arrived there were 3 Black-Tailed Godwits, 3 Avocet, 3 Redshank, 3 Dunlin, 7 Ringed Plover and 1 LRP. When I returned back that way the Dunlin had gone but the LRP’s and Godwits were now at 4 apiece. A single Curlew flew from JW and appeared to come down on NP.

Up on North Pit I took hundreds of pictures of the distant Med Gull with the coloured ring but none of them were good enough to decipher a single letter. Also there were 15 roosting Goosander.

A single Sand Martin flew West along Silt Pool as I was waiting for the Starling Murmuration which unfortunately didn’t happen. The birds started to form up but then a Peregrine and Sparrowhawk simultaneously entered the bunch and only about 2000 birds returned in 3 small groups.

Plenty of Little Egrets still roosting in the Heronry but no sign of the GWE up until when I left at 6.34pm.

Moocher · Mar 24, 2016

Nice digiscoped shots considering how poor the light has been today.

geoffw1946 · Mar 27, 2016

A good selection of birds were around today including the following, 1 Pink-footed Goose, 1 Black Swan, 5 Oystercatcher, up to 5 Avocet, 60 Golden Plover, 1 Ringed Plover, 6 LRP, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Redshank, 1 Dunlin, Med Gull. 1 Swallow flew south. House Martin and Wheatear were reported.
2 Sand Martin were seen yesterday.

Piccalilli · Mar 27, 2016

Eventually after spending most of my afternoon in the Lookout I've managed to read the ring on the Med Gull which is H9A4. This was ringed in Hungary as a chick in 2013 and has been seen in this country in 2014 and 2015. See link below:-

http://bagawildone.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/hungarian-colour-ringed-mediterranean.html

geoffw1946 · Mar 27, 2016

Piccalilli said:
Eventually after spending most of my afternoon in the Lookout I've managed to read the ring on the Med Gull which is H9A4. This was ringed in Hungary as a chick in 2013 and has been seen in this country in 2014 and 2015. See link below:-

http://bagawildone.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/hungarian-colour-ringed-mediterranean.html

You did well to read that. Congratulations.
There is another link to the bird seen at Topsham in Devon in Nov 2014, it's good to see the changes in the birds plumage over the years.
http://2birdtheory.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/colour-ringed-med-gull.html

SteveAtkinson · Mar 27, 2016

Piccalilli said:
Eventually after spending most of my afternoon in the Lookout I've managed to read the ring on the Med Gull which is H9A4. This was ringed in Hungary as a chick in 2013 and has been seen in this country in 2014 and 2015. See link below:-

http://bagawildone.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/hungarian-colour-ringed-mediterranean.html

Well done Steve, great work!

SteveAtkinson · Mar 28, 2016

Got onto the reserve just as the rain was easing. The river is very high and a lot of water is pouring in. The water coming into the inlet pipe is up over bridge and the path to the hide was only just passable. The paths up through the wood and the bridleway are OK though.
10 Lt Egret were where the ponies normally are. A Sand Martin, 5 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 LRP, Redshank, Dunlin, 10 Shelduck and 2 Oystercatcher were on the JWs. The Med Gull was still on the North Pit along with just 3 Avocet, another 2 Redshank and 2 more Oystercatcher. The Black Swan was on the adjacent field. On my way back through the woods there were 3 Chiffchaff - spring has sprung! Oh, and 2 Lesser Redpoll on the feeders.

Happy easter

Steve

SteveAtkinson · Mar 28, 2016

By the way Steve - I don't know how you managed to read the ring on the Med Gull, did you digiscope it and blow it up or did it come closer? Even on X60 magnification I couldn't read it.

Steve

Piccalilli · Mar 28, 2016

SteveAtkinson said:
By the way Steve - I don't know how you managed to read the ring on the Med Gull, did you digiscope it and blow it up or did it come closer? Even on X60 magnification I couldn't read it.

Steve

Steve

No I had tried digiscoping on two previous occasions and it just didn't work. In the end it was just scope on full magnification, waiting until the light was right and concentrating on 1 digit at a time. It never appears to move from that island so no it didn't get any closer and it wasn't helped yesterday by a pair of Peregrine which constantly put the Gulls up.

Steve

SteveAtkinson · Mar 28, 2016

Piccalilli said:
Steve

No I had tried digiscoping on two previous occasions and it just didn't work. In the end it was just scope on full magnification, waiting until the light was right and concentrating on 1 digit at a time. It never appears to move from that island so no it didn't get any closer and it wasn't helped yesterday by a pair of Peregrine which constantly put the Gulls up.

Steve

As Roy Castle used to say "that's dedication"!

geoffw1946 · Mar 28, 2016

SteveAtkinson said:
Got onto the reserve just as the rain was easing. The river is very high and a lot of water is pouring in. The water coming into the inlet pipe is up over bridge and the path to the hide was only just passable. The paths up through the wood and the bridleway are OK though.
10 Lt Egret were where the ponies normally are. A Sand Martin, 5 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 LRP, Redshank, Dunlin, 10 Shelduck and 2 Oystercatcher were on the JWs. The Med Gull was still on the North Pit along with just 3 Avocet, another 2 Redshank and 2 more Oystercatcher. The Black Swan was on the adjacent field. On my way back through the woods there were 3 Chiffchaff - spring has sprung! Oh, and 2 Lesser Redpoll on the feeders.

Happy easter

Steve

All I can add is 1 Swallow, 50 Golden Plover, 3 LRP, 1 Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin and a Common Gull.

SteveAtkinson · Mar 29, 2016

I noticed yesterday that the RSPB have got a pump on the New Reed Pool but it wasn't running. It reminded me that some of the Drayton Bassett Pits veterans (oldies) have told me in the past that this used to be a very productive pool when the water levels were historically lower. I've got a vague memory that one or two decent birds have been found on there - can anybody recall what they were?

Steve

geoffw1946 · Mar 29, 2016

SteveAtkinson said:
I noticed yesterday that the RSPB have got a pump on the New Reed Pool but it wasn't running. It reminded me that some of the Drayton Bassett Pits veterans (oldies) have told me in the past that this used to be a very productive pool when the water levels were historically lower. I've got a vague memory that one or two decent birds have been found on there - can anybody recall what they were?

Steve

I seem to remember that Little Stint was seen but can't recall anything rarer but it did attract many common waders, it will be worth watching.
Today I expected the water levels to have dropped but they were even higher, the east scrape on JWs had disappeared as had most of the waders apart from 2 Avocets. I didn't bother going down to NP.
Highlights were 25 Goldeneye, 1 Goosander, 3 Water Rail, 1 Snipe, 1 Jack Snipe, 1 Common Gull, 5 Sand Martin and 3 Chiffchaff.

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