RSPB Middleton Lakes (1 Viewer)

6/5/14 DBP 10:50 Little Stint and Sanderling mobile Jubilee wetlands and North pit with Dunlin and Ringed Plover.
Around Reserve 29 Dunlin, 20 Ringed Plover.
Jubilee wetlands Wood Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Oyst, 2 Common Tern, 1 LRP, Redshank, Whinchat, 3 Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail, 8 Swift.
North pit Little Egret, m Goosander, m Teal.
Dosthill 2 Hobby (JH, GJM)


Regards, John

7/5/14 DBP 74 Dunlin (3 north pit), Ringed plover 20 (1 north pit)
Jubilee wetlands Wood Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit also seen North pit, LRP 3, Redshank 3, Common Sandpiper 2, Whinchat (m, yesterday female), 2 Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail.
North pit possible 1st summer male American Wigeon, 4 Goosander (3 m), pair Teal, Pink-footed Goose, Avocet, Common Sandpiper, 130 Swift over the Reserve.

Regards, John

Little Stint, 105+ Dunlin, 40+ Ringed Plover late evening (S Cawthray)

8/5/14 DBP before the rain started Dunlin 48, Ringed Plover 15, most of the Dunlin moved out.
Jubilee Wetlands Common Sand 2, LRP 3, Wheatear.
North pit Avocet, Bar-tailed Godwit, Redshank 2, Oyst 1, Common Sand, 2 LRP.

Regards, John

9/5/14 DBP Jubilee wetlands Wood Sand, 3 Sanderling, 29 Dunlin, 2 Redshank, Common Sand, Ringed Plovers.
North pit Pink-footed Goose. Geoff Williams

Regards, John

JHDraytonbassettpits said:

9/5/14 DBP Jubilee wetlands Wood Sand, 3 Sanderling, 29 Dunlin, 2 Redshank, Common Sand, Ringed Plovers.
North pit Pink-footed Goose. Geoff Williams

Regards, John

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Also later 50 Dunlin, 30 Ringed Plover, Whinchat, Barn Owl TP, SLC, S Pick per TVB

10/5/14 DBP Jubilee wetlands Spotted Redshank (full summer), Turnstone, Wood Sandpiper, 30 Dunlin, 8 Ringed Plover, 2 LRP, Common Sand
North pit Pink-footed Goose, 2 Ringed Plover, 2 Oyst, 2 Redshank, 2 LRP.
Later it became to windy to get an accurate count of Dunlin and Ringed ploverJH
Evening 2 Turnstone, 1st sum med Gull Jubillee wetlands TP

Regards, John

11/5/14 DBP 3 Turnstone, Sanderling, White Wagtail TP, D Hutton per TVB.


Regards, John

12/5/14 DBP JW 36 Dunlin, 2 Turnstone, Sanderling partial summer, Grey plover circled then flew NW, Common Sand, 12 Ringed Plover, LRP, Wheatear, Cuckoo.
North pit Pink-footed Goose, 2 Ringed Plover, 4 LRP, 3 Oyst. JH and Mike Inskip

Regards, John

13/5/14 DBP JW Black-tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Dunlin 3, Ringed Plover 14, LRP 4, Redshank 1, 16:12 2 Arctic Tern resting on an island.
North pit Dunlin 6, Ringed Plover 4,, 4 LRP, 2 Oyst, Redshank 2, Teal 2 males

In hide log book Chasewaters Graham Evans 8:10 a.m Barn Owl flying around the Reserve.
2 Common Sand JW and 2 North pit.

Regards, John

JHDraytonbassettpits said:

13/5/14 DBP JW Black-tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Dunlin 3, Ringed Plover 14, LRP 4, Redshank 1, 16:12 2 Arctic Tern resting on an island.
North pit Dunlin 6, Ringed Plover 4,, 4 LRP, 2 Oyst, Redshank 2, Teal 2 males

In hide log book Chasewaters Graham Evans 8:10 a.m Barn Owl flying around the Reserve.
2 Common Sand JW and 2 North pit.

Regards, John

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There was an Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit all afternoon on jubilee wetlands yesterday, Birdguides have been informed.
Not a Bar-tailed Godwit.

14/5/14 DBP Arctic Tern, 3 Dunlin, 11 Ringed Plover.


Regards, John

Just to make people aware, someone on Twitter has said they think they heard a marsh warbler at Middleton yesterday.

"Many thanks. I will check it out. I think I heard a marsh warbler up there tonight, but unfortunately no sightings."

Might be as stringy as a piece of string, might be genuine. Just thought it best to let people know in case they thought it might have some truth to it and fancied listening a little closer to those Acro's.

Adam

Adam M said:

Just to make people aware, someone on Twitter has said they think they heard a marsh warbler at Middleton yesterday.

"Many thanks. I will check it out. I think I heard a marsh warbler up there tonight, but unfortunately no sightings."

Might be as stringy as a piece of string, might be genuine. Just thought it best to let people know in case they thought it might have some truth to it and fancied listening a little closer to those Acro's.

Adam

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The way it's been going nationally this year it was probably a Blyth's Reed...:eek!:

Copied and pasted...

River Tame Footbridge
Hi all, (especially Moocher),

sorry for the delayed reply, I dont check this every day and have been out of the office for most of the last week.

The bridge is a bit harder to provide information on as the delivery of it lies with a third party, Hanson so out of our hands. I can try to provide some clarity into the situation from what I do know and hopefully that is helpful.

The bridge is part of the restoration agreement for Middleton Hall Quarry (much of which is now Middleton Lakes). The agreement between Hanson and Staffordshire CC states that the bridge is required to complete the planning obligations outlined when consent was given for quarrying.

Hanson are committed to deliver the bridge but have to meet various requirements in advance of construction.

The specification for the bridge has been signed off by the Councils highways department and the two councils (Staffs and Warks) have agreed to amendments to the public footpaths to include the bridge so that it can officially be adopted by the council. All the landowners are currently being consulted.

Because of the delays Hanson have needed to re-apply for Environment Agency consent for the structure and its foundations and this is in process.

The bridge has been partly fabricated and the contractors lined up to do the foundations. The lead in for bridge delivery and construction is several weeks so at the moment the best case scenario is for the bridge to be installed this autumn. I am afraid that I cannot guarantee when the bridge construction will start or be complete but you can be assured that we are helping Hanson wherever we are able and 'encouraging' them as best we can as we want to see the bridge in place as much as anyone.

It is very frustrating and the bridge saga has been going on as long as I have been working here (7 years) with rarely a day passing without someone asking me about it so fingers crossed it will be installed soon.

Sorry I am not able to provide any more certainty but I will aim to keep everyone informed when I do know more detail about timings.

All the best,

Nick

Nick Martin
Senior Sites Manager, Middleton Lakes

Lesser spotted woodpecker and willow tit along bridleway, ring-necked parakeet flew over = very nice!

A great white egret and a little egret on Jubilee South yesterday. Also, a pair of goldeneye on Fishers Mill.

A pleasant 4 hours was spent on site with my brother and a friend and it made a nice change - a pity it is not within 10 miles as i would cycle daily to what i consider the best Reserve in the region:t:

Unfortunately all the 'best' waders had gone leaving just the breeding residents and 4 Black-tailed Godwits:-C

7 species of Warbler but no Gropper - noticeably lots of singing Cetti's and Lesser Whitethroats.

In 4 hours not a single Hirundine, wtf is going on? Even Mark Avery has commented so maybe it will generate more heat than light.

The solitary hide is hardly visible from general view and once entered feels like a gun emplacement overlooking the Normandy beaches. I personally feel it would benefit from an extension that would seat half a dozen ppl that way it would still be discreet but would allow views over the bulk of the reserve. That way the 2 Terns, that looked Arctic, would not have taken us by surprise as they scorched straight thru and away:eek!:

Attached are the obligatory RSPB logos, Bingo Geese and a female Mallard with a cable-tie on its leg. A bit of a puzzle, no discomfort but the bird would have had to have been caught and handled and for what purpose? I reported it to the volunteers and left it at that.

Good Birding -

Laurie:t:

Sun 2nd June.....

My time of the month was due so the 2nd of 4 visits to Middleton was in the offing. The weather forecast was warm but iffy and 1 out of the 2 hours on site was spent in annoying drizzle but it does mean the chance of something dropping in.....in theory.

Nothing special was noted but a range of waders were available including 5 Ringed Plovers by the first screens and a couple of pairs (at least) of LRP's along with Redshank, Oystercatcher, Lapwings and Avocets - not too sure how many of the latter are present but there must be double figures? All the Hirundines and associated Swifts were feeding low over the pools due to the high humidity. Fledglings were here and there and included a brood of Shelduck and somewhere a male Cuckoo was calling.

Due to the RSPB's 'Open Borders' policy it means that they encourage all and sundry including those that appear to have little or no interest in either birds or natural history to visit the place. This means that you bump into all sorts of idiots and is why you see picnic crap left here and there altho none by the picnic tables. How long before the RSPB actually drop the word Birds from their name? We approached the hide to be met by two scantily-clad females c/w fake tan vacating it as if another example was needed.

The hide resembles something that the Germans pointed 88mm flak guns out of - i presume the Staff take large parties in, or hold them, from time to time. The log book is starting to resemble something from a primary school class from a Special Needs unit about one level up from being coloured in. I saw very little of relevance that is not seen from the windows. Lots of spelling mistakes, pisstakes and general tom-foolery masquerading as sightings and English Lit. I can't remember the last time i spoke to or saw what i would call a genuine birder inside. I think that they don't bother sitting in there and like me would rather bird from around the pools or sit on one of the benches. I certainly will be avoiding weekends particularly sunny ones and limit visits to midweek which is a pity because i really do rate the place but the difference between the type of visitor and reserves elsewhere is very noticeable. I can see it becoming a Sandwell Valley 2.0 i.e. a Country Park where everybody is catered for with the quality of wildlife/bird obversation trailing last. I now wish for the early days of Muddleton where at least the Somme type trench system of tracks meant only the hardy and keen visited the place.....

on the + side i had a nice rash of Grassy (leaved) Vetchling a species that i have not seen for 10 years since a nice colony on the edge of Saltwells got overgrown. This now very localised Midlands species requires light ground cover and no shade. I do not know whether it is part of a native flower scheme and did'nt bother wasting my time enquiring at the RSPB car park hut (how long before Cafe facilities?).

Good Birding -

Laurie:t:

So, coronavirus and the lack of hides have played right into this reserve's strengths. One can stroll around and tarry at the screens if available and the birds are there. Yesterday it was great white egrets, a hobby and plenty of hirundines. And despite being school holidays, no sign of the great unwashed who were probably desperate to wear their Boris-masks to the shops. 4 stars.