Birding In Staffordshire (1 Viewer)

[Mick Sway]

Sunday 5th August

Didn't manage any birding this weekend except to note more swifts over the
house on sat and sunday along with what looked amazingly like a emperor dragonfly.
Also several pip bats in the evening.
Gray:
Let us know what you saw in Wales & Norfolk if you get the chance.
Thanks
Mick
B

 

[gray38]

Didn't manage any birding this weekend except to note more swifts over the
house on sat and sunday along with what looked amazingly like a emperor dragonfly.
Also several pip bats in the evening.
Gray:
Let us know what you saw in Wales & Norfolk if you get the chance.
Thanks
Mick
B

Hi Mick
How long have you got, started in west wales. Skomer saw puffin razor bill guillemot fulmar kitewake lesser and greater black-backed gull wheatear meadow pipit common tern buzzard's chiffchaff willow warbler plus everything else you'd expect to see.
Stayed at Cley, on the marshes marsh harrier little egret coot golden plover common terns little tern dunling ruff curlew blacktailed godwit red shank spotted red shank greensand piper little gull ring plover and little ring plover avocet greylag goose egyptian goose shelduck teal sedge warbler reed warbler oystercatcher knot lapwing heron little grebe black swan cormorent .
Visited Titchwel much of the same with a bonus of five bearded tit.
Early evening in Cley the sky's are full of swift. There a was a area in Cley we walked to most evening's to watch the barn owl sometimes flying within a few yards of us. I've proberly forgot some birds its a real good place to go, it was our first time but we will be going back.

graham

 

[terryeyre]

evening walk around dimmingsdale,redstart,goldcrest,song thrush and buzzard.
terry

 

[Mick Sway]

Rudyard tues 07/08/07

Evening walk:
Redstart
Spotted Fly x 2
Grey heron x 5
Chiff Chaff
Little Owl

 

[Mick Sway]

Sun 12 August 15.00 - Gunn Hill And Tittesworth

The triangulation point at Gunn Hill offers excellent views over the Cheshire Plain to the West and the Roaches to the East, Leek in the South and Shuttlingslow in the North - unfortunately birds were scare though yesterday.
Meadow Pipit
Spotted Fly (JUV)
Common Sand
Lapwing
Blackcap
Willow Warbler
Kestrel
Great Spotted Woodpecker

 

[Richard Powell]

Well I'm feeling rather pleased with myself this evening. There's an adult Yellow-Legged Gull at Croxden Quarry this evening. Seen from the viewpoint by The Queens, in with a flock of Lesser Black-Backed Gulls.

According to birdguides.com, there was one at Carsington yesterday. I don't know if that one was an adult, but if so then could be the same bird?

Richard

 

[terryeyre]

five buzzards above a dead myximotosis above dimmingsdale one dropped and started to feed but could not get close enough to take a photo.
terry

 

[dan pointon]

Well I'm feeling rather pleased with myself this evening. There's an adult Yellow-Legged Gull at Croxden Quarry this evening. Seen from the viewpoint by The Queens, in with a flock of Lesser Black-Backed Gulls.

According to birdguides.com, there was one at Carsington yesterday. I don't know if that one was an adult, but if so then could be the same bird?

Richard

Could be, though to be fair there's a few YLGulls in the area, and most of the Derbyshire gulls feed on tips near Matlock....

 

[Richard Powell]

The Yellow-legged Gull is at Croxden Quarry again this evening. Birdguides.com also mentions one at Carsington this evening as well, so that's answered my question from the other day!

Earlier today I made a mad rush over to Blithfield, to view a Great White Egret in Blithe Bay. I just got there in time, after five minutes of getting there it took off. Its good having a week off work!

 

[Richard Powell]

There's now two adult Yellow-legged Gulls at Croxden Quarry this evening.

There was also a third adult Herring-type Gull, that didn't have yellow legs (i.e. flesh colour) and a slightly paler grey on the wings to the YL Gulls.

Chances are that it was just a Herring Gull, but I've just been reading up on Caspian Gull. Now I didn't notice a white tip on the end of the outer-most primary, but it may be that I just didn't know to look out for that.

Unfortunately I won't be able to view for the next few evenings, but it might be worth checking out if there are any gullaholics out there. Also a few juvenile gulls this time as well.

Richard

 

[dan pointon]

I'll pop down one night soon. Your other gull sounds like an argentatus Herring Gull, the darker, Scandinavian race.

 

[Richard Powell]

Cheers Dan

I'm not daft enough to claim these things willy-nilly, I've only just conquered Yellow-legged Gull! The legs on this one certainly weren't bright pink, as with our Herring Gull.

I'm not usually a gullaholic myself, but with the lack of suitable wader habitat around at the moment (although there is a little bit of mud at Blithfield now) I'm trying to find other interesting species.

I don't mind looking at gull roosts at this time of year, on a nice summer evening. It's in the middle of winter that I'm less keen on. Been there, done that, seen Med, Glaucous and Iceland before!

 

[terryeyre]

seen a pair of ravens over the valley above dimmingsdale often over the last few weeks,but never more than the two,anyone know of any that have nested in the area this year?

 

[dan pointon]

seen a pair of ravens over the valley above dimmingsdale often over the last few weeks,but never more than the two,anyone know of any that have nested in the area this year?

Probably in one of the cliff faces either in D'dale of near Alton? Know Raven have bred at the back of Croxden Quarry.

 

[terryeyre]

walk around red road and river churnet near alton,come across three mixed flocks of long tailed great and blue tits with a few warblers and goldcrests amongst them,all three flocks 50-100 birds.a pair of ravens flew along the valley near alton castle.
terry

 

[gray38]

Peregrine on quarry face croxden to tonight

 

[Richard Powell]

It's well worth a trip over to Blithfield at the moment. At long last there's a decent amount of exposed mud!

A good selection of waders at the top of Blithe bay. 1 Ruff, 1 Black-Tailed Godwit, 2 Green Sandpiper, 5 Dunlin, 3 Ringed Plover, 21 Snipe. Also a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull. Then in Tad bay a couple of Ravens, and a few Pintail and Wigeon. That's a sign that winter is on the way!

 

[Mick Sway]

Tittesworth Sun 9 Sept 07

Poor day at Tittesworth to day, no waders coming through.
Lots of Lapwing & black headed gulls.
Willow Warbler + chiff chaff ( heard only)
Kingfisher
2 x buzzards
A raven flew over.
Little owl.
1 x manderin duck

 

[gray38]

Croxden tonight
Peregrine x 2
Buzzard x 2
Kestrel
Heron x 2
mallards
canadian geese
wood pigeon
jackdaw
carrion crow
gulls
wren

 

[JimMorris]

Lucky you with the Manderin, Mick. Was that taken from one of the hides. Te only one i've ever seen was on a small pond at Great Gates just outside of Cheadle.