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Birding In Staffordshire (4 Viewers)

Post Number 4000

Hi Jim, (Early Thread Pioneer)

B :)B :)B :)B :)B :)B :)B :)B :)

Congratulations:t: You have just posted No 4000.

Dean

PS: Thanks for spotting the Chaffinch/Chiffchaff error in my last posting. I am a little brain dead this evening:'D
 
lesser spot woodpecker

anybody know where they set up there terroritories for breeding in staffs or any where near by staffs ? just wondering one bird that has managed to avoid me everywhere
they should be setting up breeding area with often calling and drumming in february usally
rather large flock of lapwings over college today about 400 +
and 6 yellowhammers
 
OOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! Orno books!!

Hey up folks, you've got me started here Dean. Nothing better than a good book with a cool pint and a bit of rock n roll on in the background.

Where do you want me to start, here are some of the books i regularly pick up for a quick shuffty when i'm house bound!

1, Birds New to Britain 1980-2004, Adrian Pitches & Tim Cleeves'
2, Birds new to Britain & Ireland (1947-1982), J.T.R. Sharrock & P.J. Grant
3, The Handbook of Bird Identification', Mark Beaman & Steve Madge.
4, Birds and Weather, a Birdwatchers Guide, Stephen Moss.
5, The Macmillan Guide', Harris, Tucker and Vinicombe. Recommended by a Westport LEGEND, WJL many moons ago.
6, The Birds of Staffordshire, Mcaldowie.
7, The Birds of Staffordshire, T. Smith
8, The Big Twitch, Sean Dooley.
9, The Big Year, Mark Obmascik
10, Birders-Tales of a Tribe, Mark Cocker.
11, Arrivals and Rivals, Adrian Riley( fellow LUFC fan)
12, To See Every Bird On Earth, Dan Koeppel..
13, UK 500- Birdin' in the Fast Lane, James Hanlon .
14, Birding Babylon, Jonathon Trouern-Trend.
15, Bill Oddies Little Black Bird Book, W.E. Oddie
16, A Twitchers Diary, Richard Millington.

Just a few there to keep you going. But if you really want something to get your teeth into, how about any of the superb Helm or Pica Press volumes. Gulls. Shorebirds, Wildfowl, Shrikes, Seabirds, Swifts, Pipits & Wagtails, Nut Nibblers & Cuckoo Geese etc..................................

Off to bed now with the latest offering from PENGUIN books!!!!!!!

YAWN (boring)

Andy.:t:
 
Managed to get good, albeit fleeting views, of the wee beast today.

Although undoubtedly of eastern origin, I'm not too convinced that it's a genuine tristis.

It appears to lack any warm buff suffusion to the supercilium, ear coverts, or breast sides. Furthermore the eye stripe looks relatively weak and pale, the mantle appears to be a pale greyish-olive, and the legs, whilst dark brown, are not the jet black of a classic tristis. It also appears to be quite a large bird which is more indicative of a Scandinavian origin.

For my money it's probably an eastern abietinus (Scandinavian Chiifchaff) rather than a genuine tristis (Siberian Chiff)...having said that I'd still like to get better views of it!

Cheers
Steve

After reading Fair Isle is best's post on the id' of the tristis/abietinus chiffchaff it got me wondering how many of us would struggle to actually distinguish the different colours or hues of birds such as this little critter due to the fact that quite a few of us, me included are slightly colour blind?

Apparently about 8-9% of us are colour blind (mostly men, and most don't know it!), mainly seeing red and green shades more washed out than someone with no colour deficiency.

eg. The warm buff shown by the tristis to many would'nt be warm and the olive green of other chiffchaffs would not be noticed, looking more like brown or grey.

This brought me to the conclusion that i could probably miss id such a bird as i would not see it the same as someone else.

How many other birders have miss identified birds without even knowing due to this fact?

Well that's enough deep conversation from me, i'm just going to see if this bottle of red wine is actually red!:-O

cheers,
Matt.
 
anybody know where they set up there terroritories for breeding in staffs or any where near by staffs ? just wondering one bird that has managed to avoid me everywhere
they should be setting up breeding area with often calling and drumming in february usally
rather large flock of lapwings over college today about 400 +
and 6 yellowhammers

I don't know of any definite breeding territories Rob, however Knypersley Res has recorded them at the right time of year so a check of the woodland around there next month could prove worthwhile.

Other places that might be worth a look are Kings Wood, Trentham Gardens (lots of mature woodland here) and possibly Huntley Wood, Cheesedale (Cheadle ;) ) although I don't know the site at all.

Cheers
Steve
 
After reading Fair Isle is best's post on the id' of the tristis/abietinus chiffchaff it got me wondering how many of us would struggle to actually distinguish the different colours or hues of birds such as this little critter due to the fact that quite a few of us, me included are slightly colour blind?

Apparently about 8-9% of us are colour blind (mostly men, and most don't know it!), mainly seeing red and green shades more washed out than someone with no colour deficiency.

eg. The warm buff shown by the tristis to many would'nt be warm and the olive green of other chiffchaffs would not be noticed, looking more like brown or grey.

This brought me to the conclusion that i could probably miss id such a bird as i would not see it the same as someone else.

How many other birders have miss identified birds without even knowing due to this fact?

Well that's enough deep conversation from me, i'm just going to see if this bottle of red wine is actually red!:-O

cheers,
Matt.

Hi Matt

Even if you're not colour blind, identifying races of Chiffchaff is frought with difficulty ;) But yes, I guess being colour blind wouldn't help either!

Listening to the call of them is another aid to identification, with tristis uttering a distinctive mournful, Bullfinch-like 'heep'.

Cheers
Steve
 
Blithfield Gull roost

Any Blithfield regulars out there?!! Just wondering where the best place to view the roost is?

I might give it a bash for a change of scene!

Cheers
Steve
 
Blithfield Roost

Steve - I had an email exchange recently with Max and Manty and they say it's all a bit fraught at present because the birds roost in three areas - Tad Bay, Blithe Bay and the Deep End. Take your pick!
Nick

Any Blithfield regulars out there?!! Just wondering where the best place to view the roost is?

I might give it a bash for a change of scene!

Cheers
Steve
 
Hi Steve,

The roost has settled down to the deep end again after the cold weather and the ice. But the gulls do pre roost in the bays, making their way to the deep end at dusk.

So Watery Lane's probably your best bet if it's not sunny.

N.B. There's a Ruddy Duck shoot today, I don't know what time they finish.

Max
 
Thanks Nick / Max

I guess when it is sunny, somewhere along the St Stephens Bay side is better.

Hoping to finally get Med Gull on my Staffs list...I know, I know, a shameful omission, but I don't go to the big reservoirs and don't twitch the odd bird that turns up here in the Potteries - I'd much rather find me own ;)

Steve
 
Tawny Owl

Hello All,

I thought I would pass this on, that might be of interest.

I was talking to a friend of mine last night, Paul, who has an interest in birds. He lives on the Birchenwood Estate near Kidsgrove, he does, as he says, get quite a good selection of birds in his garden including Tree Sparrows, by the by.

Anyway, Paul was telling me that just before Christmas he started getting regular visits to his garden from a Tawny Owl, in DAYLIGHT. This bird was in the habit of hanging round his garden and the one next door, for quite long periods during the day, at one point Paul says he filmed it for 15 minutes sitting on their fence.

Paul thought that it might have been hanging round his bird feeders in the hope it might make a snack of one of the smaller birds feeding, though he never saw this happen. It seems this has now come to an end, as the "remains" of the Owl were found a few days ago, Paul suspects that one of the local Buzzards might have been the culprit.

I've not heard of a Tawny Owl acting like this before, not that I'm an expert with Owls by any means. Paul thinks that the bird may have been poorly, I wondered if it had been having trouble getting food at night because of the sustained cold spell. What does anybody else think?

John
 
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White Fronted Goose

I see that on Birdguides there has been a report of a White Fronted Goose seen by Hales Hall Pool in a silage field. Anyone seen this.

I am no where near Hales Hall unfortunately.

Dean:t:
 
Endon Chiffchaff

Had really good and prolonged views of the Chaff this morning and as suggested by Fair Isle Steve this present bird appears to be a eastern race type and not a Sibe.
However the bird I saw on Tuesday had a more distinct and longer supercilium and who knows the chaffs could be coming and going.

Russell
 
anybody know where they set up there terroritories for breeding in staffs or any where near by staffs ? just wondering one bird that has managed to avoid me everywhere
they should be setting up breeding area with often calling and drumming in february usally
rather large flock of lapwings over college today about 400 +
and 6 yellowhammers

Parrot's Drumble behind Freeport was traditionally a good sight although I'm in the same boat as you mate, beginning to wonder if they are a mythical creature
 
Parrot's Drumble behind Freeport was traditionally a good sight although I'm in the same boat as you mate, beginning to wonder if they are a mythical creature

Wow, thought I was the only birder optimistic enough to have a look at Parrot's Drumble (great name btw isn't it!). Must admit I've only visited the place a few times, best bird being a pair of Spot Flys - any idea when Lesser Peckers were last recorded there?!

Cheers
Steve
 
Wow, thought I was the only birder optimistic enough to have a look at Parrot's Drumble (great name btw isn't it!). Must admit I've only visited the place a few times, best bird being a pair of Spot Flys - any idea when Lesser Peckers were last recorded there?!

Cheers
Steve

No idea mate, was told about it a while ago and remember reading some blurb mentioning it. I did know where the name came from but forgotten. Bloody old age!!!

Craig
 
Another place worth checking for LSW is Deep Haye CP. I have seen all 3 species of WPs here in the past. The GS is a cert. The Greens used to be over the far right hand side opposite the lodge behind the hide (if it's still there). And the Lessers were a bit off the beated track in the mixed woodland at the top end of the lakes.
 
good day

got up park hall at about 12:30
got 1 long eared owl
redpoll
siskin
loads of bullfinch
2 yellowhammers
no sign of little owl
treecreeper
3 goldcrests
3 great spotted woodpeckers
then had brief look for barn owl on back fields
no sign then went round back of caverswall cricket club
1 jack snipe
1 common snipe but we only did the outside edge had no wellies on
2 more year ticks

thanks to all who have given me infomation about lesser pecker
and hopefully put enough work in might see them feeding young :t: or just see a bird
 
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