Birding In Staffordshire (5 Viewers)

[Rockbirder]

Endon Chiff.

Hey up folks, any news on the Chiff@ Endon sewage works?

cheers

Andy.

 

[Neil-T]

Was thinking of going to look for it this Sunday sometime.

 

[Steve Turner]

I think it's the Meece. It joins the Sow about 1/2 mile south of Shallowford. And it's actually only few miles from Doxey so perhaps we shouldn't be too surprised if Little Egrets turn up there from time to time?

...ok then! |^|

Steve

 

[Keele birder]

Hi Keele birder, I am sure I met your Son at Madeley church looking for the Hawfinches a few weeks back, he told me you were out looking for the glaucus gull, he also mentioned that you had seen over 450 species in the UK, and he is not far off that total himself. I forgot his name, but did tell him to join in on this thread. Great to meet up with him as he seemed very knowledgeable. ATB. Neil.

Hi Neil,

I don’t think you met my son, he is a teenager and not really interested in birding, its not cool ||.

Maybe my brother, Richard? I know he was at the hawfinches a few weeks ago, as he gripped me off with a count of 8:eek!: he is certainly both keen and knowledgeable. He was righ, my British list is over 450, actually about 520 (BOU).

Cheers

 

[namron]

Hi Keith

'Going for the Biggy' is one of the few uk books of its kind as far as I know. Richard Millington's 'A Twitcher's Diary', Adrian Riley's ' Arrivals & Rivals' & Steve Young's 'Birds on Film' are similar and all pretty good reads. Going for the Biggy' is definitely the best though and is a 'must' read just before a trip to Scilly!

The Big Twitch is about an Australian year lister & is also very funny - well worth a read. Pete Dunne's 'Feather quest' is another good read about year listing - based in the states as is Ken Kaufman.

I got completely addicted to reading twitching and listing books for a while. I'm getting better now but there is a book called 'Birdwatchingwatching' (competitive world-listing between father & son) coming out soon which might set me off on a re-read frenzy.

Enjoy the read and let me know how you get on.

Cheers

John

Cheers for the info John.
From a slightly different angle I've just read a Poyser book called Weather and Bird Behaviour which I found interesting. It's nice to read these type of books for a change as from reading ID book after ID book.
I love Christmas always a good excuse too have new reading material :-O

 

[Neil-T]

Hi Neil,

I don’t think you met my son, he is a teenager and not really interested in birding, its not cool ||.

Maybe my brother, Richard? I know he was at the hawfinches a few weeks ago, as he gripped me off with a count of 8:eek!: he is certainly both keen and knowledgeable. He was righ, my British list is over 450, actually about 520 (BOU).

Cheers

Thanks for the reply, I remember now, he did say his name was Richard, so it must have been your brother. I must say your list is very impressive, and so is Richards for that matter. Get him to join in on here, the more the merrier I say. Even if it's just to say what you've seen during the week. We actually saw 4 Hawfinches all in the same tree that day. Give him my best regards when you see him. Neil.

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Copmere Rocks

Excellent finds Steve. I'm festering at home with a mighty dose of manflu so the field is yours for the next few days pal if it stays this way. :-C What I'd really like to know is how many of the commoner gulls roosted, if numbers are going up?? Curious too that last year at this time the gulls stopped roosting at Cop and headed off for Aqualate/Belvide.

Well, after jamming in on the Doxey Bittern this avo (a nice county tick for moi, and I am the king of county tart ticks!), there was only one thing for it...head off to the mecca that is Copmere for the gull roost!

Here I was joined by local birder Martyn Whalley. The Iceland Gull duely appeared, then Martyn said have a look at this - had a peep through his scope, and there was a stonking juv Glaucous Gull! At one point both white-wingers were in the same scope view, awesome!

The roost was easily the biggest I've seen this winter so far, with many birds giving excellent views in the centre of the mere. There were definitely more Black-headed Gulls than usual, so hopefully there's a Med Gull for me as the winter progresses

Bittern, Iceland, and Glauc...I need a lie down :t:

Cheers
Steve

 

[Rob1991S-O-T]

100 birds this year in STaffs

had good wonder around college counting the finches in the game cover crop got about 100 chaffinch
12 yellowhammer
25 tree sparrow plus flushed my 100th 09 staffs bird
woodcock:king: which scared me to death as i felt its wing clip my wellie as took of
also in the next game cover crop
50 chaffinch
30 goldfinch
2 yellowhammers
15 tree sparrows
plus mix flock of siskin redpoll


and if anyone fancies taken me swallow moss or cop mere would be very appreciated

 

[Max Radford]

Nr summ plummage adult Med in the roost at Blith tonight. Had to work for it. Drove round the res, parked up and walked to four differnt parts of the res, until I found the gulls close enough. Worth it though. Also two Yellow Legs, in what was a very poor roost quantity wise.

Max

 

[Steve Turner]

What I'd really like to know is how many of the commoner gulls roosted, if numbers are going up?? Curious too that last year at this time the gulls stopped roosting at Cop and headed off for Aqualate/Belvide.

Everything appeared to be staying to roost, although I didn't stay till complete darkness, so there's a possibilty that some stuff may have departed, but I doubt it.
I was just as impressed with the number of Black-headed Gulls as the white-wingers. Didn't even try counting them, but there must've been at least 1000.

The night I was there it was drizzling with rain which may have encouraged them to stay at Copmere, although Phil Jones had both of the white-wingers again tonight, so perhaps the weather isn't the deciding factor...any more gullheads out there, get yourselves down there, it's much better views than on one of those vast, wind swept reservoirs :t:

Cheers
Steve

 

[Steve Turner]

Nr summ plummage adult Med in the roost at Blith tonight. Had to work for it. Drove round the res, parked up and walked to four differnt parts of the res, until I found the gulls close enough. Worth it though. Also two Yellow Legs, in what was a very poor roost quantity wise.

Max

Please could you send a Med Gull over to Copmere please?!

I'll swap ya for it - a Glauc and an Iceland, for one Med. Deal?!

Cheers
Steve

 

[Steve Turner]

Glauc and Iceland photo

See link below to Surfbirds, showing a photo of the Copmere Glauc and Iceland Gull together! Nice one Nick Smith;

http://www.surfbirds.com/cgi-bin/gallery/display.cgi?gallery=gallery12

 

[Upland Birder]

Cheers for the info John.
From a slightly different angle I've just read a Poyser book called Weather and Bird Behaviour which I found interesting. It's nice to read these type of books for a change as from reading ID book after ID book.
I love Christmas always a good excuse too have new reading material :-O

Hi Keith,

I have the Weather and Bird Behaviour book which will be my next read. I've already skimmed through it and its excellent, interesting and very readable.

Dean:t:

 

[Johnnie Lee]

Rudyard

Had a walk around Heron's Marsh area at Rudyard yesterday in mixed conditions. Quite decent duck numbers with 23 teal, 12 wigeon & 2 goosanders. Water rails heard calling again. Also raven, a monster-sized female sparrowhawk, reed bunting, grey wagtail and kingfisher.
The sparrowhawk was one of those 'could it be' birds but definitely not a goshawk I'm sad to say.

Finally saw my garden tawny owls last night. They've been playing hard to get in January so far. Takes me upto 80 for the year - a bit behind the pace I think, but I'm happy!

J

 

[foxwood]

Park Hall Country Park

Hello All

There is a full page article about Park Hall Country Park on page 56 of the February edition of "Bird Watching" magazine. Expect it to be busy this weekend! |=(|

Cheers

Mike

 

[John Sherratt]

Doxey

Hello All,

I went to Doxey on Thursday afternoon, could only manage a brief-ish visit as it was on the way somewhere else, running errands!

Couldn't see the Bittern, again!! But to partly make up for it, did get good views of the Kingfisher there and several Goosander. W F Geese still around there, plenty of Canadas, also saw Lapwing, Teal and Shoveller, amongst others.

John

 

[Steve Turner]

Problems uploading BirdForum

I couldn't get on at all y'day between 08:00 and 20:00 y'day - was I aone in this?!

Steve

 

[JimMorris]

No Steve, BF was down all over the world. Glad it's back this morning as I was beginning to suffer withdrawal symptoms.

 

[Neil-T]

Continuous hunt for Waxwings.

Called around the Anchor road area yesterday on my way home from work to look for the Waxwings, nothing around the bottom end of the estate, but I did manage to catch up with 10 of them at the top of a tree just as I was about to give up and go home. These were taken on Heathcote road.

 

[Steve Turner]

Glad it's back this morning as I was beginning to suffer withdrawal symptoms.

Ha ha, yes I know what you mean!!