Birding In Staffordshire (6 Viewers)

[Mick Sway]

Jim's Garden Birding

That's great stuff on the garden birding Jim.
Nice pics too!
I wish!
Best
Mick
B

 

[Upland Birder]

Whitemore Haye

I spent the day (Saturday) at Whitemore Haye the main aim of which was to do some bird photography and had a great day. Before that I went to Hilton for the Great White Egret but it was nowhere to be seen. Its out there somewhere!!

At Whitemore Haye I saw the following:-

Kestral
Buzzard
Crow
Rook
Heron
Mute Swan
Canada Geese
Wigeon
Lapwing
Black Headed Gull
Green Finch
Chaffinch
Corn Bunting
Yellowhammer
Reed Bunting
Robin
Dunnock
Magpie
Blackbird
Tree Sparrow
Fieldfare
Redwing
Song Thrush
Starling
Wood Pigeon
Grey wagtail
Pied Wagtail
Green Sandpiper
Redshank
Mallard

It was good to see that there was a good number of Tree Sparrows about. Yellowhammers were everywhere. I will try and post some of my photo's on here later. I was so well concealed that even Adam didn't see me!!

Cheers

Dean:t:

 

[JimMorris]

Thanks for that Richard, not so common I believe.

Thanks Mick, nice to see you are still around.

 

[StokeOwl]

Hi All

There is one also at the top end of the A500 by the motorway, some times seen in the more posh Cheshire side of the round about, must be a snobbish Buzzard.

Tim..

Hi Tim. I drive through there to work every day. I know the one you mean. He's almost caused me to crash on several occasions

 

[Rockbirder]

Common Gull in the garden!!

Is this a Black-headed gull or maybe something rarish (I wish)

Hey up Jim, That's a serious garden tick there mate!!!!!:-O

cheers

Andy

 

[Rockbirder]

Opticron Bins.

Been watching some Opticron Discovery 8x42 WP bins on e-bay at £95 free p&p. Has anyone used these and is this a good deal?

Hey up Bull, i've got a pair of Opticron "imagic" 8x42 BGA WP which i use for work. They are excellent, light, feel good in the hand and the close focus is down to 2 metres. They cost £250 last year brand new. Haven't found a single problem with them yet. Go for it pal.

Oh yes, RP uses the same bins and i know he's well chuffed with them.

cheers

Andy.

 

[Neil-T]

Looks as though Jim has extended the pond in his garden, nice one mate.

 

[wolfbirder]

yesterday 2 Hawfinches around Coppice hill feeding station (meant to be 4), also a young brambling nearby, 5 yellowhammers, 2 bullfinch, willow tit etc.

 

[Rob Jones]

It was good to see that there was a good number of Tree Sparrows about. Yellowhammers were everywhere. I will try and post some of my photo's on here later.
Dean:t:

Look forward to seeing them Dean.:t: How close can you get to them to photograph?

 

[andyr]

Uttoxeter Quarry this afternoon:

1 Pink-Footed Goose with Greylags, 24 Goosander, 68 Tufted, 1 Green Sandpiper, 3 Snipe, 1 Stonechat, c100 Redwing, 3 Fieldfare, 1 Common Gull.

I was hoping that yesterday's Great White Egret, at Hilton in South Derbyshire, may have made it's way a few miles west. But alas not. But worth keeping an eye out for, as the bird has moved on today.

Hi Richard

Have just noticed on Birdguides that the Great White Egret was back at Hilton (Derbyshire)just over half an hour ago (12.50). I say that, because yesterday afternoon it was seen in flight just South of Tamworth (where the Staffordshire border meets Warwickshire) and around a fortnight ago was just North of Atherstone for a few days in and around Sheepy Parva (Leicesteshire) where I managed to see it well. So clearly this bird has a map of the Midlands somewhere and is definitely due back over the Staffs border again anytime soon ! And hopefully more the North Staffs area so you and others can see it !

Cheers

Andy Russell

 

[Rob1991S-O-T]

radial park/ sideway

went out to do a bird track on local
was dead with water birds with it been frozen up but still managed
4 mallard
6 moorhen
17 BH gulls
3LBBgulls
1herring gull
plenty of small stuff though
7 pied wag
1 grey wag
site first willow tit
and the usuall tit except long tailed
40 redwing
buzzard
30 house sparrow
2 yellowhammer another site tick
then went to apart never been before which is at the back of primrose hill drive i think
and found another pool plus 10 reed bunting in a ash tree coppice
plus 7 lesser redpoll and the probale mealy redpoll from 28/12/08
and on the way back had 50 linnet been chased by kestrel

can anyone ID this found it in a ditch with running water so it wasnt frozen
a bird that flys like a kingfisher but has no blue instead light brownish colour
didnt make a call all i saw was its back then dissapered round corner of the ditch any ideas ???

 

[namron]

Waxwings

36 Waxwings present, in a private garden in Friesian Gardens Red Street.

Can be seen from the junction with Audley Rd and Deans Lane, they have been present for the last 4 days.

When mobile they fly toward the Wedgewood Monument and Wood Lane area. :t:

 

[Periwinkle]

Hi Richard

Have just noticed on Birdguides that the Great White Egret was back at Hilton (Derbyshire)just over half an hour ago (12.50). I say that, because yesterday afternoon it was seen in flight just South of Tamworth (where the Staffordshire border meets Warwickshire) and around a fortnight ago was just North of Atherstone for a few days in and around Sheepy Parva (Leicesteshire) where I managed to see it well. So clearly this bird has a map of the Midlands somewhere and is definitely due back over the Staffs border again anytime soon ! And hopefully more the North Staffs area so you and others can see it !

Cheers

Andy Russell

The Derbyshire bird is a different one to the Tame Valley bird (both still present this morning). See my blog for Tame Valley sightings ;-)

 

[andyr]

The Derbyshire bird is a different one to the Tame Valley bird (both still present this morning). See my blog for Tame Valley sightings ;-)

Hi Periwinkle

Apologies - and thanks for putting me right; hadn't appreciated that there two GWEs in the region. Great birds though - so the more the merrier ! May bump into you around your patch, as I am often up and down the Tame Valley.

Cheers

Andy

 

[Rob Jones]

36 Waxwings present, in a private garden in Friesian Gardens Red Street.

Can be seen from the junction with Audley Rd and Deans Lane, they have been present for the last 4 days.

When mobile they fly toward the Wedgewood Monument and Wood Lane area. :t:

Had a quick look Keith but didn't see them or what they could be feeding off.

Couldn't stay long because the missus had the dinner on :t: and it's started to snow again! :C

 

[carlj]

Off to Aldi this morning to fetch a feeding table. By warehouse along boulevard (round from Rob's BR) saw a small thrush-like critter with a prominent pale eyestripe. Any clues?

 

[Max Radford]

Spent a couple of hours at Bith this morning. Tad covered in a thin layer of ice. Near ad Yellow Leg on the ice with a handful of big gulls. Walked around Beech Tree Point past a male Stonechat perched on the fence posts. 4 Scaup (2 prs) in Blithe bay + 36 Barnacles (the JCB crew.) Quick look off the dam; 1st wint Caspian Gull just sat on the water off the dam on its own. Finally to finish the morning off a Black Swan swimming round in the middle of the deep end.

Max.

 

[Rob1991S-O-T]

Off to Aldi this morning to fetch a feeding table. By warehouse along boulevard (round from Rob's BR) saw a small thrush-like critter with a prominent pale eyestripe. Any clues?

there are some redwing there

or could be the meadow pipits that are taken up residance around the warehouse on both bulevard side and campbell road side

other than that cant think of anything else

 

[namron]

there are some redwing there

or could be the meadow pipits that are taken up residance around the warehouse on both bulevard side and campbell road side

other than that cant think of anything else

Sounds like a Redwing 2 me a lot around at the mo.

 

[Steve Turner]

36 Waxwings present, in a private garden in Friesian Gardens Red Street.

Can be seen from the junction with Audley Rd and Deans Lane, they have been present for the last 4 days.

When mobile they fly toward the Wedgewood Monument and Wood Lane area. :t:

This is very embarassing, I live literally round the corner from there (@ Crofters Court!) and I've not even heard a Waxwing recently, never mind seen one - time to give up birding methinks :-C

S