Birding In Staffordshire (1 Viewer)

[carlj]

Perries showing well, in flight and static - have just left west ledge of exchange for places unknown. Still calling, and still no idea if nesting. Female favours same south-western corner though.

 

[Rob72]

HI rob we were about 300 yards behind you for most of our walk, then got distracted by a whitethroat and lost sight of you. me and my mate had cameras around our necks but you may not have noticed us, with us being behind you.

i clocked yer Glyn, looked like you were packing a 300mm, always check in on other birders, case they're on to something.

get any shots of the groppers?

Rob.

 

[Neil-T]

Perries showing well, in flight and static - have just left west ledge of exchange for places unknown. Still calling, and still no idea if nesting. Female favours same south-western corner though.

Viewed the female in my lunch break from the bottom of Etruria road, she was on the souwest corner as I watched her. She flew to the right and disappeared for a few minutes, I am sure she came back with a kill as she returned to the same corner and all I could see was her head bobbing up and down as if she was plucking something.

 

[carlj]

Neil,
wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. Each day I head to work, it's a snowstorm of pigeon feathers. Took bins to work today, and one of the girls had never seen a peregrine. She was impressed not only with the flying male, but also the female. Nice to encourage non-birders into our world, is it not?

Carl

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Berry Hill site map

Site map has been updated - thanks Jack Haye (aka Andy)

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie...d=118209269367094647896.0004490ebab0414443ff9

 

[kev burrows]

hi nick could you please give me directions to the spot in hanchurch where you saw the crosbills..thanks kev..

 

[bull's birder]

Just been up Hanchurch and added Crossbill to the yearlist. A single female where Nick mentioned before. Cuckoo calling in the same area. Also nearly ran over a Peacock!!! Don't suppose this goes on the list. Also added was a lone Mandarin at Severn Trent Whitmore.

Cheers
Craig

 

[John Sherratt]

Cheadle

Hey up John, the dam is goin' to be strengthened at some point this year. This is to hopefully avoid the houses below the dam, being washed away if the dam bursts because of a downpour of Biblical proportions3! It's no joke, they've already evacuated the locals once when the rain got a bit heavy. They are also goin' to clean out the small feeder pond and make a pond dippin' area for the local school kids. Hopefully they won't touch the marsh, which is good for Sedge and even Grasshopper Warblers.

The good news is that this will mean the water level being lowered, to leave vast acres of mud for all those lovely autumn wader flocks3! I can see it now tightly packed flocks of Knot and Dunlin swirling over the nearby houses as they try to avoid bein' dinner for the local Chicken Hawks3

Hi Andy,

I can see this would make sense! Now you put it like that, those houses are quite a bit below the water level aren't they ? I think I would feel happier living there if the damn was strengthened a bit, just in case of really bad weather either that or 617 Squadron dropping in

Here's hoping when it's done, it's all good for lots of different sorts of birds :t:

John

 

[John Sherratt]

Doxey and Cannock Chase

Up early this morning and went to Doxey Marshes, mainly hoping to get a look at a Grasshopper Warbler or two at first light (ish), really thick mist there first thing, no sign or sound of them, perhaps the fog was causing them to keep their heads down.

Still, did find a singing Whitethroat and a singing Blackcap, and at least 8 ish Sedge Warblers singing, and showing fairly well in the murk, most visible from along the footpath from the cemetery.

Also managed to identify in the gloom:

Dunnock
Wren
Mallard
Crow
Canada Geese
Reed Bunting
Song Thrush
Pheasant
Robin
Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
Redshank
Lapwing
Oystercatcher
L R Plover
Coot
Heron
Wood Pigeon
Teal
Moorhen
Blue Tit
Chaffinch
Magpie
Great Tit

After going into Stafford, went on to have a look at Coppice Hill, walked down to Sherborne Valley and back, nice and sunny there, found:

Cuckoo
Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
Dunnock
Robin
Crow
Lots of Jackdaws
Blackbird
Chaffinch
Whinchat
Great Tit
Pheasant
Skylark
Coal Tit
Willow/Marsh Tit (not sure which one from brief glimpse)
and a poss ??? Wood Warbler ?? not sure on this one.

So all things considered, a good morning out. John

 

[Steve Turner]

Site map has been updated - thanks Jack Haye (aka Andy)

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie...d=118209269367094647896.0004490ebab0414443ff9

Excellent stuff! Liking the little bird pictures :t:

Steve

 

[Adam M]

a bloke at work has said he has heard cuckoo's (is that the correct term for more than one cuckoo, or is it just cuckoo??) up apedale last weekend, might pop up there this weekend, then on to berryhill for a couple more warblers.

1st local swallow up the road this morning and a pair who always breed in an old building on my way to work have returned too.

robins eggs due to hatch, i think, next monday/tuesday, depends if you count the time they incubate them, 13 days, from when the first egg is laid or when the full lot are laid. with them laying up to 6 eggs, one a day, i might be out by a bit.

went wesport on the way home last night, no new migrants. but there were three lads who thought throwing bricks at me as i walked past was a good idea. luckily for them they were too young for me to throw in the lake without me looking like a big bully, so they just got a little telling off. the youth of today, i don't know.

adam

 

[carlj]

Always giving us oldies a hard time, Adam. Welcome to the over the hill club!

 

[Neil-T]

Berry hill, Parkhall and Dimmingsdale.

Berry hill 10.30 to 12.30 today. Lot's of willow warblers singing all over the place, I don't think there wasn't one singing no matter where I went. Other warblers included: Grasshopper, sedge, whitethroat, blackcap and chiff chaff.
Other species included mippit6, skylark8, LT tit building a nest and wren singing. Tried to get pictures of the warblers but they were not playing ball.

Parkhall with Stuart for a couple of hours, a few warblers about here including Willow and Garden plus other common species including Yellowhammer.

Dimmingsdale: Only thing of note was the Pied Fly around the Lords bridge area and a lone male siskin on the feeders at the back.

 

[Richard Powell]

2 Arctic Terns and 11 Goosander at Uttoxeter Quarry this evening.

 

[Rob72]

Site map has been updated - thanks Jack Haye (aka Andy)

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie...d=118209269367094647896.0004490ebab0414443ff9

Many thanks:t:

 

[Rob72]

a bloke at work has said he has heard cuckoo's (is that the correct term for more than one cuckoo, or is it just cuckoo??)

I'm no expert but if you drop the apostrophe i think you've nailed it.:t:

Rob.

 

[John Sherratt]

Pics

Nice pics there Neil, partic like the one of the Yellowhammer :t:

John

 

[Neil-T]

Anyone else noticed the local celebrity on page 67 of the RSPB magazine? Bottom right corner.

 

[carlj]

Shurely a scanner is in your possession, young sir?

 

[minkstone]

Local patch,
Berryhill for a couple of hours,lots of reedbuntings,skylarks,mippits,plenty of willow warblers singing,also saw white throats, sedge warbler,reed warbler. found nylon pouch looks brand new dont know if its anyones off this site.