Birding In Staffordshire (2 Viewers)

[coloz]

From about 4:30 this afternoon, a massive murmuration swirling to and fro overhead. Is this a 'known' roost? - from the birds' behaviour I suspect it is close by. Attached record shot (mobile phone, poor light)

Jonathan

Good numbers there Jonathan be interesting to see if there is a known roost around there ? col:t:

 

[Rob Jones]

Hi Retrodude

I'd guess they probably roost in the reedbed at Betley Mere, think this was a known roost in the past, but nobody birds the mere these days...over to you

cheers
Steve

I do! but not that often. If anyone likes to go they don't mind you going down if you give them a knock at the farm before you do. Starling roost there every year. Good place to see Tawney Owls!

Bad luck with the LSW guys.

 

[Bigshent]

Hi Retrodude

I'd guess they probably roost in the reedbed at Betley Mere, think this was a known roost in the past, but nobody birds the mere these days...over to you

cheers
Steve

Too true soon after passing my driving test to many years ago that was a regular haunt for reed and sedge warblers, at the time we used to hire the little boat that was there to paddle places that were hard by land. Id had Osprey and Slavionion G pluss many commoner birds ie pintail shoveler. I wonder if you can park at the farm still

 

[Martyn Yapp]

Female Goosander.

Can't image why you would even consider female Smew.

Woooo Hoooo - I went to see the Smew ----- Well it rhymed in my head!

At Chasewater on the "Slurry Pool" in the NW corner.

Sorry about the quality of the pictures, they were digiscoped but about 200m away.

Now I could do with and ID on the bird on the right of the third image. I think its a female Goosander, bills not right for a female smew or could it be a Merganser?

Great (birthday) out.

 

[DivDav]

Betley Mere

Hi Retrodude

I'd guess they probably roost in the reedbed at Betley Mere, think this was a known roost in the past, but nobody birds the mere these days...over to you

cheers
Steve

Betley mere has a massive starling roost, because the mere has been frozen they moved on but normally return when it has thawed. Access through the farm onto the mere is controlled by a fishing syndicate and there is also a shooting syndicate on the mere.I am told that you can get around the back of the mere through another route but i do not no that way. I have seen hobbies, peregrine,sparrowhawks, little owls and tawny owls, plenty of warblers,kingfishers but not much in the way of wildfowl which has always surprised me( maybe the guns?).The farmers name is Frank and he might be worth talking to he as always seemed aproachable.

Cheeers Martin

 

[s.g.]

good to see you again adam,
keep up the good work.
s.g.

 

[rob.72]

Stan mat way 15.45hrs

lapwing 207
gp's 11

 

[GlynH]

Stan mat way 15.45hrs

lapwing 207
gp's 11

Double the numbers from saturday Rob! Lets hope they build even more especially the G.P's. Great sight when they come in to roost.
Glyn

 

[Neil-T]

Hanchurch today

Popped up Hanchurch for a couple of hours this morning, good views of the Crossbills again in the same place as Sunday, had to wait a little longer for them, but they did come in from exactly the same direction. Saw Great spotted woodpecker on the way back to the car, and at least 6 Golcrests about 50 yds before the cottage, all feeding at the top of the firs. Sparrowhawk tried for one of the tits near the rock where people put seed. Also about were.
Blue tit
Coal tit
Great tit
LT tit
Siskin
Redpoll
Goldfinch
Chaffinch
Bullfinch
Jay
Magpie
Raven
Jackdaw
Woodpigeon
Blackbird
Robin
Dunnock
Nuthatch
Treecreeper

Still loads of finches in the garden, especially Redpolls, can anyone spot the odd one out in the picture?

 

[Charlie Sargent]

Popped up Hanchurch for a couple of hours this morning, good views of the Crossbills again in the same place as Sunday, had to wait a little longer for them, but they did come in from exactly the same direction. Saw Great spotted woodpecker on the way back to the car, and at least 6 Golcrests about 50 yds before the cottage, all feeding at the top of the firs. Sparrowhawk tried for one of the tits near the rock where people put seed. Also about were.
Blue tit
Coal tit
Great tit
LT tit
Siskin
Redpoll
Goldfinch
Chaffinch
Bullfinch
Jay
Magpie
Raven
Jackdaw
Woodpigeon
Blackbird
Robin
Dunnock
Nuthatch
Treecreeper

Still loads of finches in the garden, especially Redpolls, can anyone spot the odd one out in the picture?

Looks like you had a good day Neil. Still need a Crossbill may pop down tomorrow. Where's the best place at the moment? Is it the path into the wood by the woodcutters cottage or down the hill going towards towards Whitmore where the dog walkers go.

Charlie

 

[Rob Swift]

Popped up Hanchurch for a couple of hours this morning, good views of the Crossbills again in the same place as Sunday, had to wait a little longer for them, but they did come in from exactly the same direction. Saw Great spotted woodpecker on the way back to the car, and at least 6 Golcrests about 50 yds before the cottage, all feeding at the top of the firs. Sparrowhawk tried for one of the tits near the rock where people put seed. Also about were.
Blue tit
Coal tit
Great tit
LT tit
Siskin
Redpoll
Goldfinch
Chaffinch
Bullfinch
Jay
Magpie
Raven
Jackdaw
Woodpigeon
Blackbird
Robin
Dunnock
Nuthatch
Treecreeper

Still loads of finches in the garden, especially Redpolls, can anyone spot the odd one out in the picture?

Neil, I think your garden has got to be the Staffordshire Hotspot for Redpoll!!:-O

 

[midlands birder]

Popped up Hanchurch for a couple of hours this morning, good views of the Crossbills again in the same place as Sunday, had to wait a little longer for them, but they did come in from exactly the same direction. Saw Great spotted woodpecker on the way back to the car, and at least 6 Golcrests about 50 yds before the cottage, all feeding at the top of the firs. Sparrowhawk tried for one of the tits near the rock where people put seed. Also about were.
Blue tit
Coal tit
Great tit
LT tit
Siskin
Redpoll
Goldfinch
Chaffinch
Bullfinch
Jay
Magpie
Raven
Jackdaw
Woodpigeon
Blackbird
Robin
Dunnock
Nuthatch
Treecreeper

Still loads of finches in the garden, especially Redpolls, can anyone spot the odd one out in the picture?

and i got exited by one redpoll in my garden:-O

 

[Rob Swift]

BBS (BTO Breeding Bird Survey Squares)

Hi All,

for anybody interested there are plenty of Breeding Bird Survey Squares up for grabs in the Staffordshire Area, I've Surveyed Several 1km Sq's for a while now and it's both rewarding and valuable in the aspect of putting something back into the system in regard to the common cause of conservation. All that's required is two early morning visits between Mid April and Mid June and It usually takes me about 1-2 hours each time

If you're perturbed by the word Survey,... don't be as it's not Rocket Science and you soon pick it up and are provided with the site details and recording forms by the Local BTO Organiser Gerald Gittens

If you view the attached file and open and then enter the grid Ref's in the Ordnance Survey Web site then you can find exactly where they are. (some good squares available in North Staffs)

If anybody is interested I can supply the Organiser's Contact Details.

I see Topbirders covering another Square........'good on ya'

cheers
Rob

 

[coloz]

Popped up Hanchurch for a couple of hours this morning, good views of the Crossbills again in the same place as Sunday, had to wait a little longer for them, but they did come in from exactly the same direction. Saw Great spotted woodpecker on the way back to the car, and at least 6 Golcrests about 50 yds before the cottage, all feeding at the top of the firs. Sparrowhawk tried for one of the tits near the rock where people put seed. Also about were.
Blue tit
Coal tit
Great tit
LT tit
Siskin
Redpoll
Goldfinch
Chaffinch
Bullfinch
Jay
Magpie
Raven
Jackdaw
Woodpigeon
Blackbird
Robin
Dunnock
Nuthatch
Treecreeper

Still loads of finches in the garden, especially Redpolls, can anyone spot the odd one out in the picture?

And i am wondering why i haven't had any this year. cuz you got them all neil:-O

 

[mcmerlin]

keep watching all those lesser redpolls carefully chrysophylax, i was lucky enough to have a mealy redpoll briefly join the lessers in my (shropshire) garden on saturday!

 

[Neil-T]

Well I did spend over £140 on Nyger seed alone last year. Redpoll numbers do tend to grow from now on, I can't remember the exact figure as they were hard to count, but there have been over 50 in at one time. I will send some over to you guys.

 

[Neil-T]

keep watching all those lesser redpolls carefully chrysophylax, i was lucky enough to have a mealy redpoll briefly join the lessers in my (shropshire) garden on saturday!

I am scanning them regularly, thought I had one last year, it was slightly bigger and more greyer than the others with a very pale, almost white underbody colour.

 

[Neil-T]

Looks like you had a good day Neil. Still need a Crossbill may pop down tomorrow. Where's the best place at the moment? Is it the path into the wood by the woodcutters cottage or down the hill going towards towards Whitmore where the dog walkers go.

Charlie

Hi Charlie, the last 2 times I have seen them have been down the blue path, but they can be seen anywhere around here, check the other 2 paths as well. Go down by the woodcutters cottage and take the 2nd path on your left. Walk for about 200yds minimum then stop and listen all the time, you will hear them before you see them. Keep walking down this path until the trees start to thicken out again on your left, no need to go any further than this. If they are not there, check the other 2 locations. Hope this helps. Neil.

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Madeley STW

The lady who lives in Madeley emailed me again today:

"3 little egrets feeding in the River Lea this morning in the field below the sewage works"

Cool :t:
Nick

 

[Steve Turner]

The lady who lives in Madeley emailed me again today:

"3 little egrets feeding in the River Lea this morning in the field below the sewage works"

Cool :t:
Nick

What!! That's mad!! I beginning to think she's looking at a different stretch of the river to us??

Steve