Birding In Staffordshire (1 Viewer)

[Steve Turner]

A few people spotted lots of Pink-foots flying over yesterday. In Madeley we too had two flocks of geese flying over in formation side by side going south to south east. Because they were high and I did not have my bins with me I was unable to identify them. This happened at about 1.00ish.

I was wondering how everyone managed to do this and make positive identification. I would like them to have been Pink-foots for another Madeley tick but need to be sure. I listened to them as they flew over and then listened to my Pink foot sound recording when I got home but I can't be positive.

Any help please?

Charlie

Hi Charlie

If as you say, your geese were flying in a south-easterly direction, then they're unlikely (but not impossible) to have been Pink-feet as the goose movement yesterday was north/north west.

Once learnt, the call of Pink-footed Goose is quite distinctive. Also, any large group of wild 'grey geese' in Staffordshire will almost always be Pink-feet as large groups of other scarcer species (such as White-fronted and Bean) are highly unlikely.

These movements of Pink-feet occur regularly in Staffordshire (usually associated with bad/cold weather in eastern England/near continent) so you should have another chance to get them on your Madeley list!

Cheers
Steve

 

[Upland Birder]

Froghall To East wall farm And Back

This afternoon I walked this part of the Churnet Valley and did not see a soul all afternoon. Great I thought and just the way I like it. It was very peaceful and very quiet and I got to see :-

Great tit 6
Blue tit 5
Chaffinch 1
Dunnock 1
Mallard 4
Magpie 3
Bullfinch (f) 1
Buzzard 3 (heard one)
Robin 5
Tawny Owl (heard two at 12:45 and 14:50)
Crow (several)
Wood Pigeon (Several)
Greenfinch 10
Long tailed Tit flocks x 3
Siskin flock x 2 ( of 10 and 20)
Mixed Goldfinch/Siskin flock
Coot 2
Coal tit 1
Wren 1

At the start of the walk a birder from Cheadle informed me that he had seen two Raven over Froghall and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in the same location today.

I heard a fox calling at one stage during the walk. It seems that there was a lot more bird song/calls today and evidence of some species claiming territories and some already forming partnerships. No sightings of Dipper today. There was hardly any wildfowl on the pool at East wall Farm. Was this also the case at Brookley's today ? Looking at Terry's photo there seems to be hardly any wildfowl on there.

Happy Birding

Dean:t:

 

[Charlie Sargent]

Pink-feet

Thanks for trying to help. I have just checked my bearings against North West which is directly opposite to South East and come to the conclusion South East was right. I have just watched Country File where some Pink-feet landed on a sugar beet field in Norfolk. The sound they made was more like what I heard as opposed to my recordings. Still, it's a grey tick, so I am not going to count without being certain. Probably about 160 birds altogether.
I have Peter Haymans and Rob Humes book "Bird" which came with Mitchell Beazley's iPod field guide. I find the recordings useful. Besides not having my Bins and did not have my iPod either ..... silly me!!

Charlie

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Silverdale Colliery

A male goosander on the Void lake today was only the 2nd ever site record. The first were 3 flying through about 10 years ago, so this was a first on the lake itself.

 

[Upland Birder]

Thanks for the pm Terry on my Brookley's wildfowl query. Seems like numbers are less than when we were there two weekends ago.

Dean:t:

 

[Adam M]

It seems that there was a lot more bird song/calls today and evidence of some species claiming territories and some already forming partnerships.

Dean:t:

there was a noteable amount of bird song at coombes yesterday, i heard a nuthatch which was the first time ive ever heard one singing, thinking about it i heard all the usual woodland birds singing at coombes except coal tit. birds in the garden are paired up now and we have singing dunnocks and chaffinches every morning, blackbirds are chasing each other as well. it does seem that the birds are getting geared up for spring already.

male brambling back in the garden today.

adam

 

[Upland Birder]

Checked for the Cheesedale Barn Owl late afternoon across fields at the back of where I live but no sign of it.

Dean :t:

 

[Rockbirder]

A male goosander on the Void lake today was only the 2nd ever site record. The first were 3 flying through about 10 years ago, so this was a first on the lake itself.

Hey up Nick, two Goosander at Poxey this mornin' seen by Mad Malc' actually roostin' on the old lagoon. Could be a thing of the past if it gets turned into a landfill! Happy days! Just think, no more travellin' to see a decent gull!!!!!!!!!!!!
The viewpoint would then be known as the "Gullery".

Andy.

 

[Neil-T]

Out and about yesterday with Glyn, John and Mick. Firstly to Doxey to see if the Ruddy shelduck was still there.....alas it had departed, not much else about here apart from the usual. Called at Wolseley bridge to see the Little egret which was seen by all of us. Then over to Whitemore haye where we had good views of Oystercatcher, Grey partridge, Woodcock and sizeable flock of Linnets....and finally Mick found Glyn a Stock dove. No Corn buntings anywhere, we even checked the surrounding areas including the arboretum. Popped in to Croxall where we saw Redshank, Teal, Goldeneye, Shelduck, Green woodpecker, and walking back to the car a Little egret. Finished off with the Chasewater gull roost where we saw Glaucos, Med gull, Icelandic gull.

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Looks like you've had a good day on your patches Andy :t: Thanks for the mega alert ([email protected])!

Hey up Nick, two Goosander at Poxey this mornin' seen by Mad Malc' actually roostin' on the old lagoon. Could be a thing of the past if it gets turned into a landfill! Happy days! Just think, no more travellin' to see a decent gull!!!!!!!!!!!!
The viewpoint would then be known as the "Gullery".

Andy.

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Ruddy Shelduck

Just had an email from a lady saying there's a pair of Ruddy Shelducks on Huntley Quarry - presumably last year's birds have returned.
Nick

 

[Steve Turner]

Just had an email from a lady saying there's a pair of Ruddy Shelducks on Huntley Quarry - presumably last year's birds have returned.
Nick

...you seem to get quite a few emails from ladies

 

[russell toon]

Still 2 Little Owls showing well at Parkhall CP,also 2 Long-eared Owls showing not so well.
2 Red-legged Partridge seen off Salters Lane,Hulme,pretty uncommon in this area.
Missed out on the Pink-foots on Saturday,I was birding elsewhere and the locals here have told me that a number of large skeins went over Berryhill.

Russell

 

[Steve Turner]

A male goosander on the Void lake today was only the 2nd ever site record. The first were 3 flying through about 10 years ago, so this was a first on the lake itself.

Drake Goosander still present this afternoon - the first I've seen in 10 or so years of birding the Void area. Patch birding at its best!!

Steve

 

[NickPomiankowski]

And a colour ringed Herring Gull (adult) at the building site today: WB0V yellow on black. Dave Kelsall had a 2nd year bird last week ringed at Pitsea, Essex, which got the ringers all excited, since it's very rare they get a recovery from the north of their area.

Drake Goosander still present this afternoon - the first I've seen in 10 or so years of birding the Void area. Patch birding at its best!!

Steve

 

[Upland Birder]

A Reed Bunting turned up in the garden this afternoon. This was a first sighting of this species for the garden. It was feeding on seed that I had scattered on the ground.

Dean:t:

 

[SallyBee]

Starlings

If anyone with experience, visits the starlings at Walton, can you let me know roughly how many there are? Thanks

 

[terryeyre]

had great views of a pair of ravens displaying over the house this morning,such acrobatic birds a wonderful sight to see.

 

[Rob Jones]

...you seem to get quite a few emails from ladies

I think we should call him Black Beauty :-O

Edit: That's a dark horse btw

 

[Adam M]

flock of redwings turned up at uni today on the sports fields, i counted 35 but there were probably more as the kept coming and going.

adam