Birding In Staffordshire (1 Viewer)

[russell toon]

An Osprey this afternoon was a great sight on the patch! It caught a fish on its second dive, then gained height out of the Void and drifted off low to the north west with its fish supper!

A patch tick for me, and only the 3rd (?) site record I think. The first record (found by Mr Pomiankowski :t: ) hung around for a couple of weeks as I recall, so let's hope this bird does the same.

Cheers
Steve

Nice one Steve,hope you managed to avoid being soaked.

Russell

 

[Adam M]

westport lake does it again. black tern there at the moment, which saved me a trip to blithfield. talking of which, my WMBC membership arrived today. will have to try and visit the reservoirs sometime soon.
adam

 

[Steve Turner]

Nice one Steve,hope you managed to avoid being soaked.

Russell

Sadly not :C but it was worth it!! Nick informs me that he didn't find the first for the site...

btw Russell, I'm sure you won't mind me bigging up the Berry Hill year list?!

It currently sits at an impressive 101, and with several very obtainable species (Goldcrest, Coal Tit, and Ring Ouzel for example) yet to make an appearance, the list is sure to swell further...now all we need is some northeasterlies!

Steve

 

[dan pointon]

westport lake does it again. black tern there at the moment, which saved me a trip to blithfield. talking of which, my WMBC membership arrived today. will have to try and visit the reservoirs sometime soon.
adam

I would still make the trip! There's a White-winged Black Tern at Blithfield currently showing well off the dam.

D

 

[Nick Smith]

Westport Lake sightings - 3rd September

Another corking day at the pond (the City's premier birding hot spot) from the early boys a Treecreeper and Spotted Flycatcher plus three Cormorants south, the middle shift had another impressive 24 Cormorants south plus a Garden Warbler, and the mid afternoon boys (Dave Sabine) found the Black Tern which was still present at 19-45hrs. The Spot Fly found by my fellow early shifter just as i was driving off the car park was my 100th species for the year at Westport.

 

[Upland Birder]

Just got back from Dimmingsdale. Plenty of action on the feeders, Coal, Great and Blue tits, Nuthatch, GSWoodpecker, Chaffinch, Robin and a Kestrel in the tall tree to the left.

Called in at Freehay lane (the one that,s blocked off now, there is a beutiful bridle path that runs through the trees). Saw Siskin, LT Tits (about 16/20) Coal tit, chaffinch, robin, Buzzard and GSWoodpecker.

Also plenty of Fungi about if anyone is interested, not sure what species/type they are but there are at least 6 different types. Got some good macro shots of them.

Hi Neil,

Nice report there Neil. The feeding station is doing very well down there from reports so far.

I have my fungi id book and hope to get some photo's on here soon. Plenty of fungi about in woodlands at present. Perhaps you could post your macro shots on here.

I saw your spooky looking spider shot in your gallery last night. Great photo:eek!:

Saw a Coal tit in the garden today.

Dean

 

[Richard Powell]

It certainly was worth a trip Dan. Well, when I say trip I really mean mad dash. I left work in Stafford late and had to go home for my bins and scope. Lewis Hamilton eat your heart out!

Still there this evening. It was viewable from the causeway, but really would've been better to view from the dam.

Also a county tick for me. And thus a Blithfield tick, Staffordshire's premier birding hotspot . I'm sure no Belvide regulars read this. :-O

I would still make the trip! There's a White-winged Black Tern at Blithfield currently showing well off the dam.

D

 

[Rockbirder]

Another great bird!

It certainly was worth a trip Dan. Well, when I say trip I really mean mad dash. I left work in Stafford late and had to go home for my bins and scope. Lewis Hamilton eat your heart out!

Still there this evening. It was viewable from the causeway, but really would've been better to view from the dam.

Also a county tick for me. And thus a Blithfield tick, Staffordshire's premier birding hotspot . I'm sure no Belvide regulars read this. :-O

Hey up folks, like Dan and "ozzy" Powell i managed to get to Blithers for the White-winged Black Tern and boy was it worth drenched. Excellent views in the torrential rain with all the "salient features" being noted. Best of all i ended up watching it on me own!

Two Whinchats around work this a'noon and two GBB Gulls at poxy last night, which takes me to 111 for the year locally.

See you on the 13th folks.

Andy.

 

[Neil-T]

Freehay

Hi Neil,

Nice report there Neil. The feeding station is doing very well down there from reports so far.

I have my fungi id book and hope to get some photo's on here soon. Plenty of fungi about in woodlands at present. Perhaps you could post your macro shots on here.

I saw your spooky looking spider shot in your gallery last night. Great photo:eek!:

Saw a Coal tit in the garden today.

Dean

Hi Dean, the bridle path near Freehay is really good for birds and Fungi, lots of mixed woodland, there are at least 8 species/types of fungi there. I have just ordered a good field guide, so will try and ID them myself. Will post pictures on here when I get back from work later today.

If anyone is interested in having a look up at Freehay, and they don't know where it is, just drop me a PM.

Regards. Neil.

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Interesting about the corms WPLBC - I had a single south at B. Hill yesterday early morning too. Pleased to hear the pond has joined the Knypo and Berry Hill 100 club at long last

Steve - the previous Ospreys at Silverdale were in April 2006 (mentioned to me by a dog walker but convincing description of it taking a fish) and October 2006.

Another corking day at the pond (the City's premier birding hot spot) from the early boys a Treecreeper and Spotted Flycatcher plus three Cormorants south, the middle shift had another impressive 24 Cormorants south plus a Garden Warbler, and the mid afternoon boys (Dave Sabine) found the Black Tern which was still present at 19-45hrs. The Spot Fly found by my fellow early shifter just as i was driving off the car park was my 100th species for the year at Westport.

 

[namron]

An Osprey this afternoon was a great sight on the patch! It caught a fish on its second dive, then gained height out of the Void and drifted off low to the north west with its fish supper!

A patch tick for me, and only the 3rd (?) site record I think. The first record (found by Mr Pomiankowski :t: ) hung around for a couple of weeks as I recall, so let's hope this bird does the same.

Cheers
Steve

Nice one, the only day I have to go in work early and I'm not there, Typical :t:

 

[Steve Turner]

Interesting about the corms WPLBC - I had a single south at B. Hill yesterday early morning too. Pleased to hear the pond has joined the Knypo and Berry Hill 100 club at long last

Steve - the previous Ospreys at Silverdale were in April 2006 (mentioned to me by a dog walker but convincing description of it taking a fish) and October 2006.

To be fair to 'the pond' (which I do grudgingly ), I think Mr WPLBC actually meant that he personally had recorded 100 species there this year...I think the the combined total for the whole of the pond crew is probably higher than 100.
Perhaps Mr WPLBC knows what the total year list is?!

Thanks for the Osprey gen Nick; I remember you mentioning the first record to me now I think about it.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Neil-T]

Freehay Fungi

Here is a link to the pictures of the fungi I took at Freehay.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=122247

Will put the others in here for you.

 

[Rob1991S-O-T]

i have had the strangest find ever
i know it was raining and after 2 was walking round hanley park lake just watching the 4 great crested greab juvs as a juv black necked flew in i think the rain forced it down :eek!: and watched this bird for ages fishing with other GC greabs and then sun came out and it flew off in the direction of the canal
first time had black necked in stoke on trent on any bit of water

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Ok, I confess, you spotted my ruse o I've never been into this competitive stuff much but the B. Hill / Westport year listing seems to have provided us with some fun comments.

I only hope the WPL 205 Bird Club doesn't annouce "farmyard goose" getting upgraded to Category A

To be fair to 'the pond' (which I do grudgingly ), I think Mr WPLBC actually meant that he personally had recorded 100 species there this year...I think the the combined total for the whole of the pond crew is probably higher than 100.
Perhaps Mr WPLBC knows what the total year list is?!

Cheers
Steve

 

[Rockbirder]

Another great bird!

Hey up folks. brace yourselves!!! Had a Cheadle mega this morning at work a YELLOW WAGTAIL! These are rarer than rockin' horse poo round here these day's. The last regular site was Blakehall Fishery especially in the spring but this was the first i've had round here for probably six or seven years.

Also had 7 Cormorants over and around 200 Goldies feeding around the test track.

Cheers folks

Andy.

 

[russell toon]

Hey up folks. brace yourselves!!! Had a Cheadle mega this morning at work a YELLOW WAGTAIL! These are rarer than rockin' horse poo round here these day's. The last regular site was Blakehall Fishery especially in the spring but this was the first i've had round here for probably six or seven years.

Also had 7 Cormorants over and around 200 Goldies feeding around the test track.

Cheers folks

Andy.

Forget Westport and Berryhill your "workplace" seems the place to be with Whinchats,Wheatears and now Yellow Wagtail.

Russell

 

[Steve Turner]

i have had the strangest find ever
i know it was raining and after 2 was walking round hanley park lake just watching the 4 great crested greab juvs as a juv black necked flew in i think the rain forced it down :eek!: and watched this bird for ages fishing with other GC greabs and then sun came out and it flew off in the direction of the canal
first time had black necked in stoke on trent on any bit of water

Great find Rob, let us know if it returns!!

Cheers
Steve

 

[Upland Birder]

I have been reading all this competetive birding stuff on the thread of late amongst you Stoke birders :-O Berry Hill vs Westport Lake etc. However, I have to say that the premier birding location in North Staffs has to be Jim Morris's garden. I am sure Jim will let you all know how many species he has seen in his private reserve along with his mammal count.

Dean

 

[Upland Birder]

Here is a link to the pictures of the fungi I took at Freehay.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=122247

Will put the others in here for you.

Hi Neil,

Interesting pics there. Coombes Valley RSPB is also really good for fungi at this time of year. Well worth getting up there and having a look around.

Dean:t: