Birding In Staffordshire (1 Viewer)

[Steve Turner]

This unusual hybrid goose turned up at Westport this morning, anyone any ideas as to what sort of hybrid it is, I've had a scout around the net and the best I can come up with is Bar-headed x Barnacle or Bar-headed x Emperor, any thoughts?

Hi Chris

When I went for the Eider at Rudyard there was a very similar looking hybrid goose in with the Canadas at the northern end of the lake which I thought was probably a Bar-headed x Barnacle, and your bird I think is probably that mix too.

Cheers

 

[coloz]

caverswall marsh the two short eared owls still present behind cricket club also the Little Egret was seen going to roost ,, earlier on went up to Hulme looking for Owls but nothing seen but did manage see 300+ Jackdaw heading west plus some decent size flocks of Fieldfare and Redwings were on the move , cheers col

 

[The Snapper]

This unusual hybrid goose turned up at Westport this morning, anyone any ideas as to what sort of hybrid it is, I've had a scout around the net and the best I can come up with is Bar-headed x Barnacle or Bar-headed x Emperor, any thoughts?

Hi Chris,

I think this bird has definitely got some Emperor and Bar-Headed Goose in it. The pale legs, suggestion of black on throat and also on head, blue-grey body and bill colour would be a good match me thinks

 

[chris23565]

Cheers lads, Bar-headed x farmyard goose has also been suggested, I guess we will never really know.

 

[Matt Griffiths]

Cheers lads, Bar-headed x farmyard goose has also been suggested, I guess we will never really know.

There's a guy who knows a lot about wildfowl hybrids who helps on the Bird ID section of these forums. Helped me with a Muscovy x domestic Mallard hybrid.

 

[Nick Smith]

Cheers lads, Bar-headed x farmyard goose has also been suggested, I guess we will never really know.

Its been suggested as a bar-headed x barnacle goose as well http://www.flickr.com/groups/hybridbirds/discuss/72157604663060605/

 

[Gronk08]

Garden Birds

With the weekend weather not being to baby friendly ended up staying around the house mostly over the weekend.

Had a good mix of birds though come down to the feeders
6 X Bullfinch
2 X Willow Tit
12 X Goldfinch
2 X Greenfinch
2 X Lesser Redpoll (this equals the most we have ever had in the garden)

Not to bad for sunny Silverdale.

Tim.

 

[Steve Turner]

Copmere

Female Red-crested Pochard still present this afternoon.

 

[Moulty]

Hi All,

Wondering if you photographers could help me out, have any of you got any half decent images of the Pheasants that knock around Hanchurch Woods, got an idea/composition in mind for a painting of one and recollect that a lot of them around that area are quite silvery/ grey on their backs and need some reference material, i dont think i'm going to be able get down there for a week or two, so this would really help me to get something going.

Thanks

Chris

If anyone's interested started a thread under the art section, shows a few bits of work of mine.

 

[Richard Powell]

An interesting piece here on the Fenton Park Lesser Whitethroat:

http://birdingfrontiers.com/2012/01/25/eastern-lesser-whitethroat-2/

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Hanchurch Woods

2 Ravens, 200 Lesser Redpolls, 100 Siskin, 100 Goldfinch and a Sparrowhawk today. And in the evening, 570 rooks and 65 crows in the roost, 4 Woodcock and a Tawny Owl.

Nick

 

[coloz]

SEO'S were showing this afternoon at caverswall marsh , this will be the last time i will be reporting them. I can't believe that how irresponsible some photographers can be , If i see any one over there harassing the owls again ,i will name and shame you !!!! the owls are very obliging and give very close views if left alone, col

 

[The Moore-hen]

Dont blame you Col, I'll leave them off the rare and scarce too. When are we going to get an end to this? Gailey black red, belvide LEOwl, Upper Longdon Shrike and the berry hill owls and now these...even the Ringed Plovers at Gailey last autumn got harassed by lenses!! :C

 

[Rob Swift]

Doxey Marsh

Misty Marsh this morning with the Water pipit on a no show...never mind very good light for a spot of digi-scoping! :t:

Highlights:

Siskin x 8
Lapwing x 162
Goosander x 15
Wigeon x 16
Pochard x 4
Shoveler x 8
Teal 75+
Snipe x 2
Fieldfare x 30+
Sparrowhawk x 1
Kestrel x 1

cheers

Rob

 

[terryeyre]

unusual nuthatch

a photo of a nuthatch with unusually light coloured wings,compared to a normal one

 

[Adam M]

a photo of a nuthatch with unusually light coloured wings,compared to a normal one

BTO currently doing a survey for abnormal coloured birds. You can report your bird here http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/plumagesurvey

Adam

 

[terryeyre]

already emailed photo to bto adam

 

[Merlin]

Hanchurch

10+ Crossbills


regards

Merlin

 

[Charlie Sargent]

Dont blame you Col, I'll leave them off the rare and scarce too. When are we going to get an end to this? Gailey black red, belvide LEOwl, Upper Longdon Shrike and the berry hill owls and now these...even the Ringed Plovers at Gailey last autumn got harassed by lenses!! :C

It does worry me as well. It also worries me that generalisations about photographers can sometimes pigeon hole us as irresponsible and feel these comments are often misplaced. Some of us, me included are appalled at the way some photographers do behave. Name and shaming is a possibility but how many times do you see bad behaviour but you have no idea who the photographer is. Non reporting of birds is an obvious solution to reduce the problem but in the end there would be nothing to report on the forum. I am the first to acknowledge that a lot of my local pictures are as a result of reading what you guys write about and it is always a great interest to me to hear about what's been seen in our area. Maybe a way forward is to be as vague as possible about locations of birds, including freezing the use of all maps on the forum. Photographers like me could request more information by private email and then the recipient of the mail has the choice to disclose or not, based probably on whether the person is known or not and can be trusted.
It's a shame that a minority spoil if for the majority.

Charlie

 

[dwe]

Bent Lane Whitmore

Sunday 29th.

Nice flock of 250 Lapwings feeding in the cow-churned field by the railway line at the old Cock Inn end of Bent Lane. Also opposite, in the field bounded by Bent Lane and the lane up to Hanchurch was a flock of 150 Pied Wags - the largest feeding group I've seen.

Last week I saw a Merlin there so it's worth a stroll along the lane at the moment.

Hanchurch had 10 Crossbills with a flock of 70+ Redpolls and Siskins They were in Larches down the track marked "L"; beyond the forestry building and down to the left.

Dave