Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire (1 Viewer)

[The Moore-hen]

Hi Everyone

There seems to be several threads on here that do venture into the realms of 'Rare and Scarce' sittings in Staffordshire but nothing dedicated to it...so i've decided to start one!

Please can we keep this to 'Rare and Scarce' the sort of sightings birders might travel to see or be interested in if they are in the area...no garden birds please e.g. I saw a lovely Robin today....Goldfinch on my feeder this morning etc :-O

Hopefully this might encourage more reports of sightings from birders who do not use the pager / information services and might wish to report their sightings here...no stringers please! It can also be used for people to post detailed directions to lesser known sites when birds are there and for updates on latest movements / habits of rarities in the county.

Hope people find this useful...just a few to get you started from the 3rd November:

drake Ring-necked Duck - still at Westport Lake at 14.15 at least.

10 Bewick's Swan (all adults) - Alvecote Pools on Pretty Pigs Pool until 16.25 then flew off.

Curlew Sandpiper - still at Belvide Reservoir in the afternoon.

Cheers.....:t:

 

[Richard Powell]

Good stuff Mr Moore-hen! :t:

Speaking of Bewick's Swans. Nowadays they are scarce in these parts. So it was great to see a couple of them at Blithers last Sunday.

 

[The Moore-hen]

Good stuff Mr Moore-hen! :t:

Speaking of Bewick's Swans. Nowadays they are scarce in these parts. So it was great to see a couple of them at Blithers last Sunday.

Thanks Richard and thanks for the other emails in my inbox who have thanked me for setting up this thread. Like you say Bewick's is a bit of a Staffs Rarity since they started wintering more in the east (due to mild winters) and numbers have fallen at Slimbridge.

I didn't know Eric Clare was 'hanging up his phone' at the end of the year! What a fantastic job he has done all these years and we have all found out about some amazing rarities from his line...although personally i always enjoyed the late night updates after he had been to the pub...:-O had no idea what was about but they always made me laugh! Also the classic opening line of 'hold onto your hats' when he had found the Arctic Warbler at Blithers! This may become a future alternative to the line (if you don't want to pay 50p+ a minute that is!!) as was suggested in one email. Cheers everyone....:t:

News for 5th Nov

drake Ring-necked Duck - still present at Westport Lake this am.

News from 4th Nov

near-adult Caspian Gull - Chasewater roost (+adult Med & 3 Yellow-legged Gull)
Curlew Sandpiper - still at Belvide Reservoir (+male Merlin & 5 adult Yellow-legged Gull)

 

[The Moore-hen]

News from the 5th Nov

1st winter drake Red-breasted Merganser at Belvide (+adult Kittiwake briefly 1pm + 1st winter Curlew Sand still)

sounds like a bit of 'movement' at Belvide today but nowt being reported from elsewhere....is this lack of observers...or lack of reporting...??

 

[The Moore-hen]

extra news from 5th Nov

Red-breasted Merg - Belvide was present till early afternoon only (+ 5 Yellow-legged Gull roosted 4 x adult, 3rd winter)

11 Pink-footed Goose - reported south over Whitmore Haye GP's
Garganey - still on Fisher's Mill Pit, Middleton Lakes RSPB, Staffs / Warks

Cheers....:t:

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 6th Nov

1st winter Curlew Sand - still at Belvide (+female Merlin, 2 adult Yellow-legged Gull)

Is Belvide the only place being birded regularly during the week...or the only place being reported....

 

[Nick Smith]

The Ring-necked Duck is still present at Westport, although it visited Astbury Mere, Congleton last Sunday 1st Nov for the day. It was back on Monday and present ever since, but, like on Sunday, the ducks are getting disturbed by fireworks, and duck numbers are down at the moment. I do not phone it in everyday, but if it does disappear, then the negative news will go out.
Nick Smith

 

[Periwinkle]

All news from Staffs premier site in my blog - very quiet this week though! We are suffering from, post ibis doldrums:C

 

[Rockbirder]

No news from the setee owd!

This exactly what we want for staffs birders/birdin'. Already it's drawin' north staffs birders out who've lost patience with other threads for whatever reasons. I tried this with the Rare and Scarce(past and pres') but you've hit the nail on the head pal, well done. Look forward to seeing this become "THE STAFFS THREAD".
Andy.

 

[Rockbirder]

News for 7th of November.

A ringtail Hen Harrier was seen this a'noon over the old glider field near the Mermaid Inn on the north staffs moors. No harriers roosted at Swallow moss.

Andy.

 

[Nick Smith]

No sign of 'tuftie' the Westport Ring-necked Duck (with upto 90% Tufted Duck parentage I think was quoted once). There is signs of a lot of firework remains again and Tufted Duck numbers are down on yesterday, poch the same.

Yesterday's news - Curlew Sandpiper still at Belvide where a Snow Goose flew in with 249 Greylags (info from Belv blog). Two Whopper Swans at Branston GP till 1-30pm.

 

[Martyn Yapp]

Long-tailed Duck

A female Long-tailed Duck showed well today just off Beechtree Point at Blithfield.

The finders, two Blithfield Sunday regulars also had tantalizing views of three large all dark duck with white wing bars fly into the sun in Blithe Bay. Gulp, Velvet Scoter would be a new species for the reservoir.

An immature male Greater Scaup was in Tad Bay amongst the Tufted Duck flock

 

[The Moore-hen]

Hi Everyone, i'm back on-line again this morning my damn internet wouldn't work at home but my trusty works one is doing the trick!

Thanks to everyone who has posted on the thread since Friday i'm well chuffed to find a few messages today from others (and even a photy...surely not yours Mart..it aint blurred ) That report of the scoters sounds interesting...amazed that Blithers has never had any before!

A few extra items of news for the weekend are:

7th Nov

Short-eared Owl & 2 Whooper Swan - Branston GP's
15 Jack Snipe - Chasewater
16 Crossbills - Tittesworth

8th Nov

flocks of c200 & 80 Pink-footed Geese - over Milton, near Stoke between 09.10 and 09.35am

No movements anywhere else in the Potteries?

Thanks again to everyone who has posted, i'll try and keep the updates as regular as possible (like when the boss is out....at work and at home...:-O)

Cheers everyone....:t:

 

[The Moore-hen]

Additional Reports

The pager is reporting a Snow Bunting for 8th Nov from Silverdale Colliery - in the new marshy area in the centre of The Void.

Can't find any other info on this bird anywhere else...:C

Also on another thread the Bittern at Aqualate Mere is reported as being present 'in the last couple of weeks'. I haven't heard or seen any other reports (hardly suprising being Aqualate :eek! but it seems at least one bird is back for the winter....

How many birds actually winter there i wonder...? try an icy cold morning in mid winter and hope they are out on the edge 'to be counted' i guess is best!

Cheers

 

[Steve Turner]

Additional Reports

The pager is reporting a Snow Bunting for 8th Nov from Silverdale Colliery - in the new marshy area in the centre of The Void.

Can't find any other info on this bird anywhere else...:C

Cheers

It was seen (with bins only) by one of the local park rangers. Sounds quite convincing.
A local observer is hoping to check it out this lunchtime.

Cheers
Steve

 

[The Moore-hen]

It was seen (with bins only) by one of the local park rangers. Sounds quite convincing.
A local observer is hoping to check it out this lunchtime.

Cheers
Steve

Cheers Steve, nice one. Good time of year for Snow Bunt so probably gen. Will await more news. This site and Berry Hill are certainly 'on a run' recently....:t:

 

[Steve Turner]

Cheers Steve, nice one. Good time of year for Snow Bunt so probably gen. Will await more news. This site and Berry Hill are certainly 'on a run' recently....:t:

Aye. Myself and Nick Pom. had a Snow Bunt last year (at about this time) fly over the Void, so it has a bit of a track record with the species. And of course, when the Void/Black Bank area was first reclaimed/landscaped in the mid 1990's, there was a couple of Snow Bunt records then too, so they clearly find the area attractive.

So, Lap Bunt and (potentially) Snob at the same site this autumn in inland Staffs...not to be sniffed at

Steve

 

[The Moore-hen]

Aye. Myself and Nick Pom. had a Snow Bunt last year (at about this time) fly over the Void, so it has a bit of a track record with the species. And of course, when the Void/Black Bank area was first reclaimed/landscaped in the mid 1990's, there was a couple of Snow Bunt records then too, so they clearly find the area attractive.

So, Lap Bunt and (potentially) Snob at the same site this autumn in inland Staffs...not to be sniffed at

Steve

Yep, your right there Steve. Lap Bunt is definate Staffs 'Mega' i remember ticking that for Staffs in 1997...not sure what the site is classed as now, i put it down as Apedale CP in my notes at the time. The moors used to be 'the' site to go in North Staffs but it seems that Black Bank / Berry Hill have taken over. You definately get much better 'viz mig' than down here in South Staffs.

 

[Steve Turner]

Yep, your right there Steve. Lap Bunt is definate Staffs 'Mega' i remember ticking that for Staffs in 1997...not sure what the site is classed as now, i put it down as Apedale CP in my notes at the time. The moors used to be 'the' site to go in North Staffs but it seems that Black Bank / Berry Hill have taken over. You definately get much better 'viz mig' than down here in South Staffs.

Yeah, I think where the '97 Lap Bunt was frequenting was/is still Apedale CP, and the other side of the road, known as Black Bank, is where this year's Lap Bunt was.

Over the years the Void/Black Bank/Apedale 'triangle' has turned up some good stuff (3 x Ring-necked Duck, 2 x Richard's Pipit, Rough-legged Buzzard, 2 x Caspian Gull, 2 x Lap Buntings, 3 x Snow Buntings, etc), and dedicated viz mig watching by Nick Pom. has really paid dividends.

I'm actually quite proud of what this relatively underwatched area has produced!

Cheers
Steve

 

[Steve Turner]

No sign of the reported Snow Bunting at the Void this lunchtime (Nick Pom. pers comm), although visibility very poor.

Steve