Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire (1 Viewer)

[Richard Powell]

Definitely two different Scaup then. You'd enjoy the spectacle of the Mandarins, just imagine you're in China! :-O Certainly odd to hear a flock of Mandarin call in flight, sound like a flock of finches.

Yes a nice find at this north Staffordshire duck pond for Rockbirder.

Certainly not as advanced as the Blithfield Reservoir bird, picture herwith.

Notice in RP's images the black tip to the bill bleeds over the nail, typical of much younger birds. In their first autumn they typically moult new feathers on head, mantle, scapulars, chest and flanks semi resembling non breeding plumage. Note the rest of plumage is juvenile, cinnamon tips to the chest and flanks are visible.

I would like to hazard a guess that Richard was more interested in seeing the Mandarin?

 

[The Snapper]

Hi All,

Gave Chasewater a good bashing today resulting in the following :

2 Caspian Gulls in roost(3rdW and nr ad)
3 Y-L Gulls(2 ads, 2nd w)
ad w Med Gull

Also a (poor)count of 4 Goosander on the Swag, and 38 Snipe in Norton Bog. There must be Jack Snipe in there, they just didn't want to come out today.

Cheers

 

[Steve Turner]

2 'female' Hen Harrier seen at Swallow Moss today apparently.

Steve

 

[The Moore-hen]

Extra items of news for the 6th Dec

1st winter drake Smew - Drayton Bassett GP's on the pit south of north pit.

3rd winter Caspian Gull - still in 'olde' Staffs at Stubber's Green, NE of Walsall SK.040.020

a meagre (by the 5th's standards) 104 Mandarin - Brookleys Lake.

36 Goosander - JCB Rocester on south lake.

Cetti's Warbler - reported at Aqualate Mere by the hide.

Thanks for the photo's Mart and Richard, good to have a few shots on the thread and good to see that The Snapper has deserted the birdless Gailey in search of greater reward at Chasewater...:-O

 

[NickPomiankowski]

More on the Mandy's

I hope this will be of interest although not "rarity news". I had some information from the Derbys County Recorder about our new record Mandarin count:

Hi Nick

Please can we have our Mandarin’s back. I see that you appear to have the vast majority of our Bradley Dam flock at Brookleys Lake this weekend. This must be record numbers for you. We checked Bradley Dam yesterday and could only find 12.

The Derbyshire county record is 251 from Bradley Dam in Jan 2008. We normally get between 100-200 most winters making this population probably the most important in the Country. They have spread out from here to places like Linacre Res near Chesterfield, the R.Derwent in the Calver area and at Allestree Park within Derby City limits.

Regards, Rod

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 7th Dec

Juv Great Northern Diver - still at Belvide this afternoon.

Nice info on the Mandarin's and although they are a bit plastic looking at the best of times i can't help but be impressed by a flock of 161 in the county...:t:

 

[Steve Turner]

I hope this will be of interest although not "rarity news". I had some information from the Derbys County Recorder about our new record Mandarin count:

Hi Nick

Please can we have our Mandarin’s back. I see that you appear to have the vast majority of our Bradley Dam flock at Brookleys Lake this weekend. This must be record numbers for you. We checked Bradley Dam yesterday and could only find 12.

The Derbyshire county record is 251 from Bradley Dam in Jan 2008. We normally get between 100-200 most winters making this population probably the most important in the Country. They have spread out from here to places like Linacre Res near Chesterfield, the R.Derwent in the Calver area and at Allestree Park within Derby City limits.

Regards, Rod

Yep, interesting stuff.

I have to wonder if the numbers at Brookleys Lake are also augmented by birds coming from nearby Rocester Lakes as well as from Bradley Dam. Let's see if we can beat that Derbys county record this winter

Steve

 

[Rockbirder]

Yep, interesting stuff.

I have to wonder if the numbers at Brookleys Lake are also augmented by birds coming from nearby Rocester Lakes as well as from Bradley Dam. Let's see if we can beat that Derbys county record this winter

Steve

Hey up Chopper! The most Mandarins i've seen this last month at Rocester as been two or three. I checked Brookleys early November and there wasn't a single Mandarin there then, so they must have been still over the border then. I think 200 plus is more than possible in the next few weeks.

Interestingly i've bumped into three or four pairs during the spring and summer in out of the way locations around Cheesdale. A pair as been at a "secret location" near moi for the last four years not far from where the local Ruddy Shelducks bred in a barn below a pair of Barn Owls!:t:

Andy.

 

[Steve Turner]

Hey up Chopper! The most Mandarins i've seen this last month at Rocester as been two or three. I checked Brookleys early November and there wasn't a single Mandarin there then, so they must have been still over the border then. I think 200 plus is more than possible in the next few weeks.

Interestingly i've bumped into three or four pairs during the spring and summer in out of the way locations around Cheesdale. A pair as been at a "secret location" near moi for the last four years not far from where the local Ruddy Shelducks bred in a barn below a pair of Barn Owls!:t:

Andy.

Oh, I thought there were more Mandys than that at Rocester! You live and learn.

Are you serious, Ruddys n Barn Owl breeding in the same barn??!! I never know with you ya cheeky monkey :-O Shades of carparking machines up at Swallow Moss :-O

Steve

 

[Steve Turner]

BGuides is reporting a Whinchat at Tamworth today! Uh?! I suppose it's not impossible but surely a mis-id'd Stonechat is more likely?!

Anybody know if there's ever been a December record of Whinchat in Staffs before?

Steve

ps I know this isn't strictly a scarce, but a December Whinchat would be very rare indeed

 

[Nick Smith]

BGuides is reporting a Whinchat at Tamworth today! Uh?! I suppose it's not impossible but surely a mis-id'd Stonechat is more likely?!

Anybody know if there's ever been a December record of Whinchat in Staffs before?

Steve

ps I know this isn't strictly a scarce, but a December Whinchat would be very rare indeed

Had one near Frost Farm, just down from Swallow Moss on 3rd Nov 2007.

 

[Martyn Yapp]

Whinchat

Latest recorded 19th December 1984 according the "The birds of the West Midlands".

Lets hope it's not a "Sibe" Stonechat.

Had one near Frost Farm, just down from Swallow Moss on 3rd Nov 2007.

 

[The Moore-hen]

Latest recorded 19th December 1984 according the "The birds of the West Midlands".

Lets hope it's not a "Sibe" Stonechat.

Yep i was thinking exactly the same as you last night Mart when it came on the pager!! Sibe Stonechat's are so pale they do remind me more of Whinchat (in colouration) than European Stonechat. I sent a text to my Tamworth contact (the all knowing Archie Archer) to find out if he knew more but i've had no reply! The bird was reported in reeds at Tameside NR, SSW of Tamworth in the afternoon...watch this space! But probably just a very late Whinchat!

Other News for the 7th Dec

3w Caspian Gull - still at Stubber's Green, Walsall (it's olde Staffs - pre 1974 - so i'm including it on here - even tho i wasn't born then...:-O)

 

[Steve Turner]

Latest recorded 19th December 1984 according the "The birds of the West Midlands".

Lets hope it's not a "Sibe" Stonechat.

No, surely we should hope it is a Sibechat Always hoped I might find one of them up on Berry Hill...alas my search continues!

Steve

 

[The Moore-hen]

No, surely we should hope it is a Sibechat Always hoped I might find one of them up on Berry Hill...alas my search continues!

Steve

I'm with you there Steve! I'm sure Mart is only hoping it's NOT a Sibechat as he can't get out of work...:-O Don't know what i'm laughing at neither can i...:C although if it is a Sibechat i will find a way...:t: I doubt it though, i don't think it's one many people would predict as the next first for Staffs...although stranger things have happened (in Staffs!!)

 

[Steve Turner]

I'm with you there Steve! I'm sure Mart is only hoping it's NOT a Sibechat as he can't get out of work...:-O Don't know what i'm laughing at neither can i...:C although if it is a Sibechat i will find a way...:t: I doubt it though, i don't think it's one many people would predict as the next first for Staffs...although stranger things have happened (in Staffs!!)

Yes, I know what he meant. As you say, stranger things have happened. If an Arctic Warbler can make it to Staffs this autumn, why not a Sibechat.

Just wish there was some more news on it either way...is it still there today?...is it 'just' a Whinchat?...is anybody there looking for it?! Isn't working for a living so inconvenient?

Steve

 

[The Moore-hen]

Yes, I know what he meant. As you say, stranger things have happened. If an Arctic Warbler can make it to Staffs this autumn, why not a Sibechat.

Just wish there was some more news on it either way...is it still there today?...is it 'just' a Whinchat?...is anybody there looking for it?! Isn't working for a living so inconvenient?

Steve

Yep, Arctic Warbler has made it (amazingly) twice now and if a BK can turn up then anything can happen!

There is no news on the Tame Valley Birding site except for the same query as to more details so none of the regulars must have seen it yesterday.My mate hasn't text me back to say if he knows who saw it so we are all none the wiser atm...

 

[Periwinkle]

Whinchat still present today (per S Haynes)

 

[The Moore-hen]

Whinchat still present today (per S Haynes)

Cheers Pezza, Whinchat it is then so we can all relax again...:smoke: Cheers Steve for checking it out also.

1st winter drake Smew - still at Drayton Bassett GP's

No sign of the Great Northern Diver at Belvide at lunchtime so it seems to have departed...probably to Gailey...should have gone there instead...:C

 

[Steve Turner]

Whinchat still present today (per S Haynes)

...a mixture of relief and slight disappointment...come on, admit it, a Sibechat would've been nice! And now there's another Whinchat today, in Suffolk - where have they popped up from?!

Steve