Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire (1 Viewer)

[Periwinkle]

A record shot of the Whinchat now on my blog.

 

[Rob Jones]

A record shot of the Whinchat now on my blog.

Looks more like a 1st w Stonechat to me.......I've a lot to learn. :-O

 

[The Moore-hen]

No news for the 9th Dec yet, maybe the easterlies at the end of the week will bring something new in.

Extra news for the 8th Dec

Caspian Gull - 3w still at Stubber's Green, near Walsall
4 Yellow-legged Gull (3 x ad, 2w) - Belvide roost

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 9th Dec

2 Caspian (near-ad & 3w) and 2 ad Yellow-legged Gull - Chasewater roost
Whinchat - still at Tameside NR, near Tamworth
Smew - reported still present at Drayton Bassett GP's
3 Yellow-legged Gull (all adults) - Belvide roost

 

[Steve Turner]

2 'Nordic' race Jackdaw (with 970 Jackdaw) present in stubble fields at Captain's Barn (wot a great name!) near Werrington, Stoke at 14:55 today SJ948456.

Steve

 

[Martyn Yapp]

Whooper Swan

Excellent thread by the way, it is going in the right direction and currently has my full attention.

I forgot to post an image of the Whooper Swan that spent Friday and Saturday in Tad Bay, Blithfield Reservoir.

Anymore images of the Whinchat doing the rounds?

 

[Steve Turner]

BGuides is reporting a female Black Redstart y'day at Church Farm, Mucklestone, Market Drayton, Shrops. Mucklestone, however, is in good old Staffs, as is Church Farm, and they are both nearer to Loggerheads than Market Drayton...good old BGuides

Steve

 

[Periwinkle]

Anymore images of the Whinchat doing the rounds?

Check out Bob the Birder for another shot.

 

[Nick Smith]

A flock of 44 Pink-feet flew north over Westport at 15-30hrs, following the line of the D road. A single bird flew over about a minute later, coming from a slightly different direction - the SW, and a little lower than the main flock but it was honking away. It flew over the lake, and promptly headed south. Lost, or a singleton trying to be wild again? My 103 and probably final species at Westport for the year.

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Hanchurch Woods

70+ Crossbills still, including 2 which were attacked by a peregrine, also 3 jack snipe.
Nick

 

[The Moore-hen]

Cheers for the updates lads - a bit late but here is the news for the last few days

News for the 12th Dec

A good movement of Pink-footed Geese today with the following birds reported so far today:

40 NW over Rocester JCB North Lake at 08.20 with another 56 at 08.25
c100 NW over Ingestre (no time given)
85 over Berry Hill fields at 08.45
25 Blithfield Reservoir in Blithe bay 09.13
90 NW over Uttoxeter Quarry at 09.50
1 at Croxall Lakes briefly at 14.10 then flew north

Whinchat - still at Tameside NR, near Tamworth
Bewick's Swan - adult at Uttoxeter Quarry this am at least
Caspian Gull - 3w still at Stubber's Green, Walsall
Smew - drake at Barton GP's briefly at 13.00
Med Gull - ad at Chasewater

I'm sure we will get a scarcity write up by the Utch boys later...looking forward to it...:t:

News for the 11th Dec

2 Caspian (near-ad & 3w), 2+ Yellow-legged & ad Med Gull - Chasewater roost
2 Ruff - Branston GP's

News for the 10th Dec

Short-eared Owl - Chasewater over the North Heath at dusk (+ad Med Gull)
2 Smew (imm drake & redhead) - Drayton Bassett GP's
female Scaup - Blithfield
6 Yellow-legged Gull (5 x ad, 3w) - Belvide roost

Thanks everyone for the updates since Thurs morning been v busy but good to see a few other posts...:t:

 

[Nick Smith]

The drake Smew (not pristine plumage so maybe 1w or still coming out of ecl?) was in the southern area of Barton GP's. I first saw it while in mid count of the Mallards. When i scanned back it was gone. Also Redshank and Green Sand. Swan flock at Wychnor Junction now up to 22 but no yellow bills. 60 Goosanders roosted in Tad.

 

[The Moore-hen]

More news for the 12th Dec

redhead Smew - Blithfield in Blithe bay this pm then flushed.
2 ad Yellow-legged Gull - Belvide roost

 

[Richard Powell]

I can't claim any credit for the goings on at Utch this morning (got Rocky to thank there), I was on a bloggers day out further south in Staffs.

Our highlights included the Caspian Gull at Stubber's Green in "Ye Olde Staffs", Med Gull at Chasewater, the Christmas Whinchat at Tameside NR in Tamworth (fed up with the usual Christmas Robin? :-O).

Not to be out-done with all the Pink-Footed Geese we missed in the morning, we found a single bird at Croxall. Which didn't associate itself with Canadas or Greylags, then took off to the north. Also at Croxall were a female Pintail and an insane number of 33 Redshank :eek!:!

 

[Nick Smith]

The funny thing about Captain Plastic's Pink-foot at Croxall is that i've not seen a solitary pink-foot in the goose flocks anywhere in the area this autumn. the only thing i've had was a barnacle with the greylags in the summer at barton south pits. But the canada and greylag flocks are single pink-foot free. I waited for it to fly north but it didn't come my way.

 

[Richard Powell]

Weird, that's the way it flew though. Perhaps it changed direction after it went out of our sight, heading for Lancashire (and in no way trying to find "Frosty" the Snow Goose in the Belvide area).

The funny thing about Captain Plastic's Pink-foot at Croxall is that i've not seen a solitary pink-foot in the goose flocks anywhere in the area this autumn. the only thing i've had was a barnacle with the greylags in the summer at barton south pits. But the canada and greylag flocks are single pink-foot free. I waited for it to fly north but it didn't come my way.

 

[Upland Birder]

The Bewick's Swan was still at Utch Quarry when I left there at 12:40 pm this afternoon.

Dean:t:

 

[The Moore-hen]

More news for the 12th Dec

2 Caspian (near-ad & 3w), 7 Yellow-legged (5 x ad, 2 x 2w), ad Med Gull - all in Chasewater roost

Nice photo's Dean, great to see a few pics appearing on the thread, i might even be tempted to dust off me old coolpix...rival the blurred birder!!

 

[Richard Powell]

Before I start suffering from an identity crisis, I think I know who you mean. :-O

Nice photo's Dean, great to see a few pics appearing on the thread, i might even be tempted to dust off me old coolpix...rival the blurred birder!!

 

[The Snapper]

Hi All,

Not a bad day for me locally today :

1st w drk Scaup on the sailing lake at Gailey today with a small number of Tufteds. Also ad w Med Gull briefly early pm before flying east.

5 Jack Snipe in Norton Bog at Chasewater came out without me even trying(I was walking along a path at the edge of the heath).

Whilst searching for the regular Caspians in the Chasewater roost, I was surprised to pick up an Iceland Gull at the front of the flock. The bird was probably a juv(1st w) but it had a two-toned bill and the mantle appeared rather pale. The tricky light made aging the bird exactly a bit difficult. Also 5 Y-L Gulls in the roost.

I think that this is the first white-winger in our region this winter?

Cheers