Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire (1 Viewer)

[andyr]

Any more news about the reported possible Spotted Crake at Doxey Marshes?

Never sure with these sort of messages whether it means there is a crake thats possibly Spotted or there's a bird thats possibly a crake :smoke:

The Stone Curlew on private land near Lichfield yesterday is interesting too.

Bit like buses these rarities !

Andy R.

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Congrats on passing the 5000 posts, guys & girls

CB

 

[The Moore-hen]

Any more news about the reported possible Spotted Crake at Doxey Marshes?

Never sure with these sort of messages whether it means there is a crake thats possibly Spotted or there's a bird thats possibly a crake :smoke:

Heard nothing else, Phil. I'd assumed it was a 'bird that's possibly a crake'...then I remembered all the Baillon's in Britain last year and started to panic!

After Stone-curlew slipped thru the net again on Friday it's about time one stuck around for the masses!

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 14th Apr

Hawfinch - Cannock Chase briefly at Freda's Grave
Great Grey Shrike - Cannock Chase above Middle Sherbrook Pool towards Camp Road
Whooper Swan - Nr Abbotts Bromley at Newlands Lane by farm
Osprey - Blithfield at 14.00
1w Little Gull - still Gailey

 

[andyr]

Cannock Chase & Blithfield

Hi All

Spent a few hours on and around Cannock Chase & Blithfield today.

Managed to locate the Great Grey Shrike virtually straightaway, midway between Anson's Bank and Parrs Warren. Not sure what others feel about whether this is the former Upper Longdon shrike or a new bird ? Either way, it appeared to be feeding well as I watched it drop down and emerge with what looked like a decent-sized chunky worm or even an early lizard.

 

[andyr]

Hi All

Spent a few hours on and around Cannock Chase & Blithfield today.

Managed to locate the Great Grey Shrike virtually straightaway, midway between Anson's Bank and Parrs Warren. Not sure what others feel about whether this is the former Upper Longdon shrike or a new bird ? Either way, it appeared to be feeding well as I watched it drop down and emerge with what looked like a decent-sized chunky worm or even an early lizard.

Oops - hit the submit button too soon !

After a quick stop-off to see if this morning's Ring Ouzel near Blithfield was still around (it wasn't), I managed to find four Yellow Wagtail feeding along the dam fenceline. Boy, did they look 'newly painted' in the sunshine !

Then after a few pointers on the nearby Blithbury Whooper Swan (thanks Richard B.) , I managed to locate the bird grazing about 150 metres away, beyond the farm.

PS: Regretted going scopeless today, as these distant digibinned record shots will show !

Cheers

Andy R.

 

[Periwinkle]

21+ Yellow Wagtail, 7 White Wagtail, 7 Wheatear Whitemoor Haye this evening (TP, J Allen)

 

[The Moore-hen]

Extra News for the 15th Apr

3 Black-necked Grebe - Dosthill NR on east side
Sandwich Tern - Blithfield at the deep end
Arctic Tern - Belvide also Red Kite
Ring Ouzel - Abbots Bromley at Yeatsall paddocks
Ring Ouzel - Keele University
Sanderling - Uttoxeter Quarry
1w Little Gull - still Gailey

 

[Periwinkle]

The b n grebes (4 birds) are in Warwickshire

 

[steve_zodiac]

Gailey today 11.40 - 12.50

9 White Wagtails (4 pairs and a single) sailing lake path
3 Common Sands, sailing lake
2 Sand martins
6 Gadwall
6 Chiffchaffs
1 Yellow Wagtail

Doxey 13.15 - 15.00

3 Dunlin
2 Common Sands
4 LRP
2 Redshanks
6 Shelduck
10 Chiffchaffs
1 Whitethroat
1 Goosander

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 16th Apr

Great Grey Shrike - Cannock Chase on bank above Middle Sherbrook Pool
3 Ring Ouzel (1 male) - Berry Hill Fields & 2 Whinchat
Male Ring Ouzel - Silverdale at The Void
7 Whimbrel & Sanderling - Uttoxeter Quarry
Drake Scaup & Arctic Tern - Belvide
14 Arctic Tern - Blithfield
3 Arctic Tern - Aqualate Mere
1w Little Gull - still Gailey early am

 

[Periwinkle]

2 Avocet Drayton Bassett North Pit - J Fincham, J Harris

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 17th Apr

Sandwich & 8 Arctic Tern - Blithfield at the deep end
Hawfinch - Cannock Chase at Coppice Hill feeders
Ring Ouzel - Male Newcastle on Ore Close in paddocks behind Lymedale Business Centre
Ring Ouzel - Berry Hill Fields on lower bank
25 Waxwing - Stoke at Longton at Wood St / Anchor Rd
20 Waxwing - Newcastle flew over St Marys school
Knot - Croxall
Whooper Swan - still Blithbury nr Newlands Lane jctn

Had the afternoon off to do Gailey and one of the first birds I saw was a Swift heading SW which unfortunately wasn't Alpine! (although I couldn't rule out Pallid ) but appears the Little Gull has finally moved on. Migrants were much reduced from yday with just male Wheatear, 3 White and a single Yellow Wag of note.

 

[andyr]

Cannock Chase

Hi All

The Great Grey Shrike was feeding and showing well again mid-afternoon today, still around the dead birch trees between the Anson's Bank car park and the Sherbrook, but there was no sign - at least until 6.30pm when I left - of the overnight Hen Harrier which had been seen again this morning.
Saw my first Cuckoo of the year however, as did Hughie King, when we were by those dead birch trees, but no sign at Freda's Grave of Wednesday's Hawfinch (a couple of my usual mediocre record shots attached and thanks to the referral from Jon Woodcock).

Cheers

Andy R.

 

[Steve Nuttall]

Hi all,

As the news still hasn't been broadcast yet. I have heard that a Red-rumped Swallow was seen briefly at Stubbers Green (old Staffs) at 9.30am today for a few minutes, then flew east.

 

[The Moore-hen]

Extra News for the 19th Apr

2 Ring Ouzel - Berry Hill Fields
Whimbrel, Whooper Swan & 60+ White Wag - Uttoxeter Quarry
Blue-headed Wag, 2 Whimbrel & 9 Arctic Tern - Blithfield
Ruddy Shelduck & male Whinchat - Gailey also Arctic Tern reported
Arctic Tern - Himley Pool
Ruddy Shelduck - reported Doxey Marshes

No sign of the Ruddy Shelduck at Gailey at lunchtime but boats were out again (presumably went to Doxey?) - no sign either of the reported Arctic Tern. Male Whinchat still in the hedgerow just East of the farm buildings along Gailey Lea Lane.

 

[Upland Birder]

AONB Status-Churnet Valley

It only takes a minute to sign the petition to put pressure on Staffordshire Moorlands District Council to support AONB status for the Churnet Valley. AONB status would also help prevent inappropriate tourism/business development along the valley. Birds, wildlife and habitat has to be priority.

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitio...&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=share_petition

Thanks

Dean:t:

 

[alrewasbirder]

As a regular birder around Whitemoor Haye I have been enjoying some great numbers of White and Yellow Wagtails on the shores of the lakes, with counts of 50+ for each species. As with birds such as Waxwings we get eruption years due to cold weather do the mass numbers signify anything or is it just the low pressure and wrong wind direction blocking the migration then a change has allowed everything in at once. I expect the latter but thought I would ask the question. I enjoyed the male Whinchat at Gailey yesterday afternoon, had a fishing match nearby and was not doing good so went to see it in the morning but dipped and then returned after the match and located the bird on the hedge about thirty metres away from the buildings but it soon disappeared the other side of the hedge.

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 21st Apr

2 Ring Ouzel - Berry Hill Fields off Speddings Road in paddocks
Male Ring Ouzel - Clayhanger Marsh still
Knot, Whimbrel & 6 Arctic Tern - Blithfield
Drake Scaup - still Belvide

 

[alrewasbirder]

Drake Scaup at Whitemoor Haye this afternoon at the far side of the main pit seen from the lane. A load of Tufties flew in off the second pit when disturbed by a couple walking a dog around the far pits and with them came a drake Scaup and possibly a female but this constantly slept but was always with the drake.