Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire (3 Viewers)

[Steve Nuttall]

Hi all,

Just to say that the Belvide blog is down at the moment due to Surfbirds doing some maintenance to their site which effects the blog. It was working for a short time today so hope it will be up and running soon.
The Greenland White-fronted Goose definitely came down in fields north of the A5, so there's a good chance it will be there tomorrow. Here is a record shot just to be going on with. PS. The blog is back up and running.


Cheers Steve

 

[Richard Powell]

Yes, remarkably my comment got through last night! 3 Didn't see that Greenland White-front at Whitemoor Haye personally, but I do remember of it and the really wild Barnacles around the same time.

Hi all,

Just to say that the Belvide blog is down at the moment due to Surfbirds doing some maintenance to their site which effects the blog. It was working for a short time today so hope it will be up and running soon.
The Greenland White-fronted Goose definitely came down in fields north of the A5, so there's a good chance it will be there tomorrow. Here is a record shot just to be going on with. PS. The blog is back up and running.
View attachment 474050

Cheers Steve

 

[andyr]

Cannock

Hi All

Good numbers of Crossbill were on show today, albeit in poor light, when Arthur Warden and I walked from the Cadet Huts to the Trig Point - and then across to and down Abrahams Valley and back.

Eleven Crossbill were together along the track to the Trig Point and further groups, including one of at least 20 to 30 birds, were feeding and/or preening on the larch trees along Abrahams Valley, as well as decent numbers of Siskin and some Goldcrest.

No signs of any Great Grey Shrike as far as we could tell however.

Cheers

AndyR.

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 27th Nov

Greenland White-fronted Goose - again Belvide mid am, 15.25-15.42 and at dusk also 2 Long-tailed Duck & 2 1w Scaup still

Appears the bird is still feeding somewhere beyond the A5, NW of the reservoir and 'coming and going' to the res - might need a weekend vigil...

Juv Iceland, 2 Juv Glaucous & 3 Caspian (2xad,1w) Gull - Chasewater roost also Great Northern Diver still
Probable adult Caspian Gull - Silverdale on The Void at 13.00

Extra News for the 26th Nov

adult Glaucous Gull - Branston Pits on south pit at 13.30.

Cracking looking beast from the photos - presumably the same bird that roosted at Foremark Reservoir, Derbys tonight.

 

[The Moore-hen]

Good numbers of Crossbill were on show today, albeit in poor light, when Arthur Warden and I walked from the Cadet Huts to the Trig Point - and then across to and down Abrahams Valley and back.

Eleven Crossbill were together along the track to the Trig Point and further groups, including one of at least 20 to 30 birds, were feeding and/or preening on the larch trees along Abrahams Valley.

AndyR.

Any with beaks like these??

http://www.surfbirds.com/gallery/display.php?gallery=gallery9

 

[andyr]

Any with beaks like these??

http://www.surfbirds.com/gallery/display.php?gallery=gallery9

Nope ... meant to say that, gave as many of them as possible the once-over for Parrot and Two-barred, in spite of only having seen plenty of photographs of both, but all today's appeared to be Common.

Cheers

Andy

 

[smyrna]

Yes, remarkably my comment got through last night! 3 Didn't see that Greenland White-front at Whitemoor Haye personally, but I do remember of it and the really wild Barnacles around the same time.

Got a photo I took of the Croxall GWFG somewhere , I'll try & dig it out.

PS - Parrot Xbills reported from Worcestershire today !!:eek!:

 

[Brian Stretch]

Got a photo I took of the Croxall GWFG somewhere , I'll try & dig it out.

PS - Parrot Xbills reported from Worcestershire today !!:eek!:

Picture here.

Brian
________________
Worcester Birding
Follow Worcester Birding on Twitter @WorcsBirding

 

[The Moore-hen]

[/B]

Picture here.

Brian
________________
Worcester Birding
Follow Worcester Birding on Twitter @WorcsBirding

Looks pretty decent to me, based on that photo - not far from Staffs now!

News for the 28th Nov

Greenland White-fronted Goose - again Belvide on north shore also Bittern again, 2 Long-tailed Duck & 2 1w Scaup still
Juv Iceland, 2 Juv Glaucous & adult Caspian Gull - Chasewater also Juv Great Northern Diver still

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 29th Nov

Greenland White-fronted Goose - again Belvide also Bittern again, 2 Long-tailed Duck & 2 1w Scaup still
Juv Glaucous, Juv Iceland & 2 Caspian (ad+1w) - Chasewater also Juv Great Northern Diver still

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 30th Nov

Female Velvet Scoter - Aqualate Mere until mid pm at least also 5 fem/juv Common Scoter
Greenland White-fronted Goose, 2 Long-tailed Duck, Bittern & 2 1w Scaup - still Belvide
Juv Iceland, Juv Glaucous & 2 ad Caspian Gull - Chasewater roost
Great Grey Shrike - Cannock Chase by shooting butts at 12.05

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 1st Dec

Fem Velvet Scoter - still Aqualate Mere this am at least
Greenland White-fronted Goose, 2 Long-tailed Duck, 2 Scaup & prob Juv Glaucous x Herring Gull hybrid - Belvide
Juv Iceland, Juv Glaucous & 2 Caspian (ad+3w) Gull - Chasewater roost

Now at least 5 Two-barred Crossbill in the Wyre Forest on the Shropshire/Worcs border. Again these birds are favouring the Larches. Sounds like the Trig point/Abrahams Valley flock has been well checked, but has anyone looked around Beaudesert/Castle Ring yet? I've seen decent flocks of Crossbill over there before but don't know if there are any there this winter?

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 3rd Dec

Fem Velvet Scoter - Aqualate Mere
Greenland White-fronted Goose, 2 Long-tailed Duck, 2 Scaup & prob Juv Glaucous x Herring Gull - still Belvide
2 Juv Glaucous, Juv Iceland & 2 Caspian (ad+3w) Gull - Chasewater roost

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 5th Dec

Juv Iceland, Juv Glaucous, 2 Caspian (ad+1w) & ad Med Gull - Chasewater roost
2 Long-tailed Duck & 2 Scaup - still Belvide

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 6th Dec

Fem Velvet Scoter - still Aqualate Mere
2 Long-tailed Duck & 2 Scaup - still Belvide
Juv Iceland & Juv Glaucous Gull - again Chasewater roost

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 7th Dec

Fem Velvet Scoter - still Aqualate Mere
Greenland White-fronted Goose - again Belvide also 2 Long-tailed Duck, adult Caspian Gull & 2 x 1w Scaup
Siberian Chiffchaff - Middleton Lakes at Jubilee Wetlands also Mealy Redpoll
Juv Glaucous, Juv Iceland, 3 Caspian & ad Med Gull - Chasewater
Juv fem Scaup - again Gailey
192 Mandarin - Brookley's Lake

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 9th Dec

Great Grey Shrike - Cannock Chase by the trig point also 48 Crossbill
Greenland White-fronted Goose, 2 Long-tailed Duck & 2 Scaup - still Belvide
4 Whooper Swan & Scaup - Uttoxeter Quarry
Bittern - Drayton Bassett Pits

Extra News for the 8th Dec

Fem Velvet Scoter, Common Scoter & Scaup - Aqualate Mere
Water Pipit - Doxey Marshes
Juv Glaucous & Juv Iceland Gull - again Chasewater

Can there be any site in the country that has as many Crossbill as the Chase that hasn't had a sniff of a Parrot or Two-barred Crossbill yet...surely our time will come before the winter (or maybe Spring) is over...

 

[NickPomiankowski]

News for the 9th Dec

....snip....

Can there be any site in the country that has as many Crossbill as the Chase that hasn't had a sniff of a Parrot or Two-barred Crossbill yet...surely our time will come before the winter (or maybe Spring) is over...

Yes - Hanchurch Woods! With the same result :-(

Also, a hawfinch has been photographed in a private garden at Keele recently, as has a LS Woodpecker near Shoal Hill.

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 11th Dec

Greenland White-fronted Goose - again Belvide also Juv Iceland Gull, 2 Long-tailed Duck & 2 Scaup
Adult Caspian, Juv Iceland & ad Med Gull - Chasewater roost

 

[The Moore-hen]

News for the 12th Dec

Fem/Imm Velvet Scoter, 2 Long-tailed Duck, Juv Iceland Gull & 2 x 1w Scaup - Belvide

The first Belvide record since 1991. I wonder if it is the Aqualate Mere bird or a new individual? Seems to have been quite a few Velvets across the wider Mids this winter.