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RSPB Middleton Lakes (1 Viewer)

JHDraytonbassettpits

Well-known member
Middleton lakes today sunny with a cold stiff breeze

4/2/14 10 Heron's in the Heronry, mill plantation a Nuthatch giving boyish whistle calls and a Skylark half song over the reserve, birds thinking of Spring however a sudden turn in the weather will put all this on hold.
The large dead Cormorant tree at jubilee wetlands has been blown over, somtimes a Little Egre sat in this tree. 2 pairs of Stonechat still feeding from the fences around jubilee wetlands.
Oystercatcher Dosthill lake, I saw Geoff Dosthill NR, Geoff said he saw a pale Chiffchaff, I replied was it Siberian, Geoff said they all look the same to me.

Regards, John
 
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punta

Well-known member
I had a quick walk round this afternoon, pretty muddy so do take your wellies if you go. Herons making lots of nests, two stonechat male and female, two reed buntings, Kingfisher on the stream, also had some nice views of a green woodie.

Levels were very high, so not much other than the usual ducks + a single Little egret. Never made it to the north pit as per the norm it started to rain AGAIN :-C
 

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JHDraytonbassettpits

Well-known member
Photo of 1 of the four Stonechat today (2 pairs) on Staffordshire birding (John Woodcock, Branston gp's man) http://staffordshirebirding.blogspot.co.uk/
Not many stonechats are being reported at other reseves in the Midlands, a pair are being reported at Whitacre Heath NR.
The recent cold winters have set them back a bit, they always used to be in this area before the RSPB took over in 2007. They have adapted to use the RSPB fencing to the optimum, always nice to see them when visiting the Reserve.

Regards, John
 

JHDraytonbassettpits

Well-known member
Reserves Newletter

Middleton Lakes

We are making good progress with the winter work with all the islands cut before the water levels rose again, a great effort by everyone involved to get these done! When the water goes down we should hopefully see some lovely exposed mud for those passage waders and hopefully a rarity or two. The arborists spent a week in the Rookery Woodland felling some dangerous trees and have left us with some really great habitat piles that the bugs and birds are going to love. They have also opened up the canopy in certain areas which will be great for the ground vegetation, the Bluebells are already starting to poke through so it should be a great year for them.

The cows were taken off the Jubilee Wetlands just before Christmas having done a really great job of grazing some of the vegetation levels down and not one of them escaped through the new fence! The fox however continues to elude us. The ponies are doing well in the Southern Meadow and a successful rounding-up attempt in mid-January to microchip Ash went off without a hitch. The EA are still on site but are really getting through the work now as they start to lay our access track and re-build the Fishers Mill viewpoint so it shouldn’t be too long before we can say goodbye to them!

We have had some nice birds on the reserve recently with good numbers of Goldeneye, Pochard, Shelduck, Shoveler and Wigeon a regular feature, several Chiffchaffs over wintering on the reserve and as many as 10 Little egrets roosting in the Heronry. The bittern was also seen skulking at the back of Fisher’s Mill. The Starlings have also been putting on a great show with as over 3000 roosting in the reeds on the silt pool most evenings.

Nick Martin
Note this is copied from an RSPB Newsletter
 

JHDraytonbassettpits

Well-known member
This weather will certainly test out the new EA Bund from Kingsbury Waterpark to Fisher's mill bridge on the Reserve, built to stop flood water entering the canal to prevent flooding further North at Fazeley, where Chris Edwards RSPB promotions man lives, I will ask Chris when I see him again if the problem has been solved.
Some good scrub was lost due to this EA bund especially near Fisher's mill Bridge,
I noticed grass was just starting to come through the EA bund on my last visit.
The RSPB were asking advice from Warwickshire Butterfly conservation to make the new EA Bund suitable for Butterflies, planting Birdsfoot Trefoil would encourage some species.


Regards, John
 

Moocher

Well-known member
I keep,asking this question, but when can we expect to see the bridge put into place joining the two sides of the reserve together? Many of us have been patiently waiting. We have been told it's in hand, this year, in the spring, for a while now. Are plans to situate the bridge any closer to fruition? Can we expect to see it happen this year? Any information gratefully appreciated.

Regards

Moocher
 

JHDraytonbassettpits

Well-known member
I keep,asking this question, but when can we expect to see the bridge put into place joining the two sides of the reserve together? Many of us have been patiently waiting. We have been told it's in hand, this year, in the spring, for a while now. Are plans to situate the bridge any closer to fruition? Can we expect to see it happen this year? Any information gratefully appreciated.

Regards

Moocher

Hi Moocher,
April or May this year has been mentioned. John
 

punta

Well-known member
Had a walk round the ski centre lakes today as muddleton was as per the norm muddy, so gave it a miss.

Lots of tufties + 3 Goldeneye, 4 Oystercatchers and had some nice views of a kestrel hunting. Just nice getting out in the DRY
 

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JHDraytonbassettpits

Well-known member
For those of you have taken Stonechat pictures at Middleton Lakes, those at Middleton lakes are hibernans subspecies frequenting most of UK however some Rubicola exist on some south Coast and East coast areas, Rubicola being the continetal subspecies
http://birdingfrontiers.com/2014/02/16/stonechat-photo-request/

Regards, John

You've got 2 photo's Punta on here of Hibernans subspecies which are suitable
8th Oct 2013 post #1135
17th Oct 2013 post #1167
 

JHDraytonbassettpits

Well-known member
Middleton lakes mild with sunny spells

18/2/14 11 Heron's were in the heronry, winter Thrushes were vocal in Mill plantation also a few starlings mixed in with them.
Very muddy around the Reserve as expected, Reed Buntngs were in song as were Skylark over the western arable, checked the female Stonechats for throat colour one was pale the other dark ( however the latest date on Birding frontiers was January).
Water levels on the river Tame were 3 feet below the bank, the water does not hang about at Middleton Lakes the water is in and out, unlike some areas of the Country.
2 brushes by the hide to remove access mud from your feet, the Jubilee wetlands screens stood up to the gales, however shelters at Dosthill lake had their roofs ripped off. 4 Oystercatchers were at Dosthill lake and 2 Siberian Chiffchaff in scrub and phragmites just past the spit Dosthill NR West side.
200 Linnet resting in poplars north Dosthill NR having fed in the adjacent arable.

Regards, John
 

geoffw1946

Well-known member
Now that the mud is showing again on the JW's the waders are beginning to appear, 2 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin were there today and 3 Ruff flew around checking it out yesterday. Also seen yesterday and today was a Pink-footed Goose. The drake Pintail was resting up on the JW's this afternoon.
Recently up to 6 Stonechat have been around the JW's.
Geoff
 

JHDraytonbassettpits

Well-known member
Now that the mud is showing again on the JW's the waders are beginning to appear, 2 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin were there today and 3 Ruff flew around checking it out yesterday. Also seen yesterday and today was a Pink-footed Goose. The drake Pintail was resting up on the JW's this afternoon.
Recently up to 6 Stonechat have been around the JW's.
Geoff

With no recents reports Geoff I thought you had dumped Middleton Lakes like Sheep wash.
On a recent visit I had a pair of Stonechat inbetween the screens, I continued walking to the hide then to the West end of the North pit I saw another pair of Stonechat.
Then walking South I had another pair of Stonechat, however checking the plumage of the birds it was the tame female and 1st win male bird that were between the screens, they had moved, so total was 4 Stonechat ( 2 pair on that day)

Regards, John
 

geoffw1946

Well-known member
Wader numbers continue to increase as more mud is exposed, up to 9 Oystercatcher, 5 Ringed Plover, 2 Snipe, 1 Curlew and a Dunlin were seen this morning plus 1 Raven and 4 Stonechat.
2 Green Sandpiper were on the pools on FM meadow on Saturday.
Geoff
 

JHDraytonbassettpits

Well-known member
Middleton Lakes, mild sunny with a light breeze

Seeing Geoff at the reserve today Geoff said he needed Siskin for the Month, I had 1 over mill plantation and 1 over Dosthill NR.
Noted a Blackbird eating Ivy berries at Fisher's mill bridge, 2 Blue Tits feeding on catkins by the River, nectar from Willow catkins is a good food source for Blue Tits.
4 Stonechats seen again today, a male from the pair west of the North pit went to the ground for a Ruby Tiger moth larvae.
Breeding waders returning from the coast with a noisy group of 7 Oystercatchers on jubilee wetlands, 2 Ringed Plover flew around the North pit and settled there, a Siberian Chiffchaff was around the Eastern sallowed pools.
Talking to a vol in the carpark a Bumble Bee flew past my first of the year, appears Spring will come early this year if the mild condtions prevail.

Regards, John
 

geoffw1946

Well-known member
2 Avocet, 1 Ringed Plover, 2 Oystercatcher and Lapwings were the only waders seen today. The Avocets moved from the JW's to NP later.
On North Pit were 6 Pintail (8 were reported earlier) and 2 Goosander.
Geoff
 

punta

Well-known member
Had a quick walk round yesterday hoping to see the Avocets :)

Not a sausage on the wader front - I saw at least four Stonechats.

Lots of rain during the night so not sure the levels will be great today.
 

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