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RSPB Middleton Lakes (1 Viewer)

geoffw1946

Well-known member
4 Goosander were on the NP, waders seen included 6 Oystercatcher, 2 Redshank, 6 Dunlin and the usual LRPs and Ringed Plovers.
Also seen were 3 adult Med Gulls, 3 Common Tern 1 Artic Tern (JWs), 1 Raven, 3 Yellow Wagtails and 4 White Wagtails.
Singing birds included 1 Cuckoo, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat.
Geoff
 

JHDraytonbassettpits

Well-known member
4 Goosander were on the NP, waders seen included 6 Oystercatcher, 2 Redshank, 6 Dunlin and the usual LRPs and Ringed Plovers.
Also seen were 3 adult Med Gulls, 3 Common Tern 1 Artic Tern (JWs), 1 Raven, 3 Yellow Wagtails and 4 White Wagtails.
Singing birds included 1 Cuckoo, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat.
Geoff

With Arctic Tern seen today the expected summer migrants still to be seen are Garden Warbler, Whinchat and Swift.
 

Periwinkle

Tame Valley Birder
Spotted Redshank on Jubilee Wetlands today (per Fergus M)

Edit - Flew off South 10.06am. Full sightings on the blog as usual.
 
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geoffw1946

Well-known member
Spotted Redshank on Jubilee Wetlands today (per Fergus M)

Edit - Flew off South 10.06am. Full sightings on the blog as usual.
A good day with Spotshank, Whinchat, Glossy Ibis and Avocet, unfortunately I missed them all. I did see 2 Redshank, 2 Green Sands, 2 Dunlin, 3 Med Gulls and 1 Artic Tern.
There was a Wheatear on the Dosthill side.
3 Brambling and 3 Curlew were also reported.
Geoff
 

JHDraytonbassettpits

Well-known member
With Arctic Tern seen today the expected summer migrants still to be seen are Garden Warbler, Whinchat and Swift.

With Swift seen today
That leaves Whinchat and Garden Warbler
Whinchat reported today, however if you don't know the birder or his experience, he may be a very good birder visiting the site or still a learner.
So confirmation of a Whinchat by a known experiened birder is still needed.
 

GoldenI

Well-known member
With Swift seen today
That leaves Whinchat and Garden Warbler
Whinchat reported today, however if you don't know the birder or his experience, he may be a very good birder visiting the site or still a learner.
So confirmation of a Whinchat by a known experiened birder is still needed.

so where are you when needed 3:)
 

JHDraytonbassettpits

Well-known member
I would suggest the reporter of the Whinchat was a "experiened" Birder, otherwise it would have been a "Little Brown Job"!. even for a novice.

If you keep an eye on the Bird I.d thread you will find regular birders, some struggle with Whinchat/ Stonechat, at Cannock Chase a reported early Whinchat was identified as a Stonechat, in the last few years.
 
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JHDraytonbassettpits

Well-known member
With Whinchat confirmed and a sighting of Garden Warbler on the reserve today all regular summer migrants are now in, the latter migrants will increase in numbers.
Spotted Flycatcher a very slim chance in Spring I cannot recall a record, no doubt in the past nightjar have filtered through this area feeding but unseen.
St Mark's fly have started to hatch now.

http://www.uksafari.com/stmarksfly.htm

You will have the peak time of passage waders coming up and increased numbers of summer migrants and maybe a rare and scarce, besides the Glossy Ibis

Regards, John
 

JHDraytonbassettpits

Well-known member
Summer migrants as recorded by observers

Summer migrants Middleton lakes 2014
15/3/14 Wheatear Steve Atkinson
16/3/14 White Wagtail subspecies JH
20/3/14 Sand Martin Katie Thorpe
22/3/14 Little Ringed Plover Adam Archer
1/4/14 Yellow Wagtail JH
3/4/14 Swallow Fergus Mosey
3/4/14 Willow Warbler Fergus Mosey
7/4/14 Garganey Geoff Williams
8/4/14 Sedge Warbler TP
10/4/14 Common Tern Katie Thorpe
10/4/14 Cuckoo Geoff Williams
12/4/14 Lesser Whitethroat Adam Archer
13/4/14 Grasshopper Warbler Steve Pick
15/4/14 Redstart Steve Cawthray
16/4/14 Whitethroat Katie Thorpe
16/4/14 Reed Warbler Katie Thorpe
17/4/14 House Martin TP
21/4/14 Arctic Tern Geoff Williams
22/4/14 Swift TP (1 Swift reported per Geoff Williams 20/4/14 observer not known)
22/4/14 Whinchat John Fincham
23/4/14 Garden Warbler JH
Possibility of Osprey, Redstart not annual
 

JHDraytonbassettpits

Well-known member
As you have noticed it's been quite dry on the reserve, breeding birds like LRP and Ringed Plover should be on eggs. They would nest on the higher gravel bunds between the lagoons and LRP would even nest on the SW lagoon when dry or NE section jubilee wetlands shingle ridge when dry.
As you are aware from past experience one day of heavy rain with no sluice system in place all LRP and Ringed Plover nesting in these areas would be lost.
Nesting further back would be Lapwings and Redshank which would not be affected unless a more serious flood event. I noticed a high island on the North pit where an Oystercatcher bred succesfully every year even in the most serious floods has been rounded off and lowered probably to fit in with contours of the rest of the North pit islands and thus the island height has been lowered and now the Oystercatcher is in danger now on a serious flood.

Regards, John
 

geoffw1946

Well-known member
With yesterdays rain water levels have risen by over 2 feet, the path to the lookout hide and the nearby river inlet culvert were partly underwater.
Many nests including Gt Crested Grebe must have been flooded out.
Some waders were still around including 1 Wood Sandpiper, 1 Common Sand, 3 Dunlin, 3 Redshank, Oystercatcher and several Ringed Plover and LRP. A Cuckoo and Grasshopper Warbler were singing.
The Med Gull that was holding territory on the north pit seems to have left as it's not been seen for a few days but the Glossy Ibis was seen by Fergus earlier in the day.
Geoff
 

JHDraytonbassettpits

Well-known member
With yesterdays rain water levels have risen by over 2 feet, the path to the lookout hide and the nearby river inlet culvert were partly underwater.
Many nests including Gt Crested Grebe must have been flooded out.
Some waders were still around including 1 Wood Sandpiper, 1 Common Sand, 3 Dunlin, 3 Redshank, Oystercatcher and several Ringed Plover and LRP. A Cuckoo and Grasshopper Warbler were singing.
The Med Gull that was holding territory on the north pit seems to have left as it's not been seen for a few days but the Glossy Ibis was seen by Fergus earlier in the day.
Geoff

Received an e-mail from Andy Barnsley saying he had a Whinchat at Fishers mill.
 

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