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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

RSPB Middleton Lakes (7 Viewers)

A reasonable amount of mud is now showing and a work party was busy on JWs strimming large areas. Unsurprisingly considering the work party there were no waders visible there but a lone Wood Sandpiper was on the North Pit. There were 70+ Shoveler around, 5 Little Egret and quite a few juv and female Teal. c60 Swallows were feeding over Fishers Mill early evening.
A Bittern was reported on the North Pit earlier today and in the log book one was reported for yesterday flying into the New Reed Pool so it looks like there's one around although it's unusual for one to be seen on the North Pit. I notice that RSPB have tweeted that one of the volunteers saw a Bittern at the North end of JWs today so that must have been after I spoke to them.

All the best
Steve
 
Didn't expect too much tonight with a work party on JW this morning and hovercraft racing on the the waterski pools this afternoon. In fact the hovercrafts were that loud that people that had gone down for a quiet Sunday walk were actually turning back before they got to Fishers Mill. Luckily I timed my visit just after the last race.

JW produced 3 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover and on my return loop the 2 Mandarin had dropped into roost. There has been some debate whether they were male or female (although TVB have never had any doubt) but now it's obvious. They have really coloured up in the 23 days since I first photoed them together. Attached very poor shots from tonight but it was dark.

Also about were 2 Green and 2 Common Sandpiper up the West side of NP . When I got to North Pit there was a Buzzard plucking a Coot and once disturbed it took the full carcass to the oak tree to finish. The only other bird of note was Hobby over Silt Pool. Couldn't find the Garganey or even the Pintail tonight.

Steve
 

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A nice variety of birds today, 1 Pintail, 1 Hobby, 1 Ringed Plover, 3 Redshank, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Dunlin and 2 Ruff mainly JWs and NP. A Whinchat and Wheatear were together on the fence around JWs.
Geoff
 
Highlights today were 1 Pintail, 1 Ringed Plover, 4 Snipe, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Dunlin, 2 Ruff and a Kingfisher. Reported were 2 Whinchat on JWs and a Siskin on the feeders again.
Geoff
 
Water levels are low at the moment but wader passage is still poor, just 2 Snipe, 2 Common Sandpiper and 2 Dunlin were noted. The feeding station area was the most interesting with 2 Siskin, 1 Coal Tit and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Also around were 1 Pintail, 3 Raven, Reed Warbler and Garden Warbler.
Geoff
 
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Very quiet this morning. All I saw was a Ruff on JW and 2 Wheatear on the two benches up the West side. Also reported today was Hobby, Peregrine, Sonechat and Goshawk. Very surprised that reports (Friday 25th) of 2 Little Stint and Goshawk have not been publicised. I'm told there is a good photo of the Goshawk - it would be nice to see it on here.

Steve
 
56 species at the RSPB this morning (between feeders and Jubilee screens only, North Pit not visited), Including all three woodpeckers, Great White & Little Egrets, Cettis, Blackcap and Chiffchaffs (6, 3 in song), Lesser Redpoll 3, Siskin 7, Meadow Pipit 2, Skylark, Grey Wag & Ruff. Still 5 Swallows & 2 House Martins around.
 
The Great White Egret was reported flying over to Dosthill. 1 Oystercatcher which is unusual for this time of the year, 9 Snipe, 1 Green Sandpiper and 2 Ruff were the highlights this afternoon.
107 species of birds were seen in September compared to 116 in 2014 and 105 in 2013.
Geoff
 
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Saturday 3rd October :
Late afternoon /dusk visit. Fairly quite around the reserve. Green Sandpiper on the Hall Lake, 4 Snipe and two different Cettis singing on Fishers Mill plus one singing from the New Reed Pool. A Ruff was the only wader I could find on Jubilee Wetlands.
Steve
 
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The best of a bad bunch from this morning. I had perfect position but failed to get a decent shot.

Steve
 

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Just got back from a few hours at Middleton and spotted on the board that a Bittern had been seen at 11:10am on Fishers Mill? Unfortunately I didn't arrive until just after this some presumably missed it as I didn't spot it!!
 
Had a very enjoyable afternoon at the reserve today. Undoubtedly the highlights were a Bittern and the Great White Egret. The Bittern was on Fisher's Mill in the reeds right in front of the bench at 2:15. I got a brief but close view then saw it again from the opposite bank. The GW Egret flew into the eastern JWs at 3:30 from the North, probably from the northern part of the JWs or the North Pit. After a short while it moved closer to me on the western side of the JWs but before I could get a picture it took off again and went down on the Dosthill side near the Water Ski lake. That was the last I saw of it until about 5:30 when it flew off to the south.
Other sightings were 2 Green Sandpipers on the Hall Lake, a Siskin on the feeders and another 3 Green Sandpipers on the North Pit.

All the best

Steve
 
I abandoned last nights visit at the first screen because the water levels were high but they were even higher tonight. The pools seem to react faster than they ever did do to a drop of rain. Even the mud that had appeared on Fishers Mill has gone and that is usually the last pool to fill and empty.

The Great White Egret flew in from the North at 5.45pm and dropped onto one of the two small ponds between JW and NP. It was immediately flushed and flew high and south but eventually turned and went down around KWP. Other stuff around included Ruff, Dunlin, a hand full of Snipe and a Siskin on the feeders.

Steve
 
Fishers Mill & the Rookery woods this morning included -

Swallow 2, Cettis 3, Chiffchaff 4+, Goldcrest 6, Redwing 6, Siskin 6, Linnet 12, Bullfinch 4, Green Woodpecker, Skylark at least 12 in total, Meadow Pipit 5, Snipe 4, Little Egret 4, Water Rail.

A few Wigeon, Gadwall & Teal also present.

Also seen were Red Admiral 6, Comma 3, Speckled Wood 1 & plenty of Hornets around. Small White flying in the village.

Cheers
Gaz
 
I had at least 6 calling cetti's last Sunday (4th Oct)week on different parts of the reserve , allowing for duplication I would have thought there were at least 4 individual birds,nothing much else other than max 6 Little egrets
 

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