sheepwash urban park (1 Viewer)

[midlands birder]

visited the park today looking for the regular wintering goosanders, today there was 4 goosanders (1 drk) but he highlight was by far a flock of 40c lesser redpoll which shown very well and attached is a pic, also 10 pochard and 14 tufetd duck, although not very unusual species, i think this place deserves its own thread, and with records of dusky warbler, night heron, spoonbill and a ange of waders who knows what will turn up.........

MB

 

[karpman]

who knows what will turn up...../QUOTE]

Me? lol
sounds a smashing place! and sounds like ya had a smashing day.

cheers
karpman

 

[Wimpy]

Whooow fancy that! We dropped in there today after our shopping trip! First time there and it was a great surprise.

Highlight for us was a male and female ruddy duck. There were a few canada geese, one female goosander, tufties, pochards, mallards, coots, moorhens and about 20 or so BH gulls. We counted 10 grey herons on one of the small islands, never seen that many in one spot. Also had the amazing fly by of the brightest (yellow) green woodpecker we've seen. Magpies seem to love that place.

We were both impressed. There clearly has been a lot of thought and planning that has gone into Sheepwash NR. Definitely go there again if we are down in that area.

 

[midlands birder]

Whooow fancy that! We dropped in there today after our shopping trip! First time there and it was a great surprise.

Highlight for us was a male and female ruddy duck. There were a few canada geese, one female goosander, tufties, pochards, mallards, coots, moorhens and about 20 or so BH gulls. We counted 10 grey herons on one of the small islands, never seen that many in one spot. Also had the amazing fly by of the brightest (yellow) green woodpecker we've seen. Magpies seem to love that place.

We were both impressed. There clearly has been a lot of thought and planning that has gone into Sheepwash NR. Definitely go there again if we are down in that area.

SHHHHHHHHH, dont metion the ruddys, anyway glad you got the pair, the male has been around for a good 4 years and the female recently joined him a few months ago, the day is on my blog somewhere
we have had upto 14 grey heron on the pools,there's loads, well worth the trip........
we also had the woodpecker.
we also had a flock of 42 magpie along 10 m of path:eek!:

any sign of lesserpolls?
MB

 

[midlands birder]

who knows what will turn up...../QUOTE]

Me? lol
sounds a smashing place! and sounds like ya had a smashing day.

cheers
karpman

YEP it really is a great place, i wouldent call it a great day, but it wasent bad, well worth spending time there:t:
MB

 

[midlands birder]

26/03/10
a nice after school visit to sheepash was in order after a long time of not visiting.
from the 1st scan across the lake i quickly noticed a flock of 12 goosander (1 DRK), we quickly headed round to the island (sand island btw) and there indeed as 12 goosander, but also a nice 'little' supprise, in the same scope view as 3 goosander was a LITTLE RINGED PLOVER, my first this year, and before any other summer migrants brilliant, (sorry for crap photo).
the DRK !"£$% duck was still here but no sign of the female.
a check of the mound( the area adjacent to the railway line/ canel on opposite side of canel) produced my first chiffchaff this year.B






the small bird is the chiffchaff
MB

 

[midlands birder]

right, breath life into this fourum,

LITTLE EGRET x1 juv has been resident at this site for 7+ days,it tends to move between the river and the small reeded pools by the 2nd tunnel, the bird can show quite well, but is rather elusive and has gone missing only to reappear later,
the birds looks to be quite settled which i found quite odd as this is a very well used site by the JO public.
a common sandpiper was showing on the main pool as was a sinlge lapwing, a skylark flew over calling.
last nights rain had brought down a few warblers down by the looks of things, as 2 LESSER WHITEHTHROAT were feeding rapidly with a loose flock of willow warblers, chiffchaffs and a garden warbler, with a few more than usual reed warbler around in the reeds
a nice day, the waders i had hoped for never dropped in tho :-(
MB

 

[geoffw1946]

I didn't know there was a Sheepwash thread. I used to visit daily up to a few years ago,seen some good birds there over the years including Dusky Warbler, Spoonbill, Night Heron, Pomarine Skua and Grey Phalarope to name just a few. The list stands around 185 species. Have only been three times this year as the habitat isn't what it used to be.Highlights of my last visit on 1st December were 2 Woodcock and 2 Water Rail.
Hope someone can get the list to 200 species.
Geoff

 

[midlands birder]

I didn't know there was a Sheepwash thread. I used to visit daily up to a few years ago,seen some good birds there over the years including Dusky Warbler, Spoonbill, Night Heron, Pomarine Skua and Grey Phalarope to name just a few. The list stands around 185 species. Have only been three times this year as the habitat isn't what it used to be.Highlights of my last visit on 1st December were 2 Woodcock and 2 Water Rail.
Hope someone can get the list to 200 species.
Geoff

hey geoff
i started the thread to show what you have just said, it is a great site but much degraded ( as per one of my older friends)
i am hopeing to get down a couple of times in the next week or 2 ( school holiday:-O)
i hope you become a regular feature on this dying thread :t:
p.s. where were the woodcocks???? (pm if you dont want the exact location to be told)
MB

 

[geoffw1946]

Hi MB, I've probably seen you at SUP over the years?
The Woodcock were along the railway embankment.
I don't think I'll be going to the park too often in the future unless the council pull their finger out and get the areas cleared around Pumphouse Pool. I tend to go to RSPB Middleton Lakes nowadays,much more potential,Hen Harrier,Smew and Bittern recently.
Geoff

 

[upstarts1979]

Hi MB, I've probably seen you at SUP over the years?
The Woodcock were along the railway embankment.
I don't think I'll be going to the park too often in the future unless the council pull their finger out and get the areas cleared around Pumphouse Pool. I tend to go to RSPB Middleton Lakes nowadays,much more potential,Hen Harrier,Smew and Bittern recently.
Geoff

Hi Geoff you also used to go to Upton as well and work party's. Hope you are keeping well
B John Belsey

 

[geoffw1946]

Hi John, I still think Upton Warren is a great place and still visit occasionally.On my last visit I saw the Pec Sand (28/9).
I'm not too bad,hope your the same. Though haven't been out birding for a few days, I'll wait for the weather to improve,garden birding for me at the moment and just Goldfinch and Long-tailed Tits plus the usuals to see.

 

[upstarts1979]

Hi Geoff good to hear you are ok.
Just in case you didn't know here is the link to Upton's forum
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=2010982#post2010982

Hope to see at Upton soon
B John

 

[geoffw1946]

Hi John, Thanks for the info. I did notice the Upton Warren thread yesterday and read some of the posts,very interesting. I must look at Birdforums more often.
I think I'll start a thread on RSPB Middleton Lakes when it opens,unless someone beats me to it. It's should open this coming spring but then it was supposed to open two years ago.

 

[midlands birder]

Hi MB, I've probably seen you at SUP over the years?
The Woodcock were along the railway embankment.
I don't think I'll be going to the park too often in the future unless the council pull their finger out and get the areas cleared around Pumphouse Pool. I tend to go to RSPB Middleton Lakes nowadays,much more potential,Hen Harrier,Smew and Bittern recently.
Geoff

hi geoff, you may have seen me, if you have seen 2 teenage birders there then almost certainly
but however i agree that the council have messed the place around abit and it annoys me how they are trying the old country park theme by putting in signs and pritty sculptures around the place:-C its quite annoyng gettin people gwarking at you when you have a pair of bins.
i have done middleton lakes in the past ( last year- fishers mill etc) and i was left quite impressed, but i missed a smew
MB

 

[geoffw1946]

Hi MB, I nearly visited the reserve this morning,beautiful sunshine but decided it was too cold,old age catching up with me. I always preferred morning visits,just a few dog walkers around then.

 

[midlands birder]

Hi MB, I nearly visited the reserve this morning,beautiful sunshine but decided it was too cold,old age catching up with me. I always preferred morning visits,just a few dog walkers around then.

it was the same with me last week, i so nearly went, but it was snowing and i dont fancy going to a frozen lake on me tod ( usually go with my teenage birding friend, as per a previous post)
young aged idolness catching up with me:-O
MB

 

[mickbe74]

Hi John, Thanks for the info. I did notice the Upton Warren thread yesterday and read some of the posts,very interesting. I must look at Birdforums more often.
I think I'll start a thread on RSPB Middleton Lakes when it opens,unless someone beats me to it. It's should open this coming spring but then it was supposed to open two years ago.

Can't see it opening anytime soon,surely there's loads of work to do,will the entrance be through Middleton Hall ? Paths need to be made(wheelchair access etc)hides will be a must as it's very open and the birds easily spooked,it will be interesting to see what they eventually do,i wonder if plans are available.It is about time we had another RSPB site though considering how many birders(RSPB members) come from the region.
p s anything of note there gets reported on thame valley birding.

 

[midlands birder]

Was able to visit SUP today due to a day off school.
A flock of 40 Goosander (13 drk) was on the site, with 38 being on the pumphouse pool and 2 on the smaller fishing pool, also 31 Pochard and 5 tufted duck. not loads else tbh
But the flock of goosander may be the biggest i have ever seen there.
MB

 

[mickbe74]

Can't see it opening anytime soon,surely there's loads of work to do,will the entrance be through Middleton Hall ? Paths need to be made(wheelchair access etc)hides will be a must as it's very open and the birds easily spooked,it will be interesting to see what they eventually do,i wonder if plans are available.It is about time we had another RSPB site though considering how many birders(RSPB members) come from the region.
p s anything of note there gets reported on thame valley birding.

I stand corrected.:-C