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

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  1. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    Really enjoyable day mate, need one like that every week. Looks like patches of rain dropped the Black Terns in which may have just missed us. Don't think we've got any easterlies forecasted for this week :(
  2. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    Nice one Steve, I've just put this on Twitter also requesting retweets. ATB
  3. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    It's been a decent few weeks overall. With additional Gailey scarcities such as Blackwit, Redshank, Egyptian Goose, Willow Tit and a few others it's made it better than usual :t: The good spell continued this morning with fem Common Scoter on the sailing lake. Now time for a proper biggie :eek!:
  4. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    A decent little spell at Gailey(for a change) at the moment. A cracking Ring Ouzel on the causeway yday evening was followed by another report in the sheep field next to the A5 today. As I went to check on this one after work today me and Ian Butler jammed in on an Osprey over. They say things...
  5. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    I always park on the small 'parking' area off Ryders Hayes Lane. It's a short walk from here to the pool where the diver is frequenting.
  6. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    Nice female Smew at Croxall GPs was a welcome find this afternoon. They have certainly been v thin on the ground this winter. I remember them being virtually guaranteed along the A38 pits in years gone past. A decent hour there also produced Jack Snipe with 14 Commons, 5 Redshank, 2 Shelduck...
  7. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    Clayhanger Marsh joins on to Ryders Mere. Ryders Mere is the larger body of water(although still small) and consequently gets more diving ducks, grebes etc. It's best to wear wellies as when I visited a couple of weeks ago it was pretty boggy.
  8. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    Hi Steve, Have you been able to see the colour of the hybrids eye? Craig's photo of the bird at Chasewater appear to show a yellow eye(through my iPhone) Cheers Steve
  9. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    Even more Rough-Legs in the country now, with birds even penetrating inland counties such as Oxon and Herts. We must be in for a chance this winter. The moors will surely be the best bet, but maybe even any areas with large expanses of open fields such as Whitemoor Haye :eek!:
  10. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    Nice one Rob. It will definitely get birds, just depends if they linger with the dog walkers etc. I've had a few decent bits up there in the past which I won't divulge here and think the potential could be good.
  11. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    Was wondering if anybody has ventured up the Moors recently? There is quite a good influx of Rough-Legged Buzzards including birds now coming inland i.e Derbys, West Yorks etc. Got to be a good chance we could score in Staffs. I am very tempted to pop up over the next week or so.
  12. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    I'm a bit of a dinosaur with that sort of thing Phil. The site is basically parallel(to the West) to the Stafford Road(A34) than runs North of Cannock through Huntington.
  13. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    Had a decent hour up Shoal Hill Common on Monday morning. A Jack Snipe was unexpectedly flushed a couple of times from dry heath. Best bird was a Woodlark which flew over low to the West calling. Also Stonechat, a couple of Raven, Green Woodpeckers etc. The site is well worth a visit and...
  14. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    Evening All, Just to make you all aware, had a strange gull at Gailey this evening. I assume it was a just 'runt' near-ad Herring but it was extremely small for that species. It was amongst c.60 Lesser Black-Backs and was considerably smaller. The mantle shade was Herring-like and in flight...
  15. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    John, If the underwing coverts were not seen, I cannot see how it will be accepted.
  16. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    This bird was a leucistic individual, a wonderful specimen ;) I see on Staffs Bird News a female was also reported at Alrewas GPs on Sunday. Could be the same bird?
  17. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    Looks like the Gailey G N Diver has finally departed. I popped up Sunday late afternoon for a brief visit with no joy, and a more protracted search this morning before work again drew a blank. I can only assume the nice clear weather on Saturday encouraged the bird to move. Time for another...
  18. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    Despite the crap weather again, I didn't do too bad up the A38 after the usual Gailey visit(with just the GND being the main notable bird). A female Merlin was in a field near Sittles Farm at Whitemoor Haye, also 2 Ruff and 10 Goldies with a large Lapwing flock on the flooded field opposite the...
  19. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    Hi Kevin, The shooters were again at Gailey yesterday afternoon. Whilst they had little to shoot, they still managed to kill 3 Tufted Ducks. Despite their activity being mainly confined to the causeway, I was concerned to see one of them along the A5 side of the Sailing Lake by the outflow...
  20. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    Nice to hear Kevin. I have certainly feared for other species including the diver. One of the main issues is catching them doing something they shouldn't. This has now happened so hopefully the people who grants permission will have to listen. Steve
  21. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    That's right. There would be signs up by the carparks stating you couldn't access until they had finished until a given time. The first time I saw them this winter was during a late afternoon where they were shooting over both pools. Fisherman, a couple of dog walkers and myself were present...
  22. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    Hi Hughie, These pools are almost definitely within the Hatherton Hall area. There is the main pool which can be viewed from the road around it(although hardly nowhere to stop and look) and two smaller pools near the hall itself. My dad knows the owner of the hall and does a bit of...
  23. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    Hi Nick, Hope all is well. It could well be going there. The GWE disappeared early on Saturday for a couple of hours and flew back in from that direction. There's quite a few damp fields towards Penkridge too at the moment where it could get.
  24. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    Great roost(even though same birds as recent) at Chasewater this afternoon with brilliant light conditions and birds coming in early. The large ad Caspian Gull was present from 14:50 showing really nicely in perfect light probably no more than 100 yds away. Shortly after, the juv Glauc was...
  25. T

    Rare and Scarce Birds in Staffordshire

    I knew these 'wildfowlers' were pretty gung-ho, but didn't realise they were this bad. Lets just hope they shoot each other and a couple of these f*cking kn*bheads end up floating in the res! :C It was a beautiful dawn at Gailey and pretty good morning with GWE, GN Diver, fem Goosander, 3 drk...
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