Birding In Staffordshire (26 Viewers)

[sylvia staffs]

Arctic Tern finally added to my Westport List last night, a big Thank You to PJ for the Call. B

Makes up for missing that Bl**dy Nuthatch

Sylvia

 

[chris23565]

Arctic Tern finally added to my Westport List last night, a big Thank You to PJ for the Call. B

Makes up for missing that Bl**dy Nuthatch

Sylvia

It's still about although a bit more elusive than at first, Nick and myself last had it in the trees on the canal side of the main lake last Friday, but I heard it the other morning but could'nt get on it.

 

[sylvia staffs]

Cheers Chris, keep me informed.

Sylvia

 

[Neil-T]

Cracking shots there Neil :clap:

Been busy in the garden the last few weeks so I've not been up to much birdind wise. The people in the house at he back of me have let their garden go for some time now and it has mature trees creating a canopy over the back of my garden and where I put my feeders. They don't block any light for me so i'm happy for them to keep it that way.
It's helping to attact more birds than ever. With the plants I've grown over the last few years it's helped to attract so far this year... Redwing, Sisken, Blackcap, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch etc...nothing amazing I know but when you consider our house is on an estate it's fairly difficult to get anything other than Sparrows!

I bet you will get some nice finch flocks in the Winter Rob:t: Thanks for the comments. Neil.

 

[andyr]

Any thoughts ?

Hi All

Even with the Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper gone now, I spent an enjoyable hour or two in a fairly busy Blithfield hide today (good to see Andy Rockbirder and Sam/Eric again) ... with Med., Yellow-legged and Common Gull all showing well, plus a handful of Blackwits and some Dunlin/LRPs. As shown below, the Sanderling was still present too, along the dam-side of the Causeway.

But in looping back round to Lichfield via Whitemoor Haye (or rather "Whitemoor Lakes Acivity & Development Training Centre" ! ), I pulled up at the rough-track turn, looking for Corn Buntings - knowing the Quail-field had been cropped. After a few minutes, a large bird of prey flew over my left shoulder and away from me heading parallel to the A38, so South/South-westish.

But "a large Buzzard" just didn't feel right at all, because of it's very floppy, lazy flight. The worst-ever hurriedly taken digi-binned (not scoped) distant shot is attached - and having seen several of them before, I'm thinking more Osprey (heading home) than anything else. Any thoughts ?

PS: Amazingly, a few of us had been chatting at Blithfield only an hour or two earlier about the lack of Osprey there since the Spring.


Cheers

Andy R.

 

[Rob1991S-O-T]

cattle egret

went for Cattle egret last night down at doxey and had some really good views considering all the views i had heard about flew right over my head and could see legs and colour as it headed to roost then saw it in the dead tree from the mound then from the hide on the deck near enough crap photos i know but that was not digi scoping just cam pic this is my second cattle egret both birds now in staffs had this bird twice in staffs and only 3 records haha
not much about at doxey usuall stuff

but i had to go and get my 232nd bird of the year :t:

 

[Upland Birder]

Spent an hour at Croxden this evening watching from the view point. Present were

21 Black Headed Gulls and
42 Lesser Black Backed Gulls.
2 Heron
1 Hobby
1 Buzzard

The views I had of the Hobby were excellent as it flew below me to the left and did a full circle before going out of sight.

Dean

Happy Birding:t:

 

[Steve Turner]

not much about at doxey usuall stuff

but i had to go and get my 232nd bird of the year :t:

Looks like you missed a Common Scoter according to Bird Guides - that's definitely not 'usual stuff' for Doxey Does go to show how extra coverage (due to the egret being present) produces other bits n bobs.

I've always thought Doxey should get more stuff than it does. I reckon if it was covered as regularly and intensively as somewhere like Westport, it would indeed produce more.

Steve

 

[Rob1991S-O-T]

Looks like you missed a Common Scoter according to Bird Guides - that's definitely not 'usual stuff' for Doxey Does go to show how extra coverage (due to the egret being present) produces other bits n bobs.

I've always thought Doxey should get more stuff than it does. I reckon if it was covered as regularly and intensively as somewhere like Westport, it would indeed produce more.

Steve

i wasnt there on the scoter night that was the night after my trip down
and yeh but it is getting covered alot better now so should start seeing increase in stuff

 

[ScottPetrek]

I've always thought Doxey should get more stuff than it does. I reckon if it was covered as regularly and intensively as somewhere like Westport, it would indeed produce more.

Steve

That's my plan, but finding the time is tricky! I would have noticed the Scoter today as it turned up after I left yesterday!

Anway the Cattle Egret was showing well this morning on Creswell Flash with the Common Scoter on Boundary Flash still.

 

[Steve Turner]

That's my plan, but finding the time is tricky! I would have noticed the Scoter today as it turned up after I left yesterday!

Yeah, this working for a living lark is a real pain :-O imagine if you could just bird Doxey without having any wardening duties to do :eek!:

I don't get to visit Doxey that often, and yet I've still managed to see River Warbler, Purple Heron, Cattle Egret, Pec Sand, Temminck's Stint, Red-necked Phal...the place will always turn up quality stuff with a bit of effort. Just wish I lived a little bit closer so it could be me finding the quality stuff

Cheers
Steve

 

[sylvia staffs]

Cattle Egret & Common Scoter both still present this evening and showing well.

Sylvia

 

[ScottPetrek]

Yeah, this working for a living lark is a real pain :-O imagine if you could just bird Doxey without having any wardening duties to do :eek!:

I don't get to visit Doxey that often, and yet I've still managed to see River Warbler before my time, Purple Heron before my time, Cattle Egretfirst one was before i was born!, Pec Sandbefore my time, Temminck's Stint i helped ID it!, Red-necked Phal before my time...the place will always turn up quality stuff with a bit of effort. Just wish I lived a little bit closer so it could be me finding the quality stuff

Wardening duties??? What are these? I just go to Doxey, moan at dog walkers, get moaned at by birders about things I can't control, moan at fishermen, count a few birds, boss around a few volunteers and then go home :-O

I shall have to make more of an effort

 

[PROUD POTTER]

Blithfield

Greenshank, 3 Dunlin and little Egret in Tad Bay this evening at 19:00.

Mart

 

[Rob Swift]

Doxey - this evening

Cattle Egret & Common Scoter both still present this evening and showing well.

Sylvia

Record Shots

It took 40 mins to get the Common Scoter shot, in the 5 seconds it looked up, as the rest of the time it was asleep! :hi:

The Cattle Egret showed well!...flying around and mingling with the the cattle.

Rob

 

[chris23565]

Wardening duties??? What are these? I just go to Doxey, moan at dog walkers, get moaned at by birders about things I can't control, moan at fishermen, count a few birds, boss around a few volunteers and then go home :-O

I shall have to make more of an effort

Can I have your job then please I sent several e mails to Staffs Wildlife after reading in the Sentinal that they want volunteers, and still I wait:-C

Hope to get to Doxey tomorrow for the Cattle Egret, so it will probably go tonight:-O

 

[ScottPetrek]

Can I have your job then please I sent several e mails to Staffs Wildlife after reading in the Sentinal that they want volunteers, and still I wait:-C

Hope to get to Doxey tomorrow for the Cattle Egret, so it will probably go tonight:-O

Who did you email? and for what opportunities? I'll then chase them up for you. Alternatively you could come volunteer on Doxey with me either doing practical work like habitat management or helping with the WeBS counts?

 

[ScottPetrek]

Just in case anybody is interested I've got a Facebook page for Doxey, mainly as I can't get my blog to be as good as Steve Nuttal's!

So if you are on Facebook just search for Doxey Marshes Nature Reserve and you should find us! Cheers

 

[Rob Swift]

Hi AlBut "a large Buzzard" just didn't feel right at all, because of it's very floppy, lazy flight. The worst-ever hurriedly taken digi-binned (not scoped) distant shot is attached - and having seen several of them before, I'm thinking more Osprey (heading home) than anything else. Any thoughts ?

PS: Amazingly, a few of us had been chatting at Blithfield only an hour or two earlier about the lack of Osprey there since the Spring.


Cheers

Andy R.

I think your photograph is a good bet for an Osprey, Andy.

Cheers
Rob Swift

 

[Neil-T]

Record Shots

It took 40 mins to get the Common Scoter shot, in the 5 seconds it looked up, as the rest of the time it was asleep! :hi:

The Cattle Egret showed well!...flying around and mingling with the the cattle.

Rob

Great digiscoping images there Rob. I think I have one with the Cattle egret and Common scoter in the same shot, will post it later just to confirm it is the Common scoter.