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Birding In Staffordshire (7 Viewers)

That's clears that up then, if you're not including the reservoirs as lakes. For example, Rudyard Lake is a reservoir.

Next you'll be saying gravel pits don't count either? Which will discount Middleton Lakes for the future. Oh, and part of it isn't in Staffs.

Nick Smith said:
Just look at the patch lists on the Seal's Staffs Birding Blog. 4th place - Westport Lake. Top three are all reservoirs! Bingo I say.
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Berryhill

Autumn Cuckoo are scarce here so a juvenile was a bonus this morning also 2 Wheatear.
Swallows numbers building up about 200+ in one flock and the first morning without any Swifts.
 
Golden Plovers

I've been looking at last years records and have not received a single golden plover record for December 2010. Whilst this is easily explained by the harsh weather causing them to winter elsewhere, I wonder if anyone actually saw any during the month?

Thanks
Nick
 
Sand Martins

I was wrong to say that the sand martins had left the nest site in the upper blithe valley, with at least 6 of the nest holes still visited this afternoon and 80+ hirundines around the quarry pool in some sort of frenzy.:t:
 
Indeed it is! :t: However, I fear that both Brookers and Wezza are both man-made lakes, in some shape or form. Same goes with Middleton Lakes and Croxall Lakes of course.

I don't know it this is true, but I was once told that the site of Westport Lake was once Port Vale's training ground? Until mining subsidence happened, but that could be cobblers for all I know?

I suppose the only truly natural lakes in Staffs are the meres, those being Aqualate Mere and Copmere?

Urban Fox said:
.........and there is Brookley's Lake. Now thats a lakeB :)

Dean
Click to expand...
 
But Brookley's has the word Lake after it :-O Is a mere a lake or just a mere?

Anyway there was a swarm of Sand Martins flying low over the water Croxden this evening.

Dean :t:
 
Oh eck, I thought this might happen :-O. Isn't a mere formed by the ice age? Where the ice retreated, rock and ice pushed down into a bit of land, the ice melted and formed a "stretch of water"? I nearly said lake, but of course it's not, it's a mere! :-O

Same with all the Shropshire meres. Don't ask me about Windermere or Martin Mere though!

Once speaking to an old sage of Staffs birding, a Mr N Unwin, who once remembered Brookleys Lake being a field! That's good enough for me.

Urban Fox said:
But Brookley's has the word Lake after it :-O Is a mere a lake or just a mere?

Anyway there was a swarm of Sand Martins flying low over the water Croxden this evening.

Dean :t:
Click to expand...
 
Anyway there was a swarm of Sand Martins flying low over the water Croxden this evening.

Dean :t:[/QUOTE]

Now is that Croxden Mere or Lake or is it just a Quarry.:t::t::t:
 
..with a body of water in it.

My Compact Oxford English dictionary defines lake as a large area of water surrounded by land. The Latin origin lacus 'pool,lake'.

The dictionary states that a mere is a lake or pond. The origin of this is Old English.

A pool is a small area of still water and a pond is a fairly small body of still water:-O

So there you go that clears that up then:eek!::-O

Dean

Ps. I'll talk about puddles and their importance to birds tomorrow
 
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Urban Fox said:
..with a body of water in it.

My Compact Oxford English dictionary defines lake as a large area of water surrounded by land. The Latin origin lacus 'pool,lake'.

The dictionary states that a mere is a lake or pond. The origin of this is Old English.

A pool is a small area of still water and a pond is a fairly small body of still water:-O

So there you go that clears that up then:eek!::-O

Dean

Ps. I'll talk about puddles and their importance to birds tomorrow
Click to expand...
Look forward to that Dean
 
Mere's

Richard Powell said:
Oh eck, I thought this might happen :-O. Isn't a mere formed by the ice age? Where the ice retreated, rock and ice pushed down into a bit of land, the ice melted and formed a "stretch of water"? I nearly said lake, but of course it's not, it's a mere! :-O

Same with all the Shropshire meres. Don't ask me about Windermere or Martin Mere though!

Once speaking to an old sage of Staffs birding, a Mr N Unwin, who once remembered Brookleys Lake being a field! That's good enough for me.
Click to expand...

Martin Mere formed at the end of the last Ice Age and before it was drained it was the largest body of fresh water in England. The site fortunately is now WWT Wetland centre, one previous use was growing potatoes.
Windermere in the Lake district formed after the last Ice Age is now the largest natural lake in England.

Regards, John
 
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