December 31st 2022

Well it's end of another year and the sight finished on a very creditable 110 species , just one down on last years total. Highlight for me personally was finding a Dipper my first for the sight and only just a couple of weeks ago. All remains to be said is have a good and safe New Year and let's hope for a bird filled 2023.

December 24th

Wigeon x 18 , Teal x 21 , Goosander  x 4 , Raven , Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail .

December 22nd

Pintail drake at the north end this morning , along with two Pink-footed Geese amongst the Canada Geese flock. Also 20+ Wigeon , plenty of Teal and a drake Goosander. (DC , MS).

December 21st

Eight Little Egret along feeder stream south of the Dam this morning.  This is the second highest count with nine recorded in spring this year. Also Water Rail , Snipe and Dipper again. Good numbers of Bullfinch with nine noted.

December 20th

Willow Tit on the feeding station by David Collis. 

Ice Breaker

Guys trying to clear some ice for tomorrow's Christmas ferry outing , somehow think they are on a looser with the freezing weather.

December 16th

Overnight temperature was -8 last night.

Patch MEGA this morning with a Dipper behind the Dam wall , my first on site in 14 yrs of watching the place. The Lake is completely frozen over from end to end. All birds seen from Dam around the loop to the miniature railway station. Common Snipe x 12 , Kingfisher  x 2 , Little Egret  , Grey Wagtail  , Bullfinch x 7 and good numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare.  Exceptional count of 342 x Mallard on a small piece of open water opposite the sailing club.

December 12th

Pink-footed Geese approx 200 towards Biddulph at 10-50

December 6th

Pink-footed Geese  x 80 approx over east at 8-50.

November 3rd

Water levels continue to rise , give it another week and I would say it should be back to normal. A good count of Tufted Duck for the site today , we actually have 14 birds.

October 27th

Rain first thing sunny and 17dg by lunch time. 13-30 / 15-30

Water levels rising slowly.

Snipe numbers also rising with 51 counted mid-afternoon . Wigeon x 4 , Lapwing x 35 , Siskin x 4 , L T Tit flock x 14 and a single Stock Dove. 

Fungi noted

Fly Agaric

Sulpher Tuft

Common Earthball

Fairy's Bonnet 

Waxcap sp

Clustered Bonnet photo below.

Snipe

Some of today's count of 38 Common Snipe. During  the past few weeks Snipe numbers have been varying from between 28 upto 63.

Photo taken at great distance by David Collis.

Summer Pochard sighting

David Collis sent me this photo of a Pochard taken on the lake 21/06/22. Unusual on two occasions the first being a June sighting. And the second as its the first reported sighting since 08/03/12.

October 25th

Misty start , clear skies warm 16dg. 9-15 / 11-30

Water levels are starting to rise .

Two Dunlin new in this morning feeding alongside 38 x Common Snipe , 12 x Lapwing and 6 x Wigeon. Two Willow Tit seen back on the bridge feeders early morning. A new fungi species for me on site Dewdrop Bonnet (Hemimycena tortuosa) . 

October 22nd

Clear skies sunny , gentle breeze 14d 8-30 / 10-00

Water levels still the same very low.

Wigeon x 2 , Teal x 75 , Tufted Duck x 13 , Cormorant  x 10 , Redwing x 6 , Nuthatch , Grey Wagtail  , Siskin , Willow Tit , Gt S Woodpecker , Jay , Herring Gull x 10 and Raven.

Don't forget any sightings into Steve at

steveseal1957@gmail.com 

Clouded Funnel (Clitocybe nebularis).

Request for Pochard Records

A request for Pochard records please. If you have any sightings of Pochard over last 10 yrs could you please let me know. The database shows last record as being on 08-03-12. 

Contact me on.... steveseal1957@gmail.com 

October 19th

Easterly winds have brought good numbers of winter thrushes to our east coast shores . We had good numbers of Redwing moving south west over Rudyard with a few Fieldfare in amongst them early morning. No change on the water with around 100 x Teal , 13 x Gt Crested Grebes , 57 x Mallard and a couple of Tufted Duck. 

October 18th

Water levels seem to be still dropping , highlight were 10 Tufted Duck . We usually only have upto 4 on here at a time. Two Grey Wagtail  by the dam , single Raven over.

48 x Snipe

94 x Teal

40 x Lapwing 

October 16th

Common Snipe numbers are still rising with 63 noted this morning. 

October 13th

43 x Common Snipe today. 

Reed Warbler

After the last two successful years of a pair of Reed Warbler breeding   they did not appear back at all this year. 

October 9th

Snipe x 28 , Lapwing x 84 .

October 6th

Dry sunny start cloud around midday 12dg.

A good count of 48 Snipe this morning very hard to find on the exposed muscle beds and mud. Also Teal numbers up slightly with 101 counted. 

Little Ringed Plover x 2

Dunlin

Mandarin drake first for me this year.

Raven

L B B Gull x 4 adults

Herring Gull x 3

Black-headed Gull x 112

Chiffchaff calling

Willow Warbler 

Grey Wagtail 

Meadow Pipit x 24 counted possibly lots more.

Single Buzzard

Cormorant x 7.

Disturbance again while I was present a single boat had to go right upto the mud and flush all the Gulls and Teal off. When he had done that he turned around and paddled back. Photograph taken of the individual. 

Long Overdue Waders

Below is a list of long overdue waders at this site.

Golden Plover   last record 28/08/91

Grey Plover   last record 02/06/92

Bar-tailed Godwit   last record 01/07/84

Temminck's Stint   last record 06/08/82

Turnstone   last record 30/08/06

Curlew Sandpiper   last record 06/09/10

Wood Sandpiper   last record 22/09/95

Spotted Redshank   last record 16/08/10

Sanderling   last record 14/07/92

White-rumped Sandpiper   last record 03/11/89

We definitely need more coverage at this site.

On the positive side two Waders were found this year that haven't been present for many years.

Little Stint ..............First record since 1995

Whimbrel ..............First record since 1992

Personally I don't think it's birds not turning up , I think it's a lack of coverage by birders. A lot of people these days wait for news instead of going out and finding there own. Look at the Golden Plover record above , you can't tell me that there as been no record since 1991 . They breed less than four miles away . More coverage more birds simple.

October 3rd

Overcast dry 14dg

It looks like the two Ruff have finally departed after a 23 day stay. Water levels seem to still be dropping . Today 23 x Snipe , 2 x L R Plover,  Dunlin , 91 x Teal , 41 x Lapwing  , 9 , Wigeon , Grey Wagtail  , 18 x Meadow Pipit  , 7 x Linnet , 3 x Mistle Thrush and 3 x Nuthatch.

October 2nd

Still two Ruff , enitialy 11 Ruff arrived on Sept 10th , so it's now over three weeks for these two. Also Common Snipe x 4.

October 1st

7-30 / 9-00 Clear skies sunny 10dg

Good numbers of Common Snipe on the mud early morning with 28 noted. Also the two Ruff still present along with two Little Ringed Plover,  Wigeon x 12 , Lapwing  x 75 and around 79 x Teal.

Little Stint

Just received news and a photo of a Little Stint from Sept 14th found by David Collis. There have been 8 records between 1983 and 1995. But this is the first official sighting since August 22nd 1995.

Photo by David Collis. 

Sept 29th

Cloudy with sunny intervals  16 dg.

Still plenty of mud around water level at its lowest i have seen in years.

Ruff x 2 , Dunlin x 1  and Common Snipe x 9 , Swallow x 5 . Plenty of Pied Wagtails around and a couple of Siskin heard. Around 60 plus Teal noted but we'll spread out over the mud so hard to count. Also of note around 100 plus Black-headed Gulls on the spit.

Sept 25th

 Ruff x 2 , Dunlin x 2 .

Sept 18th

Pink-foot x 70 over @7-25

Still 3 x Ruff

LR Plover x 1

Kingfisher 

Black-tailed Godwit x 1

Snipe x 2

Sept 17th

Ruff x 2

Redstart 

Sept 16th

Pink-foot x 54 over

Ruff x 4 

LR Plover 

Snipe x 4 

Little Egret 

Sept 15th

Ruff x 5

Snipe x 6

Dunlin x 1

Sept 13th

Ruff x 11

LR Plover x 7

Ringed Plover x 1

Common Sandpiper x 2

Dunlin x 2

Snipe x 6

Sept 12th

 

Eleven Ruff still present,  also 2 x Dunlin and a single LR Plover. 

Sept 11th

 Ruff x 11 present ,  also Dunlin and LR Plover.

Sept 10th

Ruff x 10 (record count)

L R Plover  x 2

Dunlin x 2

Snipe x 4

Sept 9th

Green Sandpiper still present.

August 30th

Green Sandpiper 

Common Sandpiper x 2

L R Plover  x 1

Ringed Plover x 4

Kingfisher 

Stock Dove x 4

Raven x 3

Teal x 23

August 28th

The first Goldeneye (fem) autumn back today.

Yellow Wagtail x 1

Common Sandpiper  x 1

L R Plover x 1

Goosander x 2

August 26th

Green Sandpiper  x 1

Goosander x 10

Common Sandpiper 

L R Plover  x 4

Yellow Wagtail x 1

August 22nd

Ringed Plover  x 7

Yellow Wagtail x 2

August 21st

Shelduck  x 11

Ringed Plover x 1

Yellow Wagtail x 1

August 20th

Redshank x 6

Hobby x 1

Yellow Wagtail x 2

Ringed Plover x 5

August 14th

Yellow Wagtail x 4

L R Plover x 5

Common Sandpiper x 2

Little Egret 

August 13th

Yellow Wagtail x 2 (SG)

August 7th

Little Egret  x 5

Common Sandpiper x 3

L R Plover x 5

Peregrine

Raven

Grey Wagtail x 5

August 6th

L R Plover x 4

Common Sandpiper x 2

Little Egret x 2

Kingfisher

August 4th

Little Egret x 4

L R Plover  x 4

Common Sandpiper 

August 1st

Little Egret x 5

Little Ringed Plover 

Dunlin

Common Sandpiper 

July 31st

Little Egret x 9

Dunlin

Redshank

Common Sandpiper 

July 29th

Redshank 

Little Egret x 5

July 28th

Little Egret x  1

July 27th

Little Egret x 1

Redstart x 2

July 26th

Whimbrel briefly at 6-45 (EWI) Staffs bird news

Little Egret x 4

July 25th

Little Egret x 2

Common Sandpiper  x 2

Sparrowhawk 

July 23rd

Great White Egret

L R Plover 

Goosander x 4

July 2nd

Five Little Egret North end.

June 23rd

Red Kite x 2 over mid-morning.

May 21st

Spotted Flycatcher (first 2022)

Redsatrt

Garden Warbler

Oystercatcher x 2

Swift x 1  ( first 2022)

Grey Wagtail

House Martin x 20

Goldcrest x 5

Mistle Thrush x 4

May 16th

Common Sandpiper x 5

L R Plover x 2

Redstart x 1 male singing.

May 13th

Basically the same as yesterday. 

3 x Common Sandpiper 

2 x Ringed Plover 

2 x L R Plover 

3 x Oystercatcher 

1 x Dunlin

2 x Garden Warbler 

May 12th

 4 x Dunlin (new 2022)

4 x Common Sand

2 x Ringed Plover (new 2022)

2 x Oystercatcher

2 x L R Plover

3 x Redstart all males

4 x Raven

7 x Swallow

11 x House Martin (new 2022)

2 x Sand Martin

3 x Garden Warbler

House Martin. 

Ringed Plover. 

Dunlin.

May 11th

Last 5 years Osprey sightings.

15th April 2018

25th August 2019

15th September 2020

22nd May 2021

16th August 2021

6th May 2022

May 9th

Redstart fem

Garden Warbler x 1

Raven over 

May 7th

Redstart x 2 males singing

Common Sandpiper x 4

Oystercatcher x 1

L R Plover x 2

Garden Warbler x 1

Gt S Woodpecker 

Blackcap 

Willow Warbler 

Chiffchaff 

Greylag Goose x 4

Gt C Grebe  x 15

Coot x 4

May 6th

Osprey over N/E @11-15

Garden Warbler x 2 (first 2022)

Redstart x 2 males

Common Tern x 2

Common Sandpiper x 4

Oystercatcher x 2

L R Plover x 2

Grey Wagtail x 2

Buzzard x 5

Lapwing x 2

Swallow x 16

Jay x 1

May 5th

Common Tern x 2

Oystercatcher x 2

Common Whitethroat x 1

Common Sandpiper  x 4

Redstart x 1

L R Plover x 2

May 2nd

 Common Tern x 3 ( first 2022 )

April 24th

Common Sandpiper x 1

Oystercatcher x 2

L R Plover x 2

Common Sandpiper. 

April 23rd

Redstart x 1 male

Oystercatcher x 2

Tufted Duck x 5

Blackcap x 3

Swallow x 3

L B B Gull x 8

Small Tortoiseshell x 1

Orange-tip x 3

April 22nd

Redstart x 1 male

White Wagtail x 1

L R Plover x 4

Oystercatcher x 2

Lapwing x 2

Tufted Duck x 5

Green Veined White x 2

Orange-tip x 3

Apri 21st

 Redstart (first back 2022)

April 20th

Common Sandpiper  (first for 2022)

L R Plover x 2

Oystercatcher x 3

Teal x 2

Orange-tip x 5

April 12th

Little Ringed Plover x 7

Ringed Plover x 1

Oystercatcher x 2

White Wagtail x 1

Goosander  x 2 fem

Blackcap

Chiffchaff 

Swallow  60+

Sand Martin x 35

White Wagtail 

April 10th

Swallow x 1 (first back 2022)

Willow Warbler x 3 (first back 2022)

Blackcap x 3 (first back 2022)

Sand Martin x 1

Chiffchaff  (good numbers)

Grey Wagtail

Goosander fem 

Tufted Duck  x 5

Teal x pair

Greylag  x 2

Oystercatcher x 3

Treecreeper x 2

Goldcrest

Reed Bunting 

Willow Tit x 2

April 7th

 Barn Owl 7-45 

March 27th

Oystercatcher x 5

L R Plover x 1

Raven x 2

Goosander x 1 fem

Red Deer x 2 young stags. 

March 26th

Shelduck x 2 (first record since 2018)

L R Plover x 1

Oystercatcher x 3

Kingfisher

Teal x 2

Goosander fem

Redwing 14

Willow Tit x 2

( 45 Species recorded this morning ).

March 24th

Little Ringed Plover x 1 (first back)

Oystercatcher x 3

Chiffchaff x 10 north end

Chiffchaff  x 14 south end 

Reed Bunting

Willow Tit x 2

Little Ringed Plover first back 2022.

March 23rd

Egyptian Geese x 3 this evening first record since 19/03/2014.

Chiffchaff x 7 all singing north end.

March 15th

Sand Martin x 1 ( first back )

Goldeneye 

Chiffchaff x  several different locations

March 13th

Chiffchaff x 7 singing

Curlew

Oystercatcher x 5

Water Rail on Heron Marsh along channel

March 12th

Chiffchaff  x 4 ( first back )

Treecreeper  x 2

Common Gull x 3 adults 

Goldcrest 

Raven

Buzzard x 5

Chiffchaff first bird back .

March 11th

Oystercatcher  x 8 ( site record )

Cormorant  x 21

Teal x 7

February 26th

Oystercatcher 

Willow Tit 

February 20th

Strong wind and rain

Goosander x 2 pair

Raven

Tawny Owl calling

Cormorant x 21

Lapwing x 17

Great Crested Grebe x 16

Buzzard

Feb 11th

Willow Tit x 3 

Goosander x 2 

Teal x 12 

Jay 

Song Thrush x 3 

Mistle Thrush 

Kingfisher 

Grey Heron x 3 

Bullfinch fem 

Greenfinch 

Siskin x 27 

L T Tit x 3 

Coot x 2 

Moorhen x 4 

Buzzard

Feb 7th

Willow Tit x 3

Mandarin 

Little Egret f/o

Raven x 3

Teal x 11

Oystercatcher 

February 1st

January ended with a respectable 58 species. 

January 29th

Very windy with heavy rain at times .

Teal x 5

Willow Tit x 1

Goosander x 2

Tufted Duck x 1

Coot x 1

Nuthatch x 5

Siskin x 11

L B B Gull x 6

Oystercatcher  x 1

Cormorant  x 5

Mallard x 61

January 20th

Wigeon x 23

Teal x 17

Goosander x 5

Lapwing x 17

Willow Tit  x 2

Fieldfare x 5

Redwing x 4

Raven 

Stock Dove x 2

Oystercatcher 

Fieldfare. 

41 x Species recorded in two hours.

January 15th

Goldeneye fem 

Goosander  x 4

Lesser Redpoll 

Siskin x 4

January 12th

Wigeon x 21 

Teal x 11

Willow Tit x 2

Goosander x 12

January 9th

Goosander  x 15 (10 x drakes)

Wigeon x 28

Teal x 4

Mallard x 67

Siskin x 40+

37 species in two hours this morning. 

And a report of a Barn Owl yesterday evening hunting the field below the railway station. 

January 6th.

 

Snow first thing .

Willow Tit along with all the usual on the feeders.  Wigeon x 43 , Teal x 22 , Mallard x 24 and a female Goosander.  Also Raven , Canada Geese 400+ ,  several Siskin around. 36 species found in one hour before the snow came down heavier. 

January 4th

 I have been away over the Christmas and New Year period.  Last year finished on a very competitive 111 species , but that also depends if a discription gets sent in for both the Black-Necked Grebes and the Hen Harrier.