Cold wintery conditions with heavy overnight snow temperatures around 1degrees. Seven Snipe noted north end along with 29 x Teal , 43 x Lapwing , single Kingfisher and 3 x Common Gull.
Report
Of a overwintering Blackcap on garden feeders in the village.
Female Goosander, 28 x Teal a single Little Egret and good numbers of Redwing passing over.
Nothing new to report the Teal are stable with 38 counted again today. One thing of note was a really good count of 71 L B B Gulls just off the spit this afternoon. And 73 Redwing feeding on what's left of the berries by the Old Hall.
Up by the old disused Hall several Redwing feeding on berries , also Kestrel hunting the field in front of the Hall . All usual stuff nothing exciting to add.
Very quiet today just 18 Teal feeding north end along with single Grey Heron. All the usual stuff elsewhere Nuthatch, Treecreeper , Goldcrest etc. A single Raven over and four Buzzard dotted around. Heart stopping moment at the south end when I noted a Egret feeding in amongst the Cattle. But alas it was a Little Egret 😕
Very quiet around the lake today just the usual subjects Gt Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch , Grey Wagtail at the Dam. Three Teal , 2 x Grey Heron , Snipe and several Lesser B B Gulls at the north end. Could only find six Tufted Duck today looks like we are down to our usual number. A Tawny Owl was heard calling just as I was leaving the north end at mid-day.
Few bits and bobs today.
First an old record has come to light of a Redshank on the spit dated April 21st.
From the weekend 5 x Snipe at the north end along with a pair of Teal.
Today 21st
Water Rail at the south end squealing from Marsh reedbed along side the fishing pool. Also Kingfisher and Raven over. And two Chiffchaff reported along south feeder stream today. Small numbers of Redwing about.
🍄 several more Fungi species today of which I have not put names to yet.
Very little to report just 5 x Teal , 17 x Tufted Duck and several G C Grebe on the water . Five Raven overhead along with a single Buzzard , only other birds of note where Kingfisher and Grey Heron. We are stuck on 99 species for the year a very poor showing compared with previous years.
🦋 single Peacock Butterfly noted.
A pair of Gadwall at north end were nice to see , don't get many records here . Very little else of note a single Teal ,Raven and Kingfisher best of the bunch.
🍄 Mushrooms/ Fungi starting to appear with six species noted on my walk these include .
Amanita muscaria ( Fly Agaric )
Helvella crispa ( White sadle )
Xylaria hypoxylan ( Candlestick fungus )
Hypholoma fasciculare ( Sulphur tuft )
Clitocybe geotropa ( Trooping funnel )
Armillaria ostoyae ( Dark Honey fungus )
276 x Pink-feet flew N/W at 8-40 this morning. Around the north end were 3 x Goosander , 2 x Wigeon , 5 x Teal and 2 x Little Egret. 5 x Raven flew over along with a single Buzzard.
First Teal of the Autumn with four birds noted this morning at the north end. Also 2 x female Goosander, 18 x Tufted Duck, 100 + B H Gulls and 35 x L B B Gulls. The only other birds of note were a Little Egret and a Kingfisher both at the north end.
Our first Redwing of the Autumn/Winter period with two birds flying south mid morning. A good walk around this morning with 47 species logged.
Nothing new today worth mentioning just 51 Black headed Gulls at north end and still 16 Tufted Duck . No sign at mid day of the Egret . Water levels are down slightly which has now exposed a muddy shoreline at the north end .
Great White Egret still at north end also our first Wigeon of the Autumn back with a single female present. Raven over calling and 51 x Lapwing flying around. Tufted Duck numbers have now gone up to sixteen , unusual for the site we usually have single figures of between 5 to 8.
Great White Egret x 1 north end
Little Egret x 3 North end
Kingfisher x 1 dam
Goosander x 3 females Dam end .
My first sighting of Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly today with two females and a male along the feeder stream . Also Southern Hawker and Brown Hawker. Bird wise very quiet jus a single Common Sandpiper and Kingfisher noted.
As many as seven Spotted Flycatcher's have been located around the lake , which constitutes as a site record as far as iam aware. Also today another Hobby and another Ring-necked Parakeet over the north end. That's three occasions this year so beginning to wonder if there is a nearby pair around. Also noted were 4 x Swift and a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers feeding young.
There as actually been a fall of Spotted Flycatcher 's overnight as apparently we have five all at different locations , that's our 91st species so far this year .
Very quiet around this morning only real bird of note was a single Common Tern fishing the lake.
Two Hobbies performed really well mid morning for over half a hour catching insects and displaying to each other . Unfortunately I only had my Butterfly and insect lens with me so had to work hard to get my images. Also present of note was a Tawny Owl being mobbed by finches and corvids , and four Common Whitethroat.
Butterflies 🦋
Brimstone
Small Tortoiseshell
Peacock
Orange-tip
Green-veined White
Two Swift over the dam end of the lake . Four Whitethroat singing south end , also 8 x Garden Warbler , 1 x Common Sandpiper, 1 x Oystercatcher and single drake Mandarin. Still no Spotted Flycatcher yet.
Butterflies 🦋
Orange-tip
Green-veined White
Small Tortoiseshell
Peacock
Comma
It seems to be our best year ever for Garden Warbler , with at least 12 singing males . Obviously many more unaccounted for being such a large area. These 12 birds recorded at both north and south ends. So whatever birds are along both sides are unrecorded.
Hobby over north end today at 11-30 .
Butterflies 🦋
Orange-tip x 8
Peacock x 6
Green Veined White x 1 (first this year).
If anyone visits Rudyard in the next few days we are missing two of our spring migrants at present Spotted Flycatcher and Swift. Both are imminent so please drop me a text if you come across them . Or anything else you see for that matter.
Cheers Steve.
We must have had a fall of Garden Warber overnight as we have gone from just two yesterday , to six singing males at the north end and four at the south end. Also at the south end we have gone from a single Whitethroat yesterday , to three singing males this morning . All other stuff is as past few days nothing changed.
Butterflies 🦋
5 x Orange-tip
2022 2023 2024
Chiffchaff 12/03 19/03 16/03
Sand Martin 15/03 20/03 24/03
Swallow 10/04 06/04 07/04
House Martin 12/04 06/04 01/04
Blackcap 10/04 06/04 10/04
Redstart 21/04 08/04 10/04
Willow Warbler 10/04 23/04 11/04
Common Tern 02/05 20/04 29/04
Pied Flycatcher ------ 22/04 08/04
Garden Warbler 06/05 01/05 29/04
L R Plover 24/03 19/03 11/04
Common Sand 20/04 11/04 10/04
Spotted Flycatcher 21/05 03/05
Swift 11/05 09/05
We now have a remarkable 6 pairs of Pied Flycatcher's back on site along with our usual 3 pairs of Redstart. Also noted this morning our first returning Garden Warbler and first Common Tern of the year too. A drake Mandarin photographed in the sheep field and the usual waders around the point. Unusual sighting of 8 x Greylag Geese on the water , we only usual have one or two.
I would like to stress that all images of birds taken at Rudyard are done so from a safe distance as not to disturb the birds .
Yellow Wagtail in cow field towards the point early morning , also Common Whitethroat singing both birds new for the year.
Another movement of Chiffchaff through this morning with 21 birds noted singing . Just makes you think how many more there are undetected. Three Oystercatcher's on the point along with 3 x Common Sandpiper. Unfortunately yesterday's passage through Staffordshire didn't produce any more Arctic Terns , and yesterday's two must have departed overnight. Green Woodpecker calling in farm field but not seen , Raven and Buzzard overhead. And a Osprey seen at nearby Tittesworth didn't come our way .
Good numbers of Hirundines this evening hawking insects over the water with around 250 Swallow, 45+ House Martin and around 20+ Sand Martin . The two Arctic Terns were still present late evening.
Arctic Tern records are few and far between here at Rudyard , below is the last 20yrs that gives you some idea.
22/04/24 x 2
16/04/24 x 1
16/07/17 x 4
10/05/16 x 1
04/05/13 x 2
30/07/11 x 2
08/98/10 x 3
09/95/08 x 2
25/09/05 x 2
30/08/04 x 1
Two Arctic Tern's dropped in mid-afternoon after a large influx throughout the UK, with good numbers at large Staffordshire waters. Weather conditions were terrible and the three shots below are heavily cropped. But we don't get many Arctic's here so made the best of what I could get in the conditions.
A walk to the point this morning produced Curlew , 3 x Oystercatcher, 2 x Common Sandpiper and a LRP. Plenty of Warblers around calling , also 3 x G S Woodpecker drumming and a distant Green Woodpecker. Sand Martins and Swallows hawking insects over the water and three Buzzards displaying overhead.
Arctic Tern this morning very briefly between 9-00 and 9-30 when it flew off hight to the north . Still two Common Sandpiper and 5 x Oystercatcher's present .
Good early morning birding today with two Dunlin new in , also 5 x Oystercatcher's still. Two male Redstarts made a timely appearance, so did two male Pied Flycatcher's. Both different birds from last year as one was a first year male which could be one of our offspring from last year returning.
Little-Ringed Plover x 1 ( first back)
Common Sandpiper x 3
Oystercatcher x 5
Willow Warbler x 4 ( first back)
Blackcap x 7
Chiffchaff x 18
Pied Flycatcher x 1 male (until mid day)
Redstart x 2 male (long periods dissappearing)
Raven
Mandarin x 5 drakes (along inlet stream)
Little Egret x 2
Butterflies 🦋
Peacock x 2
First Dates
Mar 16th Chiffchaff
Mar 24th Sand Martin
Apr 1st House Martin
Apr 7th Swallow
Apr 8th Pied Flycatcher
Apr 10th Blackcap
Apr 10th Redstart
Our first Redstart of the year this morning with two males seen at different locations. Also Common Sandpiper x 3 , Oystercatcher x 2 , Blackcap x 1 and good numbers of Swallow and House Martin over the water.
And some good news it looks like we have Willow Tits back in a completely different location at Rudyard.
Sand Martin x 2
Chiffchaff x 6
Greylag Geese x 5
Oystercatcher x 8
Greenfinch
G S Woodpecker
Mistle Thrush
I couldn't find the Merganser in a two hour search this morning , but did manage two female Goldeneye. 5 x Goosander, 30 x Tufted Duck , 78 x Canada Geese , 89 x Lapwing ,and a single Little Egret. Also good numbers of Siskin around , 3 x Buzzard , 2 x Jay and a Kingfisher.
The female Red-breasted Merganser has reappeared at the north end of the lake , found this morning feeding 100mts down from caravans. Also a single Oystercatcher , 5 x Goosander and 5 x Snipe . At the south end past miniature railway 3 x Little Egret, Kingfisher, Gt S Woodpecker and Kestrel.
The lake is still frozen but in one of the pockets of unfrozen water a single Goldeneye amongst the Mallards and Coots. Plenty of Redwing and Fieldfare around , 7 Snipe along the edge on west side and several small flocks of Siskin. Two separate Great Spotted Woodpecker heard drumming this morning.
Overnight temperatures again down to minus 7 has completely frozen over the 2.5 mile lake . Just three very small pockets of unfrozen water. Holding quite a few wildfowl.
Wigeon x 78
Teal x 38
Goosander x 7
Mallard x 97
Coot x 17
Canada Geese x 217
Snipe x 8
Little Egret x 1
38 species recorded in two hours.
Single Little Egret .
Late News
Yesterday Jan 17th
Brambling x 6 at house feeder in village.
Red-breasted Merganser female still frequenting the area opposite the scout hut. Also female Goldeneye, 2 x Goosander and 3 x Snipe.
Late News
Tawny Owl x 1 on 14th.
Just a quick visit this morning , I try not to visit at weekends as there are too many people around for my liking . Red-breasted Merganser was at north end by caravan park, also female Goldeneye .
For anyone visiting the bird it is at the north end commuting between the reedbed by the caravans and the scout hut which is about 800 yds down the old Railway line. Its usually on the far side which is the west bank. Occasionally it can be seen feeding just in front of the scout hut. Merganser's are rare inland especially at Rudyard as you can see from the records below.
Red-breasted Merganser past Records.
09/01/24 ......1 x female
04/05/22 ......1 x pair
04/04/95 ......1 x pair
14/11/87 ......1 x female
13/11/83 ......1 x female
Red-breasted Merganser still at the north end also 17 x Wigeon , 2 x Goosander , fem Goldeneye, Common Gull and another rare visitor to Rudyard a Great Black Backed Gull.
Female Red-breasted Merganser still present opposite scout hut , also female Goldeneye eighteen Wigeon , 26 Siskin and a Great Black Backed Gull.
A female Red-breasted Merganser at the north end today. Also 17 x Wigeon , 10 Goosander and a couple of Lesser Redpoll.
A very quick visit this morning found 7 x Goosander , 1 x fem Goldeneye, 1 x Little Egret and 5 x Snipe.
At the north end 10 x Goosander , 47 x Wigeon , 18 x Teal , 1 x Kingfisher. At the south end 4 x Little Egret , 8 x Snipe , 1 x Tawny Owl and 2 x Grey Wagtail. Good numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing around the lake and several good sized flocks of Siskin.
A north end visit this morning produced our first Goldeneye of the winter period a single female. Also recorded were 37 x Wigeon , 12 x Teal , 7 x Goosander, 9 x Tufted Duck, 3 x Snipe , 11 x Cormorant, 267 x Canada Geese, 2 x Raven over calling and Siskin on the feeders. Temperatures were a little milder this morning with all the previous days snow and ice gone.
Overnight snow and a very misty start to the day , temperatures around -3 . Only birds of note were 2 x Goosander and 3 x Little Egret.
Overnight temperatures of -4 saw some good duck numbers not seen on the lake for a while. With 5 x Gadwall and 5 x Shoveler making a welcome appearance. Also 56 x Wigeon , 17 x Teal , 15 x Tufted Duck and 4 x Goosander all at the north end . This obviously didn't last long as paddle boarders (AGAIN) flushed them all . This situation needs dealing with urgently. At the south end a Tawny Owl was getting some winter sunshine and 4 x Little Egret were feeding in the Marsh area. Good numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare can be found and a female Reed Bunting and four Bullfinch were noted along with a single male Kestrel and two Buzzard.
A Willow Tit has been sighted on the Marsh at the southern end , also Lesser Redpoll at north end feeders.
460 Pink-footed Geese over at 9-45 this morning heading west. Only birds of note on the water were two drake Goosander. Their are several large flocks of Siskin at the north end.
Pink-footed Geese over heading west at 12-20 , around 200 birds in one large group and one smaller group. Three Raven and a Sparrowhawk at the north end along with good numbers of Redwing. Also noted Bullfinch , Goldfinch , Chaffinch , 10 x Coal Tit and 8 x Nuthatch .
Just heard of a late record from Birdtrack of 6 x Whooper Swans being on the lake on Monday 20th last week. Record is genuine.
South End beyond the Dam.
Two drake Goosander and Kingfisher on the fishing pool and several flocks of Siskin (60+) and Fieldfare along feeder stream. Several Teal feeding in the stream south of the model railway station . Good numbers of Bullfinch around the south end , also Raven and Kestrel noted. A single Grey Wagtail along the dam overflow and a dead Barn Owl along the main road from Leek to Macclesfield eastern Side of lake.
Brief visit this morning to north end saw good numbers of Siskin moving around . The drake Goosander still present and 12 Teal noted amongst the Willows in the swamp area. Goldfinch's are now regular at the feeders with a female Reed Bunting seen there aswell. Other birds noted were Mistle Thrush , Buzzard , Raven , Bullfinch and several Coal Tits , 4 x Nuthatch and 5 x Chaffinch.
Still no sign of any Willow Tits at the feeding station. A good count of 43 x Lesser B B Gulls loafing on the water off the scout hut , also 8 x Common Gull amongst them. Also noted 5 x Cormorant, a drake Goosander and still 12 x Tufted Duck . Plenty of Siskin and Redwing around along with good numbers of the more common species.
Good numbers of Redwing around the lake with several good sized flocks noted. Still concerning news that there is still no sign of the Willow Tits at the feeders. Siskin numbers seem to be good this year with quite a few small flocks especially around north end. No way of counting the size of the Teal flock this winter because the water levels are so high they are feeding down the channel from the reeds towards the bridge.
Still no sign of any Willow Tits at Rudyard this morning , have they been predated or have they simply not breed this year and moved area.
The Imm Scaup was relocated this morning unfortunately 4 miles up the road at Tittesworth.
I couldn't find the Imm Scaup this morning it dosnt mean it's not there it could have been further down the lake where I didn't go, it is over 2 miles long. Around thirty plus Siskin in one flock by the bridge feeders also a male Reed Bunting put in an appearance. Eight Teal were feeding in the swamp area on the left after the bridge .There has been no sign of Willow Tit this winter period so a little concerning. A report of over 200 Redwing and Fieldfare coming into roost at the north end late last night.
Just had notification of a old record from last year of a pair of Red-breasted Merganser's on the lake on 4th May 2022 for the morning only. And apparently a day later a pair were noted at Carsington Water.
Imm Scaup still present at North end frequenting between the point and reedbed by caravans. Siskin numbers are increasing around the feeders , 30+ noted last week.
Past Scaup records
08/05/1980.......... x 4 Birds (2 pair)
02/02/1985.......... x 1 Bird (drake)
16/12/1985.......... x 1 Bird ( imm drake)
07/11/1987.......... x 1 Bird (imm)
20/12/1987.......... x 3 Birds ( imm)
14/04/2013.......... x 1 Bird (adult fem)
16/04/2013.......... x 1 Bird (adult drake)
05/11/2023.......... x 1 x Bird ( imm)
Imm Scaup still present at North end along with Peregrine , Kingfisher and Raven. Good numbers of Redwing around and all the local suspects around the feeders.
