August 20th

First visit for a while as I try to stay away in July and August , especially around school holidays. Early this morning Little Egret x 2 , Common Sandpiper x 2 , Dunlin , Redstart,  Spotted Flycatcher,  Common Tern,  Bullfinch and my first Hare at the site a big beast aswell.

August 10th

 Six Spotted Flycatcher's and Hobby this evening. 

17th July 2023

Not much of note today before storm came through just Kingfisher , Common Sandpiper and Mandarin. 

Little Grebe Hunt

If anybody visits this year and sees a Little Grebe can you let me know , as we seem to have lost the pair we have had for the last couple of years.

June 2nd

All the usual stuff doing well , no Black Terns here unfortunately.  Red Kite over the north end , looks like the same bird as a few days ago. Five Greylag Geese over and two Garden Warblers singing well , also adult male Grey Wagtail noted. We seem to have lost our Spotted Flycatcher this year. He was around during early May but has not been seen for couple of weeks now , perhaps the female has not returned this year so he has moved on to pastures new.

Blackcap

Several Blackcap were singing well this morning in the early morning sunshine.

The Annual Bird Report has just dropped through my letterbox . If you not a member of the West Midland Bird Club why not. The Report is always packed with information and sightings and the region has some excellent photographers who's work can be seen throughout the Report. Just log onto th WMBC website for further details. 

May 31st

My first Common Blue of the year today long overdue.

Another Long-horned Beetle photographed,  this time it's Strangalia maculata.

May 26th

Red Kite over the north end around 9-00 this morning. 

Photo by David Collis.

Longhorn Beetle.

Found this Golden-bloomed Longhorn Beetle this morning,  a first for me at this site. Normally a open grassland species this was along the path at the northern end of the lake.

May 16th

First Broad-bodied Chaser today , also 2 x Common Tern , 2 male Pied Flycatcher's , 3 x Common Whitethroat and single Spot Fly.

Broad-bodied Chaser. 

May 9th

Three pairs of Pied Flycatcher's and three pairs of Redstart's today also , two Common Whitethroat and two Common Sandpiper and our first Swift over this morning .

My first photo of the second male Pied Flycatcher. 

May 6th

Spotted Flycatcher still at North end , and now three male and two female Pied Flycatchers on site.

May 3rd

First Spotted Flycatcher of the year and Hobby through twice.

Hobby.

May 2nd

Pied Flycatcher x 4 , Redstart  x 6 , Common Tern  x 1 , Common Sandpiper  x 3 , Garden Warbler x 3 , Whitethroat  x 2 and Oystercatcher x 5.

Treecreeper. 

May 1st

Garden Warbler and two Shelduck both new in this morning. Second male Pied Flycatcher still singing by the Dam. South end two Common Whitethroat which are scarce here and another Garden Warbler .

April 28th

We now have six Redstart on site , four singing males and two females. Also noted today were 3 x  Common Sandpiper  , 8 x Oystercatcher ( equals site record) . Single L R Plover and Common Tern , 2 x Willow Warbler and hundreds of Sand Martin and Swallow with a few House Martin.

Redstart.

Common Sandpiper. 

Pied Flycatcher

The pair of Pied Flys are settling into life at Rudyard very well. I have checked on them every day since their arrival and they have picked a box and are starting to take nest material in , so all looks good. All photography as been done from a distance with a 600mm lens and pictures are heavily cropped as not to disturb.

April 27th

All quiet today nothing new in , Pied Flycatcher's seem to be settling down . Couple more shots below of yesterday's surprise Whimbrel.

April 26th

Pied Flycatcher still singing its head off in search for a female. Also three Redstart and pair Mandarin. Five new boxes put up in a different area.

Female Pied Flycatcher noted at around 10-30 in and around a box along with the male.

A Whimbrel flew in around 2-15 and landed in the field with cows next to the spit. Its a Mega bird for the patch.

Late afternoon the single Common Tern again , 2 x Common Sandpiper,  single L R Plover and a singing Willow Warbler in the car park.

April 24th

First Common Tern of the year arrived late afternoon,  also single Pied Fly , Redstart's still and 2 x Common Sandpiper and single LR Plover. Three Siskin on feeder and couple Mistle Thrush noted , also several Blackcap and Chiffchaff. Male Reed Bunting around feeding station.

Butterflies 

First Orange-tip today , also Peacock and Brimstone. 

April 23rd

Just like busses we now have two male Pied Flycatcher's  on site. Also the pair of Mandarin showed again this morning. And a bit late but the first Willow Warbler singing. House Martin , Sand Martin and around 30 Swallows . A single Common Sandpiper and LR Plover still.

April 22nd

We have our first record of Pied Flycatcher on site today the first one recorded in over 15 yrs. Not unless anyone can inform me differently.  A male was heard singing then located and watched for around a hour. 

April 21st

Nothing new it at Rudyard today , two visits made due to the influx of Little Gull's in the country especially around Staffordshire but no such look here. 

April 19th

Good numbers of Chiffchaff and Blackcap singing , also single Oystercatcher,  2 male Redstart and a pair of Mandarin. A female Redstart has also been noted back at her usual place.

April 11th

Right place right time as a Osprey passed over low looked like it was going to fish , but got chaced off by corvids . Also our first Common Sandpiper of the year and still three singing male Redstart.

April 9th

Redstart  x 2 , Oystercatcher  x 6 , Swallow 30+ , Blackcap x 2 .

April 8th.

Three male Redstart singing this morning.  Two Little Ringed Plover,  2 x Oystercatcher,  3 x Blackcap , 18 x Chiffchaff,  single Raven and Curlew. 

April 6th

Chiffchaff x 21 , Blackcap x 1  , Swallow x 2   Sand Martin  x 3  , House Martin x 1 , L R Plover  x 1 , Mandarin  x 1 and Willow Tit  x 1 .

March 30th

Red Kite over late afternoon. 

March 25th

Brambling fem by Old House first for couple of years.

March 20th

Red Kite drifted North, Sand Martin new in with five noted . Still Oystercatcher x 4 , Chiffchaff  numbers up with 7 at North end and 5 at South end. Mandarin on the stream and LR Plover still , and the Siskin flock is still present. 

March 19th

First Chiffchaff,s and L R Plover,s back today.

Chiffchaff x 3 , LR Plover x 1 , Oystercatcher x 4 and single Curlew over. Also the Siskins have found the new feeder with several seen also a larger flock of around 40+ further along. 

March 15th

No spring migrants yet really the weather needs to warm up a few degrees.  Five Oystercatchers on spit bank this morning along with a count of 26 Cormorant.  Over 500 B H Gull on the water mainly adults with full hoods. 10 x Tufted Duck and Siskins starting to use the new feeder.

March 5th

Oystercatcher x 6 , Raven x 3 , Curlew x 1 and Goosander x 4. Also Bullfinch , G S Woodpecker, Nuthatch and Willow Tit.

March 1st

Seven Oystercatcher,s at the north end this morning along with 3 x Goosander , 2 x Snipe and 12 x Great Crested Grebes. Also of note 3 x Bullfinch, 3 x Buzzard , Song Thrush, Great Spotted Woodpecker and 4 x Raven.

Feb 23rd 2023

Oystercatcher x 2 , Curlew , Wigeon x 12 and Goosander x 2.

January 23rd

Sunny intervals milder today 6dg.

A walk around the north end today and ended up with a excellent flock of 88 x Wigeon , which is the highest count since December 2009. Also today two Snipe flushed from vegetation,  4 x Coot , 8 x G C Grebe , 5 x Goosander , single Grey Wagtail , single Little Egret  and 29 x Redwing.  Around the feeders were a single Willow Tit , 18 x Siskin in Alders by the bridge , and good numbers of resident birds . 

Wigeon part of the flock of 88.

January 21st

Sunny clear skies but cold just 2dg. Overnight frost -5dg.

A walk around the south end this morning produced 12 x Teal , 11 x Snipe , Kingfisher,  Water Rail ,  2 x Buzzard , 2 x Raven , 4 x Little Egret , several Nuthatch , 3 x Moorhen , L B B Gull , 2 x Bullfinch and 3 x Siskin.

Raven. 

Little Egret. 

Wigeon

Todays count of 71 x Wigeon is the highest count in 11 years , with 78 recorded in March 2012 .

January 20th

Nice sunny and dry for a change 4dg.

Good number of Wigeon this morning with 71 counted along with 3 x Teal , a single drake Tufted,  6 x Coot , 12 x G C Grebe, and 10 x Snipe. Approx 250 Canada Geese and a single Greylag feeding in the field . The feeders were productive with a fem Reed Bunting , 17 x Siskin , 3 x Nuthatch , 7 x Coal Tit , Bullfinch  , Treecreeper  and 2 x Willow Tit. Other birds of note are 2 x Mistle Thrush a single Song Thrush , 6 x Redwing and a single Jay. 

Reed Bunting female. 

January 19th

Another night of heavy snowfall temperatures down to -4dg. Bright sunny start 2dg.

January 18th

Overnight snow with temperatures of -4dg. Rudyard looked stunning this morning bathed in sunshine and covered in snow , see pictures below. North end produced 15 x Wigeon , 10 x Teal , 2 x Tufted , 3 x Coot and a single G C Grebe. On and around the feeders were 2 x Willow Tit , 12 x Robin , 3 x L T Tits , 2 x Nuthatch  , 3 x Chaffinch and good numbers of Blue , Great and Coal Tits. Others of note 71 x Rook , 9 x Meadow Pipit , 18 x Redwing , 2 x Jay , 7 x Snipe and a single Mistle Thrush. Bringing this years total so far to 53 species.