april2006

home	APRIL 2006 Diary and News from Chasewater and Cuckoo Bank

All the latest sightings, news and photos from Chasewater, Cuckoo Bank, Clayhanger/Ryders Mere
and surrounding areas. All records are welcome, please send them to Graham at chasewater.org.uk (substitute @ for at) and jpeg your photos and Zip them - OR submit your records via Chasewater Chat FORUM
March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005
July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004

Key to Contributors

2006

Sightings/News

Photos

Sunday
30 April

27 Arctic Terns spending much of the time feeding high above the lake with the Swifts. 300 Swifts, 200+ hirundines, 1 Gadwall, 30 Tufted Ducks, 14 Black-headed Gulls (GE). 1 Common Sandpiper (GR).

No Man’s Bank: 1 Whinchat, 1 pair Stonechats, 4 Cuckoos (IW)

Kingswood: 2 Oystercatchers, 3 Wheatears, 1 White Wagtail (GE). 13 Wheatears (RC).

Male Wheatear at Kingswood (GE).

Sat
29 April

1 Short-eared Owl, 2 Redshanks, 2 Oystercatchers, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Common Terns, 1 Heron, 45 Tufted, 2 drake Ruddy Ducks, 150 Swifts, 1 Cuckoo, 45 Black-headed Gulls, 4 Herring Gulls, 4 Lesser Black-backs, 2-3 Buzzards, 2 Sparrowhawks, 1 Kestrel, 1 male Stonechat, several Whitethroats, 3 singing Reed Warblers, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Stock Dove.

Anglesey Basin: 3 Green Hairstreaks (GE).
1 Sedge Warbler (GR).

Jack’s Wood: 1 Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker (GR).

Kingswood: 9 Wheatears (RC).

Roosting Short-eared Owl (GE).

Sailing Shore before the dog walkers!

Redshanks (GE)

Little Ringed Plover (GE).

Fri
28 April

1 Jack Snipe (PW)
1 Gadwall, 54 Tufted Ducks, 30 Black-headed Gulls (GE).

Clayhanger SSSI /Ryders Mere: 1 Little Egret, 1 Wheatear, 2 Reed Warblers (PJ).

Thurs
27 April

100 Swifts, 100 Sand Martins, 1 Common Tern, 8 Lesser Black-backs, 29 Black-headed Gulls (GE).

Slurry Pool: 1 Reed Warbler (per GE).

Clayhanger SSSI /Ryders Mere: 1 Little Egret, 1 Black-tailed Godwit on the island, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Wheatear, 1 Wigeon, 2 Greylags (PJ).

Wed
26 April

Yellow Wagtail, 1 Common Sandpiper (IW), 1 Common Tern, 1 drake Ruddy Duck and very few hirundines (GE).

Cuckoo Bank: 2 pairs Stonechat, 1 Wheatear, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel and lots of singing Skylarks (GR).

Gull Roost: 46 Black-headed Gulls, 4 Lesser Black-backs (GE).

Clayhanger SSSI: 1 Little Egret (PJ).

Tues
25 April

North Shore: 1 Hobby, 30 Swifts, 2 Grasshopper Warblers, 1 male Stonechat (PW).

Swag: 40 Tufted Ducks.

Gull Roost: 30 Lesser Black-backs, 1 Herring Gull, 52 Black-headed Gulls (GE).

Clayhanger Marsh/Ryders Mere: 1 male Whinchat (PJ), 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Wheatears, 4 Common Terns (CM)

Mon
24 April

1 Ruddy Duck

Gull Roost: 37 Black-headed Gulls, 34 Lesser Black-backs, 2 Herring/Yellow-legged Gulls (GE).

Clayhanger Marsh/Ryders Mere: 1 Little Egret, 1 pair Goosanders (PJ). 2 Common Terns, 2 Oystercatchers, 1 Common Sandpiper (ST)
Walsall Wood Sewage Works: 1 Barn Owl at 20:30 (PJ).

Sunday
23 April

1 Short-eared Owl (NS).
2 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 first-summer Common Gulls, 80 Black-headed Gulls (GE). 1 Grasshopper Warbler (Birdguides).

Sat
22 April

2 Sandwich Terns flew through and over the dam at 07:45, 1 Common Tern, 75 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Swift, many hirundines (GE, NS). 2 Grasshopper Warblers (NS).

2 Little Ringed Plovers, 1 pair Stonechats, 1 Whitethroat, many Willow Warblers, Yellowhammer (N).

Kingswood: 17 Wheatears, 3 Little Ringed Plovers (RC).

Fri
21 April

2 Sanderlings, 2 Common Terns, 1 Wheatear, 1 White Wagtail (GE). 1 Tawny Owl (NS, PW).

Fly Pool: 1 Kingfisher, 1 Grasshopper warbler (GR)

Moth Trapping: The evening went well. Moths started to appear an hour or so after dark. The species that have been identified so far are Early Tooth-striped moth, Hebrew character, Twin-spotted Quaker, Common Quaker, Red Chestnut and Clouded Drab(NS, GE).

Sanderlings (GE) >>>>>>>

Thurs
20 April

1 Oystercatcher, 2 Greylag Geese, 2 Shovelers, 1 Common Tern, 100 Swallows, 1 Ruddy Duck (GE).

Kingswood: 2 Oystercatchers, 4 White Wagtails, 40 Linnets (GE).
Ryders Mere: 1 Swift, and a Cuckoo was calling somewhere over by Grange farm (CM)


		These photos were taken in torrential rain through the sailing club railings. The aberrant length of this gull’s bill makes identification even more tricky. All three appear to show Yellow-leg/Caspian features. They say Chernobyl is still having profound effects! What do you think? (GE).

Wed
19 April

1 Short-eared Owl, 1 male Wheatear, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 3 Common Sandpipers, 1 drake Gadwall, 1 pair Shovelers.

Gull Roost: 75 Black-headed Gulls, 170 Lesser Black-backs, 20 Herring Gulls (KC, GE)

Kingswood: 1 adult Kittiwake (RC).

Tues
18 April

1 Short-eared Owl, 1 Dunlin, 3 Common Sandpipers, 1 Common Tern, 1 1^st summer Common Gull, 44 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Stonechats, 2 Swifts, 2 Grasshopper Warblers, 1 Whitethroat, 1 White Wagtail, 2 Teal, 1 Kestrel, 1 Pheasant (GE). 1 Garden Warbler (GR)

Neil Stych © - a confiding Dunlin and a reeling Grasshopper Warbler>>>>>>>>>>

This bird carried a ring; initial investigations indicate it has spent time in Senegal!

Mon
17 April

1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Oystercatcher (IW). 1 Short-eared Owl, 75 Lesser Black-backs, 7 Herring Gulls, 3 Herons, 50+ Swallows (GE). Cuckoo Bank: 1 Short-eared Owl (GE). Kingswood: 3 Wheatears showing features of the race leucorhoa, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Oystercatchers, 40 Lesser Black-backs, 6 Lapwings (GE). 2 Yellow Wagtails, 100 + Linnet (IW).
Male Wheaear at Kingswood (GE)	Female Wheatear at Kingswood (GE)
Clayhanger/Ryders Mere: 1 Little Egret, 6 Teal, 1 Gadwall, 1 Buzzard, 2 Oystercatchers, 1 Whitethroat (GE, PJ).
Little Egret and Grey Heron at Clayhanger SSSI (GE).

Sunday
16 April

Lake: 1 Common Tern, 1 Short-eared Owl (GE).

Clayhanger/Ryders Mere: male Ring Ouzel, 1 Little Egret, 1 Curlew, 1 Goosander, 2 Wigeon, 2 Gadwall, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Wheatears, (PJ).

Kingswood: I duck Common Scoter, 3 Wheatears, 1 White Wagtail (N), 1 Dunlin (GE).

Sat
15 April

Swag: 1 Greylag, 3 Goldeneye, 1 Pochard, 1 Gadwall, 2 Buzzards. Lake: 200+ hirundines, 60 Lesser Black-backs, 46 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Sparrowhawk. Jack’s Wood: 1 Great Spotted and 1 Green Woodpecker (GE). Cuckoo Bank: 6 Stonechats (4 males), 1 Curlew, 7 Golden Plovers, 2 Common Snipe, 4 Kestrels, 2-4 Buzzards, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Little Grebes, 3 Herons, 1 Green Woodpecker (GE).	Two Buzzards passed over the Swag (GE)	Just because it has a forked tail doesn't mean it's a Kite!

This pair of Stonechats are around the western end of the central enclosure (GE).	This bright male spent much of its time testing the first pair’s tolerance.	This male is one of the pair north of the middle pool (GE).
Clayhanger/Ryders Mere: male Ring Ouzel, male Merlin, male Redstart (PJ). 4 Common Sandpipers, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Wheatears, 3 Goosanders (CM).

Fri
14 April

1 Short-eared Owl, 1 Scaup, 1 Pochard, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Ringed/Little Ringed Plovers on raft in the middle of the lake also a sandpiper that towered high from the raft and left to the north, 57 Black-headed Gulls, 1 pair Stonechats, 3 White Wagtails, 2 displaying Sparrowhawks, 1 Kestrel, 15 Willow Warblers, 4 Blackcaps, 6 Chiffchaffs, 3 Goldfinches, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Willow Tits (GE, IW).

1 Brimstone (TH, IW), 2 Peacocks (GE, IW), 1 Green-veined White (IW).

No Man’s Bank: 1 pair Stonechats (IW), 24 Red Deer (GE).

Cuckoo Bank: 1 Short-eared Owl, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 6 Common Snipe, 2 Herons, 2 pairs Stonechats, 1 Rook, 1 Jackdaw, 12 Red Deer (GE, NS).

Slurry Pool (GE)

Thurs
13 April

1 Scaup, 26 Tufted Ducks, 1 Goldeneye, 1 Pochard, 1 Gadwall, 28 Black-headed Gulls, 1 White Wagtail, 1 Rook, 1 Blackcap (GE).

Wed
12 April

1 White Wagtail, 1 Scaup, 1 Gadwall, 2 Jackdaws, 3 Buzzards over Highfield Farm/Brownhills Common and 13 Golden Plovers flew west along the A5 (GE).

Tues
11 April

1 Arctic Tern (GE, IW), 20 House Martins (IW), 1 Dunlin, 1 drake Scaup, 3 Goldeneye, 1 Pochard, 2 Cormorants, 1 Heron, 24 Black-headed Gulls, 50 Swallows, 200 Sand Martins, 2 Willow Warblers (GE).

Clayhanger SSSI: 1 Little Egret (WMBC).

Winter plumaged Dunlin on the Sailing Shore (GE)

Mon
10 April

1 drake Scaup, 1 Cormorant, 4 House Martins, 40 Swallows, 200 Sand Martins, 20 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Herons, 1 Grey Wagtail (GE).

Sunday
9 April

1 Short-eared Owl, 1 drake Scaup, 1 Goldeneye, 1 Pochard, 1 Gadwall, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 2 House Martins, 200+ Sand Martins, 30 Swallows (GE)
1 Grasshopper Warbler (IW), 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1Grey Wagtail (NS).

Sat
8 April

1 Short-eared Owl, 1 drake Scaup, 3 Ruddy Ducks, 1 Pochard, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Herring Gull, 1 Blackcap, 3 House Martins, 100+ Sand Martins, 20 Swallows, 3 Willow Warblers, 5 Chiffchaffs, 1 Kestrel, 7 Bullfinches (GE).

Fri
7 April

Swag: 1 Goldeneye, 1 drake Gadwall (GE).

Thurs
6 April

1 Scaup, 2 Goosanders (both female on Jeffrey's Swag), Ruddy duck (main pool)
100+ Sand Martins (main pool), 4 Chiffchaffs (2 by Slurry Pool), 2 Skylarks (North shore heath), 11 Bullfinches (feeders) (N).

200 Sand Martins, 30 Swallows, 2 House Martins (GE).

Wed
5 April

2 Goldeneye, 2 Ruddy Ducks, 1 Teal, 1 Jackdaw, several Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers (PJ).

Tues
4 April

1 Short-eared Owl, 1 Scaup, 2 Goldeneye, 1 pair Stonechat (PJ).

Mon
3 April

Male Ring Ouzel at Fly Pool, 2-300 Sand Martins, 35 swallows, 2 House Martins., 3 singing Willow Warblers (IW).

Feeding Station: 3 Willow Tits (IW).

Sunday
2 April

1 Buzzard, 1 Oystercatcher, 60 Sand Martins, 4 Swallows, 2 Chiffchaffs (GE)

Sat
1 April

1 Short-eared Owl over the North Heath at mid-day. 1 drake Scaup, 34 Goldeneye, 117 Tufted, 5 Pochard, 1 Teal, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawks, 1 drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker, 80 Sand Martins, 1 Swallow, 5 Chiffchaffs.

Gull Roost: 23 Black-headed Gulls and about 170 Lesser Black-backs (GE).
Birch Coppice, Brownhills: 2 Jack Snipe, 5 Common Snipe, 1 Woodcock (PJ).