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JANUARY 2006
Diary and News
from Chasewater |
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
February 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: Julian Allen (JA), John Bennett (JB), Martine Bevan (MB), Steve Bevan (SB), Bruce & Liz Bolton (B & LB), Ian Butler (IB), Harvy Carter (HC), Roger Clay (RC), Gareth Clements (GC), Kevin Clements (KC), Bevan Craddock (BC), Peter Dedicoat (PD), Graham Evans (GE), Andrew Fisher (AF), Dave Garrad (DG), Bev Healey (BH), Brian Jones (BJ), Jackie Jones (JJ), Terry Hancox (TH), John Harris (JH), Steve Haynes (SH), Paul Hyde (PH), Robert Jeffery (RJ), Paul Jeynes (PJ), Ian Littlewood (IL), Brian McGeough (BM), Andy Mabbett (AM), Graham Mant (GJM), Chaz Mason (CM), Natalie (N), Peter Newman (PN), Steve Nuttall (SN), Eric Phillips (EGP), Ivan Poole (IP), Geoff Quemby (GQ), Bruce Read (BR), Steve Richards (SR), Geoff Richardson (GR), Ian Ryding (IR), Bernard Smith (BS), Roy Smith (RSm), Tony Stackhouse (AS), Neil Stych (NS), Rachel Stych (RS), Steve Tomkinsons (ST), Ade Turner (AT), Ian Ward (IW), Phill Ward (PW), Geoff Williams (GW), Ted Winks (TW), Ian Whitehouse (ICW), Nigel Wright (NW), Martyn Yapp (MY). Records also from Birdguides (BG) and WMBC Hotline (WMBC)
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2006 |
Sightings/News |
Photos |
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Tues 31 January
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Beautiful afternoon, totally flat calm (until a powerboat interrupted
later on)
Main pool; Kingfisher flying straight out over the water, drake Smew, drake Pintail, 1 drake Goosander very close to the shore in the corner by the power boat club. Jeffrey’s Swag; 21+ Gadwall (N). |
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Mon 30 January |
Gull Roost: about 900 ‘large’ gulls and possibly as many as 15 000 Black-headed Gulls (PJ, IW) | ||
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Sunday 29 January
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128 Goldeneye, 5 Goosanders (PJ).
1
Kingfisher, 2 Red Deer (NJW) Slurry Pool: 2 Gadwall (1 pair), 2 Scaup (PJ). Swag: 1 Kingfisher (NW), 1 drake Smew, 29 Gadwall (15 drakes, 14 ducks) giving a record total of 31. Gull Roost: 600 Lesser Black-backs, 7 Great Black-backs, 325 Herring Gulls, 10 000 Black-headed Gulls, about 20 Common Gulls (GE). Kingswood: (12:00) 325 Herring Gulls and 7 Great Black-backs (presumably making up 100% of the totals in the roost , 400 Lesser Black- backs, , 3 Common, 710 Black-headed, 61 Lapwings (GE)Feeding Station: Gt. Sp. Woodpecker paid brief visit to table area. (NW) |
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Sat 28 January |
124 Goldeneye, 1 male Smew, 7 Goosanders, 2 Scaup, 583 Tufted Ducks, 172 Pochard, 98 Wigeon, 22 Gadwall (a site record), 6 Teal, 7 Little Grebes, 1 Kingfisher (GE, PJ). 1 Short-eared Owl flew along the by-pass, north-east of the dam at dusk (IW). Gull Roost: 450 Lesser Black-backs, 8500+ Black-headed Gulls. The whole roost was put to the air by a Sparrowhawk flying across the lake! (GE).
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Fri 27 January |
1
Shelduck on
main lake.
Feeding Station: 4 willow Tits, Coal, Great , Blue, Long- tailed Tits, Chaffinch and Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting, Robin, Great Spotted Woodpecker and a few rats (GR). Similar picture today plus mixed flock of Goldfinches and redpolls in the trees surrounding the feeders, Gt. Sp. Woodpecker (N).
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Thurs 26 January |
Male Smew in Fly Bay (WMBC). | ||
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Wed 25 January |
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Tues 24 January
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A quick look at the Swag, Slurry Pool and the main Lake. On the Swag large number s of Pochard, Coot, Tufted, Mallard, with 6 Pintail being an unusual sight. On the Slurry Pool, there were, as usual, large numbers of Tufted and our 2 resident Scaup with excellent close-up views. (but Camera was playing up!). On the main lake, lots of Goldeneye, Great Crested Grebes, Coot, and 2 Little Grebes. 2 Cormorant and 1 Grey Wagtail also noted. Gadwall also on Swag and Main Pool. (BC,BH) | ||
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Mon 23 January |
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Sunday 22 January |
A magnificent Red Deer Stag on the Pool Road motorway bridge after dark
(GE). Feeding Station: 10 bullfinches, 12 greenfinches, male great spotted woodpecker, 3 reed buntings, willow tit, blue tits and great tits. Very misty morning but lots of activity on the feeders.(N) 17 Goldeneye near Dam and 2 G.C.Grebe. 7 Moorhen on Fly Pool. (NW) |
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Sat 21 January
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4+ Jack Snipe, 35+ Common
Snipe, 2 Smew and 2 Scaup
(GM). Cuckoo Bank: 1 Short-eared Owl (GR) |
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Frid 20 January |
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Thurs 19 January
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Gull Roost: 1 adult Mediterranean Gull (IW). Cuckoo Bank : Weather grey cold and windy. I Buzzard over the wood on the Burntwood side. Heathland: 3 Common Snipe, 11 Meadow Pipits, 4 Skylarks, 4 Goldfinches flew over {Gold finches usually feed in plantation}. Fields: flock C 40 Skylarks, flock C 100 Linnets, 22 Grey Partridges {2 covies of 16 and 6}. Eights Wood: near stile 2 Coal Tits and Great Tit in full song, 2 Siskin in alders, Goldcrest and Robin. (JH).
Slurry Pool:
2
Scaup |
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Wed 18 January |
Gull Roost: 1 2nd winter and 2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls (IW). |
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Tues 17 January |
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Mon 16 January |
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Sunday 15 January
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Monthly Wildfowl Count (WeBS): 1 male
Smew,
2 Scaup,
40 Mute Swans, 46 Canada Geese, 1 Water Rail, 924 Coot, 13 Moorhens, 175
Mallard, 14 Gadwall, 147 Wigeon 498 Tufted Ducks, 107 Goldeneye, 102
Pochard, 2 Goosanders, 4 Ruddy Ducks, 5 Little Grebes, 12 Great Crested
Grebes, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Grey Wagtail, 85 Lapwings (NS)
Feeding Station:
My recent sightings have
included Grey Partridge, 3 Siskin, 2 Redpoll, up to 12 Bullfinch, 6
Willow Tit, 3 Reed Buntings, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Great Spotted
Woodpecker. (IW) |
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Sat 14 January
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1 male Smew, 2 Scaup, 118 Goldeneye, 142 Wigeon, 17 Gadwall, 1 Short-eared Owl flew south at dusk (GE, PJ, IW). Gull Roost: 1 adult Mediterranean Gull, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls – adult and second-winter (GE, PJ, IW). Cuckoo Bank: 35 Grey Partridges (GM), 2 Short-eared Owls (IW). |
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Fri 13 January |
1 probable adult Caspian Gull (PJ, GM). | ||
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Thurs 12 January |
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Wed 11 January |
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Tues 10 January |
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Mon 9 January |
Cuckoo Bank: 1 Short-eared Owl, 1 Stonechat, 5 Grey Partridges (WMBC). | ||
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Sunday 8 January
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The 1st winter Glaucous Gull was again reported during the early morning. Swag: The male Smew and adult and first-winter male Scaup were on the Swag (GE) Kingswood: 386 Herring Gulls, 72 Lesser Black-backs, 32 Great Black-backs, 300 Black-headed, 290 Lapwings (GE). |
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Sat 7 January
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The 1st winter Glaucous Gull was present until it flew off southwards at about 08:20 am. The male Smew was on the lake and adult and first-winter male Scaup were on the Swag (GC, KC). The Glaucous Gull was also seen again in the roost. Also 2 Jack Snipes, (GM). Adult Mediterranean Gull reported. |
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Fri 6 January |
1 1st winter Glaucous Gull (PJ, GE, IW). | ||
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Thurs 5 January |
Male Smew (IW). | ||
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Wed 4 January |
Male Smew (IW). | ||
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Tues 3 January |
A couple of Scaup among the Tufted Duck and Pochard on the Slurry Pool - one adult male and one that looked like a first winter. Also a few Goosander, Teal and Gadwall, and hundreds of Wigeon, Goldeneye, Pochard and Tufties on the Swag (RS). Missed the Scaup but did see Kingfisher and what I thought was Glaucous Gull, also Peregrine kill inside tower/building near car park, big bird to kill a Lesser Black-back Gull, only legs and inners left (LT). Wandered up to Cuckoo Bank but all was very, very quiet up there - a few Siskin in the alders and lots of Carrion Crows, but nothing much else. (RS). |
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Mon 2 January |
Male Smew, 2 Scaup, 3 Goosanders, 32 Common Snipe, 1 Jack Snipe, 1 Woodcock, 2 Stonechats, 116 Goldeneye, 107 Pochard, 3 Ruddy Ducks (PJ). Gull Roost: 1 adult Mediterranean Gull (PJ). Cuckoo Bank: 2 Short-eared Owls, 1 Stonechat (WMBC). Goscote Valley: 12 Chiffchaffs (PJ). |
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Sunday 1 January |
2
Scaup,
2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls (KC). Swag: Male Smew (NS). Cuckoo Bank: 1-2 Short-eared Owls (NS). |
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