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November 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
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Key to Contributors

2006

Sightings/News

Photos
Thursday 30 Nov

Adult Caspian Gull at Stubbers Green (RC).

Gull Roost: 1 adult Caspian Gull and 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull (IW).

Stubbers Green: 1 adult Caspian Gull (RC).

 
Wednesday 29 Nov

Great Northern Diver (P. Ward)

There are now an unprecedented 3 juvenile Great Northern Divers but although the Slavonian Grebes were seen early in the morning (GR), they now seem to have departed. 3 Goosanders and 2 Dunlin.

Gull Roost: adult Mediterranean Gull, 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull (PJ)

Goscote Valley: 4 Chiffchaffs (PJ)

 
Tuesday 28 Nov

 2 juvenile Great Northern Divers, 2 Slavonian Grebes (the first time 2 have been recorded), Adult Mediterranean Gull coming to bread on South shore, 3 Dunlin and 1 drake Goosander (PJ, PW).
Monday 27 Nov

2 juvenile Great Northern Divers, 1 first winter male Greater Scaup, 3 Goosanders (PJ). 1 Common Sandpiper (PS)

Gull Roost: 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls, 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull and 1 probable adult Caspian Gull (PJ, IW).
Sunday 26 Nov

11:40 – 11:45 : 1 first winter Glaucous Gull on the Island but it flew towards Kingswood and probably roosted at Blithfield. 2 juv Great Northern Divers, adult Mediterranean Gull till 10:00 (and again later to roost PN), 60 Goldeneye, 6 Gadwall, 3 Goosanders, 7 Ruddies (JA, PJ). 1 Dunlin flying around (PW) and two on the north shore (BJ).

Cuckoo Bank: 1 Tawny Owl (NS). 

         Adult Mediterranean Gull (PW).

 

Tawny Owl (NS)
Saturday 25 Nov

2 juvenile  Great Northern Divers – the first time ever more than one has been recorded (PW, PJ), 1 first winter male Greater Scaup, 3 Goosanders, 55 Goldeneye (PJ), 8 Ruddy Ducks, 8 Gadwall (N, IW). 13 Golden Plovers flew over, 90 Wigeon (WMBC).3 Dunlin, 18 Cormorants (PW).

North Marsh: 6 Common Snipe (N, IW).

Feeding Station: 1 Woodcock, 3 redpolls, 20 Redwings, 1 Green Woodpecker (N, IW).

Gull Roost: 1 adult Mediterranean Gull (same bird that has recently been seen at Gailey), 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull (PJ)

 

 

One of the two juvenile Great Northern Divers (PW).
Friday 24 Nov 1 juvenile  Great Northern Diver (EGP, PJ, N, PS, IW), 1 first winter male Greater Scaup, 1 adult Mediterranean Gull, 4 adult Yellow-legged Gulls, 3 Goosanders (EGP, PJ, IW), 4 Gadwall (N, PS).
Thursday 23 Nov

1 drake Red-breasted Merganser, 3 Goosanders (IW), 1 juvenile  Great Northern Diver (GE, IW), 14 Cormorants, 2 Herons, 1 Grey Wagtail (GE).

Gull Roost: 7000+ Black-headed Gulls (GE).
Wednesday 22 Nov 1 juvenile  Great Northern Diver (PW, GE, IW), 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull, 2 drake goosander (IW) 14 Cormorants, 1 Grey Wagtail (PW).

Drake Goosander (PW).
Tuesday 21 Nov 1 adult Mediterranean Gull, 2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls (IW). 1 drake Goosander (PW).
Monday 20 Nov

1 adult Mediterranean Gull, 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull (IW).

Cuckoo Bank: 1 Water Pipit (WMBC).
Sunday 19 Nov

1 Dunlin, 1 Stonechat (PW).

Two portraits of a male Stonechat (PW).

Saturday 18 Nov

From the South Shore: 187 Lapwings, 9 Cormorants, 24 Goldeneye, 24 Great Crested Grebes.

Swag: 28 Goldeneye, 50 Wigeon, 35 Pochard, 5 Ruddy Ducks, 2 Gadwall, 4 Teal, 2 Little Grebes, 2 Great Crested Grebes.

Gull Roost: 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull, 160+ Herring Gulls, 400+ Lesser Black-backs, 10+ Great Black-backs, 2 Common Gulls, 150 Starlings flying towards the Slurry Pool (GE).

Slurry Pool: About 1000 Starlings estimated flying into the reed beds tonight (GR).
Friday 17 Nov

1 adult Mediterranean Gull, 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull , 2 drake Goosanders, 1 Treecreeper (PJ). Red Deer stag and a few hinds between the Slurry Pool and Southacres Farm (DG).

Stubbers Green: 1 Ruddy Shelduck (PJ).
Thursday 16 Nov Gull Roost: A very late look at the jetty produced 70 Herring Gulls and 2 Great Black-backs (GE).
Wednesday 15 Nov 2 Goosanders, 9 Cormorants, 1 Grey Wagtail, < 200 Lapwings (PW).
Tuesday 14 Nov  
Monday 13 Nov

1 Dunlin, 20 Great Black-backed Gulls (IW), several Redwings around the feeding station (TW).

Cuckoo Bank: 2 Jack Snipe, 1 Stonechat (TW).
Sunday 12 Nov

Lake: 186 Lapwings - mostly on south side of Island and 32 Great Crested Grebes (NW).

Swag: at dusk - 47 Goldeneye, 56 Pochard and a flock of around two hundred Starlings over the Slurry Pool, presumably about to roost in the reed beds (GE).

Stubbers Green: 1 Ruddy Shelduck (PJ).
Saturday 11 Nov

Lake: 14 Goldeneye, 6 Tufted, 8 Pochard, 1 Ruddy Duck, 15 Teal, 6 Cormorants, 2 Herons, 5 Little Grebes, 23 Great Crested Grebes, 127 Lapwings, 1 Green Woodpecker.

North Heath: 2 Jack Snipe, 28 Common Snipe.

Swag: 40 Goldeneye (total 54), 40 Pochard, 45 Tufted, 8 Ruddies, 68 Wigeon, 4 Gadwall, 3 Teal, sev redpolls.

Slurry Pool: 247 Tufted Ducks (total 298), 4 Pochard (total 52), 36 Lapwings flew over to the west (GE).

Stubbers Green: 1 Ruddy Shelduck, 2 Common Gulls (GE, PJ).

Goscote Valley: 3 Chiffchaffs, Willow Tit, Treecreeper and 2 Grey Wagtails (PJ).

   

Red Deer stag and hind (PW).
Friday 10 Nov

Gull Roost: 1 probable adult Yellow-legged Gull seen whilst getting soaked in the rain (PJ).

Stubbers Green: 1 adult Mediterranean  Gull (per PJ), 1 Ruddy Shelduck (N).
Thursday 9 Nov Gull Roost: Nothing of note seen during the 15 minutes available light (PJ).
Wednesday 8 Nov

4 Whooper Swans present till 13:00 when they flew out to the south-east, 25 redpolls (IW, PJ), 52 Goldeneye (EGP).

Gull Roost: 1 adult Caspian Gull appeared to fly high at 16:45 and depart to the north, 2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls (IW, PJ, EGP).

Stubbers Green: The adult Caspian Gull showed well from 11:00 to at least 13:00, 1 Ruddy Shelduck (PJ, IW)
Tuesday 7 Nov

42 Goldeneye, 4 redpolls (IW).

Swag: 22 Pochard (GE).

Gull Roost: 1 adult Caspian Gull on the jetty again (IW, PJ, GE), 3 adult Yellow-legged Gulls (PJ, IW).

Cuckoo Bank: 2 Common Snipe at Pool 31, 1 Heron, 21 Lapwing, 1 Jay (BR, TH)
Monday 6 Nov

1 Dunlin, 2 Cormorants (PW).

Gull Roost: 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull (PJ, IW).
Sunday 5 Nov Stubbers Green: 1 Ruddy Shelduck (PJ).
Saturday 4 Nov

Below Dam: 1 Treecreeper, 1 Willow Tit (PJ).

North Heath; 1pair Stonechats (PJ). A large area of the North Shore has now been cleared of birch/willow/alder scrub creating a very open aspect (GE).

Swag: 51 Goldeneye, 33 Tufted, 38 Pochard, 6 Ruddy Ducks, 33 Wigeon, 38 Mallard, 2 Teal, 4 Gadwall, 1 Shoveler, 2 Little Grebes, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 5 Mute Swans, 15 Moorhens, 2 Common Gulls, 1 Heron, 30 Fieldfares, 2 Jays (GE, PJ).

Slurry Pool: 420 Tufted, 3 Goldeneye, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Pochard, 50 Starlings roosting in reeds, the 13 point Red Deer Stag and 6 very black hinds, obviously having had a good wallow in the coal slurry! Management work has resulted in the sluice area being cleared of phragmites and birch (GE).

Gull Roost: Little of interest noted (PJ).

Stubbers Green: 1 Ruddy Shelduck (PJ).

Clayhanger Marsh: 42 Teal, 5 Shovelers, 33 Redwings, 1 Fieldfare, 1 Sparrowhawk (WMBC).

Ryders Mere: 42 Wigeon, 2 Common Snipe (WMBC).
Friday 3 Nov

Lake: 3 Goosanders, 17 Goldeneye (PJ), 2 Dunlin, 2 Grey Wagtails, 3 Little Grebes 2 Cormorants (EO, PW).

Raceway Heath: 2 Red Deer – a hind and young (EO).

Gull Roost: Disappointing numbers of large gulls but similar numbers of Black-headed to yesterday (GE, PJ, IW).
Thursday 2 Nov

Gull Roost: 1 adult Caspian Gull on the jetty (RC, GE), 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull, 4 Great Black-backs, 2 Common Gulls, 1 completely white Black-headed Gull (PJ, RC).

2 Dunlin (PW) 12 Goldeneye, 1 Woodcock by feeding station, a few Snipe on North Shore bog and 100+ Fieldfare flew over the pool (GR).

Stubbers Green: 1 adult Caspian Gull (RC).

 

Adult Caspian Gull (RC).
Wednesday 1 Nov

Gull Roost: 7000 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Common Gull, 400 Lesser Black-backs, 85 Herring Gulls (GE).

3 Shoveler on the main pool and 6 Dabchick (GR).

Cuckoo Bank: 3 Common Darters, 80 Golden Plovers (NS).