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May 2007 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 our comments page 
 April 2007  March 2007  February 2007
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April 2006  March 2006  February 2006  January 2006 

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2007

Sightings/News

Photos
Thursday 31 May  
Wednesday 30 May  
Tuesday 29 May 08:30 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 4 Common Terns, 7 Egyptian Geese back at the Boating Pool, 200 Swifts, 100 House Martins, 30 Swallows, 20 Sand Martins (GE).
Monday 28 May 08:30 1 Ringed Plover, 4 Common Terns. The Egyptian Geese were looking far more wild feeding on the rain soaked Sailing Shore! (GE).

21:28  40 Lesser Black-backs were joined by another 70 from the west, 8 Black-headed Gulls, 6 Common Terns, 50 Swifts (GE).
Sunday 27 May

Rain and cold north-easterlies all day. Difficult to see anything without being soaked but 12 terns present at 19:30, increasing to 20 at 20:00. The 3-4 coming close enough to the south shore to be identified appeared to be the regular Common Terns but at least 1-2 of the distant birds looked good for Arctic as did the party of 8 that appeared later on. 10 of each is probably not far from the mark.

7 Egyptian Geese still around boating pool (GE).
Saturday 26 May

74 bird species recorded during the morning, starting at 04:12. Thought I’d found a Tawny Owl at the north end of the dam only to find it was a Jay doing a fantastic job at imitating both a ‘hoo c-hoo’ and ‘keewick’ call. I had to see the Jay’s throat vibrating to be sure it was the source of the sound.

1 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plovers, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 7 Egyptian Geese, 4 Common Terns, 1 Herring Gull, 1 pair Stonechats, 1 Grasshopper Warbler.

Slurry Pool: Great Crested Grebes with chicks on back, 1 Sedge Warbler, sev Reed Warblers, 2 Buzzards, 1 Dingy Skipper, 2-3 Common Blues, several Southern Marsh Orchids coming into flower.

Church Street Open Space: 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Willow Tits, 1 Sparrowhawk.

Jack’s Wood: 1 Green Woodpecker, family party of Coal Tits, 6 Grey Squirrels. (GE)

Early morning Dunlin on South Shore (GE).

Dingy Skipper at the Slurry Pool (GE).

Rain clouds looming over the Slurry Pool(GE).

Southern Marsh Orchid (GE).

Cuckoo Bank – south end: 1 Cuckoo, juv Little Grebe, 1 Grey Partridge, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Biddulph’s Pool: 1 Treecreeper.

Eights Wood: 3 Treecreepers, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 5 Red Deer.

Heath Hayes side of No Man’s Bank: A family party of 7 Willow Tits, 2 singing Yellowhammers, 1 Buzzard, 1 Heron.

Fair Lady Coppice: 2-3 Tree Sparrows (GE).

Ryders Mere: Oystercatchers with 2 chicks, 1 juv Ringed Plover (CM).
Friday 25 May 07:30 1 Ringed Plover, 2 Common Terns (GE).
Thursday 24 May

17:00 6 Sand Martins, 5 Common Terns.

Swag: 11 Tufted Ducks, 2 pairs Great Crested Grebes and one juv.

Highfield Farm: 18 Canada Geese, 50 Wood Pigeons

21:30  2 Greylag Geese, 280 Lesser Black-backs, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Cuckoo calling (GE).
Wednesday 23 May

18:40 Sailing Shore: 2 Ringed Plovers.

Lake: 1 Herring Gull, 36 Lesser Black-backs, 24 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Common Terns.

South Shore boating pool: 7 very tame Egyptian Geese (GE).
Tuesday 22 May

07:15 7 Egyptian Geese, 2 Sand Martins, 3 Common Terns (GE).

08.40 New path across dam rather smart. 3 Common Terns, 30 Swifts odd Swallow, pair of Stonechats, 1 Kestrel and female Sparrowhawk. 70/80 large imm gulls circling and landing on water, 8 Black-headed Gulls. Reed warblers singing away.

Butterflies: 1 Small Copper on burnt heath, Dingy Skipper west of marsh, several Common Blues along the railway embankment. Back of Slurry Pool another 2 Dingy Skippers, 1 Holly Blue, 1+ Small Heath, Orange-tip, several Small Whites and a Peacock (EO).

21:20 Gull Roost: 178 Lesser Black-backs, 12+ Black-headed Gulls, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Noctule (GE).

Cuckoo Bank: 6.40. 2 Cuckoos twice chased off by Meadow Pipits, 2 Grey Partridge, 1 juv Stonechat, 1 Little Grebe on the top pool. Rest as usual but noticeably more Common Whitethroat. An Emperor Moth was resting on a stem of grass 15/20 yds south of pool 16 (EO).
Monday 21 May

21:15 Now only 7 Egyptian Geese around the boating pool. 1 Oystercatcher, 9 Common Terns, 1 Jackdaw flew west (a species we failed to see over the weekend).

Roost: Less disturbance resulted in a much larger roost than last night; 1 2nd summer Herring Gull (not seen over the weekend), 102 Lesser Black-backs, 19 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Noctules (GE).
Sunday 20 May

8 Egyptian Geese, 2 Oystercatchers, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 1 pair Stonechats, family of Foxes, many Rabbits, several Grey Squirrels.

Slurry Pool/Norton Bog: 1 Sedge Warbler, 5+ Reed Warblers, Ruddy Duck, 6 Lapwings, 2 Skylarks, Meadow Pipits.

Jacks Wood: No sign of Nuthatch or woodpeckers. 1 Mistle Thrush (GE), 1 Goldcrest (NS, RS).

Highfield Farm: 1 singing Yellowhammer, 1 Sparrowhawk.

North bog (GE)

Slurry Pool (GE)

A chance encounter with a family of Foxes was a real bonus for the day (GE).

Cuckoo Bank: 4+ Stonechats, 2 Cuckoos, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 2 Grey Partridges (+ several calling at dusk (NS, RS)), Little Grebes with chicks, 3 Grasshopper Warblers, 4 Four-spotted Chasers,

Eights Wood: 2 Treecreepers, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Goldcrest (GE), 1Tawny Owl (NS, RS).

Fair Lady Coppice: 5 pairs Lapwings with 3 chicks, 4+ Tree Sparrows in 2 story nest box, 1 Goldfinch (GE).
Four-spotted Chaser (GE).
Saturday 19 May

8 Egyptian Geese, 1 Oystercatcher, 8 Common Terns, 2 Stonechats, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 85+ Round-leaved Wintergreens (GE).

1 Turnstone, 1 Cuckoo (CM).

Slurry Pool/Norton Bog: 2 Ruddy Ducks, 5+ Reed Warblers, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Buzzard, 1 Dingy Skipper.

Swag: 3 Tufted, 1 Canada Goose with young gosling (GE).

Raceway Heath: 6 Dingy Skippers (JB).

A real surprise to find a flock of eight Egyptian Geese on the South Shore. Years of perfecting the art of field craft allowed Phill to creep remarkably close to these timid creatures (GE).
Friday 18 May

6:15-8:00 am 80-100 Swifts mainly on or behind north shore, 15 Swallows over pool at visitors centre and odd House Martin.

Top of hill by Slurry Pool:  5 Red Deer ruminating at back of hill, 2 Reed Warblers in reeds, 15 Linnets.

Nothing on N shore or dam due to brisk SW wind (EO).

4 Common Terns (GE)

Moth Trapping near Sailing Club: 1 Scalloped Hooktip, Brown Silver-line
Thursday 17 May Stonechat with brood of young, 7 Common Terns, 1 Turnstone (IW)

4 Common Terns, 30 Lesser Black-backs. Canada Goose with gosling on south shore.

Church Street Open Space: 1 Sparrowhawk carrying a small prey item, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1-2 Whitethroats and lots of Adders tongue Fern (GE).
Wednesday 16 May 1 Turnstone, 1 Common Sandpiper (PW), 1 Oystercatcher, 6 Common Terns (GE), 1000's Swifts and hirundines (IW, N)
Tuesday 15 May

1 Turnstone, 6 Common Terns, 2 Garden Warblers, 44 Lesser Black-backs.

Overflow Channel: 1 Reed Warbler singing, 6 Sundew have survived the fire (GE).

Clayhanger Marsh/Ryders Mere: 1 Marsh Tit, 3 Dunlin, 4 Little Ringed Plovers, 12 Common Terns. Canada, Mallard and Coot have bred but worryingly, the Oystercatchers were nowhere in sight. At least five Yellowhammer, Grey Wagtail on the Ford Brook and still six or seven pairs of Tufted Duck between the two sites though I suspect that some nests may have been washed away in the last few days (CM).
Monday 14 May 1 Black Tern, 6 Common Terns, 1 Turnstone, 4 Dunlin, 1 Ringed Plover, 3 Common Sandpipers, 600 Swifts, 1 Cuckoo, 2 Oystercatchers (GE, NS, PW), 1 Whinchat, 1 Hobby, 1 Redshank (IW). 2 Noctules and several Pipistrelles (PW).

Frame Philling and Neiling ! (GE).

The posing Turnstone (GE).

BlackTern (GE).

Common Tern –still only a hint of red at the base of the bill similar to that of Roseate Tern (GE).
Sunday 13 May
WeBS: 16 Mute Swans, 24 Canada Geese, 115 Mallard, 28 Tufted Ducks, 1 Ruddy Duck, 21 Great Crested Grebes, 7 Moorhens, 92 Coot, 3 Common Terns (NS).
5pm (raining, a lot!)- Many Hirundines and Swifts, 3 Common Terns
South Shore: female Wheatear (N, IW)
Saturday 12 May

1 Dunlin, 2 Common Terns, 3 Herring Gulls, 28 Lesser Black-backs (GE, PW).

Clayhanger: 1 Common Sandpiper
Friday 11 May

09:50 - Not a lot today. Pied Wagtail feeding young on south shore, 1 Common Sandpiper and 1 Dunlin both on dam. Up to 250 Swifts at start of visit, down to 100 at end.  4 Common Terns on main water, 40 Sand Martins in bay by ski club, odd Swallows and House Martins.

Slurry Pool/Norton Bog: 3 Buzzards from top of hill. Reed Warbler in reeds at bottom. Coot with 2 young on Slurry Pool.

Butterflies: 1 Small White, not really the weather for them (EO).

3 Dunlin, 1 Common Sandpiper (PW),

18:00 2 Common Terns, 1 Arctic Tern, 1 Common/Arctic Tern, 60 Starlings (GE).
Thursday 10 May

1 Whimbrel on Water-ski jetty (J).

500 Swifts, 1 Common Tern, 80 Starlings (GE).
Wednesday 9 May 18:30 - 89 Lesser Black-backs, 2 Common Terns (GE).
Tuesday 8 May 2 Dunlin, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Common Tern (GE).

Stubbers Green: 1 Hobby, 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 Common Sandpiper (PJ).
Monday 7 May 3 Common Terns, 8 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Grey Wagtail (GE)
Sunday 6 May No waders seen on Sailing Shore. Fair hirundine and Swift numbers (NS).
Saturday 5 May 2 Shelducks (CM) and 1 Greylag Goose (IW) flew over
Friday 4 May

South Shore: 1 Sanderling and a Dunlin (IW).

Clayhanger: 3 Common Terns (CM).
Thursday 3 May

2 adult Herring Gulls, 22 Black-headed Gulls, 8 Tufted Ducks, 3 Herons, 1 male Stonechat, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Garden Warbler.

Swag: 16 Tufted Ducks.

Slurry Pool/Norton Bog: 3 Ruddies, 4 Tufted, 1 Little Grebe calling, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Buzzard, 3+ Reed Warblers, 4 Lapwings, 1 Azure Damselfly, several columbines (GE).

 

Columbine contrasting with the reeds at the Slurry Pool (GE).
Wednesday 2 May 3 Oystercatchers (IW), 7 Common Terns, 12 Black-headed Gulls (GE).
Tuesday 1 May
1 Turnstone, 1 Common Sandpiper, 9 Common Terns (IW), 80 Swifts (GE)

07.30: 2 Little Gulls – one adult, one 1st summer, 5 Arctic Terns. Up to 50 Swifts spiralled into tight circle but no sign of raptor

Sailing club shore: 2 Ringed Plovers on shore, disturbed by dog and not seen again.

Slurry Pool/Norton Bog: 1 Cormorant flying round, Lapwings having several battles with crows and seeing them off each time.

Turnstone hopping along the dam (GE).

North heath: several Linnets, 1 Common Snipe, Cuckoo calling for at least half an hour.

South shore - 10.30:3 Common Terns in middle as were several Black-headed Gulls flying round for insects and settling back on water.

Butterflies:  North shore by feeder station 2 Green Hairstreaks, 2 Small Coppers, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell and several Small Whites (EO).

Clayhanger Marsh/Ryders Mere: 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Common Snipe, 1 Whimbrel flew north (PW), 3 Common Terns, 1 male Ruddy, 9+17 Tufted, 3 Swifts, 1 Yellowhammer (CM), 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Wheatear (IW).