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  November 2007 Diary and News

All the latest sightings, news and photos from Chasewater, Cuckoo Bank, Clayhanger/Ryders Mere and surrounding areas

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2007

Sightings, News and Photos

Cuckoo Bank: I was on the top fields today and saw two men hunting with hawks. They were using a dog to put up prey. In the distance I saw one bird kill what looked like a Partridge. The one man had what looked like a gun in a bag. Any idea if this is legal or who might know? (GR).

Swag: 83 Goldeneye (+ 2 on lake), 30 Pochard, 3 Ruddy Ducks, 300 Black-headed Gulls, 4 Common Gulls, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kingfisher (GE), 12 Goosanders (JA).

North Shore: 10 Red Deer including one impressive stag (PW).

Stubber's Green: The 2nd w Caspian Gull (PJ).

 

Slurry Pool (© GE)	11:45 Swag: A Bittern flew over from the direction of the main lake. Also 61 Tufted Ducks, 32 Pochard, 7 Ruddy Ducks, 1 Goosander, 43 Goldeneye, 10 Wigeon, 6 Teal, 54 Mallard, 3 Common Gulls, 2 Cormorants, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldcrest, 6 Goldfinches and a Lesser Redpoll. Slurry Pool: 544 Tufted Ducks, the male Tufted x Scaup hybrid, 1 Siskin, 25 Goldfinches and 1 Heron.
	The Tufted x Scaup hybrid showing its rather dark grey back and 'tuft bump' (© GE).

North end of Lake/North Shore: 28 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Tufted Ducks (total= 608), 1 Jack Snipe, 6 Red Deer.

Southern end/ Gull Roost: 1 juv Glaucous Gull (IW, GE, PJ), 7 Cormorants, 75 Lapwings, 2 Herons, 2 Kingfishers, 17 Canada Geese.

Feeding Station: 2 Willow Tits, 1 Coal Tit, 5 Bullfinches (GE).

A nice day for a walk, 2 Kingfishers, 25 Snipe, 10 Reed Buntings, 1 Siskin between Swag and Slurry Pool. 8 Meadow Pipits and 5 Goldfinches. 1 Little Grebe at west end of main water, 16 Cormorants on raft and 1 Heron on ski jump. No sign of Short-eared Owl nor Goosander. 7 Red Deer hinds. Good number of gulls on water and about 60 Lapwings by water ski club (EO).

1 Jack Snipe (PW).

16:30 Little time to see much in the roost but Black-headed Gull numbers are now around 5000 (GE).

07:55 1 Dunlin flying around with the Lapwings (GE).

1 Short-eared Owl (DG).

16:15 Still only around 3500 Black-headed Gulls but quite impressive numbers of large gulls with a juv Glaucous Gull and 80+ Great Black-backs. 1 Short-eared Owl was hunting over the north shore (GE).

12 Cormorants, 37 Goldeneye (PW).

 16:15 A remarkable lack of Black-headed Gulls as a consequence of last week's skua; possibly only 2000 present. Rather better numbers of large gulls including a probable 3rd winter Caspian Gull which showed a white head, pale yellow, darker tipped bill,  flecks over the rear of the neck, dark eye and a distinct, rather pale shade of grey on the back and wings (RB, GE).

Stubber's Green: The 2nd w Caspian Gull and an adult Yellow-legged Gull were present (RB).

Jetty: 128 Lapwings, 1 Kingfisher.

Swag: 33 Goldeneye, 1 Goosander (GE).

Swag: 59 Goldeneye (+ 3 on lake), 31 Tufted Ducks, 19 Pochard, 7 Ruddy Ducks, 3 Goosanders, 53 Mallard, 37+ Wigeon, 2 Cormorants, 3 Common Gulls, 93 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Kingfisher.

Slurry Pool: The male Tufted x Scaup is still present. It looks quite Lesser Scaup like at times but the scapulars are too dark and the head shows too much of a 'tuft bump', 486 Tufted Ducks, 1 Pochard, 58 Coot, 1 Green Woodpecker (GE).

 Gull roost:  A small roost but at least 87 Great Black-backed Gulls, 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull and at least one adult Mediterranean Gull which was also present during the day (PJ).

 

Stubber's Green: A 2nd winter Caspian Gull which was looked for at the roost but wasn't found (RC) .     All photos © R. Clay

07:45 A very frosty and tranquil scene now the skua has gone. The usual flock of Lapwings was on the jetty (GE) but even these had gone by mid morning (PW).

2 Kingfishers, 12 Cormorants, 27 Goldeneyes (PW).

Nothing of note was seen in the gull roost (PJ).

07:40 The Pomarine Skua was again on the red buoy but shrouded by the early morning mist (GE). At 11:45 it was seen to fly to the south-west and was not seen again (WMBC). 111 Lapwings and 1 Goosander. 

Gull Roost: 1 1st winter Glaucous Gull (WMBC).

Clayhanger Marsh: 1 male Merlin (CM).

07:30 The Pomarine Skua was sitting in the middle of the lake (GE) and later reported to be perched on a buoy for three hours till 13:25 when it flew around chasing a couple of Black-headed Gulls. At 13:50 it landed on a light at the Water-ski Club and at 14:10 it flew down to feed on a dead Black-headed Gull and gave fantastic photo opportunities for half an hour (PW). It was still present at 16:30 (Birdguides).

 

Cuckoo Bank: Heathland: 1 Jack Snipe, 4 Common Snipe, Heron, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Jays, 7 Reed Buntings, Kestrel, 2 Mute Swan, 32 Black Headed Gulls, 2 Meadow Pipits, Redpoll, Siskin, 2 Stonechats, 7 Wrens (5 together feeding in ditch). 4 Red Deer hinds looking very wary, Ruddy Darter.

Fields: 3 Golden Plover with 85 Lapwings, 3 Buzzards, Linnet, 12 Skylarks, Common Snipe, 30 Black Headed Gulls (JH).

16:30 As I arrived it was clear that the gull roost was in turmoil again with many hundreds high in the air and another large flock of Black-headed Gulls was tightly packing into the Water-ski Bay.  Only one bird appeared to on the water in the middle of the lake and it proved to be an adult pale phase Pomarine Skua pecking away at a presumed Black-headed Gull. It was still in good plumage with long tail 'spoons' (they usually moult their flight feathers only when they have arrived at their winter grounds) and despite it being preoccupied with ripping apart its prey, the gulls continued to have dramatic panic attacks. Clearly this bird must have been around yesterday and possibly even on Saturday since I don't know if anyone looked at the roost on that day (GE).

Cuckoo Bank: 1 Woodcock, 2 Herons, 2 Buzzards,  1 Kestrel,  200+ Lapwings, 6 Grey Partridges, 4 Stonechats, 100+ finches
too far away to identify (GR).

Swag: 35 Goldeneye, 21 Tufted Ducks, 12 Pochard, 3 Ruddy Ducks, 8 Wigeon, 43 Mallard, 1 Teal, 7 Great Crested Grebes, 13 Coot, 6 Moorhens, 2 Kingfishers, 160 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Common Gulls.

Slurry Pool: 387 Tufted Ducks and one drake, presumed Tufted x Scaup, hybrid that, compared to Tufted, was slightly larger with only a hint of a tuft, a paler blue-grey bill with a smaller black tip and dark grey vermiculated scapulars.

Gull Roost: The roost was panicked several times by an unknown cause (raptor, skua?) thousands of gulls would suddenly rise off the water in a huge flock and eventually settle in tightly gathered groups, only to be disturbed again. Eventually, most of the gulls gathered at the north end, by the island (GE). 

Swag: 4 Goosanders, 5 Goldeneye, 5 Wigeon, 25 Pochard, 3 Ruddy Ducks, 27 Tufted Ducks, 54 Mallard, 1 Teal, 1 Cormorant, 85 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Common Gull, 1 Kingfisher (GE).

16:00 - 16:45 Another impressive gull roost but a sudden decline in the weather resulted in very poor light and a look at the jetty, where over 130 Herring Gulls had congregated along with 22 Great Black-backed Gulls (GE).

Thursday 8th November

07:55  A five minute scan of the water from the dam produced very little other than 4 Cormorants on the raft, 3 Goldeneye and a few Tufted Ducks (GE).

16:50-17:05 A brief session before dark produced 125 Herring Gulls and 5 Great Black-backs dominating the prime roost spots on the jetty; the Lesser Black-backs now demoted to the rather choppy water (GE). 

At least one Brambling (new for the year) with a small group of Chaffinches by the Sailing Club.

Gull Roost: 1 adult Mediterranean Gull, 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull and distant and murky views of what was possibly the Caspian Gull (GE, RC).

09:30 Stubber's Green: No sign of the Caspian Gull. 1 1st w Yellow-legged Gull, 13 Herring Gulls, 65 Lesser Black-backs, 3 Common Gulls, 180 Black-headed Gulls, 1 drake Goosander, 1 Wigeon, 8 Teal, 119 Canada Geese, 81 Lapwings, 2 Herons (GE).

07:15 Large quantities of firework remains at the south end of the dam so it was surprising to see any birds at all! The first 2 hour tetrad survey for the BTO Winter Atlas (covering the area below the dam and east end of the lake) produced 1 Water Rail (first for the year), 43 Fieldfares, 130 Lapwings, 7 Cormorants, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls (adult and 2nd w), 2 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Sparrowhawks, 350 Woodpigeons and an overall total of 43 species. 

Swag: 48 Wigeon, 9 Goldeneye, 14 Pochard, 33 Tufted Ducks, 2 Kingfishers and a Black-headed Gull with near full hood.

Slurry Pool: 425 Tufted Ducks, 3 Ruddies, 1 Heron and 6 Red Deer hinds (GE).

Stubber's Green: The adult Caspian Gull was claimed by some, along with a 1st w Kittiwake (WMBC), but others saw only an adult Yellow-legged Gull (PJ).

Clayhanger Marsh/Ryder's Mere: Click here to read Chaz Mason's excellent Blog and discover what has been seen recently.

07:55 3 Cormorants.

16:45 - 17:10 Another mild and tranquil evening with the lake covered in gulls. Sampling of 1-2 sections of the roost produced one adult Yellow-legged Gull, a very aggressive adult Great Black-backed Gull chasing all other gulls off the raft and the white Black-headed Gull has returned. 350 Starlings passed over the south shore in two tight flocks (GE).

Stubber's Green: The adult Caspian Gull was present (WMBC).

07:50 One 1st w Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Cormorants, < 100 Lapwings on the pier, jetty and raft.

16:45 - 17:15 The gull roost continues to be impressive. Although the Stubber's Green Caspian Gull was not seen amongst the masses, I was only able to look through certain sections of the roost. There were over 80 Herring Gulls on the jetty and > 60 more on the water; most appear to be argentatus but a few were typically small and pale argenteus . 5 Yellow-legged Gulls were found (2 adults, one 2nd w and two 1st winters), one adult Mediterranean Gull,  3 Great Black-backs and 1 Common Gull. The Black-headed Gulls still number around the 8000 mark and Lesser Black-backs about 1500 (GE).

Stubber's Green: The adult Caspian Gull was present again (WMBC).