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September 2010 Diary and News
All the latest sightings, news and photos from Chasewater, Cuckoo Bank and surrounding areas
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All records and photos (jpegs) are welcome, please send them via our comments page. Home Key to Contributors
1st
 
A juvenile Peregrine was seen off by the gull flock which included a 1cy Mediterranean Gull, an adult argentatus Herring Gull, intermedius Lesser Black-back and an adult Yellow-legged Gull. Other records included 3 Dunlin, a Ringed Plover, 150 Lapwings, 272 Canada Geese, 7 Gadwall, 2 Shovelers, a Pochard, 5+ Little Grebes, 2 Cormorants, 2 of the 3 Hobbies later seen on Cuckoo Bank, 2 Sparrowhawks, a Kestrel, 5 Jackdaws, 50 House Martins, 20 Swallows, a Sedge Warbler, 1-2 Chiffchaffs, Willow Warbler, a Yellow Wagtail, 120 Linnets and 15 Greenfinches. Perhaps the best record of the day was the male Black Darter on the North Shore mire where there were 30 flowering Round-leaved Wintergreens and the nearby main site held 315 flowering plants (GE).
Record shot of a 1cy Mediterranean Gull (GE).

 
West Shore (GE)
It was a good raptor day on Cuckoo Bank with 3 Hobbies, 8 Buzzards, 2 Sparrowhawks and a Kestrel. A charm of 80 Goldfinches was feeding on thistles near the Cannock Road and at the nearby bog pool there were 2 Common Hawkers, Brown Hawker, Migrant Hawker, Black Darter, Ruddy Darter, Common Darter, many Emerald Damselflies and a Willow Tit was calling (GE).
Sunset (GE)
2nd
 
The gull roost held 1300 Lesser Black-backs, about 10 Herring Gulls, 4 Yellow-legged Gulls and around 1500 Black-headed Gulls. 2 Wigeon and 4 Teal were also present (GE).
3rd
 
A Willow Tit and Goldcrest were in the wood to the west of the Swag (PJ).
A Whinchat was at Ryders Mere (PJ).
4th
Sat
 
Very little was noted. A juvenile Peregrine flew south and a Wheatear, Chiffchaff and 3 Teal were present (PW).
On Cuckoo Bank the 3 Hobbies were seen along with a Raven, 2 Buzzards, Sparrowhawk and 2 Kestrels (PW).
5th
Sun
 
2 Wigeon, 2 Little Grebes and a Wheatear were present (GR).
6th
 
2 Wigeon, 2 Little Grebes, a Wheatear, Blackcap and a charm of Goldfinches were noted (GR).
7th
  
Counts included 15+ Chiffchaffs, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 4 Whitethroats, 4 Blackcaps, a Sedge Warbler, several Coal Tits, a Goldcrest (PJ), 2 Sparrowhawks, 1 Common Sandpiper, a Ringed Plover, 2 Little Grebes, 30+ Goldfinches, 35+ Linnets, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 20 Swallows, 8 House Martins and a young Red Deer Stag. Butterflies and dragonflies included 11 Speckled Woods and 3 Southern Hawkers (EO).
8th
  
A Swift was present along with at least 15 Chiffchaffs, 4 Blackcaps, and a Whitethroat (PJ).
9th
 
An adult Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Ringed Plovers, 100 Lapwings, 5 Snipe, a Cormorant, 5 Buzzards, 2 Sparrowhawks, 60 Linnets and 40 Goldfinches (GE).
10th
 
At least 20 Chiffchaffs were present, a Willow Tit was at Willow Vale and another on Brownhills Common (PJ).
11th
Sat
 
No records.
12th
Sun
 
Two Hobbies were over the Swag and Slurry Pool along with a Buzzard and a distant Raven. Other counts included 130 Lapwings, a Cormorant, 10 Little Grebes, 2 Shovelers, a Pochard, 90 Tufted Ducks, 9 Jackdaws, a few Swallows and House Martins and 1-2 Chiffchaffs (GE).
Its amazing what difference one growing season can make (GE).
13th
 
No records
14th
  
The juvenile Peregrine was seen again and a Dunlin was also present (PJ).
15th
 
A juvenile Black Tern, 4 Ringed Plovers, a Dunlin (PJ), Wheatear, several House Martins and Sand Martins and a Bar-headed Goose (PW) were present.
16th
 
On the Swag there were 10 Little Grebes, a Ruddy Duck, Grey Wagtail and 20 House Martins (GE).
17th
  
Pink-footed Geese on Jeffrey's Swag © GE
10 Pink-footed Geese were present during the afternoon (JT, VT) but they disappeared soon after flying to the Swag to join the main goose flock which totalled 428 Canada Geese, a Barnacle Goose and a Bar-headed Goose. A Golden Plover, 141 Lapwings, 8 Little Grebes, 6 Wigeon, a Shoveler, Pochard, Ruddy Duck, Cormorant, Buzzard, Grey Wagtail and several House Martins were present (GE, PW) and 3 Dunlin, a Redshank, Yellow Wagtail and at least 250 Linnets were also seen (PJ).
18th
Sat
  
On Cuckoo bank there was a Whinchat, Stonechat, Whitethroat and a Hobby (PW).
At Park Lime Pits there were 4+ Willow Tits, a Whinchat, Stonechat, Yellow Wagtail and 3 Little Owls (PJ).
19th
Sun
 
The WeBS count produced 43 Mute Swans, 387 Canada Geese, 167 Mallard, 78 Tufted Ducks, 1 Ruddy Duck, 12 Little Grebes, 21 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Cormorants, 1 Heron, 511 Coot and 182 Lapwings but sadly two dead Mute Swans were found around the main lake (NS).
20th
 
No records from Chasewater.
At Park Lime Pits there were at least 6 Willow Tits, a Whinchat, Lesser Whitethroat and over 25 Chiffchaffs (PJ).
21st
 
A juvenile Arctic Tern was present along with 107 Tufted Ducks, 2 Pochard, 1 Ruddy Duck, 6 Shovelers, 3 Gadwall, 7 Teal, 24 Great Crested Grebes, 15 Little Grebes, 518 Coot, 2 Cormorants, 6 Herons, 196 Lapwings, 1 Snipe, 100 Starlings, 25 Pied Wagtails, Chiffchaff, 1-2 Swallows and House Martins, several Meadow Pipits and 200+ Linnets (GE, PJ). Around 300 large gulls, mainly Lesser Black-backs, were present until disturbed by two loud fireworks and included 4 (1cy, 2cy, 3cy, adult) Yellow-legged Gulls. 5 Migrant Hawkers were also seen (GE).
1cy Yellow-legged Gull © GE
On Cuckoo Bank there were 3 Buzzards, 2 Sparrowhawks, 2 Kestrels and a juvenile Hobby (PW).
22nd
 
14 Black Terns were present during the evening until 18:45 (PJ, GE, PW).
On Cuckoo Bank there were 3 Hobbies, 7 Buzzards and 3 Stonechats (PW).
23rd
 
No Records.
24th
 
A Black Tern, 11 Wigeon, 2 Kestrels, 11 Long-tailed Tits, 30+ Goldfinches and 40+ Linnets were reported (EO).
On a wet and windy Cuckoo Bank there were 2 Ravens, a Sparrowhawk, a Snipe, 40 Meadow Pipits, 5 Swallows, 10 Goldfinches and 120 Canada Geese flew over in the direction of Chasewater (EO).
25th
Sat
 
The Black Tern was still present along with single Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Curlew and a Green Sandpiper was heard calling (PW).
26th
Sun
 
A brief visit produced 5 Cormorants (PW).
27th
 
A Dunlin, Ringed Plover, 2 Snipe, 2 Cormorants, 12 Wigeon, 6 Shovelers, a Barnacle Goose, around 10 Swallows and House Martins, up to 200 Linnets and 20 Goldfinches were recorded (PJ, GE).
At Stubbers Green there was a 4cy Yellow-legged Gull and an adult Great Black-backed Gull (PJ).
28th
  
Little Stint © Phill Ward
Little Stint © Phill Ward
2 juvenile Little Stints and a Dunlin were on the South Shore (PW).
At Stubbers Green there were 1100+ large gulls including 6 (5 adults, 4cy) Yellow-legged Gulls, 7 Great Black-backs, 3+ intermedius Lesser Black-backs with JP09 still present (PJ).
29th
  
The Dunlin was still present but no sign of the Little Stints (PW).
At Stubbers Green there were 2 (4cy, adult) Yellow-legged Gulls, 3+ intermedius Lesser Black-backs, the following returning (from 2009) ringed graellsii PYC, ALL, CMP, BN, R2DT,  many probable argentatus Herring Gulls, a Black-tailed Godwit and Green Sandpiper (PJ).
30th
  
No records.