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Home	December 2004 Diary and News from Chasewater and Cuckoo Bank

All the latest sightings, news and photos from Chasewater and Cuckoo Bank. All records are welcome, please send them to either Bevan or Graham at chasewater.org.uk (substitute @ for at) (jpeg your photos and Zip them) November 2004 Diary January 2005 Diary February 2005 March 2005 April 2005

Key to contributers : Julian Allen (JA), Ian Butler (IB), Harvy Carter (HC), Roger Clay (RC), Bevan Craddock (BC), Peter Dedicoat (PD), Graham Evans (GE), John Harris (JH), Paul Hyde (PH), Paul Jeynes (PJ), Ian Littlewood (IL), Graham Mant (GM), Chaz Mason (CM), Steve Nuttall (SN), Geoff Quemby (GQ), Bruce Read (BR), Steve Richards (SR), Geoff Richardson (GR), Tony Stackhouse (AS), Neil Stych (NS), Ade Turner (AT), Ian Ward (IW), Phill Ward (PW), Geoff Williams (GW), Ted Winks (TW), Ian Whitehouse (ICW), Martyn Yapp (MY). Records from Birdguides (BG)

2004

Sighting/News

Photos

31 Dec
Frid

Roost: 1 adult Iceland Gull and a Regional record count of 615 Great Black-backs (GE)

Cuckoo Bank: 6+ Short-eared Owls hunting at noon, 1 Kestrel, 1 Great Sp. Woodpecker in Eights wood, 1 Heron, c.50 Fieldfare (BC)

Well! - only 2 days missing from December notes UNLESS someone did go on 10th and 17th December!

30 Dec
Thurs

Roost: 1 adult Iceland Gull (GE, PJ, IW, ST et al), 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull (IW), 560 Great Black-backs, 2300 Herring Gulls, 11 Cormorants (GE).

29 Dec
Wed

Chasewater: 1 Ad. Iceland Gull, 450 Great Black-backed Gulls, 11,000 Black-headed Gulls (GE, PH, JH, PJ, SR)

28 Dec
Tues

Swag – 105 Goldeneyes (PJ), 12 Common Gulls, 1 Kingfisher, 10 Goosanders (GE)
Gull Roost - 2 Iceland Gulls (adult and first-winter) (GE, BC, PJ, IW). 2 Yellow-legged Gulls - Adult and 1st W (WMBC)
Cuckoo Bank: 350 Skylarks, 60 Starlings, 6 Grey Partridges, 1 Jack Snipe, 6 Common Snipe, 100 Fieldfares, 2 Kestrels (GE)

And a big thank you to the Power Boat people for not disturbing the roost

27 Dec
Mon

Chasewater: 1 Ad. Iceland Gull, 73 Goldeneye, 13 Goosanders, 58 Pochard, 9 Ruddy Ducks, 4 Gadwall, 21 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Little Grebe, 11 Cormorants, 1 Kingfisher, 200 Fieldfares (GE).
Cuckoo Bank: A Peregrine (came off the ground with what appeared to be a Snipe), 100+ Fieldfare, 30+ Lapwings, a few Jackdaws and the usual Yellowhammers etc (GR). 4-5 SEOwls (PH)

"Snowy" Bay © GE

Boxing Day

Cuckoo Bank: Fall of snow overnight. No sign of Owls. 150+ Skylarks, Reed Buntings, Greenfinch, Yellowhammers and Starlings on stubble fields. 8 Grey Partridge, 5 Common Snipe, Kestrel, 1 Pheasant, 2 Stonechat, Goldcrest in Eights Wood (BC)
Chasewater: 10 Cormorants, 39 Lapwings (GE).

Eights Wood >>
Cuckoo Bank Stubble © BC

Xmas Day

Cuckoo Bank: 37 Red Deer, 1 Hare, 60 Goldfinches and a strong passage of Fieldfares to the west during the early morning, probably numbering over 1000 birds: the largest single flock being over 400. (IW). 2 SEOs and 4 Stonechats from Cannock Road (GE)
Chasewater: 250+ Great Black-backed Gulls (GE), 1 Stonechat, 1 Jack Snipe (GW).

24 Dec
Frid

Chasewater: 11 Goosanders, 10 Cormorants, 25 Lapwings, 30 Meadow Pipits on the south shore grass

23 Dec
Thurs

Cuckoo Bank: SE Owl being mobbed by crow was seen through telescope from South Shore of Chasewater (Beat that!). A birder who actually visited the site records: 59 Common Snipe out of one stubble field, 3 Grey Partridges, an adult Peregrine (prob male), 3 SEOs and two flocks of 80 and 30 Goldfinches and around 50 Yellowhammers.
Farm: 15 Teal, 2 Stock Doves, 35 Redwing.
Chasewater: 10 Cormorants

Feeding Station
Bird Gallery

22 Dec
Wed

Chasewater:

11 Teal on the Highfield Farm Pool

250+ Great Black-backed Gulls amongst the windswept gull roost.

Someone said today that it is all downhill now to SPRING!

21 Dec
Tues

Cuckoo Bank: 6 SEOs (4 sunbathing on fence posts at 13:05 Hrs. when no wind and sunny), 1 Buzzard, 1 kestrel, 4 Stonechats, 12 Goldfinches, 4 bullfinches in hawthorn hedges. A flock of 40 fieldfare feeding on berries, 3 snipe, green woodpecker and grey wagtail.
Gull Roost: 280 Great Black-backs, 11000 Black-headed and 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull.

Who said Belvide was the most
regularly watched site
in Staffordshire? I think we have
overtaken them chaps and chappesses!

I am so far only missing notes from birders for the 10th and 17th of this month. Come on - lets make it a full house for December!

20 Dec
Mon

Chasewater Gull Roost: Blackheaded Gulls increased to an impressive 11,000 and tonight there were 190 Great Black-backs

19 Dec
Sunday

Cuckoo Bank: 3 SE Owls, 60+ Fieldfare and the usual large flock of finches and larks
Chasewater: On the Swag there were 81 Goldeneye, 5 Goosanders, 55 Pochard, 29 Wigeon and 2 Kingfishers

180 G B-backs in the roost

18 Dec
Sat

Cuckoo Bank: 13 Grey Partridge, 2 Stonechats, 30+ Yellowhammers, 100's of Skylarks plus large flock of mixed finches

Feeding Station: 20 Bullfinches (and I wonder why I don't get them in my garden), 4 Reed Bunting, 8 Greenfinch, 4 Coal Tit, 2 Willow Tit, 8 Rats (6 small 2 large)

Great Photographs chaps! Keep 'em coming.
Neil also sent photos of Reed Bunting, Greenfinch, Blue, Great, Coal and Willow Tit. I will create a Bird Gallery where we can put more of our Chasewater and Cuckoo Bank bird photos on display by you modern-day Eric Hoskings!

17 Dec
Frid

16 Dec
Thurs

Cuckoo Bank: Peregrine over fields then flew high over valley heading towards Chasewater, raven, stonechat, green woodpecker calling near wood Heath Hayes side, 7 fieldfare along track feeding on hawthorn berries,strong wind not good for hunting short eared owl.
Chasewater: 5 Jack Snipe, 189 Canada Geese + 4 hybrid Greylag x Canada, 55 Lapwings, 8 Cormorants, 60 Redwings, 70 Fieldfares, 8000 Black-headed Gulls, 380 Lesser Black-backs, 170 Great Black-backs

The feeding station area was very lively with many of the winter thrushes mentioned above feeding in the hawthorn, GS and Green Woodpecker, 2 Willow Tits, 5 Great Tits, sev Blue Tits, Coal Tit, 5 Bullfinches (3 male 2 female), Greenfinches, sev Redpolls and 5 Brown Rats!

They were continuing with the heathland management work on the North Heath today (photos below). The area where we heard the Grasshopper Warbler on our Moth Meeting is being cleared of all birch growth and 'Round Up' is being used to stop regrowth. The workers said they can't use Round up closer than 20 m from the shoreline; hence the shoreline coppice.

15 Dec
Wed

Cuckoo Bank: At least 2 SE Owls back on the Eastern side of Cuckoo Bank near the wood in afternoon.
Chasewater: 4 Ad. Yellow-legged Gulls

14 Dec
Tues

Cuckoo Bank: A report of a man with a gun and a dog seen over the area. Please note description of people, any dogs and cars that are seen and report to Police immediately. No SE Owls seen today (not surprisingly!)

13 Dec
Mon

Chasewater: There has been plenty of heathland management on the north shore in the last few days

Feeding Station

12 Dec
Sunday

Cuckoo Bank: c350 Skylarks (but no Merlin)
Chasewater: 6 Jack Snipe, 1 Woodcock, 30 Common Snipe, 2 Stonechats, 8 Red Deer
Duck Count - 51 Mute Swans, 141 Canadas, 401 Tufted, 60 Pochard, 61 Goldeneye, 3 Goosanders, 3 Ruddy Ducks, 204 Mallard, 16 Wigeon, 15 Teal, 12 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Little Grebes. An adult and 1st-winter Yellow-legged Gull were seen in the roost

11 Dec
Sat

C.Bank: 9 Short-eared Owls, 3 Green Woodpeckers and 17 Red Deer.

Chasewater: I Shelduck, 2 Goosanders, 13 Teal, 30 Lapwings, 13 Linnets, 20 Goldfinches and I adult Yellow-legged Gull. A presumed, but unseen, predator caused panic in the gull roost, which took to the air and resettled in two separate, densely packed, rafts before eventually drifting back to normal. (1 Little Owl heard on Brownhills Common)
Feeding Station: 1 G.S. Woodpecker, 1 Mistle Thrush singing.

9 Dec
Thurs

C.Bank: 8 Short-eared Owls, Raven, 2 Stonechats, Snipe, Sparrowhawk, 150+ Skylark, 80+ Meadow Pipits, 20+ Yellowhammers, 15 Reed Buntings, 22 Red Deer
Chasewater Gull Roost: 2 Ad. Yellow-legged Gulls, 1,150 Herring Gulls, 160 GBB Gulls, ca 7,000 BH Gulls.
1 drake Shoveler, Goldeneye, Kingfisher.
Feeding Station: 9 waxwings in oak tree

8 Dec
Wed

C.Bank: 4-5 Short-eared Owls, several Snipe and 3-4 Stonechats.

7 Dec
Tues

C.Bank: 5 Short-eared Owls, 4 Stonechats.

6 Dec
Mon

C.Bank: Peregrine hunting over fields, 2 Short-eared Owls, 2 Stonechats, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Tawny Owl calling from wood, Grey Wagtail, Redpoll flew over, 12 Red Deer
No sign of Snow Bunting today!

5 Dec
Sunday

C.Bank: Snow Bunting very approachable, Raven, 7 Grey Partridge, Skylark, Reed Bunting, 20+ Yellowhammer, Snipe, Grey Heron, Kestrel, 9 SE Owls in flight around midday. Around 60 birders during the day but some deer culled over night.
Chasewater: 1 drake Goosander

4 Dec
Sat

C.Bank: 1 Snow Bunting, 7 Short-eared Owls, 2 Ravens, 1 Woodcock, 16 Grey Partridges, 1 Grey Wagtail and 350 Skylarks

17 Red Deer but deer cull warning signs are now around Cuckoo Bank.
Chasewater: 87 Goldeneye, 80 Pochard, 27 Wigeon 1 Shoveler, 1 Kingfisher
100 Great Black-backed Gulls in the roost.

3 Dec
Frid

C.Bank: Snow Bunting, 7 Short-eared Owls, 1 Raven, 7 Stonechats and 1 Grey Wagtail on Cuckoo Bank
2 Red Grouse reported (is someone introducing gamebirds for shooting?)

Chasewater: 5 Bewick's Swans flew over

2 Dec
Thurs

C.Bank: Many Skylarks, 70 Common Snipe and 1 Jack Snipe in a stubble field. Snow Bunting is still present.
Chasewater: 2 Stonechats on the North Shore

1 Dec
Wed

C.Bank: The Snow Bunting still present, 8 Grey Partridges, 3 Pheasants, 1 Jack Snipe and 4 Stonechats
A person was seen (with a cycle) on the agricultural land with a falcon, but too far away to note the presence of dogs.

All images, photographs and text on this web site are the copyright © of the author or originator - Graham Evans, Phill Ward, Neil Stych, Ade Turner, Peter Dedicoat, S Nuttall, Ian Butler, John Harris, Ian Littlewood or Bevan Craddock and the © Chasewater Wildlife Group 2002/3/4/5