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2005
Sightings/News
Photos
Thurs
Chasewater: 1 Short-eared Owl, 2 Jack Snipe, 3 Common Snipe, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Cormorant, 1-2 Kingfishers very active and noisy around the Nine-foot and canal (GE). 97 Sand Martins, 208 Lesser Black-backs, 15 Herring Gulls, 1 Great Black-back, 9 Black-heads(IW).
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(See April Diary and Bulletin Board for details and photos)
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A wet grey end, to a wet grey month! GE |
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Wed
Tues
Chasewater:
1 Swallow (GR), 37 Sand Martins, 1 first
year Common Gull (GE).
26 Waxwings at Chapel Avenue, Brownhills flew off at 09:00 (GE).
Mon
Highfield Farm – 6 Teal, 1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Yellowhammers.
30 Waxwings near Howdles Lane Shopping Centre, Brownhills (GE) and 10 on Brownhills Common feeding on Poplar buds at the end of Pool Road (GQ).
Cuckoo Bank: 2 Short-eared Owls flushed by dog walker (IW), 5 (inc 2 pairs) Stonechats, 2 Common Snipe, 4 Buzzards, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 1 Hare (GE, IW). 3 pairs Grey Partridge, 2 Pheasants, 1 Sparrowhawk, 4 Linnets (GR).
Smooth? Newt in stream running west of Pool Number 10 >>>
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Stonechat on Cuckoo Bank and Habitat - G Evans |
Newt (? Smooth) in Pool on
Cuckoo Bank
I Ward
Sunday
Chasewater:
22 Sand Martins, 2 singing Chiffchaffs and 1 singing Willow Tit below
the dam (GE).
Gull Roost:
40 Black-headed Gulls, 25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (GE).
Up to 200 Waxwings in Highfields Road, Chasetown (NS, PW), 20 at
Morrisons/Safeways, Chasetown (GE) and 8 on the White Horse Estate,
Brownhills (GE).
Cuckoo Bank:
2
Bramblings at Biddulph’s Pool (IW).
Sat
Chasewater: 1
Oystercatcher, 5+ Chiffchaffs, 7 Bullfinches, 1 Sparrowhawk, 28 Great
Crested Grebes; chick growing well and parents are now sitting on new
eggs, 1 singing Willow Tit at Fly Pool (GE).
10 Sand Martins (NS).
40 Waxwings at Chasetown (NS).
Frid
Cuckoo Bank: Buzzards, 3 Kestrels, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Stonechat, 2 Grey Wagtails, 7 Fieldfares, 3 Green Woodpeckers, Meadow Pipits displaying, 2 Grey Partridge (GR).
Jeffery's Swag at Sunset >>
GEvans
Thurs
Chasewater: 1 female Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaffs and a few Sand Martins (MY). 1 male Gadwall (GE).
Gull Roost: 101 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 22 Black-headed Gulls, 5 Herring Gulls, 1 Common Gull, 1 Great Black-backed Gull (IW).Wed
Chasewater:
1 Oystercatcher, 1
Buzzard, 155 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 6 Herring Gulls, 43 Black-headed
Gulls, 6 Teal (GE).
Cuckoo Bank:
1
Peregrine, 3 Buzzards soaring, Toads spawning in same pond as frogs,
many singing skylarks, number of Lapwings (JH).
Tues
Chasewater: 8 Waxwings flew north along the west shore at 18:25 (IW).
1 Chiffchaff (PJ)
Gull Roost:
136 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 1 1st summer Great
Black-backed Gull, 1 adult argentatus Herring Gull, 94
Black-headed Gulls, 1 Cormorant, 6 Teal (GE).
Cuckoo Bank:
1 Buzzard (IW)
Mon
Chasewater: 1 Chiffchaff, 20 Fieldfares, 44 Canada Geese. 3 Red Deer hinds on Target Point (GE).
Gull Roost:
265 Black-headed Gulls, 230 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 15 Herring Gulls,
2 Common Gulls (GE, IW).
A distant but very likely flock of about 50 Waxwings at 16:35 near
Jack’s Wood (GE).
(4 Waxwings at Bridge Cross Road, Burntwood (PW).).
Report of a Black-eared Wheatear on Cuckoo Bank. Does anyone know the facts about this claim?Sunday
Gull Roost: The pre-equinoxal exodus of gulls is almost complete with only 195 Black-headed Gulls, 110 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 5 Herring Gulls, 1 1st summer Great Black-backed Gull and 3 Common Gulls (GE, IW).
Chasewater: 83 Tufted, 1 Pochard, 2 Ruddy Ducks, 24 Canada Geese, 98 Mallard +23 ‘varieties’, 6 Teal (GE).
The Great Crested Grebe chick out and about with its parents on Fly Pool
(NW).
(16 Waxwings
at Bridge Cross Road, Burntwood (PW).)
Sat
Gull Roost:
290 Black-headed Gulls, 45 graellsii Lesser Black-backs and 2
argenteus Herring Gulls (GE, IW).
Chasewater:
2 Kingfishers, 2
Gadwall, 2 Goosanders, 37 Goldeneye, 106 Tufted, 2 Ruddies, 56 Mute
Swans, 4 Teal (GE).
Frid
Gull Roost:
2 Kittiwakes (1st year and probable second year), 870
Black-headed Gulls(GE,
PJ, BS, IW)
1 Pipistrelle and 4 much
larger bats identical to the one seen in early February (GE, PJ, IW).
Cuckoo Bank:
4 Northern Wheatears (IW).
Most Lesser Black-backs currently roosting
are much darker than this graellsii (GE)
Thurs
(GE, PJ, IW)3
Cuckoo Bank: 3 Buzzards soaring, number of Skylark singing, Lapwings displaying, 2 Grey Wagtails, Stonechat and frogs spawning in a pond (JH).
Spot the Glaucous! (GE) Click on image to ENLARGE
Wed
Tues
Grebe chick is going from strength to strength
(N Wright)
Mon
6 Waxwings at 07:15 in Chasetown (NS).
G E
Sunday
Chasewater: 2 first-year Glaucous Gulls (GE, IW) 50 Goldeneye, 3 Pochard (GE).
Cuckoo Bank: 3+ Short-eared Owls (GE), 6 Stonechats (IW), 2 Lesser Redpolls , female Sparrowhawk, 3 Kestrels, 3 GS Woodpecker (2 drumming), 2 Green Woodpecker, 1 Pheasant, 2 Tufted Ducks, 3 Teal (IW).
In a Brownhills
garden (RJ)
Sat
Chasewater: Great Crested Grebe chick seen swimming around out of the nest today (N).
Highfield Farm – 9 Teal (GE).Frid
Thurs
Wed
Chasewater: 1 immature Great Northern Diver, 1 Curlew (GE, PJ, BS, IW)
Cuckoo Bank: 3-4 Short-eared Owls (B & LB).Tues
Cuckoo Bank: 6 Short-eared Owls, 5 stonechats, 1 Grey Wagtail.(JH)
Better view of G N Diver
(GE)
Mon
Chasewater:
1 Diver, probably Great Northern but appeared small, slender and
Black-throated like at times (GE).
Cuckoo Bank:
7-11 SE Owl, 1 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 1 Raven, 2 Snipe, 1 Jack Snipe, 3
Teal, 2 GS Woodpecker, 1 Mellanistic Mallard (completely dark bird), 3
Bullfinch (IW).
Brownhills:
Female Sparrowhawk, at Brownhills West at 1130hr (RJ)
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R
Jeffery
Taken from about 15metres through double glazing window - digiscoping
Diver in the dark! G Evans
R Jeffery
Sunday
Chasewater: male Smew, 22 Pochard, 3 Shovelers, 1 Kingfisher. Grebe chick still doing well on Fly Pool.
Gull Roost: 555 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 15 Great Black-backed Gulls and still large numbers of Black-headed Gulls (GE).
10 Common Snipe (SR).
Cuckoo Bank: 3 Short-eared Owls, one pair of Stonechats (PJ).
G Evans
Sat
Frid
Chasewater: 1 Shelduck (GE, PJ, IW).
Cuckoo Bank: 3 Short-eared Owls seen from Chasewater’s south shore (GE).3
March
Thurs
Chasewater: 60 Waxwings flew north along the west shore in two flocks at 16:45 and 16:52. 8500 Black-headed Gulls, 550 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (GE, PJ).
The young Grebe looks extremely well fed. This morning he was receiving
a fish every two minutes from his overworked Dad! They have picked an
ideal nest site. As a bonus a Kingfisher was fishing six feet away from
the nest but caught nothing (GR).
Cuckoo Bank:
1 Short-eared Owl (BS).
2
March
Wed
Chasewater: 1 first year Glaucous Gull (IW). Grebe chick still surviving and feeding well (N).
Highfield Farm – 9 Teal (GE).
At 07:15 two flocks of Waxwings totalling 80 birds flew south over Brownhills West (PJ).1 March
Tues
Chasewater: At least one Great Crested Grebe chick is surviving and Fly Pool is now ice-free. 1 Kingfisher GE).
1 male Smew, 5 Gadwall, 1 Shoveler (PJ). 120 Herring Gulls, 10 Great
Black-backed Gulls, 6000 Black-headed Gulls (GE).
Cuckoo Bank:
3 Short-eared Owls seen from Chasewater’s south shore (GE).