Red-footed Falcon still showing well at Chatterley, Whitfield until I left at 8.30 tonight, with a Little Owl also present, albeit slightly further away

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 16th of July 2015 11:06:56 PM

I was at Biddulph Grange Garden with Mrs A today so decided to pop down the A572 the extra few of miles to have a look at the Red-footed Falcon.

Unlike previous Red-footed Falcons I have seen this bird came very near to the watching crowd and at one stage the assembled ranks of photographers at the edge of the field had to duck, it came so close to them!!!!

Casual late trip yesterday. The Red-footed Falcon was superbly accommodating. Nothing to do with the photographers feeding it crickets of course :). The juvenile Black Redstart also showed well and a family of 3 Kestrels were on the winding gear with the parents making forays over the Heritage Country Park. Anyone going should take the opportunity to explore as there's the chance of Little and Barn Owl (not seen by me) and 7 species of butterfly.

The colliery is the most complete historic coal mine in the country and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. In the 1980s there was an underground mining museum 700ft down. It's marked as such on my old OS map. It had to close in the early 90s partly for finacial reasons and due to methane gas. There are great views from the top of the landscaped slag heap which incredibly is a mere half the height it used to be having been reduced after Aberfan. It was the first mine to produce a million tons of coal in a year.

Nature and industrial history day out

Red Footed Falcon still at Chatterley, Whitfield when I left at 8pm
Cheers
Karl

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 14th of July 2015 10:02:54 PM

Hi, the entrance road to the colliery is off the A527 Biddulph road not A50. From the A 50 take the A527 ... The entrance road off is off the 3rd roundabout (Turning right)and is signed for the colliery. The horse field is on the left (can't miss it). The black redstart is by the colliery gates just up the same road. Favours the metal fence on the left. Good luck and ride safely.

Joe Wynn wrote:

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Hi! Was thinking of having a look for the falcon tomorrow, could anyone give direction to the site? Was planning of cycling there from kidsgrove.

Many thanks,

Joe

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Hi Joe,
Google maps says 17mins away by cycle, not sure where in Kidsgrove you are though. Get on the A50 Liverpool Road and head for Chatterley Whitfield Colliery near the series of mini roundabouts. Ride up the road towards the Colliery and the Falcon (if still there) favours anywhere around the Horse paddock on the left near the entrance, or flying near the power station to the left.
The Black Redstart was around the fence posts near the colliery entrance, but try not to go through the white gates as apparently police were there Saturday morning asking birders not to enter, which I must say that advice was followed by everyone on both visits I made over weekend from what I saw.

Hi Joe,

I did exactly that today. If you put ST6 8UW into googlemaps it puts a pin on the right spot. It's a pretty straightforward cycle along A roads. There are a couple of hills, but it should only take you about 25 minutes. Head almost up to the colliery gates and the Falcon is in the paddock to the left. If it's anything like today, you'll see the birders first.

The Red-Footed Falcon put on an exhibition 1.30-4pm. It was perched on telephone wires or the building for the most part, but flew past very close on a number of occasions. It had plenty of food (though I suspect that someone had supplemented the local insect population) and was happily eating most of the time I was there. It really is a stunning bird and not all fussed by the people present. The legs seemed more of a deep orange, than properly red to me.

The Black Redstart was also showing well by the parked cars just inside the colliery gate.

A local dog walker was telling me she often sees Barn and Little Owls in the area. A quick search behind the colliery proved very productive, with a Barn Owl ghosting around the arches.

Also seen-
3 Kestrels
2 Buzzards
Whitethroat
Chiffchaff

Hi! Was thinking of having a look for the falcon tomorrow, could anyone give direction to the site? Was planning of cycling there from kidsgrove.

Many thanks,

Joe

Red-footed Falcon AND Black Redstart from the colliery gates early doors this a.m. Not the best viewing conditions, but the falcon still showed extremely well on the wires, with a couple of circuits of the paddock and several visits to the ground just beyond the paddock gate. Apparently it had been on the paddock-side verge of the road earlier in the morning when the first observers arrived. Even better views than the Suffolk 1994 bird.

Great to get out for a wee 23mile twitch and great to see so many friendly faces from this forum

Fabulous bird, very easy location to accommodate plenty of folk watching the bird without any problems for locals etc. As Rob says, it was me who pointed out the guys checking the back of their cameras whilst the bird hovered at head height a couple of metres in front of them. We were all taking pics by the dozen so only when the bird flew off could we tell them, sorry guys

steven burke wrote:

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Chatterley Whitfield. With rob Creek.

Red-footed falcon showing brilliantly this morning it even decided to do some hovering at close range low to the ground.
a bit later on it then decided to land on the ground & just sit there for a while
black redstart showing well just further down the road.

Several familiar faces seen there also & thanks again rob for a great day out.

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I couldn't resist a 2nd visit for this bird and I was glad Steve took me up on the offer of going to see it again.
We pulled up and it was sat on the overhead lines not far from the road. I must say it was nowhere near as active as yesterday probably because it had a belly crammed full of Crickets!
It did however provide a moment of pure quality when as Steve says, it decided to hover at close range, probably within 10ft of us, much to the amusement of most present who realised that 2 birders right at the front in the best possible position to see everything totally missed the surreal moment because they had their heads down comparing 'back of the camera shots'.

Other birds of note...
-1 Black Redstart showing well near the colliery entrance
-2 Kestrel
-1 Common Buzzard
-2 Pied Wagtail
-Plenty of Swallows and House Martins
-few Common Swift
-1 Whitethroat heard
-1 Green Woodpecker heard towards the rear of the power station
-some usual Corvids around
Excellent few hours here and nice to bump into Paul Brewster + wife, and Austin Morley + Dawn

Showed well this afternoon. Also brief views of Black Redstart, and Dennis Atherton and John Tymon

Chatterley Whitfield. With rob Creek.

Red-footed falcon showing brilliantly this morning it even decided to do some hovering at close range low to the ground.
a bit later on it then decided to land on the ground & just sit there for a while
black redstart showing well just further down the road.

Several familiar faces seen there also & thanks again rob for a great day out.

The red-footed falcon was still showing beautifully when I left at around 12.15. Didn't manage the Black Redstart but did manage a Pete Berry and Doc Brewster

Sun 17th June. 09.15 - 11.15 hrs.

Chatterley Whitfield Colliery.

Red-footed Falcon.

Also Black Redstart (F) up near the colliery gate.


Roger.

Arrived mid-afternoon yesterday at Chatterley Whitfield Colliery and it turned out to be one of the easiest Lifers I've ever had.

The Red-footed Falcon was right infront of us in the Horse paddock down to around 25ft away feeding on the ground on what I later found out were Crickets that someone had brought for it earlier.
It did a few fly rounds and into the field near the power station, then on the overhead power cables, then onto the fence posts near the colliery entrance, then hovering at various intervals and then back infront of us on the ground.
Despite being a young bird it still had some fantastic plumage to show off and well worth a visit if you've not seen it.

Other birds of note...
1 Kestrel
1 Common Buzzard
1 Bullfinch (f)
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Song Thrush
2 Mistle Thrush
Plus a few usuals

Met some nice people here yesterday. Sorry I missed you Mark.

-- Edited by Rob Creek on Sunday 12th of July 2015 08:33:17 AM

Chatterley Whitfield

Red Footed Falcon still present at 4.15pm entertaining the masses, giving close views at times down to 30 metres

-- Edited by Mark Burgess on Saturday 11th of July 2015 06:29:36 PM

Little was I to know that the very next day the Stilts would come to me Luckily I was on site for their all too brief touchdown & departure at Ashton's Flash on Sunday!!

Today I ventured down to a new area for me, Radford Meadows Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Reserve in Stafford. Parking is on Meadow Ridge, a small road off the A34 at Radford Bridge over the Staffs & Worcs Canal. From here you walk south along the canal towpath to view the wet meadows & pools to the west over the hedge. On my first visittoday, arriving around 10.30am, I was greeted by a void, no birds and just a woman exercising her Labrador on the nature reserve With houses backing onto the reserve I suppose this is inevitable but not very responsible!

I headed off to have my lunch and returned about 1pm. This time it was so, so much better!! Teal had returned to the pools & many were under the near bank out of view. Eventuallt after several searches a stunning drake Green-winged Teal swam out into view from under the near bank. He had one of the most well-marked vertical chest stripes that I have ever seen in this species. He was displaying to a female, presumably Eurasian, Teal but at that distance who knows Also present and very actively chasing and calling were 6 Little Ringed Plovers, a good number, the most I have seen in one place so far this year. A Common Sandpiper was also on the pools and a single White Wagtail was in with at least 20 Pied Wagtails. A Buzzard sat on an obvious nest on the reserve and close by I found a sitting female Grey Wagtail on a nest too!!

Again a nice little reserve with lots of potential, I am sure that lots more will be found here, and it isn't too far down the road from both Doxey Marshes & Cannock Chase, so any combination of these could be included in a day out, the grid ref is SJ939216

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Friday 24th of April 2015 06:08:20 PM

Myself and my partner also enjoyed a lovely afternoon walk at RSPB Middleton Lakes in the sunshine.

As Doc says, good views of the Black-winged Stilts which gave us the run around a bit being quite mobile until they finally settled down, the incredibly long legs a pleasure to see in flight especially however.

Amazing views of a blasting Cetti's Warbler, a calling Lesser-spotted Woodpecker near the Car Park and 2 Avocet other highlights.

A great reserve with lots of potential, my last visit was for the White-rumped Sandpiper back in 2012 who knows what could turn up next!

A local birder said that the RSPB are in discussions with the local council to consider drainage for the pools which in turn would attract more waders although there appears to be a bit of red tape yet to break through......fingers crossed!

-- Edited by Phil Owen on Sunday 19th of April 2015 12:59:40 AM

Had another trip down the M6 today to Staffs, the sunny weather and a pager message tempting me down to Middleton Lakes RSPB on the Staffs/Warks border near Drayton Bassett. On the Jubilee Wetlands North lagoon, a bit distant and into the sun, we immediately connected with the reason for our trip down - 2 Black-winged Stilts. The ridiculously leggy waders fed on a spit halfway across the lagoon and gave great scope views but I struggled for photos. Three Avocets were also on the lagoons as well as a Green Sandpiper and at least 3 Little Ringed Plovers. On Fishers Mill Pool a drake Garganey was elusive. Several Cetti's Warblers blasted out their song but best of all were two that showed as they chased around forgetting to be elusive! A Sedge Warbler sang from the scrub and was my first of the year. Orange-tip butterflies were out in the sunny warmth as well as Peacocks, Small Tortoiseshells and a Comma.

A good trip to a great little reserve which is being improved all the time, things had changed since my last trip last year and new paths are still being created now. Last year it had Pacific Golden Plover, this year Black-winged Stilts and in the past such goodies as Broad-billed Sandpiper and Least Sandpiper, definitely one to watch

Rob Creek wrote:

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Doc Brewster wrote:

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Really sorry that you didn't connect with the Crane, Rob, as you say no reports since Wednesday, but there may still have been a chance that it was around the area somewhere. Still it sounds like you made the most of your day out and had a cracking time with lots of decent birds, well done

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Cheers Doc,
That's birding for you, when they've gotta go...they've gotta go!
And I wasn't going to drive all that way back without having a good look round first. Rugeley Nature reserve was literally 200yds up the road from the grid ref. There's a few hides, a really good feeding station very active, one of the hides that looks out over the mud flats (you can see this hide from where you park at the gap in the trees) looks as though you can only access it with a permit on the res...it is infact on the nature reserve path and no permit needed. There's a few signs/maps telling you which species to look out for including MARSH TIT but I didn't see any myself, and the car park is big, mostly easy access walking and disabled access too!
Well worth a look if you're in the area.

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Cheers for that info Rob, I didn't know of that reserve, or the access to a hide without a permit at that end of Blithfield Reservoir. That could be really useful for future birds turning up at that end. I will definitely check out the reserve when I am next around that area, thanks again

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Sunday 19th of October 2014 04:17:42 PM

Doc Brewster wrote:

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Really sorry that you didn't connect with the Crane, Rob, as you say no reports since Wednesday, but there may still have been a chance that it was around the area somewhere. Still it sounds like you made the most of your day out and had a cracking time with lots of decent birds, well done

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Cheers Doc,
That's birding for you, when they've gotta go...they've gotta go!
And I wasn't going to drive all that way back without having a good look round first. Rugeley Nature reserve was literally 200yds up the road from the grid ref. There's a few hides, a really good feeding station very active, one of the hides that looks out over the mud flats (you can see this hide from where you park at the gap in the trees) looks as though you can only access it with a permit on the res...it is infact on the nature reserve path and no permit needed. There's a few signs/maps telling you which species to look out for including MARSH TIT but I didn't see any myself, and the car park is big, mostly easy access walking and disabled access too!
Well worth a look if you're in the area.

Really sorry that you didn't connect with the Crane, Rob, as you say no reports since Wednesday, but there may still have been a chance that it was around the area somewhere. Still it sounds like you made the most of your day out and had a cracking time with lots of decent birds, well done

Blithfield Reservoir - Friday early am

Checked various areas of the reservoir including both ends of the road bridge, the area visible from the gap in the trees on Newton Hurst Lane, and a walk round Rugeley Nature Reserve further up the road that looks out over the mud flats on the north end of the res, and a brilliant bird feeding station.

Common Crane not seen since Wednesday and unfortunately it didn't return.
1 Snow Goose type feeding with Canada and Greylag Geese
(Possible influence with domestic type but either way will be an escape...cheers for the info on that Ian)
Approx 75 Golden Plover
10 Grey Heron
Cormorant in good number
A lot of Carrion Crow
At least 4 Raven
Meadow Pipit, Linnet and Pied Wagtail on the move
A few groups of Redwing around (totalling well over 100)
Starling flocks all around the flats
Lapwing in good numbers
Tufted Duck and Shoveler in good numbers
4 Buzzard
2 Kestrel
Lots of Gulls including Black-headed and a single Great Black-backed.

Rugeley Reserve feeding station ...
Coal Tit city!
3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
2 Nuthatch
and plenty of Dunnock, Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch





-- Edited by Rob Creek on Saturday 18th of October 2014 06:22:27 PM

This site is the one I generally check for Blithfield and other Staffs sites, they've not posted it today:

http://staffordshirebirding.blogspot.co.uk/

Any reports today on the Crane?
Nothing on Twitter or anything.
Cheers

Cheers Rob, that extra info will help folk too The Crane is still being reported as in the same location this afternoon, so every chance of it staying around

Doc Brewster wrote:

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Popped down, for the afternoon, to Blithfield Reservoir following yesterdays news of a Common Crane dropping in and staying all day. On arrival a quick scan of Tad Bay from the Admaston Causeway revealed that it was still present, just about as far away as it could get at the far end of Tad Bay. Not having a permit I had to be content with these views.............. or did I?!!

I consulted my A to Z of Staffs and saw that there was a road round the back of Tad Bay, and a break in the trees at that end that might just allow me to see the area in which the Crane was feeding, all dependant upon the contours of the land between that road and the bay. I drove round the short distance and a small muddy pull-in was exactly where I wanted to be. Scanning the geese there was no sign of the Crane, had it flown? Moving up and down the lane I got to a position which allowed me to see more of the muddy shore and there it was, feeding away very happily amonst the Canada and Greylag Geese (as Cranes are wont to do!!). I rattled off a few record digiscoped shots and realised that I was probably closer on the road than those in the 'Permit Only' Hide, not a bad result all in all

p.s If anyone is heading down to look for the Crane the road in question is the minor road between the B5013 E.of the reservoir and Newton Hirst which is N.of the reservoir. You are directly N.of the Tad Bay arm looking S.to the near shore which is where the geese feed, the parking spot is at approx grid ref SK059259. If anyone needs any more info please PM me

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...brilliant directions Doc and if it helps anyone else the B5013 is called Newton Hurst Lane, and if you Google the grid ref that Doc gives, the search will bring up the grid ref with 'Find Me' after it, tap it (on iPhone) and it will take you to the precise location on Google maps, right down to the gap in the trees. If the Crane is still present then I might try for it on Friday morning.
Cheers
Rob

Popped down, for the afternoon, to Blithfield Reservoir following yesterdays news of a Common Crane dropping in and staying all day. On arrival a quick scan of Tad Bay from the Admaston Causeway revealed that it was still present, just about as far away as it could get at the far end of Tad Bay. Not having a permit I had to be content with these views.............. or did I?!!

I consulted my A to Z of Staffs and saw that there was a road round the back of Tad Bay, and a break in the trees at that end that might just allow me to see the area in which the Crane was feeding, all dependant upon the contours of the land between that road and the bay. I drove round the short distance and a small muddy pull-in was exactly where I wanted to be. Scanning the geese there was no sign of the Crane, had it flown? Moving up and down the lane I got to a position which allowed me to see more of the muddy shore and there it was, feeding away very happily amonst the Canada and Greylag Geese (as Cranes are wont to do!!). I rattled off a few record digiscoped shots and realised that I was probably closer on the road than those in the 'Permit Only' Hide, not a bad result all in all

p.s If anyone is heading down to look for the Crane the road in question is the minor road between the B5013 E.of the reservoir and Newton Hirst which is N.of the reservoir. You are directly N.of the Tad Bay arm looking S.to the near shore which is where the geese feed, the parking spot is at approx grid ref SK059259. If anyone needs any more info please PM me

Went down to RSPB Middleton Lakes Nature Reserve, Drayton Bassett this morning and had excellent views of the Pacific Golden Plover. The bird was in almost the same place as the White-rumped Sandpiper in November 2012. Access to the reserve has improved and of course there were no muddy paths today.

The chap with the Macaw species on his shoulder was there again

Pacific Golden Plover @ Middleton Lakes RSPB Reserve

Called in at Tittesworth Reservoir after Coombs Valley.

Would highly recommend the cafe. Parking fee is a bit steep at £2-50 for 2 hours, or £4-70 for >2 hours.
Not surprised to find very high water level.

Common Tern 1
Cormorant 2
Lapwing 3
Common Sandpiper 2
Grey Heron 1
Goosander 1 f.
Great Crested Grebes.
Tufted Duck 1 m 1f.
Swallows.
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 imm.
etc.

Had a decent weekend roaming around Cannock Chase (Brockton)

Not much to see bird wise but the deer were good to watch.

Blackbird
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Coal Tit
Buzzard
Carrion Crow
Chaffinch
Jackdaw
Long-tailed Tit
Magpie
Nuthatch
Woodpigeon

Regards

Dave

Thanks for that Ian, very grateful for the info.

Sounds like a flock of juvenile Starlings then perhaps. Excitingly running around as a flock, stopping and starting while they pick at or dig around the surface. They quite like shorelines and islands too as the ground is often softer.

Louis Hill wrote:

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Tittesworth Reservoir:

Good numbers of Lapwings
1x female Mandarin mixed in with Mallards
Canada Geese
5x Great Crested Grebes
2x Common Terns
5x Oystercatchers
1x Willow Warbler
Long-Tailed Tits
2x Jays
1x Cormorant
Lesser-Black-Backed and Black-Headed Gulls around
2x Barnacle Geese
5x Common Sandpiper

and a flock of 20 or so small brown birds running then stopping, feeding on the island in the middle of the reservoir. What were they??

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Starling sized brown birds?

Tittesworth Reservoir:

Good numbers of Lapwings
1x female Mandarin mixed in with Mallards
Canada Geese
5x Great Crested Grebes
2x Common Terns
5x Oystercatchers
1x Willow Warbler
Long-Tailed Tits
2x Jays
1x Cormorant
Lesser-Black-Backed and Black-Headed Gulls around
2x Barnacle Geese
5x Common Sandpiper

and a flock of 20 or so small brown birds running then stopping, feeding on the island in the middle of the reservoir. What were they???

Yes in fact, they were, got any suggestions? There were rather far away and appeared as a brown blur when I took a photo of them.

-- Edited by Louis Hill on Friday 2nd of August 2013 08:00:12 PM

Glad I went yesterday, got back to the car just before the heavens opened! Stunning views in the short time I was there. Looks like it has moved on, no reports today.

Phil

Originally posted by Ben Smart today: -

Great views of the Caspian Tern at Rudyard Lake, near Leek, today. Settled for a long time, sitting in the mud at the northern end of the lake. Ever so often it gets spooked and flies round with the Black-headed Gulls. At 3pm, just before the heavens opened, the tern set off NW - maybe heading bacl to Chelford Lane?

Caspian Tern for at least third day at Rudyard Lake, favouring the mud at the north end.

Well There was certainly one perched on top of the flight enclosure for that species when a friend and I visited last September.

On Birdguides, a Bald Ibis at Winkhill (near Blackbrook Zoological Park)

Could this be the bird that was present in Greater Manchester last summer

day out with phil Kelly to Cannock chase, walking from seven springs to stepping stones and beyond and back produced some good birds, highlights...

1 wood warbler
1-2 cuckoos
2 tree pipits, more heard
3 redstarts, more heard
3 garden warblers
1 spotted flycatcher
whitethroats, blackcaps, chiffchaffs & willow warblers.
several buzzards around.
plus all usual woodland birds around.

Thursday, May 16th.

As always, a very enjoyable trip to Coombs Valley.

Garden Warbler 3 singing.
Pied Flycatcher 5 singing with good views of one near bridge.
Redstart 3 singing plus good views of another male.
Buzzard 4
Kestrel 1 male.
Willow Tit 1 singing.
Goldcrest 2 singing.
Bullfinch 1m 1f.
Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Blackcaps, etc.etc.

Tittesworth Res.

Common Sandpiper 3
Oystercatcher 2
Lesser Redpoll 1
Whitethroat 1
etc.etc.

Plus, I was informed I'd just missed 2 Spotted Flycatchers by minutes-typical! I was too busy feeding my face with a scone, cream and jam!

RSPB Coombes Valley to see Pied Flycatchers. At least five males and two females present, a pair setting up in nest box 36 just over the bridge. I don't think there can be a better more picturesque setting than this to watch these little birds go about their business and you can leave your scope at home. GS Woodpecker investigating last years home in tree overhanging the stream, Grey Wagtail rockhopping up the stream, Chaffinch, Willow Warbler, Wren, Robin, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Jay, Blackbird, Nuthatch, Blackcap, Treecreeper, Pheasant, all seen from the same spot by the bridge. Overhead were Jackdaws, Carrion Crows, Rooks, and Buzzard. At least two Tawny Owl communicating with one another. On the path down, Garden Warbler and Sedge Warbler. Redstarts present on the reserve but not seen by me. Nice to meet people from as far as Northumberland and Worcester who came specially to see the flycatchers and were blown away by this little corner of the reserve.

sid ashton wrote:

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Glad that you found the bird Phil and that our telephone call this morning was of use

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Thanks Sid. Yes your "spot on" directions over the phone certainly helped as it was a difficult place to find without a bit of guidance.

Lovely bird but don't mention them muddy paths!

Glad that you found the bird Phil and that our telephone call this morning was of use

Myself and Stuart Smith also headed down to Drayton Bassett Pits at RSPB Middleton this afternoon for the White-rumped Sandpiper.

On arrival, the bird was hidden away behind one of the islands in a pool just south of the north pit, but was soon re-located and treated us to cracking views through the 'scope with it's obvious White rump easy to pick out amongst the other features.

2 Little Egrets were also seen amongst the commoner species together with a female Long=tailed Duck which had been found on one of the other pools and certainly got the local borough listers out in force.

A great afternoon in the bright November sunshine and as Sid says, Wellies or old boots are a must, it was a bit muddy to say the least!

-- Edited by Phil Owen on Sunday 18th of November 2012 06:05:15 PM

During a hastily arranged afternoon visit to RSPB Middleton Lakes Nature Reserve, Drayton Bassett, with John Barber we easily picked up the longish staying White-rumped Sandpiper just south of the north pit. Given the fact that it and a couple of Black-headed Gulls were the only birds present on that piece of water we couldn't really miss!!!! A really friendly group of birders present and there was one bloke with a Macaw species on his shoulder that John was all for ticking

If anyone is thinking of going down there, wellies are an absolute must as the 2 mile walk from the RSPB car park at Middleton Hall is really very muddy for most of the way.