Evening Visit 18.15-20.00

Elton Hall Flash

8 Great Crested Grebes. The only wader seen here though was a single Lapwing.

A group of around 40 immature Lesser Black Back and Herring Gulls, plus a couple of Great Black Backs settled on a muddy spit.

Also there was a golf ball which a Lesser Black Back Gull thought was an egg. The gull attacked the ball, pecking it with real fury, as did a couple of it's companions.

However not to be outdone by these underlings a young Great Black Back attacked the smaller gulls, then turned it's attention to the hard shelled egg, which did'nt crack.

The gull looked bemused, and must of had a sore beak.

Pumphouse Flash

2 Buzzards, one of which hovered for long periods. A brood of 10 tiny Shelduck ducklings with 2 adults.

Also a couple of broods of Mallards, plus a tiny Mallard duckling in the middle of the flash alone, with no broods nearby.

News from the Sandbach Flashes Grapevine:

Short-eared Owl Maw Green Tip.

Iceland Gull on Elton Hall Flash early am.

Being busy up to late morning I had an hour and a half before lunch so I nipped down to Elton Hall Flash which is still only a few minutes from my house. On the 'salt pan' were two Green Sandpipers, new for me for the year and a few Redshanks. The gloomy weather brought lots of hirundines down low over the pool, all Sand Martins, 100 or so, except for one Swallow but this was only seen by one observer present, I'll have to wait for my first of 2017! Also on the flash was a Great White Egret which showed really well. Up the road on Hancock's Flood the three Little Ringed Plovers still showed well (see picture).

Over on Railway Flash Andy Goodwin found 2 different first-winter Iceland Gulls.

The Avocet flew off after being harassed by gulls.

No sign as yet of the Snow Goose this morning but there is an Avocet on Pumphouse Flash (per Ian Barber, thanks  )

Seeing as how Carys & I were heading down to get more bird seed for the garden (a 20kg sack should now keep us going for a bit!!) from Wheelock Mill near Sandbach, we decided to pop in to the falshes to have a wee peek around. We fell pretty lucky after an initially quiet visit to Maw Green Tip when we heard of a few tasty birds over at the Elton Hall Flash area. Once round there it was Pumphouse Flash that was the first port of call. Meeting up with Ian Barber we were soon looking at a juvenile Glaucous Gull loafing by the flash. But then even more surprising was a bird found earlier, a blue phase Lesser Snow Goose!! Hanging around with the Canada Geese this bird will be tainted by the tag 'of unknown origin' but it was still nice to see. Across the road on Hancock's Flood were 3 Little Ringed Plovers showing very well close to the road. A short visit because of other commitments but a good 'haul' of birds nonetheless.

Juat a post-script to the Snow Goose, it was present on Pumphouse Flash until 5.50pm and then flew off west.

Having a tip off from birding mate Malc Curtin I popped down to Sandbach Flashes late afternoon as I was heading in that general direction shopping anyway! After checking Pumphouse Flash without any luck I turned my attention to Hancock's Flood across the road. My first scan reavealed nothing but on my second pass I found two small waders on the far shoreline. Immediately it was obvious that they were Little Ringed Plovers which showed beautifully in the scope and the sunshine. I don't know if two had been seen earlier on Pumphouse or not, but there were now teo on the flood.

Looks like the possibility of 3 different Glaucous Gulls at Sandbach this winter, 2 immatures & an adult. So Maw Green Tip proving a good place currently, what with Icelands and Yellow-legged Gulls seen too as well as Mediterranean Gulls and the usual array of other common species.

A Glaucous Gull was reported on Hancock's Floods there this morning. No age given.

From the Sandbach Flashes Grapevine:

Glaucous Gull on Pumphouse Flash early afternoon (poss 2nd year bird & if so it's a new one!)

News from the Sandbach Flashes grapevine:

Singing Chiffchaff at Elton Hall Flash, 40 Waxwings at Watch Lane, Glaucous Gull at Maw Green Tip.

Nipped over to Elton Hall Flash when reports of a Glaucous Gull came out on the RBA Pager. Luckily it's not very far from me, equidistant to here or Marbury CP in fact so it didn't take long to get there. Going down to the watchpoint saw not a single birder there but a quick scan revealed the juvenile Glaucous Gull still to be on the water off the spit. The bird was a real beast, huge but pretty dark overall, for a white-winger that is! After taking a few record shots I was looking at the camera and then looked up to find it flying off. I had managed to see it by about 3 minutes, real skin-of-the-teeth stuff, and despite a short wait it didn't return.

Cracking juvenile Glaucous Gull on Railway Flash at lunchtime today. Also, one of the two local Great White Egrets. Huge numbers of gulls on the tip today, more than I've ever seen before. Nice to finally meet local birding legend Andy Goodwin!

As I was heading to a mill in Wheelock to buy more garden bird food I decided to drop into Sandbach Flashes for the morning, but where to go? With a heap of gulls at the moment on Maw Green Tip I decided that that side would be my best bet and that turned out to be a fantastic decision.

After a bit of birding around Groby Flash I decided to head over to Railway Flash which is used as a bathing pool by the gulls. On my first scan it wasn't a gull that caught my attention but a Great White Egret. Up to 2 had been reported in the general area, but mainly at Elton Hall Flash & Pumphouse Flash so I hadn't expected this at all and was well chuffed with my find. I managed a few distant shots, so if a rarity form is needed I've got proof! Gulls were everywhere and finally I found a less common one on the flash - an adult Yellow-legged Gull, nice but not the white-winger that I had hoped for. Many argentatus Herring Gulls were seen along with Herring Gulls, Lesser Black-backed and Great Black-backed Gulls and Black-headed Gulls, birds seemingly everywhere I looked, on the flash, on fields behind and over Maw Green Tip. Eventually I headed off and saw a smaller group of gulls in a field opposite, behind Oak Tree Flash, and as they took to the air one stood out as a large, totally pale bird. As they landed I got the scope on it and found that it was a large juvenile/first-winter Iceland Gull, bingo I managed quite a few digiscoped shots of it before it eventually flew onto Oak Tree Flash for a bathe, giving a restricted view, so I decided it was time to leave. I texted the news to two of the patch lads and put it out on RBA, so hopefully others had a chance to visit. Previously an adult Iceland Gull was seen on the tip but this juvenile is a new bird, so an extra reason to be pleased.

I drove the short distance to Elton Hall Flash in case any patch watchers were there but no-one was, as usual Tree Sparrows were easily seen in the hedgerows here, an easy yeartick! The Salt Pan, Pumphouse Flash and Hancock's Floods were all checked but nothing out of the ordinary was seen extra. Unfortunately it was then time to get the bird seed and head home, but it had been a fantastic visit, not prompted by any bird info system, just checking out a good area and finding some good birds! I hope this year continues in this vein

Juvenile Glaucous Gull on Pumphouse Flash this morning at 9.50am.

Had a text to say there was a juvenile Glaucous Gull on Railway Flash at 1.15pm (per D.Robinson, thanks).

Not at the flashes, but almost certainly heading that way:

A Great White Egret heading west over the Sandbach junction (j.17) of the M6 at approx 8am this morning. (info per P.Hill, thanks)

rob archer wrote:

---

Great White Egret seen off the train going south to Shrewsbury at 0800  this morning .. Don't really know the area but it was on the flash closest to the trainline..

---

 It is on Elton Hall Flash, Rob, the track passes directly behind and abover the flash. Mates reported it to me as being there too, well done :)

Great White Egret seen off the train going south to Shrewsbury at 0800  this morning .. Don't really know the area but it was on the flash closest to the trainline..

Had an update on the Sabine's report. It was seen by a reliable patch regular who has found many good birds at Sandbach Flashes. The bird landed on the closer spit and was only there for 8 minutes before departing. So no chance of anyone else twitching it, sorry  But at least we now know the full story

My info was the same as Patricks, Mark, that it was a 'reported' sighting as far as the pagers were concerned when put out this morning and not confirmed, but this evening they have re-sent the message regarding this mornings report without the 'reported' tag. Hope this helps. So far none of my mates who patchwatch here have confirmed it though.

A Great White Egret was found this morning on Hancock's Flood by Andy Goodwin (info thanks to Ian Barber).

Hancock's Flood is the flooded field on the same side as Elton Hall Flash but just a little further along the road, opposite Pumphouse Flash.

Whiskered terns still present

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 7th of May 2016 06:54:01 PM

Popped down as soon as I got the news, managed to get there before work to see the two Whiskered Terns, as John says, over Elton Hall Flash. The birds were showing very well from the viewpoint, for mostly local patchers when I was there. A new bird for the Sandbach Patch List, well found by Jan Jones who visited this morning to look for Black Terns! A great reward again 

In case anyone want to head there who doesn't know where it is but has Satnav the postcode for Elton Hall Farm (just over the road) is CW11 3QY 

Doc Brewster wrote:

---

The Wood Warbler was showing well this morning on Red Lane, near Watch Lane Flash, at the site of the former Red Lane Tip. It was in partial song and contact calling. At one point it flew distantly over the fields opposite its favoured area and so could be said to be mobile! Good to meet lots of folk down there from the Sandbach & Marbury Patches, thanks to Jan Jones the finder

---

 Amazingly this patch scores again this morning with a male Redstart found opposite Maw Green Tip along the footpath behind Mablins Lane Primary school 

Thw Wood Warbler was showing well this morning on Red Lane, near Watch Lane Flash, at the site of the former Red Lane Tip. It was in partial song and contact calling. At one point it flew distantly over the fields opposite its favoured area and so could be said to be mobile! Good to meet lots of folk down there from the Sandbach & Marbury Patches, thanks to Jan Jones the finder

A Wood Warbler was found on Red Lane Tip today, a really rare bird for the Sandbach Flashes recording area (per Ian Barber, cheers).

Highlights on and around Elton Hall Flash - 3 pairs of Goosander, Willow Warbler, 2 x Chiffchaff. No sign of the Little Ringed Plovers.

At nearby Red Lane Pool, a very vocal and quite showy (at least for this species!) Cettis Warbler, several Reed Bunting and, my first 2 Sedge Warblers of this spring.

As a quick diversion from a shopping trip I nipped down to the flashes this afternoon.

It needed two visits to Hancock's Floods to get my target bird - Little Ringed Plover, with two present. With little or no wader habitat at Newchurch Common I need other local sites for certain species! A Yellow Wagtail showed well on the fringes of the flood pools too along with a White Wagtail and a few Pied Wagtails. Another White Wagtail and a few more Pied Wagtails were by Pumphouse Pool. A male Blackcap showed well by the road on the floods side, singing away too.

On Elton Hall Flash were 9 Black-tailed Godwits and a Dunlin. At least 9 Swallows and 8 Sand Martins flew over whilst I was there. Other common birds here were round the feeders, such as Tree Sparrows and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Had a text today to say that there were 4 Little Ringed Plovers on Hancock's Flood and nearby a fifth bird was on Elton Hall Flash (per D.Robinson, thanks)

Text this morning - 2nd winter Iceland Gull on Pumphouse Flash (per D.Robinson).

Another report for info:

A Kittiwake was on Elton Hall Flash and then flew off NW. An adult Caspian Gull was on Pumphouse Flashand aat the same time the adult Glaucous Gull was again on Elton Hall Flash (all per D.Robinson).

Again passing on info, especially with a weekend coming up (albeit I am working in the shop!!):

An Avocet dropped into Pumphouse Flash this morning but moved through pretty quickly. Other birds in the area included 8 Black-tailed Godwits, 5 Snipe, 2 Redshank, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Goosanders and a pair of Pintail (per D.Robinson).

Just for info:

There was an adult Yellow-legged Gull on Pumphouse Flash early am, which then flew off towards Maw Green Tip. A Chiffchaff was nearby. On Elton hall Flash there were 4 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Redshank, a male Ruff and 2 Pintail. A Long-eared Owl was in hedges at Groby Flash, also here c.20 Snipe and a calling Water Rail. No sign of the Scaup on Railway Flash.  (per Greg Baker)

And I hear that Dave Robinson had a second juvenile & knowing Dave I am sure that was kosher, so a two bird theory that in this case is true So I think the consensus is an adult Glaucous, 1 juvenile Glaucous and a hybrid/ pale Herring Gull type (the bird in the facebook pictures). I pity those that missed the stonking adult, well done on a great picture of her, Patrick 

Gulls, eh?! You either love em or hate em!

Seen the pics of the bird in question and would probably have had it down as a juv Glauc but I am absolutely no expert when it comes to gulls so will leave that to others to decide. Thankfully no doubting the adult, though even that was a little small for a Glauc, though the ringers claim it has the dimensions of a female.

Things progressing all the time. Experts, much more knowledgable than me, have now looked at the pictures & pronounced that the claimed juv Glaucous photographed was indeed a pale Herring Gull or at best a hybrid. I have only just looked on a computer screen and agree that the bill colouration looks wrong for Glaucous Gull but the pic is very pixellated. Surrounding immature Herring Gulls do look very pale too so perhaps the light was tricky to assess mantle colour accurately?

Debate on Facebook as to whether they were all definitely Glaucous Gulls (from photos on there). Some folk are saying that one gull IDed as a Glaucous looked more like a pale Herring Gull.