Black Swan that has been here on and off since August still present.

Three Goosander (2m, 1f) and four male Goldeneye present.

12 Adult Mute Swan (2 ringed, sent for info) and three cygnets present.

A single Shoveler was the most noted other bird, I think my first one here since my first visit in the 1970s.

-- Edited by Andy Slee on Sunday 3rd of November 2024 07:07:03 PM

Greater White-fronted Goose in among the Greylags and Canada Geese this afternoon. Did a fly around with the Greylags when someone walked on the firshermans path through the field to the west. A presumable Feral Barnacle Goose was present and with the Embden feral geese gave a five goose day! Not had one of those since Christmas Day lunch 1992 .

Two ad, two Juv Great Crested Grebe, Mallard, Gadwall and Tufted Dock, Raven, Great White Egret, Black-headed Gulls and one Lesser Black-backed Gull.

-- Edited by Andy Slee on Saturday 5th of October 2024 07:58:25 PM

here's the reporting site

 

https://waterbirdcolourmarking.shinyapps.io/sightings2/

10.00-13.30

Redsmere:

30 Tufted Ducks, 4 Great Crested Grebes and 2m+4f Goldeneyes.

2 Treecreepers and a singing Chiffchaff were in the adjoining woodland.

A Peregrine soared high above the surrounding fields, were a single Kestrel was also seen.

Capesthorne Hall Pools :

10 Tufted Ducks.

The GN Diver is still holding residence on the Mere  

 

 

The juvenile Great Northern Diver was present this morning, its eighth day. Viewing is best from the car park at the southern end of the mere. It has a tendency to circuit the mere, so if you have time on your hands, it will return to the car park area every 45 mins or so. Views there, especially when it turns round in the south west corner, can be good.

Plenty of other birds about, Canada Geese, feral geese, Great crested Grebe, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Grey Heron, and plenty of fly over corvids.

Midday visit

Apart from the numerous feral geese, Mallards, Coots and Black headed Gulls, the following were seen.

Redesmere area :

1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Buzzard, 1 Chiffchaff and 1 Nuthatch.

Capesthorne Hall (Lakes and pastures) :

A flock of 36 Rooks, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Buzzard, 1m Mandarin Duck (Now out of eclipse), 1 Grey Heron and 3 Gadwall.

Friday 1st January 11am

25 Whooper Swans were just taking off West as I arrived this morning. Not what I was expecting to find, but a great start to the birding year.
28 Goldeneye
Good numbers of the usual Coots, Mallards and gulls plus Fieldfare and Redwings overhead.

Totally agree, Ian, as I said in my last post I think adult female too. The 'darker' neck area is real, it is present and is seen in the links to other sites that I posted re female plumage too. Also as I said in my last post the rear neck area of the Redesmere bird shows, in the pic I attached, as darker than the rest of the head and neck, but not black, and that is how it looked in the field. This is consistent with female plumage. But you are right, Ian, posture made it darker in the field at times as did lighting, the clouds were dark and glowering in the first pics giving a strange, eerie light. I also agree having watched my drake bird at Newchurch mature, that a drake in November would (and did) show a red bill and a pretty much adult plumage (see pic of my 1w drk on Nov 6th 2016 attached here).

Dave Cropper wrote:

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You would also expect the beak to be more intensely red in a male by November. I couldnt see any other feature that James picked up on other than that dark patch and, as in most cases Paul, you have seen the bird in real life and therefore best placed to make a judgement.

---

I agree Dave re bill colour, it's always a good indicator in this species. Also, in the past, I watched a juvenile that arrived at Newchurch 2 years ago develop into a first-year drake watching and photographing it most days and this bird doesn't match any of the plumage variations that I saw. Gut feeling is that the finder, who is a very experienced birder with high levels of ID skills, has called this correctly, a female, probably adult given bill colouration.

You would also expect the beak to be more intensely red in a male by November. I couldnt see any other feature that James picked up on other than that dark patch and, as in most cases Paul, you have seen the bird in real life and therefore best placed to make a judgement. Over to you James!

Hi Ian Just pre-empting any reply from James, Im guessing its the black around the base of the neck which isnt usually found in female birds and obviously would become more extensive when mature in a male. Just my view - well see if James thinks the same.

Just wondering, from the photos, if the Red-crested Pochard could be a first-winter drake ?

Dave Cropper wrote:

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Hi Paul Red-crested Pochard is already in both category A and C on British List. Whilst the Cat. C birds are primarily in SE England, there does seem to be an increase in naturally occurring winter birds. Two or three seem to be touring our region at the moment with carrier species. Get it ticked!

---

I meant our native breeding population being accepted as tickable for those that follow that system. The species overall is actually categorised as AC2E, so is already in A, C2 and E on the BOU List. There was an article in BB re the UK population being self-sustaining now. We also get birds from the Dutch population which is still not Cat A according to BBRC. But I don't give a hoot what category they say it's in - I keep my own list for my own pleasure in my own hobby No committee tells me what I can or can't list

There are some 200 Red-Crested Pochard at Cotswold Water Park (saw ~80 a couple of years back). It's no surprise that they're drifting around. Nice, though

https://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/u18/downloads/publications/wituk200708_5.pdf

Judy Denison wrote:

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With the resident white geese was this one in the photo. I haven't seen it before. Is it likely to be a juvenile or a cross breed? The colouring on its neck appears to stop suddenly and I woundered if this was likely in a juvenile or not.

---

Sorry no-one answered you Judy. It's a feral goose, colouring is just a genetic throwback to grey feral goose genes in its lineage. White farmyard geese like these are a Heinz 57 genetically and occasionally odd bits of colour appear in the plumage.

Back to today. As it is now advised to stay local my trips are limited to under 15 miles away. Exactly that is Redesmere where I went today for a walk. The draw was a report of an interesting duck. A quick scan revealed plenty of Goldeneye, a Gadwall, Pochard and Tufted Ducks. A quick call to a local birder had me walking up the path on the east side. Going past the sailing club I viewed the bay that is tucked away at that end which aythya flocks tend to favour. Eventually there was my quarry - a smart female Red-crested Pochard. As she preened she was fully-winged and was with a good carrier flock. They are a strong candidate to be added to the 'official' British List soon as they breed widely here now. She was always on the far side from the bank that I was on and light wasn't great but I got a few record shots (attached).

Having seen a recent report re: the White-fronted Goose still being in the area, I decided it was time it was added to my 2020 list. Finally caught up with it on Capesthorne Lake after a local dog owner perversely did me a favour by letting his dog chase the entire Greylag flock from the fields and onto the water where they could be easily viewed. The White-front stood out, as did 4 Pink-footed Geese with whom he was keeping company.

On the walk back to Redesmere car-park I had my first Chiffchaff of the year. This one was seen but not heard and is probably my earliest ever.

-- Edited by Paul Flackett on Monday 9th of March 2020 05:31:06 PM

Ive had some information back regarding the ringed Black-headed Gull (Blue ring with white lettering 2E72) I saw on 3rd Jan.

It seems I misread the letter E which was in fact a letter F. So the ring number is actually 2F72 .

It appears that the bird maybe a regular at Redesmere, having been ringed there in January 2013, and reported again in February 2014 also at Redesmere. No reports have been submitted of the bird since then. No doubt the people feeding the ducks provides easy pickings for the gulls as well.

I may get some more details over the next few weeks.

No sign of any White-fronted Geese this afternoon but 10+ Egyptian Geese in roadside fields off A34 near entrance to Capesthorne hall

Couldnt locate the White-fronted Geese or Egyptian Geese this afternoon.
Saw a Black-headed Gull with blue leg ring 2E72 on left leg and a silver ring on right leg. Photo attached

-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Friday 3rd of January 2020 11:24:13 PM

3 Whitefronted Geese today with 2 Pinkfeet on the field opposite the sailing club.No Egyptian Geese seen though.
On water usual Coots,Tufted Ducks ,Mute Swans etc as well as at least 2 Great Crested Grebes,5 wigeon and 5 Golden Eye.

markwoodhead wrote:

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Also 8 Egyptian Geese.

---

 Were they by the sailing club?

Two White-fronted Geese (Adult+ juv) present this afternoon in the Greylag flock by the car park. The flock can be difficult to see due to the dips in the field. 

12.00-13.15

A family party of 2 adults and 4/5 juvenile Spotted Flycatchers this afternoon.
Great to watch them together.
c50+ Swallows over the fields adjacent to the mere.