Andy's reference to a lone Siskin at the feeding station at Marquis Drive
suggests they have left the Chase area during the cold spell for the warmer
climes (and better feeding areas) of our gardens.

In my Penkridge garden I have been getting Siskin feeding on the peanut
feeders and the nijer seed feeders since Xmas but numbers have gradually
increased until this last week they reached 52.   They appear to love nijer
seed and I regularly watch 30 to 40 feeding on the ground under the feeders
as the nijer seed spills out.  I have seen the odd one with a BTO ring on
too so my guess is that it has also visited a ringers garden close by.

They are pretty aggressive birds and don't stand any nonsense from
Goldfinches on the nijer feeder.   Also feeding on nijer seed at the small
hole feeders, have been Greenfinch, House Sparrow and of course Goldfinch.
But the Siskin outnumbers them all at the moment.

I have had over 20 Goldfinches on them but their numbers appear to have
dropped off lately.

Conclusion - nijer seed is a must in gardens in the winter - it appears to
be favoured by many species.  Not cheap though!

2 male Blackcaps just before the cold spell haven't been seen for a week.

Bevan

In message <dSgK$FEnqtR+Ewb8@...>, Andy Mabbett
<webmaster@...> writes
>At the feeding station, behind the Marquis Drive Visitor Centre:

That  is , of course, on Cannock Chase, not at Chasewater; sorry!

>        Brambling
>
>        Siskin:         Lone female
>
>        Yellowhammer:   Pair
>
>        Bullfinch:      at least five
>
>        Coal Tit
>
>Pictures of the first three are now on the Club's website:
>
>        <http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/gallery>

--
Andy Mabbett
Webmaster & Trustee
West Midland Bird Club: ornithology in Staffs, Warwks, Worcs & the West
Midlands county, since 1929 - http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/

At the feeding station, behind the Marquis Drive Visitor Centre:

         Brambling

         Siskin:         Lone female

         Yellowhammer:   Pair

         Bullfinch:      at least five

         Coal Tit

Pictures of the first three are now on the Club's website:

         <http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/gallery>
--
Andy Mabbett
Webmaster & Trustee
West Midland Bird Club: ornithology in Staffs, Warwks, Worcs & the West
Midlands county, since 1929 - http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/

On Geoffrey's Swag, at about 9.20am:

         Goldeneye:      75, many displaying

         Smew:           Male, displaying to female Goldeneye (the male
                         Goldeneye were not impressed by this, but the
                         Smew was equally aggressive!)

         Goosander       one female

         GC Grebe        Pair, displaying, with weed - offering.

         Widgeon         pair.
--
Andy Mabbett
Webmaster & Trustee
West Midland Bird Club: ornithology in Staffs, Warwks, Worcs & the West
Midlands county, since 1929 - http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/

Quick report on wmbc staffs Parkhall meeting this morning - 8 folk turned up
and we managed to find three longeared owls thanks to a bit of local
knowledge and some sharp eyes - seems to be two birds at the top end of the
wood and a single (two yesterday) near the tenfoot high bump a bit lower
down the hill towards the boltongate carpark.  Not a great deal else about
although Willow Tit and yellowhammer in locality and Raven was seen
yesterday, no Golden Plover on the field behind the quarry though.  Little
Owl not there today and apparently not so regular as it once was in the big
quarry - has anyone seen the bird there lately?

Managed to see Shorteared yesterday with a single at Swallow Moss but no
sign of Hen Harrier although has been seen a few times this year coming to
roost.  Loads of Fieldfare streaming onto the Moss though and dropping into
the heather to doss down.  Also a few Goosander on Longsdon Mill pool where
I guess it'll soon be time for the Curlew roost to be starting again -
anyone know if this has been there in the last year or so, used to be 300 or
so a few years ago?

cheers

Andy

------------------------------------------------
Andy Lawrence
Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, U.K.
Email: j.a.lawrence@...
------------------------------------------------

Has anyone been on the Chase today? Are there any Bramblings at the
feeding station? Much else about?
--
Andy Mabbett
Webmaster & Trustee
West Midland Bird Club: ornithology in Staffs, Warwks, Worcs & the West
Midlands county, since 1929 - http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/

Hello All,

We have a field meeting to Parkhall on Sunday - anyone know if there
are many Long eared Owls been seen there this week - a few were
reported a while ago but any fresh info would be good.  Meeting's at
9.00 am Sunday, meet at the Visitors' Centre car park btw.

cheers

Andy Lawrence

I have just uploaded the report of sightings at Belvide for the last
week, including Caspian Gull, Red Crested Pochard, Mandarin and
Woodcock!

Has anyone else seen anything of note, there or else where in
Staffordshire, recently?
--
Andy Mabbett
Webmaster & Trustee
West Midland Bird Club: ornithology in Staffs, Warwks, Worcs & the West
Midlands county, since 1929 - http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/

In message <S7aZV$a$LDN+Ew5I@...>, Andy Mabbett
<webmaster@...> writes
>Anyone know anything about a possible female Lesser Scaup reported from
>Chasewater?

I have this response, from a member of this list:

         The scaup is a Greater, it has been at Chasewater since at least
         the 8th of January, However having seen a photo of the Lesser
         Scaup? in Derbyshire a few people have commented that it looks
         just like the Chasewater bird. I put the news out of 'scaup
         species' on pager, other people followed it up as a possible
         Lesser on pager in the afternoon, however the wingbar has now
         been seen and confirmed as a greater. It appears that nowadays
         Scaup need to be checked more carefully as its likely that
         female type lessers may have been missed in the past.
--
Andy Mabbett
Webmaster & Trustee
West Midland Bird Club: ornithology in Staffs, Warwks, Worcs & the West
Midlands county, since 1929 - http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/

There's a female scaup reported ysterday on Chasewater on the website I use
for bird news...

Cheers, Nick

-----Original Message-----
From: Andy Mabbett [mailto:webmaster@...]
Sent: 26 January 2003 19:12
To: WMBC-Staffs@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [WMBC-Staffs] Lesser Scaup reported from Chasewater?


Anyone know anything about a possible female Lesser Scaup reported from
Chasewater?
--
Andy Mabbett
Webmaster & Trustee
West Midland Bird Club: ornithology in Staffs, Warwks, Worcs & the West
Midlands county, since 1929 - http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
WMBC-Staffs-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com



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I have just uploaded the report of sightings at Belvide for the last
week, including the first Diver for 6 years!
--
Andy Mabbett
Webmaster & Trustee
West Midland Bird Club: ornithology in Staffs, Warwks, Worcs & the West
Midlands county, since 1929 - http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/

Anyone know anything about a possible female Lesser Scaup reported from
Chasewater?
--
Andy Mabbett
Webmaster & Trustee
West Midland Bird Club: ornithology in Staffs, Warwks, Worcs & the West
Midlands county, since 1929 - http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/

On 26 Jan, Andy Mabbett wrote:

> Were there any Whooper Swans in evidence? We looked on 11
> January, but the ~200 swans were far to distant to tell.

> A lone Golden Plover in the middle of a field was a bit
> conspicuous, and there were flocks of Linnets and Reed Buntings.

The Bean Goose had been reported as being with the swans; the
problem was finding a vantage point to get a good look at the
swans.  Unfortunately, we weren't able to get a clear view of them
or get within half a mile of them.  So, no chance of sorting out
Whoopers, I'm afraid.  We did have a flock of about 100 Golden
Plovers fly over.

Peter Dedicoat

In message <4bba70ee64pdedicoat@...>, Peter Dedicoat
<pdedicoat@...> writes
>We looked for the Tundra Bean Goose at Whitemoor Haye but without
>success.

Were there any Whooper Swans in evidence? We looked on 11 January, but
the ~200 swans were far to distant to tell.

A lone Golden Plover in the middle of a field was a bit conspicuous, and
there were flocks of Linnets and Reed Buntings.
--
Andy Mabbett
Webmaster & Trustee
West Midland Bird Club: ornithology in Staffs, Warwks, Worcs & the West
Midlands county, since 1929 - http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/

The lone Waxwing was still present in Bodmin Avenue, Stafford this
morning, near the corner of Dawlish Avenue.

Later we had an hour or so at Croxall, where there were two
Short-eared Owls.  We looked for the Tundra Bean Goose at Whitemoor
Haye but without success.


Peter Dedicoat & June Taylor

Hi folks,

18 waxwing reported to us here at Coombes yesterday afternoon, at Layfield
Park, Trentham, feeding on rowans in the area.

All the best, Nick Chambers

News of this week's sightings at the West Midland Bird Club's Belvide
Reserve are now on-line, at:

         <http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/belvide/latest.htm>
--
Andy Mabbett
Webmaster & Trustee
West Midland Bird Club: ornithology in Staffs, Warwks, Worcs & the West
Midlands county, since 1929 - http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/

I had excellent view of the Barn Owl, over Handsacre Flash on Saturday -
at around 4.30pm, quartering the fields next to the lay-by.

The Great Grey Shrike was reported to be there today, too.
--
Andy Mabbett
Webmaster & Trustee
West Midland Bird Club: ornithology in Staffs, Warwks, Worcs & the West
Midlands county, since 1929 - http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/

Hello Folks,

A colleague of mine has seen a good sized (200) flock of Lapwing on
farmland in the northwest of the county (near Maer).  Has anyone else
had any regularly-occurring flocks away from the reservoirs?

regards

Andy Lawrence

There have been reports of a female Hawfinch at Pipe Green, Lichfield,
today.

Can anyone provide directions, OS ref, and/ or a general description of
the site, please?
--
Andy Mabbett
Webmaster & Trustee
West Midland Bird Club: ornithology in Staffs, Warwks, Worcs & the West
Midlands county, since 1929 - http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/

--- Andy Mabbett <webmaster@...> wrote:
>In message <avujsq+uou7@eGroups.com>, "nigelrpalmer
><nigel.palmer@...>" <nigel.palmer@...> writes
>>8 Bohemian Waxwings on show near Branston Golf course, at end of
>>Birkdale Avenue.
>
>Would that be here:
>
> 
<http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=423414&y=320982&z=1&sv=Birkdale+Avenue&\
st=6&tl=Birkdale+Avenue,+Branston,+Burton-On-Trent,+Staffordsh
>ire,+DE14&searchp=newsearch.srf&mapp=newmap.srf>
>
>grid ref SK234209 ?
>--
>Andy Mabbett
>Webmaster & Trustee
>West Midland Bird Club: ornithology in Staffs, Warwks, Worcs & the West
>Midlands county, since 1929 - http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/
>
>

Yes

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=423414&y=320982&z=1&sv=Birkdale

grid ref SK234209

Looks OK

Nigel

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In message <avujsq+uou7@eGroups.com>, "nigelrpalmer
<nigel.palmer@...>" <nigel.palmer@...> writes
>8 Bohemian Waxwings on show near Branston Golf course, at end of
>Birkdale Avenue.

Would that be here:

  
<http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=423414&y=320982&z=1&sv=Birkdale+Avenue&\
st=6&tl=Birkdale+Avenue,+Branston,+Burton-On-Trent,+Staffordsh
ire,+DE14&searchp=newsearch.srf&mapp=newmap.srf>

grid ref SK234209 ?
--
Andy Mabbett
Webmaster & Trustee
West Midland Bird Club: ornithology in Staffs, Warwks, Worcs & the West
Midlands county, since 1929 - http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/

8 Bohemian Waxwings on show near Branston Golf course, at end of
Birkdale Avenue. Seen from bank looking towards Drakelow Power
Station, feeding on the red berries.  Observed at 1.30 today but
locals report seeing them in the mornings and in the afternoons,
Saturday and Sunday, flying around the local gardens. Reed Buntings
nearby.
Nigel

Hi all
black redstart female on dam also meadow pipit, grey wagtail,pied wagtail.
water rail in front of main hide, 40  reed  buntings

Regards

Brendon Lees.

Sundays on the Chase are always likely to be crowded with mountain
bikers and dog walkers, but a big orienteering event this morning
brought in even more people and cars than usual.

We had only a short walk and saw nothing unusual, but we did look
in at the Visitor Centre feeding station (sponsored by WMBC!) and
the one by Coppice Hill car park.

In 15 minutes or so at the Visitor Centre we saw only one Brambling
and numbers of Chaffinches and Greenfinches seemed quite low.

At Coppice Hill, birds were fewer but species diversity was higher
with Nuthatch, Willow Tit and Yellowhammer coming in.  I had a
report that a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker had been seen here recently
feeding on suet.  If you go to Coppice Hill, take some seed, bread,
peanuts or whatever - this is a DIY feeder!


Peter Dedicoat & June Taylor

The Great Grey Shrike was still at Handsacre Flash yesterday morning.
Also there:

         Lapwing                 1
         Fieldfare
         Redwing
         Buzzard
         GS Woodpeckers          2

plus the usual common birds.
--
Andy Mabbett
Webmaster & Trustee
West Midland Bird Club: ornithology in Staffs, Warwks, Worcs & the West
Midlands county, since 1929 - http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/

There's a female Black Redstart at the northern end of the dam at
Belvide.

Don't forget that access to the reserve is by permit only!
--
Andy Mabbett
Webmaster & Trustee
West Midland Bird Club: ornithology in Staffs, Warwks, Worcs & the West
Midlands county, since 1929 - http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/

Hi there from a Staffs Birder.

Garden birds today - Siskin 4;  Goldfinch 12.

Gailey Island Cormorant total tonight before mist came down and island
disappeared - 10 (not frozen over)

Welcome to this new mailing list - please post your sightings, comments
or questions about birding in Staffordshire  - the list will only grow
and develop if people use it.
--
Andy Mabbett
Webmaster & Trustee
West Midland Bird Club: ornithology in Staffs, Warwks, Worcs & the West
Midlands county, since 1929 - http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/