This photo of Black-headed Gulls on a frozen seasonal pool near Cheddleton wa taken on 28th december 2014. Sometimes Oystercatchers are seen at this pool,but on that day there were none. However there was a flock of about 14 Snipe feeding and flying in the area, plus various tits, finches etc. Earlier in the day a flock of about 100 Pink-footed Geese flew from the Staffordshire Moorlands area towards S-O-T. Below is a list of birds seen (by me (Wendy Birks) in the Churnet Valley this month.
A "1" indicates species present (not numer seen) DHCP = Deep Hayes Country Park and H. Junct. = Hazelhurst Junction. If no "1" or comment then the species was not seen. The Bittern was a surprise sighting on the edge of the Roaches Estate. During a walk on a foggy and frosty Christmas day It flew up from a rushy patch as we walked along a public footpath adjacent to a stream. A Bittern had also been a recent visitor to nearby Tittesworth Reservoir and I think that this may the same one that had become disorientated whilst flying in the fog and was sheltering by the most readily available waterside habitat.
| 2014 | December | ||
| Barn owl | Kingsley | Marsh Tit | DHCP |
| Bittern | The Roaches Estate | Meadow Pipit | near Hazlehurst Junction |
| Black-headed gull | 1 | Merlin | |
| Blackbird | 1 | Mistle Thrush | 1 |
| Blackcap | Moorhen | 1 | |
| Blue tit | 1 | Mute swan | 2 Brookley's Lake |
| Brambling | Nuthatch | 1 | |
| Bullfinch | 1 | Oystercatcher | |
| Buzzard | 1 | Peregrine | |
| Canada Goose | 1 | Pheasant | 1 |
| Carrion Crow | 1 | Pied Flycatcher | |
| Chaffinch | 1 | Pied Wagtail | 1 |
| Chiff Chaff | Pink-Footed Goose | flock flew from Staffs Moorlands along Endon valley towards S-O-T | |
| Coal Tit | 1 | Pochard | |
| Collared Dove | 1 | Raven | 1 |
| Common Gull | Red Grouse | Roaches | |
| Common Sandpiper | Red Kite | ||
| Coot | 1 | Red-legged Partridge | |
| Cormorant | Rudyard Lake | Redshank | |
| Crossbill | Redstart | ||
| Cuckoo | Redwing | 1 | |
| Curlew | 1 | Reed Bunting | H. Junct.+ Chedd. |
| Dipper | 2 Cotton Dell | Reed Warbler | |
| Dunlin | Ringed Plover (Little) | ||
| Dunnock | 1 | Ring Ouzel | |
| Fieldfare | flocks in many places | Robin | 1 |
| Gadwall | 1 Brookleys Lake | Rock dove/feral pigeon | 1 |
| Garden Warbler | Rook | 1 | |
| Garganey | Sand Martin | ||
| Goldcrest | 1 | Sedge Warbler | |
| Goldeneye | Short-eared Owl | ||
| Goldfinch | 1 | Shoveler | |
| Goosander | Rudyard Lake and Whiston Quarry | Siskin | H.Junct. & Froghall |
| Goshawk | Skylark | ||
| Grasshopper Warbler | Snipe | near H.Junct. + near Chedd | |
| Great black backed Gull | Song Thrush | 1 | |
| Great Crested Grebe | Rudyard Lake | Sparrowhawk | 1 |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | 1 | Spotted Flycatcher | |
| Great Tit | 1 | Starling | 1 |
| Green Woodpecker | H. Junct. | Stock Dove | |
| Greenfinch | 1 | Stonechat | |
| Grey Heron | 1 | Swallow | |
| Grey Partridge | Swift | ||
| Grey Wagtail | 1 | Tawny Owl | 1 |
| Greylag Goose | Teal | DHCP | |
| Herring Gull | Tree Creeper | 1 | |
| Hobby | Tree Pipit | ||
| House Martin | Tree Sparrow | 1 | |
| House Sparrow | 1 | Tufted Duck | 6 DHCP |
| Jackdaw | 1 | Water Rail | |
| Jay | 1 | Waxwing | |
| Kestrel | 1 | Wheatear | |
| Kingfisher | Caldon Canal near Longsdon and DHCP | Whitethroat | |
| Lapwing | 1 | Wigeon | 12 H. Junct. |
| Lesser black backed Gull | H. Junct. | Willow Tit | DHCP |
| Lesser Redpoll | Willow Warbler | ||
| Lesser Spotted Woodpecker | Woodpigeon | 1 | |
| Lesser Whitethroat | Wood Warbler | ||
| Linnet | Woodcock | ||
| Little Grebe | 1 DHCP & 1 Brankley Lakel | Wren | 1 |
| Little Owl | near Rudyard Lake + Kingsley | Yellow Wagtail | |
| Long-eared Owl | Yellowhammer | ||
| Long-tailed Tit | 1 | Little Egret | |
| Magpie | 1 | Greater Scaup | |
| Mallard | 1 | Lesser Scaup | |
| Mandarin Duck | DHCP 2 pairs c50 Brookleys Lake | Common Tern | |
| Hen Harrier | |||
| Turtle Dove |
All very interesting Wendy.
ReplyDeleteGreat Blog Wendy
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