Wednesday 13th November 2024

Cannock Chase

34x PFG east over Sherbrook Valley this am (GJM),  -  c40x PFG over at 11:03 also a further skein of c160x PFG at 12:30, (ABe)

Whitemoor Haye

4x Goldeneye, 56x Pochard, 32x Little Grebe, 80x Lapwing, 4x Little Egret, 11x Redpoll, Chiffchaff, (ICW)

Gailey Resv

8x Pochard, Goldeneye, 2x Egyptian Geese, (JIs)

Calf Heath WMI

80x Golden Plover, 4x Shoveler, (JIs)

Tittesworth Water

2x Goldeneye, 12x Wigeon, 6x Goosander, 8x Common Gull, 2x Willow Tit, Fieldfare, Siskin, (SGi)

Tucklesholme

2x Goldeneye, 48x Pochard, 107x Wigeon, 8x Gadwall, 3x Shoveler, 70x Teal, 2x Little Egret, 12x GC Grebe, 25x Lapwing, 2x Chiffchaff, 3x Cetti's Warbler, 2x Stonechat, 30x Linnet, 2x Fieldfare, (JWo)

Alvecote

3x Great Egret, 3x Little Egret, 2x Stonechat, 12x Little Grebe, (MSc)

Tuesday 12th November 2024

Trentham Gardens

22x Gadwall, Wigeon, Goosander, Water Rail, 5x Lapwing over, 2x Siskin, (RGi)

Cannock Chase

Grey Grey Shrike still briefly at 11:30, (AMa)

Branston GPs

Juv Marsh Harrier, 15x Curlew, 2x Dunlin, 4x Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Redshank, 193x Golden Plover, 271x Lapwing, 3x Great Egret, 3x Little Egret, 2x Pintail, 2x Goldeneye, 7x Pochard, 2x Shelduck, 5x Egyptian Geese, 73x Little Grebe, 2x Caspian Gull (ad+1w), 5x YL Gull (4ad+1w),  4x Common Gull (3ad+1w), 2x GBB Gull, Cetti's Warbler, 6x Stonechat, 8x Redpoll, 4x Greenfinch, (JWo)

Tucklesholme

Great Egret, 2x Little Egret, 2x Cetti's Warbler, 2x Egyptian Geese, (JWo)

Chasewater

15x Common Gull, 2x Caspian Gull (ad+1cy), Shag and the Knot still present.(CW)

Monday 11th November 2024

Bucknall Park

Hawfinch flew from the park this am over Trent Bridge towards Botteslow Flash, (RTo)

Sneyd Green

150x PFG over NE at 09:20, (JOa)

Rising Brook Stafford

4x Whooper Swan over this am heading towards Radford Meadows, c200 PFG heading east over south Stafford, (LCl)

Alvecote

Red-crested Pochard on Pretty Pigs pool, 

Belvide Resv

Whooper Swan dropped in, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Goldeneye

                                                    Black-tailed Godwit by Rob Bendelow

Cannock Chase

Great Grey Shrike again, (HF,SE)

                                                                    By Steve Edwards

Uttoxeter Quarry

Marsh Harrier, Redshank, 12x Golden Plover, Snipe, Pintail, 2x Goosander, 2x Great Egret, 4x Little Egret, 3x Shelduck, 2x Pochard, 100x PFG dropped in at 12:25, (AMa)

Sandon

3x Red Kite over A34 at 12:45, (AGo)

Tittesworth Water

1090x PFG in five skeins between 08:50 and 10:30, 39x Snipe, 11x Lapwing, 8x Goosander, 9x Wigeon, Willow Tit, Red Kite, 8x Siskin, Redpoll, (SGi, IF)

Branston GPs

12x Curlew, 7x Dunlin, Redshank, 3x Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, 179x Golden Plover, 242x Lapwing, 3x Great Egret, 6x Little Egret, 3x Goldeneye, 2x Pintail, 2x Mandarin, 4x Shelduck, 6x Pochard, 6x Wigeon, 52x Gadwall, 72x Shoveler, 218x Teal, 9x Egyptian Geese, 65x Little Grebe, ad Caspian Gull, ad YL Gull, ad Common Gull, Marsh Harrier, Barn Owl, Green Woodpecker, 5x Stonechat, Cetti's Warbler, Yellowhammer, 5x Greenfinch, 8x Redpoll, (JWo)

Sunday 10th November 2024

Doxey Marsh

2x Cattle Egret, Redshank, 150x Lapwing, Cetti's Warbler, Goosander, (GPr)

Stoke 

Lordship Lane - Ring Ouzel over east calling at 09:48, (RGi)

Stanley Pool

Woodlark west at 08:30, 38x PFG south at 09:30 and a Redshank, (GBr)

Seisdon

Hawfinch flew east at 08:48, Great Egret west at 10:41, (GCl)

Calf Heath WMI site

Knot, 5x Shelduck, 290x Golden Plover, 440x Lapwing, (KCl)

Uttoxeter Quarry

Knot this afternoon also 100x PFG flew east at 13:25 and a further 86x PFG in the main pit, Dunlin, 14x Golden Plover,  Goldeneye, 30x Wigeon,  Great Egret, 2x Little Egret, (RPo)

Whitemoor Haye

Knot this afternoon, (TWy)

Tittesworth Water

4x Whooper Swan thru, Knot, 2x Snipe, 11x Lapwing, 2x Willow Tit, (JOa, LH, TE, KH)

Keele

4x Hawfinch briefly along Lymes Road by house, (HF, SE)

Dimmingsdale (Alton)

150x PFG over SE at 12:30 and another skein heard at 16:30, (TEy)

Branston GPs

Knot with 7x Dunlin on Ashy pit, 158x Golden Plover, 190x Lapwing, Curlew, Redshank, 3x Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Snipe, Great Egret, 3x Little Egret, 50x Little Grebe, 2x Shelduck, 2x Pintail, 34x Pochard, 3x Goldeneye, 2x Goosander, ad YL Gull, Green Woodpecker, 4x Stonechat, 12x Fieldfare, 2x Cetti's Warbler, 14x Redpoll, 30x Linnet, (DSc)

Chasewater

Knot on south shore, (JHu)

Saturday 9th November 2024

Radford Meadows Stafford

Knot, 200x Golden Plover, 25x Snipe, 150x Lapwing, 3x Dunlin, Pintail, (RSw)

Belvide Resv

4x Knot 10:27 to 10:38 only, 

Uttoxeter Quarry

Goldeneye, 9x Shelduck, Goosander, 18x Golden Plover, Dunlin, Snipe, 3x Great Egret, 2x Little Egret, Water Rail, Cetti's Warbler, Dipper, 2x Redpoll, (RPo)

Whitemoor Haye

4x Great Egret, Goldeneye, Shelduck, 5x GBB Gull, 2x Stonechat, Chiffchaff, (ICW)

Stanley Pool

Chiffchaff, 50x Siskin, (GBr)

Branston GPs

09:30 to 11:15 - 4x Knot 10:55 to 11:15 at least, 100x Lapwing, 40x Golden Plover, 5x Dunlin, Redshank, 2x Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, 2x Great Egret, 5x Egyptian Geese, 2x Pintail, 2x Wigeon, 4x Pochard, 2x Stonechat, (DSc)  -  5x Dunlin, 2x Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, 8x Golden Plover, Redshank, Curlew, Snipe, 2x Pintail, 2x Stonechat, Great Egret, 3x Egyptian Geese, (PAn)

Wergs Hall

7x Hawfinch at a private site briefly at 11:40, (NMo)

Tittesworth Water

Gadwall, 2x Pochard, 3x Wigeon, 10x Teal, Snipe, 53x Lapwing, 2x Common Gull, 2x Willow Tit, Fieldfare, (SGi, IB, AP)

Chasewater

Adult Caspian Gull, 15x Pochard, 3x Goldeneye, Little Egret, Stonechat, (CW)

Friday 8th November 2024

Trentham Gardens

Drake Red-crested Pochard, 34x Gadwall, Pochard, Wigeon, 2x Little Egret, 3x Fieldfare, (RGi)

                                                             By Steve Edwards

Belvide Resv

Lesser Scaup still, 

Radford Meadows Stafford

5x Little Egret, c200 Golden Plover, 60x Lapwing, 8x Snipe, (IW)  -  this afternoon, 491x Golden Plover, 3x Dunlin, 250x Lapwing, 5x Little Egret, (CDa)

Uttoxeter Quarry

2x Green Sandpiper, 6x Golden Plover, Great Egret, Little Egret, 4x Pochard, 2x Shelduck, YL Gull, Common Gull, 2x Egyptian Geese, 2x Dipper, 2x Redpoll, 7x Fieldfare, (AM)

Gailey Resv

3x Pochard, 2x Wigeon, Water Rail, 2x Egyptian Geese, (JIs)

Calf Heath WMI

220x Golden Plover, (JIs)

Blithfield Resv

Short-eared Owl flew out high, Barn Owl, Black-necked Grebe still, 10x Great Egret, (MDJ)

Branston GPs

Knot, 5x Dunlin, Redshank, 2x Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, LRP, 17x Curlew, 212x Golden Plover, 177x Lapwing, 3x Snipe, 4x Great Egret, 3x Little Egret, 2x Goldeneye, 19x Pochard, 2x Pintail, 2x Shelduck, 68x Little Grebe, 2x Caspian Gull (ad+1w), 3x YL Gull, Common Gull, 5x GBB Gull, 2x Green Woodpecker, 4x Stonechat, 12x Redpoll, (JWo, George, CEc, Dean), 

Chasewater

20x GBB Gull, ad YL Gull, 1750x LBB Gull, Little Egret, 19x Lapwing, Shag, (CW)

Thursday 7th November 2024

Stafford branch WMBC  meeting on Tuesday 12th November 2024. Shetland to Scilly, Birds of the British Isles with Ashley Grove at Walton-On-The-Hill village hall, Green Gore Lane, Walton-On-The- Hill, Stafford ST17 0LD. Doors open 19:00 for a 19:30 start. Admission £3 including refreshments.

Whitemoor Haye

Snow Bunting flew NW at 12:01 over Bewick's Pit, (ICW)

Westport Lake

14x Goosander, 7x Pochard, (AR)

Branston GPs

Knot, 5x Dunlin, Redshank, 2x Green Sandpiper, LRP, 2x Ringed Plover, 126x Golden Plover, 124x Lapwing, 2x Snipe, 14x Curlew, 2x Great Egret, 3x Little Egret, 2x Water Rail, 2x Pintail, 2x Goosander, 9x Pochard, 2x Shelduck, 72x Little Grebe, 2x Caspian Gull (ad + 1w), 3x YL Gull, Barn Owl, 2x Green Woodpecker, 9x Stonechat, Cetti's Warbler, 15x Redpoll, 4x Greenfinch, (JWo)

Middleton Lakes

2x Dunlin, 39x Snipe, 9x Pochard, 2x Goldeneye, 2x Great Egret, 4x Chiffchaff, Fieldfares, (SPA)

Tittesworth Water

2x Wigeon, Pochard, 2x Snipe, Brambling, 2x Siskin, Fieldfares,

Radford Meadows Stafford

Green-winged Teal reported on the pool at the rear of the BMW garage, (SPh)

Wednesday 6th November 2024

Tittesworth Water

2x drake Common Scoter this am, PFG over, Gadwall, 5x Mandarin, Goosander, Wigeon, 4x Snipe, Willow Tit, (SGi)

                                                       Common Scoters by Steve Gibson

Cheadle

150x PFG over east at 12:45, (TD)

Trentham Gardens

26x Gadwall, Wigeon, Redpoll, 2x Siskin, 2x Little Grebe, (RGi)

Sandon 

4x Red Kite over the A34 at 13:00, (AG)

Doxey Marsh

155x Snipe, 5x Jack Snipe, 24x Water Rail, 12x Cetti's Warbler, 2x Cattle Egret, 4x Great Egret, 4x Little Egret, 150x Lapwing, 3x Golden Plover, (MBo, DTo)

Belvide Resv

Lesser Scaup, Black-necked Grebe, 1w Caspian Gull, 5x YL Gull, ad Med Gull, GBB Gull, 

Tucklesholme

3x Snipe, Common Gull, Little Grebe, Goosander, 34x Pochard, 75x Wigeon, 9x Gadwall, 80x Teal, 9x Egyptian Geese, 14x GC Grebe, 3x Cetti's Warbler, 3x Stonechat, 5x Redpoll, (JWo)

                                                        Common Gull by Jon Woodcock

Calf Heath WMI site

Ad Caspian Gull, 1w YL Gull, Dunlin, 348x Golden Plover, 13x Goosander, (SRi)

Chasewater

2x Oystercatcher, Little Egret, (CW)

Tuesday 5th November 2024

Cannock Chase

Hawfinch briefly this am, (GJM)

Keele

Hawfinch calling over Keele Hall also possibly a 2nd bird flying around the campus, 12x Greenfinch, 31x Fieldfare, (RGi)

Himley Great Pool

Black-tailed Godwit flew in stayed for about 10 mins around 10:50, Ring-necked Parakeets present as usual, (CTi)

Gailey Resv

3x Pochard, 2x Wigeon, Water Rail, (JIs)

Calf Heath WMI

1w YL Gull, 200x Golden Plover, Goosander, 70x Fieldfare, (JIs)

Belvide Resv

Black-necked Grebe this afternoon, 1w Caspian Gull, 

Branston GPs

2x PFG, 17x Curlew, 5x Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, 3x Green Sandpiper, 2x Ringed Plover, LRP, 44x Golden Plover, 235x Lapwing, 2x Snipe, 2x Great Egret, 3x Little Egret, 3x Goosander, 15x Pochard, 2x Pintail, 5x Wigeon, 26x Gadwall, 62x Shoveler, 195x Teal, 9x Egyptian Geese, 63x Little Grebe, 2x Caspian Gull (ad +1w), 3x ad YL Gull, 2x Common Gull, 5x GBB Gull, Green Woodpecker, 5x Stonechat, Blackcap, 31x Redpoll, 4x Greenfinch, (JWo)

Enville

11x Hawfinch on the Sheepwalks, (WN)

Radford Meadows Stafford

334x Golden Plover, 3x Dunlin, 43x Snipe, 200x Lapwing, 8x Little Egret, 225x Wigeon, (CDa)

Monday 4th November 2024

i54

Merlin high over NNW this am, (Foz)

Belvide Resv

Knot at 09:15, 2x Dunlin, flock of PFG came into roost at dusk, 

Trentham Gardens

Dipper, 3x Wigeon, 16x Gadwall, 2x Little Grebe, 2x Fieldfare, 2x Siskin, (RGi)

Keele

Hawfinch at the Church this am, (PJo)

Endon - Denford

Jack Snipe, 37x Snipe, 4x Wigeon, 7x Redpoll, Stonechat, Green Woodpecker, Ashes Pool Pochard, 8x Snipe, 7x Mandarin, (DCo)

Uttoxeter Quarry

2x Green Sandpiper, 11x Golden Plover, Great Egret, Little Egret, 3x Pochard, 2x Shelduck, 30x Shoveler, 2x Egyptian Geese, ad YL Gull, 2x Dipper, (AMa)

Middleton Lakes

Bittern on Dosthill NR, 2x Black-tailed Godwit, 3x Dunlin, 24x Snipe, 2x Shelduck, 2x Goldeneye, 6x Pochard, 4x Stonechat, 57x Fieldfare, thru, 4x Redpoll, Great Egret, Chiffchaff, (SPA)

Branston GPs

Spoonbill again over north at dusk, LRP, 2x Ringed Plover, 118x Golden Plover, 222x Lapwing, 14x Curlew, Redshank, 7x Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, 3x Green Sandpiper, 3x Snipe, 3x Great Egret, 5x Little Egret, Marsh Harrier, 2x Pintail, 14x Pochard, 76x Shoveler, 28x Gadwall, 274x Teal, 4x Wigeon, 2x Shelduck, 4x Egyptian Geese, 72x Little Grebe, 4x YL Gull (ad), 2x ad Common Gull, 7x GBB Gull, 2x Green Woodpecker, 2x Stonechat, 26x Fieldfare, 70x Linnet, 9x Redpoll, (JWo)

Barton Marina

2x Green Sandpiper, 9x Pochard, 4x Little Grebe, (JWo)

Sunday 3rd November 2024

Doxey Marsh

3x Cattle Egret, 2x Great Egret, 20x Snipe, 100x Lapwing, 5x Wigeon, 88x Teal, 6x Cetti's Warbler, Stonechat, (GPr)

Stanley Pool

Green Sandpiper, 2x Wigeon, 4x Siskin, Chiffchaff, (GBr)

Enville

5x Hawfinch, 2x Goshawk, Red Kite, 21x Raven, 60x Fieldfare, 210x Redwing, (ICW)

Huntington

50x Fieldfare and 210x Redwing, 2x Siskin all over south, (SRi)

Calf Heath WMI site

3w Caspian Gull, ad YL Gull, 445x Golden Plover, 5x Dunlin, Goosander, (SRi)

Belvide Resv

5x Dark bellied Brent Geese 12:48 to 12:52 only, Sanderling, House Martin over, ad Med Gull, Lesser Scaup, 

Tittesworth Water

2x Pochard, 2x Wigeon, 4x Mandarin, Goosander, Brambling, Snipe, 18x Lapwing, (JOa, LH, KH, TE)

Uttoxeter Quarry

81x PFG landed on main pit at 15:10, 2x Dunlin, 6x Golden Plover, 2x Snipe, 5x Goosander, 14x Pochard, 55x Wigeon, (RPo)

Dimmingsdale (Alton)

40x Fieldfare, 200x Redwing, (TEy)

Wetley Rocks

10x Red Kite,    

Ilam Hall

9x Red Kite, 30x Fieldfare, 400x Redwing, (KBr)

Radford Meadows Stafford

Great Egret, 9x Little Egret, 47x Snipe, 3x Dunlin, 100x Lapwing, 35x Shoveler, c250 Wigeon, 10x Greenfinch, (RSw)

Brocton Pool

Drake Pintail, (KPo)

Biddulph Grange CP

24x Goosander, (MSv)

Middleton Lakes

Hen Harrier drifted thru JW late afternoon, 2x Black-tailed Godwit, 2x Dunlin, 40x Snipe, 3x Great Egret, (MSm)

Branston GPs

Spoonbill briefly North pit at 16:52 then flew off north, , Grey Plover, 14x Curlew, 100x Lapwing, 26x Golden Plover, 2x Ringed Plover, Redshank, 8x Dunlin, 3x Snipe, 2x GBB Gull, 4x ad YL Gull, 2x Common Gull, 50x Little Grebe, Great Egret, 4x Little Egret, 4x Egyptian Geese, 2x Shelduck, Pintail, 8x Wigeon, 40x Shoveler,  100x Teal, 42x Pochard, 4x Goosander,  Peregrine, 2x Green Woodpecker, Water Rail, 3x Stonechat, Cetti's Warbler, (DSc, JWo, Dean)

Saturday 2nd November 2024

The WMBC has received a report from the site manager at Branston GPs that birders are straying off the public footpaths into dangerous operational areas at the site. All birders are asked to refrain from doing so and only observe birds from the official designated public footpaths.

Kingsley

2x Hawfinch at St Werburghs church at 09:40, (RPo)

Rocester

40-50x PFG over NE at 07:50, (JDr)

Doxey Marsh

2x Great Egret, 2x Little Egret, 6x Egyptian Geese, 2x Snipe, 55x Lapwing, 2x Cetti's Warbler, 3x Goosander, Stonechat, (GPr)

Berryhill

26x PFG over SW at 10:27, 4x Stonechat, 6x Redpoll, Willow Tit, Fieldfare, 7x Skylark, (RGi)

Calf Heath WMI site

426x Golden Plover, 345x Lapwing, (SRi)

Gailey Resv

5x Pochard, Shoveler, 2x Water Rail, 30x Fieldfare, 2x Stonechat, Cetti's Warbler, (SRi)

Westport Lake

Goldeneye, 2x ad Common Gull, Willow Tit, Siskin, (KSt)

Whitemoor Haye

169x Pochard, 112x Wigeon, 51x Gadwall, 13x Shoveler, 22x Little Grebe, 2x GBB Gull, 2x Little Egret, 3x Stonechat, 3x Fieldfare, Golden Plover thru, (SCo)

Knypersley Resv

2x Mandarin, Little Grebe, Dipper, (GBr)

Alrewas NMA

5x Great Egret, 3x Little Egret, 2x Egyptian Geese, Shoveler, (RBe)

                                                         Great Egret by Rob Bendelow

Branston GPs

50x Little Grebe, 3x Great Egret, 5x Little Egret, 20x Egyptian Geese, 4x Wigeon, 60x Shoveler, 16x Gadwall, 100x Teal, 3x Pochard, 60x Lapwing, 146x Golden Plover, 3x Ringed Plover, Curlew, 2x Green Sandpiper, GBB Gull, 2x Green Woodpecker, 24x Skylark, 5x Stonechat, Fieldfare, Cetti's Warbler, 30x Linnet, 24x Redpoll, Yellowhammer, (DSc)

Stone

200x PFG over NW at 16:30, (DEm)

Chasewater

2w Caspian Gull, adult Med Gull, (CWG)

Friday 1st November 2024

Middleton Lakes

Dunlin, 11x Snipe.12x Golden Plover over, Goldeneye, 60x Fieldfare, 30x Siskin, (MSm)

Endon - Denford

47x PFG west at 12:35, Carmountside Flash Ring-necked Parakeet, 22x Fieldfare, 2x PFG, 3x Redpoll, (DCo)

Chasewater

Shag still, 7x Goosander, 4x Gadwall, 5x Pochard, Wigeon, Peregrine, 40x Linnet, (CMa, DGl)  -  Roost 2w Caspian Gull, 5x YL Gull, (CWG)

Branston GPs

Marsh Harrier thru west at 12:42, probable Rock Pipit on Ashy pit, 6x Little Egret, 3x Great Egret, 70x Little Grebe, Pintail, 20x Shoveler, 5x Goosander, Goldeneye, 47x Pochard, 17x Gadwall, 57x Shoveler, 162x Teal, 10x Wigeon,  190x Lapwing, 38x Golden Plover, 3x Ringed Plover, 5x Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, 2x Snipe, 16x Curlew, Caspian Gull, 5x YL Gull, 2x GBB Gull, 5x Egyptian Geese, 3x Green Woodpecker, Barn Owl, 10x Stonechat, 70x Linnet, 12x Redpoll, 6x Siskin, 2x Greenfinch, (DSc, JWo)

Black Bank

Vis Mig - 5x Hawfinch, 45x Golden Plover, 20x PFG, (NDP)

Belvide Resv

2w Caspian Gull, Lesser Scaup, 68x PFG flew west and a further 45 dropping in, 

Radford Meadows

2x Dunlin, Redshank, 105x Snipe, 200x Lapwing, 250x Golden Plover, 13x Little Egret, 250x Wigeon, 250x Teal, Cetti's Warbler, (RBr)

Caverswall

30x PFG over SW, (BB)

Alrewas

4x Whooper Swan over, (SCo)