- 1st
|
- 28°C
- Sunny
- SSE3
|
| A busy day, even at dusk when 4
ski-boats were still out and Chasetown Youth had laid claim to the
Sailing Shore with 3 separate camp fires burning. 4 Common Terns, 28
Black-headed Gulls and 78 Canada Geese were present (GE). |
|
- 2nd
|
- 27°C
- Heavy
showers
- SE2
|
| At dusk a Hobby was hunting over
the west shore, 16 Common Terns were present but 8 flew south and
310 Black-headed Gulls were in the roost (GE). |
|
- 3rd
|
- 22°C
- Sunny
intervals
- WNW2
|
| A 3rd s Yellow-legged
Gull, 5 Lesser Black-backs and 390 Black-headed Gulls were in
the roost. Also present were 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Little
Ringed Plovers, 26 Lapwings and 10 Common Terns (GE). |
| At Stubbers Green there was
a 2nd s Yellow-legged Gull, 45 Lapwings, over 200 Canada
Geese and 6 Ringlets (GE). |
|
- 4th
- Sat
|
- 21°C
- Heavy
showers
- SSW3
|
- Orange Foxtail (GE)
|
It was good to find that the low spring water levels
had created ideal conditions for the rare grass Orange Foxtail
to germinate and there was a good patch on the Balcony shore and I
expect it to be found in many other shoreline locations. During the
day totals included 4 Oystercatchers, 3 Little Ringed
Plovers, 10 Common Terns and 78 Canada Geese. At dusk there were
450 Black-headed Gulls, 3 Lesser Black-backs and a 3rd s Yellow-legged
Gull (GE).
|
- Ringlet © G Evans
|
|
-
5th
- Sun
|
- 19°C
- Sunny
intervals
- SSW3
|
| 4 Oystercatchers and a Little
Ringed Plover were seen from the Balcony. Tufted Duck numbers
have risen to 66 with 24 on the Slurry Pool and 42 on the Swag. 2
Kestrels, a Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard were overhead. The gull roost
held a 3rd s Yellow-legged Gull, 6 Lesser Black-backs and
over 200 Black-headed Gulls. Butterflies numbered many Ringlets, 2
Gatekeepers, a few Meadow Browns, 4 Speckled Woods, 5 Commas, 1 Red
Admiral, 1-2 large Skippers, several Small Skippers and 1-2 Large
Whites. Several Black-tailed Skimmers, 3 Common Darters and a Brown
Hawker were seen (GE). |
|
- 6th
|
- 19°C
- Heavy
showers
- SW2
|
|
The gull roost held 12 Lesser Black-backs and up to 300
Black-headed Gulls. 5 Oystercatchers, one Little Ringed
Plover, 10 Common Terns and 78 Canada Geese were also present
(GE).
|
|
-
7th
|
-
- 18°C
- Heavy
showers
- WNW4
|
| Heavy skies made it dark by 21:30 when
a 3rd s Yellow-legged Gull, 12 Lesser Black-backs, 200+
Black-headed Gulls, 7 Common Terns, 5 Oystercatchers and a Little
Ringed Plover were present. The single parent swan brood is now
down to 2 cygnets (GE). |
| At Stubbers Green there was an adult Yellow-legged
Gull with orange ring B5VZ (RC). |
|
- 8th
|
- 20°C
- Sunny
intervals
- WNW4
|
| Rising water levels have now isolated
the island and many gulls and Canada Geese were roosting on it at
dusk. At 22:00 a view from the Balcony produced totals of 470
Black-headed Gulls (<10% juveniles), 16 Lesser Black-backs, a 3rd
summer Yellow-legged Gull, 6 Oystercatchers, a Little
Ringed Plover and 2-3 Common Terns (GE). |
| At least 3 (2 3rd s and a 2nd s) Yellow-legged
Gulls were amongst over 300 Lesser Black-backs and 200
Black-headed Gulls at Stubbers Green during the afternoon (GE). |
- 3rd summer or adult Yellow-legged Gull
- © G Evans
|
- 2nd summer Yellow-legged Gull
- © G Evans
|
|
- 9th
|
- 16°C
- Sunny
intervals
- NW4
|
| Water levels are now at 221cm below
overflow. An evening walk along the South Shore to the Balcony
produced 6 Oystercatchers, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Dunlin
and 4+ Common Terns. The Powerboat bay was covered by a carpet
of Orange Foxtail grass and the Island appeared to have good
numbers of Black-headed Gulls and Canada Geese (GE). |
|
- 10th
|
- 19°C
- Sunny
intervals
- WNW4
|
| During the early morning there were 2 Black-tailed
Godwits and 2 Redshanks on the island and a record 9 Oystercatchers
and 2 Dunlin on the far end of the North Shore (GR). A view from Pimpernel Point across to
the Island at dusk showed many birds were using it as a roost site
with 2 Yellow-legged Gulls, 200 Black-headed Gulls, several
Common Terns and, most surprisingly, a 1st summer Little Gull all
on its shoreline. 6 Little Ringed Plovers and at least one Oystercatcher
were also present along with a very distant and dusky view of a
godwit/whimbrel type on the Sailing Shore which had disappeared by
the time I had walked around Fly Bay to get better views (GE). |
| Cuckoo Bank area: At Eights Wood a
Cockatiel was screeching away and eventually flew off to the east.
Otherwise very quiet apart from Jay, Great Spotted and Green
Woodpeckers, Buzzard and Kestrel. A Little Grebe was on one of the
pools and there was a group of 3 Red Deer hinds and a half sized
calf. The lack of bird-life was compensated for by the butterflies
and dragonflies; the following numbers being clearly underestimates.
60 Ringlets, 50 Meadow Browns, 50 Small Skippers, 3 Large Skippers,
25 Small Heaths, 2 Commas, 1 Green-veined White, 3 Large Whites, 1
Red Admiral, 1 Painted Lady and 4 Gatekeepers. Dragonflies: 10
Emperors, 3 Four-spotted Chasers, 2 Black-tailed Skimmers, 3 Common
Darters and 150 Common and 5 Emerald Damselflies (EO). |
|
- 11th
- Sat
|
- 19°C
- Sunny
intervals followed by heavy evening rain
- SSW2
|
| A very late and wet evening visit
produced 1-2 Common Terns and up to 20 large gulls with many
Black-headed Gulls on the Island (GE). |
|
- 12th
- Sun
|
- 20°C
- Sunny
intervals
- WNW4
|
| The island is now attracting many birds
seeking refuge from the shoreline disturbance but despite the effort
required, a man and daughter waded across, carrying their dog, and
flushed off 3 (2 2nd s and a 3rd s) Yellow-legged Gulls, 7
Lesser Black-backs, 35 Black-headed Gulls, 20 Lapwings, 9 Common
Terns, 6 Oystercatchers and a Heron. Overall totals included
14 Common Terns, 76 Tufted Ducks, 2 Ruddy Ducks, 2 Little Ringed
Plovers, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Green Woodpecker. Other
wildfowl counts will be added later. Butterflies included 2 Painted
Ladies, 5 Small Tortoiseshells, many faded Ringlets and several
fresh Gatekeepers. Dragonflies included Brown Hawker, Black-tailed
Skimmer and a few teneral Common Darters. There was also a patch of Orange
Foxtail near the causeway (GE, NS). At dusk the 3 Yellow-legged
Gulls were joined by 45 Lesser Black-backs and 550 Black-headed
Gulls in the roost (GE). |
|
|
|
|
| Yellow-legged Gulls
- two probable 2nd summer and a near adult bird. The middle photo
shows a good size comparison with a Lesser Black-back (GE) |
|
- 13th
|
- 20°C
- Heavy
showers
- SSW3
|
| A Ringed
Plover, Oystercatcher ,1-2 Little Ringed Plovers
and around 10 Common Terns were present (GR) and the gull roost was
very similar in size to last night's but only 2 Yellow-legged
Gulls were seen (GE). |
|
- 14th
|
- 20°C
- Light
showers
- SSW2
|
| During the evening there were 19 Common
Terns, including 6 over the Swag and 2 Yellow-legged Gulls
were on the Island (GE). |
|
- 15th
|
- 20°C
- Sunny
intervals
- SW2
|
| At dusk there was a Little Ringed
Plover on the Balcony shore and the gull roost held 760
Black-headed Gulls, 44 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 3 Yellow-legged
Gulls (GE). |
|
- 16th
|
- 20°C
- Cloudy.
Heavy rain in evening
- SW3
|
| During torrential evening rain a Turnstone
flew from the Island and landed on the ski-ramp. Several Common
Terns were present and a Little Grebe was on the Swag (GE). |
|
- 17th
|
- 20°C
- Cloudy,
heavy showers
- NNW4
|
| The Turnstone and 2 Little
Ringed Plovers were present during the early morning (GR) and at
dusk the gull roost held over 70 Lesser Black-backs and 3 Yellow-legged
Gulls (probably the same as on 12th) (GE). |
|
- 18th
- Sat
|
-
- 18°C
- Light
showers
- W5
|
|
5 Yellow-legged Gulls were on the island
including a 1st summer, 2nd summer, 2 probable 3rd summers and an
adult bird. There was also an adult intermedius Lesser
Black-back. At least 3 Oystercatchers were present along with 3
Common Sandpipers and 10 Common Terns. The first Pochard
of the 'autumn' was on the Slurry Pool. The gull roost held 1050
Black-headed Gulls and around 70 large gulls including the first
juvenile Lesser Black-back (GE).
|
|
- 19th
- Sun
|
- 19°C
- Heavy
showers
- W3
|
|
Two (2nd and 3rd summer) Yellow-legged
Gulls, 1 Common Sandpiper and 3 Oystercatchers
were on the Island (RSo). A scarce Adonis' Ladybird was found
on the South Shore (AC). This appears to be only the 6th
Staffordshire record ever with half of them having occurred in the
Kinver area (click
here for map). |
- Adonis' Ladybird (© A Curran)
|
| At Stubbers Green there were many
Lesser Black-backs including 3 juveniles and a sub adult intermedius,
3 argenteus Herring Gulls comprising of a 1st summer, 3rd
summer and a ringed (Green A:W) adult which was surprisingly dark
eyed, over 100 Black-headed Gulls, a Common Tern and 5 Cormorants
(GE). |
|
- 20th
|
- 20°C
- Sunny
intervals
- W4
|
| During the morning there were
2 Ringed Plovers, 3 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Common
Sandpipers, up to 4 Common Terns and lots of dog walkers (GR).
At dusk there were at least 10 Common Terns, 2 Oystercatchers,
1200 Black-headed Gulls, 78 Lesser Black-backs and 3 Yellow-legged
Gulls (GE). |
|
- 21st
|
- 19°C
- Heavy
rain
- SW3
|
| The heavy rain has raised water levels
significantly and the Island is less accessible from the west shore.
With luck, it may continue to act as a refuge from disturbance during
the school holidays. At dusk there were up to 10 Common Terns, 2 Oystercatchers,
1250 Black-headed Gulls and 130 large gulls which were mainly head-on
and difficult to identify although obviously most were Lesser
Black-backs (GE). |
| At Stubbers Green there was a 1st summer
Lesser Black-backed Gull with a blue ring VO33 that was put on
as a pullus in Denmark on 01/07/08, which presumably indicates that this is an intermedius
and poses the question 'how many more of our summer non-breeding
immatures are from Scandinavian populations?'. At the nearby
Vigo Landfill the following ringed Lesser Black-backs were seen: a
Belgian adult blue with white GR.AN, a Walney adult black with
yellow WB4T, a Bristol adult black with yellow B:N and
an immature red with yellow 053K ringed in France in 2007 (and
recorded in Morocco during the winter of 07/08 (RC). |
|
|
22nd
|
- 19°C
- Sunny
intervals, showers
- SW4
|
| At 07:15 there were 2 Little Ringed
Plovers, an Oystercatcher, a Ringed Plover, a Common
Sandpiper and a Dunlin in summer plumage on North Shore. On
Norton Bog Hill there were 2 Green Woodpeckers, a Kestrel and a
Buzzard. 5 Common Terns were on the Swag and 2 more on the main lake (EO).
At dusk the gull roost held over 100 Lesser Black-backs and at least 3
Yellow-legged Gulls (GE). |
| On Cuckoo Bank at 09:00 there were 4 Kestrels,
2 Buzzards, a Little Grebe and a Pheasant. A burst of sunshine
produced <50 Gatekeepers, < 50 Meadow Browns, 8 Small Skippers, 2
Small Whites and 7 Ringlets (EO). |
| At least 13 Yellow-legged Gulls
were at Stubbers Green including at least 9 adults, up to 3 2nd summer
and 2 3rd summer types. The adult with orange ring B5VZ was
again present (PJ) and has been found to have been ringed in the
Balearics (per RC). |
|
- 23rd
|
- 20°C
- Sunny
intervals, heavy showers
- SW3
|
| A short afternoon visit to the South
Shore produced 2 Oystercatchers, 2-3 Common Terns and a few
distant gulls on the Island (GE). |
| A quick binocular check of 300 loafing
gulls on the Vigo Tip produced at least 5 Yellow-legged Gulls
amongst the Lesser Black-backs. Five minutes later there were 180
large gulls at Stubbers Green with at least 2 (3rd s and adult) Yellow-legged
Gulls present. There were also 135 Lapwings (GE). |
|
- 24th
|
- 19°C
- Heavy
showers clearing in evening
- SW4
|
|
Two adult Sanderlings and a Little Ringed
Plover were on the Sailing Shore at dusk. The Swag held a Pochard,
22 Tufted Ducks and 53 Mallard (GE). The moth trapping
session was held on the heath to the north of the Slurry Pool and
around 25 species were caught, the most interesting being a Grass
Emerald, Scarce Footman and Four-dotted Footman (NS, GE)
|
|
At Stubbers Green there were over 800 large gulls
including up to 7 Yellow-legged Gulls, 3 Herring Gulls and the
dark intermedius type Lesser Black-backed Gull. A
Kingfisher was also present and one of a pair of Buzzards had a rufous
coloured tail. (GE).
|
- 3rd summer intermedius Lesser Black-back
(GE)
|
- Buzzard with a rufous tail (GE)
|
|
- 25th
- Sat
|
- 21°C
- Sunny
intervals
- W3
|
| Four Yellow-legged Gulls were on
the Island along with 2 Oystercatchers, 28 Lapwings, 4 Common
Sandpipers and a Sanderling but unfortunately a dog
walker waded out and disturbed everything. 5 Dunlin were also
seen, mainly in flight. Despite all the
disturbance a pair of Little Ringed Plovers have raised one
chick and there was a brood of 3 Tufted Ducklings on Fly Pool. A
Hobby, 3 Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk, 2 Green Woodpeckers and a
Willow Tit were all seen over the Norton Bog Heath area (GE, NS, PW). |
On Cuckoo Bank a female Stonechat
was catching flies and a late Cuckoo was pursued by <15
finches.
In total there were 100+ Gatekeepers ,100+ Meadow Brown, <40 Small Skippers,
10 Small Heaths, 15+ Large Whites and up to 20 Small Whites and a
very battered Ringlet. There were also 100+ Common Blues, 10+ Blue-tailed and 25 Emerald
Damselflies, 6 Emperors, 4 Brown Hawkers, 20+ Common Darters, 5 Ruddy
Darters, 3 Black-tailed Skimmers and 1 Broad- bodied Chaser basking
on path (EO). |
| Amongst the gatherings of gulls at
Stubbers Green there were 4 Yellow-legged Gulls, 3
Oystercatchers and 2 Common Terns, whilst at the adjacent Highfields
South tip, where many of the gulls fed, there was also the intermedius
type Lesser Black-back and a Raven (GE, PJ). |
|
-
26th
- Sun
|
-
- 20°C
- Heavy
rain
- SSW4
|
| Water levels have now risen to 215cm
below overflow. A brief evening visit produced 2 probable Yellow-legged
Gulls on the raft and about 10 Common Terns (GE). |
| At Stubbers Green/Highfields South Tip
there were 3 adult Yellow-legged Gulls, the 2nd or 3rd year intermedius
Lesser Black-back, the Danish ringed (VO33) 1st s Lesser Black-back, 4
argenteus Herring Gulls, including the ringed (A:W) and a
Raven (PJ). (A:W) was ringed as a pullus in Bristol in
2005 and (VO33) was ringed as a pullus in Denmark on (per RC). |
|
- 27th
-
|
-
- 21°C
- Showers
- WSW4
|
| An adult Turnstone was on the
Island and a Dunlin by the pier, 5 Common Sandpipers,
4 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Oystercatchers, 53
Tufted Ducks, 2 Pochard, 3 Yellow-legged Gulls, 87 Lesser
Black-backs including an adult intermedius, 215
Black-headed Gulls, several Common Terns, a Willow Tit, Green
Woodpecker, 3 Painted Ladies and a Small Tortoiseshell were all seen
during the day. At dusk 1900 Black-headed
Gulls and 160 large gulls roosted (GE). |
| 400 Lesser Black-backs were at Stubbers
Green along with 2 adult (including B5VZ) and a 3rd s Yellow-legged
Gulls, 4 argenteus Herring Gulls and 160 Black-headed
Gulls (GE, JA). |
|
- 28th
|
- 19°C
- Heavy
showers
- SW3
|
| A brief visit at dusk produced 2 Oystercatchers,
5+ Common Terns, over 1700 Black-headed Gulls, 250 Lesser
Black-backs and at least 3 (an adult and 2 3rd s) Yellow-legged
Gulls (GE). |
| An estimated 1500 large gulls were
feeding at the Vigo and Highfields South Tips and bathing and
loafing at Stubbers Green where an adult Yellow-legged Gull
regularly regurgitated food to a juvenile which may have been an
opportunist Lesser Black-back. The maximum count of Yellow-legged
Gulls at Stubbers was 10 but it is likely there are up to 15 birds
in the area including >5 adults (including B5VZ), >5
3rd summer and <1 2nd summer. An adult and the regular 2nd/3rd s intermedius
Lesser Black-backed Gulls were also present. At dusk many birds were
seen to be flying south towards Birmingham, possibly to roost on the
factory roofs amongst the breeding colonies (PJ). |
|
-
29th
|
- 18°C
- Heavy
rain
- S4
|
| The gull roost held 8 Yellow-legged
Gulls, 310 Lesser Black-backs and >1700 Black-headed Gulls.
17 Common Terns and an Oystercatcher were also present (GE). |
| At Stubbers Green there were at least 6
(3+ adults, 2+ 3rd s and a probable juvenile) Yellow-legged Gulls
including B5VZ and the adult feeding 2 juveniles that
appeared to be identical to Lesser Black-backs. It is possible that
the Birmingham breeding colony includes a mixed pair which have
produced 2 hybrid young. The origins of the probable juvenile Yellow-legged
Gull is anyone's guess but it appeared good and contrasted with
the several juvenile Lesser Black-backs in being paler headed and
breasted and in flight it showed a clearer white upper tail coverts
and base to the black banded
tail. A blue ringed (GR.AN) 3rd summer Lesser Black-back was
also present (GE). |
- Probable juvenile Yellow-legged Gull (GE).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| These four photographs show
the two juvenile Lesser Black-back types begging for food from what
appeared to be a large but fairly typical Yellow-legged Gull.
However, the photos, taken in pouring rain, seem to show a tone of grey a little too dark
for Yellow-legged and could possibly indicate a hybrid origin and
explain why the juveniles are so standard in appearance. The bottom
right photo shows only a marginal difference in tone of grey between
the presumed Yellow-legged and a Lesser Black-back that also
appeared to be responding to the begging juveniles but at a distance
(GE). |
|
-
30th
|
- 21°C
- Sunny
intervals
- WNW4
|
| 60 Lapwings, 1 Oystercatcher, 3 Common
Sandpipers and the Little Ringed Plover family were the
only waders seen. Other totals were 27 Great Crested Grebes
(unfortunately no young have been raised so far this year), 61
Tufted Ducks, up to 10 Common Terns, 3 Kestrels and a Painted Lady.
265 flower spikes of Round-leaved Wintergreens were counted
with only 23 in the 'bog', 22 on the slope and 220 at the main site
discovered last year (GE). |
| A very brief visit to Stubbers Green
produced over 700 Lesser Black-backs and 2-3 Herring Gulls and
Yellow-legged Gulls (GE). |
|
|
31st
|
- 20°C
- Sunny
intervals, rain later
- SW3
|
| 3 Common Sandpipers, a 3rd
summer Yellow-legged Gull and 60 Lapwings were seen during a
brief morning visit (GE) and a Kingfisher was seen in Fly Bay
(PW). |
| At Stubbers Green there were at least 7
Yellow-legged Gulls (with an adult again feeding the 2
juveniles), an adult intermedius Lesser Black-back, a
blue ringed 2nd summer and the blue ringed (GR.AN) 3rd summer
Lesser Black-back (PJ, JA). |
|
