21st February

Tameside LNR - 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Goosander, Little Egret and 2 Nuthatch (S Allison).
RSPB Middleton (Staffs) - Firecrest [river bridge], 5 Pintail, 3 Great White Egret, 10 Goldeneye & 2 Goosander (J Sirrett). 3 Ruff, 4 Oystercatcher, 8 Goosander & 6 Little Egret (J Woodcock via @staffsbirdnews).

20th February

RSPB Middleton (Warks) - Firecrest [Dosthill side, South of river bridge] (T de Clermont & P Hyde). Lesser Spotted Woodpecker [feeder reeds] & Brambling [car park] - reported.  3 Great White Egret & 25+ Little Egret roosted [Heronry].
RSPB Middleton (Staffs) - 5 (3m&2f) Pintail, 3 Goldeneye, 5 Goosander & 8+ Shelduck (T de Clermont & P Hyde). 3 Ruff and Ringed Plover reported on Jubilee Wetlands.

19th February

RSPB Middleton (Warks) - Lesser Spotted Woodpecker [car park Oaks], Firecrest, Chiffchaff & Great White Egret [Fishers Mill] (RSPB).

18th February

RSPB Middleton (Warks) - Firecrest - River's edge brambles just South of the bridge on the Dosthill side (R Walker). 3 Great White Egret roosted in the heronry with 33 Little Egret. The dead bird on Dosthill NR, Friday, does therefore not appear to be one of the regular roosters.
RSPB Middleton (Staffs) - 5 (3m&2f) Pintail, 4 Oystercatcher and 7 Goldeneye [Jubilee Wetlands], 8 Goldeneye [Dosthill NR].
Tamworth Amington - 3 Ruff still, in flooded field off Selker Drive and 2nd W Yellow-Legged Gull (T Perrins & J Allen).
Alvecote Mill Pool - Stonechat (F Savage via @birsdofalvecote)

17th February

RSPB Middleton (Staffs) - Great White Egret, 9 Goosander, 2 Stonechat [North Pit], 2 Pintail, 4 Shelduck, 3 Oystercatcher, c.200 Lapwing [Jubilee Wetlands], 8 Goldeneye [various pools] (S Atkinson). Firecrest [Dosthill NR - First screen] (S Phillips).

16th February

RSPB Middleton (Staffs) - 17 Goosander [North Pit], Great White Egret, 2 Pintail, 9 Goldeneye, 6 Oystercatcher and the 3 Ruff arrived to roost at 16:49 [Jubilee Wetlands].
RSPB Middleton (Warks) - Merlin [Southern Meadow] (J&P Hughes).
KWP (South) - Ruddy Shelduck & 2 Egyptian Geese (S Haynes).
KWP Cliff Pool - drake Pintail, Willow Tit, 190 Lapwing (S Haynes), Great White Egret, 2 Goosander & 2 Raven (J&P Hughes).

15th February

RSPB Middleton (Staffs) - Great White Egret, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Egyptian Geese, 16 Shelduck and 3 Goldeneye (S Atkinson).
RSPB Middleton (Warks) - Water Rail [feeders] (C Workman).
KWP (South) - 3 Egyptian Geese, Ruddy Shelduck, 3 Shelduck, 4 Goldeneye, 2 Goosander, 6 Little Egret, 2 Oystercatcher and 20 Golden Plover over West (A Dean).
Hams Hall Edison Road Outflow - 5 Chiffchaff one a "Siberian" morphotype but giving common Chiffchaff call (A Dean).
Lea Marston Lakes - 4 Shelduck. Gull roost at Coton has now dispersed (A Dean).


Water Rail at RSPB Middleton - Claire Workman

13th February

No news from the valley today
Report of Long-Eared Owl at RSPB Middleton yesterday - awaiting further details.

12th February

RSPB Middleton (Warks) - 3 Great White Egret roosted in the Heronry and Barn Owl hunting Play Meadow.

Lea Marston Lakes - 14 Shelduck (A Dean).

Alvecote Gilmans Pool - Great White Egret (R Smith).

With the first guess in the Avocet competition being the 14th of February then it's only fair entries close at midnight tomorrow. The competition is open to everyone - nothing to lose nothing to gain,  just a bit of fun. 9 Avocet were at Frampton Gloucestershire today which potentially is less than a days flight from Middleton. Dates still available are under the Middleton year list and some background information is in the news section to the right. Just email me your guess.

11th February

RSPB Middleton (Staffs) - 2 (m&f) Pintail, Great White Egret & 3-4 Oystercatcher (R Walker). 2 Stonechat reported. Confirmed that there are 2 pairs of Pintail on the reserve (NP and JW West). Also 20+ Goosander [North Pit], 3 Ruff roosted [Jubilee] and Great White Egret [Dosthill NR].
RSPB Middleton (Warks) - Firecrest still, same area Fishers Mill riverside (T Perrins). Chiffchaff [South of FM riverside] and Barn Owl [Southern Meadow].
Dosthill Lake - 15 Oystercatcher on grass to the East.
Tamworth Amington - 3 Ruff still, in flooded field off Selker Drive (T Perrins).
Hams Hall Edison Road Outflow - 3 Siberian Chiffchaff [Fulvescens type, classic type and a duller bird with a bright wing panel], 12+ Common Chiffchaff and 6 Goosander (D Hutton).
River Tame near Ladywalk - 2 (m&f) Pintail (Y Moore).