West Midland Bird Club
Tittesworth Reservoir News, in 2008
Unless otherwise stated, reports on this page are anecdotal, and have not been verified by the relevant country recorder or rarities committee.
For the scientfic names of these birds, and their local status, see our county lists.
April 2008
- 28: By far the best find was a Whinchat.
- 27: A Cuckoo was calling (one was also seen and heard in nearby Macclesfield on the 26th). Two Dunlin turned up. Two Little Ringed Plovers were still present. A Lesser Whitethroat was located, the first for 2008. Lesser Redpoll numbers were quite high at 20. A Kingfisher was also a good find.
- 26: The first Whitethroat of the year was found. The number of Common Sandpipers had risen to three (this species breeds on site). Two male Common Redstarts were logged. Two Garden Warblers and two Sedge Warblers were present. Five male Reed Buntings were found. Two Peacock butterflies were identified — the first butterflies for 2008.
- 25: The first Garden Warbler and the first Sedge Warbler of the 2008 summer season was recorded. Coot is a relatively sparse species on this site but nine birds were reported. A Whimbrel on passage was seen.
- 23: Only one Lapwing was reported as being present on site. This species must have headed for the hills and moorlands to breed.
- 22: Six tiny Mallard ducklings were reported, the first of the year. A male Shoveler was the suprise visitor.
- 21: Two late staying Wigeon were observed.
- 20: A very young lady named Maxine found a Curlew but she also saw a Jenny Wren! Nice. The four Yellow Wagtails were still about as well as two Grey Wagtails, five Stock Doves, a Nuthatch, two Common Sandpipers, the female Brambling, a Tawny Owl and eight Song Thrushes.
- 19: The first Common Redstart for 2008 was located at 1:45pm — it was a male bird. Interestingly a female Brambling was also found. Another case of winter and summer season crossover. Other species of interest on this day included a pair of Mandarins, a Snipe, two Little Ringed Plovers, two Treecreepers and 11 Pied Wagtails.
- 17: The most interesting find on site was of four Yellow Wagtails. However, on the same day there was a report of a Great Grey Shrike just off site. Of equal interest there was a Wood Warbler by the River Churnet near the Blackshaw Lane road bridge.
- 15: An Osprey flew north over the reservoir at around 0830 hrs. Five Greylag Geese were present. There were now two Common Sandpipers on site. Eight Coots were counted — high for this site. Two Nuthatches were seen, a Tawny Owl found and three Great Spotted Woodpeckers “spotted”!
- 14: The Common Sandpiper was still present and Curlew numbers had risen to nine.
- 13: Willow Warbler numbers had lifted to 28, three Shelducks had turned up, two Sparrowhawks hunted on the site, two Grey Wagtails fed around the River Churnett, a single Snipe was spotted plus three Curlews, two Jays were located, five Common Buzzards were seen and best of all two Peregrines passed by.
- 12: The best find of the day was a Common Sandpiper. Also of interest were a male Gadwall, 40 Swallows, 30 Sand Martins and two House Martins, 22 Willow Warblers, 14 Chiffchaffs, two Lesser Redpolls and two pairs of Reed Buntings.
- 9: A mixed flock of over 120 winter thrushes were present. Two House Martins were seen, only the second sighting this year.
- 8: A selection of species seen: a Grey Heron, three Mute Swans, 15 Teal, a female Goldeneye, a Curlew, a Raven and a Willow Tit.
- 7: Spectacularly 120+ Sand Martins over flew the site. There were also at least 20 Swallows present. Winter ducks were still around. Five Goldeneyes were seen as were three Goosanders. Willow Warbler numbers had lifted to 12.
- 6: Tufted Duck numbers stood at 19. The first Little Ringed Plover for 2008 was located. There were 25 Swallows and around 70 Sand Martins over the site. Fourteen Pied Wagtails and two Grey Wagtails were found. Also a White Wagtail was observed on the dam wall. Five Reed Buntings were present.
- 5: A Pink-footed Goose was observed. A male Mandarin was seen trying to swallow a frog! Two Shelducks were located. Most importantly an Osprey was present on site for 25 minutes! A Tawny Owl was heard calling. Willow Warbler numbers had risen to nine.
- 3: The first House Martin of the year was noted. A pair of Mandarins was present and over 20 Sand Martins were noted.
- 2: A Barnacle Goose was noted — quite uncommon on site these days. A few years ago a pair inhabited the site on a permanent basis. Goosander numbers were still healthy at seven. Six Stock Doves were counted — quite a high number for this species. A Dipper was an excellent find and four Shelducks hunted over the site.
March 2008
- 31: The first Willow Warbler of the year was found. A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was seen, a species officially classified as a resident breeder but is, in fact, quite rare on site these days. An excellent find indeed!
- 30: From a large number of species noted the following are worth a mention: ten Great Crested Grebes, eight Goosanders, three Goldeneyes, 45 Wigeon, two Mandarins, seven Coot, two Herring Gulls, three Kestrels, four Shelducks, a Sparrowhawk, three Great Spotted Woodpeckers, eight Sand Martins, two Swallows, a Nuthatch, two Willow Tits, four Lesser Redpolls, five Meadow Pipits and four Reed Buntings.
- 29: Winter ducks were still present. There were three of each of Goldeneye and Goosander. Small numbers of both Swallow and Sand Martin were seen.
- 27: Three Sand Martins were seen — the first for 2008. Other sightings of interest included 19 Tufted Ducks, 23 Snipe, two Sparrowhawks, 45 Fieldfares, 30 Redwings, 10 Song Thrushes, a Kingfisher, a Treecreeper and six Reed Buntings.
- 26: By far the best sighting was of a Jack Snipe. Also of interest were a Little Grebe, two Mute Swans, a Redshank, an Oystercatcher, eight Coot, a ring-tailed Hen Harrier, four Common Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel, two Common Gulls, three Goldcrests, three Bullfinches, a Lesser Redpoll and four Brown Hares.
- 25: At 12:15 hours two Swallows flew over the dam — the first for 2008.
- 24: Two Willow Tits were present - an established bird on site for this nationally declining species. A Chiffchaff was located again. Three Shelducks were also "buzzing" around the site!
- 23: Cormorant numbers were high at 32. Surprisingly 45 Wigeon were found. It was thought that most had left for northern climes. Twenty three Snipe was a good count for this elusive species. Six Coot and two Moorhens were seen, which is good news for these scarce site species. Fourteen Pied Wagtails were counted and more impressively 42 Meadow Pipits were counted on the dam wall. A female Stonechat was also observed.
- 22: By far the best find of the day was a Chiffchaff — the first of the season. In addition the following were interesting: 20 Cormorants, three Goldeneyes, about 50 Curlews, around 100 Fieldfares and four Bullfinches.
- 20: Of note were the following: a Male Mandarin, 17 Curlews, nine Snipe, a Grey Wagtail, a Meadow Pipit and two pairs of Reed Buntings,
- 19: Ducks present included 12 Goosanders, 23 Teal, 17 "Tufties", a single Wigeon and five Pochards. The only waders present were 14 Snipe, 13 Curlew and 11 Lapwings. In addition there were nine Great Crested Grebes, two Greylag Geese, a Kestrel, a Pheasant and a Reed Bunting.
- 17: Twenty eight Tufted Ducks were present along with 16 Teal, a single Pochard and a pair of Mandarins. Only three Curlews were located, but 17 Snipe were observed. Once again a Dipper was found on the River Churnet. Two Song Thrushes were seen but only eight each of Fieldfare and Redwing.
- 16: A pair of Gadwall were noted. Teal numbers stood at 26. Two pairs of Bullfinches were observed but perhaps the best find of the day was a Peregrine.
- 15: Tufted Duck numbers had edged up to 21. Three Goldeneyes were still present. Curlew numbers were still healthy at 114. A Dipper was found again plus three Grey Wagtails. Twelve Song Thrushes seemed a high count but they are now singly lustily and are easy to locate. A Nuthatch was also found.
- 12: The following should be noted: six Great Crested Grebes, 17 Tufted Ducks, eight Snipe, two Kestrels, three Stock Doves, 75 Fieldfares, 63 Redwings and a Meadow Pipit.
- 9: Twenty nine Goosanders were counted but only six Pochards were found. A very large flock of Curlews was observed, numbering 125 individuals. Ten Common Buzzards glided around the site.
- 8: There are three active Grey Heron nests in the heronry. A Shelduck was an unusual find. The following are also worth a mention: three Mute Swans, 63
Curlews, three Goldeneyes, a Dipper, four Goldcrests, six Song Thrushes and five Reed Buntings.
- 7: Of note: 15 Cormorants, 48 Curlews, a pair of Pintails, 34 Goosanders, 31 Wigeon, three Mandarins, a Dunlin and nesting Grey Herons.
- 5: A lot of species noted. Of note: a Little Grebe (scarce on site), 26 Goosanders, three Mandarins, 11 Snipe, seven Coot, two Moorhens (the last two species being extremely scarce at Tittesworth), three Pheasants, two Treecreepers, over 60 Fieldfares, 120+ Redwings and eight Mute Swans — an uncommon site species. A Red Fox was observed and Common Frog spawn was found in the "dipping pond". Also observed: a pair of displaying Common Buzzards in a flock of ten — plus an overflying Golden Plover.
- 2: Ninety two Curlews were counted. Other good finds included four Goldeneyes, a Dipper, two Grey Wagtails, three Stock Doves and three Great Spotted Woodpeckers.
February 2008
- 28: A pair of Goldeneyes was observed and two Willow Tits were noted. Also of note were — a Nuthatch, a Song Thrush, a Mistle Thrush and two Reed Buntings. A Field Mouse was also seen.
- 27: There were nine Pochards present and Curlew numbers had now risen to 47. Snipe numbers were at a lowly 11. A Little Owl was found plus a Sparrowhawk, two Kestrels and a Common Buzzard.
- 26: At the southern end of the reservoir an adult (near summer plumaged) Mediterranean Gull was seen with Black-headed Gulls and Cormorants.
- 25: Two Greylag Geese were seen, quite uncommon on the site. Curlew numbers had nudged up to 17.
- 24: Once again a Jack Snipe was found. In addition the following were of interest: 44 Lapwings, a Sparrowhawk, a Tawny Owl and a Kingfisher.
- 23: Twelve Curlew were seen but also a Kestrel, a Kingfisher, a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Jay and a Reed Bunting.
- 22: A school party from Ashbourne found six Goldeneyes and 13 Tufted Ducks. Also noted by another observer were five Pochards, eight Goosanders, 82 Wigeon, 17 Lapwings and a Lesser Redpoll.
- 17: By far the best finds were three Gadwall (two males & a female), a Jack Snipe and a male Pintail. Also two Brown Hares were observed.
- 15: A pair of Mandarins spent time gorging themselves around the visitor centre feeding station, so were easily seen by interested visitors. There were well over 100 each of Fieldfares and Redwings. Plants in flower included Snowdrops, reminding us that winter is still with us, and Gorse, Daffodil and Butterbur heralding the approach of spring.
- 13: Best finds were a Curlew, five Stock Doves, a female Stonechat and two Moorhens — so scarce on site these days.
- 10: More Goosanders turned up so that the final day count was 29. Wigeon numbers were up to 67. Sixteen Snipe were also foumd. Two Tawny Owls were observed sitting side by side. The best find of the day was a Skylark, a species that has reduced in numbers on site over the last few years. Four Reed Buntings and two Meadow Pipits were also noted.
- 8: Goosander numbers had lifted slightly to 24. Three Treecreepers were observed.
- 7: The Goosander count was 23. A single Great Black-backed Gull was noted. Eight Lesser Redpolls were seen but also two Mealy Redpolls were found feeding on the ground. A high day-count of six Great Spotted Woodpeckers was made and also a Jay was seen and a Raven passed by.
- 6: The most interesting records were a Little Grebe, a pair of Mandarins, 34 Common Gulls, a Tawny Owl, a Grey Wagtail and 5 Long-tailed Tits.
- 4: The most interesting finds were five Bullfinches, nine Lesser Redpolls and three Siskins.
- 3: A single Little Grebe was found — an uncommon visitor to the site. The Goosander count was 19 — a goodly number. An excellent count of 32 Snipe was made. Two female Sparrowhawks hunted on the site. A single Herring Gull turned up, a normal occurance for this time of year.
January 2008
- 30: 213 Canada Geese were counted. Pochard numbers had lifted to 12 and Goldeneye numbers stood at three. Thirteen Snipe were found but only 9 Lapwings. Winter thrush numbers were good with over 80 Fieldfares and in excess of 150 Redwings.
- 27: Worth noting were ten Pochards, 27 Teal, 16 Goosanders, two Goldeneye, ten Lapwings, two Kestrels, two Common Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk, over 90 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 25 Woodpigeons — normally quite scarce on the site, three Stock Doves, a Kingfisher, a Nuthatch, a Goldcrest and a Willow Tit.
- 26: The duck count was as follows: one female Goldeneye, nine Pochards, 52 Wigeon, 22 Tufted Ducks and a pair of Goosanders. As usual Mallard were present but were not counted. Other interesting sightings included two Kestrels, 50 Fieldfares, two Song Thrushes, 70 Redwings, a Mistle Thrush, two Lesser Redpolls, two Kingfishers and 20 Siskins.
- 24: Thirty species of bird were seen on and around the Conservation Pool, including the following: a Grey Heron, about 20 Tufted Ducks, three Goldeneye (two smart looking males and a female), four Snipe, just five Lapwings (where have they all gone?), a Willow Tit, a female Bullfinch and a male Reed Bunting.
- 23: Five Goldeneyes were observed and six Wigeon. The Lapwing flock may have dispersed because only 10 birds were found. The Stock Dove count was high at six birds.
- 20: Pochard numbers had lifted to a more respectable 18. A pair of Mandarins were located and 18 Goosanders were counted (12 males & 8 females). In addition the following were noted: two Kestrels, a male Sparrowhawk, four Common Buzzards, a first winter Great Black-backed Gull (a very uncommon species on this site), 33 Snipe, a Green Woodpecker, two flocks of Pink-footed Geese flying SE (numbering 48 & 29) and a Brown Hare.
- 19: The following are worth mentioning: four Great Crested Grebes, 25 Cormorants, eight Pochards, 112 Common Gulls, two Ravens, a Tawny Owl, three Stock Doves, a Goldcrest, 40 Fieldfares, 50 Redwings, a Mistle Trush, a Nuthatch, three Great Spotted Woodpeckers, three Willow Tits, 11 Long-tailed Tits and a pair of Bullfinches.
- 15: Of note: over 30 Teal, six Pochards, a Common Buzzard and two Willow Tits.
- 14: Very quiet on site. Of note: over 1000 Black-headed Gulls, in and next to the Conservation Pool, and four Snipe.
- 13: There were 153 Canada Geese present, a fairly low count for the site. 17 Goosanders were also noted: seven males and 10 females. There were only six Wigeon present, an incredibly low number. There were 83 birds in the Lapwing flock. The long staying Mute Swan is still present. This species is normally quite uncommon on the site. Coot numbers have been low for many years now and only one was found.
- 12: A good set of birds were found and the following are worth mentioning: 13 Cormorants, 11 Goosanders, 21 Tufted Ducks, 4 Pochards, a female Goldeneye, two Mandarins, two Moorhens, 18 Snipe, 25 Common Gulls, four Common Buzzards, a Little Owl, a Tawny Owl, a Nuthatch, a Treecreeper, two Meadow Pipits, three Coal Tits, three Willow Tits, two Jays, 14 Goldfinches, a pair of Bullfinches and a Reed Bunting.
- 1st–11th: Disappointingly, no records were submitted for the first eleven days of the year. If you were birding at Tittesworth during that period, please let us know what you saw.
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Reports by Ray Perry.
The Tittesworth Visitor Centre is at Meerbrook, Leek, Staffordshire ST13 8SW; map reference: SJ9960 
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