This last week has been one that few will forget at Middleton Lakes. The car park was full on most days, birders from all over the country have ventured to our little reserve, but for what I hear you scream!
A PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER has been frequenting the Jubilee Wetlands since Saturday when it was found by local birder, Geoff Williams. This bird which should be making its way to its Wintering grounds, which can be anywhere from the tiny islands in the Pacific ocean to New Zealand and Australia and most in between as it makes its way down from its breeding grounds in Siberia and Alaska. This would be a rare bird in the country if it turned up on the Wash or at a site on the Norfolk coast, but for it to turn up at Middleton Lakes and become the first record for Staffordshire really is a brilliant record and continues a recent vain of form that Middleton has been enjoying with waders over the previous months. As the bird has been centrally located it has attracted a lot of interest and we have had birders from up and down the country twitching this bird, lets hope we get some return visitors, the bird even made the Tamworth Herald!
If you managed to get some pictures of the Pacific Golden Plover, I am sure there are some considerably better photos than my shaky hand, digiscoped effort, we would love to see them on the Community photo page!
Pacific golden plover
The Golden Plover has not been the only highlight of the week, our next reason for excitement has come from the Lepidoptera side of the reserve, in this case, Butterflies! We have had several Clouded yellow butterflies on the reserve, best seen along the North track around the hide and the path between the 2 Jubilee Wetland screens.
Clouded yellow butterfly
There are plenty of other butterflies to see around the reserve at the moment. You can also see plenty of Peacocks, Common blue, Brimstone, Red admiral, Gatekeepers, Meadow browns and most of the whites.
Common blue butterfly
Dragonflies are performing brilliantly at the moment. Banded demoiselles are still around, albeit in slightly reduced numbers, Black-tailed skimmers, Southern hawkers and Brown hawkers are still performing. The giant Emperor dragonflies can be seen around the small pools and ditches across the reserve and Common blue, Blue-tailed and Azure damselflies are still around in good numbers. Keep an eye out in the next few weeks as the Migrant hawkers will start to become more prevalent.
What other birds can be seen though?
There are a few waders coming through in dribs and drabs. We are seeing Little ringed and ringed plovers most days, Dunlin and Ruff are being seen occasionally along with Snipe and Common and Green sandpipers. Little egrets are back and as many as 6 have been seen so far and there has been a Mandarin duck frequenting the Jubilee Wetlands, opening up the escapee debate once again. Stonechats are also back and we have had 2 seen this week around the Jubilee screens, moulting Garganeys have been spotted providing a good ID challenge and the unmistakable sounds of Cettis warblers, Water rails and Grasshopper warblers are being heard on most days.
So what can we expect from the next few weeks...?
Waders should become more numerous as they return South from their breeding grounds. Hopefully we should see Wood sandpipers, Greenshank and Whimbrel amongst others. The dragonflies will continue to perform with Migrant Hawkers becoming most numerous and hopefully we might see some Painted lady and maybe even Purple hairstreak butterflies.
Remember, we want to see and hear what you spot on site so please feel free to comment on this with your sightings and add any photos to our photo pages!
I will leave you with another prediction for rarities and stick my neck out and say Collared pratincole in August. My predictions havent been too good this year so far but I have to get one right, surely...