TITTESWORTH BIRD NEWS
Summer 2006 Issue
(Covers the period - April to June)

Weather

The first half of April was very cold and the period was dominated by frequent westerly winds, the most since 1977. Temperatures in the Scottish glens fell to -7ºC but locally -5ºC was noted. Overnight and early morning temperatures were low throughout the month, typically 3-4ºC, but during the second half of the month daytime temperatures were tolerable eventually reaching 16ºC. This year we had the wettest May for 23 years in England and Wales. The average rainfall in May is 65mm but this year the average for the month was 113mm or 4·5in. In spite of the rain there was a lot of sun about and on the 4th May the temperature locally was 24ºC. Throughout May temperatures in the low 20s (ºC) were frequently recorded. However, when heavy rain occurred then temperatures were typically 13-15ºC. June has generally been a dry month and at times very warm. It was the hottest June 12th for 61 years: a temperature of 31.4ºC was recorded at Heathrow. Summer is definitely here; Mid-summer’s Day (with the longest daylight hours) was on the 21st June. The reservoir level dropped by about 4ft (~120cm) in the latter half of June, exposing about 50sq metres of the Large Island in the main reservoir.

Staff changes

Jim Nettle has now filled Chris Fry’s position. Jim formerly worked at Carsington Water but is a local lad – from Macclesfield, and finds the travelling to Tittesworth more to his liking!

RSPB Group visit

The Macclesfield RSPB Group visited the site on the 31st May. On a sunlit evening an enjoyable three hours was had by all looking for birds and admiring the flowering plants. Forty-five species of bird were found including several over flying Curlew, a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Nuthatch, Spotted Flycatcher, Linnet, Reed Bunting and Willow Tit. There was an abundance of midges – thankfully not biting, for the large number of Swifts and Swallows present. Flowers in bloom included Bistort, Germander Speedwell, Pink Purslane, Greater Stitchwort, Cuckooflower, Marsh Marigold and Red Campion.

Tunnicliffe exhibition

Those interested in wildlife art should note that an exhibition of Charles Tunnicliffe’s work is currently on display at the West Park Museum, Macclesfield. The current phase of the exhibition runs until the end of July, supported by the newly formed Charles Tunnicliffe Society. From the 1st August the exhibition will be changed to some extent and will be supported by the Macclesfield RSPB group. The exhibition as a whole runs until the end of the year. The title of the exhibition is “Moorlands to Shorelands”. Those who are familiar with Tunnicliffe’s work will know that he was born in Macclesfield and spent his formative years in the area practising and refining his art. He left Macc’ in 1947 and spent his remaining years at “Shorelands”, Malltraeth, Anglesey. We know that Charles travelled out to at least Goldsitch Moss, just under 2.5 miles north of Tittesworth, and made some drawings. The intriguing question is – did he reach Tittesworth? Of course the Tittesworth reservoir was quite small in his day. I would be most interested to know if anybody has any information about Tunnicliffe working in the Roaches/Meerbrook/Leek area. Please contact me by email, post or phone. See the end of the report for details.

Charles Tunnicliffe was prolific in his output, skilled in many forms of artwork. It is said he worked 14 hours a day throughout his long career as an artist. He regularly illustrated the front cover of “Bird Notes”, the magazine of the RSPB and was eventually awarded their gold medal, honouring his contribution to ornithology and bird illustration.

Charles Tunnicliffe was (and still is – in spite of his death in 1979) an internationally famous exponent of wildlife art and in particular bird art. You are encouraged to visit the West Park Museum BEFORE the end of July AND after this in order to experience a wide range of his work and ability.

Charles Tunnicliffe is well known in Macclesfield for his artwork but I am frequently surprised to find fans of his work outside the Borough of Macclesfield. Just the other day I met a fan in the Tittesworth west hide who had a large collection of Tunnicliffe’s illustrated books. He was not a Maxonian but a Staffordshire lad. You are invited to attend the exhibition from now until the end of the year. If you are a big fan then please consider joining the Charles Tunnicliffe Society. Contact information:

Email contacts:
Stuart Pittman, Chairman: Jossie14@aol.com.
Gordon Wilson, Secretary and Treasurer: gordonjenny@wilsonholland2443.fsnet.co.uk
Ken Broughton, Publications Editor: ken.broughton@virgin.net.
If you have no access to the Internet, then contact me by phone or letter.

Please note that the Charles Tunnicliffe Society has a website – www.thecharlestunnicliffesociety.co.uk.

This website is incredibly comprehensive and covers all aspects of his work and life. Definitely worth a look.

Bird reports and newsletters

The amount of money raised so far for wildlife charities by the sale of the 2004 bird report and recent newsletters is £143.60. Thanks to all those who have shown sufficient interest in buying these items, thus helping hard pressed wildlife charities. The 2005 bird report is not quite finished but hopefully will be available for purchase towards the end of August. Please note that the 2005 bird report is bigger than previous issues, running to 72 pages and having a photograph on the front cover instead of a drawing. The photograph is of an Osprey taken by Paul Flackett.

BIRD NEWS: selected highlights

APRIL:

The first House Martins of the current season arrived on the 2nd of the month but winter thrushes were still present. Around 70 Fieldfares and five Redwings were observed. Two Oystercatchers visited and four Golden Plovers stayed for the day. Three Brown Hares were spotted on the 5th in fields adjacent to the Conservation Pool. Great Crested Grebes were displaying on the 6th. A Whimbrel spent three quarters of an hour on the eastern shore of the Conservation Pool on the 8th. On the 9th about 30 Sand Martins hunted over the water but only nine Swallows were observed. Also on the 9th three Grey Wagtails were noted and the first Common Sandpiper of the year was found. Perhaps more importantly an Osprey on passage was seen but only for 10 minutes. Tufted Duck numbers had increased to eleven by the 10th. The first Blackcap of 2006 was found on the 12th. On the 15th Willow Warbler numbers stood at 25 and Chiffchaffs at 18. Interestingly an adult Song Thrush was feeding young on the same day and two Lesser Redpolls were present. A single male Goldeneye and a pair of Wigeon were also present. Of note on the 16th were a Shelduck, a Goosander, 18 Tufted Ducks, a Yellow Wagtail, over 150 Sand Martins, 60+ Swallows, a Raven, a Snipe and a White Wagtail. Yellow Wagtail numbers increased to six by the 22nd. A Common Redstart was noted on this day and winter thrushes were still about in reasonable numbers. On the 23rd a Cuckoo was heard calling at about 8am. On this day the hirundine flock was numerous containing about 250 Swallows, 150 Sand Martins but only six House Martins. Also a male Pied Flycatcher was spotted plus five Common Redstarts. A Sedge Warbler and a Little Owl was located on the 27th. The first Swifts of the year turned up on the 29th numbering a lowly 14 individuals. The best find on the last day of the month was a Kittiwake, a fairly uncommon visitor to Tittesworth. Also of interest on this day were two Mandarin Ducks, three Sedge Warblers, a Cuckoo, two Jays and two Lesser Redpolls.

MAY:

On the 1st three Coots were noted. Except in extremely cold weather, when local ponds are frozen, the number of Coots on site is usually in single figures. Common Sandpiper numbers were up to three by the 3rd and a Little Ringed Plover was noticed close to the fisherman’s lodge, where this species bred last year. Also a pair of Mallards had 10 ducklings in tow. Two juvenile Coots were found on the 5th. A male Mandarin Duck swam at the northern end of the Conservation Pool and 15 singing male Garden Warblers were located, most being highly visible. Two male Pied Flycatchers were found in the Churnet valley/Churnet Bay area. The following were of particular note on the 6th: one Lesser Whitethroat, two Common Whitethroats, six Whimbrel, three male Common Redstarts, five Linnets and three Little Ringed Plovers. Of note on the 7th were two Dunlin, a Curlew, two Tawny Owls, a Treecreeper and two Stock Doves. On the 9th two Spotted Flycatchers were observed, the first arrivals for this season. On the 14th there was a high count of 20 Coots! The 21st yielded a calling Cuckoo, three Bullfinches and five Spotted Flycatchers. Also a female Grey Wagtail was feeding young by the River Churnet. On the 24th an adult Turnstone was seen in full breeding plumage. An adult Pied Wagtail was feeding a fledged youngster by the River Churnet on the 25th. On the same day an adult Spotted Flycatcher was seen also feeding young. This species must have been on site for longer than observers realised. Male and female Pied Flycatchers were detected but at different locations. Six stridently singing Song Thrushes were noted on the 27th. On the following day a Little Grebe was present, essentially a site rarity although common enough elsewhere. On the last day of the month Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Mistle Thrush were seen taking food to nest sites near to the Blackshaw Lane road bridge.

JUNE:

Of note on the 4th were an Oystercatcher, two Mute Swans (very unusual at Tittesworth), eight Spotted Flycatchers, two Whitethroats and a Whistling Swan (seen by four experienced birders) – presumably an escape. Spotty juvenile Robins were about on the 5th. On the same day it was noted that Rough Hawkbit and Hedge Woundwort had come into flower. The most notable observation on the 7th was of a Sparrowhawk, a species that has not been recorded much of late. On the 8th 55 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were present, quite a high number for this time of year. In addition a juvenile Reed Bunting was spotted.

***STAR BIRD***

On the 11th a Grasshopper Warbler was found – a site rarity.

On the 13th two pairs of Great Crested Grebes attended to their nests. Hopefully they will successfully fledge young. A Common Whitethroat sang continuously from the top of a large tree in the Churnet valley. Butterflies on the wing included Speckled Wood and Small Blue. Plants recently bursting into flower included Kidney Vetch, Spear Thistle, Yellow Rattle, Ragged Robin and Broad-leaved Willow herb. On the 17th ELEVEN Common Scoters visited the site - five males and six females. There were 11 Grey Herons present on the 18th – five adults and six juveniles. The juveniles were not raised on the site. The Whistling Swan returned and a pair of Teal was located. There were two Redshanks present on the 20th. A regular birder stumbled upon a Common Sandpiper’s nest containing four eggs. He beat a hasty retreat! Two juvenile Common Whitethroats were observed with their parents on the same day. Also Common Redstarts were feeding young in a nest box. Twenty-six late returning Pink-footed Geese flew overhead. A Barn Owl successfully caught prey on the 28th. A second Barn Owl was seen about half an hour later. The best find on the 30th was a Dipper. This species has been rarely seen this year. Other bird species noted on this day were – Snipe, Nuthatch, Reed Bunting, Curlew, Barn Owl and Common Redstart. Butterflies on the wing included Meadow Brown and Painted Lady. In addition a Stoat was observed.

Websites

Regular up to date information about the site’s birdlife can be found on the West Midland Bird Club website – www.westmidlandbirdclub.com. This is their home page. To go directly to the Tittesworth section, then use www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/staffs/tittesworth. Unusual sightings from Tittesworth can be found on the Macclesfield RSPB Group website – www.macclesfieldrspb.org.uk. The Carsington Bird Club website carries occasional information about Tittesworth under the sub heading – A Tittesworth Snippet. The club’s website can be accessed by using www.carsingtonbirdclub.co.uk.

And finally –

Thanks to all contributors to the logbook and to those who sent me emails of their sightings. Please continue to make recordings in the logbook to enable us to have meaningful newsletters and bird reports in the future.

If you wish to contact me about any aspect of wildlife at Tittesworth, then note the following contact information:

Email address: ray_perry@btinternet.com. Please note the “underscore” between ray and perry, thus ray_perry.

Home address:
31 Thirlmere
Macclesfield
Cheshire SK11 7XY

Telephone number: 01625 432668

Ray Perry 10th July 2006