Richard Rafe
@richard_rafe
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Old. Retired. DPhil. 30yrs nature conservation. Now live Staffordshire. Married, grown up family, grandchildren, dog. Posts = family, birds, butterflies.
Staffordshire
Joined March 2016
Highgate Common, 2 hours in the heat, thankfully mostly in woodland shade. Several white admirals seen in flight, one finally settled on a bramble.
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Yesterday trip to south Essex for Heath Fritillary with RJ & PH. Thanks to Tiffany @EssexWildlife for advice
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Doxey Marshes Creswell Flash late pm. oystercatcher 1, lrp 2, snipe 1, common sandp 1, redshank 1. @Staffsbirdnews.
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Doxey Marshes - 3 hrs - 52 spp - cattle egret (intermittently), oystercatcher, goosander, swallow, house & sand martin, Cettis, willow w, chiffchaff sedge w, reed w, blackcap, whitethroat. @Staffsbirdnews - no terns, no decent waders !!!.
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Doxey Marshes. Egyptian Geese x2 Creswell, LRP x2 Creswell, Little Gull x4 ad fly through, red kite over, black-t godwit x3 Octagonal, swallow (nfy). @Staffsbirdnews.
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Doxey Marshes - good to see @StaffsWildlife @C_Forrest_King management - here strip of brambles cleared to allow access to replace sections of damaged fence; keeping most of the bramble patch as important habitat for breeding birds.
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RT @Clive_Davies1: Stafford branch of the West Midland Bird Club invite all to attend their next talk on Tuesday 11th February at 1900hrs a….
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Stafford Branch @WestMidBirdClub coach trip to WWT Martin Mere yesterday. A very relaxing way to travel for a great day out birding. About 60 species seen. Next one is in May to RSPB Leighton Moss.
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TOMORROW - WEST MIDLAND BIRD CLUB - TUESDAY 14th January - Wildlife of Svalbard - Matthew Capper from Naturetrek. WALTON-ON-THE-HILL VILLAGE HALL, GREEN GORE LANE, STAFFORD ST17 0LD. Doors open 7.00pm for a 7.30 start. £3 including refreshments (mince pies !). EVERYONE WELCOME
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Merry Christmas & happy New Year to birding friends past & present, near & far. [I twitched my first British cattle egrets in Hertfordshire 1992, now they are everywhere]
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Your opportunity to visit - Stafford Branch of West Midland Bird Club coach trip Sunday 2 February 2025. Look out for details.
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Day at Martin Mere WWT with @spp_Rich. Amazing numbers & variety of birds on the Mere, giving close views. Numerous marsh harriers & huge flocks of pink-footed geese. Plus toasted cheese sandwich, chips & coffee. What's not to like.
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Doxey Marshes @StaffsWildlife. Cream crown marsh harrier hunting near motorway @Staffsbirdnews. Also kingfisher, 4 goosander, 3 great egret. Paths muddy; half welly deep flood to Octagonal hide. Cattle taken off - no cattle egrets.
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Doxey Marshes @StaffsWildlife - Warrens Lane deep flooding, no access; marshes flooded (viewed from above Creswell Flash). 2 cattle egrets with cows on high gground.
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Doxey Marshes - 11 cattle egrets still present this morning (Wednesday); 8 in the pic
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Doxey Marshes #WestMidsAllDayer finished on 83, a few migrants incl redstart, pied & spot flyc, & wheatear + usuals for Doxey plus pintail, ringed pl, redshank et al. Missed pied wag, swift, common gull, pheasant & of course chaffinch. Thanks GPr MBo PDy DTo AHa. @pmandrews1973.
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Smardale Gill (Cumbria) for Scotch Argus; weather far worse than expected, in 2 hr walk we saw no butterflies. Went to Arnside, weather slightly better but again few butterflies & no Scotch Argus. But we did find a couple of brown hairstreaks, didn't know they occurred there.
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Stafford Castle - white-letter hairstreak; just one seen and stayed put for 10 mins on same flower; they are so unobtrusive!! Failed to find them here the last two years.
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