2005

October 18th : a flock of c.200 Sky Larks was seen in maize stubble to the north of Clockhouse Drive (Andy Lawrence).

October 14th : first Brambling of the winter was heard calling over Lymes Road and the first Redwing too (Mark Sutton).

October 13th : flock of c.50 Golden Plovers flew over Church Plantation (Mark Sutton). These have wintered on fields between Clockhouse Drive and Lymes Road in past winters.

30th September : a Meadow Pipit was seen flying over campus - a sign of autumn passage (Mark Rushton).

23rd September : first Siskin of the winter along Lymes Road (Mark Sutton).

14th September : late summer influx of migrant butterflies with11 Red Admirals and 8 Small Tortoiseshells on one small Buddleia bush.

7th September : Hummingbird Hawk-moth was seen on Buddleia by Lindsay boiler house.

15th August : two Crossbills flew over campus (Nick Pomiankowski).

5th August : A Tree Pipit flew over Lymes Road (Mark Sutton). This is the first record since the 1970s.

3rd August : A Green Woodpecker was seen over the village and over Lymes Road the next day (Mark Sutton)

22nd July : A Quail was flushed from a cereal field alongside Lymes Road. (Mark Sutton). This is the first record for Keele.

15th July : a second Ringlet butterfly was found by the side of lake 5; tye same location as Keele's first last year. Other butterflies included Large White, Meadow Brown (100s), Small Skipper, Comma (1) and Gatekeeper. Six-spot Burnets were also seen - first records for Keele.

14th July : Broad-bodied Chaser dragonfly on the top lake with Brown Hawker and Blue-tailed Damselfly.

23rd June : A Polecat was seen along Lymes Road - a second sighting for Keele (Mark Sutton); the first being early in 2005 (Brent Sutton).

19th June : Dead Long-eared Bat was found by Drive Lodge (Linda Sutton).

27th May: a Least Black Arches moth at Drive Lodge - a first for the University (Mark Sutton).

20th May: Four Whiskered Terns, that had earlier been reported over Northwich, were seen over Clockhouse Drive at 7.30am (Mark Sutton); perhaps they were following the line of the M6 as they moved southwards. This species is a national rarity and was last seen in Staffordshire in 1970.

15th May: three Red-legged Partridges calling near Drive Lodge (Mark Sutton).

13th May: a walk to the Observatory and along Stacy Plantation revealed 6/7 Lapwings and 2 Canada Geese by Home Farm; numerous Speckled Wood butterflies in the plantation plus several Jays and Mistle Thrushes. A pair of Stock Doves were nesting near lake 3.

11th May: A Marsh Tit was heard by Lake 8 - a rare bird at Keele (Phil Evans). A walk along Lymes Road revealed a pair of Yellow Wagtails, pair of Linnets, 2 Stock Doves, 2 Jays and 6/7 Lapwings. An Oystercatcher flew over campus in the afternoon.

7th May : pair of Mandarins on Lake 3 (Mark Sutton). There is a small colony on the nearby Mainwaring estate.

1st May : female Whinchat (last seen here 1984) and Yellow Wagtail along Lymes Road (Mark Sutton)

30th April: Swifts seen from Drive Lodge (Mark Sutton).

29th April : male Redstart (last seen here 1975) and Yellow Wagtail along Lymes Road (Mark Sutton)

28th April : A pair of Oystercatchers circled over Clock house Drive and landed in fields along Lymes Road. They have nested on the nearby Mainwaring estate.

21st April: House Martin by the Observatory (Mark Sutton)

15th April : a Green Woodpecker was calling at the lower end of campus (Malcom Wright) and a Willow Warbler by Drive Lodge (Mark Sutton).

11th April : A pair of Mandarins seen three times between 11/4 and 21/4 in copse along Lymes Lane, with female visiting possible nest hole on the 11th (Mark Sutton).

10th April : a Swallow over Drive Lodge (Mark Sutton).

2nd April : two Wheatears were seen in a field along Lymes Road (Neil Carter)

22nd March : a Chiffchaff was singing by, appropriately, the Music Department (Mark Rushton)

19th March : A Grey Wagtail was feeding by the stream at the head of Lake 1 and 4/5 Siskins were below Lake 5 (Phil Evans)

17th March : 2 Red-legged Partridges seen in field between Drive Lodge and Lymes Road (Mark Sutton).

8th-17th March : four sightings of Curlew in the Drive Lodge / Lymes Road area (Mark Sutton)

3rd March : A Waxwing was seen in a Larchwood garden (Pauline Weston). Apart from the flock flying over on the 15th February, this is the first one actually seen on campus; which is surprising given the numbers seen in the local area this winter.

23rd - 25th February : A Peregrine, probably a female, was hunting over the fields between the Campus & M6 at around 7.30am. It was perching in trees along limes Lane / Clock House Drive (Mark Sutton). This is the first record for the University area.

22nd February : the Golden Plover flock between Lymes Road and the M6 peaked at 160.

19th February : Lesser Spotted Woodpecker seen and heard by Lake 3 (Mark Sutton)

15th February : Flock of ca. 110 Waxwings flew over Lymes Road at 7.30am. There have been many hundreds in the North Staffs area over the past two months so it was only a matter of time before they were seen at Keele, albeit briefly. (Mark Sutton).

25th January : 80 Pink-footed Geese flew over heading SW with another 150 later that day. This coincided with over 1000 passing over Apedale,

23rd January : c280 Pink-footed Geese (80 + 80 + 120) headed NW. 120 Golden Plover were on the fields by Lymes Road (Mark Sutton)

22nd January : 250 Pink-footed Geese headed NW (Mark Sutton)

14th January : two Ravens were mobbing a Buzzard by Lymes Road.

13th January : 75 Golden Plover and 95 Lapwings in a field between Lymes Road and M6.

10th January : 300 Waxwings were feeding on Rowan berries by Dartmouth Avenue Health Centre and Library.

4th January 2005: Raven seen from Clock House Drive (Andy Lawrence)