2008

Regular recorders are indicated by their initials:

DWE - Dave Emley, JAL - Andy Lawrence, MS - Mark Sutton, NC - Neil Carter, NDP - Nick Pomiankowski, MJW - Malcolm Wright.

23rd December : a flock of 11 Ravens flew out of the woods in the early morning - they may be roosting MS.

17th December : the Chaffinch flock at the bottom of Clock House Drive was around 200 strong but only 1 Brambling was seen. Around 20 Snipe were in the maize stubble to the north side of the Drive DWE, JAL.

10th December : a flock of 100+ Chaffinches with a few Bramblings and a Yellowhammer along Lymes Road. A few Snipe were seen in the field to the north side of Clock House Drive JAL.

8th December : a party of 9 Ravens flew over Lymes Road this morning - the largest number recorded at Keele MS.

25th November : 200 Golden Plovers and 40 Lapwings circled over Lymes Road at lunchtime before some landed in a stubble field. The was also a flock of 300 Pigeons, mainly Wood Pigeons with a few Stock Doves DWE, JAL.

12th November : two Bramblings along Lymes Road MS.

8th November : a Woodcock was seen in the copse between Drive Lodge and Lymes Road MS.

5th November : a Merlin was seen over fields between Lymes Road and the M6 MJW.

4th November : a mixed flock of 200 Redwings and Fieldfares passed over campus DWE.

30th October : A Tree Sparrow was seen along Lymes Road MS.

27th October : A Reed Bunting flew over Lymes Road MS

10th October : A Blair's Shoulder-knot - a moth that is spreading through the UK, was seen resting on an Ash trunk by Drive Lodge. A first record for the university DWE. Fly Agaric, an uncommon fungus at Keele usually associated with Birch trees, was recorded from a house in the Covert (J. Worthington).

6th October : a Peregrine was seen over Clock House Drive JAL.

2nd October : late Swallow over the Clock House DWE, JAL

26th September : a Stonechat along Lymes Road (a first for Keele) and a flock of 100 Meadow Pipits JAL.

8th September : a late Swift was seen over IC2 NDP.

4th September : two Kingfishers by Lake 3 MS.

28th August : a Kingfisher was observed dispatching a fish by Lake 1 (Mark Fudge).

15th August : a Green Sandpiper was flushed from a wet area along Lymes Road NC. This is the first record for Keele.

26th June : a Common/Arctic Tern was seen to fly over the new development at the entrance to the university at mid-day (Steve Turner). This is the first record of either of these two species at Keele.

8th June : two Oystercatchers on the sportsfield by the running track (Pauline Weston).

6th June : a count of House Martin nests on campus revealed only nine, compared to 16 last year - a dramatic decline NDP.

20th May : Mallard pair with 12 ducklings on the top lake DWE.

15th May : two Ravens flew over campus NDP.

9th May : Common Whithroat still singing near the observatory DWE.

1st May : a Yellow Wagtail along Lymes Road MS.

April 30th : two female Northern Wheatears along Lymes Road MS.

April 28th : a Common Whitethroat by the observatory MS.

April 24th : a Garden Warbler singing by the Clock House MS.

April 12th : Sand Martin over Lymes Road - an uncommon bird at Keele MS.

April 6th : 470 Golden Plover in fields along Lymes Road MS.

April 4th : three Curlew flying over the Playing Fields, Sky Lark singing over neighbouring fields, Swallow over campus at 5pm DWE.

April 2nd : 200 Golden Plover and six pairs of Lapwings along Lymes Road. Also a Curlew and Snipe DWE.

March 31st : at least 200 Golden Plover along Lymes Road. Also two Curlew. A Comma butterfly was basking on the Terrace DWE.

March 27th : Chiffchaff singing by Keele Hall DWE.

March 26th : 31 Lapwings, 450 Golden Plovers, 28 Snipe, 1 Yellowhammer, 1 Sparrowhawk and a party of 8 Brown hares along Lymes Road NDP

March 25th : Chiffchaff singing by Drive Lodge MS.

March 19th : a Green Woodpecker calling by Lake 1 DWE.

March 6th : flock of ca. 100 Golden Plover with a few Snipe along Lymes Road JAL.

March 4th: a Green Woodpecker was seen and heard by Barnes Dell (Debbie Knight).

February 27th : three Greylag Geese flew over fields at the end of Clock House Drive MS.

Februar 23rd : two Bramblings roosting with Chaffinches by Lake 4 MS

February 14th : 4 Red-legged Partridges along Lymes Road MS.

February 11th : Flock of 100+ Golden Plovers along Lymes Road MS.

February 9th : the Dawn Redwoods at Keele have produced cones for the first time - a very rare event in this country. May be it's a sign of global warming!.

February 8th : Flock of c.30 Lapwings along Lymes Road and two Buzzards displaying. A rather vocal flock of Redwings and Fieldfares were feeding in a copse alongside the Lane DWE.

January 17th : four Ravens flew over campus at 8am (Jill Gordon)

January 5th : female Teal on Lake 2 MS.

January 2nd : flock of 300 mixed Redwings and Fieldfares on the Sports Field with up to 100 Starlings and a few Black-headed Gulls DWE.

January : Tawny Owl calling behind the Library on several dates in the month NDP