I've kept looking and failing to find common snipe the last winter or two that continues, but today found a Jack snipe only ~20s of watching a distinctively bobbing back with its beautifully camouflaging streak, a little before 3pm. Sadly, having made absolutely sure I was looking at a bird at all, my attempt to move ~1m to see the front end failed and going back to initial position, it had moved on, not to be refound by me today.

Female mandarin with seven ducklings on the Goyt by the bridge this afternoon.

2pm today, Little Egret along the Goyt just upstream of the iron footbridge.

Cheers,

Steve.

Little egret giving ridiculous views down to less than 10m on the stream next to the A627. When I accidentally flushed it, it flew into a tree giving those in the traffic jam a great chance for a car-tick! Also seen on site: 1 treecreeper in car park, 1 dipper on small stream next to R. Goyt along path on Marple side, a pair of goosander by Stockport Hydro. Both ring-necked parakeet and stock dove heard. It still seemed incredibly quiet though (finches and thrushes - apart from a couple of song - invisible). 

A local high count for me of at least 35 stock doves, which were down on the newly mown wildflower meadow.

Little Egret still present this afternoon.

A Little Egret was down at the mainly dry edge of the river (Goyt) west of the footbridge this afternoon. When it saw me, it flew upriver towards Romiley. Kingfisher also heard in same area.

Thank you Chris. She since confirmed that she saw two together.

There were very definitely two kingfishers in the same place at the same time yesterday, on the river from the Chadkirk bridge (upstream near the Marple bank)

More or less the same today, plus a Buzzard. Certainly loads of Swift.The lady next door also report 2 Kingfisher at the iron bridge and 2 on the canal this pm, whist walking the dog, but that might have been 1 twice in each place.

At 4:15pm yesterday I stood on the iron footbridge over the River Goyt watching a large group of hirundines feeding along the river.
This group included all four species of Swallow, Swift, House Martin and Sand Martin.
They were flying close above and below the bridge and I even had to duck a couple of times to avoid a parting from a low flying Swift.
A fantastic sight !

Cheers,

Steve.

Uplifting sight of a female goosander with NINE ducklings, seen from the bridge this afternoon. They are cute though (sorry about the 'c' word!).  Also dipper there, and whitethroat (poss 2) nearby. Don't know if anyone has seen any young lapwings, but a quick look only found 1 adult.

My first chiffchaff of the year calling (unseen) loudly this p.m. Possibly as many as 10 lapwings.

8 possibly 9 Lapwing

2 Snipe

1 Moorhen

1 Grey Heron

1M & 2F Mallard

Good numbers of Longtailed/Great/Blue Tit on the feeders in the Chapel gardens

1 Buzzard over Kirk Wood

At least 7 Ring Necked Parakeets in the woods  behind Marple Hall School

Very late post sorry.

Fri 5th

8 Lapwing in the Pylon Field. Reminds me of my youth, when they were common down here. Hope for the breeding season?

This Morning 08:00-10:15

Highlights-

3 Kestrel

1 Buzzard

4 Lapwing

2 Bullfinch

2 Goldfinch

2 Goosander

1 Treecreeper

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (druming) 

1 Grey Heron

This evening 16:00-17:30

Buzzard took a Rabbit in the left hand field before the chapel and carried it into a nearby tree.

6 Lapwing in and around Scrape as well as 1 (visible!) Snipe.

Female Kingfisher showing well on the river.

A lovely evening walk filled with much birdsong with the many Robins in particular fine voice!

A day off work today nd a lovely stroll around Chadkirk

All the usual woodland species were ever present

Great Tits

Blue Tits

Coal Tits

Blackbirds

Nuthatches

Dunnocks

Wood Pigeon

Robins

Unfortunately the Bullfinches didnt show, nor did the Kestrel

On the other hand the "marmite" Ring-necked Parakeets showed really well

-- Edited by Mark Shaw on Monday 25th of January 2021 03:12:00 PM

Definitely not parakeet  weather this morning with heavy snow but there was one sad looking lapwing by the pond in the big field 

I'm taking more notice of signs of Spring than usual I suppose due to the desperate circumstances we find ourselves in. Today it was a pair of stock doves mating in the morning sunshine. Well something thinks that everything is as it should be, and that's got to lift you a bit. Song thrushes also sang the odd phrase occasionally. A couple of ring-necked parakeets were more a sign of Summer in India!

-- Edited by Andy Bissitt on Friday 22nd of January 2021 10:22:28 PM

3 buzzards and a sparrowhawk overhead and 2 snipe flying across to the pool this morning. Also a kingfisher on the river nearby seen from the A627

Adult dipper & 2 large young upriver of bridge. 3 ring-necked parakeets.

A female goosander with 7 young near the cycle bridge, a mixed flock of swallows and house martins around the bridge and robin, chaffinch and grey wagtail hawking for insects upstream from the bridge. Also 2 grey wagtails near the hydro.

Walked through here on way to Goyt Valley, and saw the first three of a buzzard fest and a pair of sparrowhawks which displayed very briefly. The lapwing pair is reunited, there were 4 teal, but couldn't see any snipe.

There are 6 that fly over quite regularly, but its the Buzzards that have been a bit scarce of late.

Just on a walk yesterday p.m. (without bins!), saw/heard first ring-necked parakeets (2) for a few months. As I left the site, they flew overhead towards Bredbury Green.

Nothing electrifying, but a pair of teal on the pylon field flood was new to the site for me (prob 1 other fem., but light not good). Also the lapwing awaiting (hopefully) the return of its mate, and 7 snipe. Also around the site, kestrel, mistle thrush, buzzard, and 2 song thrushes in song. River was extremely barren. Not a bird of any kind on it.

2 Lapwings this afternoon, but nothing on the river.

Even after 40-odd years of birdwatching, you can still see behaviour that is new to you. Today it was a treecreeper making several trips to the ground to pick up nesting material. I'm sure I've only ever seen them in flight or creeping up a tree before. I was looking for butterflies (successfully) so only noted the more obvious stuff like ring-necked parakeets (2), two female sparrowhawks interacting, chiffchaffs, male goosander on the river, kestrel, buzzards, of course, and I disturbed a mallard duck from her nest which had about 7 eggs in it.

Ravens and Buzzards around now on a regular basis. a pair of buzzards and a raven were circling together for about five minutes last Sunday just enjoying the thermals over Kirk Wood.

I also saw 2 there today. Other highlights included the parakeets (if they are considered a 'highlight'), 2 ravens over, stock dove and a pair of grey wagtails along the stream at the western edge. Just a short stroll away, a dipper was collecting nesting material from the bank and taking it to a nest site near Stockport Hydro. 

There were 2 there yesterday morning

3pm

Lapwing still on the pylon field by the scrape.Also seen last Sunday by a birder

A site first this p.m. with 3 ring-necked parakeets enjoying the sunshine. We're there when I got there and remained when I left (c90 mins) so they may like the place. Only other thing of note was a returning lapwing on the meadow, otherwise very quiet (only mallard on river).

p.m. Pairs of raven and buzzard contesting airspace was the obvious highlight. Others amongst 20 or so species seen or heard were at least 4 goosander (1 male), kingfisher, treecreeper and a stock dove.

Much needed leg-stretch. Best bird was a peregrine flying strongly NE at 2.30 p.m. Others seen included regulars goosander (1 fem), dipper (on small stream flowing between car park and road), cormorant, 2 grey wagtails and buzzard. Just off site (canal to north), 4 bullfinches (2 prs) were together, and about 10 redwings.

A hobby was (successfully) catching insects over the estate for about 20 minutes this afternoon. Strangely was not interested in the 20+ house martins! Some of the other usuals included three grey wagtails, 2 buzzards, kestrel and a chiffchaff heard.

A flock of 20 or so house martins over the river with 15 or so swallows low over the neighbouring field and the odd swift at 10.30 today.

3.50 pm - 3 young Lapwing in the same place.

3pm - A pair of Lapwing with chicks in the Pylon field 3pm

As well as 2 pr stock doves, 2 pr of mandarin (on the river bend by the main road), and buzzard, the highlight was both dipper (at 3 meters) and kingfisher on the brook that runs between the main car park and the road. With the river being in spate, this was the safe option for them. Getting both at rest in the same binocular view is not an everyday occurrence.