the mute swan nest was on the left of the sheldon pool as you look towards the garden centre on the edge of the willows in was still there on easter monday but as was said before SOME dog walkers treat the area as there own we saw LRP only because a dog walker was on the main part of the golf course behind the invisible fence with keep out signs
do you think the swans where not quite old enough to sucsessfully breed ??????????

9.00am 14/4/09
Approx 14 jackdaws on verge as drove past, by 'Sheldon Pond'.

11.00-12.00
Sheldon pond
6 canada geese
6 mallard
moorhen
no swans

Lane towards motorway
10+ lapwings
8 carrion crows
3 jackdaws
1st sky lark

lane past mockridge
2nd skylark
6+ greenfinch
3 blackbirds
1 song thrush
2 long tailed tits
2 robins
wren
2 blue tits
24+ starlings
20+ woodpigeons
2 collared doves
4 house sparrows
feral pigeons
4 carrion crow
2 lapwing (up path)
2 mallard (up path)
moorhen (mockridge pond)

Kestrel flew by motorway bridge/firestation


-- Edited by Rachael Hill on Tuesday 14th of April 2009 02:14:32 PM

Thanks Steve. These appear to be brother and sister although the situation is a bit complicated as there was a menage a trois (excuse my French) with a second male attending the female so they might only be half brother/sister!

Steve Christmas wrote:

---

Could anyone visiting again please check the ring numbers of the pair of mute swans? If it is the same pair from earlier in the winter they are brother and sister .

---

They are SHB and SHD, Steve

The male was being very territorial and moving the Canadas off the pool when I had a look on Good Friday, but I could see no signs of nesting.

Steve

easter monday 9.15 to 11.00ish

sheldon pool
dunnock, canada goose (6), mallard, house sparrow (4) two male two female,

golf course / rayner lane
jackdaw, carrion crow, lapwing, skylark, wood pigeon, skylark.

moss lane
wren, bullfinch, long tailed tit, reed bunting, grey heron ( in flight)

rayner lane / golf course
sparrowhawk, robin,

mockerridge pool
collard dove, goldfinch, moorhen.

path across golf course veiwing from Heavy plant crossing signs
ringed plover, little ringed plover

patch total todate 40 species in three weeks

Sunday 12-4-09 10.00-11.30

Chiffchaff on Moss Lane

plus usual stuff

on golf course
Ringed Plover 1
Lapwing
Skylark

On Sheldon pool
Mallard
Canada Goose
Black-headed Gull
no sign of Mute Swans - Looks like the dogwalkers have finally scared them off.

On Mockridge pool
Coot
Moorhen

On Rayner Lane and Moss Lane
Reed Bunting pair
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
House Sparrow
Dunnock
Robin
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Starling
Blackbird

Gary

nigel charlesworth wrote:

---

.....Anyway I thought the big pool could be refered to as Sheldon pool, the one opposite mockeridge garden centre, wait for it mockeridge pool the ones on the golf course who knows

---

Sounds good to me Nigel. I was thinking of exactly the same names. Best not get too attached to them as they might disappear if the golf course ever gets finished.

Gary

went on the moss 13.00
parked up first bird was a kestrel that flew from sheldon way onto golf course then hunted usual stuff saw kestrel hunting over ashton park garden centre one ringed plover on sheldon pool both swans where on the water

saw the little grebes last year not this year yet!!!
as for yobs with guns i for one will phone the police straight away not seen anybody down there doing anything like thatjust one bloke sunday with a german shepherd who though it was funny to let the dog chase the geese the male swan thought different and i had no camera with me.
Anyway I thought the big pool could be refered to as Sheldon pool, the one opposite mockeridge garden centre, wait for it mockeridge pool the ones on the golf course who knows

Hi Nigel

I don't know of any names for the pools. The large one will remain as it was built into the terms of the planning permission when they destroyed the moss. The smaller ones at the back change shape and size every year as they move the earth about - Little Grebes nest there every year though. I don't hold out much hope for Swans nesting on the larger pool - the local youth seem to enjoy using the site for target preactice with their airguns - though this might change with the new police HQ nearby (or maybe not!)

Steve

hi steve
good point the pool/pond i have been refering to is the large one between rayner lane and sheldon way.
are there names for these pools or do they need some so we all know where we are supposed to look
thanks for your info will use them in future been down tonight nothing out of ordinary just chaffinch as a new patch bird for me on moss lane at the feeder

The lane that runs roughly parallel with Lord Sheldon Way is Rayner Lane. The lane that runs from the Ashton end of Rayner Lane across the railway is Moss Lane.

By Mockridge pool do you mean the one between Rayner Lane and Lord Sheldon Way or the pool on the other side of Rayner Lane by Mockridge Nurseries?

Cheers, Steve

6.00pm - 6.45pm
took my son down to help put up some feeders and fat balls at the motorway fence site and one in the hawthorns near the farm/stables

mockeridge pool :-
could not see rings on the two swans one on nest the other is patroling the pool chasing away everything that dares to enter is quite fun to watch the postures he does. canada geese, mallard, coot, moorhen

golf course:-
skylark, woodpigeon (50+), ringed plover, starling,

does any one know the names of the lanes that run against Lord Sheldon Way and down to the farm??????????????????????

Could anyone visiting again please check the ring numbers of the pair of mute swans? If it is the same pair from earlier in the winter they are brother and sister .

Posted by NIgel Charlesworth, 05.04.09

up date for ashton moss these are my sightings so far
29/03/2009
nigel charlesworth and phil logan
mockeridge pool area
magpie, mute swan (2),mallard (6) moorhen, coot, canada goose (2) black headed gull, lapwing (6), feral pigeon, skylark
on the lane
kestrel, blackbird, bullfinch, longtailed tit, reed bunting, carrion crow, wood pigeon,grey heron
mockeridge nusery end
mistle thrush, wren, greenfinch, dunnock,collard dove, stock dove,
on golf couse (up the divide path)
linnet, and jackdaw.

05/04/2009
nigel charlesworth
mockeridge pool area
mute swan (2) (1 on nest), canada goose, mallard, moorhen, coot, lapwing, kittewake (juv) (report email to ian mc)
golf course
skylark, LRP(2), golden plover(1), wood pigeon,
on the lane
grey heron, carrion crow, jackdaw, dunnock, goldfinch, magpie, long tailed tit,
blackbird, common buzzard(2) (over golf course HIGH),
mockeridge nusery end
house sparrow, linnet, greenfinch, robin, collard dove, wren

local patch list stands @ 33 species with only two outings and still the summer stuff to come could be in for some great outings

Mute swans SHB and SHD are brother and sister ringed in 2005 at Cheadle.

Sunday 15-3-09 9.30-11.30

Reed Bunting male
Ringed Plover 5
Little Grebe
Mute Swan 2 confirmed as 'SHD' and 'SHB'

plus usual stuff

Lapwing
Skylark
Meadow Pipit
Great Tit
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
House Sparrow
Robin
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Mallard
Coot
Moorhen
Woodpigeon
Starling
Blackbird
Canada Goose
Black-headed Gull

Gary

Thanks for the info Steve. I'll keep a more interested eye on them now.

Gary

Hi Gary,
Mute swan SHB was originally ringed as a female cygnet in 2005 at Cheadle.
Thanks for the report!
Steve Christmas

Saturday 7-3-09 9.30-11.00

All my posts refer to the Rayner Lane side of Ashton Moss only, to differentiate them from Paul Bambroffe's Daisy Nook/Ashton Moss posts.

The pair of Mute Swans were back today. One had a blue ring with white 'SHB' writing on it as seen last summer by Paul Carroll. Does anyone know if I should report this to the North West Swan Study?

Plus:-

Lapwing
Skylark
Meadow Pipit
Long-tailed Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
House Sparrow
Robin
Dunnock
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Mallard
Coot
Moorhen
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Starling
Mistle Thrush
Blackbird
Canada Goose
Black-headed Gull

Gary

Saturday 14-2-09 11.00-12.30

Skylark
Meadow Pipit
Long-tailed Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Chaffinch
House Sparrow
Robin
Dunnock
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Mallard
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Starling
Blackbird

No sign of the two Mute Swans that have always been here before.

Gary

Friday 6-2-09 15.00-16.30

Better than last weekend

Stonechat 1 male
Fieldfare 3
Golden Plover 6
Lapwing
Meadow Pipit
Greenfinch
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Black-Headed Gull
Mute Swan 2
Mallard
Woodpigeon
Starling
Blackbird

Pool almost completely frozen

Gary

Sunday 1-2-09 11.30-13.00

Cormorant flying over
Goldfinch
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Black-Headed Gull
Mute Swan
Mallard
Moorhen
Woodpigeon
Starling
Lapwing
Blackbird

Gary

quick look round this afternoon between 3.30 & 4

2 mallard on the pond next to Ashton Park Garden Centre

further up the same lane on the right is another pond that is fenced off not much going on only saw another 2 mallards. Got a great suprise as i walked up to the ditch on the left hand side a Kingfisher was sat on the side on the ditch as bold as brass, 1st time ive seen one here and only the second i have ever seen.

other than that loads of magpies and nowt else

cheers

Andrew

Sunday 10-8-08 11.00-12.30

Blackbird
Starling
Magpie
Woodpigeon
Canada Goose
Carrion Crow
Blue Tit
Robin
Song Thrush
Willow Warbler
Goldfinch
Swallow


Also the following butterflies:-

Gatekeeper
Large White
Speckled Wood

Not very interesting, I know

Gary

Gropper and sedge warbler calling tonight from the area around the telecommunication masts, off Rayner Lane.

But the congestion charge boundary will run right through Ashton Moss - it could be the most expensive place to birdwatch.

Let's hope they retain a few footpaths and a few areas where birds can breed amongst all the ugly warehouse-type sheds they are building.

Steve

I live within walking distance of this site and on the 17th Feb this year my wife suggested we just go for a walk around this area to see what birds were about, instead of driving to somewhere further afield. I was a bit dismissive thinking that there wouldn't be much at all. However, I was pleasantly surprised at some of the species recorded.

Canada goose
Mute swan
Black-headed gull
Common gull
Lesser black-backed gull
Lapwing
Kestrel
Blackbird
Magpie
Carrion crow
Mallard
Collared dove
Greenfinch
Blue tit
Woodpigeon
Skylark

and the most unexpected to me, a female Stonechat on the far side of the spoil heap near to the estate where the trotting track used to be.

Who knows what a more experienced birder would have spotted.

Maybe I should make it my local patch. It might be the only place I can afford to get to soon.

The same two swans were at the same site last May, but didn't stay to breed to my knowledge. The Little Grebes managed to raise one young on that pool. As Andrew says, it's a pretty good birding site in a most unpromising area.

Keep watching, Steve

Was in the same area week before last. There are a ringed pair of Mute Swans on the enclosed pond near Mockridge Nurseries, they are blue ring on right leg "SHD" and "SHB". Also a Sedge Warbler calling from a ditch near Moss Side Farm.

not much time for birding lately and even less time to spend posting !!. spent 10 mins looking on the pool on ashton moss next to the garden centres this afternoon. 4 lapwing 1 ringed plover 1st ive ever seen here 1 little grebe 1 heron 2 lots of canada chicks 8 mallard chicks 40 plus stralings at least 20 juves greenfnches sparrows blue and great tits not bad for a pool that is 100 mtrs x 20 mtrs and next to a dual carriage way cheers Andrew