late morning with Simon Warford

clear influx of thrushes 20+ Song thrush just in one hedge near capsticks

1 Fieldfare - pumphouse
20+ Redwing plus 46 over
55 Blackbird
31 Song Thrush
Chiffchaff
5 Bullfinch
9+ Goldcrest

Wigeon had increased to 7, 4 Teal and 80 Tufted Duck on res

Today at Old Hall Farm:

30 redpoll
1 Swallow
1 Siskin over

Info thanks to Ian Peters

0745 till 0915
6 wigeon
4 shoveler
1 peregrine
1 kingfisher

Also this morning,

7 Wigeon
6 Teal
69 Tufted Duck
6 Shoveler
1 Pochard
Peregrine on usual Pylon
7 Reed Bunting
8 Goldcrest
5 Jay
Kingfisher
Grey Wagtail

Some passage overhead included 2 Tree Sparrows flying south-west, also
11 Skylark north
43 Redwing west
25 Meadow Pipits south-west
9 Jay south
30 Jackdaw south
15 Chaffinch & 1 Greenfinch west

From dawn 'till 9.00 with Brian, 4 Wigeon, 2 Pochard, 8 Shoveler, small number of Teal but no sign of Pintail from yesterday. Peregrine on pylon near Boathouse.
Cheers Ian

From mid morning today, some really high duck numbers for Elton, taking advantage of the low water level and exposed vegetation;

4 Dunlin (1 by wader point and 3 flew through during a heavy shower)
2 female Pintail
26 Wigeon
31 Teal all feeding in bay near wader point (can only dream of a Garganey here!)
9 Shoveler
240 Coot
30 Mute Swan
81 Tufted Duck
3 Rook flew over which is a decent number for here.
Scoured many bushes, difficult in the strong wind, could only find 3 Goldcrest, 3 Siskin, 2 Redpoll, 2 Redwing & 9 Jays.
15 Meadow Pipit, 2 Linnet and 6 Chaffinch flew high west(ish).
13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Common Gull.

late PM

Jays in dip and Crow Tree Farm
Grey Wagtails outfall Withins Reservoir and canal
Kestrels Withins on Res and over Radcliffe mobbed by a flock pigeons
flock of 30 Goldfinches Capsticks
flock of Long Tailed Tits canal
Peregrine on pylon
34 Mute Swan on res
50 Pink-footed Geese over
And that was it

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 9th of October 2012 08:49:15 PM

0730 till 0915
still very quiet here
1 peregrine
2 meadow pipits over

0730 till 0900
15 wigeon
6 shoveler
4 teal
2 pochard
1 peregrine
1 raven

This afternoon, 15+ Redwing, single Peregrine, 3 Buzzard, 6 Sparrowhawk, 7 Jays, 2 Linnets, 65 Tufted Duck, 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, otherwise strangely quiet.

0715 till 0845
6 shoveler
2 gadwall

In parts 3m of mud and weed.
Still no waders
Walk along dam
Jay, Kestrel, Meadow Pipits, Grey Wagtail, Heron, Gadwall and two flocks of starlings

0700 till 0830
fog bound
could just about make out shoveler,gadwall and pochard on res
1 kingfisher nr pumphouse
water level continues to fall fast and outflow still on full,shoreline on north side now quite wide in places.

There has been a substantial landslip on the earth banking side of the dam wall above the old football pitch. It may be advisable not to walk on the banking other than by the usual paths in case other areas are unstable.

Info thanks to Ian Peters

1200 till 1330
6 shoveler
4 gadwall
2 pochard
1 teal
good areas of expossed mud now around the creek and wader point, outflow still fully open so water level set to go even lower, fingers crossed that its not too late to get a good wader or two.

0730 till 0915
4 shoveler
2 gadwall
1 peregrine
6 swallows over

0730 till 0900
6 shoveler
1 pochard
1 kingfisher

This a.m. 7.15-9.00, 1 Wigeon, 2 Shoveler, 2 Pochard, approx 30 Meadow Pipit and 5 Swallow over heading South.
Cheers Ian

0700 till 0845
2 gadwall
2 shoveler
3 pochard
1 goosander over

0700 till 1100 with ian campbell
3 wigeon
1 curlew over
1 peregrine
1 kingfisher
plenty of swallows passing with the odd house martin and sand martin mixed in.

early a.m. with Brian, large numbers of Hirundines of all 3 species, double figure numbers of Pied Wagtails and at least 6 Grey and after Brian left a Tree Pipit flew over my head calling.
Cheers Ian

Highlights from 4 hours this afternoon in patchy rain.
Water level very high.

263 Coot
36 Mute Swan
21 Tufted on the Res and 36 on Withins
2 Raven flew over creek and landed on pylon
9 Chiffchaff
1 Goldcrest
20+ Long-tailed Tits in the Dip along with 3 further Chiffchaff, 5 Bullfinch, 2 Jays and 1 male Pheasant
40 Goldfinch Withins
250 Woodpigeon around Old Hall fields and a further 50+ around Creek and Dip.
6 Snipe
2 Grey Wagtail
3 Common Gull
25 Lesser Black-backed Gull
160+ Starling
60 Swallows hanging around the Res.
2 Teal Withins

Spent nearly 2 hours Vis Mig watching from field south of Withins which gives a great view to the north and north-east.

Superb movement of Swallows with 465 all moving south on a broad front, almost in continuous groups
6 House Martins south
2 Siskins east
25 Meadow Pipits south
2 single Buzzards south

long walk

Grey Wagtail Chiffchaff, Carpark
Coal tit and Great Spotted Woodpecker on feeders near railway. Bullfinches on Railtrack/footpath
Chiffchaff further Great Spotted woodpecker long tailed tits end of canal
Kingfisher Little Grebe dip
Over Pilsworth/Heywood what looked like 6 or more buzzards on a thermal circling but distant.
Kestrel Doffer fold Farm and Canal
Large flock of goldfinches Crow Tree Farm
Meadow pipits scattered about

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 19th of September 2012 05:38:40 PM

0645 till 0815
7 wigeon
2 gadwall
1 peregrine

Early a.m. Much as yesterday, Peregrine on pylon approx 300 Swallow, 40 Sand and 10 House Martin. 6 Meadow Pipit also.
Cheers Ian

Early a.m. only birds of note were the regular Peregrine and a large number of Hirundines.
Cheers Ian

13.15-14.15

21 Pink-footed Geese NW @ 13.55
80 Goldfinch - capsticks
50 Meadow Pipit - capsticks
250+ Lapwing

-- Edited by Simon Johnson on Saturday 15th of September 2012 02:37:33 PM

0645 till 0845
2 rooks over
2 wigeon


-- Edited by brian fielding on Friday 14th of September 2012 04:25:26 PM

0700 till 0900
very quiet
1 peregrine
1 teal
1 snipe over
a few meadow pipits passing through

0700 till 0830
1 ringed plover, flying around calling
8 goosander over

34 Pinkfoot flying west at 17:00.

0700 till 0900
not much on
1 raven over
6 teal

Visit p.m. after work, 8 Teal now on wader point and a single Male Redstart in Redstart hedge.
Cheers Ian

0700 till 0915
2 redstarts in redstart hedge, info from ian peters
4 wigeon
7 teal
1 peregrine
1 goosander over

roughly 12pm ish

4 Ravens flying above fields at crow trees farm.
Watched them for approx 10-15 mins before they slowly
flew off together towards Radcliffe direction.
Ten minutes later as we walked along canal towards rez, 2 more
flew over and headed towards crow tree farm again. Not sure if
they were part of the group earlier.

Also 2 Kestrels
2 Sparrowhawks
1 Jay
all seen along canal

brian fielding wrote:

---

0700 till 1045
1 redstart, male showing well at redstart hedge
1 spotted flycatcher, hedge below pumphouse
1 peregrine, pylon
1 kingfisher, dip pond
no sign of pintail.

---

Also Snipe over the marsh.
Cheers Ian

0700 till 1045
1 redstart, male showing well at redstart hedge
1 spotted flycatcher, hedge below pumphouse
1 peregrine, pylon
1 kingfisher, dip pond
no sign of pintail.

This morning. covered all paths and hedges. lots of blackcaps in the dip. good numbers of chiffchaff and willow warblers around. no winchat for me but did see same spotted flycatcher in same area at about 10 ish. two jays in the dip. 1 great spotted woodpecker bottom of dip. Female sparrowhawk over canal. High numbers of swallows gathering on the wires below pumphouse. A few sand martins and house martins still around with them. Large charms of goldfinch and also flocks of greenfinch and chaffinch too.

0645 till 0845
1 pintail, still present in the creek
1 spotted flycatcher, hedge nr pumphouse
4 teal
1 peregrine
ian campbell saw the hobby again, first thing near the river

pintail and whinchat still present same places 6pm
Willow warbler whitethroat also in hedge
kestrel and on withins Great Crested Grebe with two young.
Sand martins and swallows

0645 till 0900
1 whinchat, still present when i left in hedge below pumphouse
1 pintail still present in the creek
1 peregrine on pylon
lots of meadow pipits passing through

Whinchat nr pumphouse at 0720

0645 till 0915
1 hobby
1 pintail, in the creek
1 peregrine on pylon

0715 till 0915
1 pintail on res
1 spotted flycatcher,hedge, top of dip
1 wheatear
1 peregrine on pylon

Single garden warbler in hedge between outflow and the pumphouse

Lunchtime today

1 Spotted Flycatcher - top of Dip
1 Wigeon - Res
1 Grey Wagtail - "waterfall/steps" below Withins
Several Willow Warbler - hedge side of Old Hall Farm

joined about 10 by Simon Warford - sightings included

Yellow wagtail flew over capsticks
5 Grey Wagtail south together
Swift south, 100+ Sand Martin, 150+ House Martin

3 Wigeon joined the Gadwall on the res and a further 8 flew over WSW.

Peregrine flew in and later flew off towards heaton park.

Spotted Flycatcher, Reed Warbler, 2 Whitethroat, 9 Blackcap, 10+ Willow Warbler and 10+ Chiffchaff between dip and pumphouse in hedge row

12 Bullfinch in a single flock in the dip.

0700 till 1145
1 hobby, briefly over old hall farm
1 redstart,redstart hedge
1 wheatear
also 1 gadwall,1 yellow wagtail over and spotted flycatcher in hedge below pumphouse, info thanks to simon johnston

This a.m. with Brian, Hobby (2nd in 3 days) low over the res. hunting the 200+ Hirundines present. A Redstart was seen by Jim Nesbit in hedge near Capsticks and thanks Jim for the call about Spotted Flycatcher, there were 2 birds at top of the dip. Also seen were Kestrel and Sparrowhawk but no Peregrine this a.m.
Cheers Ian

This morning,

Single Spotted Flycatcher in the bottom of the Dip, also the three juvenile Bullfinches still present, along with 4 Blackcap.

A further 7 Blackcap between the car park and Wader Point, also 16 Chiffchaff with a few in song and 3 Willow Warbler and 2 Whitethroat.

Also 2 Peregrine, 2 Kingfisher, 120 Woodpigeon and 40 House Martins amongst a hundred or so Swallows.

First Meadow Pipits of the autumn with 6 over heading south.