Only kidding Tim! Now where is that eraser....

Hmm not sure that any Sacred Ibis is yet might as well be Harris Hawk Rob

I was lucky enough to see my Sacred Ibis in Norfolk, where everything is wild and tickable

Presumably the same Sacred Ibis was at Frodsham (Cheshire) yesterday & Delamere Forest (Cheshire) this morning

Ian McKerchar wrote:

---

I have been asked the potential status of this bird many times recently and whether it stinks of garlic (or indeed mozzarella?) or not, it would be uncountable I'm afraid. Well, unless you happen to have Black Swan, Bar-headed Goose etc etc on your list!

---

Ian is right - no chance of this being accepted onto the British list by the BOU until a viable colony has been established for a good number of years. But what of the future?

There are surprising numbers of Sacred Ibises on the continent. They breed in Spain, France, Italy, Canary Islands and other free-flying colonies have occurred in Belgium and Germany. I was amazed to read that the largest roost in France contained over 1000 birds. There, they have a negative impact on sensitive species such as terns and, although I don't believe there is an active culling project at the moment, given what has happened to Ruddy Duck I wouldn't hold out much hope for a viable colony being allowed to established itself in Britain.

Cheers, John

Nick Hilton wrote:

---

Might be mistaken but could have swore there was a faint smell of garlic as it flew in !!

---

I have been asked the potential status of this bird many times recently and whether it stinks of garlic (or indeed mozzarella?) or not, it would be uncountable I'm afraid. Well, unless you happen to have Black Swan, Bar-headed Goose etc etc on your list!

I was there this afternoon, no Ibis.

With the help of the same friendly birder, I saw a pair of Yellow Wagtails at the farm nearby.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 29th of April 2011 08:35:38 PM

No sign of the Ibis at 14.00 on a brief visit

Only went down on an opportune visit to the tip !! Grabbed my bins and wandered down the lane to see if there were any Yellow Wags showing, there weren't, not even a Pied Wag !!!

Did have Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Mistle Thrush, Buzzard, Kestrel, Magpie, Canada Goose, Coot (with young), Moorhen, Little Grebe, Mallard, Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall, Lapwing, 3 LR Plover, BH Gull.

When the Ibis landed the Lapwing and Gulls were up and mobbing, the duck moved away sharpish. Its a big bird and stands out a mile !! Might be mistaken but could have swore there was a faint smell of garlic as it flew in !!

Sacred Ibis landed in middle pool 5 mins ago, duck & gulls went mad !!

27/04/2011 7.30pm - Whilst walking dog, Little Ringed Plover landed on front mud of middle pool then took off West about 10 mins later.

20/04/2011 - 6.30-8.30pm with Phil Owen, some of the migrants and highlights from a productive evening walk:

2 Cormorants (over)
1 Greylag Goose
1 Mute Swan
1 Shoveler
2 Teals
4 Tufted Ducks
8 Gadwalls
1 Little Ringed Plover
1 Green Sandpiper
2 Oystercatchers
1 Lapwing
5 Yellow Wagtails
3 Grasshopper Warbler
1 Reed Warbler
1 Sedge Warbler
4 Willow Warblers
2 Blackcaps
1 Chiffchaff
5 Whitethroats
6 Swallows
c20 Sand Martins
4 Stock Doves

No sight or sound of the Cuckoo sadly. Whinchat reported still present west of united training ground but we couldn't find it at dusk, it had probably gone to roost.

16 Apr early saturday morning
Gadwall 5
Tufted 4
Teal 8
Shoveller 1
Little Grebe 6
Canada Goose
Grey Lag Goose 1
Lapwing 4
Oystercatcher 1 (over MUFC training ground)
Whitethroat 2
Blackcap 2
Grasshopper Warbler 1
Sedge Warbler 1

13/04/2011 - 7-8.20pm with Phil Owen:

3 Little Grebes
2 Tufted Ducks
6 Gadwalls
4 Teals
2 Shovelers
7 Pheasants - all males
2 Oystercatchers
1 Lapwing
4 Stock Doves
1 Swallow
1 House Martin
c150 Sand Martins - everywhere!
3 Grasshopper Warblers - only started singing from about 8pm
1 Sedge Warbler
2 Whitethroats
2 Chiffchaffs
3 Willow Warblers
2 Blackcaps
c40 Jackdaws - roosted
1 Reed Bunting

28/03/11 Quick cycle past to and from work: 8.10am (in fog!!) 4 singing Chiffchaffs between back of ETW upto Recycling Centre 5.45pm (sunny!) 3 Sand Martin over pools 2 Oystercatcher pair Lapwing 2 Teal 2 Shoveler 2 Gadwall 3 singing Chiffchaffs

8.10am
Quick ride past this morning saw:
3 Chiffchaff singing
Pair Gadwall
1 Teal
5 Canada Geese
6 Mallard
2 Shoveler

Much the same on the way home this evening at 6pm with addition of:
2 Oystercatcher
But no Chiffchaffs!

22/03/11

1 Chiffchaff singing by the Refuse Centre

21/03/2011 - 8.30-10am:

1 Wigeon - drake on flooded field behind first pool
13 Shovelers
8 Teals
6 Gadwalls
3 Little Grebes
4 Oystercatchers
2 Meadow Pipits
5 Chiffchaffs
6 Linnets
4 Reed Buntings

8.10am
2 Oystercatchers
4 Canada Geese
4 Gadwall
5 Shoveler
5 Tufted Duck
1 Little Grebe
Lots of noisy BH Gulls

07/03/2011 - With Phil Owen this chilly morning around the ETW and back along Sinderland Brook:

1 Wigeon - drake
6 Shovelers
7 Gadwalls
8 Canada Geese
2 Little Grebes
2 Oystercatchers
2 Grey Herons
1 Common Gull
1 Kestrel
6 Linnets
2 Lesser Redpolls
2 Reed Bunting

This morning 0930
Shoveler = 12
Gadwall = 13
Teal = 12
Oystercather = 2
Lapwing = 1
Heron = 1
Mallard = 12
Coot = 2
Moorhen = 3
Canada Goose = 6

04/03/2011 -

2 Pintails - drakes still present
6+ Teals
14 Gadwalls
8 Shovelers
2 Oystercatchers
1 Grey Heron
2 Kestrels
8 Linnets

25/02/2011 -

2 Pintails - both drakes still present and correct
5 Shovelers
10 Gadwalls
4 Canada Geese
1 Oystercatcher
18 Magpies
4 Fieldfares
2 Linnets

21/02/2011 - In the pooring rain:

2 Pintails - drakes on marsh behind the first lake
2 Wigeons
34 Gadwalls
13 Shovelers
10+ Teal - many more calling from hidden pools within the sewage works
1 Grey Heron
2 Moorhens
6 Coots
4 Canada Geese
c40 Redwings

13/02/11

A quick look at the main pool around 1030

drake Shoveler
pair of Gadwall
c10 Redwing

11/02/2011 - Much quieter for ducks today but 2 Canada Geese were on the flooded field and a Tufted Duck on the front lake. Workmen present on the filtration beds forced the 57 strong Pied Wagtail flock off and closer onto the Donkey Paddocks. In amongst them was a single Meadow Pipit. Finally 14 Siskins just south of the ETW and south of Sinderland Brook at Malljurs Covert.

10/02/2011 - Better numbers of ducks this morning:

c90 Teal (many on a pond further back in the works with very limited visibility)
9 Shovelers
6 Gadwalls
c20 Mallards
6 Coots
2 Moorhens
c40 Redwings
1 Brambling (flew over towards the moss)

20/01/2011 - 1 Waxwing flew over going north this morning, only heard as the visibility was poor. Little else around on the lagoons as two of them have iced over again. On the front pool 2 Moorhens, 2 Coots, 2 Gadwalls and 6 Teals were seen.

14/01/2011 - 2 Wigeon this morning, otherwise much the same as previously.

9:30 - 10 this morning
Shoveller 8
Gadwall 15
Teal 20+
Pheasant 9 all flushed together
Meadow pipit (first for a couple of weeks!)
Linnet - about 40 near to recycling centre
70-75 Pink feet flying east at 10:00

-- Edited by Jeff Clarke on Tuesday 11th of January 2011 06:40:08 PM

11/01/2011 - 1.00-2.30pm: The ice has finally defrosted after a solid month and with the return of water was the return of plenty of wildfowl. Stuff seen:

1 Wigeon
8 Gadwalls
7 Shovelers
c40 Teals
4 Grey Herons
1 Buzzard
1 Willow Tit (tricky to catch up with on the moss this winter)
4 Bullfinches
6 Reed Buntings

12/12/2010 - Quick visit just before all the dog walkers and horse riders arrived. Pool 100% frozen over still.

1 Cormorant (on Sinderland Brook)
5 Grey Partridges (flushed from the Donkey Paddocks)
1 Grey Wagtail
c70 Pied Wagtails (high numbers around the filtration beds)
c20 Meadow Pipits (also on the filtration beds)
1 Willow Tit
7 Bullfinches
2 Reed Buntings

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Sunday 12th of December 2010 11:04:31 AM

11am this morning

only;
9 Teal
48 Collared Dove
10 Pied Wagtail
3 Moorhen
2 Mipit

(alot of dog walkers, horse riders, cyclists this morning)

2.30pm
Teal = 41+
Mallard = 25+
Lapwing = 3
Gadwall = 1
Shoveler = 5
Moorhen = 22+
Grey Wagtail = 2
Goldcrest = 2
Pied Wagtail = 28+

Tuesday, September 28th pm.

Grey Wagtail 1
Shoveler 2
Teal 15+
Moorhen 20+
Lapwing 12
Grey Heron 1
Green Sandpiper 1 on second pool.
Skylark 3 over.

Thursday 23rd September mid-morning

2 Common Snipe
20 Teal
1 Grey Heron
1 Common Buzzard
1 GS Woodpecker (heard)

22/09/2010 - 11am:

2 Green Sandpipers (on back pool, viewing difficult)
12 Teals
8 Moorhens
1 Grey Heron
2 Grey Wagtails

5.30pm A quick look as we were passing on our bikes.

20 Lapwing
2 Little Grebe
5 Teal
2 Snipe

3 Black-tailed Godwit, Green Sandpiper and Kingfisher this morning.

Info from Tony O'Mahony

1 Black-tailed Godwit yesterday 11th July

info from Tony O'Mahony

At least 40 Wigeon, 5 Teal and a heron this afternoon.

1 Shoveler, 10 Teal, 1 Snipe, 2 Grey Wagtails, 1 Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk

1 Yellow Wag in Donkey paddock this morning

At least 8 Yellow Wagtail, including 4 juveniles, in the donkey enclosure giving excellent views this a.m.

Also 40+ Pied and 1 Grey.

1 Garganey, 1 Shoveler, 3 Teal, 1 juv Little Grebe, 1 Sand Martin this afternoon

Certainly did Henry, need to take that on holiday

Hope you've kept the kitchen sink Sid!

This evening, at the fourth attempt - one Drake Garganey.

I can stop going to the tip now

Late afternoon - Garganey still present, 1 Teal, 20 Lapwing, 1 Snipe, usual Coot, Moorhen,Mallard. Little Grebe have bred. 50 + Goldfinch close by and Kestrel.

04/08/2009 - Drake Garganey (eclipse) still present this afternoon feeding with Mallards.
Also present included a Teal, 2 Little Grebes and 1 Whitethroat.