Hi,
I suspect this is a problem with specimen anglers using heavy gauge nylon line.
Brenda and I are Carp fishers of 20 years, so whenever we become a concern with the local birdlife we back- lead the lines, pinning them down to the lake bed. Perhaps the owner of the lake could make this a prerequisite for lines over 3 lb breaking strain. Un fortunately breaks happen now and again, usually due to poor knots, ergo lack of experience!!. The use of safety clips etc., will reduce the likelyhood of birds getting caught up in any loose line.
Hope this helps,
Brenda and Paul Owen.

In my many years of dealing with swans I have come across line around both Darvics and metal rings.

it's not only discarded line, but line attached to rods which catches on the rings as the swans swim through the line, in the vast majority of cases this results in a broken line and a swan entangled in what has now become "discarded" line.

not a situation that any decent angler will want to encounter but one which nevertheless happens, though not with unringed birds and even so extremely infrequently with ringed ones. i have seen it happen 4 times in 35 years as an angler.
the more freequent ocurrence is that a bird will find an anglers bait more before the fish do and eat it, this has happened to me personaly about 6 times(not all swan). fortunately in all but one case i managed to land the bird and retrieve the hook, on one occasion only by my angling partner wading chest deep into a lake, the swan demonstrated it's appreciation of being saved from being tethered by turning round and biting him on the nose.

so i can understand the desire to consider the safety of the birds over the desire to put rings on them..

10 years? Surely much less? The last cygnets all died close together in time when more or less fully grown. In the past the owner Bernard has usually been very cooperative wrt to Swans, but I suspect he relies on his day ticket revenue from anglers. Most ponds in Stockport are heavily fished and Swans in particular are very unwelcome with anglers to such an extent that we have had persecution of several pairs at other locations to my knowledge.
Is there a problem anywhere else with discarded tackle catching on rings, or is this a case of confusion between causes?

Tony

Last time they bred there (which is over 10 yrs ago I think) I seem to remember lead poisoning was a problem, as well as line.

21st June

Good news - the pair of Swans are tending 3 cygnets. Also 2 very vocal juv Great-crested Grebes and many young Coots and Moorhens. Grey Wagtail at Bottom's Bridge.

Earlier this year I was asked by NW Swan Study Group if I could approach the owner for permission to ring the cygnets and I did this today. He was surprisingly anti with the argument that they "are always having to get a boat out to rescue birds that get the rings tangled up in fishing line".

I did consider asking how many unringed birds were snagged, as only a very small proportion of birds would be ringed, but realised it wasn't worth pursuing the matter. (Sorry Steve )

Cheers, John

But you have to add on the number of eggs x 2, John (as they only lay every other day) so you could add 12 days for 6 eggs. Incubation won't begin till the last egg as they hatch synchronously (or more or less)

The Mute Swan is still sitting. As the normal incubation period is 35/36 days and I first recorded her sitting on 20th April it is likely these eggs are infertile.

Cheers, John

went to roman lakes today not expecting too much from the reports on here.

by the time i'd got the camera out the boot we'd seen 3 buzards.
2sparrowhawks and a peregrine in a full stoop dive.

gc greebes with2 well grown young
plenty of coot
canadas with goslings at least 10 young some well grown on.
2 tree creepers plus one later sighting but may have been one of the previous 2.
and a diper on the river.

Main Lake:

Mute Swan still sitting
Total of 9 Coot chicks
G C Grebes have 2 young which are getting on well, almost 1/2 adult size now.
2 Buzzards

Bottoms Res:

Chiffchaff feeding at least 2 fully fledged young
1 Garden Warbler singing


Cheers, John



-- Edited by John Rayner on Wednesday 19th of May 2010 03:13:53 PM

Main Lake

Coot broods of 6, 4 and 3
Great-crested Grebe (pair - male carrying 1 chick on its back)
Mute Swan still sitting

Cheers, John

An afternoon away from the telly 'cos I couldn't bear to watch Liverpool / Chelsea

Bottom's Reservoir:
Blackcap 8
Chiffy 4
Willow Warbler 4
Garden Warbler 2
Nuthatch 2
Goldcrest 2
Swallow 5
Buzzard 1
Song Thrush 3
Jay 1

Main Lake:
Mute Swan 2 (1 still sitting)
House Martin 12
Swallow 11
Sand Martin 2

Mandarin (1 male downstream from Bottom's Bridge)

After scoring today with 2 Avocets (new for GM) then getting Garden Warbler for Stockport Borough and United winning this was almost the perfect birthday. Pity L'pool rolled over and died

Cheers, John

Bottom's Res:

Chiffchaff 3
Swallow 5
Willow Warbler 2
Bullfinch 2
Buzzard 1
Lesser Whitethroat (v vocal) 1

Main Lake:

Coot with 5 recently fledged young
Swan sitting

North Lake:

Nothing (well, 2 Mallard)

Cheers, John

Bottoms Res:

Seems ideal for the odd duck but only 2 Mallard and a Moorhen today.

Also Chiffchaff (4), Bullfinch (2), GS Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker (heard)

Cheers, John

I buzzard over Windybottom Farm,
Kingfisher flying upstream under the Roman Bridge - seems to favour this area,
Dipper downstream behind the horse paddocks towards Bottom's bridge
& a Grey Wagtail - my first of the year, certainly been a bogey bird for me so far this year, but it brings up 110 species for the year so far.

7.30 - 10.00. Much the same as yesterday except a Kingfisher at North Lake and no Green Woodpeckers.

Cheers, John

Judith Smith wrote:

---

John - would that inaccessible area nr Richmond Farm be Windybottom Wood?

---

Judith,

I've sent you a PM.

John - would that inaccessible area nr Richmond Farm be Windybottom Wood?

North Lake area: Grey Heron 1, Great-crested Grebe 1, Canada Goose 2, goldcrest 2, Pied Wagtail 2.

Main Lake: Canada Goose 15, Coot 21, Tufted Duck 2, Mute Swan 2, GC Grebe 2, Cormorant 1.

River Goyt: Grey Wagtail 1, Dipper 1, Goosander 2.

I an inaccessible valley behind Richmond Farm 2 Green Woodpeckers called frequently. It took 2 hours before I narrowed one down to an isolated tree but even then only a brief sighting as it exited out the back. Never-the-less, a sighting!

Also Treecreeper 2, Meadow pipits 5 over, Sparrowhawk 1 female, Buzzard.

Oh yes, and a Comma butterfly which I'll post on the Manchester Wildlife Forum.

Cheers, John

North Lake: 6 Mallard, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Coot

Main Lake: 17 Coot including 1 sitting on nest, 2 Mute Swans, 2 GC Grebes, 10 Canada Geese, 1 Tufted Duck. 38 Woodpigeon and 1 Stock Dove in field opposite.

Bottoms Res: 9 Mallard, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Moorhen, 1 Buzzard mobbed by 2 Carrion Crows, 12 Goldfinch

Cheers, John

Lakes mostly iced over.

A Kingfisher on the Goyt was a welcome sight - first here since the cold spell. Also an unringed Dipper.

Cheers, john

North lake: 6 Mallard

Main lake: 25 Coot, 1 Great-crested Grebe, Mute Swan on nesting platform (ringed CV38)

Bottoms Res: 23 Mallard, 1 extensively silver-headed Cormorant (older adult carbo or sinensis?)

Mid morning walk through to Strines.

Plenty of Longtailed Tits,
2 Goldcrest, 1 just past the entrance to the Lakes & 1 at the Strines packhorse bridge.
Dipper on the stones beneath the railway bridge
Kingfisher at the packhorse bridge, first one i've seen on this stretch of water for a while.

Still much ice on both pools.

North lake: 1 Heron

Main Lake: 25 Coot, 4 Moorhen, 1 Mute Swan, pair Tufted Duck. Overhead 6 Buzzards together.


Cheers, John

Main Lake.
Only a very small patch of ice free water which held 1 Mute Swan, 6 Mallard, 5 Coot, 1 Moorhen.

River Goyt
1 Grey Heron and 1 Cormorant.

Very few passerines around - desperate stuff

Friday 4th Dec (11.45 - 12.45). Not much changes

North Lake:

Moorhen 1
Siskin 11

Main Lake + surrounding strips of water:

Coot 45
Moorhen 13
Mallard 40
Canada Goose 6
Cormorant 2
Grey Heron 2
Mute Swan 2
(No Grebes)

Other counts in the general area

Wren 6
Mistle Thrush 3
Blue Tit 12
Great Tit 7
Coal Tit 2
Long-tailed Tit 9
Nuthatch 2
Goldfinch 11
Chafinch 5
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Jay 1
Jackdaw 151
Carrion Crow 6
Blackbird 1
Pied Wagtail 1

Cheers, John

6th Nov 11.00 - 12.00. Very quiet.

Main Lake + surrounding strips of water:

Coot 48
Moorhen 17
Mallard 57
Canada Goose 1
Cormorant 1
Grey Heron 1
Sparrowhawk (1 f)
Mute Swan 2
Great-crested Grebe 1
Little Grebe 3
Nuthatch 2

North Lake: Moorhen 1

Cheers, John

Roman Lakes (13.45 - 15.40)

Main Lake + surrounding strips of water.

Coot 54
Moorhen 28
Mallard 43
Canada Goose c20 overflew
Mute Swan 2
Great-crested Grebe 1
Little Grebe 1
Kingfisher 1
Siskin flock c40
Mistle Thrush 3

North Lake. (Very quiet)

Another Kingfisher
Moorhen 1

River Goyt

Dipper 1



Cheers, John

Walk at lunchtime from the Roman Lakes to Windy Bottom Farm & back produced amongst others,

1 Great Crested Grebe
4 Goldcrest
1 Dipper under the railway bridge/weir
3 Female Goosander on the river bend close to railway tunnel/Windy Bottom farm

North Lake
A female Goldeneye was a good local record (only the 2nd SJ98 record since October 1980). Seems to have a damaged right leg.

Roman Lakes
Coot 41, Mallard 18, Moorhen 4, Mute Swan 2, Cormorant 3, Great-crested Grebe 1, Lesser Redpoll 3.

Otherwise very quiet.

Cheers, John



-- Edited by John Rayner on Tuesday 20th of October 2009 04:52:49 PM