PM
Dipper on the river below the weir
Jay in the wood at the rear of the Chapel.

Spent 5 mins at the Weir mid-afternoon.
Heron
Buzzard
Kingfisher
4 Goosander

Henry Cook wrote:

---

Looks like the 'real' thing, or as real as Egyptian Geese in the UK get!

---

thanks for prompt reply Henry looks like a new tick in the book for us then!

-- Edited by brandon mulhern on Sunday 4th of October 2009 04:23:48 PM

Looks like the 'real' thing, or as real as Egyptian Geese in the UK get!

At least 10 m & f mandarin still in the same area at the end of the main res. Lots of dog walkers annoying them and us!! There was some kind of egyptian goose near the cafe this afternoon look at the pictures and let me know whether it's a hybrid or not as we are no experts as most of you know!

https://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z302/agent-c/egyt1a.jpg
https://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z302/agent-c/egypt2a.jpg

would be interested to know for sure!

-- Edited by brandon mulhern on Sunday 4th of October 2009 04:23:03 PM

Two thirds of us were at the hide this afternoon.
Robin
LT Tit
Mallard
Nuthatch
Two Little grebe
Wren
8 or so Cormorant

At the pump house a drake Mandarin, but on the way up on the road side of the canal just past the end of the main Res, we saw about 13 mandarin in a tree and on the water. They must have moved from the pump house area, which explains their absence recently. Will keep a check.

Aye, but the bird I was with was not one of "we three"

-- Edited by Geoff Walton on Saturday 26th of September 2009 06:13:22 PM

Geoff, please compose yourself, there's no such thing as a NON-BIRDING stroll,
you're always on duty as a birder

The very fact that you went to a hide with friends meant they were birding as well.

KEEP BIRDING

Went for a non-birding stroll with a friend last night, and called in at the hide and we were rewarded by a couple of passes by the kingfisher and Mandarin swimming and flying.

At this hide between 12.30 and 2!

Nuthatch x2
GSW
Blue tit x2
Great tit x2
Jay
Cormorant x6
Chaffinch x3 (1 male 2 female)
Kingfisher seen going down river, then 15 minutes later through the feeder area from the direction of the lake! Shame it didn't stop for a picture :(

Loads of Mandarin about today, in the usual place and also on the canals. Moorhens in the center of the lake, not seen that before, they are usually near the banks. Not a lot else, but always good to see Nuthatch.

Must go up to the top of the hill sometime and see what is about.

I was in the Hide for an hour at noon. Looks like the birds are starting to appear again.

Coal Tits
Great Tits
Robins
Nuthatches
Jay
Swans
Moor-hen
5 Cormorant in the usual tree, and one on the river
Drake Mandarin flew past.


Down at the pump house, a Drake mandarin was only 10 feet away, and looked splendid in the sun

No Kingfisher or Dipper though.

Spent some time in the Hide at the NR this lunchtime. Just after two couples left, a Kingfisher arrived on a branch in the river 50 ft away, and proceeded to fish for 5 mins. it then flew to the opposite bank slightly upstream and did the same. I think it was the best view I have ever had.
A Woodpecker,Nuthatch and some Blue/Great tits came to the feeder.


All in all, very good

Sun 28th 2pm A quick walk up to the weir and back. Nothing special, but at least 11 pairs of Mandarin in the usual place, along with 2 tuffties,Coote and loads of mallards.

Not bad today.

11 Male Manderin behind the pump house.

Redwing in trees opposite hide

Robin 6" from our noses on the window ledge of the hide
Tuffties,
Teal
Mallard
Little Grebe


Feeder by hide
LT Tits
GS Woodpecker
Great Tits
Nuthatch
Coal Tit
Kingfisher seen by other hide occupants.

For interest Ian/Judith, the other hide occupants Man and wife, have been going there for 15 years a few days per week, and have been recording everything they see as it happened. They said they are not on the Internet - pity, as I said that MB would like that info.

Geoff




















-- Edited by Geoff Walton at 16:11, 2008-12-19

These Jackdaw roosts are very interesting Andy; the birds flying over ECP are heading to either Mottram Hall golf club or, after an absence, Wigwam Wood by Poynton Station. There is a smaller rosst at Stanley Hall wood (NE of Disley Golf Club), just in Cheshire. Dispersal from the roost at dawn at this location is very spectacular, very low and very noisy.

A nice hour in the Park at dusk 3.30 - 4.30.

Highlight a water rail seen briefly, then heard loudly (!) on the pond behind the weir. Also seen:-

19 cormorants
c10 tufted duck
6 Mandarin
1 teal
20+ redwing
kingfisher (almost fishing by moonlight on Compstall Lodge at 4.30)

Perhaps best was an enormous number of jackdaws overflying the Park and leaving a pre roost. Easily 1000 birds involved.

Had a walk around Etherow today, nothing unusual on the main lake or the Keg Pool...

Grey Wagtail perched on bench next to the river and ever growing numbers of Black-Headed Gulls present.
Single Cormorant diving on the main lake.

Anthony

Bottom end of Etherow near the VS is a haven for plastics and weirdos. Saw the Birdguides report and knew it was wrong.

Of course Geoff, providing you saw them as unfortunately they appear to be a thing of the past nowadays with the last of the wintering birds not reappearing in previous winters

Ian, does that mean they are still a mancy tick for us sub 200 clubbers

cheers geoff

Paul Heaton wrote:

---

Only really had the Greenland Whitefront goose up at Rochdale before so will these count as a new tick

Keep birding

---

Does this mean you've not counted the Rochdale White-fronts before Paul They are, or rather were, perfectly wild birds proven by ringing (see the article on them on the website) despite their often apparent tameness

A proper wild goose chase

John/Paul

I think you're right to be cynical - I'd put good money on the Greylag/Chinese hybrids being the culprits.

12.00 - 1.00.

I, too, had a stroll round Etherow with Dave Evans this lunchtime. Checked the waters near the car park then also walked up to Keg Pool more in hope than expectation. No sign of any White-fronts anywhere but the usual Egyptian Goose is still there.

With my cynic's hat on, is it co-incidence that the feral flock of grey-lag/chinese geese also number 20 and have a thin white blaze above the bill? They were certainly showing well !!

On the other hand there have been a number of White-front sightings reported from up and down the country today so the record fits in with a pattern of movement.

Surely anyone who bothers to subscribe to Rare Bird Alert wouldn't report these rag-bag ferals in as White-fronts. Does anyone know who might have phoned these in?

I called in to the ranger's office but he knew nothing. He did say I wasn't the first to ask about these birds (presumably Paul and Riggers also enquired)

Cheers, John

report on pager today of 21 whitefront geese

had a good look around area no sign of any other geese other than the greylag types on the main water, with white bits on head.

Map ref given checked that area as well with Riggers but no sign there, so they may still be hiding somewhere in the area,

Only really had the Greenland Whitefront goose up at Rochdale before so will these count as a new tick

Keep birding

Judith,

i may be interested as i visit Etherow regular, not always birdwatching but could make it that way. I would just need to know whats involved.

Thanks

Andrew

Looks like we need a new Wildfowl counter there (once a month Sept-March) if anyone's interested.

20/7/07 AM

Two GGGrebe with 1 very young chick

I take it your after Woodcock for Gtr Man?

Tuesday 29/5 20.15 to 22.30

Visited to try and get woodcock but no luck

Mandarin with 4 young
Malard with 7 young
Great Crested Grebe sat on nest
Coot sat on Nest
Tree Creeper
2 Grey Herons
Male Tufted Duck
Lots of Bue and Great Tits with young
Tawny Owl lifer for me
Female Pied flycatcher another lifer
Song Thrush loads singing and spotted 2
2 Mute Swan
GS Woodpecker

After seeing the GSW as we walked back down the hill i caught movment of to my left, as we stopped and looked it was a badger staring back looked at us for 30 seconds and the pegged it. What an experience as the only othess ive seen other than on the TV have been dead at the side of the road. ALso saw a little vole.

You deffo need a torch on the way back as it get very dark, i would reccomend to anyone as its a great walk, on the way back in the dark i wondered where all those canada geese slept, i said this just as i shone my torh down the path in between the to ponds to see about 50 of the blighters covering the path !!!!. was an interesting few minutes navigating through them.

so its back for me sometime next week to try and find those bloody wodcocks.

cheers

Andtew

23rd May. a.m.

m. Pied Flycatcher nr. Hirst Cottage
Dipper
Egyptian Goose (the county listers friend )
f. Mandarin w/4 ducklings
Grey Wag
Nuthatch
Treecreeper

( P.Hammond & I.Woosey )

Dipper showing well on river, a short distance downstream from weir.

Male Mandarin on river just behind pump house

Buzzrd flew over valley towards woodland above cottage.

Plenty of Chiffchaff, Chaffinch and Song Thrush very vocal but sightings were few and far between.

Tawny Owl heard in distance.

Two species of bat flying about, smallest came very close to my head as I was seated on bench overlooking Keg woodland and valley

Had to wait till 21.48 for my first Woodcock of the year.

On route back something came at speed right across the path and down through the wood. Spooked me, as it was pitch black amongst the trees. Could have been just a small deer.

Not far from the car park I came across what at first glance was large cat, domestic that is, until it came further into the fading light and I realised I was witnessing only my second living badger.

Went up to the Cat & Fiddle on my motorbike - like something out of Mad Max with bikes coming round bends at all angles.

Managed a Dipper at Wildboarclough, and Golden Plover siting on a nest.

theres dippers showing on the river medlock around daisy nook if thats of any use, tony

Didn't get as far as the hide - I was mainly after the Mandarin and Dipper for my year list. Kind of stuck on 143 now and will probably have to do a trip to Norfolk if I am to get anywhere near the 200 I originally planned on.

Glad you got there Tony.
Don't think there are or have been any signs. I am only 2 miles away.

You had the best of the weather I think. It was almost raining at 12.30 when we left. You had the sun and blue sky - don't know why rain was forecast all day.

The mandarin are nice arn't they? I missed the Heron off the post below as well.

Did you make the hide - over the weir and into the nature Reserve?

Inspired by your trip I thought I'd pop over after work. It's about 15 years since I last went !

Did you nick all the signs because I got totally lost !

Eventually found it - similar sightings , nice male Mandarin on the top pool. Dipped on the Dipper though. Quite a few Grey Wagtails around and Swift

Myself and two friends

Nature Reserve Hide

Kingfisher
GS Woodpecker
Dabchick
Nuthatch
Coal Tit

River above weir behind Wheel/pump House

4 Mandarin Duck

Shelter at top of Keg Road

Road up to the Keg

Goldcrest

Nutchatch in/around nest box
Pied Flycather in/around nest Box

River below weir

Dipper

Middle Path by Large Mill Pond

GC Grebe on nest



Small Mill Pond
Usual "stuff"

New Bns fine




-- Edited by geoff at 14:31, 2007-05-18

-- Edited by geoff at 16:29, 2007-05-18

-- Edited by geoff at 17:53, 2007-05-18