This morning 1030 - 1200 1 Green Woodpecker 1 GS Woodpecker 1 Meadow Pipit 4 Buzzard 4 Raven flying south (2 birds chasing the 2 others - territorial dispute ??) 20+ Redwing Usual other small birds
sid ashton said
Sun Mar 14 7:20 PM, 2010
Henry - I have been in the park a couple of times this week and I haven't noted Lesser Spotted Woodpecker calling or drumming either.
Henry Cook said
Sun Mar 14 10:49 AM, 2010
14/03/2010 - Bit quiet this mothers day as the winds precluded hearing any distant Lesser Pecker noise.
1 Green Woodpecker 1 Siskin 2 Mistle Thrushes (visiting a nest site) 8 Redwings 1 Treecreeper 2 Nuthatches 12+ Stock Doves 2 Little Grebes 18 Tufted Ducks
-- Edited by Henry Cook on Sunday 14th of March 2010 10:50:13 AM
Tony Coatsworth said
Sat Mar 13 4:39 PM, 2010
Green Sandpiper over the meadow about 11:00 this morning
brandon mulhern said
Sun Mar 7 12:34 PM, 2010
sid ashton wrote:
brandon mulhern wrote:
Thanks Sid, thats the normal place we never see them in!!!
Brandon don't know what time you generally go to the park but it is usually better to be there before the main bulk of visitors arrives to disturb the birds in the more popular areas.
We'll be there late today as 6yr old has a party at the farm nearby at 4, "better late than never" as they say!
Phil Owen said
Sun Mar 7 7:10 AM, 2010
"The early birder catches the bird" as you always like to say Sid!!!
sid ashton said
Sun Mar 7 7:00 AM, 2010
brandon mulhern wrote:
Thanks Sid, thats the normal place we never see them in!!!
Brandon don't know what time you generally go to the park but it is usually better to be there before the main bulk of visitors arrives to disturb the birds in the more popular areas.
brandon mulhern said
Sat Mar 6 10:44 PM, 2010
Thanks Sid, thats the normal place we never see them in!!!
sid ashton said
Sat Mar 6 9:10 PM, 2010
brandon mulhern wrote:
Which part did you see it in Sid? We will be in there tomorrow and hope to hook up with the greenie if poss!
Brandon sorry about the late reply but not been on line. The Green Pecker was on the piece of ground between the main drive and the Slaughterhouse. If you walk up almost to where the wood carvings of Old Stumpy and his young friend are its to your right, that is on the opposite side of the drive to the carvings - I have seen Green Peckers feeding on the ground along there many times in the past. Good luck.
brandon mulhern said
Sat Mar 6 3:48 PM, 2010
Which part did you see it in Sid? We will be in there tomorrow and hope to hook up with the greenie if poss!
sid ashton said
Sat Mar 6 11:34 AM, 2010
For the first time in probably 25 - 30 visits finally nailed a Green Pecker this morning The last time I saw one in the park on my regular visits was September last year
-- Edited by sid ashton on Saturday 6th of March 2010 11:39:07 AM
Henry Cook said
Wed Mar 3 6:56 PM, 2010
Yeah that sounds like the spot Phil, where the styal at the bottom of the main drive meets Charcoal Road, across the road there is a tall, mature stand of woodland which used to have a small car park in it but is now closed. I heard it from within the park. Thanks. Henry.
Phil Owen said
Wed Mar 3 6:52 PM, 2010
Henry, is the piece of Woodland where you heard the Lesser out of the park itself and across the road from the first white styal as you go down Charocal Road???
If so, I've often thought it would be good to have a search in there and was going to on Monday but ran out of time!!
If not, where do you mean exactly??
Phil
Henry Cook said
Wed Mar 3 6:10 PM, 2010
Every borough, should have a Dunham Park. It's a wonderful, often peaceful place and a memorial to quite a rare habitat these days. Still, I had to put in a lot of hours just to hear these Lesser Peckers. Next step is trying to see one!
John Rayner said
Wed Mar 3 5:42 PM, 2010
IF..........
Hi Henry,
If I'd walked round with you today. If Dunham was in Stockport MBC. Then I'd have got 6 ticks today
Cheers, John
Henry Cook said
Wed Mar 3 4:39 PM, 2010
From 7am-2pm in and around the park today. Things generally a bit quiet with the colder weather setting in again but some good stuff seen:
1 LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER (called briefly at 1pm from the woodland between the park and the golf course)
2 Cormorant (flew along the Bollin river) 2 Goosander (on the Bollin, south of the park, probably the pair that were on the moat recently) 2 Gadwall (Smithy pool) 1 Shoveler (Island pool) 28 Tufted Ducks (20 on Island pool, vocalising to each other, a lovely sound) 2 Mute Swan 2 Buzzards 2 Kestrels 1 Sparrowhawk (male perched in the wood to the south of the park) c340 Black-headed Gulls (on the flooded field out towards Bollington Mill) 2 Green Woodpeckers (showed well at the NE side of the park) 6 Great Spotted Woodpeckers 18 Stock Doves 1 Grey Wagtail 8 Coal Tits 6 Nuthatches 7 Treecreepers 120+ Jackdaws 3 Bullfinches (Bricklin Wood) 3 Siskins 4 Lesser Redpolls (flew over) 74 Linnets (in field N of Bricklin Wood)
-- Edited by Henry Cook on Wednesday 3rd of March 2010 06:14:38 PM
Phil Owen said
Mon Mar 1 12:22 PM, 2010
Quick visit to Dunham this morning in search for Lessers.
No luck with the Lessers, but got great close up views of a Great Spotted drumming away.
Also did hear a Green Woodpecker but couldn't locate it unfortunately.
The 2 Goosanders are still on the pool near to the Hall.
Chris Greene said
Sun Feb 28 9:38 AM, 2010
Green Woodpecker (giving me the runaround !!! ) , as I was trying to get a decent view of it ,near the deer house yesterday afternoon.. Also two goldcrest in the Winter garden area..
Raymond Ashcroft said
Sat Feb 27 3:43 PM, 2010
Pair of Goosander still on the lake early afternoon - Flock of 30+ Redwing with at least two fieldfare mixed in on field by Bollington Gate
Howard Flint said
Sat Feb 27 11:36 AM, 2010
This morning a pair of Goosander in the lake by the house and 3 shovelers in the flooded field by the brook.
Henry Cook said
Thu Feb 25 12:24 PM, 2010
25/02/2010 - Before I entered the park this morning a male Peregrine cruised overhead and northwards towards the moss. Also a Green Woodpecker calling distantly was my first in the park for months and months. Hopefully they will become more obvious as we approach the breeding season. Lots of singing now from other species with the milder weather today. It seemed like Goldfinches and Chaffinches were having a contest for the loudest singer most of the time!
sid ashton said
Fri Feb 19 3:20 PM, 2010
During a late morning family walk in the park heard a Lesser Pecker calling loud and clear from around the slaughterhouse area as we walked up the main drive. Also a male Sparrowhawk on a bare tree gave good views.
Ann Ribbands said
Wed Feb 17 10:38 AM, 2010
Very wet underfoot but very little disturbance in the Park yesterday morning inspite of it being half-term. All three woodpeckers heard, great spots drumming, green calling distantly and lesser calling clearly from the woods around the Scout Huts. (Too many keep out notices in this area!).
sid ashton said
Fri Feb 12 3:21 PM, 2010
Didn't actually venture into the park proper this morning but went along the River Bollin, where it runs behind the park, on a mission to find a Woodcock and I was successful - one flew up in the woods close behind the estate farm as I walked along the perimeter wire. Also a good morning for raptors with Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard (2) and Peregrine and 6 Snipe and a Wigeon on the stream over to the mill flats and a pair of Tufties on the river.
There was a lot of Great Spotted Pecker activity to be heard from the park but couldn't pick out any Lesser drumming.
-- Edited by sid ashton on Friday 12th of February 2010 10:08:59 PM
Henry Cook said
Thu Feb 11 5:50 PM, 2010
11/02/2010 - A walk in search of lesser peckers before moving on to Carrington Moss drew a blank this morning, but in great weather quite a lot of birds were seen even though the lakes were nearly all frozen over still. Stuff seen included:
1 Wigeon (drake, on the moat) 2 Gadwall 2 Little Grebes 113 Mallards 22 Tufted Ducks 9 Coots 3 Moorhens 2 Mute Swans 2 Grey Herons 4 Canada Geese 8 Snipe (in brook out to bollington mill flats) 15 Stock Doves (singing, displaying, mating and nest site visiting all going on) 40+ Jackdaws (many pairs visiting potential nest sites) 10 Great Spotted Woodpeckers (only half the park checked) 8 Nuthatches 3 Treecreepers 1 Goldcrest 4 Coal Tits 20+ Blue Tits 1 Buzzard 2 Kestrels
Henry Cook said
Wed Feb 3 2:53 PM, 2010
03/02/2010 - Most of the lakes frozen over now but patches of the moat lake and the other big lake still open. Stuff seen included:
8 Gadwall 16 Tufted Ducks 2 Little Grebes 3 Mute Swans 1 Teal (on stream out to mill) 8 Snipe 1 Grey Heron 6 Great Spotted Woodpeckers 1 Treecreeper 2 Nuthatches 2 Lesser Redpolls 8 Siskins 2 Bullfinches 1 Skylark 1 Coal Tit 1 Song Thrush 1 Mistle Thrush 2 Redwings
Sean Sweeney said
Sun Jan 31 5:33 PM, 2010
Had a stroll around DM this afternoon after watching a Male Scaup at Heaton Park!? I was half hoping for a LSW, but no peckers drumming at all to be fair.
15 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Grebe, 4 Gadwall on main pond.
Raven overhead near oberlisk, with lots of Redwing and the odd GS Woodpecker.
350+ Pink-footed Geese overhead from E to W and a Kestrel only other birds of note.
Will be back in a couple of weeks looking for the Lesser Peckers again, fingers crossed they'll be drumming by then!?
sid ashton said
Sat Jan 30 9:31 PM, 2010
Matt - sorry, Old Stumpy is a wood carving situated about 200-300m up the main drive away from the house, inside a fenced area on the left hand side.
Matt Potter said
Sat Jan 30 5:39 PM, 2010
sid ashton wrote:
Paul Cliff wrote:
mooch around a very atmospheric DMP this liunchtime, first time i've been and dipped on green woodpecker.
-- Edited by Paul Cliff on Saturday 23rd of January 2010 03:47:37 PM
Paul don't worry about dipping on the Green Pecker - I'm in DMP a couple of times a week and I don't believe that I've seen one there since the end of last summer
Try up the main drive close to old Stumpy for the Lesser
Where and what is Old Stumpy? Might have a mooch for Lesser Peckers!
Howard Flint said
Sat Jan 30 11:55 AM, 2010
First post on this forum!
Walk the dog a couple of times a week at Dunham.
This morning there was a flock of Twite outside the park main entrance and about 6 Snipe in the brook by the path down to Bollington Mill. (No sign of the Kingfisher seen before Christmas).
Plenty of Nuthatches in the park and a GSW. Gadwall on the upper pond with the gulls. (There was a Little Grebe last week).
sid ashton said
Sat Jan 23 5:06 PM, 2010
Paul Cliff wrote:
mooch around a very atmospheric DMP this liunchtime, first time i've been and dipped on green woodpecker.
-- Edited by Paul Cliff on Saturday 23rd of January 2010 03:47:37 PM
Paul don't worry about dipping on the Green Pecker - I'm in DMP a couple of times a week and I don't believe that I've seen one there since the end of last summer
Try up the main drive close to old Stumpy for the Lesser
brandon mulhern said
Sat Jan 23 4:42 PM, 2010
Paul Cliff wrote:
12 or so GSW
-- Edited by Paul Cliff on Saturday 23rd of January 2010 03:47:37 PM
wow 12 gsw!! Where roughly was the greenfellow? any lsw?
Paul Cliff said
Sat Jan 23 3:46 PM, 2010
mooch around a very atmospheric DMP this liunchtime, first time i've been and dipped on green woodpecker.
12 or so GSW lots of great blue coal and LT tits 3 robin 4 nutchatch 6 treecreeper 5 jay buzzard calling 4 gadwall in flooded field c30 redwing c20 goldfinch 1 heron 1 kestrel
-- Edited by Paul Cliff on Saturday 23rd of January 2010 03:47:37 PM
sid ashton said
Sun Jan 17 3:16 PM, 2010
Early stroll along the ice-free tow path of the canal behind Dunham Massey - 2 Green Sandpiper seen on the flooded bit in the sewage works, then flew over the canal and into the park.
Judith Smith said
Mon Nov 30 8:34 PM, 2009
Yes. Quite a few of my broods this year are still with their parents. Some will stay until well into February, when increasing light levels begin to raise the hormone levels in the adults and they will chase them off. In established pairs the pattern will remain the same year to year. Also, the adult male will tend to allow female cygs to stay longer than male cygs, sometimes.
sid ashton said
Mon Nov 30 4:43 PM, 2009
The six cygnets are still present, four on the main moat and two still with the parents on Smithy pool - heading for the nest site at dusk. I quite often see them together walking from pool to pool. Is it common for young Swans to remain with the parents for so long?
sid ashton said
Sun Nov 22 11:08 AM, 2009
Nothing amazing in the park this morning - the highlight being two Greylags on the stream to Bollington Mill
Nick Hilton said
Thu Oct 29 1:22 PM, 2009
Shoveler up to 6 individuals this morning. Usual other suspects in park inc. Tufties, Jay, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, GS Woodpeckers
sid ashton said
Sat Oct 24 6:47 PM, 2009
The Shovelers are occasional visitors - just come back from there - couldn't see them but they may have been in the vegetation. Lots of Mallard still in eclipse plumage.
Joey Eccles said
Sat Oct 24 4:11 PM, 2009
yes i think so - i've been to Dunham a fair bit over the years but oddly never seen them. Do they overwinter or are they there all year round?
sid ashton said
Sat Oct 24 12:15 PM, 2009
Shoveler are not uncommon in the park Joey. Were they on Island pool? - the one with lots of lillies
-- Edited by sid ashton on Saturday 24th of October 2009 03:19:17 PM
Joey Eccles said
Fri Oct 23 11:11 PM, 2009
surprised to see 2 shoveler in one of the ponds there this afternoon along with 2 little grebes.
sid ashton said
Fri Oct 23 6:49 PM, 2009
Was in the park this morning having been there to watch the film "Vanishing of the Bees" - relating the worrying story of the demise of the Honey Bee.
After the film, over the house/meadow, there was a hugh number of Black headed Gulls frantically chasing insects - it's something we have seen before but still fascinating to watch. Also 5 Common Buzzards in the air together at one stage.
sid ashton said
Fri Oct 9 7:40 PM, 2009
All six cygnets still present - two with the parents on Island pool and the other four on the Moat. Little Owl on post near to the Lime Circle.
-- Edited by sid ashton on Friday 9th of October 2009 07:43:01 PM
sid ashton said
Sat Sep 26 6:40 PM, 2009
Two Grey Wagtail on the river Bollin weir behind the flats at Bollington Mill. Approximately 20 Swallows still, feeding between the Swan with Two Nicks and the canal looking quite relaxed now that the Hobbys have gone
sid ashton said
Tue Sep 15 9:14 PM, 2009
This evening a single Hobby past the sewage works seen against the sun so unable to tell if adult or juv.
-- Edited by sid ashton on Tuesday 15th of September 2009 09:15:43 PM
sid ashton said
Thu Sep 3 7:22 PM, 2009
This evening after the rain - three Hobbys (almost certainly juvs) flying over the canal at the back of the park taking insects above the sewage works.
sid ashton said
Thu Aug 27 6:13 PM, 2009
First real chance to look for the cygnets today since coming back from hols and indeed all six are alive and well.
sid ashton said
Thu Aug 27 10:35 AM, 2009
On the way back from a walk along the canal near Lymm called in the park near Bollington Mill Flats entrance to check if the two Green Sandpipers seen earlier flying over were on the stream - no way of telling of course but there were indeed two Green Sands on the meadow.
sid ashton said
Sun Aug 9 3:21 PM, 2009
Haven't been in the park this week to check the cygnets but really pleased that they are still around. When I first missed them I checked all of the waters in the park to no avail so I was readily taken in by the report of "DOG KILLS SWANS" - why do people start and spread such stories without basis?
1 Green Woodpecker
1 GS Woodpecker
1 Meadow Pipit
4 Buzzard
4 Raven flying south (2 birds chasing the 2 others - territorial dispute ??)
20+ Redwing
Usual other small birds
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Siskin
2 Mistle Thrushes (visiting a nest site)
8 Redwings
1 Treecreeper
2 Nuthatches
12+ Stock Doves
2 Little Grebes
18 Tufted Ducks
-- Edited by Henry Cook on Sunday 14th of March 2010 10:50:13 AM
We'll be there late today as 6yr old has a party at the farm nearby at 4, "better late than never" as they say!
The last time I saw one in the park on my regular visits was September last year
-- Edited by sid ashton on Saturday 6th of March 2010 11:39:07 AM
Thanks. Henry.
If so, I've often thought it would be good to have a search in there and was going to on Monday but ran out of time!!
If not, where do you mean exactly??
Phil
Still, I had to put in a lot of hours just to hear these Lesser Peckers. Next step is trying to see one!
Hi Henry,
If I'd walked round with you today.
If Dunham was in Stockport MBC.
Then I'd have got 6 ticks today
Cheers, John
1 LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER (called briefly at 1pm from the woodland between the park and the golf course)
2 Cormorant (flew along the Bollin river)
2 Goosander (on the Bollin, south of the park, probably the pair that were on the moat recently)
2 Gadwall (Smithy pool)
1 Shoveler (Island pool)
28 Tufted Ducks (20 on Island pool, vocalising to each other, a lovely sound)
2 Mute Swan
2 Buzzards
2 Kestrels
1 Sparrowhawk (male perched in the wood to the south of the park)
c340 Black-headed Gulls (on the flooded field out towards Bollington Mill)
2 Green Woodpeckers (showed well at the NE side of the park)
6 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
18 Stock Doves
1 Grey Wagtail
8 Coal Tits
6 Nuthatches
7 Treecreepers
120+ Jackdaws
3 Bullfinches (Bricklin Wood)
3 Siskins
4 Lesser Redpolls (flew over)
74 Linnets (in field N of Bricklin Wood)
-- Edited by Henry Cook on Wednesday 3rd of March 2010 06:14:38 PM
No luck with the Lessers, but got great close up views of a Great Spotted drumming away.
Also did hear a Green Woodpecker but couldn't locate it unfortunately.
The 2 Goosanders are still on the pool near to the Hall.
There was a lot of Great Spotted Pecker activity to be heard from the park but couldn't pick out any Lesser drumming.
-- Edited by sid ashton on Friday 12th of February 2010 10:08:59 PM
1 Wigeon (drake, on the moat)
2 Gadwall
2 Little Grebes
113 Mallards
22 Tufted Ducks
9 Coots
3 Moorhens
2 Mute Swans
2 Grey Herons
4 Canada Geese
8 Snipe (in brook out to bollington mill flats)
15 Stock Doves (singing, displaying, mating and nest site visiting all going on)
40+ Jackdaws (many pairs visiting potential nest sites)
10 Great Spotted Woodpeckers (only half the park checked)
8 Nuthatches
3 Treecreepers
1 Goldcrest
4 Coal Tits
20+ Blue Tits
1 Buzzard
2 Kestrels
8 Gadwall
16 Tufted Ducks
2 Little Grebes
3 Mute Swans
1 Teal (on stream out to mill)
8 Snipe
1 Grey Heron
6 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
1 Treecreeper
2 Nuthatches
2 Lesser Redpolls
8 Siskins
2 Bullfinches
1 Skylark
1 Coal Tit
1 Song Thrush
1 Mistle Thrush
2 Redwings
15 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Grebe, 4 Gadwall on main pond.
Raven overhead near oberlisk, with lots of Redwing and the odd GS Woodpecker.
350+ Pink-footed Geese overhead from E to W and a Kestrel only other birds of note.
Will be back in a couple of weeks looking for the Lesser Peckers again, fingers crossed they'll be drumming by then!?
Where and what is Old Stumpy? Might have a mooch for Lesser Peckers!
Walk the dog a couple of times a week at Dunham.
This morning there was a flock of Twite outside the park main entrance and about 6 Snipe in the brook by the path down to Bollington Mill. (No sign of the Kingfisher seen before Christmas).
Plenty of Nuthatches in the park and a GSW. Gadwall on the upper pond with the gulls. (There was a Little Grebe last week).
Paul don't worry about dipping on the Green Pecker - I'm in DMP a couple of times a week and I don't believe that I've seen one there since the end of last summer
Try up the main drive close to old Stumpy for the Lesser
wow 12 gsw!!
Where roughly was the greenfellow?
any lsw?
12 or so GSW
lots of great blue coal and LT tits
3 robin
4 nutchatch
6 treecreeper
5 jay
buzzard calling
4 gadwall in flooded field
c30 redwing
c20 goldfinch
1 heron
1 kestrel
-- Edited by Paul Cliff on Saturday 23rd of January 2010 03:47:37 PM
-- Edited by sid ashton on Saturday 24th of October 2009 03:19:17 PM
After the film, over the house/meadow, there was a hugh number of Black headed Gulls frantically chasing insects - it's something we have seen before but still fascinating to watch. Also 5 Common Buzzards in the air together at one stage.
-- Edited by sid ashton on Friday 9th of October 2009 07:43:01 PM
-- Edited by sid ashton on Tuesday 15th of September 2009 09:15:43 PM