Had a look myself this morning and no trace of the Black Redstart around 1000 am.. Found the bird inside the perimeter fencing of the Power Station at the end of the drainage gully which I think is still in Greater Manchester.

Rob Archer

Black Redstart still present in channel next to the reservoir at 12.55-13.20. Great views at first in a blizzard and then the sun came out and it started feeding in the puddles of unfrozen water in the sunshine. It looks in better condition than yesterday and seems to be finding lots of food.

Visited at 10.30 on my way to a local walk but the bird was not to be seen. No idea where it is going to when not feeding.

In answer to Sarfraz, its not viewable from the road, take the footpath down from the road on the bend just after Owd Betts pub. Head 100m towards the corner of the res where a stone bridge crosses the outfall. Its not too muddy as its all frozen. Boots would be advisable.
Pete

Is it viewable from the road? If not is the walk muddy? tHnks. Sarfraz

Third time lucky. Missed out this morning at 9 and 12.
Saw the bird in the wide channel by the side of the reservoir at 3.35.
I agree with Simon it's probably a young male bird
Great views.
Pete

Superb views of the Black Redstart at around 10am today.
Observed as it climbed the last 40 yards to the top of the overflow steps.
It was busy feeding continually.
White markings noted on wing(tertials)
County life tick for me.
2 more happy birders present Messrs. Brown/Ousey.

No sign of the redstart this morning from 08.50-09.30.
Its freezing and windy with snow on the ground.
Wrap up if you intend to go.
Pete

The Black Redstart was showing well early afternoon in the same area - it has female type plumage except for pale wing panels caused by whitish fringes to the tertials which I don't remember seeing on females before

The last bird I saw in that same overflow channel was a Grey Phalarope - is this officially the best reservoir overflow channel in Greater Manchester?!


-- Edited by Simon Hitchen on Sunday 10th of March 2013 09:33:52 AM

Female black redstart still there at 13:00 in run of channel at west end feeding well

Nice to meet steve ash worth and companion

-- Edited by Mike c cooper on Sunday 10th of March 2013 12:30:10 PM

Female Black Redstart this morning in the overflow channel and also the adjacent inlet gulley. Saw the bird three times around this area at 8.30 am.
Also on the Res 13 Herring Gulls, 20 Lapwing, 2 Meadow Pipit and a Cormorant.
2 Woodcock in Harden Clough ( Lancs } on the walk over.

Rob Archer

-- Edited by rob archer on Saturday 9th of March 2013 10:32:37 AM

Wed 6/3/13
A Dipper seen flying around the north edge of the res this morning between 11.00 and 11.30 on 3 occasions - A first for me after years of visiting.
On the res
2 Wigeon (pair)
30 Canada's
2 drake Goosander


5 Curlew seen flying on the Rochdale side of Ashworth road near Wind Hill farm - first of the season

Peter Stevens and Gavin Ashworth

Sat evening 16:15 -18:15 cool, overcast, nw breeze

C goose 39
Goosander 9 m 13 f
Mallard 6 m 4f

C gull 30
B hd gull 50
H gull 5
L bb gull 10

Curlew 1
Lapwing 10

Skylark 1+ heard

Pheasant h
L owl h

Valley
Dipper

Sat Eve's 16/2 16:15 - 17:30 cold, still cloudy

C Goose 14
Mallard 4 m 2f
Goosander 13 pairs

C Gull 60 roosting
B hd Gull 120+ roosting
Lapwing 46

Skylark heard calling then sub song

Pheasant m ring neck in valley fields
Little Owls calling at dusk

Sun 20/1 15:50 -16:40 1" snow bitter e breeze strengthening and veering n light snow falling at end

GBb gull 3ad & 1 imm
L Bb Gull 1
B hd Gull 4
C Gull 4 add
Goosander 1 m
C Crow 6

(Dog walker provided a good description of SEO during the week)

103 Great Black-backed Gulls (mostly adults) in the Gull roost tonight.
24 Herring Gulls
3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
The main roost was approx 800 birds, a mixture of Common and Black-headed Gulls.
Also of note, 82 Goosander was an above average count , with more still arriving into the darkness..
2 Little Owl calling..
Rob Archer

Fri 25/5 13:15 - 14:15 sunny hot warm strong NE wind

C goose c. 20
Curlew 1 +1
Lapwing 6
Ringed plover 1 ad

Skylarks
M pipits
Wheater 1+1m

L Bb gull 8
H Gull 1 ad

Kestrel m

10am

6xwigeon

danny

This morning 10:00 - 11:00

White Wagtail 1
Wheatear 3
Reed Bunting 5
Pied Wagtail 6
Curlew 2
Meadow Pipit 7
Mallard 5
Goosander 2
Lapwing 22
Canada Goose 8

Dave

10:00 - 11:00

Wheatear (2m 2f)
Reed Bunting (6m 1 f)
Goldeneye (1m)
Goosander (1m 1f)
Pied Wagtail (7m)
Buzzard 1 (3 more in distance circling in bury direction)
Meadow Pipit 20
Canada Goose 10
Cormorant 1
Lapwing 4
Curlew 5

Dave

Quiet up here today;

Redshank 1
Goldeneye 1 male
Curlew 4
Reed Bunting 3

Dave

Fri 23/3 12:40 - 13:40 sunny hazy cool NE breeze

C goose 6
Goosander 3 M +3 F
B hd Gull 2
Lapwing 22
Curlew 6
Oystercatcher 4 displaying noisily

P wagtail c. 10 incl 2 F
Skylark at least 4 singing
Meadow Pipits 2 s/D c. 12 in total (they're back)

Wheatear MF

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 23rd of March 2012 04:46:40 PM

What exactly is an Oyk?

Mon 19/3 12:50 - 13:20 Bright and breezey (SW)

Curlew 1
Oyk 1
Lapwing 2+ 5

C Goose 3
Cormorant 1
Goosander MM + FFF
Mallard M + M

Bhd Gull 4
C Gull 1 (ad)
LBb Gull 1

Skylark (S)
Mipit 1 + 1 + 1
P Wagtail MMM + M + M

16:00 - 17:00

Wigeon 7 (4m 3f)
Cormorant 1
Curlew 2
Goosander 7
Mallard 2
Pied Wagtail 2

Dave

A more memorable morning for birdwatching here today;

Goldcrest 1 - (in same small bush I had one in 5 years ago!)
Tufted Duck - 2 (males)
Redshank 1
Moorhen 1
Oystercatcher 1
Curlew 5
Grey Heron 1
Stonechat 1
Meadow Pipit (15>E)
Mallard 5
Canada Goose 3
Lapwing 20
Goosander 1
Jackdaw 5
Magpie 1
Carrion Crow 2
Black-headed Gull 8
Pied Wagtail 3
Pheasant 1

Dave

Sun 11/3 17:00 - 18:30 Dull, misty, cool W breeze

At least 3 Skylarks singing in the gloom - Spring is on its way

Mipit (heard)

P Wagtail 2 M + 1

Lapwing 2 Displaying + 1

Mallard pair + M

C Goose 12

Goosander 10 M + 14 F

Goldeneye M

B hd Gull 1

Blackbird M(s) + M(s)

[Song THrudh (s) from valley)]
L Bb Gull 2

G Partridge (heard)

Pheasant (heard)

Sun 4/3 16:30 (after hailstorm) - 18:00 Sunny / showers. Bitter NW wind

C Goose 7
Mallard 5
Goosander 25 (15 M)
Lapwing 20 (sheltering on rock pile below Owd Betts)
Curlew flock of c 20 landed at W end some on res wall at 17:45
P wagtail H

Little OWls calling from CHeesden Valley
C Crow 7

Cold and windy tonight, 9 Curlew the only noteworthy thing.

Dave

Called while working today.

7xmallard
24xcanada geese
7xgoosander
8xbh gulls
pair goldeneye

A stunning Short-eared Owl was hunting late afternoon.

5 Curlew
1 Goldfinch > E
Meadow Pipit 30>N 12>N
1 singing Skylark
1 Green Woodpecker flew over and was calling from Deeply Vale

Dave

-- Edited by David Winnard on Wednesday 29th of February 2012 05:41:57 PM

4 Curlew flew in yesterday mid afternoon and a male Goldeneye on the res were the only noteworthy things.

Dave

2 Pink-footed Geese on the reservoir this afternoon, flew off with one Canada Goose at dusk and landed on a field next to Deeply Vale.

2 Goldeneye and only 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Dave

86 Great Black Backed Gulls tonight with many more over the Res flying west.
14 Herring Gulls
2 Goldeneye
42 Goosander

Rob Archer

54 Great Black Backed Gulls and 12 Herring Gulls amongst the Gull roost tonight . Also on the res;
3 Goldeneye
23 Goosander
1 Teal
4 Mallard.

Rob Archer

Thurs 29/12 09:30 - 10:45 Blustery SW and v heavy showers

C Crow 3 +1
P Wagtail F
Stonechat F (searching rock pile on shore below Owd Betts)
Mallard MF
mipit 1 !!!
B hd Gull 1

-- Edited by Mike Cooper on Thursday 29th of December 2011 01:09:38 PM

49 Great Black Backed Gulls and 2 Herring Gulls in the roost tonight.
81 Goosander on the res

Rob Archer

Don't worry Iain. Despite the fact that someone can't even get their geography right , we're not giving it back

rob archer wrote:

---

In the Gull roost tonight imm Iceland Gull (poss 2nd winter) flew in at last light joining 13 Great Black Backed Gulls.
Also f/imm Merlin on fence post south of res moved on when mobbed by Crows.
43 Goosander on the res..

Rob Archer

---

RBA has placed AMR in lancs??

In the Gull roost tonight imm Iceland Gull (poss 2nd winter) flew in at last light joining 13 Great Black Backed Gulls.
Also f/imm Merlin on fence post south of res moved on when mobbed by Crows.
43 Goosander on the res..

Rob Archer

23 Great Black Backed Gulls in the Gull roost tonight...

Rob Archer

Not for much longer haha

Steve Atkins wrote:

---

A wind swept moorland reservoir is probably not ideal habitat for this species!

---

But Tufties did breed at Brun Clough Resr this year, Steve. That site is pretty windswept - Mark Rigby is the only person I know able to stay on his feet up there!

Steve

Hi Steve,
Thanks for that info re the Tufted Duck.. I had looked back through the Forum sightings and found none back to 2009 but your posted details are much more comprehensive..They were still there at last light tonight..
Cheers.
Rob Archer

Hi Rob,

Tufted Duck has been recorded at AMR since at least 1992 when Judith Smith set up the GM database. It was certainly more frequent in the 1990's with an average of eight records per year from 1994 to 1998. The highest count in this period being 40 in Oct 1995.

From 1999 to 2009 the average number of sightings has been a mere two per year. So it's not surprising if you haven't seen Tufted here before. The highest count in this period was 11 in Sept 1999.

WeBS counts from AMR go back to winter 1962-63 but it's not possible to do a search by species via the BTO website.

A wind swept moorland reservoir is probably not ideal habitat for this species!

Steve

On the Res this morning;
7 Teal
5 Goldeneye
1 Goosander
3 Tufted Duck... Very scarce here.. Looking back cannot seem to find a previous record of them here.
5 Grey Partridge on the walk over..

Rob Archer

4 Great Black Backed Gulls in the gull roost tonight and 3 Wigeon on the Res...

Rob Archer

Great Black Backed Gull in the gull roost and a Short Eared Owl hunting the Res southern slopes last light tonight..

Rob Archer

-- Edited by rob archer on Friday 2nd of December 2011 04:51:02 PM

A visit up there this afternoon was worthwhile, a single Snow Bunting heading west over the reservoir calling.

Also 3 fem/imm Goldeneye
22 Goosander

Dave

A single male Gadwall was unusual up here this morning..
3 Snipe, 2 Raven, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel and 2 Reed Buntings on the walk over..

Rob Archer

Mon 21/11 15:30 - 16:30 Cool E breeze dusk falling

Goosander c. 40 (12 Ms)
B hd Gull c. 250
C Gull c. 40

Mipits (heard)
L Owl 1+ calling from fields to East


Sat 12/11 14;45 - 15:00 Until mist / fog descended

Goosander 2 M + 4 F
Cormorant 1
C Gull 6
B hd Gull 10

Walked over 9.30 am..Saw the following;
Fine view of a Merlin perched on a fencepost on GM side of Fletcher Bank.
5 Grey Partridge, Snipe, Kestrel and a few Meadow Pipits on Harden Moor (Lancs)
Single Wigeon on the Res

Rob Archer