Have there been any signs of the Bittern yet this year on the eastern reedbeds?
Nick one bird was reported as having been seen briefly on 29th October but no further reports on their web site since. If Bittern are present they would almost certainly be seen walking on the ice.
Thats what I thought Sid.
sid ashton said
Sat Dec 4 6:58 PM, 2010
Nick Isherwood wrote:
Have there been any signs of the Bittern yet this year on the eastern reedbeds?
Nick one bird was reported as having been seen briefly on 29th October but no further reports on their web site since. If Bittern are present they would almost certainly be seen walking on the ice.
Nick Isherwood said
Sat Dec 4 5:17 PM, 2010
Have there been any signs of the Bittern yet this year on the eastern reedbeds?
Joe Wynn said
Sat Dec 4 4:21 PM, 2010
Tawny Owl in normal place near Birch Wood Pool, Redshank feeding at farside of Pump House Pool, did not see Jack Snipe, but it was reported earlier, A peregrine was near the railway bridge and lots of little birds on feeding station (such as GS Woodpecker, a Willow Tit and a fair few Reed Bunting). Most of the pools are 90%-100% frozen, but thawing relatively quickly.
Ian Coote said
Wed Dec 1 3:16 PM, 2010
Good views of a Jack Snipe from the hide at the east end of the Pumphouse Pool around noon. Has been present for the last couple of days apparently.
pete berry said
Thu Nov 25 7:46 PM, 2010
Re Black & White Cat Yeh,the lozenges were really obvious,and if you looked really carefully you could just about make out "the venetian blind" effect ,surprised you missed it Tom
Tom McKinney said
Thu Nov 25 7:36 PM, 2010
Black and white cat? I never heard about that. You suppressing pair of b******s!
pete berry said
Thu Nov 25 6:52 PM, 2010
Ian forgot to mention a Black Headed Gull attached to a Tesco carrier bag,a Herring Gull attached to an Asda carrier bag,a Herring Gull attached to a black bin bag,and another Herring Gull attached to an unidentifiable carrier bag(the one that got away,no stringing carrier bags for us)
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Nov 25 5:52 PM, 2010
Marathon five and a half hours today by McKinney, Berry (and me) with the unusually restless gulls on Birchwood Pool.
2 (new individuals for us) adult Yellow-legged Gulls 1 adult Mediterranean Gull
Also single Redshank and a black and white cat!
Mike Baron said
Wed Nov 24 5:17 PM, 2010
1 adult YLG, 1 adult Med and 1 argentatus Herring Gull with yellow legs this afternoon plus cat, mangy dog fox and Kingfisher.
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Nov 23 10:22 PM, 2010
Aye Sid, you gotta like Oxo, though thier chicken flavour is perhaps a nice introduction into gulling!
As for looking for yellow legs, that could lead to a world of trouble too. Herring Gulls can albeit uncommonly, have yellow legs and I usually see at least several over a 'winter' at various north-west sites. Whilst British argenteus can have yellow legs, it is seemingly more prolific in the 'northern' race argentatus, which combined with a generally darker upperpart coloration (very similar to Yellow-legged Gull), well you can see the obvious pitfalls.
I'm afraid I'm a believer that serious gulling is a niche market for a small band of birders. Dipping ones toes in now and again can in fact lead to more confusion and less understanding. They're complicated, confusing, ugly, disgusting, nasty, evil and noisy critters. Sometimes I wish I'd never started getting involved with them but they're entirely compelling and addictive. You know you shouldn't. You know they'll do you no good. But you just can't resist one more gulling session, just one more honest. One more...
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 24th of November 2010 08:08:21 AM
sid ashton said
Tue Nov 23 9:56 PM, 2010
Ian McKerchar wrote:
Nope although invariably you can catch sight of the leg colour at some point.
Thanks Ian, the reason for my apparently naive question? - well I have been birding proper for about 6 years now and I have tried, goodness knows I have tried, to get my mind around Gull ID. I have read your Gulls, Gulls Glorious Gulls and Yellow legged Gull articles and spent many hours watching the blessed creatures all to no avail. I can manage a Med Gull in summer plummage, GBBs, LBBs, Herring Gulls when they nick my ice cream but as for the white wings etc no chance. I figured the only way that I would find a Yellow-legged would be to sit in the hide at Moore in the hope that one would land on the island so that I could put its yellow legs with its white head etc and claim at least one "unusual" gull to go with Sabines that someone else pointed out to me at New Brighton on Petrel day in September.
I have to face facts - that I will never make a Guller - I don't even like Oxo
Ian McKerchar said
Mon Nov 22 10:41 PM, 2010
Nope although invariably you can catch sight of the leg colour at some point.
sid ashton said
Mon Nov 22 10:12 PM, 2010
Thanks Ian, please tell me that you ID them from their yellow legs when they stand on the island
Ian McKerchar said
Mon Nov 22 5:54 PM, 2010
Birchwood Pool Sid and yes they certainly come and go, rarely staying long (certainly less time than the other large gulls) although one of todays first winters put up a good show for a while.
I don't think the large gulls (atleast) roost on the pools though. I've been there right up until dark on a couple of occasions (including when I had to go all the way back from home after realising I'd left a peice of important digiscoping equipment in the hide there once!) and the gulls have all left, heading for the large roost probably out on the Mersey?
sid ashton said
Mon Nov 22 5:19 PM, 2010
Ian McKerchar wrote:
2 adult and 2 first-winter Yellow-legged Gulls present this afternoon.
Ian are these YLGs on Birchwood Pool and do they come and go or are they in with the roost?
Ian McKerchar said
Mon Nov 22 4:25 PM, 2010
2 adult and 2 first-winter Yellow-legged Gulls present this afternoon.
Tom McKinney said
Thu Nov 18 5:52 PM, 2010
No Pete Berry today (Mr Yellow-legged Gull finder extraordinaire), so Ian and I found some for once!
6 Yellow-legged Gulls - 4 ads, 3w & 1w. Possibly another adult as well, but could have been the same as one we had earlier.
Strangely no Med Gulls, AND STILL NO CASPIAN GULL!!!
-- Edited by Tom McKinney on Thursday 18th of November 2010 05:53:36 PM
pete berry said
Fri Nov 12 5:19 PM, 2010
Tom McKinney and I spent a pleasant few hours looking through the gulls today 2 ad. Y.L.Gulls 1 ad Med Gull and an interesting bird that was possibly Herring X L.B.B. Gull,plus good nos. of Argentatus.
-- Edited by pete berry on Friday 12th of November 2010 08:07:26 PM
Phil Owen said
Sat Nov 6 10:18 PM, 2010
Be sure to post the sighting of the Hooded Crow on the Moore NR website.
I'm sure they'd want to know about that sighting!!
Henry Cook said
Sat Nov 6 9:19 PM, 2010
06/11/2010 - After arriving at Richmond Bank with Mike D and all too quickly witnessing the Mersey tidal bore cover the infamous mud bank (simultaneously pushing the gulls off) we headed over to Moore NR for a distant scan of the gulls on Arpley tip. Good few hours spent here in the company of tens of thousands of lovely larids! Stuff seen included:
1 Hooded Crow (picked up by Mike amongst the gulls briefly) 2 Yellow Legged Gulls (1 ad+1.1w) 3 'argentatus' Herring Gulls 1 'intermedius' Lesser Black-backed Gull
David Wilson said
Sat Oct 30 10:17 PM, 2010
Friday 29th october 1pm-4.45
Water pipit (Lifer for me!) peregrine kingfisher g s woodpecker Bittern sighted flying minutes b4 i arrived! plus usual suspects 22 species seen
David Wilson said
Sat Oct 16 8:23 PM, 2010
Friday 15th october 8am-4pm
Day at Moore and adjoining upper moss side:
Highlights: Kestrel/merlin chased meadow pipit over colins meadow into my path Little owl peregrine female sparrowhawk-lapwing lane goldcrest ums 45 species in total alas still no green woody for me
Raymond Ashcroft said
Wed Oct 13 11:24 PM, 2010
Wed 13th Oct- evening
Called in on the way home from work - only time to see half the reserve before light started to fade
Little Egret flew in just as I going to leave Buzzard Little Grebe Wigeon, Shoveler, Teal and Gadwall
as well as the usual stuff
Nik Grounds said
Tue Sep 21 11:17 AM, 2010
A model aircraft club has put in a planning application to set up a fly zone over part of the reserve and Upper Moss Side. Please object!!! This can be done online and takes only a few minutes - see here for links etc.
PHIL GREENWOOD said
Wed Sep 15 8:14 PM, 2010
Wednesday, 15th September.
Green Sandpiper 1 Common Sandpiper 3 House Martin 10+ Sand Martin 2 Grey Heron 20+ Shovelers. Tufteds. Teal. Gadwalls. etc.
David Wilson said
Sat Aug 21 9:57 PM, 2010
20th august 2pm-5pm +21st august 6am-8.30
Little owl on big hand ranch.Pair green sandpiper on(PHP) 2 Kestrels on dog field. Kingfisher over phoenix hide. Family of long-tailed tits nr lagoon. Buzzard. Nuthatch. Reed bunting. Goldfinch. Jay. Male Peregrine on railway bridge. Green woodpecker nr Colins hide on meadow.(maybe juv.)
Ian McKerchar said
Sat Jul 17 10:00 PM, 2010
Originally posted by Stuart Lewis-Gough, 17th July:
half day walk round mnr,1st time visit. a nice reserve with plenty to see,37 species seen,including buzzard,kestrel,yellowhammer,little and great crested grebes both with young,g.s.w,several others only heard. only negative point was the feeding station:if your not going to put any food on it,its just a station. that said,i will be visiting again.
David Wilson said
Sat Jul 10 9:11 PM, 2010
enjoyable day on moore on friday 9th july.
kingfisher - lagoon little grebes with young gc grebes with young chiff chaff reed bunting buzzard kestrel sparrowhawk
close views of: little egret - reedbed stoat with 2 young- forestry commision: hare with young- forestry commision damselflies, comma and gatekeeper butterflies water levels low but apart from that reserve looking good.
sid ashton said
Thu Jul 1 10:52 PM, 2010
mark evans wrote:
Same here on sunday evening, Sid. Heard a reeling gropper near upper moss side though. Have you any idea why the heath area south of lapwing lake is out of bounds?
Mark they had a couple of fires last month that could be the reason for the closure.
mark evans said
Thu Jul 1 9:55 PM, 2010
Same here on sunday evening, Sid. Heard a reeling gropper near upper moss side though. Have you any idea why the heath area south of lapwing lake is out of bounds?
sid ashton said
Wed Jun 30 10:57 PM, 2010
A none too productive Owl walk this evening finding only Little Owl at the Big Hand Ranch
Tony Coatsworth said
Sat Apr 24 2:16 PM, 2010
No Lesser Spot seen or reported today
Saw about 40 species in total, in a 3 hour walk round the reserve.
Highlight was the first Reed Warbler of the year producing a very half-hearted song.
A couple of Swallows, plenty of Blackcap,Chiffchaff, Willow Warblers and hundreds of immature gulls - mainly LBB and Herring, with a few GBB.
Tony Coatsworth said
Wed Apr 21 8:38 PM, 2010
I'm leading a trip round Moore this Saturday (24th) with the Manchester RSPB Group - meet at the Gateway Parrs Wood at 08:30 or Moore at 9ish
PM me if you fancy meeting up - you don't have to be a RSPB member
-- Edited by Tony Coatsworth on Wednesday 21st of April 2010 08:39:11 PM
sid ashton said
Wed Apr 14 10:25 PM, 2010
A late afternoon visit to Upper Moss Side - really too late in the day so we drove up there. Almost the first bird we found was a Grasshopper Warbler - first of the year for me. Also around were singing Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, there were lots of Tree Sparrows and Reed Buntings, two Yellowhammer, three Sand Martins, a Stonechat but alas no Owls. There were also three Brown Hares running around and on the way out of the reserve we noticed the Kestrel is still occupying the Owl box on the Big Hand Ranch.
Dennis atherton said
Mon Apr 5 5:48 PM, 2010
No go on the twite, it was a female linnet, cheers Ian, thats why i dont go on the mystery bird competition, i cant always get my own mystery birds,
JOHN TYMON said
Sun Apr 4 7:14 PM, 2010
Dennis atherton wrote:
Good to see you not at penny John T for a change I did not give up on the lesser today, i stayed all day going up and down and round the corner and eventually after lots of patience and persistence got myself better pictures, also got a great one of the great spotted and also tree creeper,
lots of pecker action today, the lesser was on show along the main path and there most of the day, two of them, maybe three but not sure? but all males, no one has yet seen a female yet, lots of sightings of great spotted including two mating today and also chasing a lesser round the tree, lots of tree creepers, snipe on the moss and pheasant, a few swallows over, chiffchaffs, jays, sparrowhawk, kesrel and 2 buzzards in the area, possible sighting of a twite, awaiting confirmation from on high!
glad the waiting paid off
Dennis atherton said
Sun Apr 4 7:09 PM, 2010
Good to see you not at penny John T for a change I did not give up on the lesser today, i stayed all day going up and down and round the corner and eventually after lots of patience and persistence got myself better pictures, also got a great one of the great spotted and also tree creeper,
lots of pecker action today, the lesser was on show along the main path and there most of the day, two of them, maybe three but not sure? but all males, no one has yet seen a female yet, lots of sightings of great spotted including two mating today and also chasing a lesser round the tree, lots of tree creepers, snipe on the moss and pheasant, a few swallows over, chiffchaffs, jays, sparrowhawk, kesrel and 2 buzzards in the area, possible sighting of a twite, awaiting confirmation from on high!
JOHN TYMON said
Sun Apr 4 2:25 PM, 2010
pm lesser spotted woodpecker-showing ok down from the first screen.no good for pics thougha second male LSW,was calling towards birchwood pool at one point. 3 treecreepers willow warbler 3 buzzard not a lot else of note.
John O'Neill said
Fri Apr 2 10:45 PM, 2010
No Kestrels at Owl Box today but a Little Owl perched up on barn right above the box.
John O'Neill said
Fri Apr 2 1:06 AM, 2010
Not one, not two, but three Kestrels at the Owl Box today...adult female perched on outside apparently feeding bird inside, adult male and a third bird (presumably juv ?? but zipped off too quickly to see ) shot out of box and all 3 dispersed. No sign of any LSWs.
Dennis atherton said
Mon Mar 29 11:16 PM, 2010
Hi keith,
Yes i know what happened, i sent you a email to explain
Pete Kinsella said
Mon Mar 29 10:48 PM, 2010
A classical erudio est secundus ut nullus.
Mike Chorley said
Mon Mar 29 9:38 PM, 2010
redere ad initium et rursus incipere?
Keith Mills said
Mon Mar 29 1:18 PM, 2010
Glad you enjoyed the LS Woodpecker so did i.
Thanks for the CD of bird sounds,which loaded well onto my computer, however when transfered to my phone using DISC TO PHONE software or WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER all the bird names come out in LATIN. I`m not bad on the odd Latin name but 400..........
Any ideas????
Dennis atherton said
Sat Mar 27 8:12 PM, 2010
visit today with bolton rspb group, stop number 2
LSW showing really well from along the lane, also treecreeper and loads of reed buntings at the feeding station, we could not find any white wingers in the gull roost,
-- Edited by Dennis atherton on Saturday 27th of March 2010 08:23:49 PM
Anne Wilkinson said
Sun Mar 21 4:20 PM, 2010
LSW showing well at 1245 hrs in usual place.
sid ashton said
Fri Mar 19 7:23 PM, 2010
Afternoon visit to Moore today found the Little Owl on the Big Hand ranch building together with a Stock Dove and the Kestrel in the Owl box again - a strange combination in the same scope view. We then walked to Upper Moss Side and on the way had Yellowhamer, Song Thrush and a flock of 10+ Curlew plus distant views of a Short eared Owl which became very good views as we headed across the flower meadow toward the marsh
On the walk back had a quick check for the Lesser Pecker but it was getting a bit dark and just a Great Spot in the area where the Lesser has been reported in the past week.
-- Edited by sid ashton on Saturday 20th of March 2010 01:58:43 PM
pete berry said
Fri Mar 12 5:14 PM, 2010
Tom McKinney and myself spent a few hours at Pumphouse Flash today,2 ad. Yellow Legged Gulls and an ad. Med Gull were the only birds of note.
phil ogden said
Wed Mar 10 11:04 PM, 2010
L T Tits i have to agree with you about doing well. I used to get the a couple in my garden they are now flocks of them. On Sunday 11 on my feeders in one hit.
Thats what I thought Sid.
Yeh,the lozenges were really obvious,and if you looked really carefully you could just about make out "the venetian blind" effect ,surprised you missed it Tom
2 (new individuals for us) adult Yellow-legged Gulls
1 adult Mediterranean Gull
Also single Redshank and a black and white cat!
As for looking for yellow legs, that could lead to a world of trouble too. Herring Gulls can albeit uncommonly, have yellow legs and I usually see at least several over a 'winter' at various north-west sites. Whilst British argenteus can have yellow legs, it is seemingly more prolific in the 'northern' race argentatus, which combined with a generally darker upperpart coloration (very similar to Yellow-legged Gull), well you can see the obvious pitfalls.
I'm afraid I'm a believer that serious gulling is a niche market for a small band of birders. Dipping ones toes in now and again can in fact lead to more confusion and less understanding. They're complicated, confusing, ugly, disgusting, nasty, evil and noisy critters. Sometimes I wish I'd never started getting involved with them but they're entirely compelling and addictive. You know you shouldn't. You know they'll do you no good. But you just can't resist one more gulling session, just one more honest. One more...
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 24th of November 2010 08:08:21 AM
Thanks Ian, the reason for my apparently naive question? - well I have been birding proper for about 6 years now and I have tried, goodness knows I have tried, to get my mind around Gull ID. I have read your Gulls, Gulls Glorious Gulls and Yellow legged Gull articles and spent many hours watching the blessed creatures all to no avail. I can manage a Med Gull in summer plummage, GBBs, LBBs, Herring Gulls when they nick my ice cream but as for the white wings etc no chance. I figured the only way that I would find a Yellow-legged would be to sit in the hide at Moore in the hope that one would land on the island so that I could put its yellow legs with its white head etc and claim at least one "unusual" gull to go with Sabines that someone else pointed out to me at New Brighton on Petrel day in September.
I have to face facts - that I will never make a Guller - I don't even like Oxo
I don't think the large gulls (atleast) roost on the pools though. I've been there right up until dark on a couple of occasions (including when I had to go all the way back from home after realising I'd left a peice of important digiscoping equipment in the hide there once!) and the gulls have all left, heading for the large roost probably out on the Mersey?
6 Yellow-legged Gulls - 4 ads, 3w & 1w. Possibly another adult as well, but could have been the same as one we had earlier.
Strangely no Med Gulls, AND STILL NO CASPIAN GULL!!!
-- Edited by Tom McKinney on Thursday 18th of November 2010 05:53:36 PM
2 ad. Y.L.Gulls
1 ad Med Gull
and an interesting bird that was possibly Herring X L.B.B. Gull,plus good nos. of Argentatus.
-- Edited by pete berry on Friday 12th of November 2010 08:07:26 PM
I'm sure they'd want to know about that sighting!!
1 Hooded Crow (picked up by Mike amongst the gulls briefly)
2 Yellow Legged Gulls (1 ad+1.1w)
3 'argentatus' Herring Gulls
1 'intermedius' Lesser Black-backed Gull
Water pipit (Lifer for me!)
peregrine
kingfisher
g s woodpecker
Bittern sighted flying minutes b4 i arrived!
plus usual suspects
22 species seen
Day at Moore and adjoining upper moss side:
Highlights:
Kestrel/merlin chased meadow pipit over colins meadow
into my path
Little owl
peregrine
female sparrowhawk-lapwing lane
goldcrest ums
45 species in total
alas still no green woody for me
Called in on the way home from work - only time to see half the reserve before light started to fade
Little Egret flew in just as I going to leave
Buzzard
Little Grebe
Wigeon, Shoveler, Teal and Gadwall
as well as the usual stuff
Green Sandpiper 1
Common Sandpiper 3
House Martin 10+
Sand Martin 2
Grey Heron 20+
Shovelers.
Tufteds.
Teal.
Gadwalls.
etc.
Little owl on big hand ranch.Pair green sandpiper on(PHP) 2 Kestrels on dog field.
Kingfisher over phoenix hide. Family of long-tailed tits nr lagoon. Buzzard. Nuthatch. Reed bunting. Goldfinch. Jay. Male Peregrine on railway bridge. Green woodpecker
nr Colins hide on meadow.(maybe juv.)
half day walk round mnr,1st time visit. a nice reserve with plenty to see,37 species seen,including buzzard,kestrel,yellowhammer,little and great crested grebes both with young,g.s.w,several others only heard. only negative point was the feeding station:if your not going to put any food on it,its just a station. that said,i will be visiting again.
kingfisher - lagoon
little grebes with young
gc grebes with young
chiff chaff
reed bunting
buzzard
kestrel
sparrowhawk
close views of: little egret - reedbed
stoat with 2 young- forestry commision:
hare with young- forestry commision
damselflies, comma and gatekeeper butterflies
water levels low but apart from that reserve looking good.
Mark they had a couple of fires last month that could be the reason for the closure.
Saw about 40 species in total, in a 3 hour walk round the reserve.
Highlight was the first Reed Warbler of the year producing a very half-hearted song.
A couple of Swallows, plenty of Blackcap,Chiffchaff, Willow Warblers and hundreds of immature gulls - mainly LBB and Herring, with a few GBB.
PM me if you fancy meeting up - you don't have to be a RSPB member
-- Edited by Tony Coatsworth on Wednesday 21st of April 2010 08:39:11 PM
glad the waiting paid off
lots of pecker action today, the lesser was on show along the main path and there most of the day, two of them, maybe three but not sure? but all males, no one has yet seen a female yet, lots of sightings of great spotted including two mating today and also chasing a lesser round the tree, lots of tree creepers, snipe on the moss and pheasant, a few swallows over, chiffchaffs, jays, sparrowhawk, kesrel and 2 buzzards in the area, possible sighting of a twite, awaiting confirmation from on high!
lesser spotted woodpecker-showing ok down from the first screen.no good for pics thougha second male LSW,was calling towards birchwood pool at one point.
3 treecreepers
willow warbler
3 buzzard
not a lot else of note.
No sign of any LSWs.
Yes i know what happened, i sent you a email to explain
Thanks for the CD of bird sounds,which loaded well onto my computer,
however when transfered to my phone using DISC TO PHONE software or WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER all the bird names come out in LATIN.
I`m not bad on the odd Latin name but 400..........
Any ideas????
LSW showing really well from along the lane, also treecreeper and loads of reed buntings at the feeding station, we could not find any white wingers in the gull roost,
-- Edited by Dennis atherton on Saturday 27th of March 2010 08:23:49 PM
On the walk back had a quick check for the Lesser Pecker but it was getting a bit dark and just a Great Spot in the area where the Lesser has been reported in the past week.
-- Edited by sid ashton on Saturday 20th of March 2010 01:58:43 PM