Early a.m.
Bar Headed geese from yesterday have departed.
6 Ringed Plover, 7 Mute Swans with 1 more on Withins, on the canal a pair have 6 young. 2 Common Tern, one feeding the other, it's a pity they have nowhere to nest here. 13 singing Sedge Warbler around Elton, Withins and along the canal. Female Kestrel delivering food.
Cheers Ian

-- Edited by Ian Campbell at 12:14, 2008-05-30

thanks Alan I will try again one day

Hi Tim

When visiting Elton res, its safer to park on Buckingham Drive, which is 300 yards towards Bolton on A58 from direction sign near Kitchener Street. Park at bottom (its a cul-de-sac) on left, and walk on obvious path down to Res.

Cheers Alan

-- Edited by Alan Warford at 13:34, 2008-05-29

Early a.m.
9 Ringed Plover
1 LR Plover
2 shovellor
2 Common Tern
and 2 Bar Headed Geese- wonder where they came from?
Cheers Ian

I went to have a look at this site for the first time this afternoon but having followed the sign off the main road couldn't see where it then went as there were no further signs and a large gang of nasty looking youths hanging around in the road. I wasn't going to ask them for directions so turned around and left. Looks like I missed all the action and I'm back at work tomorrow and the hire car goes back.

I had 2 LR Plovers as well (one in the creek) at about 3.30pm. But I could only count 19 Ringed Plovers. However, they kept settling all over the resr so could well have been 21. I have never seen such excellent conditions for waders there.

5.30-7.30pm - heavy drizzle. A brilliant day of patch work, the best day for waders in quite a long time.

BLACK TAILED GODWIT - 1 full S/p bird kept getting disturbed due to motorbike but still present 7.20pm.

SANDERLING - 1
Ringed Plover - 20 adults & 1 1st summer bird (according to the Elton Bird Report 1983 there was 41 on the 16th August, so its not a site record unfortunately). Its been an unprecedented year so far for this species.
Dunlin - 1
Common Sand -2

ARCTIC TERN - 2
Common Tern - 8

2.30p.m.
Elton just gets better and better today
A second Sanderling in full Summer plumage, this mornings one was in May plumage.
At first I mistakenly thought it was a Stint, sorry for the excited 'phone call Judith!.
Cheers Ian
...........................
5 Common Tern present, with 8 seen earlier by another observer. Also the Ringed Plover still present in numbers.

-- Edited by Ian Campbell at 15:05, 2008-05-28

-- Edited by Ian Campbell at 15:07, 2008-05-28

Simon, thanks for the call this a.m.
OH YES THERE ARE- Sanderling at wader point this a.m. at 9.00 am
Also:
1 Green Sandpiper, with a Common for direct comparison and a Dunlin tagging along also at wader point.
In front of boathouse
21 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin
Plus 2 Common Tern.
Got soaked but WOW it was worth it
Cheers Ian
.......................................
Sorry in all my excitement I made a mistake, it was a Common Sandpiper, not a Dunlin, amongst the 21 Ringed Plover.

-- Edited by Ian Campbell at 11:18, 2008-05-28

28/5/08 early am

Ringed Plover - 20 (yes twenty! a remarkable sight and my highest number here in 15 years.)
Common Sand 1
Common Tern 2
Tufted 6
Still no sanderlings.

This a.m. with Simon Warford.
NINE Ringed Plover
1Little Ringed Plover
2 Common Tern
Cheers Ian

8 Ringed Plover and 1 Dunlin late am.

(Info from Peter Baron)

late pm - Dunlin 2, Ringed Plover 7, Common Tern 5.

-- Edited by Simon Warford at 22:14, 2008-05-25

25/5/08 early am

Greenshank 1 till 7.25am only
Dunlin 1
Ringed Plover 3
LRP 1
Common Sand 2
Oystercatcher 2
Common Tern 1
Tufted Duck 8
Cormorant 1

Warfy senior and junior.

Extra to Simon's sightings this a.m.
Kingfisher on the river, Cormorant fly over, Little Owl near Crow Trees Farm and Kestrel carrying food .
Cheers Ian
.......................
Also 3 Linnet and 2 Bullfinch

-- Edited by Ian Campbell at 11:22, 2008-05-24

24/5/08 early am

Dunlin 1
Ringed Plover 3
Little Ringed Plover 3
Common Sand 1
Greylag - 1 flew in landed for 20 mins and flew off.

23/5/08 early am

Ringed Plover 4
LRP 1
Common Tern 1
Cormorant 1

6 Oystercatchers and 2 LRP this morning and pair of Shoveler yesterday.

18/5/08 early am - back to normal after yesterdays excitement

Curlew 1
Ringed Plover 1
Little Ringed Plover 1
Tufted Duck 6
Grey Wag 3
Dipper 1
Swifts 50+ but none showing any white underneath!

Warfords, Wilson and Campbell.

Evening visit

9 ARCTIC TERN's dropped in early evening plus
Common Tern 1
Dunlin 1
Ringed Plover 2
LRP 1
Common Sand 1
Oystercatcher 1
Dipper 1

S Johnson and myself.

Excellent effort on your Eco day matey

Godwits still present 09.35

Godwits superb in breeding plumage, also reeling Grasshopper Warbler below pumphouse.
Cheers Ian

Early am

2 BLACK TAILED GODWITS feeding in front of Sailing club 0640 till 0820 at least
+ 2 LRP

info from Simon W

-- Edited by Alan Warford at 13:45, 2008-05-17

You might not get tents at PF ( they do occur on the privately owned S side though) but I saw a big one being put up at Amberswood the other day (Local Nature Reserve) and Bryn marsh (SSSI) almost always has them at weekends.

Last few days

16/5/08 early am

Common Tern 2 pair taken up residence with nowhere to nest.
3 tents on shoreline, you wont get that at Pennington.

15/5/08 early am

Dunlin 1
Ringed Plover 1
Little Ringed Plover 1
Common Tern 2
Garden Warbler 1

14/5/08 early am

Little Ringed Plover 2
Ringed Plover 1
Common Tern 2
Garden Warbler 1
Grasshopper Warbler 1

yes it was still present 7pm feeding with 3 Little Ringed Plovers opposite Old Hall Farm, but it can be anywhere along the shoreline.

Hi,

Can anyone tell me if the Knot was still present this evening? I might have a go early tomorrow if it was. Where exactly on Elton is it found.

Cheers, John

Also Grasshopper Warbler singing in marsh area near canal and a little Owl again at the stables.
Cheers Ian

11/5/08

s/p KNOT still present this morning along with 3 Little Ringed Plovers.

Will see if I can catch up with the Dunlin. Really enjoyed the Knot - cheers Warfy for helping to keep the kids away while I got some photos. Fantastic looking bird - not only my first Knot at Elton but my first for the county too!

Elton (2008) photos gallery.


-- Edited by Paul Wilson at 01:07, 2008-05-11

our one footed friend was still present at 8.30pm and was joined by 2 Dunlin. Excellent photo's Paul

very red KNOT (with only one foot!) still present 2.45pm, i fended off the dogs and youths while Riggers twitched it, i dont know these twitchers!

keep the dog walkers at bay

PS- Paul Wilson got some excellent photo's which should show the missing foot!

-- Edited by Simon Warford at 17:45, 2008-05-10

13.45pm

Knot still showing well

Info thanks to Warfy Jnr.

9.00-9.30am
1 Red Knot in breeding plumage(a site 1st for me)
1 Common Sandpiper
2 Oystercatcher
No sign of Common Tern seen earlier
Cheers Ian

10/5/08 6-8am

Common Sand
LRP
Oystercatcher 2
Common Tern 2
GCG 16 - including 2 high south over coney Green Flashes
Water Rail 2 calling/squealings birds at seperate locations
Gropper - reeling from old hall marsh
Tufted duck 6 on old hall marsh
Pair of Swans with 6 cygnets on canal below withins
Reed Warbler -Coney Green Flashes
Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler & Blackcap about thn back to bed as was shattered!

No Dunlin when I went round half an hour later. But there were a couple of dog walkers in the area, so I suspect the dogs scared them off.

Plenty of Sedge Warblers around (at least 6 seen, and several more heard).

I did have a Peregrine fly over me on my way home from work (near Daisyfield lodge). Came from the direction of Elton Res.

9/5/2008 5.45-7.30am

Dunlin 2
Ringed Plover 2
Little Ringed Plover 1
Oystercatcher 2
Common Tern 2
Grasshopper Wblr - singing below pumphouse

8/5/2008 7.30pm

Ringed Plover 3
Little Ringed Plover 3
46 LBB Gulls dropped in for a pre roost gathering.

7/5/2008 been v quiet this week.

Common Tern 3
Little Ringed Plover 2
Sedge Warblers 8
Whitethroat 10+



-- Edited by Simon Warford at 11:34, 2008-05-07

4/5/08 12-13.30pm

Hobby north @ 12.50 along river towards Bury
not much else

Additional to Simon, 1 Little Owl at stables and a Kingfisher on the Irwell. I was informed by a local that a pair of Dipper had been seen over the last 2 weeks on the river here although I did not see them.
Cheers Ian

4/5/2008 early am

Little Ringed Plover 2
Garden Warbler still creek
Common Tern 3
all usual warblers

says it all really

3/5/08 very early am

Lesser Whitethroat creek
Whitethroat 14
Sedge Warbler 9
Willow Warbler 10+
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Reed Warbler
LRP
Common Sand 2
Oyc
GCG 14
Swift 5

Early a.m.
Wheatear in field amongst highland cattle
2 Common Tern
Fly over Raven(the first I've seen here)
Many Whitethroat and 5 singing Sedge Warbler
2 singing Skylark
1 Kingfisher
Cheers Ian

2/5/2008 early am

Ringed Plover - 3 till 7.30am only
Little Ringed Plover 2
Common Sand 2
Common Tern 4
Reed Warbler - 3 singing in usual small reedbed.
Swift 50+

was brilliant mate, but for the bulls - apologies again for bottling it! i have no wish to ever be an amateur matador!

thanks again - top couple of days birding being guided by experienced birders, really appreciate it.

1/5/2008 Early am

Arctic Tern 1
Common Tern 2
Garden Warbler still Creek
Grasshopper Warbler 1 singing below pumphouse
Reed Warbler 1
no waders
Plus usual.

Hope you enjoyed the guided tour Cliffy.

29/4/2008 Early am

Peregrine - Female perched on cormorant pylon for 30 mins this morning, im told it was seen a few days ago too, abit on the scruffy side not that im complaining, onto my elton year list it goes.

Little Ringed Plover 2
Common Sand 2
Oystercatcher 2
Common Tern 2
Sparrowhawk 2
Garden Warbler in the creek has found its voice now.
Plus all the common warblers and plenty of them now.
Swift 50+

steven, marked on here:

http://www.manchesterbirding.com/eltonsiteguide.htm

-- Edited by Paul Cliff at 17:00, 2008-04-28

Where abouts is the creek?

28/4/2008 - early am

Lesser Whitethroat still in creek
Garden Warbler also singing quietly in creek
Common Tern 2
Common Sand 3