I know what you mean about siskins being rather scarce.I used to get them regularly visiting the feeders in my garden.This year I was beginning to give up hope,but one male visited a nyger seed feeder last week.[My garden is in Prestwich,near to Whitefield]

A male Siskin was singing in my garden in Littleborough this afternoon. Siskin in general seem to have been very scarce in Rochdale this winter so to have one in full song in my garden was quite a surprise - presumably it just got carried away in the afternoon sunshine.

Yesterday a Jack Snipe and 35+ Snipe at Clegg Hall marsh but unfortunately on private land.

Cheers, Simon

8 Wigeon this morning and a drake Goldeneye. Wigeon seem to be on the move this week - there were also 5 on 16th & 13 on 21st - presumably all trans-pennine migrants starting to head back on their spring migration.

The first Oystercatcher returned on 19th and had my first 2 Curlews of the year over Littleborough on 22nd so Spring seems to be coming.

An adult Yellow-legged Gull was on the Lake this afternoon and showed extremely well from 1410 to around 1430 when it flew off west - it unfortunately didn't return in the roost.

Also today 15 Wigeon 1 Tufted Duck 4 Cormorant 1 Goosander and a Stonechat at Shaw Moss

Also received a belated report that there were 6 Waxwings near the visitor centre on 2nd January.

Sorry Martin - was away this weekend so unable to check out your bird but the Lake does have a good record for RBMs

As reported on another post Alan Nuttall found 10 Whoopers late this morning - also today a pair of Gadwall which is a rare bird in Rochdale ( as in fact most birds are). Also my wife reported around 70 presumed Pinkfeet west over Blackstone Edge about 0900.

Cheers, Simon

Fri 1500. 4 Male Goosanders and 2 Female Goosanders in one patch of water in the centre of the lake. Down by the overflow, we reckon it was a male Red Breasted Merganser alongside a juvenile Greater Crested Grebe. Since they (RBM) are not common, it would be nice for it to be confirmed.

Yes they're hard to connect with in Rochdale - although I remember one amazing day when me and Alan Nuttall had 47 on the Lake - if you pm me with your phone no. I'll let you know if it hangs around - was still there at dusk.

Cheers, Simon

Nice one with the Shoveler, Simon. I still haven't seen one in Rochdale yet!
Steve

1/1

Good day at the Lake

female Shoveler - a rare less than annual visitor here
4 Wigeon (2 pair)
2 Teal
3 Goosander
8 Cormorant
2 Great-crested Grebes 430 Canadas 8 Mute Swan 64 Mallard
1 Kingfisher giving stonking views on the unfrozen channel through the Nature Reserve
1 Green Woodpecker
male Great-spotted Woodpecker
10 Bullfinch
34 Great black-backs & 5 Herring Gulls roosting

and all rounded off with Short-eared Owl and Stonechat at Kingsway. Not bad for Rochdale birding

Adult Whooper Swan in the middle of the Lake at 10 am this morning.

Cheers, Simon

Thanks Dave for those sightings - that's the first Brambling here this autumn - there was one hanging around the feeder last winter too. There have been up to 3 redhead Goosander on Akzo Pond (the pond by the ex-chemical works) on and off for the last couple of weeks so I suspect these were the birds you saw.

Cheers, Simon

Hi Simon
thought I'd found your RBM at the lake Friday 8.0am at the pond nr where the chemical works used to be. I got as close as possible to a pair of sawbills but I think they were probably Goosander although with my limited experience I'm not 100pc sure. Also 10 Teal on the pond. Did have a Brambling and buulfinch at the feeding station nr the visitors centre. Lots of Redwing and Fieldfares feeding on Hawthorn berries, the local squirrels were enjoying the crop as well.

Dave Phillips

Unfortunately no sign of RBM today Geoff - in fact no sign of anything at all!

Hollingworth Lake does seem to score quite regularly with RBMs though - not quite sure why as it doesn't seem to hold much attraction for most birds - this is the 8th record in the last 5 years - all records have been March/April or late Oct/Nov - presumably passage birds going overland. All have been one day birds though.

Cheers, Simon

Simon,if you can keep an eye on that merganser and keep us updated i,d love to get that on my list but i,ll have wait till sat am.

cheers geoff

6/11

RED-BREASTED MERGANSER - female

Wigeon 1 female
Goldeneye 1 female
Tufted 1 drake
Teal 6
Cormorant 5
Mute Swan 6
Kingfisher 1
Grey Wagtail 1
Redwing 30+
Fieldfare 40+

Alan Nuttall had a dark-bellied Brent Goose this morning about 11 am.

No sign this evening - just a drake Wigeon and 3 Goosander


This is only the third record of Brent Goose for the Lake and I've managed to miss all 3!Typical birding - you keep going back day after day to this soul-destroying birdless place and then someone else pops up for a couple of hours and finds a county rarity - don't you just love it!Great bird though Alan.

17/10

0730:

13 Whooper Swans on the Lake this morning.

Also 5 Mute Swans & 2 Cormorant

A rare morning without the usual dawn patrol of rowing boats

Cheers, Simon

25/9

Wigeon 3
Teal 1
Cormorant 2
Sparrowhawk 1 female
Great-spotted Woodpecker 1
Mipits - 60+ SW - quite a movement of these today
Mistle Thrush 21
Chiffchaff 4
Goldcrest 1
Long-tailed Tit 25+
Jay 2

No WWBTerns, or Brown Shrikes for that matter

22/9

Common Scoter - 1 fem/imm
Cormorant 1
Grey Wagtail 2
Chiffchaff 3

1 Willow Tit - still present and associating with mixed tit flock
1 Common Tern
1 Ringed Plover
6 Willow Warblers
1 Chiffchaff
4 Goldcrests
1 Great-spotted Woodpecker
40+ Linnet
4 Bullfinch

Excellent. Simon. In recent years the only ones E of a N-S line drawn through Bury have been at Castleton, Higher Boarshaw and (a few years ago now) Greenbooth.

Hi Simon,

Your Willow Tit sighting is an excellent local record! My only record for this species at Piethorne was of a single bird present in the lower valley between 13/9/05 and 25/10/05. I think a single bird (possibly the same one?) was in Rochdale Cemetery on 16/12/05. A Willow Tit was also seen by several local birders (myself included) in the vicinity of the Rochdale Canal at Higher Boarshaw and Castleton area between 20/11/06 and 23/12/06.

I know this is only a limited sample to make a judgement on but these would seem to suggest some post-breeding dispersal/movement and the best time for us local birders outside the core area of this species to look out for them would appear the be in the last third of the year!

Cheers,

Bill.

Whilst searching fruitlessly for migrants this morning I was astonished to hear the unmistakeable nasal call of a Willow Tit. After a frantic couple of minutes trying to locate the bird, it eventually showed extremely well. This may not seem very exciting to lowlanders but oop here in Rochdale this is a mega and it is, in fact, the first ever record for Hollingworth Lake (as far as I am aware)
It was associating with a mixed tit flock so maybe it'll hang around. Be interesting to know where it's come from - I wasn't aware that Willow Tits migrated much - maybe they show some post-breeding dispersal - anyone know?

Not much else though - 1 Common Sand, 2 Willow Warblers, 40+ Linnets

30/8 Another (or the same) Lesser Whitethroat this morning but otherwise quiet.

29/8 1 Shelduck

Lesser Whitethroat showing well in Big Hedge this morning - presumably the same bird that I heard calling here on 21st. Otherwise very quiet - a juv Common Tern on 19th being the only other bird of note this week.
It has been the worst year I can remember at the Lake with very few sightings of any interest, partly due to the very high water levels all year.

Sandwich Tern sitting on a buoy this morning from 0630 - 0645 at least but not present later in the day when the place resembled Blackpool.

Garden Warbler singing this morning. Also Whitethroat and 2 Swifts. Sedge Warbler at Clegg Hall.

A Tree Pipit singing near Rakewood on 2/5.

All seems a bit pants compared to elsewhere in the county

A Whimbrel over this morning at 0710 and a Lesser Whitethroat singing behind Big Hedge. Also 1 Common Sandpiper.

2 Whinchat at Clegg Hall this morning - also 2 Blackcaps. 3 Goldeneye yesterday.

Cheers, Simon

1 Common Sand - first of year here and a male Brambling on feeders by the info centre

13/4

Back to normal today - very quiet. 12 Great-crested Grebes, 6 Mute Swan, 6 Teal, 3 Redshank, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Curlew over, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Green Woodpecker, 5+ Willow Warblers.

12/4

The stonking drake Red-breasted Merganser flew off east at 0750 when the Hollingworth lake rowing club got into action. Pair Common Scoter seemed oblivious to disturbance and braved the boats all day. Also pair Wigeon and the first Swallow of the year here.

Cheers, Simon

Pair of Common Scoter still present at 7pm showing well.

Red-breasted Merganser and 2 Common Scoter there this morning was a very nice haul indeed.

Info thanks to Simon Hitchen

A White Wag this morning and 4 Sand Martins. 5+ Willow Warblers now. 35+ Fieldfare at Whittaker still.


Cheers, Simon

Drake Shoveler this morning - the first here since March 2006!

Also 3 Wigeon, 21 Teal, 1 Curlew over, 2 Redshank, 2 Oystercatcher, 7 Mute Swans, 1 Willow Warbler ( been back here since 5th) and 2 Chiffchaff. Also 2 Coot!! - quite a rare bird here - first this year. The joys of birding in Rochdale - getting excited about seeing a couple of Coot!

No hirundines or LRPs back yet

Cheers, Simon

That albino has been around since 1997 - if the same bird and not one of its offspring.

Thanks Bill for spotting that. Do you get extra tournament points for getting your records in the national press ?!

Nothing much at the Lake today - 3 Oystercatchers, 1 Redshank and a Siskin east. Also a leucistic Woodpigeon display-flighting - had me dreaming of Gyrfalcon when I first saw it!! - now that would be worth putting in The Times

Bill Myerscough wrote:

---

Hi Simon,

Fame for you at last !! Your sightings of Kittiwakes at Hollingworth Lake have made into todays (27/3) edition of The Times newspaper - your sightings of this species on your local patch are reported in todays " Nature Notes" on page 78 of the paper. Well done!

Cheers,

Bill.

---

Just found it on google... link here:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article3625367.ece

-- Edited by Rob Thorpe at 21:06, 2008-03-27

Hi Simon,

Fame for you at last !! Your sightings of Kittiwakes at Hollingworth Lake have made into todays (27/3) edition of The Times newspaper - your sightings of this species on your local patch are reported in todays " Nature Notes" on page 78 of the paper. Well done!

Cheers,

Bill.

Two more Kittiwakes at Hollingworth Lake this am.

Info thanks to Simon Hitchen.

0600- 0800 -quite a bit of snow.

2 adult Kittiwakes

10 Wigeon, 2 Teal, 2 Curlew, 1 Redshank, 1 Oystercatcher, 10+ Skylarks over, 1 Redwing

Cheers, Simon

Adult Kittiwake this morning from 0725-0735 only

Also 1 Curlew east, 2 Redshank, 1 Oystercatcher, 4 Tufted Duck, 2 Mute Swans, 1 Cormorant, 1Grey Wag, 1 Stock Dove, 1 Green Woodpecker, 15+ Redwing & a Rook west ( a bit of a rarity here!).

2 Shelduck early morning only. 2 Ravens flew east at 0730.

Also 2 drake Goldeneye, 22 Great-crested Grebes, 4 Redshank, 18 Snipe,3 Mute Swans, 1 Cormorant.

No Avocets

An adult Kittiwake on the lake this morning - it flew off east at 08:05.

First returning Oystercatcher of the year on Akzo Pond - 6 days later than last year.

Pair Wigeon on the Lake with 22 Great-crested Grebes and 15 Cormorant being good local counts. A lone Pink-footed Goose amongst 427 Canadas ( which I think is a new site record - amazing to think that the first record of Canada Goose here wasn't until 1977).

Simon

Did one of my BTO squares incorporating the eastern half of the Lake yesterday - some good birds in fantastic weather - highlight being a male Brambling, but also Green & Great-spotted Woodpeckers, Dipper, Nuthatch, Little Owl & a singing Bullfinch. Also 14 Cormorants was a good count for the Lake. Definitely a fan of the BTO Atlas - gets you to check out those little areas that you normally can't be bothered with.

Cheers, Simon

A Chiffchaff here this morning - just a collybita but still a nice surprise and good to get it on the BTO Atlas - presumably a UK overwinterer. Also female Sparrowhawk, 2 Lesser Redpoll and a few Siskin over

Signs of ducks on the move today with 12 Wigeon, 3 Pochard and a drake Goldeneye all undoubtedly passage birds. Also 21 Teal, 3 Goosander, 1 Cormorant, 6 Great-crested Grebes, 1 Grey Wagtail & 125 Lapwing.

Simon Hitchen

Simon Hitchen wrote:

---

2 species - can anyone better this total for an afternoon's birding?

The other winter I went up to Blackstone Edge from the M62 side doing trials for the Atlas and managed just 2 species as well. 3 hours footslogging for Crow and Red Grouse!

You're right, these people who sit in the shelter of the hides at Penny don't know they're born!

Steve

12 Pinkfeet flew west at 0830. Also 7 Great-crested Grebe, 5 Goosander, female Sparrowhawk, 1 Treecreeper, Kingfisher & 6 Siskin.

Braved Blackstone Edge this afternoon & it was absolute pants - the sum total being a female Goldeneye on Light Hazzles & 2 Common Gulls over Warland. 2 species - can anyone better this total for an afternoon's birding? You western birders don't know how lucky you are! But seriously I was a bit concerned that no-one appears to be putting food down at either of the Twite feeding stations and consequently there were.....no Twite. Don't know if this is a short-term thing but some other Rochdale birders have also mentioned this recently - do you know Judith? Maybe I'll start taking some nyger seed up there myself.

Also checked the gull roost out at Ashworth Moor Res'r - 68 Great black-backs, 14 Herring and 2 Lesser black-backs. but nothing more exciting unfortunately.

Simon