Pair of Stock Doves - The first I have seen clearly in the valley for some time.
I went out late to try and catch the crow roost at sunset after too many gloomy evenings. The sunset was disappointing but the crows were not. Very vocal tonight. In the past I have always seen them flying up the valley in small groups but this winter they seem to travel in a larger flocks. Over 70 in the one I counted. There also seems to be a small flock possibly roosting in Rough Bank plantation - or at least leaving it until very late before going that extra kilometre or so to the traditional roost. (too dark to see) If going to see them most of them gather on the slopes of Turf Hill and Rhodes Barns before flying down to the wood when the last of the light has gone.
Geoff Eldridge said
Thu Jan 14 6:01 PM, 2016
3 Grey Partridges. It's been a while since have seen any up there. It truly is down to luck because I do wander around those same hills on average four times a week. (The emphasis is in wander because I have never seen any from the paths.)
Steve Suttill said
Sat Jan 2 10:04 AM, 2016
New Year's Day - afternoon walk round the valley. Never seen the area so bereft of birds...
Flock of House Sparrows in hedge at Ogden. Canada Geese and 1 Little Grebe on Ogden Resr. 7 Starlings at top of Piethorne Resr.
and that was it - not even a Crow!
C Brown said
Wed Dec 9 12:12 PM, 2015
On a somewhat uninspiring walk as far as Piethorne Res' this morning, I saw the following:
bullfinch single goosander kestrel pheasant jay great spotted woodpecker mistle thrush and..... a nuthatch.
Earlier, two ravens had flown over New Hey, heading south.
Regards, Chris J - B
Geoff Eldridge said
Sun Nov 1 4:38 PM, 2015
First Gosanders of the season. 2 Females on Ogden in the morning and a male and female on Kitcliffe in the afternoon.
Also a first of the season Fieldfare but not quite geographically in the correct location as it was in the no-mans land between Piethorn Valley and Hollingsworth Lake.
Ian McKerchar said
Sun Jul 12 8:26 AM, 2015
While we're on the subject (sorry!), there's a GM wildlife section where all other wildlife should go. This birds forum is...just for the birds...
David Walsh said
Sun Jul 12 12:52 AM, 2015
Large Heath
----------------------------------
This butterfly isn't found in this part of the country. Long gone are the days when it was known as the Manchester Argus.
Have a look at images of the Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), which are currently emerging.
If you are still convinced it's Large Heath, try to get a photograph, and contact the GM butterfly recorder, Peter Hardy at pgll@btopenworld.com
Steve Judge said
Sat Jul 11 5:43 PM, 2015
Saturday, 11th July 2015. Circular walk from United Utilities Car Park at Ogden Reservoir (no pay and display!)- Tunshill Lane/Rochdale Way - Piethorne Reservoir - Rams Head Inn (Denshaw) - Rooden Reservoir - back to Ogden Reservoir via Piethorne Reservoir / Kitcliffe Reservoir. First time on this patch - will definitely come back (can recommend food and views at Rams Head Inn - Denshaw) on A672 (off A640).
Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker Curlew Buzzard Kestrel Canada Geese x 50 Pied Wagtail Great Crested Grebe x 2 Goldcrest Goldfinch Great Tit Blue Tit Carrion Crow Woodpigeon Cormorant Swallows Swifts Skylarks Meadow Pipits Wren Magpies Mistle Thrush Female Mallard and 4 chicks (Ogden Reservoir) Moorhen Grey Heron Male Pheasant Black-Headed Gull
Butterflies: Speckled Wood Small Heath Large Heath Meadow Brown Red Admiral Small Tortoiseshell
Moths: Six-spot Burnet
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 11th of July 2015 05:44:07 PM
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 11th of July 2015 05:45:52 PM
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 11th of July 2015 06:15:55 PM
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 11th of July 2015 06:25:41 PM
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 11th of July 2015 09:37:58 PM
C Brown said
Fri Jun 12 9:22 PM, 2015
Late evening stroll to just past Doldrum yielded:
blackcap, singing, several willow warblers, singing, goldcrest, singing, multiple meadow pipits, skylark, in song, two reed buntings, lone swallow, four swifts, linnet, pair, curlew and several sand martins between Doldrum and Longden End.
Regards, Chris J - B
Geoff Eldridge said
Wed Jun 3 1:05 PM, 2015
Half an hour out in lower valley.
Grey Wagtails fledged. Blackcap feeding young Great Spotted Woodpecker feeding young.
Geoff Eldridge said
Thu May 21 3:46 PM, 2015
Stonechats have fledged. (Parents and three sighted.)
First swift for the year also seen
gillian notheis said
Sun May 10 6:02 PM, 2015
beautiful views of female cuckoo today at Piethorne. It became eerily quiet as she flew low over the hillside of the south side of the valley.
gillian
Dave Colton said
Mon May 4 6:47 PM, 2015
11:30
Quick hour round Kitcliffe and Piethorne
Greenfinch Kestrel Common Sandpiper Dipper Willow Warbler Skylark Meadow Pipit Wheatear Pheasent Numerous Swallows Great Tit Blue Tit Several Starling Lapwing
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 4th of May 2015 07:43:33 PM
gillian notheis said
Mon May 4 6:22 PM, 2015
Long walk today including piethorne Valley. I checked out wicken hall woods and surrounds (thanks to Bill Myersclough's suggestion) highlights were green woodpecker common whitethroat grasshopper warbler grey partridge wheatear stonechat also tawny owl flew into and around old house ground at about 3pm, getting an ear full from blackbirds.
still no stock dove though Bill but definitely worth the extra mileage.
Gillian
Paul Wilkins said
Mon May 4 4:40 PM, 2015
A walk around the reservoirs turned up the following species:
Carrion Crow Blackbird Robin Magpie Mistle Thrush Wood Pigeon Blue Tit Blackcap Lesser Redpoll Swallow Greenfinch Chaffinch Pied Wagtail Common Sandpiper Mallard Canada Goose Meadow Pipit Lapwing Skylark Dipper Wren Willow Warbler Great Tit Great Crested Grebe Pheasant Jay Goldfinch
Geoff Eldridge said
Sun Apr 26 2:16 PM, 2015
3 Coots on Ogden Reservoir this morning. I don't keep records but it is a long time since I last saw one in the valley. Another good sighting was two Lapwings mobbing a Buzzard above Norman Hill Reservoir towards Bleakedgate Moor. (Fool Hill I believe it may be called) A pair of Reed Buntings and a pair of Nuthatches featured amongst the usuals.
Dave Colton said
Fri Apr 24 4:30 PM, 2015
2-3:30 this afternoon.
Hobby flying at speed up the valley over Kitcliffe Res, great sighting, first for me locally. Little Owl Wheatear 2 Cormorant Common Sandpiper on Piethorne Res Greenfinch Heron Blue Tit Great Tit Goldfinch Magpie Carrion Crow Plenty of Willow Warbler No Chiffchaff seen or heard although we did see a few Monday evening Jay Swallow quite a few about.
gillian notheis said
Sun Apr 19 8:08 PM, 2015
Hit piethorne mid afternoon (end of a long circular walk today over hough and brushes too.) This is the piethorne bit: common sandpiper in channel to side of norman hey res female wheatear on fence on northwest side of rooden res and a male in ruin by bridle path above springholes quarry. plenty of skylark and meadow pipits about despite wind. tufted duck 2 female and 1 male on pond below ogden res. pair of great crested grebe on ogden res. heard about 4 willow warblers and 1 chiffchaff. Chiffchaff was in woods by dye works. lapwing displaying near norman hey res. no oystercatchers about today. lots of suspicious brown feathers( -ripped as if by fox) by piethorne quarry and no little owl...
Gillian
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 19th of April 2015 08:40:22 PM
-- Edited by gillian notheis on Sunday 19th of April 2015 09:04:20 PM
C Brown said
Tue Apr 14 1:17 PM, 2015
On a pleasant, if breezy walk I saw/heard the following:
four willow warblers (by Piethorne House, Piethorne Plantation, Knowlsley Plantation and west end of Bluebell Wood), chiffchaff near the water treatment works, great crested grebe pairs on Kitcliffe and Ogden, three curlews, single wheatear in the pasture between the lime house and the site of Norman Hill Farm, pair of lapwings on the same pasture (my first spring birds for at least five years I'd say), swallow, over Piethorne Res', little owl, back at Springholes...good do, linnet over, raven, over Turf Hill, heading SE and no common sandpipers and nor many skylarks and meadow pipits. Also, two small tortoiseshells.
Regards, Chris J - B.
C Brown said
Sun Apr 5 12:35 PM, 2015
On a binocular - less run round Ogden this morning, lots of meadow pipits and skylarks singing/displaying over the rough pasture and a chiffchaff singing by Paddy Greenhalgh's.
Regards, Chris J-B
-- Edited by C Brown on Sunday 5th of April 2015 12:37:16 PM
gillian notheis said
Sat Apr 4 8:05 PM, 2015
raptor day today in the Piethorne valley. beautiful view of common buzzard flying low over Norman Hill res. He was a lovely rusty brown colour. Pair of peregrine falcons flying low over Piethorne res: one with talons down. I was alerted to them by the cry of a terrified curlew (who got away). Pair of kestrel northern edge of Kitchliffe Res being mobbed by 3 pied wagtails.
Also got stonechat and reed bunting at Norman Hill res, dipper at outflow of Norman hey res.
Treecreeper and nuthatch in garden of house next to the treatment works.
Gillian
-- Edited by gillian notheis on Sunday 5th of April 2015 12:53:31 PM
C Brown said
Sat Mar 21 3:21 PM, 2015
In a fresh northerly wind, a good day for springtime denizens, and appropriately on the equinox:
two male wheatears, in the hill-field, below where Norman Hill Farm stood, a curlew, above Hanging Lees, a dipper, at the top end of Piethorne Res' six goosander on Piethorne, great crested grebe on Kitcliffe Res' oystercatcher pair, by Ogden Res' a few meadow pipits dotted about and a green woodpecker, on the northern side of Ogden Res'.
I also saw a large fox, near Jig Brew Quarry.
Regards, Chris J-B
gillian notheis said
Sun Mar 15 7:10 PM, 2015
Good day for me today
Not sure where Springholes is. The little owl that I saw today was in quarry high up on the south side of the valley.
Also 20 curlews arrived, circled for a bit and then dropped onto banks of Ogden res (next to oystercatchers) with a fanfare.
Oddly only one skylark and that was one I flushed- no singing today.
dipper was in shallows at head of Piethorne res.
flock of over 20 fieldfare still- moving with about 100 starlings.
goldcrest and coal tit in grounds of old homestead.
Gillian
C Brown said
Sat Mar 14 4:15 PM, 2015
A pretty quiet walk into the upper reaches of the valley, with a cold east wind blowing down from the moors, yielded the following:
oystercatcher pair, by Ogden Res', two pheasants, three goosander, on Piethorne Res', treecreeper and typically confiding goldcrest, in Bluebell Wood and a cluster of fieldfares, above Town Hill Holes.
As per usual, I looked for the Springholes little owls, without success. I think it was last summer the last time I saw one/them.
Regards, Chris J - Brown.
C Brown said
Fri Mar 13 7:51 PM, 2015
A pair of oystercatchers back up Ogden this evening.
Regards, Chris J-B.
gillian notheis said
Fri Mar 13 9:54 AM, 2015
late post for yesterday morning:
skylarks are back. at least 10 singing and displaying despite it being so overcast all morning. Also 4 goosander on Piethorne res and plenty of pied and grey wagtails about.
gillian
Geoff Eldridge said
Tue Mar 10 6:07 PM, 2015
Thanks Bill. Great to hear from you. I really do think it was a curlew but I am now wondering if it was on a piece of drift wood or something because it was right out in deep water. Either way it stopped me in my tracks. It was just not something you would expect to see. I have searched web page after web page of images looking for something it might be but I couldn't even get close to anything else except the curlew or Whimbrel.
Bill Myerscough said
Tue Mar 10 3:42 PM, 2015
Geoff Eldridge wrote:
I have just seen a bird so rare that I cannot identify it . . . Or a phenomenon that I can find no reference to.
Imagine a curlew - swimming like a duck - in the middle of Ogden Reservoir. Today at 13.00. The bill was long and slender and definitely curving down. It had brownish upper parts , paler underneath. A darker bar across the underside of its tail
After 2 minutes of observation at about 200mtr it lifted of from the water and flew towards Hollingsworth Lake.
I was not dreaming. At first I thought it was a cormorant struggling with an eel but when it flew right over me head I ruled that out. Completely the wrong shape and flight style.
I can't get past that curlew look.
Hi Geoff,
Are you querying whether it is possible for a Curlew to swim? From my limited knowledge (and I stand to be corrected!) there are some waders (possibly most, if not all?) that are able to swim. I suspect that it is not a particularly well seen or documented behaviour but can be done if needs be? I've seen Oystercatchers swimming on Kitcliffe Reservoir on one occasion in the past so have some first hand practical experience for that particular species. There is a photo of a Curlew swimming at the following link http://shropshirebirder.co.uk/curlew.html
My apologies if I've misunderstood your post.
Best wishes,
Bill.
Geoff Eldridge said
Tue Mar 10 2:39 PM, 2015
I have just seen a bird so rare that I cannot identify it . . . Or a phenomenon that I can find no reference to.
Imagine a curlew - swimming like a duck - in the middle of Ogden Reservoir. Today at 13.00. The bill was long and slender and definitely curving down. It had brownish upper parts , paler underneath. A darker bar across the underside of its tail
After 2 minutes of observation at about 200mtr it lifted of from the water and flew towards Hollingsworth Lake.
I was not dreaming. At first I thought it was a cormorant struggling with an eel but when it flew right over me head I ruled that out. Completely the wrong shape and flight style.
I can't get past that curlew look.
gillian notheis said
Thu Jan 22 5:35 PM, 2015
Thick blanket of snow today. Valley beautiful with snow still on trees. highlight was: 1woodcock feeding in mud by pond in woods on northerly edge of Piethorne Res. also 6 teal and 6 goosander on Ogden Res reed bunting and great spotted woodpecker in gardens by Ogden Res.
C Brown said
Sat Jan 17 6:52 PM, 2015
A pleasing, snowy walk, taking in Raghole, Springholes, Piethorne Res' and Spring Mill yielded:
two (possibly three) woodcock, above Raghole, kestrel, above Town Hill Holes, stonechat pair, between Springholes and Piethorne Res', with a single male goosander on Ogden and two females on Piethorne.
Regards, Chris J - B
-- Edited by C Brown on Saturday 17th of January 2015 06:54:07 PM
gillian notheis said
Sun Jan 4 9:05 PM, 2015
glorious day today. spent 5 hours in the valley. 37 on my list today. 2 goldcrest in rough bank plantation 4 teal and 1 great crested grebe on Ogden res flock of fieldfare with starlings moving around valley I flushed up 8 grey partridge on invisible bridlepath skirting turf hill (thought I'd try out one of your 'upper valley' walks) little owl in old quarry just west of Rooden res
many birds changing their calls to 'spring time mode'. Tits not so much in mixed flocks today, more same species groups and pairs.
Richard Hart said
Sat Jan 3 7:10 PM, 2015
12 Goosander Rooden Res. late afternoon and a singing Dipper Hanging Lees on the white inlet pipe viewable from the dam at dusk.
C Brown said
Sat Jan 3 3:35 PM, 2015
On a rather uninspiring walk into the upper valley, as far as the Rooden Catchwater, I saw the following:
great crested grebe on Ogden four goosander on Kitcliffe Res' a few common gulls and lapwings by Rooden Res', a snipe flushed from the mooredge above Norman Hill Res', fifty plus fieldfares and a jay by Springholes and a great spotted woodpecker at Higher Ogden.
Regards, Chris J-B
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 3rd of January 2015 03:39:45 PM
gillian notheis said
Sat Jan 3 12:39 PM, 2015
very blowy walk over lunch yesterday. little about except one or two good sights.
A hardy stonechat at edge of piethorne res, adjacent to hanging lees res. It was really blowy at that point.
Also 3 good sights of a male Merlin around the terrace of houses next to Ogden res. He flew just over the gate a few feet in front of me into the large garden with the feeders then about 10 mins later out from the back of the public loos, flying away from me just below wall height following the wall right to the end of the field behind the pub and then a few mins later flew from there towards geenhalgh's end of the graveyard.
-- Edited by gillian notheis on Saturday 3rd of January 2015 12:41:11 PM
C Brown said
Tue Dec 30 4:01 PM, 2014
On a late afternoon stroll I saw the following:
four goosander on Kitcliffe and another two on Piethorne,
grey wagtail in Piethorne overflow channel,
a couple of meadow pipits over,
ten fieldfares by Springholes and a lone
kestrel below Town Hill.
Regards, Chris J - B.
gillian notheis said
Sat Dec 27 4:33 PM, 2014
I was there late afternoon today, all pretty quiet still with ground frozen and layer of snow. Only 20 on my list today (had 31 yesterday).
best moment was 2 stonechat on the same pond as on 5th Dec and this time there was a reed bunting with them. The only thrushes today were the usual resident mistle thrushes.
C Brown said
Sat Dec 27 3:34 PM, 2014
On a morning walk, with frozen snow underfoot, all seemed rather quiet:
several cormorants and a great crested grebe on Ogden Res', goosander pair on Kitcliffe Res', six fieldfare flew out of Knowsley Plantation, a few unseasonal meadow pipits over and a bullfinch in Rough Bank Plantation.
Merry Christmas, C. Jepson-Brown
gillian notheis said
Fri Dec 26 6:18 PM, 2014
not seen the lesser redpoll for 2 weeks. Best sights today were flock of about 150 fieldfare irritating resident mistle thrush. They were moving with a similar sized flock of starlings. Greater variety of gulls than usual (probably confused by tip closure). Now I'm no expert on Gulls, but there were at least lesser black-backed and common gulls in addition to the black-headed and they weren't just flying over. Also got house sparrow today.
gillian notheis said
Fri Dec 12 5:16 PM, 2014
lesser redpoll still there: 12 of them today.
gillian notheis said
Sat Dec 6 8:59 PM, 2014
blinking cold day today. not much about. lesser redpoll (in silver birch by waterboard buildings) goosander kestrel were best of it.
gillian notheis said
Fri Dec 5 3:10 PM, 2014
Mind blowing 2 hours around Ogden Reservoir today! This is the best of it...
first winter female stonechat feeding on flying insects at the fenced off pond next to the lower level bridle path above Ogden reservoir.
flock of 10 linnet near there.
In pine plantation next to Ogden Reservoir was a goldcrest with long-tailed tit flock. (yesterday I saw a treecreeper with goldcrest and a blue tit and coal tit flock there)
2 female great spotted woodpecker
about 10 fieldfare
22 cormorants
Geoff Eldridge said
Wed Nov 5 2:20 PM, 2014
Tuesday PM to evening. Best of the day. Grey partridges Fieldfares Treecreeper Redwing And a dozen or so Scandanavian blackbirds.
Richard Belter said
Wed Oct 15 1:51 PM, 2014
3 female goosander on Kitcliffe res this morning
Geoff Eldridge said
Fri Oct 10 3:29 PM, 2014
Some days are better than others. (High level circuit of the valley.)
Two minutes from home I saw a minimum of three but possibly five dippers on the Woodmill Brook below the dye works. I was watching one when two more, squabbling, flew over it downstream. A minute later looking upstream I saw two more. Now they could have flown back while I was distracted by other birds calls in the trees above but if that was the case then they had returned silently right under my nose.
As I left the buildings and cover of Higher Ogden to access the rough open pastures above I saw a bird of prey sitting on the drystone wall. It turned out to be a sparrowhawk. I have not seen one in such open country before and it had baffled me until it took off and darted through the clumps of cotton grass and thistles to try and take a meadow pipit. (Missed)
Next I had lunch with a short-eared owl. I put it up in one of the groughs and it flew to roost on a fence post about 40 metres away. It just sat there so I did as well. I left before it did. That was superb.
I also had close encounters with 2 stonechats, a kestrel an 2 waders that I am reluctant to name. (I want to say that wood sandpipers seem to be the closest match but I don't think I could have had that much luck in one day.)
C Brown said
Sat Oct 4 4:43 PM, 2014
On a binocular-less jog round the valley this morning, I encountered the following:
kingfisher, on Sammy's Lodge, three siskin (and one or two bullfinch), near the Water Board headquarters, a snipe (can't remember the last one I saw up Ogden), flushed from rough grassland near Raghole, multiple goldcrests calling in Rough Bank Plantation and a few meadow pipits milling about.
Regards, Chris
-- Edited by C Brown on Saturday 4th of October 2014 04:45:30 PM
Rob Creek said
Fri Oct 3 8:12 PM, 2014
I didn't see this particular bird Chris but you've got the jist of what I mean, and it looks like you may have seen something others haven't, just not 100% could've been the difference, although other times when it looks as though there's something really wrong but all of a sudden they take off and prove they're fighting fit... Case in point, the Audenshaw Great Skua. Looked as though it had an injured wing and was acting ridiculously tame, but then took out a couple of Lesser Black-backed's for lunch during its stay and almost had a farm type Goose infront of me on the res and didn't look injured then one bit. Would be interesting to find out cause if anyone does a PM on it, ie Toxicology tests and the like Cheers Rob
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Friday 3rd of October 2014 08:13:44 PM
C Brown said
Fri Oct 3 7:37 PM, 2014
What a great shame, and whilst I am surprised on one level, when I watched it trying to fly off the surface of the res', sometimes its efforts struck me as a little feeble and it did once, fleetingly, cross my mind that it wasn't quite 100 per-cent.
Regards, Chris J-B
Rob Creek said
Fri Oct 3 6:51 PM, 2014
Geoff Eldridge wrote:
The shag is dead. One of the Springmill residents found it this morning and told me where she had put it because she was not certain whether it was the rare visitor or a resident cormorant. I have had a look, and taken a couple of photos, and while not an expert I would have to say it is the shag. Probably dead about a day because the carrion scavengers have yet to find it. I could not begin to guess a cause. Of death either.
...Geoff what a shame if indeed it is the juvenile Shag. By all accounts and posts, this bird 'SEEMED' to be healthy enough, feeding well and favouring what I thought would've been a good location to rest / preen / sun itself etc on the water tower. Obviously not jumping to conclusions and the fact that natural causes can always be a factor...(as you can't always tell if anything is wrong with animals just because appearance and behaviour seems normal)...but do you think foul play could come into it? Or is anyone (a group or body) doing a post mortem on a Greater Manchester county rarity? Just wondered. Cheers Rob
Geoff Eldridge said
Thu Oct 2 5:59 PM, 2014
The shag is dead. One of the Springmill residents found it this morning and told me where she had put it because she was not certain whether it was the rare visitor or a resident cormorant. I have had a look, and taken a couple of photos, and while not an expert I would have to say it is the shag. Probably dead about a day because the carrion scavengers have yet to find it. I could not begin to guess a cause. Of death either.
Pair of Stock Doves - The first I have seen clearly in the valley for some time.
I went out late to try and catch the crow roost at sunset after too many gloomy evenings. The sunset was disappointing but the crows were not. Very vocal tonight. In the past I have always seen them flying up the valley in small groups but this winter they seem to travel in a larger flocks. Over 70 in the one I counted. There also seems to be a small flock possibly roosting in Rough Bank plantation - or at least leaving it until very late before going that extra kilometre or so to the traditional roost. (too dark to see) If going to see them most of them gather on the slopes of Turf Hill and Rhodes Barns before flying down to the wood when the last of the light has gone.
3 Grey Partridges. It's been a while since have seen any up there. It truly is down to luck because I do wander around those same hills on average four times a week. (The emphasis is in wander because I have never seen any from the paths.)
Flock of House Sparrows in hedge at Ogden.
Canada Geese and 1 Little Grebe on Ogden Resr.
7 Starlings at top of Piethorne Resr.
and that was it - not even a Crow!
bullfinch
single goosander
kestrel
pheasant
jay
great spotted woodpecker
mistle thrush and.....
a nuthatch.
Earlier, two ravens had flown over New Hey, heading south.
Regards, Chris J - B
First Gosanders of the season. 2 Females on Ogden in the morning and a male and female on Kitcliffe in the afternoon.
Also a first of the season Fieldfare but not quite geographically in the correct location as it was in the no-mans land between Piethorn Valley and Hollingsworth Lake.
Large Heath
----------------------------------
This butterfly isn't found in this part of the country. Long gone are the days when it was known as the Manchester Argus.
Have a look at images of the Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), which are currently emerging.
If you are still convinced it's Large Heath, try to get a photograph, and contact the GM butterfly recorder, Peter Hardy at pgll@btopenworld.com
Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker
Curlew
Buzzard
Kestrel
Canada Geese x 50
Pied Wagtail
Great Crested Grebe x 2
Goldcrest
Goldfinch
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Carrion Crow
Woodpigeon
Cormorant
Swallows
Swifts
Skylarks
Meadow Pipits
Wren
Magpies
Mistle Thrush
Female Mallard and 4 chicks (Ogden Reservoir)
Moorhen
Grey Heron
Male Pheasant
Black-Headed Gull
Butterflies:
Speckled Wood
Small Heath
Large Heath
Meadow Brown
Red Admiral
Small Tortoiseshell
Moths:
Six-spot Burnet
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 11th of July 2015 05:44:07 PM
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 11th of July 2015 05:45:52 PM
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 11th of July 2015 06:15:55 PM
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 11th of July 2015 06:25:41 PM
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 11th of July 2015 09:37:58 PM
blackcap, singing,
several willow warblers, singing,
goldcrest, singing,
multiple meadow pipits,
skylark, in song,
two reed buntings,
lone swallow,
four swifts,
linnet, pair,
curlew and
several sand martins between Doldrum and Longden End.
Regards, Chris J - B
Grey Wagtails fledged.
Blackcap feeding young
Great Spotted Woodpecker feeding young.
First swift for the year also seen
gillian
Quick hour round Kitcliffe and Piethorne
Greenfinch
Kestrel
Common Sandpiper
Dipper
Willow Warbler
Skylark
Meadow Pipit
Wheatear
Pheasent
Numerous Swallows
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Several Starling
Lapwing
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 4th of May 2015 07:43:33 PM
I checked out wicken hall woods and surrounds (thanks to Bill Myersclough's suggestion)
highlights were
green woodpecker
common whitethroat
grasshopper warbler
grey partridge
wheatear
stonechat
also tawny owl flew into and around old house ground at about 3pm, getting an ear full from blackbirds.
still no stock dove though Bill but definitely worth the extra mileage.
Gillian
Carrion Crow
Blackbird
Robin
Magpie
Mistle Thrush
Wood Pigeon
Blue Tit
Blackcap
Lesser Redpoll
Swallow
Greenfinch
Chaffinch
Pied Wagtail
Common Sandpiper
Mallard
Canada Goose
Meadow Pipit
Lapwing
Skylark
Dipper
Wren
Willow Warbler
Great Tit
Great Crested Grebe
Pheasant
Jay
Goldfinch
Another good sighting was two Lapwings mobbing a Buzzard above Norman Hill Reservoir towards Bleakedgate Moor. (Fool Hill I believe it may be called)
A pair of Reed Buntings and a pair of Nuthatches featured amongst the usuals.
Hobby flying at speed up the valley over Kitcliffe Res, great sighting, first for me locally.
Little Owl
Wheatear 2
Cormorant
Common Sandpiper on Piethorne Res
Greenfinch
Heron
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Goldfinch
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Plenty of Willow Warbler
No Chiffchaff seen or heard although we did see a few Monday evening
Jay
Swallow quite a few about.
This is the piethorne bit:
common sandpiper in channel to side of norman hey res
female wheatear on fence on northwest side of rooden res and a male in ruin by bridle path above springholes quarry.
plenty of skylark and meadow pipits about despite wind.
tufted duck 2 female and 1 male on pond below ogden res.
pair of great crested grebe on ogden res.
heard about 4 willow warblers and 1 chiffchaff. Chiffchaff was in woods by dye works.
lapwing displaying near norman hey res.
no oystercatchers about today.
lots of suspicious brown feathers( -ripped as if by fox) by piethorne quarry and no little owl...
Gillian
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 19th of April 2015 08:40:22 PM
-- Edited by gillian notheis on Sunday 19th of April 2015 09:04:20 PM
four willow warblers (by Piethorne House, Piethorne Plantation, Knowlsley Plantation and west end of Bluebell Wood),
chiffchaff near the water treatment works,
great crested grebe pairs on Kitcliffe and Ogden,
three curlews,
single wheatear in the pasture between the lime house and the site of Norman Hill Farm,
pair of lapwings on the same pasture (my first spring birds for at least five years I'd say),
swallow, over Piethorne Res',
little owl, back at Springholes...good do,
linnet over,
raven, over Turf Hill, heading SE and
no common sandpipers and nor many skylarks and meadow pipits.
Also, two small tortoiseshells.
Regards, Chris J - B.
Regards, Chris J-B
-- Edited by C Brown on Sunday 5th of April 2015 12:37:16 PM
beautiful view of common buzzard flying low over Norman Hill res. He was a lovely rusty brown colour.
Pair of peregrine falcons flying low over Piethorne res: one with talons down. I was alerted to them by the cry of a terrified curlew (who got away).
Pair of kestrel northern edge of Kitchliffe Res being mobbed by 3 pied wagtails.
Also got stonechat and reed bunting at Norman Hill res, dipper at outflow of Norman hey res.
Treecreeper and nuthatch in garden of house next to the treatment works.
Gillian
-- Edited by gillian notheis on Sunday 5th of April 2015 12:53:31 PM
two male wheatears, in the hill-field, below where Norman Hill Farm stood,
a curlew, above Hanging Lees,
a dipper, at the top end of Piethorne Res'
six goosander on Piethorne,
great crested grebe on Kitcliffe Res'
oystercatcher pair, by Ogden Res'
a few meadow pipits dotted about and
a green woodpecker, on the northern side of Ogden Res'.
I also saw a large fox, near Jig Brew Quarry.
Regards, Chris J-B
Not sure where Springholes is. The little owl that I saw today was in quarry high up on the south side of the valley.
Also 20 curlews arrived, circled for a bit and then dropped onto banks of Ogden res (next to oystercatchers) with a fanfare.
Oddly only one skylark and that was one I flushed- no singing today.
dipper was in shallows at head of Piethorne res.
flock of over 20 fieldfare still- moving with about 100 starlings.
goldcrest and coal tit in grounds of old homestead.
Gillian
oystercatcher pair, by Ogden Res',
two pheasants,
three goosander, on Piethorne Res',
treecreeper and typically confiding goldcrest, in Bluebell Wood and
a cluster of fieldfares, above Town Hill Holes.
As per usual, I looked for the Springholes little owls, without success. I think it was last summer the last time I saw one/them.
Regards, Chris J - Brown.
Regards, Chris J-B.
skylarks are back. at least 10 singing and displaying despite it being so overcast all morning.
Also 4 goosander on Piethorne res and plenty of pied and grey wagtails about.
gillian
I really do think it was a curlew but I am now wondering if it was on a piece of drift wood or something because it was right out in deep water. Either way it stopped me in my tracks. It was just not something you would expect to see. I have searched web page after web page of images looking for something it might be but I couldn't even get close to anything else except the curlew or Whimbrel.
Hi Geoff,
Are you querying whether it is possible for a Curlew to swim? From my limited knowledge (and I stand to be corrected!) there are some waders (possibly most, if not all?) that are able to swim. I suspect that it is not a particularly well seen or documented behaviour but can be done if needs be? I've seen Oystercatchers swimming on Kitcliffe Reservoir on one occasion in the past so have some first hand practical experience for that particular species. There is a photo of a Curlew swimming at the following link http://shropshirebirder.co.uk/curlew.html
My apologies if I've misunderstood your post.
Best wishes,
Bill.
Imagine a curlew - swimming like a duck - in the middle of Ogden Reservoir. Today at 13.00. The bill was long and slender and definitely curving down. It had brownish upper parts , paler underneath. A darker bar across the underside of its tail
After 2 minutes of observation at about 200mtr it lifted of from the water and flew towards Hollingsworth Lake.
I was not dreaming. At first I thought it was a cormorant struggling with an eel but when it flew right over me head I ruled that out. Completely the wrong shape and flight style.
I can't get past that curlew look.
Valley beautiful with snow still on trees.
highlight was:
1woodcock feeding in mud by pond in woods on northerly edge of Piethorne Res.
also
6 teal and 6 goosander on Ogden Res
reed bunting and great spotted woodpecker in gardens by Ogden Res.
two (possibly three) woodcock, above Raghole,
kestrel, above Town Hill Holes,
stonechat pair, between Springholes and Piethorne Res', with
a single male goosander on Ogden and two females on Piethorne.
Regards, Chris J - B
-- Edited by C Brown on Saturday 17th of January 2015 06:54:07 PM
spent 5 hours in the valley. 37 on my list today.
2 goldcrest in rough bank plantation
4 teal and 1 great crested grebe on Ogden res
flock of fieldfare with starlings moving around valley
I flushed up 8 grey partridge on invisible bridlepath skirting turf hill (thought I'd try out one of your 'upper valley' walks)
little owl in old quarry just west of Rooden res
many birds changing their calls to 'spring time mode'. Tits not so much in mixed flocks today, more same species groups and pairs.
great crested grebe on Ogden
four goosander on Kitcliffe Res'
a few common gulls and lapwings by Rooden Res',
a snipe flushed from the mooredge above Norman Hill Res',
fifty plus fieldfares and a jay by Springholes and
a great spotted woodpecker at Higher Ogden.
Regards, Chris J-B
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 3rd of January 2015 03:39:45 PM
little about except one or two good sights.
A hardy stonechat at edge of piethorne res, adjacent to hanging lees res. It was really blowy at that point.
Also 3 good sights of a male Merlin around the terrace of houses next to Ogden res. He flew just over the gate a few feet in front of me into the large garden with the feeders then about 10 mins later out from the back of the public loos, flying away from me just below wall height following the wall right to the end of the field behind the pub and then a few mins later flew from there towards geenhalgh's end of the graveyard.
-- Edited by gillian notheis on Saturday 3rd of January 2015 12:41:11 PM
best moment was 2 stonechat on the same pond as on 5th Dec and this time there was a reed bunting with them. The only thrushes today were the usual resident mistle thrushes.
several cormorants and a great crested grebe on Ogden Res',
goosander pair on Kitcliffe Res',
six fieldfare flew out of Knowsley Plantation,
a few unseasonal meadow pipits over and
a bullfinch in Rough Bank Plantation.
Merry Christmas, C. Jepson-Brown
lesser redpoll (in silver birch by waterboard buildings)
goosander
kestrel were best of it.
first winter female stonechat feeding on flying insects at the fenced off pond next to the lower level bridle path above Ogden reservoir.
flock of 10 linnet near there.
In pine plantation next to Ogden Reservoir was a goldcrest with long-tailed tit flock. (yesterday I saw a treecreeper with goldcrest and a blue tit and coal tit flock there)
2 female great spotted woodpecker
about 10 fieldfare
22 cormorants
Grey partridges
Fieldfares
Treecreeper
Redwing
And a dozen or so Scandanavian blackbirds.
Two minutes from home I saw a minimum of three but possibly five dippers on the Woodmill Brook below the dye works. I was watching one when two more, squabbling, flew over it downstream. A minute later looking upstream I saw two more. Now they could have flown back while I was distracted by other birds calls in the trees above but if that was the case then they had returned silently right under my nose.
As I left the buildings and cover of Higher Ogden to access the rough open pastures above I saw a bird of prey sitting on the drystone wall. It turned out to be a sparrowhawk. I have not seen one in such open country before and it had baffled me until it took off and darted through the clumps of cotton grass and thistles to try and take a meadow pipit. (Missed)
Next I had lunch with a short-eared owl. I put it up in one of the groughs and it flew to roost on a fence post about 40 metres away. It just sat there so I did as well. I left before it did. That was superb.
I also had close encounters with 2 stonechats, a kestrel an 2 waders that I am reluctant to name. (I want to say that wood sandpipers seem to be the closest match but I don't think I could have had that much luck in one day.)
kingfisher, on Sammy's Lodge,
three siskin (and one or two bullfinch), near the Water Board headquarters,
a snipe (can't remember the last one I saw up Ogden), flushed from rough grassland near Raghole,
multiple goldcrests calling in Rough Bank Plantation and
a few meadow pipits milling about.
Regards, Chris
-- Edited by C Brown on Saturday 4th of October 2014 04:45:30 PM
Case in point, the Audenshaw Great Skua. Looked as though it had an injured wing and was acting ridiculously tame, but then took out a couple of Lesser Black-backed's for lunch during its stay and almost had a farm type Goose infront of me on the res and didn't look injured then one bit.
Would be interesting to find out cause if anyone does a PM on it, ie Toxicology tests and the like
Cheers
Rob
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Friday 3rd of October 2014 08:13:44 PM
Regards, Chris J-B
...Geoff what a shame if indeed it is the juvenile Shag. By all accounts and posts, this bird 'SEEMED' to be healthy enough, feeding well and favouring what I thought would've been a good location to rest / preen / sun itself etc on the water tower.
Obviously not jumping to conclusions and the fact that natural causes can always be a factor...(as you can't always tell if anything is wrong with animals just because appearance and behaviour seems normal)...but do you think foul play could come into it?
Or is anyone (a group or body) doing a post mortem on a Greater Manchester county rarity?
Just wondered.
Cheers
Rob
One of the Springmill residents found it this morning and told me where she had put it because she was not certain whether it was the rare visitor or a resident cormorant. I have had a look, and taken a couple of photos, and while not an expert I would have to say it is the shag. Probably dead about a day because the carrion scavengers have yet to find it. I could not begin to guess a cause. Of death either.