Ring-necked Duck - female back again and settled to roost amongst the Tufted Duck on north side of lake this evening. (Thanks to Copland Smith for the heads up)
Pretty dark first thing today but a welcome sight. Only 1.5 miles away so I think that's OK in these lockdown times
Indeed, I didn't expect to get a chance to walk to a GM tick, I'm really pleased. You have to laugh when you are year-ticking Tufted Duck at the same time. I got Collared Dove for the yearlist on the way. Crazy times...
Ha-ha - yes Grey Wagtail was a new one for me
Simon Gough said
Fri Feb 19 12:43 PM, 2021
Tony Coatsworth wrote:
Pretty dark first thing today but a welcome sight. Only 1.5 miles away so I think that's OK in these lockdown times
Indeed, I didn't expect to get a chance to walk to a GM tick, I'm really pleased. You have to laugh when you are year-ticking Tufted Duck at the same time. I got Collared Dove for the yearlist on the way. Crazy times...
CALLUM VERNON said
Fri Feb 19 11:35 AM, 2021
Ring Necked Duck still present and diving for food.
Also 2 Herons on a nest .
Lots of ring necked Parakeets making lots of noise.
- female Ring-necked Duck (2CY?) 5 mins from Lucass nursery so I thought why not, go and have a ganders. A fantastic little duck, bit timid but was tempted by a bit of bread that was thrown by a couple of non-birders, and inevitably showed well, close in on the duck pond alongside plenty of Tufted Duck.
Also... - 2 Grey Wagtail - Ring-necked Parakeets, few dotted around - 1 female Tufted Duck showing a white blaze
Goosander 3 Little Grebe 1 Common Gull 3 Herring Gull 2 Cormorant 2 Chiffchaff 1 Goldcrest 2 Redwing 37
Ollie Metcalf said
Thu Apr 9 1:02 PM, 2020
Big (relatively speaking) arrival of migrants this morning, best was a common redstart, plus 3 willow warblers, 10+ blackcap, a chiffchaff and a flyover meadow pipit.
Chris Porter said
Sun Sep 8 12:26 PM, 2019
Kingfisher this morning on central island of lake, seen from Demesne Road side.
Copland Smith said
Mon Feb 11 12:32 PM, 2019
8 grey herons on the island, all as still as statues. 1 pair on a nest at the north of the island. The other 6 at the south end - one on the ground, anther apparently nestless, a pair on the high nest and another pair on what looks like a half-built nest.
Parakeets in the wild area very noisy and making different sounds from usual. Territorial behaviour?
Copland Smith said
Wed Jan 30 3:41 PM, 2019
In the snow today: the lake was partially iced, with some Blackheaded gulls floating and others standing on ice. Heron standing on the high nest at the south of the island. Other nests empty, as yet. Pair of Shovelers circling each other in the east channel. Mallards, Tufted ducks, Canada geese, Mute swans, Coot, Moorhens. Ringnecked parakeets over.
Copland Smith said
Wed Jan 16 2:46 PM, 2019
The Shoveler didn't stay long, but yesterday: Goosander 4 (3 redhead, 1 male) Indian spotbilled duck hybrid male still present Heron standing in the top nest at the south end of the island, another on the ground below Blackheaded gulls, Mallards, Tufted ducks, Canada Geese, Coots, Moorhens and 3 Mute swans (pair + 1st winter) as usual. Ringnecked parakeets, Goldcrests and Mistle thrushes very active.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 16th of January 2019 03:42:20 PM
After the lake partially froze last week, the Goosanders moved elsewhere - probably the Mersey. at 11am today, there were none, but a male Shoveler was present.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 1st of January 2019 02:56:38 PM
Copland Smith said
Mon Dec 3 10:39 AM, 2018
There were only 2 Goosander at 11:30 am. They do seem to increase in numbers as the day progresses. 16 is the maximum so far.
Shannon Llewellyn said
Sun Dec 2 3:36 PM, 2018
Three or so hours or so round here this morning to early afternoon:
1 coal tit 3+ nuthatch 10+ goldfinch 5 chaffinch 1 bullfinch 2+ pied wagtail 3 starling 6+ redwing 3+ mistle thrush 46 carrion crow together on grassed area 1 great spotted woodpecker 8+ moorhen 7 coot 10 tufted duck 6 goosander (5 redhead) 3 mute swan (one adult with blue darvic 4CUN, juvenile, also ringed, frequently coughing) 1 grey heron 130+ black-headed gull 5 common gull 2 lesser black-backed gull 1 herring gull
Joel Tragen said
Fri Nov 30 5:56 PM, 2018
On Wednesday (early pm) there were 8 Goosander (3 males) and 3 Tufted ducks on the pond
Pete Hines said
Fri Nov 30 4:24 PM, 2018
Goosander 16 (3 males) early pm
JohnPoole87 said
Tue Nov 27 3:10 PM, 2018
Very interesting!
Copland Smith said
Sat Nov 24 10:50 AM, 2018
When I moved to a flat by the park 3 years ago, there was a resident leucistic blackbird with a white head. That one disappeared last year and another with a different white pattern turned up - I wondered if it was a son of the first.
JohnPoole87 said
Thu Nov 22 3:43 PM, 2018
I've been spotting a white-headed blackbird in Alexander Park, anyone else seen it? It's extraordinary looking. I spotted it the first time six months ago and last week in the same area of the park.
Copland Smith said
Thu Nov 22 12:09 PM, 2018
11:30 at the lake.
Goosander 15 [2m, 13 redhead]
Mute swan 2 adult 1 young swan. I hope the other was hiding somewhere - on the island perhaps - but it is worrying, as 3 young went down to 2 a few weeks ago. They are swan-sized now. Earlier in the year, 5 cygnets were reduced to 3.
Mallards, Tufted ducks, Canada geese, Moorhens & Coots as usual. Also Blackheaded gulls.
2 Herons.
Copland Smith said
Fri Nov 16 3:38 PM, 2018
1pm. Goosanders - 2m, 5 rh Lesser blackbacked among the blackheaded gulls
Many Ringnecked parakeets, including flight of 10 over
Pete Hines said
Thu Nov 15 3:49 PM, 2018
Goosander 11, 2 male and 9 redhead. (13.30 -14.00)
Ring-necked Duck first winter female still present
Tufted Duck 48
Goosander 1
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Friday 5th of March 2021 07:58:46 AM
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Friday 5th of March 2021 06:11:46 PM
Ring Necked Duck there at 16:30pm.
Grey Herons building a nest
3 Bullfinch
1 Nuthatch
3 Redwing
2 Mistle Thrush
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Wednesday 3rd of March 2021 08:36:41 AM
Tufted Duck 40
Goldcrest 1 singing
Grey Wagtail 1
Also:
3 goldcrest
1 coal tit
1 treecreeper
3 nuthatch
2 greenfinch
1 grey wagtail
4 starling
1 redwing
1 song thrush
1 great spotted woodpecker
22 tufted duck
2 mute swan
2 grey heron
1 buzzard drifting over
Ring-necked Duck still present at 17:00
Ring-necked Duck still Present at 10.0 - 11.30am..
-- Edited by Paul Samuels on Friday 26th of February 2021 12:11:50 PM
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 26th of February 2021 12:29:54 PM
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Friday 26th of February 2021 09:41:35 AM
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Thursday 25th of February 2021 08:39:57 AM
Tufted Duck 36
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Wednesday 24th of February 2021 09:34:58 AM
Better light today - around 10:00. The Ring-necked Duck spent a while preening then went to sleep.
(I put news out on the Ring-necked Duck at 07.54 - worth checking Platt Fields Park if it's moved from here)
No sign of the Ring-necked Duck at 15:30 - a lot of the Tufted Ducks have moved on.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 20th of February 2021 04:39:27 PM
Ring-necked Duck still present today
Ring-necked Duck still there at 4pm Friday.
-- Edited by Davd Coupe on Saturday 20th of February 2021 10:02:29 AM
The ring-necked duck was still showing well at lunchtime, well worth the walk!
Ha-ha - yes Grey Wagtail was a new one for me
Indeed, I didn't expect to get a chance to walk to a GM tick, I'm really pleased. You have to laugh when you are year-ticking Tufted Duck at the same time. I got Collared Dove for the yearlist on the way. Crazy times...
Ring Necked Duck still present and diving for food.
Also 2 Herons on a nest .
Lots of ring necked Parakeets making lots of noise.
Lucky this is next to where I work, so nipped in this morning to see the still present female Ring Necked Duck.
Associating with 40+Tufted Duck but noticeably smaller and lighter brown flanks. Head tucked in most of the time.
Also present were 2+ Ring Necked Parakeet, 2 Mute Swan and Grey Heron.
Pretty dark first thing today but a welcome sight. Only 1.5 miles away so I think that's OK in these lockdown times
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Friday 19th of February 2021 09:43:35 AM
Tufted Duck 57
- female Ring-necked Duck (2CY?)
5 mins from Lucass nursery so I thought why not, go and have a ganders. A fantastic little duck, bit timid but was tempted by a bit of bread that was thrown by a couple of non-birders, and inevitably showed well, close in on the duck pond alongside plenty of Tufted Duck.
Also...
- 2 Grey Wagtail
- Ring-necked Parakeets, few dotted around
- 1 female Tufted Duck showing a white blaze
Little Grebe 1
Common Gull 3
Herring Gull 2
Cormorant 2
Chiffchaff 1
Goldcrest 2
Redwing 37
Big (relatively speaking) arrival of migrants this morning, best was a common redstart, plus 3 willow warblers, 10+ blackcap, a chiffchaff and a flyover meadow pipit.
1 pair on a nest at the north of the island.
The other 6 at the south end - one on the ground, anther apparently nestless, a pair on the high nest and another pair on what looks like a half-built nest.
Parakeets in the wild area very noisy and making different sounds from usual. Territorial behaviour?
the lake was partially iced, with some Blackheaded gulls floating and others standing on ice.
Heron standing on the high nest at the south of the island. Other nests empty, as yet.
Pair of Shovelers circling each other in the east channel.
Mallards, Tufted ducks, Canada geese, Mute swans, Coot, Moorhens.
Ringnecked parakeets over.
The Shoveler didn't stay long, but yesterday:
Goosander 4 (3 redhead, 1 male)
Indian spotbilled duck hybrid male still present
Heron standing in the top nest at the south end of the island, another on the ground below
Blackheaded gulls, Mallards, Tufted ducks, Canada Geese, Coots, Moorhens and 3 Mute swans (pair + 1st winter) as usual.
Ringnecked parakeets, Goldcrests and Mistle thrushes very active.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 16th of January 2019 03:42:20 PM
After the lake partially froze last week, the Goosanders moved elsewhere - probably the Mersey. at 11am today, there were none, but a male Shoveler was present.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 1st of January 2019 02:56:38 PM
1 coal tit
3+ nuthatch
10+ goldfinch
5 chaffinch
1 bullfinch
2+ pied wagtail
3 starling
6+ redwing
3+ mistle thrush
46 carrion crow together on grassed area
1 great spotted woodpecker
8+ moorhen
7 coot
10 tufted duck
6 goosander (5 redhead)
3 mute swan (one adult with blue darvic 4CUN, juvenile, also ringed, frequently coughing)
1 grey heron
130+ black-headed gull
5 common gull
2 lesser black-backed gull
1 herring gull
Very interesting!
I've been spotting a white-headed blackbird in Alexander Park, anyone else seen it? It's extraordinary looking. I spotted it the first time six months ago and last week in the same area of the park.
Goosander 15 [2m, 13 redhead]
Mute swan 2 adult 1 young swan. I hope the other was hiding somewhere - on the island perhaps - but it is worrying, as 3 young went down to 2 a few weeks ago. They are swan-sized now. Earlier in the year, 5 cygnets were reduced to 3.
Mallards, Tufted ducks, Canada geese, Moorhens & Coots as usual. Also Blackheaded gulls.
2 Herons.
Goosanders - 2m, 5 rh
Lesser blackbacked among the blackheaded gulls
Many Ringnecked parakeets, including flight of 10 over
-- Edited by Copland Smith on Thursday 15th of November 2018 02:14:49 PM
Goosander 8 (7 redhead)
Tufted Duck 16
Herring Gull 3 juv
Common Gull 3 ad
Here's an Eastern bird in Tokyo taken last year