Quick visit 6.00pm - 6.30pm:

30+ Swallows
1 Swift
1 Sand Martin
1 Pochard
2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
2 Great Crested Grebes
2 Grey Wagtail
2 Bullfinch
2 Blackcaps
1 Chiffchaff
1 Mistle Thrush
1 Jay
1 Greenfinch
amongst others

10:00--11:30

Common Sandpiper - 3
Grey Wagtail - 2
Swallows - 60+
Sand Martin - 30+
Chiffchaff - 2
Blackcap - 1
Greenfinch - 2
Chaffinch - 1

Cycle path Fallowfield -> Debdale Park

Great Crested Grebe, Canada Goose, mallard and Coot on the lake
2 Sand Martin near Gorton Cemetery
Chiffchaff and Blackcap singing
Good numbers of Goldfinch and Greenfinch

(on lake)
Yellow legged gull sat on ice amongst others today around 2:00pm

12:30--13:30

Goosander - 1
Barnacle goose - 1 (did a solo fly round, but rejoined the Canadas)
Canada goose - 50
Coot - 15
Mallard - 20
BH gull - 40
GC grebe - 2 juv

11:45--13:00

Canada goose - 20
Mute swan - 3 imm (1 unringed, blue XZ4 and ZH4)
Mallard - 20 (incl hybrids)
Coot - 4 + 4 cootlings
Moorhen - 1
GC grebe - 2
LBB gull - 1
Herring gull - 1

11:30--12:30
Lower
Canada goose - 7
Mallard - 10
Coot - 4
Moorhen - 1
Mute swan - 3 (imm)
GC grebe - 1
Swallow - 4
LBB gull -2
Grey wagtail - 2

Upper
Canada goose - 3
Coot - 3
GC grebe - 1

Side
Nowt

Highlights from today's trip -

2 Great Crested Grebes
3 Mute Swans

1 Chaffinch singing its head of in the trees - plus usual faces (of course)

On Ashton Canal back 'home'

1 Pied Wagtail
Resident escapee Barnacle Goose and its farm goose sidekick 8are those two married?!
3 Moorhen

And the rest



-- Edited by John Doherty on Tuesday 10th of May 2011 08:46:01 PM

14:00--15:30

Lower
Mallard - c45
Canada - 12
Coot - 4
GC grebe - 2
Mute swan - 2 ad
BH gull - 80
LBB gull - 2

Upper
Mute swan - 3 imm (one with blue ring but couldn't make out tag)
Canada - 4
GC grebe - 2
Pied wagtail - 1

Side
Greenfinch - 1 (singing its head off)
Mallard - 2

Monday 14:30--16:00 Res's

Lower:
Mute swans - 2ads + cygnet (all in good health, no rings seen)
BH gull - 150
Common gull - 2
Mallard - 40
Coot - 12
Moorhen - 3
Canada goose - 15

Upper:
BH gull - 60
Cormorant - 1
GC grebe - 3
Canada goose -2

Side:
Tufted duck - 4
GC grebe - 1

14:00--15:00

Lower:
Canada goose - 35
Mallard - 40
Coot -10
Moorhen -2
GC grebe - 2
Mute swan - 1 (cygnet)
BH (mainly) + Com gulls - c80

Upper:
Goosander - 1 (then flew to Aud Res)
BH + Com gulls - c200 (stood on the ice)

Side:
Heron - 1 (as usual)

14:00--15:00

Lower
Kingfisher - 1
Mallard - 45
Coot - 7
Canada goose - 27 (flying in in small groups)
GC grebe - 2

(This reservoir feeds into the Gore Brook. A Kingfisher was also seen 3 days ago on the Gore Brook in Rusholme. Do they fly through culverts?)

Upper
Moorhen - 1
Mallard - 2

Side
Mallard - 2
Coot - 2
GC grebe - 2

14-9-10 13:00--14:00

Lower Res
Canada geese - 8 (2x4 flew in)
GC grebes - 6 ads + 2 juvs
Coots - 10
Moorhen - 1 ad + 1 juv
Mallard - 20 (some oddities)
BH gull - 150 (dropped in)

Upper Res
GC grebes - 4
Tufted duck - 3
Coot - 2

Side
Absolutely nothing, and the most secluded.

Surroundings empty of birds other pigeons, magpies and occasional blackbird.

14th August.

Thought I would spend some time in a new area this morning.

2 pairs of Great Crested Grebes with young - pr with 2 young on upper res and pr with 3 young on lower res. Kingfisher over upper res. Family party of Goldfinch in Debdale Park and a flock of c20 near Abbey Hey. c60 Mallard on lower res and pairs of Coot with young on both reservoirs. Grey Wagtail at upper reservoir.

Nice to be able to get a confirmed breeding record for Swallow for the fairly urban tetrad SJ89Y Gorton for the atlas. At least 4 pairs nesting at the nearby donkey sanctuary/charity. Many thanks to Paul from the Elisabeth Svendsen Trust for taking an interest in my hobby and for taking the time to show me around and at letting me look at the nesting Swallows in their stables. The Elisabeth Svendsen Trust for Children and Donkeys (EST) is a UK based charity dedicated to providing riding therapy with donkeys to children with special needs and disabilities and more info on this extremely worthy charity can be found at http://www.elisabethsvendsentrust.org.uk/

Cheers,

Bill.

Walk to the res yesterday from Abbey Hey Lane 7.00 - 7.50am

Starlings 30+ in the garden and around
Woodpigeon 2 in the garden
Crows 2
Magpies 5+
Sparrows 8 using the feeders - about half juv. (v. pleased only put up on Sunday!)
Swifts 6+
Swallows 3
Jay 1
Whitethroat 1
LT tits 2
Blue tits 2
Greenfinch 14 in a group - all juv. as far as I could see + 1 single male in allotments
Nothing much on the res except the odd BH Gull but had to get back to get off to work so didn't have a proper look nor in the main park.

Good habitat from the allotments to the res so bodes well for busier times of year

All seemed v. quiet and safe I thought

Am still doing Loonts Lake on the WeBS at the moment which takes too much time get there and back to do Gorton as well but will discuss w/ my compadre, Tony Darby and get back to Adrian.




-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Tuesday 21st of July 2009 04:19:34 PM

forgot about that one -I had that too!

Paul Heaton wrote:

---

My first notes are scribbled in the I SPY BOOK of birds 1970,

---

14 whole years before I was even born! My that does make me feel young

Decided to stop reminisencing and do some birding.

2 Mute swans
6 Mallard
2 Adult GC Grebes 4 Juv
Magpies x6
JayX2
Swallow

lower res only.
Forgot how good the habitat is here, but not a place to vist on your own.

Pete I am sure there will be a few notebook in GM going back but My first notes are scribbled in the I SPY BOOK of birds 1970,


keep birding

Back to Gorton Resrs

There is a vacancy for a Wetland Bird Survey counter at this site. Counts to be made once a month (on specified days) from Sept - Mar. Further details on the Survey pages of this website (you do all read them don't you? )

If you (Tim or anyone else) is interested, contact Adrian Dancy.

Cheers, Steve

still on a tangent here, I should have included 25th Feb '79
Sale WP : 3 Red-necked Grebe, 1 Short-eared Owl
Rostherne : 1 redhead Smew

When did I ever go to school ?

Paul I've just checked old note books to see if I was at Rostherne on 1.1.77, I wasn't, though my first entry goes back to 3.11.75 with House Sparrow in the garden.

Mike, I too got loads of gen from Geoff in those days. I last saw him at the Flamborough Brown Shrike last year.

Back to Gorton..... come on Tim

Hi Guys,

The Velvet Scoter and the Red-necked Grebe at Gorton were both "British ticks" for me. I also was there on that very same day, 18/02/79 (a Sunday).
I had been told of their presence by Geoff Lightfoot, who was (and probably still is) a mine of information and scrupulous note taker. He was a tireless patch worker, and of course the finder of the Little Bunting at Adswood, and the first Yellow-browed Warbler, as well as the first of many Med. Gulls for Gr. Man.

Pete, thats fantastic info, unfortunately I lost a number of my notebooks in a fire a few years ago, but recall the reservoirs with fondness.

Time I think to spend more time there, as Ian says the Audenshawe birds must have a stop off point on the way.

I do have my 1977 notebook from new years day Rostherene, where have the yeasr gone!


Keep birding (while we can)

I've just checked my old notebook,crikey! what a week 18th - 24th Feb '79

18th
Gorton Res : Velvet Scoter and Red necked Grebe
Audy: Red-throated Diver
earlier Short-eared Owls at Chorlton Ees & Sale WP, also Dunlin & Redshank there

19th
Gorton Res : Velvet Scoter & Red-necked Grebe
Rostherne : ad Iceland Gull

20th
Aber, N.Wales : Black Duck

21st
Sale WP : 2 Red-necked Grebe, 3 redhead Smew, 3 Short-eared Owl + 1 Chorton Ees

22nd
Sale WP : 3 Red-necked Grebe, 2 readhead Smew, 1 Short-eared Owl Chorton Ees plus 3 Grey Partridge, 1 Stonechat

23rd
Sale WP : 1 Slavonian Grebe, 3 R-n Grebe, 2 readhead Smew, Skylarks singing

24th
Bulkeley Lake, Anglesey : American Wigeon

Not bad week for a 14 year old (just), by pushbike, foot, train and hitching. I would have scored a few points then if there was a tornament

Im sure there an artical in BB about the inland sea-bird influx during that period

I've just realised that was 30 years ago








-- Edited by Pete Hines on Thursday 9th of July 2009 12:38:56 AM

Can't find too many county rarities from Gorton Resr but other than the Velvet Scoter Pete mentions:

Black-throated Diver
Great Northern Diver
Red-throated Diver
Purple Sandpiper
Little Bittern (shot near Gorton Resr)

have all been recorded. See the systematic list on the website for any further details.

It's proximity to Audenshaw Resrs can't do it any harm can it, just a few of the latters 'cast-offs' would see you right

I can remember a certain drake Velvet Scoter there back in '79

thanks Paul I'll post anything interesting I find when I'm there

Tim not certain if anyone has a site list, a birder called Pete Aryes has trod that location for some time, I will try and get in touch with him.

It has recently been off bounds due to some work, but is a very promising area, however it is not the safest of areas to be in on your own.


Keep birding.

My fiance has just moved into a housing association house in Abbey Hey within about 100yds of Gorton Res until we decide where we are going to live. A Sparrowhawk was chased by a flock of Starlings right past the kitchen window this morning and 20 unidentifed waders seen from the garden (without bins) flew E presumably to Audenshaw and 2 bats circled over the garden every night this weekend at dusk. Exciting possibilities! The garden list has started well. I am training her to birdwatch! Just put my name down on the Audenshaw waiting list too but I'm told it's 'dead-man's-shoes' now. Does anyone know if there a site list for Gorton Res./Debdale Park?

2 Black Terns at 12.00 today on Gorton Lower Res; single Common Tern also flew through, heading for Audenshaw Res. The Black Terns were still present when I left at 12.30.

declan

They do occasionally breed in the lowlands, Declan - I remember a pair at Horrocks Flash raising 1y but it's quite a few years ago now.

During my tetrad survey covering the Lower Reservoir this morning, I found 2 Common Sandpipers - they were observed mating at one point and there was other display behaviour and calling as they flew back and forward across the res. Could these be likely to nest locally or is more likely to be a pair on migration? The habitat looks ok, but there's a lot of human disturbance. I also found a reeling Grasshopper Warbler along the railway (beside the cemetry), and a singing Garden Warbler in the waterside trees on the north side. Reasonable numbers of singing Chiffchaffs, Blackcap and Willow Warbler, plus Grey Wagtail, Jays, GC Grebes.