This afternoon,

Whimbrel 1 through north
Common Sand 4
Redshank 4
Little Ringed Plover 3
Tufted 5
Teal pair
BHG 150
Jackdaw 70

This evening with my dad,

Dunlin 1
Redshank 5
Little Ringed Plover 7
Common Sand 1
Sand Martins galore but no House Martin yet!
White wags seemed to have moved on.

This morning 9.30 to 12 with Pete Lane:

Cormorant 5
Tufted 5
Curlew 1
LRP 3
Redshank 2
Common sandpiper 1
Snipe 3
Sand Martin 30
Swallow 5
Willow Warbler 1
Sedge Warbler 3 in reedbed
Sparrowhawk 1

This morning 10 to 12.50 partly with Phil Rhodes:
Teal 3
Tufted 9
Peregrine 1
Buzzard 1
Sand Martin 200
Common Tern 1
Common Sandpiper 1
Redshank 4
LRP 6
Meadow pipit 2
White Wagtail 1
Oystercatcher 7

This aft walked round Lock Lane:
Snipe 2
Little Owl 1
Wheatear 1F
Swallow 15
Grey Wagtail 1

Mid-afternoon today:

Single Common Sandpiper
5 Little Ringed Plovers
c500 Sand Martin
5 White Wagtail, great value and kept me occupied trying to apply identification criteria for nearly an hour

This morning 10 to 12.30:

LRP 4
Redshank 2
Oystercatcher 9
Greylag 1
Mute swan 2
Snipe 6
Buzzard 1
Tufted 2
Sand Martin 80
Swallow 10

Today, 9 till 11.30 with Pete Lane:

Greylag goose 1
Tufted 7
Heron 3
Cormorant 4
Oystercatcher 7
Snipe 5
Redshank 2
LRP 4
Common sandpiper 1
Common tern 3
Sand Martin 100
Swallow 6
Jay 1
Reed bunting 8

Visit around 3pm today:
Common Terns 2
Redshank 3
LRP 2
Common Sandpiper 1
Swallow 1
Sand Martin 1
Oystercatchers a few
Pied Wagtail 2
Great view of the LRP having a stand-off with a Pied Wag.
Also Terns(one with 3 inch fish) landing on Island amongst LRP ,Oystercatchers and
Sandpiper. All very cosy!


Nice to meet Dave Morris.

-- Edited by keith mills on Sunday 10th of April 2011 03:48:52 PM

this am 9.30 to 11.30:

LRP 6
Ringed plover 1
Redshank 4
Oystercatcher 4
Curlew 1 over
Common tern 2
Wheatear 1F
Buzzard 3
Sparrowhawk 1
Reed bunting 6

4pm 6 Goldeneye on Res, 1 adult male, 1 imm male + 4 female/imm. Plus usual Oystercatchers + Redshank Single LRP. 20+ Sand Martins

This morning 9.30 to 10.45am: LRP 5 Redshank 4 Oystercatcher 10 Sand Martin 50 Swallow 3

No Avocet this morning 9.30am - two fishermen opposite island possibly disturbed them.

20+ Sand Martin
3+ swallow
6 GC Grebe
3 LRP
2 Oystercatcher
1 Lapwing
6 Cormorant
1 Reed bunting

Both Avocets present now 5.20pm Oystercatcher 7 Sand Martin 20+ Swallow 1 at least Good views through scope from footpath that comes down from the north side

Both Avocets present when I left at 3.30... leaving Mike McKerchar to carry on the watch. Avocets sometimes feeding off the island.

Also LRP 2 , Pied Wagtail 2
Again nice to meet Alan Warford and, this time, his wife.

-- Edited by keith mills on Sunday 3rd of April 2011 03:57:29 PM

Both Avocets still present at 2:08

Info thanks to Iain Johnson

2 Avocets again present left hand island 11.40am at least this morning.

This morning 10 to 12.30, walking round Lock Lane & dam end: Sand Martin 60 Snipe 4 Redshank 2 LRP 2 Oystercatcher 10 Buzzard 2 Kestrel 1 Sparrowhawk 1 GS Woodpecker 1 Dipper 1

This aft 2 till 3.30: Oystercatcher 12 LRP 5 Redshank 3 Swallow 3 Sand Martin 10 Jackdaw 126 Stock Dove 2

Just a reminder that the new permit system for Rumworth comes into operation today. Swipe cards will be issued and initially priority will be given to those "born within earshot of Bolton town hall clock". The swipecard machine will be situated next to the third hawthorn bush on the left. To avoid forgery there will be 2 holograms on the card. The first depicts a traditional pastie on a barm cake. The second shows a foaming pint of Flat Cap. The new system is the brainchild of the new Recorder of the GREATER BOLTON BIRDING CLUB (GBBC), or Gbeebies for short. All records must be submitted to the new website. Greater Bolton will cover all land visible from the top of Winter Hill looking South on a good day. This will cover an area bounded by Pickley Green, Fiddler's Ferry, Jodrell Bank, Kinder Scout and Blackstone Edge. Mr Olaf Priol, the new Recorder says "This will give Bolton dominion over all the birds of the air and keep us top of the league where we belong".

From 12:40 today:

5 Redshank
5 Little Ringed Plover
14 Pied Wagtail
6 Oystercatcher
Many Sand Martin and at least 5 Swallow

12.15pm walk up from dam. Swallows 2...... low at channel entrance

40 minutes until 9.am. Partly with Steve Almond : No sign of Avocets. 4 Redshank on Islands plus Oystercatchers and 1 LRP. C20 Sand Martin feeding. nice to meet Alan Warford on Departure

Both Avocets still present mid evening on left hand island, also 2 Swallow. A nice site tick after missing the last pair here. Yesterday 7 Little Ringed Plovers.

Today, 2.15pm to 4.15: Avocet 2 on left hand island as I arrived, still there 4.15. Actually seen mating at 4.15. Oystercatcher 8 LRP 2 Redshank 1 Sand Martin 40 Still not seen a Swallow

2 Avocets still at 1550 asleep on left hand island, they did take off at 1530 and circle the islands before settling back down. Also 2 Redshank 6 Oystercatchers 3 LRP Few Sand Martins Swallow over res at mid day.

2 Avocets at 2:30 today.

Please view only from a sensible distance to avoid disturbance.

Info thanks to Steve Almond (via Judith Smith)

9.30 -10.00am 9 cormorants 5 gc grebe 3 tufted 2 oystercatcher 2 LRP plus usual

This morning: Oystercatcher 6 LRP 4 Snipe 1 Redshank 2 Song thrush 1 Sand Martin 40 (still not seen a Swallow) 2 Greylag geese flew in at 10.50

2 adult Mediterranean Gulls circling at 13:14 today plus:

31 Sand Martin
Little Ringed Plover
2 Redshank
2 Redpoll west

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Mid day Oystercatcher 7 Redshank 2 LRP Sand Martin 4 through Cormorant 4 G.C. Grebe 7 Shoveler pair Little Grebe Tufted Duck 8 Lapwing 6 Pied Wagtail 10+ Jackdaw 20+

coelacanth wrote:

---

Chiffchaff singing away in trees along channel yesterday a.m., another in the trees opposite Middlebrook Drive (along with a Willow Tit shouting the odds).

---

There was a Siskin in the garden of a Middlebrook Drive residence on Sunday too.

When I was out running Sunday morning, round the Lock Lane side (just before the farm if you were coming from Wigan Road) I heard, then spotted, a Yellowhammer on some gorse.

I did see an obvious birder later, near the white house, but was already struggling for breath at that point so couldn't pass the message on!

A three hour wander round this morning:

LR Plover 1
Redshank 2
Oystercatcher 11
Snipe 5
Shoveler 2
Teal 13
Tufted 10
Buzzard 2
Sparrowhawk 2
Grey wagtail 2

Later, whilst I was undertaking unavoidable gardening chores, a Raven and a Buzzard were soaring high over Ladybridge/Rumworth 3pm

-- Edited by Steve Almond on Tuesday 22nd of March 2011 04:33:36 PM

This morning 9.30 till11:

Sand Martin 2
LR Plover 2
Redshank 2
Oystercatcher 9
Lapwing 20
Buzzard 1
Sparrowhawk 1
GC Grebe 8
Tufted 11
Teal 6
Shoveler 2
Fieldfare 40
Reed Bunting 2
Model Helicopter 1

Chiffchaff singing away in trees along channel yesterday a.m., another in the trees opposite Middlebrook Drive (along with a Willow Tit shouting the odds).

Eureka:
LR Plover observed, present and correct, at 2.50pm. today

This morning 10am to 11.30:

Female Goosander
LR Plover 1
Lapwing 25
Tufted 17
GC Grebe 8
Oystercatcher 7
Cormorant 8
Teal 3
Fieldfare 20
Reed Bunting 1
Goldcrest 1

8.45 to 9.15 this morning:
A thorough scoping of the Islands produced:

BH Gulls 58
Lapwing 3
Oystercatchers 3
Redshank 2
Pied Wagtail 2
and nothing else.

Afternoon walk starting at the dam and along both sides of the Lodge:

Grey Wagtail 2 on the dam.
Teal 11 In the Seddon Fold Inlet.
Song Thush 1
Greenfinch 3
Few more GC grebes and Tufties down near the dam.

Simon, I think you might be referring to me in the previous post
I will only say that I scoped the island for sometime from the top of the field and again midway down. There was no sign of the small waders that you refer to
other than the Redshank,on the Islands
The Gulls went up as I was 40 yards above the Hawthorn and the Redshank went too but came back.
In the past the Plovers and Dunlin often use the edge against the East bank.
Although I felt it unlikely given the present high water I felt entitled to go down and look. The other Birds on the Island never budged.
I cannot speak for the other birder but he was again scoping from the top and then coming down the hedge carefully.
PS. I scoped the back of the islands in the afternoon, from the west bank, and no sign again of LRP!


-- Edited by keith mills on Sunday 20th of March 2011 03:39:40 PM

Early morning there was 3 Redshank, 2 Little Ringed Plover & 2 Dunlin on the islands. But they had all gone a short while later. Probably not helped by birders walking up and down on the closest shoreline to the islands. To avoid disturbance its best to watch from the cover of the hawthorn hedge or just behind it.

Probably Edwin Gradwell?

8.45 to 9.45 this am, at South (island ) end:

Snipe 2
Redshank 3
Oystercatchers 6
Reed Bunting 2
Teal 2
Lapwing 18
GC Grebes 3
Cormorants 6.
plus the usual suspects.
I met an ''old time'' Rumworth birder named ED who is getting back into Rumwoth
birding again.

4pm till 5:
Chiffchaff 1
Fieldfare 24
Redshank 2
Oystercatcher 14

A 2 hour mooch round this morning:

LR Plover 1
Redshank 1
Oystercatcher 10
Lapwing 30
Tufted 8
Teal 4
Reed bunting 6
GS Woodpecker 1
Grey Wagtail 2

4pm till 5pm

Fieldfare 50
Lapwing 20
Tufted 8
Oystercatcher 9
Peregrine scattering mixed flock of Starling & Fieldfare, without success.

This morning with Pete Lane:

Teal 4
Cormorant 10
GC Grebe 7
Tufted 3
Pochard 2
Oystercatcher 12
Lapwing 15
Buzzard 2
Sparrowhawk 1
Reed bunting 2
Fieldfare 15

Mooched round 10am to 12noon covering reedbed, Seddon Fold and Lostock end:
Snipe 4
Oystercatcher 11
Fieldfare 30
Grey Wagtail 1
Teal 12

Two hours today to 1.15 pm.
Oystercatcher 2 or 4
Cormorant 10
Grey Heron 1
Tufties 13
GC Grebes 6
Pied Wagtail 6
Lbb Gull 1
Pochard 3
Lapwing 2
BH Gulls (scattered) c80
Starling flock 80
Reed Buntings 2
Teal 2
Jackdaw (scattered) c30
Mallards/coots/ Moorhens/Wood Pigeons/Crows/Magpies

2.00-2.45pm

pair shoveller
2 pair displaying GC grebe
15 tufted
4 cormorants (10 yesterday am)
6 oystercatcher
30+ fieldfare
a few teal, mallard, coot.
30+ lapwing
150+ BH gull