Marvin,this website has an excellent site guide for all of Greater Manchester, Ian and others have spent many hours on them, just go to the Manchester Birding homepage and view the site guides,( you will find just what you are looking for) whilst there check out all of the other section Id guides etc.
Keep birding.
Marvin Lewis said
Thu Jan 28 11:25 PM, 2010
Could anyone tell me the best way to get to Rumford Lodge reservoir?Is the best way via a footpath from Lock Lane,or is there a better way?[I haven't been there before and tried driving round it today to seek out the best access points.]
So foggy couldnt even see the far side although it looks mostly ice free now.
Yellowhammer 1 - site rarity Teal 6+ Couldnt even find the GC Grebe
Pete Lane said
Fri Jan 22 4:42 PM, 2010
4.00pm What a difference a day makes!! Now 50% ice free and the place has come back to life, birds all over the place. Water 4/5 feet down (some work being done at the dam) so plenty exposed mud.
5 goldeneye, 2 superb drakes 3 tufted 25+ mallard 25+ teal heron plenty lapwings and bh gull feeding on the mud lbb gull and more bh gull on the remaining ice a few moorhen, coot and gc grebe
Poor visibility as mist rolling in, but well worth a look.
Pete Lane said
Mon Jan 18 11:54 AM, 2010
11.00-11.30am Still 99% frozen, just one small area of open water occupied by the teal, water level is well down for some reason, seems strange with all the snow melt.
41 teal 70+ bh gull 2 lbb gull 20+ jackdaw 10 lapwings on the ice with the gulls moorhen
plus a few crows, magpies and pigeons.
Pete Lane said
Thu Jan 14 5:00 PM, 2010
2.15-2.45pm Still 5" of pristine snow and no open water on the reservoir.
Very little to be seen, a few magpies, lapwings, starlings and jackdaws tying to find food in areas disturbed by sheep. kestrel a few crows and jackdaws in a field opposite that has a thick layer of manure spread on it.
Steve Almond said
Mon Jan 4 1:51 PM, 2010
Today, 10.30 to 12.30, walked round with Pete Lane
11.00-12.00noon Fabulous sunny, windless morning but pavements very slippy.
50+ lapwings on the ice sparrowhawk 70+ BH gull 3 LBB gull 21 teal stood round small ice free pool, I can't understand why it is ice free as it is very shallow in this area. A few BH gulls in the water plus a heron staring hopefully into it. There were 35 teal in the same place yesterday but I can't work out why, as I have not seen any actually in the water.
Steve Almond said
Thu Dec 31 2:07 PM, 2009
Today, walked round 10.15 to 12.15
55 lapwing 53 Teal 1 Buzzard 1 Kestrel 2 Redwing
Pete Lane said
Sun Dec 27 12:50 PM, 2009
11.45-12.30pm ----------Bleak!!!!!
Great views of buzzard on a post near to reed bed. snipe 60+ BH Gull (on ice) 70+ lapwings in field kestrel
a few magpies and crows and very little else except for two sickly looking canadas one in the field who didn't even fly away as I got near.
Please direct any further Cormorant debate posts to the relevant thread on the discussions forum. Cheers.
pete berry said
Tue Dec 1 10:00 PM, 2009
Mike Chorley wrote:
As a Cormorant is to a fisherman, so a cat is to a birdwatcher?
Interesting how we, collectively. defend Cormorants for 'behaving naturally' but don't like it when cats do. Do the same arguments apply?
No the same arguments don't apply.Comorants have to kill fish to survive,mollycoddled cats are well fed by their owners and kill wildlife for no other reason than they enjoy doing it.
Mike Chorley said
Tue Dec 1 9:41 PM, 2009
As a Cormorant is to a fisherman, so a cat is to a birdwatcher?
Interesting how we, collectively. defend Cormorants for 'behaving naturally' but don't like it when cats do. Do the same arguments apply?
Dean Macdonald said
Tue Dec 1 8:09 PM, 2009
Pete Lane wrote:
I wonder what the reaction would be if cormorants ate cats instead of fish?
If only they did, i'd breed em meself
Pete Lane said
Tue Dec 1 7:17 PM, 2009
I wonder what the reaction would be if cormorants ate cats instead of fish?
Pete Astles said
Tue Dec 1 5:33 PM, 2009
I am a member at Woolston eyes and I see a lot there. A lot on the Mersey which shows how many fish are in there now.
JOHN TYMON said
Tue Dec 1 5:01 PM, 2009
don't think we get quite as many at penny as we used to.
Pete Astles said
Tue Dec 1 4:59 PM, 2009
Rob totally agree its humans at fault.
Lets leave it now and leave thread for birds sighted.
Rob Thorpe said
Tue Dec 1 4:50 PM, 2009
As far as I'm aware the inland populations are increasing, but if this is due to overfishing of the seas then surely it is humans at fault, not Cormorants. Fishermen are always ranting on saying cormorants need to be culled... Maybe it's humans that need to be culled! Cormorants catch fish to eat. We catch fish for sport or profit. Which is more justifiable?
Pete Astles said
Tue Dec 1 4:24 PM, 2009
Rob
Are comorants part of the balance? As I understand it mans overfishing in the seas around our coast has forced them inland. Maybe as a result of European union fisheries policies.
But you may know more than me have comorant inland populations increased over say past 20 years or are they at the level they have always been?
Rob Thorpe said
Tue Dec 1 3:55 PM, 2009
Pete Astles wrote:
One example of Comorant damage is on the river ribble where naturally existing small fish dace / grayling / roach are now almost none existent compared to 20 years ago. Now the river is home to very large Barbel which have taken up the spare biomass but the Comorants have influenced the natural balance of the river.
Peter, how can Cormorants be considered to have influenced the natural balance of the river when they themselves are part of the balance? If there weren't enough fish then the Cormorants wouldn't be there... The "laws of nature" ensure that populations are controlled by food sources. If the fish decline so will the Cormorants, then if the Cormorants are the only things affecting the fish population then the fish will increase as the Cormorants decrease in numbers...
Pete Astles said
Tue Dec 1 3:37 PM, 2009
Rob
I am an angler too. Sometimes fish are stocked in new waters or to restock following pollution. In the main though most angling clubs responsibly manage their waters. This may not involve stocking on a regular basis but monitoring the water and environment. They will work closely with the environment agency and other bodies such as natural england where the water is an SSSI. Where there is a need for stocking it is done as part of a plan normally with the EA.
There is in my view some irresponsible stocking but this is in commercial (for profit) waters which are watched 24 hours a day by the owner and hence comorants are not an issue.
One example of Comorant damage is on the river ribble where naturally existing small fish dace / grayling / roach are now almost none existent compared to 20 years ago. Now the river is home to very large Barbel which have taken up the spare biomass but the Comorants have influenced the natural balance of the river.
Peter
Rob Thorpe said
Tue Dec 1 2:51 PM, 2009
Pete Lane wrote:
1 cormorant (where are they all this year? there were up to 20 by this time last year:- not that I am complaining, being an angler!!)
Why the big angler obsession with Cormorant? If you stock lakes with fish then you gotta expect birds that eat fish from lakes to increase in numbers... Why stock lakes anyway? Isn't that like the angling equivalent of birdwatching in an aviary?
Pete Lane said
Tue Dec 1 10:31 AM, 2009
9.30-10.15am
190+ lapwings (70 on island, rest in field) 220+BH Gull 3 pochard 4 mallard 3 teal GC Grebe 1 cormorant (where are they all this year? there were up to 20 by this time last year:- not that I am complaining, being an angler!!)
Ian McKerchar said
Sat Nov 21 8:11 PM, 2009
upto 12:55 today
Oystercatcher 21 Teal 2 Pochard 19 Fieldfare
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Nov 19 2:12 PM, 2009
Today up to 12:15 today:
Oystercatcher Pochard 18 Fieldfare
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
Pete Lane said
Wed Nov 18 7:39 PM, 2009
Good views of kingfisher down towards the dam, it nearly always shows itself when I am fishing. Also sparrowhawk and little grebe.
Simon Warford said
Sat Nov 7 2:59 PM, 2009
2 male Goldeneye this afternoon, also 2 Pochard, Shoveler and 50 Fieldfare.
Teal 76
Goldeneye male
G C Grebe 2
Snipe 10
Buzzard 1
Lapwing 60+
Reed Bunting 3
Water level still dropping fast, wont be long til you can walk to the islands!
71 teal
1 cormorant
pair of displaying GC Grebe
3 mallard
tufted
30+ lapwings
coot
plenty bh gull
Keep birding.
72 Teal
260 Black-headed Gull
Buzzard
Bullfinch
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
58 teal
2 cormorant
100+bh gull
30+jackdaw
25 lapwing
Teal 85
Snipe 4
Buzzard 1
Sparrowhawk 1
Fox
So foggy couldnt even see the far side although it looks mostly ice free now.
Yellowhammer 1 - site rarity
Teal 6+
Couldnt even find the GC Grebe
5 goldeneye, 2 superb drakes
3 tufted
25+ mallard
25+ teal
heron
plenty lapwings and bh gull feeding on the mud
lbb gull and more bh gull on the remaining ice
a few moorhen, coot and gc grebe
Poor visibility as mist rolling in, but well worth a look.
41 teal
70+ bh gull
2 lbb gull
20+ jackdaw
10 lapwings on the ice with the gulls
moorhen
plus a few crows, magpies and pigeons.
Very little to be seen, a few magpies, lapwings, starlings and jackdaws tying to find food in areas disturbed by sheep.
kestrel
a few crows and jackdaws in a field opposite that has a thick layer of manure spread on it.
210 Lapwing
9 Golden plover
16 Teal
1 Snipe
2 Reed bunting
2 Fieldfare
6 Redwing
5 meadow pipit
1 GS Woodpecker
50+ lapwings on the ice
sparrowhawk
70+ BH gull
3 LBB gull
21 teal stood round small ice free pool, I can't understand why it is ice free as it is very shallow in this area. A few BH gulls in the water plus a heron staring hopefully into it. There were 35 teal in the same place yesterday but I can't work out why, as I have not seen any actually in the water.
55 lapwing
53 Teal
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
2 Redwing
Great views of buzzard on a post near to reed bed.
snipe
60+ BH Gull (on ice)
70+ lapwings in field
kestrel
a few magpies and crows and very little else except for two sickly looking canadas one in the field who didn't even fly away as I got near.
Lodge frozen
300 Lapwing
10 Teal
3 Greater Black backed gulls
2 Snipe
1 Grey wagtail
At least 5 inches of snow on a frozen reservoir, proper snow, takes me back to the 50s and 60s
At least 300 lapwings on the ice
50+ BH Gull
12 coot
a few carrion crow
60+ canadas in field plus just two on the ice.
Frozen and coated in snow.
100+ canadas feeding in field next to Beaumont Rd
100+ lapwings plus about 50 BH Gulls on the ice
Very quiet today.
2 cormorants
10+ teal
50+BH Gull
a few mallard, coot, moorhen, jackdaw and woodpigeon
1 Kestrel
1 Sparrowhawk
c20 Teal
2 Tufted
1 Grey Wagtail
4 Redwing
1 Nuthatch (Lostock wood)
No the same arguments don't apply.Comorants have to kill fish to survive,mollycoddled cats are well fed by their owners and kill wildlife for no other reason than they enjoy doing it.
Interesting how we, collectively. defend Cormorants for 'behaving naturally' but don't like it when cats do. Do the same arguments apply?
If only they did, i'd breed em meself
Lets leave it now and leave thread for birds sighted.
Are comorants part of the balance? As I understand it mans overfishing in the seas around our coast has forced them inland. Maybe as a result of European union fisheries policies.
But you may know more than me have comorant inland populations increased over say past 20 years or are they at the level they have always been?
Peter, how can Cormorants be considered to have influenced the natural balance of the river when they themselves are part of the balance? If there weren't enough fish then the Cormorants wouldn't be there... The "laws of nature" ensure that populations are controlled by food sources. If the fish decline so will the Cormorants, then if the Cormorants are the only things affecting the fish population then the fish will increase as the Cormorants decrease in numbers...
I am an angler too. Sometimes fish are stocked in new waters or to restock following pollution. In the main though most angling clubs responsibly manage their waters. This may not involve stocking on a regular basis but monitoring the water and environment. They will work closely with the environment agency and other bodies such as natural england where the water is an SSSI. Where there is a need for stocking it is done as part of a plan normally with the EA.
There is in my view some irresponsible stocking but this is in commercial (for profit) waters which are watched 24 hours a day by the owner and hence comorants are not an issue.
One example of Comorant damage is on the river ribble where naturally existing small fish dace / grayling / roach are now almost none existent compared to 20 years ago. Now the river is home to very large Barbel which have taken up the spare biomass but the Comorants have influenced the natural balance of the river.
Peter
Why the big angler obsession with Cormorant? If you stock lakes with fish then you gotta expect birds that eat fish from lakes to increase in numbers... Why stock lakes anyway? Isn't that like the angling equivalent of birdwatching in an aviary?
190+ lapwings (70 on island, rest in field)
220+BH Gull
3 pochard
4 mallard
3 teal
GC Grebe
1 cormorant (where are they all this year? there were up to 20 by this time last year:- not that I am complaining, being an angler!!)
Oystercatcher
21 Teal
2 Pochard
19 Fieldfare
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
Oystercatcher
Pochard
18 Fieldfare
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
11 Siskin
60 Fieldfare
Grey Wagtail
2 Pochard
Shoveler
5 Teal
2 Tufted Duck
Buzzard
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
pochard
28 teal
mallard
2 tufted
3 goldeneye
wigeon
3 male 2 female shoveler
8 gc grebe
3 little grebe
6 snipe
14 lapwing
cormorant
2 pied wags
kestrel
plus lots bh gull, 3 common gull 1 lbb gull
flock of long tailed tits
1 male, 2 female shoveller
18+ teal
4 gc grebe
little grebe
lots of jackdaw, magpie, bh gull, canadas
Pair of Shoveler
4 Teal
Snipe
Buzzard
Grey wagtail
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
2 Golden Plover
20 Lapwing
4 Snipe
Kingfisher
Fieldfare
2 Grey Wagtail
20 Teal
3 Little Grebe
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes (who of course never reads these, right Phil!)
2 Wigeon
22 Teal
Pochard
29 Lapwing
Snipe
Siskin
Grey Wagtail
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
Wigeon 3
Pochard 2 male
Teal 33
Snipe 2
Redwings 20+ west
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 16th of October 2009 06:58:29 AM
12 Teal
12 GC Grebe plus 2 juveniles
2 Snipe
2 Kestrel
1 Peregrine causing the Jackdaw flock to scatter
4 Snipe
10 Teal
3 Juvenile Mute Swan flew in
1 Stonechat
2 Swallow
1 Kestrel
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Reed bunting
Wigeon
14 Teal
7 Snipe
5 Swallow
Chiffchaff
3 Buzzard
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
2 Pintail
Shoveler
22 Teal
Reed Warbler
Chiffchaff
2 Buzzard
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
2 Snipe
150 Lapwing
18 Teal
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
1 Sparrowhawk
1 House martin
6 Swallow
11 Pied wagtail including young feeding in the horse paddocks