After meeting Chris J Brown for the first time after a fruitless attempted to get the Two-barred Crossbill (a pleasure to meet you) I promised to post more on this great site, so...

A brief walk around the lower reserviors, the birds of note:

Chiffchaff
Reed Bunting
Great Crested Grebe
Curlew
Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers
Tawny Owl (heard)
1st Swallow of the year

and a Pink-footed Goose with Canadas on Ogden.

Regards

John

Witnessed Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming this morning.
Redpoll also seen.

The good weather produced all that was hoped for. The highlights being
1 pair of stonechats
1 pair of goldeneye
Skylarks, song thrushes, robins and curlew heard throughout the valley.
Oystercatchers (3)
Fieldfares approx 20

A walk up Ogden this aft' yielded:

6 goosander on Ogden Res'
2 displaying great crested grebes on the same res'
2 skylarks in song near Nicholas Pike
odd meadow pipit over
grey wagtail, by Piethorne Res'
lone curlew, by Ogden Res' (my first returner of 2014).

Regards, C. Jepson-Brown

About twenty fieldfares in the Clough between Hanging Lees and Rooden. Not too much else on the high ground except a couple of Ravens.

4 whooper swans on Piethorn Reservoir 2 Adults 2 Juveniles

This afternoon also included 4 female goosander and 1 male on Kitcliffe Res.

Pretty quiet on a walk on the northern side of the valley, taking in Raghole, Doldrum and Norman Hill Res'. Highglights were:

1. Odd meadow pipit dotted about
2. goldcrest (Rough Bank Plantation)
3. treecreeper (by Kitcliffe Res')
4. redpoll (as above).

Chris

C Brown wrote:

---

Thanks to Bill Myerscough for the first one:

1. 8 whooper swans on Rooden this morning
2. several small parties of meadow pipits in the upper valley
3. 1 dipper by Rooden and another at the bottom of Coldgreave Clough
4. 2 grey wagtails by Piethorne Res'
5. probable nuthatch in Bluebell Wood

Lovely scenes and colours up Ogden today.

Chris

---

Hi Chris,

The swans were actually found by local resident Bev Shepherd at 9.30 this morning, who kindly let me know and fortunately they were still there when I arrived at 10.30. Bev also advised me of 2 swans on Piethorne Res. early/mid morning on 26/10 but had gone when I arrived at 11'ish. I wondered if these might have been the 2 Whooper Swans that turned up briefly at Castleshaw late morning on that same date?

The Nuthatch seems likely as there was one in Piethorne Plantation on 13/10. Given the amount of suitable habitat in the valley for this species it is a surprising absentee here. A pair did hold territory in the Wickenhall area during some years of our recent local breeding birds atlas project but as a species it does seem to be struggling to establish itself in the valley?

Other recent sightings I've not had much time to post details of include :- c40 Fieldfare on 31/10; 1 Little Grebe on Rooden Reservoir on 29/9 and c160 Goldfinch feeding on thistles on 10/9.

Cheers,

Bill.

Thanks to Bill Myerscough for the first one:

1. 8 whooper swans on Rooden this morning
2. several small parties of meadow pipits in the upper valley
3. 1 dipper by Rooden and another at the bottom of Coldgreave Clough
4. 2 grey wagtails by Piethorne Res'
5. probable nuthatch in Bluebell Wood

Lovely scenes and colours up Ogden today.

Chris

I went up the valley yesterday for the first time for a while. The colours were fantastic.
No sign of any winter thrushes. The best of the day was stonechats.

13 female goosander on Kitcliffe reservoir this morning

On a very wet and windy walk up Ogden, as far as Rooden Res' early this aft' produced:

1. 8 goosander on Kitcliffe
2. pair of tufted duck on Kitcliffe and one male on Rooden Res'
3. a few redwings over
4. couple of meadow pipits over
5. dipper by Rooden Res'
5. goldcrest in the small plantation below Norman Hill Res'
6. double figure party of reed buntings in the hawthorn thicket by the track between Rooden and Coldgreave

And that's yer lot.

Regards, C. Jepson-Brown

-- Edited by C Brown on Saturday 12th of October 2013 03:16:21 PM

5 female goosander on Kitcliffe reservoir this morning.Also approx. 70 pink footed geese over, heading east.

2 female goosander on Piethorne reservoir this morning

1710hrs
1 swallow around the junction of Ogden Lane and Huddersfield Rd.

19th August - pm - part of the time spent with Chris J-B.

At the side of Hanging Lees Res, foraging off a stone wall was a gathering which contained 2 Whinchat (appeared to be males), an immature Stonechat & 4 Wheatear (2 immatures). Very nice viewing!

In the lower valley 2 Redstarts in the usual field for birds on passage on the northern slopes above Kitcliffe Farm. One was a very worn looking male and the other was possibly a female but not entirely sure. 2 Whitethroats were seen here and a single flock of c80 Goldfinch (over half of which were juveniles).

Peregrine, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Buzzard too.

Cheers,

Bill.

1st August.

A nice gathering of gulls on Rooden Reservoir - c300 Lesser Black-backed, c120 Black-headed and c15 Common.

1 Buzzard over the valley and the Redstart was in an adjacent field today to the the one occupied on the two earlier sightings. No Whinchat as yet.

Cheers,

Bill.

30th July - pm.

A calling Crossbill flew out of Piethorne Plantation. This plantation is mostly deciduous, with just a few conifers. I have checked a few times of late the much larger Rough Bank Plantation which is mainly coniferous but without any luck there yet.

The Redstart was still in the same field as the sighting on 25/7.

Cheers,

Bill.

Pretty quiet on a walk on the northern side of the valley this aft', with three oystercatchers, 1 - 2 curlews, common sandpiper, a few willow warblers and plenty of meadow pipits. Again, good numbers of butterflies, with two Rochdale firsts in the form of a gatekeeper and best of all a dark green fritillary. There were two ringlets also.

Regards, Christopher

25/7

Redstart still showing well at 18:00.

I visited the valley a little earlier in the day than Chris and had really close up, excellent views of 2 of the juvenile Ravens sat on a wall, possibly waiting for the single nearby foraging adult that was present to find some food for them? I could hear other birds calling but could not locate them. What absolutely awesome and fearsome birds this species looks to be in close up!

Another highlight for me this morning was a juvenile Redstart showing well in the lower valley.

Despite some gloomy predictions on the forum on the quality of breeding season this year some species appear to have done well at Piethorne - Common Sandpiper and Wheatear being two of them. There were lots of scruffy looking juvenile Wheatears on show this morning - the largest loose gathering being 7 foraging off a single wall in the upper valley, with singles seen in other locations. There were no adults seen - possibly the local breeding pairs have already started their migration and the juveniles will follow later? Plenty of evidence of continuing breeding activity, with Reed Bunting, Skylark, Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail all carrying food for later broods. I suspect from the sounds being made that the Lesser Redpoll Chris mentioned in his post had young with them this morning. I can't recall this species breeding in the valley in recent years, although there is suitable habitat here. A flock of c10 Goldfinch were in the upper valley and there are plenty of thistles here to attract some large post-breeding flocks but they seem to me to be a little bit behind the time this year in flowering?

c30 Sand Martin were foraging over Hanging Lees Reservoir. A juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the lower valley.

Cheers,

Bill.

A short stroll in the middle valley this aft' brought forth:

1. family party of five ravens
2. two redpoll near Piethorne dam wall
3. two willow warblers contact calling
4. common sandpiper calling from Kitcliffe Res'
5. and this time, lots of swallows.

Plenty of butterflies about too, present being, small tortoiseshells, meadow browns, small heaths, small and large skippers, small whites and two probable ringlets seen (wouldn't settle but near the same location where I saw my first Rochdale ringlet last year).

Regards, Chris J-B.

A pleasant evening stroll in the middle section of the valley yielded:

1. 3 willow warblers still singing
2. 2+ common sandpipers on Kitcliffe Res'
3. several redpoll over and one very rosy looking male perched near the Piethorne Res' overflow
4. multiple meadow pipits and a single skylark singing/displaying
5. coot on Kitcliffe Res'
6. single curlew calling from the direction of Binns Pasture
7. 2 linnets near the Piethorne Res' overflow
8. swift over Foulwater Lodge
9. a grand total of three swallows on the entire stroll

Regards, C. Jepson-Brown

Stonechats have left the nest. One young Common Sandpiper also seen foraging. (Still unable to fly.)

27th June - am.

A bit of deliberate effort this morning to go out of my normal way to look for Wheatears brought some reward, with good views of two separate family parties of Wheatear, about 1 mile apart - one had four young and the other three. A male was also watched collecting and carrying food at another location but this time outside of the valley. A pair of Coal Tits fed two young. The pair of Oystercatchers was seen today - I mustn't have been looking properly on my last few visits! I watched a Magpie on four occasions chasing after a Common Sandpiper (without success) - presumably hoping to catch it to provide a meal for the two begging young that it had nearby?

Cheers,

Bill.

20th June.

Distant views were initially had of a single flock of c500 Starling and they later joined up with a marginally smaller one of c400. When I got closer to this flock of c900 I was able on several occasions to see quite a high percentage of the flock, feeding on the floor and also in flight and I could not, despite trying, see even one single adult bird amongst them! So a single flock comprised almost entirely of juveniles.

With quite a lot of talk on the forum recently of it being a poor year for insects then I thought the following link might be of interest and a counterbalance.

http://www.climatenewsnetwork.net/2013/05/warming-climate-worries-uk-farmers/

This should in theory be good news for species such as Starling (although not for farmers!) for which some studies have shown they feed their nestlings largely on Tipulidae larvae, including and those also known as leatherjackets or Crane Fly/Daddy-long legs larvae. My last recollection of such numbers of post-breeding Starlings in the valley is back in 2004, when c1,000 were present 30th May and had increased to c2,500 by 7th June.

C120 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were flying in and then bathing in Rooden Reservoir and then preening and beautifying themselves at the side!

Also seen - Lesser Redpoll, Reed Bunting, Common Sandpiper, Curlew, Stonechat, Skylark (carrying food), Willow Warbler (carrying food), Meadow Pipit (a family party and others also seen carrying food).

Disappointingly just a single male Wheatear was found - singing and displaying (possibly getting a bit late to attract a partner? ) and also the Oystercatchers appear to have left the valley already, with no sightings at all in the last two days.

Cheers,

Bill.

Late post from last night:

On a dusk stroll up Ogden, via Raghole Clough and Doldrum I saw circa 6 swifts, 2 common sandpipers on Ogden Res, a blackcap and whitethroat (these two heard only) near Foulwater (Breeder) Lodge, a couple of sand martins, a linnet over and pleasingly a skylark was singing over Town Hill. Also, a few meadow pipits were singing and displaying.

Regards, C. Jepson-Brown

At least one pair of our dippers have young that have successfully fledged.

Late this evening a Whimbrel flew north east over the moors north of the valley

An evening sojourn yielded:

2 willow warblers singing,
2 displaying meadow pipits,
lone skylark in song,
curlew,
tufted duck,
only four swallows,
a pair of common sandpipers and.....
.....a little owl.

Also, what the late Peter Hill told me were the only wild cowslips in the area were just coming into flower.

Regards, C. J-Brown

25th April.

Water levels dropping rapidly on the valleys reservoirs.

Common Sandpiper (3) - put on a quite thrilling display over Ogden Reservoir. Male Wheatears singing and displaying too. Golden Plover calling from northern flanks of valley. Male Stonechat. c30 Swallow, 2 House Martin and 1 Sand Martin. Pair of Reed Bunting - female nest building, male "supervising" . 11+ Willow Warbler singing, as were 2 Blackcap. 3 Goosander still.

No Ring Ouzels yet this year.

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Friday 26th of April 2013 07:21:07 AM

The new tram line tempted me out of South Manchester. A Walk along the valley at mid-day turned up:

Greenfinch
Dunnock
Oystercatcher (2, one in the lowest body of water, the other in the highest)
Chaffinch
Carrion Crow
Blue Tit
Magpie
Grey Wagtail
Willow Warbler
Pheasant
Swallow
Canada Goose
Whinchat
Goldfinch
Great Tit
Curlew
Goosander
Meadow Pipit
Wheatear

A walk round the upper reservoirs this evening produced

Goldeneye pair
Tufted Duck 7
Goosander 2
Oystercatcher 2
party of 11 Curlew
Partridge 2 pairs
Dipper pair
Meadow Pipit a single party of over 100 birds moved up the valley
Fieldfare 10
Redwing 5

High level walk around the valley today. (Too many people on the reservoir walk) It paid off.


2 Fieldfares
2 Curlews (heard several more throughout the day)
2 Stock Doves
2 Wheatears. M and F
Meadow Pipits scattered all round the high ground.
Skylarks - at least half a dozen around the high ground (Not quite as vocal as expected.)
1 Golden Plover. I thought I had heard one earlier and was really pleased to see one a couple of hours later.
2 Grey Partridges

No sign of any ring ouzels, swallows or martins. Several pairs of Canada Geese dotted about cloughs. (Pair of Ravens regularly seen and heard at lower end of valley, and Rough Bank towards Newhey Quarry)

29th March - am.

18 Cormorant on Ogden Reservoir - probably a record count for the valley? 6 Tufted Duck (4 drakes) and also 5 Teal (2 here on 9/3). c40 Fieldfare trying to forage on an unfrozen area of pasture. Despite looking - no Wheatears or Ring Ouzels found. Just small numbers of Meadow Pipits.

Other recent sightings. 19/3 - pair of Goldeneye (drake displaying), pair of Curlew displaying, a Dipper nest building - sadly the nest entrance completely frozen over today (29/3), very small northerly passage of Meadow Pipits. 17/3 - c300 Starling, c90 Lesser Black-backed Gull and 1 Great Black-backed Gull, single flock of 15 Curlew, 24 Wigeon on Ogden Reservoir (12 drakes) and 5 Reed Bunting. 12/3 - 2 Treecreeper and 3 Goldcrest, 2 of which were foraging on the ground under a pine tree. 9/3 - pair of Grey Partridge.

Nice to see a pair of Coot taking up residency on Ogden Reservoir in recent weeks. Pair of Oystercatcher present since 9/3 at least.

Cheers,

Bill.

Ogden Resevoir was hosting most of today's best choices.

I Oystercather
1 Moorhen
1Heron
11 (possibly 13) Cormorants
8 Goosanders
1 Tufted Duck
2 Great Crested Grebes

and one calling Curlew flew over. (No others seen or heard anywhere in the valley)

A cracking walk in glorious March sunshine, up to the mooredge, was had today. I was hoping to pick up stonechat and woodcock (long shot) for my year list. Anyway, the walk yielded the following:

1. four goosander on Ogden
2. two cormorant on Ogden
3. pair of great crested grebe on Ogden
4. a couple of skylarks near Binns
5. single goosander on Norman Hill Res'
6. stonechat - male - (bingo), high in the valley, right by were the long gone Norman Hill Farm stood
7. dipper at the bottom of Coldgreave Clough
8. great spotted woodpecker near Piethorne House

No sign of any meadow pipits, curlews or oystercatchers yet.

Regards, C. J-B

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 2nd of March 2013 09:12:11 PM

15:30 Thursday 28.2.13

Ogden Reservoir

5 x Cormorants
4pr Goosander

Russ.

Late news for Thursday 21st.

At least 3 pairs of Goosander on Ogden Reservoir

Info from Mike Ausberger

Sorry to interject here but Geoff you're right that Jack Snipe don't necessarily always flush from under foot and can flush from further distance. My concern is that there is a tremendous size difference between Jack Snipe and Woodcock though! A Woodcock flushed from close range (or any other range!) never fails to surprise me at just how big (and dark) they look. If you saw it well enough to see the bill and didn't think it was overly large or dark brown then I'd be surprised if it was a Woodcock. As for it being Snipe or Jack Snipe, that's another story...

Chris, I did consider a Jack Snipe and wouldn't rule it out as I know they have been seen there before during that very cold winter a couple of years ago. But the Jack Snipe has a reputation for only taking flight at the last minute when you are almost standing on them whereas this one went up approx 5m in front of me. However we all know that the birds don't read the books!

I desturbed what should have been a Snipe as I came down from the hills above Piethorn Brook yesterday afternoon - but it looked more like a Woodcock in the few seconds that I watched its flight. The bill didn't look long enough for a snipe and the flight itself seemed less frantic from other snipe that I had flushed in that kind of terrain in the past. In a straight line this would have been about 1k from the nearest woodland, amongst old braken where the ground was still frozen and 150m above the brook. I would say the ground was too hard to be probing for food which had me doubting the Snipe and favouring a Woodcock lying up until dark . (It flew across to the otherside and went down into simular cover.) Being half-term and glorious weather with more (noisy) people about than usual I wondered if it could have been a woodcock driven out of the normal habitat. It remains positively unidentified but . . . frustrating.


The path diversion at Piethorn House remains in place.

Woodcock do venture up on to the moors sometimes Geoff, I've certainly flushed them from moorland sites in the South Pennines when out walking (though not with regularity I admit). One of their wintering haunts in the valley has suffered a lot of disturbance with the road repair work by Piethorne Plantation. You mentioned a small bill, did you consider a jack snipe as a possibility also? I once saw one of these many years ago near Windy Hill.

Regards, Chris

-- Edited by C Brown on Wednesday 20th of February 2013 06:23:25 PM

Pair of Great Crested Grebe on Ogden Reservoir - displayed several minutes of pair bonding today after an agresive cormorant had got between them.

Condititions are quite severe for wildlife. Partial snow, ground frozen with quite a lot of ice and the reservoirs all have some ice.
Mistle thrushes and goldfinches ground feeding amongst the sheep offered some of the best birdwatching.

Cormarants 4 on Ogden Reservoir
Gosanders 2 on Ogden Reservoir (1m 1f)

Best of the day=

Grey Partridge 2

(The pedestrian diversion past Piethorn House and the treatment works is still in place.)

Just for information at this site:

United Utilities’s access road here is collapsing so they need to do works to remediate it. To investigate what’s happening they are putting a bore hole in near to Piethorne Plantation. This works will involve them temporarily moving the turf from an approximate 20m of grassland and putting in a plastic track for the machinery. Once the works have been completed they will move the turf back. They won’t be affecting any trees and the works will start on Monday (14th Jan). They will need to do other works in the future but at the moment they are trying to work out what’s going on before deciding what to do.