4 swallows 4 oystercatchers (one has been sitting for 4 days now, could anyone tell me the incubation period?) 18 cormorants 6 tufted 9 GCgrebe
Ian Woosey said
Thu Apr 3 2:58 PM, 2008
Tim Wilcox wrote:
Ring Ouzel reported here on Bird Guides this am
`Twas I ! 3/4/08
male Ring Ouzel in the field close to where the Wheatears have been of late. It flew into trees when harrassed by Crows at 10.15 and I couldn`t re-find it.
Sightings with Steve Almond ; Snipe. Curlew over. Shelduck. 2 Sand Martins. 4 Oystercatchers.
Tim Wilcox said
Thu Apr 3 2:34 PM, 2008
Ring Ouzel reported here on Bird Guides this am
Ian McKerchar said
Wed Apr 2 7:46 PM, 2008
If he'd take more care with his texts I'd be okay, oh and wear me glasses from time to time. Class, 26 Wheatears at Rumworth, now who'd believe that
Simon Warford said
Wed Apr 2 6:08 PM, 2008
Ian edit your post below to read 1 Wheatear as per Phil
-- Edited by Simon Warford at 18:17, 2008-04-02
Ian McKerchar said
Wed Apr 2 5:21 PM, 2008
Male Merlin flew north at 2:26pm today, SINGLE Wheatear and 4 Swallows also
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar at 19:44, 2008-04-02
Pete Lane said
Tue Apr 1 3:23 PM, 2008
2.45-3.15 blowing a gale.
4 oystercatchers one sat in scrape it was excavating yesterday, seemingly oblivoous to the 20 cormorants surrounding it! at least 13 tufted
Ian Woosey said
Mon Mar 31 10:11 PM, 2008
31/3/08
Swallow @ 16.30ish
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
Ian Woosey said
Mon Mar 31 5:10 PM, 2008
31/3/08 early pm
male Wheatear in the horse paddocks to the left of farm. 2 fem Goosanders on left hand island. 4 Oycs. singing Chiffchaff.
-- Edited by Ian Woosey at 17:39, 2008-03-31
Pete Lane said
Mon Mar 31 11:36 AM, 2008
10.30-11.15 feels like spring!
oystercatcher on left island excavating a scrape, but as it was sharing the few square yards of shells with 18 cormorants it soon lost interest. still 5 tufted plus usual
Steve Almond said
Fri Mar 28 5:11 PM, 2008
Walked round today, 14.15 to 16.00 with Jane and Pete Lane
2 Oystercatcher 1 Kestrel 1 Buzzard 1 Snipe 7 Meadow pipit 5 Pied wagtail 2 male Wheatear in Lock Lane field
Dean Macdonald said
Wed Mar 26 11:20 PM, 2008
26 march 08 3pm
4 Sand Martin 8 Wigeon A few Teal, Tufted, Cormorant.
1st winter Great Black Backed Gull 2nd winter Herring Gull 15 Common Gull Thanks to Phill Rhodes, pointing them out. I'm crap at Gulls. Nice to meet you Steve.
Pete, can't remember your numbers,
4 birders at Rumworth at the same time? Must be a county record
Cheers Dean.
Pete Lane said
Sun Mar 23 10:35 AM, 2008
9.00-9.30am almost spring-like except for the light covering of snow.
1 greylag (mostly a loner but did join a group of a dozen canadas until they flew off into the field) 21 cormorants 2 little grebe 1 LBB Gull (but only a very few BH gull) 20+wood pigeon usual GCgrebe, tufted. teal, jackdaw, coots, moorhens and the 4 0ystercatchers
Pete Lane said
Fri Mar 21 9:20 AM, 2008
8.45-9.15 very cold blustery wind.
23 cormorants 100+ BH Gull (mostly in field) 5 Tufted (3m 2f this group have been present for several weeks now) 2 oystercatchers feeding in field 4 teal asleep on small pond lots of canadas plus usual
Sorry Judith but I think your request is out of order, I love birds and wildlife as much as anyone, but I can see it from an anglers point of view. The Royal Ashton AS have had the fishing rights on Rumworth for over 100 years and have managed the water to the benefit of both fish and wildlife, and there has been no conflict of interest until the arrival of increasing numbers of cormorants. I know that in the last few years they have spent over £5000 stocking fish, most of which seem to have disappeared down the throats of our friends. The club is now in danger of folding due to the membership falling from 150 down to around 50 due mainly to the deterioration in fishing caused almost certainly by predation by cormorants. It is true that the club applied for a licence to cull the numbers, but the decision was not taken lightly as most members are true nature lovers, and welcome the sight of other fish eating residents such as GC Grebe, heron and kingfisher. Something will have to be done nationwide as many other waters are suffering in a similar way, and for birders to be totally obstructive, and behave in a completely selfish way is not helpful.
Judith Smith said
Tue Mar 18 10:41 PM, 2008
Hmm, there have been rumours of the anglers at Rumworth applying for a licence to shoot Cormorants a couple of years ago. We know, from applying under the FOI Act, to find out where culls were taking place, (not Rumworth) that DEFRA uses the county bird reports to find out numbers at individual waters. We have had to take measures to hide the names of the roost sites in the report. They may also look at this website. Therefore, I would be wary of putting numbers in excess of 10 on this website for any water. Please email me privately with numbers though, so we can keep a record of them; be assured that the location will not be published. Basically, it's the same procedure as for Ruddy Ducks, except this time the RSPB etc don't agree with the culls.
Steve Almond said
Tue Mar 18 7:25 PM, 2008
This am, on Lostock side of Rumworth, a Nuthatch in the small wood.
Ian Woosey said
Tue Mar 18 2:42 PM, 2008
18/3/08 early pm
Just to add to Pete`s earlier sightings ;
single Redshank. 3 very distant Buzzards (over Westhoughton !)
(R.Thorpe & I.Woosey)
Pete Lane said
Tue Mar 18 8:39 AM, 2008
7.30-8.00am
22 cormorants 4 oystercatchers (1 pair on each island as usual) 7 GCGrebe 1 (m) kestrel which flushed at least 50 BH Gull- do they really need to be scared of a kestrel???? plus usual.
Pete Lane said
Mon Mar 17 8:30 AM, 2008
7.30-8.15am
1 shellduck 1 curlew (on island) 21 cormorants 4 heron flying south then one pair changed their mind and dropped in. 7 GC grebe plus usual
Simon Warford said
Sat Mar 15 7:05 PM, 2008
Pete, had 24 Cormorants and 2 Gadwall this am. Certainly my highest cormorant count for this site.
Pete Lane said
Sat Mar 15 4:59 PM, 2008
3.00-4.30 With Dean Mac
1 buzzard (flew over) 8 cormorants 5 tufted pair mallard 5 teal 40+ canadas 8 GCGrebe 2 oystercatcher 15+coot heron 24 woodpigeon (all perched in small trees near water) 40+ BH Gull plus moorhens,jackdaws.carrion crows
Pete Lane said
Thu Mar 6 4:00 PM, 2008
2.30-3.30 with Phil Rhodes
18 cormorants 4 pinkfeet (feeding in the field on far side) 2 curlew 4 oystercatcher 4 tufted 9 teal plus usual GC grebe, little grebe, canadas, coot, moorhen and some fieldfare mixed up in a flock of starlings.
9 Goldeneye and 3 Tufted on the water plus a Stonechat in right hand field
Pete Lane said
Tue Mar 4 11:37 AM, 2008
10.40-11.30
nice crisp sunny morning.
12 cormorants 9 GCGrebe 1 little grebe 5 oystercatchers (I saw all 5 after you left Ian) looked like a stable pair and a squabbling threesome. about a dozen coot and moorhen small flocks of lapwing,starling usual BH gull flock with some common gull and a couple of LBB the only duck I could find were a few mallard
Nice to meet you for the first time Ian.
Pete Lane said
Sat Mar 1 12:01 PM, 2008
11.30am
Blowing really strong over the water.
11 cormorants (sheltering on island-too windy for their usual perching stumps) 8 tufted 9 jackdaw (on island) a few canadas on island looking broody 50+ BH gull usual coots, moorhen.
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Feb 28 6:31 PM, 2008
Thursday 28th Feb, 11:50
4 Curlew and other usual stuff
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
Pete Lane said
Sat Feb 23 11:59 AM, 2008
10.30-11.15
3 oystercatchers for the first time they were all feeding together on the island seemingly at peace with the world, then after about half an hour an almighty battle broke out between two of them, they went at each other like two fighting cocks (which I suppose they were!) before one of them fled with the other in hot persuit.
12 cormorants
a few mallard,teal,tufted,coot moorhen,jackdaw.
3 pairs of GC grebe
small flock (12) lapwing)
Steve Almond said
Tue Feb 19 2:16 PM, 2008
Walked round 10.15 to 12.45. Lodge 90% frozen.
41 Teal sat on the ice 2 Tufted 5 Snipe Water Rail heard 2 Oystercatcher 50 Lapwing 46 Golden Plover 16 Meadow pipit 2 Reed Bunting 1 Sparrowhawk 1 Little Owl - same place as last week but this time asleep 1 GS Woodpecker in Lostock wood c40 Redwing also in the wood 1 Grey Wagtail at overflow 1 Little Grebe
Pete Lane said
Mon Feb 18 11:54 AM, 2008
10.15-11.00am
90% frozen.
3 cormorant (over) 200+ BH gull 30 teal 7 mallard 7 coot 4 moorhen 1 oystercatcher (feeding in field with lapwings) 500+ starling 1 sparrowhawk 50+ lapwing
Steve Almond said
Sun Feb 17 2:59 PM, 2008
Sunday 13.30 to 14.30
3 Cormorant 22 Teal 14 Tufted 3 Oystercatcher 1 male Stonechat 200 Lapwing 71 Golden Plover in field South of Lodge
9 Cormorant 6 GC Grebe 26 Teal 3 Tufted 2 Oystercatcher 120 Lapwing 2 Snipe 3 Meadow pipit 2 Reed bunting 1 male stonechat 42 Fieldfare 26 Redwing 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (Lostock wood) 1 Grey Wagtail (at overflow) AND FINALLY 1 Little Owl being harassed by Goldfinches and Greenfinches in trees near Lostock football pitches
Pete Lane said
Mon Feb 11 7:25 PM, 2008
3.30pm
Two fully grown, dark brown foxes jumping around like puppies in the field to the left of the gate and only 10 or so yards from it.When they finally saw me after several minutes they gave me a long hard stare and then trotted off in opposite directions.
Steve Almond said
Mon Feb 11 11:39 AM, 2008
9.30am to 11.15 A beautiful sunny day. How I miss being at work!
3 Oystercatchers. 2 Snipe. 15 Fieldfare. Skylark. very distant Buzzard. (circling over High Rid)
(Finally got one in before Steve & Pete ! )
Pete Lane said
Sat Feb 9 4:38 PM, 2008
4.00pm
3 oystercatchers 3 heron (on island) 100+ lapwing (on island) 3 tufted 12+ coot a few mallard and teal 2 little grebe 9 cormorant 50+bh gull & 1 lbb gull
Steve Almond said
Fri Feb 8 2:26 PM, 2008
Walked round 10.15 to 13.00
15 Cormorant 2 GC Grebe 4 Little grebe 6 Tufted 11 Teal 3 Oystercatcher 60 Lapwing 1 Water Rail heard 2 Snipe 2 male Stonechat (not together) 15 Greenfinch 10 Goldfinch 1 Song thrush 64 Redwing (on Lostock football pitches) 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (Lostock wood) 1 Sparrowhawk
3 oystercatcher today looked like a pair and one on its own. (on its own island) 18 cormorants 100+ lapwings on islands a few mallard, coot, moorhen and jackdaw
Steve Almond said
Sat Feb 2 4:58 PM, 2008
Walked round listening to Reading 0 Bolton 2. 2.30pm to 4.45pm.
100+ Pinkfeet in flight heading West. 1 Pinkfoot down with Canadas. 1 Golden plover at Seddon Fold farm with 157 Lapwing 52 Redwing, 5 Fieldfare, 2 Mistle thrush on Chew Moor football pitches 8 Tufted 1 Grey Wagtail at overflow 1 Snipe
Steve Almond said
Sat Feb 2 12:27 PM, 2008
10.30 to 12.15 (with Pete lane)
1 Greater black backed 111 Canadas 17 Cormorant 150 Lapwing 19 Golden Plover (after you left Pete) 2 Oystercatcher 18 Teal 2 Tufted 200 Starling A pair of Stonechat along Knutshaw Brook
Steve Almond said
Fri Feb 1 12:10 PM, 2008
10.15 to 11.15
Very windy 2 Oystercatcher 11 Cormorant 30 Lapwing 300 Starling 5 Tufted A pair of Stonechat along Knutshaw Brook near Shell garage
Simon Warford said
Tue Jan 29 2:35 PM, 2008
Nice to see you registered Steve, looks like Rumworth will have coverage never seen before in its history this Spring and Autumn, im facing stiff competition now!
Steve Almond said
Tue Jan 29 2:23 PM, 2008
10.15am to 11.45
2 Oystercatcher on North island 2 Snipe 7 Tufted 4 Cormorant 5 GC Grebe 1 Little grebe 30 Lapwing 8 Teal 8 Long tailed tit 1 Goldcrest (in conifers near Shell garage)
Pete Lane said
Mon Jan 28 11:34 AM, 2008
11.30am bright and mild for a change.
2 Oyster catchers on island 10 Cormorant 12 teal 10 mallard 5 tufted 3 GC Grebe a few lapwings on island 5 moorhen a few coot 50+ bh gull 1 lbb gull
Pete Lane said
Fri Jan 25 3:50 PM, 2008
2.30pm
12 cormorant (too windy to perch on the usual posts, all sheltering on the island) 1 wigeon 10 tufted 7 coot 1 mute swan 1 kestel 200+ bh gull (too windy to examine closely)
4 swallows
4 oystercatchers (one has been sitting for 4 days now, could anyone tell me the incubation period?)
18 cormorants
6 tufted
9 GCgrebe
`Twas I !
3/4/08
male Ring Ouzel in the field close to where the Wheatears have been of late. It flew into trees when harrassed by Crows at 10.15 and I couldn`t re-find it.
Sightings with Steve Almond ;
Snipe.
Curlew over.
Shelduck.
2 Sand Martins.
4 Oystercatchers.
-- Edited by Simon Warford at 18:17, 2008-04-02
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar at 19:44, 2008-04-02
4 oystercatchers one sat in scrape it was excavating yesterday, seemingly oblivoous to the 20 cormorants surrounding it!
at least 13 tufted
Swallow @ 16.30ish
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
male Wheatear in the horse paddocks to the left of farm.
2 fem Goosanders on left hand island.
4 Oycs.
singing Chiffchaff.
-- Edited by Ian Woosey at 17:39, 2008-03-31
oystercatcher on left island excavating a scrape, but as it was sharing the few square yards of shells with 18 cormorants it soon lost interest.
still 5 tufted
plus usual
2 Oystercatcher
1 Kestrel
1 Buzzard
1 Snipe
7 Meadow pipit
5 Pied wagtail
2 male Wheatear in Lock Lane field
26 march 08 3pm
4 Sand Martin
8 Wigeon
A few Teal, Tufted, Cormorant.
1st winter Great Black Backed Gull
2nd winter Herring Gull
15 Common Gull
Thanks to Phill Rhodes, pointing them out. I'm crap at Gulls.
Nice to meet you Steve.
Pete, can't remember your numbers,
4 birders at Rumworth at the same time? Must be a county record
Cheers Dean.
24 cormorants (my biggest count)
4 wigeon (2m 2f)
9 GCG
little grebe
4 mallard (all male)
4 oystercatcher
plus usual
1 greylag (mostly a loner but did join a group of a dozen canadas until they flew off into the field)
21 cormorants
2 little grebe
1 LBB Gull (but only a very few BH gull)
20+wood pigeon
usual GCgrebe, tufted. teal, jackdaw, coots, moorhens and the 4 0ystercatchers
23 cormorants
100+ BH Gull (mostly in field)
5 Tufted (3m 2f this group have been present for several weeks now)
2 oystercatchers feeding in field
4 teal asleep on small pond
lots of canadas
plus usual
8 Meadow pipit
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Buzzard
5 Oystercatcher
7 Teal
5 Tufted
16 GC grebe
2 Little grebe
1 Little ringed plover (Lock Lane flooded field)
1 Curlew
1 Grey wagtail
I know that in the last few years they have spent over £5000 stocking fish, most of which seem to have disappeared down the throats of our friends. The club is now in danger of folding due to the membership falling from 150 down to around 50 due mainly to the deterioration in fishing caused almost certainly by predation by cormorants.
It is true that the club applied for a licence to cull the numbers, but the decision was not taken lightly as most members are true nature lovers, and welcome the sight of other fish eating residents such as GC Grebe, heron and kingfisher.
Something will have to be done nationwide as many other waters are suffering in a similar way, and for birders to be totally obstructive, and behave in a completely selfish way is not helpful.
Just to add to Pete`s earlier sightings ;
single Redshank.
3 very distant Buzzards (over Westhoughton !)
(R.Thorpe & I.Woosey)
22 cormorants
4 oystercatchers (1 pair on each island as usual)
7 GCGrebe
1 (m) kestrel which flushed at least 50 BH Gull- do they really need to be scared of a kestrel????
plus usual.
1 shellduck
1 curlew (on island)
21 cormorants
4 heron flying south then one pair changed their mind and dropped in.
7 GC grebe
plus usual
1 buzzard (flew over)
8 cormorants
5 tufted
pair mallard
5 teal
40+ canadas
8 GCGrebe
2 oystercatcher
15+coot
heron
24 woodpigeon (all perched in small trees near water)
40+ BH Gull
plus moorhens,jackdaws.carrion crows
18 cormorants
4 pinkfeet (feeding in the field on far side)
2 curlew
4 oystercatcher
4 tufted
9 teal
plus usual GC grebe, little grebe, canadas, coot, moorhen and some fieldfare mixed up in a flock of starlings.
cold wind blowing across the water.
15 cormorants
4 oystercatchers
7 tufted (6 male)
6 teal
plus usual.
9 Goldeneye and 3 Tufted on the water plus a Stonechat in right hand field
nice crisp sunny morning.
12 cormorants
9 GCGrebe
1 little grebe
5 oystercatchers (I saw all 5 after you left Ian) looked like a stable pair and a squabbling threesome.
about a dozen coot and moorhen
small flocks of lapwing,starling
usual BH gull flock with some common gull and a couple of LBB
the only duck I could find were a few mallard
Nice to meet you for the first time Ian.
Blowing really strong over the water.
11 cormorants (sheltering on island-too windy for their usual perching stumps)
8 tufted
9 jackdaw (on island)
a few canadas on island looking broody
50+ BH gull
usual coots, moorhen.
4 Curlew and other usual stuff
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
3 oystercatchers for the first time they were all feeding together on the island seemingly at peace with the world, then after about half an hour an almighty battle broke out between two of them, they went at each other like two fighting cocks (which I suppose they were!) before one of them fled with the other in hot persuit.
12 cormorants
a few mallard,teal,tufted,coot moorhen,jackdaw.
3 pairs of GC grebe
small flock (12) lapwing)
41 Teal sat on the ice
2 Tufted
5 Snipe
Water Rail heard
2 Oystercatcher
50 Lapwing
46 Golden Plover
16 Meadow pipit
2 Reed Bunting
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Little Owl - same place as last week but this time asleep
1 GS Woodpecker in Lostock wood
c40 Redwing also in the wood
1 Grey Wagtail at overflow
1 Little Grebe
90% frozen.
3 cormorant (over)
200+ BH gull
30 teal
7 mallard
7 coot
4 moorhen
1 oystercatcher (feeding in field with lapwings)
500+ starling
1 sparrowhawk
50+ lapwing
3 Cormorant
22 Teal
14 Tufted
3 Oystercatcher
1 male Stonechat
200 Lapwing
71 Golden Plover in field South of Lodge
9 Cormorant
13 Teal
13 Tufted
1 Gadwall
1 female Goldeneye
2 Oystercatcher
100 Lapwing
89 Redwing
14 Fieldfare
1 male Stonechat
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
1 Little grebe
9 Cormorant
6 GC Grebe
26 Teal
3 Tufted
2 Oystercatcher
120 Lapwing
2 Snipe
3 Meadow pipit
2 Reed bunting
1 male stonechat
42 Fieldfare
26 Redwing
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (Lostock wood)
1 Grey Wagtail (at overflow)
AND FINALLY
1 Little Owl being harassed by Goldfinches and Greenfinches in trees near Lostock football pitches
Two fully grown, dark brown foxes jumping around like puppies in the field to the left of the gate and only 10 or so yards from it.When they finally saw me after several minutes they gave me a long hard stare and then trotted off in opposite directions.
135 Lapwing
200 starling
8 Cormorant
3 Oystercatcher
5 GC Grebe
8 Tufted
3 Teal
1 snipe
4 Reed bunting
A pair of Stonechat
5 Meadow pipit
3 Oystercatchers.
2 Snipe.
15 Fieldfare.
Skylark.
very distant Buzzard. (circling over High Rid)
(Finally got one in before Steve & Pete !
3 oystercatchers
3 heron (on island)
100+ lapwing (on island)
3 tufted
12+ coot
a few mallard and teal
2 little grebe
9 cormorant
50+bh gull & 1 lbb gull
15 Cormorant
2 GC Grebe
4 Little grebe
6 Tufted
11 Teal
3 Oystercatcher
60 Lapwing
1 Water Rail heard
2 Snipe
2 male Stonechat (not together)
15 Greenfinch
10 Goldfinch
1 Song thrush
64 Redwing (on Lostock football pitches)
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (Lostock wood)
1 Sparrowhawk
8 Tufted
15 Cormorant
22 Teal
4 GC Grebe
2 Little grebe
2 pair of Oystercatcher
50 Lapwing
1 pair of Stonechat
22 Redwing
29 Fieldfare
300 Starling
1 Kestrel
1 Sparrowhawk
3 oystercatcher today looked like a pair and one on its own. (on its own island)
18 cormorants
100+ lapwings on islands
a few mallard, coot, moorhen and jackdaw
100+ Pinkfeet in flight heading West.
1 Pinkfoot down with Canadas.
1 Golden plover at Seddon Fold farm with 157 Lapwing
52 Redwing, 5 Fieldfare, 2 Mistle thrush on Chew Moor football pitches
8 Tufted
1 Grey Wagtail at overflow
1 Snipe
1 Greater black backed
111 Canadas
17 Cormorant
150 Lapwing
19 Golden Plover (after you left Pete)
2 Oystercatcher
18 Teal
2 Tufted
200 Starling
A pair of Stonechat along Knutshaw Brook
Very windy
2 Oystercatcher
11 Cormorant
30 Lapwing
300 Starling
5 Tufted
A pair of Stonechat along Knutshaw Brook near Shell garage
2 Oystercatcher on North island
2 Snipe
7 Tufted
4 Cormorant
5 GC Grebe
1 Little grebe
30 Lapwing
8 Teal
8 Long tailed tit
1 Goldcrest (in conifers near Shell garage)
2 Oyster catchers on island
10 Cormorant
12 teal
10 mallard
5 tufted
3 GC Grebe
a few lapwings on island
5 moorhen
a few coot
50+ bh gull
1 lbb gull
12 cormorant (too windy to perch on the usual posts, all sheltering on the island)
1 wigeon
10 tufted
7 coot
1 mute swan
1 kestel
200+ bh gull (too windy to examine closely)