A Spotted Flycatcher hawking from trees along Higher Slack Brook this morning. The location is to the north of the reservoir. Follow the boardwalk between the ponds and the bird was in the trees next to the footpath, just before the kissing gate, grid reference SD908186. Only the second spring record for the site.

Female mallard with 9 ducklings just a few days old
pair of Moorhens with 4 chicks of similar age
Great Crested Grebe - pair

6 Skylarks singing

14 Willow Warblers singing
Whitethroat singing
Grasshopper Warbler heard reeling

8 Wrens singing
Song Thrush singing

8 Chaffinches singing
Lesser Redpoll - minimum 5 in display flight
2 Reed Buntings singing

No sign of the Cuckoos




-- Edited by Steve Atkins on Thursday 15th of May 2014 01:59:34 PM

A calling Cuckoo was seen here and photographed by Deon Meadowcroft on 24th April and was calling again on 1st and 11th May. Assuming it's the same bird, it's clearly been on territory. This morning at approx. 9.45 I heard a Cuckoo calling in the distance, probably in the mature sycamores on the side of Middle Hill. The bird then flew in and landed in a tree close to the steps down to Higher Slack Brook (to the north of the reservoir) and then flew further downstream and was heard but not visible.

Walking up the track from Higher Slack Brook towards Steward Barn I relocated the Cuckoo perched in the trees on the moorland side of Rotary Plantation. Setting up my scope, I was amazed to find that there were in fact two Cuckoos perched in the same beech. The other bird was a grey female, slightly smaller, of duller plumage than the male and silent. The pair were being mobbed by 2 Meadow Pipits.

The male Cuckoo continued calling and fanning its tail perched horizontally on a branch. I watched the birds through my scope for a good half an hour at a distance of approx. 200 metres. Eventually the female flew off into the trees followed by the male. There was no sign of a satellite tag on either bird

Quite a red letter day, as it's the first time I've seen a pair of Cuckoos in GM.

Also seen
Pair of Great Crested Grebes displaying
A Curlew displaying over the moors
male Kestrel
Chiffchaff - 1 singing
Willow Warbler - 14 singing (not a full site count)
Whitethroat - 2 singing
Reed Bunting - 2 singing
Lesser Redpoll - 3

5th May 2014

8.50am to 10.50

A good couple of hours spent wandering around the area this morning.

Carrion Crow
Chaffinch
Chiffchaff
Feral Pigeon
Goldcrest
Goldfinch
Great Tit
Kestrel
Lapwing
Magpie
Meadow Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Reed Bunting
Robin
Skylark
Starling
Swallow
Wheatear
Willow Warbler
Woodpigeon

Regards

Dave

28 Willow Warblers were singing from the plantations around the reservoir this morning during a full site count with just one singing Chiffchaff trying its best not to let the side down. This will probably be the peak count here for this spring, although there is still time for a few more arrivals to boost the numbers. It's remarkable how consistent the timing of the peak migration for Willow Warbler is at Watergrove.

Previous years maxima are as follows:
2013 - 21 singing on 20th April
2012 - 31 singing on 21st April. An all time site record.
2011 - 28 singing on 16th April
2010 - 24 singing on 24th April

A large number of these birds will just be moving through with smaller numbers staying on to breed.

Skylark - 5 singing (S)
Wren - 10 (S)
male Blackbird with a beak full of worms (FF)
Robin - 6 (S)
Wheatear - 2 on the fields to the east of Steward Barn
Dunnock - 3 (S)
Chaffinch - 4 (S)

male and female Teal on the hide pool but not associating with one another

A male Ring Ouzel was perched in the hawthorn hedge along Ramsden Rd to the north of Little Town at 09:15 hrs

11 Willow Warblers singing between SE corner of resr and the hide, so a full site count would have almost certainly been double this number.

13 Lesser Redpolls feeding in alder in windsurfers' car park - the birds were calling continuously and some displaying in flight

2 pairs of Reed Buntings

A pair of Linnet

Tufted Duck - 2 pairs

Teal - a pair

2 Canada Geese sitting on nests

No sign of the shrike either from the hide, around the memorial garden or at Little Town.

Mike Passant wrote:

---

Hi All,

Any updates therefore, (especially on Thursday evening) would as usual be really appreciated please.

Best Wishes,
Mike P.

---

Hi Mike,

It was good to meet you last Friday at Watergrove. Unfortunately, I won't be able to get up there tomorrow (Thursday) and am not sure whether anyone else will be going up to unlock the hide.

Good luck if you do decide to try for the shrike.

Steve

Late evening visit and no sign of the Great Grey Shrike from the hide until dusk.

An Osprey flew NW over the moors to the north of the reservoir at 7.35 PM

No sign of Great Grey Shrike between 9am and 3pm.

Hi All,

As we're travelling down to Liverpool this weekend, we have the option to go a day early and spend Friday trying for the Watergrove Shrike if it should still be around for another 48 hours.

Any updates therefore, (especially on Thursday evening) would as usual be really appreciated please.

Best Wishes,
Mike P.

Great Grey Shrike still present this am; just south of the memorial garden at 06:45.

Info thanks to Simon Hitchen

Having spent over an hour scanning the plantations on the west side of the reservoir from the hillside above, I reached the hide just before 8pm. There was no sign initially and then the Great Grey Shrike suddenly appeared at the top of a birch approx. 100 metres to the north of the hide

It took flight and landed in the birch just 50 metres to the north of the hide and perched for about a minute. A Reed Bunting started mobbing it and it flew towards the dry stone wall and disappeared from view.

Simon Hitchen will be opening the hide up tomorrow morning at about 6.30 and it will be left open until about 8pm.

Good luck Simon. You certainly deserve to see this bird after so many fruitless visits

Steve

Dave Colton wrote:

---

Any word on Great Grey Shrike sightings today, I was thinking of driving over this Evening?

---

Other than the post below your original request Dave, no.

Any word on Great Grey Shrike sightings today, I was thinking of driving over this Evening?

No sign of the Great Grey Shrike so far this morning.

Info thanks to John Doherty

The hide at Watergrove is now open this morning.

Info thanks to Steve Atkins/Alan Nuttall

great grey shrike (another lifer, 2 in 2 days) was showing well this morning, in the hour I watched it, it had caught & eaten 2 bumble bees.

nice to meet dave ousey also.

on a wonder around afterwards as I went in search of any ring ouzels but none seen unfortunately, other birds around...

several lesser redpoll inc a lovely male just outside the entrance of the hide.
1 willow warbler
1 chiffchaff
1 bullfinch
1 stonechat
3 jays
1 kestrel
2 coal tits
lots of meadow pipits & few skylarks
plus usuals around.


-- Edited by steven burke on Sunday 6th of April 2014 07:12:13 PM



-- Edited by steven burke on Sunday 6th of April 2014 08:10:18 PM

-- Edited by steven burke on Sunday 6th of April 2014 08:11:29 PM

2.45 - 6.30pm
Met some nice people today including Chris Chandler.
The Great Grey Shrike was picked up in a tree in front of the hide by another birder, I take it that was you Mark. It didn't hang about for a photo and it flew off to the other side of the res.
Another birder and his son located it with a scope on the far side. We had a walk round but what looked like the Shrike flew back over towards the hide.
I didn't see it again whilst I was there.

Other sightings include:

Meadow Pipits
Buzzard
Peregrine
Raven
Jay
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler ( heard )
Curlew ( heard )
and of note... a Roe Deer in the open field next to Little Town. It got spooked and bounded off into the wooded area.

Great Grey Shrike showing well on and off from the hide between 1430-1555 but does go missing for periods. As we left, it had flown over to the far side of the reservoir to the left of the hide.

Thanks very much Steve, I'm on site now after dipping on the Two-Barred Crossbill at Binn Green AGAIN !

Rob Creek wrote:

---

Thanks for that Paul, yes I passed the Memorial Gardens, I remember pausing here as there was a Robin making the most unusual sound (Song Thrush-like). I'm going there again today but now I've got to find the hide!

---

Rob,

The Manchester Birding site article on Watergrove tells you where the hide is Watergrove Reservoir

See the Access section at the end of the article.
Access to the hide is along a path which runs west from the windsurfer's car park, on the west side of the club house. Follow the track from Trap Farm car park round the east side of the reservoir.

It will be open until about 7pm this evening but may not be open tomorrow until the evening, as I have to take my car into the garage for the second time in a week

I'll try my best to arrange for it to be opened on Monday for anyone who can't get up there today. I'll post on here hopefully later this evening.

Great Grey Shrike still showing at 11:05.

Info thanks to Dave Ousey

Paul Heaton wrote:

---

Rob, before you get to the sailing club, there is a memorial gardens on your right, in front of that by the water, are some trees it was perching on them, got a record shot on my i-phone, one of Steve Atkins mates Deon got some excellent shots on his camera, and you quite right two dog walkers were all we saw, spent four hours wandering around , just in the right time at the right moment, it flew from the direction of the nature res onto the trees, then into the memorial gardens, flew back to the waters edge, then over the trees to Little town Ruins.

A group of ramblers had it there about 12,50, when they were having their dinner.



Keep Birding

-- Edited by Paul Heaton on Sunday 6th of April 2014 09:52:00 AM

---

Thanks for that Paul, yes I passed the Memorial Gardens, I remember pausing here as there was a Robin making the most unusual sound (Song Thrush-like). I'm going there again today but now I've got to find the hide!

It's not often you twitch three Simon's together in a flock With Simons Johnson and Warford. Simon Hitchen was just seen briefly in a fly past.

Just a tip for anyone going to see the Great Grey Shrike. It was showing really well to the north of the hide. Hovering at one point and showing off its white wing bars and when perched fanning its tail. View through the windows straight ahead as you walk through the door with the main pool to your right but was being mobbed by two male Blackbirds who dislodged it from its perch and then started fighting each other. However, it then disappeared from view for quite a while. We relocated it perched in a birch behind a willow bush which is out of view from the hide. So it's worth scanning the trees on the far side of the pool at the start of the path to the hide. The birch is at the top end of the pool on the left hand side when viewed from the path, but the shrike was moving around in the area.

63 (is that the correct number Simon J?) Herring Gulls were circling low over the plantations and drifted west over the valley, gaining height until they were well over the top of Brown Wardle and heading west, probably towards the coast. It's unusual to see this species here in such numbers. Probably brought down by the low cloud earlier this morning.

Redshank - 1
Oystercatcher - one pair seen and a probable third bird flew in and caused the pair to get very vocal
Chiffchaff - 1 singing
Willow Warbler - 1 singing
Goldcrest - 1 singing
Fieldfare - 40 + flying SW
several Lesser Redpoll calling and flying around.




-- Edited by Steve Atkins on Sunday 6th of April 2014 10:45:37 AM

Great Grey Shrike showing well from the hide at 08:50 this morning, in a tree to the north,

Info thanks to Steve Atkins

Rob, before you get to the sailing club, there is a memorial gardens on your right, in front of that by the water, are some trees it was perching on them, got a record shot on my i-phone, one of Steve Atkins mates Deon got some excellent shots on his camera, and you quite right two dog walkers were all we saw, spent four hours wandering around , just in the right time at the right moment, it flew from the direction of the nature res onto the trees, then into the memorial gardens, flew back to the waters edge, then over the trees to Little town Ruins.

A group of ramblers had it there about 12,50, when they were having their dinner.



Keep Birding

-- Edited by Paul Heaton on Sunday 6th of April 2014 09:52:00 AM

Paul, when you say the water's edge, was it en route of the suggested directions below? I hardly passed anyone except a couple of dog walkers.

2.15 - 4.45pm.
Nice to meet John Doherty again.

Started at the Res edge near the car park and worked my way round to the sailing club and then the Little Town ruins, then followed the path further up onto the moor, unfortunately no sign whatsoever of the Great Grey Shrike.
John had been there well before me and he dipped on the Shrike also. The closest we got was a Jay faffing about among the clumps of grass in the field.

No sign of the Goshawk, or any Ring Ousel's either!

Plenty of Meadow Pipits, Pied Wagtails, a couple of Finch/Tit flocks...contained Goldfinch and Blue Tit, a couple of Buzzards and a Cormorant.

If the Shrike is still there tomorrow, I will try again!

Great Grey Shrike showing very well at 15.30 perched in small tree by water edge. spent 4 hours there today, excellent tour round with Dino,

Keep Birding.

Great Grey Shrike seen from the hide by Deon Meadowcroft and flew towardd Little Town again, at 11:50 today.

Info thanks to Steve Atkins

Good to catch up with you again Steve. The escaped Goshawk was perched on a wall about half a mile north of the res at 6pm then dropped into the ravine and it still had loads of crows for company, as well as the 4 Ring Ouzels, there were 5 male Wheatears, Woodcock, Willow Warbler, Green Woodpecker, 75 Fieldfare, 15 Redwing and 4 Curlew overhead. No sign of the Shrike up to 7pm despite a thorough search of the whole area.

Congratulations Alan on a fantastic find. I'm really glad that you went looking for those Brambling this morning. It's 15 years since Watergrove's first, and until today, only Great Grey Shrike appeared on 7th April 1999 and stayed until the 14th. Unfortunately, it looks like today's bird was just passing through.

It was great to see so many birders at Watergrove today and just goes to show what can be found here with better coverage. Well done Simon on finding the four Ring Ouzels. That's the best recorded spring passage here for this species since a certain Mr McKerchar stole tournament points off me with eight birds on 20th April 2007

-- Edited by Steve Atkins on Friday 4th of April 2014 09:06:12 PM

Escaped female Goshawk perched in hawthorns and at least 4 ring ouzel (2 males) scattered around the area just north west of the reservoir inlet at 5.10pm.


-- Edited by Simon Warford on Friday 4th of April 2014 09:18:09 PM

Female Goshawk with Jessie's just flown north over the res mobbed by 15 crows also 2 male Ring Ouzels on west side above valley. No sign of Shrike.

Probable willow warbler in opposite corner of paddock where I dipped shrike by 5-10 mins

Greenish upper parts, white underparts lemon wash on side of breast pale legs

No sign if the shrike since 12:15pm

Info thanks to Dave Ousey

Martyn Jones wrote:

---

Quick Steve, get over there!

---

He's way ahead of you there

Quick Steve, get over there!

Great Grey Shrike still present at midday.

Follow the cobbled road from the windsurfers clubhouse past the ruins on your left (with is 'Little Town') and the bird is in the open field with isolated bushes just north of it. Please view only from the track.

Info thanks to Steve Atkins

Great Grey Shrike at 10:20am; currently at Little Town. Take the cobbled road north from the yacht club and the bird is 50-100 yards further up.

Info thanks to Alan Nuttall

A pair of Shoveler on the reservoir this evening, possibly the same birds seen by Dave Winnard at Ashworth Moor Reservoir yesterday.

20 Teal in the middle of the reservoir, so almost certainly migrants.

A Redshank landed on the inside of the dam and a Curlew was alarm calling over the moors then heard giving display call.

Monday 31st March

An interesting cross over of returning winter migrants and incoming spring birds

A minimum of 8 Brambling were in the plantations including a male seen at close range starting to moult into breeding plumage

100 Starlings landed in trees on the edge of the moor and then took flight. Probably migrants on their way back.

46 Fieldfare flew north
8 Siskins

2 Sand Martins over the reservoir
A Chiffchaff singing by the hide.

Bright, warm and windy for my first site visit

Little to see:

Kestrel
Coal Tits
Loads of Meadow Pipits on higher ground.

Etc

5 Wigeon (1 male) on the reservoir out from the dam at 13:00 hrs. The birds weren't here early this morning when an Oystercatcher was on the shoreline in front of the windsurfers' club house and 5 Snipe on the main pool by the hide.
Also this afternoon a Curlew was circling over the reservoir calling. The first of the year was heard yesterday calling over the moors.

A pair of Goosander mating on the hide pool at dusk. Seems rather early and a bit cold for this type of activity
Also 8 Goosander on the reservoir at 16:30 hrs presumably going to roost overnight.

This morning 6 Bullfinches were feeding in a larch behind the generator and 5 Snipe were on the hide pool.

A Bar-tailed Godwit in winter plumage was on the spit in front of the windsurfers' club house at 9 am. It gave excellent views before taking flight south just before 10 am. So it may be worth checking Kingsway Business Park. I'd actually hoped it was a Black-tailed Godwit, as I still need this species for my Watergrove list.

Alan Nuttall took some excellent photos of the bird which I'm looking forward to seeing.

A Dipper was seen last Sunday, a fairly unusual sighting here.

A beautiful sunny morning with clear blue sky. 3 Crossbills flew north calling over Higher Slack Brook.
Other sightings:
10 Snipe and a Kingfisher on the pools by the hide
Teal - 6
Cormorant
Lapwing - 5
Song Thrush
The Fieldfare have all moved through with just one bird in the memorial garden
Goldcrest - 2
Bullfinch - 3
Lesser Redpoll

13 Pink-footed Geese flew west at 18:10 hrs.

Light north-easterly with occasional showers
4 f./imm Brambling gave excellent views down to 15M, perched in a rowan at the bottom of Ramsden Rd by the windsurfers' club house
Lapwing - 50 roosting on spit in front of club house
Snipe - 2
Teal - 2
Tufted Duck - 3
Great Crested Grebe
Cormorant
Sparrowhawk - female flew over flushing Lapwings
Kestrel
Stonechat - a male was hovering over the juncus to the south of Steward Barn. The first I've seen here this year.
Kingfisher - on pools by the hide
Fieldfare - two flocks of 18 and 40, the first of the autumn here
Redwing - 42
Grey Wagtail - 2
Lesser Redpoll - 11

with Debs Wallace and Deon Meadowcroft

Shelduck - a pair with 2 juveniles flew in at at 12:40 hrs and departed SW at 12:55 hrs.
juv. Tufted Duck (remaining survivor from brood of 3 first seen in early Aug)
Teal - 4
Great Crested Grebe
Kestrel - 2 over East Hill repeatedly flushing a flock of 50+ Meadow Pipits
female Sparrowhawk
Lapwing- 36
Black-headed Gull -110
Lesser Redpoll - 8

08:30 to 12:00 with Deon Meadowcroft
7 Snipe flew in and landed on the north shore line
14 Teal flew in and joined a single bird already down
50 Meadow Pipits flew south over Steward Barn in small flocks
A mixed flock of 40+ House Martins and Swallows flew north. The flight direction was probably due to Rochdale and Manchester (to the south) being shrouded in mist.
Siskin - 7
Kestrel

18:30 to 19:15 hrs
14 Wigeon on the resr mostly eclipse males showing white forewing whilst bathing
27 Teal swam out from the shoreline and joined the Wigeon
Lapwing - 53 roosting on spit in front of windsurfers' clubhouse

A Ring Ouzel was heard calling in the NW corner of the reservoir (just to south of Kathray Wood) at approx. 10am. A brief flight view and then it disappeared. Deon Meadowcroft and I spent half an hour searching for it and eventually relocated the bird (a f./imm.) perched at the top of a larch with two Mistle Thrushes. We were watching from the bridleway to the north of Roads Farm.

Otherwise fairly quiet in misty conditions.
Lapwing - 24
Chiffchaff - 3
Goldcrest - 3
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Reed Bunting - 2
Meadow Pipits - quite a bit of movement but no large flocks

19:00 hrs

A Green Sandpiper was heard calling high up over the reservoir but I was unable to locate it.

Yesterday morning a Spotted Flycatcher was hawking from the trees at the back of the windsurfers' car park.