17 pochard 13 tufted duck 3 goldeneye 7 gadwall 5 great crested grebe 2-3 kingfisher 2 grey heron 1 grey wagtail 2 goosander over 10 ring necked parakeet, 8 on the feeders 270+ gulls on the lake, 13 common gulls the rest black headed gulls, no sign of anything else. I also looked on Saturday afternoon at the gulls but no signs of the Mediterranean gull seen in the morning, there was also 7 siskin on the feeding table on Saturday.
Pete Hines said
Sat Feb 20 12:48 PM, 2016
Mediterranean Gull - 1, 1st winter, 10.05 - 10.20 at least (info from Liam Langley)
David Morris said
Tue Feb 16 10:02 PM, 2016
1 Grey Wagtail on the ground by the warden/RSPB hut about 3pm today.
Eugene Dillon-Hooper said
Mon Feb 15 3:37 PM, 2016
1 Goldeneye M 10-15 Tufted duck Decent number of Pochard under the trees on the eastern island Plenty of the usual smaller song birds
Barlow tip: 4 Bullfinch 3 Blue tit
Mark Harvey said
Sun Feb 14 3:48 PM, 2016
14 2 16
2 Ring Necked Parakeets over 8 Pochard 3 Tufted Duck 1 pair of Goldeneye 1 Lesser Blacked Back Gull
Chris Sutton said
Fri Feb 12 6:50 PM, 2016
Mediterranean Gull (1)- First Winter. 11:15 - 12:00 walk around CWP primarily to check if the Drake Scaup had reappeared - which it hadn't. Numbers generally down for Pochard, Tufted and Gadwall, with no Goldeneye or Goosander. As I left I picked up a first winter med gull in front of the eastern island as you look from the car park corner ( note c 80 Black headed gull and a few common scattered across the lake). It later landed near the launch ramp and I got good views alongside adult and first winter Black Headed Gulls. This is a first for the site for me - I have been hoping for a good gull to turn up ! A couple of other local birders had a look this afternoon but did not manage to locate the Mediterranean Gull - but did mention the gull flock was spooked just as they arrived and many dispersed. Generally quiet otherwise but a few redwing active on the tip. Chris
Eugene Dillon-Hooper said
Wed Feb 10 5:15 PM, 2016
Also no sighting of the Scaup, assume it's moved on in the calmer weather? Few Tufted duck 3 Goldeneye - 1M, 2F Plenty of Pochard Plus all the usuals
Chris Sutton said
Wed Feb 10 10:49 AM, 2016
9:45 to 10:30 am - no sign of Drake Scaup during a quick walk around the water park. Much reduced numbers of Tufted duck too. Chris
Chris Sutton said
Mon Feb 8 3:05 PM, 2016
13:00 - Drake Scaup still present - under the low hanging branches at the western end of the eastern island. Chris
Shannon Llewellyn said
Sun Feb 7 8:39 PM, 2016
This afternoon:
1 goldcrest 7 long-tailed tit 3 house sparrow 3+ goldfinch 2 chaffinch 2 starling Blue tit, great tit, etc 3 moorhen 37 coot 1 scaup (position as per Tony's post below; in the same area for all the time I spent here) 16+ tufted duck 17+ pochard (one female) 2 goldeneye 11 gadwall 8 mute swan Good numbers of mallard and Canada geese 2 great crested grebe 2 cormorant 3 ring-necked parakeet 1 common gull Plenty of black-headed gull
Barlow tip:
20+ siskin 4 greenfinch 1 bullfinch Several long-tailed tit 10+ redwing 1 stock dove over
Steve Scrimgeour said
Sun Feb 7 2:08 PM, 2016
Cheers Tony, caught up with it this morning..
Tony Coatsworth said
Sun Feb 7 1:50 PM, 2016
Scaup still with Pochard - west end of island 1:50 Sunday
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 7th of February 2016 04:25:33 PM
it was still present yesterday (Sat.) afternoon, associating with the Pochard.
Mark Burgess said
Sun Feb 7 9:22 AM, 2016
Scaup still present this morning at 8.45am obligingly out in the open in the sunshine, initially with two drake Pochard, As I left it was within a group of 20 Pochard 19m & 1f, Also of note 1 Ring necked Parakeet on the feeders
Steve Scrimgeour said
Sat Feb 6 9:10 PM, 2016
Any news on the Scaup, is it still about?
Chris Sutton said
Thu Feb 4 4:03 PM, 2016
Drake Scaup still present today but tucked into branches overhanging the eastern end of the Western Island (c. 14:30). Fewer birds at the eastern end of the lake due to a canoe training event taking place. So most duck pushed up the lake. Chris
John Rayner said
Thu Feb 4 3:21 PM, 2016
Yesterday 3rd Feb
The drake Scaup was loitering under willows with 30+ Pochard (mostly males). 5 Ring-necked Parakeets
Cheers, John
P.S. This is also a test to see if the upcoming facility to insert photos within a post is working OK.
It is Richard, though the British vernacular name is just Scaup.
Nigel Richards said
Thu Feb 4 9:21 AM, 2016
Is the Scaup a Greater Scaup?
Chris Sutton said
Wed Feb 3 6:11 PM, 2016
Male Scaup still at eastern end of eastern island at 4pm. But tucked up close under the branches and roots. Chris
Eugene Dillon-Hooper said
Wed Feb 3 2:43 PM, 2016
scaup still by the eastern island with the pochard.
steven burke said
Wed Feb 3 9:20 AM, 2016
Drake scaup still currently present at eastern island with tufted duck & pochard.
Joel Tragen said
Tue Feb 2 8:08 PM, 2016
David Morris wrote:
Joel Tragen wrote:
3-4:15 Male scaup showing brilliantly und the very east of the eastern island 3 goldeneye 2 male 1 female 47 Pochards 30+ tufted duck 1 female goosander 5 great created grebes 5 summer plumage black headed gulls and many non breeding plumage ones. 17 siskins 1 kingfisher
I was there about a week and a half ago and noticed one Great Crested Grebe and a few Black-headed Gulls in summer plumage- is that a bit early? Only asking because I heard a thing recently saying in late December/early January there are normally only 20-30 species of British wildflowers in bloom, but because of our mild winter this year there were 600!
Well I usually notice one or two through out winter with most flocks so it might just be that but that is very interesting about the flowers and I have noticed some mallards mating early. It will be interesting to see if this affects all breeding birds this year.
David Morris said
Tue Feb 2 6:35 PM, 2016
Joel Tragen wrote:
3-4:15 Male scaup showing brilliantly und the very east of the eastern island 3 goldeneye 2 male 1 female 47 Pochards 30+ tufted duck 1 female goosander 5 great created grebes 5 summer plumage black headed gulls and many non breeding plumage ones. 17 siskins 1 kingfisher
I was there about a week and a half ago and noticed one Great Crested Grebe and a few Black-headed Gulls in summer plumage- is that a bit early? Only asking because I heard a thing recently saying in late December/early January there are normally only 20-30 species of British wildflowers in bloom, but because of our mild winter this year there were 600!
Chris Sutton said
Tue Feb 2 6:22 PM, 2016
Hi Joel. I didn't notice that the Scaup had any injured - it seemed ok and was actively diving and moving around - but I will look more closely if I get a chance to return tomorrow. Chris
Joel Tragen said
Tue Feb 2 4:51 PM, 2016
Looking back at my video and photos I noticed the Scaup was holding its left wing oddly has any one else noticed this or just me.
Joel Tragen said
Tue Feb 2 4:41 PM, 2016
3-4:15
Male scaup showing brilliantly und the very east of the eastern island
3 goldeneye 2 male 1 female
47 Pochards
30+ tufted duck
1 female goosander
5 great created grebes
5 summer plumage black headed gulls and many non breeding plumage ones.
17 siskins
1 kingfisher
Chris Sutton said
Tue Feb 2 1:33 PM, 2016
10:00 to 12:30 walk around the water park and Barlow Tip. Of note;
Chorlton Water Park; Scaup (1) male around the end of the eastern island with Pochard and Tufted Duck. Periods asleep close into the bushes which overhang the edge of the island, and periods out and diving - but still close to the island. Goldeneye (1m,1f) Goosander (1f) Gadwall, Mallard, Great Crested Grebe, Coot, Moorhen C 200 Black headed gull, 4 Common Gull and a Lesser Black Backed Gull. Long Tailed Tit, Siskin, Redpoll, Goldfinch Ring necked parakeet
Barlow Tip; Woodcock (1-2) could have been the same bird seen twice Buzzard (1) over Siskin and Redpoll flock (12) Great Spotted Woodpecker (heard)
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Feb 2 12:57 PM, 2016
Drake Scaup present around midday; keeping close in to the edge of the eastern island with Pochard.
Info thanks to Chris Sutton
Tony Darby said
Sat Jan 30 5:21 PM, 2016
Early afternoon visit before the wintery showers set in.
Pochard 31 (26 this time last year) Tufted Duck 30 (64 this time last year)
Pete Hines said
Mon Jan 25 1:33 PM, 2016
Jack Snipe 1 Barlow Tip Pochard 37 Tufted 24 Gadwall 26 Cormorant 5
Quick visit this afternoon 11 Pochards, 10 males and 1 female, all but 2 drakes were frosting under the willows (?) of the furthered the island from the car park, I have never witnessed before but that is probally because I have never really checked or been here when there was masses of Pochards 10 tufted ducks, 9 males 1 female 2 male goldeneye 2 great crested grebes Less than 30 gadwall 1 kingfisher 2 great crested grebes 2 cormorants 1 female Goosander 8 mute swans 2 moorhen in the middle in the lake, which I assumed was because there was masses of people there today, nearly full car park Single redwing by pond 3 chaffinch near the RSPB stand 8 ring necked parakeets around the feeders Cheers Joel
Tim Wilcox said
Mon Jan 4 10:50 AM, 2016
Flock of 100+ Siskin on the Old Tip this morning. I picked out 2 Lesser Redpoll but there were probably more
Pete Hines said
Fri Jan 1 2:51 PM, 2016
Woodcock 1 Barlow Tip
Siskin 21+ Barlow Tip (small mixed flock around the WP)
Lesser Redpoll 11+ Barlow Tip
Pochard 12
Tufted 11
Shoveler 3
Gadwall 34
Goosander 1
steven burke said
Thu Dec 31 10:32 PM, 2015
morning visit, much to same as joel's 1 goldeneye 9 tufted duck 35 gadwall 6 pochard 2 shoveler 2 grey heron 6 cormorant 2 great crested grebe. feeders.. 1 ring-necked parakeet, 1 nuthatch, 5 chaffinch. barlow tip.. 17 lesser redpoll, some of them feeding & drinking water off the path with goldfinches. 15 siskin 9 bullfinch 6 redwing 2 song thrush
-- Edited by steven burke on Thursday 31st of December 2015 10:33:55 PM
Joel Tragen said
Thu Dec 31 2:01 PM, 2015
An hour visit today 11 Pochards, 3 females and 8 males 1 male Goldeneye 10 Tufted ducks, 3 females and 7 males 2 Great Crested Grebes 2 male Goosanders, 1 flew off very soon after we arrived 1 pair of Shoveler 1 Kingfisher 6 Cormorant 1 female Kestrel 4 Common gulls 20+ Gadwall 8 Mute Swans 2 grey Herons Many Mallards and Black-Headed gull Cheers Joel
-- Edited by Joel Tragen on Thursday 31st of December 2015 02:02:19 PM
11 chaffinch, 1 nuthatch, 1 ring-necked parakeet, 2 coal tit, 3 goldcrest, plus blue tit, great tit, dunnock, robin, magpie & woodpigeon.
Joel Tragen said
Wed Dec 23 7:34 PM, 2015
A quick 45 min today this time a cycle around the whole lake. Highlights A pair of Shoveler 6 drake Pochards and 1 Female 17 Tufted Ducks, 4 females, one of which was quite small compared to the others 30+ Gadwall 8 Mute Swan 1 male Goldeneye 2 Great Crested Grebes 0 common gulls Cheers Joel
-- Edited by Joel Tragen on Wednesday 23rd of December 2015 07:36:02 PM
-- Edited by Joel Tragen on Wednesday 23rd of December 2015 07:37:07 PM
Joel Tragen said
Tue Dec 22 6:57 PM, 2015
A 30 min stop in as we cycled past on the way to fletcher moss. Highlights 4 Drake Pochards 1 Drake Goosander 30+ Tufted Ducks 8 Mute Swans 4 Shoveler (2 male, 2 female) 20+ Gadwall 2 Great Crested Grebe 1 Cormorant 2 Ring-Necked Parakeets Cheers Joel
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 22nd of December 2015 08:09:10 PM
17 pochard
13 tufted duck
3 goldeneye
7 gadwall
5 great crested grebe
2-3 kingfisher
2 grey heron
1 grey wagtail
2 goosander over
10 ring necked parakeet, 8 on the feeders
270+ gulls on the lake, 13 common gulls the rest black headed gulls, no sign of anything else. I also looked on Saturday afternoon at the gulls but no signs of the Mediterranean gull seen in the morning, there was also 7 siskin on the feeding table on Saturday.
10-15 Tufted duck
Decent number of Pochard under the trees on the eastern island
Plenty of the usual smaller song birds
Barlow tip:
4 Bullfinch
3 Blue tit
2 Ring Necked Parakeets over
8 Pochard
3 Tufted Duck
1 pair of Goldeneye
1 Lesser Blacked Back Gull
Mediterranean Gull (1)- First Winter.
11:15 - 12:00 walk around CWP primarily to check if the Drake Scaup had reappeared - which it hadn't. Numbers generally down for Pochard, Tufted and Gadwall, with no Goldeneye or Goosander.
As I left I picked up a first winter med gull in front of the eastern island as you look from the car park corner ( note c 80 Black headed gull and a few common scattered across the lake). It later landed near the launch ramp and I got good views alongside adult and first winter Black Headed Gulls. This is a first for the site for me - I have been hoping for a good gull to turn up ! A couple of other local birders had a look this afternoon but did not manage to locate the Mediterranean Gull - but did mention the gull flock was spooked just as they arrived and many dispersed.
Generally quiet otherwise but a few redwing active on the tip.
Chris
Few Tufted duck
3 Goldeneye - 1M, 2F
Plenty of Pochard
Plus all the usuals
Chris
1 goldcrest
7 long-tailed tit
3 house sparrow
3+ goldfinch
2 chaffinch
2 starling
Blue tit, great tit, etc
3 moorhen
37 coot
1 scaup (position as per Tony's post below; in the same area for all the time I spent here)
16+ tufted duck
17+ pochard (one female)
2 goldeneye
11 gadwall
8 mute swan
Good numbers of mallard and Canada geese
2 great crested grebe
2 cormorant
3 ring-necked parakeet
1 common gull
Plenty of black-headed gull
Barlow tip:
20+ siskin
4 greenfinch
1 bullfinch
Several long-tailed tit
10+ redwing
1 stock dove over
Cheers Tony, caught up with it this morning..
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 7th of February 2016 04:25:33 PM
Also of note 1 Ring necked Parakeet on the feeders
Any news on the Scaup, is it still about?
Fewer birds at the eastern end of the lake due to a canoe training event taking place. So most duck pushed up the lake.
Chris
The drake Scaup was loitering under willows with 30+ Pochard (mostly males).
5 Ring-necked Parakeets
Cheers, John
P.S. This is also a test to see if the upcoming facility to insert photos within a post is working OK.
Greater Scaup 1m.
Pochard 20+...majority males.
Tufted Duck 30+
Goosander 1f.
Cormorants.
BH/Common Gulls.
Herring Gull 1
Gadwall 10+
Mute Swans.
Coots.
Moorhen 1
Great Crested Grebe 4
Rose-ringed Parakeet 6
etc.
It is Richard, though the British vernacular name is just Scaup.
Well I usually notice one or two through out winter with most flocks so it might just be that but that is very interesting about the flowers and I have noticed some mallards mating early. It will be interesting to see if this affects all breeding birds this year.
I was there about a week and a half ago and noticed one Great Crested Grebe and a few Black-headed Gulls in summer plumage- is that a bit early? Only asking because I heard a thing recently saying in late December/early January there are normally only 20-30 species of British wildflowers in bloom, but because of our mild winter this year there were 600!
Chris
Chorlton Water Park;
Scaup (1) male around the end of the eastern island with Pochard and Tufted Duck. Periods asleep close into the bushes which overhang the edge of the island, and periods out and diving - but still close to the island.
Goldeneye (1m,1f)
Goosander (1f)
Gadwall, Mallard, Great Crested Grebe, Coot, Moorhen
C 200 Black headed gull, 4 Common Gull and a Lesser Black Backed Gull.
Long Tailed Tit, Siskin, Redpoll, Goldfinch Ring necked parakeet
Barlow Tip;
Woodcock (1-2) could have been the same bird seen twice
Buzzard (1) over
Siskin and Redpoll flock (12)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (heard)
Info thanks to Chris Sutton
Pochard 31 (26 this time last year)
Tufted Duck 30 (64 this time last year)
Pochard 37
Tufted 24
Gadwall 26
Cormorant 5
Single Shelduck flew over east at 13:30 today.
Info thanks to Gary Edwards
Rose-ringed Parakeet 2
Goldeneye 1m
Mute Swan 8
Coot 70+
Pochard 30+ males and 4 females.
Tufted Duck 45+
Great-crested Grebe 4
Canada Geese 30+
Cormorant 3
Gadwall 20+
Grey Heron 1
Kestrel 1
BH/C/LBB Gulls.
Redwing 2
Good counts for a change.
Search 'forum spacing' for the answer.
18 Pochard
flock of 13 Lesser Redpoll and c40 Siskin on the old tip
Kestrel as usual
What's up with the line spacing?
4 siskin
7-8 long-tailed tit
Blue tit (7) & great tit (1) the only other small passerines I saw
5 moorhen
c30 tufted duck
21 pochard (20 male)
c25 gadwall
2 (perhaps 4) shoveler
3 goldeneye (2 female)
8 mute swan
4 (at least) great crested grebe
Coot, mallard & Canada geese in good numbers
c60 black-headed gull
3 common gull (with two more over)
4 ring-necked parakeet
1 grey heron
Barlow tip:
6 long-tailed tit
3 siskin
7 lesser redpoll
3 greenfinch
4 redwing
1 jay (two more on the golf course)
1 kestrel
Also a raven heard when on Barlow tip, but quite distant; somewhere over the other side of the river, as far as I could tell.
-- Edited by Shannon Llewellyn on Sunday 17th of January 2016 08:33:31 PM
afternoon visit
feeders... 10 ring-necked parakeet, 1 nuthatch, 2 chaffinch, plenty of blue & great tit.
24 gadwall, 14 tufted duck, 8 pochard, 1 goldeneye, 1 goosander, 3 great crested grebe, 1 grey heron, 2 siskin, 3 redwing.
11 Pochards, 10 males and 1 female, all but 2 drakes were frosting under the willows (?) of the furthered the island from the car park, I have never witnessed before but that is probally because I have never really checked or been here when there was masses of Pochards
10 tufted ducks, 9 males 1 female
2 male goldeneye
2 great crested grebes
Less than 30 gadwall
1 kingfisher
2 great crested grebes
2 cormorants
1 female Goosander
8 mute swans
2 moorhen in the middle in the lake, which I assumed was because there was masses of people there today, nearly full car park
Single redwing by pond
3 chaffinch near the RSPB stand
8 ring necked parakeets around the feeders
Cheers Joel
Flock of 100+ Siskin on the Old Tip this morning. I picked out 2 Lesser Redpoll but there were probably more
Woodcock 1 Barlow Tip
Siskin 21+ Barlow Tip (small mixed flock around the WP)
Lesser Redpoll 11+ Barlow Tip
Pochard 12
Tufted 11
Shoveler 3
Gadwall 34
Goosander 1
morning visit, much to same as joel's 1 goldeneye 9 tufted duck 35 gadwall 6 pochard 2 shoveler 2 grey heron 6 cormorant 2 great crested grebe. feeders.. 1 ring-necked parakeet, 1 nuthatch, 5 chaffinch. barlow tip.. 17 lesser redpoll, some of them feeding & drinking water off the path with goldfinches. 15 siskin 9 bullfinch 6 redwing 2 song thrush
-- Edited by steven burke on Thursday 31st of December 2015 10:33:55 PM
11 Pochards, 3 females and 8 males
1 male Goldeneye
10 Tufted ducks, 3 females and 7 males
2 Great Crested Grebes
2 male Goosanders, 1 flew off very soon after we arrived
1 pair of Shoveler
1 Kingfisher
6 Cormorant
1 female Kestrel
4 Common gulls
20+ Gadwall
8 Mute Swans
2 grey Herons
Many Mallards and Black-Headed gull
Cheers Joel
-- Edited by Joel Tragen on Thursday 31st of December 2015 02:02:19 PM
afternoon visit
10 mute swan, 10 Canada geese, 96 coot, 40 gadwall, 8 tufted duck, 5 pochard, 1 goldeneye, 2 great crested grebe, 1 grey heron eating a frog, 2 cormorant, 1 pied wagtail, 6 ring-necked parakeet, great spotted woodpecker heard.
at the feeders...
11 chaffinch, 1 nuthatch, 1 ring-necked parakeet, 2 coal tit, 3 goldcrest, plus blue tit, great tit, dunnock, robin, magpie & woodpigeon.
Highlights
A pair of Shoveler
6 drake Pochards and 1 Female
17 Tufted Ducks, 4 females, one of which was quite small compared to the others
30+ Gadwall
8 Mute Swan
1 male Goldeneye
2 Great Crested Grebes
0 common gulls
Cheers Joel
-- Edited by Joel Tragen on Wednesday 23rd of December 2015 07:36:02 PM
-- Edited by Joel Tragen on Wednesday 23rd of December 2015 07:37:07 PM
Highlights
4 Drake Pochards
1 Drake Goosander
30+ Tufted Ducks
8 Mute Swans
4 Shoveler (2 male, 2 female)
20+ Gadwall
2 Great Crested Grebe
1 Cormorant
2 Ring-Necked Parakeets
Cheers Joel
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 22nd of December 2015 08:09:10 PM
Male Goldeneye really nice to see.
Mute Swan 8
Mallards 30+
Gadwall 40+
Tufted Duck 10+
Coots 70+
Pochard 2 males.
Great Crested Grebes 3
Moorhen 2
Cormorant 5
Grey Wagtail 1
Siskin 1
Grey Heron 1
Rose-ringed Parakeets 10+
BH Gulls
Common Gulls 3
LBB Gull 1
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 15th of December 2015 06:25:07 PM
A flock of 30 Siskin plus Goldfinches, feeding on Alders, viewed from the lower path.