It was in the pylon field at 12.45pm.

It was not there on the way past, so I went to the kennels, but no luck, and it reappeared as I went back. Must have been in the stream.

Don't recommend going though, it is awful underfoot.

Little Egret reported back at Chadkirk C.P. 12.30. No further details.

Cheers, John

Litle Egret still present this morning at 08:20am, opposite the sewage works about 200 yards past the Chadkirk Kennels.

It later flew downstream at 9:09 but may undoubtably still be in the area.

Info thanks to John Rayner and Mark Rigby.

John Rowland the Manager of the Country Estate spotted a little egret this afternoon. I caught up with him soon after and we had a good view of it in the Pylon field, and then in the stream by the car park. Also saw quite a few snipe again, and a couple of lapwing and a mistle thrush.
John said there had been loads of redwing in the woods as well.

-- Edited by Geoff Walton on Sunday 3rd of January 2010 08:25:56 PM

Two lapwings spotted by one of "we three" and wife on New years Day in the snipe field.

My first bird of 2010 was a pre-dawn Tawny Owl which brushed the car whilst I was driving past Chadkirk Country Estate.

Cheers, John

Not even a robin, but saw 8 snipe,hundreds of Jackdaws and 4 cormorant overhead. Also think I saw a buzzard in a tree in the woods.

I slithered down to the valley, but not a lot doing.
robins,great tit,blackbirds,mistle thrush,flying cormorant, and a couple of snipe visible in the usual place,from the gate overlooking the pylon field.

You are a brave lad JohnAssume you drove to the car park? I thought of walking down from the village, but the paths are so bad in Romiley, that I would have had no bones left to break by the time I got down the valley. I cannot believe how bad it is underfoot.

A quick search for Jack Snipe on the overgrown mill pool by the industrial estate only produced 3 Common Snipe. 1 Cormorant over.

Cheers, John

-- Edited by John Rayner on Saturday 26th of December 2009 02:34:19 PM

Quick walk at lunchtime along the Goyt from Marple Dale to Chadkirk, curtailed somewhat by driving snow.

Tawny Owl roosting & mobbed by a couple of Rooks, on the walk down to the farm.
Flock of approx 8 Longtailed Tits.
Male & Female Goosander at the Chadkirk bend

Sunday pm

Snipe in the usual place. At least 3, but very hard to find and see.

Three snipe in field past the car park. Lean over the gate and look slightly left at rear of the water.

Buzzard flew over the river towards the chapel 9.30am

A little more activity yesterday (wed) after a very quiet couple of months.

Heron on small pond in field by the weir gate
dipper on the stones to the right just down from the weir.
Tree Creeper on tree just over the wall at the rear of the Chapel.
Few tits of various sort

Two Grey Wags at the weir tonight

A pair of Mandarin at the Weir yesterday

Kennels area, Thursday 12-03-09 4.30-5.30pm

3 Meadow Pipit
Mixed flock of around 25-30 Wagtails, both Grey and Pied...Is this normal?

Anthony

'Kennels' area 4.30-5.15pm

Went for a walk with the view of photographing the Meadow Pipits I'd seen at the weekend...No sign today, but a very fine replacement in the form of a Stonechat.

Brief flyby by Dipper on the river this morning.
Species of note was 3 Meadow Pipit in field near kennels.

tonywilkinson wrote:

---

The female Dipper was colour ringed this morning as follows:-
right tarsus Light green over BTO metal, left tarsus dark pink.
The bird fledged in 2008

---

Would just like to thank you again Tony for allowing me to photograph the ringing of this beautiful bird this morning.
I have sent Ian some photographs of the Dipper, so he may put them on the site.

Apart from that Dipper, there was another one with a siver BTO ring by the dam on the river.
2 Grey Wagtail at the same location.
c15 Redwing
2 GS Woodpecker
4 Song Thrush chasing each other
Plenty of Dunnock in the hedgerows and all the usuals.

Anthony

The female Dipper was colour ringed this morning as follows:-
right tarsus Light green over BTO metal, left tarsus dark pink.
The bird fledged in 2008

Saturday 21-2-09 10.30-11.30

Goosander on River Goyt
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Jay
Mistle Thrush
Song Thrush
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Nuthatch
Robin
Dunnock
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Blackbird
Mallard
Woodpigeon
Magpie
Carrion Crow

Gary

John or anyone - if you lost a rain guard yesterday, it is on the table near the weir.


edit - The Dipper was on the stream again behind the car park

-- Edited by Geoff Walton at 07:37, 2009-02-18

The Dipper was on the stream this afternoon and is un-ringed.

Cheers, John

No Snipe today, but 7 LT Tit's on the feeder.

I will be there at 11 am this morning with my scope if anyone is about?

Geoff

Edit:-

The Snipe were still there, but a lot harder to see today - even at 40x. I know the dog walkers quite well now, and one could not see them even though there were in the middle of the scope. I am glad of all the teaching I get from the lead of "we three"

-- Edited by Geoff Walton at 15:03, 2009-02-14

Two of us called in on the way to The peak District and counted 17.

9 Snipe there this morning, and a Dipper on the stream. Got withing 15 feet of it, really nice.


Edit
No 1 of "we three" counted 17 between 1pm and 2pm.

-- Edited by Geoff Walton at 16:05, 2009-02-12

I parked my car on the trading estate car park close to the fence that seperates it from the 'mill pond' the other day and when I returned, with my camera equipment, a security bloke who was picking up litter said "You're not thinking of going on that wasteland are you?"
I explained that I was returning to my car and asked him if there was anything on there?
He seemed to take an age to answer and just said "No, but it used to be a nice place before they filled it in"
As I got to my car, I saw a Heron taking off on the land.

Similar expeirence to the one John had the other week and I got the feeling that there is definatly some interesting wildlife in there (you can certainly hear plenty of activity), but alas we're not welcome to take a look...More than likely paranoia over health and safety.

Anthony

Got a phone call from John the Manager this morning to say there were at least 5 Snipe. I did not pick the message up until 12.45, but went down and managed to see three.

Just past the car park opposite the "lay-by" is a large field with a pond/flood water near the hedge

If you stand at the fence opposite the prominent dark green "plant" and go to the back ot the water and slightly left you should see them(if thet are still there)

tonywilkinson wrote:

---

Thanks for the Dipper sightings. Guessing I would suggest that the ringed bird is one of ours and is a dispersing female. The white ring on right tarsus sounds like a shiny BTO metal ring; those of us involved in the project find the colour rings difficult to interpret. How on earth do people involved in long tailed tit colour ringing, yes they do exist, get on?!
Some time in the next couple of months we will attempt to mist net the ringed bird and colour ring it. If we are successful we will post the details on this threasd

---

Tony, on closer inspection of the photographs I took today, the ring is indeed metalic.
Good luck with your ringing.

Anthony

Thanks for the Dipper sightings. Guessing I would suggest that the ringed bird is one of ours and is a dispersing female. The white ring on right tarsus sounds like a shiny BTO metal ring; those of us involved in the project find the colour rings difficult to interpret. How on earth do people involved in long tailed tit colour ringing, yes they do exist, get on?!
Some time in the next couple of months we will attempt to mist net the ringed bird and colour ring it. If we are successful we will post the details on this threasd

This Morning 8-11.30am

3 Dipper...1 in stream by car park and 2 on the dam on the river.
One of the birds on the dam had a white ring on it's right leg.

1 Grey Wagtail
1 Greater Spotted Woodpecker
4 Goosander (2m, 2f on river)
2 Cormorant

Nature favours the foolish
Well done John, I have yet to see a Dipper on the stream. Seen Grey Wags, especially where it comes in from under the road, but to see all three

Geoff

Kingfisher, Dipper and Grey Wagtail all busy feeding in the stream by the car park

Cheers, John

I went down this afternoon minus bins!! and thought I saw a pair of Lapwings on the ground ,but could not verify. Anyone else seen an down there this year?

Geoff

Better today
Heron in large field and one cross the weir.
Goldcrest in tree behind the "Water Station" at the weir
Cormorant
Robins
LongTailed Tits
Blue Tits
Great Tits
Blackbirds
Grey Wagtail on at the Inlet on the small stream by the road

Where have all the birds gone? - probably too cold

Yesterday produced 1 Heron in the large field and two Robins, and today just 3 Robins and a couple of Great/Blue Tits on the RSPB Feeders and a Blackbird.. Even the man who had just filled the feeders said there was nothing doing.

Geoff Walton wrote:

---

Hi Anthony,
It was far to far away for a newcomer like me to recognize, but it did feel like a Buzzard.
Yes, I see the kestrel fairly often.
Don't know how often you get down there, but I could be available most afternoons Mon-Thurs, and Sat/Sun pm if needs be, and we could meet ?

I can walk there in 15/20 mins, so don't really need a lot of notice, other than availability.


Geoff

-- Edited by Geoff Walton at 23:41, 2008-11-26

---

Hi Geoff, I usually get down there on a Saturday or Sunday Morning and a couple of evenings a week in the summer.
I don't think I'll make it there this weekend, but more than likely the week after.
I'll give you a shout next week and perhaps we could meet up there.

Anthony

Hi Anthony,
It was far to far away for a newcomer like me to recognize, but it did feel like a Buzzard.
Yes, I see the kestrel fairly often.
Don't know how often you get down there, but I could be available most afternoons Mon-Thurs, and Sat/Sun pm if needs be, and we could meet ?

I can walk there in 15/20 mins, so don't really need a lot of notice, other than availability.


Geoff

-- Edited by Geoff Walton at 23:41, 2008-11-26

Geoff Walton wrote:

---

2-3pm

4 Robin
Gtr.SW flying
Kingfisher
Song Thrush
Blackbird
Gt.Tit
Mallard
Bird of prey of some sort, on the dead tree at the front of the woods across the weir

---

Geoff, I'm guessing the bird of prey you saw would have been a buzzard...Up to three of them have been roosting in that dead tree in the last few months.
There is plenty of Kestrel activity in the area also.

I was down there Saturday and there was a beautiful looking Jay in the field next to the car park by Otterspool road...

Regards
Anthony

2-3pm

4 Robin
Gtr.SW flying
Kingfisher
Song Thrush
Blackbird
Gt.Tit
Mallard
Bird of prey of some sort, on the dead tree at the front of the woods across the weir

9am-11am
2 Goldcrest
3 Goldfinch
1pr Greater Spotted Woodpeckers
2 Grey Heron
5 Mallard in flooded field
1 Grey wagtail
4 Wren
5 Robin
3 Great Tit
2 Dunnock
1 Song Thrush
3 Blackbird
1 Blue Tit
4 Long Tailed Tit
c250 Pink Footed Geese flying over

12+ of each Goldfinch and Long Tailed Tit in trees and bushes leading to the 'Dam' 8-8.30am.

Saturday 1.pm, all seen from around the weir

1 Common Buzzard
1 Grey Heron
1 Mandarin Duck
8 Swallows
6 Wren (inc juveniles)
2 Grey Wagtail

Mandarin on the Ford last night

Just walking down the road last night, and spotted a Mandarin in the field. Had a good look. It was stood up. so had a really good view.it then flew to a pool in the next field. Guess it was one of the "Etherow contingent"

Geoff

As an aside, today at my brothers house near Warrington, we were treated to a tree creeper climbing up the oak tree in his garden.

Mon 23. pm
Kingfisher on River fishing.

Drove down due to weather. Made 200 yrds - saw a Kestrel Hover, and a very large cloud. Made it to the car, and back home in the rain