Probably the same indvidual that is most often at Stamford Park

EcoBirdRacer wrote:

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Hi Rob, thanks for the photo - it's a drake Mandarin in eclipse, so presumably the bird that's been around for a while, and still present on King George V yesterday

-- Edited by EcoBirdRacer at 20:55, 2007-05-09

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Ooops - only just picked this message up - careless, very careless.....

REPORT FOR RARE BREEDING BIRDS PANEL

POCHARD (Aythya ferina) BREEDING ON KING GEORGE V POOL, ALTRINCHAM IN 2007


Pochard have been present in single figures on King George V Pool [KGVP] during the winter on WeBS counts every year from 2004-2007 with numbers often increasing slightly during the early spring. The area is counted for WeBS by John Heine. However, as far as I am aware the area is rarely watched during the spring and summer, and my sightings may be the only regular observations during the summer months during the last few years ?

KGVP is a secluded "backwater" (there is a public footpath around KGVP but it is a quiet area mainly used by fishermen) suitable for Pochard breeding on a direct flight path between Rostherne Mere in Cheshire (c4km's to the southwest) & Chorlton Water Park in Greater Manchester (c6km's to the northeast), where hundreds, sometimes thousands, of Pochard spend the winter, and flocks must often pass over the area whilst commuting between the sites.

In 2006 there were at least 10 (7 drakes, 3 females) present during the Spring on KGVP. I went abroad for the summer in late May and don't know how long into the summer any stayed.

During 2007 I made more frequent, prolonged and detailed observations:

06/04/07
5 present (2 drakes & 3 females) on KGVP

30/04/07
pair on KGVP

08/05/07
Presumably the same pair seen mating on nearby Stamford Park Lake [SPL]

11/05/07
Pair again on SPL

17/05/07
Drake on KGVP (no sign of female, with hindsight obviously on eggs)

03/06/07
Female & 2 small ducklings on KGVP

06/06/07
Female & 1 duckling on KGVP

10/06/07
Female & 1 duckling on KGVP. Female was being constantly harassed by a resident Great Crested Grebe and not seen again after this date.

28/06/07
Juvenile (fluffy but well grown) on KGVP but no sign of any adults, and as a result juvenile spending some of it's time with the Mallard flock, the only other ducks present & for safety amongst numbers ? Eclipse drake seen at a private site c6km's to the north

06/07/07
Juvenile still on KGVP, interesting behaviour: the Pochard was diving out in the middle of the pool with 4 Mallard and the Mallards were all diving under the water, seemingly mimicing the Pochard

11/07/07
Juvenile on KGVP

18/07/07
Juvenile on KGVP and becoming more "independent" from the Mallard flock


I'd be interested if anyone has any further sightings or comments..........





-- Edited by EcoBirdRacer at 10:44, 2007-07-29

Hi Rob, thanks for the photo - it's a drake Mandarin in eclipse, so presumably the bird that's been around for a while, and still present on King George V yesterday

-- Edited by EcoBirdRacer at 20:55, 2007-05-09

Thanks, that would be great, send it to: birdwatchwalsh@planet-save.com

The only date that I can be sure of is Mandarin on 31/07/06 - female Mandarin photographed at very close range in the rain!

I can email you a copy if you'd like one!


-- Edited by Rob Smallwood at 16:59, 2007-05-09

Rob, thanks for your reply. Can you remember rough dates and numbers of Pochard and Mandarin you've seen in Altrincham area ? And are there any other species you can recall ?

Now then - what have I started?!

I don't know for certain that any birds have been released here - but, having seen such birds as Pochard, Mandarin and others on a park pond as small as this one I have always assumed that there was at least at one time an effort to introduce a collection here.

I've only been here once as a birder (to take an easy photo of the Mandarins as the Offerton/Goyt birds are quite hard to photo due to their flighty behaviour) - the other visits have been social and I've no records of the birds I've seen on this small pond - I'll do some research and see if TBC can shed any light on the matter.

KGV is bigger and more likely to attract wild duck, and I suppose there is no reason to suspect that a wild bird wouldn't touch down at Stamford Park too - but I think we'd struggle to get a Hooded Merganser report past the BBRC were one to turn up!

Rob -do you know for certain any birds that have been introduced into this area ?

Surely 10 Pochard in Spring are more likely to be lingering birds that spent the winter with the other hundreds on Chorlton Water Park (a couple of miles to the northeast) or Rostherne Mere (a couple of miles to the southwest) ? I just looked at an OS map and Altrincham is directly along the flight path between the 2 sites

Also, as the Pochard flies, Altrincham is not very far from other summering sites such as Woolston Eyes, Pennington & Wigan Flashes.

I have only seen the pair on Stamford Park Lake early morning, when there are people around later they fly on to the quieter, larger and more secluded King George V Pool.








-- Edited by EcoBirdRacer at 10:51, 2007-05-09

Rob - tell me what you know about introduced species there. I'm fed up with these councils who introduce species, often they are not properly pinioned. The worst offender was Stockport, who, a few years ago, took a large number of Red-c Pochards from a keeper and released them at Bruntwood and Bramhall Parks - also in the past they have introduced Pintail, Pinkfeet, Egyptian Geese (illegal under the W&C Act) and others at Etherow CP. Wigan introduced Pintails at Mesnes Park. Now we possibly have Trafford. I will bring it up at the next AfN meeting they have.
Another annoying example was in Bolton, where a local duck breeder introduced several Pintails to a local pond (presumably with the consent of the residents, don't think the council were involved) over a period of time. These Pintail then bred on a reservoir just over the border in Lancs about half a mile away. Pintail are a very rare breeder in the UK, I think almost always in Scotland, but at the time of reporting the introduction wasn't known about. This could mislead researchers! These birds also held a territory in GM on a mossland nearby.
In my opinion the law wants tightening up on the whole subject of introductions.

I'd be dubious about the origins of the pair on Stamford Park given the number of introduced species here - presumably the origin of the Mandarins here and on KGV.

I have been birding in the Timperley / Altrincham area regularly this Spring and Spring 2006. Every time I have been I've seen Pochard. In 2006 there were at least 10 (7m, 3f) present during the Spring on King George V Pool. I went abroad for the summer in late May and don't know how long into the summer any stayed. This Spring there were 5 (3m, 2f) in early April and a pair in late April on King George V Pool. This morning I have seen a pair mating on Stamford Park Lake. Does anyone know if this is a recent phenomena ? Anyone got any previous records from the Altrincham area ?