Walk around the reserve & park yesterday, highlights being:

Dipper 1

Kingfisher 1

Tawny Owl 1

Siskin 8

Buzzard 3

Andy Bissitt wrote:

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A Red Kite was flying down the valley at 1.50pm at not a great height. It drifted off over Ernocroft Wood towards the Glossop Rd.

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 Saw one a couple of months ago at the back end of the Roman Lakes, which flew off in the Mellor Golf club/Mellor Moor direction,

so its good to see its still around

A Red Kite was flying down the valley at 1.50pm at not a great height. It drifted off over Ernocroft Wood towards the Glossop Rd.

This pm. Very warm but birds not surprisingly very active taking advantage of the good weather. Nice to see 2 pairs of Song Thrush plus a singleton plus several singing birds.

A singing Redstart was my first there for a few years but was not able to lay eyes on it.

Vic C

p.m. Garden warbler singing by lower path to Keg Pool. Also a willow warbler, which is something for here these days.

16 pairs of Mandarins, plus a few unpaired drakes, on the canal. Eight tufted ducks on the boating pond. No sign of any mute swans. A female grey wagtail was the only bird on the river. Sunset chorus in Keg Wood included robins, great tits, coal tits, blackbirds, nuthatches, wrens and a song thrush. On the way back to the car park a heron and a buzzard flying in low to roost in Keg Wood.

Highlights from 9:15-11:15 this morning.

55 Mandarin Duck, Little Grebe, Pink Footed Geese over (heard only), 10 Nuthatch, 3 Treecreeper, 5 Redwing, 3 Goldcrest, Grey Wagtail, Sparrowhawk, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Grey Heron, 5 Mute Swan, 7 Tufted Duck, 3 Stock Dove, 2 Bullfinch, 12 Cormorant.

Originally posted today by Dave Olive:

8thh April 2023

Warm and Sunny, Very Busy. 

Greylag 2, Mallard male and Females, Canada Geese, Muscovy Ducks, Moorhen 2, Coot 3, Chiffchaff with several calling from all directions, Willow Warbler, Crow, Mandarins male and female, Robin, Grey wagtail, Mute Swan, Dunnock, Great Tit, several hanging around feeders, Blue Tit, Song Thrush, Nuthatch (Never seen as many, especially on feeders), Buzzard, Grey heron on the path to the river hide, Wood pigeons, Kingfishers (2) at the river hide, Coal tit, Wood Duck. 

Originally posted yesterday by Dave Olive:

Etherow Country Park With Andy Tordoff

Greylag Goose - 2

Mandarin male/female

Mallard

Canada geese 

Coot

Muscovy Ducks - Several

Woodpigeon 

Cormorant - 1 (in tree top)

ChiffChaff opposite the river hide Several calling 

Crow

Wren calling

Robin - 3

Moorhen - 3

Great tit (Several on the hide feeders)

Blue tits as above

Nuthatch 2 on the hide feeders

Buzzard 

Coal tit on the hide feeders

Dunnock on the hide feeders

Chaffinch - male/female on the river hide feeders

Blackbird

Longtailed tit 3 at the river hide

Goldcrest opposite bank from the river hide

Redwing 1 opposite bank from the river hide

Goosander 2 on the river in front of the hide 

Understand that Defra have today confirmed the presence of Avian Flu at this site.

Noticed a couple of dead Canada Geese on the main lake yesterday when i was there

A couple of hours p.m. from car park to Compstall reserve and back. Quite quiet, but wonderfully devoid of humans too! Best bird was a WOODCOCK flushed from the reserve area between the path to the hide and the river. Feeder birds inc. great spotted woodpecker and nuthatch. The river held 3 drake teal; the weir had a dipper sitting atop the waterfall (where were you photographers?), also a treecreeper in that area. The lodge had 9 tufted duck (5 drakes), and 2 male goosander. No Winter finches whatsoever.

paul shaw wrote:

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2nd hand information of a Little Egret on the Keg pool this afternoon.

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 I apparently just missed 'an egret' on Wednesday which flew from the North end just as I reached the wooden footbridge. The guy who was on the bridge said he saw it take off with a heron as I approached. Just missed a park 'tick' by the sounds of it.

Mandarin 28 adults and 19 ducklings
Dipper pair feeding young at the weir (colour ringed, photo)

09:15-11:55

3 Willow Warbler, 2 Swallow, Dipper pair, Kingfisher pair, 12 Blackcap, 12 Chiffchaff, Grey Wagtail, 3 Stock Dove, 5 Goosander, 7 Nuthatch, 2 Treecreeper, 3 Common Buzzard ( one with a pale rump), 30+ Mandarin Duck, Sparrowhawk, Raven. Probable distant Green Woodpecker heard. 

A good visit this morning with 33 species seen. A swan was on the main lake when I arrived but relocated to the Keg Pool. Other highlights were goosanders galore (7 on the keg pool - 2m 5f - 2or 3 above the weir), 2 GS Woodpeckers, a pair of grey wagtails near the hide, a small siskin flock near the shelter at the top end of the park and lots of nuthatch, coal tit and mandarins.

Quick wander to the hide and back this morning 

Raven, 25 Mandarin Duck, drake Goosander, 40 Lapwing over, Dipper, 2 Nuthatch, 8 Tufted Duck, 4 Teal, 3 Cormorant, Redwing, 2 Mistle Thrush.

Only the Keg held any interest, with a single wigeon (f), and teal (m). The female mute swan and her 7 'babies' flew in as I watched joining a 'new' bird on the scene. Failed to note if it was a new male to replace the father of the immature birds who was killed by a dog in the Summer. Also seen: kingfisher fishing the Keg, Sparrowhawk, Treecreeper, Jay, 20+ cormorants, 3 dabchick, siskin(s) heard only. Still not seen a fieldfare, and redwings are few in the general area. If Stockport Council has a commitment to increase biodiversity forced upon it, at least it should have an easy task, because it cannot get any worse.

1:20pm - 2:50pm

• Plenty of mandarin ducks on the little canal, including half a dozen first-Winter drakes.
• Dipper and grey wagtail on the rocks just downstream from the weir.
• A large mixed tit flock at least a dozen each of long-tailed tits and blue tits with great tits, chiffchaffs and coal tits flying between the weir and Keg Wood,
• And a buzzard overhead.

11.30-12.30 just before the downpour. 

Dipper by weir, 2 Grey Wagtail, Grey Heron, 8 Chiffchaff, Reed Bunting, 27 Mandarin Duck, 2 Nuthatch. Only to hide and back.

Just read a story in the Manchester Evening News telling of the tragic death of the 19 year old male swan 'Eric' on the Keg, apparently, but not surprisingly, at the hands of a dog (and its owner - who is more culpable anyway). Cats are a menace, though, aren't they? I despair.

9am-12 this morning

Garden Warbler on the right before Sunny Corner, Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzard displaying over Ernocroft Wood, 4 Swift, 2 Swallow, 6 House Martin, 8 Chiffchaff, a good number of Blackcap singing, Willow Warbler, Mute swan with cygnets, Tufted duck, 25 Mandarin mostly in eclipse + young, Grey Heron, 2 Grey Wagtail, Great-Spotted Woodpecker, 8 Nuthatch.

Cheers

Vicky

-- Edited by Vicky Harper on Saturday 12th of June 2021 06:24:25 PM

08:25-11:00 

2 Garden Warbler, Common Whitethroat, 10 Blackcap, 7 Chiffchaff, 8 Goldcrest, 8 Nuthatch, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Common Buzzard, 2 Treecreeper, 2 Mute Swan with 7 cygnets, 24 Mandarin Duck many with young, Swallow, Tufted Duck, Grey Wagtail. 

Intriguingly also heard a probable distant Wood Warbler at the far lower end of Keg Wood. Re-traced steps to see if I could spot it, but to no avail. Worth looking out for if anyone's in the area.

p.m. Reasons for visit twofold: 1. I hoped that the rain might cause a tern to drop in (it didn't); 2. To seek out odonata (see other wildlife). Birds not a waste of time really though (only went as far as the CWT site) - all 4 hirundines seen, although only swallows in double figures, 1 siskin heard, reed bunting heard, pair of grey wagtails and 1 adult dipper feeding 1 juvenile at the weir, a couple of cormorants, goldcrest heard, mistle thrush. Best was an oystercatcher which flew through during the rain calling - a new park bird for me, and they don't come easy after nearly 40 years!!!

Quick stomp around, late afternoon, hoping to encounter sand martins. Was very blowy, so not so much seen either there or on the route march to and from Romiley - no hirundines though half a dozen chiffchaffs singing (far end), plus another four en route. About a dozen pairs of mandarins scattered around the park and rather retiring, though a couple of small, more obvious parties of males too. Two little grebes on Keg pool along with half a dozen tufted ducks. Dipper heard but not seen on the river, one buzzard. Nice to see/hear displaying lapwings in the fields above the park, though only four individuals that I encountered.

13.30 - 15.30

Main Reservoir

6M & 3F Tufted Duck

2 Juvenile Mute Swans - pretty sure these are the ones from the Roman Lakes

Keg Pool

2 Adult Mute Swans

1F Goosander

1 Little Grebe

4M & 2F Tufted Duck

2 Reed Bunting

1M Blackcap

Numerous Chiffchaff singing - 2 seen

Green Woodpecker calling

2 Buzzard

1 Sparrowhawk

1030-1230 Today. The road up from the Weir to sunny corner is being resurfaced but was not closed to pedestrians and the workmen seemed fine with us being there.

At the bus stop like hide on the hill in the woods (not sure how everyone refers to this one) - "top left" of park. Put mixed seeds on bird table

4+ blue tit

2 nuthatch

2 great tit

2 coal tit

1  Marsh/Willow tit. Based on other people's posts, was most likely Marsh tit but I'm not confident with these and all I can say is it was not a coal tit. 

3 robin

1 treecreeper (not on bird table).

@ Keg Pool:-

4 mute swans 

2 coot 

1 Kingfisher

1 little grebe

1 Male goosander

2 Canada geese

4 tufted duck

1 heron

Walking around:-

 jay, carrion crow, blackbird, wren, woodpigeon, song thrush, long-tailed tits, dipper on the river near the weir. Numerous mallard and mandarin ducks. 

Sound of woodpecker drumming but no sighting. 

Not heard (but would recognise): chaffinch; chiffchaff;

-- Edited by DaveGerrard on Thursday 18th of March 2021 05:14:44 PM

Visit today between 1 and 4 pm went to find a Dipper and wasn't disappointed . Also did a count of the Mandarin duck with a total of 63 which included 20 females paired up and a lot of competitive males.

11 Tufted duck on the main lake and a female Goosander on the river.

Male Kingfisher on the farm pond near the nature reserve along with a Grey Heron 

Lots of Tit's on the feeders along with 3 Nuthatch

12.30 - 14.30

Highlights

2 Little Grebe, 4(2m 2f) Tufted Duck  & 5 (2m 3f) Goosander on the Keg Pool

First Blackcap of the year

Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming

Plenty of Nuthatch, Blue, Great, Coal & Longtailed Tit

2 Treecreeper

2 Goldcrest

3 Buzzard riding the thermals

2 Siskin on feeders

2.45-4.15pm just car park to weir and hide.

Great Crested Grebe, 5 Tufted Duck, drake Goosander, 28 Mandarin Duck, Goldcrest, 3 Nuthatch, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Grey Heron, Common Buzzard, 3 Cormorant. 

Yes around Keg Wood. Best place was conifers near Sunny Corner. 3 together their. Good luck. 

Out of interest, do you remember whereabouts you saw the goldcrest? I need to photograph some for a project.

9.10-11

Raven over, 16 Mandarin Duck, 5 Goldcrest, Grey Wagtail, 3 Treecreeper, 7 Nuthatch, 8 Fieldfare, 6 Redwing, Little Grebe, 9 Tufted Duck, 2 drake Goosander, Grey Heron, Common Buzzard, 3 Jay, 5 Mistle Thrush, 6 Song Thrush, 2 Stock Dove, 5 Mute Swan 

Not quite the country park, but the best sighting of a long walk today was on Cote Green road, above the park Black redstart appeared on the ridge tiles of no. 81. 1st year/female initially, the bobbing and shivering in the peripheral vision immediately said redstart, before it disappeared. Fortunately it reappeared, allowing excellent views for about 5 mins (though no vocalisation I heard), repeatedly going over the roof behind the houses and reappearing on the ridge (occasionally the garage of no. 83), at which point it left, not to reappear in 10 mins or so we gave it.