21/07/07 - No sign of any Pochard or much else for that matter on 'King George V pool' this morning but the Mandarin (eclipse plumage) was across the road at Stamford Park Lake mixing with the Malards. Little else around but a singing Blackcap at the former site was nice to hear. Thanks for your postings on the birds around here EcoBirdRacer. Can't think of many worse places though to see a lifer, stamford park has lost its shine since I used to go there as a toddler!
Thanks,
Henerz.

-- Edited by henerz1 at 13:42, 2007-07-21

18/07/07 early am

King George V Pool - juvenile Pochard, Kingfisher (superb perched views), ecl drk Mandarin, 2 ad GC Grebe, 1 small grebe (seen v.briefly - Little/GC chick), 6 Canada goslings, singing Chiffchaff

adjacent stream - large tit flock (incl c15 Long tailed), female Mallard with 1 young

Stamford Park - 2+ Sparrowhawk (incl 1+ juvenile making plenty noise), 12 Canada goslings

I was glad to find that one of the Pearson's Flash ducklings had survived, as well - I thought they'd all been predated or died. However, one 3/4 grown young was there the other day. Two of the Horrocks Flash birds fledged.

Juvenile Pochard still present today

I haven't seen Mallards emulating a Pochard, but I have seen Mallards diving on the L/L canal west of Wigan at Crooke. They were after what appeared to be either snails or acorns - whatever it was, was largish, round and black!

Juvenile Pochard still on King George V Pool, interesting behaviour: as both adult Pochard no longer appear to be at the site, the bird is now spending some of it's time with the Mallard flock presumably as they are the nearest looking bird to a Pochard currently at the site and for safety amongst numbers........this morning 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 - anybody else ever seen anything like this ?

-- Edited by EcoBirdRacer at 12:03, 2007-07-06

Thursday 28/06/07

Juvenile Pochard on King George V Pool (fluffy but well grown) tho no sign of any adults

Nearby eclipse drake Mandarin on Stamford Park Lake

-- Edited by EcoBirdRacer at 12:24, 2007-06-30

KGV - Female Pochard with 1 duckling, pair Tufted Duck, female Blackcap, adult & 2 juv Nuthatch, drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 GC Grebe, 2 broods Canada Geese (2 & 4), 1 brood Mallard (2), 2 Coot, 2 Moorhen

Adjacent stream - Grey Wagtail, singing Common Whitethroat, singing Chiffchaff

Stamford Park Lake - drake Mandarin (near eclipse), 3 Tufted Duck (2 drake), Canada Geese with 12 goslings

King George V Pool: female Pochard and 1 duckling on the water @ 6am (not seen the male last 2 visits so could have been on nest) also pair of Tufted Duck, 1 GC Grebe, 2 Coot, 2 Moorhen, 2 broods of Canada Geese (2 & 4) and 1 brood of Mallard (2)

Adjacent stream/golf course: probable Garden Warbler (heard a few times but not seen), 2 juv Grey Wagtails, singing Common Whitethroat, singing Song Thrush, 1+ Blackcap, 8 Mistle Thrush, female Mallard with 11 ducklings

Timperley Cricket pitch: 1 Song Thrush

Stamford Park Lake: drake Mandarin (moulting into eclipse), 2 pairs of Tufted Duck, pair of Canada Geese with 11 goslings, singing Goldcrest

It's counted for WeBS by John Heine, but that's in the winter of course. There were Pochard there in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006 as well as 2007. So you may well be right.

I suspect that this isn't the first year that Pochard have bred here: although I haven't got any evidence I saw 10 lingering birds in May last year (I was away for the rest of the summer and don't know if breeding was attempted) and this area seems to be overlooked and underwatched so it could have taken place and not been seen or reported.......

Thats great news then. I never realised some stay for the summer here, always imagined them as winter visitors. I must get out and about more!

I think it's unlikely they are introduced.
A pair with 2 ducklings (was 3 last Friday) at Pearson's Flash tonight, with 25 drakes and 2 females.

There's been similar debates before - contrary to statements there appears to be no evidence to suggest any wildfowl introduction attempt in this area, just a single drake Mandarin has been around for a few years (but this could have come from Etherow, Tatton, Chester, Shakerley, etc)

King George V Pool is a secluded "backwater" suitable for Pochard breeding on a direct flight path between Rostherne & Chorlton, where hundreds, sometimes thousands, of wild Pochard spend the winter.

There was a flock of 10 on the pool last Spring, and a flock of 5 in April this year, this pair just seem to be the only Pochard to have lingered longer than the others. This pair can be tame, but so are the (presumably wild) Tufted Ducks in the area, and they are no more or less tame than Canvasbacks and Redheads can be in America.

And one thing's for certain, the ducklings are wild



-- Edited by EcoBirdRacer at 17:41, 2007-06-04

I can't imagine that this pochard is wild?? I will try and visit sometime in July EcoBirdRacer for a check on how the chicks are doing.
Thanks

King George V Pool - Sunday 03/06/07 early am Female Pochard & 2 small ducklings, also, drake Mandarin, pair of Tufted Duck, 1 GC Grebe, Jay, singing Chiffchaff, family parties Blue & Great Tit, 2 broods of Mallard (2 & 12), pair of Grey Wagtail, 3 Blackcap (2 male), 2 broods of Canada Geese (2 & 4) and Coot on a nest