Yes, good to see you Dave and truely an impressive entrance into the car park, reminiscent of something out of Starsky and Hutch hopefully we'll be back there soon if Steve keeps up his good work!

David managed to miss the Bempton trip with a flimsy excuse too!
It was full of gannets surprisingly, with just one spot on the cliff available- anybody seen a spare.
Imagine if you can being sat on a coach leading a trip to Bempton and you get a phone call saying "guess what i'm looking at on Watergrove?" .Yeh right i bet you are, would be your first thought too!
But i could tell in Steve's voice that it was the real thing and very deserved for all his efforts around there.
Obviously the start of a run culminating in an absolute mega on August bank holiday- Tempting fate there boys going to Spurn.
Had a great day there today despite some rain but ooo! can't you tell it stings just a little!
Well done Steve and all who got there to see it
Cheers
Steve

Yes Ian i know disgraceful, but i did manage to turn up in what was basically my pjamas to make sure i saw this bird - rough night before! The Rochdale recorder should know better but thankfully it hung around for what seems very few Rochdale birders to see this bird. Steve Collins will be kicking himself (how was Bempton Steve?).
Nice to see you Ian and it was nice to meet You Ian M - though I never got to say hi personally.

Regards

Dave

Excellent find Steve and much appreciated by all who saw it.
I arrived at Watergrove at about 1345 and Ganet was sat on water close to dam.
It was spooked by surfbourder after 5mins and flew about 200yds before alighting on watertowards SE corner.
It never slept in all the time I was there.
Soon after 2pm the bird took to the air and circled for2 or 3 mins gaining height the slipped away to the east not clearing the near hills by much. I waited for 15 mins but it did not return..

Photos of this truely impressive 'beast' by Chris Johnson and Rob Adderley are now on the galleries of the main website.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar at 11:26, 2007-07-08

At least 14 Greater Manchester BIrders managed to catch up with this bird (and probably afew more?) and I must admit to being somewhat suprised to be the second person to see it despite having no optics with me as I'd come straight from Manchester Airport!

Undoubtably a great find by Steve Atkins and the first Gannet to be 'unblocked' in the county to date, though ageing such a bird is very difficult as although it showed signs of immaturity (black central tail feathers and several back secondaries combined with other freshly moulted adult types) birds can show such plumage features into their 5th calender year (equivalent to a 4th summer bird) and individual variation makes ageing such birds very difficult, so this bird's ageing as a sub-adult, 3rd or 4th summer bird is probably safest.

Either way, well done Steve

steve,not sure who is the dumb southerner,but having missed the gannet because i was stuck at work and politley put, a bit fed up at the momment,but a leyther would be anyone born within the parish boundry of leigh ,or living there by choice,after that us pie eaters,cowyeads ect. it gets a little area'ist and you can only tell who,s who by their accent an if you,ve got a posh one were all just northeners.

cheers geoff

It hadnt returned by 2.40pm unfortunately.

it took flight and circled over the res then flew off east over the moors at 2.06pm. (info from Warford senior)

I'm glad that you were able to see the bird Ian. I phoned 3 Rochdale birders first, none of whom answered the phone. A 4th was on his way to Bempton Cliffs! Can you explain to a dumb southerner what a Leyther is! When explaining to my wife why I was 2 hours late getting home, her only comment was "are you sure it was a Gannet?" !!!

-- Edited by Steve Atkins at 13:54, 2007-07-07

-- Edited by Steve Atkins at 14:02, 2007-07-07

Yeah nice one Steve, what a turn up for July!

still present at 1300

Cracking find Steve ! Thanks for getting the news out quickly.
( Leythers, Wiganers and Boltoners on site before the Rochdale recorder !...............what`s going on there David ? )

The Gannet was circling over the reservoir at 10:10 hrs this morning, and landed on the water. It spent most of the time with its head tucked in. Ian Mck expressed doubts as to whether it had a head! However it drifted into the south-east corner of the reservoir only 30 yds out from the dam and gave cracking views when it lifted its head. After about a minute it took flight further out into the reservoir and did not appear bothered by a windsurfer who had just arrived. We believe the bird to be a 3rd summer, showing brown feathers on secondaries and tail.
It is though to be the 9th record for GM and the first in the Rochdale area since the 19th century! It was still present at 12:15 hrs.

Being reported by BirdGuides this morning.