Wednesday (26th) evening quick visit to try out the smartphone adaptor

There are several pairs of Common terns there, difficult to know exactly how many with the coming and going but I would think between 5 & 10 pairs.

Certainly some juveniles on the rafts, didn't appear to be flying yet but nearly adult sized

Also some Black-headed Gulls with young on one of the rafts.

Mute Swan is still on the nest by the path (didn't need adaptor and scope for this shot) - at one stage the male was virtually blocking the path, required a confident but careful approach to go past. But still sitting on eggs does seem to be a bit late, maybe they've failed or a 1st set of eggs has failed and this is a 2nd set.

Nice to see that the Common Terns have returned and nicely settled onto the tern rafts. 

Tue 16th April - quick pop in during the sunny evening:

• as expected bit early for the Common Terns to be back
• no warblers except single Willow Warbler (heard) and single Chiffchaff (heard and seen)
• 1 pair of Great Crested Grebe
• Mute Swan nesting right next to the path - but female on nest seemed quite relaxed with people walking past - I think this has happened before
• at the dam end - plenty of domestic geese, Canada Geese, Tufted Duck and Black-headed Gulls so thought I better check them all out...

• 1 of them was a Mediterranean Gull in full adult summer plumage - it flew off whilst I was still scanning to see if there was more than one
• then a family started throwing bread for the geese, etc - the gulls all screaming about and the Mediterranean Gull returned
• flew around several times going past me very closely - within 10' - best views I've ever had of one

Quick evening drop in, several pairs of Common Tern nesting on the rafts - at least 5 birds sitting.

Reed Warbler in the reeds near the south end of the path across the lake.

The swans are nesting right by that path! but the female on the nest seems ok as you walk past.

Half a dozen Common Terns flying over the lodge with a couple looking like they are nesting on the rafts.

Sunday late afternoon - quick visit as I was passing - never been before so thought I'd see what it's like - impressed - never knew that Bolton had a tern colony

There seem to be several pairs of Common Terns on "nests" on the rafts in that there would always be one bird sitting in each place - but of course it's difficult to see on the same level - maybe I should have climbed up a tree.

Reed Warblers - not seen but 2 heard at opposite ends of the causeway.

The Swan's nest near the causeway seems to be ok so far.

Common Tern on tern raft mid afternoon plus all the usuals.

21/02/21 1050-1205

27 species.

Greylag Goose X 2 (amongst around 10-15 white domestic goose)

Canada Goose X 15

Swan X 5

Mallard X 18

Tufted Duck X 18

Wood Pigeon X 5

Moorhen X 7

Coot X 24

Black-Headed Gull 75+

Lesser Black-backed Gull X 1

Grey Heron X 1

Magpie X 8

Jackdaw X 10

Carrion Crow X 1

Coal Tit X 1

Blue Tit X 4

Great Tit X 4

Long-Tailed Tit X 4

Starling X 8

Song Thrush X 1

Blackbird X 3

Robin X 4

Dunnock X 1

House sparrow X 8

Goldfinch X 8

Reed Bunting X 3

Thanks

Bryan

Winter plumage Adult Mediterranean  gull this morning 

1030-1230 5th August

Blackbird x 6

Carrion Crow x 3 (a flock of over ten seen flying over doffcocker roundabout when I left too)

 Goldfinch 17 (including large flock of at least 12 which may have had a couple greenfinch in too)

 Great Crested Grebe x 1

 Great Tit x 1

 House Sparrow x 2

 Magpie x 5

 Moorhen x 4

 Mute swan x 2

 Sedge warbler x 1

 Swift x 4

 Tufted Duck 20+ in two distinct groups

 Willow Tit x 1

 Willow Warbler x 2

Plus usual Greylag and Canada Geese,  Coots (including 3 very young chicks) and Mallards.

Also a number of different gulls which I'm useless at identifying. Definitely couple Herring and Black headed.

Lots more small birds in and out of the trees very quickly making impossible to ID.

Cheers

Bryan 

Blackbird x 2

Chiffchaff x 2

Goldfinch x 4

Great crested grebe x 1

Jackdaw x 3

Moorhen x 5

Mute swan x1

Nuthatch x 2

Reed bunting x 1

Swift x 3

Willow warbler x 2

Plenty of tufted ducks (one with 6 young chicks), greylag geese, Canada Geese, Coots and Mallards.

 Cattle Egret flew over the southern end of the causeway almost landed then flew off to the South-West Today at 10.45am

Evening walk around Doffcocker, nice to see that the Common Terns are back, a number of Sedge Warblers, Reed Buntings as well as the normal birds on the lodge.

This morning the highlight a Water Rail behind the North East Reedbed seen with a couple of Moorhens. Also sighted 5 Snipe.

9.15am to 10.55am. 31 species recorded including:

• Teal 3
• Mute Swan 1 ( left the site during my visit)
• Common Gull 2
• Grey Wagtail 1
• Song Thrush 1
• Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
• Jay 1
• Bullfinch 1 (heard only)
• Redwing 1
• Lapwing 15+ (a distant flock to the NW of the site flying high in a southerly direction)
• Goosander 6 ( including a single male, the first on this site for me this autumn)

9.15am to 10.50am.28 species recorded including;

• Mute Swan 1
• Goosander 6 (all redheads)
• Long-tailed Tit 8
• Willow Tit 1
• Redwing 1
• Snipe 3
• Grey Wagtail 1
• Great Crested Grebe 1
• Teal 1

9.20am to 11.05am. 29 species recorded including:

• Goosander 4
• Grey Heron 1
• Willow Tit 2
• Snipe 2
• Bullfinch 1 (heard only)
• Goldcrest 1
• Great Crested Grebe 1
• Kingfisher 1
• Coal Tit 2
• Long-tailed Tit 15+
• Buzzard 2

9.25am to 11.00am. 29 species recorded including.

• Great Crested Grebe 2
• Teal 2
• Water Rail 2 (1 heard only)
• Goldcrest 12+
• Willow Tit 1 (heard only)
• Snipe 2
• Grey Wagtail 1

9.15am to 10.55am. 29 species recorded including:

• Great Crested Grebe 3
• Willow Tit 1 (heard only)
• Kingfisher 1
• Grey Heron 1
• Grey Wagtail 1
• Buzzard 1 
• Kestrel 1
• Bullfinch 2
• Blackcap 1
• Jay 1

9.15am to 11.00am. 30 species recorded including.

• Great Crested Grebe 2
• Mute Swan 1
• Jay 2
• Water Rail (heard only)
• Grey Wagtail 2
• Chiffchaff 1
• Sparrowhawk 1
• Snipe 2
• Grey Heron 1
• Bullfinch 3

9.15am to 10.45am. 23 species recorded including.

• Cormorant 2
• Mute Swan 1
• Great Crested Grebe 1
• Bullfinch 2
• Grey Heron 1
• Snipe 5

9.20am to 10.55am. 29 species recorded including:

• Willow Warbler 3
• Chiffchaff 2
• Song Thrush 1
• Blackcap 1
• Kingfisher 1

9.20am to 11.10am. 32 species recorded including:

• House Martin 14
• Willow Warbler 2
• Willow Tit 1 (heard only)
• Bullfinch 6
• Chiffchaff 4
• Redwing 25+
• Reed Bunting 1
• Jay 1
• Great Crested Grebe2
• Pink-footed Goose 1
• Kingfisher 1

9.25am to 11.00am. 33 species recorded including:

• Chiffchaff 12+
• Great Crested Grebe 1
• House Martin 2
• Bullfinch 2 (Heard only)
• Goldcrest 12+
• Water Rail 1
• Jay 1
• Willow Warbler 4
• Blackcap 1
• Pink-footed Goose 1 (with 50+ Canada geese almost certainly the bird seen at Rumworth Lodge over the summer)
• Grey Wagtail 2
• Kingfisher 1 (I also observed it last Friday)

10.05am to 11.25am. 29 species recorded including:

• Sparrowhawk 1
• Swift 1
• Swallow 1
• Bullfinch 1
• Long-tailed tit 8+
• Goldcrest 2
• Willow tit 1 (heard only)
• Spotted Flycatcher 2
• Water Rail 1 

9.20am to 1105am. 34 species recorded including:

• Swifts 3
• House Martins 15+
• Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
• Water Rail 1
• Willow Warblers 6
• Blackcap 2
• Chiffchaff 3
• Willow Tit 3
• Song Thrush 1
• Mute Swans 2
• Whitethroat 1

10.15am to 11.30am. 30 species recorded including:

• Chiffchaff 2
• Great Crested Grebe 1
• Treecreeper 1
• Bullfinch 2
• Mute Swan 2
• Whitethroat 1
• Goldcrest 1
• Blackcap 3
• Possible Cetti's Warbler 1 (my first sighting since the 15/3/2019 as with that sighting seen only and I was unable to film or photo, I've looked at other possible I.Ds for this sighting the nearest I could find was female Siberian Rubythroat. It was not near the reedbeds as the sighting early in the year, but in a garden near the island, I hope next time I see this bird I can get a photo or video to confirm it's I.D.)

9.15am to 11.05am. 34 species recorded including:

• Common Tern 1
• Blackcap 6
• Chiffchaff 2
• Willow Warbler 12
• Mute Swan 2
• Great Crested Grebe 1
• Swift 1
• Reed Bunting 1
• Whitethroat 2
• House Martin 1
• Willow Tit 2
• Mistle Thrush 1

9.15am to 10.45am. 31 species recorded including:

• Blackcap 1
• Mute Swans 2
• Chiffchaff 1
• House Martins 25+
• Bullfinch 1 (heard only)
• Willow Warblers 2
• Treecreeper 1
• Spotted Flycatcher 1
• Swift 1
• Great Crested Grebe 1 (no chicks seen on the lodge this year sadly)

P.S. The last of the Common Tern chicks finally fledged from the rafts some time between Wednesday and Saturday last week.

9.15am to 10.25am. 30 species recorded including:

• Swallow 15+
• House Martin 30+
• Blackcap 3
• Common Tern 6 (several chicks still have not fledged from the rafts, this is over a month later than usual)
• Mute Swan 2
• Swift 50+
• Willow Warbler 2
• Bullfinch 4
• Grey Heron 1
• Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 (heard only)

9.15am to 10.45am. 30 species recorded including:

• Mute Swan 2
• Common Tern 7 (including 2 chicks on each raft east of the causeway)
• Willow Warbler 3
• House Martin 25+
• Teal 2
• Nuthatch 1
• Chiffchaff 1
• Blackcap 1
• Swifts 8
• Great Spotted Woodpecker (heard only) 

9.20am to 11.00am. 29 species recorded including:

• Swifts 15+
• House Martins 25+
• Reed Warblers 2
• Common Terns 6 (2 adults & 4 chicks) (I spent a fair amount of time during this visit watching one of the adults mobbing a Cormorant that was perched on the two rafts which had chicks)
• Great Crested Grebes 2
• Willow Warbler 1
• Spotted Flycatcher 1
• Mute Swans 2

9.25am to 10.55am. 36 species recorded including:

• House Martin 30+
• Song Thrush 1
• Mute Swan 2
• Common Tern 7 ( 5 adults and 2 chicks one on each raft east of the causeway)
• Reed Warbler 1 (heard only)
• Blackcap 1 (adult male see in an elder bush in the hedge by Moss Bank Way)
• Bullfinch 3+ (heard only)
• Kingfisher 1 (seen on and around the island)
• Great Crested Grebe 2

9.15am to 10.45am. 34 species recorded including:

• Common Tern 5
• Mute Swan 2
• Chiffchaff 2
• Reed Bunting 6
• Willow Tit 1
• Swift 25+
• Willow Warbler 8
• Blackcap 4
• Reed Warbler 1 (heard only)
• House Martin 4

9.20am to 10.45am. 32 species recorded including:

• Common Tern 4
• Reed Warbler 1
• Reed Bunting 3
• Song Thrush 1
• Grey Heron 1
• Swifts 40+
• Chiffchaff 1

A party of at least 24 Swifts screaming over the Heaton area this evening just before dusk.

9.20am to 10.45am. 33 species recorded including:

• Common Terns 2
• Reed Warbler 1
• Peregrine Falcon 1 (heard first while in the coppice at the Moss Bank Way side of the causeway, then seen through a gap in the trees flying over the western end of this site)
• Bullfinch 2
• Whitethroat 1
• Buzzard 1 (a distant over Smithills Moor) 

9.20am to 11.45am. 36 species recorded including:

• Swifts 15+
• Long-tailed tits 3
• Mute Swans 2
• Common Terns 12+
• Reed Buntings 8
• House Martins 15+
• Reed Warblers 3
• Jay 1
• Chiffchaffs 2
• Willow Warblers 3
• Blackcap 1 (heard only)
• Great Crested Grebes 4
• Song Thrush 1

9.20am to 10.35am 33 species recorded including:

• Reed Bunting 6
• Common Tern 12+
• Mute Swan 2
• Reed Warbler 4
• Blackcap 3 (heard only)
• Nuthatch 1
• Song Thrush 2
• Swift 12+
• House Martin 15+
• Willow Warbler 3
• Garden Warbler 1
• Bullfinch 3

During this visit there were 2 anglers fishing while wading at the western end of the lodge both sides of the causeway and near the reedbeds and Tern rafts. There were signs prohibiting this, but these have been removed or are obscured by bushes etc. Also there dosen't seem to be any water bailiffs to police any by-laws.

9.20am to 10.35am 33 species recorded including:

• Reed Bunting 6
• Common Tern 12+
• Mute Swan 2
• Reed Warbler 4
• Blackcap 3 (heard only)
• Nuthatch 1
• Song Thrush 2
• Swift 12+
• House Martin 15+
• Willow Warbler 3
• Garden Warbler 1
• Bullfinch 3

During this visit there were 2 anglers fishing while wading at the western end of the lodge both sides of the causeway and near the reedbeds and Tern rafts. There were signs prohibiting this, but these have been removed or are obscured by bushes etc. Also there don't seem to be any water bailiffs to police any by-laws.

9.15am to 11.00am. 37 species recorded including:

• Reed Bunting 8
• Reed Warbler 4
• Common Terns 15+
• Rook 1
• Willow Tits 3
• Chiffchaff 1
• Buzzard 1
• Great Crested Grebes 2
• Mute Swans 2

9.25am to 11.40am. 40 species recorded including:

• Common Terns 12+
• Reed Warblers 4
• Reed Buntings 15+
• Great Crested Grebes 2
• Mute Swans 2
• Chiffchaff 3 (heard only)
• Blackcaps 5
• Bullfinch 2
• Long-tailed Tits 2
• Swifts 25+
• Willow Warblers 4 (heard only)
• House Martins 12+
• Jay 1
• Kestrel 1 (distant view over Old Links Golf Course)
• Buzzards 2 (distant view over towards High Rid Reservoir)
• Common Whitethroat 1 

9.10am to 11.05am. 35 species recorded including:

• Sand Martins 3
• Great Crested Grebes 2
• Mute Swans 3 (2 of which appeared to be nesting earlier this week On a hay bale placed in the south-west reedbed by myself and Rick Parker for this purpose though on this visit they seem to have abandoned I thought I could see an egg on the bale through the reeds)
• Reed Warbler 1 (heard only)
• Reed Buntings 12+
• Bullfinch 1
• Chiffchaff
• Willow Warblers 4
• Long-tailed tits 2
• Snipe 1 (flying)
• Blackcaps 2
• Common Terns 2 (Must has arrived during this visit as they were not on the raft when I arrived)

8.50am to 10.10am. 32 species recorded including:

• Mute Swan 3
• Song Thrush 1
• Reed Buntings 8
• Water Rails 2 (heard only in the NW reedbed)
• Chiffchaff 3
• Willow Tit 1
• Teal 4

8.55am to 10.40am. 34 species recorded including:

• Teal 2
• Willow Tits 2
• Water Rail 1 (heard only)
• Oystercatcher 1 (flew low calling over the island without landing before flying off the site)
• Goosander (Female) 1