17/08/2024 11.50-13.30 Squeezed in to accommodate unscheduled Sunday 18th trip (to Old Moor, Swillington Ings and Inner Marsh)

Lower Res:
Coot 1
Moorhen 1
Mallard 15 (all eclipse)

Upper Res:
Coot 1
Moorhen 5 including 2 large sub-adults
Little Grebe 7 - 3 adults each with a large chick, plus 1 adult on its' own
Mallard 6 all eclipse
Tufted Duck 4 2M 2F/juv

Also:
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Wood Pigeon
Wren 1 seen several heard
Blackbird 4 seen, all males, several heard
Goldfinch 1
Bullfinch 6 feeding in a Rowan at the back of the water treatment works wood
Robin several heard
Long-tailed Tit ditto
Willow Warbler 1 contact calling

19/07/2024 11.55- 14.15. Not the best time or day for this, but away at the weekend for a family event, so doing the WEBs early

Lower Res:
Mallard 12 - all in eclipse - 2 M still just showing some head colouration
Moorhen 1, possibly 2

Upper Res:
Mallard 9 - all distant.
Tufted Duck 4 - 3M 1F
Little Grebe 5 - 2 adults close together each feeding a chick, 1 bird on the other side of the res.
Coot 4 - 2 adults and 2 sub-adults (slimmer with smaller forehead patches)
Moorhen 3 adults.

Also:
Blue Tit - several heard
Great Tit - several heard 1 M seen
Robin - several in sub-song 1 seen
Chiffchaff 1 singing
Willow Warbler 1 heard brief burst of song
Blackcap 1 singing
Wren several heard - contact calls and 1 seen
Blackbird 1 singing
Song Thrush 1 singing. Included a bit of Little Grebe wickering' and got a reply from one of the grebes! Also doing Oystercatcher flight calls and what sounded like Marsh Frog!
Magpie 4
Jackdaw 2
Carrion Crow 4
Wood Pigeon
Goldfinch 7- charm of 6 and a single singing male
Dunnock 1
Swallow 20 - gathering on the wires around one of the farms, included the local group of 6.
Lapwing C 100 (average of 3 counts!) resting as a scattered flock on the hillside at the northwest end of the valley.
Grey Heron 1 being chased off from someone's fish pond in Top O' the Meadows by the sound of it.
Greenfinch 1 singing.

09/06/24 -12.05-1415 Dull. Cool (might explain why I forgot I'd not done this!)

Lower Reservoir:
Mallard 6 - 5M 1F
Moorhen 1 (possibly 2)
Coot 1

Upper Reservoir;
Mallard 8 3F 5M(some moulting into eclipse)
Coot 5 - 2adult- 3 chicks
Moorhen 1
Little Grebe 2 - 1 in breeding plumage, the other looked uniformly brown on the back and head in all lights and at all angles.

Golden Steps:
Grey Wagtail 3 - adult female and 2 juveniles

Also
Robin 1 seen at least 2 more singing in cover
Chiffchaff 2 singing, at opposite ends of the valley,
Jackdaw
Great Tit several heard
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 overhead
Chaffinch 2 singing in different well-spaced locations
Wood Pigeon
Willow Warbler 2 - 1 heard singing while another bird was seen foraging.
Blackbird 3/4 singing in various areas simultaneously.
Blackcap 1 singing from cover
Magpie
Wren 2 singing, 1 seen
Coal Tit group of 3 minimum, including at least 1 juvenile (most in silhouette in a pine tree)
Swallow 2 together around the Cow Bath/Little Sea

12/05/24 12.15-14.25

Golden Steps:
Grey Wagtail 1 F
Mallard 2 M & F

Lower Res:
Mallard 3 M
Coot 1

Upper res:
Canada Goose 8 all adult.
Mallard 1 M
Little Grebe 3 Adults
Coot 2
Moorhen 3
Swallow -1 bathing

Little Sea/Cow Bath
Mallard 2 - possibly the pair from the Golden Steps. Shortly after they were recorded they took off with another adult male and there seemed to be some sort of aerial pursuit back towards the Lower Reservoir and then away north

Other sightings:
Blackbird
Chiffchaff 3 heard
Wren - heard only
Linnet - calling in flight
Great Tit 3 around 'feeding station', several more heard
Jackdaw
Magpie
Wood Pigeon
Blue Tit
Goldfinch
Blackcap 1 heard
Dunnock
Willow Warbler
Long-Tailed Tit
Starling - regular flights from the eastern sheep pastures with food and back C 12
Swallow 3 around the reservoir end of Green Lane
Great Spotted Woodpecker

07/04/24 11.30 - 14.00

Lower Res:
Goosander 1 M - commuted between the reservoirs
Canada Goose 2 a pair
Mallard 2 MM
Moorhen 2
Coot 4

Upper Res:
Goosander 1 M -moved up from the Lower Res, headed back down then turned back, circled once and away SSE.
Coot 2 (1N)
Moorhen 1
Little Grebe 3 minimum, possibly 5 - 2 in full breeding plumage seen at once, with a 3rd bird still with some vestiges of winter plumage. It or another similar was chased off from one area a couple of times by a breeding plumage bird, but not while I had a full view of the res to locate the other two birds.
Grey Heron 1 rose from the reservoir and away east, as I was walking up the valley.

Golden Steps.
Grey Wagtail 1 M

Also
Great Tit - several S: 3 at 'feeding station'
Jackdaw
Robin - inc 2 courtship feeding on Holgate St. Several S 1 at 'feeding station'
Greenfinch 1 s
Chiffchaff - 3 heard around the site
Blue Tit inc 3 in some sort of territory/courtship pursuit
Chaffinch 1 M seen
Wren -s
Carrion Crow
Magpie
Wood Pigeon
Willow Warbler 1 S
Blackbird.

10/03/2024 11.30-13.00 Damp rather than raining with a very cold wind. Most sensible creatures were in cover, keeping out of the wind!

Lower Res:
Canada Goose - 4 - two pairs. Both flew to horse pastures at the top of the valley at around 11.50
Mallard 4 - all drakes
Coot 1
Moorhen 1

Upper Res:
Shoveler 2 - a pair. (an infrequent record here - edit -in fact so infrequent that this is the first time I've recorded them in at least a couple of decades of Webs surveys)
Tufted Duck 3 - 2M 1F
Coot 2
Moorhen 1
Little Grebe 2 - still in winter plumage
Black-headed Gull 3
Pied Wagtail 1 flyover - heard only

Top pastures:
Herring Gull - 3 second winter birds

Sheep fields east of Lower Reservoir:
Black-headed Gull - 9

Golden Steps:
Grey Wagtail 1 winter plumage male

Also:
Blue Tit 1 seen, several heard
Great Tit 2 seen, several heard
Blackbird 2 males seen
Nuthatch 1 heard only
Wood Pigeon 10 in total - mostly round the car park at the end of Holgate St.
Robin 1 seen, several heard
Carrion Crow c.8
Magpie 3
Long-tailed Tit 2
Goldcrest 2 - 1 seen, the other heard calling back to the seen bird as they foraged



-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Thursday 14th of March 2024 04:28:40 PM

11/02/2024 12.10 - 14.05 Cold, clear, then clouding over.

Lower Res:
Mallard 4 - 2male, 2 females
Moorhen 3
Coot 2
Little Grebe 1 - first record (for me) on the Lower Res.
Black-headed Gull 66 - flock flushed by someone throwing fish bait before I could check to see if there was anything else among the quite distant flock.

Upper Res:
Mallard 2 - M & F
Coot 3 - 2 together and a 3rd up on the banking
Moorhen 1
Little Grebe 2
Black-headed Gull 1 brief visit, possibly looking to steal from the Little Grebes

Cow Bath/Little Sea
Mallard 4 - 3 males 1 female - pair with a couple of intruding males. The pair stayed, the two other males moved off

Also
Lesser Black-backed Gull c30 over the top fields at the north end
Little Egret 1 -Horse pastures on the east side
Wood Pigeon
Song Thrush 4 - 1 singing on Holgate Street - 1/2 with Redwing north end of west side path - 1 in eastern horse fields
Blue Tit
Robin
Great Tit
Carrion Crow
Magpie
Pheasant -heard only
Redwing 25 in trees along the north end of the west side path - some communal singing
Mistle Thrush party of 5 feeding in eastern horse fields
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 heard

-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Sunday 18th of February 2024 10:14:41 AM

14/01/2024 12.05 - 13.55 Cold but bright, apart from when the band of sleety rain went through.

Lower Reservoir: 97% frozen. Just the inflow area and a small area in front of the two hardy fishermen on the N.E. pegs open
Black-headed Gull 9 < 12 as I moved on, all on the ice

Upper Reservoir: 60% frozen. Open water from the inflow to halfway along the east bank and just round onto the west.
Mallard 2 a pair*
Tufted Duck 1 M
Coot 2
Moorhen 2
Little Grebe 3 minimum
Black-headed Gull 12 < to 38 as 26 birds dropped in just before the sleety rain passed through. Interesting that the local Carrion Crows were joining in the food chases. It's usually the gulls harassing the Little Grebes (unsuccessfully)
Common Gull 5 all adult winter birds.

Also:
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow 6
Magpie
Wood Pigeon
Robin 2 seen, several heard
Great Tit 2 seen around the 'feeding station', 1 in the mature copse, several more heard
Sparrowhawk 1 F over Holgate Street
Nuthatch 1 (at least) - feeding station
Dunnock 1 - feeding station
Coal Tit 2 minimum - feeding station. Not sure if it was 2 birds caching food while they could or 3, given the speed they were coming in.
Chaffinch 1 M
Bullfinch 2 calling - flyover M
Pheasant 1 heard
Goldfinch 1 heard
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 called & brief drumming


* came home via Lees Brook to tick off Dipper for the year and there were 27 M and 9 F Mallards just above the small weir at The Bull's Head on Greenacres Road. Will be interesting to see if they're still there when/if numbers pick up on the reservoirs.

16/12/23 - 12.05 - 14.30 Even quieter than the previous visit

Lower Res:
Goosander 2 males
Coot 1
Moorhen 2
Black-headed Gull 42
Common Gull 4

Upper Res:
Tufted Duck 2 1M 1F
Coot 2
Moorhen 3
Little Grebe 2
Black-headed Gull 3
Common Gull 2

I think this is the first visit on which I've not recorded any Mallard. My Webs will probably confirm that or not. I'm assuming it's too early for them to be all off in the undergrowth nesting, as there was still displaying going on at Martin Mere the day before, so unless they've all died of avian flu somewhere the only other possibility is that they've moved en masse down the hill to the weir by The Bull. Usually a few stay for the pickings from visiting families, even in the harshest winters.

Just checked the Webs Data back to 1990 and there's always been at least 1 around, even in the nesting season.

Also:

Jackdaw c60
Robin 1 seen, several in sub-song
Magpie
Long-tailed Tit c 6
Carrion Crow 12 in the eastern sheep fields
Bullfinch 2 heard only
Blue Tit 1 seen, several heard
Great Tit 2

-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Friday 22nd of December 2023 03:44:33 PM

19/11/2023 11.35 - 12.50 Soggy paddle round a very quiet site, the Slough of Despond on the east side having swollen to the Great Grimpen Mire. Luckily the few Hounds I met were all flesh and blood. Most totals are minima, as most birds were, sensibly, well under cover!

Lower Res:
Mallard 2 - a pair
Coot 1
Black-headed Gull 22

Upper Res:
Tufted Duck 1 male
Little Grebe 2
Coot 2
Moorhen 2
Grey Heron 1 flew in to the small willow carr at the north end.
Black-headed Gull 3 - 2 on the res, possibly re-locating from the Lower Res and 1 fly-over

Also
Long-tailed Tit - 2 seen more heard
Carrion Crow 3 ditto
Jackdaw 6 ditto
Great Tit 2 ditto
Magpie 1 ditto
Wood Pigeon 2
Bullfinch 1 flight silhouette i.d. from call
Blackbird 1 male
Wren 2 heard at once in very different locations

"That's All, Folks"

14/10/23 11.40 - 14.00 Cold, sunny, patchy cloud, light easterly

Lower Res:
Mallard 2 males
Coot 1 - still associating with the Mallard
Black-headed Gull 5

Upper Res:
Mallard 5- 4M 1 F
Little Grebe 4
Moorhen 9
Coot 3

Also:
Robin
Magpie
Blackbird
Dunnock
Wren
Blue Tit
Jay
Great Tit
Treecreeper 2 at 'feeding station'
Coal Tit
Redpoll 1 in flight over 'feeding station'
Bullfinch 2 in flight
Jackdaw 6 - horse pastures west side
Carrion Crow 22 ditto
Long-tailed Tit party of c 24

16/09/2023 - 11.20 - 13.50 surprisingly cold and windy for what was supposed to be the 'better' day of last weekend! Definitely had an effect on both human and other animal life around the site.

Lower Res:
Mallard 10
Coot 1

Upper Res:
Mallard 3 inc 1M
Coot 3
Little Grebe 4 all winter plumage (so possibly more individual birds but that was the maximum in view at any one time)
Moorhen 5 - 3 adult, 2 sub adult (see above re Grebes)
Black-headed Gull 6
Herring Gull 1 1st winter (this or another later caused the gulls up on the pastures to depart when it took off with a bulky black item in its' beak and was pursued by some of the flock)

Horse pastures western side
Herring Gull 1 1st Winter (see above)
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 adult - the birds whose pursuit brought the whole flock up
Common Gull 5
Black-headed Gull 18 (possibly including the 6 above) feeding across the pastures with
Jackdaw 30
Carrion Crow 3
Magpie 3 (also 5 around 'feeding station' earlier)
Wood Pigeon 7 - earlier 6 around the car park at the Golden Steps

Also
Wren 2 heard only - Holgate Street and mature conifers SE of Upper Res
Coal Tit 5 - 4 Holgate St. conifers, 1 unofficial feeding station
Robin 1 seen - feeding station, several heard
Nuthatch 1 -feeding station
Great Tit 1 - feeding station
Bullfinch 1 heard only, along top west side path
Starling 40-60 in sheep fields to east of reservoirs - initial flock of 40 on wires near lowest farm not settling to feed on rowan berries. Returning later I saw around 20 still there and a flock of more than 30 came up from higher ground
Mistle Thrush 1
(Goldcrest 2 seen
Chiffchaff 1S
Long-tailed Tit -several heard in this mixed flock in the small mature wooded area on the east side between the two reservoirs
Blue Tit 2 seen
Chaffinch 1 M seen )
Dunnock 1

20/08/2023 - 12.10-14.30 Cloudy, breeze but humid

Lower Res:
Coot 1 hanging out with
Mallard 20 all in eclipse
Moorhen 1 juvenile

Upper Res:
Mallard 9
Tufted Duck 2 M & F
Moorhen 13 - 3 adults and what looked like 6 juveniles (very brown) and 4 sub-adults (much darker tones when with the juveniles so probably 2 broods)
Coot 4 - 3 adults, one with a well-developed chick(presumably the fuzzball seen on last month's visit)
Little Grebe 4 - 3 breeding plumage birds, 1 in juv/winter plumage
Black-headed Gull 5
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1

The pastures on the east side of the valley had been cut, so 18 Black-headed Gulls had gathered to work through the cut vegetation.
Resting in the horse pasture on the western side
Black-headed Gull 54
Common Gull 26

Lesser Black-backed Gulls - 3 noisily over the middle of the valley.

Also:
Jackdaw
Coal Tit contact calls on Holgate Street, 1 seen at unofficial feeding station higher up the valley
Magpie
Robin - lots of sub-song but only one seen - again around the unofficial 'feeding station'
Nuthatch 1 over, 2 seen on regular nest tree (juv pursuing adult for food)
Sparrowhawk over
Long-tailed Tit 4 at 'feeding station', several in bushes along the east side later.
Great Tit 3 at 'feeding station' then birds heard in the mature trees on the east side
Goldcrest 1 'feeding station'
Blackbird 1 'feeding station'
Jay 1 around 'feeding station'
Treecreeper
Willow Warbler 1 juv seen (very yellow) contact calls heard elsewhere
Great Spotted Woodpecker heard only
Bullfinch 1 heard only
Goldfinch several heard in tops of mature wood
Starling 15 together in the sheep fields on the east side
Swallow 4 around the farm
Lapwing 3 south and east over the east side of the valley, just before Roebuck Lane. First I've recorded here since June 2022.

Hobby near Strinesdale at Counthill playing field caught a Swallow.

09/07/2023 - 10.55-13.55 sunny with some cloud and a breeze.

Lower Res:
Mallard 14 - all in eclipse. 12 still showing vestiges of male plumage
Moorhen 3 - 1adult, 2 juveniles
Coot 2 adults
Black-headed Gull 1

Upper Res:
Mallard 7 -all eclipse, 1 male
Tufted Duck 3 males.
Coot 3 min - 1 adult, 1 adult with juvenile. Possible 3rd adult appeared on east bank later
Moorhen 4 - 2 adults, 1 with juvenile, 1 with very small chick (black fuzzball)
Little Grebe <12 - 3 adults seen, each with 2 large chicks, and there were up to 3 adults appearing on their own, including a two in territorial display, but the third trio of adult and chicks was only seen once, briefly, before disappearing under overhanging branches, so the adult could have been one of the territorial birds.
Black-headed Gull 1 -possibly the bird from the lower res as only 1 other gull (a fly-over Lesser Blackback was seen all visit)
Kingfisher 1 seem briefly twice as it flew between trees at the north end.
Grey Wagtail 1 seen flying north over the res and landed on the spit

Golden Steps:
Grey Wagtail 2 juveniles in inflow channel at the top -possibly including one seen in the nearby RSPB compound earlier

Also:
Magpie
Jackdaw inc up to 20 in trees on the west shore of the Upper Res - not the same trees where there have been groups in previous summers.
Nuthatch 1 calling in trees along Holgate Street
Wood Pigeon
Robin at least one already in sub-song, several more still in full song around the site
Blue Tit
Chiffchaff 4- 1 singing on the east side of the Upper Res while another was foraging on the west side, 2 singing at each other on the east side of the Lower Res.
Chaffinch 1 S
Coal Tit adult and juvenile heard and partially seen on Holgate St.
Great Tit inc 1 checking out possible hand-outs at the unofficial feeding station lol.
Blackcap brief snatches of song heard at a couple of sites.
Long-tailed Tit - 3/4 minimum
Swallow 6 around the lowest farm buildings on the east side
Song Thrush 1 S
Blackbird 3 inc 1 singing.
Wren 1 in alarm.

18/06/2023 - 10.25 - 13.25 Cool, cloudy, S/E wind, veering Northerly, odd spots of rain.

Lower Res:
Coot 5 - 2 adults and 3 large young
Mallard 12 - 10 eclipse males 2 female/juvenile birds
Canada Goose 1
Grey Heron 1 - adult bird making use of a fishing peg created within the small reedbed.

Upper Res:
Mallard 2 - 1M 1F
Moorhen 1 adult
Coot 2/3 1 adult, 1 large chick, possibly 2nd adult present but only ever one bird seen at a time.
Little Grebe 3 - all adults, pair and single bird in territorial display/fight. The fight was eventually broken up by the adult Coot.

Golden Steps:
Grey Wagtail 2 - flypast -either 2 juveniles or juvenile in pursuit of female.

Also:
Jackdaw, including around a dozen in the canopy at the north end of the western path.
Wood Pigeon
Chiffchaff 2 S the bird at the southern end seen
Blackbird 1 male seen, several S
Song Thrush 1 S (heard only)
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Wren 5 min - 1 S on Holgate Street, adult and at least 3 young in one of the Bramble patches
Robin 1 seen, several S
Blue Tit 2 seen, several calling
Jay 1 possibly 2
Blackcap 1 male S (in duet with one of the Blackbirds)
Willow Warbler 1 S
Swallow 1 drinking from Upper Res,prob 1 of the 2 around lowest farm buildings on east side.
Pheasant 1 M
Goldfinch 2 seen, 1 S
Long-tailed Tit group heard but not seen in Rhododendrons

21/05/2023 11.15 - 14.30 Sunny with high cloud/dispersed vapour trails and a cool breeze.

Lower Res:
Mallard 1 - drake
Coot 6 - 2 adults, 4 fuzzball chicks

Upper Res:
Mallard 1 - drake - possibly from the lower res
Coot 8 - 2 adults 6 fuzzball chicks
Moorhen - 1
Little Grebe 4 - 2 pairs

Cow Bath/ Little Sea
Mallard 2 - a pair

Golden Steps:
Grey Wagtail - female collecting insects

Also:
Wood Pigeon
Jackdaw
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Robin 9 minimum mostly S
Blackbird 6 minimum 4 S
Wren 7 minimum 5 S
Chiffchaff 4 S (heard only)
Willow Warbler 2 S (heard only)
Song Thrush 1 S (heard only)
Blue Tit 5
Great Tit 4 inc 1f/juv wing-shiver food solicitation display
Sparrowhawk 1 - male
Nuthatch 1 N
Swallow 2 feeding/bathing Upper Res then around lowest farm buildings - being re-roofed so may not nest this year
House Martin 1
Bulfinch 1 male seen, it or another heard calling
Pheasant 1 male
Reed Bunting 2 heard only S in Junctus stands
Starling 3 - 2 adult 1 juv
Long-Tailed Tit - 6 family group

23/04/2023 11.00 - 13.30 dull and dry again but felt different to last Sunday. seemed to be more birds, for starters. Maybe because I got there before most of the fishermen, dog-swimmers and free-range pooches

Lower Res:
Canada Goose 3
Mallard 2 M
Coot 1
Moorhen 1

Upper Res:
Canada Goose 1
Greylag Goose 1 flew over then turned back SE
Tufted Duck 2 a pair
Coot 2 1N
Moorhen 1
Little Grebe 2 - courtship feeding.

Cow bath was quiet as there was some unofficial pond dipping going on. Probably accounts for the odd number of Canada Geese on the Lower Res, and maybe the lack of egrets

Golden Steps:
Mallard 2 a pair.

Also:
Robin 4 seen and at least 8 heard Singing around the site (12?)
Wren 3 seen, one with nesting material and 2+ more singing, with another alarm calling (6)
Song Thrush 1 S (heard only)
Jackdaw
Chiffchaff 6 minimum, all S in more or less the same locations as last week
Willow Warbler 2 minimum, S regularly in both of last week's locations, possible 3rd.
Blackbird 7, inc 1 Female
Mistle Thrush 1
Wood Pigeon
Magpie
Blue Tit 6 minimum
Carrion Crow
Great Tit 3 seen, more heard calling & S
Chaffinch 1 M seen, 2 heard singing
Nuthatch 3 1 calling at the unofficial feeding station, then a pair in the old wood, with the M 'on duty'
Swallow 6 over Upper Res, later a pair seen around the lowest farm.
Long Tailed Tit 4 pair and 2 singles
Linnet 1 flyover calling above top horse fields
Pheasant 1 M
Pied Wagtail 1 M Cow Bath horse paddock
Blackcap 1 S in old wood
Bullfinch 1 heard only old wood
Grey Wagtail,1 calling flying upstream behind the RSPCA centre

16/04/2023 12.30 - 15.00 Dull but dry.

Lower Res:
initially birdless but 3 drake Mallard were seen in flight towards the end of my circuit and a second check at 14.50 revealed
Mallard 2 drakes
Coot 1 heard

Upper Res:
Tufted Duck 1M 1f -a pair
Coot 2 - 1 N
Little Grebe 1 seen, second one heard, as first bird headed to a secluded spot on the banking
Moorhen 1
Grey Heron 1 - 2CY

Cow Bath/Little Sea
Canada Goose 2 - a pair
Mallard 1 M
and in the adjoining horse paddock
Little Egret 1

Golden Steps:
Grey Wagtail 2 - not a pair, as the Male was chasing off the other, female-type bird

Also:
Robin 7 minimum, all S
Blackbird 8 males, 6 singing
Great Tit 1 S (heard only)
Blue Tit 4
Song Thrush 1 heard only S
Jackdaw 10
Willow Warbler 1 poss. 2 S - a couple of bursts of song, in two locations, 1 directly north of the other, so possibly a bird passing through as no bird seen or heard when those locations reached. Possibly intimidated by all the
Chiffchaffs 6 minimum, all singing, in locations from Holgate Street to the top of the valley.
Carrion Crow 6
Wren 2 - 1 Holgate St S one on wall en route to Cow Bath, silent.
Magpie 6
Nuthatch 1 poss. 2 1 seen by usual nest site, another bird heard in the patch of mature woodland where a second pair were prospecting nest sites last month.
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 over
Bullfinch 1F
Blackcap 1F in hawthorns by viewpoint
Chaffinch 1 M
Swallow 1 over the Cow Bath/Little Sea
Greenfinch 2 (minimum)
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 over Huddersfield Rd as I was leaving the site.

12/03/23 12.25 - 14.25 Warm SW wind, mostly clear of snow except where the path goes round the top of the upper res, where there were remains of accumulations between 10 and 15 inches deep.

Lower Res:
Coot 2
Moorhen 2 seen, 1 heard (but not at the same time)
Black-headed Gull 27
Grey Wagtail heard only (flight call) along the inflow feeder.

Upper Res:
Little Grebe 1
Moorhen 1
Coot 2
Mallard 8 - a flotilla of 7 males following 1 female, with one of the males 'escorting ' her
Teal 1 male
Tufted Duck 8 - 5 males and 3 females. Record count for me here. They seemed to be split between 2 males and females, and a male & female plus a spare male which was being chased off all the time.

Also:
Robin 3 minimum -2 Holgate St (S) and 1 S in old wood (again with snatches of Song Thrush in its' song)
Great Tit 9 minimum - 3 Holgate Street, 3 unofficial feeding area and 3 singles
Magpie
Starling 9 - 1 Holgate Street, 8 over NW
Wren 1
Goldfinch 3 -all heard only
Nuthatch 5/6 - 1 heard only Holgate St, pair seen with nesting material (N) near usual nest site and a second pair investigating a potential site on the other side of the valley
Blue Tit 7 throughout the site
Wood Pigeon.
Blackbird 7 all males
Bullfinch 1 heard only
Coal Tit 1
Mistle Thrush 1 singing and alarm call
Jackdaw c 60 mostly around Holgate Street and Waterworks Road

18/02/2023 - 11.40 -14.20 Less busy than I expected

Lower Res:
Canada Goose 4 - 2 pairs
Goosander 4 - 3 M 1 f all four birds took off from the northern( inflow) end shortly after I arrived but one of the males circled back and returned to their original area.
Coot 2
Moorhen 1 heard only
Black-headed Gull 18 initially < 34 with
Common Gull 1

Upper Res:
Tufted Duck 2 a pair
Coot 2
Moorhen 2
Little Grebe 1
Teal 1 M - bit of a rarity here, despite suitable habitat, seen briefly at the northern end of the res. Disappeared during the distraction of someone doing his Wim Hoff Jr. act, so checked for again later from the other side . No luck but a bonus of
Little Egret 1 seen briefly but well, fishing along the back of one of the reed stands. Site and borough tick

"Cow Bath"
Mallard 1 drake 'on guard' above the reedy area.


Also:
Starling single 'singing' on Holgate Street, then 8 in flight over the Upper res, more heard around the site
Goldfinch 14 min 2 (at least) singing on Holgate St. 12 in larches in the area between the two reservoirs
Robin 5 min 2 seen in wood behind the new treatment plant, 5 heard singing at different locations around the site.
Jackdaw C 60 . Some birds around the site at various times, but a movement of c60 east to west along Huddersfield Rd around 2 p.m.
Wood Pigeon seen in ones and twos in various locations.
Blue Tit 4 1S
Long-tailed Tit 7 min 1 heard Holgate St, min 3 pairs seen around the site.
Bullfinch 2 heard calling at once
Magpie ones and twos around the site
Great Tit 11 min Several calling and at least 3, probably 5, around the unofficial feeding station. Several more seen around other parts of the site. Not seen so many in ages. They must have Sundays off
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 heard
Blackbird 2 males
Wren 1 - bathing in stream from under viewpoint.
Kestrel 1 Female over eastern sheep fields
Song Thrush 1 heard

22/01/2023 11.25 -13.25 Cloudy, mild, cool breeze

Lower Res: 98% frozen
Black-headed Gull 40
Common Gull 2 adult winter
Moorhen 1

Upper Res: 99% frozen
Mallard 4 males dabbling along the shoreline under the willows
Moorhen 1 heard.

Also:
Pied Wagtail1 Holgate St
Starling 1 Holgate St
Robin 4 seen/singing around the site
Magpie
Jackdaw
Pheasant 1 heard
Redwing 2 over
Jay 1
Great Tit 2 minimum
Carrion Crow
Woodpigeon
Common Gull 12 upper horse fields
Black-headed Gull 10 upper horse fields
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 upper horse fields
Herring Gull 1 upper horse fields
Bullfinch 1 heard
Dunnock 1
Siskin heard
Redpoll heard


-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Thursday 2nd of February 2023 04:01:06 PM

11/12/22 11.00-13.15 Site was just beyond the northern edge of this morning's cloud cover, so initially cold but bright, then cooler as the cloud edged north. Quiet, if you ignored the clay pigeon massacre over to the east, except when I went to put out food at one of the unofficial feeding stations. Then the world, their wives and dogs crashed and fog-horned in from all directions! " I luv coming here to enjoy the peace and quite"

Lower Res: 99% iced over
Mallard 2 - M & F in the small area at the north end where the stream flows in. Couldn't find any more when viewing from the north end. Very low count for a first 'icing over'
Moorhen 4 - Family group? very close together on the stone edge of the outfall down to the Golden Steps
Black-headed Gull 30 minimum - group of c 40 were on the ice as I arrived but flushed before I got a clear view to count. Eventually up to 30 were back on the ice but still very easily disturbed by just seeing humans/dogs. Initial group held a minimum
Common Gull 2 adult winter but these were not among the birds who returned

Upper Res: 98% iced over
Little Grebe 1 winter plumage bird diving and ice-breaking in the small area of open water where the streams feed in from the north
Moorhen 1 heard, somewhere below the lookout. In a bad winter they sometimes climb the bushes next to the lookout to feed
Black-headed Gull 2 - 1 present when I arrived, a second appeared to come up from the Lower Res. 2 gulls kept leaving and re-appearing as I walked round from the outfall to the lookout.

Checked the stream in the north west horse pastures and the various in=flow channels including round to the "Cow Bath" (100% frozen) but no Snipe, Water Rail etc.

A group of 4 male Blackbirds and 2 Redwing were feeding in the leaf litter of the small clump of trees at the junction of Church St East and Huddersfield Rd. at 10.55. When I passed back at 13.20 they had been replaced by a Mistle Thrush.

Also
Feral Pigeon 6
Wood Pigeon 8 - scattered throughout the site
Black-headed Gull 6 scavenging at the junction of Culvert St/Holgate St. Probably form the initial Lower Res flock
Carrion Crow 8 sightings around the site
Jackdaw 6 over, mostly as singles
Bullfinch 1 heard at various points around the site
Blue Tit c8
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Jay 1 heard Holgate St
Magpie c9 - group of 6 together on NW side of Upper Res. 1 on Holgate St seemed to be tracking a Grey Squirrel with food. The squirrel was not happy!
Long-tailed Tit 10 minimum. A party of 10 were counted across the east side access road to the new treatment works. Groups of 2 and 3 were seen elsewhere
Blackbird 2 males seen
Siskin 12 feeding in alders and larch along the east-west bridal path between the reservoirs , in company with
Goldfinch 2 - possible the same party seen around the horse paddocks on the east side of the reservoirs, but also in the area
Meadow Pipit 1 minimum seen/heard. Only the 2 Goldfinch could be picked out in the small flock flitting about
Great Tit 2 seen at feeding point, others heard
Robin 6 - 2 at feeding point, 2 on Golden Steps, 1 Holgate St, 1 top pastures
Nuthatch 1 at feeding point
Coal Tit 1 at feeding point
Dunnock 2 1 at feeding point 1 top pastures in the hedge
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 over top pastures
Kestrel 1 immature female - perched, 3/4 back on, with fluffed up feathers and no clear mask 'tear' had me hoping for something 'different' for the day.
Wren none seen, several heard, noticeably mostly after noon.

13/11/2022 11.45-13.55 Just caught the first flush of dog walkers following the Remembrance Services. Fairly quiet though, with just a few fishermen on the Lower Res. Getting busy as I was leaving.

Lower res:
Mallard 7 - 5M 2F -surprisingly low. None detected lurking under the overhanding willows.
Coot 1
Moorhen 3 - 2 adults and 1 immature
Black-headed Gull 26

Upper Reservoir
Tufted Duck 3 all males
Coot 2
Moorhen 1
Little Grebe 3 - maximum number seen together on the surface at any one time.
Black-headed Gull 28 < 40 some birds obviously commuting up from the Lower Res for the afternoon bathe and loaf, others dropping in from elsewhere. Among them
Common Gull 4 adult winter birds.
Grey Wagtail 1 male at outflow

Also:
Starling 10 minimum Culvert St
Magpie
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Nuthatch 3 minimum - 2 birds around Culvert St/Holgate St: at least 1 near the regular breeding site at the upper end of the valley
Robin 6 - 3 subsong, others seen silent birds
Blackbird 5 minimum, inc 3 first winter
Long-tailed Tit 2 x? at least 4 sightings around the site, but only ever of pairs, no sign of the usual family party/small flock usual at this time of year
Wren 4 minimum, alarm calls and brief trills in several other spots
Great Tit 2 at the ad hoc feeding station, 3 more sightings of individuals
Coal Tit 1
Blue Tit 3 minimum
Pheasant 1 M
Wood pigeon
Dunnock 2
Chaffinch 2 -1 male seen
Greenfinch 1 seen singing
Song Thrush 1
Treecreeper 2 - NOT flying down to the bottom of the tree each time they moved location - little rebels!
Goldcrest 1 M
Siskin 1 heard only
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 heard only.

09/10/22 11.10 - 13.00

Lower Res:
Mallard 24 - predominantly M, some shadowing/guarding going on.
Moorhen 3 - 2 adult 1 immature
Black-headed Gull 17
Pied Wagtail flight call over

Upper Res:
Tufted Duck 1 M
Coot 2
Little Grebe 5 - 2 adults (breeding plumage) in different locations, 1 with 2 immatures, the other with a singleton.
Black-headed Gull 7 - only one bird trying and failing badly to rob the grebes of their catches this visit.

A few Lesser Black-backed Gulls over the eastern fields along Roebuck Lane

Also:
Wren 3 minimum - 1 seen
Robin 4 minimum - 2 seen
Blackbird 2 M
Jackdaw
Magpie
Woodpigeon
Carrion Crow
Nuthatch 3 - pair in usual area and another seen along Holgate Street
Great tit 2
Long-tailed Tit 5
Blue Tit 1
Bullfinch 1 heard only
Common Buzzard 2 moving south and east mobbed by Jackdaws, Carrion Crows and Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Hobby 1 immature bird through west to east over the top pastures.
Pheasant 3 - 2M 1F, flushed from channel beside the path to the "Cow bath/Little Sea"

11/09/2022 10.45 - 13.00

Lower Res:
Mallard 13
Moorhen 5 - 1 adult & 1 juvenile X 2 (opposite sides of res) plus 1 adult further back
Grey Heron 1 right down by the unused fishing pegs. A second reported to have been flushed a little before my arrival
Black-headed Gull 1

Upper Res:
Mallard 2
Tufted Duck 3 -1M 2 juveniles
Moorhen 2 adults
Coot 3 - 2 adults, 1 1st W
Little Grebe 8 - 3 adult(summer plumage), 5 non-breeding plumage birds, one of which was a begging juvenile.
Grey Heron 1 (probably the bird from the Lower Res) a bird was heard twice, calling as if in flight, but not seen through the trees.
Black-headed Gull 16

Upper Horse Pastures
Canada Goose - 32
Black-headed Gull - 20
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2
Herring Gull 2

Also:
Magpie
Starling
Robin C10 minimum of 4 in sub-song
Wren 3 - 1 seen, 2 heard
Willow Warbler 2 - 1 contact-calling Holgate Street, 2nd at top end of the res
Coal Tit 2
Woodpigeon 10 together in the car park, C 10 in horse pastures
Pied Wagtail 1 heard
Long-tailed Tit 2 seen, 5 more calling as part of 1 party
Blue Tit 1 seen plus contact calls
Sparrowhawk 1 F circling
Great Tit 3 minimum
Nuthatch 1
Chaffinch 1
Dunnock 1
Jackdaw 6/7 in top pastures
Carrion Crow 6 top pastures
Chiffchaff 2 - 1 singing in trees along the eastern feeder to the top res, 1 in reeds along channel to 'Cow Bath' contact calling.
Swallow 4 through east of the reservoirs near the dung heap.

14/08/2022 10.25 - 13.25 Top section of Golden Steps still dry. Robin bathing in the water flowing over the bottom section.

Lower Res:
Mallard 22
Moorhen 1
Black-headed Gull 1

and a flotilla of Labradors launched into everything by a woman with a ball-chucker and a large supply of balls (along with no consideration of anyone or anything else) to the consternation of wildfowl, other dogs and humans alike I've thought for a while that councils and others managing public access water bodies should make an effort to actually provide a specific facility for dog walkers, especially given the rising temperatures, but I'd have no quarrel with all of them banning this individual!

Top Res:
Mallard 2 (possibly more in cover)
Moorhen 5 - 3 Adult, 2 juvenile
Coot 3 -2 Adult, juvenile
Little Grebe c 8 - 3 adult, 5 juvenile
Canada Goose 3
Grey Heron 1
Black-headed Gull 18

Top Horse Pastures
Black-headed Gull 11 (no movement between reservoirs and pastures noted)
Lesser Black-backed Gull 4
Herring Gull 3
Common Gull 2
Magpie c6
Carrion Crow 6
Jackdaw 8 plus about 60 in fields along the east side of the reservoirs all suddenly flushed by something (possibly a woman with a ball-thrower)

Also;
Blue Tit, Robin, Wren, Wood Pigeon, heard along Holgate Street
Goldcrest 1 seen, 2 heard along there

Blackbird 1
Chaffinch 3
Great Tit 2
Long-tailed Tit c10 all at the unofficial feeding place along the upper west path

Swallows min 10 at the farm en route to the 'Cow Bath'

Blackcap, Blue Tit, Wren, Long-tailed Tits, Old Wooded area

and another that got away. While I was "pishing" the Long-Tailed Tit group on the west path, I heard a hard short unfamiliar call, repeated twice, and a small thrush/large warbler size bird flew up onto a bare branch. Got one good view in the bins(left profile and 3/4 side& back view in an upright posture) before it dropped. Long straight pale bill, with a slight nail; gingery crest, a bit scruffy; pale line between that and the rest of the upper parts plumage which was a reddish-brown, apart from a pale patch in the secondaries. Suggestion of a pale breast as it dipped to drop. Never saw the legs or underparts and for some reason the eye failed to register - but I don't think there was an eye-ring. When it flew up I was thinking/hoping Redstart, but the back and upper tail were the same colour (a trick of the bright sunlight?). I can't find a match in either Collins or the Harris/Tucker/Vinicombe Macmillan guide that deals with 'difficult' ID's. I was reminded of illustrations of Hippolais warblers (but it was too russet) and the features don't quite fit juvenile Redstart, 1st winter Whitethroat or first winter Blackcap. Would be interested to hear if it rings any bells for anyone; enquiries among friends drawn a blank so far.

17/07/22 10.05- 13.05 Set out early with the intention of being back before the cloud cover drifted off, but the curiosity of strangers and a chance meeting with some long-unseen regulars meant that even the mad dogs had gone inside by the time I was walking home! I think it's the first time I've seen the top section of the Golden Steps completely dry. Climate change? what climate change?

Lower Res:
Coot 4 - 2 adults with a small chick (fuzzball) and a young bird,
Mallard 20 - 2 large ducklings, 1 male still in full plumage, the rest in eclipse.
Moorhen 1

connecting stream:
Grey Wagtail 1 juvenile

Upper Res:
Mallard 7- all eclipse
Moorhen 3- 2 Adult 1 juvenile
Coot 4- 2 Adult and 2 small chicks
Black-headed Gull 3<17 a bathing group gradually dropping in
Grey Heron 1 adult
Little Grebe 8 -2 adults with 6 fuzzball chicks

Swift 5 over the Upper Res: with at least one skimming to drink/bathe.

Also
Jackdaw C60. Some heard along Holgate Street, the majority in the horse pastures at the north end of the site
Carrion Crow 8 around the site, mostly in the horse pastures
Wood Pigeon Several around the site. They're far more cautious here than they are in my local park
Chiffchaff 1/2 1 still in song, possibly very mobile.
Coal Tit 1 heard Holgate Street
Wren 3 minimum, 1 singing on Holgate Street, 1 on west side of Lower Res, 1 juvenile (possibly with adult) above the wooden footbridge at the north end of the site
Magpie 8/9 about the site
Blue Tit 1 contact calling
Great Tit 2 calling
Long-Tailed Tit 2 heard
Robin 14 - at least 9 juveniles and 2 adults seen along the path on the west side of the Lower Res, 1 adult singing on Holgate Street, 1 very worn bird at a feeding site along the upper part of the west path, and 1 adult in the mature conifers between the reservoirs
Willow Warbler 1 contact calling
Chaffinch 2
Nuthatch 1
Greenfinch 1
Goldfinch 2
Blackbird 1 male seen, 1 singing in another location, 1 juvenile
Dunnock 2
Swallow 12 feeding over the reservoirs initially, then dispersed with 4 around the farm en route to the Cow Bath. Hobby/predator call given and a
Falcon - 1 - passed low south along the east side of the Lower Reservoir fields. Probably a Hobby, but seen in virtual silhouette and puzzlingly had something long, thin and rigid trailing behind it. Too stiff for jesses(?) but it seems late for nesting material and if it was green vegetation for an existing nest, it was a definite fail!
Herring Gull 1 adult on the Academy roof.

19/06/22 11.25-13.55 Cloudy Generally very quiet, dog walkers and dog-swimmers almost outnumbering species seen and certainly more fishermen than birds around the Lower Reservoir

Lower Res:
Mallard 5 - 4M
Coot 2 -1Adult, 1 Juv
Moorhen 1 adult

Upper Res:
Mallard 2 eclipse adults
Black-headed Gull 1
Coot 1 Adult being very territorial with
Tufted Duck 2 M


Golden Steps:
Grey Wagtail 2 - 1 Adult M, 1 Juv

Also Mallard 2 eclipse adults
Black-headed Gull 1
Jackdaw - c40 some on Holgate Street, the rest in woodland to the west of the Upper Reservoir. Seemed to be gathering for some sort of communal activity in either the pines or rowans . The only thing I could clearly see was bill rubbing. Cleaning or getting some sort of secretion from the tree to use for cleaning their feathers, like raptors bringing fresh branches to a nest?
Robin - Several heard, 2 adults and 1 independent juvenile seen
Chiffchaff 2 S
Long-tailed Tit party heard but not seen Holgate Street pines
Song Thrush 2 S, one seems to have picked up odd snatches of Nightingale song from somewhere!
Blue Tit contact calls in several areas but no birds clearly seen
Great Tit ditto
Wren several calling, 1 S
Blackbird 2 S -different locations, 1 M seen collecting food in the feeder channel to the Cow Bath pond
Mistle Thrush 3 - Adult being pursued by 2 juveniles
Willow Warbler 1 S
Magpie C8 mostly in top Horse Pastures
Carrion Crow 6 - 2 interacting with the Holgate Street Jackdaws, the rest in the upper pastures.
Wood Pigeon 6 seen
Swallow 1<4 1 bird seen working the meadows to the east of the reservoirs, 2 or possibly 3 more arrived on one of many mini weather fronts passing over
Bullfinch 2
Swift c6 2 seen distantly over Roebuck Lane hawking one of the mini fronts, 4 seen later directly overhead just west of the Lower Reservoir
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2 seen with the Swifts over Roebuck Lane.
Starling 6, feeding in field by the Cow Bath, at least one flying off with food
Linnet 2 same location
Pied Wagtail 2 on walls same location
Garden Warbler 1 S

15/05/22 10.25 - 12.45 Breeze, light rain at times but pleasant.

Overflow tanks for the old pumping station (now RSPCA centre)
Grey Wagtail 2 - Male at around 10.35 alarm calling at a Magpie. Female on guard duty at 12.40

Lower Res:
Mallard 3 - 2M, one paired up with a female
Coot 4 - pair with 2 young chicks -black fuzzball stage
Grey Heron 1 adult - hunched down in the private fishing club compound.

Upper Res:
Canada Goose 1
Coot 2 - 1N
Moorhen 1
Mallard 2 M & F appeared/arrived later when I came back to check on calls from a Grey Heron (not located). Possibly the pair from the Lower Res.

Cow Bath
Grey Heron 1 - 2nd summer bird, initially feeding in the supply channel (with attendant Carrion Crow) then spooked and flew to the pond where it was picking tiny items off Iris leaves and the surface. Spooked again later and flew back towards the main reservoirs, harassed by the crow, before landing in fields to the east of the Lower Res and wandering off among the Cow Parsley. As on my last visit, it and the crow were probably the source of the calls mentioned earlier.

Also:
Blackbird 4 minimum 2 males singing against each other at either end of the site,
Blue Tit
Feral Pigeon
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Chiffchaff C6 - based on locations of singing birds with at least a couple of birds singing simultaneously from different directions at several points around the site
Wood Pigeon
Great Tit 4
Magpie
Bullfinch 2 brief flight views as a pair crossed the path - juv in food pursuit of adult?
Song Thrush 2 minimum, again on song. 1 seen
Willow Warbler 3 S
Coal Tit 2 - pair collecting food - v low buzzing contact (alarm?) call as they worked through some birches
Robin 2 seen, C4 in song
Starling 18+ - a party of this number flew together across the valley, but there were lots of individual flights of birds with food east to west, plus returns.
Garden Warbler 1 S
Blackcap 2 S
Wren 2 - 1 seen, 1 singing in a different location.
Swallow 2 initially feeding/drinking from the upper res, then around the lowest farm buildings on the east side of the site.
Goldfinch 2- 1 upper horse pastures, 1 by the lowest farm
Long-tailed Tit 1 seen, several heard, mature wood

Not a trace of a wader.

17/04/22 10.15 - 12.45 Pleasant morning

Golden Steps:
Mallard 2 M&F feeding together

Lower Res:
Mallard 2 Males
Canada Goose 2 a pair
Coot 1
Moorhen 2
later 6 Mallard inc at least 1 Female flew up from the reservoir heading north. 2 dropped onto the Upper Reservoir while the others circled N (where one Male veered away) then E before dropping back down onto the Lower Res. One of the males appeared to be trying to force the female down. Courtship pursuit flight? A short time later a Female flew noisily from the Lower Res heading south.

Upper Res:
Canada Goose 2 a pair
Little Grebe 1

Cow Bath pond
Canada Goose 2 a pair
Grey Heron 1 landed briefly, then flew up the rushy inflow towards Top O' The Meadows, still pursed by a Carrion Crow
Grey Wagtail 1 male briefly

A fourth pair of Canada Geese around the small pond/rushy area in the middle of the horse paddocks N of the Upper Res

Also:
Song Thrush 3 - 1 singing Holgate Street/Culvert Street, 1 singing W side of Upper Res, 1 in mature copse E of Lower Res
Chiffchaff 3 min 1 singing Holgate Street/Culvert St, 2 singing at each other to W of Upper Res.
Great Tit 3 min seen or heard at different locations around the site
Wren 4 min seen or heard around the site (3 s)
Robin 6 seen 3 heard
Willow Warbler 6 heard at various points around the site, minimum of 3 birds
Blackcap 3 minimum heard singing
Chaffinch 2 seen 4 heard singing
Blackbird 1 heard singing
Jay 2 seen ( one mewing call, Holgate St)
Long-Tailed Tit 2 pairs seen, one pair near location of probable nest site
Blue Tit 2 seen, several heard contact or alarm calling around site
Kestrel 1 seen over Upper Res
Great Spotted Woodpecker Female seen W of Upper Res, then flew SE
Goldfinch 1 singing
Lapwing 1 display flight over sheep fields to east of Lower Res. (Chris H p.m.)
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 flew south and landed at the S end of the sheep fields - possible cause of Lapwing's display, as there was no response to any of the frequent corvid activity
Skylark 1 singing above the sheep fields
Sparrowhawk 1 SW over sheep fields, mobbed by
Meadow Pipit 1

20/03/22 - 10.50 - 13.20 Sunny, "fair weather cloud" and a cold easterly breeze. Quiet apart from the constant gunfire from the range. Good to see that the area has been made safe for the public but not 'tidied'. Lots of trunks in situ and new brush/log piles. Looks slightly "scoured" but just about enough ground cover left for nesting birds.

Lower Res:
Mallard 4 - 1m initially, then when I called back later hearing Black-headed Gulls calling, 3 more had appeared (see Upper Res:)
Canada Goose 4 - 1 definite pair (display and cop in the middle of the res) other two birds together in SW corner being fed. The second pair looked similar in size, whereas the male in the mating pair was definitely larger.
Coot 2 probably a pair
Black-headed Gull 2 over the outfall end feeding from the surface from about 12.40 to 13.05

Upper Res:
Mallard 4 - 2 males together asleep by the spit (possibly the associating males on the Lower Res later) and 2 which flew through from either the willow carr or the back pool.
Tufted Duck 2 M & F probably a pair
Little Grebe 2 both in winter plumage but feeding in the same area
Coot 2
Grey Heron 1 - Breeding plumage adult preening on the spit. After about 15 mins (11.35) seen to fly south low over the res and outfall. 5 mins later a bird returned the same way, circled up from the centre of the res and headed west. After another few minutes it or another came back to land on the spit. 30 mins later a bird flew south, spiralled up around the Huddersfield Road area and headed SW - roughly the direction of Alexandra Park, Oldham. About 5 mins before I left a bird was flying in from the SW just above tree top height but lost to view as it got over the outfall of the Lower Res.

Also.
Magpie 8 mostly paired
Jackdaw C60 - groups of around 20 counted at Huddersfield Road/Culvert Street junction, top horse pasture and S E sheep fields. No sign of movement between these areas
Robin C10 - 4 birds seen the rest heard singing from various points around the site (3 together Holgate Street area)
Carrion Crow 10 mostly paired around the site.
Chaffinch 2 - 1 Singing Holgate Street, 1 calling in conifer stand around the new waterworks building
Wood Pigeon C40 - 30 in top horse pastures, the rest in pairs around the site
Blue Tit 6 seen (max 3 together) several calling around the site
Great Tit 4 seen (2 together) at least 4 calling at different locations
Song Thrush 1 heard in song to east of school sports area
Bullfinch 1 heard calling on east side of Lower Res, later moved south to east of school
Coal Tit 2
Nuthatch 1
Long- tailed Tit 4 - 2 calling between the reservoirs (inc predator alarm calls) 2 with nest material (feathers) on west side of Upper Res
Mistle Thrush 2 - alarm calling in same area as Long-tailed Tits
Kestrel 1/2 - bird over wooded area between reservoirs (silhouette) it or another flew west to east over the Upper Res mobbed, briefly, by a Carrion Crow
Blackbird 2 males
Jay 1
Wren 2 - 1 heard on bank of stream above Upper Res, 1 seen by car park below Lower Res.
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 - initially bickering in woods North of Upper Res, then female seen in mature copse as male was drumming, calling and alarm calling(? very loud version of usual call) nearby.
Chiffchaff 2 in mature copse, singing at each other, 1 seen
Lesser Black-backed Gull 3 over 2 NE then 1
Goldfinch 1 heard
Redpoll 1 seen (first sighting here for a while)
Redwing 1 see
Moorhen 1 seen on the paved channel to the red pool.

19/02/22 13.25 - 14.25 The forecast suggested today would be the better day of the weekend; shame it took so long to turn nice! With the treacherousness of some slopes and the depth of some of the streams and pools - sorry footpaths - if tomorrow is no different to today it will still be worse after the melt. "The Slough of Despond" aka the bridleway on the east side of the Upper Res needs much better draining....or the crown of the path to be consistent so it doesn't suddenly stop being the highest part mid puddle!

Lower Res:
Mallard 6 - all males
Canada Goose 2 - a pair
Black-headed Gull 18 <22

Top Res:
Mallard 1 male possibly flown up from the Lower Res as it came in low through the gap in the trees.
Otherwise deserted, even when not curtained with snow. Nothing in the now visible SE corner, where things usually lurk in bad weather

The rest of very little else
Starling 43 in trees at the s end of Holgate Street
Magpie 6 1 Holgate Street, 2 west side Upper Res, 1 horse pastures, 1 old copse, 1 Golden Steps
Jay 1 over Holgate Street with food
Song Thrush 1 S (briefly) Holgate Street
Bullfinch 1 calling Holgate Street
Wood Pigeon 6 4 Holgate Street, 2 eastern pastures
Wren 1 western birches
Great Tit 3 1 coming to temporary feeding station, 2 along the eastern (original) overflow from the Upper Res
Blue Tit 1 temporary feeding station
Robin 1 ditto
Nuthatch 1 ditto
Blackbird 2 1 west side Upper Res 1 eastern overflow
Carrion Crow 2 1 horse pastures 1 old copse

plus 40 Jackdaw which flew north up Strine Dale from the junction of Culvert Street and Huddersfield Road as I came down


-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Saturday 19th of February 2022 05:29:35 PM

18/01/22 11.00-13.20 Beautiful day (and much quieter than on Sundays......well fewer people, not necessarily "quieter")

Started well with a sub adult Grey Heron flying over Huddersfield Road to land on the roof of Waterhead Academy. The local gulls were not impressed!

Lower Res (95% iced over)
Black-headed Gull 28 (12 initially, more joining as I was counting)
Canada Goose 4 definitely 1 pair, the other 2 "loosely associating"
Mallard 10 9 males
Moorhen 1
Muscovy Duck 1

Upper Res (2/3rds covered with thin ice - strong enough to support the gulls....but definitely not Bez!)
Mallard 6 4 males
Canada Goose 2 a pair
Tufted Duck 1 male
Moorhen 1
Little Grebe 2 - 1 winter plumage (possibly 1st winter) the other darker and showing (retaining?) the chestnut nape of a breeding adult.
Common Gull c22 - mostly adults.
Black-headed Gull 84 Numbers were building as I arrived, with birds coming in to bathe, possibly including the birds from the lower reservoir. I'd done a basic head count and was just rechecking on the Common Gulls when a male Sparrowhawk flew over and flushed the lot. They all headed south, possibly onto the Lower Res, then about 15 mins later as I was watching the Little Grebes from the (now cleared!) viewpoint 42 Black-headed Gulls returned.

Also:
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Wood Pigeon
Jackdaw
Great Tit
Chaffinch
Coal Tit 2 - one on Holgate Street, 1 near the Upper Reservoir
Sparrowhawk 2 - the male which flushed the gulls and an earlier female, harassed by a Carrion Crow
Blue Tit
Robin
Long-tailed Tit
Mistle Thrush 2 in eastern fields below the farm on Green Lane, with
Redwing 10
Blackbird 1

19/12/2021 11.35-13.50 Bright, clear, chilly, slightly damp (still some frost in sheltered spots) but definitely beautiful day.

Lower Reservoir:
Mallard 2 (a pair)
Coot 1
Moorhen 5
Black-headed Gull 30 mostly plunge-feeding around an unoccupied fishing peg just into the reed bed, outcompeting a
Muscovy Duck 1

Upper Res:
Mallard 1 (with the pair on the bottom reservoir, this is the lowest record I can remember for the species here, even when pairs are away from the water incubating. No sign of any lying up on the side of the Lower res either)
Canada Goose 2 (a pair)
Coot 1
Moorhen 1
Little Grebe 3, one still in summer plumage
Common Gull 6 3xjuv/1stW (mantles still mottled) 2x2ndW 1 adult W mixed in with
Black-headed Gull 20 initially, but birds arriving/departing from the lower res during my observations. Various attempts to harass the Little Grebes but none successful. Like Tony's Coot (cf General Discussion thread) the Grebes are lurking under the willows or slipping off to the other end of the reservoir while the gulls aren't paying attention. Everything paid attention during the flyover by a
Grey Heron 1 sub adult disappeared into the trees in the north east corner where there are two shallow pools

Goosander 1 Drake coming over the trees by the RSPCA compound at the end of Holgate Street may have come from the reservoirs.

Also:
Mistle Thrush 1 singing at the junction of Culvert Street and Huddersfield Road (another, later, back towards the Huddersfield Rd/Ripponden Road junction.
Blue Tit, 2 seen more heard
Wren 2 singing Holgate Street
Nuthatch 1 heard Holgate Street
Starling 3 heard -poplars, Culvert St
Magpie c 12 around the site
Wood Pigeon c6 mostly perched in cover, 2 feeding top pastures
Robin 1 S Holgate Street, 1 near Upper Res, 1 Old Wood.
Bullfinch 1 heard Holgate Street
Long-tailed Tit 4
Great Tit 2
Coal Tit 1
Rook 3 feeding in top pastures with
Jackdaw 20 and
Carrion Crow 6
Siskin heard King George VI Memorial Woodland
Jay 2 heard behind RSPCA compound
Sparrowhawk 1 male low over RSPCA compound
Goldfinch C4 1 over the top pastures C3 more sensibly in the conifer hedges on Culvert Street.

07/11/21 11.45 - 14.00

Lower Res:
Coot 1
Mallard 29
Black-headed Gull 66
Common Gull 1

Upper Re:
Mallard 2 (a pair)
Moorhen 1
Little Grebe 6 1 summer plumage adult being followed by a post -humbug chick, another summer-plumage adult at the other end of the reservoir was driving away two winter-plumage/sub adult birds (possibly last month's pair of juveniles). Just as I was leaving another winter-plumage/sub adult bird was in view as well.
Black-headed Gull 5<15. Initially 5 birds on the reservoir, rising to 15 with most birds coming in low as if moving up from the Lower Reservoir. One of the initial 5 was attempting to steal fish from the Little Grebes and several more joined in, with at least one bird plunging its' head underwater as the Grebes dived. Might have a negative effect on future broods for the Grebes, Coots and Moorhens when they have small chicks on the water.
Common Gull 1 - came in with the gulls from the Lower Reservoir.

Golden Steps
Grey Wagtail 1

Upper horse paddocks were very quiet, possibly because of the strong winds.
Carrion Crow 3
Wood Pigeon 6
Common Gull 4
Starling flock beyond the fence on the skyline to the west, C 30 birds showing as the birds were disturbed, probably larger number

Also:
Robin 1 seen, several heard
Magpie c 1O -singles and pairs
Blue Tit 1 seen with other tits, several more heard
Great Tit 2 seen more heard
Long-tailed Tit 6 minimum, probably more.
Bullfinch 1 heard
Kestrel 1 male
Blackbird 1
Nuthatch 1
Wren 2 heard

Bonus bird was a single Fieldfare fly past on Huddersfield Road as I started to walk home.

12.25-14.45. Sunny - for a change

Lower Res:
Mallard 20 mostly males
Moorhen 3 adults
Coot 1 adult
Black-headed Gull 24

Top Res:
Little Grebe 4 2 Adults, one being pestered by 2 'post-humbug' chicks. First evidence of breeding this summer
Moorhen 1 Adult
Tufted Duck 3 Males
Mallard 12 flew in, probably from the group on the lower res.
Canada Goose 39 a party of 32 down near the outlet, with the other 7 on the spit at the inflow. Unlike the main group, none of the latter took any interest when the young family turned up with bread. Joining in the feeding frenzy were
Black-headed Gull 27


Also:
Long-tailed Tit at least 2 roving parties, mostly heard in the canopy rather than seen, along with
Great Tit and
Blue Tit.
Robin more heard than seen (2), with one doing a very odd call/subsong. A 'churp' like version of the usual 'tacking' contact call, but several run together. Not quite the sound of someone cracking their knuckles but that rhythm.
Magpie
Wood Pigeon
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Pheasant 1
Wren 2 heard
Willow Warbler 1 heard (contact calls)
Jay 1 heard
Bullfinch 1 heard
Black-headed Gull C 40 scattered through the horse pastures above the top reservoir
Common Gull C 10, mostly a resting group
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 Adult.

22/09/21 12.35 - 15.00

Lower Res:
Mallard 25
Moorhen 1
Coot 1
Black-headed Gull 1
Grey Wagtail 2 1 adult being pursued by 1 juvenile around the reservoir

Upper Res;
Tufted Duck 1 eclipse male
Coot 2
Moorhen 1
Little Grebe 1 partial summer plumage adult
Black-headed Gull 9
Grey Wagtail 1 juvenile probably the bird from the Lower Reservoir.

also:
Wren several heard
Blue Tit several heard
Jackdaw several
Magpie 10 minimum, around the upper parts of the valley
Robin 2 seen - full and partial song heard from various point around the site (not quite into sub-song yet)
Jay 2 seen together in woods by Golden Steps, 1 heard around the Upper Reservoir later
Sparrowhawk 1 female across at tree top height east to west, "announced" by
Long-tailed Tit distinct alarm calls (min 3) and mobbed by
Swallows 6, which had been feeding over the centre of the valley a few minutes before. Probably part of the group of 8 seen towards Sholver and the 15 on wires at the unoccupied(?) farm, where at least a few were being fed by 2 birds. Three broods of the same pair with the older chicks still around or most just a passing group drawn by the dung heap?
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 over (that's a 100% increase in fly-over birds from last month)
Carrion Crow 15, some of which joined with a couple of Black-headed gulls to mob the/a Sparrowhawk when it appeared higher over the valley heading NW -> S
Bullfinch 2 foraging pair
Goldfinch c15, 2 of which were perched on the dead twigs of a tree at the north end of the Upper Reservoir to the annoyance of a
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 f "chipping" at the Goldfinches and eventually pecking towards the second when it wouldn't fly off. Later heard in three other locations.
Canada Geese flock of 45 flew east - west into fields just to the south of Sholver but passed out of sight before being seen to settle
Starling C 60 congregating on the telegraph wires by the swallows' farm and raiding a rowan by the path to the "Cow Bath". Some of the juveniles spooked by passing swallows.
Willow Warbler 1 contact calls heard

Amused to watch the mixed breed flock of sheep in the eastern fields high tail it like naughty kids not wanting to come in for their tea to the furthest end of the pastures when they heard the whistles instructing "Ernie" to round up the group in the adjacent field. Having successfully penned those One Man (on sticks?) and His Dog moved on to the rest with the dog and larger flock circling the fields at some distance from the man. Not sure if the sheep where were they were supposed to be or diagonally as far away as possible when I moved on

22/08/21 12.15 - 14.30 Very quiet in terms of both birds and people - numbers and noise.

Lower res:
Mallard 18 inc 1 duck with 4 large youngsters
Moorhen 1
Coot 1
Black-headed Gull 1

Upper Reservoir
Mallard 3, one of them showing that one of the white farmyard ducks had successfully passed on some of it's genes
Moorhen 4
Coot 2
Little Grebe 2
Black-headed Gull C 14, birds coming and going from a loafing party up in the horse pastures comprising
Black-headed Gull 54 (at time of observation, unfortunately the loafing and bathing parties couldn't be seen at the same time)
Common Gull 15 (none of the Common Gulls were seen to bathe)

Also:
Coal Tit 1 seen, others heard
Wood Pigeon
Willow Warbler 1 juvenile seen, contact calls heard at several locations.
Chiffchaff 1 S
Long-tailed Tit - 3 at least, foraging together
Bullfinch 2/3 2 calling together east of the Lower Reservoir, another called earlier across the valley
Blue Tit 1 seen, contact calls heard in several locations
Nuthatch 2/3 2 calling near regular nest site, 1 heard lower down the valley later
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 over
Sparrowhawk 1 F seen circling over the horse pastures then away west.
Carrion Crow C 20 around the site
Jackdaw C 30 around the site
Magpie several, inc one juvenile bird.
Swallow 10/11 A single bird feeding on a passing weather front may have been the single bird at the old farm, where 9 others were together on the wires.
Starling 1 at the farm
Goldfinch 20 minimum.

25/07/2021 11.20 - 14.00

Lower Reservoir:
Coot 1
Moorhen 1
Grey Heron 1
Mallard 26
Black-headed Gull 1 over

Upper Reservoir:
Coot 1
Moorhen 1
Grey Heron 1 (probably same bird seen in inflow to lower res, but not seen to relocate
Mallard 4
Little Grebe 2
Black-headed Gull 27

Also:
Robin 1 singing, 1 subsong, several juveniles contact calling.
Wren 1 seen 2 hidden singers, several scolding
Jackdaw 4 initially then c60 over from the east, beyond Roebuck Lane
Blue Tit 2 seen contact calls from several points around the site
Great Tit Calls heard from several locations
Chiffchaff 1 singing still from birch wood to east of Lower Reservoir
Willow Warbler contact calls from probably 2 individuals around the site.
Long-tailed Tit contact calls from several individuals in dense undergrowth
Nuthatch 1 calling around usual breeding area
Magpie, c 8 dispersed and mobile around the site
Carrion Crow 6 dispersed inc 1 in sun-bathing stupor.
Swallow 1, initially, hawking over the top reservoir, then C30 on wires at the unnamed farm NE of the new pumping/filtration station. Predator call and mobbing response but couldn't see a trigger
Song Thrush 1 singing - woodland by Golden Steps
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 calling in the mature copse east of Lower Reservoir.

13/06/21 10.25- 12.00 Fairly busy, which probably reduced numbers seen/heard, although even the Upper Reservoir, despite being undisturbed, was quiet.

Lower Reservoir:
Mallard 13 males

Upper Reservoir:
Mallard 2 a pair
Coot 2
Moorhen 1
Little Grebe 1

Also
Great Tit several calling
Robin 2 seen, including a very dark, possibly melanic bird, as I couldn't pick up any red when it was flitting about. Several more heard singing.
Blue Tit several calling inc contact calls
Blackbird several singing
Willow Warbler 2 minimum singing, some contact calls
Jay
Blackcap 2 minimum singing
Chiffchaff 1 singing
Nuthatch alarm/contact calls near known nest site
Carrion Crow
Magpie
Jackdaw good numbers around the site, especially in the fields to the east
Starlings ditto
Magpie
Swallow 2 a pair at a probable nest site.
Greenfinch 1 singing
Whitethroat 1 singing
Skylark 1 distant possibly along Brighton Road (but not THAT distant)

22/05/2020 11.50-13.30 A Saturday visit to avoid the 'bad weather all day' forecast for Sunday 23rd

Golden Steps
Grey Wagtail 2 - male and female - later in the circuit a male was seen at the top end of the overflow/feeder system

Lower Res:
Coot 1
Mallard 6 all males

Upper Res:
Coot 1
Little Grebe 1
Canada Goose 2+ A pair were on the small spit at the northern end, then as I was out of sight of the res another bird or birds were heard to fly low over, probably from the horse paddocks on the western side. A later check showed only 2 geese still on the reservoir

Cow Pond (apparently!)
Canada Goose 2 a pair definitely not the pair on the Top Res but probably the flyover birds.

Very quiet for waterfowl, with no Moorhens seen.

Also:
Blackcap 3 min Singing
Blackbird 5 all males
Great Tit 4 - 1 seen the others calling/Singing
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Robin 8 - 2 Singing, the rest looking for food around the site
Blue Tit 5 - 1 seen
Wood Pigeon
Song Thrush 1 Singing -the usual mimic
Chiffchaff 3 min Singing
Magpie
Willow Warbler 2 Singing 1 showing well in song
Swallow 6 hawking low over Top Res - all very definitely blue-rumped

-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Sunday 23rd of May 2021 08:54:24 PM

-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Sunday 23rd of May 2021 08:55:30 PM

11.30-13.40

More noisy than usual with the football supporters' organised dog walk and outdoor alcoholics (roll on May 17th!) but at least I was away from all the black clouds to the west. Quite a mix of winter and spring, both in the surroundings and some of the species.

Lower Reservoir:
Canada Goose 2 - a pair
Mallard 8 - 6 males together and pair on their own
Coot 1
Moorhen 1

Upper Reservoir:
Canada Goose 2 -a different pair
Goosander 1 Male
Coot 1
Little Grebe 1

Also
Blackbird 2 males - 1 S on Culvert St and another in the mature woodland
Greenfinch 1 S on Culvert Street
Great Tit 5 min - mostly S around the site with one pair seen
Wood Pigeon 10 min
Robin 8 min - several S
Blue Tit 6 min
Carrion Crow
Magpie
ChiffChaff 2 S min by location - 1 by the RSPCA compound, another up by Upper Reservoir, possible 3rd but never singing at the same time as any other bird.
Nuthatch 1 min calling and foraging near known nest site. It or another in the mature wood on the other side of the valley
Jay 1 heard - short alarm call
Wren 3 min - 1 'tacking' Culvert St. 1 S by Upper Reservoir, 1 seen in mature wood
Song Thrush 1 S - same area as last month but seems to have more Nightingale in its' repertoire
Willow Warbler 2 S min - both singing at once from opposite sides of the Upper Reservoir - always helps
Chaffinch 2 - male and female seen in different locations
Jackdaw c30 in the horse fields
Pied Wagtail 4 in the horse fields
Golden Plover - 1 over NE calling (not seen so probably literally right over my head!)
Grey Wagtail 1 male S(?) in a small tree in the fields to the east of the reservoirs. Seemed an odd location but in working round to get the sun behind me I spotted a small drainage ditch nearby.
Long-tailed Tit 2 - pair
Possible Common Buzzard low over the horse fields west of the Upper Reservoir, but by the time I'd changed focus it had dipped below the skyline. Several Jackdaws immediately headed towards the point where it had disappeard though.

14/03/2021 11.00 - 1300 Out and back before the rain set in.

Lower Reservoir
Canada Goose 4 - two obvious pairs.
Mallard 9 - all males
Coot 2 - probably a pair
Moorhen 1
Cormorant 1 (relocated from Upper Reservoir around 12.20 and still there when I left, much to the apprehension of the other waterfowl. The Geese were very wary and the Mallards tucked in along the bank)
Pied Wagtail 2 - pair flushed from inspection platform at outfall as I returned to check for the Cormorant.

Upper Reservoir
Tufted Duck 2 - male and female
Little Grebe 2 a pair - courtship feeding.
Cormorant 1 (seen here initially around 11.35 before it moved down to the lower reservoir. Seen in flight between the reservoirs around 12.20, so Lower Reservoir rechecked. Actively looking for food in both locations but I didn't see it catch anything at either of them. First sighting of one here, for me,

Grey Wagtail 1male again along the overflow channel from the Upper Reservoir to the Golden Steps. Probably the bird heard in flight as I arrived on site.

Also:
Robin several in song around the site
Coal Tit 2
Great Tit 1
Blue Tit 8 scattered around the site
Long-tailed Tit 12 around the site in 4 pairs and a quartet.
Nuthatch 1 heard, usual location
Goldfinch 2
Song Thrush 1 heard singing
Mistle Thrush 1 heard alarm calling
Carrion Crow 6
Magpie c10
Jackdaw 6
Greenfinch 1
Wood Pigeon 6
Starling 3
Wren 2 heard
Notable absence of Blackbirds, even in the small area of mature woodland.

On my walk home around 30 Jackdaw flew down over Littlemore from the direction of the reservoirs.




-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Monday 15th of March 2021 10:44:04 PM

13/02/2021 12.30-14.30.

With Webs back on and rain forecast Saturday seemed the better bet for what would definitely be a snowy, slippery Strinesday. Both reservoirs frozen except for small areas of open water round the in and outflows. The ice at the outflow end was certainly thick enough to support one contender for this year's Darwen award!

Lower Res:
Black-headed Gull 49
Herring Gull 1 - 2nd winter
Comon Gull 4 - 2 adult, 1 2nd winter, 1 1st winter
Mallard 16<24 C16 counted in the open water screened by willows at the north end of the reservoir, but 24 were flushed from the lower res later on

Upper Res:
Coot 1
Moorhen 2
Black-headed Gull 17
Common Gull 6 -2 adult, 3 2nd winter, 1 1st winter.
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 adult.

Run off channel to Upper Res:
Grey Wagtail 1 male

Elsewhere:
Starling 24
Wood Pigeon
Jackdaw
Magpie
Blackbird 6 minimum
Robin 6 minimum
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Nuthatch 1 around known nest site
Goldfinch several heard along Culvert street and 1 hardy individual singing away in a hawthorn up in the horse pastures at the north end of the valley
Bullfinch 5 minimum 3 males and 2 female together in hedge at north end (another?) male at Bullfinch corner.
Carrion Crow c5 - 3 on the ice with the gulls on the Upper Reservoir, 2 feeding in the horse pasture with
Rook 4 an uncommon species here, apart from with the odd large corvid flocks of very late autumn. One of them flushed this month's bonus bird
Common Snipe 1 feeding along the frozen stream running through the horse pasture. Only the second ever sighting for me around the area and only the third recorded wader in total with the other being a Woodcock

All in all not too bad on a day when even the Golden Steps were the frozen steps