No sign again today, despite an extensive search of the Roch.

Green Sandpiper found by Dave Winnard and Steve Atkins though.

Info thanks to Paul Cliff

Oh well just have to wait another 20 plus years.
Next time something good turns up I really must abandon the office and get there quick. Helps being the boss.



-- Edited by Steve Scrimgeour at 22:57, 2009-01-09

No sign of the Eider today in yesterday's location of the River Roch around and about the Fairfield Hospital area.

Info thanks to Gavin Ashworth and Steve Collins

Like Steve, I want to know if anyone has any idea about the location of the Eider?. I was also hoping to catch it tomorrow, has it gone ?
Cheers Ian

Chaps and chapesses,

Has it vanished, been snuck into a white van for us workers to find this weekend or is everyone who seen it in work today.

Just with work commitments was planning an early morning visit tomorrow.

If spotted Eider like to know directions etc ( see what i done there)

Cheers

Just for interest, the area where the Eider is will be host to what is possibly Greater Manchesters rarest fungi in March, the brilliantly named MIDNIGHT DISCO (Bill Myerscough will still think i am making it up), theres another forum for that though.

This stretch of the Roch Valley has certainly hit a 'purple patch'.

Dave

Great to see the Eider this lunchtime. Thanks to the re-finders, also Ian and Brian, who passed the info around, as I was just about to give up. A quick breeze round the B&Q estate and then along the south side of the river to see Brian jumping up and down made it all worthwhile!

-- Edited by Richard Howells at 22:47, 2009-01-08

lol dave! i'd already seen the bugger! did make the bacon muffin i had for dinner taste all the better for working up an appetite like we did!

Good to meet Paul Cliff and Declan Savage today,after our long walk from Heywood to the rear of Fairfield Hospital via the banks of the River Roch! We had nearly given up when the Eider floated out from under the small bridge,you can imagine our suprise! Also noted,Bullfinch,Great Tit,4+ Dippers,Grey Wagtail,Sparrowhawk,10+ Mallard,6 Goosander.Worth the hard slog eh Paul!

started looking for the eider at 8am this morning along the stretch nr peel lane, at about 9.30 went around to the birtle side and down to the river nr elbut wood, no sign there so back to peel lane side for another 2 hours. just about to give up when ian text to say relocated towards bury, checked the map and went down to the road nr b+q warehouse but no access there. headed back towards heywood and noticed the iron gate with track and checked it out, found the bird on the river nr the big factory at about 12.30. big thanks to paul cliff and others for re finding the bird and to ian mc for getting the info out. nice to meet simon hitchin, henry cook and phil owen, sorry didnt get the names of other birders present.

In addition to the Eider and other birds mentioned below, I flushed a Woodcock along the river bank about mid-way between Heywood and the hospital.

Great to meet you too Paul, and Dave also.

Great to see dave philips down there today and meet dave ousey. We started way upstream me and dave o like a pair of Rambos fighting our way through some steep and treachorous bits! We picked up declan savage along the way; great to put a face to your name declan. Eventually we end up at the bridge and gave up stood chatting and the eider floats out grom under it to say good morning! Top birding!

-- Edited by Paul Cliff at 18:05, 2009-01-08

Saw the drake Eider this morning in the company of Brian Fielding and others. Also around was 4 Dippers, a Nuthatch, Goldcrest and Teal.
Lovely bird and a great Manc rarity as far as I know, excellent!
Thanks. Henry.

Drake Eider was just downstream of footbridge till 1315 at least.
Acccess from M66 Jn 2 then east towards Heywood on A58, Gate mentioned by Brian is opposite Jasons Plastics factory Prettywood then walk down path to footbridge.
Alteratively from North throught Fairfield Hosptal as per Simon.
Bird is with 5 Goosander.
Also seen on river
12 Goosander
Dipper
Grey Wagtail
Little Owl by Elbut Woods

If it carries on drifting down river it will be near Elton by Saturday
Cheers Ian

IANMOFFAT1 wrote:

---

Hi Ian, Walk across the playing fields down through the wooded slopes (sturdy boots required) keeping the steam on your right side do not cross, you should come out to a treeless open valley with the river in front of you. Walk down to the river and continue up stream towards Elbut wood, the Eider was oberserved along this stretch diving close to the near bank yesterday between 1300-1400hrs.
Good luck.

---

The Eider has moved considerably further west of yesterday's sightings (above) so if it remains in the same location as today it is best to follow the directions of Brian Fielding or perhaps Simon/Alan Warford.

Should there be any change in it's location, perhaps it will return upstream once again, it will be posted here and the original directions once again take presidence.

Clear as mud

Hi Ian, Walk across the playing fields down through the wooded slopes (sturdy boots required) keeping the steam on your right side do not cross, you should come out to a treeless open valley with the river in front of you. Walk down to the river and continue up stream towards Elbut wood, the Eider was oberserved along this stretch diving close to the near bank yesterday between 1300-1400hrs.
Good luck.

Ian, Alternative access, drive into Fairfield Hospital itself follow road past the Car Parks and take a right turn towards some terraced houses, park here and follow track to river.

At 12.45pm the Eider is still drifting downstream with Goosanders past the Benzipack factory towards another wier.

Info from Alan Warford.

Further current directions as follow:

From the M66 junction 2 take the A58 towards Heywood, park on the left after a quarter of a mile by a metal gate and follow the track to the river (approximately 150 metres).

Info thanks to Brian Fielding

The bird is currently approximately 500 yards downstream (which is west) of Fairfield Hospital, by the large factory with a small wooden bridge crossing the river.

Updates thanks to Paul Cliff

Can someone please tie it down so that those of us that work 9-4ish can see it on Saturday, PLEASE:
I just know that it will leave on Friday
Cheers Ian

Still present this morning, re-found slightly further downstream closer to Bury on the river roch by a large factory.

Info thanks to Paul Cliff

hi phil, come off the m66 at the bury/heywood junction and follow heywood, after aprox 1 mile go striaght on at traffic lights and then take the first left into george st, striaght on at mini roundabout and then left at the refuse site, park up and take track to the left by steel barrier down to the river. i will be there from about 8am.

-- Edited by brian fielding at 21:58, 2009-01-07

Could anybody please give directions from the M66 coming from Barton Bridge??

Thanks

Phil

A great big thank you Gavin for reporting this bird, nice little local patch.

late news for yesterday was 2 Pergrines, kestrel, Redpoll all at the same site as the Eider.

keep birding

Hi Colin,
You were asking on the Little Egret thread which tetrad the Eider was in. Based on the grid ref SD840115 it is in SD81K Heywood, although if it drifts 100 metres down river (SD839114) it would be in SD81F Fairfield Sorry to be a tetrad nerd, but as you rightly say these things do matter. If you want to convert a tetrad to a grid ref there is a clever tool for doing so on the BTO website http://www.bto.org/birdatlas/taking_part/atlastools.htm and if you want to know the name of the tetrad you can check this on the GM map on this website http://www.manchesterbirding.com/GM%20BTO%20Region%20Tetrad%20%20Map%20Nov%2008.jpg
I don't think anyone has mentioned that the last time Eider was seen in Rochdale was in 1982 when there were 3 on Ashworth Moor Resr on 6th November and one the following day. Even though this is Dave W.'s local patch we can hardly criticise him for not having this species on his Rochdale list, after all it was before he was born.

Steve

Still present at 3pm

Info thanks to Paul Hackett

Drake Eider still present this am along the same stretch of river and below Elbut Wood at 8:30am

Info thanks to Ian Woosey

Many thanks to Gavin Ashworth for finding the bird and just as importantly for taking the time to get in contact with me.

i told my brother in law, trevor lane about the eider today and he went to see it. i couldnt go as already left for work. he parked just of peel lane nr the refuse tip, you can take a track to the left which is only a few minutes walk to the bridge over the river, the eider was nr the bridge when he arrived about 11am. i will be there at first light, i only have a 15 minutes to see the bird before i have to leave for work so fingers crossed.

Great to have this bird so close. Was still moving up towards the weir when Susan (Fargher, not Wilson) and I left. Good to see several Dipper along this stretch of water too, and several Goosander.

Cracking bird, and great to see plenty of people (nice to finally meet Dave Broome and John Rayner). was heading up river all the time whilst i was there, though it will have the weir to negioate.

Dave

Eider has now travelled slightly further upstream and at 11:20am was by up the second bridge (along the river from the previous directions) by Grizlehurst Wood.

Info thanks to Sue Fargher (was Wilson )

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar at 15:15, 2009-01-06

Further directions as follows:

Park by Elbut Lane Methodist Church on the corner of the B6222, cross the playing fields opposite and then follow the paths to the river. The bird was moving upstream but was still downstream of Grizlehurst Wood.

Directions thanks to Paul Cliff

A drake Eider is on the River Roch in Heywood for it's 2nd day roughly below Elbut Wood at grid reference SD840115. The bird can be difficult to see due to accessing the stretch of river it's on but further detailed directions will follow.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar at 08:24, 2009-01-06