This evening :- 7 Ring Ouzel 5+ Wheatear 1 Stonechat 12 Goosander

Thursday 24th March 2022

1 Little Ringed Plover
2 Goldeneye (drake and female)
2 Oystercatchers
10 Lapwings
12 Goosanders

6 Snipe
1 Goosander
5 Tufted Duck
1 Common Gull

1 female Goldeneye
Singing Grasshopper Warbler
3 Common Gull
Singing Sedge Warbler
1 Stock Dove
1 Skylark
3 Lapwing
2 Oystercatcher
1 Reed Bunting

The interesting series of Rochdale borough Goldeneye sightings continues...

A female Goldeneye on 17th July 2021 (present for 4th day) and an eclipse drake Goldeneye was present in early July (this bird possibly present for 6 months)

Information thanks to Alan Nuttall

Pair Goldeneye
Little Ringed Plover (heard)
14 Goosander (1 adult drake)
2 Curlew
2 Oystercatcher
4 Lapwing
8 Linnet
1 singing Skylark
1 Buzzard
1 male Reed Bunting


A female Ring Ouzel seen at 11:30am (Alan Nuttall)

2 Wheatear above the animal sanctuary
12 Goosander

With Kevin McCabe 13:40 - 17:00 hrs

Ring Ouzel - female landed on the rocks close to where we were sitting
Wheatear - 7 (including 6 in improved field to north of Field of Dreams animal sanctuary)

Goldeneye - pair
Oystercatcher - pair
Lapwing - 5 (2 displaying)
Curlew - 2 (one displaying)
Common Sandpiper - 1
Goldcrest - 1 singing
Swallow - 2
Willow Warbler - 3 singing
Blackcap - 1 singing
Stonechat - female
Grey Wagtail -1

1 Dunlin today

Late post from Monday 17th April (11am to 2pm) with Zoe Barrett.

Goldeneye (male and female)
Teal - 6 on small pool to south of upper resr
Curlew - 3
Lapwing - 6 displaying
Green Woodpecker clinging to fence post on the moorland edge and calling
Swallow - 6 flew over calling and one perched on wires at the Field of Dreams animal sanctuary
Chiffchaff - 1 singing
Willow Warbler - 1 singing
Wheatear - 2
Reed Bunting 3 males
Twite - 2 (presumably a pair) flew in calling and perched obligingly on a fence
Meadow Pipit - 5+
Skylark - 4 singing

and one Vietnamese pot-bellied pig Sus scrofa domesticus

Rather depressing to see a very large area of moorland stretching up to the Pennine Way has been set on fire and is charred and blackened. I'm sure the sheep will be looking forward to the fresh green grass shoots. This is part of the South Pennine Moors Special Protection Area

2 Whimbrel
2 Oystercatcher
2 Dunlin
3 Common Sandpiper
1Redshank
10 Lapwing
7 Swift the first of the year at this location
A few Linnet
Over 10 Wheatear
It would be nice to see another birdwatcher in the rain. Cheers Alan

Great news for you Alan,well done!!

Dave Ousey.

Red Kite slowly making its way West at 1012hrs.For me to get Rochdale new species after 40 years is quite an event!
1 Red Kite,1 Kestrel,6 Dunlin,2 Common Sand,2 Ringed Plover,3 Little Ringed Plover,2 Redshank,2 Oystercatchers,1 Golden Plover,plus Lapwing.Curlew.
Cheers Alan

3 Ring Ouzels ( 2 males and 1 female) still present this evening

Also 1 Common Sandpiper and 7 Wheatear but no sign of any Whinchats

Originally posted today by Alan Nuttall:


3 Ring Ouzel possibly 4 present this morning for their fourth day.
Birds can be viewed from track some 200 yards South of the Field of Dreams Farm.Look over the reservoir and check green field.
1 Dunlin,Redshank,Golden Plover,and a splendid 2 male Whinchat along with a fall of Wheatear.
Cheers Alan

__________________

In addition to the sightings from Alan a Grasshopper Warbler was reeling near the reservoir

3 Ring Ouzel present this morning 2 males 1Female
3 Wheater,2 Oystercatchers
Cheers Alan

pair Goldeneye
2 Oystercatchers
1 Curlew
1 Wheatear
male Stonechat

12 Grey Partridge being checked out by a Stoat,
1 Little owl
5 Tufted Duck
2 Teal
100 Canada
2 Kestrel
Cheers Alan

4 Stonechat,1 wheatear,120+meadow pipit,28 Mistle Thrush,5 tufted Duck,I little owl.
Cheers Alan

3 Whinchat 2 males,1 female Stonechat,1 Wheatear,2 Little Owl,1 Green Sandpiper a site first for me.
Cheers Alan

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 5th of September 2014 02:43:25 PM

The water level still seems to be falling exposing a little more mud.
It looks like we have had a small fall of Common Scoter today in Rochdale yet another Scoter on Chelburn today, they are like buses you wait all year and two records together
1 male Scoter
2 Oystercatchers
And a Splendid Stock Dove
Cheers Alan


-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 5th of June 2014 09:01:52 PM

Originally posted by Alan Nuttall today:

3 Dunlin
2 Ringed Plover
2 Oystercatchers
2 Common Sandpiper
1 Redshank
7 Lapwing
6+ Curlew
A surprise visit by 2 juvenile Shelduck that only stayed for a couple of minutes.
Cheers Alan

1 Male Whinchat
2 Oystercatcher
3 Redshank
3 Common Sandpiper

2 Ringed Plover
Lapwing
3 Tufted Duck
Wheatear,Reed Bunting,Calling,Curlew,Little Owl,all this plus the fantastic call of a captive Eagle owl which seemed to still the local bird population!
Cheers Alan

-- Edited by Alan Nuttall on Thursday 8th of May 2014 05:00:35 PM

The water level continues to drop exposing some mud.
2 summer plumage Dunlin
2 Ringed Plover
2 Redshank
3 Oystercatcher
2 Common Sandpiper
Over 5 Curlew at any one time
2 Grey Wagtail
Cheers Alan

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 4th of May 2014 07:08:35 PM

pair Goldeneye
2 Curlew
3 Oystercatcher
2 Yellow Wagtails
male WHINCHAT
2 Wheatear
2 Twite

Hi, does anybody know when the best time to go up is so I can spot a Sparrow Hawk or even a Merlin, Thankyou. Joshua.

Thanks to some excellent detective work by Alan Nuttall, he has established that the Manx Shearwater was in fact found in long grass on Chelburn Moor below the Pennine Way at approx. grid ref SD960192.
The reference to Lower Chelburn Resr was because the location is in direct line of sight of the resr.
Apologies for any confusion. The bird has been photographed and now resides at Manchester Museum.

Late post from Wed 14th September:

Alan Nuttall was informed by David Wall that last Wed whilst walking his Labradors by the lower Chelburn resr, one of the dogs retrieved a dead Manx Shearwater. Doubtless blown inland by the gales early last week.

David has kept the bird in his freezer since then and gave the corpse to Alan this evening. Photographs have been taken and Alan brough the corpse round to show me.

I've contacted Manchester Museum to see if they are interested in the bird. What a great shame that no one was able to see it whilst still alive, or potentially take it in to care. Especially as the last record from Rochdale was in September 1974.







-- Edited by Steve Atkins on Monday 19th of September 2011 07:41:09 PM

1/9/2011

4 Wheatear
7 Meadow Pipits
2 Linnets
1 juvenile Stonechat
Kestrel
Sparrowhawk

Small Copper and Meadow Brown, plenty of Grasshoppers and unidentified dragonflies

9/8/2011 Afternoon visit

Stonechat 3-4 (family group)
1 Reed Bunting (juv) with Stonechats
At least 4 Wheatear on walls and boulders near animal sanctuary
c6 Meadow Pipits
c10 Linnets

On upper reservoir
4 Tufted Duck
8 Mallard
c120 Canada Geese
1 Embden Goose

2 Twite - just about hanging on in GM
4 Wheatear
male Stonechat
5+ Linnets

A Yellow Wagtail calling from the horse paddock next to the animal sanctuary farm, was catching insects directly under the nose of a Shetland pony.

An adult Whinchat in the bracken to the north of the lower resr with a juv. Stonechat.

A Buzzard high up over Calderbrook moor drifted south. A Sparrowhawk and Kestrel hunting the moors either side of the upper resr.

12+ Linnets bathing in stream by upper resr.

A Whinchat early p.m. feeding with 3 juv Stonechat by the lower resr. It's been a good week for Whinchats in Rochdale. Seen at 4 separate locations, maybe more.

By the upper resr:
a family party of 5 Stonechat (juvs feeding independently)
2 juv Wheatear
Meadow Pipit - 30
11 Linnets (mainly juvs) but no Twite
Kestrel

Had a walk up to the top this morning.
Green woodpecker
Jay
6 magpie
curlew
tufted duck
5 wheater
2 wren
linnet
3 reed bunting
5 stonechat
2 willow warbler
6 house martin
a few swallow, meadow pipits, wood pigeon.

hooting owl caught my attention, however it was an eagle owl in the pen at the animal rescue centre.

Watched a linnet,willow warbler, stonechat and reed bunting squabbling over perching/territory rites in small tree near lower chelburn res.

Thanks, Simon. This could be from the Cheshire scheme.
Would be worth looking out for again.

No, the angle I was I couldn't see any numbers, It was yellow though ( I think)

Simon, could you read any numbers or letters on the buzzard wing tag? What colour was it, please?

Originally posted by Simon Harris on the 9th August 2010 at 8:07am:


had a stroll up to Chelburn res late evening 8/08/2010,
Sightings included:

Buzzard which had a wing tag on right wing
4 curlew
2 stonechat
4 wheater
heron
40+ canada geese
10 goldfinch
willow warbler
pied wagtail
carrion crow
meadow pipit

Simon

2 Curlew
8 Wheatear
male Stonechat
2 Twite - Blackstone Edge

3 Wheatears
pair Stonechat - nice to see some have survived!
2 Curlew
male Pheasant
6 Lapwing
a few Mipits and Skylarks

11th March Lower Res: Reed Bunting singing, 1 Mallard Upper Res: 8 Canada Geese, 2 Goosander, 3 Mallard, 1 Lapwing, 1 Curlew Above Upper Res: 2 Red Grouse, 1 Skylark, 2 Mipits Cheers, John