Harpurhey Reservoirs & Ponds

1 Swallow
3 Chiffchaff
3 Blackcap
1 Great Crested Grebe
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Grey Wagtail

Harpurhey Ponds - 19th July - am.

There's lots of concerted and very worthy activity from several organisations to try and recover/develop this heavily polluted and even more heavily disturbed but potentially excellent site. It's such a shame that it is tarnished by just a few of the unsavoury characters who sometimes visit here. When I visited here on 31st March and walked round towards one of the ponds a youth was seen throwing bread onto the water. My first impression was that he was fishing or alternatively of how nice I thought of him to feed the ducks but closer inspection through my binoculars of his mate, who was sat in a portable folding chair, suggested that he probably had an air rifle and the bread was just a lure to have a closer range pot-shot at the ducks. By the time I got round there they had spotted me and had scarpered.

Anyway on a visit this morning, not a single other person present but there were some decent birds. A Nuthatch was I think a site first for me. A juvenile Goldcrest was seen, with 1 or possibly 2 others of this species calling nearby. A group of 3 independent juvenile Bullfinch were seen. 3 Chiffchaff and a Blackcap sang. A family party of Greenfinch were heard and at least 2 Jays were present. Plenty of Song Thrush about, including fledged young. At least 3 Grey Wagtails, including 2 independent juveniles which were landing on and foraging off the water lily leaves. 3 Sand Martin, 2 Swift and a single Swallow foraged over the water. Not much in the way of waterfowl, perhaps not too surprisingly, other than 2 family parties of Moorhen which remained quite elusive.

There are 2 very small areas of Phragmites present on different ponds and the best bird I've had here was a singing Reed Warbler on 9/5/09.

Good luck to all those involved in trying to improve what could be a cracking site, particularly for one so close to the city centre.


Cheers,


Bill.

Late post from yesterday Thursday 5th May:

My first visit to what is a great site in a very urban area.
Plenty of warblers to be seen and heard.

Lesser Whitethroat - 1 singing (S) from a dense patch of brambles but not showing.
This appears to be only the second record of LW from north Manchester. The only previous record in the database is a bird singing in Heaton Park in June 1998. If anyone knows differently please let me know. It was absent as a breeding bird from the whole 10km square SD80 at the time of the last national Atlas 1988-91. It would be great to confirm a territory if someone can revisit in a week's time.

Common Whitethroat - 1 S
Blackcap - 2 S
Chiffchaff - 3+ singing ( T)
Willow Warbler - 1 S

Copper's Pond - 2 broods of Mallards (5 + 8) & a pair of Coot with 3 small chicks

Wren - 9 S
Song Thrush - 1S
Dunnock - 3 S
Mistle Thrush - a pair
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Blue Tit carrying food (FF)

Steve


-- Edited by Steve Atkins on Friday 6th of May 2011 07:55:39 PM

I intend to bird Harpurhey Ponds on a very regular basis so you can expect this thread to grow (it's my local spot)

Today:

3 Greenfinch (chasing one another)
1 Chaffinch
1 Long Tailed Tit
Several Great Tit
Several Robin
Three Mallard on the Irk (plus five ducklings!)

1 Coot
1 Moorhen
2 Canada - On the ponds themselves.

Harpurhey ponds 1 Dipper on the Irk Sunday 13th (Dave Harrison) Monady / Tuesday Bullfinch Nuthatch G/sp Woodpecker Jay pair Coot pair Mallard I see there is a thread for Blakeley Forest in the Irk Valley. Mersey Valley Wardens are likely be covering the Irk and Medlock Valleys in the near future, both cover large areas so hence the new topic.