Hi, thanks for the further info. The floods between Dunham Park and Bollington Mill (where the recent Glossy Ibis was) can be good for small gulls - I had a Med Gull there at this time of year a couple of years ago, prob my only GM Med Gull. I believe the Astley Lake Boneys was reported as a 2nd winter. It would be nice if it's a good autumn/winter for the species. Cheers.
John Rayner said
Thu Nov 14 7:45 AM, 2013
Hi Mike (P)
I have searched older RBA reports back to 1st November and the first mention of this bird is on 7th November where it is recorded as:
"Cheshire. BONAPARTE'S GULL ad SE of Lymm at Rostherne Mere roost". Can't find any mention of Outrington Lane
Cheers, John
Mike Passant said
Wed Nov 13 5:38 PM, 2013
Hi Mike,
Firstly, congratulations on your find!
On "Rare Bird Alert" I recall that the Bonaparte's Gull was seen from (or at) Outrington Lane, Lymm. In order to see where this was, I greatly magnified the locality on the computer and it appeared to be in an area below (i.e. south of) the word "LYMM" on the O S map, so the particular wording to which you refer is my paraphrasing. On checking this again today, I see that the particular village to the north of the locality is in fact not Lymm but Outrington, with Lymm itself to the west, so I should more accurately have said the location was actually to the EAST of Lymm and not to the south; - sorry if I have caused any confusion.
Do you have any insight at all as to who reported the bird originally from the Outrington Lane area, which appears to be an area of fields near to a school, and is anyone still checking there presently?
I'm obviously intrigued by the record and would love for it to be relocated within Greater Manchester, (where surely the species has been missed in the past).
Regards, Mike P.
Mike Duckham said
Wed Nov 13 7:40 AM, 2013
Hi, just stumbled across this thread while trying to click the GM sightings thing. Yes a Bonaparte's was a pleasantly unexpected surprise, no sign in the three subsequent nights unfortunately. Nice to see Steve & Gill again and meet Frank though. Does anyone have any info on what was mentioned at the start of the thread - "Rare Bird Alert reported a Bonaparte's Gull earlier noted in the southern part of Lymm as roosting at Rostherne Mere last night"?
Ian McKerchar said
Mon Nov 11 6:40 PM, 2013
Doubt it; Rostherne bird was an adult I believe and Astley Lake a first winter.
James Walsh said
Mon Nov 11 6:19 PM, 2013
Bonaparte's Gull reported at Astley Lake, New Swillington Ings, yesterday, perhaps the same bird ?
Paul Heaton said
Sat Nov 9 8:52 PM, 2013
I have also noted in the past , the Cormorants at Sale water park left at dusk heading in the Rostherne direction.
Henry Cook said
Sat Nov 9 7:22 PM, 2013
Tim Wilcox wrote:
Henry Cook wrote:
A fantastic find by Mike Duckham last night.
The Rostherne roost draws birds from at least as far as Sale Water Park so I think this bird could be spending the day in the south-west of Greater Manchester somewhere.
Henry.
Time to grill those gulls at Sale WP more closely. How does anyone know Sale WP gulls go to Rostherne though?
Hi Tim, I've observed gulls flying off in a generally southern direction from the water parks and many points in between before dusk. Rostherne is the first substantial roost in this direction.
Tim Wilcox said
Sat Nov 9 3:34 AM, 2013
Henry Cook wrote:
A fantastic find by Mike Duckham last night.
The Rostherne roost draws birds from at least as far as Sale Water Park so I think this bird could be spending the day in the south-west of Greater Manchester somewhere.
Henry.
Time to grill those gulls at Sale WP more closely. How does anyone know Sale WP gulls go to Rostherne though?
Henry Cook said
Fri Nov 8 10:38 PM, 2013
A fantastic find by Mike Duckham last night.
The Rostherne roost draws birds from at least as far as Sale Water Park so I think this bird could be spending the day in the south-west of Greater Manchester somewhere.
Henry.
Mike Passant said
Fri Nov 8 5:08 PM, 2013
Rare Bird Alert reported a Bonaparte's Gull earlier noted in the southern part of Lymm as roosting at Rostherne Mere last night.
This is tantalisingly close to the R. Bollin (the Greater Manchester boundary hereabouts), barely a mile away to the NE of the mere.
I don't know if there are any suitable roost sites in the locality on the G.M. side. Do Black-headed Gulls for instance ever roost at Dunham Massey, or is the lake there too small and/or too enclosed? If so, it may be worthwhile checking through any Black-headed Gulls as I don't think the species has ever been recorded in G M. Sale Water Park is of course further away, but gulls do wander.....
Cheers.
I have searched older RBA reports back to 1st November and the first mention of this bird is on 7th November where it is recorded as:
"Cheshire. BONAPARTE'S GULL ad SE of Lymm at Rostherne Mere roost". Can't find any mention of Outrington Lane
Cheers, John
Hi Mike,
Firstly, congratulations on your find!
On "Rare Bird Alert" I recall that the Bonaparte's Gull was seen from (or at) Outrington Lane, Lymm. In order to see where this was, I greatly magnified the locality on the computer and it appeared to be in an area below (i.e. south of) the word "LYMM" on the O S map, so the particular wording to which you refer is my paraphrasing. On checking this again today, I see that the particular village to the north of the locality is in fact not Lymm but Outrington, with Lymm itself to the west, so I should more accurately have said the location was actually to the EAST of Lymm and not to the south; - sorry if I have caused any confusion.
Do you have any insight at all as to who reported the bird originally from the Outrington Lane area, which appears to be an area of fields near to a school, and is anyone still checking there presently?
I'm obviously intrigued by the record and would love for it to be relocated within Greater Manchester, (where surely the species has been missed in the past).
Regards,
Mike P.
Hi Tim,
I've observed gulls flying off in a generally southern direction from the water parks and many points in between before dusk. Rostherne is the first substantial roost in this direction.
Time to grill those gulls at Sale WP more closely. How does anyone know Sale WP gulls go to Rostherne though?
The Rostherne roost draws birds from at least as far as Sale Water Park so I think this bird could be spending the day in the south-west of Greater Manchester somewhere.
Henry.
Rare Bird Alert reported a Bonaparte's Gull earlier noted in the southern part of Lymm as roosting at Rostherne Mere last night.
This is tantalisingly close to the R. Bollin (the Greater Manchester boundary hereabouts), barely a mile away to the NE of the mere.
I don't know if there are any suitable roost sites in the locality on the G.M. side. Do Black-headed Gulls for instance ever roost at Dunham Massey, or is the lake there too small and/or too enclosed? If so, it may be worthwhile checking through any Black-headed Gulls as I don't think the species has ever been recorded in G M.
Sale Water Park is of course further away, but gulls do wander.....