RUMWORTH LODGE

Steve Almond · Status: Offline

RE: RUMWORTH LODGE

Steve Almond · Status: Offline

Walked round this morning. Highlights were:

Pochard 4
Tufted Duck 8
Gadwall 7
Teal 16
Shoveler 2
Grey Wagtail 1
Willow tit 3 (2 in copse, another at Seddon Fold)
Coal tit 2
Mixed flock of 200 Starling, 30 Fieldfare and 30 Redwing
Kestrel 1
Buzzard 1

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

This am. Dry and windy.

Mistle Thrush....2
Winter Thrushes....c85 large mixed flock ( approx. 50/50 Fieldfare and Redwing) First seen in the trees at Bank Top Farm
and then feeding in the field by the wood.
Willow Tit....2
Coal tit...1
Sparrowhawk...1
Great Crested Grebe.....5
Cormorant....7
Gadwall....5
Teal...1
Tufted Duck....1
Grey Heron...1
Coot...20+
Mallards and Moorhen present.
Nice chat with water bailiff Arthur

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

Pretty awful conditions this morning.
At the dam A Sparrowhawk drifted over. While there, I had a long talk with Water Bailiff, Warren Nicholls.
Around c20 Winter Thrushes by Seddon Fold Farm, being a fairly even split between Redwing and Fieldfare.
Steve A... had seen a female Shoveler at the Flood and the usual Willow and Coal Tit in the wood.

Phil Cunliffe · Status: Offline

Late post for yesterday afternoon 3pm: at the dam end 1 great crested grebe and 1 sparrowhawk.

Steve Almond · Status: Offline

This afternoon up till dusk:

Water Rail 1
Kingfisher 1
Goosander 4 (1male, 3 female)
Lapwing 200
Tufted Duck 7
Snipe 1
Teal 8

plus usual

Steve Almond · Status: Offline

Highlights from yesterday and today:

Tufted duck 15
Teal 11
Coot 32
Cormorant 5
Lapwing 160
Snipe 3
Fieldfare 22
Willow tit 1
Kestrel 1
Sparrowhawk 1
Buzzard 1
Kingfisher 1
Firecracker nil

Cheers Steve

Christaylor · Status: Offline

Heard a Water Rail in the reeds by the Beaumont are inlet

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

This am, up to 12.15. Weather fine and sunny.

Kestrel....2 stood in field by Junction Rd. 30 yards apart.
Willow Tit....2
Great Crested Grebe....7
Dunnock...1
Grey Wagtail....1
Pied Wagtail...1
Lapwing....c40 in far field
Common Gull....13+
Song Thrush....1
Redwing....7
Fieldfare...12+
Teal.....4
Shoveler.... a pair
Gadwall....1
Snipe....2
Tufted Duck....4
Feral Pigeon...2 Rock Dove like.

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

Early this pm. Dam and Lock Lane only:

Goosander....1 red head
Great Crested Grebe....3
Cormorant....1
Moorhen....1
Kestrel....2
Willow Tit...1
Blue Tits
Carrion Crow
Collared Dove....4 in one tree.
Chaffinch....12+
Greenfinch....1
Bullfinch....1 stonking male, close. Never got one here in 2017!
Great Spotted Woodpecker....1

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

This morning up to 12.15, weather fine and mild.

I met Steve as he was leaving. Quite rightly he was very upset over what is going on at Rumworth. Four more firecrackers let off during my shift, flushing many birds
each time. This is not acceptable and must be sorted!

Willow Tit....2
Coal Tit....2
Nuthatch....1
Cormorant....4
Great Crested Grebe....3
Tufted Duck....14
Shoveler...1 drake
Teal...8+
Oystercatcher....1
Gadwall...6
Common Gull....2
Herring Gull....1
Lesser Black-backed Gull....5

-- Edited by keith mills on Monday 1st of January 2018 02:34:07 PM

Steve Almond · Status: Offline

This morning 9.35 till 11.00:

I went down to the usual viewing point near the hawthorns and opposite the islands. This is in the no fishing area according to the sign. A gentleman came up to me and asked what I was doing (birdwatching). He said that I was trespassing and asked me to leave. He then walked further into the nature reserve section and started letting off some sort of firecracker which was to scare birds. As a result all the birds on and around the islands took flight and left the area. The birds that were scared off the islands included lapwings, snipe and an oystercatcher. When I told him that he should not be doing this in a nature reserve, he said that the fishing club intended to move the sign further into the nature reserve and this would allow them access to one of the islands. My immediate concern is that birds that breed on the island will be put off by this and the firecracker activity Help please.

Sightings before this encounter were:

Oystercatcher 1
Lapwing 35
Snipe 2
Gadwall 6
Tufted duck 16
Shoveler 2
Teal 13
Cormorant 4
Coot 33
Great crested grebe 4
Goldfinch 16
Starling 90
Kestrel 1

2017 final total species seen by me was 112. Including all-comers the total was 128.

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

This morning through to 1pm. Fog cleared, then mild and still conditions.

Willow Tit....2 in wood
Coal Tit....1 in wood
Nuthatch....1 in wood
Fieldfare....2 singles, a mile apart.
Meadow Pipit....1
Pied Wagtail....1
Goldfinch...5
Kestrel....1 on wire.
Common Snipe.....23 all together today!
Lapwing....c65
Cormorants....5
Pochard...1 drake.
Tufted Duck....5
Wigeon....3
Shoveler....3
Gadwall....7
Great Crested Grebe....pair
I flushed 2 Pheasant... one was a hen.

-- Edited by keith mills on Friday 22nd of December 2017 01:39:46 PM

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Dunlin on the south island with 100+Lapwing at midday. Also, 5 Snipe, drake Pochard, 5 Shoveler, 14 Tufted Duck, 8 Teal and a Goosander.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

This pm; two Willow Tits coming regularly to a Bolton Wyevale Garden Centre feeder. (First recorded, a few weeks ago by Steve Suttill..... Thanks Steve.)
This place is within the Rumworth recording area.

-- Edited by keith mills on Thursday 14th of December 2017 03:14:01 PM

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

On arrival at 11.30 I found a blanket of fog over the Lodge. Met with Steve Almond as he was leaving. The fog cleared in 40 minutes and a weak sun even appeared briefly.
Lodge iced over. I left at 1.25pm.

Sightings:
Cock Pheasant....1 Site life tick!
Wren....1
Redwing.... flight of 15 low + 1 ground feeding.
Fieldfare....9 on field, near Geese and Starlings.
Canada Geese...101 in NW field
Buzzard...1 on post by Broadgate farm.
Common Gull....12+
Coot...22 A splendid sight walking in a long line across the ice.
Moorhen..1
Common Snipe....2

Lapwing....101 on ice.
Teal...43 on ice.
Shoveler...1f on ice.
Grey Heron...1 flying

Thanks due to Steve for describing the general area of the Pheasant. And new wood has replaced that which was rotten, in the Stile.
Noticeable absentee for most of 2017 has been the coveys of Grey Partridge.

-- Edited by keith mills on Tuesday 12th of December 2017 06:10:40 PM

Steve Almond · Status: Offline

This morning with decent visibility before the fog came. The lodge is 95% frozen over.

On the ice:
Lapwing 107
Teal 43
Shoveler 2 female
Coot 17
Mallard 16
Black-headed Gull c200
Common Gull 17

Elsewhere:
Kingfisher 1
Snipe 7
Buzzard 1
Pheasant 1 male
Canada Goose 85

Steve Almond · Status: Offline

This morning partly with Pete Lane. Highlights:

Lapwing 200+
Snipe 9
Teal 22
Fieldfare 10
Pheasant 1 male
Bullfinch male flying over

Steve Almond · Status: Offline

This morning a flock of 223 Lapwing feeding in one field near Beaumont Road

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

This am. Weather mainly sunny but wintry.

Virtually no ducks, apart from mallards and a single Tufted Duck, on open water at the Lodge.
Under the willow carr a Wigeon, and a Teal, could just about be seen.
Cormorant....2
Great Crested Grebe....3
Coot....8
Moorhen....1
Grey Heron...1 at the Dam.
Kestrel...1 also near the dam.
Willow Tit and Nuthatch seen in the wood.
At the flooded field a flock of 30+ Redwing flew low in front of me.
Oddly at the top of Lock lane, a Grey Wagtail was on a garden wall.

The mannequin has been removed from the island.

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

This am. Dam, Wood and Lock Lane only. Dry but dull.

Redwing.....2 in tree
Fieldfare....1 on wire.
Mistle Thrush....3
Great Crested Grebe....3
Nuthatch.....2
Willow Tit....1
Lapwing....12
Jackdaw...20+
Kestrel....1 a smart male on wire.
A small mixed finch flock contained at least 4 Greenfinch.
Pied Wagtail....2
Grey Wagtail....1 on dam overflow.
A score of House Sparrows were coming and going on the dung heap at the farm. A Wren was also present.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Today up to 1:30pm:

20 Wigeon

19 Teal

2 Gadwall

4 Snipe

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

Today up to 1.30pm. Windy, with fierce squall; then sunshine.

Coal Tit ....2
Willow Tit....1
Nuthatch.....1
Long tailed-Tit....1
Greenfinch....1
Goldfinch....3
Mistle Thrush....2
Fieldfare....7 feeding.
Redwing....8 feeding.
Starling....60+ on wire
Jackdaw...c50 flock
Pied Wagtail....1
Grey Wagtail ....1 at Seddon Fold Farm.

Shoveler....2 drakes
Pochard....1m
Wigeon....9
Tufted Duck....2m
Gadwall....5
Common Gull....4

Good news: The Beaumont Road stile is open again for access after many, many years, when it was buried under bramble
smile

Bizarre news: A 6 foot shiny (white female) mannequin has been erected on north isle, presumably to scare the birds away. Eh?
Watch out news: the Bull is still in the western fields.

-- Edited by keith mills on Thursday 23rd of November 2017 02:14:38 PM

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

Female Common Scoter still present at 3.05 this pm.
Thanks to Steve Almond for the text earlier today.
Also at least 6 Gadwall present.

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

Sunday 19.11.17:

2 Willow Tits at feeders in the garden centre adjacent to the Rumworth Lodge site.

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

This afternoon, up to 3.15. Weather mild ,dull, and dry.

At the Dam were 3 Great Crested Grebe, a Moorhen, and a single Cormorant that considered landing in the channel, but then did not.
Also 2 Mute Swans(juvs) flew down the channel and away north.
Pied Wagtail....2 present.
At Lock Lane a Kestrel was on wire as were 2 Fieldfare, being my first this time round.
North of Chew Moor a distant flock of Lapwing were up (200+)
Collared Dove....1
Goldfinch....7
At the Lodge
Goldeneye....2 fem.
Pochard....2(a pair)
Tufted Duck....12
Wigeon....6
Snipe....9
Reed Bunting....1
Great Crested Grebe....4
Coot....5
More Blackbirds than usual in the hedges.
On the isles, Lapwing peaked at 64.

-- Edited by keith mills on Wednesday 15th of November 2017 04:36:38 PM

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

Today up to 2.30. With David Aldred and Paul Thompson. Weather fine; turning sunny.

Kingfisher....1 main lodge.
Grey Wagtail....1
Grey Heron... eventually perching on the church chimney pot.
Pied Wagtail....6
Willow Tit....1 good views.
Coal Tit....1
Song Thrush....5
Mistle Thrush....1
Pink-footed Geese....70 in one skein west at 10.10.am
Great Spotted Woodpecker....1 heard first on call, and seen in wood.
Buzzard....1
Kestrel....3
Chaffinch....5
Greenfinch....4
Goldfinch....1
Linnet....5
Lapwing....c80
Starling....60
Jay....1
Wren....1
Long-tailed Tit....2
Ducks at the lodge down in numbers from yesterday.
Tufted Duck....12
Wigeon....4
Teal....3
Gadwall....7
Shoveler....2
Great Crested Grebe....2
Cormorants....3
Snipe....20+
Common Gull....3

-- Edited by keith mills on Monday 30th of October 2017 03:43:54 PM

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

Today up to 1.38pm. Sunny.

Buzzards....5, four together, drifting west over Seddon Fold, as I spoke with Stan.
Kestrel....2
Cormorant...4, one with an all white front.
Grey Heron...1 seen yesterday.
Coal Tit...2
Willow Tit....1
Goldcrest....2 , seen yesterday.
Wren....2
Pied Wagtail....3
Starling...c140
Lapwing.......90+ (44 at Lock Lane flood.)
Jackdaw....c40
Tufted Duck....14, but yesterday viewed from distance 2 big rafts of them, being 40+
Pochard....9
Shoveler....5
Teal....3
Gadwall....13
Snipe....13
Common Gull....2 first for some time.
Lesser Black-backed Gull....c10
No further sign of the Black Redstart since 23/10, but a flock of Redpoll has been seen at the farm by Stan. Stan also reminisced about the 50's when Corncrake were at Top Bank Farm!

-- Edited by keith mills on Sunday 29th of October 2017 02:07:30 PM

Steve Almond · Status: Offline

Walked round this morning on the roads:

Redwing 40
Fieldfare 6
Kestrel 1
Meadow pipit 2
Linnet 7
Goldfinch 25
Bullfinch 1 male
Willow tit 1
Coal tit 2

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

This morning through to 12.50pm. Weather dry but with strong winds.

At the Dam a Kestrel was preening in a tree.
Along Lock Lane were 3 Pied Wagtail, 80+ Starlings and 26 Jackdaws.

Main Lodge:
Tufted Duck...14
Pochard....5
Common Snipe....5
Teal....2
Cormorant....2
Lapwing...68 all on islands apart from 4 at Lock Lane.
Redwing.....10

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Late news for yesterday, when there was no further sign of the Black Redstart at Seddon Fold Farm.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

First winter Black Redstart on fence posts in front of Seddon Fold Farm along Lock Lane at 3:25pm.

Also, Wheatear, 11 Wigeon and 4 Pochard.

Info and images thanks to Phil Rhodes

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

This am, with Steve Almond at main lodge, and then a solo tour round in my vehicle up to 1.10pm Weather fine.

Little Grebe....1
Pink-footed Geese.... c110 over the lodge in two skeins >E at 11.15
Lapwing....12
Gadwall....9
Wigeon....4
Grey Heron....1
Tufted Duck...a pair
Linnet...c35

Arriving at the Dam 12.15, I immediately saw 3 Buzzards soaring together over Broadgate Farm, with probably a further two further back but soon lost in cloud.
The 3 Buzzards slowly drifting away, across the Middlebroook Valley.
As I climbed into my vehicle to depart the dam, a Kingfisher flew across the road near me, and banked at the church towards Middlebrook.
Pied Wagtail and c50 Starlings on wire at the farm.

As I drove back up Beaumont Road, the Kestrel that Steve had seen earlier, was hunting over the spot where we had been scoping from.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Today up to 12:30:

Pintail

28 Wigeon

10 Gadwall

50 Lapwing

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Steve Almond · Status: Offline

Walked round this morning on the roads:

Raven 2
Kestrel 1
Buzzard 1
Lapwing 9
Jay 1
Swallow 2
Grey Wagtail 1

In Lostock wood:

Nuthatch 2
Coal tit 2
Goldcrest 1

On 1st October there were 21 Snipe on the islands

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

At the dam this morning:
Water level in the lodge at maximum, as overflow in use. Grey Wagtail showing well on top of overflow ladder, otherwise little or nothing.

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

2 Coal Tit, 2 Nuthatch and c 6 Great Tits, but
no sign of Willow Tit in the Wood, and nothing at the dam. This am

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

1.30 to 3.30 this pm. Weather fine and sunny.

Still the quiet time of the year:
Grey Wagtail....1
Buzzard....1, soaring over western fields but continually harassed by, up to 4, Corvids.
Linnet.....31, the flock flew in, as I was about to leave the farm, and perched on wire.
Lapwing...9, close together; sat or stood, by a patch of Dock.
Cormorant....2
Great Crested Grebe....2
Gadwall....2
Grey Heron....1
Canada Geese....68

-- Edited by keith mills on Thursday 28th of September 2017 04:24:49 PM

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

Also seen from the Dam, today: A pale Buzzard soaring over Broadgate farm/ Junction Road area and drifting > NE at 3.02 pm

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Single Wheatear present early afternoon today.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Whinchat still behind at the south reeds at 12 30 today.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Whinchat behind the south reeds late afternoon today.'

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Sedge Warbler and 6 Snipe present at 10:20am today.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

This Morning, Lock lane and wood only.

Nuthatch...2 The smaller one taken to be a juvenile.
Lapwing....4
Kestrel....1, perched on post by Gorse bushes, flooded field.
Linnet....c30 feeding near farm.
White Wagtail....3
Goldfinch....3
Grey Heron....1
Hirundines... 100+ mainly Swallow but included c20 House Martin. The Hirundines feeding low over fields but also c50 high up. Also at 7.25am c40 Pink-footed geese over >SE

-- Edited by keith mills on Friday 15th of September 2017 12:19:30 PM

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

This afternoon, main Lodge, up to 3.30pm. Sunny, with breeze and a very short shower.
Very quiet:

Gadwall....3
Snipe....11
Pied Wagtail...1
Swallows...6
Great Crested Grebe....2
Worthy of a mention were a minimum count of 50 Mallard.
This morning's flock of Linnet could still be seen in the scope. Their bobbing flight around the farm and the flooded field.

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

Late morning and early afternoon.
Dam,Wood, Lock Lane only :

Linnet....c45 feeding by Flood
Goldfinch....c30
Grey Wagtail....1
Pied Wagtail....1
Chaffinch...2
Robin...5 including 2 juveniles.
Swallows ...c30, including 11 on wire.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Some sightings from this morning:

Adult Cuckoo flew SW over Lock Lane perching briefly in an elder then flew off SW at 9:55am

2 Swift SW

6 Snipe

Common Sandpiper

8 Lapwing

24 Teal

11 Gadwall

Willow Tit

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

1 to 2.15 this afternoon:

Quiet for me today, except for Duck numbers on the up.

Gadwall....14
Teal....25
Grey Heron...1
Great Crested Grebe....2
Chaffinch...1m
Gull flock up to 250 spread between shoreline and muck spread field. All Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed.

Still quiet at the dam yesterday:
Great Crested Grebe....2
Grey Heron....2
Grey Wagtail....1
Mallard...1

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Common Sandpiper and 12 Snipe present this morning.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

this pm 12.20 to 2.10. dry, breezy, dullish.

Common Sandpiper....2 eventually got them together.
Kingfisher....1 under southern shore willow by inlet flow, and then on post where the inlet flow enters the lodge.
Kestrel...1 hunting behind southern willows; once in dispute with Magpie.
Wheatear...1 on fence that runs from the southern reed bed to the spinney on hill.
Gadwall....8
Teal....18
Lesser Black-backed gull....21
Black-headed Gull....110
I flushed my first bird from the new footpath ''hedge''... Skylark I think; showed the white in the tail going away from me, but not 100% on this one.