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BACK TO THE MANCHESTER BIRDING WEBSITE HOMEPAGE -> Manchester Birding Forum -> GREATER MANCHESTER BIRD SIGHTINGS -> Alexandra Park, Whalley Range
Post Info TOPIC: Alexandra Park, Whalley Range
Copland Smith


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RE: Alexandra Park, Whalley Range
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There have been 3 Goosander since Saturday (2m 1rh) and a pair of Shoveler.
The herons seem to have disappeared. The half-built north nest seems to have been abandoned. I did see one on the evergreen at the south end, but no sign of a nest.
Today lots of nuthatch noise and at least 2 chiffchaff.
The surviving swan, although male, is sitting on the old nest on the island again. He's been chasing geese as well.


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yuliababiarz


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5pm 

Shoveler 2
Goosander 2



-- Edited by yuliababiarz on Saturday 23rd of March 2024 05:22:48 PM

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Copland Smith


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8:45am. In the centre of the park, over a hundred Ring-necked parakeets were hunched in the tops of trees, making an enormous racket, as if the snow has spooked them. The usual waterbirds were gathered together in the unfrozen portions of the lake. No Goosanders or Cormorants.

-- Edited by Copland Smith on Tuesday 16th of January 2024 10:12:29 AM

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Copland Smith


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No Cormorants, but 2 very smart male Goosanders, and a Grey heron up in a tree at the south end of the island, close to one of the nests from previous years. Checking the site out already.

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Copland Smith


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Today and yesterday at about 9:30am - no Cormorants. Perhaps the unprecedented invasion is over.
Yesterday, 5 Goosander (3m and 2 rh), but none today. Perhaps 2 months of daily predation by Cormorants has seriously depleted the fish population.
One Grey heron in the middle of the island, and one on the temporary lake on the football field.
Otherwise the usual plethora of Canada geese, Coot, Moorhens, Mallard and Tufted ducks, and Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed gulls.

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Copland Smith


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9am a single Cormorant. 5 smart male Goosander and no redheads, which is unusual. There were 2 on Friday, and 3 Cormorant.

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Copland Smith


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There was a single Cormorant on the lake early this morning, a wing-drying, non-breeding adult. None yesterday, but I was there a few minutes after sunrise, so there may have been later arrivals. With 2 days excepted, they have been seen every day since 1 November.

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Copland Smith


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There were 5 Cormorants at 9:30 am. They seem to come and go, numbers varyin all the time. Last Sunday, there were 5 when Tony O'Mahoney did the Bird Walk.

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yuliababiarz


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Lunch time walk:

Heron 2
Cormorant 3
Mistle thrush 2
Song thrush 2
Fieldfare 1
Tufted duck 27

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Copland Smith


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Alexandra Park. Shoveler the other day - no sign today, but the Cormorants still come. 7 at 10:45 this morning. All out of the water, wing-drying on branches near the Kids' Playground.


-- Edited by Copland Smith on Friday 8th of December 2023 03:39:51 PM

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Copland Smith


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2 Cormorant yesterday after a partial melt; 6 at 10:30am today.

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Copland Smith


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At 10 am, thanks to the ice I assume, there were no Cormorants for the first day since 1 Nov. There were 4 Shoveler and a lot of ducks and geese crowding the small uniced areas.

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yuliababiarz


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Spotted 1 Northern Shoveler and 1 Common Chaffinch

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yuliababiarz


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Keep spotting the Great Cormorant's, saw 5 of them yesterday around 3pm. I also saw 2 great spotted woodpeckers in a tree just across the street from the park on Mayfield Road.



-- Edited by yuliababiarz on Thursday 30th of November 2023 07:49:50 PM

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Copland Smith


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Thick fog by the lake. I headed out at dawn, wondering if it would put the Cormorants off. 2 flew in half an hour after sunrise - 8:30am.

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Copland Smith


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There were 9 Cormorants earlier - 10:30am. 5 yesterday. First mentioned 1 Nov, so they've been there nearly 4 weeks.

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Pete Hines


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Chiffchaff 1
Cormorant 7
Tufted Duck 21

-- Edited by Pete Hines on Monday 27th of November 2023 02:30:22 PM

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Samglennie


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Shoveler pair on lake yday pm, 2 nuthatch also

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Copland Smith


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On the lake
Wednesday 15th - 6 Cormorants, 2 Shoveler
Thursday 16th - 7 Cormorants
Friday 17th - 9 Cormorants, 1 Heron

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Copland Smith


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Thanks.


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Ian Yeomans


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The fish is a Perch.

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Copland Smith


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At 11 today, there were 5 cormorants hunting in the north pool and three more in the south. Pair of shoveller. No goosander, maybe because all the cormorants are out-competing them for the fish. This one has a roach.

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Copland Smith


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Sorry I couldn't report earlier, but it was a busy lake in the Park this morning as I passed through, without bins. 10 cormorants,2 goosander (redhead) and a pair of shoveler. Plus the usual - 1 heron, canada geese, mallards, tufted ducks, moorhens, coots, black-headedd gulls. And the mute swan, still solitary.

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Copland Smith


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Cormorants still present. 5 yesterday and 3 today.

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Copland Smith


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3 Cormorants at 9:30am today. Feeding busily.

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Copland Smith


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10am Friday. No Cormorants seen.
8:30am Today. 3 Cormorants.

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Pete Hines


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Cormorant 6 - 1 adult, 5 juvenile
Tufted Duck 19
Ring-necked Parakeet - 206 minimum, mostly fly-overs S-SW

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Pete Hines


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Nick Weaver wrote:

This morning I saw what I thought was a young cormorant on the lake ... (I am not very good with colours)  - but looking at the pictures on the Sale water park entry  - I think it was the shag.




Cormorant are not unusual here. I saw a juvenile here on the 10th Oct and 9 nearby at Platt Fields Park on the 27th, the day Sale WP was found when there were only 5 there. As for colour, check for the yellow legs. You never know ...

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Nick Weaver


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This morning I saw what I thought was a young cormorant on the lake ... (I am not very good with colours)  - but looking at the pictures on the Sale water park entry  - I think it was the shag.



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Tony O Mahony


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Yesterday there was a male Mandarin and on Tuesday 23rd two Little Grebes on the lake



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Tony O Mahony


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7 Goosander on the lake and a chiffchaff at the northern end of the park.



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Copland Smith


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No more Avian Flu fatalities that I've seen. The now widower, Mute Swan 4CLX, is still on the lake alone, but has been wing-flapping very vigorously for the past week or so. I expect he'll be off on a hunt for a mate in the near future.
Not much Heron activity yet. Just had a bit of a recce.


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Copland Smith


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Gary Parkinson saw another Canada goose corpse on Sat 28 Jan. I found a dead Coot on Sun 29 Jan. Both in the western channel - goose under the edge of the island; Coot against the fence.

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Pete Hines


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Shoveler 1 drake
Tufted Duck 36
Sparrowhawk male (two sightings)
Ring-necked Parakeet minimum of 280 in the pre-roost at dusk. All had departed by 17.00

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Tony O Mahony


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Five Shoveler on the ice this morning. The lake is still about 50% frozen. 



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Copland Smith


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Wednesday 21 December 2022

Returning from a few days away, I found 1 Mute swan dead in west channel of the lake in Alexandra Park M16 8PJ, on the side nearest Alexandra Road South.
The other member of the pair (female?) is still ok on Saturday 24th.
Canada Goose corpse at the north end of the lake.

Sun 25 Dec 2022 Christmas Day

The usual Coot, Moorhen, Black-headed gulls, Mallard, Canada geese, Tufted ducks, plus at least 3 visiting Shovelers (m m f) and the surviving Mute Swan. The corpse of the other has sunk below the surface, but can be seen in the western channel (Alexandra Rd S side) under the island's overhanging bushes.


-- Edited by Copland Smith on Sunday 25th of December 2022 11:06:09 AM

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Pete Hines


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Shoveler 17 (10 drakes)
Tufted 22
Chiffchaff 1 on the island calling
Mistle Thrush 9

2 dead Canada Geese Black-headed Gull blue darvic 2V23 (2V21 was recorded on 7th and 26th November)

-- Edited by Pete Hines on Tuesday 13th of December 2022 02:59:46 PM

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Copland Smith


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12 Shoveler, 0 Goosander this morning, and I didn't see any Teal. Over 50% iced over. The dead Canada Goose reported on the Thu 1 Dec wasn't removed until Tue 6, during which time both Mute Swans were seen feeding on the corpse, taking advantage of the Crow and Magpie damage to obtain useful protein. I hope they didn't also acquire the virus. They looked fine this morning.

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Tony O Mahony


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14 Shoveler and 3 Teal seen on WEBS count this morning 6



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Pete Hines


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Shoveler 2
Teal 3
Sparrowhawk 1
Fieldfare 17 over (in two flocks 7, 10) Tufted Duck 26

-- Edited by Pete Hines on Saturday 10th of December 2022 07:03:28 PM

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Nick Weaver


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Sadly a dead Canada Goose on the North section of the lake this morning.



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Tony O Mahony


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4 Goosander on the lake this morning 



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Tony O Mahony


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A Little Grebe was on the lake yesterday morning



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Tony O Mahony


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Spotted Flycatchet in copse in north west corner



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Tony Coatsworth


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Common Sandpiper still patrolling the south-west bank, 13:30



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Andrew Jeffery


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Common Sandpiper still present this morning

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Pete Hines


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Nick Weaver wrote:

I am not so sure...but I think there was a Sandpiper pottering about near the lake's overflow. Friday morning 9:10. (New here and not sure such unclear identifications are so welcome)




Common Sandpiper still present this afternoon. Good spot Nick.

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Copland Smith


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Yes, it is a Common Sandpiper - Tony O'Mahony saw it earlier.


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Nick Weaver


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I am not so sure...but I think there was a Sandpiper pottering about near the lake's overflow. Friday morning 9:10. (New here and not sure such unclear identifications are so welcome)

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Natalie Clarke


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Couple of hours to Alex Park with a friend so mainly for socialising! But still a pleasant spot and highlights were... 1 very bold wren who came really close 3 treeceeeper 1 or 2 nuthatch heard 2 song thrush 1 grey wagtail 4 ring necked parakeet And some time spent watching the heronry...4 adults and one juvenile in the nest. The adults were very noisy

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