21st February - 16:20

30 Lapwing
14 Wigeon

Russ

8th February.

3 male Reed Buntings back in a small area of suitable breeding habitat this morning. One sang briefly and then it had a bit of a disagreement with another male. No sign of any females today - I think this might be one of those species where the males try and establish and then hold a territory before the girls arrive back in town!

Not a lot else other than a flock of c60 Jackdaw. Have spent a while looking for Water Rail on Fenn's Pond this winter but without any luck to date - one was here Oct/Nov 2010.

Cheers,

Bill.

1 Raven flew east calling
30 Teal
2 Bullfinches

15th October - am.

A mixed flock of 40+ finches near Stanney Brook Park. Most were Greenfinch although Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Bullfinch were also present and I thought I could hear the nasal call of a Brambling but unfortunately one wasn't seen. The Greenfinch flock was feeding on the small rounded red hips of a wild rose species (possibly Rosa multiflora?) which has been planted en masse alongside one of the footpaths between the mudflats and Stanney Brook Park.

On Saturday (13/10) on pastoral farmland near the Metrolink stop (more on that in the next paragraph) a Sparrowhawk disturbed a mixed feeding flock of c70 Meadow Pipit and c20 Pied Wagtail. A male Pheasant was also in this area.

Just a quick bit of further info on the Metrolink for any non local birders - the business park will shortly have improved access via public transport when the Kingsway Business Park Metrolink stop opens, I understand sometime during the last few months of 2012. So when the next lost phalarope or storm driven Nearctic passerine turns up at Kingsway (I've put in an order with the powers that be , for both to be delivered sometime over the next twelve months ), then access will be available to more birders than before. Mind you the stop is on an old railway loop line and the journey time might not be quite quick enough for some birders who like a twitch...when any few extra minutes could be absolutely vital. The Metrolink stop is on the northern edge of the large extent of land currently being developed as the business park. Just a small word of caution for those not yet familiar with the site and intending on travelling some distance on the Metrolink and expecting to find the Manchester equivalent of Minsmere! Certainly the site has turned up some exciting birds over the last few years and there are still a number of interesting areas and habitats left at present for birds and wildlife, on what was once formerly farmland. It is however primarily, as the name suggests, a developing and working business park and sadly not the top-notch nature reserve that we would all love to have on our doorstep.

Cheers,

Bill.

11th October - brief visit, early pm.

1 Redshank down which then flew north.

Unfortunately no sign of the small flock of Lesser Redpoll that John mentioned yesterday, of which we enjoyed good close up views of them as they fed on willowherb seeds aside a footpath running through the business park.

Other selected sightings from today - 1 Redwing feeding on hawthorn berries, 1 Sparrowhawk, 15 Common Gull, a flock of 6 Greenfinch and there were 5 Moorhen too.

There were c580 Black-headed Gulls here on 7th October.

Cheers,

Bill.

1 Garganey,23 Teal,60+ Snipe,2 Buzzard.
Cheers Alan

My thanks to Bill Myerscough, who I bumped into out there today. My shopping trip now includes a Gargeney. I would never have got past all those snipe!

5th October - 10.20 to 11.10 am.

On first arrival I was disappointed to look up and see all the gulls flying off - this can sometimes mean that a Peregrine Falcon is about and lo and behold an immature bird was perched on the edge of the large warehouse overlooking the mudflats. To my surprise 38 Teal remained; relatively exposed and out on the open water. I had a few brief views of the falcon's legs whilst it perched there but could not see any obvious rings. After a good few minutes there it attracted the attention of 3 passing Herring Gulls which perhaps surprisingly took to vigorously dive bombing it for over 5 minutes, before the falcon got fed up with the harassment and in the departing chase it twice flew very low over the top of the spring of Teal. The ducks scattered on both occasions but perhaps wisely none were "sprung" - presumably if they had become airborne, one would have been a much easier target for the falcon?

As per Simon's post yesterday - a noticeable southerly passage of birds. 130+ Meadow Pipit in the time there, including 75+ in a 10 minute or so period around 10.45 am. Also 3 Swallow, 1 House Martin, 3 Skylark and Linnet and Lesser Redpoll heard too.

The Lapwing flock could be seen in the distance, having some time today keeping their feet dry on the roof of a unit at nearby Kingsway Retail Park. No sign of any Snipe this morning, although Alan had an excellent count of 54 here as recently as 30th September.

No sign of the Garganey here this morning. A little more background on Alan's excellent Garganey find. This would appear to be only the 7th record for Rochdale MBC, with none apparently before 13th May 1982 and is the first record since 24th September 2006. If the Kingsway bird and the Clegg Hall Pools bird are one and the same then it would also be the longest ever staying Rochdale Garganey, with most earlier records just "one-dayers", apart from a female that resided at Clegg Hall Pools for 5 days in July 1997. Pre-2000 records were taken from Peter Hill's excellent publication - "Birds of Rochdale Metropolitan Borough - A Millennium View". Post-2000 records provided courtesy of and thanks to Steve Atkins and that all important GM bird records database!

Whilst on the subject of records...not yet got round to submitting details of your all important bird sightings to the Greater Manchester Bird Recording Group? Click on "Bird Recording and County Rarities" on the homepage of Ian's website and then the link on how to submit your bird sightings. There's lots of useful information there on how you can put your sightings to good use and remember help is always at hand too.

Cheers,

Bill.

Garganey still present at 1730hrs

Also
House Martin
3 Snipe
45 Teal
150+ Black-headed Gull
Meadow Pipit
75+ Lapwing

23rd September.

c85 Mallard and c120 Canada Geese here first thing this morning - the majority departed before 7.30am. Also 17 Teal (22 here on both 14/9 and 17/9). A small movement of Meadow Pipits heading south - largest groups were of 6 and 9 birds.

A pair of Swallows were still regularly visiting a nest site as late as 17/9, although they appear to have gone today. Also on this date a Peregrine Falcon.

Cheers,

Bill.

Mark Rigby wrote:

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1200


No Garganey Bill!

---

Many thanks for keeping an eye out Mark! The habitat at Kingsway has seemed ideal for a few weeks now for a Garganey. Hopefully there is still time........if it doesn't dry out too much!

Nature Notes in The Times today (5/9) featured Garganey and states that "An unusual number of Garganey have been reported on lakes or floodwater in the last few weeks". It also suggests that "they may be more numerous this year because the heavy rain helped provide watery nesting sites". I must admit I had thought that the there may also be a chance of getting some non-UK birds on passage but sadly according to this article "Continental Garganey rarely pass through Britain on migration". With this last remark I read a bit further elsewhere and it was interesting to look in the Collins Field Guide to note that whilst Teal breeds over much of Scandinavia and Iceland that Garganey is largely absent from these same areas, possibly decreasing the likelihood of birds from there on passage? The "Migration Atlas" noted that "populations breeding further east in Europe and some from northern Russia east of the Urals, tend to migrate southwest to southern France and Italy, on their way to Africa", thus seemingly avoiding the UK? Still looking on the positive side, a quick browse through some recent county reports for GM shows that the latest bird quite often is reported in the last third of September but with the latest ever noted on 2nd November 1993. So a little bit of time left yet then.

I'm sure if one does turns up then Alan would be pleased about it too........it would save him having to listen on to my repeated wittering on about Garganey every time we bump into each other at Kingsway!!

I think Alan's excellent Hobby sighting on 4/9 was another new species for Kingsway. I've just done a fairly quick rough and ready tally of species recorded here since summer 2008 and from my limited knowledge this brings the total number of species recorded to a minimum of 113, which isn't at all bad for a site with no real expanse of mature woodland or any deep water habitat either.

Cheers,


Bill.

1200

39 Snipe although plenty more could be in amongst the junctus
85 Lapwing
27 Starling
Mallard
3 Swallow

No Garganey Bill!

Sun 2/9 19:10 - 19:40

c. 300 B hd Gulls
5 Common Gulls
1 L Bb Gull (juv)
c. 80 Lapwing
6 Snipe

Kestrel F
P Wagtail juv

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 2nd of September 2012 09:26:59 PM

27th August.

9.10 - 9.45 am.

For late August still a decent number of Swifts counted here this morning. The largest single tally was of 6 but smaller numbers were noted spread out over this small time period, which may or may not have been the same birds?

Plus 13 Common Gull, 1 Meadow Pipit and 1 Skylark.

Cheers,

Bill.

3 Teal
290+ Lapwing
15+ Snipe
1 Swift S

Alan Nuttall wrote:

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I was pleased to meet Bill on Kingsway this rainy morning.Sad to say we could not relocate this mornings Ruff but we had to make do with 2 Green Sandpipers!What will turn up next! Cheers Alan

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17th August.

Great to catch up with Alan this morning ......even if the Ruff wasn't around! Immediately after lunch I thought I would try again and the Ruff was found actively feeding amongst the large flock of resting Lapwings. That was until an ambulance with its siren blaring came through the business park and with the sound reverberating loudly off the walls of the large industrial unit all the birds, bar the gulls, took to the air and the Ruff was gone......hopefully just temporarily. It was interesting to note the large flock of Lapwings in the air which appeared to number c400, which was far more than had been present on the ground, possibly suggesting some may have been roosting on the roof of the industrial unit or elsewhere on the business park? A single Green Sandpiper remained early pm. We thought the other Green Sandpiper of the morning may only have been present on the ground for a short period of time (say 20 to 30 mins), feeding up briefly, before flying off strongly SW at 10.50 am. Other things of note - the Starling flock fluctuated in numbers, with possibly as many as c150 present at one stage. The passage of Swifts appeared to be continuing early afternoon, with small numbers seemingly heading SW too.

Cheers,

Bill.

Posted today:

0700hrs Male Ruff still with Lapwing flock also 11 Snipe 1 Common Sand piper,Cheers Alan

15th August.

The best records from 3 visits today!

11 Teal, 1 Common Sandpiper, 27 Common Gull, c120 Starling, c20 House Martin, c5 Pied Wagtail, 2 Meadow Pipit and 1 Kestrel. The Snipe were very flighty today for no apparent reason, with the largest wisp of 16 noted, although there may well have been more than this present on site.

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Wednesday 15th of August 2012 07:25:53 PM

Without prejudice, could any further exchanges take place by private message please.

John Doherty wrote:

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Mark - I think it's a bit snidey to insinuate that my post was boring or irrelevant just because it wasn't one of the usual 'list the species I've seen' jobs?

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County bird sightings forum??? Nothing to do with being snidey, Irrelevant

0700hrs,1 Green Sandpiper,2 Dunlin,10 Snipe,405 Lapwing,5 Pied Wagtail,11 Swift.
Cheers Alan

I keep kicking myself that I haven't made it here as it seems a great drawer for waders.
Must do so soon.

-- Edited by John Doherty on Sunday 5th of August 2012 11:44:05 AM

This is such a great little site. I wonder does anybody know the legal status of the land, and whether there are any ongoing attempts to conserve it? It would be a sad day indeed if it was swallowed up into the business park .
(am pleased to confirm that the football-topped 'birders' weren't me&Bill. We probably need to brush up on 'field skills' though!...)

1310-1350

Greenshank heard briefly in flight as I arrived but not re-located.

Not surprising really given the 2 football top clad 'birders' demonstrating all the field-craft skills of a bulldozer.