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Post Info TOPIC: Wince Brook Nature Reserve, Middleton


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Wince Brook Nature Reserve, Middleton


This morning:
2 Little Egret again from the Cafe area
1 Kingfisher
1 grey Wagtail
5 Teal
4 Goosander

-- Edited by Steve Collins on Tuesday 1st of November 2022 05:14:24 PM

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2 Little Egret this afternoon, viewed from the cafe.

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Paul Shaw


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The leucistic, "cream-coloured" Teal still present this afternoon, also 2 singing Chiffchaffs

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1 Little Egret
15 Teal
3 Goosander

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Wed 22nd Dec (14:40-15:40):

1 Chiffchaff
1 Goosander
2 Mistle Thrush
1 Grey Wagtail
c15 Teal including the odd pale bird which was here in November
1+ calling Bullfinch

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Tues 23rd Nov (14:45-16:00):

1 Little Egret - back for the Winter
1 Kingfisher
2 Grey Wagtail
c20 Teal - including a very odd pale bird which preferred to hang out with a pair of Mallards
1 Little Grebe - unusual in this spot
2 calling Siskin
1+ calling Bullfinch

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Little Egret still present on Wince Brook at 8am

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Tuesday 9th March 2021

3 singing Chiffchaff
14 Teal

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Mon 8th Mar 2021 (13:10-15:00): Grey and overcast but then clearing and brightening up.

35 species, my best return here in 2021

- 2 singing Chiffchaff - my first of 2021
- 1 Little Egret - quite flighty as usual, but hung around long enough to be photographed
- 2-3 Grey Wagtail
- 2+ Bullfinch
- 2 singing Coal Tits
- 5 Teal still
- 2 Kingfisher

- singing Goldcrest, Greenfinch, Goldfinch etc

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Fri Jan 22nd 2021 (15:20-16:30): Grey and overcast with occasional light showers.

22 species, still not many ducks and no Goosanders present

- 1 Little Egret - quite flighty
- 1 Grey Wagtail
- 2+ Bullfinch
- 2 singing Coal Tits
- 5 Redwing

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Tue Jan 19th 2021 (10:30-11:55AM): Grey and overcast with occasional light showers.

29 species, about what I'd expect to see, although with the waters running at a high level, there were fewer ducks than usual and no Goosanders present

- 1 Little Egret - roosting in a tree
- 1 Grey Wagtail
- 4+ Bullfinch
- 4 singing Coal Tits
- 1 Song Thrush


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Thurs Oct 15th (10:25-11:35AM): Bright and sunny, with hardly any breeze.

More or less the birds that I'd expect to find here at this time of year, though I didnt see or hear any Bullfinches. The first signs of winter arrivals too. Of Note:

- 1 Little Egret - which settled in a tree for a few minutes before flying back towards Middleton
- 1 Kingfisher - only seen for an instance, but now regularly reported by the local dog-walkers
- 6 Goosander - 3 pairs of redheads fishing
- 2 Redwings - heard more clearly than they were seen
- 2 Grey Wagtails
- 2 skeins of c100 Pink-footed Geese over at 10:30AM and then 11:15AM heading towards Chadderton and Oldham

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Some second-hand reports via my sister and sister-in-law

Monday 30th Mar: 1 Dipper and 1 Kingfisher at the Grimshaw Lane end of the Brook.

Thursday 2nd April: 1 Dipper at the Kingsway end of the reserve.

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Tue 2nd Jan '18 (10:30 - 12:30)
Mainly very wet conditions. Wanted to start the new year off well, so checked out the site pretty thoroughly. Found most of the expected species, but I'm sure that the rain damped a few species (eg Coal Tit) that I had expected to find.

- 1 Little Egret
- 1 Nuthatch (the first time I've recorded the species here)
- 1 Grey Wagtail
- 1 Pied Wagtail
- 3 Goosander (all singles, 2m and a redhead)
- c40 Teal
- c70 Mallard
- 5 Greenfinch
- c30 Goldfinch
- 6+ Goldcrest
- 1 f Bullfinch

Still no sign of winter thrushes, but good numbers of Blackbird. c30 species present.

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Fri 28th Dec '17 (13:30 - 15:00)
Very snowy and then very wet conditions, but my visit was motivated by reports of 2 Little Egrets frequenting the area. I didn't see the Egrets despite an extensive search of the area. I did see

- 3-4 Grey Wagtail
- pr Pied Wagtail
- 3 pr Goosander
- c30 Teal
- c90 Mallard
- 20+ Siskin
- 1 Greenfinch
- 2 Goldfinch
- Goldcrest

Still no sign of winter thrushes, but c25 species present.


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Mon 19th Sep 11:30 - 12:30

not a great deal around

1-2 Grey Wagtail
3 Jay
1 calling Chiffchaff
20+ Magpie
plus usual residents

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Wed 20th July 07:30 - 10:00

My first proper visit in a very long time as weekends back in the UK have been limited and time spent in Manchester has been even more limited. I am 'working remotely' this week, so I got the chance for a good look round.

- Kingfisher (heard and then seen disappearing downstream)
- c6 singing Chiffchaff
- 5 singing Blackcap
- 1 singing Common Whitethroat
- 2 singing Coal Tit
- 4 singing Song Thrush
- c20 Mallard (Several broods)
- 3+ Goldcrest
- pr Bullfinch
- Sparrowhawk (female) - successfully carrying off a small bird - probably juv Starling
- 1 Jay
- 1 Oystercatcher over (3rd day out of the last 4 when I've seen/heard one in these parts)
- 3 Rook over

Only a small range of Butterfly species seen, 1 Common Blue Damselfly and 2 Brown Hawker Dragonflies.

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Sunday 3rd Aug 07:45 - 09:30

My first visit in ages as I haven't been up in Manchester since Easter. Fairly quiet

- 3 Willow Warbler (1 singing briefly)
- c5 Chiffchaff
- 3 House Martin
- 4 Song Thrush (1 singing)
- 14 Mallard (Several broods)
- 3+ Goldcrest
- 4+ Siskin
- Sparrowhawk (male)
- 4+ Jay + lots of Magpies

No sign of Sand Martin's breeding here this year and no sign of any Whitethroats either. Only a small range of Butterfly species seen and c10 Brown Hawker Dragonflies.

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Monday 21st Apr 07:05 - 09:30

A thorough visit to all corners of the site but I still can't find a Whitethroat. Plenty of other Warblers present and many other residents busy singing and defending their territory.

- Kingfisher
- 8 singing Willow Warbler
- 7 Chiffchaff (6 singers)
- 6 Blackcap (5 singers)
- c35 Blackbird (12+ singers)
- 6 Song Thrush (2 singing 1 Pair)
- 14 Mallard (One pair with 2 chicks)
- Jay

A few singing Greenfinch, Blackbird, Blue, Coal and Great Tit. 27 Species in all.


-- Edited by Charles Farrell on Monday 21st of April 2014 07:19:14 PM

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Sun 2nd Mar 10:45 - 11:20

Quick visit to the Kirkway end of the reserve which was quite busy with tits, finches and smaller birds, but little on the Brook itself.

- 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
- 1 pr Bullfinch
- 1 Goldcrest
- 1 Teal
- 1 Song Thrush (singing)

Lots of twittering Goldfinch, a few singing Greenfinch, Blackbird, Blue, Coal and Great Tit.

Also saw 4+ Siskin on garden feeders as I walked up Kirkway.

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Made my first visit of the year after dropping the car off for a service. Plenty of activity from the resident species with signs of Dunnock, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon etc pairing up. Got brilliant views of the Kingfisher today which was very obliging by sitting in a number of bare trees by the water's edge - but of course I hadn't thought of taking my camera along, so a real missed opportunity. Nice to see some other species missing from my yearlist, so a really good start to the day!

- 1 Kingfisher
- 1 Grey Wagtail
- 1 Treecreeper
- 1 m Sparrowhawk
- 1+ Chiffchaff calling quietly
- Goldcrest heard
- Song Thrush (Singing)
- Mistle Thrush
- c12 Teal
- c20 Mallard
Plenty of Greenfinch/Chaffinch/Goldfinch/Great Tit/Blue Tit
- Herring, Common, Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls over

29 species in all.

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The high wind and constant spray (like falling mist...) was a bit of a pain today, but some little nuggets were gleamed despite the poor conditions.

Firstly, the site's first confirmed Peregrine Falcon! One male flew about a few times weaving here and there, scanning the land, before the local Sparrowhawk decided it had enough and chased it off its patch.

The Sparrowhawk itself was incredibly active today, hunting almost wherever I went. It started soon after I got there, when it flew over the Moss and made a fleeting dive at a flock of Redwing who had the misfortune to fly just a couple of metres away from it! After being unsuccessful, it decided to have a go at a pair of Grey Wagtails, but only half-heartedly. Soon afterwards she was mobbed by 8 Magpies who were fiercely defending their copse of conifers (they were even mobbing Crows). The Sparrowhawk still stayed in the area, and started to pursue a Teal who was trying to find a stretch of the brook to land on. It was only afterwards that it decided to chase off the Peregrine Falcon who just happened to pass by. All this was already great action, but as I went on the paths along the brook, I met the bird several times more, flying near hedgerows, chasing thrushes and tits (to be honest I thought it was following me: whenever I looked around, it was there!)

What was the most interesting, however, was its persistence to fly along the edge of the steep end of the Moss (which is the hill near Greengate, not an actual moss). Thinking back, the reason why it stuck to that area might be because of the wind. the steep edge of the hill faces NE, and the (strong) wind was coming from the NE, so the wind would be pushed upwards quite sharply along that edge, and just above is the circling Sparrowhawk! I know bigger birds of prey use the wind to glide on the ridges of mountains, like eagles (I discovered this on Mull), but if I'm right (and I may not be ), it could mean that birds as small as Sparrowhawk also use this technique (if conditions are good). Whatever the reason, it is very interesting seeing it for such an extended period of time.

Anyway, moving on quickly: Redwings everywhere! Conservative estimates of 50 birds, many just moving northwards. 11 Goosanders were flying about (site record). The Teal numbers have hit 24, and a couple of Meadow Pipits went migrating through.

34 species in all, though the wind undoubtedly had a negative effect on the quantity of small passerines recorded...

So...

Peregrine Falcon
Sparrowhawk
Canada Geese
Redwings
Goosanders
Meadow Pipits
No Chiffchaffs or any other summer migrants cry

Cheers,

Paul

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I went out today in search of a Yellow-browed Warbler , and subsequently failed to find any, but the trip was well worth it anyway!

It was amazing to see that for the first time, it felt like summer was truly over. I had a succession of winter visitors today (all firsts of the season). A flock of Siskins and a pair of Goosanders were about. My first site record of Pink-footed Geese migrating overhead (25 towards SE) was also amazing, as the skein was so high up I could barely make out where the calls were coming from. It sort of reminded me of the sight of Common Cranes migrating and calling overhead in the SW of France (Which is something truly amazing!!). At another point I heard a faint "seee" behind me and I was just able to turn around to be greeted with a sight of a lone Redwing flying into a bush.

Amongst other things, I managed to find the Kingfisher again, after so many weeks of searching, the bird being busy diving and just doing what Kingfishers do best! Meanwhile, the Meadow Pipit migration is still going strong, with over 15 individuals flying over during the morning. Teal numbers are still rising to, with 18 individuals now on the brook (compared to 4 three weeks ago)

So the list of interesting sightings today is:

2 Chiffchaffs
2 Blackcaps
23 Lapwings (flying over)
25 Pink-footed Geese (flying over)
12 Canada Geese (flying over)
1 Coal tit
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Redwing
2 Goosanders
1 Kingfisher
20 Goldfinch

39 species in total, which is a very good day for Wince brook.

And so no Yellow-browed Warbler in the end, despite searching and listening. but then again, I wasn't expecting any!

Cheers

Paul


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Fri 27-Sep-13 9:15-10:15

Nice to make a visit when the sky is clear and blue and the ground underfoot is not too damp. It was very nice also to get good views of Kestrel hunting and a Sparrowhawk hunting right over my head almost. Plenty of tits calling and the trees full of squabbling Jays and Magpies

- m Sparrowhawk
- f kestrel
- pr Grey Wagtail
- 2+ Great Spotted Woodpecker
- c12 Teal
- 4+ Jay
- c6 Chiffchaff - including several singing birds
- 2 calling Coal Tit

16:10 - 16:25 (Kirkway End)
- pr Blackcap


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A nice walk about this morning, with 36 species seen, including a few "rarities" and "scarcities" (for the Wince Brook anyway )

3 Lapwings flying overhead were undoubtedly the best species seen, and a 1st-Winter Spotted Flycatcher kept me happy for the rest of the morning. Jays are all over the place at the moment, the population having tripled (to 6) over the past month. They're making such a racket I can hardly hear the other birds. Also spotted a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers on top of a pylon. It was strange seeing them squatting on a metal bar, instead of on a tree trunk.

I've noticed that over the past couple of days, I've had many Meadow Pipits flying and calling overhead. They never seem to land on (or take off from) my patch (to my infuriation! ), but they've made me rethink their "status" on my patch. Last year, I had put them in the "vagrant" category, as I only recorded them a couple of times over the whole October-June period. But this year, I've started the season a month earlier (September), and I'm getting 3-4 pipits every visit! Anyway, the Meadow Pipits are now in the "Migrant" category for the time being.

I've also finally managed to decide on which recording software to use (phew, that was hard!). I'm sticking with BirdTrack and other BTO surveys (WeBS, Winter Thrush) during the non-breeding season. In this way I can help in completing national surveys, and the data can benefit the whole of the UK. However, for the breeding season, I'm switching to RODiS, which is hugely more adapted for following individual territories and their breeding successes (and it gets the most important data straight to the county database).

The roll call is:

3 Lapwings
1 Spotted Flycatcher
5 Meadow Pipits
8 Teal
6 Jays
21 House Martins
10 Chiffchaffs
4 Grey Wagtails
11 Bullfinches

Cheers



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I'm finally back on my Patch!

Didn't have a good look for the Little Owl yet, but when it's only mid-morning and the heavens are threatening to break, I thought there was little chance I would see it anyway, wherever it is.

33 species seen this morning, with the highlights being 160 Starlings (give or take a few) sitting on a pylon. I've seen my first Teals of the season too, with 4 seen hanging about. Also, there was a huge amount of Chiffchaffs about (one singing), and a handsome little 1st winter Willow Warbler that was following a huge tit band.

Probably the biggest surprise of the day was the discovery of a dead Lesser Black-backed Gull in some high grass! It was thoroughly eaten, with just the head and one wing giving the game away. Funnily enough, the wing feathers were still in good shape, and were not decomposed, so the corpse must have been relatively recent. However, the question is, how did it get there? I've hardly ever seen gulls landing on my patch (they just fly over), though I suppose a fox could catch a gull if it landed.

Anyway, the list of (vaguely) interesting birds is:

77 Mallard (record)
160 Starlings (record)
8 Bullfinches (record)
4 Teal (not a record)
1 Willow Warbler
1 Kestrel
Swallows and House Martins

Cheers,

Paul

-- Edited by Paul Hurst on Wednesday 11th of September 2013 09:27:14 PM

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Charles Farrell wrote:



at c 10:30PM on the way back along Grimshaw Lane I swear that I could hear a calling Little Owl above the traffic. I took out my torch and walked a short distance along the hardcore path, but no further calls were heard.





Typically this is on the night before I go on holiday for a month...

I wonder: is it a young bird moving away from its parents nest, and happened to pass by on my patch, or have I really managed to miss a resident Little Owl for almost a whole year??!!

Well, one things for sure, I know what I'll be doing when I get back! (Just got to hope that it sticks around)

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Sat 3rd.
Quick evening visit, but very little besides the usual suspects present.

- several calling Chiffchaff
- c4 Swift
- c6 House Martin

at c 10:30PM on the way back along Grimshaw Lane I swear that I could hear a calling Little Owl above the traffic. I took out my torch and walked a short distance along the hardcore path, but no further calls were heard.

Sun 4th
Not much around besides the usual tits and finches.
- 3+ Chiffchaff
- 4 Whitethroat (family)
- 2 Swift
- 8 House Martin


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Had a mooch around my patch today, with the challenge of the day being to get the highest breeding code for each species I found.

So i finished the day with 41 species and a mystery bird! So starting of with the most important question: what was that bird I saw?

I'm 90% sure it's a small finch (forked tail), and it was doing these little bzzzz calls, though it wasn't really bzzzz, as it was more stridulated (brrrr?). There was probably more than one. It was very frustrating as I spent half an hour trying to locate the little bugger, as it flew from tree to treefurious. I only saw it once or twice, but it kept on disappearing into the tree tops (composed in part of birch and a few conifers, in a small copse of wood). The trees by the way were not very high (about 5-7m). I probably have already seen the bird before, but I just have never heard that call, hence the problem.

EDIT: I now know that it is a Lesser Redpoll (which I admit I have little experience with).

Anyway, moving away from all that: a new site tick came in the form of a pair of Rooks checking the place out, before moving on. Before when this was farm land I suppose they were more common, but now they are treated as vagrants. A small flock of Lesser Redpoll (site rarity) was present. Also a Grey heron flew over. However for the first time since October, no Teals were present: they have all gone!

Then, in the category of predators vs prey, we have a poor female Blackbird alarming helplessly as a Magpie tucks into one its eggs. On the other hand, the Mistle thrushes weren't such softies, as demonstrated by a pair violently mobbed a Crow who got a bit to close. The pair were in such high spirits afterwards that one even decided to chase off a Woodpigeon. Finally, both male and female Sparrowhawks were flying about (not at the same time), with the male catching a small darkish bird (maybe a Dunnock).

I'm ending on a very sobering note, as I discovered today that some of the land (the fields near Kirkway), is going to be built on with residential houses, despite the opposition of the "Friends of Wince Brook"disbelief. 2 houses are planned, starting this Summer, but the owner may decide to build more afterwards (I sincerely hope not!). In the worst case scenario, the project will eradicate half of the site's breeding population of Common Whitethroats (which is two, but still!) I don't know all the details, so don't quote me on this.

My patch is getting smaller!crycry

-- Edited by Paul Hurst on Saturday 4th of May 2013 10:13:19 PM

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It's been a long time since I posted any sightings on this thread, but today was a great day so... here goes!


Looking back at all my data accumulated on this site, I noticed that however long I stay, the number of species levels of towards 40 species (and usually around 36). So today I decided to try and actively find as many species as possible, beat my previous record (40), and see how long it takes me to get to 40.

So first, the interesting sightings: the Canada geese are still hanging about. I doubt they'll nest, but they still seem to come every day. Willow Warblers rivalling the Chiffchaffs for the prize for the commonest warbler seen, with at least 8 of each. I know that Willow Warblers sing on migration, but one seemed like he was here to stay. Whitethroat was a welcome addition to the site list, one which was doing a quiet imitation of a Nightingale (Maybe it picked up the song while on migration, or in Africa). The duck population has collapsed dramatically: just a couple of Teals left, and just over 10 Mallards. They used to be in their thirties here in Winter.

All 3 common hirundines: Swallow, Sand Martin, House Martin.

The small population of Grey Wagtails had gone missing recently, but today I located the male picking up fallen petals from a cherry tree on the bank, before flying of away from the site.

As for my little challenge, I managed to bag 40 species in about 2 hours (due to some heavy, no nonsense, birding), and it took me another half hour of frantic searching before I located my record breaking species: the local male Kestrel, ever faithful to his field! At the end of the day I had got 42 species! Interestingly, out of 6 hours and 20 minutes of searching, 41 species were seen in the first 2 hours and a half, and the other one was seen later on (though I started birding much more leisurely after finding the Kestrel, enjoying the Sun). However, I think I've got all the regulars and have pretty much recorded the whole avifauna of the Wince Brook!

(I put in bold the more interesting species-site wise- seen)

Canada Goose
Teal
Mallard
Grey Heron
Sparrowhawk
Kestrel
Moorhen
Black-headed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Feral Pigeon
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Magpie
Jay
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Goldcrest
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Coal Tit
Sand Martin
Swallow
House Martin
Long-tailed Tit
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Blackcap
Whitethroat
Wren
Starling
Blackbird
Song Thrush----Good numbers: 2-3 pairs
Mistle Thrush
Robin
Dunnock
House Sparrow
Grey Wagtail
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Bullfinch


A grand day out:smile



-- Edited by Paul Hurst on Saturday 27th of April 2013 08:56:39 PM

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10:45 - 11:15 Quick scan of the area at the Kirkway end.

1 Kingfisher
3 singing Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
5 Swallow
1 singing Goldcrest

plus the usual residents.

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Hi Paul

Thanks for the heads up, I am aware of the regulations re photographing the kingfishers so I'm conscious of this. I may just get,yucky. Given this afternoons rain I opted for a hairdressers appointment and lunch instead..

Hope your enjoying France.




Paul Hurst wrote:

Collette Collier wrote:

Was thinking of heading down to wince later hoping for a sighting of the kingfisher.? Has anyone been lately the threads been quiet (since my posts re chiffchaff) confuseconfuse

I'm not familiar with breeding habits or habitat so may be wasting my time. Thoughts anyone.?





Well, I've been on holiday and am currently in France, so its been a long time since I last visited the Wince brook. I haven't been there for 3 weeks now, so I don't know how things have moved on. I haven't seen the Kingfisher for about a month now, and only one of the two... Bill Myerscough who has been visiting the Wince before me has failed to find any nest in past years. Kingfishers like nesting in sand banks (a metre long hole), but Bill and I have failed to find anything in the ones of Wince brook.
By the way, Kingfishers are Shedule 1 species, meaning you are not alowed to disturb or approach the nest too closely.

The Kingfisher(s) should still be hanging about, though it is very hard to find them. I spent 5 minutes just lazily sitting near the bank, unaware that the Kingfisher was right in front of me! He then proceeded to catch a fish, before flying off with it.

Anyway, I don't suppose anybody has seen the Siberian Chiffchaff since the 25th of March? It has surely flown of by now back to Russia, but I was wondering when it would actually leave. Last time I saw it I finally managed to get my sound recording from it, with a Common Chiffchaff calll to comparesmile.

biggrinbiggrinbiggrinbiggrinbiggrinbiggrinbiggrin

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Collette Collier wrote:

Was thinking of heading down to wince later hoping for a sighting of the kingfisher.? Has anyone been lately the threads been quiet (since my posts re chiffchaff) confuseconfuse

I'm not familiar with breeding habits or habitat so may be wasting my time. Thoughts anyone.?





Well, I've been on holiday and am currently in France, so its been a long time since I last visited the Wince brook. I haven't been there for 3 weeks now, so I don't know how things have moved on. I haven't seen the Kingfisher for about a month now, and only one of the two... Bill Myerscough who has been visiting the Wince before me has failed to find any nest in past years. Kingfishers like nesting in sand banks (a metre long hole), but Bill and I have failed to find anything in the ones of Wince brook.
By the way, Kingfishers are Shedule 1 species, meaning you are not alowed to disturb or approach the nest too closely.

The Kingfisher(s) should still be hanging about, though it is very hard to find them. I spent 5 minutes just lazily sitting near the bank, unaware that the Kingfisher was right in front of me! He then proceeded to catch a fish, before flying off with it.

Anyway, I don't suppose anybody has seen the Siberian Chiffchaff since the 25th of March? It has surely flown of by now back to Russia, but I was wondering when it would actually leave. Last time I saw it I finally managed to get my sound recording from it, with a Common Chiffchaff calll to comparesmile.

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Was thinking of heading down to wince later hoping for a sighting of the kingfisher.? Has anyone been lately the threads been quiet (since my posts re chiffchaff) confuseconfuse

I'm not familiar with breeding habits or habitat so may be wasting my time. Thoughts anyone.?

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Paul Hurst wrote:

Allthough I think Wince Brook does have a warden, I have no idea how to contact him, as the 'Wince Brook' is hardly mentioned anywhere on the internet. I'll have to contact Middleton council (or is that Rochdale?). Anyway, it was amazing how 'tame' the mink were (for a mammal): they were just a few yards away!



the Rochdale council website is not exactly brimming with useful information nor mentions of Middleton, but Wince Brook does get a mention on this page.
http://www.rochdale.gov.uk/news_and_leisure/parks_and_countryside/forest_and_woodland.aspx

It would appear that Wildlife activities are centred on Healey Dell
http://www.healeydell.org.uk/ranger_service.php?CatID=8

And the names mentioned there tie in with those on this site's "who's who" page :)
http://www.manchesterbirding.com/who'swho.htm#__ROCHDALE_COUNTRYSIDE_WARDEN_SERVICE_

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Doc Brewster wrote:

Cracking haul, Paul, again well deserved for the time you put in I wonder if there could be as many as 5 Chiffchaffs involved here (inc the tristis), or even 6 if the bedraggled bird has been like that for a while as I saw two pristine, relatively bright collybita when we met the other day So there could be the tristis, 2 greyish birds, 2 neat collybita and a bedraggled collybita !!!!

The BTO give the average arrival date for Grasshopper Warbler as 13th April, just for info

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Wednesday 13th of March 2013 04:13:35 PM





That's what I thought: the Birdtrack migration graphs don't see Grasshopper Warblers arriving before April. I am also suspicious of the fact that a Summer migrant would be singing in 0°C conditions... But the episode goes to show that I should watch out next time I hear a "Grasshopper warbler" song, as if it had happened in April, I would have got it wrong and probably would have wasted hours of fruitless searching (and have an erroneous tick on my list, something I certainly do not want to have!). It also goes to show how variable Wren calls are. (I'm saying this based on the assumption that what i heard was an aberant Wren call)

By the way, I agree with your summarising of the Chiffchaffs of Wince Brook, I've seen the bedraggled one a few times over the last weeks. Blimey, 6 Chiffchaffs!

Charles Farrell wrote:

I suppose that there must be some fish in there, if the Kingfisher caught something, but the presence of two Mink is not a good sign. Maybe its something that the warden should be informed about.

Pleased that you found a pair of Coal Tit Paul. The one that I saw at Wince Brook on Saturday was attempting to sing, but could not produce much volume. and nice to see that the Kestrel is back!




Allthough I think Wince Brook does have a warden, I have no idea how to contact him, as the 'Wince Brook' is hardly mentioned anywhere on the internet. I'll have to contact Middleton council (or is that Rochdale?). Anyway, it was amazing how 'tame' the mink were (for a mammal): they were just a few yards away!
That pair of Coal tits were seen at the same place where you saw them, and one burst into song for a few moments.

Cheers

Paul

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Dang! 40 species - I'm beginning to think I must have birded with my eyes shut when I was younger, given the wealth of species that folks are seeing. I dreamed of seeing a Kingfisher along that brook as a lad but always feared that it was too polluted. I suppose that there must be some fish in there, if the Kingfisher caught something, but the presence of two Mink is not a good sign. Maybe its something that the warden should be informed about.

Pleased that you found a pair of Coal Tit Paul. The one that I saw at Wince Brook on Saturday was attempting to sing, but could not produce much volume. and nice to see that the Kestrel is back!

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Other sightings early afternoon included 11 Goldcrests (4 in song), 4 Teal, 4 Grey Wagtails and 2 Raven over.

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Haha yes that maybe my issue here using wrong terminology !!

Too much to learn

Collette Collier wrote:

Or subspecies

Ian McKerchar wrote:

Collette Collier wrote:

I've sent them to both Paul's mentioned above who think he is a regular or hybrid Chiffchaff.





A hybrid ? I welcome either Paul to enlighten me as to what with and why





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Cracking haul, Paul, again well deserved for the time you put in I wonder if there could be as many as 5 Chiffchaffs involved here (inc the tristis), or even 6 if the bedraggled bird has been like that for a while as I saw two pristine, relatively bright collybita when we met the other day So there could be the tristis, 2 greyish birds, 2 neat collybita and a bedraggled collybita !!!!

The BTO give the average arrival date for Grasshopper Warbler as 13th April, just for info

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Wednesday 13th of March 2013 04:13:35 PM

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Ah, maybe we're getting mixed up with terminology here?

We're looking at an intergrade if anything (between races) . Both the birds and the terminology are a complicated subject

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Well, I've been over to Wince Brook this morning and I've solved the identity of the the bird with the blob!

It is a Common Chiffchaff, as I heard it singing and calling clearly in collybita fashion. The injury is not evident when you look at the bird, but if you pay very close attention, suddenly you can clearly see it. The bird only puts it down gingerly, and prefers to keep the foot held up then put it down. It could be the grey Chiffchaff we have been seeing the past two weeks, as this one was quite grey in certain light. I did not see the Siberian Chiffchaff, though there was one bird that I lost before I could get a good look at it, so it could still be there. Other Chiffchaffs present was a typical Common Chiffchaff, and another one which looked a bit pale, but had some dark patches on its underside (missing a few feathers, or are out of place); anyway, he looked bedraggled. It was quite complicated to identify them, as it is very hard to keep track of 3 small birds zooming about (not counting Goldcrests). I actually needed a second pair of eyes!

So to recap:
1 normal Common Chiffchaff
1 pale bedraggled Common Chiffchaff (moulting?)
1 Greyish Common Chiffchaff with an injury
1 possible extra unidentified Chiffchaff


Apart from that, I had a smashing morning! An amazing 40 species found, which represents 81% of species seen since last Autumn! (40 out of 49) I've seen almost all the birds I could see (disregarding vagrants).

High on my list of amazing things today is the Woodcock who scared the living daylights out of me as it exploded out of the undergrowth in front of me! A nice site tick for me, even though I know some people have already seen some about the Brook. Another great moment was when I found the Kingfisher again, who soon caught a fish and proceeded to eat it. What was impressive was the fact that I had sat down for 5 minutes, never noticing the Kingfisher sitting motionlessly the whole time just down the brook.

Amongst other things, a scold of Jays (6 in all), 3-4 pairs of Long-tailed tits (some carrying nest materials...), tons of Wrens, Dunnocks, Blackbirds, and Robins (in the twenties).

Finally, at one point I heard what I can only suppose is a Wren doing it's rattle alarm call, but it did it without stopping for almost 20 seconds and ended as abruptly as it started! It made me think it was a Grasshopper Warbler ! I didn't see any bird, and its been so long since I last heard a Grasshopper Warbler that I was unable to remember if the song went exactly like I heard it. If this was in April, I almost definitely would have ticked it as Grasshopper Warbler, but because of the earliness of the season, I've figured that it could only have been an unusual Wren call, even though it was very unusual...

Anyway, the roll of other honours goes to:
1 Sparrowhawk
20 Redwings
2 Siskins
1 Common Kestrel
2 Canada Geese
2 Coal tit (pair!)

Great day

Cheers,

Paul

Edit: oh, and 2 American Minks seen swimming just in front of me, near the Chiffchaffs...



-- Edited by Paul Hurst on Wednesday 13th of March 2013 04:11:18 PM

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Or subspecies

Ian McKerchar wrote:

Collette Collier wrote:

I've sent them to both Paul's mentioned above who think he is a regular or hybrid Chiffchaff.





A hybrid ? I welcome either Paul to enlighten me as to what with and why



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Collette Collier wrote:

I've sent them to both Paul's mentioned above who think he is a regular or hybrid Chiffchaff.





A hybrid ? I welcome either Paul to enlighten me as to what with and why

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first trip to Wince brook for me today. Great directions from Paul hurst and doc Brewster. So thanks to you both.also nice to meet Paul hurst and Bill myerscough

My first Goldcrests seen as soon as I arrived walking through the alley before I even got to the bridge.
A pair of Teal
I did see the Chiffchaff with the blob that looks like a nut on his foot. Managed a few photos but not the best quality. I've sent them to both Paul's mentioned above who think he is a regular or hybrid Chiffchaff.
Loads of long tailed tits, I've never seen so many.
Mallard 4 male 2 female
Grey wagtail another highlight for me.

Sadly no Kingfisher today. ;0(

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A (very) cold trip to the Brook today, with the gusts of wind stopping me from connecting with some of my usual birds, so only 31 species seen today. You can't beat your own the record every time!

Some of the interesting things that happened was watching a flock of various gull species (Black-headed, Herring, Lesser Black-backed, and Common Gull) fighting for some discarded food, while the high winds made it more entertaining (for me), as they struggled against the wind and against each other. Charles and I's suspicion of there being more than just two Grey Wagtails was confirmed today with 4 individuals flying about (as Doc Brewster noted). There is definitely 1 pair, while the other two were tagging along/flying about. The problem was that the high winds just dissuaded the birds from coming out or calling, so my counts are actually quite low, with only 1 Redwing seen today, and I spent an 1 hour without seeing a single Robin (I normally hear them in the first 2 minutes)!

Doc Brewster said it all for the Chiffchaffs: nothing to add! It was nice meeting you, and I'm happy you managed to see the Siberian Chiffchaff in the end (especially after standing for hours looking at the Buddleia).

All in all, an uneventful, but pleasant visit.

Cheers,
Paul

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Eventually made the effort to drive up to Middleton today to have a look for the Siberian Chiffchaff given the reasonable weather forecast after my only previous chances being on drizzly days. The first visit late morning concentrated on the buddleia area and despite a long vigil by at least 5 birders no sign of any Chiffchaffs in the visible foliage. We were kept 'entertained' by numerous Long-tailed Tits, Great Tits, Blue Tits, 2 Goldcrests, Dunnocks, Robins, Blackbirds and a Chaffinch, but despite the buddleia being in shelter form a biting wind elsewhere, being in sunshine & harbouring flying insects - no Chiffchaffs!

A trip up to Elton reservoir was followed by a return late aftrenoon when we met Paul, who kindly joined us and showed us the other favoured areas, especially on the other side of the bridge. This soon came up trumps with views of, at first, 2 'standard' Common Chiffchaffs and then skulking low down the Siberian Chiffchaff. Soon after this the pale grey Chiffchaff appeared too, close enough in time to allow a mental comparison and has as been said before the bird is uniformly grey without any green tones in the primaries or coverts and has a less well marked head than the true tristis bird. The four Chiffchaffs then split, some travelling downstrean at first and others upstream and despite a short search only Common Chiffchaffs could be found thereafter. A Kingfisher flashed past and perched up giving excellent views and as many as four Grey Wagtails were whizzing up & down the brook.

A huge thanks to Paul again, without whom we would probably still be standing staring at that buddleia right now Also thanks to all who posted directions on here, with these directions and the trusty Greater Manchester A to Z the location was a doddle to find.

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Having spent most of the last 3 weeks indoors due to a mixture of bad weather and a bad cold, it was nice to get outdoors again. Before I'd met up with Paul, I'd also seen Jay and a Coal Tit.

The visit was significant for me in that it brought me my 98th (Goosander) and 99th (Grey Wagtail) species of the year - a bit slower than last year, as I was well past 100 by this stage. It was also nice to see the Chiffchaffs again, but after so many recent Kingfisher sightings it was slightly disappointing that we lucked out on that species.

-- Edited by Charles Farrell on Saturday 9th of March 2013 10:25:43 PM

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Afternoon visit to the Wince brook, with Charles Farrell, from 1 to 4.

A nice stroll about the Brook with 36 species seen! Nothing new but it was a pleasant walk.

It was quiet, but we managed to get the most out of a miserable day. A pair of Grey Wagtails were flying about near the Kirkway end. Actually, it could have been more: they were flying all over the place! 2 Canada Geese still around the Greengate area (lingering rarities!). Also 20 Black-headed Gulls feeding on the fields on top of the Moss. Numerous Redwings flying about the brook and we spotted a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers near the bridge off Wood lane.

Regarding the Chiffchaffs, the Siberian Chiffchaff was spotted skulking in the Buddleia (it was drizzling), while the odd grey Common Chiffchaff was spotted downstream beyond the Alders. We also spotted 2 normal Common Chiffchaffs in the same area. I think we didn't do to bad, considering the recent confusion with all the odd Chiffchaffs. However, the Goldcrests gave us nothing but trouble, as we constantly saw a flicker of mouvement, brought our binoculars to our eyes, only to be rewarded with another Goldcrest!

Other birds of note:
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Goosander

I actually ticked a few birds after I left the Wince Brook, but I was fortunate to look back and spot a few extra birds.


-- Edited by Paul Hurst on Saturday 9th of March 2013 07:26:53 PM

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I really can't see too much positive for the second bird in the video John but that's more due to the quality of the video (sorry Pete, it's a great effort of course) and the lighting at the time.

That's not to say there can't be two tristis there as they do seem to have a habit of 'grouping' when overwintering but some of what is currently being researched or purported on Chiffchaffs is very early stages anyway and certainly isn't necessarily supported by concrete evidence; a case of a work in progress. I am receiving a lot of conflicting reports on the Chiffchaffs down there at the moment from many observers (plus some clear misunderstandings and misconceptions of what is at the end of the day a quite difficult identification issue) and its all very intriguing indeed but in order to progress any further with much of it, solid evidence is needed in what is a very interesting and potentially very educational saga

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