From 2 - 4.30p. today . Main lake - Mute swan 2 adult + 5 cygnet. Reed warbler 2 adult and possibly 2 juveniles. (One adult with food). Lots of Blue tit and Long-tail tit everywhere. Broad Ees Dole - Teal 2 . Grey Heron 3. Little Grebe 3 (2 adult + 1 well developed juvenile ). Moorhen 5 ( 3 adult + 2 juvenile ). Also 3 cormorant on the pylons.
1 goldcrest (juvenile) 4 chiffchaff 2 blackcap 4+ reed warbler, including at least one very recent fledgling and an adult with food. 1 treecreeper 1 nuthatch heard 2 greenfinch 10+ swallow House martins heard 3 jay 1 great spotted woodpecker heard 2 ring-necked parakeet 1 moorhen 1 coot 7 mute swan (five almost full grown cygnets) 2 grey heron 5 or 6 cormorant 1 or 2 buzzard
Broad Ees Dole:
6 moorhen (one almost full-grown juvenile) 4 little grebe (one full-grown juvenile) 7 grey heron
Single Ring Necked Parakeet flew east over main lake c. 8.30 this am. 56 Canada geese and the 5 Mute Swan Cygnets still on main lake as well as 3 Little Grebe.
Yesterday Mon 24.07.17 Sale wp. Inflow Channel ...... Buzzard - 1 over . Peregrine - 1 seen very briefly over tree tops toward Jacksons Boat pub. WF. Meadow ....... Read bunting 3. Bullfinch 1. Goldfinch 6 (2 adults + 4 juv. ). Greenfinch 2. Swift 4. Swallow 2. Main lake ........ Mute swan 2 adult and 4 cygnet. Broad Ees Dole ....... Little grebe 4 adult + 4 juv. Grey Heron 2. Cormorant 2. R. Mersey ........ Kestrel 1adult + 1juv (across from the water park ). Kingfisher 1 ( flew past only metres away at head height - great view! ).
two Little Egrets. This has been my local patch for over twenty years and these are the first I've seen anywhere in the Mersey Valley. I'm pleased they've put in an appearance.
They are still very scarce in the area Paul but Broad Ees Dole has managed at least three records of the species that I can recall off the top of my head (including of course the first ever county record). I'm sure they'll get commoner in the near future though
A few Black- headed Gulls, one Cormorant, three Grey Herons, two Moorhens, one Little Grebe, one Mallard but two Little Egrets. This has been my local patch for over twenty years and these are the first I've seen anywhere in the Mersey Valley. I'm pleased they've put in an appearance.
This afternoon from 12pm ... Visitor Centre - Raven 1. Main lake - Mute swan 2 adult + 5 cygnet . Reed warbler 1 heard only . WF.Meadow - (all seen in the corner at rear of Old Carpark ) . Reed bunting 2 (1 male collecting insects and feeding juvenile - also seen again on the way back ) . Chiffchaff - 1 juvenile . Blackcap - 1 male . Greenfinch - 1 male . Dunnock - 1 . Broad Ees Dole - Common Buzzard 1 over . Cormorant 3 on island . Little grebe 4 ( 2 adult feeding 2 chicks ) . Grey Heron 2 . Kingfisher 2 sightings (one on return to hide on way back ) .
Main Lake - Mute Swan 2 adult + 5 cygnet . Chorlton Ees - Buzzard 1 over seen briefly ( very dark - no pale markings seen, and movIng quicker than usual - it didn't look quite right for a common buzzard). Old carpark - Blackbird 2. Blackcap 2 (f) probaby the same one . Broad Ees Dole - Little Grebe 4 . Grey Heron 4. Black -Headed Gull c15 .... one with yellow leg ring - ETKE on left leg.
Herring Gull 1 adult Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 adult Kingfisher 1 Reed Warbler 3 in song Blackcap 2 in song Chiffchaff 1 in song Stock Dove 2 Cormorant 1
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1 goldcrest heard singing 8 chiffchaff 3 blackcap 3 whitethroat Willow tit heard Lots of fledgling blue and great tit Goldfinch, greenfinch, chaffinch 2+ bullfinch 1 reed bunting 1 grey wagtail over 3 song thrush 1 jay 3 swift 3 coot Mute swan pair with brood of five 2 grey heron 2 cormorant over
Broad Ees Dole
4 reed warbler 1 reed bunting 1 jay 1 kingfisher (extremely fleeting glimpse) 2 moorhen 2 coot 5 little grebe (two occupied nests and a pair building another) 1 lapwing 11 grey heron
Two more reed bunting and (pleasingly) a house sparrow at the dry weir pond, and c15 swift, c5 house martin and 2 swallow over Stretford Ees.
A wander around the lake earlier this pm produced singing Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat and Reed Warbler. 4 Little Grebe on Broad Ees Dole with Mallard, Canada Geese and a couple of Grey Heron. A Kingfisher flew across the lake and a Buzzard circled overhead.
The Dole 4 little grebes 6 canada geese 1 black headed gull mallards, moorhens and coots The Main lake including flying field and neighbouring field 6 great crested grebes 2 lesser black backed gulls 3 herring gulls 1 great blacked gull 2 black headed gulls 1 cormorant 1 mute swan double figures of chiffchaffs calling, 3 seen 4 willow warbler calling, 3 seen
Inflow channel - Kingfisher 1. Old car park - Bullfinch 4 (2m + 2f). Reed Bunting 1m. Grt. Tit 1. Long-tail Tit 1. Across R.Mersey over Chorlton Ees - Raven 2. Main lake - Tufted Duck 4. Grt.Crested Grebe 9. Mute Swan 8. Cormorant 4. Broad Ees Dole - Grey Heron 9. Gadwall 12. Little Grebe 5. Plus it was a nice surprise to see the Wildflower meadow has been mowed and raked . (That's not been done for years !)
Single Ring Necked Parakeet in trees near visitor centre this am, on main lake 3 drake Goosander and 16 Gadwall. Also a dead immature cormorant on the side of the M60 slip road here.
Single Ring Necked Parakeet in trees between visitor centre and lake c.8.20 this morning. On lake were 12 Tufted duck, 13 Cormorant, 12 Gadwall and 5 Great crested Grebe.
This morning: 47 Coot, 11 Tufted Duck, 5 Great Crested grebe, single Kingfisher, 9 Goosander flew over heading west and a kestrel eating a catch on the boardwalk by the boat ramp.
Thin layer of ice over most of lake this am, birds seen included
45 Coot
16 Gadwall
8 Tufted Duck
c.110 Black Headed Gull
8 Lesser black backed gull
6 Common Gull
3 Great Crested Grebe