In this week's Bury Times, the headline is about Benny's (which is boarded up) being bombarded by bullets from a AK47 !!!! Hope they didn't kill the swans as well. Time for them to re-lay though, as not far into incubation.

Sat 12/4/08 early am

Wheatear 2 female
Common Sand
Oyc 2
Swallow 4
Sand martin 15
Teal 3
Tufted Duck 8 with a further 2 on canal

plus an un-id'd pipit in creek which flew up into a bush sung to its self and then flew up
high over res

4-30 to 5-30 pm

2 LR Plover
3 Common Sandpiper
1 Redshank
2 Oystercatcher
Single Male Goldeneye.

Very muddy in Creek area

9/4/2008 pm, despite the rather annoying disturbance-

Common Sandpiper 3
Little Ringed Plover 4
Ringed Plover 1
Redshank 1
Oystercatcher 3
several chiffchaffs and lots of sand martin
male Goldeneye still on

during the late afternoon blizzard, yes i was out in it

Little Ringed Plover 4
Ringed Plover 3
Redshank 1
Swallow 5

I'll probably have a look tomorrow morning, as long as it isn't chucking it down.

I have added a page of photos taken at Elton Res this year (not many at the moment). Anyway, they can be found here:
Elton Res 2008 photos

-- Edited by Paul Wilson at 22:59, 2008-04-05

5/4/2008 very early am

Little Ringed Plover 2 (about bloody time)
Ringed Plover 2
Redshank 1
Oystercatcher 3
Jack Snipe 1 still present
Snipe 30+
Goldeneye 1 male
Tufted 4
Willow Warbler 3 (1st of the year)
Swallow 1
Sand Martin 50+
Chiffchaff 4+
Fieldfare 30+ still around in fields
G S Woodpecker 1
Pheasant 4 (good number for Elton)

Myself and Simon Johnson

took warfies advice and did an early morning, no sign of the wheatear, but 2 swallows over the creek at 7.45 ish.

sat for half an hour in my 'colin chapman hide' outside diasyfields looking for f.........s, non seen, but some spectacular house sparrow chases. :D

Let me get this correct, do the rest of us occassional visiters to the mighty Elton have to get permission from a junior Warfy to visit his patch in the future?
Seriously though the people who let their dogs loose on the bank are a real pain in the a*** and as Simon says it is definately better early a.m.
Cheers Ian
Only joking Mr Warfy

had a wander round myself this afternoon, but it was spoiled by irresponsible dog walkers, what is it about people who cannot control their animals that makes them think it's ok for them to be off the leash?

two girls this afternoon started their walk by letting all three of their dogs chase all the ducks and geese at the sailing club - i tried to put some distance between myself and them but they caught up to me at the creek - no wheatear, but the dogs chased off the redshank.

i decided to stay put for 15 minutes to let them get ahead so i could enjoy the peace without hearing them screaming at each other and the three dogs, whilst they moved on disturbing everything at the water's edge.

5 pied wagtails, 2 greys and a female reed bunting, 4 shoveller (chased by the dogs) and a male goldeneye far side. 2 sand martin.

2 grey wagtails on the overflow of little res. 1 skylark

as i came back onto the big res i witnessed all three of the dogs belonging to the two girls attack a man walking on res - the girls stood and watched on a did next to nothing whilst this poor fellah tried to fend off the dogs. unbelievable.



-- Edited by Paul Cliff at 17:27, 2008-04-01

where was the Godwit paul?

Male Wheatear around 6.00p.m. yesterday, info from Peter Johnson.
Cheers Ian

Early a.m.
Horrible weather, cold and damp, 2 Sand Martins, 2 Goosander, 16 GCGrebe and that was it. On canal between Crow Trees Farm and Elton, 2 pairs Swans with Females sat on nests, at least 4 Coot sat on complete nests, in field at side of canal 2 oystercatcher and Kestrel at usual nest site.
Cheers Ian

Mid afternoon

1 Red Shank
18 LBB Gulls
6 Common Gulls
1 Mute Swan on Res + 2 on canal
2 Comorants
12 GC Grebes
GS Woodpecker
Few Lapwings in fields on territory
2 Stock Dove
Pair Grey Wagtails
Few Meadow Pipits

A pair of Pintail and not much else.

How about a beaming warfy realizing he has just got some tournament points making him neck and neck with me the race is on for us lesser mortals.

nice find mate 2 minutes before I arrived

keep birding.

23/3/2008 Early am 3 inches of snow!

Pintail - Pair
Redshank 2
Goosander 1
not much else.

lets not mention football again. getting this thread back on track, last couple of days-

21/3/2008 early am

Dunlin 1
Redshank 3
Oystercatcher 2
Goosander 3
Fieldfare 10+

20/3/2008 early am

Sand Martin 3
Redshank 4
Oystercatcher 2
Goosander 3
Tufted 8

who rattled your cage Mr Woosey. as long as you find me an Avocet i dont mind, right im off to watch the trotters get that bit closer to the championship. anyway im told Elton has had its day.. sometime back in the 1960's.

-- Edited by Simon Warford at 20:13, 2008-03-19

Yeah Riggers stick to your own patch! dont come sneaking down from Hills trying to pinch my countables..not that there is any.. yet

Sightings from last couple of mornings-

18/3/2008 early am

Sand Martin 2
Redshank 2
Curlew 1
Oystercatcher 2
Shoveler pair
Goosander 3


17/3/2008 early am

Sand Martin 4
Redshank 3
Oystercatcher 2
Pink Feet 2



-- Edited by Simon Warford at 13:09, 2008-03-18

Simon Warford wrote:

---

My visit to Elton this am was short lived thanks to Ian "C team" Woosey

---

I think if you check the current Tournament rankings, you'll find Mr Woosey is indeed undoubtably "A Team" at the moment

Early a.m. today.
No Goosander or Goldeneye or anything else really, on the Res. itself. Did you have any better luck Warfy ?.
In field between the res. and the canal a male Stonechat and field between canal and metro line 2 Oystercatcher. Also 1 Goosander on the river.
Off to Cape Town for 10 days tomorrow so Elton will Probably be teeming with birds as of tomorrow but I don't really mind !
Cheers Ian
........................
Forgot about the 2 singing Skylarks

-- Edited by Ian Campbell at 15:41, 2008-03-15
........................
Also forgot about the 50 Fieldfare (over and out!).

-- Edited by Ian Campbell at 18:09, 2008-03-15

11/3/08 - lunch time

Have to agree with Warfy it is indeed hard to find owt!

Redhank, 2 Oyc and Shelduck were still present and 20 GCG on res

60 Redwing singing to themselves by wader corner in the rain, also 5 Song Thrush in a group and about 35 Blackbirds may well have been gounded by the weather.

20 Goldfinch and 15 Chaffinch below Withins with 36 Lapwing.

Early a.m.
14 Goosander, 2 Goldeneye, 2 Teal, 1 Shoveller, 1 Shellduck, 1 Redshank, Lapwing displaying, 8 Fieldfare.
Cheers Ian