Hi Mark,
Went up to Etherow Country Park on Saturday June 6th with the Saturday Club which Anne Shaw,from RSPB High Peak started a few years ago.We also saw the party of about 50 Long Tail tits near Hirst Cottage flying like little torpedoes into the trees,always nice to see! Also lots of Mandarin Ducks,on the canal,a Male Tufted duck on the pond near the Weir, Dipper and Grey Wagtail on the river up from the bridge,on to Sunny Corner saw Blackcap,as well as usual Great tit and Blue Tits on the way but no Pied Flycatchers. On to Keg Pool,the Mute Swans still there and a pair of Tufted Ducks,as well as usual Mallards. House Martin and Barn Swallows flying low over river on way back to Visitor Centre and on canal Coots and Moorhens with young and 2 Common Swifts High up. On the lake the Great Crested Grebe swimming on its own ,never seen two here ?
Did not manage to see the Kingfisher or the Egyptian Goose.
All the best and Good Birding.

12-2:
23 Mandarin inc young
7 Blackcap
Willow warbler
5 Chiffchaff
3 Treecreeper
Nuthatch
3 Great Spotted Woodpecker
Common Buzzard
Stock Dove
Goldcrest
Swallow

A very early start of 6:30 - 11 with most of the park covered;


Plenty of Goldcrest calling throughout
Same with Chiffchaff
1 lone Willow Warbler
4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
2 Dipper
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Buzzard over keg wood
Several Nuthatch and Treecreeper
7 Blackcap (a mixture of male and female)

Nice and quite even at 11

Mark

4.15-5.15
Dipper pair
Kingfisher pair
10 Mandarin Duck
Swallow
2 Tufted Duck
Swallow
2 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaff
3 Nuthatch
Common Buzzard
Sparrowhawk

Just done that and this is the bird that was ringed here in Nov 2013

Egyptian Goose is ringed 'Brit Museum London SW7 44333'

Hi all,
A visit to the park with Jean Cox from 11.45 until 2.30pm.
On our way there through Brabyns Park we saw a Dipper and a Grey Wagtail on the river,as well as a male and Female Goosander.
Usual wildfowl on main lake,Coot,Canada Geese,Greylag geese,Cormorants, Mallard Ducks,Though did not see the Egyptian Goose or Mute Swans,probably because we walked along the further path,near the other lake,where we saw 2 male and 2 female Goosander,and several Cormorants. On the canal as we walked on towards the weir end of the park,at least 10 male and 10 Female Mandarin Ducks,and in the trees on the other side of the canal a small flock of Long Tailed tits and a Nuthatch singing.At the Cheshire Wildlife hide Coal tits,Nuthatch, Great tits on the bird table,Dunnock and Robin on the ground, 2 male 2 female Mandarin on the river,a Cormorant in the usual tree across the river.A Grey Wagtail flew upstream then 2 Kingfisher flew past together one behind the other,downstream, hopefully they had paired up? We used to see the Kingfisher fishing off the overhanging tree branch the other side of the river,but the last two times that I have seen it here ,it has just flown past,I wonder if anyone has seen them on that branch fishing recently?
We left the hide and as we neared the gate,heard a loud call to our left and saw a Kestrel,Sparrowhawk and a Green Woodpecker,all very close together.The Sparrowhawk seemed to be chasing the Woodpecker,which gave its call and quickly vanished into the trees! The Sparrowhawk flew around for a minute or two,and the Kestrel flew off,Then a Common Buzzard appeared flying low,and above it another Common Buzzard,quite a spectacle in such a short space of time!
At least another 20 Mandarin on the river near the pump house,on the way back.
All the best and Good Birding!





-- Edited by Mark Dean on Sunday 22nd of February 2015 11:05:12 AM

-- Edited by Mark Dean on Sunday 22nd of February 2015 07:29:55 PM

-- Edited by Mark Dean on Sunday 22nd of February 2015 07:31:14 PM

Saturday 14th Feb

The pair of Swans on the canal were both ringed. Blue ZP4 and Blue 4ADL

(Probably the same pair I saw on 01/03/2014 but I think I must have mis-read the ring as I reported it as Blue AOL and Blue ZP4)

Cheers John

10-11walk from the car park to the hide produced

Flock of long-tailed tit followed by 2 Goldcrest
2 Nuthatch
1 Treecreeper
1 Dipper
1 Grey Wagtail
Mandarin: 35 on canal, 14 on river, 4 behind pumphouse, 13 in front of the hide
1 Great Spotted woodpecker heard

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 19th of October 2014 03:53:43 PM

11-3.30pm

1 Egyptian goose
38 mandarin
14 tufted duck
1 wigeon
5-6 buzzard
1 dipper
1 kingfisher
1 blackcap
4 great spotted woodpecker
6 jay
4 grey wagtail
7 pied wagtail
2 lapwing & 3 swallow over.
8 cormorant
nuthatch & goldcrest seemed to be all around
plus usuals.

Car park -hide. 7.15-8.45:
40+ Mandarin Duck
Kingfisher
Dipper pair
15 Swallow
10 House Martin
Egyptian Goose

Tonight 7.30-9.00pm 1 egyption goose sat at the top of the weir on the log/twigs 3 grey wagtail 2 grey heron on the pond near the hide 1 kingfisher 1 wren and 1 jay from the hide but the highlight for me was 4 dipper including 2 juvenile around the weir area all in my binocular view together at one time.

The egyptian goose 'Ernie' is definately not the same bird as the one at Platt Fields. I visited both areas one day last year and both were present.
Good to have him back at Etherow. Ive noticed the mute swans usually dont tolerate him during the breeding season and he is often alone during this time. The same happened last year. Hopefully they'll be buddies again soon.

Vicky

I have memories of multiple Egyptian Geese being at Etherow going back perhaps around thirty years. Does anyone know the history of their being at this site?
I feel sorry for this last one, who seems a real character; perching on the feeding station in the nature reserve or honking noisily constantly. Pity someone with a wildfowl collection can't donate him a mate!

Thanks, Keith. All these Egyptian Geese ... I wonder where the current incumbent came from? I hear he had a mate, who died a couple of years ago and he kind of bonded with some mute swans. Presumably there were no chicks from that liaison, unless Eugene 2/3 is a blood descendent of Eugene 1 (?). As Juan Domingo Perón said, ¡El pueblo quiere saber de qué se trata! (well he spoke Spanish - in English, 'The people want to know what's going on!').

I have heard of recent (last two or three years) of Egyptian goose (or geese?) in both Platt Fields park and also Salford Quays. Would this be the same bird or are there/have there been others.

I am a newcomer to the area and don't know the history, but was made curious by the reference to 'Eugene 2 or 3'. Just idle curiosity, but if anyone has the energy to answer I'd be interested.

Great shot. Wonder how many names it has?

Thanks, Chris. Guess his foot is better now. I'll be up there tomorrow to say hello to him!

Ah, the Egyptian goose is back! Where did you spot him, Chris?

9-10.30 Main car park to cwt hide:
40+ mandarin
Goosander
Dipper
2 Grey Wagtail
Kingfisher reportedly on 2nd brood
2+ bullfinch
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
2 Nuthatch
5 swallow
Cormorant
Many young of more common species about.

Thanks, Nick - not disappointed as I am learning. I'll put this down to experience .

I'm far from an expert - check the pic here and see what you think.

In Etherow County Park today (Mon 23 June) looking for the Egyptian Goose, which the park wardens told me has an infected foot and has been taken into rehab but should be released when recovered.


Surprised to see hooded crows here - at least three, on the left hand path walking up from the cafe. I have a photo if anyone is interested.


Otherwise saw nothing of special interest today - no sig of a dipper but there was a kingfisher dazzling over the water by the hide, too fast and unpredictable to photograph.

-- Edited by meayrs on Monday 23rd of June 2014 07:22:30 PM

Mandarin female with 4 young
Mute Swan pair. One unringed, one Blue 4ADJ

Cheers John