Went round the lodge yesterday early evening about 6.30pm 6/6/13. The swans and cygnets were fine on the small lodge.

When I arrived at work this morning, one of my colleagues (a doctor of Biology) approached me to tell me about two men she had seen taking photographs at Doffcocker at around 8.00 this morning. She said the two blokes had stationed themselves in the reeds on the small lake side of the causeway. I clarified this point with her several times and she was adamant that they were off the causeway and actually in the reedbed. If I hadn't had a meeting bthis morning I would have headed straight down to Dofffcocker myself.

I do think that any action such as that could only be seen as deplorable and gives all those of us who like to photograph wildlife a bad name. Not to mention being potentially extremely harmful to the subjects.

After our visit to Rumworth and a picnic and bike ride through Moss Bank Park with my daughter, we went to Doffcocker lodge.
Had great views of a Great Crested Grebe swallowing a huge fish and also of the Common Terns fishing.
Others seen included:

Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Reed Warbler
Reed Bunting
Oystercatcher overhead.

Great day out enjoyed by the both of us.

One other thing to note not bird related was a Bat flying around Moss Bank Park in broad daylight. Obviously very odd as at first glance i was trying to work out what kind of bird it was with such a fast wing beat!!

Usual suspects, 6-8 am. Water Rail seen but not heard, one by cut out reeds and another further in to reed bed. Lots of Sedge Warblers. Very good views of a couple of Reed Buntings and a Willow Warbler. Good views of Buzzard. Spent 15 minutes watching a Heron being mobbed by Gulls and Terns.

LOL Anthony Grebes seem to have a thing for coot nests. I remember several years ago the gc grebes at moses gate park would only nest after the coots had deserted their nest. This meant their offspring were often being reared well into september.

Morning visit 6.45-11.45

Alot of singing warblers:
Sedge warbler 6. Giving great views on prominent trees.
Willow warbler 6
Chiffchaff 5
Wrens 3
Long tailed tits 2
Reed buntings 8
Chaffinch 4
Goldfinch 8
Greenfinch 1
Mute Swan 1 pair
Tufted duck 1 pair
Great crested Grebe - 3 pairs.
Common terns 5
Grey heron 1 that flew onto the tern raft and stayed put for about an hour causing great upset.

The water rail called constantly for 3 hours. I finally managed to confirm it was the same call I heard two years ago. Not the sound of a squealing pig and more like the inner reversing parking alarm of a car that just never stops! It showed itself three times on the cut out square and on the third time as i approached it was right out in the open only to scuttle back when it saw me coming.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 1st of May 2013 08:34:13 PM

Doh Chris missed it again!!! I knew that i should have gone with you instead of being laid in bed nursing a hang over! :D glad that you got to see it!! did you manage to get a photograph?

LOL jon there are dog walkers there at everyhour! I often go up in the summer to watch the terns at around 5am and there are still people around walking their dogs.

You are right though over the last few years the site has really matured and is now starting to pull in far more species of birds. Keep an ear out for Grasshopper warbler which i have watched there for the last three years.

Visited on the way back from Rindle Road and wasn't disappointed as got great views of Water Rail (county 1st ) for about 15 minutes on the top right of the causeway in amongst the mud and pools) 2nd bird calling from the other side of the causeway.
Sedge Warbler heard but not seen
also
mixed flock of swallows and House Martins over head and good views of singing Willow Warbler

Quick visit this morning produced a single singing Sedge Warbler in the reeds by the causeway which was briefly glimpsed.
Water Rail 2 (1 either side of causeway calling)
Common Tern 1 hawking insects from surface of water

Nice to meet Annette Cutts whilst here. Did you manage a glimpse of the Water Rail?


-- Edited by Antony Wainwright on Sunday 21st of April 2013 10:51:16 AM

11am to 11.55am. Nothing booming or squealing like a pig ! No hirundines either. They all seemed to be at Rumworth.

3 Great Crested Grebes
Pair of Mute Swans
21 Canada Geese
22 Mallards
Pair of Teal
6m + 6f Tufted Ducks
1 Sparrowhawk
8 Moorhens
9 Coots
30+ Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Tern. On one of the rafts when I arrived, but flew off before I left.
3 Feral Pigeons
12 Woodpigeons
2 Pied Wagtails
6 Wrens
5 Dunnocks
4 Robins
3 Blackbirds
4 Chiffchaffs
4 Willow Warblers
1 Willow Tit
1 Blue Tit
2 Great Tits
6 Magpies
4 Jackdaws
1 Carrion Crow
10 Starlings
4 House Sparrows
5 Chaffinches
10+ Greenfinches
3 Goldfinches
1 Bullfinch
1 Reed Bunting

8.30-10.30am. Highlights as follows:

Pair of Water Rail showing extremely well in the area of reed management by the north end of the causeway. Both keeping to the edge of the reeds but out in the open even whilst walkers passing by. Also another calling nearby.
Willow Warblers have definitely arrived with at least 5 around the lodge with a couple singing. Think there may have been more.
Chiffchaff - 3 singing
Goosander 1 male
Swallow 2
Sand Martin 1
Willow Tit 1
Teal 6

A friend (non birder) described a bird he had seen in the reeds here whilst he walked past a couple of weeks ago, not sure exact date. He said it was very camouflaged and pointed its bill upward when he walked by. It was also by the causeway in the reedbed. When I showed him a Bittern in the bird guide he said that it was definitely what he had seen - git!

10am to 11.20am

1 Great Crested Grebe
1 Cormorant
1 Mute Swan
25 Canada Geese
32 Mallards
2 pairs of Teal
2 pairs of Tufted Ducks
18 Moorhens
12 Coots
70+ Black-headed Gulls
2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Common Gull
1 Sparrowhawk
5 Feral Pigeons
8 Woodpigeons
1 Collared Dove
1 Pied Wagtail
4 Wrens
6 Dunnocks
3 Robins
8 Blackbirds
10+ Blue Tits
5 Great Tits
1 Nuthatch
8 Magpies
8 Jackdaws
3 Carrion Crows
6 Starlings
10+ House Sparrows
5 Chaffinches
10+ Greenfinches
6 Goldfinches
1 Siskin
2 Bullfinches

11.50am to 12.40pm. Gave up on the woodland birds due to very strong wind. So bad the feral geese sheltered under the trees by the car park with a Moorhen.

2 Great Crested Grebes
53 Canada Geese
30+ Mallards
4m + 1f Tufted Ducks
1 male Goosander flew through without landing
14 Moorhens
27 Coots
120+ Black-headed Gulls

12.30 to 13.35

2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
23 Canada Geese
37 Mallards
9 Tufted Ducks
2m + 1f Goosanders
10 Moorhens
36 Coots
1 Woodcock flushed
50+ Black-headed Gulls
5 Feral Pigeons
9 Woodpigeons
4 Collared Doves
3 Wrens
3 Dunnocks
6 Robins
7 Blackbirds
1 Song Thrush
1 Goldcrest
6 Long-tailed Tits
2 Willow Tits
6 Blue Tits
2 Great Tits
10 Magpies
1 Carrion Crow
16 Starlings
5 Chaffinches
15 Greenfinches
3 Goldfinches
4 Siskins
1 Lesser Redpoll
2 Bullfinches
3 Reed Buntings

Male and female Goosander yesterday afternoon. Mon 17th

11am to 12.05pm

1 Mute Swan
12 Canada Geese
29 Mallards
3 Tufted Ducks
14 Moorhens
37 Coots
40+ Black-headed Gulls
3 Woodpigeons
6 Feral Pigeons
3 Wrens
4 Dunnocks
3 Robins
7 Blackbirds
4 Redwings
Blue Tits & Great Tits
9 Magpies
3 Carrion Crows
12 Jackdaws
Numerous House Sparrows
4 Chaffinches
5 Greenfinches
1 Goldfinch
1 Siskin
2 Bullfinches

11.25am to 12.15pm.

Thanks for your comments about the Willow Tits Annette. I have previously seen them on the north side, but today I found one at the feeders in a garden at the back of Old Kiln Lane. It's no wonder I missed them the other week as someone was mowing the lawn there in the pouring rain. With Bill's sighting recently at High Rid (I saw none there today) it does seem that they are at both sites.

1 Great Crested Grebe
1 Mute Swan
6 Canada Geese
42 Mallards
5 Tufted Ducks
18 Moorhens
19 Coots
50+ Black-headed Gulls
1 Kingfisher
7 Woodpigeons
1 Pied Wagtail
3 Meadow Pipits
2 Wrens
4 Dunnocks
3 Robins
5 Blackbirds
1 Mistle Thrush
1 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Tit
1 flock of Long-tailed Tits
Blue Tits & Great Tits
5 Magpies
4 Carrion Crows
1 Rook flying over
20+ Jackdaws flying over
13 Starlings
1 Chaffinch
5 Greenfinches
8 Goldfinches
5 Lesser Redpolls
2 Bullfinches

11.10am to 11.55am. Heavy showers most of the time, with rain coming down sideways. At least there was some shelter here, and I had not got as far as High Rid, with no hope of shelter there. A pint of Joseph Holt's bitter and a chance to dry out in the Doffcocker Inn seemed a better option than High Rid as I got wetter and wetter. The bird list is poorer than usual due to the weather. I saw Willow Tits here early in the year but was unable to see if they were still around, which was my main aim.

3 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
1 Canada Goose
35 Mallards
8 Moorhens
17 Coots
18 Black-headed Gulls
8 Woodpigeons
2 Wrens
3 Robins
3 Blackbirds
3 Magpies
4 Jackdaws
9 Chaffinches
2 Greenfinches
2 Goldfinches
2 Bullfinches

There is an article( ''A Tern for the Worse'') about a raft rescue by Bolton Conservation on the 27th June.
http://www.boltonconservation.org.uk/page5.htm
Cheers
Keith



-- Edited by keith mills on Friday 6th of July 2012 12:59:01 PM

Great to hear that after a week the ducklings are still alive as so few ducklings ever seem to make it on Doffcocker. Heres hoping we see them breed there regularly.

Midday visit (after getting through passport control)
2 broods of Tufted duck 8 ducklings on main lake 6 ducklings on small lake
2 Great Crested grebe(no chicks seen)
Common Tern, goose island raft 1 ad 1 juv,main lake raft 3 ad 7 juv,small lake raft 1 adult,adult birds all over and very hard to count.
Hats off to Doffcocker,the rafts are well used and easy to view a credit to all concerned.

cheers geoff

A pair of Great Crested Grebe with chick on back today

Regards

Mike

Steve, I moderate all posts on this forum very carefully, more so than anyone thinks, so no, I don't think we're giving too much away here but I appreciate the concern. The information for these birds is freely available (it appears in the annual county reports for instance) and is very well known.

To say there is a particular (common) bird breeding at a particular site is normally ok so long as its not a precise location. It's worked ok for the past six years