Re the Canadas: I omitted to mention from my recent Castleshaw report that one of the Canada flock was a Greylag/Canada hybrid which I'm sure is the same one which frequented the Royal George Lodge area in Greenfield a couple of winters ago. I also took a photo of it at Dovestones around that time.
There are quite often "odd" birds which associate with the Canadas and become part of a flock (Barnacles, Pinkfeet, and mongrels of uncertain origin). These marker birds can help sort out the movement of Canada flocks - perhaps we should pay more heed to them rather than simply dismiss them as feral/escapes and therefore not worthy of our attention.
Many thanks for that info. It is amazing how quickly numbers of Canada Geese have built up here throughout August - average counts in the 20's in late July and early August were followed by 57 (6/8), 71 (9/8), 84 (20/8), c110 (23/8) and c135 (27/8). I'm sure the local farmer must be tearing his hair out, as they graze considerable amounts of grass that I'm sure he would like his sheep to have! I noticed this morning that he has some horses grazing the same fields and they appear to have taken a dislike to the geese and at times they appeared to be trying to round them up and move them on! A very novel approach of trying to get rid of them!!
This morning (28/8) a mixed flock of birds moving along one of the woodland edges contained 13 species - Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Dunnock, Robin, Wren, Goldcrest, Treecreeper, Chaffinch, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Spotted Flycatcher.
Bill, Some of these Canadas may be en route from Dornoch Firth in Scotland where a large number go to moult. Certainly August always sees peak numbers in the county and I am sure they are not all our own! Look out for any colour rings on them, as the CSL ringed a lot in the Harrogate and York areas a few years ago - they are long-lived. Cheers, Judith
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Judith Smith
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Lightshaw hall Flash is sacrosanct - NO paths please!
thanks for the info, re sightings should have read 2 grey wagtail not yellow ( chance would be a fine thing up there). I am concentrating on building up my Manchester list so I will be visiting more often. Hope to bump into you.
Pleased to hear from you and read your posting and details of your sightings - shame as you say that our paths didn't cross this morning.
The Kingfishers over the last 2 mornings have been both around Ogden Reservoir and the small rectangular fishing lodge just below Ogden Reservoir embankment. As for the Whinchat/Stonechats - they for the last 2 days have been in the large areas of bracken behind Bluebell Wood - but they have turned up in previous years in any of the bracken covered hillsides in the upper valley. A single Whinchat was still about in this area early this afternoon.
I was around Piethorne this morning about 0620 till 0750, pity I didnt bump into you to pick your brains about the best spots up there! I started by parking on waterworks road near to the gates and walking around Piethorne res anti clockwise, then cut along the fishermans path in front of Bluebell wood and back to Waterworks road. In answer to your question about the geese, at 0630 they were all on the top res and flew down as you say at 0715, but 1 small flock came from the direction of Rooden res (about 10 birds)
This is the first time in ages that I have been up there since moving from Woodside near Pepermint Bridge in '96. It used to be my local patch before I was birding properly ( making notes etc) and moved to Oldham.
Could you tell me where the chat's/kingfishers hang up. Didnt see any this morning but saw
2 Gt spotted woodpecker 2 yellow wag singing willow warbler 30+ goldies jay 9 mistle thrush on pylons on waterworks road.
At least 1 Whinchat still about, Stonechat had increased to 5+, the Whitethroat was still close by.
At 7.15 a.m. - a large flock of geese flew in from the south or south-east. Total of c135 Canada Geese and 1 Greylag Goose were counted. Where do these birds roost? I thought Castleshaw was the likely site but obviously not looking at the previous 2 postings for the Castleshaw Reservoirs area. Does anyone really care where this unloved species roosts anyway! That said, a large flock of vocal airborne geese is still an exciting sight, regardless of what type of geese they are!
Also present today - 1 male Blackcap, Grey Partridge, several small double-figure flocks of Goldfinch, a loose flock of c60 Meadow Pipit, Little Owl and Goldcrest.
Finally, 24 hours on - the 2 Kingfishers were still disputing whose patch this was going to be! Looks like an evenly-matched tussle. Time to call in the mediators me thinks!!
After a relatively quiet few weeks, an excellent few hours this morning were enjoyed that makes local patch watching certainly worth the effort!
First up were 2 Kingfishers watched disputing over fishing rights over a small lodge. Close up views of them as they "zipped" low over the glass-like water in brilliant sunlight made for a terrific spectacle.
A flock of 16 Mistle Thrush fed on Rowan berries.
At least 2 Whinchat were in bracken in the upper valley. Also in the same small area were 3 Stonechat, 3 Reed Bunting and 1 Whitethroat. Every year Whinchat pass through the bracken patches in the upper valley - some years in more numbers than others. In 2003 numbers even reached double figures! Many guide books state that Whinchat and Stonechat don't co-exist well but I have always found the two species feeding together here in late summer and early autumn - so what do the guide books know!
A male Redstart is still occupying today the same spot it has all of August (3rd, 9th,10th, 16th, 20th, 21st and 23rd).
Good numbers of Swallows and House Martins are around the valley and they all went into a frenzy when a Hobby flew low through the valley heading north in the direction of Hollingworth Lake. This is my own first record of this species here, although I have received reports of one seen in the valley on 7th August. Incredibly, about 10 minutes later a Buzzard flew low over the valley in a westerly direction being chased by a tatty looking Carrion Crow and the Swallows and House Martins barely batted an eyelid!
A few Willow Warblers and a single Chiffchaff were still singing today.
Sightings from earlier in the week:-
1, almost certainly 2 Spotted Flycatchers were foraging in woodland and from fence posts on 23rd. Several times they were chased off by a female/immature type Redstart.
A Little Grebe was on Ogden Reservoir 23rd and 24th - a scarce species here - apparently, usually only seen here on late summer and early autumn passage.
Finally, a female Pheasant was seen with three half-grown young on 23rd.
