Friday 4th Nov. 12.30 to 3.15p.m.
A walk round the marina, arboreatum and river bank.

A large number of Canada Geese, Coots, Black-headed Gulls and Mallards
Mute Swans 10
Tufted ducks 4
Moorhens 5
Woodpigeons 3
Kingfisher 1 (on river)
Magpies 6
Jays 12
Great Tits 2
Blue Tits 2
Long-tailed Tits 7
Wren 1
Starlings 4
Blackbirds 3
Mistle Thrush 1
Robins 2
House Sparrow (female) 1
Pied Wagtail 1
Chaffinch (male) 1
Goldfinches 10
Bullfinch (male) 1

10 till 11.45
Towards the 13 Arches
3 long tailed tits
single Robin
Heron on the Irwell
loads of Mallards
5xJays
No Raptors (gutted)
single Wren
Cheers Jay

29/06/2011 - 2pm with James Walsh, scan of the lake and over to the footbridge:

1 Mute Swan - all 8 cygnets doing well
2 Great Crested Grebes
31 Tufted Ducks - 2 females only
2 Stock Doves
22 Sand Martins
3 Blackcaps
1 Coal Tit
1 Jay

AM before the rain

Still 8 Cygnets present, more than doubled in size.

2 Great Crested Grebe
18 Tufted Duck
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Nuthatch
Family parties of Blue Tit & Great Tit


-- Edited by Alan Warford on Sunday 12th of June 2011 02:05:06 PM

Thursday 31st March 10.30-12.10 Around Marina Mute swans Tufted Ducks with partners Canada Geese Mallards with partners GB Grebe Cormorant (juv) various Tits Goldfinches Chaffinches Dunnock Chiff Chaff Treecreeper Sand martin Cheers Jay

3rd March am visit.

On the marina - 7 Mute Swan, 3 Gadwall (2m), 1 male Pochard and 2 Cormorant.

In surrounding woodland - 1 Stock Dove was apparently prospecting for a nesting site, 2 Nuthatch - 1 singing and another watched for a while was seen on several occasions collecting wet clay and then seemingly plastering it at random in different places on a small tree. After it had left, I had a good look at the tree and there were no suitable nest holes present. Might it have been polishing up on its plastering techniques, as this may later be used to impress any prospective mate and show that it really is more than up to the job of doing the "DIY" when they both come to choosing and preparing any nest site a little later? Just guessing really! Also 2 Coal Tit, 2 Goldcrest and 1 male Great Spotted Woodpecker. 2 Magpies nest building. 2 Buzzards soared and circled on thermals over the western end of the park late morning.

On the Irwell - 24 Teal just downstream of the metal bridge and a Kingfisher near the garden centre.

Cheers,


Bill.

22 Gadwall, 35 Teal, 6 Goldeneye, 16 Goosander,Little Grebe, Goldcrest. No sign of Smew on river or lake.

Cheers Phil. No sign of the Smew on the Lake or the immediate River, must be further up the river today. Still, a nice male Pochard on the Lake, with a load of tufties, and on the river 4 Goldeneye (all Females), 5 Goosander (3 Male 2 Female), 4 Teal (3 Femal 1 Male), a Little Grebe and countless mallards. Shame about the smew, but there's always this evening...

Hi, I was just wondering how long the smew is sticking around on the marina in the morning before going out for the day, as i'd like to have a look at t, but can only get there for about 10. Does anyone know whether it is likely to be on the marina for 10, or is it out on the river by then. Also, is the marina near the entrance to the country park at the car park?
Cheers,
Joe

Redhead Smew showing very well in front of viewing platform. 10.30 to11.30 this am.
Swimming and diving in free area and preening on edge of ice. Seen earlier to fly in from river.
Gadwall and 3 female Goldeneye present.Nuthatch on feeders.
I left Jill(Bolton RSPB) ,Martyn Jones and Andy Makin to continue the watch.
Nice to meet them and Jill promised me a picture.

Edited by keith mills on Saturday 8th of January 2011 12:27:29 PM

-- Edited by keith mills on Saturday 8th of January 2011 03:35:24 PM

I dipped the other day and left at 4pm but reports suggested it arrived back to the marina after that time, i.e. right before dark. Seeing it on the river involves quite a bit of luck though.
Thanks.

Must have been hiding somewhere as a visit between 1000 and 1130 failed to reveal it. I was there at the same time as at least 4 other birders (inc Phil Kelly plus at least one other contributor to this site - nice to meet you) and having walked down the river from the footbridge to below the garden centre, I checked out the hole in the ice on the lake on the way back to the car park but to no avail.. Dipped on the Preston Iceland too, but the Fairhaven RNG saved the day!

Smew on Irwell under Green foot bridge, 11am, also Woodcock, Green Sandpiper,2 Dipper. In woods 3 Nuthatch, Treecreeper, 6 Bullfinch.

The smew was on the river this morning, near the garden centre. Also 6 goosander, 3m 3f, about 24 teal, at least 8 moorhen, a heron and various mallard on the stretch between garden centre and the footbridge.

Lots of tit flocks about, ltt, blue and great as well as goldcrests.

On the lake the resident mute pair and their three surviving young have a visitor who they have consigned to sitting on the ice at the end of the lake looking v forlorn. In the small patch of open water are numerous coot, tufties and canada geese as well as 10 gadwall. They would welcome any scraps if you come down to see the smew (don't forget the lone swan on the ice, if he is still there he is probably hungry).

On the bird tables at the visitor centre, usual things including at least two nuthatches and 5 stock doves.

Redhead Smew still feeding happily on the Irwell at the Giants Seat entrance to Clifton Country Park, great views from the green footbridge. (12.30pm)

-- Edited by Neil Collier on Monday 3rd of January 2011 01:30:15 PM

The bird was definitely on the river this afternoon, l finally found it at 2pm. It was in a little alcove opposite a water tunnel, quite far down the river. Very active and l was lucky enough to watch it catching fish.

Great little bird and a lifer for me

Also seen along the river were plenty of Teal, two Goosander (F) and a Grey Wagtail.


As l was leaving the park, literally just as l passed under the bridge, l flushed a Snipe on the edge of the road , he flew and settled again where l enjoyed a few moments close viewing before a car also leaving the park, wanted to get past me

Smew flew south-east towards the river at 12:10 and dropped behind the tree line (so presumably onto the river).

Info thanks to Iain Johnson

Nice to meet everyone today while watching the Smew, great close up views and it even caught a small fish.

I went for a quick look around the top car park at Giants seat garden centre overlooking the river. Four of Simon's Goldeneye were still in view and also Kingfisher, 4 Siskins, 2 Redwings and 5 LT tits were seen.

I spent 5 minutes looking in the trees trying to find what was making a clicking noise only to find a Song thrush at the edge of the road just in front of me breaking Snail shells on his '"anvil". The bird had found 8-9 Snails grouped together at the base of a tree and it carried them over one by one to his stone and smashed them open. Brilliant to watch

Adrian Dancy wrote:

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I hope the bird is there tomorrow.

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me too, l'm hoping to go see it

Ian McKerchar wrote:

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Still showing staggeringly well early afternoon (so close it must be an escape ). You simply won't get a better view of this species, anywhere

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May be the bird of the year photographic wise,down to 6 feet at times,and we left Adrian lying in the snowwhat a man will do for his art-so expect some stonkin shots soon

Great news ....I hope it is still there when I get to the park...it's a bloody long walk from my flat!

Red head smew on the very small area of open water left on the lake. It was happily diving under the ice only about 30 feet from the platform. We were busy retrieving a poorly juvenile mute swan at the time. Also present were the resident mute swans (now down to 3 juveniles since one died overnight on Monday and has now fed the local fox) many coots, 3 moorhens, various mallard and domestic ducks, 3 tufties and one drake gadwall.

Smew was there 10am-10.45 at least when I left with the swan.

The swan later was picked up by RSPCA but had to be euthanised, it was very under weight having been bullied for some time by the resident family. Further examination also found it's gullet obstructed by fishing line, also a contributory factor in it's death.

34 Gadwall, 37 Tufted Duck, 2 Common Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon, Dipper.

Mute Swans 2 with 4 young, 4 Teal, 20 Goosander on river irwell behind marina, also 2 Common Buzzard over Hurst woods, and 4 Treecreepers. + Nuthatch in Ringley church yard.