Not exactly the reservoirs but close enough, 7 Dotterel (3 females) about 1. 5 miles ENE of Denshaw on Castleshaw Moor from Oldham Way at grid reference SD 999 115, though all have now flown off towards Axletree Edge (after being disturbed by Skylarks!!) and are being looked for.
Male Red-Breasted Merganser, three male and two female Goosanders on the upper reservoir at 2pm. The reservoir was flat calm and they left long wakes as they pooled about.
Redhead Smew was on the upper reservoir at 2pm today.. fairly distant and watched from the causeway. It was below a small barn with a small coppice behind it. A GM tick for me.
Also present was the drake Red Breasted Merganser. A stiff cold wind so I didn't linger too long as I'd just been to the barbers!
Vis-mig from Top Bank with Andy Platt produced very little in the way of migration with the following note:-
71 Meadow Pipits 2 Skylark 3 Chaffinch 2 Goldfinch Stock Dove 21 Woodpigeon 7 Mistle Thrush Blackbird 7 Pied Wagtail.
Lone Pink-footed Goose with 2 Canada Geese flew in and and landed on the field near Redstart hedge.
However, at about 8.20 I spotted what I initially thought was a Common Buzzard perched on a fence post but it didnt look quite right through my bins. This was confirmed when I got my scope on it, it wasnt a Buzzard but a female Goshawk. After watching it for a couple of minutes it flew strongly along the far side of the reservoir and was lost to view behind a hill and wasnt seen again.
Other birds of note where:-
3 Kestrel Sparrowhawk 2 Goosander 4 Little Grebe 58 Lapwing
A flock of 32 Pink-footed Geese flew over and the lone Pinky flew up from the field to join them.
-- Edited by Mark Rigby on Sunday 7th of October 2018 01:01:11 PM
-- Edited by Mark Rigby on Sunday 7th of October 2018 01:01:56 PM
Good numbers of wading birds on Castleshaw Reservoirs due to low water levels, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 9 Snipe, 2 Common Sandpiper, 40 Lapwing, 3 Oystercatcher, also 2 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Tufted Duck, 20 Swift, 1 Common Gull
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Drake (first-year?) Red-breasted Merganser showing along the north-east shore of the Upper Reservoir, still present at 5:30pm viewable from Castleshaw Top Bank or the adjacent footpath along the north shore of the Upper Reservoir