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BACK TO THE MANCHESTER BIRDING WEBSITE HOMEPAGE -> Manchester Birding Forum -> GREATER MANCHESTER BIRD SIGHTINGS -> Castleshaw Reservoirs
Post Info TOPIC: Castleshaw Reservoirs
Mark Rigby


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RE: Castleshaw Reservoirs
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5/7/16 0830-1100

2 Grey Heron
6 Coot (2ad+4 juv)
2 Buzzard
3 Common Sandpiper
2 Tufted Duck
36 Mallard
169 Canada Goose
Greylag Goose
20 Sand Martin through
150 Swallow
50 Swift
Wheatear (male on lower dam wall)
2 Grasshopper Warbler inc 1 juv bird being fed
2 Meadow Pipit
Skylark


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Mark Rigby


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Been pretty quiet recently

This morning

Great Crested Grebe
2 Ad Coot and at least 4 young
Heron
Common Sandpiper
Greylag Goose
150 Canada Goose
35 Mallard
6 Sand Martin through to the south

Yesterday

2 Oystercatcher
2 Redshank
50 Swift, 100 Swallow and 5 House Martin hawking insects along top bank.



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Mark Rigby


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Mid morning

2 Redshank
3 Common Sandpiper
3 Oystercatcher
Curlew
Greylag Goose
171 Canada Goose
2 Tufted Duck
35 Mallard
30 Swift
2 Coot feeding young


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Graham Beverley


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08:00-09:30
2 Redshank
2 Oystercatcher
Common Sandpiper
Buzzard
Redpoll
Skylark
Swifts
Swallows
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
Grey Heron
Coot + young
Grasshopper Warbler heard

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Graham
Mark Rigby


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Pretty quiet recentley

The Oystercatchers appear to have had another failed breeding attempt. 4 broods totalling 10 eggs, all predated disbelief

Coot have done better with 5/6 young seen this morning.

Greylag Goose
25 Mallard
2 Common Sandpiper
Lapwing
3 Buzzard

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Mark Rigby


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Late afternoon

Greylag Goose associating with the 89 Canada Goose
2 Oystercatcher
Redshank
8 Mallard

Otherwise dead!

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Graham Beverley


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08:10-10:00
Swallows,Swifts and House Martins putting on a fantastic show in the windy conditions passing within feet of me on lower bank
Goosander f
2 Coot
1 Grey Heron
1 Redshank
Skylark
Pied Wagtail
Meadow Pipits
2 Tufted Duck
Common Sandpiper
Great Crested Grebe 2
Grasshopper Warbler heard

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Graham
Mark Rigby


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Late morning

Garden Warbler singing and showed briefly in garden at Low Bank.

Subsequent searching found Spotted Flycatcher and singing Blackcap near farm. ( G Crowder)

Otherwise it's been quiet for the last week or so! disbelief

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JSPALDING


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Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Oystercatcher plus Grasshopper Warbler and Whitethroat down in the valley.



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JSPALDING


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No sign of the diver this morning.



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Mark Rigby


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It looks like the Great Northern Diver has finally departed after its 118 day visit. There was no sign this morning or late afternoon. I still need to check pre 1999 records but it's looking like its got the record for the longest staying bird in GM.

When it first appeared on January 27th it was very flighty between the top and lower reservoirs but settled on the lower reservoir for several weeks as it moulted and became flightless. In the last few weeks it started to make small flights across the lower reservoir then became flighty between the 2 reservoirs again for the last couple of weeks.

The last photos I took on 18th May attached

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Ian McKerchar


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colin davies wrote:

So does the diver look exactly the same as when it was first seen or is it showing signs of adult plumage? It's being reported on birdguides as a juvenile but it's about a year old now!




The bird is showing signs of moult and should be classed as an immature by now. See Gary Crowders images further down this thread from April 2016 and note the moult in upperwing coverts and scapulars. Some second calendar year birds moult into an adult non-breeding type plumage which this bird is well into; note its much more square shaped new scapulars complete with pale greyish internals on both webs. Other birds moult into something similar but with slightly more adult breeding type features apparently.

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Simon Gough


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I was up there about 3 weeks ago and the bird didn't look to have progressed from juvenile plumage at all, but I'm no expert. It was pretty dark over the back but there was no hint of the beautiful patterned plumage of a summer adult. I had expected some sort of transition. That said, the only summer plumage bird I've ever seen was in mid-November, so presumably there is lots of variability in the timing of the moults.



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colin davies


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So does the diver look exactly the same as when it was first seen or is it showing signs of adult plumage? It's being reported on birdguides as a juvenile but it's about a year old now!

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Mark Rigby


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Great Northern Diver on top res at 1720hrs

2 Redshank the only other bird of note in torrential rain
hmm

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Mark Rigby


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Great Northern Diver on top res at 1145hrs

Common Sandpiper
2 Oystercatcher
Tufted Duck
Buzzard
15 Swift

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Mark Rigby


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Great Northern Diver on top res at 0915hrs

Swifts, House Martin, Swallows and a lone Sand Martin on lower.

Common Sandpiper
Oystercatcher
Tufted Duck

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Mark Rigby


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Great Northern Diver on top reservoir

2 Redshank
4 Common Sandpiper
4 Oystercatcher
Tufted Duck
Buzzard
Mallard with 1 duckling
Stock Dove
Robin with 3 fledglings


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Mark Rigby


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Great Northern Diver on lower res at 1200

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Steve Suttill


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Evening visit:

Great Northern Diver absent when I arrived but flew in over the lower reservoir, over top bank and was back on the lower reservoir when I left.

Also seen: two pairs Common Sandpiper, 3 Redshank, Great Crested Grebe, one Oystercatcher, pair Tufted Duck, Mallard with ten ducklings as well as one with two.

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Mark Rigby


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Great Northern Diver on lower reservoir

4 Redshank
Common Sandpiper
2 Oystercatcher
2 Tufted Duck
Kestrel

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Graham Beverley


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Great northern diver flying around at 07:10 saturday morning
2 swift
Sand martin

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Graham
Mark Rigby


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Great Northern Diver on Lower res present for 108 days now

Great Crested Grebe
4 Redshank
3 Common Sandpiper
2 Oystercatcher
Mallard (10 ducklings now down to 2)
Canada Goose (3 Gosling)

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Mark Rigby


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Great Northern Diver on lower res at 0900.

2 Oystercarcher
2 Common Sandpiper
Redshank
3 Goosander (drakes) unusual here at this time of year

Otherwise pretty quiet in very strong wind.

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S Rothery


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Great Northern Diver still on the lower resvr. I went around 6am and couldn't find it. Mark Rigby saw it at some point later in the morning. I went again around 5pm and it wasn't on view (starting to get a complex.....!). Then it flew in from the Delph end of the valley!
1pr Oystercatcher
1 Redshank
1 Curlew
4+ Common Sandpipers
1 Cormorant
1 White Wagtail on top dam
2 Swallows
1 Willow Warbler
1 Reed Bunting

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Stuart Rothery
Mark Rigby


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6 Arctic Tern through north at 1917hrs.

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Dave Sanderson


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I thought it was but couldn't see any 'No Fishing' sign, nor hear a Grasshopper Warbler

Thanks. Dave



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 11th of May 2016 07:36:28 PM

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JSPALDING


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Great Northern Diver on lower reservoir.

Redshank, Oystercatcher, Swallows, House martins and 1 Sand Martin.



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Graham Beverley


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no fishing pond is below the lower dam wall right of the stream on the hillside

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Graham
colin davies


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Mark Rigby wrote:

Great Northern Diver on lower res at 0920hrs

2 Great Crested Grebe
6 Common Sandpiper
2 Oystecatcher
2 Redshank
5 Mallard, one female with 9 duckling

Is the great northern diver showing any difference in plumage? I don't know anything about ageing of divers or how soon the reach adulthood, but presumably it can't stay a juvenile for ever so perhaps it's showing signs of adult, sub-adult or 2nd calendar year plumage?



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Mark Rigby


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Great Northern Diver on lower res at 0920hrs

2 Great Crested Grebe
6 Common Sandpiper
2 Oystecatcher
2 Redshank
5 Mallard, one female with 9 duckling

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Mark Rigby


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Evening visit in the hope to join in the Tern fest!

Lower res

Great Northern Diver
Great Crested Grebe
Cormorant
2 Common Sandpiper
2 Oystercatcher
Redshank

Upper res

Great Crested Grebe
4 Mallard
4 Arctic Tern present from 1842hrs to 1920hrs and flew off to the north

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Dave Sanderson


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Graham,

Which is the 'no fishing' pond? Went to look for the Grasshopper Warbler tonight & couldn't work out which pond it was.

Dave



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 10th of May 2016 06:35:28 AM

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Graham Beverley


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Great Northern Diver on lower res at 08:10hrs

Spotted Flycatcher thanks to Barry
Swallows
2 Coot
2 Common Sandpiper
Linnet
2 Oystercatcher
Pied Wagtail
Meadow Pipits
2 Tufted Duck
Reed Warblers
2 Lapwings/>Buzzard
Grasshopper Warbler heard near no fishing pond


-- Edited by Graham Beverley on Sunday 8th of May 2016 11:28:43 AM

-- Edited by Graham Beverley on Sunday 8th of May 2016 11:35:39 AM

-- Edited by Graham Beverley on Sunday 8th of May 2016 11:37:37 AM

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Graham
S Rothery


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In addition to Graham's sightings (8.30-10am)
1 Wheatear hiding out of the strong easterly
Another Buzzard
3 Redshank
1 Curlew
1 House Martin
1 cracking male Linnet on the top dam
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Willow Warbler in car park
Chiffchaff around Low Bank


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Stuart Rothery
Graham Beverley


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Great Northern Diver on lower res at 09:00hrs

Swallows
2 Coot
1Grey Heron
2 Oystercatcher
Pied Wagtail
Meadow Pipits
2 Tufted Duck
buzzard
Grasshopper Warbler heard near no fishing pond


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Graham
Graham Beverley


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Great Northern Diver on lower res at 08.30hrs

2 Swallows
1Moorhen
2 Coot
1Grey Heron
2 Oystercatcher
1 Redshank
Skylark
Pied Wagtail
Meadow Pipits
2 Tufted Duck
Common Sandpiper
Wheatear
Whinchat
Great Crested Grebe
Grasshopper Warbler heard


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Graham
Mark Rigby


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Great Northern Diver on lower res at 0830hrs

2 Ring Ouzel
Yellow Wagtail (fem)
2 Wheatear
Dunlin
2 Common Sandpiper
Redshank
2 Oystercatcher
Curlew
2 Raven
Sparrowhawk
2 Tufted Duck
Great Crested Grebe
Hirundines moving through with each shower so hard to estimate numbers but at least 1 Sand Martin amongst them.


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Mark Rigby


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Great Norther Diver on lower.

2 Dunlin
Redshank
2 Oystercatcher
Sand Martin
House Martin
Swallows
Great Crested Grebe
2 Tufted Duck



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Mark Rigby


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Brief visit

Great Northern Diver on lower reservoir at 1220hrs

3 Ring Ouzel (1m)
Great Crested Grebe
Tufted Duck
Sand Martin
8 House Martin
100+ Swallow

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Mark Rigby


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In addition to Graham's sightings

Sand Martin
8 House Martin
50 Swallow
Wheatear
Oystercatcher (nest predated for second time
aww)

-- Edited by Mark Rigby on Saturday 30th of April 2016 07:00:36 PM

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Graham Beverley


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Great Northern Diver lower 08:10 3 Ring Ouzel 2 Dunlin Common Sandpiper

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Graham
Graham Beverley


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Great Northern Diver on lower res at 08.30hrs
Mistle Thrush
Ring Ouzel at least 5 2m
Fieldfare
Sand Martins
Swallows
House Martins
1Moorhen
2 Coot
1Grey Heron
2 Oystercatcher
2 Redshank
2 Curlew
Skylark
Pied Wagtail
White Wagtail
Raven
Reed Bunting
2 kestrel
Meadow Pipits
4 Tufted Duck
2 Lapwing
Common Sandpiper
Wheatears
2 Linnet

Reported Whinchat and Grasshopper Warbler

-- Edited by Graham Beverley on Thursday 28th of April 2016 05:33:33 PM

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Graham
Mark Rigby


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Great Northern Diver on lower reservoir

Bit of migration in evidence
5 Ring Ouzel (3 m)
7 Wheatear
Whinchat (m)
Fieldfare!

6 Tufted Duck
2 Oystercatcher
Great Crested Grebe
Curlew
Lapwing
Mallard with 5 tiny ducklings


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Mark Rigby


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Great Northern Diver on lower reservoir at 1240hrs

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S Rothery


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A walk around in glorious sun 3 - 4pm
Great Northern Diver showing well on lower reservoir
1 Buzzard
2 Redshank
6 Lapwing
2 pairs Tufted Duck
2f Goosander
2 Wheatear
2 Swallows
1 Mistle Thrush
1 Pied Wagtail


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Stuart Rothery
Mark Rigby


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Great Northern Diver at on lower reservoir at 0830

2 Oystercatcher
3 Redshank
3 Curlew
2 Dunlin
Common Sandpiper
4 Moorhen
Coot
3 Goosander
4 Tufted Duck
Great Crested Grebe
10 Swallow
Wheatear


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Mark Rigby


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Great Northern Diver still on lower at 1600hrs

Yellow Wagtail (male) on top bank feeding with White Wagtail, 2 Pied Wagtail and 100+ Meadow Pipit.

2 Great Crested Grebe
2 Oystercatcher
5 Mallard
Moorhen

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Graham Beverley


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Great Northern Diver on lower res at 08.30hrs

2 Great Crested Grebe
2 Cormorant
Swallow
2 House Martin
3 Moorhen
2 Coot
2 Grey Heron
Buzzard
2 Oystercatcher
2 Redshank
2 Curlew
Skylark
Pied Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Rook
Reed Bunting
Goldcrest
Meadow Pipits
Goosander
2 Tufted Duck

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Graham
Mark Rigby


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Great Northern Diver on lower at 0715hrs

Goosander
4 Tufted Duck

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