Henry

After a long morning thought I'd have a bit of a sit and a contemplate when she-who-also-has-a-pair-of-bins decides that it would be nice to see the swallows!! So off we go found one Swallow, one House Martin near the sewage works. One brilliantly glowing Kingfisher on the Mill Stream and one Green Pecker on the way back to the carpark.

I have been told that as it gets darker Kingfisher colours are are more outstanding - something to do with refraction within the feathers - know anything about this???

Cheers - your ancient birding Dunham patcher.

There are usually a few Tree with House Sparrows adjacent to field 57, often come to drink in roadside puddles there when present.

How many Tree Sparrows, Sid?

A first for me at Dunham Park this morning - 2 Oyster Catchers on the meadow to the Mill.

Also a Grey Wag singing high in a tree - is this normal?.

Earlier I found Tree Sparrows in a hedgerow in field 59 opposite White House farm.

It's been there at least a year now so I'd expect to see some sort of ring by now.

BTW - Rob - please check your messages re Atlas square !

Is the Parakeet definitely a female - I've not seen it myself but given that it takes 3+ years to gain the rose-ring is it a possibility?

This morning was pretty much the same but with a distant Raven probably just in the Cheshire boundary, 6+ Stock Doves, Grey Wagtails singing from tree-tops, 1 Chiffchaff singing near the main house and loads of Tree Creepers. Guess what though, no LSW!

Just to say that both male and female birds were present earlier this week - high in the trees as previously described

Hi. Any more recent sightings of LSW at Dunham Park NT? I'm struggling to produce one along Brooks Drive in Hale Barns.
Thanks. Henry.

one briefly late am!

sid must have been near to ten o clock before we got sent off,and i,ve had enough this distraction,safe to say if your going to the park stick to the paths please and enjoy the 'hat trick ' if your lucky,come on rob were,s the list,personally i,m looking forward to revisting the park when there,s enough light to enjoy and explore(paths only)it,s many delights.

cheers geoff

Did any of you Dunham regulars count the number of nests in the Heronry last year? My regular counter seems to have gone without a trace.

If anyone would like to take on the role of counting for the national Heronries Census, please could they get in touch via a Private Message or to my personal e-mail: suttill.parkinson@virgin.net

Many thanks, Steve

Geoff

I hadn't actually thought of the safety aspect but the guy may have had a point - those stags have great big sharp antlers and are very territorial you should hear them at rutting time. Furthermore, there is quite often an erfing great bull on the meadow over to the mill so you woundn't be wanting to be wandering round on there flushing Snipe too often!!

Also just thought that it is a bit odd for one of the wardens/volunteeres to have a young child in the park when it was still dark what time was it actually?

-- Edited by sid ashton at 21:54, 2008-02-24

hi to every one there this morn and thanks to phil for finding the l s w seen them before but you only realise how small they are when they are resting on a small branch like the one today i didnt get the three but ian did but i got a county tick with the r n parakeet nice to meet every one there and sorry for going into the deer sanctuary hope you got the tree sparrows rob cheers jimmy

-- Edited by j meadows at 06:33, 2008-02-25

Forgot to mention that while all you guys were enjoying the attractions at Dunham I got my month's species list up to 99 with Purple Sands at New Brighton - yea I know there were Med Gulls reported as well but I didn't see them .

Hi Folks

A few facts for those who were admonished today by the " NT jobsworth"

Dunham Massey is a DEER PARK, there are areas in the park called DEER SANCTUARIES, there are signs requestiong folk, including birders, not to enter the sanctuaries. The "jobsworth" will probably have been a volunteer warden who will have been told to ask people to leave the sanctuaries if caught.

The pasture woodland in Dunham depends on the browsing deer to crop the grass and restrict undergrowth thus helping to provide appropriate conditions for other birds and animals - maybe thats why the peckers are there. So it makes sense to restrict access to numbers of folk into these areas. So guys the nasty NT person was only doing what is required to ensure that other people can enjoy the facilities.

Geof H you must let me know how you got lost to the extent that you flushed the Snipe from beside the brook - I find it easier to stand on the path with my scope!!!

-- Edited by sid ashton at 20:00, 2008-02-24

a bit understated that one,had a cracking morning me and rob flushed 20+ snipe off the brook,cos we were lost,then found the lesser spotted and enjoyed some cracking views then watched green woodpecker ,nuthatch ect.(full list by rob later) 2 lifers for me ,nice to meet ann,phil,nev?,jimmy and his mate and the jobsworth who chastied us for enjoying the park.

i.m going back
geoff

Replies to a couple of the the above:-

Phil the bird was in a tree close to the original

Simon W - yes DM is a good place always something to see - like the CommonSnipe that all of you "visitors" missed on the stream to Bollington Mill.

I have seen enough of DM for now off to do some sea watching tomorrow!!!

-- Edited by sid ashton at 21:29, 2008-02-23

Also Little Grebe on Smithy Pool

Thanks Sid!!!

I assume the Lesser was in the tree which you mentioned??

As I say, I hope to be there in the morning so might see you there!!

Cheers

Phil

Going tomorrow.

Is Charcoal Road still closed??

Lesser Spotted Pecker - Finally the Woodpecker Hattrick!!! Got to Dunham at 0700 but didn't see the bird until 0920. It was also good to put faces to so many Manchester birders names - hope that you all got the little blighter - it was actually a blighteress if that is the fem of blighter.

I too have spent some time looking for the "little blighters" both yesterday and briefly this afternnon. No luck on either occasion. Have done two thirds of the woodpecker treble on both days plus today late on there was a Peregrine over the obelisk just before the Parakeet did its "rabbit down the hole" routine. I shall try again tomorrow for the lesser Peckers and I am sure that I shall prevail considering my daughter initials ( RJA) are carved on the tree of the reported sightings!!! Mawkisk or what? I am intending to be there at 7 ish anyone bringing the bacon butties?

Anyone visiting Dunham tomorrow will have to beat TBC road workers as there is a sign to say that Charcoal Lane, the B5160 from the A56 will be closed for two weedkends 23/24 Feb and 01/02 March. There is a way to the Woodhouse Lane early morning car park via Dunham Town or parking can be had near the Swan with Two Nicks pub near Bollington Mill - you would need to go on the Lymm Road and turn off at Park Lane and walk over the Bollin bridge at the flats, sorry appartments, and over the meadow to the park.

Woodpecker Hat-Trick completed this morning. Nice to meet Mr McKerchar's stunt double !!