Lots of activity woodpecker wise this morning and even some drumming from Lesser's around the island pool area. No sightings still however! Very little sign of migration but the winds should switch around before the end of the week.
09.00 - 11.00am 2 Oystercatcher - flew through the park past the island pool 1 Green Sandpiper - on lake behind the stream on the walk from the mill to the wier 3 Common Snipe - along the same stream 1 Chiffchaff - singing near the main house 1 Buzzard 7 Grey Heron - several flushed from island pool and plenty more nesting nearby 2 Grey Wagtails - singing males 2 Green Woodpeckers 8+ Nuthatches 4 Treecreepers - 1 pair seen nestbuilding near island pool 6 Stock Doves - 3 pairs 2 Little Grebe - on island pool 9 Tufted Ducks
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???
Me and Sid couldn't find a LSW this morning in the area near the obelisk or the car park which has been suggested by the wardens as good for them. The Ring-necked Parakeet was in the usual area in the vicinity of the obelisk. Plenty of Great Spots and Greens around the park. At the flooded meadow out towards the Bollin there were 2 Snipe, 1 Green Sandpiper still, 1 Grey Wagtail singing from the tree-tops in the gloom, the usual fix of Stock Doves, Nuthatches and Treecreepers and several Chiffchaffs singing. But the highlight was good views of a male Peregrine Falcon drift over the meadow, chased off by Meadow Pipits of all things! Thanks. Henry.
Judith As I was about to leave there was one of those active moments when several birds appeared all of a sudden - there was a mixture in the hedge row of which 3 or four were tree sparrows I am fairly confident - next time I am passing I will try to be a proper "birder" and do a count!!!
The Grey Wags were singing from the tree-tops last time I was there at the mill next to the Bollin, what a welcome though! I guess it is like most birds, just getting a vantage point for their song so any potential mates hear and any rivals also hear. Thanks. Henry.
Sorry - I have read it but wondering how to confess to some serious lazyness!
Of the 9 birds in Rusholme only one shows a ring, and I find it hard to believe that all the others are females. BWP isa bit vague but refers to something along the lines of at least 3 years to maturity, so there is always the chance that the Dunham bird could yet spring a surprise?
I've not got much in my field-guide but from a bit of net-scanning it seems they start to attain adult plumage from 18 months onwards (per http://www.avianweb.com/roseringedringneck.html). Juveniles should have a pale pink bill and my pics of the Dunham bird show a paler half of the bill at the tip end. Its tail streamer was pretty long in flight. Don't know if juvves have really a really short tail streamer? Wouldn't suprise me. From the info i've been able to read i'd say it might be a juvenile of at least 18 months. What does everyone else reckon though? Thanks. Henry.
p.s. a bit more trawling has produced an interesting image on 'www.orientalbirdimages.org' which shows a juvve which has a really short tail (http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?action=searchresult&Bird_ID=508&Bird_Image_ID=26513&Bird_Family_ID=&p=3). The Dunham bird shows a long tail so I reckon it's probably an advanced juvenile at least Rob.
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!
Thrashed around the obelisk area this morning but I couldn't find any LSW's. Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker showed well though. The Ring-necked Parakeet eventually appeared out of her hole in the tree near to the obelisk. Little Grebe and Tufted Ducks were on the adjacent small lake and 1 Stock Dove was perched in trees along the main avenue. In the field with the brook 7 Common Snipes were flushed as the Cheshire birding group trampsed around but behind the brook in the muddy field the Green Sandpiper showed well. A great morning (bar the lsw dip, which I am fully accustomed to!) was capped off with a fly-by from the Kingfisher along the brook. Cheers. Henerz.
Had all three species of pecker before 0700 this morning!! Green just over the stile from Charcoal Lane, Great Spot on main drive and Lesser in the area of woods near to original sighting two weeks ago in the area between Island Pool, Old Mans Pool and the obelisk. There was a minimum of one male and one female that kept flying in the tree tops until I left at around 0900. They were easy to spot particularly on the tall trees with the "crowned" tops.
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.
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
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?
sid,it was still dark when we arrived so we walked in to the nearest entrance we could find,I wouldn,t have minded being asked to leave the deer santuary but we hadn,t crossed any fences or markers when looking for the lsp and the 'jobsworth' carried on into the sanctuary with a young child obviously enjoying his right to roam and ignoring the dangers he had warned us of, so worthy volunteer or overpaid ****, telling six mature responsable people to move on for their own safety was a bit over the top.
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
Hi All Thanks to all those GM birders who helped me out with the lsp over the past few days. Finally got the hatrick this morning (4th time lucky) with Geoff and Rob (the ace spotter) near the obelisk before the crowds arrived! Nev
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 .
Good to put faces to names of all of you(Geoff, Rob, Ann and her husband, Ian and Jimmy) even if we did get told to "clear off" by the warden!!!
Yes it was a genuine mistake going into the deer sanctuary when we shouldn't, but still nice to see the Lesser while we were in there!!
Saw a Green Woodpecker with Geoff and Rob and then the Lesser with the rest of the group.
Snipe, Grey Wagtail, Stock Dove at stream amongst others.
Walked back to car park with Ann and her husband (apologies couldn't remember his name) and we searched the "Little Owl Tree" but nowhere to be seen unfortunately.
I couldn't resist one more look for a Great Spotted to complete the Woodpecker hat-trick so went back to the obelisk for one last look and bingo!! there was a Great Spotted in one of the trees nearby.
Hat-trick complete, the rain was setting in so I headed for home after a great morning with everyone which really enjoyable.
Met some really nice people today and hope to see you all again soon!!
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!!!
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.
An early start paid off this morning as we managed to see a lesser spot, thanks to some of the other Manchester birders there. Unfortunately it was in an area reserved for the deer, and we didn't get very long before a National Trust employee turfed us off!
Pair of Shoveler near the Lesser Pecker site early on also. Flock of 200 Filedfare flew over the road on the outskirts of Dunham Massey, largest flock have seen this winter.
Nice to meet you Sid this morning and get all 3 woodpeckers was nice, Parakeet showing well and a Green Sand on puddle in field by stream near car park. Never been to Dunham Massey before and was pleasantly surprised.
Charcoal Road was still closed when I came back about an hour ago - it's actually quite chaotic round there - they've got one side of the A56 dug up for re-tarring and the signs do say that Charcoal Road will be closed today and tomorrow as well as next week end.
As I said in my post yesterday - you can get to Woodhouse Lane via Dunham Town and I believe that the bit from the end of Woodhouse where it swings into Charcol is accessible if you wanted to go into the car park after 08.30. Alternatively there is a reasonable amount of room to park near the Swan with Two Nicks pub that is brown sign posted from the Lymm road about a mile after the Dunham roundabout.
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.
It was nice meeting you Sid and just as good getting the hat trick. What a very nice morning's birding!
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.