Fri 1500. 4 Male Goosanders and 2 Female Goosanders in one patch of water in the centre of the lake. Down by the overflow, we reckon it was a male Red Breasted Merganser alongside a juvenile Greater Crested Grebe. Since they (RBM) are not common, it would be nice for it to be confirmed.

Nice one with the Shoveler, Simon. I still haven't seen one in Rochdale yet!
Steve

Adult Whooper Swan in the middle of the Lake at 10 am this morning.

Cheers, Simon

Hi Simon
thought I'd found your RBM at the lake Friday 8.0am at the pond nr where the chemical works used to be. I got as close as possible to a pair of sawbills but I think they were probably Goosander although with my limited experience I'm not 100pc sure. Also 10 Teal on the pond. Did have a Brambling and buulfinch at the feeding station nr the visitors centre. Lots of Redwing and Fieldfares feeding on Hawthorn berries, the local squirrels were enjoying the crop as well.

Dave Phillips

Simon,if you can keep an eye on that merganser and keep us updated i,d love to get that on my list but i,ll have wait till sat am.

cheers geoff

Alan Nuttall had a dark-bellied Brent Goose this morning about 11 am.

No sign this evening - just a drake Wigeon and 3 Goosander


This is only the third record of Brent Goose for the Lake and I've managed to miss all 3!Typical birding - you keep going back day after day to this soul-destroying birdless place and then someone else pops up for a couple of hours and finds a county rarity - don't you just love it!Great bird though Alan.

25/9

Wigeon 3
Teal 1
Cormorant 2
Sparrowhawk 1 female
Great-spotted Woodpecker 1
Mipits - 60+ SW - quite a movement of these today
Mistle Thrush 21
Chiffchaff 4
Goldcrest 1
Long-tailed Tit 25+
Jay 2

No WWBTerns, or Brown Shrikes for that matter

1 Willow Tit - still present and associating with mixed tit flock
1 Common Tern
1 Ringed Plover
6 Willow Warblers
1 Chiffchaff
4 Goldcrests
1 Great-spotted Woodpecker
40+ Linnet
4 Bullfinch

Hi Simon,

Your Willow Tit sighting is an excellent local record! My only record for this species at Piethorne was of a single bird present in the lower valley between 13/9/05 and 25/10/05. I think a single bird (possibly the same one?) was in Rochdale Cemetery on 16/12/05. A Willow Tit was also seen by several local birders (myself included) in the vicinity of the Rochdale Canal at Higher Boarshaw and Castleton area between 20/11/06 and 23/12/06.

I know this is only a limited sample to make a judgement on but these would seem to suggest some post-breeding dispersal/movement and the best time for us local birders outside the core area of this species to look out for them would appear the be in the last third of the year!

Cheers,

Bill.

30/8 Another (or the same) Lesser Whitethroat this morning but otherwise quiet.

29/8 1 Shelduck

Sandwich Tern sitting on a buoy this morning from 0630 - 0645 at least but not present later in the day when the place resembled Blackpool.

A Whimbrel over this morning at 0710 and a Lesser Whitethroat singing behind Big Hedge. Also 1 Common Sandpiper.

1 Common Sand - first of year here and a male Brambling on feeders by the info centre

Pair of Common Scoter still present at 7pm showing well.

A White Wag this morning and 4 Sand Martins. 5+ Willow Warblers now. 35+ Fieldfare at Whittaker still.


Cheers, Simon

That albino has been around since 1997 - if the same bird and not one of its offspring.

Bill Myerscough wrote:

---

Hi Simon,

Fame for you at last !! Your sightings of Kittiwakes at Hollingworth Lake have made into todays (27/3) edition of The Times newspaper - your sightings of this species on your local patch are reported in todays " Nature Notes" on page 78 of the paper. Well done!

Cheers,

Bill.

---

Just found it on google... link here:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article3625367.ece

-- Edited by Rob Thorpe at 21:06, 2008-03-27

Two more Kittiwakes at Hollingworth Lake this am.

Info thanks to Simon Hitchen.

Adult Kittiwake this morning from 0725-0735 only

Also 1 Curlew east, 2 Redshank, 1 Oystercatcher, 4 Tufted Duck, 2 Mute Swans, 1 Cormorant, 1Grey Wag, 1 Stock Dove, 1 Green Woodpecker, 15+ Redwing & a Rook west ( a bit of a rarity here!).

An adult Kittiwake on the lake this morning - it flew off east at 08:05.

Did one of my BTO squares incorporating the eastern half of the Lake yesterday - some good birds in fantastic weather - highlight being a male Brambling, but also Green & Great-spotted Woodpeckers, Dipper, Nuthatch, Little Owl & a singing Bullfinch. Also 14 Cormorants was a good count for the Lake. Definitely a fan of the BTO Atlas - gets you to check out those little areas that you normally can't be bothered with.

Cheers, Simon

Signs of ducks on the move today with 12 Wigeon, 3 Pochard and a drake Goldeneye all undoubtedly passage birds. Also 21 Teal, 3 Goosander, 1 Cormorant, 6 Great-crested Grebes, 1 Grey Wagtail & 125 Lapwing.

Simon Hitchen

12 Pinkfeet flew west at 0830. Also 7 Great-crested Grebe, 5 Goosander, female Sparrowhawk, 1 Treecreeper, Kingfisher & 6 Siskin.

Braved Blackstone Edge this afternoon & it was absolute pants - the sum total being a female Goldeneye on Light Hazzles & 2 Common Gulls over Warland. 2 species - can anyone better this total for an afternoon's birding? You western birders don't know how lucky you are! But seriously I was a bit concerned that no-one appears to be putting food down at either of the Twite feeding stations and consequently there were.....no Twite. Don't know if this is a short-term thing but some other Rochdale birders have also mentioned this recently - do you know Judith? Maybe I'll start taking some nyger seed up there myself.

Also checked the gull roost out at Ashworth Moor Res'r - 68 Great black-backs, 14 Herring and 2 Lesser black-backs. but nothing more exciting unfortunately.

Simon

17 Cormorant today was a big count for Hollingworth - also 3 Wigeon, 5 Great-crested Grebes & 10 Goosander.

Also a male Brambling was on feeders in my Mum's garden which is just next to Hollingworth Lake.

Simon Hitchen